1 Nephi 18
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Nephi has finished the ship. It took faith to start it. His brothers mocked him for even trying (1 Nephi 17:17), and he had to make his own tools from ore. Now the work is done, and even Laman and Lemuel can see that it was good, and that the workmanship thereof was exceedingly fine (v. 4). For a moment, the whole family is humble.
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1 Nephi 18:1-4Not after the Manner of Men
1And it came to pass that they did worship the Lord, and did go forth with me; and we did work timbers of curious workmanship. And the Lord did show me from time to time after what manner I should work the timbers of the ship. 2Now I, Nephi, did not work the timbers after the manner which was learned by men, neither did I build the ship after the manner of men; but I did build it after the manner which the Lord had shown unto me; wherefore, it was not after the manner of men.
The Lord did not hand Nephi a finished plan. He showed him from time to time how to do the next part. Revelation often comes that way: enough for the next step.
Nephi says three times that the ship was not after the manner of men. He wants us to know who really designed it.
3And I, Nephi, did go into the mount oft, and I did pray oft unto the Lord; wherefore the Lord showed unto me great things. 4And it came to pass that after I had finished the ship, according to the word of the Lord, my brethren beheld that it was good, and that the workmanship thereof was exceedingly fine; wherefore, they did humble themselves again before the Lord.
Nephi went into the mount oft and prayed oft, and the Lord showed unto me great things. The ship was built between trips up the mountain.
When the brothers see the finished ship, they humble themselves again. The word again is honest. They had been humble before, and it had not lasted.
1 Nephi 18:5-8Driven Forth before the Wind
5And it came to pass that the voice of the Lord came unto my father, that we should arise and go down into the ship. 6And it came to pass that on the morrow, after we had prepared all things, much fruits and meat from the wilderness, and honey in abundance, and provisions according to that which the Lord had commanded us, we did go down into the ship, with all our loading and our seeds, and whatsoever thing we had brought with us, every one according to his age; wherefore, we did all go down into the ship, with our wives and our children.
The voice of the Lord tells Lehi when to go. The family loads food, honey, and seeds. They are planning to plant in a land they have never seen.
7And now, my father had begat two sons in the wilderness; the elder was called Jacob and the younger Joseph.
Two sons were born in the wilderness: Jacob and Joseph. Both will become important. Jacob will later be one of the great teachers of the Book of Mormon.
8And it came to pass after we had all gone down into the ship, and had taken with us our provisions and things which had been commanded us, we did put forth into the sea and were driven forth before the wind towards the promised land.
The family is driven forth before the wind towards the promised land. They are not steering by their own strength. The Lord's wind is carrying them.
1 Nephi 18:9-15The Compass Did Cease to Work
9And after we had been driven forth before the wind for the space of many days, behold, my brethren and the sons of Ishmael and also their wives began to make themselves merry, insomuch that they began to dance, and to sing, and to speak with much rudeness, yea, even that they did forget by what power they had been brought thither; yea, they were lifted up unto exceeding rudeness. 10And I, Nephi, began to fear exceedingly lest the Lord should be angry with us, and smite us because of our iniquity, that we should be swallowed up in the depths of the sea; wherefore, I, Nephi, began to speak to them with much soberness; but behold they were angry with me, saying: We will not that our younger brother shall be a ruler over us.
The problem on the ship is not that people sang and danced. It is that they did forget by what power they had been brought thither, and grew rude.
Nephi warns them, and they answer, We will not that our younger brother shall be a ruler over us. It is the same complaint they have made since the wilderness.
11And it came to pass that Laman and Lemuel did take me and bind me with cords, and they did treat me with much harshness; nevertheless, the Lord did suffer it that he might show forth his power, unto the fulfilling of his word which he had spoken concerning the wicked.
This time the Lord does not break Nephi's cords right away. Nephi says the Lord did suffer it so that He could show His power in another way.
