1 Nephi 2:16-24

Lehi and company have made camp and begun life in the wilderness.  Nephi gives us a brief description of himself.  He says he is “exceedingly young” and “large in stature” (1 Nephi 2:16).  Nephi was probably in his mid-teens at this time, being the youngest son.  This would mean Nephi is in his mid-40’s to early 50’s as he writes this account (see 2 Nephi 5:28-34).

Having heard Lehi’s teachings, he desired to know the truthfulness of his words and to learn about the mysteries of God.  During Christ’s ministry, he taught the mysteries of God through parables.  “And the disciples came, and said unto him, Why speakest thou unto them in parables?  He answered and said unto them, Because it is given unto you to know the mysteries of the kingdom of heaven, but to them it is not given” (Matthew 13:10 - 11). 

By turning to the Lord, and asking him, Nephi would have the mysteries revealed to him.  Paul taught the Ephesians, “How that by revelation he made known unto me the mystery; (as I wrote afore in few words, Whereby, when ye read, ye may understand my knowledge in the mystery of Christ)” (Ephesians 3:3 - 4). 

Nephi cried unto the Lord, asking for knowledge.  “[A]nd behold, he did visit me and did soften my heart” (1 Nephi 2:16).  The Lord has promised us “whosoever believeth on my words, them will I visit with the manifestation of my Spirit; and they shall be born of me, even of water and of the Spirit—“ (D&C 5:16).

Discussing the Lord’s deliverance of Alma₁ and his people from bondage, Alma₂ told the people of Zarahemla, “Behold, he changed their hearts; yea, he awakened them out of a deep sleep, and they awoke unto God.  Behold, they were in the midst of darkness; nevertheless, their souls were illuminated” (Alma 5:7).

His heart having been softened, Nephi received testimony that the words of his father were truly the word of God.  Unlike Laman and Lemuel, Nephi accepted his father’s words and did not rebel against his father.

John Welch explains the importance of Nephi’s experience.

It is significant to me that Nephi specifically says here that he desired "to know of the mysteries of God" (1 Nephi 2:16). While all are invited to seek and all are promised knowledge (1 Nephi 15:8; Matthew 7:7; Moroni 10:4–5), this is not an open invitation for all men and women to seek "mysteries" beyond the declarative words of the prophets. When Nephi said that he desired to know of the "mysteries," he was most likely referring quite precisely to the information that Lehi had just learned through his visions in 1 Nephi 1 … [W]hen Nephi has great desires to "know of the mysteries of God" so shortly after Lehi had experienced the [divine council] sôd, it would appear that Nephi is similarly seeking to know the sôd and the decrees and glories of that council, just as Lehi had known them and as Jeremiah speaks of them. He is blessed with a visit of the Lord and a belief in "all the words" which Lehi had spoken—the words which Lehi had delivered as he had received them from the Lord (1 Nephi 2:16).[1]

The first person Nephi spoke to after this experience was his brother, Sam.  He told him all “things which the Lord had manifested unto me by his Holy Spirit” (1 Nephi 2:17).  Sam believed Nephi.  “[I]t appears that Sam has made righteous decisions early in life. This is further confirmed in 1 Nephi 2:16–17, where we read of Nephi's cry ‘unto the Lord; and behold he did visit me.’ Significantly, Nephi first shares this experience with his brother Sam. From this one can deduce a special relationship of trust between these two brothers.”[2]  He also attempted to share with Laman and Lemuel, but they would not listen to his words.

The word of the Lord came to Nephi, telling him that he was blessed because of his faith, diligence, and humility.  The Lord’s next words to Nephi would sum up the Nephite experience recounted in the Book of Mormon, “[I]nasmuch as ye shall keep my commandments, ye shall prosper, and shall be led to a land of promise; yea, even a land which I have prepared for you; yea, a land which is choice above all other lands” (1 Nephi 2:20).

As we will see as we go through the Book of Mormon, when the people keep the Lord’s commandments, they are prosperous, experience peace, and are continuously blessed by the Lord.  When they don’t keep the commandments, they suffer famines, wars, lose their riches, etc.  Nephi learned and taught this principle from this time forward.  It would also be taught by the Nephite prophets throughout their history.

Nephi learns that his brother’s posterity will be a part of the Nephite future.  First, we are told that, if Laman and Lemuel rebel against Nephi, they will be cut off from the presence of the Lord.  (When this occurred, Nephi wrote – “Wherefore, the word of the Lord was fulfilled which he spake unto me, saying that: Inasmuch as they will not hearken unto thy words they shall be cut off from the presence of the Lord. And behold, they were cut off from his presence” (2 Nephi 5:20).

Preaching to the people of Ammonihah, Alma₂ reminded them of the Lord’s promise and warning made to Nephi.

Behold, do ye not remember the words which he spake unto Lehi, saying that: Inasmuch as ye shall keep my commandments, ye shall prosper in the land?  And again it is said that: Inasmuch as ye will not keep my commandments ye shall be cut off from the presence of the Lord.

Now I would that ye should remember, that inasmuch as the Lamanites have not kept the commandments of God, they have been cut off from the presence of the Lord.  Now we see that the word of the Lord has been verified in this thing, and the Lamanites have been cut off from his presence, from the beginning of their transgressions in the land.

Alma 9:13 - 14

As we will see, Laman and Lemuel will not just be cut off from the Lord.   They will also be cut off from family.  Hugh Nibley explains the consequences of this.  “The family is the basic social organization, civil and religious, with the father at its head. To be without tribe or family is to forfeit one's identity in the earth; nothing is more terrible than to be ‘cut off,’ and that is exactly the fate that is promised Laman and Lemuel if they rebel (1 Nephi 2:21). ‘Within his own country,’ says an Arab proverb, ‘the Bedouin is a lion; outside of it he is a dog.’”[3]

Should Laman and Lemuel not keep the commandments, Nephi will be made a ruler and teacher over them.  If they do rebel, they will be cursed and have no power over the Nephites.

That is, unless the Nephites rebel against God.  Then Laman and Lemuel’s descendants will have power over his people.  They will be “a scourge unto thy seed, to stir them up in the ways of remembrance” (1 Nephi 2:24).

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[1] The Calling of Lehi as a Prophet in the World of Jerusalem, John W. Welch, Provo, Utah: Maxwell Institute, December 30, 2012.

[2] Notes and Communications: Sam: A Just and Holy Man, Ken Haubrock, Provo, Utah: Maxwell Institute, accessed December 30, 2012.

