Lesson 59 - The Building of the Ship

When his brothers saw that Nephi was about to build a ship, they began to | ridicule him. They would give him no help, for they did not believe he was instructed of the Lord. Nephi became very sorrowful because of the hardness of their hearts. When they saw this they were glad, and tauntingly told him they knew that he was lacking in judgment and could not accomplish so great a work.

They reproached him with being like their father, in being led away by the foolish imaginations of his heart. They recited their imaginary grievances against Lehi for leading them out of Jerusalem and bringing upon them the sufferings which they and their wives had endured since leaving that city. Warming up with their complaints, they said it would have been better for their wives to have died before they left Jerusalem than to have had such afflictions as they had borne. While they were suffering all these hardships in the desert they might, they said, have been happily enjoying themselves at home. As for the people of Jerusalem, notwithstanding their father’s condemnation of them, they declared they knew them to be a righteous people; for they kept the statutes and judgments of the Lord, and all His commandments according to the law of Moses. But their father had led them away, because they had hearkened to him, and now Nephi, their brother, was just like him.

Nephi, according to his custom when they grumbled and found fault, commenced to reason with and teach them. He cited to them the history of the children of Israel under the leadership of Moses, what the Lord had done and the mighty works He had enabled Moses to do. He did not spare them in his rebukes. The only effect his words and remonstrances appeared to have upon them was to enrage them. They went so far as to attempt to throw him into the depths of the sea; but as they advanced towards him for that purpose, he commanded them in the name of the Almighty God not to touch him. Nephi was filled with the power of God, even unto the consuming of his flesh. He had so much power on this occasion that they dared not lay their hands upon him or et en touch him with their fingers. Neither dared they venture to do so for many days for fear lest they should wither before him.