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42-447: First Nephi is a first-person narrative of events that the narrative itself reports were recorded on a set of objects referred to by Mormons as the Plates of Nephi by the prophet Nephi . The beginning part of First Nephi consists of Nephi's abridgement of his father Lehi's record (1 Nephi 1-9). The next section is Nephi's own narrative of events (1 Nephi 10-22). The Second Book of Nephi is

84-643: A "ball of curious workmanship" (a compass) at his tent door which they call a Liahona. Follow the Liahona's direction, they journey in the wilderness. As they travel, Nephi's steel bow breaks while hunting. Upon hearing the news, members of the camp complain and "murmur against the Lord" for their misfortune, including Lehi. Lehi repents and gives Nephi the Lord's direction for fertile hunting ground. Ishmael dies on their journey. His daughters, in mourning, respond by complaining. Laman and Lemuel conspire to kill Lehi and Nephi, but

126-430: A type scene with instructive differences between the two. For Spencer, the latter story illustrates how treatment of women has changed after the "Nephite-Lamanite" divide. In Sariah's story, she reconciles with Lehi after she sees that the Lord protected her sons. In contrast, no one attempts to comfort the daughters of Ishmael and instead, Laman and Lemuel conspire with the sons of Ishmael to kill Lehi and Nephi, silencing

168-671: A "wise purpose" that was known to the Lord. The aforementioned sections of the Doctrine and Covenants (D&C 3, D&C 10) state that the loss of the Book of Lehi was foreseen by the Lord and that it was for this purpose that the small plates were provided. The Plates of Laban , Sword of Laban, the Plates of Nephi, Liahona , Plates of Ether , other records engraven on metal plates, and at least one record engraven upon stone were passed down from generation to generation. Each generation had one caretaker who

210-534: A Pentecostal interpretation, "the arrival of Europeans in the Americas, the troubles faced by latter-day Christianity, the coming forth of the Book of Mormon, and the final gathering of Israel". After Nephi's vision, Laman and Lemuel argue over the meaning of Lehi's vision. Nephi chastises them for not asking the Lord for interpretation, and explains the point of disputation. He pleads with them to pray and repent. After Lehi's sons marry Ishmael 's daughters, Lehi discovers

252-640: A camp in the wilderness. Lehi sends his sons back to Jerusalem to retrieve some brass plates , a record in the possession of Laban , a leader in Jerusalem and relative of Lehi. Nephi and his brothers make two failed attempts after which Nephi tries a third time by himself only to find Laban drunk and unconscious. Prompted by the Holy Spirit, Nephi kills Laban with his own sword and dresses in Laban's clothes. Impersonating Laban, Nephi commands Laban's servant, Zoram, to bring

294-482: A continuation. Beginning in Jerusalem at the time of King Zedekiah 's reign, Nephi's father, Lehi, has a vision and is warned of the imminent Babylonian destruction of Jerusalem . Lehi attempts to share this warning with the people of Jerusalem, but they dismiss his warning and try to kill him. Lehi and his family (wife Sariah, four sons Laman, Lemuel, Sam and Nephi, and unnamed daughters) leave Jerusalem and establish

336-529: A result of his preaching. Outside of the Book of Mormon, there is no direct evidence that Zenos existed. However, some LDS apologists argue that Zenos' Book of Mormon hymn of thanksgiving and praise, which elaborates upon prayer, worship, and mercy, compares favorably in style and content with Hymn H (or 8) and Hymn J (or 10) of the Thanksgiving Hymns of the Dead Sea Scrolls . The scrolls state that

378-469: A rhetorical technique to encourage and unify his people. Nephi's use of the Exodus type sets up other Exodus patterns in the Book of Mormon, which is also a pattern of personal conversion. S. Kent Brown, a professor of ancient scripture at Brigham Young University, states that Nephi uses the Exodus type to prove God's power, and by extension, his own prophetic power. Nephi writes that God gave power to Moses to part

