What exactly separates the wicked from the saints of God, and who are the wicked? 1 Nephi 15:28

What exactly separates the wicked from the saints of God, and who are the wicked? 1 Nephi 15:28

Nephi's vision of the tree of life is one of the most beautiful parts of the Book of Mormon which everybody should know about. It's a great allegory which you can read about in many different places, so I will not repeat it here.

In this vision there is "an awful gulf which separated the wicked from the tree of life, and also from the saints of God."

The angel told Nephi that the gulf is, "a representation of that awful hell...prepared for the wicked."

I recently realized that "hell" doesn't necessarily refer to the place you go after final judgment. I strongly believe that it includes our current state.

By this understanding, the "wicked" are people who choose to separate themselves from God.

Basically, you're either holding on to the iron rod (which is the word of God) or you are wicked.

I want to continually try to hold onto the word of God. I want to continually repent of my sins so that I do not have to endure the kind of mental torment that comes from choosing spiritual death.  I want to make and keep covenants with God. I want to be a "saint." In fact, this is precisely the language that Christ used when he was on the earth to describe his followers (see Acts 9:13, 32, 41; Rom. 1:7; 1 Cor. 1:2; Philip. 1:1; 1 Pet. 1:14–15).

It is also the language which we use to describe his followers today. That is why it is part of the restored church: the church of Jesus Christ of latter-day saints.