2 Nephi 1
1 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.
2 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.
3 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.
4 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.
5 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.
6 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.
7 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.
8 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.
9 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.
10 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.
11 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.
12 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.
13 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.
14 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.
15 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.
16 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.
17 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;
18 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.
19 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.
20 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.
21 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;
22 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.
23 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.
24 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.
25 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.
26 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.
27 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.
28 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.
29 But if ye will not hearken unto him I take away my first blessing, yea,
even my blessing, and it shall rest upon him.
30 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.
31 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.
32 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.