ne among you
whom ye know not; and he is mightier than I, whose shoe's latchet I am
not worthy to unloose. And much spake my father concerning this thing.
And my father said he should baptize in Bethabara, beyond Jordan; and he
also said he should baptize with water; even that he should baptize the
Messiah with water. And after he had baptized the Messiah with water, he
should behold and bear record, that he had baptized the Lamb of God, who
should take away the sins of the world. And it came to pass after my
father had spoken these words, he spake unto my brethren concerning the
gospel which should be preached among the Jews; and also concerning the
dwindling of the Jews in unbelief. And after they had slain the Messiah,
who should come, and after he had been slain, he should rise from the
dead, and should make himself manifest, by the Holy Ghost, unto the
Gentiles."[136]

At a later time Nephi writes, not as his father's scribe, but as a
prophet and revelator voicing the word of God as made known to himself.
He was permitted to behold in vision and to declare to his people the
circumstances of the Messiah's birth, His baptism by John and the
ministration of the Holy Ghost with its accompanying sign of the dove;
he beheld our Lord moving as a Teacher of righteousness among the
people, healing the afflicted and rebuking spirits of evil; he saw and
bore record of the dread scenes of Calvary; he beheld and predicted the
calling of the chosen Twelve, the apostles of the Lamb, for so these
were designated by Him who vouchsafed the vision. Moreover he told of
the iniquity of the Jews, who were seen in contention with the apostles;
and thus concludes the portentous prophecy: "And the angel of the Lord
spake unto me again, saying, Thus shall be the destruction of all
nations, kindreds, tongues, and people, that shall fight against the
twelve apostles of the Lamb."[137] Soon after the defection whereby the
distinction between Nephites and Lamanites was established, Jacob, a
brother of Nephi, continued in prophecy of the assured coming of the
Messiah, specifically declaring that He would minister at Jerusalem and
affirming the necessity of His atoning death as the ordained means of
human redemption.[138] The prophet Abinadi, in his fearless denunciation
of sin to the wicked king Noah, preached the Christ who was to
come;[139] and righteous Benjamin, who was at once prophet and king,
proclaimed the same great truth to his people