420-596: The Book of Mormon , including Nephi , Jacob , Alma, son of Alma , Nephi, son of Helaman , Samuel the Lamanite , and Mormon . The book of Mormon says that Zenos wrote on a variety of topics, including the signs to accompany the death of the Messiah , the Atonement of Christ , and the scattering and gathering of Israel. According to one Book of Mormon writer, Zenos was killed as

462-454: The Book of Mormon , the plates of Nephi , consisting of the large plates of Nephi and the small plates of Nephi , are a portion of the collection of inscribed metal plates which make up the record of the Nephites . This record was later abridged by Mormon and inscribed onto gold plates from which Joseph Smith translated the Book of Mormon after an angel revealed to him the location where

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504-464: The Doctrine and Covenants , sections 3 and 10, that the Lord instructed him not to re-translate the portion of the book that was lost but to continue forward. In place of the lost Book of Lehi, the translation from the small plates of Nephi was used, which covered the same time period. Both Nephi ( 1 Nephi 19:3 ) and Mormon ( Words of Mormon 1:7 ) recorded that the small plates were made for

546-461: The voice of the Lord chastises them, and they repent. After eight years of wandering, they arrive at a coast and the voice of the Lord commands Nephi to build a ship. As he begins, Laman and Lemuel mock him for attempting an impossible task. Nephi recounts the Israelite's exodus and colonization of Canaan to Laman and Lemuel, and touches them with a divine shock as a sign of God's power. They complete

588-537: The "great and abominable church" described the Catholic church. LDS general authority Bruce R. McConkie famously identified the "great and abominable church" as the Catholic church in his book Mormon Doctrine (1958). After its publication, church leaders at the time recognized McConkie’s problematic claims and pushed for discontinuation of the book. When a second edition came out, many of McConkie’s opinions of Catholicism were moderated. Official LDS publications discourage

630-703: The Bible) and the Biblical prophet Isaiah , saying that all the ancient prophets testified of the savior, and only through him can they be redeemed for their sins. He writes that God's covenants with Israel will eventually be restored, including to the descendants of his father Lehi. Multiple scholars have noticed parallels between Nephi's journey in first Nephi and the Exodus story in the Bible. Nephi consciously encourages Laman and Lemuel to compare their situation to Moses's. He compares their situation to that of Moses after failing to get

672-609: The Red Sea, so he could give Nephi a similar power to know "the judgements that shall come" (1 Nephi 8:12). Brant Gardner, an LDS scholar of Mesoamerican ethnohistory with previous publications in FARMS, wrote in his commentary on the Book of Mormon that Nephi likely wrote first Nephi to fit the pattern of Exodus in the Old Testament, as a way to create a foundational narrative for his people. In his book The Testimony of Two Nations published with

714-498: The Teacher of Righteousness was descended from Zadok , which some LDS scholars have argued might have been a transcribed or altered version of the name Zenock , another prophet referenced only in the Book of Mormon. Non-LDS scholars identify this Zadok as the priest who anointed Solomon (1 Kings 1:39, 2:35) and whose dynasty officiated in the office of High Priest around 1,000-700 BC. Thus, being descended from Zadok more likely meant that

756-510: The University of Illinois Press, Michael Austin examines 1 Nephi 17:33-35 passage. Nephi refutes the logic of the Deuteronomists and Laman and Lemuel, who believe that the Exodus story proves God loves His chosen people more than other people. Nephi says that the Exodus story proves that God "esteemeth all flesh in one" and favors those who keep his commandments. Nephi sees the persecution of

798-430: The apostles and their followers by the "house of Israel", then later sees a "great church" that is, according to the description of the angel, "...most abominable above all other churches, which slayeth the saints of God, yea, and tortureth them and bindeth them down, and yoketh them with a yoke of iron...". The LDS teaching of a Great Apostasy implies that the Catholic church is no longer true. Early Saints believed that

840-427: The brass plates outside the city to his brothers. Zoram discovers Nephi's subterfuge and tries to flee, but Nephi persuades him to travel with his family, and they all return with the plates. The brass plates indicate that Lehi is a descendant of Joseph , the son of Jacob . The plates also contain the five books of Moses , the writings of Isaiah and other prophets. Lehi's sons return to Jerusalem once more to retrieve

