1 Nephi

1 And it came to pass that the angel said unto me, Look, and behold thy seed, and also the seed of thy brethren! And I looked and beheld the land of promise; and I beheld multitudes of people, yea, even as it were in number, as many as the sand of the sea.
2 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.
3 And it came to pass that I beheld many generations pass away after the manner of wars and contentions in the land; and I beheld many cities, yea, even that I did not number them.
4 And it came to pass that I saw a mist of darkness on the face of the land of promise; and I saw lightnings, and I heard thunderings, and earthquakes, and all manner of tumultuous noises; and I saw the earth and the rocks, that rent; and I saw mountains tumbling into pieces; and I saw the plains of the earth. that they were broken up; and I saw many cities, that they were sunk; and I saw many, that they were burned with fire; And I saw many, that they did tumble to earth, because of the quaking thereof.
5 And it came to pass that after I saw these things, I saw the vapor of darkness, that it passed from off the face of the earth; and behold, I saw the multitudes which had fallen, because of the great and terrible judgments of the Lord.
6 And I saw the Heavens open, and the Lamb of God descending out of Heaven; and he came down and shewed himself unto them.
7 And I also saw and bear record, that the Holy Ghost fell upon twelve others; and they were ordained of God, and chosen.
8 And the angel spake unto me, saying: Behold the twelve disciples of the Lamb, which are chosen to minister unto thy seed.
9 And he saith unto me, Thou remembereth the twelve apostles of the Lamb? Behold, they are they which shall judge the twelve tribes of Israel; wherefore, the twelve ministers of thy seed, shall be judged of them; for ye are of the house of Israel;
10 and these twelve ministers which thou beholdest, shall judge thy seed. And behold, they are righteous forever; for because of their faith in the Lamb of God, their garments are made white in his blood.
11 And the angel saith unto me, look! And I looked and beheld three generations did pass away in righteousness; and their garments were white, even like unto the Lamb of God. And the angel said unto me, These are made white in the blood of the Lamb, because of their faith in him.
12 And I, Nephi, also many of the fourth generation, which did pass away in righteousness.
13 And it came to pass that I saw the multitudes of the earth gathered together.
14 And the angel said unto me, Behold they seed, and also the seed of thy brethren!
15 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 in battle.
16 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;
17 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;
18 and the large and spacious building which thy father saw, is vain imaginations, and the pride of the children of men. And a great and terrible gulf divideth them; yea, even the word of the justice of the Eternal God, and Jesus Christ, which 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 forever.
19 And while the angel spoke these words, I beheld and saw that the seed of my brethren did contend against my seed, according to the word of the angel; 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.
20 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.
21 And I saw them gathered together in multitudes; and I saw wars, and rumors of wars among them; and in wars, and rumors of wars, I saw many generations pass away.
22 And the angel said unto me, behold, these shall dwindle in unbelief.
23 And it came to pass that I beheld that after they had dwindled in unbelief, they became a dark, and loathsome, and a filthy people, full of idleness and all manner of abominations.

