1
Nephi 19:1-Worth More Than It's Weight In Gold
What
1 And
it came to pass that the Lord 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 father, and also our journeyings in the wilderness,
and the prophecies of my father; and also many of mine own prophecies
have I engraven upon them.
1-The
Lord commanded Nephi to make plates of ore (gold plates). And engrave
on them.
2-He
did that
3-He
engraved their journeyings in the wilderness
4-He
engraved the prophecies of his father .
5-He
engraved many of his own prophecies on them.
Why
Nephi
will explain later the purpose of these and the second plates but
this verse tells us that he made them because he was commanded to
make them. He was told what he should engrave on them.
His
purpose was to testify of Christ to those of us who are here now in
the latter days.
Making
these plates and engraving upon them would be a very difficult and
time consuming process. It would not be taken lightly.
Pattern
Other
plates have been kept.
1 Nephi 3:3
3
For behold, Laban hath the record of the Jews and also a genealogy of
my forefathers, and they are engraven upon plates of brass.
They would continue
to be kept by following prophets after Nephi.
Jacob 3:13
13
And a hundredth part of the proceedings of this people, which now
began to be numerous, cannot be written upon these plates;
but many of their proceedings are written upon the larger plates,
and their wars, and their contentions, and the reigns of their kings.
Jacob 4:2
2
But whatsoever things we write upon anything save it be
upon plates must
perish and vanish away; but we can write a few words upon plates,
which will give our children, and also our beloved brethren, a small
degree of knowledge concerning us, or concerning their fathers—
Mosiah 1:16
16
And moreover, he also gave him charge concerning the records which
were engraven on the plates of
brass; and also the plates of
Nephi; and also, the sword of Laban, and the ball or director, which
led our fathers through the wilderness, which was prepared by the
hand of the Lord that thereby they might be led, every one according
to the heed and diligence which they gave unto him.
Joseph Smith—History 1:42
42
Again, he told me, that when I got those platesof
which he had spoken—for the time that they should be obtained was
not yet fulfilled—I should not show them to any person; neither the
breastplate with the Urim and Thummim; only to those to whom I should
be commanded to show them; if I did I should be destroyed. While he
was conversing with me about the plates,
the vision was opened to my mind that I could see the place where
the plates were
deposited, and that so clearly and distinctly that I knew the place
again when I visited it.
Words of Mormon 1:10
10
Wherefore, it came to pass that after Amaleki had delivered up
these plates into
the hands of king Benjamin, he took them and put them with the
other plates, which
contained records which had been handed down by the kings, from
generation to generation until the days of king Benjamin.
Confrence
10/03 Henry B. Eyring
An
Enduring Testimony of the Mission of the Prophet Joseph Smith
Oliver
Cowdery preached the first missionary sermon the first Sunday after
the Church was organized. He went into the mission field to proclaim
what he knew by what he saw and heard and felt. With two others he
signed a testimony which they never denied. Their witness is printed
in the front of the Book of Mormon:
“Be
it known unto all nations, kindreds, tongues, and people, unto whom
this work shall come: That we, through the grace of God the Father,
and our Lord Jesus Christ, have seen the plates which contain this
record, which is a record of the people of Nephi, and also of the
Lamanites, their brethren, and also of the people of Jared, who came
from the tower of which hath been spoken. And we also know that they
have been translated by the gift and power of God, for his voice hath
declared it unto us; wherefore we know of a surety that the work is
true. And we also testify that we have seen the engravings which are
upon the plates; and they have been shown unto us by the power of
God, and not of man. And we declare with words of soberness, that an
angel of God came down from heaven, and he brought and laid before
our eyes, that we beheld and saw the plates, and the engravings
thereon; and we know that it is by the grace of God the Father, and
our Lord Jesus Christ, that we beheld and bear record that these
things are true. And it is marvelous in our eyes. Nevertheless, the
voice of the Lord commanded us that we should bear record of it;
wherefore, to be obedient unto the commandments of God, we bear
testimony of these things. And we know that if we are faithful in
Christ, we shall rid our garments of the blood of all men, and be
found spotless before the judgment-seat of Christ, and shall dwell
with him eternally in the heavens. And the honor be to the Father,
and to the Son, and to the Holy Ghost, which is one God. Amen. Oliver
Cowdery David Whitmer Martin Harris”2
...“Wherefore,
ye must press forward with a steadfastness in Christ, having a
perfect brightness of hope, and a love of God and of all men.
Wherefore, if ye shall press forward, feasting upon the word of
Christ, and endure to the end, behold, thus saith the Father: Ye
shall have eternal life.”5
The
Prophet Joseph taught us what it means to feast on the scriptures. He
said that the Book of Mormon would get a man “nearer to God by
abiding by its precepts, than by any other book.”6 You
will grow closer to the Lord and love Him more. That is the promise
in Jacob
3:2:
“O
all ye that are pure in heart, lift up your heads and receive the
pleasing word of God, and feast upon his love; for ye may, if your
minds are firm, forever.”
