Nephi's vision is comprehensive, but he is restricted in writing. This restriction from the Lord indicates the sure foreknowledge that this writing would eventually be available to others to read. Whether it was meant as a restriction for his own people or not is unknown, but it appears most likely that the prohibition to write was directed at the modern reader who would already have the words of John. Thus it appears that Nephi's purpose in writing down this vision was specifically directed at the latter day reader rather than his contemporaries.