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The First Book of Nephi

His Reign and Ministry

Chapter 1  Chapter 2  Chapter 3

1 Nephi, Chapter 1

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 day's journey into the wilderness with his family. Nephi taketh his brethren and returns 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 rebelleth against him. He confoundeth them, and buildeth a ship. They call the place Bountiful. They cross the large waters into the promised land, &c. This is according to the account of Nephi; or in other words, I, Nephi wrote this record.

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; 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.

2 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.

3 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.

4 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.

5 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.

6 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;

7 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.

8 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;

9 And he also saw twelve others following him, and their brightness did exceed that of the stars in the firmament; and they came down and went forth upon the face of the earth;

10 And the first came and stood before my father, and gave unto him a book, and bade him that he should read.

11 And it came to pass that as he read, he was filled with the Spirit of the Lord, and he read, saying, Wo, wo unto Jerusalem! for I have seen thine abominations;

12 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.

13 And it came to pass that when my father had read and saw 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!

14 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 shewn unto him.

15 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;

16 And he also hath written many things which he prophesied and spake unto his children, of which I shall not make a full account; but I shall make an account of my proceedings in my days.

17 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 shewn 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;

20 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.

21 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;

22 And they also sought his life, that they might take it away.

23 But behold I, Nephi, will shew 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.

24 For behold it came to pass that the Lord spake unto my father, yea, even in a dream, and said unto him, Blessed are thou Lehi, because of the things which thou hast done;

25 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.

26 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.

27 And it came to pass that he was obedient unto the word of the Lord, wherefore he did as the Lord commanded him.

28 And it came to pass that he departed into the wilderness.

29 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 he departed into the wilderness;

30 And he came down by the borders near the shore of the Red Sea;

31 And he traveled in the wilderness in the borders which were nearer the Red Sea;

32 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.

33 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.

34 And it came to pass that he built an altar of stones, and he made an offering unto the Lord, and gave thanks unto the Lord our God.

35 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.

36 And when my father saw that the waters of the river emptied into the fountain of the Red Sea, he spake unto Laman, saying, O that thou mightest be like unto this river, continually running into the fountain of all righteousness.

37 And he also spake unto Lemuel: O that thou mightest be like unto this valley, firm and steadfast, and immovable in keeping the commandments of the Lord.

38 Now this he spake because of the stiffneckedness of Laman and Lemuel; for behold they did murmur in many things against their father, because he was a visionary man, and had led them out of the land of Jerusalem, to leave the land of their inheritance, and their gold, and their silver, and their precious things, to perish in the wilderness.

39 And this they said he had done because of the foolish imaginations of his heart.

40 And thus Laman and Lemuel, being the eldest, did murmur against their father.

41 And they did murmur because they knew not the dealings of that God who had created them.

42 Neither did they believe that Jerusalem, that great city, could be destroyed according to the words of the prophets.

43 And they were like unto the Jews, who were at Jerusalem, who sought to take away the life of my father.

44 And it came to pass that my father did speak unto them in the valley of Lemuel, with power, being filled with the Spirit, until their frames did shake before him.

45 And he did confound them, that they durst not utter against him; wherefore they did as he commanded them.

46 And my father dwelt in a tent.

47 And it came to pass that I, Nephi, being exceeding young, nevertheless being large in stature, and also having great desires to know of the mysteries of God,

48 Wherefore I did cry unto the Lord; and behold he did visit me, and did soften my heart that I did believe all the words which had been spoken by my father; wherefore I did not rebel against him like unto my brothers.

49 And I spake unto Sam, making known unto him the things which the Lord had manifested unto me by his Holy Spirit.

50 And it came to pass that he believed in my words;

51 But behold Laman and Lemuel would not hearken unto my words:

52 And being grieved because of the hardness of their hearts, I cried unto the Lord for them.

53 And it came to pass that the Lord spake unto me, saying, Blessed art thou Nephi, because of thy faith, for thou hast sought me diligently, with lowliness of heart.

54 And inasmuch as ye shall keep my commandments, ye shall prosper, and shall be led to a land of promise; yea, even a land which I have prepared for you; yea, a land which is choice above all other lands.

55 And inasmuch as thy brethren shall rebel against thee, they shall be cut off from the presence of the Lord.

56 And inasmuch as thou shalt keep my commandments, thou shalt be made a ruler and a teacher over thy brethren.

57 For behold, in that day that they shall rebel against me, I will curse them even with a sore curse, and they shall have no power over thy seed, except they shall rebel against me also.

58 And if it so be that they rebel against me, they shall be a scourge unto thy seed, to stir them up in the ways of remembrance.

59 And it came to pass that I, Nephi, returned from speaking with the Lord, to the tent of my father.

60 And it came to pass that he spake unto me, saying: Behold I have dreamed a dream, in the which the Lord hath commanded me that thou and thy brethren shall return to Jerusalem.

61 For behold, Laban hath the record of the Jews, and also a genealogy of thy forefathers, and they are engraven upon plates of brass.

62 Wherefore the Lord hath commanded me that thou and thy brothers should go to the house of Laban, and seek the records, and bring them down hither into the wilderness.

63 And now, behold thy brothers murmur, saying it is a hard thing which I have required of them; but behold I have not required it of them; but it is a commandment of the Lord.

64 Therefore go, my son, and thou shalt be favored of the Lord, because thou hast not murmured.

65 And it came to pass that I, Nephi, said unto my father, I will go and do the things which the Lord hath commanded, for I know that the Lord giveth no commandments unto the children of men, save he shall prepare a way for them that they may accomplish the thing which he commandeth them.

66 And it came to pass that when my father had heard these words, he was exceeding glad, for he knew that I had been blessed of the Lord.

67 And I, Nephi, and my brethren took our journey in the wilderness with our tents, to go up to the land of Jerusalem.

68 And it came to pass that when we had come up to the land of Jerusalem, I and my brethren did consult one with another; and we cast lots who of us should go in unto the house of Laban.

69 And it came to pass that the lot fell upon Laman; and Laman went in unto the house of Laban, and he talked with him as he sat in his house.

70 And he desired of Laban the records which were engraven upon the plates of brass, which contained the genealogy of my father.

71 And behold it came to pass that Laban was angry, and thrust him out from his presence; and he would not that he should have the records.

72 Wherefore, he said unto him, Behold thou art a robber, and I will slay thee.

73 But Laman fled out of his presence, and told the things which Laban had done, unto us.

74 And we began to be exceeding sorrowful, and my brethren were about to return unto my father in the wilderness.

75 But, behold, I said unto them, that as the Lord liveth, and as we live, we will not go down unto our father in the wilderness, until we have accomplished the thing which the Lord hath commanded us.

76 Wherefore let us be faithful in keeping the commandments of the Lord;

77 Therefore let us go down to the land of our father's inheritance, for behold he left gold and silver, and all manner of riches.

78 And all this he hath done, because of the commandments of the Lord; for he knowing that Jerusalem must be destroyed, because of the wickedness of the people.

79 For behold, they have rejected the words of the prophets.

80 Wherefore if my father should dwell in the land after he hath been commanded to flee out of the land, behold he would also perish.

