"Babylonian world dominion took control of the kingdom of Judah about 605 B.C. when Jehoiakim was king of Judah. Jehoiakim attempted a revolt against Babylon. Babylonian forces put Jeruselem under siege. Jehoiakim was either killed or captured. Zedekiah, the uncle of Jahoiakim, was appointed by Balylon to the throne. It was a time of great wickedness among the people of Judah-immorality and corruption were rampant. This is the setting of Lehi's day. Shortly after Lehi's departure from the area, Zedekiah attempted another revolt against Babylon, resulting in a much greater destruction of Jeruselem in about 587 B.C. Many people were killed, and most of the rest of the Jews were taken captive into Babylon for the next 70 years. This fulfilled Lehi's prephecies to Judah that if they did not repent they would be destroyed." (Book of Mormon Student Manual, pg. 13)Who were Lehi's contemporary prophets? Jeremiah, Obadiah, Nahum, Habakkuk, and Zephaniah.
1 Nephi 1-3
Passout the Diagram, discuss the different sources.
The Small plates were to represent the spritual writings of the Nephites and the Large plates were to represent the historical writings of the Nephites. The first few chapters of the Small book contained a summary of his father, Lehi's, writings and in the Large book the first book was called the book of Lehi. The Book of Lehi was the 116 portion of the translation that was lost in the early stages of the Book of Mormon translation. In this instance the Lord's foresight is a blessing to us. We did not completely lose the writings of Lehi becuase it was also included in the Small plates which were not lost and are in today's edition of the Book of Mormon.
Was the book of 1 Nephi in the Small or Large book of Nephi?
It was part of the Small plates of Nephi. it begins with a summary of the writings of Lehi and then continues with Nephi's own writings. The Small plates of Nephi include the following books: 1-2 Nephi, Jacob, Enos, jarom and Omni. The large plates included Lehi (missing), Mosiah, Alma, Helaman, 3-4 Nephi. Mormon and Moroni also included his Mormon's book, the book of Ether, Moroni's book and the Title Page.
When did Nephi begin writing these records?
Nephi received the commandment to keep a historical record about 30 years after leaving Jerusalem (about 570 B.C.) (see 1 Nephi 19:1-5, 2 Nephi 5:28-31)
President Spencer W. Kimball talked about the importance of keeping personal records (link):
"How happy we are as we find our grandparents’ journals and follow them through their trials and joys and gain for our own lives much from the experiences and faith and courage of our ancestors
Accordingly, we urge our young people to begin today to write and keep records of all the important things in their own lives and also the lives of their antecedents in the event that their parents should fail to record all the important incidents in their own lives. Your own private journal should record the way you face up to challenges that beset you. Do not suppose life changes so much that your experiences will not be interesting to your posterity. Experiences of work, relations with people, and an awareness of the rightness and wrongness of actions will always be relevant....
"No one is commonplace, and I doubt if you can ever read a biography from which you cannot learn something from the difficulties overcome and the struggles made to succeed. These are the measuring rods for the progress of humanity.
"As we read the stories of great men, we discover that they did not become famous overnight nor were they born professionals or skilled craftsmen. The story of how they became what they are may be helpful to us all....
"Your journal is your autobiography, so it should be kept carefully. You are unique, and there may be incidents in your experience that are more noble and praiseworthy in their way than those recorded in any other life. There may be a flash of illumination here and a story of faithfulness there; you should truthfully record your real self and not what other people may see in you.
"Your story should be written now while it is fresh and while the true details are available....
"What could you do better for your children and your children’s children than to record the story of your life, your triumphs over adversity, your recovery after a fall, your progress when all seemed black, your rejoicing when you had finally achieved?...
"Get a notebook, my young folks, a journal that will last through all time, and maybe the angels may quote from it for eternity. Begin today and write in it your goings and comings, your deepest thoughts, your achievements and your failures, your associations and your triumphs, your impressions and your testimonies. Remember, the Savior chastised those who failed to record important events."
In this quote President talks about the importance of keeping a record. Even if we think that we will never get any value from our own writings our descendants or others may. It could be an important link that can bond those that come after us to us. It could also provide invaluable information to assist in geneology work later.
1 Nephi 1:4-18
In these verses we learn about Lehi's initial visions where the Lord informed him of the vile ways of his people and what would happen if they do not repent. We also come to the vison where the Lord instructs Lehi to take his family and leave so that the Lord may be able to preserve a righteous generation of his people. The scriptures make it apparent that Sincere and humble prayer is essential for recieving revelation.
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