In going back over my blog, I realized that I didn’t include insights into 1 Nephi1. I don’t know how that happened! It is such a crucial chapter beginning with a testimony of Jesus Christ by Lehi.

For a wise purpose

The record from 1 Nephi to Omni are called the “small plates of Nephi.” 1 and 2 Nephi were written by Nephi about 30 years after Lehi and his family have left Jerusalem, crossed the ocean and arrived in the promised land which is on the American continent. He is writing as a mature man who been tested and tried. He has already been keeping a record as he was commanded to do, but later he was commanded to make this additional record. He tells us in 1 Nephi 9 that he doesn’t know why the Lord has commanded him to make this record. He simply says it is for a wise purpose. As we will find out as we study Nephi, he has the faith to obey without knowing why, but he knows that God knows and that is sufficient.

1 Nephi 9:5 Wherefore, the Lord hath commanded me to make these plates for a wise purpose in him, which purpose I know not.

6 But the Lord knoweth all things from the beginning; wherefore, he prepareth a way to accomplish all his works among the children of men; for behold, he hath all power unto the fulfilling of all his words. And thus it is. Amen.

Nephi’s introduction

Nephi gives us a literary introduction of who he is, his purpose in writing, the language in which he is writing and also the historical context. It’s also significant that he bears his testimony in the very beginning that he knows that his record is true. This is something that is consistent with the various Book of Mormon authors. There are internal testimonies throughout the Book of Mormon.

1 Nephi 1:3 And I know that the record which I make is true; and I make it with mine own hand; and I make it according to my knowledge.

I will just give one more example of the many that are throughout the Book of Mormon.

Mosiah 1:6 O my sons, I would that ye should remember that these sayings are true, and also that these records are true. And behold, also the plates of Nephi, which contain the records and the sayings of our fathers from the time they left Jerusalem until now, and they are true; and we can know of their surety because we have them before our eyes.

Historical context–Nephi is going back to when they first left Jerusalem–in the commencement of the first year of King Zedekiah of the kingdom of Judah. This was in the year 597 BC. Lehi and other prophets, including Jeremiah are prophesying of the imminent destruction of Jerusalem. Although the people didn’t believe them and were angered by this message, the prophesies came true. Jerusalem and Solomon’s temple were completely destroyed about 10 years later.

Lehi’s vision and testimony–After Nephi’s introduction, the primary purpose of the Book of Mormon, to testify of Jesus Christ, begins with Lehi’s vision of the Savior. This vision comes as a result of prayer. We learn from Nephi how his father prayed. He prayed with all this heart. For whom did he pray? He prayed for his people, the people of Jerusalem, his family and friends. He faith was rewarded with a vision of the Savior which filled his soul with joy. He also testified of the coming of a Messiah and the redemption of the world.

The tender mercies of the Lord–Nephi concludes this chapter with what he wants us learn through his narrative. He wants to show us that the tender mercies of the Lord are available to us all. I love the word “tender.” Nephi shows us this through personal experiences and other examples. We have a tender, loving God!

Mercy bookends the Book of Mormon. Nephi writes about the “tender mercies of the Lord,” and in the very last chapter of the Book of Mormon Moroni writes about how merciful the Lord is.

1 Nephi 1:20 . . . But behold, I, Nephi, will show unto you that the tender mercies of the Lord are over all those whom he hath chosen, because of their faith, to make them mighty even unto the power of deliverance.

Moroni 10:3 Behold, I would exhort you that when ye shall read these things, if it be wisdom in God that ye should read them, that ye would remember how merciful the Lord hath been unto the children of men, from the creation of Adam even down until the time that ye shall receive these things, and ponder it in your hearts.

A beautiful beginning to an extraordinary book!

As an author Nephi is superb. He gives us an introduction of who he is, the historical context, gives us the main purpose of his record–to bear testimony of Jesus Christ and what he wants to accomplish through his record, to show us the tender mercies of the Lord. What a beautiful beginning to a extraordinary book!

The plates of Lehi–Nephi also gives us a little context of his father’s record. Lehi wrote down many of his visions, dreams and prophesies. Nephi explains that he will make an abridgment of his father’s record. We currently don’t have that record in the Book of Mormon. As we will learn later it was most probably part of the manuscript that was loaned to Martin Harris by Joseph Smith and subsequently lost.

Personal application: I can pray more earnestly for my family and friends. I can be bold in my testimony of Jesus Christ as was Lehi and Nephi. I can have faith in the “tender mercies” of the Lord.

Nephi writing on the plates