[3] Desert Ways and Places, Hugh W. Nibley, Provo, Utah: Maxwell Institute, accessed December 30, 2012.

1 Nephi 2:8-15

Having set up camp, Lehi named the river Laman, after his eldest son.  When he did this, he told Laman, “O that thou mightest be like unto this river, continually running into the fountain of all righteousness!” (1 Nephi 2:9).  He then named the valley Lemuel, after his second son.  He did this, telling Lemuel, “O that thou mightest be like unto this valley, firm and steadfast [IE like Ezion-geber, the Hebrew roots of which denote firmness and strength, or might of a man], and immovable in keeping the commandments of the Lord!” (1 Nephi 2:10). 

Nephi gives us our first introduction to his two older brothers, Laman and Lemuel.  (In the remainder of his writings, with one exception, he will always refer to his two brothers together, always as “Laman and Lemuel.”)  He tells us that Laman and Lemuel were stiffnecked (arrogant, stubborn; rebellious); they would murmur (a private expression of dissatisfaction) against their father because he was a visionary man. 

As has been mentioned, Lehi was a wealthy man.  Laman and Lemuel enjoyed that lifestyle.  They were very dissatisfied with having left all their wealth and comfortable lifestyle behind and went off into the wilderness because of the “foolish imaginations of [Lehi].”

Ken Haubrock compares Laman and Lemuel with the third son, Sam.

Though the journey had barely begun in 1 Nephi 2:8–10, already we find Lehi cautioning Laman and Lemuel because of their "stiffneckedness" (1 Nephi 2:11). Yet no mention is made of a word of warning to Sam; it appears that Sam has made righteous decisions early in life. This is further confirmed in 1 Nephi 2:16–17, where we read of Nephi's cry "unto the Lord; and behold he did visit me." Significantly, Nephi first shares this experience with his brother Sam. From this one can deduce a special relationship of trust between these two brothers.[1]

Why would Lehi name a river or valley?  Naming is a custom common among those in the Middle East.  Hugh Nibley explains this custom.

Lehi's intimacy with desert practices becomes apparent right at the outset of his journey, not only in the skillful way he managed things but also in the quaint and peculiar practices he observed, such as those applying to the naming of places in the desert…

By what right do these people rename streams and valleys to suit themselves? By the immemorial custom of the desert, to be sure. Among the laws "which no Bedouin would dream of transgressing," the first, according to Jennings-Bramley, is that "any water you may discover, either in your own or in the territory of another tribe, is named after you” … “One and the same place may have several names, and the wady (valley) running close to the same, or the mountain connected with it, will naturally be called differently by different clans," according to Canaan…

This confusing custom of renaming everything on the spot seems to go back to the earliest times, and "probably, as often as not, the Israelites named for themselves their own camps, or unconsciously confounded a native name in their carelessness."  Yet in spite of its undoubted antiquity, only the most recent explorers have commented on this strange practice, which seems to have escaped the notice of travelers until explorers in our own times started to make official maps.

Even more whimsical and senseless to a westerner must appear the behavior of Lehi in naming a river after one son and its valley after another. But the Arabs don't think that way, for Thomas reports from the south country that "as is commonly the case in these mountains, the water bears a different name from the wadi [valley]." Likewise the Book of Mormon follows the Arabic system of designating Lehi's camp not by the name of the river by which it stood (for rivers may easily dry up), but rather by the name of the valley (1 Nephi 10:16; 16:6).[2]

The problem with Laman and Lemuel is they did not understand the ways of the Lord and how he dealt with man.  They also rejected the idea that Jerusalem could be destroyed.  They continued their murmurings to the point where Nephi would describe them as “like unto the Jews who were at Jerusalem, who sought to take away the life of my father” (1 Nephi 2:13). 

Hugh Nibley describes rising tensions in the family.

In the desert, trouble within the family, which began in the city, only gets worse. Laman and Lemuel side with the people at Jerusalem: "We perish if we leave Jerusalem," they said. "You perish if you stay," said Nephi, because there isn't going to be any Jerusalem. How does he know? "I have seen a vision" (2 Nephi 1:4). That is just what is wrong, say Laman and Lemuel. Here they are being led by the "foolish imaginations" of "a visionary man"—apiqqeah, one who sees things that others do not—to give up "the land of their inheritance, and their gold, and their silver, and their precious things," and for what? "To perish in the wilderness" (1 Nephi 2:11). Jerusalem offered Laman and Lemuel wealth, social position, the security of a great city with strong alliances (1 Nephi 2:13).[3] 

The time came when Lehi had had enough of Laman and Lemuel’s whining.  Being filled with the Spirit, he confronted them and confounded them.  Their “frames did shake before him.”  They no longer dared to complain and did what Lehi commanded them (for a time). 

After this powerful experience, Nephi suddenly writes, “my father dwelt in a tent” (1 Nephi 2:15).  This statement almost seems out of place as well as an obvious statement.  Why would Nephi write this?  The tent played an important role in family life. 

It is most significant how Nephi speaks of his father's tent; it is the official center of all administration and authority. First the dogged insistence of Nephi on telling us again and again that "my father dwelt in a tent" (1 Nephi 2:15; 9:1; 10:16; 16:6). So what? we ask, but to an Oriental that statement says everything. Since time immemorial the whole population of the Near East have been either tent-dwellers or house-dwellers, the people of the bait ash-sha'r or the bait at-tin, "houses of hair or houses of clay" ...  Not only has it been the custom for herdsmen and traders to spend part of the year in tents and part in houses, but "persons of distinction" in the East have always enjoyed spending part of the year in tents for the pure pleasure of a complete change.

It is clear from 1 Nephi 3:1; 4:38; 5:7; 7:5; 21—22; 15:1; and 16:10, that Lehi's tent is the headquarters for all activities, all discussion and decisions.[4]

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[1] Notes and Communications: Sam: A Just and Holy Man, Ken Haubrock, Provo, Utah: Maxwell Institute, accessed December 27, 2012.

[2] Lehi and the Arabs, Hugh W. Nibley, Provo, Utah: Maxwell Institute, accessed December 27, 2012.

[3] Last Call: An Apocalyptic Warning from the Book of Mormon, Hugh Nibley, Provo, Utah: Maxwell Institute, accessed December 27, 2012.

[4] Man Versus Man, Hugh W. Nibley, Provo, Utah: Maxwell Institute, accessed December 27, 2012.

