1 NephiChapter8

v1.10.1

And it came to pass that we had gathered together all manner of seeds of every kind, both of grain of every kind, and also of the seeds of fruit of every kind.

And it came to pass that while my father tarried in the wilderness he spake unto us, saying: Behold, I have dreamed a dream; or, in other words, I have seen a vision.

And behold, because of the thing which I have seen, I have reason to rejoice in the Lord because of Nephi and also of Sam; for I have reason to suppose that they, and also many of their seed, will be saved.

But behold, Laman and Lemuel, I fear exceedingly because of you; for behold, methought I saw in my dream, a dark and dreary wilderness.

And it came to pass that I saw a man, and he was dressed in a white robe; and he came and stood before me.

And it came to pass that he spake unto me, and bade me follow him.

And it came to pass that as I followed him I beheld myself that I was in a dark and dreary waste.

And after I had traveled for the space of many hours in darkness, I began to pray unto the Lord that he would have mercy on me, according to the multitude of his tender mercies.

And it came to pass after I had prayed unto the Lord I beheld a large and spacious field.

And it came to pass that I beheld a tree, whose fruit was desirable to make one happy.

And it came to pass that I did go forth and partake of the fruit thereof; and I beheld that it was most sweet, above all that I ever before tasted. Yea, and I beheld that the fruit thereof was white, to exceed all the whiteness that I had ever seen.

And as I partook of the fruit thereof it filled my soul with exceedingly great joy; wherefore, I began to be desirous that my family should partake of it also; for I knew that it was desirable above all other fruit.

And as I cast my eyes round about, that perhaps I might discover my family also, I beheld a river of water; and it ran along, and it was near the tree of which I was partaking the fruit.

And I looked to behold from whence it came; and I saw the head thereof a little way off; and at the head thereof I beheld your mother Sariah, and Sam, and Nephi; and they stood as if they knew not whither they should go.

And it came to pass that I beckoned unto them; and I also did say unto them with a loud voice that they should come unto me, and partake of the fruit, which was desirable above all other fruit.

And it came to pass that they did come unto me and partake of the fruit also.

And it came to pass that I was desirous that Laman and Lemuel should come and partake of the fruit also; wherefore, I cast mine eyes towards the head of the river, that perhaps I might see them.

And it came to pass that I saw them, but they would not come unto me and partake of the fruit.

And I beheld a rod of iron, and it extended along the bank of the river, and led to the tree by which I stood.

And I also beheld a strait and narrow path, which came along by the rod of iron, even to the tree by which I stood; and it also led by the head of the fountain, unto a large and spacious field, as if it had been a world.

And I saw numberless concourses of people, many of whom were pressing forward, that they might obtain the path which led unto the tree by which I stood.

And it came to pass that they did come forth, and commence in the path which led to the tree.

And it came to pass that there arose a mist of darkness; yea, even an exceedingly great mist of darkness, insomuch that they who had commenced in the path did lose their way, that they wandered off and were lost.

And it came to pass that I beheld others pressing forward, and they came forth and caught hold of the end of the rod of iron; and they did press forward through the mist of darkness, clinging to the rod of iron, even until they did come forth and partake of the fruit of the tree.

And after they had partaken of the fruit of the tree they did cast their eyes about as if they were ashamed.

And I also cast my eyes round about, and beheld, on the other side of the river of water, a great and spacious building; and it stood as it were in the air, high above the earth.

And it was filled with people, both old and young, both male and female; and their manner of dress was exceedingly fine; and they were in the attitude of mocking and pointing their fingers towards those who had come at and were partaking of the fruit.

And after they had tasted of the fruit they were ashamed, because of those that were scoffing at them; and they fell away into forbidden paths and were lost.

And now I, Nephi, do not speak all the words of my father.

But, to be short in writing, behold, he saw other multitudes pressing forward; and they came and caught hold of the end of the rod of iron; and they did press their way forward, continually holding fast to the rod of iron, until they came forth and fell down and partook of the fruit of the tree.

