2 Nephi 3

Lehi Speaks to His Son Joseph

Now let me talk to you, Joseph, my youngest. You were born when we were in the wilderness during my hardest times—your mother had you in the days of my deepest pain.

May the Lord give you this land as your own, along with your brothers. This is a precious land for you and your children. It will be yours forever, as long as you keep the commands of Israel’s Holy One. Joseph, my youngest, the one I brought out of the wilderness through all my suffering—may the Lord bless you always. Your family line will never be completely wiped out.

The Ancient Joseph’s Prophecy

You’re my son, and I come from Joseph—the one who was taken captive to Egypt. The Lord made great promises to him. That Joseph saw our day. The Lord promised him that from his descendants, God would raise up a righteous branch for the House of Israel—not the Messiah himself, but a branch that would be broken off. Still, the Lord would remember them in his promises, and the Messiah would reveal himself to them in the last days with powerful Spirit, bringing them out of darkness into light, out of deep shadows and captivity into freedom.

Joseph testified of this: 'The Lord my God will raise up a seer, a chosen one from my descendants.'

Joseph said the Lord told him: 'I’ll raise up a chosen seer from your descendants. His own people will respect him highly. I’ll command him to do a work for your descendants, his brothers, that will be of great value to them—bringing them to know the promises I made with your ancestors.' 'I’ll command him to do nothing else except the work I give him. I’ll make him great in my eyes, because he’ll do my work.' 'He’ll be great like Moses, who I promised to raise up to deliver my people, O house of Israel.' 'I’ll raise up Moses to lead your people out of Egypt.'

'But I’ll raise up a seer from your descendants. I’ll give him power to bring my word to your descendants—not just to bring it, but to convince them it’s true, even though my word will have already been among them.'

'So your descendants will write, and Judah’s descendants will write. What your descendants write and what Judah’s descendants write will come together to expose false teachings, end arguments, and establish peace among your descendants. It will bring them to know their ancestors in the last days, and to know my promises.'

'When my work begins among all my people, he’ll be made strong in his weakness. That’s when I’ll restore you, O house of Israel.'

The Promised Seer

Joseph prophesied: 'The Lord will bless that seer. Anyone who tries to destroy him will fail. This promise the Lord gave me about my descendants will come true. I’m certain of it.' 'He’ll be named after me, and after his father’s name. He’ll be like me. What the Lord brings through his hands, by the Lord’s power, will save my people.' Joseph prophesied all this. I’m as sure of this as I am of Moses’s promise. The Lord told me, 'I’ll preserve your descendants forever.'

The Lord said, 'I’ll raise up a Moses. I’ll give him power with a rod, and I’ll give him written judgment. But I won’t make him a great speaker—he won’t speak much. Yet I’ll write my law to him with my own finger, and I’ll give him a spokesman.'

The Lord also told me, 'I’ll raise someone up from your descendants, and I’ll give him a spokesman. I’ll give that spokesman the words your descendant writes for your people. The spokesman will declare it.'

'The words he writes will be exactly what should go to your descendants. It will be as if your descendants cried out to them from the dust. I know their faith.' 'They’ll cry from the dust—calling their brothers to turn back, even after many generations have passed. Their cry will reach them because their words are simple.' 'Because of their faith, their words will come from my mouth to their brothers—your descendants. I’ll make their weak words strong through faith, so people will remember the promise I made to your ancestors.'

A Father’s Final Blessing

This is how my ancestor Joseph prophesied long ago, my son. Because of this promise, you’re blessed. Your family won’t be destroyed, because they’ll listen to the words of the Book.

A mighty one will rise among them. He’ll do much good through his words and actions, working as God’s instrument with great faith. He’ll do mighty wonders and accomplish great things in God’s eyes, bringing much restoration to the House of Israel and to your brothers' descendants.

Joseph, you’re blessed. You’re young, so listen to your brother Nephi’s words, and what I’ve said will happen for you. Remember what your dying father told you. Amen.