1st Nephi Chapter 2
2:1 The Lord said to my father in a dream: You are blessed Lehi, because of what you have done; and because you have been faithful and declared unto the people the things that I asked you to. And I know they seek to take away your life.
2:2 And the Lord directed my father in the dream to take his family and depart into the wilderness.
2:3 He did as the Lord asked.
2:4 He left his house and his property and his gold and silver and took nothing with him, except his family, some supplies and a tent and retreated into the wilderness.
2:5 He arrived with his family at the shore of the Red Sea after journeying through the wilderness. His family included me, my mother Sariah, and my older brothers Laman, Lemuel, and Sam.
2:6 After a three-day journey, we set up camp in a valley next to a river.
2:7 My father built a stone altar, and made an offering unto God and gave thanks.
2:8 He named the river, Laman, and it emptied into the Red Sea and the valley bordered the mouth of the river.
2:9 When my father saw the river that flowed into the Red Sea, he said to Laman, “My hope is that you can be like this river, always moving towards the fountain of righteousness.”
2:10 He also said to Lemuel, “Be like this steadfast valley, unwavering in keeping God’s commandments.”
2:11 My father said this because Laman and Lemuel were stubborn and often complained about him. They saw him as an idealistic man who had taken them from Jerusalem, leaving behind their inheritance, gold, silver, and other valuables to be lost in the wilderness. They claimed he had done this because of his foolish imaginations.
2:12 As the oldest children, Laman and Lemuel often complained about our father. They struggled to understand God’s plan and why He had created them, leaving them unhappy and discontent.
2:13 Laman and Lemuel refused to believe that Jerusalem, a great city, could be destroyed as the prophets had foretold. They were similar to the Jews in Jerusalem, who wanted to kill my father for his prophecies.
2:14 And my father spoke with them in the valley of Lemuel, powerfully and passionately filled with the Spirit. His words shook them and they could not find any words to oppose him. And so, they followed him.
2:15 And we dwelt in a tent.
2:16 Although I, Nephi, was young, I was large and strong with a desire to learn about God’s mysteries. I prayed and cried out to the Lord who visited me, softening my heart. This led me to believe my father’s words, unlike my brothers who rebelled against him.
2:17 I shared with my brother Sam what the Lord had revealed to me through the Holy Spirit. Sam believed what I told him.
2:18 However, Laman and Lemuel refused to believe.
2:19 The Lord spoke to me again, saying, “Nephi, you are blessed because of your faith, for you have diligently sought me with humility and meekness of heart.”
2:20 As long as you keep my commandments, you shall prosper and be led to a promised land, a choice land above all others that I have prepared for you.
2:21 As long as your brothers rebel against you, the Lord will grieve for them.
2:22 And as long as you keep my commandments, you will lead and teach your brothers.
2:23 When the day comes that your brothers rebel against me, I will ensure they have no power over your descendants, as long as your posterity follows me.
2:24 If they reject me, their actions will teach your descendants the importance of remembering me.