1 Nephi 2

[color-box]For comparison purposes, the original Book of Mormon text is supplied (italicized and indented) after each Modern Book of Mormon verse.[/color-box]

1 The Lord said to my father in a dream, “You are blessed, Lehi, for the things you’ve done. Because you have been faithful and told the people the things I told you to tell them, they’re trying to kill you.”

1 For behold, it came to pass that the Lord spake unto my father, yea, even in a dream, and said unto him: Blessed art thou Lehi, because of the things which thou hast done; and because thou hast been faithful and declared unto this people the things which I commanded thee, behold, they seek to take away thy life.

2 And so the Lord told my father in a dream that he should take his family and go into the wilderness.

2 And it came to pass that the Lord commanded my father, even in a dream, that he should take his family and depart into the wilderness.

3 My father obeyed the word of the Lord and did what the Lord commanded.

3 And it came to pass that he was obedient unto the word of the Lord, wherefore he did as the Lord commanded him.

4 He went into the wilderness. He left his house, his land, his gold, his silver, and his other valuables. He didn’t take anything with him except for his family, supplies, and tents.

4 And it came to pass that he departed into the wilderness. And he left his house, and the land of his inheritance, and his gold, and his silver, and his precious things, and took nothing with him, save it were his family, and provisions, and tents, and departed into the wilderness.

5 He went to the coast of the Red Sea and traveled in the wilderness along the Red Sea. He traveled with his family, including my mother (Sariah) and my three older brothers (Laman, Lemuel, and Sam).

5 And he came down by the borders near the shore of the Red Sea; and he traveled in the wilderness in the borders which are nearer the Red Sea; and he did travel in the wilderness with his family, which consisted of my mother, Sariah, and my elder brothers, who were Laman, Lemuel, and Sam.

6 After traveling through the wilderness for three days, my father set up camp next to a river in a valley.

6 And it came to pass that when he had traveled three days in the wilderness, he pitched his tent in a valley by the side of a river of water.

7 To thank the Lord, my father built an altar out of stones and burned an offering on it.

7 And it came to pass that he built an altar of stones, and made an offering unto the Lord, and gave thanks unto the Lord our God.

8 He named the river the Laman River. It flowed into the Red Sea, and the valley was near the mouth of the river.

8 And it came to pass that he called the name of the river, Laman, and it emptied into the Red Sea; and the valley was in the borders near the mouth thereof.

9 When my father saw that the river flowed into the Red Sea, he said to Laman, “I wish you would be like this river and always flow toward righteousness!”

9 And when my father saw that the waters of the river emptied into the fountain of the Red Sea, he spake unto Laman, saying: O that thou mightest be like unto this river, continually running into the fountain of all righteousness!

10 And he said to Lemuel, “I wish you would be strong and steady like this valley so that you would be strong and steady in keeping the Lord’s commandments.”

10 And he also spake unto Lemuel: O that thou mightest be like unto this valley, firm and steadfast, and immovable in keeping the commandments of the Lord!

11 He said these things because of how stubborn Laman and Lemuel were being. They complained and talked behind my father’s back, saying that he had imagined the visions that had caused us to leave Jerusalem and all of our wealth behind, only to die out in the desert. They thought it was all in his head.

11 Now this he spake because of the stiffneckedness of Laman and Lemuel; for behold they did murmur in many things against their father, because he was a visionary man, and had led them out of the land of Jerusalem, to leave the land of their inheritance, and their gold, and their silver, and their precious things, to perish in the wilderness. And this they said he had done because of the foolish imaginations of his heart.

12 These are the kinds of things that Laman and Lemuel, the two oldest sons, said about their father. They complained this way and said these things because they didn’t understand how God worked.

12 And thus Laman and Lemuel, being the eldest, did murmur against their father. And they did murmur because they knew not the dealings of that God who had created them.

13 They also didn’t believe that a great city like Jerusalem could be destroyed the way the prophets said it would. They were like the Jews in Jerusalem who tried to kill my father.

13 Neither did they believe that Jerusalem, that great city, could be destroyed according to the words of the prophets. And they were like unto the Jews who were at Jerusalem, who sought to take away the life of my father.

14 But my father spoke to them there in the valley of Lemuel with such power from the Spirit that they began to shake. He confused and frightened them, and they didn’t dare talk back to him. They did what he said.

14 And it came to pass that my father did speak unto them in the valley of Lemuel, with power, being filled with the Spirit, until their frames did shake before him. And he did confound them, that they durst not utter against him; wherefore, they did as he commanded them.

15 And my father lived in a tent.

15 And my father dwelt in a tent.

16 I, Nephi, was very young at the time, but I was strong. I also really wanted to know more about God, so I prayed to the Lord. He visited me and softened my heart, and I believed everything my father said. I didn’t rebel against him like my brothers did.

16 And it came to pass that I, Nephi, being exceedingly young, nevertheless being large in stature, and also having great desires to know of the mysteries of God, wherefore, I did cry unto the Lord; and behold he did visit me, and did soften my heart that I did believe all the words which had been spoken by my father; wherefore, I did not rebel against him like unto my brothers.

17 I talked to Sam and told him the things the Lord had told me through the Spirit, and Sam believed me.

17 And I spake unto Sam, making known unto him the things which the Lord had manifested unto me by his Holy Spirit. And it came to pass that he believed in my words.

18 But, behold, Laman and Lemuel would not hearken unto my words; and being grieved because of the hardness of their hearts I cried unto the Lord for them.

18 Laman and Lemuel didn’t believe me, though. It bothered me that they were being so stubborn, so I prayed to the Lord for them.

19 The Lord spoke to me and said, “You are blessed, Nephi, because of your faith. You have humbly and earnestly tried to find me.

19 And it came to pass that the Lord spake unto me, saying: Blessed art thou, Nephi, because of thy faith, for thou hast sought me diligently, with lowliness of heart.

20 “As long as you keep my commandments, you will be successful and be led to a great land, a land that I’ve prepared for you. It’s better than any other land.

20 And inasmuch as ye shall keep my commandments, ye shall prosper, and shall be led to a land of promise; yea, even a land which I have prepared for you; yea, a land which is choice above all other lands.

21 “And if your brothers rebel, the Lord won’t be with them.

21 And inasmuch as thy brethren shall rebel against thee, they shall be cut off from the presence of the Lord.

22 “If you keep my commandments, you will be a ruler and teacher over your brothers.

22 And inasmuch as thou shalt keep my commandments, thou shalt be made a ruler and a teacher over thy brethren.

23 “I will curse them the day they rebel against me. They won’t have any power over your descendants (unless your descendants also rebel against me).

23 For behold, in that day that they shall rebel against me, I will curse them even with a sore curse, and they shall have no power over thy seed except they shall rebel against me also.

24 “And if your descendants rebel against me, your brothers’ descendants will attack your descendants to help them remember the Lord.”

24 And if it so be that they rebel against me, they shall be a scourge unto thy seed, to stir them up in the ways of remembrance.