You
and those you love will receive the word of God by obeying it. That
will allow them to feel His love. That is one of the great blessings
of the gift of the Holy Ghost. When we feel that love we can know
that our course in life is approved of God. That is the feast of the
delicious fruit described in the Book of Mormon.7
“Wherefore,
ye must press forward with a steadfastness in Christ, having a
perfect brightness of hope, and a love of God and of all men.
Wherefore, if ye shall press forward, feasting upon the word of
Christ, and endure to the end, behold, thus saith the Father: Ye
shall have eternal life.”5
The
Prophet Joseph taught us what it means to feast on the scriptures. He
said that the Book of Mormon would get a man “nearer to God by
abiding by its precepts, than by any other book.”6 You
will grow closer to the Lord and love Him more. That is the promise
in Jacob
3:2:
When
you read the Book of Mormon, concentrate on the principal figure in
the book—from its first chapter to the last—the Lord Jesus
Christ, Son of the Living God.3 And
look for a second undergirding theme: God will keep His covenants
with the remnants of the house of Israel.4
The
Book of Mormon is a crucial component of that covenant.5 It
is holy scripture that encompasses sacred writings from the small and
large plates of Nephi, the plates of Mormon, the plates of Ether, and
the plates of brass, which contained “the five books of Moses, …
a record of the Jews, … and … prophecies of the holy prophets.”6
When
Mormon abridged these records, he noted that he could not write a
“hundredth part” of their proceedings.7 Thus, historical aspects
of the book assume secondary significance.
The
Holy Bible has 66 individual books; the Book of Mormon contains 15.
Its first book of Nephi—written some six centuries before the
birth of Jesus—records that the prophet Lehi8 received
a vision of the tree of life.9His
son Nephi prayed to know its meaning. In answer, he was given a
remarkable vision. He beheld a virgin bearing a Child in her arms. He
envisioned the Redeemer of the world, His earthly ministry, and His
Crucifixion. He saw 12 others who would follow the Holy One. And he
Other
great prophets of the Book of Mormon—in their own way and
time—testified of the divinity of the Lord Jesus Christ. Among them
were the brother of Jared,11 Zenock,
Neum, and Zenos.12 Testimonies
of Jesus Christ that predated His
birth in Bethlehem were also recorded from King Benjamin, Abinadi,
Alma the Elder, Alma the Younger, Amulek, the sons of Mosiah, Captain
Moroni, the brothers Nephi and Lehi, and Samuel the Lamanite.13 In
a seemingly endless sequence of prophetic proclamations—testimonies
of “all the holy prophets”14 for
“a great many thousand years before his coming”15—the
Book of Mormon makes the solemn declaration that Jesus is the Christ,
our Savior and Redeemer.
Christ
When
you read the Book of Mormon, concentrate on the principal figure in
the book—from its first chapter to the last—the Lord Jesus
Christ, Son of the Living God.3 And
look for a second undergirding theme: God will keep His covenants
with the remnants of the house of Israel. Russel
M. Nelson
Apply
This
little verse tells me how important the Book of Mormon is. It took
hundreds of years to complete and is a record of the most important
and sacred events that happened during that time to Lehi and his
descendants. It took great pains to work the ore and make the plates
and then to engrave upon them. Not only one set, but two plus the
brass plates of Laban. We are so very blessed to have the
translation of this great and sacred record. We could not have it
without the careful work of many prophets who were directed by God on
how to make the plates, what to write and how to preserve them.
Their preservation is such a miracle and beautiful story. We cannot
begin to understand all the time and effort and love that has gone
into this book so that we can have it today. It should be studied
and pondered and respected and loved as a guide and testimony to us
of the divinity of Jesus Christ.
Hymns
13-
An Angel From On High
D&C
128
20 And
again, what do we hear? Glad tidings fromCumorah! Moroni, an
angel from heaven, declaring the fulfilment of the
prophets—the book to
be revealed. A voice of the Lord in the wilderness of Fayette, Seneca
county, declaring the three witnesses to bear record of
the book! The voice of Michael on
the banks of the Susquehanna, detecting the devil when
he appeared as an angel of light! The voice of Peter,
James, and John in the wilderness between Harmony, Susquehanna
county, and Colesville, Broome county, on the Susquehanna river,
declaring themselves as possessing the keys of
the kingdom, and of the dispensation of the fulness of times!
Joseph
Smith History. Ch.1
34 He
said there was a book deposited,
written upon gold plates, giving an account of the former inhabitants
of this continent, and the source from whence they sprang. He also
said that the fulness of
the everlasting Gospel was contained in it, as delivered by the
Savior to the ancient inhabitants;
Children
118-Book
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