Latest / Philosophy and Faith / 05 - Book of Mormon - Joseph Smith Jr
Transcript
- 0:00Speaker 1: First Nephi, chapter seventeen through nineteen chapter seventeen. And it
- 0:07Speaker 1: came to pass that we did again take our journey
- 0:09Speaker 1: in the wilderness, and we did travel nearly eastward from
- 0:12Speaker 1: that time forth, and we did travel and weigh through
- 0:15Speaker 1: much affliction in the wilderness. And our women did bear
- 0:18Speaker 1: children in the wilderness. And so great were the blessings
- 0:21Speaker 1: of the Lord upon us, that while we did live
- 0:23Speaker 1: upon ramat in the wilderness, our women did give plenty
- 0:26Speaker 1: of suck for their children, and were strong, yea, even
- 0:29Speaker 1: like unto the men. And they began to bear their
- 0:32Speaker 1: journeyings without murmurings. And thus we see that the commandments
- 0:36Speaker 1: of God must be fulfilled. And if it so be
- 0:38Speaker 1: that the children of men keep the commandments of God,
- 0:41Speaker 1: he doth nourish them and strengthen them, and provide means
- 0:44Speaker 1: whereby they can accomplish the thing which He has commanded them.
- 0:48Speaker 1: Wherefore He did provide means for us while we did
- 0:50Speaker 1: sojourn in the wilderness, and we did sojourn for the
- 0:53Speaker 1: space of many years, yea even eight years in the wilderness.
- 0:58Speaker 1: And we did come to the land which we called
- 1:00Speaker 1: bountiful because of its much fruit and also wild honey,
- 1:04Speaker 1: and all these things were prepared of the Lord that
- 1:06Speaker 1: we might not perish. And we beheld the sea, which
- 1:09Speaker 1: we called Iriantum, which being interpreted, is many waters. And
- 1:14Speaker 1: it came to pass that we did pitch our tents
- 1:16Speaker 1: by the sea shore. And notwithstanding we had suffered many
- 1:19Speaker 1: afflictions and much difficulty, yea, even so much that we
- 1:23Speaker 1: cannot write them all, we were exceedingly rejoiced when we
- 1:26Speaker 1: came to the seashore. And we called the place bountiful
- 1:29Speaker 1: because of its much fruit. And it came to pass
- 1:32Speaker 1: that after I Nephi had been in the land of
- 1:34Speaker 1: Bountiful for the space of many days, the voice of
- 1:37Speaker 1: the Lord came unto me, saying, arise and get thee
- 1:40Speaker 1: into the mountain. And it came to pass that I
- 1:42Speaker 1: arose and went up into the mountain and cried unto
- 1:45Speaker 1: the Lord. And it came to pass that the Lord
- 1:48Speaker 1: spake unto me, saying, thou shalt construct a ship after
- 1:51Speaker 1: the manner which I shall show THEE, that I may
- 1:54Speaker 1: carry thy people across these waters. And I said, Lord,
- 1:58Speaker 1: whither shall I go that I may find and or
- 2:00Speaker 1: to molten that I may make tools to construct the
- 2:03Speaker 1: ship after the manner which thou hast shown unto me.
- 2:06Speaker 1: And it came to pass that the Lord told me
- 2:08Speaker 1: whether I should go to find or that I might
- 2:10Speaker 1: make tools. And it came to pass that I Nephi
- 2:13Speaker 1: and did make a bellows wherewith to blow the fire
- 2:16Speaker 1: of the skins of beasts. And after I had made
- 2:19Speaker 1: a bellows, that I might have wherewith to blow the fire,
- 2:22Speaker 1: I did smite two stones together that I might make fire.
- 2:25Speaker 1: For the Lord had not hitherto suffered that we should
- 2:28Speaker 1: make much fire as we journeyed in the wilderness. For
- 2:31Speaker 1: he said, I will make thy food become sweet, that
- 2:34Speaker 1: ye cook it not. And I will also be your
- 2:37Speaker 1: light in the wilderness. And I will prepare the way
- 2:39Speaker 1: before you, if it so be that ye shall keep
- 2:42Speaker 1: my commandments. Wherefore, inasmuch as ye shall keep my commandments,
- 2:45Speaker 1: ye shall be led towards the Promised Land. And ye
- 2:48Speaker 1: shall know that it is by ME that ye are led, yea.
