1 Nephi
25 verses
They worshiped the Lord and went with me, and we worked timbers with remarkable skill. The Lord showed me from time to time how I should work the timbers of the ship.
And it came to pass that they did worship the Lord, and did go forth with me; and we did work timbers of curious workmanship. And the Lord did show me from time to time after what manner I should work the timbers of the ship.
I, Nephi, didn’t shape the wood or build the ship the way people usually do. Instead, I built it the way the Lord showed me, so it wasn’t made like other ships.
Now I, Nephi, did not work the timbers after the manner which was learned by men, neither did I build the ship after the manner of men; but I did build it after the manner which the Lord had shown unto me; wherefore, it was not after the manner of men.
I, Nephi, often went up into the mountain and frequently prayed to the Lord, and the Lord showed me great things.
And I, Nephi, did go into the mount oft, and I did pray oft unto the Lord; wherefore the Lord showed unto me great things.
After I finished the ship, following the word of the Lord, my brothers saw that it was good and that its workmanship was extremely fine. They humbled themselves again before the Lord.
And it came to pass that after I had finished the ship, according to the word of the Lord, my brethren beheld that it was good, and that the workmanship thereof was exceedingly fine; wherefore, they did humble themselves again before the Lord.
The voice of the Lord came to my father, telling us to get up and go down into the ship.
And it came to pass that the voice of the Lord came unto my father, that we should arise and go down into the ship.
The next day, after we had prepared everything—plenty of fruit and meat from the wilderness, lots of honey, and all the supplies the Lord had commanded us to gather—we went down into the ship with all our cargo, our seeds, and everything we had brought with us, each person according to their age. So we all went down into the ship with our wives and our children.
And it came to pass that on the morrow, after we had prepared all things, much fruits and meat from the wilderness, and honey in abundance, and provisions according to that which the Lord had commanded us, we did go down into the ship, with all our loading and our seeds, and whatsoever thing we had brought with us, every one according to his age; wherefore, we did all go down into the ship, with our wives and our children.
Now, my father had two sons while we were in the wilderness; the older was named Jacob and the younger was named Joseph.
And now, my father had begat two sons in the wilderness; the elder was called Jacob and the younger Joseph.
After we had all gone into the ship and brought our supplies and everything we had been commanded to take, we set out to sea and were carried by the wind toward the promised land.
And it came to pass after we had all gone down into the ship, and had taken with us our provisions and things which had been commanded us, we did put forth into the sea and were driven forth before the wind towards the promised land.
After we had been driven by the wind for many days, my brothers, the sons of Ishmael, and their wives started to celebrate. They began to dance, sing, and speak very rudely, even forgetting by what power they had been brought there. They became extremely disrespectful.
And after we had been driven forth before the wind for the space of many days, behold, my brethren and the sons of Ishmael and also their wives began to make themselves merry, insomuch that they began to dance, and to sing, and to speak with much rudeness, yea, even that they did forget by what power they had been brought thither; yea, they were lifted up unto exceeding rudeness.
I, Nephi, became very afraid that the Lord would be angry with us and punish us for our sins by causing us to be swallowed up in the depths of the sea. So I began to speak to them very seriously, but they were angry with me and said, “We don’t want our younger brother to rule over us. ”
And I, Nephi, began to fear exceedingly lest the Lord should be angry with us, and smite us because of our iniquity, that we should be swallowed up in the depths of the sea; wherefore, I, Nephi, began to speak to them with much soberness; but behold they were angry with me, saying: We will not that our younger brother shall be a ruler over us.
Laman and Lemuel took me and tied me up with cords, treating me very harshly. However, the Lord allowed it so he could show his power and fulfill the word he had spoken about the wicked.
And it came to pass that Laman and Lemuel did take me and bind me with cords, and they did treat me with much harshness; nevertheless, the Lord did suffer it that he might show forth his power, unto the fulfilling of his word which he had spoken concerning the wicked.
After they tied me up so tightly that I couldn’t move, the compass that the Lord had prepared stopped working.
And it came to pass that after they had bound me insomuch that I could not move, the compass, which had been prepared of the Lord, did cease to work.
They didn’t know which way to steer the ship, so a great and terrible storm arose, and we were driven back on the water for three days. They became extremely afraid that they might drown in the sea, but they still didn’t release me.
Wherefore, they knew not whither they should steer the ship, insomuch that there arose a great storm, yea, a great and terrible tempest, and we were driven back upon the waters for the space of three days; and they began to be frightened exceedingly lest they should be drowned in the sea; nevertheless they did not loose me.
