2 Nephi
35 verses
Now I, Nephi, am speaking about the prophecies my father has spoken, concerning Joseph, who was taken into Egypt.
And now, I, Nephi, speak concerning the prophecies of which my father hath spoken, concerning Joseph, who was carried into Egypt.
He truly prophesied about all his descendants. The prophecies he wrote are among the greatest. He prophesied about us and our future generations, and these are written on the plates of brass.
For behold, he truly prophesied concerning all his seed. And the prophecies which he wrote, there are not many greater. And he prophesied concerning us, and our future generations; and they are written upon the plates of brass.
After my father finished speaking about the prophecies of Joseph, he called the children of Laman—his sons and daughters—and said to them, "My sons and daughters, who are the children of my firstborn, I want you to listen to my words.
Wherefore, after my father had made an end of speaking concerning the prophecies of Joseph, he called the children of Laman, his sons, and his daughters, and said unto them: Behold, my sons, and my daughters, who are the sons and the daughters of my first-born, I would that ye should give ear unto my words.
The Lord God has said: 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.
For the Lord God hath said that: Inasmuch as ye shall keep my commandments ye shall prosper in the land; and inasmuch as ye will not keep my commandments ye shall be cut off from my presence.
My sons and my daughters, I cannot go to my grave without leaving a blessing on you; because I know that if you are raised in the way you should go, you will not turn away from it.
But behold, my sons and my daughters, I cannot go down to my grave save I should leave a blessing upon you; for behold, I know that if ye are brought up in the way ye should go ye will not depart from it.
If you are cursed, I leave my blessing with you so that the curse can be taken from you and placed on your parents instead.
Wherefore, if ye are cursed, behold, I leave my blessing upon you, that the cursing may be taken from you and be answered upon the heads of your parents.
Because of my blessing, the Lord God will not allow you to perish; he will be merciful to you and to your descendants forever.
Wherefore, because of my blessing the Lord God will not suffer that ye shall perish; wherefore, he will be merciful unto you and unto your seed forever.
After my father finished speaking to the sons and daughters of Laman, he had the sons and daughters of Lemuel brought before him.
And it came to pass that after my father had made an end of speaking to the sons and daughters of Laman, he caused the sons and daughters of Lemuel to be brought before him.
He spoke to them, saying: My sons and my daughters, who are the children of my second son, I give you the same blessing that I gave to the sons and daughters of Laman. You will not be completely destroyed, but in the end your descendants will be blessed.
And he spake unto them, saying: Behold, my sons and my daughters, who are the sons and the daughters of my second son; behold I leave unto you the same blessing which I left unto the sons and daughters of Laman; wherefore, thou shalt not utterly be destroyed; but in the end thy seed shall be blessed.
When my father finished speaking to them, he spoke to the sons of Ishmael and to all his household.
And it came to pass that when my father had made an end of speaking unto them, behold, he spake unto the sons of Ishmael, yea, and even all his household.
After he finished speaking to them, he spoke to Sam, saying: You and your descendants are blessed, for you will inherit the land just like your brother Nephi. Your descendants will be counted with his descendants; you will be like your brother, and your descendants will be like his descendants; and you will be blessed all your days.
And after he had made an end of speaking unto them, he spake unto Sam, saying: Blessed art thou, and thy seed; for thou shall inherit the land like unto thy brother Nephi. And thy seed shall be numbered with his seed; and thou shalt be even like unto thy brother, and thy seed like unto his seed; and thou shalt be blessed in all thy days.
After my father, Lehi, spoke to all his household according to the feelings of his heart and the Spirit of the Lord that was in him, he grew old. He died and was buried.
And it came to pass after my father, Lehi, had spoken unto all his household, according to the feelings of his heart and the Spirit of the Lord which was in him, he waxed old. And it came to pass that he died, and was buried.
Not many days after his death, Laman, Lemuel, and the sons of Ishmael were angry with me because of the Lord’s warnings.
And it came to pass that not many days after his death, Laman and Lemuel and the sons of Ishmael were angry with me because of the admonitions of the Lord.
I, Nephi, was compelled to speak to them according to his word. I had already said many things to them, as had my father before he died. Many of those things are written on my other plates, which contain a more detailed history.
For I, Nephi, was constrained to speak unto them, according to his word; for I had spoken many things unto them, and also my father, before his death; many of which sayings are written upon mine other plates; for a more history part are written upon mine other plates.
I write the feelings of my soul on these, along with many of the scriptures engraved on the brass plates. My soul delights in the scriptures, and my heart thinks about them and writes them for the learning and benefit of my children.
And upon these I write the things of my soul, and many of the scriptures which are engraven upon the plates of brass. For my soul delighteth in the scriptures, and my heart pondereth them, and writeth them for the learning and the profit of my children.
My soul delights in the things of the Lord, and my heart continually thinks about the things I have seen and heard.
Behold, my soul delighteth in the things of the Lord; and my heart pondereth continually upon the things which I have seen and heard.
Even though the Lord has been so good to me and has shown me his great and marvelous works, my heart cries out, "O wretched man that I am! " My heart is sorrowful because of my weaknesses, and my soul is troubled because of my sins.
Nevertheless, notwithstanding the great goodness of the Lord, in showing me his great and marvelous works, my heart exclaimeth: O wretched man that I am! Yea, my heart sorroweth because of my flesh; my soul grieveth because of mine iniquities.
