Second Nephi — Chapter 4
1 Now I, Nephi, will talk about my father’s prophecies about Joseph, who was taken away to Egypt.
2 Joseph truly prophesied about all his descendants. There are not many prophecies greater than his. He prophesied about us and our future descendants. His prophecies are written on the brass plates.
3 After my father stopped talking about Joseph’s prophecies, he called all of Laman’s sons and daughters and said to them: “My sons and daughters who are the sons and daughters of my first son, I want you to listen to what I say.
4 “The Lord God has said: ‘If you keep my commandments, you will prosper in the land; and if you do not keep my commandments, you will be cut off from me forever.’
5 “But, my sons and daughters, I cannot go to the grave without leaving you a blessing, because I know that if you are taught the right way, you will do what is right.
6 “So if you are cursed, I leave this blessing on you, that the curse will be taken from you and put on your parents’ heads.
7 “And because of my blessing, the Lord God will not let you be destroyed, but he will have mercy on you and on your descendants forever.”
8 After my father was done talking to Laman’s sons and daughters, he had Lemuel’s sons and daughters brought to him.
9 And he said to them: “My sons and daughters who are the sons and daughters of my second son, I give you the same blessing I gave to Laman’s sons and daughters. You will not be completely destroyed, but your descendants will be blessed in the end.”
10 When my father was done talking to them, he talked to the sons of Ishmael. Yes, he talked to all the rest of his house and family.
11 When he was done talking to them, he said to Sam: “You and your descendants are blessed, because you will live in the land just like your brother Nephi. Your descendants will be counted with his descendants, and you will be like your brother. Your descendants will be like his descendants, and you will be blessed all your days.”
12 After my father finished saying the things in his heart which the Spirit had him say to all his house and family, he died and was buried.
13 Not long after he died, Laman and Lemuel and Ishmael’s sons were angry with me because of the things the Lord told me to say to them.
14 I, Nephi, was commanded to speak to them. I said many things to them, just as my father had before he died. Many of these things are written on my other plates, because more of our history is written on my other plates.
15 I am writing the things which are important to my soul on these plates, and I am copying many scriptures from the brass plates, too. These scriptures make my soul happy, and I think about them all the time. I am writing them down so my descendants can learn about them.
16 Learning about the Lord makes me happy, and my heart is always thinking about the things I have seen and heard.
17 But even though the Lord has been so good to me and has shown me many great things he has done, my heart says: “O, what a miserable man I am!” Yes, my heart is very sad because of my weaknesses. My soul is very sad because of my sins.
18 I am full of sadness because of the temptations and sins I fall into.
19 When I want to be happy, my heart is sad because of my sins. Even so, I know God will help me.
20 God has always helped me. He led me through my troubles in the desert and saved my life while we were going across the sea.
21 He has filled me with so much love that it has almost made my body burn like fire.
22 He has stopped my enemies and made them shake with fear before me.
23 He has listened to my prayers in the daytime and helped me know things by giving me visions at night.
24 During the day I have prayed without fear before him. Yes, I have prayed to him on high, and angels have come down and taught and helped me.
25 His Spirit has taken my body to very high mountains. My eyes have seen things which are too great for people to see, and I was told not to write them down.
26 O then, if I have seen such great things, and if the Lord has had so much mercy on people, why should my heart weep and my soul be sad, and my body get sick, and my strength go away because of my troubles?
27 Why should I give in to sin because of my flesh? Yes, why should I give in to temptation and let the evil one into my heart to destroy my peace and trouble my soul? Why does my enemy make me angry?
28 Wake up, my soul! Don’t be weak because of sin. Be happy, my heart, and don’t make room for the enemy of my soul anymore.
29 Don’t get angry at my enemies again. Don’t get weak because of my troubles.
30 Be happy, my heart, and say to the Lord: “O Lord, I will praise you forever. Yes, my soul will be happy in you, my God, the rock of my salvation.”
31 O Lord, will you save my soul? Will you save me from my enemies? Will you make me shake when I see sin?
32 May the gates of hell always be shut before me, because my heart is broken and my spirit is repentant! O Lord, don’t shut the gates of righteousness before me, so I may walk in the low valley, and walk on the plain road!
33 O Lord, put the robe of your righteousness around me! O Lord, make a way for me to escape from my enemies! Make the path straight in front of me! Don’t put anything in my way, but clear my way. Don’t block my way, but block my enemy’s way.
34 O Lord, I have trusted in you, and I will trust in you forever. I will not trust in people, because I know that whoever trusts in people is cursed. Yes, cursed are those who trust in people or in their own strength.
35 Yes, I know God will give freely to those who ask him. Yes, my God will give to me, if I do not ask for wrong things. So I will pray to you — yes, I will lift my voice to you, my God, the rock of my righteousness. My voice will cry up to you forever, my rock and my eternal God. Amen.
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