1And 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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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;
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.
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.
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.
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;
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
1:1-32
