Nephi understood that the Lord loves all his children. The doctrine that salvation should be offered to all of God’s creations is foreign to the traditional Jewish thought. So much of the Law of Moses tried to separate the children of Israel from the Gentiles (in order to keep them from practicing the idolatry of their neighbors and in an attempt to help them understand the difference between clean and unclean, holy and unholy). This tradition led to an ethno-centrism which produced ill feelings toward anything Gentile. For Nephi to look beyond this tradition shows that he was more influenced by the Spirit of the Lord than he was by his upbringing among the Jews.
“For any people to believe that it is the only people in whom God is interested, or helps, or that we have special merit because of our color, race, country or beliefs, that is, that we are inherently superior and loved by God without regard to the lives we live is one of the great fallacies and barriers to peace. This is a fallacy whether in an exploded myth of an Aryan race of supermen, or disguised in more subtle form in our own consciousness. We must not be guilty of such a fallacy.” (Harris, Franklin S. Jr., The Book of Mormon: Messages and Evidences, p. 20)
James E. Faust
“I hope we can all overcome any differences of culture, [and] race….In my experience, no race or class seems superior to any other in spirituality and faithfulness….Spiritual peace is not to be found in race or culture or nationality, but rather through our commitment to God and to the covenants and ordinances of the gospel.” (Ensign, May 1995, pp. 61,63 as taken from Latter-day Commentary on the Book of Mormon compiled by K. Douglas Bassett, p. 155)
M. Russell Ballard
“Our Father in Heaven loves all of His children equally, perfectly, and infinitely. His love is no different for His daughters than for His sons. Our Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ, also loves men and women equally. His atonement and His gospel are for all of God’s children. During His earthly ministry Jesus served men and women alike: He healed both men and women and He taught both men and women….for example, faith, repentance, baptism and the gift of the Holy Ghost are requirements for all of God’s children, regardless of gender. The same is true of temple covenants and blessings. Our Father’s work and glory is to bring to pass the immortality and eternal life of His children (see Moses 1:39). He loves us all equally, and His greatest gift, the gift of eternal life, is available to all.” (Ensign, Nov. 1993, p. 89 as taken from Latter-day Commentary on the Book of Mormon compiled by K. Douglas Bassett, p. 154-5)