While I was serving on my mission in England, Apostle Widtsoe said many members of the Church have not developed their sense of spiritual curiosity. He said those people will not learn because they aren’t asking questions, and if they aren‘t asking questions they won’t recognize some of the greatest answers to gospel principles even when they hear them. Keeping this in mind, Nephi now addresses his own people who are living around 550 B.C.He knows they are being taught the principles of the gospel, but they are living under the law of Moses.
Nephi warns his descendants who are alive when Jesus comes in the flesh that he will launch a new dispensation and many things will be completely different. Nephi knows circumcision will be abolished. The Christians will worship the first day of the week instead of the seventh day. All of the ceremonies, dietary laws and rituals of the “schoolmaster law” will be abandoned. Amazingly, even blood sacrifices will be abolished. Only a broken heart and a contrite spirit will be required. But Nephi is not allowed to tell them all about these future changes when the fulness of the gospel is inaugurated. Therefore Nephi says:
“And now I, Nephi, cannot say more; the Spirit stoppeth mine utterance, and I am left to mourn because of the unbelief, and the wickedness, and the ignorance, and the stiffneckedness of men; for they will not search knowledge, nor understand great knowledge, when it is given unto them in plainness, even as plain as word can be.”