JAWBONE'S DREAM
1Creator spoke to my father in a dream and said to him:
“My blessing and honor rest on you, Jawbone (Lehi), for the things you did. And since you have served me well in telling these people the things I asked you to tell them, they are trying to kill you.”
2Then Creator gave my father new instructions. He told him to take his family and live in the desert wilderness. 3He obeyed these sacred instructions, doing as he was shown in his night vision, 4and he began walking the spirit-trail into the desert wilderness.
THE JOURNEY BEGINS
In doing this my father left everything behind: he left his lodge, he left the sacred hunting grounds of his ancestors, and he left his gold and silver. He left his many possessions and took nothing with him. He took his family, he took some provisions, and he took his tipis when he went into the wilderness.
5He came down by the shores of the Red Sea and continued his journey in the paths of few travelers.
And his family walked with him, which consisted of my mother, Creator is Prince (Sariah), and my older brothers, who were Shimmering Light (Laman), Devoted to Creator (Lemuel), and Unites the Lands (Sam).
6When he had traveled three days in the wilderness, he pitched his tent lodge in a valley by the side of a river. 7Then he built a ceremonial altar of stones and made an offering to Creator and gave thanks to the Great Spirit.
GRUMBLINGS AND COMPLAINTS
8He called the name of the river, Shimmering Light (Laman), and it emptied into the Red Sea (the valley where we camped was at the mouth of this river). 9When my father first saw the waters of the river pouring swiftly into the Red Sea, he spoke to his eldest son, after whom he named the river, and said:
“I hope you will be like this river, always flowing into the waters of right ways!”
10And he also spoke to his son, Devoted to Creator (Lemuel):
“I hope you will be like this valley, firm and settled, and immovable in doing as the Great Spirit instructs!”
11He spoke in this way because of the stiffness of their necks because they had just grumbled and complained to him. They said that he had no right to visions, that he only thought up worthless images in his mind, and that as a result he led them away from the comforts of their belongings only to waste away in the desert wilderness. 12 Those were the kinds of things they grumbled and complained about to my father.
But the truth is that they did not know how the Great Spirit lays out his road for his children to walk. 13 They also thought it was not right that the great Village of Peace (Jerusalem) could be destroyed by the words of so-called prophets. Their hearts were just like the hearts of the Tribal Members who tried to kill my father.
14But my father replied to them with the power of the Great Spirit until their frames started shaking. He left them unable to argue with him, so they decided to go back to setting up camp as he instructed. 15From that time forward, my father lived in a tent lodge.
CREATOR IS CHIEF HEARS A VOICE
16I, Creator Is Chief (Nephi), was young at the time but I was also strong in body and spirit, and I wanted to know the sacred mysteries of the Great Spirit for myself. So, I cried out to Creator and Creator answered me. He held up my heart so that I could see the truth and believe my father. Because of this, I did not rebel against him like my brothers. 17I confided in Unites the Lands (Sam), and I told him the things that Creator had shown me by his Sacred Spirit. He believed me and sided with me. 18But Shimmering Light (Laman) and Devoted to Creator (Lemuel) would not listen to or believe me.
I was pained with sorrow because of their hearts of stone, which made me cry to Creator for them. 19Creator spoke again to me and said:
“My blessing and honor rest on you, Creator Is Chief (Nephi), because of your faith. You turned your whole soul to seek my road, all with a humble heart. 20If you walk in my ways, you will never stumble, and I will lead you to a land of promise. It is a land which I have prepared just for you, the most beautiful hunting grounds I have made. 21And when you arrive if your older brothers will reject you, they will there be cut off from my presence. 22But if you will do as I instruct, I will make you their chief and their wisdom keeper. 23But someday when they finally rise up against me, I will put a very strong curse on them so that they will have no power over your descendants unless your descendants also rise up against me. 24If and when that happens, the descendants of your older brothers will punish your descendants until they walk in my ways again.”
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