1 Nephi 19:1-4

[pam]

Reference Search: 1 Nephi 19:1-4

1 And it came to pass that the Lord commanded me, wherefore I did make plates of ore that I might engraven upon them the record of my people. And upon the plates which I made I did engraven the record of my father, and also our journeyings in the wilderness, and the prophecies of my father; and also many of mine own prophecies have I engraven upon them.

2 And I knew not at the time when I made them that I should be commanded of the Lord to make these plates; wherefore, the record of my father, and the genealogy of his fathers, and the more part of all our proceedings in the wilderness are engraven upon those first plates of which I have spoken; wherefore, the things which transpired before I made these plates are, of a truth, more particularly made mention upon the first plates.

3 And after I had made these plates by way of commandment, I, Nephi, received a commandment that the ministry and the prophecies, the more plain and precious parts of them, should be written upon these plates; and that the things which were written should be kept for the instruction of my people, who should possess the land, and also for other wise purposes, which purposes are known unto the Lord.

4 Wherefore, I, Nephi, did make a record upon the other plates, which gives an account, or which gives a greater account of the wars and contentions and destructions of my people. And this have I done, and commanded my people what they should do after I was gone; and that these plates should be handed down from one generation to another, or from one prophet to another, until further commandments of the Lord.

Quote for Discussion

When the family of Lehi reached the western hemisphere, Nephi was commanded of God to make a set of plates [“those first plates”] upon which the history of his people was to be kept. He did so, recounting their journey in the wilderness and prophecies….This record is known to us as the large plates….Some twenty years later (ca. 567 B.C.) Nephi was commanded to make another set of plates [“these plates”] known as the small plates… (see 2 Nephi 5:28-31), in which he recorded only that which was sacred.

[Also see notes for 1 Nephi 9:1-6 for detailed explanation.]

Joseph Fielding McConkie and Robert L. Millet, Doctrinal Commentary, 1:145

(Notes for 1 Nephi 9:1-6 are found on another thread in this forum)

http://www.lds.net/forums/1-nephi/16628-1-nephi-9-1-6-a.html

[prospectmom]

I just imagine the skill in making the plates then the skill in writing them and am always amazed.