12And it came to pass that after they had bound me insomuch that I could not move, the compass, which had been prepared of the Lord, did cease to work. 13Wherefore, they knew not whither they should steer the ship, insomuch that there arose a great storm, yea, a great and terrible tempest, and we were driven back upon the waters for the space of three days; and they began to be frightened exceedingly lest they should be drowned in the sea; nevertheless they did not loose me.
14And on the fourth day, which we had been driven back, the tempest began to be exceedingly sore. 15And it came to pass that we were about to be swallowed up in the depths of the sea. And after we had been driven back upon the waters for the space of four days, my brethren began to see that the judgments of God were upon them, and that they must perish save that they should repent of their iniquities; wherefore, they came unto me, and loosed the bands which were upon my wrists, and behold they had swollen exceedingly; and also mine ankles were much swollen, and great was the soreness thereof.
With no compass, the ship is driven backward by a terrible storm for three days. The brothers are terrified, nevertheless they did not loose me.
Only when they are about to sink do the brothers untie Nephi. His wrists and ankles are badly swollen. Four days bound in a storm.
1 Nephi 18:16-20I Did Look unto My God
16Nevertheless, I did look unto my God, and I did praise him all the day long; and I did not murmur against the Lord because of mine afflictions.
Bound and in pain, Nephi says he did praise him all the day long and did not murmur against the Lord. That is the heart of this chapter.
17Now my father, Lehi, had said many things unto them, and also unto the sons of Ishmael; but, behold, they did breathe out much threatenings against anyone that should speak for me; and my parents being stricken in years, and having suffered much grief because of their children, they were brought down, yea, even upon their sick-beds. 18Because of their grief and much sorrow, and the iniquity of my brethren, they were brought near even to be carried out of this time to meet their God; yea, their grey hairs were about to be brought down to lie low in the dust; yea, even they were near to be cast with sorrow into a watery grave. 19And Jacob and Joseph also, being young, having need of much nourishment, were grieved because of the afflictions of their mother; and also my wife with her tears and prayers, and also my children, did not soften the hearts of my brethren that they would loose me.
Lehi and Sariah are old, and their sons' rebellion breaks their health. They nearly die on the voyage because of their grief.
Nephi's wife pleads with her tears and prayers. Little Jacob and Joseph are grieved. None of it softens the brothers' hearts.
20And there was nothing save it were the power of God, which threatened them with destruction, could soften their hearts; wherefore, when they saw that they were about to be swallowed up in the depths of the sea they repented of the thing which they had done, insomuch that they loosed me.
Tears, prayers, and a dying father could not soften the brothers. Only the threat of destruction did. Some hearts wait until the storm to bend.
1 Nephi 18:21-25There Was a Great Calm
21And it came to pass after they had loosed me, behold, I took the compass, and it did work whither I desired it. And it came to pass that I prayed unto the Lord; and after I had prayed the winds did cease, and the storm did cease, and there was a great calm.
As soon as Nephi is free, the compass works again. Then he prays, and the storm stops.
22And it came to pass that I, Nephi, did guide the ship, that we sailed again towards the promised land. 23And it came to pass that after we had sailed for the space of many days we did arrive at the promised land; and we went forth upon the land, and did pitch our tents; and we did call it the promised land.
After many days more, they arrive at the promised land. The promise made years earlier in Jerusalem is kept.
24And it came to pass that we did begin to till the earth, and we began to plant seeds; yea, we did put all our seeds into the earth, which we had brought from the land of Jerusalem. And it came to pass that they did grow exceedingly; wherefore, we were blessed in abundance. 25And it came to pass that we did find upon the land of promise, as we journeyed in the wilderness, that there were beasts in the forests of every kind, both the cow and the ox, and the ass and the horse, and the goat and the wild goat, and all manner of wild animals, which were for the use of men. And we did find all manner of ore, both of gold, and of silver, and of copper.
The seeds they carried from Jerusalem did grow exceedingly. The faith it took to pack them is rewarded.
Research trail
Sources & further study
These references support the historical, linguistic, manuscript, and contextual notes in this chapter. Scripture remains the primary text; external sources are provided so readers can inspect the research directly.