81 Wherefore it must needs be that he flee out of the land.

82 And behold it is wisdom in God that we should obtain these records, that we may preserve unto our children the language of our fathers;

83 And also that we may preserve unto them the words which have been spoken by the mouth of all the holy prophets, which have been delivered unto them by the spirit and power of God, since the world began, even down unto this present time.

84 And it came to pass that after this manner of language did I persuade my brethren, that they might be faithful in keeping the commandments of God.

85 And it came to pass that we went down to the land of our inheritance, and we did gather together our gold, and our silver, and our precious things.

86 And after we had gathered these things together, we went up again unto the house of Laban.

87 And it came to pass that we went in unto Laban, and desired him that he would give unto us the records which were engraven upon the plates of brass, for which we would give unto him our gold, and our silver, and all our precious things.

88 And it came to pass that when Laban saw our property, that it was exceeding great, he did lust after it, insomuch that he thrust us out, and sent his servants to slay us, that he might obtain our property.

89 And it came to pass that we did flee before the servants of Laban, and we were obliged to leave behind our property, and it fell into the hands of Laban.

90 And it came to pass that we fled into the wilderness, and the servants of Laban did not overtake us, and we hid ourselves in the cavity of a rock.

91 And it came to pass that Laman was angry with me, and also with my father, and also was Lemuel; for he hearkened unto the words of Laman.

92 Wherefore Laman and Lemuel did speak many hard words unto us, their younger brothers, and they did smite us even with a rod.

93 And it came to pass as they smote us with a rod, behold an angel of the Lord came and stood before them, and he spake unto them saying, Why do ye smite your younger brother with a rod?

94 Know ye not that the Lord hath chosen him to be a ruler over you, and this because of your iniquities?

95 Behold ye shall go up to Jerusalem again, and the Lord will deliver Laban into your hands.

96 And after the angel had spoken unto us, he departed

97 And after the angel had departed, Laman and Lemuel again began to murmur, saying, How is it possible that the Lord will deliver Laban into our hands?

98 Behold he is a mighty man, and he can command fifty, yea, even he can slay fifty; then why not us?

99 And it came to pass that I spake unto my brethren, saying, Let us go up again unto Jerusalem, and let us be faithful in keeping the commandments of the Lord; for behold he is mightier than all the earth, then why not mightier than Laban and his fifty, yea, or even than his tens of thousands.

100 Therefore let us go up; let us be strong like unto Moses; for he truly spake unto the waters of the Red Sea, and they divided hither and thither, and our fathers came through out of captivity on dry ground, and the armies of Pharaoh did follow and were drowned in the waters of the Red Sea.

101 Now behold ye know that this is true; and ye also know that an angel hath spoken unto you, wherefore can ye doubt?

102 Let us go up; the Lord is able to deliver us, even as our fathers, and to destroy Laban even as the Egyptians.

103 Now when I had spoken these words, they were yet wroth, and did still continue to murmur; nevertheless they did follow me up until we came without the walls of Jerusalem.

104 And it was by night: and I caused that they should hide themselves without the walls.

105 And after they had hid themselves, I, Nephi, crept into the city, and went forth towards the house of Laban.

106 And I was led by the Spirit, not knowing beforehand the things which I should do.

107 Nevertheless I went forth, and as I came near unto the house of Laban, I beheld a man, and he had fallen to the earth before me, for he was drunken with wine.

108 And when I came to him I found that it was Laban.

109 And I beheld his sword, and I drew it forth from the sheath thereof, and the hilt thereof was of pure gold, and the workmanship thereof was exceeding fine: and I saw that the blade thereof was of the most precious steel.

110 And it came to pass that I was constrained by the Spirit that I should kill Laban;

111 But I said in my heart, Never at any time have I shed the blood of man, and I shrunk and would that I might not slay him.

112 And the Spirit said unto me again, Behold the Lord hath delivered him into thy hands; yea, and I also knew that he had sought to take away mine own life; yea, and he would not hearken unto the commandments of the Lord; and he also had taken away our property.

113 And it came to pass that the Spirit said unto me again, Slay him, for the Lord hath delivered him into thy hands.

114 Behold the Lord slayeth the wicked to bring forth his righteous purposes.

115 It is better that one man should perish, than that a nation should dwindle and perish in unbelief.

116 And now, when I, Nephi, had heard these words, I remembered the words of the Lord which he spake unto me in the wilderness, saying, That inasmuch as thy seed shall keep my commandments, they shall prosper in the land of promise.

117 Yea, and I also thought that they could not keep the commandments of the Lord according to the law of Moses, save they should have the law.

118 And I also knew that the law was engraven upon the plates of brass.

119 And again, I knew that the Lord had delivered Laban into my hands for this cause, that I might obtain the records according to his commandments.

120 Therefore I did obey the voice of the Spirit, and took Laban by the hair of the head, and I smote off his head with his own sword.

121 And after I had smitten off his head with his own sword, I took the garments of Laban and put them upon mine own body; yea, even every whit; and I did gird on his armor about my loins.

122 And after I had done this, I went forth unto the treasury of Laban.

123 And as I went forth towards the treasury of Laban, behold I saw the servant of Laban, who had the keys of the treasury.

124 And I commanded him in the voice of Laban, that he should go with me into the treasury; and he supposed me to be his master Laban, for he beheld the garments and also the sword girded about my loins.

125 And he spake unto me concerning the elders of the Jews, he knowing that his master Laban had been out by night among them.

126 And I spake unto him as if it had been Laban.

127 And I also spake unto him that I should carry the engravings which were upon the plates of brass, to my elder brethren, who were without the walls.

128 And I also bade him that he should follow me.

129 And he supposing that I spake of the brethren of the church, and that I was truly that Laban whom I had slain, wherefore he did follow me.

130 And he spake unto me many times concerning the elders of the Jews, as I went forth unto my brethren, who were without the walls.

131 And it came to pass that when Laman saw me, he was exceedingly frightened, and also Lemuel and Sam.

132 And they fled from before my presence; for they supposed it was Laban, and that he had slain me, and had sought to take away their lives also.

133 And it came to pass that I called after them, and they did hear me; wherefore they did cease to flee from my presence.

134 And it came to pass that when the servant of Laban beheld my brethren, he began to tremble, and was about to flee from before me, and return to the city of Jerusalem.

135 And now I, Nephi, being a man large in stature, and also having received much strength of the Lord, therefore I did seize upon the servant of Laban, and held him that he should not flee.

136 And it came to pass that I spake with him, that if he would hearken unto my words, as the Lord liveth, and as I live, even so that if he would hearken unto our words, we would spare his life.

137 And I spake unto him, even with an oath, that he need not fear; that he should be a free man like unto us, if he would go down in the wilderness with us.

138 And I also spake unto him, saying, Surely the Lord hath commanded us to do this thing, and shall we not be diligent in keeping the commandments of the Lord?

139 Therefore, if thou wilt go down into the wilderness to my father, thou shalt have place with us.

140 And it came to pass that Zoram did take courage at the words which I spake.

141 Now Zoram was the name of the servant; and he promised that he would go down into the wilderness unto our father.

142 And he also made an oath unto us, that he would tarry with us from that time forth.

143 Now we were desirous that he should tarry with us for this cause, that the Jews might not know concerning our flight into the wilderness, lest they should pursue us and destroy us.

