11:1
Nephi receives a very detailed vision about multiple principles, events and symbols. It may be the most well-documented vision in history. Pretty cool that Nephi wrote about with so much specificity. What he chooses to write is, in itself, a guide about what is important. We should consider that Nephi is writing this long after it happened. He already knows what is going to happen with his brothers and their rebellion. He already knows about the promised land. He has a perspective about this vision that he didn't have when he received it.
But, how did the vision get started? Nephi writes one long sentence that can be a model and inspiration for us. "For it came to pass after I had desired to know the things that my father had seen, and believing that the Lord was able to make them known unto me, as I sat pondering in mine heart I was caught away in the Spirit of the Lord, yea, into an exceedingly high mountain, which I never had before seen, and upon which I never had before set my foot." Here, Nephi's lists three keys:
"...I had desired to know..."
"...believing that the Lord was able to make them known unto me.."
"...as I sat pondering in mine heart..."
Nephi DESIRED to know something, BELIEVED that the Lord could reveal it to him, and was PONDERING in his heart until he received an answer. As other children of our Heavenly Father, we can apply these same principles or steps to receiving more revelation in our lives.
Sometimes, we think that Nephi is special and we aren't. Sure, Nephi was special and we won't receive the same type of revelation as he did. But, he simply received what was needed at the time. We, too, can count on receiving the revelation we need at this time. God loves us just as much as He did Nephi.
The Spirit confirms that Nephi has the desire and faith to receive a revelation:
"What desirest thou?"
"Believest thou..."
When we pray, let's decide what we desire from that conversation with God. Let's also believe that God will give us revelation to help us progress and return to Him. I think the third step of pondering is often overlooked in my own prayers. I'm so quick to get off of my knees that I don't give the Spirit a chance to respond. It's actually rude and socially inept! I would never do that in a conversation with anyone else in my life!
11:6
Once Nephi told the Spirit that he believed all the words of his father, the Spirit reacted forcefully. "And when I had spoken these words, the Spirit cried with a loud voice, saying: Hosanna to the Lord, the most high God; for he is God over all the earth, yea, even above all. And blessed art thou, Nephi, because thou believest in the Son of the most high God; wherefore, thou shalt behold the things which thou hast desired." A couple of things. First, clearly, it is important that we have faith in Jesus Christ. The Spirit seems overjoyed about this.
Second, it's interesting that they were talking about Nephi believing in the dream that Lehi had. Nephi says that he believes his father's words and then the Spirit connects that dream directly with believing in the "Son of the most high God." Clearly, the vision of the Tree of Life is about Jesus Christ. We will see many connections in Nephi's vision to the Savior - but the Spirit starts out making sure that connection is clear.
11:9-23
In these verses, the Spirit continues the vision with Nephi for a minute. The Spirit also makes the connection between the tree and Jesus. "And it came to pass after I had seen the tree, I said unto the Spirit: I behold thou hast shown unto me the tree which is precious above all. And he said unto me: What desirest thou? And I said unto him: To know the interpretation thereof..." So, Nephi is shown a tree, he recognizes that it means something more than just a tree, and wants to know the interpretation.
As soon as this happens, the Spirit disappears. "And it came to pass that he said unto me: Look! And I looked as if to look upon him, and I saw him not; for he had gone from before my presence." The Spirit didn't want Nephi looking at Him apparently.
"And it came to pass that I looked and beheld the great city of Jerusalem, and also other cities. And I beheld the city of Nazareth; and in the city of Nazareth I beheld a virgin, and she was exceedingly fair and white." I think it's very interesting that, when asked to know the interpretation of the tree, Nephi is shown Mary. Why is that? Is it Mary or motherhood that is key?
The Spirit is replaced with an angel. "And it came to pass that I saw the heavens open; and an angel came down and stood before me; and he said unto me: Nephi, what beholdest thou?" Why did the Spirit need to be replaced by an angel? Not sure.
