KnoWhy #471 - Why Can Nephi’s Vision Be Called an Apocalypse? (1 Nephi 11:2-3)

In 1 Nephi 11–14, Nephi had a vision that was similar to some texts written after Lehi left Jerusalem. But an Akkadian text called The Underworld Vision of an Assyrian Prince, written in Lehi’s time, shows that such texts were known in Lehi’s time as well. It depicts a visionary named Kummay, who was shown a vision of the underworld, and is commonly understood to be the predecessor of the tours of heaven and hell that are popular in later texts. Based on this text, it seems that God explained Lehi’s vision to Nephi in a way that Nephi was likely already familiar with.