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Show EIRST BOOK OF BIRSY NEPHI. wilderness, and suffered all things, save it were death: and { would have been better that they had died, before they came out of Jerusalem, than to have suffered these afflictions. Behold, these many years we have suffered in the wilderness. which time we might have enjoyed our possessions, and the land of our inheritance; yea, and we might have been happy ; and we know that the people which were inthe land of Jerusa. lem, were arighteous people ; for they kept the statutes and th judgments of the Lord, and all his commandments. accor ding to the law of Moses ; wherefore, we know that they are arigh teous people; because brother and our fatherhath judged we would is like unto hearken him. unto And them, and hath led us away his after words ; yea, this manner did my brethren murmur and complain against us. and our of language yr ad it came to pass that 1, Nephi, spake unto them, sayin g: Do ye believe that our fathers, which were the children of Israel, would have been led away out of the hands of the Egyp- tians, if they had not hearkened unto. the words of the Lord ? Yea, do ye suppose that they would have been led out of bondage, if the Lord had not commanded Moses that he shoul d lead them out of bondage? Now ye know that the children of Israel were in bondage; and ye know that they were laden with tasks, which were grievous to be borne ; wherefore, ye know that it must needs be a good thing for them, that they should be brought out of bondage. Now ye know that Moses was commanded of the Lord to do that great work; and ye know that by his word, the waters of the Red Sea were divided hither and thither, and they passed through on dry ground. But ye know that the Egyptians were drowned in the Red Sea, which were the armies of Pharaoh ; and ye also know that they BOOK OF h NEPHI. s a 45 ~ And there was not any thing done, save it were by his word. alter they had crossed the river Jordan, he did make them mighty, unto thé driving out the children of th€Tand, yea, un- to the scattering them to destruction. And now do ye suppose thai the children of this land, which were in the land of promise, which were.driven out by our fathers, do ye suppose that they were righteous? Behold, I say unto you, nay. Do ye suppose that our fathers would have been more choice than they, if they had been righteous? Isay unto you, nay, behold, the Lord esteemeth all flesh in one: He that is righteous, is favored of Gow But, behold, this people had rejected every word of God, and they were ripe in iniquity; and the fulness of the wrath of God was upon them; and the Lord did curse the land against them, and bless it unto our fathers; yea, he did curse it against them unto b! _bless it unto our fathers, unto Behold, the Lord hath created their destruction; and he did their obtaining power over it. the earth, that it should be in- habited; and he hath created his children, that they should possess it. And he raiseth up a righteous nation, and destroyeth the nations of the wicked. And he leadeth away the righteous into precious lands, and the wicked he destroyeth, and curseth the land unto them for their sakes. He ruleth high in the Heavens, for it is his throne,.and this earth is his footstool. And he loveth them which will have him to be their God. Behold, he loved our fathers ; and he covenanted with them, yea, even Abraham, Isaac, and J acob; and he remembered the covenants which he had made ; wherefore, he did bring them out of the land of Egypt, and he did straighten thémm the wilderness with his rod, for they hardened their hearts, even as ye have; and the Lord straightened them, be- cause of their iniquity. He sent firy-flying serpents among them ; fn and aiter they were bitten) he prepared a way, that they might: eo be healed; and the labor which they had to perform, was tos ~. took ! and because of the simpleness of the way, or the easiness ~ Were fed with manna, in the wilderness; yea. and ye also know that Moses, by his word, according to the power of God which was in him, smote the rock, and there came forth water, that the children of Israel might quench their thirs t ; and notwithstanding they being led, the Lord their God, their Redeemer, going before them, leading them by day, and giving hight unto them by night, and doing all things for them which their hearts from time to time, and they did revile against Moses, and also against God; nevertheless, ye-know that they were. and blinded their minds, and reviled against Moses and agains, t the true and living God, have become wicked, yea, nearly unto ripeness; was expedient for man to receive, they hardened their hearts And it came to pass that according to his word, he did des- troy them; and according to his word, he did lead theny ~and according to his word, he did do all things“forthem; and of it, there were many which perished. led forth by his matchless power, And they did_harden”. into the land of promise,— And now, after all these things, the time has come that they and I know not but they are at this day about to be destroyed, for J know that the day must surely come, that they must be destroyed, we’ 2a few only, which shall be led away into captivity > isa ‘2 mye |
