17:1 And it came to pass that we did again take our journey in the
wilderness; and we did travel nearly eastward from that time forth. And
we did travel and wade through much affliction in the wilderness; and
our women did bear children in the wilderness.
17:2 And so great were the blessings of the Lord upon us, that while we
did live upon raw meat in the wilderness, our women did give plenty of
suck for their children, and were strong, yea, even like unto the men;
and they began to bear their journeyings without murmurings.
17:3 And thus we see that the commandments of God must be fulfilled.
And if it so be that the children of men keep the commandments of God
he doth nourish them, and strengthen them, and provide means whereby
they can accomplish the thing which he has commanded them; wherefore,
he did provide means for us while we did sojourn in the wilderness.
17:4 And we did sojourn for the space of many years, yea, even eight
years in the wilderness.
17:5 And we did come to the land which we called Bountiful, because of
its much fruit and also wild honey; and all these things were prepared
of the Lord that we might not perish. And we beheld the sea, which we
called Irreantum, which, being interpreted, is many waters.
17:6 And it came to pass that we did pitch our tents by the seashore;
and notwithstanding we had suffered many afflictions and much
difficulty, yea, even so much that we cannot write them all, we were
exceedingly rejoiced when we came to the seashore; and we called the
place Bountiful, because of its much fruit.
17:7 And it came to pass that after I, Nephi, had been in the land of
Bountiful for the space of many days, the voice of the Lord came unto
me, saying: Arise, and get thee into the mountain. And it came to pass
that I arose and went up into the mountain, and cried unto the Lord.
17:8 And it came to pass that the Lord spake unto me, saying: Thou
shalt construct a ship, after the manner which I shall show thee, that
I may carry thy people across these waters.
17:9 And I said: Lord, whither shall I go that I may find ore to
molten, that I may make tools to construct the ship after the manner
which thou hast shown unto me?
17:10 And it came to pass that the Lord told me whither I should go to
find ore, that I might make tools.
17:11 And it came to pass that I, Nephi, did make a bellows wherewith
to blow the fire, of the skins of beasts; and after I had made a
bellows, that I might have wherewith to blow the fire, I did smite two
stones together that I might make fire.
17:12 For the Lord had not hitherto suffered that we should make much
fire, as we journeyed in the wilderness; for he said: I will make thy
food become sweet, that ye cook it not;
17:13 And I will also be your light in the wilderness; and I will
prepare the way before you, if it so be that ye shall keep my
commandments; wherefore, inasmuch as ye shall keep my commandments ye
shall be led towards the promised land; and ye shall know that it is by
me that ye are led.
17:14 Yea, and the Lord said also that: After ye have arrived in the
promised land, ye shall know that I, the Lord, am God; and that I, the
Lord, did deliver you from destruction; yea, that I did bring you out
of the land of Jerusalem.
17:15 Wherefore, I, Nephi, did strive to keep the commandments of the
Lord, and I did exhort my brethren to faithfulness and diligence.
17:16 And it came to pass that I did make tools of the ore which I did
molten out of the rock.
17:17 And when my brethren saw that I was about to build a ship, they
began to murmur against me, saying: Our brother is a fool, for he
thinketh that he can build a ship; yea, and he also thinketh that he
can cross these great waters.
17:18 And thus my brethren did complain against me, and were desirous
that they might not labor, for they did not believe that I could build
a ship; neither would they believe that I was instructed of the Lord.
17:19 And now it came to pass that I, Nephi, was exceedingly sorrowful
because of the hardness of their hearts; and now when they saw that I
began to be sorrowful they were glad in their hearts, insomuch that
they did rejoice over me, saying: We knew that ye could not construct a
ship, for we knew that ye were lacking in judgment; wherefore, thou
canst not accomplish so great a work.
17:20 And thou art like unto our father, led away by the foolish
imaginations of his heart; yea, he hath led us out of the land of
Jerusalem, and we have wandered in the wilderness for these many years;
and our women have toiled, being big with child; and they have borne
children in the wilderness and suffered all things, save it were death;
and it would have been better that they had died before they came out
of Jerusalem than to have suffered these afflictions.
17:21 Behold, these many years we have suffered in the wilderness,
which time we might have enjoyed our possessions and the land of our
inheritance; yea, and we might have been happy.
17:22 And we know that the people who were in the land of Jerusalem
were a righteous people; for they kept the statutes and judgments of
the Lord, and all his commandments, according to the law of Moses;
wherefore, we know that they are a righteous people; and our father
hath judged them, and hath led us away because we would hearken unto
his words; yea, and our brother is like unto him. And after this manner
of language did my brethren murmur and complain against us.
17:23 And it came to pass that I, Nephi, spake unto them, saying: Do ye
believe that our fathers, who were the children of Israel, would have
been led away out of the hands of the Egyptians if they had not
hearkened unto the words of the Lord?
17:24 Yea, do ye suppose that they would have been led out of bondage,
if the Lord had not commanded Moses that he should lead them out of
bondage?
17:25 Now ye know that the children of Israel were in bondage; and ye
know that they were laden with tasks, which were grievous to be borne;
wherefore, ye know that it must needs be a good thing for them, that
they should be brought out of bondage.
17:26 Now ye know that Moses was commanded of the Lord to do that great
work; and ye know that by his word the waters of the Red Sea were
divided hither and thither, and they passed through on dry ground.
17:27 But ye know that the Egyptians were drowned in the Red Sea, who
were the armies of Pharaoh.
17:28 And ye also know that they were fed with manna in the wilderness.
17:29 Yea, and ye also know that Moses, by his word according to the
power of God which was in him, smote the rock, and there came forth
water, that the children of Israel might quench their thirst.
