And now, I, Nephi, speak concerning the prophecies of which my father hath spoken, concerning Joseph, who was carried into Egypt:
For behold, he truly prophesied concerning all his seed. And the prophecies which he wrote, there are not many greater. And he prophesied concerning us, and our future generations; and they are written upon the plates of brass.
Wherefore, after my father had made an end of speaking concerning the prophecies of Joseph, he called the children of Laman, his sons, and his daughters, and sayeth unto them, Behold, my sons, and my daughters, which are the sons and the daughters of my first born, I would that ye should give ear unto my words:
for the Lord God hath said, That inasmuch as ye shall keep my commandments, ye shall prosper in the land; and inasmuch as ye will not keep my commandments, ye shall be cut off from my presence.
But behold, my sons and my daughters, I cannot go down to my grave, save I should leave a blessing upon you: For behold, I know that if ye are brought up in the right way that ye should go, ye will not depart from it.
Wherefore, if ye are cursed, behold, I leave my blessing upon you, that the cursing may be taken from you, and be answered upon the heads of your parents.
Wherefore, because of my blessing, the Lord God will not suffer that ye shall perish; wherefore, he will be merciful unto you, and unto your seed, forever.
And it came to pass that after my father had made an end of speaking to the sons and daughters of Laman, he caused the sons and daughters of Lemuel to be brought before him.
And he spake unto them, saying: Behold, my sons and my daughters, which are the sons and the daughters of my second son; behold, I leave unto you the same blessing which I left unto the sons and daughters of Laman; wherefore, thou shalt not utterly be destroyed; but in the end, thy seed shall be blessed.
And it came to pass that when my father had made an end of speaking unto them, behold, it came to pass that he spake unto the sons of Ishmael, yea, and even all his household.
And after that he had made an end of speaking unto them, he spake unto Sam, saying: Blessed art thou, and thy seed: for thou shalt inherit the land, like unto thy brother, Nephi. And thy seed shall be numbered with his seed; and thou shalt be even like unto thy brother, and thy seed like unto his seed; and thou shalt be blessed in all thy days.
And it came to pass that after Lehi had spake unto all his household, according to the feelings of his heart, and the spirit of the Lord which was in him, he waxed old. And it came to pass that he died, and was buried.
And it came to pass that not many days after his death, Laman and Lemuel, and the sons of Ishmael, were angry with me, because of the admonitions of the Lord:
for I, Nephi, was constrained to speak unto them, according to the word. For I had spake many things unto them, and also my father, before his death; many of which sayings, are written upon mine other plates: for a more history part are written upon mine other plates.
And upon these, I write the things of my soul, and many of the Scriptures which are engraven upon the plates of brass: For my soul deliteth in the Scriptures; and my heart pondereth them, and writeth them for the learning and the profit of my children.
Behold, my soul delighteth in the things of the Lord; and my heart pondereth continually upon the things which I have seen and heard.
Nevertheless, notwithstanding the great goodness of the Lord, in shewing me his great and marvellous works, my heart exclaimeth, O wretched man that I am; yea, my heart sorroweth, because of my flesh. My soul grieveth, because of mine iniquities.
I am encompassed about, because of the temptations and the sins which doth so easily beset me.
And when I desire to rejoice, my heart groaneth because of my sins; nevertheless, I know in whom I have trusted.
My God hath been my support; he hath led me through mine afflictions in the wilderness; and he hath preserved me upon the waters of the great deep.
He hath filled me with his love, even unto the consuming of my flesh.
He hath confounded mine enemies, unto the causing of them to quake before me.
Behold, he hath heard my cry by day, and he hath given me knowledge by visions in the night time.
And by day have I waxed bold in mighty prayer before him; yea, my voice have I sent upon high; and angels came down and ministered unto me.
And upon the wings of his spirit hath my body been carried away upon exceeding high mountains. And mine eyes hath beheld great things; yea, even too great for man; therefore I was bidden that I should not write them.
O then, if I have seen so great things; if the Lord in his condescension unto the children of men, hath visited men in so much mercy, why should my heart weep, and my soul linger in the valley of sorrow, and my flesh waste away, and my strength slacken, because of mine afflictions?