1 Nephi 2:1-7

Chapter 2

Lehi takes his family into the wilderness by the Red Sea—They leave their property—Lehi offers a sacrifice to the Lord and teaches his sons to keep the commandments—Laman and Lemuel murmur against their father—Nephi is obedient and prays in faith; the Lord speaks to him, and he is chosen to rule over his brethren. About 600 B.C.

Nephi promised that he would “show unto [us] that the tender mercies of the Lord are over all those whom he hath chosen, because of their faith, to make them mighty even unto the power of deliverance” (1 Nephi 1:20).   He begins with the next verse. 

The Lord spoke to Lehi in a dream.  He was blessed for his faithfulness and told because of his faithfulness, there were people who sought to take away his life.  Nephi would later tell his unbelieving brothers, “the Spirit of the Lord ceaseth soon to strive with them; for behold, they have rejected the prophets, and Jeremiah have they cast into prison.  And they have sought to take away the life of my father, insomuch that they have driven him out of the land” (1 Nephi 7:14).

S. Kent Brown explains Nephi’s use of Lehi’s record.

Speaking of his father's third vision, Nephi includes words from the Lord that were probably quoted from Lehi's record: "The Lord spake unto my father, yea, even in a dream, and said unto him: Blessed art thou Lehi, because of the things which thou hast done; and because thou hast been faithful and declared unto this people the things which I commanded thee, behold, they seek to take away thy life" (1 Nephi 2:1). In this same vision, Lehi also received the command to leave Jerusalem, the first step in the family's long journey (see 1 Nephi 2:2). Lehi's obedience eventually led him and his family to their land of promise halfway around the earth.[1]

Here we begin seeing how Nephi uses the Lord to support his narrative.

What about the entrance of God into the narrative? What are his first quoted words, and how do they contribute to the meaning of the text? Although the beginning of Nephi's record reports several spiritual experiences, the text does not include any of God's actual words until the second chapter of 1 Nephi. When God does speak, he promises divine blessings, first to Lehi and second to Nephi (1 Nephi 2:1, 19), signaling that the sacred narrative will emphasize how God blesses the spiritual dynasty founded by this father-son prophet duo.[2]

In the dream, the Lord commanded Lehi to take his family and escape into the wilderness.  We read Nephi again reminds his rebellious brothers that their father was being led by the Lord.   

Wherefore, let us be faithful in keeping the commandments of the Lord; therefore let us go down to the land of our father's inheritance, for behold he left gold and silver, and all manner of riches.  And all this he hath done because of the commandments of the Lord.

1 Nephi 3:16

And I also spake unto him, saying: Surely the Lord hath commanded us to do this thing; and shall we not be diligent in keeping the commandments of the Lord?  Therefore, if thou wilt go down into the wilderness to my father thou shalt have place with us.

1 Nephi 4:34

Alma₂ would tell the people of Ammonihah, “Do ye not remember that our father, Lehi, was brought out of Jerusalem by the hand of God?  Do ye not remember that they were all led by him through the wilderness?” (Alma 9:9). 

Lehi obeyed the Lord’s command.  “From then on he shows himself as the great leader and colonizer—daring, resourceful, patient, and strong-minded.”[3]

Lehi departed into the wilderness (the estimated date was 600 B.C.).  He left everything behind – his gold and silver and his precious things.  What is the wilderness?  Jeffrey Chadwick explains:

Remembering that the term wilderness refers to desert terrain, both in the Bible and in 1 Nephi, a word about Lehi's departure from Jerusalem "into the wilderness" (1 Nephi 2:4) is in order. All of the territory east of Jerusalem is wilderness. Departure on any trail directly east, northeast, or southeast puts one immediately into the mountainous desert known as the Wilderness of Judah.[4] 

It would appear that Lehi was experienced in travel in the wilderness.  We read that all he took were his family, provisions, and tents as he went into the wilderness.  Hugh Nibley looks at Lehi’s background.

There is ample evidence in the Book of Mormon that Lehi was an expert on caravan travel, as one might expect. Consider a few general points. Upon receiving a warning dream, he is ready apparently at a moment's notice to take his whole "family, and provisions, and tents" out into the wilderness. While he took absolutely nothing but the most necessary provisions with him (1 Nephi 2:4), he knew exactly what those provisions should be, and when he had to send back to the city to supply unanticipated wants, it was for records that he sent and not for any necessaries for the journey.[5] 

His path took him near the shore of the Red Sea during his journey.  Nephi tells us that Sariah, Laman, Lemuel, and Sam were in the party. 

After three days, he pitched his tent in a valley where there was a river of water.  He built a stone and made an offering, giving thanks to the Lord. 

After Abraham departed his father’s home, we read that he “built an altar in the land of Jershon, and made an offering unto the Lord” (Abraham 2:17).  Isaac built an altar “and called upon the name of the LORD and pitched his tent there: and there Isaac's servants digged a well” (Genesis 26:25). 

They would stay at this site for a while.

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[1] Nephi's Use of Lehi's Record, S. Kent Brown, Provo, Utah: Maxwell Institute, accessed December 26, 2012.

[2] Prospering in the Land of Promise, Steven L. Olsen, Provo, Utah: Maxwell Institute, accessed December 26, 2012.

[3] Lehi as a Representative Man, Hugh W. Nibley, Provo, Utah: Maxwell Institute, accessed December 26, 2012.

[4] An Archaeologist's View, Jeffrey R. Chadwick, Provo, Utah: Maxwell Institute, accessed December 26, 2012.

[5] Lehi and the Arabs, Hugh W. Nibley, Provo, Utah: Maxwell Institute, accessed December 26 2012.

1 Nephi 1:16-20

After sharing his father’s vision, Nephi writes he will not make a full account of everything his father has written, all his dreams and visions, and all his prophesies on these plates.  He will make an account of his father’s record on his other plates.

Nephi would later write that he did not make a full account of his people’s history.  He made one set of plates called the (large) plates of Nephi.  He made a second set that are an account of his people’s history, their wars, etc.  On these plates, he will make an account of his ministry (see 1 Nephi 2-4).

