Nephi expresses his trust in Yahweh’s purposes, even though those purposes may not be immediately apparent. Nephi has concluded his brief description of the record he is creating, has explained why the small plates are unique, and perhaps has justified them as his own personal account. He then returns to the important narrative of his father’s vision of the tree of life.
Text: This verse concludes a chapter in both the 1830 and 1879–81 editions. In fact, it would have been difficult to have continued the chapter, given the obvious closing statement: “and thus it is, amen.” This formalized ending appears three times in 1 Nephi (1 Ne. 9:6, 14:30, 22:31). Nibley notes that Egyptian writings frequently closed with a formulaic phrase that may be translated “thus it is.”
Literature: What could “and thus it is, amen” at certain chapter endings mean to Nephi? What do these statements have in common that make them appropriate unit separators?
The phrase first occurs at the end of the section where Nephi describes Yahweh’s commandment to create the small plates. The second occurrence (1 Ne. 14:30) ends Nephi’s vision of the tree of life and the Messiah. The third occurrence (1 Ne. 22:31) concludes Nephi’s explication of Isaiah for his people’s future and is his own prophecy as much as it is a discussion of Isaiah.
Thus, all three units deal with a form of prophecy. First is the revelation to create the plates. Nephi explains that Yahweh had instructed him to do it, that he is carrying out those instructions, and that he bears his testimony and seals it with “and thus it is, amen.” Immediately before this testimonial seal is Nephi’s affirmation that the “Lord knoweth all things from the beginning; wherefore, he prepareth a way to accomplish all his works among the children of men; for behold, he had all power unto the fulfilling of all of his words.” Thus, Nephi also gives a prophetic promise of the plates’ future purpose.
The second occurrence of the formula terminates Nephi’s vision, which not only replicates Lehi’s vision of the tree of life but also prophesies of the Messiah’s coming. To that prophetic promise, Nephi adds his benediction.
In the third case, Nephi uses Isaiah as a springboard for his own vision of his people’s future (a restructured account of the vision contained in 1 Ne. 11–14), adding the closing formula as a benediction and verification of Nephi’s closing prophecy in this book.
The phrase does not appear at all in 2 Nephi. Perhaps it is because Nephi seems to have planned 1 Nephi carefully but was creating 2 Nephi closer to the time in which he was actually writing. He may not have seen his narrative in the same kind of narrative and stylistic units. As he closes 2 Nephi (33:15), however, he gives an even stronger version of the sealing formula: “For what I seal on earth, shall be brought against you at the judgment bar; for thus hath the Lord commanded me, and I must obey. Amen.”