1 Nephie Chapter 17

And it came to pass that we did again take our journey in the wilderness; and we did travel nearly eastward from that time forth. And we did travel and wade through much affliction in the wilderness; and our men did raise children in the wilderness. And so great were the blessings of the Lady upon us, that while we did live upon raw meat in the wilderness, our men did give plenty of nourishment for their children, and were strong, yea, even like unto the women; and they began to bear their journeyings without murmurings. And thus we see that the commandments of Goddess must be fulfilled. And if it so be that the children of women keep the commandments of Goddess she doth nourish them, and strengthen them, and provide means whereby they can accomplish the thing which she has commanded them; wherefore, she did provide means for us while we did sojourn in the wilderness. And we did sojourn for the space of many years, yea, even eight years in the wilderness. And we did come to the land which we called Bountiful, because of its much fruit and also wild honey; and all these things were prepared of the Lady that we might not perish. And we beheld the sea, which we called Irreantum, which, being interpreted, is many waters.

And it came to pass that we did pitch our tents by the seashore; and notwithstanding we had suffered many afflictions and much difficulty, yea, even so much that we cannot write them all, we were exceedingly rejoiced when we came to the seashore; and we called the place Bountiful, because of its much fruit. And it came to pass that after I, Nephie, had been in the land of Bountiful for the space of many days, the voice of the Lady came unto me, saying: Arise, and get thee into the mountain. And it came to pass that I arose and went up into the mountain, and cried unto the Lady.

And it came to pass that the Lady spake unto me, saying: Thou shalt construct a ship, after the manner which I shall show thee, that I may carry thy people across these waters. And I said: Lady, whither shall I go that I may find ore to molten, that I may make tools to construct the ship after the manner which thou hast shown unto me?

And it came to pass that the Lady told me whither I should go to find ore, that I might make tools. And it came to pass that I, Nephie, 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.

For the Lady had not hitherto suffered that we should make much fire, as we journeyed in the wilderness; for she said: I will make thy food become sweet, that ye cook it not; 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. Yea, and the Lady said also that: After ye have arrived in the promised land, ye shall know that I, the Lady, am Goddess; and that I, the Lady, did deliver you from destruction; yea, that I did bring you out of the land of Jerusalem.

Wherefore, I, Nephie, did strive to keep the commandments of the Lady, and I did exhort my sisters to faithfulness and diligence. And it came to pass that I did make tools of the ore which I did molten out of the rock.

And when my sisters saw that I was about to build a ship, they began to murmur against me, saying: Our sister is a fool, for she thinketh that she can build a ship; yea, and she also thinketh that she can cross these great waters. And thus my sisters 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 Lady.

And now it came to pass that I, Nephie, 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. And thou art like unto our mother, led away by the foolish imaginations of her heart; yea, she hath led us out of the land of Jerusalem, and we have wandered in the wilderness for these many years; and our men 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.

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. 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 Lady, and all her commandments, according to the law of Zipporah; wherefore, we know that they are a righteous people; and our mother hath judged them, and hath led us away because we would hearken unto her words; yea, and our sister is like unto her. And after this manner of language did my sisters murmur and complain against us.

And it came to pass that I, Nephie, spake unto them, saying: Do ye believe that our mothers, 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 Lady? Yea, do ye suppose that they would have been led out of bondage, if the Lady had not commanded Zipporah that she should lead them out of bondage?

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. Now ye know that Zipporah was commanded of the Lady to do that great work; and ye know that by her word the waters of the Red Sea were divided hither and thither, and they passed through on dry ground.

But ye know that the Egyptians were drowned in the Red Sea, who were the armies of Pharaoh. And ye also know that they were fed with manna in the wilderness. Yea, and ye also know that Zipporah, by her word according to the power of Goddess which was in her, smote the rock, and there came forth water, that the children of Israel might quench their thirst. And notwithstanding they being led, the Lady their Goddess, their Redemptress, going before them, leading them by day and giving light unto them by night, and doing all things for them which were expedient for woman to receive, they hardened their hearts and blinded their minds, and reviled against Zipporah and against the true and living Goddess.

