The First Book of Nephi
His Reign and Ministry An account of Lehi
and his wife Sariah, and his four sons, being called, (beginning at
the eldest) Laman, Lemuel, Sam, and Nephi.
The Lord warns Lehi to depart out of the land of Jerusalem, because he
prophesieth unto the people concerning their iniquity and they seek to destroy
his life.
He taketh three days’ journey into the wilderness with his family.
Nephi taketh his brethren and returneth to the land of Jerusalem
after the record of the Jews.
The account of their sufferings.
They take the daughters of Ishmael to wife.
They take their families and depart into the wilderness.
Their sufferings and afflictions in the wilderness.
The course of their travels.
They come to the large waters.
Nephi’s brethren rebel against him.
He confoundeth them, and buildeth a ship.
They call the name of the place Bountiful.
They cross the large waters into the promised land, and so forth.
This is according to the account of Nephi; or in other words, I,
Nephi, wrote this record.
Chapter 1
Nephi begins the record of his people—Lehi sees in vision
a pillar of fire and reads from a book of prophecy—He praises God, foretells
the coming of the Messiah, and prophesies the destruction of
Jerusalem—He is persecuted by the Jews.
About 600 B.C.
1 I, Nephi, having been born of goodly parents, therefore I was taught
somewhat in all the learning of my father; and having seen many
afflictions in the course of my days, nevertheless, having been highly
favored of the Lord in all my days; yea, having had a great knowledge
of the goodness and the mysteries of God, therefore I make a record of my
proceedings in my days.
2 Yea, I make a record in the language of my father, which consists of
the learning of the Jews and the language of the Egyptians.
3 And I know that the record which I make is true; and I make it with mine
own hand; and I make it according to my knowledge.
4 For it came to pass in the commencement of the first year of
the reign of Zedekiah, king of Judah, (my father, Lehi, having dwelt
at Jerusalem in all his days); and in that same year there came many
prophets, prophesying unto the people that they must repent, or the great
city Jerusalem must be destroyed.
5 Wherefore it came to pass that my father, Lehi, as he went forth prayed
unto the Lord, yea, even with all his heart, in behalf of his people.
6 And it came to pass as he prayed unto the Lord, there came a pillar of fire
and dwelt upon a rock before him; and he saw and heard
much; and because of the things which he saw and heard he did quake
and tremble exceedingly.
7 And it came to pass that he returned to his own house at Jerusalem; and he
cast himself upon his bed, being overcome with the Spirit and
the things which he had seen.
8 And being thus overcome with the Spirit, he was carried away in
a vision, even that he saw the heavens open, and he thought he saw God sitting
upon his throne, surrounded with numberless concourses of angels in
the attitude of singing and praising their God.
9 And it came to pass that he saw One descending out of the midst of
heaven, and he beheld that his luster was above that of the sun at noon-day.
10 And he also saw twelve others following him, and their brightness did
exceed that of the stars in the firmament.
11 And they came down and went forth upon the face of the earth; and
the first came and stood before my father, and gave unto him a
book, and bade him that he should read.
12 And it came to pass that as he read, he was filled with the Spirit of
the Lord.
13 And he read, saying: Wo, wo, unto Jerusalem, for I have seen
thine abominations!
Yea, and many things did my father read concerning Jerusalem—that it should be
destroyed, and the inhabitants thereof; many should perish by
the sword, and many should be carried away captive into Babylon.
14 And it came to pass that when my father had read and seen many great
and marvelous things, he did exclaim many things unto the Lord; such
as: Great and marvelous are thy works, O Lord God Almighty!
Thy throne is high in the heavens, and thy power, and
goodness, and mercy are over all the inhabitants of the earth;
and, because thou art merciful, thou wilt not suffer those
who come unto thee that they shall perish!
15 And after this manner was the language of my father in
the praising of his God; for his soul did rejoice, and his whole heart was
filled, because of the things which he had seen,
yea, which the Lord had shown unto him.
16 And now I, Nephi, do not make a full account of the things which my
father hath written, for he hath written many things which he saw in
visions and in dreams; and he also hath written many things which he prophesied
and spake unto his children, of which I shall not make a full account.
17 But I shall make an account of my proceedings in my days.
Behold, I make an abridgment of the record of my father, upon plates
which I have made with mine own hands; wherefore, after I have abridged
the record of my father then will I make an account of mine own life.
18 Therefore, I would that ye should know, that after the Lord had shown
so many marvelous things unto my father, Lehi, yea, concerning
the destruction of Jerusalem, behold he went forth among the people, and began
to prophesy and to declare unto them concerning the things which he had both
seen and heard.
19 And it came to pass that the Jews did mock him because of the things
which he testified of them; for he truly testified of their wickedness
and their abominations; and he testified that the things which he saw
and heard, and also the things which he read in the book, manifested plainly of
the coming of a Messiah, and also the redemption of the world.
20 And when the Jews heard these things they were angry with him; yea, even
as with the prophets of old, whom they had cast out, and stoned, and
slain; and they also sought his life, that they might take it away.
But behold, I, Nephi, will show unto you that the tender mercies of
the Lord are over all those whom he hath chosen, because of their
faith, to make them mighty even unto the power of deliverance.