1:1 And now it came to pass that after I, Nephi, had made an end of
teaching my brethren, our father, Lehi, also spake many things unto
them, and rehearsed unto them, how great things the Lord had done for
them in bringing them out of the land of Jerusalem.
1:2 And he spake unto them concerning their rebellions upon the waters,
and the mercies of God in sparing their lives, that they were not
swallowed up in the sea.
1:3 And he also spake unto them concerning the land of promise, which
they had obtained—how merciful the Lord had been in warning us that we
should flee out of the land of Jerusalem.
1:4 For, behold, said he, I have seen a vision, in which I know that
Jerusalem is destroyed; and had we remained in Jerusalem we should also
have perished.
1:5 But, said he, notwithstanding our afflictions, we have obtained a
land of promise, a land which is choice above all other lands; a land
which the Lord God hath covenanted with me should be a land for the
inheritance of my seed. Yea, the Lord hath covenanted this land unto
me, and to my children forever, and also all those who should be led
out of other countries by the hand of the Lord.
1:6 Wherefore, I, Lehi, prophesy according to the workings of the
Spirit which is in me, that there shall none come into this land save
they shall be brought by the hand of the Lord.
1:7 Wherefore, this land is consecrated unto him whom he shall bring.
And if it so be that they shall serve him according to the commandments
which he hath given, it shall be a land of liberty unto them;
wherefore, they shall never be brought down into captivity; if so, it
shall be because of iniquity; for if iniquity shall abound cursed shall
be the land for their sakes, but unto the righteous it shall be blessed
forever.
1:8 And behold, it is wisdom that this land should be kept as yet from
the knowledge of other nations; for behold, many nations would overrun
the land, that there would be no place for an inheritance.
1:9 Wherefore, I, Lehi, have obtained a promise, that inasmuch as those
whom the Lord God shall bring out of the land of Jerusalem shall keep
his commandments, they shall prosper upon the face of this land; and
they shall be kept from all other nations, that they may possess this
land unto themselves. And if it so be that they shall keep his
commandments they shall be blessed upon the face of this land, and
there shall be none to molest them, nor to take away the land of their
inheritance; and they shall dwell safely forever.
1:10 But behold, when the time cometh that they shall dwindle in
unbelief, after they have received so great blessings from the hand of
the Lord—having a knowledge of the creation of the earth, and all men,
knowing the great and marvelous works of the Lord from the creation of
the world; having power given them to do all things by faith; having
all the commandments from the beginning, and having been brought by his
infinite goodness into this precious land of promise—behold, I say, if
the day shall come that they will reject the Holy One of Israel, the
true Messiah, their Redeemer and their God, behold, the judgments of
him that is just shall rest upon them.
1:11 Yea, he will bring other nations unto them, and he will give unto
them power, and he will take away from them the lands of their
possessions, and he will cause them to be scattered and smitten.
1:12 Yea, as one generation passeth to another there shall be
bloodsheds, and great visitations among them; wherefore, my sons, I
would that ye would remember; yea, I would that ye would hearken unto
my words.
1:13 O that ye would awake; awake from a deep sleep, yea, even from the
sleep of hell, and shake off the awful chains by which ye are bound,
which are the chains which bind the children of men, that they are
carried away captive down to the eternal gulf of misery and woe.
1:14 Awake! and arise from the dust, and hear the words of a trembling
parent, whose limbs ye must soon lay down in the cold and silent grave,
from whence no traveler can return; a few more days and I go the way of
all the earth.
1:15 But behold, the Lord hath redeemed my soul from hell; I have
beheld his glory, and I am encircled about eternally in the arms of his
love.
1:16 And I desire that ye should remember to observe the statutes and
the judgments of the Lord; behold, this hath been the anxiety of my
soul from the beginning.
1:17 My heart hath been weighed down with sorrow from time to time, for
I have feared, lest for the hardness of your hearts the Lord your God
should come out in the fulness of his wrath upon you, that ye be cut
off and destroyed forever;
1:18 Or, that a cursing should come upon you for the space of many
generations; and ye are visited by sword, and by famine, and are hated,
and are led according to the will and captivity of the devil.
1:19 O my sons, that these things might not come upon you, but that ye
might be a choice and a favored people of the Lord. But behold, his
will be done; for his ways are righteousness forever.
1:20 And he hath said that: Inasmuch as ye shall keep my commandments
ye shall prosper in the land; but inasmuch as ye will not keep my
commandments ye shall be cut off from my presence.
1:21 And now that my soul might have joy in you, and that my heart
might leave this world with gladness because of you, that I might not
be brought down with grief and sorrow to the grave, arise from the
dust, my sons, and be men, and be determined in one mind and in one
heart, united in all things, that ye may not come down into captivity;
1:22 That ye may not be cursed with a sore cursing; and also, that ye
may not incur the displeasure of a just God upon you, unto the
destruction, yea, the eternal destruction of both soul and body.
1:23 Awake, my sons; put on the armor of righteousness. Shake off the
chains with which ye are bound, and come forth out of obscurity, and
arise from the dust.
1:24 Rebel no more against your brother, whose views have been
glorious, and who hath kept the commandments from the time that we left
Jerusalem; and who hath been an instrument in the hands of God, in
bringing us forth into the land of promise; for were it not for him, we
must have perished with hunger in the wilderness; nevertheless, ye
sought to take away his life; yea, and he hath suffered much sorrow
because of you.
1:25 And I exceedingly fear and tremble because of you, lest he shall
suffer again; for behold, ye have accused him that he sought power and
authority over you; but I know that he hath not sought for power nor
authority over you, but he hath sought the glory of God, and your own
eternal welfare.
1:26 And ye have murmured because he hath been plain unto you. Ye say
that he hath used sharpness; ye say that he hath been angry with you;
but behold, his sharpness was the sharpness of the power of the word of
God, which was in him; and that which ye call anger was the truth,
according to that which is in God, which he could not restrain,
manifesting boldly concerning your iniquities.
1:27 And it must needs be that the power of God must be with him, even
unto his commanding you that ye must obey. But behold, it was not he,
but it was the Spirit of the Lord which was in him, which opened his
mouth to utterance that he could not shut it.
1:28 And now my son, Laman, and also Lemuel and Sam, and also my sons
who are the sons of Ishmael, behold, if ye will hearken unto the voice
of Nephi ye shall not perish. And if ye will hearken unto him I leave
unto you a blessing, yea, even my first blessing.
1:29 But if ye will not hearken unto him I take away my first blessing,
yea, even my blessing, and it shall rest upon him.
1:30 And now Zoram, I speak unto you: Behold, thou art the servant of
Laban; nevertheless, thou hast been brought out of the land of
Jerusalem, and I know that thou art a true friend unto my son, Nephi,
forever.
1:31 Wherefore, because thou hast been faithful thy seed shall be
blessed with his seed, that they dwell in prosperity long upon the face
of this land; and nothing, save it shall be iniquity among them, shall
harm or disturb their prosperity upon the face of this land forever.
1:32 Wherefore, if ye shall keep the commandments of the Lord, the Lord
hath consecrated this land for the security of thy seed with the seed
of my son.