And why should I yield to sin, because of my flesh? Yea, why should I give way to temptations, that the evil one have place in my heart, to destroy my peace and afflict my soul? Why am I angry because of mine enemy?
Awake, my soul! No longer droop in sin. Rejoice O my heart, and give place no more for the enemy of my soul.
Do not anger again, because of mine enemies. Do not slacken my strength, because of mine afflictions.
Rejoice, O my heart, and cry unto the Lord, and say, O Lord, I will praise thee forever; yea, my soul will rejoice in thee, my God, and the rock of my salvation.
O Lord, wilt thou redeem my soul? Wilt thou deliver me out of the hands of mine enemies? Wilt thou make me that I may shake at the appearance of sin?
May the gates of hell be shut continually before me, because that my heart is broken and my spirit is contrite? O Lord, wilt thou not shut the gates of thy righteousness before me, that I may walk in the path of the low valley, that I may be strict in the plain road?
O Lord, wilt thou encircle me around in the robe of thy righteousness? O Lord, wilt thou make a way for mine escape before mine enemies? Wilt thou make my path straight before me? Wilt thou not place a stumbling block in my way? But that thou wouldst clear my way before me, and hedge not up my way, but the ways of mine enemy.
O Lord, I have trusted in thee, and I will trust in thee forever. I will not put my trust in the arm of flesh; for I know that cursed is he that putteth his trust in the arm of flesh.—Yea, cursed is he that putteth his trust in man, or maketh flesh his arm.
Yea, I know that God will give liberally to him that asketh. Yea, my God will give me, if I ask not amiss: therefore I will lift up my voice unto thee; yea, I will cry unto thee, my God, the rock of my righteousness. Behold, my voice shall forever ascend up unto thee, my rock and mine everlasting God. Amen.
Influences
- 4:13 — Luke 15:13 (KJV)And not many days after the younger son gathered all together, and took his journey into a far country, and there wasted his substance with riotous living.
- 4:14 — Acts 28:19 (KJV)But when the Jews spake against it, I was constrained to appeal unto Caesar; not that I had ought to accuse my nation of.
- 4:16 — Isaiah 42:1 (KJV)Behold my servant, whom I uphold; mine elect, in whom my soul delighteth; I have put my spirit upon him: he shall bring forth judgment to the Gentiles.
- 4:16 — Luke 7:22 (KJV)Then Jesus answering said unto them, Go your way, and tell John what things ye have seen and heard; how that the blind see, the lame walk, the lepers are cleansed, the deaf hear, the dead are raised, to the poor the gospel is preached.
- 4:17 — Revelation 15:3 (KJV)And they sing the song of Moses the servant of God, and the song of the Lamb, saying, Great and marvellous are thy works, Lord God Almighty; just and true are thy ways, thou King of saints.
- 4:18 — Hebrews 12:1 (KJV)Wherefore seeing we also are compassed about with so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which doth so easily beset us, and let us run with patience the race that is set before us,
- 4:18 — Hebrews 12:1 (KJV)Wherefore seeing we also are compassed about with so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which doth so easily beset us, and let us run with patience the race that is set before us,
- 4:18 — Hebrews 12:1 (KJV)Wherefore seeing we also are compassed about with so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which doth so easily beset us, and let us run with patience the race that is set before us,
- 4:19 — 2 Timothy 1:12 (KJV)For the which cause I also suffer these things: nevertheless I am not ashamed: for I know whom I have believed, and am persuaded that he is able to keep that which I have committed unto him against that day.
- 4:20 — Isaiah 51:10 (KJV)Art thou not it which hath dried the sea, the waters of the great deep; that hath made the depths of the sea a way for the ransomed to pass over?
- 4:21 — Job 33:21 (KJV)His flesh is consumed away, that it cannot be seen; and his bones that were not seen stick out.
- 4:23 — Job 33:15 (KJV)In a dream, in a vision of the night, when deep sleep falleth upon men, in slumberings upon the bed;
- 4:24 — Acts 13:46 (KJV)Then Paul and Barnabas waxed bold, and said, It was necessary that the word of God should first have been spoken to you: but seeing ye put it from you, and judge yourselves unworthy of everlasting life, lo, we turn to the Gentiles.
- 4:24 — Matthew 4:11 (KJV)Then the devil leaveth him, and, behold, angels came and ministered unto him.