- 2:52Speaker 1: And the Lord said also that after ye have arrived
- 2:55Speaker 1: in the Promised Land, ye shall know that I the
- 2:58Speaker 1: Lord am God, and that I the Lord, did deliver
- 3:01Speaker 1: you from destruction, yea, that I did bring you out
- 3:04Speaker 1: of the land of Jerusalem. Wherefore, I, Nephi did strive
- 3:08Speaker 1: to keep the commandments of the Lord, and I did
- 3:10Speaker 1: exhort my brethre into faithfulness and diligence. And it came
- 3:14Speaker 1: to pass that I did make tools of the oar,
- 3:16Speaker 1: which I did molten out of the rock. And when
- 3:19Speaker 1: my brethren saw that I was about to build a ship,
- 3:21Speaker 1: they began to murmur against me, saying, our brother is
- 3:24Speaker 1: a fool, for he thinketh he can build a ship, yea.
- 3:27Speaker 1: And he also thinketh that he can cross these great waters.
- 3:31Speaker 1: And thus my brethren did complain against me, and were
- 3:34Speaker 1: desirous that they might not labor, for they did not
- 3:36Speaker 1: believe that I could build a ship. Neither would they
- 3:39Speaker 1: believe that I was instructed of the Lord. And it
- 3:42Speaker 1: came to pass that I Nephi was exceedingly sorrowful because
- 3:45Speaker 1: of the hardness of their hearts. And now when they
- 3:48Speaker 1: saw that I began to be sorrowful, they were glad
- 3:50Speaker 1: in their hearts insomuch that they did rejoice over me, saying,
- 3:54Speaker 1: we knew that YE could not construct a ship, for
- 3:56Speaker 1: we knew that ye were lacking in judgment. Wherefore thou
- 3:59Speaker 1: canst not accomplished so great a work. And thou art
- 4:02Speaker 1: like unto our father, led away by foolish imaginations of
- 4:05Speaker 1: his heart. Yea, he hath led us out of the
- 4:07Speaker 1: land of Jerusalem. And we have wandered in the wilderness
- 4:10Speaker 1: for these many years. And our women have toiled, being
- 4:13Speaker 1: big with child, and they have borne children in the
- 4:16Speaker 1: wilderness and suffered all things save it were death. And
- 4:19Speaker 1: it would have been better that they had died before
- 4:21Speaker 1: they came out of Jerusalem than to have suffered these afflictions. Behold,
- 4:25Speaker 1: these many years we have suffered in the wilderness, which
- 4:28Speaker 1: time we might have enjoyed our possessions in the land
- 4:30Speaker 1: of our inheritance. Yea, and we might have been happy.
- 4:34Speaker 1: And we know that the people who were in the
- 4:36Speaker 1: land of Jerusalem were a righteous people, for they kept
- 4:39Speaker 1: the statutes and judgments of the Lord and all his
- 4:41Speaker 1: commandments according to the law of Moses. Wherefore we know
- 4:45Speaker 1: that they are a righteous people. And our father hath
- 4:47Speaker 1: judged them and hath led us away because we would
- 4:50Speaker 1: hearken unto his words. Yea, and our brother is like
- 4:53Speaker 1: unto him. And after this manner of language did my
- 4:56Speaker 1: brethren murmur and complain against us, and it came to
- 4:59Speaker 1: pass that Nephi spake unto them, saying, do you believe
- 5:03Speaker 1: that our fathers, who were the children of Israel, would
- 5:05Speaker 1: have been led away out of the hands of the
- 5:07Speaker 1: Egyptians if they had not hearkened unto the words of
- 5:09Speaker 1: the Lord? Yea, do ye suppose that they would have
- 5:12Speaker 1: been led out of bondage if the Lord had not
- 5:14Speaker 1: commanded Moses that he should lead them out of bondage.
- 5:17Speaker 1: Now ye know that the children of Israel were in bondage,
- 5:20Speaker 1: and ye know that they were laden with tasks which
- 5:23Speaker 1: were grievous to be born. Wherefore ye know that it
- 5:26Speaker 1: must needs be a good thing for them that they
- 5:28Speaker 1: should be brought out of bondage. Now ye know that
- 5:31Speaker 1: Moses was commanded of the Lord to do that great work.
