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CHAPTER 19Nephi makes plates of ore and records the history of his people—The God of Israel shall come six hundred years from the time Lehi left Jerusalem—Nephi tells of His suffereings and crucifixion—The Jews shall be despised and scattered until the latter days, when they will return unto the Lord. [Between 588 and 570 B.C.] |
Nephi makes the large plates of Nephi and records the 'history' of his people on them, including a record of their journeyings in the wilderness of the new land of promise from the second Bountiful to the Land of First Inheritance—Nephi explains that these small plates of Nephi which he is recording this information will not contain that history of their journeying in the wilderness of the land of promise for they are on those large plates of Nephi and these small plates which he made in about 570 B.C. contains primarily those things of spiritual importance. (etc) [Between 578 and 570 B.C.] |
It was not until their arrival in the promised land
and their 'journeyings in that new wilderdess' from their Bountiful landing
site to the 'land of first inheritance' that Nephi was commanded to make his
record. They had found animals of every kind and many 'ores' from
which they could produce metal.
The first plates Nephi made were the 'Large Plates' which contained a
secular history. At first these plates were kept by the kings
until the days of the Judges, then being turned over to Alma the Younger.
After beginning the Large Plates, Nephi was later commanded to
make a more particular record of his religious ministry, the 'Small Plates'
to be handed down from generation to generation (2 Nephi 5:30).
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1 AND it came to pass that the Lord
commanded me, wherefore I did make
plates of ore that I might engraven upon them the arecord
of my people. And upon the plates which I made I did
bengraven the record of my
cfathera, and
also our journeyings in the
wildernessb, and the prophecies of
my father; and also many of mine own prophecies have I engraven upon
themc.
2 And I knew not at the time when I made them that I should be commanded of the Lord to make athese plates; wherefore, the record of my father, and the genealogy of his fathers, and the more part of all our proceedings in the wildernessa are engraven upon those first platesb of which I have spoken; wherefore, the things which transpired before I made bthese plates are, of a truth, more particularly made mention upon the first platesc.
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1a I did engraven the record of my
father The record or book of Lehi was thus on the large plates of
Nephi which Mormon did abridge. That the first book which Mormon did abridge
was called the Book of Lehi is understood because we are told that the 116
lost pages did contain the Book of Lehi. Now the Book of Lehi would have
spanned that time from Lehi leaving in Jerusalem to about chapter 3 of
2 Nephi where Lehi finishes giving his blessings upon his children before
his death. Therefore, while the small plates of Nephi, which make up the
first part of our Book of Mormon today, did replace that Book of Lehi from
Mormon's abridgment, but we must also presume that Mormon's abridgement from
the large plates of Nephi also included much more between the Book of Lehi
and the Book of Mosiah where we pick Mormon's abridgment back up after the
insertion of the substituted small plates of Nephi. One day we will obtain
the whole of the abridgment of Mormon as well as all the rest of the reords
of the Nephites. But until then, we can only comtemplate just what it is
that was actually lost when Martin Harris lost the 116 pages of the Book of
Mormon.
1b also our journeyings in the wilderness Upon the Large Plates of Nephi is to be found an extended account of the 'journeyings' of Lehi's party in the 'wilderness' of the promised land. Those journeyings did take Lehi and his people from their landing site which they called Bountiful after that Bountiful which they had left and due to the bounteous first crop grown there, to that land south which would be called by them 'the land of first inheritance'. Like most all successful colonists, Lehi's party did not remain at the site of their first landing. They journeyed in the land finding and discovering the natural resources which a long term success establishment would require (see 1 Nephi 18:25). 1c engraven upon them The process of engraving upon metal plates is a particular and precise process. It might be supposed that when Zoram brought the brass plates with him at the command of Nephi, who he presumed to be Laban, Zoram not only brought the plates but also those engraving tools which were used to engraven upon the plates as the elders and Laban may have desired to engraven more upon them at their meeting. Two thoughts come to mind here. It will be interesting to see just what was being engraven upon those plates in the days of Laban compared to what had been recorded previously by his family of caretakers of the plates. Also one might consider the  2a more part of all our proceedings in the wilderness Again, the more part of the events of journey from Bountiful to the Land of First Inheritance' is given upon the Large Plates of Nephi. Due to the quick read artist, often in error is the site of Lehi's first landing so associated with the 'Land of First Inheritance' which was south in the Land and Nation called Nephi. Joseph Smith states that Lehi's party landed a 'little south of the Isthmus of Darien'. That is where the western regions of the regional land of Bountiful was located. From that landing site it becomes obvious that Lehi's party did journey in the wilderness south finding first the remnants of the scattered domestic herds of the Jaredites and then also finding the natural mineral resources mentioned in 1 Nephi 18:25. 