The Difference Between Much of My Gospel (1 Nephi 13:34) vs the Fullness of the Gospel (1 Nephi 10:14,15:13)

In 1 Nephi 13:34, the Lord promises to bring forth "much of my gospel" to the Gentiles, signifying a significant yet incomplete portion. Conversely, the "fulness of the gospel" mentioned in 1 Nephi 10:14 and 15:13 refers to the complete gospel, which will gather the house of Israel, highlighting a distinction between the initial portion that the Gentiles currently have and the fullness.

I checked the textual variant by Royal Skousen of 1 Nephi 13:36 to see if the phrase "much of my gospel" was originally there, and I saw the verse was exactly as it is:

1 Nephi 13:34

...because of the most plain and precious parts of the gospel of the Lamb which have been kept back by that abominable church, which is the mother of harlots, saith the Lamb—I will be merciful unto the Gentiles in that day, insomuch that I will bring forth unto them, in mine own power, much of my gospel, which shall be plain and precious, saith the Lamb. (1 Nephi 13:34).

The only additional place where the word "much of my gospel" appears is in D&C 6:

D&C 6:26

I say unto you, that there are records which contain much of my gospel, which have been kept back because of the wickedness of the people.

This unique phrase indicates that the quantity element "much" is a subset of the larger entity, "the gospel as a whole." The Lord spoke this carefully structured phrase through his angel to convey the idea of a substantial but not complete part of the gospel given to the Gentiles.

The emphasis on the quantity aspect is even more significant when the phrase "fulness of the gospel" appears twice in the literary unit of 1 Nephi 10-15:

...after the Gentiles had received the fulness of the gospel... (1 Ne 10:14)
... then shall the fulness of the gospel of the Messiah come unto the Gentiles... (1 Ne 15:13)

Those two verses have a direct connection to the role of the Gentiles with the seed of Lehi and also describe their success in grafting them, in contrast with the reference in 1 Nephi 13:34-36 which doesn’t have a reference in their role with the house of Israel.

If we isolate the words "much of" from the phrase "much of my gospel", we can find it only five times in the scriptures, all of them in the Book of Mormon:

Majority of people (Jacob 7:7)
Geographical spread (Jarom 1:6)
Most of the time (Jarom 1:13)
Level of personal understanding (Alma 10:5)
Amount of God's power (Alma 26:16)

In any of those cases, the word "much of" represents a whole or fullness but instead a significant portion or a majority without reaching totality.

If we analyze what "much of my gospel" represents, it is precisely the words that Jesus Christ himself gave to the Nephites, but only as we have it in the Book of Mormon:

1 Nephi 13:35

“For, behold, saith the Lamb: I WILL MANIFEST MYSELF UNTO THEY SEED, that they shall write MANY THINGS things which I shall minister unto them, which shall be plain and precious; and after thy seed shall be destroyed, and dwindle in unbelief, and also the seed of thy brethren, behold, THESEN THINGS shall be hid up, to come forth UNTO THE GENTILES, by the gift and power of the Lamb”. (1 Nephi 13:35).

The words of Christ when he personally manifested to the Nephites are recorded in 3 Nephi 11-30. This is what the Lord is saying is "much of my gospel". Notice that the verse said they will write "MANY THINGS" and not "ALL THINGS" he ministered unto them, making a clear distinction between the many and the whole. And then "THOSE THINGS," meaning the "many things," is what came "UNTO THE GENTILES," in other words, 3 Nephi 11-30.

What the Lord is defining as "much of his gospel that is plain and precious" to what he declared himself to the Nephites, and not the whole Book of Mormon necessary.

The question then is, why did the Nephites not write "all things" the Lord declared to them, even the fullness of his gospel? They actually did, but we have to remember that there were two records being kept.

In 3 Nephi 26, Mormon was the one who wrote the "many things" Jesus declared to the Nephites, to what Mormon calls "the lesser part", and when he was going to write the "greater part" he was forbidden:

3 Nephi 26:8-9

And these things have I written, which are a lesser part of the things which he taught the people; and I have written them to the intent that they may be brought again unto this people, from the Gentiles, according to the words which Jesus hath spoken.

And when they shall have received this, which is expedient that they should have first, to try their faith, and if it shall so be that they shall believe these things then shall the greater things be made manifest unto them".

Now, this does not limit what we currently have in 3 Nephi 11-30 is not enough for salvation (1 Ne 13:35, 3 Ne 27:20). But if we take the word gospel literally, from the Greek word "euangelion", which means "good news," there is still more news or greater news, even fullness of news, than the news that Mormon was allowed to write.

Here is where things get interesting because in Doctrine and Covenants, the Lord does say that the Book of Mormon contains the "fulness of the Gospel":

“[The Book of Mormon]... Which contains a record of a fallen people, and the fulness of the gospel of Jesus Christ to the Gentiles and to the Jews also”... (D&C 20:9).
“I have sent unto you to reveal the Book of Mormon, containing the fulness of my everlasting gospel” (D&C 27:5).
“Thou shalt preach the fulness of my gospel, which I have sent forth in these last days, the covenant which I have sent forth to recover my people” (D&C 38:11 cf D&C 84:57).

In other words, the "fulness of the gospel" is not in 3 Nephi 11-30 in the words of Christ, but it is contained in the Book of Mormon as a whole, but where?

