The Plot Thickens

The First Book of Nephi

In the words of Nephi:

Chapter 2

My father, Lehi, has always confided in me. I'm really his only son that will listen. He told me about a dream that he had had. The Lord had come to him and spoke to him. Father always speaks of these sort of dreams with great reverence. He loves The Lord very much.

"Nephi," Lehi said. "He spoke to me, the Great Lord spoke to me."

"What did He tell you?"

Father had already written everything in his dream down. I think that might be why I'm so impressed to keep a record. He took his record and showed it to me.

The Lord said, "Blessed art thou Lehi, because of the things which thou hast done; and because thou hast been faithful and declared unto this people the things which I commanded thee, behold, they seek to

take away thy life." I continued reading the account, but I didn't expect the commandment.

"We need to leave?"

"The Lord commanded it. Out into the wilderness. Jerusalem will be destroyed, and we need to leave." He tried to smile at me. "It's like Moses and our ancestors, in the wilderness."

"They were in the wilderness for 40 years, Father!" That was longer than I had even been alive.

"The Lord commanded it."

This was a surprise for all of us, my mother, Sariah, my older brothers, Laman, Lemuel, and Sam, and my sisters, but we all followed Father into the wilderness, taking only ourselves, provisions, and

tents. We traveled into the wilderness, and Father led us along the Red Sea, and we camped by a river. Father immediately built an altar out of stones and made an offering and gave thanks to God.

He looked around, and he named the river Laman, after my oldest brother.

"And my Father dwelt in a tent."

He told Laman, "O that thou mightiest be like unto this river, continually running into the fountain of all righteousness!" He said this because the river ran into the Red Sea. Laman didn't pay any

attention to Father's words.

Lehi also spoke to Lemuel, "O that thou mightiest be like unto this valley, firm and steadfast, and immovable in keeping the commandments of The Lord!"

Lemuel didn't pay attention either.

That was why Lehi spoke to them, though, because since we had left Jerusalem, only three days ago, they hadn't stopped murmuring and complaining! Ever since we left, all I've heard out of their mouths has been "we shouldn't have left Jerusalem, and our gold and our silver. Father is a visionary man, with foolish imaginations in his heart!" They murmured because they didn't know how God works, or His plans for
us. They weren't ready to learn though, with all of their complaining. They didn't even believe that Jerusalem would be destroyed! They're just like the Jews that mocked my father and stoned the prophets.

Father couldn't stand their murmuring any longer, and he spoke to them, and he was so filled with the Spirit, that they were shaking and confounded when Lehi was finished speaking. Poor Father, though. These experiences where he is so filled with the Spirit leave him so drained. He retired to his tent, leaving us alone with our thought.

Even though Laman and Lemuel wouldn't listen, I did, but I still wanted to know for myself that what Father was saying was really true.

I prayed to know, and The Lord did visit me and He let me know that it all was true, and it gave me the strength to follow Father. I just had to tell someone, and so I ran to my older brother, Sam, and told him

everything, and he believed me. Laman and Lemuel also heard what I told them, and they just mocked me for it. Their hearts were too hard. They just wouldn't listen.

I prayed for them. I didn't know what else to do.

The Lord spoke directly to me.
"Blessed art thou, Nephi, because of thy faith, for thou hast sought me diligently, with lowliness of heart.

And inasmuch as ye shall keep my commandments, ye shall prosper, and shall be led to a land of promise; yea, even a land which I have prepared for you; yea, a land which is choice above all other lands. And inasmuch as thy brethren shall rebel against thee, they shall be cut off from the presence of the Lord.

And inasmuch as thou shalt keep my commandments, thou shalt be made a ruler and a teacher over thy brethren. For behold, in that day that they shall rebel against me, I will curse

them even with a sore curse, and they shall have no power over thy seed except they shall rebel against me also. And if it so be that they rebel against me, they shall be a scourge unto thy seed, to stir them up in the ways of remembrance."

Chapter 3

I was in awe, but I had to share it with someone. I hurried to my Father's tent, but he had also been visited by The Lord.

"Behold I have dreamed a dream, in the which the Lord hath commanded me that thou and thy brethren shall return to Jerusalem. For behold, Laban hath the record of the Jews and also a genealogy of

my forefathers, and they are engraven upon plates of brass. Wherefore, the Lord hath commanded me that thou and thy brothers should go unto the house of Laban, and seek the records, and bring

them down hither into the wilderness. And now, behold thy brothers murmur, saying it is a hard thing which I

have required of them; but behold I have not required it of them, but it is a commandment of the Lord.

Therefore go, my son, and thou shalt be favored of the Lord, because thou hast not murmured."

I replied, "I will go and do the things which the Lord hath commanded, for I know that the Lord giveth no commandments unto the children of men, save he shall prepare a way for them that they may accomplish the

thing which he commandeth them." I know that this was true. God commands us to do many things, but He

will never ask us to do something that is impossible.

I set out with my brothers immediately, back to Jerusalem.

To read the actual story, go here : 1 Nephi 2

Why do you think that this story was included in the Book of Mormon? Comment!

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