2bthose first plates The first plates where were commaned and made when Nephi found metal ores in the land of promise were the Large Plates of Nephi. The Small Plates of Nephi from which we read in the Book of Mormon were not made by Nephi until the Lord commanded him in 2 Nephi chapter 5 in about 559 BC after Nephi had separated from his brethren and established a society of his own people (see 2 Nephi 5:30). 2cthe things which transpired before I made these plates are, of a truth, more particularly made mention upon the first plates Nephi here denotes that that which transpired before he came to make this first set of plates are more particularly detailed upon the Large Plates of Nephi and not on the small plates. This confirms that while the journeyings in the wilderness took much time and distance to so explore the land and come to a location where metal ores where to be found, are not detailed upon the small plates of Nephi as they were detailed upon the Large Plates of Nephi and not on his small plates, which is the record we read from and which did but limit them to one short paragraph or verse of two sentences in 1 Nephi 18:25. |
1a
TG
Plate;
TG
Record Keeping b TG Scribe c 1 Ne. 1:17 (16-17); 1 Ne. 6:1 (1-3); Jacob 7:26 (26-27) 2a 2 Ne. 5:30; Jacob 3:14 b 1 Ne. 9:2 (1-5); Omni 1:1
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3 And after I had made athese plates by way
of commandment, I, Nephi, received a commandment that the ministry and the
prophecies, the more plain and precious parts of them, should be written
upon athese
platesa; and that the things which
were written should be kept for the instruction of my people, who should
possess the land, and also for other bwise purposes, which
purposes are known unto the Lord.
4 Wherefore, I, Nephi, did make a record upon the aother plates, which gives an account, or which gives a greater accounta of the wars and contentions and destructions of my people. And this have I done, and commanded my people what they should do after I was gone; and that these plates should be handed down from one generation to another, or from one prophet to another, until further commandments of the Lord. 5 And an account of my amaking these plates shall be given hereafter; and then, behold, I proceed according to that which I have spoken; and this I do that the more sacred things may be bkept for the knowledge of my people.
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3a after I had made these [those] plates by way of commandment, I, Nephi, received a commandment that the ministry and the prophecies, the more plain and precious parts of them, should be written upon these plates (see 2 Nephi 5:30) Often language is inadequate to convey precise meanings. The small plates of Nephi from which we today read this portion of the Book of Mormon was not commanded of Nephi to write until between 570 to 580 B.C. Nephi was first commanded and first made the more secular history know as the 'Large Plates of Nephi' upon their arriving in the 'land of first inheritance' after they had journeyed in the land and found many 'ores' from which metal could be produced (about 577 B.C. according to my best determination). Thus Nephi began his first record while Lehi was yet living and while he still remained with Laman and Lemuel. That record contained the 'Book of Lehi' and the records of the kings. We have little of that record as kept by the 'kings' except the Book of Mosiah as abridged by Mormon. The rest of the 'Large Plate' record was kept by Alma and primarily his descendants until Mormon was commanded to take over the care of the records of the people of Nephi. |
3a
1 Ne. 10:1;
Jacob 1:1 (1-4); Jacob 3:13-14); Jacob 4:1 (1-4) b 1 Ne. 9:5 (4-5); W of M 1:7; D&C 3:19-20; D&C 10:38 (1-51) 4a 1 Ne. 9:4 (2-5); 2 Ne. 5:33 5a 2 Ne. 5:30 (28-33) b TG Scripture, Preservation of
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6 Nevertheless, I do not awrite anything upon
plates save it be that I think it be bsacred. And now, if
I do err, even did they err of old; not that I would excuse myself because of
other men, but because of the cweakness which is in me,
according to the flesha, I would
excuse myself.
7 For the things which some men esteem to be of great worth, both to the body and soul, others set at anaught and trample under their feet. Yea, even the very God of Israel do men btrample under their feet; I say, trample under their feet but I would speak in other words—they set him at naught, and chearken not to the voice of his counsels.
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6a
TG
Scripture, Writing of b See title page of the Book of Mormon; TG Sacred c Morm. 8:17 (13-17); Ether 12:23 (23-28) 7a Num. 15:31 (30-31); 2 Ne. 33:2; Jacob 4:14; D&C 3:7 (4-13) b Ezek. 34:19; D&C 76:35; TG Blasphemy; TG Sacrilege c TG Disobedience; TG Prophets, Rejection of
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8 And behold he acometh, according to the
words of the angel, in b*six hundred years from the time my
father left Jerusalema.
