Love Is Homemade: Nephi's Vision: Book of Mormon Journaling 1 Nephi 11-15 (January 20-26, 2020)

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This is my favorite illustration in my scripture journal (it looks better in person). In chapter 11, Nephi asks an angel for the interpretation of the tree his father saw in a vision. Instead of answering, the angel shows Nephi a vision of his own: he sees a virgin holding a child in her arms. After seeing this, Nephi is able to tell the angel that the tree of life (and fountain of living waters) represents the love of God.

On the next page, Nephi sees the Lamb of God healing the sick and casting out unclean spirits. Then, the most poignant words in The Book of Mormon, "The Son of the everlasting God was judged of the world . . . [and] he was lifted up upon the cross and slain for the sins of the world" (1 Nephi 11:32-33). In the margin, I wrote:

"As we seek to minister just as He did, we will be provided opportunities to forget self and lift others. These opportunities may often be inconvenient and test our desire to become more like the Master, whose greatest service of all, His infinite Atonement, was anything but convenient" (Bishop W. Christopher Waddell, "Just as He Did," Ensign, May 2019).

In 1 Nephi 12:11, Nephi, still in vision, sees three generations whose "garments were white even like unto the Lamb of God . . . These are made white in the blood of the Lamb, because of their faith in him." In the margins I wrote:

"Though your sins be as scarlet, they shall be as white as snow," (Isaiah 1:18).

In 1 Nephi 13, Nephi sees much farther into the future, when Gentiles will cross the waters and come forth out of captivity. In the margin I used colored pencil to draw a ship (based on a painting I saw representing the Mayflower) and wrote:

"In the Lord's due time His Spirit 'wrought upon' Columbus, the pilgrims, the Puritans, and others to come to America," (Ezra Taft Benson, "Our Divine Constitution," Conference, October 1987).

Many times during his vision, Nephi refers to Jesus Christ as the Lamb of God. In my chapter 14 margins I have two quotes including that title:

"Jesus Christ is our perfect Good Shepherd. Because He has laid down His life for us and is now gloriously resurrected, Jesus Christ is also the perfect Lamb of God" (Gerrit W. Gong, "Good Shepherd, Lamb of God," Ensign, May 2019).