1 For it came to pass that 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; wherefore, 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 sat my foot.
2 And the spirit saith unto me, Behold, what desirest thou?
3 And I saith, I desire to behold the things which my father saw.
4 And the spirit saith unto me, Believest thou that thy father saw the tree of which he hath spoken?
5 And I said yea; thou knowest that I believe all the words of my father.
6 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; and blessed art thou, Nephi, because thou believest in the Son of the Most High God; wherefore, thou shalt behold the things which thou desired.
7 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 that ye have witnessed him, ye shall bear record that it is the Son of God.
8 And it came to pass that the spirit saith unto me, look! and I looked and beheld the 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.
9 And it came to pass that after that I had seen the tree, I said unto the spirit, I behold thou hast shewn unto me the tree which is precious above all.
10 And he saith unto me, What desirest thou?
11 And I said unto him, to know the interpretation thereof; 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.
12 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.
13 And it came to pass that I looked and beheld the great city Jerusalem, and also other cities. And I beheld the city of Nazareth; and in the city of Nazareth I beheld a virgin, and she was exceeding fair and white.
14 And it came to pass that I saw the Heavens open; and an angel came down and stood before me; and he saith unto me, Nephi, what beholdest thou?
15 And I saith unto him, a virgin, most beautiful and fair above all other virgins.
16 And he saith unto me, Knowest thou condescention of God?
17 And I said unto him, I know that he loveth his children; nevertheless, I do not know the meaning of all things.
18 And he said unto me, Behold, the virgin which thou seest, is the mother of God, after the manner of flesh.
19 And it came to pass I beheld that she was carried away in the spirit; and after that she had been carried away in the spirit for the space of time, the angel spake unto me, saying, look!
20 And I looked and beheld the virgin again, bearing a child in her arms.
21 And the angel said unto me, behold the Lamb of God, yea, even the Eternal Father! Knowest thou the meaning of the tree which thy father saw?
22 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.
23 And he spake unto me, saying, Yea, and the most joyous to the soul.
24 And after that he had said those words, he said unto me, look! And I looked, and I beheld the Son of God going forth among the children of men; and I saw many fall down at his feet and worship him.
25 And it came to pass that I beheld that the rod of iron which my father had seen, was the word of God, which let to the fountain of living waters, or to the tree of life; which waters are a representation of the love of God; and I also beheld that the tree of life was a representation of the love of God.
26 And the angel said unto me again, Look and behold the condescention of God!
27 And I looked and beheld the Redeemer of the world, of which my father had spoken; and I also beheld the prophet, which should prepare the way before him. And the Lamb of God went forth, and was baptised of him; and after that he was baptised, I beheld the Heavens open, and the Holy Ghost come down out of Heaven and abode upon him in the form of a dove.
28 And I beheld that he went forth ministering unto the people, in power and great glory; and the multitudes were gathered together to hear him; and I beheld that they cast him out from among them.
29 And I also beheld twelve others following him. And it came to pass that they were carried away in the spirit, from before my face, that I saw them not.
30 And it came to pass that the angel spake unto me again, saying, look! And I looked, and I beheld the Heavens open again, and I saw angels descending upon the children of men; and they did minister unto them.
31 And he spake unto me again, saying. look! And I looked, and beheld the Lamb of God going forth among the children of men. And I beheld multitudes of people which were sick, and which were afflicted of all manner of diseases, and with devils, and unclean spirits; and the angel spake, and shewed all these things unto me. And they were healed by the power of the Lamb of God; and the devils and the unclean spirits were cast out.
32 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 Everlasting God, was judged of the world; and I saw and bear record.
33 And I, Nephi, saw that he was lifted up upon the cross, and slain for the sins of the world.
34 And after that 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.
35 And the multitude of the earth was gathered together; and I beheld that they were in a large spacious building, like unto the building which my father saw. And the angel of the Lord spake unto me again, saying, Behold the world and the wisdom thereof; yea, behold, the House of Israel hath gathered together, to fight against the twelve apostles of the Lamb.
36 And it came to pass I saw and bear record, that the great and spacious building was the pride of the world; and it fell; and the fall thereof was exceeding great. 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.

1 And now I, Nephi, proceed to give an account upon these plates, of my proceedings, and my reign and ministry; therefore, 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 that after my father had made an end of speaking the words of his dream, and also exhorting them to all diligence, he spake unto them concerning the Jews:
3 How that after they were destroyed, yea, even that great city Jerusalem; and that many were carried away captive into Babylon; that according to the own due time of the Lord, they should return again; yea, even be brought back out of captivity; and after they are brought back out of captivity, to possess again the 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; yea, even a Messiah; or, in other words, a Saviour of the world.
5 And he also spake concerning the prophets: How great a number had testified of these things, concerning this Messiah, of which he had spoken, or this Redeemer of the world.
6 Wherefore, all mankind was 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, which 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; 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. And much spake my father concerning this thing.
9 And my father saith that he should baptise in Bethabara, beyond Jordan; and he also spake, that he should baptise with water. yea, even that he should baptise the Messiah with water.
10 And after that he had baptised the Messiah with water, he should behold and bear record, that he had baptised the Lamb of God, which should take away the sins of the world.
11 And it came to pass that after my father had spoken these words, he spake unto my brethren concerning the Gospel, which should be preached among the Jews; and also, concerning the dwindling of the Jews in unbelief. And after that they had slain the Messiah which should come, and after that he had been slain, he should rise from the dead, and should make himself manifest, by the Holy Ghost, unto the Gentiles.
12 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.
13 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.
14 And after that the house of Israel should be scattered, they should be gathered together again; or, in fine, that after the Gentiles had received the fulness 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.
15 And after this manner of language did my father prophesy ,and speak unto my brethren; 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:
16 And all these things of which I have spoken, was done, as my father dwelt in a tent, in the valley of Lemuel.
17 And it came to pass that after I, Nephi, having heard all the words of my father, concerning the things which he saw in a vision; 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. And the Son of God was the Messiah, which should come. And it came to pass that 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 in the time that he should manifest himself unto the children of men;
18 for he is the same yesterday, to-day, and forever; and the way is prepared from the foundation of the world, if it so be that they repent and come unto him;
19 for he that diligently seeketh, shall find; and the mysteries of God shall be unfolded unto them, by the power of the Holy Ghost, as well in these times, as in times of old; and as well as in times of old, as in times to come; wherefore, the courses of the Lord is one eternal round.
20 Therefore, remember, O man, for all thy doings, thou shalt be brought into judgment.
21 Wherefore, if ye have sought to do wickedly before the judgment seat of God; and no unclean thing can dwell with God; wherefore, ye must be cast off forever.
22 And the Holy Ghost giveth authority that I should speak these things, and deny them not.

