,,book ,,of ,,mormon ,,stories4 ,,no4 #a4 ,,illustrated4 ,,adapted ,,to ,,the ,,capacity ,,of ,,young ,,children1 ,,and ,,designed ,,for ,,use ,,in ,,sabbath ,,schools1 ,,primary ,,associations1 ,,and ,,for ,,home ,,reading4 ,,published ,,by ,,george ,q4 ,,cannon ,,sons ,,co41 ,,salt ,,lake ,,city1 ,,utah4 #ahib4 ,,preface4 ,this little work containing ,book of ,mormon stories1 is issued as a companion volume to the ,simple ,bible ,stories series4 ,it is written for the purpose of presenting the ,book of ,mormon narrative in language that can be understood by small children4 ,it is arranged so that it can be used in connection with the ,book of ,mormon ,chart ,no4 #a1 published by the ,deseret ,sunday ,school ,union4 ,each picture on the ,chart is made the subject of a story in this work1 and the illustrations in the book are similar to those on the ,chart4 ,,the ,,publishers4 ,,contents4 ,,lehi ,,and ,,his ,,sons4 ,,the ,,prophet ,,lehi ,,in ,,jerusalem ,,their ,,journey ,,in ,,the ,,wilderness ,,the ,,sons ,,return ,,to ,,jerusalem ,,the ,,sons' ,,second ,,journey ,,to ,,jerusalem ,,nephi',s ,,vision ,,they ,,continue ,,their ,,journey ,,nephi ,,builds ,a ,,ship ,,arrival ,,on ,,the ,,promised ,,land ,,lehi ,,blesses ,,his ,,children ,,nephi ,,and ,,his ,,people ,,seek ,a ,,new ,,home ,,nephi ,,and ,,his ,,people ,,build ,a ,,temple ,,nephi ,,makes ,,plates ,,on ,,which ,,to ,,keep ,a ,,record ,,book ,,of ,,mormon ,,stories4 ,,lehi ,,and ,,his ,,sons ,,the ,,prophet ,,lehi ,,in ,,jerusalem4 ,the ,bible tells about the peoples who lived a long time ago in a far off country called ,asia4 ,the city of ,jerusalem is in ,asia4 ,in and around ,jerusalem many of the ,prophets of the ,lord lived many years ago4 ,the ,savior was born in a small town near this great city1 and when ,he lived on the earth4 ,he went to ,jerusalem several times4 ,he also visited other towns near by to teach the people4 ,jerusalem was built on a hill1 and had a high wall around it1 so that people could only get in and out of the city through the gates4 ,a great many people lived there4 ,they had many fine houses and a very beautiful temple1 which was the grandest and nicest building in the world4 ,the ,book of ,mormon tells about a people who came from ,jerusalem to this country where we live1 which is now called ,america4 ,the ,indians who live among us are the children of the people whom the ,book of ,mormon speaks of4 ,their forefathers came from ,jerusalem many hundreds of years ago4 ,at the same time when the ,prophet ,jeremiah1 of whom the ,bible tells1 was living near ,jerusalem1 another ,prophet named ,lehi dwelt in that great city4 ,this was six hundred years before the ,savior was born4 ,the king who was ruler at ,jerusalem at this time was named ,zedekiah4 ,he was not a good man1 and did not do as the ,lord wished him to4 ,many of the people of the city were also wicked4 ,jeremiah told the king and the people of their wickedness1 and that their city would be destroyed unless they lived better lives and obeyed the ,lord4 ,image captioned ,,lehi ,,preaching ,,to ,,the ,,jews4 ,the ,prophet ,lehi also preached to the people1 and told them what awful things would happen to them because of their sins4 ,the people did not believe ,lehi1 and they became angry at him because he told them of evils which would come upon them4 ,they even tried to kill him1 but the ,lord did not let them harm ,his servant4 ,both ,lehi and ,jeremiah told the people of ,jerusalem1 who were called ,jews1 that a king who lived in another city called ,babylon would come with a great army of soldiers and destroy ,jerusalem4 ,they would tear down the walls of the city and burn the houses in which the people lived4 ,then these soldiers would kill many of the people who lived in the city1 and others would be taken away to ,babylon and put into prison4 ,the ,lord told these ,prophets1 ,lehi and ,jeremiah that these things should happen1 and that is how they knew about what would happen4 ,the ,lord loved the people of ,jerusalem4 ,sometimes they were good people1 and the ,lord wanted to save them4 ,but they had become so wicked that the ,lord now sent these and many other ,prophets to warn them1 or tell them of what should happen if they did not do better4 ,the people would not do right1 so1 just as these ,prophets had said1 in a few years the king of ,babylon sent a great army of soldiers to ,jerusalem1 and they killed many thousands of the men and women4 ,they took others to prison1 and the city and the beautiful temple were burned4 ,perhaps you will wonder what became of the few good people who were in ,jerusalem4 ,the ,lord took care of those who loved ,him4 ,jeremiah was treated kindly by the king of ,babylon1 and was allowed to stay with a few others in his old home4 ,daniel1 and a few other good young men whom the ,bible tells of1 were carried to ,babylon and placed in the king's palace1 where they were kindly treated4 ,lehi and his family and a few others were cared for in a different way4 ,how the ,lord so wonderfully provided for their safety will be told in the next story4 ,this story shows that the ,lord is kind to ,his children1 and tells them how to be saved from trouble1 just as our parents teach us how to avoid dangers and accidents4 ,if we obey our parents we are safe from harm2 so when people obey the ,lord they are safe1 for ,he will protect them4 ,the story teaches us1 also1 that what the ,lord says is always the truth4 ,he never promises to do anything and fails to do it4 ,another thing in this story to be remembered is that the ,lord is not pleased with wicked people1 and they are sure to be punished for their sins4 ,points to be remembered in this story3 ,jerusalem is a city in ,asia1 where the ,savior and many ,prophets have lived long time ago--,the ,book of ,mormon tells about a ,prophet named ,lehi who lived in ,jerusalem many years before the ,savior was born--,the people at that time were wicked--,lehi told them of their sins1 and that they would be destroyed if they did not do right4 ,the people did not repent1 and an army of soldiers came from ,babylon and burned the city1 killed many people1 and took others to prison--,the good people were saved--,the ,lord is kind to ,his children--,he always tells the truth--,he is not pleased with wicked people4 ,,lehi ,,and ,,his ,,sons4 ,,their ,,journey ,,in ,,the ,,wilderness4 ,after the ,prophet ,lehi had warned the people of ,jerusalem of what was going to happen1 the ,lord told him in a dream to leave the city and take his family with him4 ,the people did not believe what he said would take place1 and they were angry with him because he told them of their sins4 ,they wanted to kill ,lehi1 so the ,lord told him to leave them4 ,lehi had lived in ,jerusalem all his life up to this time4 ,besides having a home he had much gold and silver and other valuable things4 ,but he left all these and with his family journeyed in the wilderness1 as the ,lord commanded him4 ,what is meant by the wilderness is a desert or land that is not cultivated2 where there are no houses for people to live in4 ,the country south of ,jerusalem was generally called the wilderness1 as it was rough and uncultivated4 ,lehi and his family traveled south from ,jerusalem until they came to this wilderness4 ,for three days they traveled in the wilderness1 when they came to a valley by the shore of the ,red ,sea4 ,in this valley was a river1 and they camped by its side4 ,they brought with them provisions1 food and such things as they would need1 and tents to live in4 ,as they expected to stay here for some time they pitched their tents4 ,lehi built an altar here and made an offering or sacrifice to the ,lord1 and thanked ,him for ,his goodness4 ,the ,lord had told him to leave ,jerusalem because the people wanted to take his life and he was thankful for being saved in this way4 ,image captioned ,,lehi ,,and ,,his ,,family ,,in ,,the ,,wilderness4 ,lehi's wife was named ,sariah4 ,they had four sons at this time4 ,the sons' names were ,laman1 ,lemuel1 ,sam and ,nephi4 ,they also had daughters but their names are not told in the ,book of ,mormon4 ,the two older sons of ,lehi1 ,laman and ,lemuel1 complained because their father left his house and land and all his riches and brought his family into the wilderness to die4 ,they did not believe that ,jerusalem would be destroyed2 nor did they believe the ,lord commanded him to leave ,jerusalem for safety from the wicked people there4 ,as they did not have faith in the ,lord they were afraid they might die in the wilderness for want of food4 ,nephi and ,sam believed what their father had told them1 and were more willing to obey him4 ,nephi especially had great faith in the ,lord4 ,he fully believed the ,lord had spoken to his father1 and he prayed to the ,lord that he might know for himself the things of ,god which his father spoke about4 ,nephi's prayers were answered4 ,the ,lord visited him and told him many wonderful things4 ,he blessed ,nephi1 and said he would become the ruler of his brethren who were disobedient4 ,the ,lord also told ,nephi that ,he would lead his father's family to a beautiful and rich country1 called the ,land of ,promise4 ,the ,lord is ever willing to answer prayers4 ,those who pray to ,him for knowledge or wisdom or anything that is for their good will be sure to receive an answer1 if they ask in faith1 believing the ,lord will hear them4 ,if ,nephi's brothers1 ,laman and ,lemuel had faith and prayed to the ,lord they would know also that their father was a truthful man and was a prophet of ,god4 ,but they were not willing to do this1 and therefore they were not blest like their brother ,nephi4 ,this story shows us that the ,lord will protect and bless those who trust in ,him4 ,in the following stories about ,lehi and his family we shall see how the ,lord continued to bless them and provide for their needs1 and how ,he led them to a far off land that was not known to other people in the world4 ,image captioned ,,arab',s ,,mode ,,of ,,traveling ,,in ,,the ,,desert4 ,points to be remembered in this story3 ,lehi told in a dream to leave ,jerusalem and go into the wilderness1 that he and his family might be saved--,they go south from ,jerusalem and camp by a river near the ,red ,sea--,lehi's wife named ,sariah1 his sons named ,laman1 ,lemuel1 ,sam and ,nephi--,laman and ,lemuel are not satisfied with their father's doings1 and complain--,they do not believe what he tells them--,nephi a faithful and obedient son--,he prays to the ,lord and receives an answer to his prayers--,the ,lord blesses him and tells him many things--,the ,lord always willing to answer prayers--,the ,lord protects those who trust in ,him4 ,,lehi ,,and ,,his ,,sons4 ,,the ,,sons ,,return ,,to ,,jerusalem4 ,while ,lehi's family were living in their tents in the wilderness by the shore of the ,red ,sea the ,lord told ,lehi in a dream to send his sons back to ,jerusalem4 ,there was a man in ,jerusalem who had some plates of brass on which was written or engraved the record or history of ,lehi's relatives1 his father1 grandfather1 great-grandfather1 and others4 ,they gave an account of the ,jews from the time they came to ,jerusalem and for a long time before they came there4 ,the record on the plates also told about the creation of the world1 about ,adam and ,eve1 our first parents1 about ,noah1 and ,abraham1 and ,moses1 and many other people4 ,lehi wanted these plates to take with him1 that his family and those who lived with them might have an account of their forefathers1 and the laws of the ,lord which were given through ,moses1 which were also contained on these brass plates4 ,at the time when ,lehi lived the people did not have books made of paper1 like those we have4 ,instead of paper to write on they used skins of animals and other materials4 ,sometimes they used brass or gold plates1 and cut the writing into the plates with a sharp knife or other tool4 ,lehi sent his four sons back to ,jerusalem to get these plates from ,laban1 the man who was taking care of them4 ,when ,laman and ,lemuel were told that they must go they again complained and found fault with their father2 but when ,nephi was spoken to about going he was very willing to do so and did not complain4 ,laman and ,lemuel thought it was very hard for them to go back on such an errand1 but ,nephi said he knew the ,lord would not want them to do anything they were not able to2 and he believed the ,lord would watch over them while on their journey4 ,how much better it would have been for them all to be obedient like ,nephi was will be seen from the following stories4 ,so ,nephi and his other brothers took their tents and started on their journey4 ,when they reached the city of ,jerusalem they decided among themselves that ,laman1 the older one of the four1 should go to ,laban's house and ask for the plates4 ,it was right that their father should have the plates1 or the ,lord would not have told him to send for them4 ,but when ,laman asked ,laban to give the plates to him he became angry4 ,he called ,laman a robber1 and said he would kill him4 ,laman then ran away1 so the man did not catch him4 ,when ,laman went back to where his brothers were waiting for him and told what had happened they all felt very sorry4 ,the older brothers wanted to go back to their father2 but ,nephi was determined to get the plates for which he had been sent4 ,he persuaded his brothers to stay with him1 and they went to their father's old home and gathered up the gold and silver and other precious things which had been left there4 ,these things they took to ,laban and offered them to him if he would give them the brass plates that contained the writings or records4 ,when ,laban saw they had so much gold and silver and other valuable things he wanted to get the things1 but would not give up the plates4 ,so he put ,lehi's sons out of his house1 then he sent his servants after them to slay them and take their property4 ,when these servants of ,laban came after ,nephi and his brothers they had to leave their gold and silver and run for their lives4 ,they got out of the city and hid in a cave or hole in a rock1 and so the men who were after them could not find them4 ,after this ,laman and ,lemuel became angry with ,nephi and ,sam1 and they whipped them with a rod4 ,then an angel from heaven appeared and told them to not harm their younger brother ,nephi1 but to go again to ,laban and the ,lord would help them in performing their errand4 ,when the angel left them ,laman and ,lemuel again complained1 and said they did not believe they could perform their errand4 ,nephi reasoned with them and persuaded them to go with him towards the city1 although they were still dissatisfied and angry4 ,when they got to the gate of ,jerusalem it was night4 ,nephi told his brothers to hide there while he crept into the city4 ,he went towards the house where ,laban lived and on his way near the house he saw a man lying on the ground4 ,the man was drunk4 ,he looked at him and found it was ,laban4 ,laban had a sword with him1 which ,nephi drew from its sheath4 ,he examined it1 and saw it was made of fine steel1 with a beautiful handle made of pure gold4 ,while ,laban lay before him on the ground the ,spirit of the ,lord told ,nephi to kill him4 ,nephi did not like to do this4 ,he was a good young man1 and knew it was not right to kill4 ,but the ,lord commanded him to kill ,laban1 and he obeyed the ,lord4 ,nephi then put ,laban's clothes on himself and went into ,laban's house4 ,here he found the servant who took care of ,laban's treasures4 ,nephi told this man to go and get the plates of brass from the place where they were kept and follow him4 ,the servant1 whose name was ,zoram1 thought it was ,laban who was talking to him4 ,he therefore brought out the plates that contained the records and went with ,nephi to where his brothers were outside the gates of the city4 ,image captioned ,,nephi',s ,,return ,,with ,,the ,,brass ,,plates4 ,when ,laman1 ,lemuel and ,sam saw ,nephi coming they were very much frightened4 ,they thought he was ,laban1 because he was dressed in ,laban's clothes4 ,they believed ,nephi was killed and ,laban was coming to kill them4 ,so they began to run4 ,nephi called them1 and they found it was their brother and not ,laban4 ,by this time ,zoram1 who was with ,nephi1 became frightened and was going to run back into the city1 but ,nephi held him4 ,afterwards ,nephi persuaded ,zoram to go with him and promised him they would not hurt him4 ,this story shows us that the ,lord does not ask ,his children to do anything that is impossible1 or that they cannot do4 ,he understands all things1 and knows what ,his children are able to do4 ,nephi's doings teach us a very good lesson in perseverance and patience4 ,we can see how1 by trying again and not giving up1 we can do things that seem impossible at first4 ,points to be remembered in this story3 ,lehi sends his sons back to ,jerusalem to get plates that contain an account or history of their forefathers--,his older sons complain1 but ,nephi offers to go willingly--,when the sons reach ,jerusalem ,laman goes to see ,laban1 the man who has the plates--,laban gets angry1 calls ,laman a robber1 and says he will kill him--,laman runs away to save his life--,the four brothers go to their father's old home and get the gold and silver and other precious things left there and offer them to ,laban for the plates--,laban refuses to give up the plates1 and sends his servants to kill ,lehi's sons and take their property--,lehi's sons escape by hiding in a cave--,they go the third time to get the plates--,nephi finds ,laban drunk--,being commanded of the ,lord1 ,nephi kills him and gets the plates from his servant,nephi takes ,zoram1 ,laban's servant1 and the plates to where his brothers are outside the city4 ,,lehi ,,and ,,his ,,sons4 ,,the ,,sons' ,,second ,,journey ,,to ,,jerusalem4 ,while ,lehi's sons were away on their errand to ,jerusalem to get the records1 their mother was very uneasy about them4 ,she feared they might get killed or might die in the wilderness4 ,when they came back both their father and mother were filled with joy1 and were thankful to the ,lord for their safe return4 ,sometime after the sons' return to the place where they camped in the wilderness1 their father was told by the ,lord to send again to ,jerusalem4 ,the ,lord desired to lead ,lehi and those who were with him to a country where there were no people4 ,there was a man named ,ishmael1 living in ,jerusalem who had several sons and daughters4 ,the ,lord commanded ,lehi to send for ,ishmael and invite him to go with them to the new country4 ,lehi's sons were not married1 and by getting ,ishmael and his family to go with them the sons of ,lehi might take ,ishmael's daughters for wives4 ,this was the reason why the ,lord desired ,lehi to send for ,ishmael4 ,laman1 ,lemuel1 ,sam and ,nephi were sent to ,jerusalem for this family4 ,when they reached ,ishmael's house they told him what they had come for4 ,ishmael and his family were willing to go with them1 and so they all traveled together into the wilderness4 ,while on their journey ,nephi's two older brothers and some of ,ishmael's sons and daughters rebelled against ,nephi and the other members of ,ishmael's family4 ,that is1 they refused to go with them4 ,they wanted to return to ,jerusalem4 ,nephi told them that if they did return they would be killed with the others who were there1 as ,jerusalem would surely be destroyed4 ,being blessed with the ,spirit of the ,lord1 ,nephi spoke with great power to his brethren4 ,but this only made them angry4 ,they became so angry that they took ,nephi and bound him with cords4 ,they wanted to kill him and leave him there in the wilderness to be eaten by wild beasts4 ,while ,nephi was bound he prayed to the ,lord to protect and save him from his wicked brothers4 ,the ,lord answered his prayers4 ,the cords with which he was bound became loosened and he was set free4 ,again1 before they reached the end of their journey1 ,nephi's older brothers became angry and wanted to slay him4 ,but this time ,ishmael's wife and one of her sons and one daughter stopped them1 and persuaded them to leave him alone4 ,afterwards ,laman and ,lemuel felt very sorry for being so cruel to their brother4 ,they asked him to forgive them for what they had done4 ,nephi at once forgave them1 and was glad to see them repent of their wickedness4 ,he loved his brothers even when they tried to take his life4 ,nephi told ,laman and ,lemuel to ask the ,lord to forgive them and they did this4 ,then they all went on their journey and soon came to the place where ,lehi and those who were with him were stopping4 ,this story shows again how the ,lord watches over those who do right1 and how he keeps them from harm when the wicked try to hurt them4 ,each time when ,nephi was in danger the ,lord saved him from all harm4 ,this was because ,nephi was a good man1 and was obedient and faithful to the ,lord4 ,he was also obedient to his father ,lehi1 who loved him very much4 ,image captioned3 ,,nephi',s ,,brethren ,,seek ,,his ,,life4 ,points to be remembered in this story3 ,lehi's sons sent to ,jerusalem a second time--,their errand is to invite a man named ,ishmael and his family to join their father's family in the wilderness--,as the ,lord intended to lead ,lehi and his family to a new country where there were no people1 it was desirable that ,ishmael go with them--,ishmael had several daughters1 whom it was expected would become the wives of ,lehi's sons--,ishmael and family agree to go into the wilderness--,after starting ,laman and ,lemuel and some of ,ishmael's family rebel and want to turn back--,nephi encourages them to keep on their journey--,they become angry at ,nephi and bind him with cords1 intending to kill him--,nephi prays and the ,lord loosens the cords and he gets free--,again ,nephi's older brothers want to take his life1 but ,ishmael's wife and her son and daughter stop them and persuade them to leave him alone--,afterwards ,laman and ,lemuel are sorry and ask ,nephi to forgive them--,nephi forgives his brothers and they all go on their journey and come to the place where ,lehi is stopping--,the ,lord always takes care of those who obey ,him4 ,,lehi ,,and ,,his ,,sons4 ,,nephi',s ,,vision4 ,while ,lehi was in the wilderness the ,lord showed him in visions many things that would happen in the world a long time afterwards4 ,a vision is something like a dream in which a person sees things as they really are or as they will be4 ,when a vision is from the ,lord that which is shown is something that has or will really happen4 ,the way the ,lord tells ,his prophets about what is going to take place is often by showing them a vision or a dream in which they see what is going to happen just as it will be when it takes place4 ,when ,lehi had these visions he told about them to his children4 ,nephi was so interested or pleased with what his father told him that he wanted to see the visions for himself4 ,so he prayed often to the ,lord and asked ,him to show him the things that his father ,lehi saw4 ,nephi had such strong faith that he was enabled to receive an answer to his prayers4 ,at one time1 when ,nephi was thinking about what his father had