Lehi’S Family Builds A Ship

Event 14

Reference: 1 Ne. 17:6-55; 18:1-4

And it came to pass that we did pitch our tents by theseashore; and notwithstanding we had suffered manyafflictions and much difficulty, yea, even so much that wecannot write them all, we were exceedingly rejoiced whenwe came to the seashore; and we called the place Bountiful,because of its much fruit.NephiSeashore at landof Bountiful592 to 571 B.C.7 And it came to pass that after I, Nephi, had been in theland of Bountiful for the space of many days, the voice ofthe Lord came unto me, saying:Land of BountifulArise, and get thee into the mountain.The LordAnd it came to pass that I arose and went up into themountain, and cried unto the Lord.NephiMountain at landof Bountiful8 And it came to pass that the Lord spake unto me, saying:Thou shalt construct a ship, after the manner which I shall showthee, that I may carry thy people across these waters.The Lord9 And I said:NephiLord, whither shall I go that I may find ore to molten, that I maymake tools to construct the ship after the manner which thou hastshown unto me?10 And it came to pass that the Lord told me whither Ishould go to find ore, that I might make tools.Land of Bountiful11 And it came to pass that I, Nephi, did make a bellowswherewith to blow the fire, of the skins of beasts; and after Ihad made a bellows, that I might have wherewith to blowthe fire, I did smite two stones together that I might makefire. 12 For the Lord had not hitherto suffered that we shouldmake much fire, as we journeyed in the wilderness; for hesaid:I will make thy food become sweet, that ye cook it not; 13 And Iwill also be your light in the wilderness; and I will prepare the waybefore you, if it so be that ye shall keep my commandments;wherefore, inasmuch as ye shall keep my commandments ye shallbe led towards the promised land; and ye shall know that it is byme that ye are led.The Lord14 Yea, and the Lord said also that:Nephi After ye have arrived in the promised land, ye shall know that I,the Lord, am God; and that I, the Lord, did deliver you fromdestruction; yea, that I did bring you out of the land of Jerusalem.The LordLand of Bountiful592 to 571 B.C.15 Wherefore, I, Nephi, did strive to keep thecommandments of the Lord, and I did exhort my brethren tofaithfulness and diligence.Nephi16 And it came to pass that I did make tools of the ore whichI did molten out of the rock. 17 And when my brethren sawthat I was about to build a ship, they began to murmuragainst me, saying:Our brother is a fool, for he thinketh that he can build a ship; yea,and he also thinketh that he can cross these great waters.Nephi’s Brethren18 And thus my brethren did complain against me, and weredesirous that they might not labor, for they did not believethat I could build a ship; neither would they believe that Iwas instructed of the Lord.Nephi19 And now it came to pass that I, Nephi, was exceedinglysorrowful because of the hardness of their hearts; and nowwhen they saw that I began to be sorrowful they were gladin their hearts, insomuch that they did rejoice over me,saying:We knew that ye could not construct a ship, for we knew that yewere lacking in judgment; wherefore, thou canst not accomplish sogreat a work. 20 And thou art like unto our father, led away by thefoolish imaginations of his heart; yea, he hath led us out of theland of Jerusalem, and we have wandered in the wilderness forthese many years; and our women have toiled, being big withchild; and they have borne children in the wilderness and sufferedall things, save it were death; and it would have been better thatthey had died before they came out of Jerusalem than to havesuffered these afflictions. 21 Behold, these many years we havesuffered in the wilderness, which time we might have enjoyed ourpossessions and the land of our inheritance; yea, and we mighthave been happy. 22 And we know that the people who were in theland of Jerusalem were a righteous people; for they kept thestatutes and judgments of the Lord, and all his commandments,according to the law of Moses; wherefore, we know that they are arighteous people; and our father hath judged them, and hath led usaway because we would hearken unto his words; yea, and ourbrother is like unto him.Nephi’s BrethrenAnd after this manner of language did my brethren murmurand complain against us.Nephi23 And it came to pass that I, Nephi, spake unto them,saying: Do ye believe that our fathers, who were the children of Israel,would have been led away out of the hands of the Egyptians ifthey had not hearkened unto the words of the Lord? 24 Yea, do yesuppose that they would have been led out of bondage, if the Lordhad not commanded Moses that he should lead them out ofbondage? 25 Now ye know that the children of Israel were inbondage; and ye know that they were laden with tasks, which weregrievous to be borne; wherefore, ye know that it must needs be agood thing for them, that they should be brought out of bondage.26 Now ye know that Moses was commanded of the Lord to dothat great work; and ye know that by his word the waters of theRed Sea were divided hither and thither, and they passed throughon dry ground. 27 But ye know that the Egyptians were drowned inthe Red Sea, who were the armies of Pharaoh. 28 And ye alsoknow that they were fed with manna in the wilderness. 29 Yea, andye also know that Moses, by his word according to the power ofGod which was in him, smote the rock, and there came forthwater, that the children of Israel might quench their thirst. 30 Andnotwithstanding they being led, the Lord their God, theirRedeemer, going before them, leading them by day and givinglight unto them by night, and doing all things for them which wereexpedient for man to receive, they hardened their hearts andblinded their minds, and reviled against Moses and against the trueand living God.NephiLand of Bountiful592 to 571 B.C.31 And it came to pass that according to his word he did destroythem; and according to his word he did lead them; and accordingto his word he did do all things for them; and there was not anything done save it were by his word. 32 And after they had crossedthe river Jordan he did make them mighty unto the driving out ofthe children of the land, yea, unto the scattering them todestruction. 