1 Nephi 13

1 Ne 13:6-8

For many decades LDS apostles and prophets taught that this abominable church was the Catholic Church. Seems at least some of these leaders have repented of this conclusion as Elder Oaks states: “This great and abominable church must be something far more pervasive and widespread than a single “church,” as we understand that term today. It must be any philosophy or organization that opposes belief in God” (Stand as Witnesses of God).

Of course, Elder Oaks goes even further to quote 1 John 4:3: “And every spirit that confesseth not that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh is not of God: and this is that spirit of antichrist.”

Since there are about five billion non-Christians in the world, there are quite a few anti-Christs if that’s how an anti-Christ is defined.

Many apologists claim that the prior teaching of the apostles and prophets and of the D&C that the Book of Mormon indicates Native Americans were for the most part literal descendants of Lehi is based on faulty assumptions. But this verse tells us the gentiles (those not of the house of Israel) were separated from the seed of Nephi’s brothers. That couldn’t be true if many gentiles were also in the Americas before Europeans arrived. (See also 2 Ne 1:9)

Instead of the wrath of God, wasn’t it bigotry and colonial imperialism that scattered and slaughtered Native Americans?

The Church has declared unequivocally that this man among the Gentiles whom the Spirit wrought upon was Christopher Columbus (Book of Mormon Student Manual for Religion 121-122 copyrighted 2009, pp. 27-28). Considering the brutality that Columbus himself would inflict and that his explorations would unleash, what might we conclude about a God that inspires such things?

I have referred elsewhere to colonial imperialism and cultural colonialism in reference to other verses in the Book of Mormon, but something about this reference to Columbus seems more aptly described as manifest destiny. Please refer to “Response to Manifest Destiny – Taught at Brigham Young University Education Week” to see what I mean (Response to Manifest Destiny).

So God exercises his wrath on the Lamanites more than 1,000 years after their wickedness in destroying the Nephites?

But, if verse 14 were true, then are we not to conclude that this genocide and abuse committed by those of European descent was condoned by God?

Instead of the wrath of God, wasn’t it bigotry and colonial imperialism that scattered and slaughtered Native Americans?

1 Ne 13:20-29

Thoughts below are from piotrkaplanstwo at exMormon Reddit.

These verses go into great detail about the Bible being brought to the Gentiles from the hands of the Jews, claiming they were “plain and precious”, until the “Great and Abominable Church” took those parts away.

This is an extremely naive explanation of the errancy of the Bible. In the actual process of it coming forth parts were written decades or centuries after the events occurred, so they were inaccurate from the start. We now believe certain biblical figures did not even exist, and major events never happened. We can corroborate the stories with the records of other civilizations to learn this. For instance, the Exodus—no mention of it in Egyptian records. To boil this all down to “The Bible was pure, and then the ‘Great and Abominable Church’ changed it” is an oversimplification.

Both this verse and Acts 13:10 contain the highly specific phrase "pervert the right ways of the Lord" which is unique within the KJV bible (see also 1 Nephi 22:14). Note that the phrase "ways of the Lord" only occurs 6 times in the KJV bible and only once with a variation of the verb "pervert" and the adjective "right".

1 Ne 13:30-31

So the seed of Nephi and of Nephi’s brothers are not destroyed. Who are they then? Genetically, culturally, anthropologically, linguistically, etc. we see no evidence of Lamanites or Nephites.

1 Ne 13:38-39

These verses indicate various books (will come forth to convince gentiles, Jews, and Lehites that the records of the prophets and apostles are true. This seems to be a reference to the Book of Mormon and/or other books like it. I don't think this will ever do much to convince gentiles, Jews, or Lehites that LDS scripture is true, at least not to any significant portion of the population. Maybe it will happen, but I don’t see it.

As of 16 Mar 2018 Church members in USA: 6,592,195 Population in USA: 327,000,000 or, only 2.0% (for most recent numbers: Church Newsroom and U.S. Census Bureau).

According to the Pew Research Center, only 1.6% in the USA claim affiliation with the Church. Also keep in mind that the portion of members worldwide is much lower than this.

In the first edition of the Book of Mormon, this verse reads:

These last records...shall make known to all kindreds, tongues, and people, that the Lamb of God is the Eternal Father and the Savior of the world;

This is in line with Joseph Smith's earlier Trinitarian beliefs that Jesus and the eternal Father are one and the same.