S. Kent Brown discusses how Nephi may have used Lehi’s plates.

Most of Lehi's record must have been completed by the time Nephi made and started writing on the large plates. This would be after arriving in the promised land. Nephi tells us that he recorded on those plates "the [abridged] record of my father, and the genealogy of his fathers, and the more part of all our proceedings in the wilderness" (1 Nephi 19:2). Nephi could have obtained the genealogy from the brass plates, where Lehi had learned about it (see 1 Nephi 5:14). But his father's own version of the events in the wilderness (for example, 1 Nephi 5:2-6, which happened in Nephi's absence) would have had to come from another source, most likely Lehi's own. Lehi probably had begun writing his record while still in Jerusalem so that he could include his visions there while they were still vivid (see 1 Nephi 1:16).[1]

Marilyn Arnold further explains Nephi’s use of Lehi’s plates.

[We] have only a tiny fraction of Lehi's words. In my journal I say, referencing verse 16, "Nephi notes that Lehi had written a great deal about his visions, dreams, and prophecies." In fact, Nephi refers to Lehi's writings three times in a single verse, twice explaining that he can't record them all, so vast are they…

Both 16 and 17 are important verses if we are to comprehend just how prolific Lehi was and Nephi's role in dealing with his father's record. We tend to skip over the passages about Lehi's writings, and I think we should not. Nephi is careful to add that he will not write an account of his "proceedings" until after he has abridged the record of his father (see v. 17). This postponement of his own work in order to prepare his father's affirms the importance of Lehi's writings. It also underscores the great respect Nephi shows his father throughout the narrative.[2]

Why did Nephi make a record telling us about his father’s visions?  “In his account of his father's visions, Nephi seems to be responding in some measure to his brothers' accusation that Lehi was a false visionary.”[3]

Having received these visions concerning the destruction of Jerusalem, he began to prophesy to the people of Jerusalem, telling them what the Lord had revealed to him.

The Jews reject his message.  He was mocked because of the things he testified to them.  "But they mocked the messengers of God, and despised his words, and misused his prophets, until the wrath of the LORD arose against his people, till there was no remedy”  (2Chronicles 36:16).

At the time Lehi was preaching, Jeremiah was preaching as well.

THE word that came to Jeremiah concerning all the people of Judah in the fourth year of Jehoiakim the son of Josiah king of Judah, that was the first year of Nebuchadrezzar king of Babylon;

The which Jeremiah the prophet spake unto all the people of Judah, and to all the inhabitants of Jerusalem, saying,

From the thirteenth year of Josiah the son of Amon king of Judah, even unto this day, that is the three and twentieth year, the word of the LORD hath come unto me, and I have spoken unto you, rising early and speaking; but ye have not hearkened.

And the LORD hath sent unto you all his servants the prophets, rising early and sending them; but ye have not hearkened, nor inclined your ear to hear.

Jeremiah 25:1 - 4

They were angered because he testified of their wickedness.  He clearly told them what had been revealed to him by the Lord.  He told them what he read in the book, which testified of the coming of a Messiah to redeem the world.

What might have made them so angry?

Now this man, coming from one of the oldest families and having a most unobjectionable background and education, suddenly found himself in bad with the "people that count." First, there was mockery, then, anger, and finally, plots against his life (1 Nephi 1:19—20) which, since they were serious, must have been supported in high places, for in openly siding with Jeremiah (cf. 1 Nephi 7:14) he had made himself a traitor to his class and his tradition:[4]

Nephi tells us “they also sought his life, that they might take it away” (1 Nephi 1:20).  Was Lehi’s life in immediate danger?  Jeffry Chadwick speculates:

[When discussing the threat to Lehi, we] probably overstate the actual danger to Lehi in Judah. While it is true that some in Jerusalem had sought to take Lehi's life (1 Nephi 1:20; 2:1), these may have been spontaneous attempts of individuals angry with his prophecies, not necessarily a conspiracy in which Zedekiah or the government was involved. Once outside the big city, on the wilderness paths to either Jericho or Ein Gedi, Lehi was probably as secure as anyone else traveling the byways of Judah.[5]

Nephi closes the first chapter by promising us, “I, Nephi, will show unto you that the tender mercies of the Lord are over all those whom he hath chosen, because of their faith, to make them mighty even unto the power of deliverance” (1 Nephi 1:20).  “As I read this sentence, it struck me that we might take this to be Nephi's ‘thesis statement’ for the Book of Mormon: Nephi and the other Book of Mormon prophets give us to remember the tender mercies of the Lord so that we can be delivered according to our faith.”[6]

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[1] Nephi's Use of Lehi's Record, S. Kent Brown, Provo, Utah: Maxwell Institute, accessed December 22, 2012.

[2] The Book of Mormon: Passport to Discipleship, Marilyn Arnold, Provo, Utah: Maxwell Institute, accessed December 22, 2012

[3] Scripture Update: Lehi as a Visionary Man, Matthew Roper, Maxwell Institute, accessed December 22, 2012.

[4] The Troubled Orient, Hugh W. Nibley, Provo, Utah: Maxwell Institute, accessed December 22, 2012.

[5] The Wrong Place for Lehi's Trail and the Valley of Lemuel, Jeffrey R. Chadwick, Provo, Utah: Maxwell Institute, accessed December 22, 2012.

[6] Remembrance, James E. Faulconer, Provo, Utah: Maxwell Institute, accessed December 22, 2012.

1 Nephi 1:12-15

The One, Christ, gave Lehi a book and he was commanded to read the book.  He did, and while he read the book, he was filled with the Spirit of the Lord.

He read a warning from the Lord.  It said, “Wo, wo, unto Jerusalem, for I have seen thine abominations! Yea, and many things did my father read concerning Jerusalem— that it should be destroyed, and the inhabitants thereof; many should perish by the sword, and many should be carried away captive into Babylon.“ (1 Nephi 1:13).  This repeated warnings from the Lord:  “And the LORD said, I will remove Judah also out of my sight, as I have removed Israel, and will cast off this city Jerusalem which I have chosen, and the house of which I said, My name shall be there” (2 Kings 23:27) and “And the LORD sent against him bands of the Chaldees, and bands of the Syrians, and bands of the Moabites, and bands of the children of Ammon, and sent them against Judah to destroy it, according to the word of the LORD, which he spake by his servants the prophets” (2 Kings 24:2).

The Lord also warned the Israelites they would be taken captive to Babylon.  “Behold, the days come, that all that is in thine house, and that which thy fathers have laid up in store unto this day, shall be carried into Babylon: nothing shall be left, saith the LORD.

And of thy sons that shall issue from thee, which thou shalt beget, shall they take away; and they shall be eunuchs [OR officers] in the palace of the king of Babylon” (2 Kings 20:17 - 18)

The day finally arrived. 

