Helaman 10

The people parted and went their separate ways leaving Nephi standing alone. He wandered back toward his home and pondered the things God had shown him. He was deeply saddened by the wickedness of the Nephite people, their secret conspiracies, their plundering, and their sinfulness. In this state of thought a voice came to him saying, “You are blessed, Nephi, for everything that you’ve done. I have seen how steadfastly you’ve declared the words that I’ve given to you and my people. You have been fearless in advocating my commandments, without even thinking about your own life. Because of your perseverance I will bless you forever and make you mighty in word, deed, and faith. Since I know that you won’t ask for anything contrary to my will, anything that you ask for will be done.”

“I am your God, Nephi. I say these things with the angels as witness. You will have power over your people. If the people are wicked, you may afflict them with famine, disease, and destruction. Whoever you bless will be blessed in heaven, and whoever you curse will be cursed in heaven. If you order a temple to be destroyed, it will be done. If you order a mountain leveled, it will be done. If you order me to strike your people, they will be struck.”

“Now Nephi, go and tell your people that their God has said, unless they repent, they will be struck down and destroyed.”

After God spoke these words Nephi turned around and went back to declare what God had told him to say. Despite the miracle that Nephi had just demonstrated, concerning the murder of the chief judge, the people wouldn’t listen to anything he had to say.

“Unless you repent,” Nephi told them, “you will be struck down and destroyed.”

When they tried to arrest Nephi and throw him in prison for speaking out against them, the Spirit of God picked him up and carried him from one group to the next. At every gathering of people he said what God had commanded him to speak, until eventually he had addressed all of his people with this same message. But still they would not listen to his words.

In the 71st year of elected judges, the people broke into contentious factions and began killing one another with their swords. [21 BC]