33 And now, do ye suppose that the children of thisland, who were in the land of promise, who were driven out by ourfathers, do ye suppose that they were righteous? Behold, I say untoyou, Nay. 34 Do ye suppose that our fathers would have been morechoice than they if they had been righteous? I say unto you, Nay.35 Behold, the Lord esteemeth all flesh in one; he that is righteousis favored of God. But behold, this people had rejected every wordof God, and they were ripe in iniquity; and the fulness of the wrathof God was upon them; and the Lord did curse the land againstthem, and bless it unto our fathers; yea, he did curse it againstthem unto their destruction, and he did bless it unto our fathersunto their obtaining power over it.36 Behold, the Lord hath created the earth that it should beinhabited; and he hath created his children that they should possessit. 37 And he raiseth up a righteous nation, and destroyeth thenations of the wicked. 38 And he leadeth away the righteous intoprecious lands, and the wicked he destroyeth, and curseth the landunto them for their sakes. 39 He ruleth high in the heavens, for it ishis throne, and this earth is his footstool. 40 And he loveth thosewho will have him to be their God. 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. 41 And hedid straiten them in the wilderness with his rod; for they hardenedtheir hearts, even as ye have; and the Lord straitened them becauseof their iniquity. He sent fiery flying serpents among them; andafter they were bitten he prepared a way that they might be healed;and the labor which they had to perform was to look; and becauseof the simpleness of the way, or the easiness of it, there were manywho perished. 42 And they did harden their hearts from time totime, and they did revile against Moses, and also against God;nevertheless, ye know that they were led forth by his matchlesspower into the land of promise.NephiLand of Bountiful592 to 571 B.C.43 And now, after all these things, the time has come that theyhave become wicked, yea, nearly unto ripeness; and I know notbut they are at this day about to be destroyed; for I know that theday must surely come that they must be destroyed, save a fewonly, who shall be led away into captivity. 44 Wherefore, the Lordcommanded my father that he should depart into the wilderness;and the Jews also sought to take away his life; yea, and ye alsohave sought to take away his life; wherefore, ye are murderers inyour hearts and ye are like unto them. 45 Ye are swift to doiniquity but slow to remember the Lord your God. Ye have seen anangel, and he spake unto you; yea, ye have heard his voice fromtime 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.46 And ye also know that by the power of his almighty word hecan cause the earth that it shall pass away; yea, and ye know thatby his word he can cause the rough places to be made smooth, andsmooth places shall be broken up. O, then, why is it, that ye can beso hard in your hearts? 47 Behold, my soul is rent with anguishbecause of you, and my heart is pained; I fear lest ye shall be castoff forever. Behold, I am full of the Spirit of God, insomuch thatmy frame has no strength.48 And now it came to pass that when I had spoken thesewords they were angry with me, and were desirous to throwme into the depths of the sea; and as they came forth to laytheir hands upon me I spake unto them, saying:In the name of the Almighty God, I command you that ye touchme not, for I am filled with the power of God, even unto theconsuming of my flesh; and whoso shall lay his hands upon meshall wither even as a dried reed; and he shall be as naught beforethe power of God, for God shall smite him.49 And it came to pass that I, Nephi, said unto them thatthey should murmur no more against their father; neither should they withhold their labor from me, for God hadcommanded me that I should build a ship. 50 And I saidunto them:NephiLand of Bountiful592 to 571 B.C.If God had commanded me to do all things I could do them. If heshould command me that I should say unto this water, be thouearth, it should be earth; and if I should say it, it would be done. 51And now, if the Lord has such great power, and has wrought somany miracles among the children of men, how is it that he cannotinstruct me, that I should build a ship?52 And it came to pass that I, Nephi, said many things untomy brethren, insomuch that they were confounded andcould not contend against me; neither durst they lay theirhands upon me nor touch me with their fingers, even for thespace of many days. Now they durst not do this lest theyshould wither before me, so powerful was the Spirit of God;and thus it had wrought upon them.53 And it came to pass that the Lord said unto me:Stretch forth thine hand again unto thy brethren, and they shall notwither before thee, but I will shock them, saith the Lord, and thiswill I do, that they may know that I am the Lord their God.The Lord54 And it came to pass that I stretched forth my hand untomy brethren, and they did not wither before me; but theLord did shake them, even according to the word which hehad spoken. 55 And now, they said:NephiWe know of a surety that the Lord is with thee, for we know that itis the power of the Lord that has shaken us.Nephi’s BrethrenAnd they fell down before me, and were about to worshipme, but I would not suffer them, saying:NephiI am thy brother, yea, even thy younger brother; wherefore,worship the Lord thy God, and honor thy father and thy mother,that thy days may be long in the land which the Lord thy God shallgive thee.1 AND it came to pass that they did worship the Lord, anddid go forth with me; and we did work timbers of curiousworkmanship. And the Lord did show me from time to timeafter what manner I should work the timbers of the ship. 2Now I, Nephi, did not work the timbers after the mannerwhich was learned by men, neither did I build the ship afterthe manner of men; but I did build it after the manner whichthe Lord had shown unto me; wherefore, it was not after the manner of men. 3 And I, Nephi, did go into the mount oft,and I did pray oft unto the Lord; wherefore the Lordshowed unto me great things.NephiLand of Bountiful592 to 571 B.C.4 And it came to pass that after I had finished the ship,according to the word of the Lord, my brethren beheld thatit was good, and that the workmanship thereof wasexceedingly fine; wherefore, they did humble themselvesagain before the Lord.