Lehi predicts the Babylonian captivity—He tells of the coming among the Jews of a Messiah, a Savior, a Redeemer—He tells also of the coming of the one who should baptize the Lamb of God—Lehi tells of the death and resurrection of the Messiah—He compares the scattering and gathering of Israel to an olive tree—Nephi speaks of the Son of God, of the gift of the Holy Ghost, and of the need for righteousness. [Between 600 and 592 B.C.]

 AND now I, Nephi, proceed to give an account upon ^athese^• plates of my proceedings, and my reign and ministry; wherefore, to proceed with mine account, I must speak somewhat of the things of my father, and also of my brethren.

 For behold, it came to pass after my father had made an end of speaking the words of his ^adream^•, and also of exhorting them to all diligence, he spake unto them concerning the Jews—

 That after they should be destroyed, even that great city ^aJerusalem^•, and many be ^bcarried^• away captive into ^cBabylon^•, according to the own due time of the Lord, they should ^dreturn^• again, yea, even be brought back out of captivity; and after they should be brought back out of captivity they should possess again the land of their inheritance.

 Yea, even ^asix^• hundred years from the time that my father left Jerusalem, a ^bprophet^• would the Lord God raise up among the ^cJews—even a ^dMessiah^•, or, in other words, a Savior of the world.

 And he also spake concerning the prophets, how great a number had ^atestified^• of these things, concerning this Messiah, of whom he had spoken, or this Redeemer of the world.

 Wherefore, all mankind were in a ^alost^• and in a ^bfallen state, and ever would be save they should rely on this Redeemer.

 And he spake also concerning a ^aprophet^• who should come before the Messiah, to prepare the way of the Lord—

 Yea, even he should go forth and cry in the wilderness: ^aPrepare^• ye the way of the Lord, and make his paths straight; for there standeth one among you whom ye know not; and he is mightier than I, whose shoe’s latchet I am not worthy to unloose. And much spake my father concerning this thing.

 And my father said he should baptize in ^aBethabara^•, beyond Jordan; and he also said he should ^bbaptize with water; even that he should baptize the Messiah with water.

 And after he had baptized the Messiah with water, he should behold and bear record that he had baptized the ^aLamb of God, who should take away the sins of the world.

 And it came to pass after my father had spoken these words he spake unto my brethren concerning the gospel which should be preached among the Jews, and also concerning the ^adwindling^• of the Jews in ^bunbelief^•. And after they had ^cslain the Messiah, who should come, and after he had been slain he should ^drise from the dead, and should make himself ^emanifest^•, by the Holy Ghost, unto the Gentiles.

 Yea, even my father spake much concerning the Gentiles, and also concerning the house of Israel, that they should be compared like unto an ^aolive^•-tree, whose ^bbranches should be broken off and should be ^cscattered^• upon all the face of the earth.

 Wherefore, he said it must needs be that we should be led with one accord into the ^aland^• of promise, unto the fulfilling of the word of the Lord, that we should be scattered upon all the face of the earth.

 And after the house of ^aIsrael should be scattered they should be ^bgathered together again; or, in fine, after the ^cGentiles^• had received the fulness of the ^dGospel, the natural branches of the ^eolive^•-tree, or the ^fremnants of the house of ^gIsrael, should be grafted in, or ^hcome^• to the knowledge of the true Messiah, their Lord and their Redeemer.

 And after this manner of language did my father prophesy and speak unto my brethren, and also many more things which I do not write in this book; for I have written as many of them as were expedient for me in mine ^aother^• book.

 And all these things, of which I have spoken, were done as my father dwelt in a ^atent^•, in the valley of Lemuel.

 And it came to pass after I, Nephi, having heard all the ^awords^• of my father, concerning the things which he saw in a ^bvision^•, and also the things which he spake by the power of the Holy Ghost, which power he received by faith on the Son of God—and the Son of God was the ^cMessiah who should come—I, Nephi, was ^ddesirous^• also that I might see, and hear, and know of these things, by the power of the ^eHoly^• Ghost, which is the ^fgift of God unto ^gall^• those who diligently seek him, as well in times of ^hold^• as in the time that he should manifest himself unto the children of men.

 For he is the ^asame^• yesterday, to-day, and forever; and the way is prepared for all men from the foundation of the world, if it so be that they repent and come unto him.

 For he that diligently ^aseeketh shall find; and the ^bmysteries of God shall be unfolded unto them, by the power of the ^cHoly Ghost, as well in these times as in times of old, and as well in times of old as in times to come; wherefore, the ^dcourse^• of the Lord is one eternal round.

 Therefore remember, O man, for all thy doings thou shalt be brought into ^ajudgment^•.

 Wherefore, if ye have sought to do ^awickedly^• in the days of your ^bprobation, then ye are found ^cunclean^• before the judgment-seat of God; and no unclean thing can dwell with God; wherefore, ye must be cast off forever.

 And the Holy Ghost giveth ^aauthority that I should speak these things, and deny them not.