Lehi Blesses His Grandchildren
I, Nephi, will talk about what my father said about Joseph. Joseph was the one who was taken to Egypt. Joseph told the truth about all his children and grandchildren. The things he wrote are some of the best. He told about us and our future children. His words are written on the brass plates.
After my father finished talking about Joseph’s words, he called Laman’s children to come to him. He said to them: My sons and daughters, I want you to listen to me. The Lord God has said that if you obey his commands, you will do well in this land. But if you don’t obey his commands, he will cut you off from him. My sons and daughters, I can’t die without giving you a blessing. I know that if you are raised the right way, you won’t leave it. So if you are cursed, I leave my blessing on you. This will take away the curse from you and put it on your parents instead. Because of my blessing, the Lord God won’t let you die out. He will be kind to you and your children forever.
After my father finished speaking to Laman’s children, he called Lemuel’s children to come to him. He said to them: My sons and daughters, I give you the same blessing I gave to Laman’s children. You won’t be completely destroyed. In the end, your children will be blessed.
When my father finished speaking to them, he spoke to Ishmael’s sons and everyone in his family.
After that, he spoke to Sam. He said: God blesses you and your children. You will get land just like your brother Nephi. Your children will be counted with his children. You will be just like your brother. Your children will be like his children. You will be blessed all your life.
Lehi Dies
After Lehi spoke to everyone in his family, he grew old and died. They buried him.
Not many days after his death, Laman and Lemuel and Ishmael’s sons were angry with me. They were mad because of what the Lord told them. The Spirit led me to speak God’s word to them. I had said many things to them. My father also said many things to them before he died. Many of his words are written on my other plates. Most of the history is written on my other plates.
Nephi’s Psalm
On these plates, I write what is in my soul. I also write many scriptures from the brass plates. I love the scriptures. I think about them and write them down so my children can learn from them. I love the things of the Lord. I keep thinking about the things I have seen and heard.
But even though the Lord has shown me his great and wonderful works, my heart cries out: I am a terrible person! My heart is sad because of my body. I feel bad because of my sins. I am surrounded by temptations and sins that trap me so easily. When I want to be happy, my heart hurts because of my sins. But I know who I trust.
God Has Helped Me
My God has been my support. He has led me through hard times in the wilderness. He has kept me safe on the ocean. He has filled me with his love so much that it has worn out my body. He has confused my enemies and made them shake with fear. He has heard me cry during the day. He has given me knowledge through dreams at night. During the day I prayed boldly to him. I raised my voice to him. Angels came down and helped me. His Spirit carried my body away to very high mountains. I saw great things that were too big for any person. That’s why I was told not to write them down.
Why Should I Be Sad?
If I have seen such great things, and if the Lord has been so kind to people, why should my heart cry? Why should I feel sad? Why should my body waste away and my strength get weak because of my hard times? Why should I give in to sin because of my body? Why should I let temptations give the evil one a place in my heart to destroy my peace and hurt my soul? Why am I angry because of my enemies?
Wake up, my soul! Stop falling into sin. Be happy, my heart! Don’t give the enemy of my soul any more room. Don’t be angry again because of my enemies. Don’t let my strength get weak because of my hard times.
Nephi’s Prayer
Be happy, my heart! Cry out to the Lord and say: O Lord, I will praise you forever! I will be happy in you, my God. You are the rock that saves me. O Lord, will you save my soul? Will you rescue me from my enemies? Will you make me shake when I see sin? May the gates of hell stay shut before me, because my heart is broken and my spirit is humble. O Lord, don’t shut the gates of your goodness before me. Let me walk in the low valley. Let me stay on the straight road. O Lord, will you wrap me in your goodness? O Lord, will you make a way for me to escape from my enemies? Will you make my path straight? Please don’t put anything in my way to trip me. Clear my way and block my enemies’ ways instead. O Lord, I have trusted in you. I will trust in you forever. I will not trust in people’s strength. I know that anyone who trusts in people’s strength is cursed. Anyone who trusts in people or makes people his strength is cursed. I know that God will give a lot to anyone who asks. My God will give me what I need if I ask the right way. So I will pray to you. I will cry out to you, my God. You are the rock of my goodness. My voice will always go up to you, my rock and my 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.