882-412: The brass plates to Nephi. Jeffrey R. Holland and Swift argue that Nephi had to slay Laban in order to obey God, and that is the most important thing. In First Nephi, the only named woman in the narrative is Nephi's mother, Sariah . Ishmael's wife and daughters are not given names. The existence of Nephi's sisters is not mentioned until 2 Nephi. Nephi refers to Ishmael's daughters as Ishmael's daughters or

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924-450: The destruction of the Nephite nation was imminent, abridged the large plates of Nephi. This abridgement, with additions by Mormon's son, Moroni , was part of the set of gold plates Moroni delivered to Joseph Smith. The books within the Book of Mormon from The Words of Mormon to Fourth Nephi , are taken from Mormon's abridgment of the large plates. Although the large plates were intended for

966-440: The entirety of the translation to that point, 116 manuscript pages , to show to Harris's wife and her family, to convince them that his (Harris's) financial support of Smith was worthwhile. Although strictly charged to ensure its safety, Harris lost the manuscript. The lost portion, part of the large plates of Nephi, contained Nephi's record of his father, Lehi 's, ministry and was known as The Book of Lehi. Joseph Smith recorded, in

1008-478: The family of Ishmael, some of whom later become spouses for Lehi's children. Lehi has a vision of the tree of life , which includes a revelation that a Messiah would visit the earth within 600 years. In the vision, Lehi sees a tree next to a river and eats its fruit, which makes him joyful. Wishing to share the fruit with his family, he sees his wife, Sariah , and two sons, Nephi and Sam , who come and eat with him. His two oldest sons, Laman and Lemuel , stay near

1050-546: The fruit-eaters become lost. Nephi prays to the Lord for a similar vision and for help understanding his father's vision. Nephi then has a vision that matches the one his father had. He is told an explanation of its symbolism. Additionally, Nephi is shown past and future events, including the life of the Son of God and his appearances in both the New and the Old World. He also sees, according to

1092-507: The identification of the great and abominable church with the Catholic Church, as well as with any other specific religion, denomination or organization. According to a 1988 article by Stephen E. Robinson in Ensign , an official magazine of LDS Church, "no single known historical church, denomination, or set of believers meets all the requirements for the great and abominable church... Rather,

1134-408: The ministry of my people," and "the other plates are for the more part of the reign of the kings and the wars and contentions of my people." These plates, as well as other records made and found by Nephi's people were handed down from generation to generation. After Nephi had begun the large plates, he was instructed by the Lord to make another set of plates to record "the ministry and the prophecies,

1176-488: The more plain and precious parts of them." These smaller plates were kept by Nephi's descendants until about 150 BC, when the prophet Amaleki delivered the plates to Benjamin , king of Zarahemla , who "put them with the other plates, which contained records which had been handed down by the kings" ( Words of Mormon 1:10 ). Amaleki's last writing was the statement that the small plates were full ( Omni 1:30 ) and from this point there were no further additions to

1218-464: The more secular history of the Nephites, it is obvious from the version available in the Book of Mormon that there was a good deal of spiritual content as well, including sermons, prophecies and moral lessons. Some periods of time are covered in more detail than others, in particular a series of wars between the Nephites and the Lamanites in the Book of Alma . Whether the uneven coverage is a reflection of

1260-619: The original chapter organization. In 1879, Orson Pratt reformatted the LDS edition to include twenty-two thematically-arranged chapters. Textual variations in 1 Nephi concern the nature of God . In the first edition of the Book of Mormon, 1 Nephi 11:21 reads "behold the Lamb of God yea even the Eternal Father". Joseph Smith inserted "the Son of" in this verse and three others in 1 Nephi. According to Skousen, this

1302-482: The original record or is an artifact of Mormon's abridgement is not clear from the text. While recording his own history, Nephi mentioned "the record which has been kept by my father" in a few places. Nephi also mentioned that he had made an abridgement of the record of his father at the beginning of his own record. While translating the gold plates, Joseph Smith reluctantly allowed his associate, Martin Harris , to take

