So this is the story of Nephi and his brothers having been commanded to retrieve the Plates of Brass from Laban, in the City of Jerusalem, after they had already fled into the wilderness with their family. There is a lot of complaining, there is a lot of FAITH, there is a lot of planning and secrecy, and there is even some killing! It is a very ENTERTAINING three chapters, if I do say so myself. Enjoy, and again Please correct ANY mistakes made my me. I like to learn!
Chapter 4
Nephi slays Laban at the Lord’s command and then secures the plates of brass by stratagem—Zoram chooses to join Lehi’s family in the wilderness. About 600–592 B.C.
1And it came to pass that I spake unto my brethren, saying: Let us go up again unto Jerusalem, and let us be afaithful in keeping the commandments of the Lord; for behold he is mightier than all the earth, then why not bmightier than Laban and his fifty, yea, or even than his tens of thousands?
2Therefore let us go up; let us be astrong like unto Moses; for he truly spake unto the waters of the Red bSea and they divided hither and thither, and our fathers came through, out of captivity, on dry ground, and the armies of Pharaoh did follow and were drowned in the waters of the Red Sea.
3Now behold ye know that this is true; and ye also know that anaangel hath spoken unto you; wherefore can ye bdoubt? Let us go up; the Lord is able to cdeliver us, even as our fathers, and to destroy Laban, even as the Egyptians.
4Now when I had spoken these words, they were yet wroth, and did still continue to murmur; nevertheless they did follow me up until we came without the walls of Jerusalem.
5And it was by night; and I caused that they should hide themselves without the walls. And after they had hid themselves, I, Nephi, crept into the city and went forth towards the house of Laban.
7Nevertheless I went forth, and as I came near unto the house of Laban I beheld a man, and he had fallen to the earth before me, for he was adrunken with wine.
9And I beheld his asword, and I drew it forth from the sheath thereof; and the hilt thereof was of pure gold, and the workmanship thereof was exceedingly fine, and I saw that the blade thereof was of the most precious steel.
10And it came to pass that I was aconstrained by the Spirit that I should kill Laban; but I said in my heart: Never at any time have I shed the blood of man. And I shrunk and would that I might not slay him.
11And the Spirit said unto me again: Behold the aLord hathbdelivered him into thy hands. Yea, and I also knew that he had sought to take away mine own life; yea, and he would not hearken unto the commandments of the Lord; and he also had ctaken away our property.
12And it came to pass that the Spirit said unto me again: Slay him, for the Lord hath delivered him into thy hands;
13Behold the Lord aslayeth the bwicked to bring forth his righteous purposes. It is cbetter that one man should perish than that a nation should dwindle and perish in dunbelief.
14And now, when I, Nephi, had heard these words, I remembered the words of the Lord which he spake unto me in the wilderness, saying that: aInasmuch as thy seed shall keep mybcommandments, they shall cprosper in the dland of promise.
15Yea, and I also thought that they could not keep the commandments of the Lord according to the alaw of Moses, save they should have the law.
17And again, I knew that the Lord had delivered Laban into my hands for this cause—that I might obtain the records according to his commandments.
18Therefore I did obey the voice of the Spirit, and took Laban by the hair of the head, and I smote off his head with his own asword.
19And after I had smitten off his head with his own sword, I took the garments of Laban and put them upon mine own body; yea, even every whit; and I did gird on his armor about my loins.
20And after I had done this, I went forth unto the treasury of Laban. And as I went forth towards the treasury of Laban, behold, I saw the aservant of Laban who had the keys of the treasury. And I commanded him in the voice of Laban, that he should go with me into the treasury.
21And he supposed me to be his master, Laban, for he beheld the garments and also the sword girded about my loins.
22And he spake unto me concerning the aelders of the Jews, he knowing that his master, Laban, had been out by night among them.
24And I also spake unto him that I should carry the engravings, which were upon the aplates of brass, to my elder brethren, who were without the walls.
26And he, supposing that I spake of the abrethren of the bchurch, and that I was truly that Laban whom I had slain, wherefore he did follow me.
27And he spake unto me many times concerning the elders of the Jews, as I went forth unto my brethren, who were without the walls.
28And it came to pass that when Laman saw me he was exceedingly frightened, and also Lemuel and Sam. And they fled from before my presence; for they supposed it was Laban, and that he had slain me and had sought to take away their lives also.
29And it came to pass that I called after them, and they did hear me; wherefore they did cease to flee from my presence.
30And it came to pass that when the servant of Laban beheld my brethren he began to tremble, and was about to flee from before me and return to the city of Jerusalem.
31And now I, Nephi, being a man large in stature, and also having received much astrength of the Lord, therefore I did seize upon the servant of Laban, and held him, that he should not flee.
32And it came to pass that I spake with him, that if he would hearken unto my words, as the Lord liveth, and as I live, even so that if he would hearken unto our words, we would spare his life.
33And I spake unto him, even with an aoath, that he need not fear; that he should be a bfree man like unto us if he would go down in the wilderness with us.
34And I also spake unto him, saying: Surely the Lord hathacommanded us to do this thing; and shall we not be diligent in keeping the commandments of the Lord? Therefore, if thou wilt go down into the wilderness to my father thou shalt have place with us.
