1 Nephi 1
1 I, Nephi, having been born of goodly parents, therefore I was taught
somewhat in all the learning of my father; and having seen many afflictions in
the course of my days, nevertheless, having been highly favored of the Lord
in all my days; yea, having had a great knowledge of the goodness and the
mysteries of God, therefore I make a record of my proceedings in my days.
2 Yea, I make a record in the language of my father, which consists of the
learning of the Jews and the language of the Egyptians.
3 And I know that the record which I make is true; and I make it with mine
own hand; and I make it according to my knowledge.
4 For it came to pass in the commencement of the first year of the reign of
Zedekiah, king of Judah, (my father, Lehi, having dwelt at Jerusalem in all his
days); and in that same year there came many prophets, prophesying unto the
people that they must repent, or the great city Jerusalem must be destroyed.
5 Wherefore it came to pass that my father, Lehi, as he went forth prayed
unto the Lord, yea, even with all his heart, in behalf of his people.
6 And it came to pass as he prayed unto the Lord, there came a pillar of fire
and dwelt upon a rock before him; and he saw and heard much; and because
of the things which he saw and heard he did quake and tremble exceedingly.
7 And it came to pass that he returned to his own house at Jerusalem; and he
cast himself upon his bed, being overcome with the Spirit and the things
which he had seen.
8 And being thus overcome with the Spirit, he was carried away in a vision,
even that he saw the heavens open, and he thought he saw God sitting upon
his throne, surrounded with numberless concourses of angels in the attitude
of singing and praising their God.
9 And it came to pass that he saw One descending out of the midst of
heaven, and he beheld that his luster was above that of the sun at noon-day.
10 And he also saw twelve others following him, and their brightness did
exceed that of the stars in the firmament.
11 And they came down and went forth upon the face of the earth; and the
first came and stood before my father, and gave unto him a book, and bade
him that he should read.
12 And it came to pass that as he read, he was filled with the Spirit of the
Lord.
13 And he read, saying: 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.
14 And it came to pass that when my father had read and seen many great
and marvelous things, he did exclaim many things unto the Lord; such as:
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!
15 And after this manner was the language of my father in the praising of his
God; 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.
16 And now I, Nephi, do not make a full account of the things which my
father hath written, for he hath written many things which he saw in visions
and in dreams; and he also hath written many things which he prophesied and
spake unto his children, of which I shall not make a full account.
17 But I shall make an account of my proceedings in my days. $ Behold, I
make an abridgment of the record of my father, upon plates which I have
made with mine own hands; wherefore, after I have abridged the record of
my father then will I make an account of mine own life.
18 Therefore, I would that ye should know, that after the Lord had shown
so many marvelous things unto my father, Lehi, yea, concerning the
destruction of Jerusalem, behold he went forth among the people, and began
to prophesy and to declare unto them concerning the things which he had
both seen and heard.
19 And it came to pass that the Jews did mock him because of the things
which he testified of them; for he truly testified of their wickedness and their
abominations; and he testified that the things which he saw and heard, and
also the things which he read in the book, manifested plainly of the coming of
the Messiah, and also the redemption of the world.
20 And when the Jews heard these things they were angry with him; yea,
even as with the prophets of old, whom they had cast out, and stoned, and
slain; and they also sought his life, that they might take it away. But behold,
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.