1 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 cannot be written upon these plates.
2 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, I have given the name of Nephi; wherefore, they are called the plates of Nephi, after mine own name; and these plates also, are called the plates of Nephi.
3 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.
4 Upon the other plates should be engraven an account of the reign of the Kings, and the wars, and contentions of my people; 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 the contentions of my people.
5 Wherefore, the Lord hath commanded me to make these plates, for a wise purpose in him; which purpose, I know not.
6 Behold the Lord knoweth all things, from the beginning; 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. And thus it is. Amen.

1 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.
2 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.
3 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.
4 –But, behold, Laman and Lemuel, I fear exceedingly, because of you; for, behold, me thought I saw a dark and dreary wilderness.
5 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.
6 And it came to pass that he spake unto me, and bade me follow him.
7 And it came to pass that as I followed him, and after I had followed him, I beheld myself that I was in the dark and dreary waste.
8 And after that I travelled 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.
9 And it came to pass that after I had prayed unto the Lord, I beheld a large and spacious field.
10 And it came to pass that I beheld a tree, whose fruit was desirable, to make one happy.
11 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 had before tasted. Yea, and I beheld that the fruit thereof was white, to exceed all the whiteness that I had ever seen.
12 And as I partook of the fruit thereof, it filled my soul with exceeding great joy; wherefore, I began to be desirous that my family should partake of it also; for I knew that it was desirous above all other fruit.
13 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.
14 And I looked to behold from whence it came; and I saw the head thereof, a little way off; 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.
15 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.
16 And it came to pass that they did come unto me, and partake of the fruit also.
17 And it came to pass that I was desirous that Laman and Lemuel should come and partake of the fruit also; wherefore, I cast mine eyes towards the head of the river, that perhaps I might see them.
18 And it came to pass that I saw them, but they would not come unto me.
19 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.
20 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; and it also led by the head of the fountain, unto a large and spacious field, as if it had been a world;
21 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 it stood.
22 And it came to pass that they did come forth, and commence in the path which led to the tree.
23 And it came to pass that there arose a mist of darkness; yea, even an exceeding great mist of darkness, insomuch that they which had commenced in the path, did lose their way, that they wandered off, and were lost.
24 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, and they did press 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. And after that they had partaken of the fruit of the tree,
25 they did cast their eyes about as it they were ashamed.
26 And I also cast my eyes round about, and beheld, on the other side of the river of water, a great and spacious building; and it stood as it were in the air, high above the earth;
27 and it was filled with people, both old and young, both male and female; and their number of dress was exceeding fine; and they were in the attitude of mocking and pointing their fingers towards those which had come at, and were partaking of the fruit.
28 And after that 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.
29 And now I, Nephi, do not speak all the words of my father.
30 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.
31 And he also saw other multitudes, feeling their way towards that great and spacious building.
32 And it came to pass that many were drowned in the depths of the fountain; and many were lost from his view, wandering in strange roads.
33 And great was the multitude that did enter into that strange building. And after that 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.
34 These are the words of my father: For as many as heeded them, had fallen away.
35 And Laman and Lemuel partook not of the fruit, saith my father.
36 And it came to pass that 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; yea, he feared lest they should be cast off from the presence of the Lord;
37 and he did not exhort them then with all the feeling of a tender parent, that they would hearken to his words, in that, perhaps the Lord would be merciful to them, and not cast them off; yea, my father did preach unto them.
38 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; and he did cease speaking unto them.