- 5:34Speaker 1: And ye know that by his word the waters of
- 5:36Speaker 1: the Red Sea were divided hither and thither, and they
- 5:39Speaker 1: passed through on dry ground. But ye know that the
- 5:42Speaker 1: Egyptians were drowned in the Red Sea, who were the
- 5:45Speaker 1: armies of Pharaoh. And ye also know that they were
- 5:47Speaker 1: fed with manna in the wilderness, yea. And ye also
- 5:50Speaker 1: know that Moses, by his word, according to the power
- 5:53Speaker 1: of God which was in him, smote the rock, and
- 5:56Speaker 1: there came forth water, that the children of Israel might
- 5:59Speaker 1: quench their thirst. And notwithstanding they being led the Lord,
- 6:03Speaker 1: their God, their redeemer, going before them, leading them by day,
- 6:07Speaker 1: and giving light unto them by night, and doing all
- 6:09Speaker 1: things for them which were expedient for man to receive,
- 6:12Speaker 1: they hardened their hearts and blinded their minds, and reviled
- 6:16Speaker 1: against Moses and against the True and Living God. And
- 6:20Speaker 1: it came to pass that according to his word he
- 6:22Speaker 1: did destroy them, and according to his word he did
- 6:25Speaker 1: lead them, and according to his word he did do
- 6:27Speaker 1: all things for them. And there was not anything done
- 6:30Speaker 1: save it were by his word. And after they had
- 6:33Speaker 1: crossed the river Jordan, he did make them mighty unto
- 6:35Speaker 1: the driving out of the children of the land, yea
- 6:38Speaker 1: unto the scattering them to destruction. And now do ye
- 6:41Speaker 1: suppose that the children of this land who were in
- 6:44Speaker 1: the land of Promise, who were driven out by our fathers,
- 6:47Speaker 1: do ye suppose that they were righteous? Behold, I say
- 6:50Speaker 1: unto you, nay, do ye suppose that our fathers would
- 6:53Speaker 1: have been more choice than they if they had been righteous?
- 6:56Speaker 1: I say unto you, Nay. Behold, the Lord esteemeth all flesh,
- 7:00Speaker 1: and one he that is righteous, is favored of God.
- 7:03Speaker 1: But behold, his people had rejected every word of God,
- 7:07Speaker 1: and they were ripe in iniquity, and the fullness of
- 7:09Speaker 1: the wrath of God was upon them. And the Lord
- 7:12Speaker 1: did curse the land against them, and blessed unto our fathers. Yea,
- 7:15Speaker 1: he did curse it against them unto their destruction, and
- 7:18Speaker 1: he did bless it unto our fathers, unto their obtaining
- 7:21Speaker 1: power over it. Behold, the Lord hath created the earth
- 7:25Speaker 1: that it should be inhabited, and he hath created his
- 7:28Speaker 1: children that they should possess it. And he raiseth up
- 7:30Speaker 1: a righteous nation, and destroyeth the nations of the wicked.
- 7:33Speaker 1: And he leadeth away the righteous into precious lands. And
- 7:36Speaker 1: the wicked he destroyeth and curseth the land unto them
- 7:39Speaker 1: for their sakes. He ruleth high in the heavens, for
- 7:43Speaker 1: it is his throne, and this earth is his footstool.
- 7:46Speaker 1: And he loveth those who will have him to be
- 7:49Speaker 1: their God. Behold, he loved our fathers, and he covenanted
- 7:52Speaker 1: with them. Yea, even Abraham, Isaac and Jacob and he
- 7:56Speaker 1: remembered the covenants which he had made. Wherefore he did
- 7:59Speaker 1: bring them out of the land of Egypt, and he
- 8:02Speaker 1: did straighten them in the wilderness with his rod. For
- 8:05Speaker 1: they hardened their hearts even as ye have, and the
- 8:08Speaker 1: Lord straightened them because of their iniquity. He sent fiery
- 8:11Speaker 1: flying serpents among them, And after they were bitten, he
- 8:14Speaker 1: prepared a way that they might be healed. And the
- 8:17Speaker 1: labor which they had to perform was to look. And
- 8:20Speaker 1: because of the simpleness of the way or the easiness
- 8:23Speaker 1: of it, there were many who perished. And they did
- 8:26Speaker 1: harden their hearts from time to time, and they did
- 8:29Speaker 1: revile against Moses and also against God. Nevertheless, ye know
- 8:33Speaker 1: that they were led forth by His matchless power into
- 8:35Speaker 1: the land of Promise. And now, after all these things,
- 8:39Speaker 1: the time has come that they have become wicked, yea
- 8:41Speaker 1: nearly unto ripeness. And I know not, but they are
- 8:45Speaker 1: at this day about to be destroyed. For I know
- 8:48Speaker 1: that the day must surely come that they must be destroyed,
- 8:50Speaker 1: save a few only who shall be led away into captivity. Wherefore,
- 8:55Speaker 1: the Lord commanded my father that he should depart into
- 8:57Speaker 1: the wilderness and the Jews also sought to take away
- 9:00Speaker 1: his life, yea, and ye also have sought to take
- 9:03Speaker 1: away his life. Wherefore ye are murderers in your hearts,
- 9:06Speaker 1: and ye are like unto them. Ye are swift to
- 9:09Speaker 1: do iniquity, but slow to remember the Lord your God.
