The Second Book of Nephi
Lehi Counsels His Family Event 19
Reference: 2 Ne. 1:1-27
An account of the death of Lehi. Nephi’s brethren rebelagainst him. The Lord warns Nephi to depart into thewilderness. His journeyings in the wilderness, and so forth.AND now it came to pass that after I, Nephi, had made anend of teaching my brethren, our father, Lehi, also spakemany things unto them, and rehearsed unto them, how greatthings the Lord had done for them in bringing them out ofthe land of Jerusalem. 2 And he spake unto them concerningtheir rebellions upon the waters, and the mercies of God insparing their lives, that they were not swallowed up in thesea. 3 And he also spake unto them concerning the land ofpromise, which they had obtained—how merciful the Lordhad been in warning us that we should flee out of the landof Jerusalem. 4 For, behold, said he,NephiLand of firstinheritance592 to 571 B.C.I have seen a vision, in which I know that Jerusalem is destroyed;and had we remained in Jerusalem we should also have perished.Lehi5 But, said he,Nephinotwithstanding our afflictions, we have obtained a land ofpromise, a land which is choice above all other lands; a land whichthe Lord God hath covenanted with me should be a land for theinheritance of my seed. Yea, the Lord hath covenanted this landunto me, and to my children forever, and also all those who shouldbe led out of other countries by the hand of the Lord. 6 Wherefore,I, Lehi, prophesy according to the workings of the Spirit which isin me, that there shall none come into this land save they shall bebrought by the hand of the Lord. 7 Wherefore, this land isconsecrated unto him whom he shall bring. And if it so be thatthey shall serve him according to the commandments which hehath given, it shall be a land of liberty unto them; wherefore, theyshall never be brought down into captivity; if so, it shall bebecause of iniquity; for if iniquity shall abound cursed shall be theland for their sakes, but unto the righteous it shall be blessedforever. 8 And behold, it is wisdom that this land should be kept asyet from the knowledge of other nations; for behold, many nationswould overrun the land, that there would be no place for aninheritance.Lehi9 Wherefore, I, Lehi, have obtained a promise, that inasmuch asthose whom the Lord God shall bring out of the land of Jerusalemshall keep his commandments, they shall prosper upon the face ofthis land; and they shall be kept from all other nations, that theymay possess this land unto themselves. And if it so be that theyshall keep his commandments they shall be blessed upon the face of this land, and there shall be none to molest them, nor to takeaway the land of their inheritance; and they shall dwell safelyforever. 10 But behold, when the time cometh that they shalldwindle in unbelief, after they have received so great blessingsfrom the hand of the Lord—having a knowledge of the creation ofthe earth, and all men, knowing the great and marvelous works ofthe Lord from the creation of the world; having power given themto do all things by faith; having all the commandments from thebeginning, and having been brought by his infinite goodness intothis precious land of promise—behold, I say, if the day shall comethat they will reject the Holy One of Israel, the true Messiah, theirRedeemer and their God, behold, the judgments of him that is justshall rest upon them. 11 Yea, he will bring other nations unto them,and he will give unto them power, and he will take away fromthem the lands of their possessions, and he will cause them to bescattered and smitten. 12 Yea, as one generation passeth to anotherthere shall be bloodsheds, and great visitations among them;wherefore, my sons, I would that ye would remember; yea, Iwould that ye would hearken unto my words.LehiLand of firstinheritance592 to 571 B.C.13 O that ye would awake; awake from a deep sleep, yea, evenfrom the sleep of hell, and shake off the awful chains by which yeare bound, which are the chains which bind the children of men,that they are carried away captive down to the eternal gulf ofmisery and woe. 14 Awake! and arise from the dust, and hear thewords of a trembling parent, whose limbs ye must soon lay downin the cold and silent grave, from whence no traveler can return; afew more days and I go the way of all the earth. 15 But behold, theLord 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 Idesire that ye should remember to observe the statutes and thejudgments of the Lord; behold, this hath been the anxiety of mysoul from the beginning. 17 My heart hath been weighed downwith sorrow from time to time, for I have feared, lest for thehardness of your hearts the Lord your God should come out in thefulness of his wrath upon you, that ye be cut off and destroyedforever; 18 Or, that a cursing should come upon you for the spaceof many generations; and ye are visited by sword, and by famine,and are hated, and are led according to the will and captivity of thedevil. 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. Butbehold, his will be done; for his ways are righteousness forever. 20And he hath said that:Inasmuch as ye shall keep my commandments ye shall prosperin the land; but inasmuch as ye will not keep mycommandments ye shall be cut off from my presence.The Lord21 And now that my soul might have joy in you, and that my heartmight leave this world with gladness because of you, that I mightnot be brought down with grief and sorrow to the grave, arise fromthe dust, my sons, and be men, and be determined in one mind andin one heart, united in all things, that ye may not come down intoLehi captivity; 22 That ye may not be cursed with a sore cursing; andalso, that ye may not incur the displeasure of a just God upon you,unto the destruction, yea, the eternal destruction of both soul andbody. 23 Awake, my sons; put on the armor of righteousness.Shake off the chains with which ye are bound, and come forth outof obscurity, and arise from the dust.LehiLand of firstinheritance592 to 571 B.C.24 Rebel no more against your brother, whose views have beenglorious, and who hath kept the commandments from the time thatwe left Jerusalem; and who hath been an instrument in the handsof God, in bringing us forth into the land of promise; for were itnot for him, we must have perished with hunger in the wilderness;nevertheless, ye sought to take away his life; yea, and he hathsuffered much sorrow because of you. 25 And I exceedingly fearand 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 overyou, but he hath sought the glory of God, and your own eternalwelfare. 26 And ye have murmured because he hath been plainunto you. Ye say that he hath used sharpness; ye say that he hathbeen angry with you; but behold, his sharpness was the sharpnessof the power of the word of God, which was in him; and thatwhich ye call anger was the truth, according to that which is inGod, which he could not restrain, manifesting boldly concerningyour iniquities. 27 And it must needs be that the power of Godmust be with him, even unto his commanding you that ye mustobey. But behold, it was not he, but it was the Spirit of the Lordwhich was in him, which opened his mouth to utterance that hecould not shut it.