seen1 a vision of the ,lord came to him4 ,in this vision he was taken up into a high mountain4 ,an angel of the ,lord spoke to him and asked him what he desired4 ,nephi said he wished to see what his father had seen4 ,the angel said to ,nephi ,look6 ,nephi looked and he saw ,jerusalem as it would appear in six hundred years to come4 ,then he saw other cities4 ,in the city of ,nazareth which was near ,jerusalem he saw a very beautiful virgin or young woman4 ,the angel said this was the mother of the ,savior4 ,image captioned ,,nephi',s ,,vision4 ,soon after he looked again and saw this beautiful young woman with a child in her arms4 ,the angel told ,nephi that the child was the ,savior1 and that after many years from that time ,he would be born and live upon the earth4 ,nephi then saw the ,savior grown to manhood1 and ,he went to ,john the baptist to be baptized4 ,after this the ,spirit of ,god1 or the ,holy ,ghost rested upon the ,savior and ,he went about teaching the people the gospel1 telling them how they should live4 ,he also healed the sick1 and the blind and the lame1 and raised dead persons to life4 ,nephi continued to look upon the vision and he saw the ,savior taken by the wicked people and nailed to a cross and left there to die4 ,the angel explained to ,nephi that in this way the ,savior would die for the sins of the world4 ,afterwards appeared the ,savior's apostles and then he saw that the wicked people in the world fought against the church the ,savior started on the earth1 and killed the saints who belonged to the church2 then the people in the world were left for a long time without the gospel4 ,many other things that have happened in the world since that time were seen by ,nephi4 ,he also saw things that have happened in this time when we live4 ,all the things which ,nephi saw in this great vision came to pass just as he saw them many hundreds of years before4 ,the ,savior was born six hundred years after ,nephi saw ,him in this vision4 ,his mother lived in the city of ,nazareth where ,nephi saw her4 ,the ,savior was baptized and went about teaching the people1 healing the sick1 the blind and the lame1 and raising the dead4 ,he was crucified1 too1 just as ,nephi saw ,he would be2 and the church which ,he started was destroyed on the earth1 the saints being put to death by wicked men4 ,from this story we may learn that the ,lord knows all about what will happen in this world4 ,he knew before the world was made what would take place in the thousands of years to come4 ,the ,lord knows all things4 ,he knows what each one of us may do or say4 ,he even knows what we think1 when we do not act or speak4 ,when we say or do anything that is not right ,he knows about it1 and is displeased4 ,when we do good ,he sees it1 and is pleased with us4 ,if we try always to do right ,he will love us and will help us to do good4 ,we learn also from this story that the ,lord tells good men about many things that are going to take place before they do happen4 ,this is because ,he loves them4 ,by knowing what is going to happen beforehand these good men can often save themselves from danger or trouble4 ,in this way ,lehi and his family were saved from death by leaving ,jerusalem before it was destroyed4 ,lehi tried also to save the people of ,jerusalem by telling them what was going to happen1 but they would not believe him4 ,they were so wicked they tried to kill him1 and he had to leave to save his own life4 ,points to be remembered in this story3 ,lehi sees many things in visions--,he tells about them to his family--,nephi so pleased with hearing what his father tells he desires to see the things himself--,an angel shows him a beautiful vision in which he sees the ,savior and ,his mother--,he also sees the ,savior teaching the people and healing the sick--,sees ,him nailed to a cross--,sees what happens afterwards--,his church destroyed--,the ,lord knows all things--,he tells ,his prophets many things that are going to take place4 ,,lehi ,,and ,,his ,,sons4 ,,they ,,continue ,,their ,,journey4 ,when ,lehi moved into the wilderness he went as the ,lord guided him4 ,he was told that he would be led to a choice land1 and he trusted in the ,lord to be guided in the right direction4 ,lehi and his company had been camping by the shore of the ,red ,sea for some time1 when one night the ,lord told ,lehi to start again on his journey the next morning4 ,he did not know which way to go1 but he knew the ,lord would show him1 as ,he had done before4 ,the next morning when ,lehi arose he saw lying on the ground near his tent door a ball made of fine brass4 ,it was curiously formed4 ,inside the ball were two spindles1 or needles4 ,one of these needles pointed in the direction the people were to travel4 ,the ,lord had placed this ball by ,lehi's tent door that he might use it as a guide on his journey4 ,lehi called this ball liahona4 ,as the ,lord commanded1 ,lehi's company gathered up their property1 their tents1 provisions and seeds of all kinds1 and started in the direction that was pointed out by the liahona1 or brass ball4 ,the reason they took seeds with them was that they might plant them in the country to which they were going4 ,as they traveled along they camped from time to time in order to get food4 ,while stopping at camp the men would take their bows and arrows and hunt animals1 which they killed for food4 ,in those days they did not have guns1 as people have now4 ,they used bows and arrows1 and sometimes slings with which they would throw stones4 ,they did not make fires to cook their food1 but ate the meat raw4 ,the ,lord blessed the food for their sakes and it made them strong and healthy4 ,image captioned ,,lehi ,,finds ,,the ,,liahona4 ,sometimes it was hard for the men to get enough food for all the company4 ,the animals were not very plentiful1 although the road they took was through the best part of the country1 along the side of the ,red ,sea4 ,but much of the country through which they traveled was rocky and barren4 ,there was but little water to be found4 ,at one time when the company stopped ,nephi broke his bow while he and his brethren were hunting4 ,his brothers' bows about the same time lost their springs and were not as good as they had been4 ,on this account they returned to camp without killing any animals1 and so they were left without food4 ,their bows were made of steel1 and they had no way of mending them when broken4 ,as they depended on these weapons for food they felt very sorrowful when ,nephi's bow was broken4 ,the people were hungry1 and they did not know what to do to get food4 ,laman and ,lemuel and the sons of ,ishmael began to complain very much4 ,even ,lehi complained at this time1 for they were all suffering for food1 and it was a very hard trial to them4 ,at last ,nephi made a bow of wood1 and out of a straight stick made an arrow4 ,he then asked his father where he should go to get food4 ,lehi1 not knowing where to direct him1 inquired of the ,lord4 ,the ,lord told ,lehi to look at the ball of brass which he had found near his tent door4 ,he did so1 and there on the ball was writing which told just where he should go4 ,lehi and ,nephi found that the ball or liahona directed them according to their faith4 ,when they lost faith it would not direct them1 but when their faith was strong it would show them where to go or what to do4 ,according to the directions on the ball ,nephi went into the tops of the mountains to find wild animals4 ,there he killed enough to furnish food for all the company1 and when he returned with it they were all glad4 ,after this they traveled on for several days4 ,at the next stopping place ,ishmael died1 and was buried there4 ,his daughters mourned very much over his loss1 and they complained of ,lehi for