- 4:25 — Revelation 21:10 (KJV)And he carried me away in the spirit to a great and high mountain, and shewed me that great city, the holy Jerusalem, descending out of heaven from God,
- 4:25 — Matthew 4:8 (KJV)Again, the devil taketh him up into an exceeding high mountain, and sheweth him all the kingdoms of the world, and the glory of them;
- 4:26 — Job 14:10 (KJV)But man dieth, and wasteth away: yea, man giveth up the ghost, and where is he?
- 4:27 — Psalm 143:12 (KJV)And of thy mercy cut off mine enemies, and destroy all them that afflict my soul: for I am thy servant.
- 4:30 — Psalm 52:9 (KJV)I will praise thee for ever, because thou hast done it: and I will wait on thy name; for it is good before thy saints.
- 4:30 — Psalm 9:2 (KJV)I will be glad and rejoice in thee: I will sing praise to thy name, O thou most High.
- 4:30 — Psalm 89:26 (KJV)He shall cry unto me, Thou art my father, my God, and the rock of my salvation.
- 4:31 — Psalm 49:15 (KJV)But God will redeem my soul from the power of the grave: for he shall receive me. Selah.
- 4:31 — Psalm 31:15 (KJV)My times are in thy hand: deliver me from the hand of mine enemies, and from them that persecute me.
- 4:32 — Matthew 16:18 (KJV)And I say also unto thee, That thou art Peter, and upon this rock I will build my church; and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it.
- 4:32 — Matthew 16:18 (KJV)And I say also unto thee, That thou art Peter, and upon this rock I will build my church; and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it.
- 4:32 — Psalm 34:18 (KJV)The Lord is nigh unto them that are of a broken heart; and saveth such as be of a contrite spirit.
- 4:32 — Psalm 117:19 (KJV)Open to me the gates of righteousness: I will go into them, and I will praise the Lord:
- 4:32 — Isaiah 2:3 (KJV)And many people shall go and say, Come ye, and let us go up to the mountain of the Lord, to the house of the God of Jacob; and he will teach us of his ways, and we will walk in his paths: for out of Zion shall go forth the law, and the word of the Lord from Jerusalem.
- 4:33 — Isaiah 61:10 (KJV)I will greatly rejoice in the Lord, my soul shall be joyful in my God; for he hath clothed me with the garments of salvation, he hath covered me with the robe of righteousness, as a bridegroom decketh himself with ornaments, and as a bride adorneth herself with her jewels.
- 4:33 — 1 Corinthians 10:13 (KJV)There hath no temptation taken you but such as is common to man: but God is faithful, who will not suffer you to be tempted above that ye are able; but will with the temptation also make a way to escape, that ye may be able to bear it.
- 4:33 — Matthew 3:3 (KJV)For this is he that was spoken of by the prophet Esaias, saying, The voice of one crying in the wilderness, Prepare ye the way of the Lord, make his paths straight.
- 4:33 — Romans 14:13 (KJV)Let us not therefore judge one another any more: but judge this rather, that no man put a stumbling block or an occasion to fall in his brother's way.
- 4:33 — Hosea 2:6 (KJV)Therefore, behold, I will hedge up thy way with thorns, and make a wall, that she shall not find her paths.
- 4:34 — Jeremiah 17:5 (KJV)Thus saith the Lord; Cursed be the man that trusteth in man, and maketh flesh his arm, and whose heart departeth from the Lord.
- 4:35 — James 1:5 (KJV)If any of you lack wisdom, let him ask of God, that giveth to all men liberally, and upbraideth not; and it shall be given him.
- 4:35 — James 4:3 (KJV)Ye ask, and receive not, because ye ask amiss, that ye may consume it upon your lusts.
- 4:35 — Psalm 143:8 (KJV)Cause me to hear thy lovingkindness in the morning; for in thee do I trust: cause me to know the way wherein I should walk; for I lift up my soul unto thee.
- 4:35 — Psalm 4:1 (KJV)Hear me when I call, O God of my righteousness: thou hast enlarged me when I was in distress; have mercy upon me, and hear my prayer.
- 4:35 — Genesis 21:33 (KJV)And Abraham planted a grove in Beersheba, and called there on the name of the Lord, the everlasting God.