144 And it came to pass that when Zoram had made an oath unto us, our fears did cease concerning him.

145 And it came to pass that we took the plates of brass and the servant of Laban, and departed into the wilderness, and journeyed unto the tent of our father.

146 And it came to pass that after we had come down into the wilderness unto our father, behold he was filled with joy, and also my mother Sariah was exceeding glad, for she truly had mourned because of us; for she had supposed that we had perished in the wilderness;

147 And she also had complained against my father, telling him that he was a visionary man; saying, Behold thou hast led us forth from the land of our inheritance, and my sons are no more, and we perish in the wilderness.

148 And after this manner of language had my mother complained against my father.

149 And it had come to pass that my father spake unto her, saying, I know that I am a visionary man; for if I had not seen the things of God in a vision, I should not have known the goodness of God, but had tarried at Jerusalem, and had perished with my brethren.

150 But behold I have obtained a land of promise, in the which things I do rejoice;

151 Yea, and I know that the Lord will deliver my sons out of the hands of Laban, and bring them down again unto us in the wilderness.

152 And after this manner of language did my father Lehi comfort my mother Sariah concerning us, while we journeyed in the wilderness up to the land of Jerusalem, to obtain the record of the Jews.

153 And when we had returned to the tent of my father, behold their joy was full, and my mother was comforted;

154 And she spake, saying, Now I know of a surety that the Lord hath commanded my husband to flee into the wilderness;

155 Yea, and I also know of a surety that the Lord hath protected my sons, and delivered them out of the hands of Laban, and gave them power whereby they could accomplish the thing which the Lord hath commanded them.

156 And after this manner of language did she speak.

157 And it came to pass that they did rejoice exceedingly, and did offer sacrifice and burnt offerings unto the Lord; and they gave thanks unto the God of Israel.

158 And after they had given thanks unto the God of Israel, my father Lehi took the records which were engraven upon the plates of brass, and he did search them from the beginning.

159 And he beheld that they did contain the five books of Moses, which gave an account of the creation of the world;

160 And also of Adam and Eve, who were our first parents;

161 And also a record of the Jews from the beginning, even down to the commencement of the reign of Zedekiah, king of Judah;

162 And also the prophecies of the holy prophets, from the beginning, even down to the commencement of the reign of Zedekiah;

163 And also many prophecies which have been spoken by the mouth of Jeremiah.

164 And it came to pass that my father Lehi also found upon the plates of brass a genealogy of his fathers;

165 Wherefore he knew that he was a descendant of Joseph; yea, even that Joseph who was the son of Jacob, who was sold into Egypt, and who was preserved by the hand of the Lord, that he might preserve his father Jacob and all his household from perishing with famine.

166 And they were also led out of captivity and out of the land of Egypt, by that same God who had preserved them.

167 And thus my father Lehi did discover the genealogy of his fathers.

168 And Laban also was a descendant of Joseph, wherefore he and his fathers had kept the records.

169 And now when my father saw all these things he was filled with the Spirit, and began to prophesy concerning his seed; that these plates of brass should go forth unto all nations, kindreds, tongues and people, who were of his seed.

170 Wherefore he said that these plates of brass should never perish, neither should they be dimmed any more by time.

171 And he prophesied many things concerning his seed.

172 And it came to pass that thus far I and my father had kept the commandments wherewith the Lord had commanded us.

173 And we had obtained the record which the Lord had commanded us, and searched them and found that they were desirable; yea, even of great worth unto us, insomuch that we could preserve the commandments of the Lord unto our children.

174 Wherefore it was wisdom in the Lord that we should carry them with us as we journeyed in the wilderness towards the land of promise.

1 Nephi, Chapter 2

1 And now I, Nephi, do not give the genealogy of my fathers in this part of my record; neither at any time shall I give it after upon these plates which I am writing; for it is given in the record which has been kept by my father; wherefore I do not write it in this work.

2 For it sufficeth me to say that we are a descendant of Joseph.

3 And it mattereth not to me that I am particular to give a full account of all the things of my father, for they can not be written upon these plates, for I desire the room that I may write of the things of God.

4 For the fullness of mine intent is that I may persuade men to come unto the God of Abraham, and the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob, and be saved.

5 Wherefore the things which are pleasing unto the world, I do not write, but the things which are pleasing unto God and unto those who are not of the world.

6 Wherefore I shall give commandment unto my seed, that they shall not occupy these plates with things which are not of worth unto the children of men.

7 And now I would that ye might know, that after my father Lehi had made an end of prophesying concerning his seed, it came to pass that the Lord spake unto him again, saying, that it was not meet for him, Lehi, that he should take his

family into the wilderness alone; but that his sons should take daughters to wife, that they might raise up seed unto the Lord in the land of promise.

8 And it came to pass that the Lord commanded him that I, Nephi, and my brethren, should again return unto the land of Jerusalem, and bring down Ishmael and his family into the wilderness.

9 And it came to pass that I, Nephi, did again, with my brethren, go forth into the wilderness to go up to Jerusalem.

10 And it came to pass that we went up unto the house of Ishmael, and we did gain favor in the sight of Ishmael, insomuch that we did speak unto him the words of the Lord.

11 And it came to pass that the Lord did soften the heart of Ishmael and also his household, insomuch that they took their journey with us down into the wilderness to the tent of our father.

12 And it came to pass that as we journeyed in the wilderness, behold Laman and Lemuel, and two of the daughters of Ishmael, and the two sons of Ishmael, and their families, did rebel against us; yea, against me, Nephi, and Sam, and their father Ishmael, and his wife, and his three other daughters.

13 And it came to pass in the which rebellion they were desirous to return unto the land of Jerusalem.

14 And now I, Nephi, being grieved for the hardness of their hearts, therefore I spake unto them, saying, yea, even unto Laman and unto Lemuel, Behold ye are mine elder brethren; and how is it that ye are so hard in your hearts, and so blind in your minds, that ye have need that I, your younger brother, should speak unto you, yea, and set an example for you?

15 How is it that ye have not hearkened unto the word of the Lord?

16 How is it that ye have forgotten that ye have seen an angel of the Lord?

17 Yea, and how is it that ye have forgotten what great things the Lord hath done for us in delivering us out of the hands of Laban, and also that we should obtain the record?

18 Yea, and how is it that ye have forgotten that the Lord is able to do all things according to his will, for the children of men, if it so be that they exercise faith in him; wherefore let us be faithful to him.

19 And if it so be that we are faithful to him, we shall obtain the land of promise; and ye shall know at some future period that the word of the Lord shall be fulfilled concerning the destruction of Jerusalem;

20 For all things which the Lord hath spoken concerning the destruction of Jerusalem must be fulfilled.

21 For behold, the Spirit of the Lord ceaseth soon to strive with them;

22 For behold they have rejected the prophets and Jeremiah have they cast into prison.

23 And they have sought to take away the life of my father, insomuch that they have driven him out of the land.

24 Now behold, I say unto you, that if ye will return unto Jerusalem ye shall also perish with them.

25 And now, if ye have choice, go up to the land, and remember the words which I speak unto you, that if ye go ye will also perish; for thus the Spirit of the Lord constraineth me that I should speak.