The best idea to understand this is what Avraham explained when he said the fulness is embedded in the ascension experiences of the Book of Mormon prophets and the covenants and higher laws they obey to achieve temporal salvation (Alma 47-60), sealing power (Helaman 10), divine deliverance, translation and so forth.

The fullness of the gospel is not explicitly declared but is embedded, and through the Holy Ghost, the greater things can be unfolded (1 Ne 15:5, Alma 12:11-12) to those who diligently seek (1 Ne 10:19).

Coming back to the literary unit in 1 Nephi 10-15, the distinction of "much of my gospel" between the fulness of the gospel is a significant literary key given to understand the different records that are coming as well as the timing WHEN the house of Israel shall be grafted in.

The Lord declared that the Gentiles will receive "much of his gospel" in 3 Ne 13:35, then four verses later, which is a gap between 200+ years, Nephi says he saw other records, and those records had "THE CONVINCING POWER":

1 Nephi 13:39

“And after it had come forth unto them I beheld other books, which came forth by the power of the Lamb, from the Gentiles unto them, unto the convincing of the Gentiles and the remnant of the seed of my brethren, and also the Jews…”

When those records come, they will have the convincing power to the Ephramites (Gentiles), the seed of Lehi, and Jews and the power to gather in. In other words, the gathering of the house of Israel, in a literal sense, only happens then. This is exactly the context where the phrase “fulness of the gospel” appears in in the unit 1 Nephi 10-15.

The first reference is given by Lehi:

1 Nephi 10:14

And after the house of Israel should be scattered they should be gathered together again; or, in fine, after the Gentiles had received the fulness of the gospel, the natural branches of the olive tree, or the remnants of the house of Israel, should be grafted in, or come to the knowledge of the true Messiah, their Lord and their Redeemer.

The word "or" in the scripture can be replaced by the = sign to create a definition, in other words:

Gathering of the house of Israel = AFTER the Gentiles received the fullness of the gospel the are grafting in.
Grafting in = Coming to the knowledge of the true Messiah

Nephi expounds on the same:

1 Nephi 15:13

And now, the thing which our father meaneth concerning the grafting in of the natural branches through the fulness of the Gentiles, is, that in the latter days, when our seed shall have dwindled in unbelief, yea, for the space of many years, and many generations after the Messiah shall be manifested in body unto the children of men, then shall the fulness of the gospel of the Messiah come unto the Gentiles, and from the Gentiles unto the remnant of our seed.

Nephi introduces the keyword "the fulness of the Gentiles" (1 Nephi 15:13, 3 Nephi 16:4, Romans 11:25), which is a codename for Ephraim (Genesis 48:19). And represents that at the "culmination of the Gentiles" is when Ephraim comes to the scene, or when the time of the Gentiles is fulfilled (D&C 48:30), the believing Gentiles become Ephramites (3 Ne 21:22).

In both verses, 1 Nephi 10:14 and 1 Nephi 15:13, the context for the fulness of the gospel is linked to succeeding in their purpose to gather the house of Israel, which parallels with the other records that Nephi saw in 1 Nephi 13:39-40 and not what comes to the Gentiles first, represented by much of my gospel in 1 Nephi 13:35.

Going further, those records are the warning given to the Gentiles in 1 Nephi 14:

1 Nephi 14:1-2

“And it shall come to pass, that if the Gentiles shall hearken unto the Lamb of God in that day that he shall manifest himself unto them in word, and also in power, in very deed, unto the taking away of their stumbling blocks—

And harden not their hearts against the Lamb of God, they shall be numbered among the seed of thy father; yea, they shall be numbered among the house of Israel; and they shall be a blessed people upon the promised land forever; they shall be no more brought down into captivity; and the house of Israel shall no more be confounded”.

The words "word and power" refer to the "records" that come with the convincing power (1 Ne 13:39). The Gentiles who don't harden their hearts are numbered among the house of Israel (Ephramites), and then only then they can play that firstborn role (Jeremiah 30:8) or proxy savior role to them (D&C 86:11, 103:9-10). Only then is the house of Israel grafted in and confounded no longer.

This is the same warning given in 3 Nephi 16:

3 Nephi 16:10-12

“And thus commandeth the Father that I should say unto you: At that day when the Gentiles shall sin against my gospel, and shall reject the fulness of my gospel, and shall be lifted up in the pride of their hearts above all nations, and above all the people of the whole earth, and shall be filled with all manner of lyings, and of deceits, and of mischiefs, and all manner of hypocrisy, and murders, and priestcrafts, and whoredoms, and of secret abominations; and if they shall do all those things, and shall reject the fulness of my gospel, behold, saith the Father, I will bring the fulness of my gospel from among them.

And then will I remember my covenant which I have made unto my people, O house of Israel, and I will bring my gospel unto them”. (3 Nephi 16:10-11).

The distinction is also crystal clear here, as for the Gentiles to sin against the gospel represents what they already have, and the fulness of the gospel represents what they will be offered, which in parallel with 1 Nephi 13:34-40 is the Book of Mormon is what they currently have (much of my gospel), and the upcoming records what they will be presented with (fullness).

The fullness of the gospel in these verses also parallels the gospel that will be preached to the house of Israel (Seed of Lehi and Jews) and succeed in grafting them in, which, according to 1 Nephi 13:39-40 are the upcoming records that Nephi saw.

In conclusion, the phrase much of my gospel was given as a literary key to identifying the distinction between different records and the key for their different purposes, as well as the timing when the house of Israel shall be gathered in through the fulness of the Gentiles.