I feel surrounded because of the temptations and sins that so easily trouble me.
I am encompassed about, because of the temptations and the sins which do so easily beset me.
When I want to rejoice, my heart groans because of my sins; but I know whom I have trusted.
And when I desire to rejoice, my heart groaneth because of my sins; nevertheless, I know in whom I have trusted.
My God has been my support; he has led me through my afflictions in the wilderness, and he has preserved me on the waters of the great deep.
My God hath been my support; he hath led me through mine afflictions in the wilderness; and he hath preserved me upon the waters of the great deep.
He has filled me with his love, even to the point that it consumes my whole being.
He hath filled me with his love, even unto the consuming of my flesh.
He has confused my enemies and made them tremble before me.
He hath confounded mine enemies, unto the causing of them to quake before me.
He has heard my cry during the day, and he has given me knowledge through visions at night.
Behold, he hath heard my cry by day, and he hath given me knowledge by visions in the nighttime.
During the day I have become bold in powerful prayer before Him; I have lifted my voice to heaven, and angels came down and ministered to me.
And by day have I waxed bold in mighty prayer before him; yea, my voice have I sent up on high; and angels came down and ministered unto me.
On the wings of his Spirit, my body has been carried away to extremely high mountains. My eyes have seen great things, even too great for people to understand; so I was commanded not to write them.
And upon the wings of his Spirit hath my body been carried away upon exceedingly high mountains. And mine eyes have beheld great things, yea, even too great for man; therefore I was bidden that I should not write them.
O then, if I have seen such great things, if the Lord in his condescension to the children of men has visited people with so much mercy, why should my heart weep and my soul remain in the valley of sorrow, and my body waste away, and my strength weaken because of my afflictions?
O then, if I have seen so great things, if the Lord in his condescension unto the children of men hath visited men in so much mercy, why should my heart weep and my soul linger in the valley of sorrow, and my flesh waste away, and my strength slacken, because of mine afflictions?
And why should I give in to sin because of my physical desires? Why should I allow temptations, letting the evil one have a place in my heart to destroy my peace and trouble my soul? Why am I angry because of my enemy?
And why should I yield to sin, because of my flesh? Yea, why should I give way to temptations, that the evil one have place in my heart to destroy my peace and afflict my soul? Why am I angry because of mine enemy?
Wake up, my soul! Don’t be weighed down by sin anymore. Rejoice, my heart, and don’t give any more room to the enemy of my soul.
Awake, my soul! No longer droop in sin. Rejoice, O my heart, and give place no more for the enemy of my soul.
Don’t get angry again because of my enemies. Don’t let my strength weaken because of my afflictions.
Do not anger again because of mine enemies. Do not slacken my strength because of mine afflictions.
Rejoice, my heart, and pray to the Lord, saying: O Lord, I will praise you forever; my soul will rejoice in you, my God, and the rock of my salvation.
Rejoice, O my heart, and cry unto the Lord, and say: O Lord, I will praise thee forever; yea, my soul will rejoice in thee, my God, and the rock of my salvation.
O Lord, will you redeem my soul? Will you deliver me from the hands of my enemies? Will you help me to tremble at the sight of sin?
O Lord, wilt thou redeem my soul? Wilt thou deliver me out of the hands of mine enemies? Wilt thou make me that I may shake at the appearance of sin?
Please keep the gates of hell closed to me, because my heart is broken and my spirit is humble. Lord, don’t close the gates of your righteousness to me, so I can walk in the path of humility and stay true to the straight and narrow way.
May the gates of hell be shut continually before me, because that my heart is broken and my spirit is contrite! O Lord, wilt thou not shut the gates of thy righteousness before me, that I may walk in the path of the low valley, that I may be strict in the plain road!
O Lord, will you surround me with the robe of your righteousness? O Lord, will you make a way for me to escape from my enemies? Will you make my path straight before me? Please do not put a stumbling block in my way, but clear my path before me, and do not block my way, but block the ways of my enemy.
O Lord, wilt thou encircle me around in the robe of thy righteousness! O Lord, wilt thou make a way for mine escape before mine enemies! Wilt thou make my path straight before me! Wilt thou not place a stumbling block in my way—but that thou wouldst clear my way before me, and hedge not up my way, but the ways of mine enemy.
O Lord, I have trusted in you, and I will trust in you forever. I will not put my trust in human strength, because I know that anyone who trusts in human strength is cursed. Anyone who puts their trust in people or relies on human power is cursed.
O Lord, I have trusted in thee, and I will trust in thee forever. I will not put my trust in the arm of flesh; for I know that cursed is he that putteth his trust in the arm of flesh. Yea, cursed is he that putteth his trust in man or maketh flesh his arm.
I know that God will give generously to those who ask. My God will give to me if I don’t ask for the wrong things; so I will lift my voice to you, I will call out to you, my God, the rock of my righteousness. My voice will always rise up to you, my rock and my everlasting God. Amen.
Yea, I know that God will give liberally to him that asketh. Yea, my God will give me, if I ask not amiss; therefore I will lift up my voice unto thee; yea, I will cry unto thee, my God, the rock of my righteousness. Behold, my voice shall forever ascend up unto thee, my rock and mine everlasting God. Amen.