Nephi Laments and Preaches

By 23 BC, Helaman’s son, Nephi, returned to Zarahemla from the northern land. He had been preaching God’s word to the people there, prophesying many things to them.

But they had rejected all his words, so he could not stay among them, and he returned to his native land. Nephi had seen the people in a state of awful wickedness. Those Gadianton robbers had taken over the judgment-seats. He saw God’s commandments being laid aside in their judgments as they denied the people justice. He saw Gadianton robbers sitting in his judgment-seat, condemning the righteous because of their righteousness and letting the guilty go free because of their money. The Gadiantons did this to gain riches and to be re-elected at the head of the government, ruling and doing as they wished while the world praised them. They also did this so that they could more easily get away with adultery, theft, murder or anything else they wanted.

This great iniquity had come upon the Nephites in only a few years. When Nephi saw all this, his heart was swollen with sorrow, and he exclaimed in the agony of his soul, “How I wish that I could have lived when my father Nephi first came from Jerusalem, so that I could have enjoyed the promised land with him. His people were teachable, firm to keep God’s commandments, and slow to sin. They were quick to listen to the Lord’s words.

“If I could have lived in those days, then my soul would have had joy in the righteousness of my brethren. But I must live in these days, and my soul is filled with sorrow because of my brethren’s wickedness.”

Nephi had raised his voice while on the top his garden tower—a tower that was near the highway that led to the main Zarahemla marketplace. As some men were passing by, they saw Nephi upon his tower pouring out his soul to God. Since Nephi was well-known, the men ran and told the people what they had seen, and a crowd came to find out why Nephi was mourning.

When Nephi arose and saw the crowd, he said to them, “Have you gathered so that I may tell you of your sinfulness? Yes, you are here because I have been pouring out my soul to my God because of your iniquities! You have gathered to wonder, and you should wonder because the devil has taken such a great hold on your hearts. How could you have given way to the enticing of the devil, who seeks to hurl your souls down to an everlasting misery and endless woe? Oh repent, for why will you allow yourselves to die spiritually? Turn to the Lord your God now, for His Spirit has already left you. This has happened because you have hardened your hearts and will not listen to the Good Shepherd’s voice. You have provoked His anger against you.

“Now instead of gathering you together, He will scatter you, and you will become food for dogs and wild animals, unless you repent. How could have you forgotten your God in the very day that He has delivered you? You have done these things to get gold and silver, and to be praised by others. You have set your hearts on riches and the vain things of this world. To get them, you murder, plunder, steal, and bear false witness against your neighbors. Because you do this, a curse will come upon you unless you repent. This city, and other great cities in this region, will be conquered, and you will have no place in them, for the Lord will not give you the strength to defend your cities as He has in the past. He says, ‘I will not show my strength to the wicked, but only to those who repent and listen to my words.’ My brethren, it will be better for the Lamanites than for you unless you repent. They are more righteous than you, for they have not sinned against the great knowledge that you have. You are cursed for joining that secret Gadianton band! You are cursed for being so proud of your great prosperity, and finally, you are cursed because of your wicked deeds. If you do not repent, your lands will be taken away and you will be destroyed off the face of the earth! All this is not just my opinion, for the Lord God has made these things known to me. And I testify that they will surely happen.”