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1344-538: The plates from Laban in 1 Nephi 4:2-3. When a miracle provides them with food, Nephi writes that it was like when the Israelites were fed with manna (1 Nephi 17:28). He compares their being led by God to when the Israelites were led by a light at night (1 Nephi 17:13, 30). In one of the first examinations of the Exodus type in the Book of Mormon, George S. Tate, a professor of comparative literature at Brigham Young University, argues that Nephi uses parallels to Moses' Exodus as

1386-443: The plates were buried on a hill called Cumorah near the town of Palmyra, New York . Palaeographic study of the plates is not possible; according to Joseph Smith the plates were returned to an angel named Moroni , and are no longer in human possession. According to the Book of Mormon prophet Nephi : "I make an abridgment of the record of my father, upon plates which I have made with mine own hands; wherefore, after I have abridged

1428-463: The record of my father then will I make an account of mine own life." Nephi's father, Lehi , was also a prophet who, after prophesying of the destruction of Jerusalem, left with members of his extended family around 600 BC and was eventually directed to the New World. Nephi was commanded to make two sets of plates: A small set of plates "for the special purpose that there should be an account engraven of

1470-415: The river and do not eat the fruit. Then Lehi sees an iron rod and a "strait and narrow path" which leads to the tree. People try to get to the tree, but are lost in the "mist of darkness". Some get to the tree by holding on to the rod, but they are ashamed when they eat the fruit. Across the river, a "great and spacious building" is full of people who are making fun of those who ate the fruit, and subsequently,

1512-576: The role of Babylon has been played by many different agencies, ideologies, and churches in many different times." Many scholars have commented on the theological implications of Nephi reporting that the Holy Ghost told him to slay Laban. Latter-day Saint critic Eugene England analyzed Laban as a scapegoat figure common in ancient times, but saw this as a flawed argument. For BYU religion professor Charles Swift, Nephi acted out of necessity; but acknowledges that there were many other ways God could have provided

1554-412: The ship, and depart on the ocean. Laman and Lemuel continue to persecute Nephi. Many days later, they arrive in the promised land, where they settle. Nephi writes about God's command that he chronicle the events of his people, their genealogy, and the gospel. In dialogue with his brothers, he quotes prophecies of Christ and quotes Isaiah 48–49. He interprets his quotations from Zenos (who is not found in

1596-430: The small plates. Mormon did not abridge the small plates of Nephi but he did include them in the records he gave to his son Moroni ( Words of Mormon 1:6 ). The first six books of the Book of Mormon, from First Nephi to Omni are said to be a translation of the small plates of Nephi. Joseph Smith said the large plates of Nephi were continually maintained until about AD 385, when the prophet Mormon , seeing that

1638-408: The wives/women of him and his brothers, showing that their social relation to other men is what gives them importance for Nephi. Similarly, Sariah is always referred to as a mother or wife, not as an individual. The two scenes of female resistance—Sariah worrying that her sons have not returned because they have died and Ishmael's daughters wishing to return to Jerusalem after their father's death—create

1680-572: The women and using their discontent for their own designs. The original translation of the book's title did not include the word "first". First and Second were added to the titles of the Books of Nephi by Oliver Cowdery when preparing the book for printing. Originally, Joseph Smith indicated seven chapter breaks in First Nephi: Editions of the Book of Mormon from the Community of Christ still use

1722-419: Was responsible for these items, mostly records; caretaker for more than their own record(s). Here is the list of caretakers, according to the Book of Mormon : Zenos According to the Book of Mormon , Zenos ( / ˈ z iː n ə s / ) was an old world prophet whose pre-Christian era writings were recorded upon the plates of brass . Zenos is quoted or paraphrased a number of times by writers in

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1764-545: Was simply to clarify that these verses referred to the Son of God, since other references to Christ as the Father are left as is. Joseph Spencer, examining the same passage, writes that the reason for clarifying these passages is unclear, but notes that 1 Nephi 12:18 clearly delineates the three separate members of the Godhead. In that verse, God the Father is referred to as "the Eternal Father." Plates of Nephi According to

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