26 And it came to pass that when I, Nephi, had spoken these words unto my brethren they were angry with me.

27 And it came to pass that they did lay their hands upon me-for behold, they were exceeding wroth-and they did bind me with cords, for they sought to take away my life, that they might leave me in the wilderness to be devoured by wild beasts.

28 But it came to pass that I prayed unto the Lord, saying, O Lord, according to my faith which is in thee, wilt thou deliver me from the hands of my brethren;

29 Yea, even give me strength that I may burst these bands with which I am bound.

30 And it came to pass that when I had said these words, behold, the bands were loosed from off my hands and feet, and I stood before my brethren, and I spake unto them again.

31 And it came to pass that they were angry with me again, and sought to lay hands upon me;

32 But behold, one of the daughters of Ishmael, yea, and also her mother, and one of the sons of Ishmael, did plead with my brethren, insomuch that they did soften their hearts; and they did cease striving to take away my life.

33 And it came to pass that they were sorrowful, because of their wickedness, insomuch that they did bow down before me, and did plead with me, that I would forgive them of the thing that they had done against me.

34 And it came to pass that I did frankly forgive them all that they had done, and I did exhort them that they would pray unto the Lord their God for forgiveness.

35 And it came to pass that they did so.

36 And after they had done praying unto the Lord we did again travel on our journey toward the tent of our father.

37 And it came to pass that we did come down unto the tent of our father.

38 And after I and my brethren, and all the house of Ishmael, had come down unto the tent of my father, they did give thanks unto the Lord their God;

39 And they did offer sacrifice and burnt offerings unto him.

40 And it came to pass that we had gathered together all manner of seeds of every kind; both of grain of every kind, and also of the seeds of fruits of every kind.

41 And it came to pass that while my father tarried in the wilderness he spake unto us, saying, Behold, I have dreamed a dream; or in other words, I have seen a vision.

42 And behold, because of the thing which I have seen, I have reason to rejoice in the Lord because of Nephi, and also of Sam; for I have reason to suppose that they, and also many of their seed, will be saved.

43 But behold, Laman and Lemuel, I fear exceedingly because of you; for behold, methought I saw in my dream a dark and dreary wilderness.

44 And it came to pass that I saw a man, and he was dressed in a white robe; and he came and stood before me.

45 And it came to pass that he spake unto me, and bade me follow him.

46 And it came to pass that as I followed him, I beheld myself that I was in a dark and dreary waste.

47 And after I had traveled for the space of many hours in darkness I began to pray unto the Lord, that he would have mercy on me according to the multitude of his tender mercies.

48 And it came to pass after I had prayed unto the Lord, I beheld a large and spacious field.

49 And it came to pass that I beheld a tree, whose fruit was desirable to make one happy.

50 And it came to pass that I did go forth and partake of the fruit thereof; and I beheld that it was most sweet above all that I ever before tasted.

51 Yea, and I beheld that the fruit thereof was white, to exceed all the whiteness that I had ever seen.

52 And as I partook of the fruit thereof, it filled my soul with exceeding great joy;

53 Wherefore I began to be desirous that my family should partake of it also; for I knew that it was desirable above all other fruit.

54 And as I cast my eyes round about, that perhaps I might discover my family also, I beheld a river of water; and it ran along, and it was near the tree of which I was partaking the fruit.

55 And I looked to behold from whence it came; and I saw the head thereof a little way off;

56 And at the head thereof I beheld your mother Sariah, and Sam, and Nephi; and they stood as if they knew not whither they should go.

57 And it came to pass that I beckoned unto them; and I also did say unto them with a loud voice that they should come unto me and partake of the fruit, which was desirable above all other fruit.

58 And it came to pass that they did come unto me, and partake of the fruit also.

59 And it came to pass that I was desirous that Laman and Lemuel should come and partake of the fruit also;

60 Wherefore, I cast mine eyes towards the head of the river, that perhaps I might see them.

61 And it came to pass that I saw them, but they would not come unto me, and partake of the fruit.

62 And I beheld a rod of iron; and it extended along the bank of the river, and led to the tree by which I stood.

63 And I also beheld a straight and narrow path, which came along by the rod of iron, even to the tree by which I stood;

64 And it also led by the head of the fountain unto a large and spacious field, as if it had been a world;

65 And I saw numberless concourses of people, many of whom were pressing forward, that they might obtain the path which led unto the tree by which I stood.

66 And it came to pass that they did come forth and commence in the path which led to the tree.

67 And it came to pass that there arose a mist of darkness; yea, even an exceeding great mist of darkness, insomuch that they who had commenced in the path did lose their way, that they wandered off and were lost.

68 And it came to pass that I beheld others pressing forward, and they came forth and caught hold of the end of the rod of iron;

69 And they did press forward through the mist of darkness, clinging to the rod of iron, even until they did come forth and partake of the fruit of the tree.

70 And after they had partaken of the fruit of the tree they did cast their eyes about as if they were ashamed.

71 And I also cast my eyes round about, and beheld on the other side of the river of water a great and spacious building;

72 And it stood as it were in the air, high above the earth;

73 And it was filled with people, both old and young, both male and female;

74 And their manner of dress was exceeding fine;

75 And they were in the attitude of mocking and pointing their fingers towards those who had come at, and were partaking of the fruit.

76 And after they had tasted of the fruit they were ashamed, because of those that were scoffing at them; and they fell away into forbidden paths and were lost.

77 And now I, Nephi, do not speak all the words of my father.

78 But, to be short in writing, behold, he saw other multitudes pressing forward; and they came and caught hold of the end of the rod of iron; and they did press their way forward, continually holding fast to the rod of iron, until they came forth and fell down and partook of the fruit of the tree.

79 And he also saw other multitudes feeling their way towards that great and spacious building.

80 And it came to pass that many were drowned in the depths of the fountain;

81 And many were lost from his view, wandering in strange roads.

82 And great was the multitude that did enter into that strange building.

83 And after they did enter into that building they did point the finger of scorn at me, and those that were partaking of the fruit also; but we heeded them not.

84 These are the words of my father: For as many as heeded them, had fallen away.

85 And Laman and Lemuel partook not of the fruit, said my father.

86 And it came to pass after my father had spoken all the words of his dream or vision, which were many, he said unto us, because of these things which he saw in a vision, he exceedingly feared for Laman and Lemuel;

87 Yea, he feared lest they should be cast off from the presence of the Lord;

88 And he did exhort them then with all the feeling of a tender parent, that they would hearken to his words, that, perhaps the Lord would be merciful to them, and not cast them off;

89 Yea, my father did preach unto them.

90 And after he had preached unto them, and also prophesied unto them of many things, he bade them to keep the commandments of the Lord;

91 And he did cease speaking unto them.

92 And all these things did my father see, and hear, and speak, as he dwelt in a tent, in the valley of Lemuel; and also a great many more things, which can not be written upon these plates.

93 And now, as I have spoken concerning these plates, behold, they are not the plates upon which I make a full account of the history of my people;

94 For the plates upon which I make a full account of my people, I have given the name of Nephi;

95 Wherefore, they are called the plates of Nephi, after mine own name; and these plates also are called the plates of Nephi.