And it came to pass in the ninth year of his reign, in the tenth month, in the tenth day of the month, that Nebuchadrezzar king of Babylon came, he and all his army, against Jerusalem, and pitched against it, and built forts [OR siege-walls] against it round about.

So the city was besieged unto the eleventh year of king Zedekiah.

And in the fourth month, in the ninth day of the month, the famine was sore in the city, so that there was no bread [OR food] for the people of the land.

Then the city was broken up, and all the men of war fled, and went forth out of the city by night by the way of the gate between the two walls, which was by the king's garden; (now the Chaldeans were by the city round about:) and they went by the way of the plain.

But the army of the Chaldeans pursued after the king, and overtook Zedekiah in the plains of Jericho; and all his army was scattered from him.

Then they took the king, and carried him up unto the king of Babylon to Riblah in the land of Hamath; where he gave judgment upon him.

And the king of Babylon slew the sons of Zedekiah before his eyes: he slew also all the princes of Judah in Riblah.

Then he put out the eyes of Zedekiah; and the king of Babylon bound him in chains, and carried him to Babylon, and put him in prison till the day of his death.

Now in the fifth month, in the tenth day of the month, which was the nineteenth year of Nebuchadrezzar king of Babylon, came Nebuzar-adan, captain of the guard, which served the king of Babylon, into Jerusalem,

And burned the house of the LORD, and the king's house; and all the houses of Jerusalem, and all the houses of the great men, burned he with fire:

And all the army of the Chaldeans, that were with the captain of the guard, brake down all the walls of Jerusalem round about.

Then Nebuzar-adan the captain of the guard carried away captive certain of the poor of the people, and the residue of the people that remained in the city, and those that fell away [OR had deserted], that fell to the king of Babylon, and the rest of the multitude.

Jeremiah 52:4 - 15

Having read the book, and seeing great and marvelous things, Lehi proclaimed:

Great and marvelous are thy works,
O Lord God Almighty!
Thy throne is high in the heavens.
and thy power, and goodness, and mercy
are over all the inhabitants of the earth;
and, because thou art merciful,
thou wilt not suffer those who come unto thee
that they shall perish! (1 Nephi 1:14)[1]

Nephi would later write, emphasizing the principle that those who come to the Lord will not perish.

He doeth not anything save it be for the benefit of the world; for he loveth the world, even that he layeth down his own life that he may draw all men unto him.  Wherefore, he commandeth none that they shall not partake of his salvation.

Behold, doth he cry unto any, saying: Depart from me?  Behold, I say unto you, Nay; but he saith: Come unto me all ye ends of the earth, buy milk and honey, without money and without price.

Behold, hath he commanded any that they should depart out of the synagogues, or out of the houses of worship?  Behold, I say unto you, Nay.

Hath he commanded any that they should not partake of his salvation?  Behold I say unto you, Nay; but he hath given it free for all men; and he hath commanded his people that they should persuade all men to repentance.

Behold, hath the Lord commanded any that they should not partake of his goodness?  Behold I say unto you, Nay; but all men are privileged the one like unto the other, and none are forbidden.

2 Nephi 26:24 - 28

Alma₂ taught the people of Zarahemla this concept.

Behold, he sendeth an invitation unto all men, for the arms of mercy are extended towards them, and he saith: Repent, and I will receive you.

Yea, he saith: Come unto me and ye shall partake of the fruit of the tree of life [see 1 Nephi 8:5-28]; yea, ye shall eat and drink of the bread and the waters of life freely;

Yea, come unto me and bring forth works of righteousness, and ye shall not be hewn down and cast into the fire—

For behold, the time is at hand that whosoever bringeth forth not good fruit, or whosoever doeth not the works of righteousness, the same have cause to wail and mourn.

Alma 5:33 - 36

The Savior, speaking to the Nephites after the destruction at His death, reinforced this principle.

O all ye that are spared because ye were more righteous than they, will ye not now return unto me, and repent of your sins, and be converted, that I may heal you?

Yea, verily I say unto you, if ye will come unto me ye shall have eternal life.  Behold, mine arm of mercy is extended towards you, and whosoever will come, him will I receive; and blessed are those who come unto me.

3 Nephi 9:13 - 14

Lehi continued to rejoice and praise God for what he had seen.  Nephi writes,

For his soul did rejoice,
and his whole heart was filled,
because of the things which he had seen,
yea, which the Lord had shown unto him. (1 Nephi 1:15)[2]

---

[1] Formatting for verse 14, The Calling of Lehi as a Prophet in the World of Jerusalem, John W. Welch, Provo, Utah: Maxwell Institute, accessed December 21, 2012.

[2]Formatting for verse 15,  A Reader's Library, Kristine Hansen, and Keith Lawrence, Provo, Utah: Maxwell Institute, accessed December 21, 2012.

1 Nephi 1:5-11

Nephi records a vision his father received.  Lehi went out and prayed on behalf of his people.  He was following Jeremiah’s words, “Then shall ye call upon me, and ye shall go and pray unto me, and I will hearken [HEB hear you] unto you.  And ye shall seek me, and find me, when ye shall search for me with all your heart” (Jeremiah 29:12 - 13). Nephi would later write about his experience crying unto the Lord.

Behold, he hath heard my cry by day, and he hath given me knowledge by visions in the night–time.

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.

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.

2 Nephi 4:23 - 25

John Welch writes about Lehi’s prayer.  “[Lehi] may have gone forth and prayed unto the Lord (1 Nephi 1:5) because he was among the prophets who were already actively crying repentance in Jerusalem, but it appears more likely that he was profoundly moved to pray, motivated by the problems in Jerusalem and by the messages of the prophets whom he had just heard.”[1]

Terryl Givens continues:

We know virtually nothing for certain of Lehi or his background except that he is a person of wealth and, as his wife laments and Lehi agrees, is a "visionary man" (1 Nephi 5:2, 4). His first recorded vision occurs as Lehi is praying "with all his heart" (1 Nephi 1:5) on behalf of his people. Strangely, this is the only one of Lehi's visions about whose content we are told nothing at all. Nephi simply reveals that as Lehi prays, "there came a pillar of fire . . . and he saw and heard much" (1 Nephi 1:6). No details of the message, no particulars of any message, are available to distract from the fact of the visitation itself, given to a man who shares neither the public prestige nor, so far as we can tell, the national stewardship of his contemporary Jeremiah. [2]

While praying, a pillar of fire appeared on a rock in front of Lehi.  This may well have reminded Lehi of the Lord’s dealing with Moses during the exodus.  “And the LORD went before them by day in a pillar of a cloud, to lead them the way; and by night in a pillar of fire, to give them light; to go by day and night” (Exodus 13:21).