9 And the world, because of their iniquity, shall judge him to be a thing of naught; wherefore they scourge him, and he suffereth it; and they smite him, and he suffereth it. Yea, they aspit upon him, and he suffereth it, because of his loving bkindness and his clong-suffering towards the children of men. 10 And the aGod of our fathers, who were bled out of Egypt, out of bondage, and also were preserved in the wilderness by him, yea, the cGod of Abraham, and of Isaac, and the God of Jacob, dyieldeth himself, according to the words of the angel, as a man, into the hands of ewicked men, to be flifted up, according to the words of gZenocka, and to be hcrucified, according to the words of Neumb, and to be buried in a isepulchre, according to the words of jZenos, which he spake concerning the three days of kdarkness, which should be a sign given of his death unto those who should inhabit the isles of the seac, more especially given unto those who are of the lhouse of Israel.
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8a according to the words of the angel,
in six hundred years from the time my father left Jerusalem If this
is an exact measure according to the word of the angel, then Lehi left in
the spring of 600 B.C. at the date that would be know to us a April
6th, for that is when the Lord was born, April 6th.
10a to be lifted up, according to the words of Zenock Zenock is one of the prophets whose words are not preserved in the Old Testament. He spake plainly concerning the Son of God, that he would be lifted up and crucified and that there would be great destructions at Christ's death. (See also Alma 33:15-16; Alma 34:7; Helaman 8:19-20; 3 Nephi 10:16) 10b to be crucified, according to the words of Neum Neum is only mentioned here this once in the Book of Mormon. Thus what other words he would have recorded are left to be seen when the plates of brass do come forth. 10c the words of Zenos, which he spake concerning the three days of darkness which should be a sign given of his death unto those who should inhabit the isles of the sea Zenos, and other Old Testament era prophets, who speak more to the scattered remnant of the house of Joseph/Israel and the isles of the sea, was not preserved by the Jews in the Old Testament Biblical records and compiled by them as the stick of Judah. If the Jews did have them at one time, because they did speak more particularly so specifically to the other tribes of Israel and more concerning the sins of the Jews and their murder of the redeemer, the Jews may well have discarded them. |
8a
TG
Jesus Christ, Betrayal of; TG Jesus Christ, Birth of TG Jesus Christ, Prophecies about b 1 Ne. 2:4; 1 Ne. 10:4 (4-11); 2 Ne. 25:19; 9a Isa. 50:6 (5-6); Matt. 27:30; b TG Kindness c TG Forbearance 10a 2 Ne. 10:3; 2 Ne. 26:12; Mosiah 7:27; Mosiah 27:31 (30-31); Alma 11:39 (38-39); 3 Ne. 11:14 (14-15) b Gen. 15:14 (13-14); Ex. 3:10 (2-10); Ex. 6:6; 1 Ne. 5:15; 1 Ne. 17:24 (24, 31, 40); 2 Ne. 25:20; D&C 136:22 c Gen. 32:9; Matt. 22:32; Mosiah 7:19; D&C 136:21; TG Jesus Christ—Jehovah d TG Jesus Christ, Condescension of e TG Jesus Christ, Betrayal of f 3 Ne. 27:14; 3 Ne. 28:6 g BD Lost Books; See also Alma 33:15; Alma 34:7; Hel. 8:20 (19-20); 3 Ne. 10:16 (15-16) h 2 Ne. 6:9; Mosiah 3:9; TG Jesus Christ, Crucifixion of i Matt. 27:60; Luke 23:53; 2ne. 25:13; j Jacob 5:1; Jacob 6:1; Hel. 15:11; k 1 Ne. 12:4 (4-5); Hel. 14:27 (20, 27); 3 Ne. 8:19 (3, 19-23); 3 Ne. 10:9 l 3 Ne. 16:1 (1-4)
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Thus Spake the Prophets of Old ~ Even ZenosNephi qoutes from a number of prophets whose words were recorded on the plates of brass but are not had in our Bible of today. He mentions here by name Zenock, Neum and Zenos. And he continues to quote from Zenos more specifically as Zenos speaks of those of the house of Israel who are not at Jerusalem which the Lord will visit and such events as would be in the distant lands of the isles of the sea, even the promised land of Joseph. (See verses 10-17) These prophets not in the Bible were prophets of the Kingdom of Israel and thus prophets to Ephraim which the Jews would not particularly care to record and keep. This seems to be added indication that the plates of brass was that record kept particular by the house of Joseph. That the Book of Mormon is an abridged record representing 'The Stick of Joseph', it seems particularly proper that it contains such writings and references to such Isrealite prophets of the brass plate record as well, as it was kept by the house of Joseph (1 Nephi 5:16). |
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11 For thus spake the prophet: The Lord God surely shall
avisit all the house of Israel at that day, some with his
bvoice, because of their righteousness, unto their great
joy and salvation, and others with the cthunderings and the
lightnings of his power, by tempest, by fire, and by dsmoke,
and evapor of fdarkness, and by the
opening of the gearth, and by hmountains
which shall be carried up.