On the fourth day that we had been driven back, the storm became extremely severe.
And on the fourth day, which we had been driven back, the tempest began to be exceedingly sore.
We were about to be swallowed up in the depths of the sea. After we had been driven back on the water for four days, my brothers began to realize that God's judgments were upon them, and that they would die unless they repented of their sins. So they came to me and loosened the bands on my wrists, which had become extremely swollen; my ankles were also very swollen, and they were very sore.
And it came to pass that we were about to be swallowed up in the depths of the sea. And after we had been driven back upon the waters for the space of four days, my brethren began to see that the judgments of God were upon them, and that they must perish save that they should repent of their iniquities; wherefore, they came unto me, and loosed the bands which were upon my wrist, and behold they had swollen exceedingly; and also mine ankles were much swollen, and great was the soreness thereof.
Still, I looked to my God and praised Him all day long, and I didn’t complain to the Lord because of my troubles.
Nevertheless, I did look unto my God, and I did praise him all the day long; and I did not murmur against the Lord because of mine afflictions.
My father, Lehi, had said many things to them and also to the sons of Ishmael; but they threatened anyone who tried to speak for me. My parents, being old and having suffered much grief because of their children, became so distressed that they ended up bedridden with sickness.
Now my father, Lehi, had said many things unto them, and also unto the sons of Ishmael; but, behold, they did breathe out much threatenings against anyone that should speak for me; and my parents being stricken in years, and having suffered much grief because of their children, they were brought down, yea, even upon their sick-beds.
Because of their grief and deep sorrow, and because of the wickedness of my brothers, they were close to dying and meeting their God; their gray hairs were about to be brought down to the grave; they were nearly taken with sorrow into a watery grave.
Because of their grief and much sorrow, and the iniquity of my brethren, they were brought near even to be carried out of this time to meet their God; yea, their grey hairs were about to be brought down to lie low in the dust; yea, even they were near to be cast with sorrow into a watery grave.
Jacob and Joseph, who were young and needed a lot of care, were upset because of their mother's suffering; and even though my wife pleaded with tears and prayers, and my children also tried, my brothers’ hearts were not softened enough to let me go.
And Jacob and Joseph also, being young, having need of much nourishment, were grieved because of the afflictions of their mother; and also my wife with her tears and prayers, and also my children, did not soften the hearts of my brethren that they would loose me.
Only the power of God, which threatened them with destruction, could soften their hearts. When they saw that they were about to be swallowed up in the depths of the sea, they repented of what they had done and released me.
And there was nothing save it were the power of God, which threatened them with destruction, could soften their hearts; wherefore, when they saw that they were about to be swallowed up in the depths of the sea they repented of the thing which they had done, insomuch that they loosed me.
After they freed me, I took the compass, and it worked the way I wanted it to. I prayed to the Lord, and after I prayed, the winds stopped, the storm ended, and there was a great calm.
And it came to pass after they had loosed me, behold, I took the compass, and it did work whither I desired it. And it came to pass that I prayed unto the Lord; and after I had prayed the winds did cease, and the storm did cease, and there was a great calm.
I, Nephi, guided the ship, and we sailed again toward the promised land.
And it came to pass that I, Nephi, did guide the ship, that we sailed again towards the promised land.
After we had sailed for many days, we arrived at the promised land. We went out onto the land, set up our tents, and called it the promised land.
And it came to pass that after we had sailed for the space of many days we did arrive at the promised land; and we went forth upon the land, and did pitch our tents; and we did call it the promised land.
We began to till the earth and plant seeds, putting all the seeds we had brought from Jerusalem into the ground. They grew extremely well, and we were blessed with abundance.
And it came to pass that we did begin to till the earth, and we began to plant seeds; yea, we did put all our seeds into the earth, which we had brought from the land of Jerusalem. And it came to pass that they did grow exceedingly; wherefore, we were blessed in abundance.
As we traveled in the wilderness and arrived in the promised land, we found animals of every kind in the forests—cows, oxen, donkeys, horses, goats, wild goats, and all sorts of wild animals that could be used by people. We also found all kinds of ore, including gold, silver, and copper.
And it came to pass that we did find upon the land of promise, as we journeyed in the wilderness, that there were beasts in the forests of every kind, both the cow and the ox, and the ass and the horse, and the goat and the wild goat, and all manner of wild animals, which were for the use of men. And we did find all manner of ore, both of gold, and of silver, and of copper.