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.
1 Nephi 1 Chapter 1
1 Nephi 1:1 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.
1 Nephi 1:2 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.
1 Nephi 1:3 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.
1 Nephi 1:4 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.
1 Nephi 1:5 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.
1 Nephi 1:6 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.
1 Nephi 1:7 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.
1 Nephi 1:8 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.
1 Nephi 1:9 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.
1 Nephi 1:10 10 And he also saw
twelve others following him, and their brightness did exceed that
of the stars in the firmament.
1 Nephi 1:11 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.
1 Nephi 1:12 12 And it came to
pass that as he read, he was filled with the Spirit of the
Lord.
1 Nephi 1:13 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.
1 Nephi 1:14 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!
1 Nephi 1:15 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.
1 Nephi 1:16 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.
1 Nephi 1:17 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.
1 Nephi 1:18 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.
1 Nephi 1:19 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 the Messiah, and also the
redemption of the world.
1 Nephi 1:20 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.
1 Nephi 2 Chapter 2
1 Nephi 2:1 1 For behold, it came
to pass that the Lord spake unto my father, yea, even in a dream,
and said unto him: Blessed art thou Lehi, because of the things
which thou hast done; and because thou hast been faithful and
declared unto this people the things which I commanded thee,
behold, they seek to take away thy life.
1 Nephi 2:2 2 And it came to pass
that the Lord commanded my father, even in a dream, that he should
take his family and depart into the wilderness.
1 Nephi 2:3 3 And it came to pass
that he was obedient unto the word of the Lord, wherefore he did as
the Lord commanded him.
1 Nephi 2:4 4 And it came to pass
that he departed into the wilderness. And he left his house, and
the land of his inheritance, and his gold, and his silver, and his
precious things, and took nothing with him, save it were his
family, and provisions, and tents, and departed into the
wilderness.
1 Nephi 2:5 5 And he came down by
the borders near the shore of the Red Sea; and he traveled in the
wilderness in the borders which are nearer the Red Sea; and he did
travel in the wilderness with his family, which consisted of my
mother, Sariah, and my elder brothers, who were Laman, Lemuel, and
Sam.
1 Nephi 2:6 6 And it came to pass
that when he had traveled three days in the wilderness, he pitched
his tent in a valley by the side of a river of water.
1 Nephi 2:7 7 And it came to pass
that he built an altar of stones, and made an offering unto the
Lord, and gave thanks unto the Lord our God.
1 Nephi 2:8 8 And it came to pass
that he called the name of the river, Laman, and it emptied into
the Red Sea; and the valley was in the borders near the mouth
thereof.