- 9:12Speaker 1: Ye have seen an angel, and he spake unto you. Yea.
- 9:15Speaker 1: Ye have heard his voice from time to time, and
- 9:17Speaker 1: he hath spoken unto you in a still small voice.
- 9:20Speaker 1: But ye were past feeling that ye could not feel
- 9:23Speaker 1: his words. Wherefore he has spoken unto you, like unto
- 9:27Speaker 1: the voice of thunder, which did cause the earth to shake,
- 9:30Speaker 1: as if it were to divide asunder. And ye also
- 9:33Speaker 1: know that by the power of his almighty word, he
- 9:35Speaker 1: can cause the earth that it shall pass away. Yea.
- 9:38Speaker 1: And ye know that by his word he can cause
- 9:40Speaker 1: the rough places to be made smooth, and the smooth
- 9:43Speaker 1: places shall be broken up. Oh, then why is it
- 9:46Speaker 1: that ye can be so hard in your hearts? Behold,
- 9:50Speaker 1: my soul is rent with anguish because of you, and
- 9:53Speaker 1: my heart is pained. I fear lest ye shall be
- 9:55Speaker 1: cast off forever. Behold, I am full of the spirit
- 9:58Speaker 1: of God in so much that my frame has no strength.
- 10:02Speaker 1: And now it came to pass that when I had
- 10:04Speaker 1: spoken these words, they were angry with me, and were
- 10:07Speaker 1: desirous to throw me into the depths of the sea.
- 10:10Speaker 1: And as they came forth to lay their hands upon me,
- 10:12Speaker 1: I spake unto them, saying, in the name of the
- 10:14Speaker 1: Almighty God, I command you that ye touch me not,
- 10:18Speaker 1: for I am filled with the power of God, even
- 10:20Speaker 1: unto the consuming of my flesh. And whoso shall lay
- 10:23Speaker 1: his hands upon me shall wither even as a dry reed,
- 10:26Speaker 1: and he shall be as not before the power of God,
- 10:29Speaker 1: for God shall smite him. And it came to pass
- 10:32Speaker 1: that I Nephai said unto them that they should murmur
- 10:35Speaker 1: no more against their father, neither should they withhold their
- 10:38Speaker 1: labor from me. For God had commanded me that I
- 10:41Speaker 1: should build a ship. And I said unto them, if
- 10:44Speaker 1: God commanded me to do all things, I could do them.
- 10:47Speaker 1: If he should command me that I should say, unto
- 10:49Speaker 1: this water, be thou earth, it should be earth. And
- 10:53Speaker 1: if I should say it, it would be done. And now,
- 10:57Speaker 1: if the Lord has such great power and has wrought
- 10:59Speaker 1: so many miracles among the children of men, how is
- 11:02Speaker 1: it that he cannot instruct me that I should build
- 11:04Speaker 1: a ship. And it came to pass that I Nephi
- 11:08Speaker 1: said many things unto my brethren, insomuch that they were
- 11:11Speaker 1: confounded and could not contend against me. Neither durst they
- 11:14Speaker 1: lay their hands upon me, nor touch me with their fingers,
- 11:17Speaker 1: even for the space of many days. Now they durst
- 11:20Speaker 1: not do this lest they should wither before me. So
- 11:23Speaker 1: powerful was the spirit of God. And thus it had
- 11:25Speaker 1: been wrought upon them. And it came to pass that
- 11:28Speaker 1: the Lord said, unto me, stretch forth thy hand again
- 11:31Speaker 1: unto thy brethren, and they shall not wither before THEE.
- 11:34Speaker 1: But I will shock them, saith the Lord. And this
- 11:37Speaker 1: I will do, that they may know that I am
- 11:39Speaker 1: the Lord their God. And it came to pass that
- 11:43Speaker 1: I stretch forth my hand unto my brethren, and they
- 11:46Speaker 1: did not wither before me. But the Lord did shake them,
- 11:49Speaker 1: even according to the word which he had spoken. And
- 11:52Speaker 1: now they said, we know of a surety that the
- 11:55Speaker 1: Lord is with THEE, for we know that it is
- 11:57Speaker 1: the power of the Lord that has shaken us. And
- 12:00Speaker 1: they fell down before me, and whereabout to worship me.