And he also saw other multitudes feeling their way towards that great and spacious building.

And it came to pass that many were drowned in the depths of the fountain; and many were lost from his view, wandering in strange roads.

And great was the multitude that did enter into that strange building. And after they did enter into that building they did point the finger of scorn at me and those that were partaking of the fruit also; but we heeded them not.

These are the words of my father: For as many as heeded them, had fallen away.

And Laman and Lemuel partook not of the fruit, said my father.

And he did exhort them then with all the feeling of a tender parent, that they would hearken to his words, that perhaps the Lord would be merciful to them, and not cast them off; yea, my father did preach unto them.

And after he had preached unto them, and also prophesied unto them of many things, he bade them to keep the commandments of the Lord; and he did cease speaking unto them.

We had gathered all kinds of seeds, both grain of every kind and the seeds of every kind of fruit.

While my father stayed in the wilderness, he said to us: I've dreamed a dream, or in other words, I've seen a vision. And because of what I've seen, I have reason to rejoice in the Lord for Nephi and Sam, because I think that they, and many of their descendants, will be saved. But Laman and Lemuel, I'm very afraid for you because in my dream I saw a dark and dreary wilderness.

I saw a man dressed in a white robe, and he came and stood in front of me. He spoke to me and told me to follow him. As I followed him, I found myself in a dark and dreary waste. After I had traveled for many hours in darkness, I began praying to the Lord to have mercy on me, out of his many tender mercies.

After I had prayed to the Lord, I saw a large and spacious field. And I saw a tree whose fruit was desirable because it would make a person happy. I went forward and ate its fruit, and I found it sweeter than anything I had ever tasted. And I saw that the fruit was white, whiter than anything I had ever seen. And as I ate the fruit, it filled my soul with great joy. So I wanted my family to eat it too, because I knew it was the most desirable of all fruit.

And as I looked around, hoping to find my family, I saw a river. It ran along near the tree whose fruit I was eating. I looked to see where it came from, and I saw its headwaters a little way off. And there I saw your mother Sariah, Sam, and Nephi. They were standing there, looking like they didn't know which way to go. I motioned to them, and I called out to them in a loud voice to come to me and eat the fruit, which was desirable above all other fruit. And they came to me and ate the fruit too.

I wanted Laman and Lemuel to come and eat the fruit too, so I looked toward the headwaters, hoping I might see them. I saw them, but they wouldn't come to me and eat the fruit.

And I saw an iron rod. It ran along the riverbank and led to the tree where I stood. I also saw a strait and narrow path that ran alongside the iron rod, right up to the tree. It also led past the head of the spring to a large and spacious field, like a world.

And I saw countless crowds of people, many of them pressing forward to reach the path that led to the tree. They came forward and started along the path. Then a dark mist arose — a vast dark mist — so that those who had started along the path lost their way, wandered off, and were lost.

And I saw others pressing forward. They came and caught hold of the end of the iron rod, and they pressed forward through the dark mist, clinging to the rod, until they came and ate the fruit of the tree. After they had eaten the fruit, they looked around like they were ashamed.

And I looked around too, and on the other side of the river I saw a great and spacious building. It seemed to stand in the air, high above the ground. It was filled with people, old and young, male and female. Their clothing was very fine, and they were mocking and pointing their fingers at those who had come and were eating the fruit. And after they had tasted the fruit, they were ashamed because of those who were scoffing at them, and they fell away into forbidden paths and were lost.

And now I, Nephi, won't write all of my father's words. But in short, he saw other crowds pressing forward. They came and caught hold of the end of the iron rod, and they pressed their way forward, holding tightly to it the entire way, until they came forward, fell down, and ate the fruit of the tree. And he also saw other crowds feeling their way toward that great and spacious building. Many were drowned in the depths of the river, and many were lost from his sight, wandering off on strange paths. And large numbers of people went into that strange building. Once they were inside, they pointed the finger of scorn at me and those who were eating the fruit, but we didn't pay any attention to them.