35And it came to pass that aZoram did take courage at the words which I spake. Now Zoram was the name of the servant; and he promised that he would go down into the wilderness unto our father. Yea, and he also made an oath unto us that he would tarry with us from that time forth.
36Now we were desirous that he should tarry with us for this cause, that the Jews might not know concerning our flight into the wilderness, lest they should pursue us and destroy us.
37And it came to pass that when Zoram had made an aoath unto us, our bfears did cease concerning him.
38And it came to pass that we took the plates of brass and the servant of Laban, and departed into the wilderness, and journeyed unto the atent of our father.
Chapter 5
Sariah complains against Lehi—Both rejoice over the return of their sons—They offer sacrifices—The plates of brass contain writings of Moses and the prophets—The plates identify Lehi as a descendant of Joseph—Lehi prophesies concerning his seed and the preservation of the plates. About 600–592 B.C.
1And it came to pass that after we had come down into the wilderness unto our father, behold, he was filled with joy, and also my mother, Sariah, was exceedingly glad, for she truly had mourned because of us.
2For she had supposed that we had perished in the wilderness; and she also had acomplained against my father, telling him that he was a bvisionary man; saying: Behold thou hast led us forth from the land of our inheritance, and my sons are no more, and we perish in the wilderness.
4And it had come to pass that my father spake unto her, saying: I know that I am a avisionary man; for if I had not seen the things of God in a bvision I should not have known the goodness of God, but had tarried at Jerusalem, and had perished with my brethren.
5But behold, I have aobtained a bland of promise, in the which things I do rejoice; yea, and I cknow that the Lord will deliver my sons out of the hands of Laban, and bring them down again unto us in the wilderness.
6And after this manner of language did my father, Lehi, acomfortmy mother, Sariah, concerning us, while we journeyed in the wilderness up to the land of Jerusalem, to obtain the record of the Jews.
7And when we had returned to the tent of my father, behold their joy was full, and my mother was comforted.
8And she spake, saying: Now I know of a surety that the Lord hath acommanded my husband to bflee into the wilderness; yea, and I also know of a surety that the Lord hath protected my sons, and delivered them out of the hands of Laban, and given them power whereby they could caccomplish the thing which the Lord hath commanded them. And after this manner of language did she speak.
9And it came to pass that they did rejoice exceedingly, and did offer asacrifice and burnt offerings unto the Lord; and they gavebthanks unto the God of Israel.
10And after they had given thanks unto the God of Israel, my father, Lehi, took the records which were engraven upon theaplates of brass, and he did search them from the beginning.
11And he beheld that they did contain the five abooks of Moses, which gave an account of the creation of the world, and also of Adam and Eve, who were our first parents;
12And also a arecord of the Jews from the beginning, even down to the commencement of the reign of Zedekiah, king of Judah;
13And also the prophecies of the holy prophets, from the beginning, even down to the commencement of the reign ofaZedekiah; and also many prophecies which have been spoken by the mouth of bJeremiah.
14And it came to pass that my father, Lehi, also found upon theaplates of brass a bgenealogy of his cfathers; wherefore he knew that he was a descendant of dJoseph; yea, even that Joseph who was the son of eJacob, who was fsold into Egypt, and who wasgpreserved by the hand of the Lord, that he might preserve his father, Jacob, and all his household from perishing with famine.
15And they were also aled out of captivity and out of the land of Egypt, by that same God who had preserved them.
16And thus my father, Lehi, did discover the genealogy of his fathers. And Laban also was a descendant of aJoseph, wherefore he and his fathers had kept the brecords.
17And now when my father saw all these things, he was filled with the Spirit, and began to prophesy concerning his seed—
18That these aplates of brass should go forth unto all bnations, kindreds, tongues, and people who were of his seed.
19Wherefore, he said that these plates of brass should aneverperish; neither should they be dimmed any more by time. And he prophesied many things concerning his seed.
20And it came to pass that thus far I and my father had kept the commandments wherewith the Lord had commanded us.
21And we had obtained the records which the Lord had commanded us, and searched them and found that they were desirable; yea, even of great aworth unto us, insomuch that we could bpreserve the commandments of the Lord unto our children.
22Wherefore, it was wisdom in the Lord that we should carry them with us, as we journeyed in the wilderness towards the land of promise.
Chapter 6
Nephi writes of the things of God—Nephi’s purpose is to persuade men to come unto the God of Abraham and be saved. About 600–592 B.C.
1And now I, Nephi, do not give the genealogy of my fathers inathis part of my record; neither at any time shall I give it after upon these bplates which I am cwriting; for it is given in the record which has been kept by my dfather; wherefore, I do not write it in this work.
3And it mattereth not to me that I am particular to give a full account of all the things of my father, for they cannot be written upon athese plates, for I desire the room that I may write of the things of God.
4For the fulness of mine intent is that I may apersuade men tobcome unto the God of Abraham, and the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob, and be saved.
5Wherefore, the things which are apleasing unto the world I do not write, but the things which are pleasing unto God and unto those who are not of the world.
6Wherefore, I shall give commandment unto my seed, that they shall not occupy these plates with things which are not of worth unto the children of men.
Enjoy!
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