- 12:02Speaker 1: But I would not suffer them, saying I am thy
- 12:05Speaker 1: brother yea, even thy younger brother. Wherefore, worship the Lord,
- 12:09Speaker 1: thy God, and honor thy father and thy mother, that
- 12:12Speaker 1: thy days may be long in the land which the Lord,
- 12:15Speaker 1: thy God shall give thee Chapter eighteen. And it came
- 12:20Speaker 1: to pass that they did worship the Lord, and did
- 12:23Speaker 1: go forth with me, and we did work timbers of
- 12:25Speaker 1: curious workmanship, And the Lord did show me from time
- 12:29Speaker 1: to time after what manner I should work the timbers
- 12:31Speaker 1: of the ship. Now, I, Nephi, did not work the
- 12:34Speaker 1: timbers after the manner which was learned by men. Neither
- 12:37Speaker 1: did I build the ship after the manner of men.
- 12:39Speaker 1: But I did build it after the manner which the
- 12:41Speaker 1: Lord had shown unto me. Wherefore it was not after
- 12:44Speaker 1: the manner of men. And I, Nephi, did go unto
- 12:48Speaker 1: the mount often, and I did pray oft unto the Lord.
- 12:51Speaker 1: Wherefore the Lord showed unto me great things. And it
- 12:54Speaker 1: came to pass that after I had finished the ship
- 12:56Speaker 1: according to the word of the Lord, my brethren beheld
- 12:59Speaker 1: that it was good, and the workmanship thereof was exceedingly fine.
- 13:03Speaker 1: Wherefore they did humble themselves again before the Lord. And
- 13:07Speaker 1: it came to pass that the voice of the Lord
- 13:09Speaker 1: came unto my father that we should arise and go
- 13:12Speaker 1: down into the ship. And it came to pass that
- 13:14Speaker 1: on the morrow, after we had prepared all things, much
- 13:17Speaker 1: fruits and meat from the wilderness, and honey in abundance,
- 13:21Speaker 1: and provisions according to that which the Lord had commanded us,
- 13:24Speaker 1: we did go down into the ship with all our loading,
- 13:27Speaker 1: and our seeds, and whatsoever thing we had brought with us,
- 13:30Speaker 1: every one according to his age. Wherefore we did go
- 13:33Speaker 1: down into the ship with our wives and our children.
- 13:37Speaker 1: And now my father had begot two sons in the wilderness.
- 13:40Speaker 1: The elder was called Jacob, and the younger Joseph. And
- 13:43Speaker 1: it came to pass, after we had all gone down
- 13:45Speaker 1: into the ship, and had taken with us our provisions
- 13:48Speaker 1: and things which had been commanded us, we did put
- 13:51Speaker 1: forth into the sea and were driven forth before the
- 13:53Speaker 1: wind towards the promised land. And after we had been
- 13:56Speaker 1: driven forth before the wind for the space of many days,
- 13:59Speaker 1: be my brethren and the sons of Ishmael, and also
- 14:03Speaker 1: their wives, began to make themselves merry, insomuch that they
- 14:06Speaker 1: began to dance and to sing, and to speak with
- 14:09Speaker 1: much rudeness, yea, even that they did forget by what
- 14:12Speaker 1: power they had been brought thither. Yea, they were lifted
- 14:15Speaker 1: up unto exceeding rudeness. And I Nephi began to fear
- 14:20Speaker 1: exceedingly lest the Lord should be angry with us and
- 14:23Speaker 1: smite us because of our iniquity, that we should be
- 14:25Speaker 1: swallowed up in the depths of the sea. Wherefore, I
- 14:28Speaker 1: Nephi began to speak to them with much soberness. But behold,
- 14:32Speaker 1: they were angry with me, saying, we will not that
- 14:34Speaker 1: our younger brother shall be a ruler over us. And
- 14:38Speaker 1: it came to pass that Layman and Lemuel did take
- 14:40Speaker 1: me and bind me with chords, and they did treat
- 14:43Speaker 1: me with much harshness. Nevertheless, the Lord did suffer it
- 14:46Speaker 1: that he might show forth his power unto the fulfilling
- 14:49Speaker 1: of his word which he had spoken concerning the wicked.
- 14:52Speaker 1: And it came to pass that, after they had bound me,
- 14:54Speaker 1: insomuch that I could not move, the compass which had
- 14:57Speaker 1: been prepared of the Lord, did cease to work. Wherefore
- 15:01Speaker 1: they knew not whither they should steer the ship. Insomuch
- 15:04Speaker 1: that there arose a great storm. YEA, a great and
- 15:06Speaker 1: terrible tempest, and we were driven back upon the waters
- 15:09Speaker 1: for the space of three days, and they began to
- 15:12Speaker 1: be frightened exceedingly, lest they should be drowned in the sea. Nevertheless,
- 15:16Speaker 1: they did not loose me. And on the fourth day,
- 15:19Speaker 1: which we had been driven back, the tempests began to
- 15:22Speaker 1: be exceedingly sore, and it came to pass that we
- 15:25Speaker 1: were about to be swallowed up in the depths of
- 15:27Speaker 1: the sea. And after we had been driven back upon
- 15:30Speaker 1: the waters for the space of four days, my brethren
- 15:32Speaker 1: began to see that the judgments of God were upon them,
- 15:35Speaker 1: that they must perish, save they should repent of their iniquities.
