Rhetoric: Even given their current departure from belief in the Atoning Messiah, the Nephites still believe in these revered ancestors and accept Yahweh as God. From this base, Nephi points out the obvious—that Yahweh was with these revered prophets of accepted tradition.
He then critiques the people’s refusal to accept the coming Messiah. According to the Nephite tradition, Yahweh and the Messiah were the same individual. When Nephi suggests that “he is God, and he is with them,” he is referring to Yahweh. This is an important connection for his argument. If his listeners believe in Yahweh, then logically they must also believe in the Atoning Messiah. These revered prophets gave Yahweh glory specifically “because of that which is to come,” which is the condescension of God, or the mission of the Atoning Messiah.