96 Nevertheless, I have received a commandment of the Lord that I should make these plates for the special purpose that there should be an account engraven of the ministry of my people.

97 Upon the other plates should be engraven an account of the reign of the kings, and the wars and contentions of my people;

98 Wherefore, these plates are for the more part of the ministry; and the other plates are for the more part of the reign of the kings, and the wars and contentions of my people.

99 Wherefore, the Lord hath commanded me to make these plates for a wise purpose in him; which purpose I know not.

100 But the Lord knoweth all things from the beginning;

101 Wherefore, he prepareth a way to accomplish all his works among the children of men; for behold he hath all power unto the fulfilling of all his words.

102 And thus it is. Amen.

 1 Nephi, Chapter 3

1 And now I, Nephi, proceed to give an account upon these plates, of my proceedings, and my reign and ministry; wherefore, to proceed with mine account, I must speak somewhat of the things of my father, and also of my brethren.

2 For behold, it came to pass after my father had made an end of speaking the words of his dream, and also of exhorting them to all diligence, he spake unto them concerning the Jews, that after they should be destroyed, even that great city Jerusalem, and many be carried away captive into Babylon, according to the own due time of the Lord they should return again; yea, even be brought back out of captivity;

3 And after they should be brought back out of captivity they should possess againthe land of their inheritance.

4 Yea, even six hundred years from the time that my father left Jerusalem, a prophet would the Lord God raise up among the Jews, even a Messiah; or, in other words, a Savior of the world.

5 And he also spake concerning the prophets, how great a number had testified of these things, concerning this Messiah, of whom he had spoken, or this Redeemer of the world.

6 Wherefore, all mankind were in a lost and in a fallen state, and ever would be, save they should rely on this Redeemer.

7 And he spake also concerning a prophet, who should come before the Messiah, to prepare the way of the Lord;

8 Yea, even he should go forth and cry in the wilderness, Prepare ye the way of the Lord and make his paths straight;

9 For there standeth one among you whom ye know not; and he is mightier than I, whose shoe's latchet I am not worthy to unloose.

10 And much spake my father concerning this thing.

11 And my father said he should baptize in Bethabara, beyond Jordan; and he also said he should baptize with water; even that he should baptize the Messiah with water.

12 And after he had baptized the Messiah with water, he should behold and bear record that he had baptized the Lamb of God, who should take away the sins of the world.

13 And it came to pass after my father had spoken these words, he spake unto my brethren concerning the gospel which should be preached among the Jews,

14 And also concerning the dwindling of the Jews in unbelief.

15 And after they had slain the Messiah who should come, and after he had been slain, he should rise from the dead, and should make himself manifest by the Holy Ghost unto the Gentiles.

16 Yea, even my father spake much concerning the Gentiles, and also concerning the house of Israel, that they should be compared like unto an olive tree, whose branches should be broken off, and should be scattered upon all the face of the earth.

17 Wherefore he said it must needs be that we should be led with one accord into the land of promise, unto the fulfilling of the word of the Lord that we should be scattered upon all the face of the earth.

18 And after the house of Israel should be scattered, they should be gathered together again;

19 Or, in fine, after the Gentiles had received the fullness of the gospel, the natural branches of the olive tree, or the remnants of the house of Israel, should be grafted in, or come to the knowledge of the true Messiah, their Lord and their Redeemer.

20 And after this manner of language did my father prophesy and speak unto my brethren;

21 And also many more things, which I do not write in this book; for I have written as many of them as were expedient for me in mine other book.

22 And all these things of which I have spoken, were done as my father dwelt in a tent in the valley of Lemuel.

23 And it came to pass after I, Nephi, having heard all the words of my father concerning the things which he saw in a vision;

24 And also the things which he spake by the power of the Holy Ghost; which power he received by faith on the Son of God;

25 And the Son of God was the Messiah who should come;

26 I, Nephi, was desirous also that I might see, and hear, and know of these things, by the power of the Holy Ghost, which is the gift of God unto all those who diligently seek him, as well in times of old as in the time that he should manifest himself unto the children of men;

27 For he is the same yesterday, to-day, and for ever.

28 And the way is prepared from the foundation of the world, if it so be that they repent and come unto him;

29 For he that diligently seeketh shall find;

30 And the mysteries of God shall be unfolded unto them by the power of the Holy Ghost, as well in this time as in times of old;

31 And as well in times of old as in times to come;

32 Wherefore, the course of the Lord is one eternal round.

33 Therefore remember, O man, for all thy doings thou shalt be brought into judgment.

34 Wherefore, if ye have sought to do wickedly in the days of your probation, then ye are found unclean before the judgment seat of God;

35 And no unclean thing can dwell with God; wherefore ye must be cast off for ever.

36 And the Holy Ghost giveth authority that I should speak these things and deny them not.

37 For it came to pass after I had desired to know the things that my father had seen, and believing that the Lord was able to make them known unto me,

38 As I sat pondering in mine heart I was caught away in the Spirit of the Lord,

yea, into an exceeding high mountain, which I never had before seen, and upon which I never had before set my foot.

39 And the Spirit said unto me, Behold, what desirest thou?

40 And I said, I desire to behold the things which my father saw.

41 And the Spirit said unto me, Believest thou that thy father saw the tree of which he hath spoken?

42 And I said, Yea, thou knowest that I believe all the words of my father.

43 And when I had spoken these words, the Spirit cried with a loud voice, saying, Hosanna to the Lord, the most high God; for he is God over all the earth, yea, even above all.

44 And blessed art thou, Nephi, because thou believest in the Son of the most high God; wherefore, thou shalt behold the things which thou hast desired.

45 And behold, this thing shall be given unto thee for a sign, that after thou hast beheld the tree which bore the fruit which thy father tasted, thou shalt also behold a man descending out of heaven; and him shall ye witness; and after ye have witnessed him, ye shall bear record that it is the Son of God.

46 And it came to pass that the Spirit said unto me, Look! and I looked and beheld a tree; and it was like unto the tree which my father had seen; and the beauty thereof was far beyond, yea, exceeding of all beauty; and the whiteness thereof did exceed the whiteness of the driven snow.

47 And it came to pass after I had seen the tree, I said unto the Spirit, I behold thou hast shewn unto me the tree which is precious above all.

48 And he said unto me, What desirest thou?

49 And I said unto him, To know the interpretation thereof:

50 For I spake unto him as a man speaketh; for I beheld that he was in the form of a man; yet, nevertheless, I knew that it was the Spirit of the Lord: and he spake unto me as a man speaketh with another.

51 And it came to pass that he said unto me, Look! and I looked as if to look upon him, and I saw him not; for he had gone from before my presence.

52 And it came to pass that I looked and beheld the great city of Jerusalem, and also other cities.

53 And I beheld the city of Nazareth: and in the city of Nazareth I beheld a virgin, and she was exceedingly fair and white.

54 And it came to pass that I saw the heavens open; and an angel came down and stood before me; and he said unto me, Nephi, what beholdest thou?

