did make a bellows
wherewith to blow the fire, of the skins of beasts; and after I
had made a bellows, that I might have wherewith to blow the fire,
I did smite two stones together that I might make fire.
1 Nephi 17:12
12 For the Lord had not hitherto suffered that we should make
much fire, as we journeyed in the wilderness; for he said: I will
make thy food become sweet, that ye cook it not;
1 Nephi 17:13
13 And I will also be your light in the wilderness; and I will
prepare the way before you, if it so be that ye shall keep my
commandments; wherefore, inasmuch as ye shall keep my
commandments ye shall be led towards the promised land; and ye
shall know that it is by me that ye are led.
1 Nephi 17:14
14 Yea, and the Lord said also that: After ye have arrived in
the promised land, ye shall know that I, the Lord, am God; and
that I, the Lord, did deliver you from destruction; yea, that I
did bring you out of the land of Jerusalem.
1 Nephi 17:15
15 Wherefore, I, Nephi, did strive to keep the commandments of
the Lord, and I did exhort my brethren to faithfulness and
diligence.
1 Nephi 17:16
16 And it came to pass that I did make tools of the ore which I
did molten out of the rock.
1 Nephi 17:17
17 And when my brethren saw that I was about to build a ship,
they began to murmur against me, saying: Our brother is a fool,
for he thinketh that he can build a ship; yea, and he also
thinketh that he can cross these great waters.
1 Nephi 17:18
18 And thus my brethren did complain against me, and were
desirous that they might not labor, for they did not believe that
I could build a ship; neither would they believe that I was
instructed of the Lord.
1 Nephi 17:19
19 And now it came to pass that I, Nephi, was exceedingly
sorrowful because of the hardness of their hearts; and now when
they saw that I began to be sorrowful they were glad in their
hearts, insomuch that they did rejoice over me, saying: We knew
that ye could not construct a ship, for we knew that ye were
lacking in judgment; wherefore, thou canst not accomplish so
great a work.
1 Nephi 17:20
20 And thou art like unto our father, led away by the foolish
imaginations of his heart; yea, he hath led us out of the land of
Jerusalem, and we have wandered in the wilderness for these many
years; and our women have toiled, being big with child; and they
have borne children in the wilderness and suffered all things,
save it were death; and it would have been better that they had
died before they came out of Jerusalem than to have suffered
these afflictions.
1 Nephi 17:21
21 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.
1 Nephi 17:22
22 And we know that the people who were in the land of Jerusalem
were a righteous people; for they kept the statutes and judgments
of the Lord, and all his commandments, according to the law of
Moses; wherefore, we know that they are a righteous people; and
our father hath judged them, and hath led us away because we
would hearken unto his words; yea, and our brother is like unto
him. And after this manner of language did my brethren murmur
and complain against us.
1 Nephi 17:23
23 And it came to pass that I, Nephi, spake unto them, saying:
Do ye believe that our fathers, who were the children of Israel,
would have been led away out of the hands of the Egyptians if
they had not hearkened unto the words of the Lord?
1 Nephi 17:24
24 Yea, do ye suppose that they would have been led out of
bondage, if the Lord had not commanded Moses that he should lead
them out of bondage?
1 Nephi 17:25
25 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.
1 Nephi 17:26
26 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.
1 Nephi 17:27
27 But ye know that the Egyptians were drowned in the Red Sea,
who were the armies of Pharaoh.
1 Nephi 17:28
28 And ye also know that they were fed with manna in the
wilderness.
1 Nephi 17:29
29 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
thirst.
1 Nephi 17:30
30 And notwithstanding they being led, the Lord their God, their
Redeemer, going before them, leading them by day and giving light
unto them by night, and doing all things for them which were
expedient for man to receive, they hardened their hearts and
blinded their minds, and reviled against Moses and against the
true and living God.
1 Nephi 17:31
31 And it came to pass that according to his word he did destroy
them; and according to his word he did lead them; and according
to his word he did do all things for them; and there was not any
thing done save it were by his word.
1 Nephi 17:32
32 And after they had crossed the river Jordan he did make them