- 15:39Speaker 1: Wherefore they came unto me and loose the bands which
- 15:42Speaker 1: were upon my wrist. And behold they had swollen exceedingly,
- 15:46Speaker 1: and also mine ankles were much swollen, and great was
- 15:49Speaker 1: the soreness thereof. Nevertheless, I did look unto my God,
- 15:52Speaker 1: and I did praise him all the day long, and
- 15:55Speaker 1: I did not murmur against the Lord because of mine afflictions. Now,
- 15:59Speaker 1: my father Lehi had said many things unto them, and
- 16:02Speaker 1: also unto the sons of Ishmael. But behold, they did
- 16:05Speaker 1: breathe out much threatenings against any one that should speak
- 16:07Speaker 1: for me, and my parents, being stricken in years and
- 16:10Speaker 1: having suffered much grief because of their children, they were
- 16:13Speaker 1: brought down, Yea, even upon their sick beds, because of
- 16:17Speaker 1: their grief and much sorrow, and the iniquity of my brethren.
- 16:20Speaker 1: They were brought near to be carried out of this
- 16:22Speaker 1: time to meet their God. Yea, their gray hairs were
- 16:24Speaker 1: about to be brought down to lie low in the dust. Yea,
- 16:28Speaker 1: even they were near to be cast with sorrow into
- 16:30Speaker 1: a watery grave. And Jacob and Joseph, also being young,
- 16:35Speaker 1: having need of much nourishment, were grieved because of the
- 16:37Speaker 1: afflictions of their mother. And also my wife, with her
- 16:40Speaker 1: tears and prayers, and also my children, did not soften
- 16:44Speaker 1: the hearts of my brethren that they would loose me.
- 16:46Speaker 1: And there was nothing save it where the power of God,
- 16:49Speaker 1: which threatened them with destruction, could soften their hearts. Wherefore,
- 16:52Speaker 1: when they saw they were about to be swallowed up
- 16:54Speaker 1: in the depths of the sea, they repented of the
- 16:57Speaker 1: thing which they had done, insomuch that they loosed me.
- 17:01Speaker 1: And it came to pass that after they had loosed me,
- 17:03Speaker 1: behold I took the compass, and it did work whither
- 17:06Speaker 1: I desired it. And it came to pass that I
- 17:08Speaker 1: prayed unto the Lord. And after I had prayed, the
- 17:11Speaker 1: winds did cease, and the storm did cease, and there
- 17:14Speaker 1: was a great calm. And it came to pass that
- 17:17Speaker 1: I Nephi did guide the ship that we sailed again
- 17:19Speaker 1: towards the Promised Land. And it came to pass that
- 17:22Speaker 1: after we had sailed for the space of many days,
- 17:24Speaker 1: we did arrive at the Promised Land. And we went
- 17:27Speaker 1: forth upon the land, and did pitch our tents, and
- 17:30Speaker 1: we did call it the Promised Land. And it came
- 17:33Speaker 1: to pass that we did begin to till the earth,
- 17:35Speaker 1: and we began to plant seeds. Yea, we did put
- 17:38Speaker 1: all our seeds into the earth, which we had brought
- 17:40Speaker 1: from the land of Jerusalem. And it came to pass
- 17:43Speaker 1: that they did grow exceedingly. Wherefore we were blessed in abundance.
- 17:47Speaker 1: And it came to pass that we did find upon
- 17:49Speaker 1: the land of Promise, as we journeyed in the wilderness,
- 17:52Speaker 1: that there were beasts in the forest of every kind,
- 17:54Speaker 1: both the cow and the ox, and the ass, and
- 17:57Speaker 1: the horse, and the goat, and the wild God, and
- 18:00Speaker 1: all manner of wild animals which were for the use
- 18:03Speaker 1: of men. And we did find all manner of ore,
- 18:06Speaker 1: both of gold and of silver, and of copper, Chapter nineteen.
- 18:13Speaker 1: And it came to pass that the Lord commanded me.