The angel is finalizing the connection between the tree and Mary. "he said unto me: Nephi, what beholdest thou? And I said unto him: A virgin, most beautiful and fair above all other virgins. And he said unto me: Knowest thou the condescension of God? And I said unto him: I know that he loveth his children; nevertheless, I do not know the meaning of all things. And he said unto me: Behold, the virgin whom thou seest is the mother of the Son of God, after the manner of the flesh."
The angel commands that Nephi look..."And I looked and beheld the virgin again, bearing a child in her arms. And the angel said unto me: Behold the Lamb of God, yea, even the Son of the Eternal Father! Knowest thou the meaning of the tree which thy father saw? And I answered him, saying: Yea, it is the love of God, which sheddeth itself abroad in the hearts of the children of men; wherefore, it is the most desirable above all things. And he spake unto me, saying: Yea, and the most joyous to the soul."
The angel is making a point about what the tree represents. I've read that the tree is Jesus Christ and I've heard that the tree represents our heavenly mother. Or is it both? Fun question that I don't know the answer to.
11:24-25
"And after he had said these words, he said unto me: Look! And I looked, and I beheld the Son of God going forth among the children of men; and I saw many fall down at his feet and worship him." This reminds me of the way that the people fall down at the tree of life when they reach it. Clearly there's an intentional connection here. People are grateful, overwhelmed, moved, and weary and heavy laden when they reach the feet of the Savior. When each of us sees him, we all will fall or, at least, take a knee.
"And it came to pass that I beheld that the rod of iron, which my father had seen, was the word of God, which led to the fountain of living waters, or to the tree of life; which waters are a representation of the love of God; and I also beheld that the tree of life was a representation of the love of God." The tree isn't some vague symbol of God's love for us. The tree represents Jesus Christ - which is God's best symbol of his love for all of us. There are no words that could describe God's love better than knowing of His sacrifice for all of us.
11:26-27
The angel further connects the love of God to Christ's condescension. "And the angel said unto me again: Look and behold the condescension of God! And I looked and beheld the Redeemer of the world, of whom my father had spoken..." It is amazing to consider what Jesus gave up when he condescended to become a mortal living among us. He was the creator of the universe and was born in Bethlehem! The Redeemer of the world had dusty feet and worn-out sandals!
Christ's condescension to going through mortality for us is the greatest example of both His and his Father's love!
11:31-33
The angel further illustrates Christ's condescension by showing what Jesus's life and death would be like. "And he spake unto me again, saying: Look! And I looked, and I beheld the Lamb of God going forth among the children of men. And I beheld multitudes of people who were sick, and who were afflicted with all manner of diseases, and with devils and unclean spirits; and the angel spake and showed all these things unto me. And they were healed by the power of the Lamb of God; and the devils and the unclean spirits were cast out. And it came to pass that the angel spake unto me again, saying: Look! And I looked and beheld the Lamb of God, that he was taken by the people; yea, the Son of the everlasting God was judged of the world; and I saw and bear record. And I, Nephi, saw that he was lifted up upon the cross and slain for the sins of the world." Nephi saw that Jesus would spend his life healing all types of afflictions. Nephi bore record that the "Son of the everlasting God" would be judged and slain for our sins.
All of this was given to Nephi because he desired to know the interpretation of the tree in Lehi's dream. I think he received more than he was expecting. The angel needed Nephi to know who Jesus was and what He was willing to do because of his and God's love for us. We all must makes this connection. The vision of the tree of life is a story of mortality. We are all in a dark and dreary waste and our only hope is to walk towards the tree of life - Jesus Christ. Nephi, and we, must know this and feel it in our bones.
11:34-36
Of course, there is opposition in all things. "And after he was slain I saw the multitudes of the earth, that they were gathered together to fight against the apostles of the Lamb; for thus were the twelve called by the angel of the Lord. And the multitude of the earth was gathered together; and I beheld that they were in a large and spacious building, like unto the building which my father saw. And the angel of the Lord spake unto me again, saying: Behold the world and the wisdom thereof; yea, behold the house of Israel hath gathered together to fight against the twelve apostles of the Lamb. And it came to pass that I saw and bear record, that the great and spacious building was the pride of the world; and it fell, and the fall thereof was exceedingly great. And the angel of the Lord spake unto me again, saying: Thus shall be the destruction of all nations, kindreds, tongues, and people, that shall fight against the twelve apostles of the Lamb."
