In this chapter, we see a kind of microcosm of key Book of Mormon events: the wars between the Nephites (the descendants of those who follow Nephi, probably mixed with other people who are called Nephites because of marriage or political alliance) and the Lamanites (the descendants of Laman and Lemuel, who also likely intermarried and forged alliances with people who were already living in the New World). Nephi sees how their world will be damaged by catastrophic physical devastation in the form of earthquakes and fire before the coming of Christ (here called the “Lamb of God”).