Nephi concludes his discussion of future events by proclaiming the Messiah’s victory over evil. All human works will stand revealed, and Satan will no longer “have power over the hearts of the children of men for a long time.” This final detail—that Satan’s power will be checked “for a long time”—discloses that Nephi knew that Satan would be released for a short period at the end of the Millennium. He clearly understands more than he relates—merely sketching in millennial events. 1 Nephi 14:21–25 indicates that Nephi saw the same vision as John, but that Nephi was told not to write it.
Text: The chapter ends here in the 1830 edition. “I make an end of my sayings,” is both a closure of what went before and a declaration that he will now begin to write his final statements.
From this point until the end of the 2 Nephi we have short, succinct chapters that form single units. Chapters 31, 32, and 33 are also chapters in the 1830 edition, following closely how Nephi would have divided his work. This ending statement and the characteristics of the next three chapters suggest that Nephi has concluded his major work with this chapter. The next two chapters are self-contained mini-sermons unconnected to the rest of the narrative, while the final chapter (33) concludes the entire work and constitutes Nephi’s farewell.