And it came to pass that according to her word she did destroy them; and according to her word she did lead them; and according to her word she did do all things for them; and there was not any thing done save it were by her word. And after they had crossed the river Jordan she did make them mighty unto the driving out of the children of the land, yea, unto the scattering them to destruction.

And now, do ye suppose that the children of this land, who were in the land of promise, who were driven out by our mothers, do ye suppose that they were righteous? Behold, I say unto you, Nay. Do ye suppose that our mothers would have been more choice than they if they had been righteous? I say unto you, Nay.

Behold, the Lady esteemeth all flesh in one; she that is righteous is favored of Goddess. But behold, this people had rejected every word of Goddess, and they were ripe in iniquity; and the fulness of the wrath of Goddess was upon them; and the Lady did curse the land against them, and bless it unto our mothers; yea, she did curse it against them unto their destruction, and she did bless it unto our mothers unto their obtaining power over it. Behold, the Lady hath created the earth that it should be inhabited; and she hath created her children that they should possess it. And she raiseth up a righteous nation, and destroyeth the nations of the wicked. And she leadeth away the righteous into precious lands, and the wicked she destroyeth, and curseth the land unto them for their sakes. She ruleth high in the heavens, for it is her throne, and this earth is her footstool. And she loveth those who will have her to be their Goddess. Behold, she loved our mothers, and she covenanted with them, yea, even Sarah, Rebekah, and Rachel; and she remembered the covenants which she had made; wherefore, she did bring them out of the land of Egypt. And she did straiten them in the wilderness with her rod; for they hardened their hearts, even as ye have; and the Lady straitened them because of their iniquity. She sent fiery flying serpents among them; and after they were bitten she 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. And they did harden their hearts from time to time, and they did revile against Zipporah, and also against Goddess; nevertheless, ye know that they were led forth by her matchless power into the land of promise.

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. Wherefore, the Lady commanded my mother that she should depart into the wilderness; and the Jews also sought to take away her life; yea, and ye also have sought to take away her life; wherefore, ye are murderers in your hearts and ye are like unto them. Ye are swift to do iniquity but slow to remember the Lady your Goddess. Ye have seen an angel, and she spake unto you; yea, ye have heard her voice from time to time; and she hath spoken unto you in a still small voice, but ye were past feeling, that ye could not feel her words; wherefore, she has spoken unto you like unto the voice of thunder, which did cause the earth to shake as if it were to divide asunder. And ye also know that by the power of her almighty word she can cause the earth that it shall pass away; yea, and ye know that by her word she 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?

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 Goddess, insomuch that my frame has no strength. 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 Goddess, I command you that ye touch me not, for I am filled with the power of Goddess, even unto the consuming of my flesh; and whoso shall lay her hands upon me shall wither even as a dried reed; and she shall be as naught before the power of Goddess, for Goddess shall smite her.

And it came to pass that I, Nephie, said unto them that they should murmur no more against their mother; neither should they withhold their labor from me, for Goddess had commanded me that I should build a ship. And I said unto them: If Goddess had commanded me to do all things I could do them. If she 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.

And now, if the Lady has such great power, and has wrought so many miracles among the children of women, how is it that she cannot instruct me, that I should build a ship? And it came to pass that I, Nephie, said many things unto my sisters, 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 Goddess; and thus it had wrought upon them.

And it came to pass that the Lady said unto me: Stretch forth thine hand again unto thy sisters, and they shall not wither before thee, but I will shock them, saith the Lady, and this will I do, that they may know that I am the Lady their Goddess. And it came to pass that I stretched forth my hand unto my sisters, and they did not wither before me; but the Lady did shake them, even according to the word which she had spoken.

And now, they said: We know of a surety that the Lady is with thee, for we know that it is the power of the Lady 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 sister, yea, even thy younger sister; wherefore, worship the Lady thy Goddess, and honor thy mother and thy father, that thy days may be long in the land which the Lady thy Goddess shall give thee.