What he saw and heard during his vision is unknown.  What Nephi did records is that what “he saw and heard much; and because of the things which he saw and heard he did quake and tremble exceedingly” (1 Nephi 1:6).

After his vision ended, he returned home, having been overcome by his vision.  Being weakened by a vision is not unusual.  Nephi would later tell his brothers, “Behold, my soul is rent with anguish because of you, and my heart is pained; I fear lest ye shall be cast off forever.  Behold, I am full of the Spirit of God, insomuch that my frame has no strength” (1 Nephi 17:47).  When Ammon met Alma₂, his joy “was so great even that he was full; yea, he was swallowed up in the joy of his God, even to the exhausting of his strength; and he fell again to the earth” (Alma 27:17). 

No sooner had he “cast himself upon his bed,” he saw a second vision.  The heavens opened and he saw God sitting on his throne.  He was surrounded by angels singing and praising God.  Alma₂ would describe his experience, identical to Nephi’s words.  “Yea, methought I saw, even as our father Lehi saw, God sitting upon his throne, surrounded with numberless concourses of angels, in the attitude of singing and praising their God; yea, and my soul did long to be there” (Alma 36:22)

He next saw One descending out of heaven.  “[H]is luster was above that of the sun at none-day” (1 Nephi 1:9).  Describing His luster, Richard Dilworth Rust wrote, “As Christ is called a fire, so he is a light in the wilderness (see 1 Nephi 17:13). In vision, Lehi saw the Son of God as glowing brighter than the sun (see 1 Nephi 1:9) … Both physically and figuratively, light and whiteness are associated with truth, purity, and divine guidance, just as darkness is associated with unbelief and error (for example, see Alma 40:14).”[3] 

Twelve followed him, “and their brightness did exceed that of the stars in the firmament” (1 Nephi 1:10).  The twelve went forth and the One stood before Lehi.

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[1] The Calling of Lehi as a Prophet in the World of Jerusalem, John W. Welch, Provo, Utah: Maxwell Institute, accessed December 19, 2012.

[2] Joseph Smith's American Bible: Radicalizing the Familiar, Terryl L. Givens, Provo, Utah: Maxwell Institute, accessed December 19, 2012.

[3] Book of Mormon Imagery, Richard Dilworth Rust, Provo, Utah: Maxwell Institute, accessed December 19, 2012.

1 Nephi 1:2-4

Before we move on to Nephi’s account, I want to mention a couple more things to keep in mind as we read Nephi’s account. 

In the last post, we learn Nephi did not begin this account until 30 years after he had left Jerusalem (see 2 Nephi 5:28).  He explains the Lord’s command to make a second record.  He explains what he intended to include in the record, and closes telling us 40 years had passed away (see 2 Nephi 5:34).

What we will study is more a memoir than a day-to-day account of what occurred.  It is written through the eyes of Nephi.  He is writing having had time to evaluate events and their place in what had occurred during those forty years.  Grant Hardy explains, “Nephi’s voice is privileged above all others – as editor and sole narrator he always has the final say – and his standing as a prophet reinforces his unique authority to interpret the events he recounts.”[1]

Returning to Nephi’s record, he tells us that he was “taught somewhat in all the learning of my father” (1 Nephi 1:2).  He also tells us that he is making his record in his father’s language.  This learning is made up of the learning of the Jews and the language of Egyptians. 

Daniel C. Peterson addresses this Egyptian influence.  “1 Nephi 1:2 suggests cultural connections between Egypt and Israel in Lehi and Nephi's time, and these connections seem to be consistent with what scholars are learning. Interestingly, the very name ‘Nephi’ turns out to be authentically Egyptian. Thus, Nephi's claim that his father knew Egyptian is borne out by his own name.”[2]

Matthew L. Bowen continues:  “That Lehi would give his son an Egyptian name is not unlikely, since Lehi's language ‘consist[ed] of the learning of the Jews and the language of the Egyptians’ (1 Nephi 1:2). One reason Nephi was quick to point out his father's knowledge of Egyptian may have been to explain the origin of his non-Hebrew name.”[3]

Nephi testifies to the truthfulness of his record.  He is making it with his hand and based on what he has learned.  King Benjamin probably had this in mind when he told his sons, “I would that ye should remember that these sayings are true, and also that these records are true.  And behold, also the plates of Nephi, which contain the records and the sayings of our fathers from the time they left Jerusalem until now, and they are true; and we can know of their surety because we have them before our eyes” (Mosiah 1:6).

Having introduced himself and his background, Nephi tells us about his father, Lehi.  Lehi’s story begins in the first year of the reign of Zedekiah.  The Old Testament tells us: “Zedekiah was twenty and one years old when he began to reign, and he reigned eleven years in Jerusalem” (2 Kings 24:18); “And when the year was expired, king Nebuchadnezzar sent, and brought him to Babylon, with the goodly vessels of the house of the LORD, and made Zedekiah his brother king over Judah and Jerusalem” (2 Chronicles 36:10). 

Lehi had lived in Jerusalem "all his days.”  Terrence Szink writes about Lehi.

*Lehi was born in Jerusalem and had dwelt there "all his days" (1 Nephi 1:4). He was likely a husband and father of young children during Josiah's reforms. If we are to believe 2 Kings 23:2, he was present at the reading of the book of the law that formed the basis of those reforms. I believe that Lehi would have taken these reforms to heart and done his best to teach them to his children. This may explain why one of the central themes of the Book of Mormon is this idea of alternate blessings or curses, depending on the righteousness of the people.[4]

Lehi was one of those messengers sent to call the people of Jerusalem to repentance. 

And the LORD God of their fathers sent to them by his messengers, rising up betimes [HEB early, promptly], and sending; because he had compassion on his people, and on his dwelling place:

But they mocked the messengers of God, and despised his words, and misused his prophets, until the wrath of the LORD arose against his people, till there was no remedy.

2 Chronicles 36:15 - 16

If they didn’t repent, Jerusalem would be destroyed.

Then rose up certain of the elders of the land, and spake to all the assembly of the people, saying,

Micah the Morasthite prophesied in the days of Hezekiah king of Judah, and spake to all the people of Judah, saying, Thus saith the LORD of hosts; Zion shall be plowed like a field, and Jerusalem shall become heaps, and the mountain of the house as the high places of a forest.