My father said, "All those who paid attention to them had fallen away." He also said, "And Laman and Lemuel didn't eat the fruit."

After my father told us all the words of his dream or vision, and there were many of them, he said that because of what he had seen, he was deeply afraid for Laman and Lemuel. He feared they would be cut off from the presence of the Lord. And with all the feeling of a tender parent, he urged them to listen to him, hoping the Lord would be merciful to them and not cut them off. My father preached to them. After he had preached to them and prophesied many things, he told them to keep the commandments of the Lord, and then he stopped speaking to them.

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OriginalModern English

And it came to pass that we had gathered together all manner of seeds of every kind, both of grain of every kind, and also of the seeds of fruit of every kind.

We had gathered all kinds of seeds, both grain of every kind and the seeds of every kind of fruit.

And it came to pass that while my father tarried in the wilderness he spake unto us, saying: Behold, I have dreamed a dream; or, in other words, I have seen a vision.

While my father stayed in the wilderness, he said to us: I've dreamed a dream, or in other words, I've seen a vision.

And because of what I've seen, I have reason to rejoice in the Lord for Nephi and Sam, because I think that they, and many of their descendants, will be saved.

But behold, Laman and Lemuel, I fear exceedingly because of you; for behold, methought I saw in my dream, a dark and dreary wilderness.

But Laman and Lemuel, I'm very afraid for you because in my dream I saw a dark and dreary wilderness.

And it came to pass that I saw a man, and he was dressed in a white robe; and he came and stood before me.

I saw a man dressed in a white robe, and he came and stood in front of me.

And it came to pass that he spake unto me, and bade me follow him.

He spoke to me and told me to follow him.

And it came to pass that as I followed him I beheld myself that I was in a dark and dreary waste.

As I followed him, I found myself in a dark and dreary waste.

And after I had traveled for the space of many hours in darkness, I began to pray unto the Lord that he would have mercy on me, according to the multitude of his tender mercies.

After I had traveled for many hours in darkness, I began praying to the Lord to have mercy on me, out of his many tender mercies.

And it came to pass after I had prayed unto the Lord I beheld a large and spacious field.

After I had prayed to the Lord, I saw a large and spacious field.

And it came to pass that I beheld a tree, whose fruit was desirable to make one happy.

And I saw a tree whose fruit was desirable because it would make a person happy.

I went forward and ate its fruit, and I found it sweeter than anything I had ever tasted. And I saw that the fruit was white, whiter than anything I had ever seen.

And as I ate the fruit, it filled my soul with great joy. So I wanted my family to eat it too, because I knew it was the most desirable of all fruit.

And as I cast my eyes round about, that perhaps I might discover my family also, I beheld a river of water; and it ran along, and it was near the tree of which I was partaking the fruit.

And as I looked around, hoping to find my family, I saw a river. It ran along near the tree whose fruit I was eating.

I looked to see where it came from, and I saw its headwaters a little way off. And there I saw your mother Sariah, Sam, and Nephi. They were standing there, looking like they didn't know which way to go.

And it came to pass that I beckoned unto them; and I also did say unto them with a loud voice that they should come unto me, and partake of the fruit, which was desirable above all other fruit.

I motioned to them, and I called out to them in a loud voice to come to me and eat the fruit, which was desirable above all other fruit.

And it came to pass that they did come unto me and partake of the fruit also.

And they came to me and ate the fruit too.

And it came to pass that I was desirous that Laman and Lemuel should come and partake of the fruit also; wherefore, I cast mine eyes towards the head of the river, that perhaps I might see them.

I wanted Laman and Lemuel to come and eat the fruit too, so I looked toward the headwaters, hoping I might see them.

And it came to pass that I saw them, but they would not come unto me and partake of the fruit.

I saw them, but they wouldn't come to me and eat the fruit.

