1 Nephi 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.
These plates of brass, contained the prophecies of all the holy Prophets from the beginning—from the days of Adam; hence they must have contained the prophecies of Enoch, Adam, Noah, Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, and Joseph in Egypt. The prophecies of Isaiah and many others of the holy Prophets were contained upon these plates of brass.
Notwithstanding brass is a metallic
substance capable of being dissolved and crumbling back, in a few years to the elements, yet there was a miracle wrought upon these plates of brass. The Prophet said that these plates of brass should not be dimmed by time,
that God would preserve them to the latest generations. What for? In order that they might come forth and their contents be translated by the Urim and Thummim,
that these contents might be declared to all nations, and kindreds, and tongues, and people,
who were the descendants of Lehi upon the face of all this continent, from the frozen regions of the north to the very utmost extremities of South America. That all these nations should come to a knowledge of the things contained on those plates of brass.
substance capable of being dissolved and crumbling back, in a few years to the elements, yet there was a miracle wrought upon these plates of brass. The Prophet said that these plates of brass should not be dimmed by time,
that God would preserve them to the latest generations. What for? In order that they might come forth and their contents be translated by the Urim and Thummim,
that these contents might be declared to all nations, and kindreds, and tongues, and people,
who were the descendants of Lehi upon the face of all this continent, from the frozen regions of the north to the very utmost extremities of South America. That all these nations should come to a knowledge of the things contained on those plates of brass.
1 Nephi 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.
1 Nephi 5:
11 And he beheld that they did contain the five 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 Nephi 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;
Lehi and his wife Sariah rejoiced at the return of their sons and gave thanks unto God. Then “Lehi, took the records … and he did search them from the beginning. … They did contain the five books of Moses, … also a record of the Jews from the beginning, even down to … the reign of Zedekiah, king of Judah; … prophecies of the holy prophets, from the beginning, even down to the commencement of the reign of Zedekiah; … a genealogy of his [Lehi’s] fathers; wherefore he knew that he was a descendant of … that Joseph who was the son of Jacob.” (See 1 Ne. 5:10–14.)
Perhaps Lehi read the blessing of Joseph, received under the hand of Jacob. “Joseph is a fruitful bough, even a fruitful bough by a well; whose branches run over the wall” (Gen. 49:22), and he knew that he was in the process of fulfilling that blessing in establishing a new nation which would “run over the wall” to a new promised land and would bring them to the continents now known as America.
The obtained records were the foundation records they carried with them, to which was added continuous revelation received by Lehi and his posterity.
All scriptures set the moral code for mankind to live by. They are available to all, having been translated into many languages. Those who choose not to use them, not to give heed to the prophets, and cast aside the spiritual benefits, will surely dwindle in unbelief and perish. It has been said, “If we strike from mankind the principle of faith … men would have no more history than a flock of sheep.” (H. V. Prochnow and H. V. Prochnow, Jr., The Public Speakers Treasure Chest, New York: Harper and Row, 1942, p. 383.) On the contrary, those who choose them and live by them will live. “The just shall live by his faith,” so Habakkuk tells us. (Hab. 2:4.)
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