55 And I said unto him, A virgin, most beautiful and fair above all other virgins.

56 And he said unto me, Knowest thou the condescension of God?

57 And I said unto him, I know that he loveth his children; nevertheless I do not know the meaning of all things.

58 And he said unto me, Behold, the virgin whom thou seest is the mother of the Son of God, after the manner of the flesh.

59 And it came to pass that I beheld that she was carried away in the Spirit;

60 And after she had been carried away in the Spirit for the space of a time, the angel spake unto me, saying, Look!

61 And I looked and beheld the virgin again, bearing a child in her arms.

62 And the angel said unto me, Behold the Lamb of God, yea, even the Son of the Eternal Father!

63 Knowest thou the meaning of the tree which thy father saw?

64 And I answered him, saying, Yea, it is the love of God, which sheddeth itself abroad in the hearts of the children of men; wherefore it is the most desirable above all things.

65 And he spake unto me, saying, Yea, and the most joyous to the soul.

66 And after he had said these words, he said unto me, Look! And I looked, and I beheld the Son of God going forth among the children of men:

67 And I saw many fall down at his feet and worship him.

68 And it came to pass that I beheld that the rod of iron, which my father had seen, was the word of God, which led to the fountain of living waters, or to the tree of life; which waters are a representation of the love of God;

69 And I also beheld that the tree of life was a representation of the love of God.

70 And the angel said unto me again, Look and behold the condescension of God!

71 And I looked and beheld the Redeemer of the world, of whom my father had spoken;

72 And I also beheld the prophet who should prepare the way before him.

73 And the Lamb of God went forth and was baptized of him;

74 And after he was baptized, I beheld the heavens open, and the Holy Ghost come down out of heaven and abode upon him in the form of a dove.

75 And I beheld that he went forth ministering unto the people in power and great glory;

76 And the multitudes were gathered together to hear him;

77 And I beheld that they cast him out from among them.

78 And I also beheld twelve others following him.

79 And it came to pass that they were carried away in the Spirit, from before my face, and I saw them not.

80 And it came to pass that the angel spake unto me again, saying, Look! And I looked, and I beheld the heavens open again,

81 And I saw angels descending upon the children of men; and they did minister unto them.

82 And he spake unto me again, saying, Look! And I looked, and I beheld the Lamb of God going forth among the children of men.

83 And I beheld multitudes of people who were sick, and who were afflicted with all manner of diseases, and with devils, and unclean spirits;

84 And the angel spake and shewed all these things unto me.

85 And they were healed by the power of the Lamb of God, and the devils and the unclean spirits were cast out.

86 And it came to pass that the angel spake unto me again, saying, Look! And I looked and beheld the Lamb of God, that he was taken by the people; yea, the Son of the everlasting God was judged of the world; and I saw and bear record.

87 And I, Nephi, saw that he was lifted up upon the cross, and slain for the sins of the world.

88 And after he was slain, I saw the multitudes of the earth, that they were gathered together to fight against the apostles of the Lamb; for thus were the twelve called by the angel of the Lord.

89 And the multitude of the earth was gathered together;

90 And I beheld that they were in a large and spacious building, like unto the building which my father saw.

91 And the angel of the Lord spake unto me again, saying, Behold the world and the wisdom thereof;

92 Yea, behold, the house of Israel hath gathered together to fight against the twelve apostles of the Lamb.

93 And it came to pass that I saw and bear record, that the great and spacious building was the pride of the world;

94 And it fell; and the fall thereof was exceeding great.

95 And the angel of the Lord spake unto me again, saying, Thus shall be the destruction of all nations, kindreds, tongues and people, that shall fight against the twelve apostles of the Lamb.

96 And it came to pass that the angel said unto me, Look and behold thy seed, and also the seed of thy brethren!

97 And I looked and beheld the land of promise;

98 And I beheld multitudes of people, yea, even as it were in number as many as the sand of the sea.

99 And it came to pass that I beheld multitudes gathered together to battle, one against the other; and I beheld wars, and rumors of wars, and great slaughters with the sword among my people.

100 And it came to pass that I beheld many generations pass away, after the manner of wars and contentions in the land;

101 And I beheld many cities, yea, even that I did not number them.

102 And it came to pass that I saw a mist of darkness on the face of the land of promise;

103 And I saw lightnings, and I heard thunderings, and earthquakes, and all manner of tumultuous noises;

104 And I saw the earth and the rocks that they rent;

105 And I saw mountains tumbling into pieces;

106 And I saw the plains of the earth, that they were broken up;

107 And I saw many cities, that they were sunk;

108 And I saw many that they were burned with fire;

109 And I saw many that did tumble to the earth, because of the quaking thereof.

110 And it came to pass after I saw these things, I saw the vapor of darkness, that it passed from off the face of the earth;

111 And behold, I saw multitudes who had fallen because of the great and terrible judgments of the Lord.

112 And I saw the heavens open, and the Lamb of God descending out of heaven; and he came down and shewed himself unto them.

113 And I also saw and bear record that the Holy Ghost fell upon twelve others, and they were ordained of God, and chosen.

114 And the angel spake unto me, saying, Behold the twelve disciples of the Lamb, who are chosen to minister unto thy seed.

115 And he said unto me, Thou remembereth the twelve apostles of the Lamb? Behold they are they who shall judge the twelve tribes of Israel:

116 Wherefore, the twelve ministers of thy seed shall be judged of them; for ye are of the house of Israel; and these twelve ministers whom thou beholdest, shall judge thy seed.

117 And behold they are righteous for ever; for because of their faith in the Lamb of God, their garments are made white in his blood.

118 And the angel said unto me, Look! And I looked and beheld three generations pass away in righteousness, and their garments were white, even like unto the Lamb of God.

119 And the angel said unto me, These are made white in the blood of the Lamb, because of their faith in him.

120 And I, Nephi, also saw many of the fourth generation, who passed away in righteousness.

121 And it came to pass that I saw the multitudes of the earth gathered together.

122 And the angel said unto me, Behold thy seed, and also the seed of thy brethren.

123 And it came to pass that I looked and beheld the people of my seed gathered together in multitudes against the seed of my brethren; and they were gathered together to battle.

124 And the angel spake unto me, saying, Behold the fountain of filthy water which thy father saw; yea, even the river of which he spake; and the depths thereof are the depths of hell;

125 And the mists of darkness are the temptations of the devil, which blindeth the eyes, and hardeneth the hearts of the children of men, and leadeth them away into broad roads, that they may perish, and are lost;

126 And the large and spacious building which thy father saw is vain imaginations and the pride of the children of men.

127 And a great and a terrible gulf divideth them; yea, even the word of the justice of the eternal God, and the Messiah who is the Lamb of God, of whom the Holy Ghost beareth record, from the beginning of the world until this time, and from this time henceforth and for ever.

128 And while the angel spake these words, I beheld and saw that the seed of my brethren did contend against my seed, according to the word of the angel;

129 And because of the pride of my seed, and the temptations of the devil, I beheld that the seed of my brethren did overpower the people of my seed.

130 And it came to pass that I beheld and saw the people of the seed of my brethren, that they had overcome my seed; and they went forth in multitudes upon the face of the land.

