2 Nephi
32 verses
After I, Nephi, finished teaching my brothers, our father Lehi also spoke to them and reminded them of the great things the Lord had done for them in bringing them out of Jerusalem.
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.
He spoke to them about their rebellions while they were on the water, and about God's mercy in saving their lives so they were not swallowed up by the sea.
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.
He also spoke to them about the promised land they had received, and how merciful the Lord had been in warning them to leave Jerusalem.
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.
He said, “I have seen a vision, and I know that Jerusalem is destroyed. If we had stayed in Jerusalem, we would have died too. ”
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.
He said that despite our hardships, we have received a promised land—a land that is better than any other. The Lord God has promised me that this land will be an inheritance for my descendants. The Lord has made this covenant with me and my children forever, and also with all those who are brought here from other countries by the Lord’s guidance.
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.
I, Lehi, prophesy by the power of the Spirit within me that no one will come to this land unless they are brought by the hand of the Lord.
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.
This land is set apart for those whom God brings here. If they serve Him according to the commandments He has given, it will be a land of freedom for them, and they will never be brought into captivity. If they are, it will be because of their wickedness; for if wickedness becomes widespread, the land will be cursed for their sake, but it will always be blessed for the righteous.
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.
It is wise that this land should still be kept unknown to other nations, because many nations would overrun it and there would be no place left for an inheritance.
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.
I, Lehi, have received a promise that as long as those whom the Lord God brings out of Jerusalem keep His commandments, they will prosper in this land. They will be kept separate from all other nations so they can possess this land for themselves. If they keep His commandments, they will be blessed in this land, and no one will bother them or take away their inheritance; they will live here in safety forever.
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.
When the time comes that they fall into unbelief, after receiving such great blessings from the Lord—having knowledge of the creation of the earth and all people, knowing the great and marvelous works of the Lord from the beginning; having been given power to do all things by faith; having all the commandments from the start, and being brought by his infinite goodness into this precious promised land—if the day comes that they reject the Holy One of Israel, the true Messiah, their Redeemer and their God, then the judgments of the just God will come upon them.
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.
He will bring other nations to them, give those nations power, take away their lands, and cause them to be scattered and struck.
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.
As one generation passes to another, there will be bloodshed and great calamities among them. My sons, I want you to remember and listen to my words.
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.
I wish you would wake up—wake up from a deep sleep, even from the sleep of hell, and shake off the terrible chains that hold you, the chains that bind people and drag them away captive to the endless depths of misery and sorrow.
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.
Wake up and get up from the dust, and listen to the words of a trembling parent, whose body you will soon lay down in the cold and silent grave, from which no one can return; in just a few more days I will go the way of all the earth.
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.
The Lord has redeemed my soul from hell; I have seen his glory, and I am surrounded forever by the arms of his love.
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.
I want you to remember to follow the statutes and judgments of the Lord; this has been the concern of my soul from the beginning.
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.
My heart has been weighed down with sorrow at times, because I have feared that, because of the hardness of your hearts, the Lord your God might come in the fullness of his wrath upon you, and you could be cut off and destroyed forever.
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;
Or, that a curse should come upon you for many generations; and you are afflicted by war and famine, are hated, and are led by the will and captivity of the devil.
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.
My sons, I hope these things won't happen to you, but that you will be a chosen and favored people of the Lord. Let his will be done, because his ways are righteous forever.
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.
And he has said that as long as you keep my commandments, you will prosper in the land; but if you do not keep my commandments, you will be cut off from my presence.
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.
Now, so that I can have joy in you and leave this world with a glad heart because of you, and not go down to the grave with grief and sorrow, get up from the dust, my sons, and be men. Be determined, united in mind and heart in everything, so you won't be brought into captivity.
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;
So that you won’t be cursed with a severe curse, and so you won’t bring the anger of a just God upon yourselves, leading to destruction—even the eternal destruction of both soul and body.
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.
Wake up, my sons; put on the armor of righteousness. Shake off the chains that bind you, come out of obscurity, and rise from the dust.
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.
Don’t rebel anymore against your brother, whose insights have been inspired, and who has kept the commandments since we left Jerusalem. He has been an instrument in God’s hands in leading us to the promised land. If it weren’t for him, we would have died of hunger in the wilderness. Still, you tried to take his life, and he has suffered much sorrow because of you.
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.
I am extremely afraid and trembling because of you, worried that he might suffer again; you have accused him of seeking power and authority over you, but I know he has not sought power or authority over you. He has sought the glory of God and your eternal well-being.
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.
You have complained because he has spoken plainly to you. You say that he has been harsh; you say that he has been angry with you. But his sharpness was the power of the word of God that was in him, and what you call anger was the truth, according to what is in God, which he could not hold back, speaking boldly about your sins.
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.
The power of God had to be with him, even to the point that he commanded you to obey. But it wasn’t really him—it was the Spirit of the Lord in him that opened his mouth, so he couldn’t keep silent.
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.
Now my son Laman, and also Lemuel and Sam, and my sons who are the sons of Ishmael, if you will listen to Nephi’s voice you will not perish. If you listen to him, I leave you a blessing, even my first blessing.
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.
But if you will not listen to him, I will take away my first blessing, even my blessing, and it will rest upon him.
But if ye will not hearken unto him I take away my first blessing, yea, even my blessing, and it shall rest upon him.
Now Zoram, I speak to you. You were the servant of Laban; nevertheless, you have been brought out of the land of Jerusalem, and I know that you are a true friend to my son Nephi, forever.
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.
Because you have been faithful, your descendants will be blessed along with his descendants, so they will live in prosperity on this land for a long time. Nothing will harm or disturb their prosperity here, unless there is wickedness among them.
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.
If you keep the commandments of the Lord, the Lord has set apart this land to ensure the safety of your descendants along with the descendants of my son.
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.