Helaman 10:11-19

The Lord had promised Nephi anything he desired to happen would happen. If he asked the Lord for a famine, He would send a famine. The Lord gave him this power because he knew he would not abuse it.

After receiving this promise from the Lord, he stopped heading towards his home. He returned and began preaching to the people scattered throughout the land. He declared the word of the Lord, warning the Nephites to repent or be destroyed.

Nephi found those hearing his words would not listen to them. His previous miracle, finding the assassin of the chief judge, was ignored by the people. Nephi experienced what the Savior experienced during his ministry.

“But Jesus said unto them, A prophet is not without honour, but in his own country, and among his own kin, and in his own house.

“And he could there do no mighty work, save that he laid his hands upon a few sick folk, and healed them.

“And he marvelled because of their unbelief [OR lack of faith]. And he went round about the villages, teaching” (Mark 6:4-6).

Even though the people rejected his words, he continued to warn them to repent or they would be destroyed. He continued preaching a message he had in the past. “For behold, they are more righteous than you, for they have not sinned against that great knowledge which ye have received; therefore the Lord will be merciful unto them; yea, he will lengthen out their days and increase their seed, even when thou shalt be utterly destroyed except thou shalt repent” (Helaman 7:24).

The people reject Nephi’s words. They scorned and censured him, and they attempted to throw him into prison.

The scriptures are full of examples of the wicked reviling the righteous. “Blessed are ye, when men shall revile you, and persecute you, and shall say all manner of evil against you falsely, for my sake [GR on account of me]” (Matthew 5:11).

“Who, when he was reviled, reviled not again; when he suffered, he threatened not; but committed himself to him that judgeth righteously” (1 Peter 2:23).

“O, my beloved brethren, give ear to my words. Remember the greatness of the Holy One of Israel. Do not say that I have spoken hard things against you; for if ye do, ye will revile against the truth; for I have spoken the words of your Maker. I know that the words of truth are ^chard against all uncleanness; but the righteous fear them not, for they love the truth and are not shaken” (2 Nephi 9:40).

“Wo unto them that turn aside the just for a thing of naught and revile against that which is good, and say that it is of no worth! For the day shall come that the Lord God will speedily visit the inhabitants of the earth; and in that day that they are fully ripe in iniquity they shall perish” (2 Nephi 28:16).

The power of God was with Nephi and the wicked could not cast him into prison.  Like Philip, Nephi was conveyed away from them by the Spirit.

“And when they were come up out of the water, the Spirit of the Lord caught away Philip, that the eunuch saw him no more: and he went on his way rejoicing.

“But Philip was found at Azotus: and passing through he preached in all the cities, till he came to Cæsarea” (Acts 8:39-40).

Nephi continued preaching to the people (“he did go forth in the Spirit” Helaman 10:17).  He eventually declared the word “among all the people” (Helaman 10:17).

Nephi’s words were rejected by the people.  The people became divided against each other, and civil war broke out, with Nephite killing Nephite with their swords.