And I beheld a rod of iron, and it extended along the bank of the river, and led to the tree by which I stood.

And I saw an iron rod. It ran along the riverbank and led to the tree where I stood.

I also saw a strait and narrow path that ran alongside the iron rod, right up to the tree. It also led past the head of the spring to a large and spacious field, like a world.

And I saw numberless concourses of people, many of whom were pressing forward, that they might obtain the path which led unto the tree by which I stood.

And I saw countless crowds of people, many of them pressing forward to reach the path that led to the tree.

And it came to pass that they did come forth, and commence in the path which led to the tree.

They came forward and started along the path.

Then a dark mist arose — a vast dark mist — so that those who had started along the path lost their way, wandered off, and were lost.

And after they had partaken of the fruit of the tree they did cast their eyes about as if they were ashamed.

After they had eaten the fruit, they looked around like they were ashamed.

And I also cast my eyes round about, and beheld, on the other side of the river of water, a great and spacious building; and it stood as it were in the air, high above the earth.

And I looked around too, and on the other side of the river I saw a great and spacious building. It seemed to stand in the air, high above the ground.

It was filled with people, old and young, male and female. Their clothing was very fine, and they were mocking and pointing their fingers at those who had come and were eating the fruit.

And after they had tasted of the fruit they were ashamed, because of those that were scoffing at them; and they fell away into forbidden paths and were lost.

And after they had tasted the fruit, they were ashamed because of those who were scoffing at them, and they fell away into forbidden paths and were lost.

And now I, Nephi, do not speak all the words of my father.

And now I, Nephi, won't write all of my father's words.

But in short, he saw other crowds pressing forward. They came and caught hold of the end of the iron rod, and they pressed their way forward, holding tightly to it the entire way, until they came forward, fell down, and ate the fruit of the tree.

And he also saw other multitudes feeling their way towards that great and spacious building.

And he also saw other crowds feeling their way toward that great and spacious building.

And it came to pass that many were drowned in the depths of the fountain; and many were lost from his view, wandering in strange roads.

Many were drowned in the depths of the river, and many were lost from his sight, wandering off on strange paths.

And large numbers of people went into that strange building. Once they were inside, they pointed the finger of scorn at me and those who were eating the fruit, but we didn't pay any attention to them.

These are the words of my father: For as many as heeded them, had fallen away.

My father said, "All those who paid attention to them had fallen away."

And Laman and Lemuel partook not of the fruit, said my father.

He also said, "And Laman and Lemuel didn't eat the fruit."

And with all the feeling of a tender parent, he urged them to listen to him, hoping the Lord would be merciful to them and not cut them off. My father preached to them.

And after he had preached unto them, and also prophesied unto them of many things, he bade them to keep the commandments of the Lord; and he did cease speaking unto them.

After he had preached to them and prophesied many things, he told them to keep the commandments of the Lord, and then he stopped speaking to them.

OriginalModern English

And it came to pass that we had gathered together all manner of seeds of every kind, both of grain of every kind, and also of the seeds of fruit of every kind.

We had gathered all kinds of seeds, both grain of every kind and the seeds of every kind of fruit.

And it came to pass that while my father tarried in the wilderness he spake unto us, saying: Behold, I have dreamed a dream; or, in other words, I have seen a vision. And behold, because of the thing which I have seen, I have reason to rejoice in the Lord because of Nephi and also of Sam; for I have reason to suppose that they, and also many of their seed, will be saved. But behold, Laman and Lemuel, I fear exceedingly because of you; for behold, methought I saw in my dream, a dark and dreary wilderness.

And it came to pass that I saw a man, and he was dressed in a white robe; and he came and stood before me. And it came to pass that he spake unto me, and bade me follow him. And it came to pass that as I followed him I beheld myself that I was in a dark and dreary waste. And after I had traveled for the space of many hours in darkness, I began to pray unto the Lord that he would have mercy on me, according to the multitude of his tender mercies.