Again, the tree of life vision is about mortality. There will be those who are full of pride and believe in their false wisdom. In Jesus's time, there were those who fought against Him. In our time, there are very similar people who are fighting God's chosen people and attempting to frustrate the growth of the kingdom of God. In Christ's day, those who opposed were those who were the religious leaders. In our day, it is those who are considered influencers who have a social media following. It is the all-knowing talking heads that we see on our TV's. There will always be people willing to populate the large and spacious building!
The thing about human pride is that it is built on vain imaginations. It is not built on truth. It is constructed on self-bias, self-importance, bad assumptions, comparative self esteem, faulty data, incorrect conclusions, and giving our seriously flawed beings more credit than we are close to deserving. We live, as immortal beings, in a mortal testing ground with a veil over 99.9% of our mental capacity and think we are the source of goodness in this world. It's all vanity and misty substance that will float away at the first breeze of true power. Truly, this great and spacious building is built on nothing. It floats in the air.
12:4-5
Nephi sees a "mist of darkness on the face of the land of promise" and a "vapor of darkness" in his prophetic vision of the future of the Americas. Clearly, there is a connection between Lehi's dream and the vision of the future.
Of course there is. The mists of darkness in Lehi's dream are DIRECTLY connected with the temptations and wickedness of real people in Nephi's vision of the future.
12:16-18
Here, we get the interpretation of Lehi's dream. "And the angel spake unto me, saying: Behold the fountain of filthy water which thy father saw; yea, even the river of which he spake; and the depths thereof are the depths of hell. And the mists of darkness are the temptations of the devil, which blindeth the eyes, and hardeneth the hearts of the children of men, and leadeth them away into broad roads, that they perish and are lost. And the large and spacious building, which thy father saw, is vain imaginations and the pride of the children of men." I think most of us know these.
I think it's interesting that Nephi sees people being led into "broad roads." Obviously, this contrasts with the strait and narrow path of righteousness. The narrow path is one where "few are they who find it." With these broad roads, you can be led into it. The straight road requires effort on our part to enter. Conversely, we can stumble into a broad road. The narrow road requires strength and effort, the broad road simply requires existing or helplessly following another. One road is a proving ground, the other is a receptacle.
12:19
There are two things that will lead to wickedness on their own. But when they are together, it's almost guaranteed. "...and because of the pride of my seed, and the temptations of the devil..." Pride + temptations isn't a good mix. If we think we are above temptation, we are vulnerable to the very thing that we falsely believe we are immune to. It is often our pride that is the very reason we give into temptation!
12:23
"And it came to pass that I beheld, after they had dwindled in unbelief they became a dark, and loathsome, and a filthy people, full of idleness and all manner of abominations." How much wickedness springs from idleness. I think a lot. A lot of our sins come from free time. When we are anxiously engaged in something, we don't have the time or energy to become full of abominations. I don't believe Satan's minions are busy whispering into the guy who is busy. These wicked spirits speak up when we are sitting around and our minds are empty.
13:9
"And also for the praise of the world do they destroy the saints of God, and bring them down into captivity." Why are wicked people intent on destroying the saints of God? These days, a better question might be: why do people who leave the Church so intent on destroying the faith of the remaining members? The question to both is WHY?
This scripture gives one reason. They do it for "the praise of the world." How so? Why would destroying the saints bring praise from others? Consider our political environment now. If you were at a rally in Salt Lake City and said these statements over the microphone, would you get applause?
Love is love and no church should separate people who love each other.
God does not love us because we don't hold a piece of paper. (Temple recommend)
God loves all of his children and we shouldn't treat people differently simply because of who they love.
Women should have 100% control of their bodies! No man in a suit should have any say over whether a woman can receive an abortion.