bringing them from ,jerusalem4 ,laman and ,lemuel were still not satisfied1 and they found fault with their father1 and wanted to kill him and ,nephi and then go back to their old home4 ,but the ,lord was with ,nephi4 ,his ,holy ,spirit rested upon him when he spoke to his brothers1 and by reasoning with them he persuaded them to obey their father ,lehi4 ,the next stopping place for this little colony or company of people was near the shore of the ,arabian ,sea or ,indian ,ocean1 a long1 long way from ,jerusalem4 ,here was a beautiful country in which there was to be found plenty of food of different kinds4 ,they named this place ,bountiful1 because so much fruit and honey was found there4 ,they had spent eight years in the wilderness traveling between ,jerusalem and this place near the great ocean4 ,from this story we can learn some good lessons4 ,it shows us that the ,lord is ever watching over ,his children4 ,when ,lehi and his company were in want of food ,he knew of their suffering1 but ,he wanted to try them4 ,when they had been tried enough ,he showed them how to obtain the food they needed4 ,on this journey the company learned that it was necessary to trust in the ,lord and have faith in ,him1 for they saw that the brass ball which was given them by the ,lord to direct them would work only according to their faith4 ,points to be remembered in this story3 ,lehi instructed by the ,lord to continue on his journey--,he finds a brass ball by his tent door--,it points out the direction in which the company should travel--,the colony start again on their journey--,they stop at times to catch wild animals to eat--,use bows and arrows to shoot with--,nephi breaks his bow1 and the company are without food--,nephi makes a wooden bow and goes to the tops of the mountain1 where he finds plenty of animals--,at another stopping place ,ishmael dies1 ,laman and ,lemuel want to kill ,lehi and ,nephi--,nephi by the power of the ,lord gets them to obey their father--,the company continue their travels and come to the great sea1 now called the ,arabian ,sea1 or ,indian ,ocean--,here they find plenty of food--,the ,lord always watches over ,his children--,he lets them suffer in order to try them--,it is necessary to trust in the ,lord always4 ,,lehi ,,and ,,his ,,sons4 ,,nephi ,,builds ,a ,,ship4 ,after arriving at the place which they called ,bountiful1 near the great ocean1 ,lehi and his company pitched their tents and rested for many days4 ,here the ,lord spoke to ,nephi and told him to go to a mountain4 ,nephi obeyed the voice of the ,lord4 ,when he was upon the mountain he prayed1 and the ,lord told him he was to build a ship that the people might be carried in it across the ocean1 to the land of promise4 ,the ,lord promised ,nephi that ,he would show him how to build this ship4 ,nephi had no tools with which to make a ship1 and he did not know how he should get along with the work4 ,but the ,lord showed him where he might find iron ore out of which to make tools4 ,nephi then made out of the skins of animals a bellows1 such as blacksmiths use to blow the fire4 ,he then made a fire by striking two stones together4 ,he did not have matches1 such as we use to make a light4 ,while the company were traveling in the wilderness they did not make much fire4 ,the ,lord did not desire them to make much fire or light4 ,he caused their food to taste sweet without cooking4 ,image captioned ,,nephi ,,and ,,his ,,brethren ,,building ,a ,,ship4 ,this the ,lord did that they might know that ,he was their ,leader1 and that it was by ,his power they were fed and cared for4 ,after making a fire1 ,nephi melted the iron ore to get the iron out of it1 and then he made tools from the iron4 ,when ,nephi's brothers saw that he was going to build a ship and cross the ocean in it they made fun of him and called him foolish4 ,they did not believe he could build a ship1 nor did they think he could cross the great waters in the ship if he should build one4 ,they were not willing to help him1 as they did not believe he was instructed by the ,lord4 ,nephi reasoned with his brethren when he found they did not believe the ,lord had instructed him to build the ship4 ,he reminded them of how the ,lord delivered their forefathers out of ,egypt1 and how ,he had led their father ,lehi and family from ,jerusalem1 and cared for them on their way4 ,nephi also spoke to them about their wickedness and their unbelief4 ,this made them angry again1 and they wanted to throw him into the sea4 ,as they were about to take hold of him ,nephi commanded them in the name of the ,lord to not touch him4 ,he was filled with the ,spirit of the ,lord1 and told them if they touched him the ,lord would smite them1 or strike them so that they would wither4 ,for several days after this they did not dare to touch ,nephi4 ,then the ,lord told him to stretch his arm out towards his brethren1 and ,he would shake them4 ,this ,nephi did and the ,lord shook them so much that they were willing to believe in ,him4 ,they then fell down and were going to worship ,nephi1 but he told them to worship the ,lord and honor their father and mother4 ,the brothers were now willing to help ,nephi build the ship4 ,from time to time1 as ,he promised1 the ,lord instructed ,nephi about how he should make the vessel1 and ,nephi and his brethren got out timber and worked it according to the instructions they received4 ,image captioned ,,styles ,,of ,,ships ,,used ,,in ,,olden ,,times4 ,when the ship was finished they saw that it was good1 and the work on it was very fine2 and those who laughed at ,nephi and said he could not build a ship were humble now1 and they believed the ,lord had guided and instructed him4 ,now that the ship was built1 the ,lord told ,lehi to take his family and all who were with him and get into it4 ,so after preparing much fruit1 and meat1 and honey1 and other provisions which they needed they all got into the ship1 and started out on their journey or voyage4 ,they still had to be led by the ,lord1 as they did not know which way to travel4 ,when the ship was launched or loosened from the shore the wind blew it in the direction of the land to which the ,lord desired to take them4 ,we learn from this story that ,lehi and his company were led in the wilderness much in the same way as the children of ,israel were1 when they left ,egypt4 ,the children of ,israel were forty years in the wilderness going from ,egypt to ,jerusalem4 ,the distance between these two places was not so very far4 ,the reason they were so long in going was because the ,lord desired to teach them certain lessons before they ended their journey1 and it took all this time to prepare them to enter the land to which they were being led4 ,lehi and his company were eight years going from ,jerusalem to the sea shore where they built the ship4 ,they too1 might have traveled faster1 but some of them were disobedient and complained very much4 ,they did not have patience enough and did not trust in the ,lord as they should nor believe that ,he was leading them4 ,the ,lord wanted them to learn these things and so ,he caused them to remain a long time in the wilderness1 where they received an experience which was valuable to them4 ,points to be remembered in this story3 ,nephi is commanded by the ,lord to build a ship1 with which to cross the ocean--,he melts ore and gets iron to make tools--,his brothers call him foolish and refuse to help him--,he reasons with them and they try to throw him into the sea--,nephi commands them to not touch him or the ,lord will smite them--,the ,lord shakes them2 they then believe what their brother has told them and are willing to help him build a ship--,when the ship is finished all the people in the company go into it and they start on