# 1 Nephi 17

*Paraphrase*

### Eight Years in the Wilderness

We set out again, traveling east through the wilderness. The journey was brutal—we faced one hardship after another. Our women gave birth to children along the way. But God blessed us in incredible ways. Though we had nothing but raw meat to eat in the wilderness, our nursing mothers had plenty of milk for their babies. They became as strong as the men, and they stopped complaining about the hard journey. This shows that God’s commands must be obeyed. When people keep God’s commands, he feeds them, strengthens them, and gives them everything they need to do what he asks. That’s exactly what he did for us in the wilderness.

We lived in the wilderness for eight long years.

### The Land of Bountiful

Finally we reached a land we named Bountiful because it was full of fruit trees and wild honey—everything God had prepared to keep us alive. We saw the ocean and called it Irreantum, which means “many waters.” We set up camp by the shore. After all our suffering and troubles—too many to even write about—we were overjoyed to reach the sea. We called the place Bountiful because of all the fruit.

### God Commands Nephi to Build a Ship

After I, Nephi, had been in Bountiful for many days, the Lord’s voice came to me: “Get up and climb the mountain.” So I climbed up and prayed to the Lord. The Lord told me: “You’re going to build a ship according to my design. I’ll use it to carry your people across these waters.” I asked, “Lord, where can I find ore to make tools for building the ship you’ve shown me?” The Lord told me exactly where to find the ore for making tools.

I made bellows from animal skins to fan the fire. Once I had the bellows working, I struck two stones together to make fire. The Lord hadn’t let us make many fires during our wilderness journey. He’d said, “I’ll make your food taste good without cooking. I’ll be your light in the wilderness. I’ll clear the path ahead of you if you keep my commands. As long as you obey me, I’ll lead you to the promised land. Then you’ll know it’s me who’s leading you.” The Lord also said, “After you reach the promised land, you’ll know that I am God—that I saved you from destruction and brought you out of Jerusalem.”

So I tried hard to keep the Lord’s commands, and I encouraged my brothers to be faithful and work hard. I made tools from the ore I’d melted out of the rock.

### The Brothers Rebel

When my brothers saw I was going to build a ship, they started complaining: “Our brother’s lost his mind! He thinks he can build a ship. He actually believes he can cross this huge ocean.” They kept complaining about me and refused to help with the work. They didn’t believe I could build a ship or that the Lord was teaching me how.

I was heartbroken by their stubbornness. When they saw how sad I was, they were actually happy about it. They mocked me: “We knew you couldn’t build a ship. We knew you didn’t have what it takes. You can’t pull off something this big. You’re just like our father, chasing wild fantasies. He dragged us out of Jerusalem, and we’ve been wandering in this wilderness for years. Our pregnant wives have struggled along, giving birth in the desert, suffering everything except death itself. They’d be better off dead than going through all this. We’ve wasted years in this wilderness when we could have been enjoying our property and inheritance back home. We could have been happy. The people in Jerusalem were good people. They kept God’s laws and followed Moses’s teachings. They were righteous, but our father condemned them and dragged us away when we listened to him. Our brother, you’re just like him.” That’s how my brothers complained about us.

### Nephi Reminds Them of God’s Power

I answered them: “Do you think our ancestors, the Israelites, would have escaped from Egypt if they hadn’t listened to the Lord? Do you think they’d have been freed from slavery if the Lord hadn’t commanded Moses to lead them out? You know the Israelites were slaves. You know they carried crushing burdens. So you must see it was good for them to be set free. You know God commanded Moses to do that great work. You know Moses spoke and the Red Sea split apart, and they walked through on dry ground. You know Pharaoh’s armies drowned in the Red Sea. You know God fed them manna in the wilderness. You know Moses struck the rock with God’s power, and water poured out so the Israelites could drink.”

“Even though the Lord their God went ahead of them, leading them by day and lighting their way at night, doing everything they needed—they still hardened their hearts, closed their minds, and cursed Moses and the living God. God did everything by his word. He destroyed some according to his word. He led others according to his word. Nothing happened except by his word. After they crossed the Jordan River, he made them powerful enough to drive out the people living there—to completely destroy them.”

“Do you think those people living in the promised land, the ones our ancestors drove out—do you think they were righteous? No, they weren’t. Do you think our ancestors would have been chosen over them if those people had been righteous? No.”

### God’s Justice and Mercy

“God values all people equally. He favors the righteous. But those people had rejected everything from God. They were completely corrupt. God’s anger burned against them. He cursed their land and blessed it for our ancestors. He cursed it to destroy them and blessed it to give our ancestors power over it.”

“God created the earth for people to live on. He created his children to inhabit it. He raises up righteous nations and destroys wicked ones. He leads the righteous to good lands and destroys the wicked, cursing the land because of them. He rules from heaven—that’s his throne. This earth is his footstool.”

“He loves those who choose him as their God. He loved our ancestors. He made covenants with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. He remembered those promises, so he brought them out of Egypt. He disciplined them in the wilderness because they hardened their hearts, just like you have. The Lord punished them for their sins. He sent poisonous flying serpents among them. After they were bitten, he made a way for them to be healed. All they had to do was look! But it was so simple, so easy, that many refused and died. They hardened their hearts repeatedly and cursed Moses and God. But you know God’s incredible power led them to the promised land.”

### A Warning to His Brothers

“Now, after all that, they’ve become wicked—almost completely corrupt. They might be destroyed even as we speak. I know the day is coming when they’ll be destroyed, except for a few who’ll be taken captive. That’s why the Lord commanded our father to leave for the wilderness. The Jews wanted to kill him, and you’ve wanted to kill him too. You’re murderers in your hearts, just like them. You’re quick to sin but slow to remember the Lord your God. You’ve seen an angel who spoke to you. You’ve heard his voice many times. He’s spoken to you in a gentle, quiet voice, but you were too numb to feel his words. So he had to speak like thunder, making the earth shake as if it would split apart. You know that by his powerful word, he can make the earth disappear. You know his word can make rough places smooth and smooth places break apart. So why are your hearts so hard? My soul is torn apart with grief over you. My heart aches. I’m afraid you’ll be lost forever. I’m so full of God’s Spirit that my body has no strength left.”

### The Power of God Protects Nephi

When I said these things, they got furious and tried to throw me into the ocean. As they reached for me, I said: “In the name of Almighty God, I command you not to touch me! I’m filled with God’s power—it’s burning through my body. Anyone who touches me will wither like a dry stick. God will strike them down.” I told them, “Stop complaining about our father. Stop refusing to help me. God commanded me to build a ship.” I said, “If God commanded me to do anything, I could do it. If he told me to turn this water into dry land, it would become land. If I said it, it would happen. If the Lord has such incredible power and has done so many miracles for humanity, why couldn’t he teach me to build a ship?”

I said so much to my brothers that they were speechless. They couldn’t argue with me. They didn’t dare touch me or even brush me with their fingers for many days. They were afraid they’d wither in front of me—that’s how powerfully God’s Spirit was working through me.

Then the Lord told me, “Reach out to your brothers again. They won’t wither, but I’ll shock them so they’ll know I am the Lord their God.” I reached out to my brothers. They didn’t wither, but the Lord shook them, just as he’d said. They said, “Now we know for certain the Lord is with you. We know it was God’s power that shook us.” They fell down and tried to worship me, but I stopped them: “I’m your brother—your younger brother! Worship the Lord your God, and honor your father and mother, so you’ll live long in the land the Lord your God will give you.”

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*Source: [The Book of Mormon](https://bookofmormon.com/paraphrase/1-nephi/17)*
