Day Thirty-four Nephi 6 Begins

1 Nephi 6: 1-4

1 Nephi 6: 1-2

1 And now I, Nephi, do not give the genealogy of my fathers inthis part of my record; neither at any time shall I give it after upon these plates which I am writing; for it is given in the record which has been kept by my father; wherefore, I do not write it in this work.

 2 For it sufficeth me to say that we are descendants of Joseph.

Now if you will appeal to Biblical history you will find that the Israelites did write their records, in ancient times, upon metallic plates, and that these plates were connected together, with rings, passing through the leaves. Through the whole a stick was placed for carrying the record. This description we have given by those who have deeply studied concerning the Scriptures and the ancient doings of the Israelites. When Lehi left Jerusalem, there was a certain man that lived in Jerusalem, that had kept records upon brass plates. And these records, we are informed had been handed down from the early ages of the Israelites, until Lehi left Jerusalem. They contained a copy of the genealogy of the tribe of Joseph

 1 Ne. 5:14

 in the land of Palestine.

 1 Ne. 6:1-2

 Laban being a descendent of Joseph, the records had fallen into his hands.

 1 Ne. 5:16

 1 Ne. 3:3

 Lehi was commanded to send his sons to obtain these records;

 1 Ne. 3:2-4

 for he had pitched his tent on the eastern borders of the Red Sea.

 1 Ne. 2:5

 The history of his obtaining them you will find recorded in the Book of Mormon. On the 10th page it reads—“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. 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. 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; And also a record of the Jews from the beginning, even down to the commencement of the reign of Zedekiah, king of Judah;

[p. 54b]

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.”

“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. And they were also led out of captivity and out of the land of Egypt, by that same God who had preserved them. 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.”

 1 Ne. 5:14-16

“And now when my father saw all these things, he was filled with the Spirit, and began to prophesy concerning his seed—That these plates of brass should go forth unto all nations, kindreds, tongues, and people who were of his seed. 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.”

I have read this in order to come to another thing that has a bearing upon our text. 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.

Meeting of Adam With His Posterity in the Valley of Adam-Ondi-Ahman—Location of the Valley—The Covenant With Enoch—Records of God's Dealings With Men From the Period of the Creation—Method of Preserving the Records of Ancient Prophets—Christ's Advent Among the Nephites—Fufillment of God's Purposes and the Fullness of Times.

Discourse by Elder Orson Pratt, delivered in the Tabernacle, Ogden, Sunday Morning, May 18, 1873.

Reported By: James Taylor.

Here is the reference

1 Nephi 6:

3 And it mattereth not to me that I am particular to give a full account of all the things of my father, for they cannot be written upon these plates, for I desire the room that I may write of the things of God.

Did you notice that he was “ not to touch (save it were lightly)” on the history of the people but he was to touch upon the sacred things “as much as it were possible”!

Nephi explained:

“It mattereth not to me that I am particular to give a full account of all the things of my father, … for I desire the room that I may write of the things of God.

“For the fulness of mine intent is that I may persuade men to come unto the God of Abraham, and the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob, and be saved.

“Wherefore, I shall give commandment unto my seed, that they shall not occupy these plates with things which are not of worth unto the children of men.” (1 Ne. 6:3–4, 6; italics added.)

“This I do that the more sacred things may be kept for the knowledge of my people. … I do not write anything upon plates save it be that I think it be sacred .” (1 Ne. 19:5–6; italics added.)

Boyd K. Packer, Things of My Soul, April 1986

1 Nephi 6:

4 For the fulness of mine intent is that I may persuade men tocome unto the God of Abraham, and the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob, and be saved.

A Book with a Purpose

Next we stated that the Book of Mormon is a book with a purpose. From the title page we read that the Book of Mormon was “written by way of commandment” and “by the spirit of prophecy and of revelation” to “come forth by the gift and power of God” to the convincing of each of us “that Jesus is the Christ, the Eternal God.” In a personal expression of this purpose, Nephi, as one of the authors of the Book of Mormon, wrote, “The fulness of mine intent is that I may persuade men to come unto the God of Abraham, and the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob, and be saved” (1 Nephi 6:4).

Craig C Christensen, A Book with a Promise, April 2008