their voyage--,the journey of ,lehi and his company was like that of the children of ,israel when they left ,egypt4 ,,lehi ,,and ,,his ,,sons4 ,,arrival ,,on ,,the ,,promised ,,land4 ,after sailing on the ocean for several days ,nephi's brothers1 ,laman and ,lemuel1 and the sons of ,ishmael1 with their wives1 began to make themselves merry4 ,they sang1 and danced1 and spoke with much rudeness4 ,they seemed by their actions to have forgotten how the ,lord had cared for them and guided them through the wilderness4 ,nephi was afraid their actions would offend the ,lord1 and he spoke to them about their behavior4 ,but as before1 this made them angry1 and they said they would not be ruled over by their younger brother4 ,laman and ,lemuel took ,nephi and bound him with cords and treated him very cruelly4 ,nephi was bound so tightly that he could not move4 ,as soon as ,nephi was bound the liahona1 or brass ball1 failed to direct them in the course they should take1 and a great storm arose4 ,the ship was driven backward for three days1 and those on board began to be frightened1 as they were in danger of being drowned4 ,but ,laman and ,lemuel were so wicked at heart that they would not release ,nephi4 ,their father talked with them1 but this did not soften their hearts4 ,lehi and ,sariah his wife were getting old1 and the troubles caused them by their older sons made them very sick4 ,their two younger sons1 ,jacob and ,joseph1 who were born in the wilderness1 were much in need of their mother's care1 and were grieved because of her sickness4 ,nephi's wife and children cried and prayed for him to be released1 but this had no effect upon ,laman and ,lemuel4 ,nothing but the power of ,god would move them4 ,on the fourth day after ,nephi was bound the storm became more severe1 and it seemed as though the ship would sink4 ,the storm was so terrible that ,laman and ,lemuel became fearful that they would be drowned4 ,they then repented of their wicked acts and loosened the bands that held their brother4 ,nephi's wrists and ankles1 around which the cords were tied1 were very much swollen and very sore2 but he did not complain4 ,he thanked the ,lord and praised ,him for ,his goodness4 ,after being released ,nephi took the brass ball1 or compass1 as it was also called1 and it began to work again4 ,he prayed to the ,lord and the storm ceased1 and the ship was guided towards the promised land4 ,for many days they continued to sail1 and at last they reached the shore of the land of promise4 ,the place where they landed was in the country now called ,chili1 in ,south ,america4 ,here they got out of the ship and put up their tents4 ,they planted the seeds which they brought with them from ,jerusalem4 ,the seeds grew1 and soon they were rewarded with abundant crops4 ,they found that there were animals of all kinds in the forests4 ,there were cattle1 and horses1 and goats1 and many other animals4 ,they also found gold1 and silver1 and copper4 ,image captioned ,,arrival ,,on ,,the ,,promised ,,land4 ,this was indeed the choice land to which the ,lord promised to lead ,lehi and his colony4 ,here they could live in peace and happiness if they would keep the ,lord's commandments4 ,there were no other people in the country to disturb them4 ,this story shows us that the ,lord is true to ,his promises4 ,everything ,he promised ,lehi and ,nephi was fulfilled4 ,laman and ,lemuel1 who were so full of unbelief in regard to the ,lord's promises1 could now see that they were all true4 ,they had no way of getting news from ,jerusalem1 and they could not tell what was happening there2 but the ,lord showed to ,lehi in a vision the destruction of ,jerusalem1 which took place just about the time his colony reached the promised land4 ,points to be remembered in this story3 ,while in the ship ,laman1 ,lemuel and ,ishmael's sons with their wives act rude--,nephi was not pleased with their behavior and speaks to them--,they get angry and bind ,nephi with cords--,a great storm arises and nearly sinks the ship--,on the fourth day of the storm it becomes more terrible and ,laman and ,lemuel fear they will be drowned and release ,nephi--,nephi prays to the ,lord and the storm ceases--,after sailing many days they reach the promised land--,the country they arrive at is now called ,chili1 in ,south ,america--,they plant the seed which they brought from ,jerusalem and raise abundant crops--,they find all kinds of animals in the forests1 and gold1 silver and copper in the earth--,this is the choice land to which the ,lord promised to lead them--,the ,lord fulfills all ,his promises--,lehi saw the destruction of ,jerusalem in a vision4 ,,lehi ,,and ,,his ,,sons4 ,,lehi ,,blesses ,,his ,,children4 ,when the little colony of people led by ,lehi arrived on the promised land ,lehi was quite aged4 ,he knew that he would not live very long4 ,before he died he wanted to speak to his children and grandchildren and all who came with him across the great ocean4 ,he also desired to bless them1 and as he was their father and a servant of the ,lord1 it was his right to do so4 ,lehi was a great prophet4 ,the ,lord told him many things that would happen in years to come4 ,when he called his people together to speak to them and bless them1 he told them many things which the ,lord showed unto him4 ,he reminded them of the great mercy of ,god in leading them to such a beautiful land1 and told them that if they and their children after them would be faithful in keeping the commandments of the ,lord1 they should possess the land forever4 ,the ,lord had kept this land for a good people1 and as long as they should serve ,him they would prosper1 but when they became wicked they would not be protected by the ,lord4 ,other people would be led to their country and take possession of it4 ,lehi told what should happen to his children or posterity down to the time in which we live4 ,he also gave them some very good instructions4 ,these instructions you can read in the ,book of ,mormon when you become older4 ,the advice or counsel he gave them is good for others as well as his children1 and should be read by everyone who is able to understand it4 ,image captioned ,,lehi ,,blessing ,,his ,,family4 ,after telling them about these things1 ,lehi called his children to him one by one and blessed them4 ,in speaking to ,laman and ,lemuel1 ,lehi said he feared very much for them4 ,on account of their disobedience he was afraid the ,lord would cause a curse to come upon them and their children4 ,he asked them to be obedient to ,nephi1 their younger brother1 whom the ,lord promised should be their leader on account of his faithfulness and obedience4 ,if they would do as he desired them1 ,lehi promised they should not perish1 but if they would not1 the blessings he promised them would be taken from them4 ,in speaking to his other sons ,lehi also instructed them to listen to and obey the counsel of ,nephi1 and promised that their children and ,nephi's children should dwell together and be one people1 and that they and their children should dwell in peace in the land for a long time4 ,soon after blessing his children and giving them the instructions he desired they should receive1 ,lehi died1 and his children buried him4 ,if ,laman and ,lemuel were not so rebellious and unwilling to believe they might have seen many things to prove that their father was indeed a true prophet4 ,everything he prophesied about came to pass just as he said2 and many of his prophecies were fulfilled while ,laman and ,lemuel were living4 ,they could see and understand that the ,lord spoke to their father1 but they were wicked and disobedient4 ,in following stories we will learn what happened to them for their disobedience4 ,points to be remembered in this story3 ,before ,lehi