I could write a long list of statements that would, no doubt, get standing ovations of applause. Why is that?
If I have a YouTube channel and I post a video that is titled, "Church SCANDAL," how many clicks would it get? Compare that to if I posted a video with the title "The Church is True." Which would get the most clicks? It's not even close.
We are built to be critical. We are good at seeing what is wrong. It makes us feel better to see that others are struggling more than we are. For those who are sinning and know, deep down, that they are sinning, it can feel like a healing balm to hear bad things about those we perceive to be righteous. Comparatively, when someone is doing something wrong, we're relatively better. It's just human nature and it's tied to pride because of course it is.
Sinners are very good at unifying. Consider the organization of those who are fighting for women's rights or LGBT rights. They are well-organized and passionate. They are quick to praise those who support their cause. If someone is wanting the praise of the world, they can get a lot by supporting these organized, vocal, passionate groups.
13:16
"And it came to pass that I, Nephi, beheld that the Gentiles who had gone forth out of captivity did humble themselves before the Lord; and the power of the Lord was with them." Humility is power. Why is that? Because a humble person is open to and seeking direction from God. They are relying on God rather than themselves. Who is more powerful than someone who is firmly holding onto God Almighty?
13:26-27
"And after they go forth by the hand of the twelve apostles of the Lamb, from the Jews unto the Gentiles, thou seest the formation of that great and abominable church, which is most abominable above all other churches; for behold, they have taken away from the gospel of the Lamb many parts which are plain and most precious; and also many covenants of the Lord have they taken away. And all this have they done that they might pervert the right ways of the Lord, that they might blind the eyes and harden the hearts of the children of men." Why would people do this? What could possibly be the motivation?
If I were to guess, I would say that it's about pride and power. I imagine that a lot of what was taken out is our identity and potential as children of God. Along with that was a more accurate description of who God is. If the masses don't understand their potential and their very real relationship with God as his children, they are easier to control. If the people worship something that they don't understand and view themselves as perhaps insignificant, it's easier to create a herd of sheep.
If people saw themselves as equal with each other and had unlimited potential, how could the leaders suggest that they were chosen and better and, therefore, should be followed. If the common man knew that there was a covenant between God and him or her that they could inherit all that God has, that would be problematic if leaders were attempting to keep the people down.
13:39-41
In these verses, it's describing the plans that God has for the Book of Mormon. The four purposes listed here are:
"...unto the convincing of the Gentiles and the remnant of the seed of my brethren, and also the Jews who were scattered upon all the face of the earth, that the records of the prophets and of the twelve apostles of the Lamb are true." One book, coming from one set of writers, in one location could be a collective deception. The apostles could have colluded and invented the story of Jesus to gain followers. However, if a separate book, written on a separate continent contains the same words spoken by the same Christ, that's a lot harder to explain it away. The words of the first will be proven true.
"...and shall make known the plain and precious things which have been taken away from them." The things that were taken out will be restored. We will understand the identity of God and our true relationship to him has his children. We understand our potential.
"...and shall make known to all kindreds, tongues, and people, that the Lamb of God is the Son of the Eternal Father, and the Savior of the world." The Book of Mormon confirms Jesus's identity at a heavenly being. Perhaps someone could explain Christ's teachings as that of a prophet - and that the miracles perhaps were embellished. Maybe Christ helped people but didn't necessarily heal people. Maybe the resurrection was a fabrication to gain followers. But, it's harder to brush away the story of Christ descending from heaven as a being of light. That isn't an embellishment of something else. If it happened at all, Jesus is divine.
"...and that all men must come unto him, or they cannot be saved." This is the key action item that the Book of Mormon makes clear. It clarifies what Jesus meant when he said, "I am the way, the truth, and the life." He wasn't just saying to follow his example, he was saying that we could completely rely on him to save us. He wasn't only a great teacher, he was truly our Savior.