12 And aall these things must surely come, saith the prophet bZenos. And the crocks of the earth must rend; and because of the dgroanings of the earth, many of the kings of the isles of the sea shall be wrought upon by the Spirit of God, to exclaim: The God of nature suffers.
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11a
D&C 5:16 b 3 Ne. 9:1 (1-22) c Hel. 14:21 (20-27); 3 Ne. 8:6 (5-23) d Gen. 19:28; Ex. 19:18 Morm. 8:29 (29-30); D&C 45:41 (40-41) e 1 Ne. 12:5 f Luke 23:44 (44-45); TG Darkness, Physical g Num. 16:32; 2 Ne. 26:5 h 3 Ne. 10:13 (13-14) 12a Hel. 14:28 (20-28); 3 Ne. 10:11 b Jacob 5:1 c Matt. 27:51 (51-54) d Moses 7:56 (48-56)
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13 And as for those who are at Jerusalem, saith the prophet, they
shall be ascourged by all people, because they crucify the
God of Israel, and turn their hearts aside, rejecting signs and
wonders, and the power and glory of the God of Israel.
14 And because they turn their hearts aside, saith the prophet, and have adespised the Holy One of Israel, they shall wander in the flesh, and perish, and become a bhiss and a cbyword, and be dhated among all nations.
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13a
Matt. 23:38 (37-39); Luke 23:28 (27-30) 14a Ps. 22:6; Mosiah 14:3 (3-6) b Jer. 24:9; 3 Ne. 29:8 (8-9); TG Israel, Bondage of, in Other Lands c Deut. 28:37; 1 Kings 9:7 (6-7); Joel 2:17; 3 Ne. 16:9 (8-9) d 2 Ne. 10:6; 2 Ne. 25:15; TG Hate
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15 Nevertheless, when that day cometh, saith the prophet, that they
ano more bturn aside their hearts against
the Holy One of Israel, then will he remember the
ccovenants which he made to their fathers.
16 Yea, then will he remember the aisles of the sea; yea, and all the people who are of the house of Israel, will I bgather in, saith the Lord, according to the words of the prophet Zenos, from the four quarters of the earth. 17 Yea, and all the earth shall asee the salvation of the Lord, saith the prophet; every nation, kindred, tongue and people shall be blesseda.
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15a
1 Ne. 15:19;
1 Ne. 22:12 (11-12) b TG Israel, Restoration of c TG Abrahamic Covenant 16a 1 Ne. 22:4; 2 Ne. 10:21 b Isa. 49:22 (20-22); Isa. 60:4; TG Israel, Gathering of 17a Isa. 40:5 (4-5)
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18 And I, Nephi, have written these things unto my people, that
perhaps I might persuade them that they would aremember the
Lord their Redeemer.
19 Wherefore, I speak unto all the house of Israel, if it so be that they should obtain athese things.
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18a
Mosiah 13:29 19a Enos 1:16; Morm. 5:12; Morm. 7:9-10; TG Israel, Restoration of
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20 For behold, I have workings in the spirit, which doth
aweary me even that all my joints are weak, for those who
are at Jerusalem; for had not the Lord been merciful, to show unto me
concerning them, even as he had prophets of old, I should have
perished also.
21 And he surely did show unto the aprophets of old all things bconcerning them; and also he did show unto many concerning us; wherefore, it must needs be that we know concerning them for they are written upon the plates of brass.
