1 Nephi 3:1
And it came to pa** that I, Nephi, returned from speaking with
the Lord, to the tent of my father.
1 Nephi 3:2
And it came to pa** that he spake unto me, saying: Behold I
have dreamed a dream, in the which the Lord hath commanded me
that thou and thy brethren shall return to Jerusalem.
1 Nephi 3:3
For behold, Laban hath the record of the Jews and also a
genealogy of my forefathers, and they are engraven upon plates of
bra**.
1 Nephi 3:4
Wherefore, the Lord hath commanded me that thou and thy
brothers should go unto the house of Laban, and seek the records,
and bring them down hither into the wilderness.
1 Nephi 3:5
And now, behold thy brothers murmur, saying it is a hard thing
which I have required of them; but behold I have not required it
of them, but it is a commandment of the Lord.
1 Nephi 3:6
Therefore go, my son, and thou shalt be favored of the Lord,
because thou hast not murmured.
1 Nephi 3:7
And it came to pa** that I, Nephi, said unto my father: I will
go and do the things which the Lord hath commanded, for I know
that the Lord giveth no commandments unto the children of men,
save he shall prepare a way for them that they may accomplish the
thing which he commandeth them.
1 Nephi 3:8
And it came to pa** that when my father had heard these words
he was exceedingly glad, for he knew that I had been blessed of
the Lord.
1 Nephi 3:9
And I, Nephi, and my brethren took our journey in the
wilderness, with our tents, to go up to the land of Jerusalem.
1 Nephi 3:10
And it came to pa** that when we had gone up to the land of
Jerusalem, I and my brethren did consult one with another.
1 Nephi 3:11
And we cast lots—who of us should go in unto the house of
Laban. And it came to pa** that the lot fell upon Laman; and
Laman went in unto the house of Laban, and he talked with him as
he sat in his house.
1 Nephi 3:12
And he desired of Laban the records which were engraven upon
the plates of bra**, which contained the genealogy of my father.
1 Nephi 3:13
And behold, it came to pa** that Laban was angry, and thrust
him out from his presence; and he would not that he should have
the records. Wherefore, he said unto him: Behold thou art a
robber, and I will slay thee.
1 Nephi 3:14
But Laman fled out of his presence, and told the things which
Laban had done, unto us. And we began to be exceedingly
sorrowful, and my brethren were about to return unto my father in
the wilderness.
1 Nephi 3:15
But behold I said unto them that: As the Lord liveth, and as
we live, we will not go down unto our father in the wilderness
until we have accomplished the thing which the Lord hath
commanded us.
1 Nephi 3:16
Wherefore, let us be faithful in keeping the commandments of
the Lord; therefore let us go down to the land of our father's
inheritance, for behold he left gold and silver, and all manner
of riches. And all this he hath done because of the commandments
of the Lord.
1 Nephi 3:17
For he knew that Jerusalem must be destroyed, because of the
wickedness of the people.
1 Nephi 3:18
For behold, they have rejected the words of the prophets.
Wherefore, if my father should dwell in the land after he hath
been commanded to flee out of the land, behold, he would also
perish. Wherefore, it must needs be that he flee out of the
land.
1 Nephi 3:19
And behold, it is wisdom in God that we should obtain these
records, that we may preserve unto our children the language of
our fathers;
1 Nephi 3:20
And also that we may preserve unto them the words which have
been spoken by the mouth of all the holy prophets, which have
been delivered unto them by the Spirit and power of God, since
the world began, even down unto this present time.
1 Nephi 3:21
And it came to pa** that after this manner of language did I
persuade my brethren, that they might be faithful in keeping the
commandments of God.
1 Nephi 3:22
And it came to pa** that we went down to the land of our
inheritance, and we did gather together our gold, and our silver,
and our precious things.
1 Nephi 3:23
And after we had gathered these things together, we went up
again unto the house of Laban.
1 Nephi 3:24
And it came to pa** that we went in unto Laban, and desired
him that he would give unto us the records which were engraven
upon the plates of bra**, for which we would give unto him our
gold, and our silver, and all our precious things.
1 Nephi 3:25
And it came to pa** that when Laban saw our property, and
that it was exceedingly great, he did lust after it, insomuch
that he thrust us out, and sent his servants to slay us, that he
might obtain our property.
1 Nephi 3:26
And it came to pa** that we did flee before the servants of
Laban, and we were obliged to leave behind our property, and it
fell into the hands of Laban.
1 Nephi 3:27
And it came to pa** that we fled into the wilderness, and the
servants of Laban did not overtake us, and we hid ourselves in
the cavity of a rock.
1 Nephi 3:28
And it came to pa** that Laman was angry with me, and also
with my father; and also was Lemuel, for he hearkened unto the
words of Laman. Wherefore Laman and Lemuel did speak many hard
words unto us, their younger brothers, and they did smite us even
with a rod.
1 Nephi 3:29
And it came to pa** as they smote us with a rod, behold, an
angel of the Lord came and stood before them, and he spake unto
them, saying: Why do ye smite your younger brother with a rod?
Know ye not that the Lord hath chosen him to be a ruler over you,
and this because of your iniquities? Behold ye shall go up to
Jerusalem again, and the Lord will deliver Laban into your hands.
1 Nephi 3:30
And after the angel had spoken unto us, he departed.
1 Nephi 3:31
And after the angel had departed, Laman and Lemuel again
began to murmur, saying: How is it possible that the Lord will
deliver Laban into our hands? Behold, he is a mighty man, and he
can command fifty, yea, even he can slay fifty; then why not us?