- 18:15Speaker 1: Wherefore I did make plates of ore, that I might
- 18:18Speaker 1: engraven upon them the record of my people. And upon
- 18:21Speaker 1: the plates which I made, I did engrave in the
- 18:23Speaker 1: record of my father, and also our journeyings in the wilderness,
- 18:26Speaker 1: and the prophecies of my father, and also many of
- 18:29Speaker 1: mine own prophecies have I engraven upon them. And I
- 18:32Speaker 1: knew not at the time when I made them, that
- 18:34Speaker 1: I should be commanded of the Lord to make these plates.
- 18:37Speaker 1: Wherefore the record of my father and the genealogy of
- 18:40Speaker 1: his fathers, and the more part of all our proceedings
- 18:43Speaker 1: in the wilderness are engraven upon those first plates of
- 18:45Speaker 1: which I have spoken. Wherefore the things which transpired before
- 18:48Speaker 1: I made these plates are of a truth. More particularly
- 18:52Speaker 1: made mention upon the first plates. And after I had
- 18:55Speaker 1: made these plates, by way of commandment, I Nephi received
- 18:58Speaker 1: a commandment that the ministry and the prophecies, the more
- 19:01Speaker 1: plain and precious parts of them should be written upon
- 19:04Speaker 1: these plates, and that the things which were written should
- 19:07Speaker 1: be kept for the instruction of my people, who should
- 19:09Speaker 1: possess the land, and also for other wise purposes, which
- 19:13Speaker 1: purposes are known unto the Lord. Wherefore I nef I
- 19:17Speaker 1: did make a record upon the other plates which gives
- 19:19Speaker 1: an account, or which gives a greater account of the
- 19:22Speaker 1: wars and contentions and destructions of my people. And this
- 19:26Speaker 1: have I done, and commanded my people what they should
- 19:28Speaker 1: do after I was gone, and that these plates should
- 19:31Speaker 1: be handed down from one generation to another, or from
- 19:35Speaker 1: one prophet to another, until further commandments of the Lord,
- 19:39Speaker 1: and an account of my making these plates shall be
- 19:41Speaker 1: given hereafter. And then behold, I proceed according to that
- 19:45Speaker 1: which I have spoken. And this I do, that the
- 19:47Speaker 1: more sacred things may be kept for the knowledge of
- 19:49Speaker 1: my people. Nevertheless, I do not write anything upon plate,
- 19:53Speaker 1: save it be that I think it be sacred. And
- 19:56Speaker 1: now if I do err, even did they err of old?
- 20:00Speaker 1: Not that I would excuse myself because of other men,
- 20:02Speaker 1: but because of the weakness which is in me. According
- 20:05Speaker 1: to the flesh, I would excuse myself for the things
- 20:08Speaker 1: which some men esteem to be of great worth both
- 20:11Speaker 1: to the body and soul. Others set it not and
- 20:13Speaker 1: trample under their feet. Yea, the very God of Israel,
- 20:17Speaker 1: do men trample under their feet? I say, trample under
- 20:20Speaker 1: their feet, but I would speak in other words. They
- 20:22Speaker 1: set him at naught, and hearkened not to the voice
- 20:25Speaker 1: of his counsels. And behold he cometh according to the
- 20:28Speaker 1: words of the Angel, in six hundred years from the
- 20:31Speaker 1: time my father left Jerusalem, and the world because of
- 20:34Speaker 1: their iniquity, shall judge him to be a thing of nought.
- 20:37Speaker 1: Wherefore they scourage him, and he suffereth it. And they
- 20:40Speaker 1: smite him, and he suffereth it. Yea, they spit upon him,
- 20:44Speaker 1: and he suffereth it because of his loving kindness and
- 20:47Speaker 1: his long suffering towards the children of men and the
- 20:51Speaker 1: God of our fathers, who were let out of Egypt
- 20:53Speaker 1: out of bondage, and were also preserved in the wilderness
- 20:56Speaker 1: by him. Yea, the God of Abraham and of Isaac,
- 21:00Speaker 1: and the God of Jacob, yieldeth himself, according to the
- 21:03Speaker 1: words of the Angel, as a man into the hands
- 21:05Speaker 1: of wicked men, to be lifted up according to the
- 21:08Speaker 1: words of Zenik, and to be crucified according to the
- 21:11Speaker 1: words of neum and to be buried in a sepulcher,
- 21:14Speaker 1: according to the words of Zenus, which he spake concerning
- 21:17Speaker 1: the three days of darkness, which should be a sign
- 21:20Speaker 1: given of his death unto those who should inhabit the
- 21:22Speaker 1: isles of the sea, more especially given unto those who
- 21:26Speaker 1: are of the House of Israel. For thus spake the Prophet.
