After viewing the vision of the Tree of Life, as Nephi calls it, the angel shows him a vision that seems to reach far beyond his initial petition.  Nephi reports that he sees multitudes of people, but it is the angel who divides up the masses into two distinction categories: “thy seed” and “the seed of thy brethren.”  (1 Ne. 12:1).  After Nephi sees the fourth generation pass away, the angel once again invokes this distinction: “Behold thy seed and also the seed of thy brethren.”  Nephi sees both groups engaged in warfare. (1Ne 12:14-15).  Nephi sees that the seed of his brethren “overpowered” his seed.  At this point, Nephi’s seed disappears from world history.

Nephi’s reaction to this one scene is absent from the record. [Read more...]