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20a
Dan. 10:8 (8-12);
1 Ne. 1:7; Alma 27:17; Moses 1:10 (9-10) 21a 2 Kings 17:13; Amos 3:7; TG Prophets, Mission of b 3 Ne. 10:16 (16-17)
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Elder Orson Pratt's Divisions VS 1830 Original First EditionThe seemingly lengthy paragraphs and chapters of the 1830 edition were meant to maintain more of the continuous thought pattern and communitcation than is the design of 'modern' scriptural division made by Elder Orson Pratt. This verse form is that which scriptural students are more familiar with the scriptural verses, chapters, and their ease of referncing of the Bible. The scriptural verses and shorter chapters serve their purpose but do tend to lose the intend to maintain greater continuity and clerity concerning the line of thought in its presentation. From the original form of the 1830 edition, Elder Pratt's divisions are sometimes seemingly random and are less concern with the continuity of thought being maintained within as such are in lengthy chapters, because of having to divided at points were one concern of ordering the KJV of Isaiah chapter per chapter in the Book of Mormon than the actual way written and produced in the original 1830 Book of Mormon edition. Chapter V of the 1830's 1 Nephi has been divided or chopped up into '3 Patt verses' appended to the end of 1 Nepni chapter 19 and into chapter 20 and 21 to parallel the KJV of the Bible Isaiah's verses and chapters as in Isaiah 48 and 49 as arranged therein. This present series of divisions are a prime example of thought train being lost and the loss of information being lost or harder to follow. Here, what amounts to be the 'last three Pratt verses (22-24) were taken from the beginning end of chapter 6 (1830) at a and placed at the end of 'Pratt's' chapter 19 wnen they introduced and should have stayed with the Isaiah chapters (Pratt chapters 20 and 21 - Iasiah 48 and 49) at the point where they were actually intended to be part of the same continuous thought continuity. Nephi was introducing and explaining his logic of reading what is in our KJV of the Bible that may well have beem one continuous oration on the part of the original text Isaiah as recorded upon the brass plates. Nephi explains the all important point that he was reading Isaiah and likening it unto his extende family, which had been broken off from the seed of Joseph (Genesis 48:22-26) and bought over the ocean wall to the promised land upon the isles of the sea. He further explained that 'WE' the readers of today should do the same. If 'WE' therefore would read Isaiah with the understanding that it was written for to us for us today, we would readily see and understand out latter-day role to fulfill as the church of the House of Israel today in bringing salvation to the entire earth today and into the Millennium. As is divided by Elder Pratt, the 'student' of the Book of Mormon seldom connects Nephi's introduction in 1 Npehi chapter 19 to Isaiah 48 and 49, that is 1 Nephi 20 & 22. The continuity lost is that 'WE' of today are Israel, that Israel to whom Isaiah, who is one who has seen all or parts of the vision of all as he sets it out as spoken to him by the voice of the Lord concerning the house of Jacob/Israel (Joseph, Ephraim, Mannaseh - JST Genesis 48:5-11) and the responsible latter-day leadership of the Church of Jesus Christ to fulfill the covenant made with Abraham to bless the nations of the world with salvation being extended to the entire earth. |
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22 Now it came to pass that I, Nephi, did teach my brethren
these things; and it came to pass that I did read many things to
them, which were engraven upon the aplates of brass, that
they might know concerning the doings of the Lord in other lands,
among people of old.
23 And I did read many things unto them which were written in the abooks of Moses; but that I might more fully persuade them to believe in the Lord their Redeemer I did read unto them that which was written by the prophet bIsaiah; for I did cliken all scriptures unto us, that it might be for our dprofit and learning. 24 Wherefore I spake unto them, saying: Hear ye the words of the prophet, ye who are a aremnant of the house of Israel, a cbranch who have been broken off; chear ye the words of the prophet, which were written unto all the house of Israel, and liken them unto yourselves, that ye may have hope as well as your brethren from whom ye have been broken off; for after this manner has the prophet writtena.
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24a after this manner has the prophet written Of course the prophet is Isaiah. And Nephi will write many of the writings of Isaiah into his small plates record from the plates of brass record. And there is good reason for Nephi to have such an affinity for the prophet Isaiah. Nephi did see and receive as with the vision of the tree of life, the vision of all as guided by the angel messenger. Among Mahonri Moriancumr, others (1 Nephi 14:26) had also seen that vision among whom must have been Isaiah as well. No wonder that the words of Isaiah are so great that the Lord recomended or commanded them to be studied or search them (3 Nephi 23:1). And if Nephi saw as what Isaiah did write, then there is little wonder why Nephi so readily could see and understand the words of Isaiah so well. |
22a
1 Ne. 13:23;
1 Ne. 22:1 23a Ex. 17:14; 1 Ne. 5:11; Moses 1:41 (40-41) b Isa. 1:1; 1 Ne. 15:20; 2 Ne. 25:5 (2-6); 3 Ne. 23:1 c TG Scriptures, Value of d 2 Ne. 4:15 24a 2 Kings 19:31 b Gen. 49:22 (22-26); 1 Ne. 15:12, 16; 2 Ne. 3:5 (4-5) c TG Scriptures, Study of
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