The Collected Works of Joseph Smith. Joseph Smith Jr.
ye have; and the Lord
straitened them because of their iniquity. He sent fiery flying
serpents among them; and after they were bitten he prepared a way
that they might be healed; and the labor which they had to
perform was to look; and because of the simpleness of the way, or
the easiness of it, there were many who perished.
1 Nephi 17:42
42 And they did harden their hearts from time to time, and they
did revile against Moses, and also against God; nevertheless, ye
know that they were led forth by his matchless power into the
land of promise.
1 Nephi 17:43
43 And now, after all these things, the time has come that they
have become wicked, yea, nearly unto ripeness; and I know not but
they are at this day about to be destroyed; for I know that the
day must surely come that they must be destroyed, save a few
only, who shall be led away into captivity.
1 Nephi 17:44
44 Wherefore, the Lord commanded my father that he should depart
into the wilderness; and the Jews also sought to take away his
life; yea, and ye also have sought to take away his life;
wherefore, ye are murderers in your hearts and ye are like unto
them.
1 Nephi 17:45
45 Ye are swift to do iniquity but slow to remember the Lord
your God. Ye have seen an angel, and he spake unto you; yea, ye
have heard his voice from time to time; and he hath spoken unto
you in a still small voice, but ye were past feeling, that ye
could not feel his words; wherefore, he has spoken unto you like
unto the voice of thunder, which did cause the earth to shake as
if it were to divide asunder.
1 Nephi 17:46
46 And ye also know that by the power of his almighty word he
can cause the earth that it shall pass away; yea, and ye know
that by his word he can cause the rough places to be made smooth,
and smooth places shall be broken up. O, then, why is it, that
ye can be so hard in your hearts?
1 Nephi 17:47
47 Behold, my soul is rent with anguish because of you, and my
heart is pained; I fear lest ye shall be cast off forever.
Behold, I am full of the Spirit of God, insomuch that my frame
has no strength.
1 Nephi 17:48
48 And now it came to pass that when I had spoken these words,
they were angry with me, and were desirous to throw me into the
depths of the sea; and as they came forth to lay their hands upon
me I spake unto them, saying: In the name of the Almighty God, I
command you that ye touch me not, for I am filled with the power
of God, even unto the consuming of my flesh; and whoso shall lay
his hands upon me shall wither even as a dried reed; and he shall
be as naught before the power of God, for God shall smite him.
1 Nephi 17:49
49 And it came to pass that I, Nephi, said unto them that they
should murmur no more against their father; neither should they
withhold their labor from me, for God had commanded me that I
should build a ship.
1 Nephi 17:50
50 And I said unto them: If God had commanded me to do all
things I could do them. If he should command me that I should
say unto this water, be thou earth, it should be earth; and if I
should say it, it would be done.
1 Nephi 17:51
51 And now, if the Lord has such great power, and has wrought so
many miracles among the children of men, how is it that he cannot
instruct me, that I should build a ship?
1 Nephi 17:52
52 And it came to pass that I, Nephi, said many things unto my
brethren, insomuch that they were confounded and could not
contend against me; neither durst they lay their hands upon me
nor touch me with their fingers, even for the space of many days.
Now they durst not do this lest they should wither before me, so
powerful was the Spirit of God; and thus it had wrought upon
them.
1 Nephi 17:53
53 And it came to pass that the Lord said unto me: Stretch forth
thine hand again unto thy brethren, and they shall not wither
before thee, but I will shock them, saith the Lord, and this will
I do, that they may know that I am the Lord their God.
1 Nephi 17:54
54 And it came to pass that I stretched forth my hand unto my
brethren, and they did not wither before me; but the Lord did
shake them, even according to the word which he had spoken.
1 Nephi 17:55
55 And now, they said: We know of a surety that the Lord is with
thee, for we know that it is the power of the Lord that has
shaken us. And they fell down before me, and were about to
worship me, but I would not suffer them, saying: I am thy
brother, yea, even thy younger brother; wherefore, worship the
Lord thy God, and honor thy father and thy mother, that thy days
may be long in the land which the Lord thy God shall give thee.
1 Nephi 18 Chapter 18
1 Nephi 18:1
1 And it came to pass that they did worship the Lord, and did go
forth with me; and we did work timbers of curious workmanship.
And the Lord did show me from time to time after what manner I
should work the timbers of the ship.
1 Nephi 18:2
2 Now I, Nephi, did not work the timbers after the manner which
was learned by men, neither did I build the ship after the manner
of men; but I did build it after the manner which the Lord had
shown unto me; wherefore, it was not after the manner of men.
1 Nephi 18:3
3 And I, Nephi, did go into the mount oft, and I did pray oft
unto the Lord; wherefore the Lord showed unto me great things.
1 Nephi 18:4
4 And it came to pass that after I had finished the ship,
according to the word of the Lord, my brethren beheld that it was