14:7, 10
"For the time cometh, saith the Lamb of God, that I will work a great and a marvelous work among the children of men; a work which shall be everlasting, either on the one hand or on the other—either to the convincing of them unto peace and life eternal, or unto the deliverance of them to the hardness of their hearts and the blindness of their minds unto their being brought down into captivity, and also into destruction, both temporally and spiritually, according to the captivity of the devil, of which I have spoken." The great and marvelous work is the restoration of the gospel.
It's interesting that the restoration will have an everlasting effect - "either on the one hand or on the other:
"...either to the convincing of them unto peace and life eternal." The gospel will convince people about the purpose of life, their potential and the need to come unto Christ. Following Christ's gospel brings peace in this life and eternal life in the next.
"...or unto the deliverance of them to the hardness of their hearts and the blindness of their minds unto their being brought down into captivity." How will the restored gospel do this? Those who choose to reject the gospel and it's precepts are taking a step. They are making a choice. Once the choice is made, they will have to convince themselves to keep walking on the path that they've chosen. Often, this involves criticizing or even fighting against the principles of the other path. Continuing in the direction they have chosen will lead to further hardening their hearts and blinding their minds.
The gospel will eliminate the lukewarm category. You'll be either for the kingdom in a big way or against it in an equally big way. The fence sitters will have to choose. The angel continues in verse 10. "And he said unto me: Behold there are save two churches only; the one is the church of the Lamb of God, and the other is the church of the devil; wherefore, whoso belongeth not to the church of the Lamb of God belongeth to that great church, which is the mother of abominations; and she is the whore of all the earth." The world will become more and more polarized. You'll either be for or against.
The angel clarifies the destination of those who fight against the church of God. "...and also into destruction, both temporally and spiritually, according to the captivity of the devil, of which I have spoken." Those who choose to fight against the church of God will pay consequences. Their lives will be harder. They will face more struggles. They will experience heartache that they could have avoided by following Christ. Of course, their spirituality will be destroyed. One cannot truly progress spiritually if one is not following the Spirit.
I believe those who say that they are "spiritual" but not religious. I don't know what that means exactly but it often means that they have invented some form of spirituality that makes the most sense to them. They sense something greater and have designed a way to progress "spiritually" on their own path. The problem is the path. If we are not following Jesus Christ but are, instead, following a path best suited for our unique personality and character, we are limiting our spiritual growth. We are on a spiritual path that doesn't really have a goal. It's like we are a traveler who enjoys traveling but doesn't have a destination - or even a map. That kind of traveler will spend a lot of time driving but won't really get anywhere.
14:12
"And it came to pass that I beheld the church of the Lamb of God, and its numbers were few, because of the wickedness and abominations of the whore who sat upon many waters; nevertheless, I beheld that the church of the Lamb, who were the saints of God, were also upon all the face of the earth; and their dominions upon the face of the earth were small, because of the wickedness of the great whore whom I saw." Currently, there are around 16 million church members. That represents about .2% of the population. That's a small percentage.
I believe that this percentage will continue to decline. In fact, it's possible that the number of members will decline. The last days are not a time of spiritual enlightenment. We are seeing many members leaving the church and that trend is only going to increase. Truly, our "numbers are few."
But, I have faith that it is enough. We will have enough members of the church to build the kingdom of God enough for Christ to return to an organization that is capable of helping him manage a kingdom. Of course, he doesn't necessarily need our help. We are the ones who need our helping.
14:14
"And it came to pass that I, Nephi, beheld the power of the Lamb of God, that it descended upon the saints of the church of the Lamb, and upon the covenant people of the Lord, who were scattered upon all the face of the earth; and they were armed with righteousness and with the power of God in great glory." The members of the church will not be armed with weapons. Our strength will not come from guns and ammunition. Our strength will be our righteousness.
Righteousness is permanently connected to the power of God. The power of God is, of course, true power. It is the power to protect against the imminent coming of the wrath of God that will be poured out among all nations.
I'm reminded of how the people in Christ's day said that he spoke with authority. They felt his power. His power came from righteousness. Members of the church will speak with that same power that will be obvious to those who see it.
