Lesson of 2026
Lesson No. Twenty-Two

Nephi’s Vision of the Most Important Events in the Last Two Thousand Years

The Lord’s opinion. There are opinion polls and other studies that try to determine what people think are the most important events over a given period of time. To know what God thinks are the most important events in world history from the birth of Jesus to His Second Coming we should study Nephi’s vision as recorded in 1 Nephi 11-14.

The birth, the mortal ministry, the death, and resurrection (1 Nephi 11-12). These are the most important events in time and eternity. These chapters also speak of the Lord’s resurrected ministry among the Nephites as recorded in 3 Nephi 11-26. They also speak of the beginnings of the great, worldwide apostacy that took place after the death of the Lord’s original Apostles.

The Lord orchestrated the founding of the United States so the gospel could be restored. (1 Nephi 13). As Elder Jeffery R. Holland taught, the Lord prepared these events with “meticulous preparation and precise timing.”

Christoper Columbus (1 Nephi 13:12). Columbus brought the Old Word and the New World into permanent contact in preparation for the founding of the United States, the Restoration of the Gospel of Jesus Christ, and the gathering of Israel in the last days.

We have unique insights concerning Columbus and the Founders. Shortly after the dedication of the St George Temple, the first temple in Utah, President Wilford Woodruff received a vision that he spoke of at general conference:

“I will here say… that two weeks before I left St George, the spirits of the dead gathered around me, wanting to know why we did not redeem them. Said they, “You have had the use of the Endowment House for a number of years, and yet nothing has ever been done for us. We laid the foundation of the government you now enjoy, and we never apostatized from it, but we remained true to it and were faithful to God….I straightway went into the baptismal font and called upon Brother McAllister to baptize me for the signers of the Declaration of Independence, and fifty other eminent men, making one hundred in all, including John Wesley, Columbus, and others.’

Mayflower pilgrims (1 Nephi 13:13). Because the Lord used the Mayflower Pilgrims to accomplish His purposes, He brought them to Plymouth Massachusetts, far north of where they had intended, and where no government had been established. They intended to land at Jamestown Virginia where England had established a colony. Because there was no established government at Plymouth, they entered into the Mayflower Compact. This was the first attempt, in thousands of years, to establish a functioning government based on the consent of the governed.

The Mayflower passengers decided that their freedom and security would not depend upon an all-powerful government. It would depend upon their ability to govern themselves, to submit to laws that they themselves had written. The Mayflower Compact broke with history where unelected rulers issued decrees by divine right or absolute tyranny.

The Mayflower Pilgrims were committed to “the advancement of the Christian faith” and designed and signed their compact “in the presence of God.” But no one had a theocracy in mind; rather, they sought to form “a civil body politic.” Importantly, their new political community would be framed by “just and equal laws” — laws that would apply without discrimination to all their members. Here, at the very beginning of American history, we see the ideals of equal justice and government by consent of the governed.

A nation of immigrants, a melting pot (1 Nephi 13:14). The United States has assimilated more immigrants than any other nation in the history of the world, and these immigrants have come from every nation. Most immigrants, like the Pilgrims, come to this country for freedom and opportunity. Much of our national strength has come from successfully integrating immigrants into society. (Last week’s Lesson discussed this in greater detail)

The American Revolution successful because the power of God was with the colonists (1 Nephi 13:16-19). These colonist “did humble themselves before the Lord; and the power of the Lord was with them” (1 Nephi 13:16), and they “were delivered by the power of God out of the hands of all other nations” (1 Nephi 13:19).

Jesus explained why the Father intervened in the American Revolution: “For it is wisdom in the Father that they (our founding generations) should be established in this land (the United States), and be set up as a free people by the power of the Father, that these things (the gospel of Jesus Christ generally and the Book of Mormon specifically) might come forth from them (our founding generations) unto a remnant of your seed (Lamanites specifically and the entire world generally) that the covenant of the Father (to gather Israel to the gospel of Jesus Christ) may be fulfilled which he hath covenanted with his people, O house of Israel” (3 Nephi 21:4, explanations added).

The Great Apostasy and its results (1 Nephi 13:20-29). Because of the great apostacy where many plain and precious things were taken out of the Bible “an exceedingly great many do stumble, yea, insomuch that Satan hath great power over them” (1 Nephi 13:29).

The Restoration of the Gospel of Jesus Christ (1 Nephi 13: 30-42). “Neither will the Lord God suffer that the Gentiles shall forever remain in that awful state of blindness, which thou beholdest they are in, because of the plain and most precious parts of the gospel of the Lamb which have been kept back” (1 Nephi 13:32). Therefore, the Bible and the Book of Mormon “shall be established in one; for there is one God and one Shepard over all the earth” (1 Nephi 13:41).

People in the latter days must choose between the work of the Lord or the ways of the world, and if they don’t choose the work of the Lord, Satan will have power in their lives. (See 1 Nephi 14:1-17). “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…” (1 Nephi 14:7).

The great and a marvelous work among the children of men spoken of in 1 Nephi 14:7 is the restoration of the Gospel of Jesus Christ beginning with Joseph Smith. This Restoration will be a great sieve which will separate people either to peace and eternal life or to the power of the devil.

I testify that Nephi’s vision of the world fighting against the Lord and His Church is being fulfilled in our day. (See 1 Nephi 14:10-13) The ways of the world dominate all the earth. But the saints of God, whose numbers are few in comparison to the world, are also upon all the face of the earth.

I testify that temple covenant people of the Lord are also upon all the face of the earth, and they are armed with righteousness and the power of God great glory. (See 1 Nephi 14:14) This prophecy is being fulfilled as more temples are built, and temple covenant people, armed with the power of God, are found world-wide.

Released on June 21st. 2026.