- Why Did the Nephites Call Their Divine Compass “Liahona”?The name Liahona first appears in Alma 37:38. Scholars have proposed that it means something like “to (or of) Jehovah” plus a word for direction or guidance. The article reads the compass in this chapter as a type of Christ that teaches people to look to the Lord.
- Why Were the Three Witnesses Shown the Liahona?In 1829 the Lord promised the Three Witnesses they would see “the miraculous directors which were given to Lehi while in the wilderness” (D&C 17:1). This explores why the compass Nephi took up in verse 21 was preserved as a sacred object.
- President Spencer W. Kimball, “Our Own Liahona”President Kimball retells verses 9-22 and asks the young men of the Church to imagine being Nephi, bound on the ship while the spindles stop. He compares the compass to the conscience every person is given.
Where this echoes in Scripture
Not after the Manner of Men
- 1 Nephi 17:8Thou shalt construct a ship, after the manner which I shall show thee.The command and the promise behind verse 1.
- 1 Nephi 17:13I will prepare the way before you, if it so be that ye shall keep my commandments.
- Ether 2:16And built barges after the manner which they had built, according to the instructions of the Lord.Another family crossing the sea in vessels built by revelation.
- Isaiah 2:3Come ye, and let us go up to the mountain of the LORD, to the house of the God of Jacob; and he will teach us of his ways.The mountain where the Lord teaches.
- D&C 88:119Establish a house, even a house of prayer, a house of fasting, a house of faith, a house of learning.The house of the Lord as a place to go up and learn.
Driven Forth before the Wind
- Ether 6:8The wind did never cease to blow towards the promised land while they were upon the waters.The Jaredites' crossing, in the same words.
- 2 Nephi 2:1-2Thou art my firstborn in the days of my tribulation in the wilderness… he shall consecrate thine afflictions for thy gain.Lehi's blessing on Jacob, born in the wilderness.
- 2 Nephi 3:1Thou wast born in the wilderness of mine afflictions.Lehi's words to Joseph, his last-born.
- John 3:8The wind bloweth where it listeth… so is every one that is born of the Spirit.The Spirit, like the wind, is not ours to steer.
The Compass Did Cease to Work
- 1 Nephi 16:28-29The pointers… did work according to the faith and diligence and heed which we did give unto them.How the compass worked from the start.
- Alma 37:38-45Is there not a type in this thing?Alma names the compass Liahona and explains what it teaches.
- 1 Nephi 7:17-18The bands were loosed from off my hands and feet.The first time Nephi was bound, and how he was freed.
- Genesis 37:8Shalt thou indeed reign over us?Another family's resentment of a younger brother.
- D&C 17:1The miraculous directors which were given to Lehi while in the wilderness.The Three Witnesses were promised a view of this compass.
I Did Look unto My God
- 1 Nephi 1:1Having seen many afflictions in the course of my days, nevertheless…The same nevertheless, at the start of the book.
- Ether 6:9They did thank and praise the Lord all the day long.The Jaredites praised the Lord the same way while tossed at sea.
- Genesis 42:38Then shall ye bring down my gray hairs with sorrow to the grave.
- Acts 16:25At midnight Paul and Silas prayed, and sang praises unto God.Two more prisoners who praised God while bound.
- Alma 32:16Blessed are they who humble themselves without being compelled to be humble.
There Was a Great Calm
- Mark 4:39Peace, be still. And the wind ceased, and there was a great calm.The same words, on the Sea of Galilee.
- Psalm 107:29-30He maketh the storm a calm… so he bringeth them unto their desired haven.
- 1 Nephi 17:14After ye have arrived in the promised land, ye shall know that I, the Lord, am God.What the arrival was meant to teach.
- 2 Nephi 1:5A land which is choice above all other lands.Lehi describes the land they reached.
- Alma 37:45Shall the words of Christ, if we follow their course, carry us beyond this vale of sorrow into a far better land of promise.