1 Nephi 13:35-40

Nephi's vision continues...

The Lord promises that because of the plain and precious parts of the Bible will be taken away, that He will prepare a way for them to be brought back. This is detailed to Nephi at this time. He says that He will minister Himself unto the seed of Nephi. Then they shall write those things down that He will minister. They shall be plain and precious. Then Nephi's seed will be destroyed and the Gentiles shall dwindle in unbelief. As this happens, the writings of Nephi and his seed will be hidden up. Then, they will come forth unto the Gentiles by the gift and power of the Lamb. The plain and precious parts of the gospel will be preserved on those plates.

The angel states that those, in that day, that seek to bring forth Zion shall be blessed, and they shall be saved at the last day. I think that this refers to those good saints in the early days of the church and probably those good people beforehand that did the best they could in life to follow Christ and His teachings whose saving ordinances will be done for them in the temple.

The next verse states that the Gentiles shall have the Bible and they shall bring it to the remnant of the seed of Lehi. Afterward, there came "other books" unto the seed of Lehi, and these books had this purpose: to convince the seed of Lehi, the Gentiles, and the Jews (whom the angel showed to Nephi were now scattered upon the face of the earth) that the records of the prophets (Old Testament, but perhaps not solely) and the twelve apostles (New Testament, again perhaps not solely) are true.

In Verse 40, the angel goes deeper into their purpose. These "last records" shall establish the truth of the first (the Bible), make known the plain and precious parts that were taken away, make known unto all nations, kindreds, tongues, and people that the Lamb of God is the very Son of the Eternal Father and the Savior of the world, and that no one can be saved in the kingdom of God, except it be by Him. Any idea as to what the "last records" are? Here is another quote from the Book of Mormon Institute manual:

“These last records which were to come forth to bear witness of the ‘book of the Lamb of God,’ which is the Bible, are the Book of Mormon, the Doctrine and Covenants, and the revelations of the Lord to Joseph Smith” (Joseph Fielding Smith, Man, His Origin and Destiny, pp. 411–12).

I would venture to say that continuing revelation comprising the conference issues and the Ensign are also included in the "last books." What a marvelous gift from our Heavenly Father, that we do not have to stumble around in this life without having the fullness of the gospel and constantly learning new things about it each day.