15:3
"For he truly spake many great things unto them, which were hard to be understood, save a man should inquire of the Lord; and they being hard in their hearts, therefore they did not look unto the Lord as they ought." They were attempting to figure out what their father's words meant. They were using their little brains. They wanted to be self sufficient I suppose.
But that's not how this works. God never intended us to be self sufficient. This life is about building reliance on Jesus and God. It is about turning towards them - continually. God's ways are not our ways and if we are relying on our wisdom to figure out life, we're going to be frustrated like Laman and Lemuel.
If we humble ourselves a bit and fully acccept that we need help and there is someone who is ready and willing to help and sees the big picture in a way that we'll never understand, we can receive inspiration and instruction and revelation that would otherwise be out of our realm.
15:5-6
Nephi shows his humanity here. "And it came to pass that I was overcome because of my afflictions, for I considered that mine afflictions were great above all, because of the destruction of my people, for I had beheld their fall. And it came to pass that after I had received strength I spake unto my brethren, desiring to know of them the cause of their disputations." Nephi sees the destruction of his people. I'm sure it was an awful vision. Furthermore, he knows that it's his brothers descendants who are the cause of the destruction. Nephi is overcome. He needs a sec. Who wouldn't?
Fortunately he rebounds - not from his own strength but from strength he receives. "And it came to pass that after I had received strength I spake unto my brethren..." Nephi is doing the opposite of what his brothers are doing. They are attempting to figure things out by relying on their own strength. Nephi is able to rise above his afflictions by RECEIVING strength. Big difference.
15:8-9
Nephi uses this as a teaching moment about where they should go for help and answers. "And I said unto them: Have ye inquired of the Lord?" Of course, Nephi has just received an intense revelation that came from his inquiry towards the Lord. He has a testimony that God will answer if we ask. Nephi might have assumed that his brothers could receive the same revelation that he did. They did already see an angel...
Of course, they hadn't. "And they said unto me: We have not; for the Lord maketh no such thing known unto us." Their answer is mystifying to me. They say that they didn't ask the Lord because the Lord "maketh no such thing known unto us." It's like they are blaming God for not telling them that they should ask God. They have the order backwards and it gives insight into their narcissism. They think God should make the first move and then they'll ask. They have no idea of the nature of God.
We ask and God gives. It's not that God gives and then we ask so God can give. That pattern doesn't promote growth in us. God is wanting us to use our agency to make the first move.
15:11
Nephi answers them. "Do ye not remember the things which the Lord hath said?—If ye will not harden your hearts, and ask me in faith, believing that ye shall receive, with diligence in keeping my commandments, surely these things shall be made known unto you." Nephi is giving them a mini lesson about receiving revelation:
Don't harden your heart.
Ask in faith, believing that you'll receive.
Keep the commandments with diligence.
If we're doing these things, we can receive revelation directly from Heavenly Father. Do you believe it?
15:20
"And I did rehearse unto them the words of Isaiah, who spake concerning the restoration of the Jews..." I love that Nephi is quoting scripture to his brothers. Nephi wasn't just a young, inexperienced, unknowing man. He had studied. He had memorized. He was able to, on the spot, rehearse the words of Isaiah. Nephi knew the scriptures. This is part of what made him the man he was!
15:25
"Wherefore, I, Nephi, did exhort them to give heed unto the word of the Lord; yea, I did exhort them with all the energies of my soul, and with all the faculty which I possessed, that they would give heed to the word of God and remember to keep his commandments always in all things." It's interesting to me that Nephi is putting everything he has into his attempt to influence his brothers - knowing the future. He knows that his brothers will split off from him and their descendants will become two separate nations. He knows the awfulness that will come because of Laman and Lemuel. A lesser person would simply kill both of them. (Think about if you could go back in time to when Hitler was a teenager...what would you do?)
Instead, Nephi exhorts them. He wants them to be good. He wants them to choose the right road. We see the righteousness and hopefulness of Nephi's nature. He's leaning into their possible conversion rather than writing them off. Next time you think someone is beyond listening, think of Nephi with his brothers!