17:30 And notwithstanding they being led, the Lord their God, their
Redeemer, going before them, leading them by day and giving light unto
them by night, and doing all things for them which were expedient for
man to receive, they hardened their hearts and blinded their minds, and
reviled against Moses and against the true and living God.
17:31 And it came to pass that according to his word he did destroy
them; and according to his word he did lead them; and according to his
word he did do all things for them; and there was not any thing done
save it were by his word.
17:32 And after they had crossed the river Jordan he did make them
mighty unto the driving out of the children of the land, yea, unto the
scattering them to destruction.
17:33 And now, do ye suppose that the children of this land, who were
in the land of promise, who were driven out by our fathers, do ye
suppose that they were righteous? Behold, I say unto you, Nay.
17:34 Do ye suppose that our fathers would have been more choice than
they if they had been righteous? I say unto you, Nay.
17:35 Behold, the Lord esteemeth all flesh in one; he that is righteous
is favored of God. But behold, this people had rejected every word of
God, and they were ripe in iniquity; and the fulness of the wrath of
God was upon them; and the Lord did curse the land against them, and
bless it unto our fathers; yea, he did curse it against them unto their
destruction, and he did bless it unto our fathers unto their obtaining
power over it.
17:36 Behold, the Lord hath created the earth that it should be
inhabited; and he hath created his children that they should possess
it.
17:37 And he raiseth up a righteous nation, and destroyeth the nations
of the wicked.
17:38 And he leadeth away the righteous into precious lands, and the
wicked he destroyeth, and curseth the land unto them for their sakes.
17:39 He ruleth high in the heavens, for it is his throne, and this
earth is his footstool.
17:40 And he loveth those who will have him to be their God. Behold, he
loved our fathers, and he covenanted with them, yea, even Abraham,
Isaac, and Jacob; and he remembered the covenants which he had made;
wherefore, he did bring them out of the land of Egypt.
17:41 And he did straiten them in the wilderness with his rod; for they
hardened their hearts, even as ye have; and the Lord straitened them
because of their iniquity. He sent fiery flying serpents among them;
and after they were bitten he prepared a way that they might be healed;
and the labor which they had to perform was to look; and because of the
simpleness of the way, or the easiness of it, there were many who
perished.
17:42 And they did harden their hearts from time to time, and they did
revile against Moses, and also against God; nevertheless, ye know that
they were led forth by his matchless power into the land of promise.
17:43 And now, after all these things, the time has come that they have
become wicked, yea, nearly unto ripeness; and I know not but they are
at this day about to be destroyed; for I know that the day must surely
come that they must be destroyed, save a few only, who shall be led
away into captivity.
17:44 Wherefore, the Lord commanded my father that he should depart
into the wilderness; and the Jews also sought to take away his life;
yea, and ye also have sought to take away his life; wherefore, ye are
murderers in your hearts and ye are like unto them.
17:45 Ye are swift to do iniquity but slow to remember the Lord your
God. Ye have seen an angel, and he spake unto you; yea, ye have heard
his voice from time to time; and he hath spoken unto you in a still
small voice, but ye were past feeling, that ye could not feel his
words; wherefore, he has spoken unto you like unto the voice of
thunder, which did cause the earth to shake as if it were to divide
asunder.
17:46 And ye also know that by the power of his almighty word he can
cause the earth that it shall pass away; yea, and ye know that by his
word he can cause the rough places to be made smooth, and smooth places
shall be broken up. O, then, why is it, that ye can be so hard in your
hearts?
17:47 Behold, my soul is rent with anguish because of you, and my heart
is pained; I fear lest ye shall be cast off forever. Behold, I am full
of the Spirit of God, insomuch that my frame has no strength.
17:48 And now it came to pass that when I had spoken these words, they
were angry with me, and were desirous to throw me into the depths of
the sea; and as they came forth to lay their hands upon me I spake unto
them, saying: In the name of the Almighty God, I command you that ye
touch me not, for I am filled with the power of God, even unto the
consuming of my flesh; and whoso shall lay his hands upon me shall
wither even as a dried reed; and he shall be as naught before the power
of God, for God shall smite him.
17:49 And it came to pass that I, Nephi, said unto them that they
should murmur no more against their father; neither should they
withhold their labor from me, for God had commanded me that I should
build a ship.
17:50 And I said unto them: If God had commanded me to do all things I
could do them. If he should command me that I should say unto this
water, be thou earth, it should be earth; and if I should say it, it
would be done.
17:51 And now, if the Lord has such great power, and has wrought so
many miracles among the children of men, how is it that he cannot
instruct me, that I should build a ship?
17:52 And it came to pass that I, Nephi, said many things unto my
brethren, insomuch that they were confounded and could not contend
against me; neither durst they lay their hands upon me nor touch me
with their fingers, even for the space of many days. Now they durst not
do this lest they should wither before me, so powerful was the Spirit
of God; and thus it had wrought upon them.
17:53 And it came to pass that the Lord said unto me: Stretch forth
thine hand again unto thy brethren, and they shall not wither before
thee, but I will shock them, saith the Lord, and this will I do, that
they may know that I am the Lord their God.
17:54 And it came to pass that I stretched forth my hand unto my
brethren, and they did not wither before me; but the Lord did shake
them, even according to the word which he had spoken.
17:55 And now, they said: We know of a surety that the Lord is with
thee, for we know that it is the power of the Lord that has shaken us.
And they fell down before me, and were about to worship me, but I would
not suffer them, saying: I am thy brother, yea, even thy younger
brother; wherefore, worship the Lord thy God, and honor thy father and
thy mother, that thy days may be long in the land which the Lord thy
God shall give thee.