And it came to pass after I had prayed unto the Lord I beheld a large and spacious field. And it came to pass that I beheld a tree, whose fruit was desirable to make one happy. And it came to pass that I did go forth and partake of the fruit thereof; and I beheld that it was most sweet, above all that I ever before tasted. Yea, and I beheld that the fruit thereof was white, to exceed all the whiteness that I had ever seen. And as I partook of the fruit thereof it filled my soul with exceedingly great joy; wherefore, I began to be desirous that my family should partake of it also; for I knew that it was desirable above all other fruit.

And as I cast my eyes round about, that perhaps I might discover my family also, I beheld a river of water; and it ran along, and it was near the tree of which I was partaking the fruit. And I looked to behold from whence it came; and I saw the head thereof a little way off; and at the head thereof I beheld your mother Sariah, and Sam, and Nephi; and they stood as if they knew not whither they should go. And it came to pass that I beckoned unto them; and I also did say unto them with a loud voice that they should come unto me, and partake of the fruit, which was desirable above all other fruit. And it came to pass that they did come unto me and partake of the fruit also.

And it came to pass that I was desirous that Laman and Lemuel should come and partake of the fruit also; wherefore, I cast mine eyes towards the head of the river, that perhaps I might see them. And it came to pass that I saw them, but they would not come unto me and partake of the fruit.

I wanted Laman and Lemuel to come and eat the fruit too, so I looked toward the headwaters, hoping I might see them. I saw them, but they wouldn't come to me and eat the fruit.

And I beheld a rod of iron, and it extended along the bank of the river, and led to the tree by which I stood. And I also beheld a strait and narrow path, which came along by the rod of iron, even to the tree by which I stood; and it also led by the head of the fountain, unto a large and spacious field, as if it had been a world.

And I saw numberless concourses of people, many of whom were pressing forward, that they might obtain the path which led unto the tree by which I stood. And it came to pass that they did come forth, and commence in the path which led to the tree. And it came to pass that there arose a mist of darkness; yea, even an exceedingly great mist of darkness, insomuch that they who had commenced in the path did lose their way, that they wandered off and were lost.

And I also cast my eyes round about, and beheld, on the other side of the river of water, a great and spacious building; and it stood as it were in the air, high above the earth. And it was filled with people, both old and young, both male and female; and their manner of dress was exceedingly fine; and they were in the attitude of mocking and pointing their fingers towards those who had come at and were partaking of the fruit. And after they had tasted of the fruit they were ashamed, because of those that were scoffing at them; and they fell away into forbidden paths and were lost.

And now I, Nephi, do not speak all the words of my father. But, to be short in writing, behold, he saw other multitudes pressing forward; and they came and caught hold of the end of the rod of iron; and they did press their way forward, continually holding fast to the rod of iron, until they came forth and fell down and partook of the fruit of the tree. And he also saw other multitudes feeling their way towards that great and spacious building. And it came to pass that many were drowned in the depths of the fountain; and many were lost from his view, wandering in strange roads. And great was the multitude that did enter into that strange building. And after they did enter into that building they did point the finger of scorn at me and those that were partaking of the fruit also; but we heeded them not.

These are the words of my father: For as many as heeded them, had fallen away. And Laman and Lemuel partook not of the fruit, said my father.

My father said, "All those who paid attention to them had fallen away." He also said, "And Laman and Lemuel didn't eat the fruit."

And it came to pass after my father had spoken all the words of his dream or vision, which were many, he said unto us, because of these things which he saw in a vision, he exceedingly feared for Laman and Lemuel; yea, he feared lest they should be cast off from the presence of the Lord. And he did exhort them then with all the feeling of a tender parent, that they would hearken to his words, that perhaps the Lord would be merciful to them, and not cast them off; yea, my father did preach unto them. And after he had preached unto them, and also prophesied unto them of many things, he bade them to keep the commandments of the Lord; and he did cease speaking unto them.