Did Hezekiah king of Judah and all Judah put him at all to death?  did he not fear the LORD, and besought the LORD, and the LORD repented him of the evil which he had pronounced against them?  Thus might we procure great evil against our souls [JST Jer. 26:19 ... and beseech the Lord and repent? and the Lord turned away the evil which he had pronounced against them. Thus by putting Jeremiah to death we might procure great evil against our souls.] and besought the LORD, and the LORD repented him of the evil which he had pronounced against them?  Thus might we procure great evil against our souls. and besought the LORD, and the LORD repented him of the evil which he had pronounced against them?  Thus might we procure great evil against our souls.

Jeremiah 26:17 - 19

David Seely and Fred Woods write about the prophets sent to the people of Jerusalem.

In order to counter the public sentiment of confidence that emerged during the Babylonian threat, the Lord sent prophets to warn the people: "There came many prophets, prophesying unto the people that they must repent, or the great city Jerusalem must be destroyed" (1 Nephi 1:4). Prophets like Lehi and Jeremiah were threatened with death when they spoke what many Jews considered to be blasphemous words against the holy city (1 Nephi 1:20; Jeremiah 26:12–15; 38:4). In fact, the prophet Urijah was put to death by King Jehoiakim for delivering the same message of destruction that Lehi and Jeremiah did (Jeremiah 26:20–23).[5]

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[1] Understanding the Book of Mormon:  A Reader’s Guide, Grant Hardy, Oxford University Press, 2010, pg. 281.

[2] 1 Nephi 1–7, Daniel C. Peterson, Provo, Utah: Maxwell Institute, accessed December 17, 2012.

[3] Internal Textual Evidence for the Egyptian Origin of Nephi's Name, Matthew L. Bowen, Provo, Utah: Maxwell Institute, accessed December 17, 2012.

[4] Jerusalem in Lehi's Day, Terrence L. Szink, Provo, Utah: Maxwell Institute, accessed December 17, 2012.

[5] How Could Jerusalem, "That Great City," Be Destroyed? David R. Seely, and Fred E. Woods, Provo, Utah: Maxwell Institute, accessed December 17, 2012.

1 Nephi 1:1

I Nephi…

Thus begins in the Book of Mormon.  Who is this Nephi who is writing this book?  What’s his purpose for writing?  Before we begin studying the Book of Mormon, we should know about the author of the first two books in the Book of Mormon.

Nephi was born to Lehi and Sariah.  He had three brothers – Laman, Lemuel, and Sam.  Two others were born during his journey in the wilderness – Jacob and Joseph.  There is no mention of any sisters.  This, of course, does not mean he did not have sisters.  In this record, he makes no mention of them, if he had any.

Nephi recorded his life and teachings on two different sets of plates, both called the planets of Nephi (1 Nephi 9:2).  On one set of plates, he recorded “an account of the reign of the kings, and the wars and contentions of my people” (1 Nephi 9:2). 

While making his record, he received a commandment of the Lord that he should make a second set of plates.  He wrote, “I should make these plates, for the special purpose that there should be an account engraven of the ministry of my people … wherefore these plates are for the more part of the ministry” (1 Nephi 9:3-4). 

Nephi had no idea why he was commanded to make the second set of plates.  “Wherefore, the Lord hath commanded me to make these plates for a wise purpose in him, which purpose I know not.  But the Lord knoweth all things from the beginning; wherefore, he prepareth a way to accomplish all his works among the children of men” (emphasis mine) (1 Nephi 9:5-6). 

Nephi did not begin working on his second set of plates until thirty years after they left Jerusalem [569 B.C.] (2 Nephi 5:28).  While keeping the other set of plates, the Lord came to him and commanded him, “Make other plates; and thou shalt engraven many things upon them which are good in my sight, for the profit of thy people” (2 Nephi 5:30). 

Mormon was specifically referring to this record in the Words of Mormon when he wrote:

I speak somewhat concerning that which I have written; for after I had made an abridgment from the plates of Nephi, down to the reign of this king Benjamin, of whom Amaleki spake, I searched among the records which had been delivered into my hands, and I found these plates, which contained this small account of the prophets, from Jacob down to the reign of this king Benjamin, and also many of the words of Nephi.

And the things which are upon these plates pleasing me, because of the prophecies of the coming of Christ; and my fathers knowing that many of them have been fulfilled; yea, and I also know that as many things as have been prophesied concerning us down to this day have been fulfilled, and as many as go beyond this day must surely come to pass—

Wherefore, I chose these things, to finish my record upon them, which remainder of my record I shall take from the plates of Nephi; and I cannot write the hundredth part of the things of my people.

But behold, I shall take these plates, which contain these prophesyings and revelations, and put them with the remainder of my record, for they are choice unto me; and I know they will be choice unto my brethren.

And I do this for a wise purpose; for thus it whispereth me, according to the workings of the Spirit of the Lord which is in me.  And now, I do not know all things; but the Lord knoweth all things which are to come; wherefore, he worketh in me to do according to his will.

Words of Mormon 1:3 – 7 (Emphasis mine)

The first set of plates, the record of the reign of the kings as well as wars and contentions were the first part of the record translated by Joseph Smith.  This portion of the record is what was contained in the 116 pages of manuscript were given to Martin Harris and were eventually lost.

Briefly, Martin Harris had been asking Joseph Smith to allow him to take the manuscript pages to show his wife and other family members.  This would “allay their skepticism and criticism of the translation.  Joseph inquired of the Lord twice, and each time was told no.  Harris persisted, and Joseph went to the Lord a third time.  This time, he received permission to allow Harris to take the manuscript.  “The Prophet required Harris to solemnly covenant that he would show them only to his brother, his parents, his wife, and her sister.”

Harris did not return the manuscript when he said he would.  Joseph, living in Harmony, PA at the time, returned to Manchester, NY.  He learned someone had stolen the manuscript.  Harris had not kept his word, and had “indiscriminately showed it to persons outside his family … The most widespread rumor was that Harris' wife, irritated at having earlier been denied a glimpse of the ancient plates, had removed the manuscript translation from Martin's unlocked bureau and burned it.”[1]

Joseph Smith was chastised by the Lord.    

Behold, you have been entrusted with these things, but how strict were your commandments; and remember also the promises which were made to you, if you did not transgress them.

And behold, how oft you have transgressed the commandments and the laws of God, and have gone on in the persuasions of men.

