5:1 And it
came to pass that after we had come down into the
wilderness unto our father, behold, he was filled with
joy, and also my mother, Sariah, was exceedingly glad,
for she truly had mourned because of us. |
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5:2 For she
had supposed that we had perished in the wilderness; and
she also had complained against my father, telling him
that he was a visionary man; saying: Behold thou hast led
us forth from the land of our inheritance, and my sons
are no more, and we perish in the wilderness. |
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5:3 And
after this manner of language had my mother complained
against my father. |
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5:4 And it
had come to pass that my father spake unto her, saying: I
know that I am a visionary man; for if I had not seen the
things of God in a vision I should not have known the
goodness of God, but had tarried at Jerusalem, and had
perished with my brethren. |
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5:5 But
behold, I have obtained a land of promise, in the which
things I do rejoice; yea, and I know that the Lord will
deliver my sons out of the hands of Laban, and bring them
down again unto us in the wilderness. |
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5:6 And
after this manner of language did my father, Lehi,
comfort my mother, Sariah, concerning us, while we
journeyed in the wilderness up to the land of Jerusalem,
to obtain the record of the Jews. |
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5:7 And when
we had returned to the tent of my father, behold their
joy was full, and my mother was comforted. |
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5:8 And she
spake, saying: Now I know of a surety that the Lord hath
commanded my husband to flee into the wilderness; yea,
and I also know of a surety that the Lord hath protected
my sons, and delivered them out of the hands of Laban,
and given them power whereby they could accomplish the
thing which the Lord hath commanded them. And after this
manner of language did she speak. |
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5:9 And it
came to pass that they did rejoice exceedingly, and did
offer sacrifice and burnt offerings unto the Lord; and
they gave thanks unto the God of Israel. |
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5:10 And
after they had given thanks unto the God of Israel, my
father, Lehi, took the records which were engraven upon
the plates of brass, and he did search them from the
beginning. |
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5:11 And he
beheld that they did contain the 1five
books of Moses, which gave an account of the creation of
the world, and also of Adam and Eve, who were our first
parents; |
[1] The Book of Mormon here
repeats the notion that Moses was the author of the
Pentateuch. Modern scholarship has determined that the
Pentateuch was written by a number of authors, all of
whom lived some time after Moses. (See this page for more
information). |
5:12 And
also a record of the Jews from the beginning, even down
to the commencement of the reign of Zedekiah, king of
Judah; |
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5:13 And
also the prophecies of the holy prophets, from the
beginning, even down to the commencement of the reign of
Zedekiah; and also many prophecies which have been spoken
by the mouth of Jeremiah. |
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5:14 And it
came to pass that my father, Lehi, also found upon the
plates of brass a genealogy of his fathers; wherefore he
knew that he was a descendant of Joseph; yea, even that
Joseph who was the son of Jacob, who was sold into Egypt,
and who was preserved by the hand of the Lord, that he
might preserve his father, Jacob, and all his household
from perishing with famine. |
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5:15 And
they were also led out of captivity and out of the land
of Egypt, by that same God who had preserved them. |
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5:16 And
thus my father, Lehi, did discover the genealogy of his
fathers. And Laban also was a descendant of Joseph,
wherefore he and his fathers had kept the records. |
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5:17 And
now when my father saw all these things, he was filled
with the Spirit, and began to prophesy concerning his
seed-- |
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5:18 That
these plates of brass should go forth unto all 1nations, kindreds,
tongues, and people who were of his seed. |
[1] Revelation 7:9:
...all nations, and kindreds, and people, and tongues... |
5:19
Wherefore, he said that these plates of brass should
never perish; neither should they be dimmed any more by
time. And he prophesied many things concerning his seed. |
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5:20 And it
came to pass that thus far I and my father had kept the
commandments wherewith the Lord had commanded us. |
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5:21 And we
had obtained the records which the Lord had commanded us,
and searched them and found that they were desirable;
yea, even of great worth unto us, insomuch that we could
preserve the commandments of the Lord unto our children. |
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5:22
Wherefore, it was wisdom in the Lord that we should carry
them with us, as we journeyed in the wilderness towards
the land of promise. |
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