1 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 mete 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.
2 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,
3 And it came to pass that I, Nephi, did again, with my brethren, go forth into the wilderness to go up to Jerusalem.
4 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.
5 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.
6 And it came to pass as we journied 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 I, Nephi, and Sam, and their father, Ishmael, and his wife, and his three other daughters.
7 And it came to pass in the which rebellion, they were desirous to return unto the land of Jerusalem.
8 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, thou art 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?
9 How is it that ye have not hearkened unto the word of the Lord?
10 How is it that ye have forgotten that ye have seen an angel of the Lord?
11 Yea, and how is it that ye have forgotten how 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?
12 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 in him.
13 And if it so be that we are faithful in 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; for all things which the Lord hath spoken concerning the destruction of Jerusalem, must be fulfilled.
14 For, behold, the spirit of the Lord ceaseth soon to strive with them; for behold, they have rejected the prophets, and Jeremiah have they cast into prison. And they have sought to take away the life of my father, insomuch that they have driven him out of the land.
15 Now behold, I say unto you, that if ye will return unto Jerusalem, ye shall also perish with them. 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.
16 And it came to pass that when I, Nephi, had spoken these words unto my brethren, they were angry with me. 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, 2 for they sought to take away my life, that they might leave me in the wilderness, to be devoured by wild beasts.
17 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; yea, even give me strength that I may burst these bands with which I am bound.
18 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.
19 And it came to pass that they were angry with me again, and sought to lay hands upon me; 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; and they did cease striving to take away my life.
20 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.
21 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. And it came to pass that they did so. And after that they had done praying unto the Lord, we did again travel on our journey toward the tent of our father.
22 And it came to pass that we did come down unto the tent of our father. And after that I and my brothers, and all the house of Ishmael, had come down unto the tent of my father, they did give thanks unto the Lord their God; and they did offer sacrifice and burnt offerings unto him.

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 things of my father, for they cannot 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 them which 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.

1 And it came to pass after we had came 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;
2 for she had supposed that we had perished in the wilderness; 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.
3 And after this manner of language had my mother complained against my father.
4 And it came 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 children.
5 But behold, I have obtained a land of promise, in the which thing I do rejoice; 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.
6 And after this manner of language did my father Lehi comfort my mother Sariah, concerning us, while we journied in the wilderness up to the land of Jerusalem, to obtain the record of the Jews.
7 And when we had returned to the tent of my father, behold their joy was full, and my mother was comforted;
8 and she spake, saying: Now I know of a surety that the Lord hath commanded my husband to flee into the wilderness; 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. And after this language did she speak.
9 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.
10 And after that 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.
11 And he beheld that they did contain the five books of Moses, which gave an account of the creation of the world, and also of Adam and Eve, which was our first parents;
12 and also a record of Jews from the beginning, even down to the commencement of the reign of Zedekiah, King of Judah;
13 and also the prophecies of the Holy prophets, from the beginning, even down to the commencement of the reign of Zedekiah; and also many prophecies which have been spoken by the mouth of Jeremiah.
14 And it came to pass that my father Lehi also found upon the plates of brass, a genealogy of his fathers; wherefore he knew that he was a descendant of Joseph; yea, even that Joseph which was the son of Jacob, which was sold into Egypt, and which was preserved by the hand of the Lord, that he might preserve his father Jacob and all his household from perishing with famine.
15 And they were also led out of captivity and out of the land of Egypt, by the same God who had preserved them.
16 And thus my father Lehi did discover the genealogy of his fathers. And Laban also was a descendant of Joseph, wherefore he and his fathers had kept the records.
17 And now when my father saw all these things, he was filled with the spirit, and began to prophesy concerning his seed;
18 that these plates of brass should go forth unto all nations, kindreds, tongues, and people which were of his seed.
19 Wherefore he said that these plates of brass should never perish; neither should they be dimmed any more by time. And he prophesied many times concerning his seed.
20 And it came to pass that thus far I and my father had kept the commandments wherewith the Lord had commanded us.
21 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.
22 Wherefore it was wisdom in the Lord that we should carry them with us, as we journied in the wilderness towards the land of promise.