Of course, Nephi's emotional pleas don't really hit. Instead of responding to all of his energetic exhortations, they just move onto the next question. "And they said unto me: What meaneth the river of water which our father saw?" Also, notice how they are asking Nephi rather than asking the Lord. I kinda wish Nephi wouldn't have answered and said, "go to the Lord."
15:31-34
This is some heavy instruction going on here. Nephi was explaining the gulf that divided the wicked from the righteous and they have a question: "And they said unto me: Doth this thing mean the torment of the body in the days of probation, or doth it mean the final state of the soul after the death of the temporal body, or doth it speak of the things which are temporal?" They are interested in whether the torment is in mortality or is it the "final state of the soul after the death of the temporal body?"
Why are they asking this question? I think, since they aren't particularly valiant or obedient, they are really interested in the punishment aspect of the plan of salvation. I'm curious if they would have been more relieved about the torment being only in mortality or would they prefer that it happened after mortality. I suspect that they were more concerned about immediate torment rather than something in the distant future.
Unfortunately for them, Nephi's answer probably didn't bring them comfort. "And it came to pass that I said unto them that it was a representation of things both temporal and spiritual; for the day should come that they must be judged of their works, yea, even the works which were done by the temporal body in their days of probation." That's probably not what they wanted to hear. To them, this probably sounded like "the torment will occur in both temporal and spiritual." I think the torment is more complicated than that. I think the temporal and spiritual are more intertwined than we think.
There are always consequences for our choices. Those consequences happen in this life and those consequences happen into eternity. We are living with the consequences of our choices every day. As I sit, I am the total sum of all choices I have made since I was born. Has a judgment happened? In a way, YES! If judgment is about consequences for our actions, then yes. I think it's helpful to stop thinking about this life as a test and we'll get a final grade at the end. The grading is happening every day. Judgment is happening every day. To the Lord, there is no separation between temporal and spiritual. In D&C 29:34, we read, "Wherefore, verily I say unto you that all things unto me are spiritual, and not at any time have I given unto you a law which was temporal." This seems pretty clear about a distinction between temporal and spiritual to the Lord.
Nephi continues, "Wherefore, if they should die in their wickedness they must be cast off also, as to the things which are spiritual, which are pertaining to righteousness; wherefore, they must be brought to stand before God, to be judged of their works; and if their works have been filthiness they must needs be filthy; and if they be filthy it must needs be that they cannot dwell in the kingdom of God; if so, the kingdom of God must be filthy also. But behold, I say unto you, the kingdom of God is not filthy, and there cannot any unclean thing enter into the kingdom of God; wherefore there must needs be a place of filthiness prepared for that which is filthy."
The confusing part for me is the "if you die in your sins then you're filthy" part. I believe in progression in the next life. I think that a majority of us die as ongoing sinners. Not many perfect themselves before they die. I personally believe this is a warning to strive to repent. If we reach a point where our spiritual growth ends, we refuse to repent, we are in trouble. If we are in open rebellion against God, meaning we know what is right and we actively rebel against it, that rebellion is likely going to continue on and on. We can become hardened to striving to do the right thing.
Most of us are weak. We want to do the right thing always but slip back into mistakes surrounding our main weaknesses. But, the desire to do the right thing is still there. Those who have a desire to repent and improve will be given every chance to repent. As long as they are willing, progress will happen. For many, there will be a point at which they are completely satisfied with their progress and say "no more." At that point, they spiritually die. If they are filthy, they will remain filthy. If they are filthy, they cannot be with God.
I think Nephi is leaning into the "you better repent or it's going to be really bad for you" with his brothers because he knows the end of the story. He knows they are going to make bad choices. He knows that they will die as to anything righteous in this life. He wants them to change and take advantage of their probation in mortality. He is using strong language to shock their senses and, hopefully, help them to repent. It would be great to have someone like Nephi around to give you course corrections in ways that would motivate you to improve!
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