dies he calls his family together to bless them and to tell them about what will happen in years to come--,he instructs them to keep the commandments of the ,lord and obey the teachings of ,nephi--,lehi dies--,laman and ,lemuel do not believe in their father's words because of their wickedness and rebellion4 ,,lehi ,,and ,,his ,,sons4 ,,nephi ,,and ,,his ,,people ,,seek ,a ,,new ,,home4 ,not many days after the death of ,lehi1 ,laman and ,lemuel and the sons of ,ishmael again became angry with ,nephi4 ,this was because he had counseled them as the ,lord had told him1 to be more faithful4 ,nephi desired his brethren to do better1 and this was why he talked with them4 ,he also prayed for them that their hearts might be softened4 ,but their hearts were evil4 ,they became more angry with ,nephi and tried to take his life4 ,they said among themselves1 ,our younger brother thinks to rule over us1 and we have had much trial because of him2 wherefore now let us slay him1 that we may not be afflicted more because of his words4 ,for behold we will not have him to be our ruler2 for it belongs unto us who are the older brethren1 to rule over this people4 ,they did not tell ,nephi of their intention to kill him1 that they might be rulers of the people4 ,but the ,lord warned him of what his brethren wanted to do1 and instructed him to leave them and go into the wilderness4 ,he was also to take with him all the people who were willing to follow him4 ,all those who believed in the revelations of the ,lord listened to ,nephi and obeyed his instructions1 and they were willing to follow him into the wilderness4 ,among these were ,nephi's family1 ,zoram and his family1 ,sam and his family and ,nephi's sisters4 ,after traveling for many days they found a place suitable for them to dwell in1 and there they pitched their tents4 ,this place they named ,nephi1 after their leader whom they loved4 ,the people also called themselves the people of ,nephi4 ,from this time on for many hundreds of years these people and their children were called ,nephites1 and those who remained with ,laman and ,lemuel were called ,lamanites4 ,image captioned ,,the ,,nephites ,,seeking ,a ,,new ,,home4 ,the place to which ,nephi led his people when they left ,laman and ,lemuel is believed to be north of where they landed from the ship when they first came to the promised land4 ,it was either in the country now called ,ecuador or in ,peru1 in ,south ,america4 ,the ,lord blessed the people who went with ,nephi to build up a new home4 ,they planted crops and raised an abundance of food4 ,they also raised herds of cattle and other animals that were useful to them4 ,the ,lord told ,lehi that ,he would lead him and his children to a rich and choice land2 and so it was4 ,his promise was fulfilled1 just as it always is4 ,when ,nephi left his disobedient brethren he took with him the brass plates which they obtained from ,laban in ,jerusalem4 ,the records on these plates were very valuable to him1 and he desired to keep them for his children and all who should live after him4 ,these records contained the laws and the commandments of the ,lord1 and ,nephi and his people desired to obey these commandments4 ,nephi also took with him the sword of ,laban and the brass ball or liahona which his father found near his tent door while traveling in the wilderness1 and which pointed out the way for him to travel4 ,nephi used the sword of ,laban as a pattern to make other swords by4 ,this was in order that his people might defend or protect themselves from ,laman and ,lemuel and those who were with them4 ,nephi knew that they hated him and his people and would try to kill them if they had the chance4 ,it was a wise thing for ,nephi to have his people make swords to protect themselves with1 for in less than forty years after the time they came across the sea to the promised land they had wars and contentions with the ,lamanites4 ,we learn from this story that ,laman and ,lemuel wanted to rule the people1 but the ,lord had promised ,nephi that he should be their leader on account of his faithfulness4 ,the ,lord also said that ,laman and ,lemuel and their children should be cut off from ,his presence1 that is ,he would not speak to them or give them revelations if they did not obey ,him4 ,nephi did become the leader of the people1 and the ,lamanites were shut out from receiving revelations from the ,lord on account of their wickedness1 showing that the ,lord's words were fulfilled4 ,we see by this that the ,lord is very particular to keep every promise ,he makes to ,his servants4 ,we should also be very careful to keep our promises to one another and to our ,heavenly ,father4 ,points to be remembered in this story3 ,laman1 ,lemuel and ,ishmael's sons get angry at ,nephi and plan among themselves to kill him--,the ,lord warns ,nephi of their intentions and tells him to leave them and go into another part of the country--,those who believe ,nephi's words and teachings go with him into the wilderness to find a new home--,they travel many days and settle at a place which they name ,nephi after their leader--,this people afterwards called ,nephites1 and those whom they left called ,lamanites--,here they are greatly blessed of the ,lord--,they sow seeds and reap an abundance of food--,the records on the brass plates1 the brass ball and the sword of ,laban taken by ,nephi to his new home--,nephi makes swords for his people to defend themselves with--,the ,lord's promises to ,nephi are fulfilled4 ,,lehi ,,and ,,his ,,sons4 ,,nephi ,,and ,,his ,,people ,,build ,a ,,temple4 ,after ,nephi and his people had separated themselves from ,laman and his followers1 the ,lord placed a curse upon the ,lamanites4 ,he caused a skin of blackness to come upon them4 ,before this they were a white and beautiful people2 but that they might not be attractive to the ,nephites1 the ,lord caused them to appear loathsome and offensive4 ,this was in order to keep them from associating together in any way4 ,the ,lord instructed the ,nephites to not mix with the ,lamanites1 and told them if they did they too would become cursed like them4 ,the only way for the ,lamanites to free themselves from their curse was to repent of their sins4 ,after this curse came upon the ,lamanites they became idle1 mischievous and filthy2 and they gained their living by hunting wild animals and eating their flesh4 ,nephi had a great deal to do among his people4 ,besides teaching them the commandments of the ,lord he had to instruct them about many other things4 ,he had to teach them how to build houses1 how to work wood1 and iron1 and copper1 and brass1 and steel1 and gold1 and silver1 in order to make useful articles out of these materials4 ,he also taught them how to obtain metals from the ore1 which was found in great abundance in the mountains4 ,he was very desirous that the people should become industrious and learn to labor with their hands4 ,nephi's younger brothers1 ,jacob and ,joseph1 and his own children and those of ,sam and ,zoram were born after their fathers left ,jerusalem4 ,they did not know much about building or other kind of work1 for they never had seen a city nor even a house4 ,during their travels in the wilderness they lived in tents4 ,some of these children might have remembered seeing their parents building the ship in which they crossed the ocean1 but they were very young at that time4 ,image captioned ,,the ,,nephites ,,building ,a ,,temple4 ,after teaching the people how to work at these different occupations ,nephi built a temple in which the people might meet to worship the ,lord and receive instructions4 ,he had the temple made like the one in ,jerusalem1 which was built by ,king ,solomon1 only it was not built of so many precious things4 ,nephi had