1 Nephi 17:29 29 Yea, and ye also know that Moses, by his word according to the power of G.o.d which was in him, smote the rock, and there came forth water, that the children of Israel might quench their thirst.
1 Nephi 17:30 30 And notwithstanding they being led, the Lord their G.o.d, their Redeemer, going before them, leading them by day and giving light unto them by night, and doing all things for them which were expedient for man to receive, they hardened their hearts and blinded their minds, and reviled against Moses and against the true and living G.o.d.
1 Nephi 17:31 31 And it came to pa.s.s that according to his word he did destroy them; and according to his word he did lead them; and according to his word he did do all things for them; and there was not any thing done save it were by his word.
1 Nephi 17:32 32 And after they had crossed the river Jordan he did make them mighty unto the driving out of the children of the land, yea, unto the scattering them to destruction.
1 Nephi 17:33 33 And now, do ye suppose that the children of this land, who were in the land of promise, who were driven out by our fathers, do ye suppose that they were righteous? Behold, I say unto you, Nay.
1 Nephi 17:34 34 Do ye suppose that our fathers would have been more choice than they if they had been righteous? I say unto you, Nay.
1 Nephi 17:35 35 Behold, the Lord esteemeth all flesh in one; he that is righteous is favored of G.o.d. But behold, this people had rejected every word of G.o.d, and they were ripe in iniquity; and the fulness of the wrath of G.o.d was upon them; and the Lord did curse the land against them, and bless it unto our fathers; yea, he did curse it against them unto their destruction, and he did bless it unto our fathers unto their obtaining power over it.
1 Nephi 17:36 36 Behold, the Lord hath created the earth that it should be inhabited; and he hath created his children that they should possess it.
1 Nephi 17:37 37 And he raiseth up a righteous nation, and destroyeth the nations of the wicked.
1 Nephi 17:38 38 And he leadeth away the righteous into precious lands, and the wicked he destroyeth, and curseth the land unto them for their sakes.
1 Nephi 17:39 39 He ruleth high in the heavens, for it is his throne, and this earth is his footstool.
1 Nephi 17:40 40 And he loveth those who will have him to be their G.o.d.
Behold, he loved our fathers, and he covenanted with them, yea, even Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob; and he remembered the covenants which he had made; wherefore, he did bring them out of the land of Egypt.
1 Nephi 17:41 41 And he did straiten them in the wilderness with his rod; for they hardened their hearts, even as ye have; and the Lord straitened them because of their iniquity. He sent fiery flying serpents among them; and after they were bitten he prepared a way that they might be healed; and the labor which they had to perform was to look; and because of the simpleness of the way, or the easiness of it, there were many who perished.
1 Nephi 17:42 42 And they did harden their hearts from time to time, and they did revile against Moses, and also against G.o.d; nevertheless, ye know that they were led forth by his matchless power into the land of promise.
1 Nephi 17:43 43 And now, after all these things, the time has come that they have become wicked, yea, nearly unto ripeness; and I know not but they are at this day about to be destroyed; for I know that the day must surely come that they must be destroyed, save a few only, who shall be led away into captivity.
1 Nephi 17:44 44 Wherefore, the Lord commanded my father that he should depart into the wilderness; and the Jews also sought to take away his life; yea, and ye also have sought to take away his life; wherefore, ye are murderers in your hearts and ye are like unto them.
1 Nephi 17:45 45 Ye are swift to do iniquity but slow to remember the Lord your G.o.d. Ye have seen an angel, and he spake unto you; yea, ye have heard his voice from time to time; and he hath spoken unto you in a still small voice, but ye were past feeling, that ye could not feel his words; wherefore, he has spoken unto you like unto the voice of thunder, which did cause the earth to shake as if it were to divide asunder.
1 Nephi 17:46 46 And ye also know that by the power of his almighty word he can cause the earth that it shall pa.s.s away; yea, and ye know that by his word he can cause the rough places to be made smooth, and smooth places shall be broken up. O, then, why is it, that ye can be so hard in your hearts?
