19:1 And it came to pass that the Lord commanded me, wherefore I did
make plates of ore that I might engraven upon them the record of my
people. And upon the plates which I made I did engraven the record of
my father, and also our journeyings in the wilderness, and the
prophecies of my father; and also many of mine own prophecies have I
engraven upon them.
19:2 And I knew not at the time when I made them that I should be
commanded of the Lord to make these plates; wherefore, the record of my
father, and the genealogy of his fathers, and the more part of all our
proceedings in the wilderness are engraven upon those first plates of
which I have spoken; wherefore, the things which transpired before I
made these plates are, of a truth, more particularly made mention upon
the first plates.
19:3 And after I had made these plates by way of commandment, I, Nephi,
received a commandment that the ministry and the prophecies, the more
plain and precious parts of them, should be written upon these plates;
and that the things which were written should be kept for the
instruction of my people, who should possess the land, and also for
other wise purposes, which purposes are known unto the Lord.
19:4 Wherefore, I, Nephi, did make a record upon the other plates,
which gives an account, or which gives a greater account of the wars
and contentions and destructions of my people. And this have I done,
and commanded my people what they should do after I was gone; and that
these plates should be handed down from one generation to another, or
from one prophet to another, until further commandments of the Lord.
19:5 And an account of my making these plates shall be given hereafter;
and then, behold, I proceed according to that which I have spoken; and
this I do that the more sacred things may be kept for the knowledge of
my people.
19:6 Nevertheless, I do not write anything upon plates save it be that
I think it be sacred. And now, if I do err, even did they err of old;
not that I would excuse myself because of other men, but because of the
weakness which is in me, according to the flesh, I would excuse myself.
19:7 For the things which some men esteem to be of great worth, both to
the body and soul, others set at naught and trample under their feet.
Yea, even the very God of Israel do men trample under their feet; I
say, trample under their feet but I would speak in other words—they set
him at naught, and hearken not to the voice of his counsels.
19:8 And behold he cometh, according to the words of the angel, in six
hundred years from the time my father left Jerusalem.
19:9 And the world, because of their iniquity, shall judge him to be a
thing of naught; wherefore they scourge him, and he suffereth it; and
they smite him, and he suffereth it. Yea, they spit upon him, and he
suffereth it, because of his loving kindness and his long-suffering
towards the children of men.
19:10 And the God of our fathers, who were led out of Egypt, out of
bondage, and also were preserved in the wilderness by him, yea, the God
of Abraham, and of Isaac, and the God of Jacob, yieldeth himself,
according to the words of the angel, as a man, into the hands of wicked
men, to be lifted up, according to the words of Zenock, and to be
crucified, according to the words of Neum, and to be buried in a
sepulchre, according to the words of Zenos, which he spake concerning
the three days of darkness, which should be a sign given of his death
unto those who should inhabit the isles of the sea, more especially
given unto those who are of the house of Israel.
19:11 For thus spake the prophet: The Lord God surely shall visit all
the house of Israel at that day, some with his voice, because of their
righteousness, unto their great joy and salvation, and others with the
thunderings and the lightnings of his power, by tempest, by fire, and
by smoke, and vapor of darkness, and by the opening of the earth, and
by mountains which shall be carried up.
19:12 And all these things must surely come, saith the prophet Zenos.
And the rocks of the earth must rend; and because of the groanings of
the earth, many of the kings of the isles of the sea shall be wrought
upon by the Spirit of God, to exclaim: The God of nature suffers.
19:13 And as for those who are at Jerusalem, saith the prophet, they
shall be scourged by all people, because they crucify the God of
Israel, and turn their hearts aside, rejecting signs and wonders, and
the power and glory of the God of Israel.
19:14 And because they turn their hearts aside, saith the prophet, and
have despised the Holy One of Israel, they shall wander in the flesh,
and perish, and become a hiss and a byword, and be hated among all
nations.
19:15 Nevertheless, when that day cometh, saith the prophet, that they
no more turn aside their hearts against the Holy One of Israel, then
will he remember the covenants which he made to their fathers.
19:16 Yea, then will he remember the isles of the sea; yea, and all the
people who are of the house of Israel, will I gather in, saith the
Lord, according to the words of the prophet Zenos, from the four
quarters of the earth.
19:17 Yea, and all the earth shall see the salvation of the Lord, saith
the prophet; every nation, kindred, tongue and people shall be blessed.
19:18 And I, Nephi, have written these things unto my people, that
perhaps I might persuade them that they would remember the Lord their
Redeemer.
19:19 Wherefore, I speak unto all the house of Israel, if it so be that
they should obtain these things.
19:20 For behold, I have workings in the spirit, which doth weary me
even that all my joints are weak, for those who are at Jerusalem; for
had not the Lord been merciful, to show unto me concerning them, even
as he had prophets of old, I should have perished also.
19:21 And he surely did show unto the prophets of old all things
concerning them; and also he did show unto many concerning us;
wherefore, it must needs be that we know concerning them for they are
written upon the plates of brass.
19:22 Now it came to pass that I, Nephi, did teach my brethren these
things; and it came to pass that I did read many things to them, which
were engraven upon the plates of brass, that they might know concerning
the doings of the Lord in other lands, among people of old.
19:23 And I did read many things unto them which were written in the
books of Moses; but that I might more fully persuade them to believe in
the Lord their Redeemer I did read unto them that which was written by
the prophet Isaiah; for I did liken all scriptures unto us, that it
might be for our profit and learning.
19:24 Wherefore I spake unto them, saying: Hear ye the words of the
prophet, ye who are a remnant of the house of Israel, a branch who have
been broken off; hear ye the words of the prophet, which were written
unto all the house of Israel, and liken them unto yourselves, that ye
may have hope as well as your brethren from whom ye have been broken
off; for after this manner has the prophet written.