1 Nephi 18

All of us then joined together to build the ship. I was guided by God on the particulars of its design and the shaping of the timbers. I climbed the mountain often in order to receive specific instructions from God as to how the ship should be constructed, and was also shown many great visions. When it was completed we saw that it was of good design and fine workmanship. In thanks, we humbled ourselves before God’s will and guidance.

After the ship’s completion, God came and spoke to Lehi again. He told him that it was time to load the ship with our provisions that we had gathered. After that, we boarded the ship with our wives and children, set out to sea, and were driven by the wind towards the promised land across the ocean. [590 BC]

Many days into our sea journey, things were going well and my brothers, the sons of Ishmael, and their wives decided it was time to party. They danced and sang and acted rudely, forgetting that we were carried across the ocean by the will of God. I became afraid that God would take offense at our disrespect and destroy our vulnerable boat in the sea, so I spoke out very directly, admonishing them for their behavior.

“We will not have a younger brother acting as ruler over us,” they said, angrily. Laman and Lemuel grabbed me harshly, dragged me to the ship’s deck and tied me tightly to the ship’s mast. God tolerated this because he wanted to demonstrate the seriousness of violating his will, and used the opportunity to show his power when confronted by such wicked behavior. Immediately, our magic compass that God had prepared for us quit pointing the way, and my brothers no longer knew in which direction to steer the ship. A great storm arose across the ocean and we were driven backwards for several days. While my brothers were terribly concerned about all of this, they still did not untie me or loosen the bindings that caused me great swelling, soreness, and pain.

When my father, my wife, my children, and Ishmael’s sons spoke out against my brothers’ harsh treatment of me they were rebuffed and threatened with harm. In the storm my old parents nearly died from the violence of the sea and from sorrow at the behavior of their sons. On the fourth day, the storm became so bad that our ship was threatened with imminent destruction, and my brothers realized that their decision to tie me up was the direct cause of our peril. The harsh judgment of God was upon them, and they realized that unless they repented, we would all be swallowed by the ocean and die. Again, my brothers realized the error of their ways, and untied me.

After being released, I took the magic compass Liahona in my hands and prayed to God. My prayers were answered when the storm abated and our magic compass again showed the way to the promised land. I then steered the ship and we sailed onward again towards our destination. Many days later, we arrived on the coastline of the promised land and went ashore to pitch our tents. [589 BC]

We tilled the earth and planted the seeds that we’d brought with us from Jerusalem. Our crops grew well and we were blessed with abundance. We discovered animals of all kinds in the forests including cows, oxen, horses, and goats for our domestication and use. We also found gold, silver, and copper ore.