1 Nephi 17:47 47 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 G.o.d, insomuch that my frame has no strength.
1 Nephi 17:48 48 And now it came to pa.s.s that when I had spoken these words, they were angry with me, and were desirous to throw me into the depths of the sea; and as they came forth to lay their hands upon me I spake unto them, saying: In the name of the Almighty G.o.d, I command you that ye touch me not, for I am filled with the power of G.o.d, even unto the consuming of my flesh; and whoso shall lay his hands upon me shall wither even as a dried reed; and he shall be as naught before the power of G.o.d, for G.o.d shall smite him.
1 Nephi 17:49 49 And it came to pa.s.s that I, Nephi, said unto them that they should murmur no more against their father; neither should they withhold their labor from me, for G.o.d had commanded me that I should build a ship.
1 Nephi 17:50 50 And I said unto them: If G.o.d had commanded me to do all things I could do them. If he should command me that I should say unto this water, be thou earth, it should be earth; and if I should say it, it would be done.
1 Nephi 17:51 51 And now, if the Lord has such great power, and has wrought so many miracles among the children of men, how is it that he cannot instruct me, that I should build a ship?
1 Nephi 17:52 52 And it came to pa.s.s that I, Nephi, said many things unto my brethren, insomuch that they were confounded and could not contend against me; neither durst they lay their hands upon me nor touch me with their fingers, even for the s.p.a.ce of many days.
Now they durst not do this lest they should wither before me, so powerful was the Spirit of G.o.d; and thus it had wrought upon them.
1 Nephi 17:53 53 And it came to pa.s.s that the Lord said unto me: Stretch forth thine hand again unto thy brethren, and they shall not wither before thee, but I will shock them, saith the Lord, and this will I do, that they may know that I am the Lord their G.o.d.
1 Nephi 17:54 54 And it came to pa.s.s that I stretched forth my hand unto my brethren, and they did not wither before me; but the Lord did shake them, even according to the word which he had spoken.
1 Nephi 17:55 55 And now, they said: We know of a surety that the Lord is with thee, for we know that it is the power of the Lord that has shaken us. And they fell down before me, and were about to worship me, but I would not suffer them, saying: I am thy brother, yea, even thy younger brother; wherefore, worship the Lord thy G.o.d, and honor thy father and thy mother, that thy days may be long in the land which the Lord thy G.o.d shall give thee.
1 Nephi 18 Chapter 18
1 Nephi 18:1 1 And it came to pa.s.s 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.
1 Nephi 18:2 2 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.
1 Nephi 18:3 3 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.
1 Nephi 18:4 4 And it came to pa.s.s 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.
1 Nephi 18:5 5 And it came to pa.s.s that the voice of the Lord came unto my father, that we should arise and go down into the ship.
1 Nephi 18:6 6 And it came to pa.s.s 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.
1 Nephi 18:7 7 And now, my father had begat two sons in the wilderness; the elder was called Jacob and the younger Joseph.
1 Nephi 18:8 8 And it came to pa.s.s 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.
1 Nephi 18:9 9 And after we had been driven forth before the wind for the s.p.a.ce 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.
1 Nephi 18:10 10 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.
1 Nephi 18:11 11 And it came to pa.s.s 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.
1 Nephi 18:12 12 And it came to pa.s.s that after they had bound me insomuch that I could not move, the compa.s.s, which had been prepared of the Lord, did cease to work.
1 Nephi 18:13 13 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 s.p.a.ce of three days; and they began to be frightened exceedingly lest they should be drowned in the sea; nevertheless they did not loose me.
1 Nephi 18:14 14 And on the fourth day, which we had been driven back, the tempest began to be exceedingly sore.
1 Nephi 18:15 15 And it came to pa.s.s 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 s.p.a.ce of four days, my brethren began to see that the judgments of G.o.d 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.
1 Nephi 18:16 16 Nevertheless, I did look unto my G.o.d, and I did praise him all the day long; and I did not murmur against the Lord because of mine afflictions.
1 Nephi 18:17 17 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.
1 Nephi 18:18 18 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 G.o.d; 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.
1 Nephi 18:19 19 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.
1 Nephi 18:20 20 And there was nothing save it were the power of G.o.d, 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.