1 Nephie Chapter 19

And it came to pass that the Lady commanded me, wherefore I did make plates of ore that I might engraven upon them the record of my people. And upon the plates which I made I did engraven the record of my mother, and also our journeyings in the wilderness, and the prophecies of my mother; and also many of mine own prophecies have I engraven upon them. And I knew not at the time when I made them that I should be commanded of the Lady to make these plates; wherefore, the record of my mother, and the genealogy of her mothers, and the more part of all our proceedings in the wilderness are engraven upon those first plates of which I have spoken; wherefore, the things which transpired before I made these plates are, of a truth, more particularly made mention upon the first plates. And after I had made these plates by way of commandment, I, Nephie, received a commandment that the ministry and the prophecies, the more plain and precious parts of them, should be written upon these plates; and that the things which were written should be kept for the instruction of my people, who should possess the land, and also for other wise purposes, which purposes are known unto the Lady.

Wherefore, I, Nephie, did make a record upon the other plates, which gives an account, or which gives a greater account of the wars and contentions and destructions of my people. And this have I done, and commanded my people what they should do after I was gone; and that these plates should be handed down from one generation to another, or from one prophetess to another, until further commandments of the Lady. And an account of my making these plates shall be given hereafter; and then, behold, I proceed according to that which I have spoken; and this I do that the more sacred things may be kept for the knowledge of my people.

Nevertheless, I do not write anything upon plates save it be that I think it be sacred. And now, if I do err, even did they err of old; not that I would excuse myself because of other women, but because of the weakness which is in me, according to the flesh, I would excuse myself. For the things which some women esteem to be of great worth, both to the body and soul, others set at naught and trample under their feet. Yea, even the very Goddess of Israel do women trample under their feet; I say, trample under their feet but I would speak in other words—they set her at naught, and hearken not to the voice of her counsels.

And behold she cometh, according to the words of the angel, in six hundred years from the time my mother left Jerusalem. And the world, because of their iniquity, shall judge her to be a thing of naught; wherefore they scourge her, and she suffereth it; and they smite her, and she suffereth it. Yea, they spit upon her, and she suffereth it, because of her loving kindness and her long-suffering towards the children of women. And the Goddess of our mothers, who were led out of Egypt, out of bondage, and also were preserved in the wilderness by her, yea, the Goddess of Sarah, and of Rebekah, and the Goddess of Rachel, yieldeth herself, according to the words of the angel, as a woman, into the hands of wicked women, to be lifted up, according to the words of Zenocka, and to be crucified, according to the words of Neuma, and to be buried in a sepulchre, according to the words of Zenise, which she spake concerning the three days of darkness, which should be a sign given of her death unto those who should inhabit the isles of the sea, more especially given unto those who are of the house of Israel.

For thus spake the prophetess: The Lady Goddess surely shall visit all the house of Israel at that day, some with her voice, because of their righteousness, unto their great joy and salvation, and others with the thunderings and the lightnings of her power, by tempest, by fire, and by smoke, and vapor of darkness, and by the opening of the earth, and by mountains which shall be carried up. And all these things must surely come, saith the prophetess Zenise. And the rocks of the earth must rend; and because of the groanings of the earth, many of the kings of the isles of the sea shall be wrought upon by the Spirit of Goddess, to exclaim: The Goddess of nature suffers. And as for those who are at Jerusalem, saith the prophetess, they shall be scourged by all people, because they crucify the Goddess of Israel, and turn their hearts aside, rejecting signs and wonders, and the power and glory of the Goddess of Israel. And because they turn their hearts aside, saith the prophetess, and have despised the Holy One of Israel, they shall wander in the flesh, and perish, and become a hiss and a byword, and be hated among all nations.

Nevertheless, when that day cometh, saith the prophetess, that they no more turn aside their hearts against the Holy One of Israel, then will she remember the covenants which she made to their mothers. Yea, then will she remember the isles of the sea; yea, and all the people who are of the house of Israel, will I gather in, saith the Lady, according to the words of the prophetess Zenise, from the four quarters of the earth. Yea, and all the earth shall see the salvation of the Lady, saith the prophetess; every nation, kindred, tongue and people shall be blessed.

And I, Nephie, have written these things unto my people, that perhaps I might persuade them that they would remember the Lady their Redemptress. Wherefore, I speak unto all the house of Israel, if it so be that they should obtain these things.

For behold, I have workings in the spirit, which doth weary me even that all my joints are weak, for those who are at Jerusalem; for had not the Lady been merciful, to show unto me concerning them, even as she had prophetesses of old, I should have perished also. And she surely did show unto the prophetesses of old all things concerning them; and also she did show unto many concerning us; wherefore, it must needs be that we know concerning them for they are written upon the plates of brass.

Now it came to pass that I, Nephie, did teach my sisters these things; and it came to pass that I did read many things to them, which were engraven upon the plates of brass, that they might know concerning the doings of the Lady in other lands, among people of old. And I did read many things unto them which were written in the books of Zipporah; but that I might more fully persuade them to believe in the Lady their Redemptress I did read unto them that which was written by the prophetess Isaia; for I did liken all scriptures unto us, that it might be for our profit and learning.

Wherefore I spake unto them, saying: Hear ye the words of the prophetess, ye who are a remnant of the house of Israel, a branch who have been broken off; hear ye the words of the prophetess, which were written unto all the house of Israel, and liken them unto yourselves, that ye may have hope as well as your sisters from whom ye have been broken off; for after this manner has the prophetess written.