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Second Nephi — Chapter 3

Lehi talks to Joseph.

¹ Now I want to talk to you, Joseph, my last-born. Your mother gave birth to you while we were having the hardest time of all in the desert, and when I was very sad.

² May God give you and your descendants this wonderful land for all time, along with your brothers, if you keep his commandments.

³ Now Joseph, my last-born whom I brought out of the desert of my troubles, may God bless you always. Your descendants will not all be destroyed.

⁴ You are my son, and I am a descendant of Joseph, who was a slave in Egypt. The Lord promised many great things to Joseph.

⁵ Joseph truly saw our time. The Lord promised him that some of his descendants would be a righteous part of the House of Israel. The Messiah would not be his descendant, but some of Joseph’s descendants would be taken away. The Lord would remember and keep his promise that the Messiah would be shown to them in the last days, in the spirit of power, so they would come out of the darkness into the light — yes, out of hidden darkness and slavery into freedom.

⁶ Joseph saw this and said: “The Lord my God will raise up a seer who will be a great prophet to my descendants.”

⁷ Yes, Joseph truly said: “The Lord said this to me: ‘I will raise up a great prophet from among your descendants, and your descendants will love him very much. I will give him a commandment to do a very important work for your descendants, his brothers and sisters, which will help them know about the promises I made to your ancestors.

⁸ “‘I will command him not to do any other work. I will make him great in my eyes for doing my work.

⁹ “‘He will be great like Moses, whom I told you I would raise up to save your people, O House of Israel.

¹⁰ “‘I will raise up Moses to take your people out of Egypt.

¹¹ “‘But I will raise up a seer from among your children, and I will give him power to bring my word to your children. He will not only bring them my word, but he will help them know that my words which they already have are true.’

¹² “The Lord says: ‘Your descendants will write, and Judah’s descendants will write. The things your descendants write and the things Judah’s descendants write will come together and get rid of false teachings, and stop fights, and make peace among your descendants, and help them know about their ancestors in the last days, and also help them know about my promises.

¹³ “‘His weakness will be made strong at the time my work begins among all my people–to bring you back again, O House of Israel.’”

¹⁴ This is what Joseph prophesied: “The Lord will bless that seer, and those who try to destroy him will be stopped, because the promise the Lord gave me about my descendants will come true. I am sure this promise will come true.

¹⁵ “His name will be the same as mine, and it will also be his father’s name. He will be like me, because the thing he does through the Lord’s power will bring my people to salvation.”

¹⁶ Yes, this is what Joseph prophesied: “I am sure about this thing, just as I am sure about the promise of Moses, because the Lord said to me: ‘I will save your descendants forever.’

¹⁷ “And the Lord said: ‘I will raise up a Moses, and I will give him a rod with power. I will make him a good writer. I will not make him speak well, but I will write my law for him with my own finger, and I will give him someone to speak for him.’

¹⁸ “The Lord also said to me: ‘I will make someone speak for your descendant. I will tell that one to write what your descendant wants him to write, and the one who speaks for your descendant will read it.

¹⁹ “‘The words he writes will be what I think should be sent to your descendants. It will be as if your descendants (their ancestors) spoke to them from the dust, because I know their faith.

²⁰ “‘They will speak from the dust, and tell their brothers and sisters to repent, even after many gener ations go by. The simple things they say will go to them.

²¹ “‘Their words will go from my mouth to their brothers and sisters who are also your descendants, because of their faith. I will make their weak words strong by faith, because I will remember the promise I made to your ancestors.’”

²² Now, my son Joseph, this is how my father of old prophesied.

²³ So you are blessed because of this promise. Your descendants will not be destroyed, because they will obey the words of the book.

²⁴ One among them will rise up who will both say and do many good things. He will be a tool in God’s hand and have great faith to do many wonderful things. He will do the thing which is great in God’s eyes — he will bring back many lost things to the House of Israel, and to your brothers’ descendants.

²⁵ Now, you are blessed, Joseph. You are little, so listen to what your brother Nephi says. If you do, the things I have said will come true for you. Remember the words of your dying father. Amen.