- 21:29Speaker 1: The Lord God shall surely visit all the House of
- 21:31Speaker 1: Israel at that day, some with his voice because of
- 21:35Speaker 1: their righteousness, unto their great joy and salvation, and others
- 21:38Speaker 1: with the thunderings and the lightnings of His power, by tempest,
- 21:42Speaker 1: by fire and by smoke, and by vapor of darkness,
- 21:46Speaker 1: and by the opening of the earth, and by mountains
- 21:48Speaker 1: which shall be carried up. And all these things must
- 21:51Speaker 1: surely come, Saith the Prophet Zenus, and the rocks of
- 21:54Speaker 1: the earth must rend. And because of the groanings of
- 21:57Speaker 1: the earth, many kings of the isles of the sea
- 21:59Speaker 1: shall be wrought upon by the spirit of God to
- 22:02Speaker 1: exclaim the God of Nature suffers. And as for those
- 22:06Speaker 1: who are at Jerusalem, saith the Prophet, they shall be
- 22:09Speaker 1: scourged by all people, because they crucify the God of Israel,
- 22:13Speaker 1: and turn their hearts aside, rejecting signs and wonders and
- 22:17Speaker 1: the power and glory of the God of Israel. And
- 22:20Speaker 1: because they turn their hearts aside, saith the Prophet, and
- 22:23Speaker 1: have despised the Holy One of Israel, they shall wander
- 22:26Speaker 1: in the flesh and perish, and become a hiss and
- 22:29Speaker 1: a byword, and be hated among all nations. Nevertheless, when
- 22:33Speaker 1: that day cometh, saith the Prophet, that they no more
- 22:36Speaker 1: turn aside their hearts against the Holy One of Israel.
- 22:39Speaker 1: Then will he remember the covenants which he made to
- 22:42Speaker 1: their fathers Yea. Then will he remember the isles of
- 22:45Speaker 1: the sea Yea, And all the people who are of
- 22:47Speaker 1: the House of Israel. Will I gather in saith the Lord,
- 22:51Speaker 1: according to the words of the Prophet Zenus, from the
- 22:53Speaker 1: four quarters of the earth, Yea. And all the earth
- 22:56Speaker 1: shall see the salvation of the Lord, Saith the Prophet.
- 22:59Speaker 1: Every nation, kindred tongue and people shall be blessed. And I, Nephi,
- 23:04Speaker 1: have written these things unto my people, that perhaps I
- 23:06Speaker 1: might persuade them that they would remember the Lord, their redeemer.
- 23:10Speaker 1: Wherefore I speak unto all the house of Israel, if
- 23:13Speaker 1: it so be that they should obtain these things. For behold,
- 23:16Speaker 1: I have workings in the spirit, which doth weary me,
- 23:19Speaker 1: even that all my joints are weak for those who
- 23:22Speaker 1: are at Jerusalem. For had not the Lord been merciful
- 23:25Speaker 1: to show unto me concerning them, even as he had
- 23:27Speaker 1: the prophets of old, I should have perished also. And
- 23:31Speaker 1: he did surely show unto the prophets of old all
- 23:33Speaker 1: things concerning them. And also he did show unto many
- 23:37Speaker 1: concerning us. Wherefore it must needs be that we know
- 23:40Speaker 1: concerning them, for they are written upon the plates of brass.
- 23:43Speaker 1: Now it came to pass that I, Nephi, did teach
- 23:45Speaker 1: my brethren these things. And it came to pass that
- 23:48Speaker 1: I did read many things to them which were engraven
- 23:51Speaker 1: upon the plates of brass, that they might know concerning
- 23:54Speaker 1: the doings of the Lord in other lands among people
- 23:56Speaker 1: of old. And I did read many things unto them
- 23:59Speaker 1: which were written in the books of Moses, that I
- 24:02Speaker 1: might more fully persuade them to believe in the Lord
- 24:05Speaker 1: their redeemer. I did read unto them that which was
- 24:07Speaker 1: written by the prophet Isaiah. For I did liken all
- 24:10Speaker 1: scriptures unto us, that it might be for our prophet
- 24:13Speaker 1: and learning. Wherefore I spake unto them, saying, hear ye
- 24:17Speaker 1: the words of the Prophet, He who are a remnant
- 24:20Speaker 1: of the House of Israel, a branch who have been
- 24:22Speaker 1: broken off. Hear ye the words of the Prophet which
- 24:25Speaker 1: were written unto all the House of Israel, And liken
- 24:28Speaker 1: them unto yourselves, that ye may hope as well as
- 24:30Speaker 1: your brethren from whom ye have been broken off. For
- 24:33Speaker 1: after this manner has the Prophet written. End of First Nephi,
- 24:40Speaker 1: Chapters seventeen through nineteen