seen the temple in ,jerusalem and knew how it was built1 and he made one like it as near as he could4 ,the work on it was very fine4 ,nephi was so well beloved by his people that they desired to make him their king4 ,he did not wish them to have a king but was willing to act as a leader and do all he could for them4 ,he needed some one to help him as a teacher of the people and he appointed and set apart his two younger brothers ,jacob and ,joseph as priests1 that they might instruct the people4 ,these two men were faithful in their duties and they gave the people very good instruction4 ,the ,lord blessed them in their labors and showed them in visions many glorious things1 just as he had shown their brother ,nephi4 ,we learn from this story that ,nephi was a very wise man4 ,he was able to teach his people how to work at different kinds of occupations as well as to instruct them in their duties to the ,lord4 ,nephi became wise by being obedient4 ,he was taught many things by the ,lord4 ,he prayed to the ,lord to know what to do and his prayers were answered4 ,the ,lord helps those who ask for ,his aid4 ,he is willing to help them in their work or in their study1 or if they are in trouble1 or in whatever way they need ,his help4 ,the only way to be truly wise and to get correct knowledge is to seek the ,lord for ,his guidance4 ,points to be remembered in this story3 ,after the ,nephites and ,lamanites separate the ,lord places a curse upon the ,lamanites--,causes a skin of darkness to come upon them--,this was to make them loathsome to the ,nephites1 so that they would not associate together--,the ,lamanites become idle and mischievous--,nephi teaches his people how to work at different occupations--,he builds a temple like the one in ,jerusalem--,the people love ,nephi and want to make him their king--,he does not wish them to have a king but is willing to do all he can for them as a leader and teacher--,nephi appoints his brothers ,jacob and ,joseph as priests to help him teach the people their duties--,nephi a wise man--,becomes wise by being obedient to the ,lord4 ,,lehi ,,and ,,his ,,sons4 ,,nephi ,,makes ,,plates ,,on ,,which ,,to ,,keep ,a ,,record4 ,nephi was very particular to keep a record or history of his people1 and to record the instructions he received from the ,lord4 ,this was in order that the people might know the many great things the ,lord had done for them and their forefathers4 ,the ,lord was very particular about ,nephi taking a record of his forefathers with him when he left ,jerusalem4 ,you will remember that ,nephi and his brothers were sent to ,laban for the records1 and ,nephi was commanded of the ,lord to kill ,laban in order to get them4 ,the ,lord knew that by having the people keep a record of ,his dealings with them they would not be so apt to forget ,him and ,his commandments4 ,the ,book of ,mormon tells about a company of people who left ,jerusalem eleven years later than did ,nephi and his colony4 ,they brought no records with them4 ,a little more than three hundred years later the children or descendants of these people were found by the people of ,nephi4 ,at this time their language was corrupted or changed so much that the two peoples could not understand each other4 ,these people who were without records of any kind had also lost all knowledge of the ,lord4 ,they did not know there was a ,god4 ,this shows how important it is that records should be kept so that the people may remember the commandments of the ,lord1 and not forget ,him as these people did4 ,nephi made some plates from metal on which he wrote or engraved an account of his people from the time they left ,jerusalem until a short time before he died4 ,on these plates he wrote a full history of the people4 ,afterwards the ,lord told him to make other plates and engrave upon them certain instructions for the benefit of his people4 ,when ,nephi became old he gave the plates which contained the records to his brother ,jacob and instructed him about what to write on them4 ,jacob in turn when he grew old gave them to his son4 ,in this way the history of the people was kept for many hundreds of years4 ,next to the last man among the ,nephites who had charge of the records was one named ,mormon4 ,besides writing an account of what happened in his own time1 ,mormon made from these records which were on the plates a short history of the people from the days of ,lehi to his own time4 ,this history which he wrote is what was translated by ,joseph ,smith4 ,it is called the ,book of ,mormon because it was written by ,mormon4 ,his son whose name was ,moroni was the last man among the ,nephites who wrote on the plates4 ,he was also the last prophet that lived among them4 ,when he finished the history the people were fighting and killing each other4 ,they had become wicked and would not obey the commandments of the ,lord nor listen to the instructions of ,his servants the prophets4 ,on this account the ,lord allowed them to destroy each other4 ,his prophets ,lehi and ,nephi said they would be destroyed if they would not serve the ,lord4 ,image captioned ,,nephi ,,making ,,plates4 ,when ,moroni finished writing the history of the ,nephites he placed the plates containing the records in a stone box and buried them in a hill4 ,with the plates he also placed in the box the sword of ,laban which ,nephi took to slay ,laban with and a gold breastplate such as the people used to protect themselves in war2 also the urim and thummim1 or interpreters4 ,this stone box and its contents remained in the ground where it was buried fourteen hundred years4 ,on the #bbnd day of ,september1 #ahbg1 this same man ,moroni1 who had died and was resurrected1 or raised to life again1 showed ,joseph ,smith the ,prophet where this stone box was buried1 and gave him permission to take the plates and other things out4 ,with the urim and thummim or interpreters1 ,joseph ,smith translated or changed the writings on some of the plates into the ,english language4 ,in this way the ,book of ,mormon was given to the people who live in our time4 ,the urim and thummim was two precious stones fastened into a silver rim4 ,they had been prepared by the ,lord for the purpose of translating4 ,by looking on these stones the ,prophet ,joseph ,smith could see the ,english words to be written for the words which were engraved on the plates4 ,when ,nephi became old and knew that he would soon die he anointed a man to be king to rule over the people4 ,he had already appointed his brothers ,jacob and ,joseph as priests to instruct them in their duties to the ,lord4 ,he himself had taught them many things about religion and other matters1 and now he was prepared to die4 ,he lived a good life1 having been faithful in doing everything the ,lord commanded him4 ,points to be remembered in this story3 ,nephi kept a record of his people so they might remember what the ,lord had done for them--,if they did not have the ,lord's commandments written they would easily forget them--,nephi makes plates of metal on which to write the history of his people--,these plates were given by one man to another to keep for many hundreds of years--,moroni the next to last man who wrote on the plates copied a short history of the people from them which is called the ,book of ,mormon--,moroni1 ,mormon's son finished the records and hid them in a stone box--,fourteen hundred years afterwards ,moroni showed ,joseph ,smith where the plates were hidden1 and gave him permission to take them out of the ground--,with the urim and thummim ,joseph ,smith translated the writings on some of the plates--,before he died ,nephi anointed a man to be king over the people4 ,transcriber's ,note3 ,a few extraneous punctuation marks were corrected as seemed reasonable4