131 And I saw them gathered together in multitudes;

132 And I saw wars and rumors of wars among them; and in wars, and rumors of wars, I saw many generations pass away.

133 And the angel said unto me, Behold, these shall dwindle in unbelief.

134 And it came to pass that I beheld after they had dwindled in unbelief, they became a dark and loathsome, and a filthy people, full of idleness and all manner of abominations.

135 And it came to pass that the angel spake unto me, saying, Look! And I looked and beheld many nations and kingdoms.

136 And the angel said unto me, What beholdest thou?

137 And I said, I behold many nations and kingdoms.

138 And he said unto me, These are the nations and kingdoms of the Gentiles.

139 And it came to pass that I saw among the nations of the Gentiles the foundation of a great church.

140 And the angel said unto me, Behold the foundation of a church, which is most abominable above all other churches, which slayeth the saints of God, yea, and tortureth them and bindeth them down, and yoketh them with a yoke of iron, and bringeth them down into captivity.

141 And it came to pass that I beheld this great and abominable church; and I saw the devil that he was the foundation of it.

142 And I also saw gold and silver, and silks, and scarlets, and fine twined linen, and all manner of precious clothing; and I saw many harlots.

143 And the angel spake unto me, saying, Behold the gold, and the silver, and the silks, and the scarlets, and the fine twined linen, and the precious clothing, and the harlots, are the desires of this great and abominable church;

144 And also for the praise of the world do they destroy the saints of God, and bring them down into captivity.

145 And it came to pass that I looked and beheld many waters; and they divided the Gentiles from the seed of my brethren.

146 And it came to pass that the angel said unto me, Behold the wrath of God is upon the seed of thy brethren!

147 And I looked and beheld a man among the Gentiles, who was separated from the seed of my brethren by the many waters; and I beheld the Spirit of God, that it came down and wrought upon the man; and he went forth upon the many waters, even unto the seed of my brethren, who were in the promised land.

148 And it came to pass that I beheld the Spirit of God, that it wrought upon other Gentiles; and they went forth out of captivity, upon the many waters.

149 And it came to pass that I beheld many multitudes of the Gentiles upon the land of promise;

150 And I beheld the wrath of God that it was upon the seed of my brethren; and they were scattered before the Gentiles, and were smitten.

151 And I beheld the Spirit of the Lord, that it was upon the Gentiles; that they did prosper, and obtain the land for their inheritance; and I beheld that they were white, and exceeding fair and beautiful, like unto my people before they were slain.

152 And it came to pass that I, Nephi, beheld that the Gentiles who had gone forth out of captivity did humble themselves before the Lord, and the power of the Lord was with them;

153 And I beheld that their mother Gentiles were gathered together upon the waters, and upon the land also, to battle against them;

154 And I beheld that the power of God was with them; and also that the wrath of God was upon all those that were gathered together against them to battle.

155 And I, Nephi, beheld that the Gentiles that had gone out of captivity were delivered by the power of God out of the hands of all other nations.

156 And it came to pass that I, Nephi, beheld that they did prosper in the land;

157 And I beheld a book, and it was carried forth among them.

158 And the angel said unto me, Knowest thou the meaning of the book?

159 And I said unto him, I know not.

160 And he said, Behold, it proceedeth out of the mouth of a Jew; and I, Nephi, beheld it;

161 And he said unto me, The book that thou beholdest is a record of the Jews, which contains the covenants of the Lord which he hath made unto the house of Israel;

162 And it also containeth many of the prophecies of the holy prophets;

163 And it is a record like unto the engravings which are upon the plates of brass, save there are not so many; nevertheless, they contain the covenants of the Lord which he hath made unto the house of Israel;

164 Wherefore, they are of great worth unto the Gentiles.

165 And the angel of the Lord said unto me, Thou hast beheld that the book proceeded forth from the mouth of a Jew; and when it proceeded forth from the mouth of a Jew it contained the plainness of the gospel of the Lord, of whom the twelve apostles bear record; and they bear record according to the truth which is in the Lamb of God:

166 Wherefore, these things go forth from the Jews in purity unto the Gentiles, according to the truth which is in God:

167 And after they go forth by the hand of the twelve apostles of the Lamb, from the Jews unto the Gentiles, thou seest the foundation of a great and abominable church, which is most abominable above all other churches;

168 For behold, they have taken away from the gospel of the Lamb many parts which are plain and most precious;

169 And also many covenants of the Lord have they taken away;

170 And all this have they done that they might pervert the right ways of the Lord; that they might blind the eyes and harden the hearts of the children of men:

171 Wherefore, thou seest that after the book hath gone forth through the hands of the great and abominable church that there are many plain and precious things taken away from the book, which is the book of the Lamb of God;

172 And after these plain and precious things were taken away, it goeth forth unto all the nations of the Gentiles:

173 And after it goeth forth unto all the nations of the Gentiles, yea, even across the many waters which thou hast seen, with the Gentiles which have gone forth out of captivity;

174 Thou seest because of the many plain and precious things which have been taken out of the book, which were plain unto the understanding of the children of men, according to the plainness which is in the Lamb of God;

175 Because of these things which are taken away out of the gospel of the Lamb, an exceeding great many do stumble, yea, insomuch that Satan hath great power over them;

176 Nevertheless thou beholdest that the Gentiles who have gone forth out of captivity, and have been lifted up by the power of God above all other nations upon the face of the land, which is choice above all other lands,

177 Which is the land that the Lord God hath covenanted with thy father that his seed should have for the land of their inheritance, will not utterly destroy the mixture of thy seed, which are among thy brethren;

178 Neither will he suffer that the Gentiles shall destroy the seed of thy brethren;

179 Neither will the Lord God suffer that the Gentiles shall for ever remain in that awful state of blindness, which thou beholdest they are in because of the plain and most precious parts of the gospel of the Lamb which have been kept back by that abominable church, whose formation thou hast seen.

180 Wherefore, saith the Lamb of God, I will be merciful unto the Gentiles, unto the visiting of the remnant of the house of Israel in great judgment.

181 And it came to pass that the angel of the Lord spake unto me, saying, Behold, saith the Lamb of God, after I have visited the remnant of the house of Israel, and this remnant of whom I speak is the seed of thy father;

182 Wherefore, after I have visited them in judgment, and smitten them by the hand of the Gentiles;

183 And after the Gentiles do stumble exceedingly because of the most plain and precious parts of the gospel of the Lamb which has been kept back, by that abominable church, which is the mother of harlots, saith the Lamb, I will be merciful unto the Gentiles in that day, insomuch that I will bring forth unto them in mine own power, much of my gospel, which shall be plain and precious, saith the Lamb;

184 For behold, saith the Lamb, I will manifest myself unto thy seed, that they shall write many things which I shall minister unto them, which shall be plain and precious;

185 And after thy seed shall be destroyed and dwindle in unbelief, and also the seed of thy brethren; behold, these things shall be hid up, to come forth unto the Gentiles by the gift and power of the Lamb;

186 And in them shall be written my gospel, saith the Lamb, and my rock and my salvation;

187 And blessed are they who shall seek to bring forth my Zion at that day, for they shall have the gift and the power of the Holy Ghost;

188 And if they endure unto the end, they shall be lifted up at the last day, and shall be saved in the everlasting kingdom of the Lamb;

189 And whoso shall publish peace, yea, tidings of great joy, how beautiful upon the mountains shall they be.

190 And it came to pass that I beheld the remnant of the seed of my brethren, and also the book of the Lamb of God, which had proceeded forth from the mouth of the Jew, that it came forth from the Gentiles, unto the remnant of the seed of my brethren;

191 And after it had come forth unto them, I beheld other books which came forth by the power of the Lamb, from the Gentiles unto them, unto the convincing of the Gentiles, and the remnant of the seed of my brethren, and also the Jews, who were scattered upon all the face of the earth, that the records of the prophets and of the twelve apostles of the Lamb are true.

