A Family Divided
I cried out to the Lord again and again because of my brothers’ rage.
But their anger only grew worse. They wanted me dead. They complained bitterly: “Our younger brother thinks he can rule over us. He’s caused us nothing but trouble. Let’s kill him and be done with it. We’re not going to let him be our ruler—we’re the older brothers. We should be the ones leading this people.”
I’m not going to write down everything they said against me. It’s enough to say they wanted me dead.
Escape to the Wilderness
The Lord warned me to leave them and escape into the wilderness, taking everyone who would come with me.
So I took my family, along with Zoram and his family, my older brother Sam and his family, my younger brothers Jacob and Joseph, my sisters, and everyone else who wanted to come. Those who joined me believed in God’s warnings and revelations, so they listened to what I said.
We packed our tents and whatever we could carry, then traveled through the wilderness for many days. After our long journey, we set up camp.
My people wanted to name the place Nephi, so that’s what we called it. Everyone with me started calling themselves the people of Nephi.
Building a New Home
We followed all of the Lord’s commandments and kept the law of Moses in everything we did.
The Lord blessed us, and we thrived. We planted seeds and harvested abundant crops. We raised flocks, herds, and all kinds of animals. I had also brought the brass plates and the compass the Lord had prepared for my father. We continued to flourish and grow in number.
I took the sword of Laban and used it as a pattern to make many more swords. I knew my brothers—now called Lamanites—hated me, my children, and my people. I had to protect us in case they attacked.
I taught my people to construct buildings and to work with wood, iron, copper, brass, steel, gold, silver, and precious ores—all of which we had in abundance. I built a temple, modeled after Solomon’s temple—though we didn’t have access to all the precious materials Solomon had, so ours couldn’t match his. But the design followed Solomon’s pattern, and the craftsmanship was excellent. I made sure my people worked hard with their hands.
They wanted me to be their king, but I didn’t want them to have a king. Still, I did everything I could to serve them.
The Lord’s words to my brothers came true. He had said I would be their ruler and teacher. I had led and taught them according to the Lord’s commands—right up until they tried to kill me.
The Curse and the Divide
So the Lord’s word was fulfilled. He had told me: “If they won’t listen to you, they’ll be cut off from my presence.” And they were.
He brought a severe curse on them because of their rebellion. They had hardened their hearts against him until they were like stone. They had been fair-skinned and attractive, but to keep them from drawing my people away, the Lord caused their skin to become dark. The Lord God said: “I will make them repulsive to your people, unless they turn from their sins. Anyone who intermarries with them will be cursed with the same curse.” The Lord spoke it, and it happened.
Because of the curse on them, they became lazy, full of trouble and deception, hunting wild animals in the wilderness. The Lord God told me: “They’ll be a constant threat to your descendants, to remind them of me. If your descendants forget me and don’t follow my words, the Lamanites will punish them—even to the point of destruction.”
Years of Peace and War
I ordained Jacob and Joseph to be priests and teachers for my people.
We lived happy lives.
Thirty years had passed since we left Jerusalem.
I had been keeping records of my people on my plates.
The Sacred Record
The Lord God told me: “Make another set of plates. Engrave on them the things I want recorded—things that will help your people.”
So, obeying the Lord’s command, I went and made these plates and engraved these things on them.
I engraved what pleases God. If my people care about the things of God, they’ll value what I’ve engraved on these plates.
If my people want more detailed history, they can look at my other plates.
It’s enough to say that forty years had passed, and we’d already fought wars with our brothers.