Nephi sees in vision the church of the devil set up among the Gentiles, the discovery and colonizing of America, the loss of many plain and precious parts of the Bible, the resultant state of gentile apostasy, the restoration of the gospel, the coming forth of latter-day scripture, and the building up of Zion.
"And they must come according to the words which shall be established by the mouth of the Lamb; and the words of the Lamb shall be made known in the records of thy seed, as well as in the records of the twelve apostles of the Lamb; wherefore they both shall be established in one; for there is one God and one Shepherd over all the earth."
"And the time cometh that he shall manifest himself unto all nations, both unto the Jews and also unto the Gentiles; and after he has manifested himself unto the Jews and also unto the Gentiles, then he shall manifest himself unto the Gentiles and also unto the Jews, and the last shall be first, and the first shall be last."
Bible Study:
How Is the Last First, and the First Last?
1. The Pattern:
God gathers in two great movements
1 Nephi 13:41 — “the words of the Lamb… in the records of thy seed… and in the records of the twelve apostles”
"records" Cross‑reference:
▪︎ We see two records:
¤ The Bible, carried by the Jews and
preserved by the Twelve Apostles.
¤ The Book of Mormon, carried by the
Nephite seed.
▪︎ Together they restore what was lost and
testify of the same Lamb.
“… they both shall be established in one”
"one" Cross‑reference:
▪︎ Ezekiel saw two sticks—Judah and
Joseph—becoming one in God’s hand.
▪︎ Nephi sees the same unity: two
testimonies, one Shepherd, one
covenant family.
“… for there is one God and one Shepherd over all the earth”
"one God" Cross‑references:
▪︎ We worship one God, revealed perfectly
in the Son.
▪︎ We follow one Shepherd, the Lord
Jesus Christ.
"Shepherd" Principle:
We choose the most fitting from the topical guide for Nephi’s theme of unity and gathering:
▪︎ Psalm 23:1 — “The Lord is my shepherd.”
▪︎ Isaiah 40:11 — He “shall feed his flock
like a shepherd.”
▪︎ John 10:14 — “I am the good shepherd.”
▪︎ John 10:16 — “Other sheep I have… and
there shall be one fold, and one shepherd.”
▪︎ 1 Nephi 22:25 (3 Nephi 18:31)— He
numbereth His sheep, and they know Him.
▪︎ 3 Nephi 15:21 (3 Nephi 16:3) — One fold,
one Shepherd.
Together these show us:
The Lord gathers us in two movements—first the Jews, then the Gentiles—until all are brought into one fold under one Shepherd.
2. How the “first” were first
1 Nephi 13:42 — “he shall manifest himself… unto the Jews”
"Jews" Cross‑references:
▪︎ The Jews were the first stewards of
covenant truth.
▪︎ They received the promises, the
prophets, the temple, and the
Messiah Himself.
▪︎ They preserved the scriptures that
bless all nations.
▪︎ They were the first to hear His voice and
witness His ministry.
They were the first witnesses.
3. How the “last” became first
After the scattering of Israel:
▪︎ The Gentiles received the record of the
Twelve Apostles (the Bible).
▪︎ The Gentiles received the Book of
Mormon through the Restoration.
▪︎ The Gentiles became the first to carry
the restored gospel to the world.
"last” Cross‑references:
▪︎ Jacob 5:63 — the Lord returns to
nourish the original tree.
▪︎ Ether 13:12 — the remnant of Joseph
and the remnant of Judah come together.
We became first receivers in the last days— not because we were more righteous,
but because God’s mercy is wide enough to gather outward before circling back inward.
4. How the “first” become first again
Nephi sees a future moment when:
▪︎ The Jews will again recognize the
Messiah.
▪︎ The records of Judah and Joseph will
speak together.
▪︎ The covenant people will be restored to
their promised role.
▪︎ The Lord will manifest Himself to them
in power.
“first” Cross‑references:
▪︎ Luke 13:30 — "there are last which shall
be first, and there are first which shall
be last."
▪︎ 1 Nephi 10:14 — the Gentiles receive the
gospel after the Jews.
▪︎ 1 Nephi 15:13–20 — the Gentiles receive
the fullness first.
▪︎ D&C 14:10 — the field is white already to
harvest among the Gentiles.
In that day, the “first” rise again—
not above us, but with us,
as one people under one God and one Shepherd.
5. What this means for us
This prophecy is not about ranking.
It is about reversal for the sake of unity.
The Lord’s pattern teaches us:
▪︎ We are part of a story bigger than our
own lineage.
▪︎ We need each other’s records,
testimonies, and gifts.
▪︎ We are gathered in different orders, but
into the same fold.
▪︎ God’s timing is restorative, not
competitive.
When the Lord says,
“the last shall be first, and the first shall be last,”
He is showing us that:
▪︎ No group is forgotten.
▪︎ No covenant is abandoned.
▪︎ No people stand alone.
We stand together—
Jew and Gentile, restored and gathered—
receiving the same Lamb, the same words, the same Shepherd.
6. The heart of the passage
▪︎ The last become first
because God extends mercy outward
before circling back inward.
▪︎ The first become last
because God honors covenants in His
timing, not ours.
▪︎ And all become one
because the Lamb speaks through both
records,
binding us into a single family under a
single Redeemer.
Gathered By One Shepherd
As we sit with Nephi’s vision, we begin to see that the Lord’s work among the Jews and the Gentiles is not a competition of timing but a revelation of covenant mercy. The “first” and the “last” are not labels of worth—they are movements in a divine gathering that brings all of us into one fold under one Shepherd. The records of Judah and Joseph rise together, the covenants of old and the covenants restored speak together, and the Lord manifests Himself to all nations in His own order, His own rhythm, His own perfect wisdom.
We learn that we are part of a story that began long before us and will continue long after us, a story in which God forgets no people, abandons no covenant, and leaves no one outside His reach. The Jews were first in stewardship; the Gentiles were first in the Restoration; and in the end, all of us are invited to stand together as one family, receiving the same Lamb, the same words, the same salvation.
I testify that the Lord truly is our one Shepherd—He knows us, He calls us, and He gathers us. I know that the Book of Mormon and the Bible are established in one, and that together they reveal the fullness of His covenant path. I know that His timing is perfect, His mercy is expansive, and His promises are sure. As we follow His voice, we become part of His great work of unity, restoration, and redemption.
May we walk forward with humility, gratitude, and confidence in the Shepherd who leads us, gathers us, and makes us one.
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