192 And the angel spake unto me, saying, These last records which thou hast seen among the Gentiles shall establish the truth of the first, which are of the twelve apostles of the Lamb, and shall make known the plain and precious things which have been taken away from them;

193 And shall make known to all kindreds, tongues and people, that the Lamb of God is the son of the Eternal Father, and the Savior of the world; and that all men must come unto him or they can not be saved;

194 And they must come according to the words which shall be established by the mouth of the Lamb;

195 And the words of the Lamb shall be made known in the records of thy seed, as well as in the records of the twelve apostles of the Lamb;

196 Wherefore, they both shall be established in one;

197 For there is one God and one Shepherd over all the earth;

198 And the time cometh that he shall manifest himself unto all nations, both unto the Jews, and also unto the Gentiles;

199 And after he has manifested himself unto the Jews and also unto the Gentiles; then he shall manifest himself unto the Gentiles, and also unto the Jews,

200 And the last shall be first, and the first shall be last.

201 And it shall come to pass, that if the Gentiles shall hearken unto the Lamb of God in that day that he shall manifest himself unto them in word, and also in power, in very deed, unto the taking away of their stumbling-blocks, and harden not their hearts against the Lamb of God, they shall be numbered among the seed of thy father;

202 Yea, they shall be numbered among the house of Israel;

203 And they shall be a blessed people upon the promised land for ever;

204 They shall be no more brought down into captivity;

205 And the house of Israel shall no more be confounded;

206 And that great pit which hath been digged for them by that great and abominable church, which was founded by the devil and his children, that he might lead away the souls of men down to hell;

207 Yea, that great pit which hath been digged for the destruction of men, shall be filled by those who digged it, unto their utter destruction, saith the Lamb of God;

208 Not the destruction of the soul, save it be the casting of it into that hell which hath no end;

209 For behold, this is according to the captivity of the devil, and also according to the justice of God, upon all those who will work wickedness and abomination before him.

210 And it came to pass that the angel spake unto me, Nephi, saying, Thou hast beheld that if the Gentiles repent, it shall be well with them;

211 And thou also knowest concerning the covenants of the Lord unto the house of Israel;

212 And thou also hast heard, that whoso repenteth not, must perish;

213 Therefore, wo, be unto the Gentiles, if it so be that they harden their hearts against the Lamb of God;

214 For the time cometh, saith the Lamb of God, that I will work a great and a marvelous work among the children of men;

215 A work which shall be everlasting, either on the one hand or on the other;

216 Either to the convincing of them unto peace and life eternal, or unto the deliverance of them to the hardness of their hearts and the blindness of their minds, unto their being brought down into captivity and also unto destruction, both temporally and spiritually, according to the captivity of the devil, of which I have spoken.

217 And it came to pass that when the angel had spoken these words, he said unto me, Remember thou the covenants of the Father unto the house of Israel?

218 I said unto him, Yea.

219 And it came to pass that he said unto me, Look and behold that great and abominable church, which is the mother of abominations, whose founder is the devil.

220 And he said unto me, Behold, there are save two churches only:

221 The one is the church of the Lamb of God, and the other is the church of the devil;

222 Wherefore, whoso belongeth not to the church of the Lamb of God belongeth to that great church, which is the mother of abominations;

223 And she is the whore of all the earth.

224 And it came to pass that I looked and beheld the whore of all the earth, and she sat upon many waters;

225 And she had dominion over all the earth, among all nations, kindreds, tongues and people.

226 And it came to pass that I beheld the church of the Lamb of God, and its numbers were few, because of the wickedness and abominations of the whore who sat upon many waters;

227 Nevertheless, I beheld that the church of the Lamb, who were the saints of God, were also upon all the face of the earth;

228 And their dominions upon the face of the earth were small, because of the wickedness of the great whore whom I saw.

229 And it came to pass that I beheld that the great mother of abominations did gather together in multitudes upon the face of all the earth, among all the nations of the Gentiles, to fight against the Lamb of God.

230 And it came to pass that I, Nephi, beheld the power of the Lamb of God, that it descended upon the saints of the church of the Lamb, and upon the covenant people of the Lord, who were scattered upon all the face of the earth;

231 And they were armed with righteousness and with the power of God in great glory.

232 And it came to pass that I beheld that the wrath of God was poured out upon the great and abominable church, insomuch that there were wars and rumors of wars among all the nations and kindreds of the earth,

233 And as there began to be wars and rumors of wars among all the nations which belonged to the mother of abominations, the angel spake unto me, saying,

234 Behold, the wrath of God is upon the mother of harlots;

235 And behold, thou seest all these things;

236 And when the day cometh that the wrath of God is poured out upon the mother of harlots, which is the great and abominable church of all the earth, whose foundation is the devil,

237 Then at that day, the work of the Father shall commence, in preparing the way for the fulfilling of his covenants which he hath made to his people, who are of the house of Israel.

238 And it came to pass that the angel spake unto me, saying, Look! And I looked and beheld a man, and he was dressed in a white robe;

239 And the angel said unto me, Behold one of the twelve apostles of the Lamb!

240 Behold, he shall see and write the remainder of these things;

241 Yea, and also many things which have been;

242 And he shall also write concerning the end of the world;

243 Wherefore, the things which he shall write are just and true;

244 And behold, they are written in the book which thou beheld proceeding out of the mouth of the Jew;

245 And at the time they proceeded out of the mouth of the Jew, or, at the time the book proceeded out of the mouth of the Jew, the things which were written were plain and pure, and most precious and easy to the understanding of all men.

246 And behold, the things which this apostle of the Lamb shall write, are many things which thou hast seen;

247 And behold, the remainder shalt thou see;

248 But the things which thou shalt see hereafter, thou shalt not write; for the Lord God hath ordained the apostle of the Lamb of God that he should write them.

249 And also others who have been, to them hath he shown all things, and they have written them;

250 And they are sealed up to come forth in their purity according to the truth which is in the Lamb, in the own due time of the Lord, unto the house of Israel.

251 And I, Nephi, heard and bear record, that the name of the apostle of the Lamb was John, according to the word of the angel.

252 And behold, I, Nephi, am forbidden that I should write the remainder of the things which I saw and heard; wherefore, the things which I have written sufficeth me;

253 And I have not written but a small part of the things which I saw.

254 And I bear record, that I saw the things which my father saw, and the angel of the Lord did make them known unto me.

255 And now I make an end of speaking concerning the things which I saw, while I was carried away in the Spirit;

256 And if all the things which I saw are not written, the things which I have written are true. And thus it is. Amen.