1 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.
2 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.
3 Now behold ye know that this is true; and ye also know that an angel hath spoken unto you, wherefore can ye doubt. Let us go up; the Lord is able to deliver us, even as our fathers, and to destroy Laban, even as the Egyptians.
4 Now when I had spoken these words, they were yet wroth, and still did continue to murmur; Nevertheless they did follow me up until we came without the walls of Jerusalem.
5 And it was by night; and I caused that they should hide themselves without the walls. And after that they had hid themselves, I, Nephi, crept into the city and went forth towards the house of Laban.
6 And I was led by the spirit, not knowing beforehand the things which I should do.
7 Nevertheless I went forth, and as I came near the house of Laban, I beheld a man, and he had fallen to the earth before me, for he was drunken with wine.
8 And when I came to him, I found that it was Laban.
9 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.
10 And it came to pass that I was constrained by the spirit that I should kill Laban; but I said in my heart, never at any time have I shed blood of man, and I shrunk and would that I might not slay him.
11 And the spirit saith 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.
12 And it came to pass that the spirit said unto me again, slay him, for the Lord hath delivered him into my hands.
13 Behold the Lord slayeth the wicked to bring forth his righteous purposes: it is better that one man should perish, than that a nation should dwindle and perish in unbelief.
14 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.
15 –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.
16 And I also knew that the law was engraven upon the plates of brass.
17 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.
18 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.
19 And after that 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 armour about my loins.
20 And after that I had done this, I went forth unto the treasury of Laban, And as I went forth towards the treasury of Laban, behold I saw the servant of Laban which had the keys of the treasury. And I commanded him in the voice of Laban, that he should go with me into the treasury;
21 and he supposed me to be his master, Laban, for he beheld the garments, and also the sword girted about my loins.
22 And he spake unto me concerning the elders of the Jews, he knowing that his master Laban had been out by night among them.
23 And I spake unto him as if it had been Laban.
24 And I also spake unto him that I should carry the engravings which were upon the plates of brass, to my elder brethren, which were without the walls.
25 And I also bade him that he should follow me.
26 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.
27 And he spake unto me many times concerning the elders of the Jews, as I went forth unto my brethren, which were without walls.
28 And it came to pass that when Laman saw me, he was exceedingly frightened, and also Lemuel and Sam. 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.
29 And it came to pass that I called after them, and they did hear me; wherefore they did cease to flee from my presence.
30 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.
31 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.
32 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.
33 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.
34 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? therefore, if thou wilt go down into the wilderness to my father, thou shalt have place with us.
35 And it came to pass that Zoram did take courage at the words which I spake. Now Zoram was the name of the servant; and he promised that he would go down into the wilderness unto our father. And he also made an oath unto us, that he would tarry with us from that time forth.
36 Now we were desirous that we 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.
37 And it came to pass that when Zoram had made an oath unto us, our fears did cease concerning him.
38 And it came to pass that we took the plates of brass and the servant of Laban, and departed into the wilderness, and journied into the tent of our father.

1 And it came to pass that I, Nephi, returned from speaking with the Lord, to the tent of my father.
2 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.
3 For behold, Laban hath the record of the Jews, and also a genealogy of my forefathers, and they are engraven upon the plates of brass.
4 Wherefore the Lord hath commanded me that thou and thy brothers should go unto the house of Laban, and seek the records, and bring them down hither into the wilderness.
5 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 commanded of the Lord. Therefore go, my son, and thou shalt be favored of the Lord,
6 because thou hast not murmured.
7 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 of them.
8 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.
9 And I, Nephi, and my brethren, took our journey in the wilderness with our tents, to go up to the land of Jerusalem.
10 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;
11 and we cast lots, which of us should go in unto the house of Laban. 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.
12 And he desired of Laban the records which were engraven upon the plates of brass, which contained the genealogy of my father.
13 And behold, it came to pass that Laban was angry, and thrust him out of his presence; and he would not that he should have records. Wherefore he said unto him, behold thou art a robber, and I will slay thee.
14 But Laman fled out of his presence, and told the things which Laban had done, unto us. And we began to be exceeding sorrowful, and my brethren were about to return unto my father in the wilderness.
15 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.
16 Wherefore let us be faithful in keeping the commandments of the Lord; 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. And all this he hath done, because of the commandments of the Lord:
17 for he knowing that Jerusalem must be destroyed, because of the wickedness of the people.
18 For behold, they have rejected the words of the prophets –Wherefore if my father should dwell in the land after that he hath been commanded to flee out of the land, behold he would also perish. Wherefore it must needs be that he flee out of the land.
19 And behold, it is wisdom in God that we should obtain these records, that we might preserve unto our children the language of our fathers;
20 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 the present time.
21 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.
22 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.
23 And after that we had gathered these things together, we went up again unto the house of Laban.
24 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.
25 And it came to pass that when Laban saw our property, and 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.
26 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.
27 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.
28 And it came to pass that Laman was angry with me, and also with my father; and also Lemuel; for he hearkened unto the words of Laman. Wherefore Laman and Lemuel did speak many hard words unto us, their younger brothers, and they did smite us even with a rod. And it came to pass as they smote us with a rod,
29 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? Know ye not that the Lord hath chosen him to be a ruler over you , and this because of your iniquities? Behold thou shalt go up to Jerusalem again, and the Lord will deliver Laban into your hands.
30 And after that the angel had spoken unto us, he departed.
31 And after that angel had departed, Laman and Lemuel again began to murmur, saying, how is it possible that the Lord will deliver Laban into our hands? Behold he is a mighty man, and he can command fifty, yea, even he can slay fifty; then why not us?