For, behold, you should not have feared man more than God.  Although men set at naught the counsels of God, and despise his words—

Yet you should have been faithful; and he would have extended his arm and supported you against all the fiery darts of the adversary; and he would have been with you in every time of trouble.

NOW, behold, I say unto you, that because you delivered up those writings which you had power given unto you to translate by the means of the Urim and Thummim, into the hands of a wicked man, you have lost them.

D&C 3:5 – 8, 10:1

So we see the “wise purpose,” what would be called the small plates of Nephi, was made.  “And, behold, Satan hath put it into their hearts to alter the words which you have caused to be written, or which you have translated, which have gone out of your hands. And behold, I say unto you, that because they have altered the words, they read contrary from that which you translated and caused to be written;  And, on this wise, the devil has sought to lay a cunning plan, that he may destroy this work” (D&C 10:10-12).

This gives us an idea of who Nephi was.  We will learn more about him as we look at his record.

---

[1] Manuscript, Lost 116 Pages, William J. Chritchlow, III, Encylopedia of Mormonism, pgs. 854-855, Macmillan Company (1992), Daniel H. Ludlow, editorI Nephi…

Thus begins in the Book of Mormon.  Who is this Nephi who is writing this book?  What’s his purpose for writing?  Before we begin studying the Book of Mormon, we should know about the author of the first two books in the Book of Mormon.

Nephi was born to Lehi and Sariah.  He had three brothers – Laman, Lemuel, and Sam.  Two others were born during his journey in the wilderness – Jacob and Joseph.  There is no mention of any sisters.  This, of course, does not mean he did not have sisters.  In this record, he makes no mention of them, if he had any.

Nephi recorded his life and teachings on two different sets of plates, both called the planets of Nephi (1 Nephi 9:2).  On one set of plates, he recorded “an account of the reign of the kings, and the wars and contentions of my people” (1 Nephi 9:2). 

While making his record, he received a commandment of the Lord that he should make a second set of plates.  He wrote, “I should make these plates, for the special purpose that there should be an account engraven of the ministry of my people … wherefore these plates are for the more part of the ministry” (1 Nephi 9:3-4). 

Nephi had no idea why he was commanded to make the second set of plates.  “Wherefore, the Lord hath commanded me to make these plates for a wise purpose in him, which purpose I know not.  But the Lord knoweth all things from the beginning; wherefore, he prepareth a way to accomplish all his works among the children of men” (emphasis mine) (1 Nephi 9:5-6). 

Nephi did not begin working on his second set of plates until thirty years after they left Jerusalem [569 B.C.] (2 Nephi 5:28).  While keeping the other set of plates, the Lord came to him and commanded him, “Make other plates; and thou shalt engraven many things upon them which are good in my sight, for the profit of thy people” (2 Nephi 5:30). 

Mormon was specifically referring to this record in the Words of Mormon when he wrote:

I speak somewhat concerning that which I have written; for after I had made an abridgment from the plates of Nephi, down to the reign of this king Benjamin, of whom Amaleki spake, I searched among the records which had been delivered into my hands, and I found these plates, which contained this small account of the prophets, from Jacob down to the reign of this king Benjamin, and also many of the words of Nephi.

And the things which are upon these plates pleasing me, because of the prophecies of the coming of Christ; and my fathers knowing that many of them have been fulfilled; yea, and I also know that as many things as have been prophesied concerning us down to this day have been fulfilled, and as many as go beyond this day must surely come to pass—

Wherefore, I chose these things, to finish my record upon them, which remainder of my record I shall take from the plates of Nephi; and I cannot write the hundredth part of the things of my people.

But behold, I shall take these plates, which contain these prophesyings and revelations, and put them with the remainder of my record, for they are choice unto me; and I know they will be choice unto my brethren.

And I do this for a wise purpose; for thus it whispereth me, according to the workings of the Spirit of the Lord which is in me.  And now, I do not know all things; but the Lord knoweth all things which are to come; wherefore, he worketh in me to do according to his will.

Words of Mormon 1:3 – 7 (Emphasis mine)

The first set of plates, the record of the reign of the kings as well as wars and contentions were the first part of the record translated by Joseph Smith.  This portion of the record is what was contained in the 116 pages of manuscript were given to Martin Harris and were eventually lost.

Briefly, Martin Harris had been asking Joseph Smith to allow him to take the manuscript pages to show his wife and other family members.  This would “allay their skepticism and criticism of the translation.  Joseph inquired of the Lord twice, and each time was told no.  Harris persisted, and Joseph went to the Lord a third time.  This time, he received permission to allow Harris to take the manuscript.  “The Prophet required Harris to solemnly covenant that he would show them only to his brother, his parents, his wife, and her sister.”

Harris did not return the manuscript when he said he would.  Joseph, living in Harmony, PA at the time, returned to Manchester, NY.  He learned someone had stolen the manuscript.  Harris had not kept his word, and had “indiscriminately showed it to persons outside his family … The most widespread rumor was that Harris' wife, irritated at having earlier been denied a glimpse of the ancient plates, had removed the manuscript translation from Martin's unlocked bureau and burned it.”[1]

Joseph Smith was chastised by the Lord.    

Behold, you have been entrusted with these things, but how strict were your commandments; and remember also the promises which were made to you, if you did not transgress them.

And behold, how oft you have transgressed the commandments and the laws of God, and have gone on in the persuasions of men.

For, behold, you should not have feared man more than God.  Although men set at naught the counsels of God, and despise his words—

Yet you should have been faithful; and he would have extended his arm and supported you against all the fiery darts of the adversary; and he would have been with you in every time of trouble.

NOW, behold, I say unto you, that because you delivered up those writings which you had power given unto you to translate by the means of the Urim and Thummim, into the hands of a wicked man, you have lost them.

D&C 3:5 – 8, 10:1

So we see the “wise purpose,” what would be called the small plates of Nephi, was made.  “And, behold, Satan hath put it into their hearts to alter the words which you have caused to be written, or which you have translated, which have gone out of your hands. And behold, I say unto you, that because they have altered the words, they read contrary from that which you translated and caused to be written;  And, on this wise, the devil has sought to lay a cunning plan, that he may destroy this work” (D&C 10:10-12).

This gives us an idea of who Nephi was.  We will learn more about him as we look at his record.

---

[1] Manuscript, Lost 116 Pages, William J. Chritchlow, III, Encylopedia of Mormonism, pgs. 854-855, Macmillan Company (1992), Daniel H. Ludlow, editor