DAY 27 – II Nephi 1:18-54

18 Wherefore, I, Lehi, have obtained a promise, that inasmuch as those whom the Lord God shall bring out of the land of Jerusalem shall keep his commandments, they shall prosper upon the face of this land;
19 And they shall be kept from all other nations, that they may possess this land unto themselves.
20 And if it so be that they shall keep his commandments, they shall be blessed upon the face of this land,
21 And there shall be none to molest them, nor to take away the land of their inheritance; and they shall dwell safely for ever.
22 But behold, when the time cometh that they shall dwindle in unbelief, after they have received so great blessings from the hand of the Lord; having a knowledge of the creation of the earth, and all men, knowing the great and marvelous works of the Lord from the creation of the world; having power given them to do all things by faith; having all the commandments from the beginning, and having been brought by his infinite goodness into this precious land of promise;
23 Behold, I say, If the day shall come that they will reject the Holy One of Israel, the true Messiah, their Redeemer and their God, behold, the judgments of him that is just, shall rest upon them;
24 Yea, he will bring other nations unto them, and he will give unto them power, and he will take away from them the lands of their possessions, and he will cause them to be scattered and smitten.
25 Yea, as one generation passeth to another, there shall be bloodsheds and great visitations among them;
26 Wherefore, my sons, I would that ye would remember; yea, I would that ye would hearken unto my words.
27 O that ye would awake; awake from a deep sleep, yea, even from the sleep of hell, and shake off the awful chains by which ye are bound, which are the chains which bind the children of men, that they are carried away captive down to the eternal gulf of misery and wo!
28 Awake! and rise from the dust, and hear the words of a trembling parent, whose limbs ye must soon lay down in the cold and silent grave, from whence no traveler can return; a few more days, and I go the way of all the earth.
29 But behold, the Lord hath redeemed my soul from hell: I have beheld his glory, and I am encircled about eternally in the arms of his love.
30 And I desire that ye should remember to observe the statutes and the judgments of the Lord: behold, this hath been the anxiety of my soul, from the beginning.
31 My heart hath been weighed down with sorrow from time to time; for I have feared, lest for the hardness of your hearts, the Lord your God should come out in the fullness of his wrath upon you, that ye be cut off and destroyed for ever;
32 Or that a cursing should come upon you for the space of many generations; and ye are visited by sword, and by famine, and are hated, and are led according to the will and captivity of the devil.
33 O my sons, that these things might not come upon you, but that ye might be a choice and a favored people of the Lord!
34 But behold, his will be done: for his ways are righteousness for ever; and he hath said that, Inasmuch as ye shall keep my commandments ye shall prosper in the land; but inasmuch as ye will not keep my commandments ye shall be cut off from my presence.
35 And now that my soul might have joy in you, and that my heart might leave this world with gladness because of you; that I might not be brought down with grief and sorrow to the grave,
36 Arise from the dust, my sons, and be men, and be determined in one mind, and in one heart united in all things, that ye may not come down into captivity; that ye may not be cursed with a sore cursing;
37 And also, that ye may not incur the displeasure of a just God upon you, unto the destruction, yea, the eternal destruction of both soul and body.
38 Awake, my sons: put on the armor of righteousness.
39 Shake off the chains with which ye are bound, and come forth out of obscurity, and arise from the dust.
40 Rebel no more against your brother, whose views have been glorious, and who hath kept the commandments from the time that we left Jerusalem, and who hath been an instrument in the hands of God in bringing us forth into the land of promise;
41 For were it not for him we must have perished with hunger in the wilderness;
42 Nevertheless, ye sought to take away his life; yea, and he hath suffered much sorrow because of you.
43 And I exceedingly fear and tremble because of you, lest he shall suffer again;
44 For behold, ye have accused him that he sought power and authority over you;
45 But I know that he hath not sought for power nor authority over you; but he hath sought the glory of God, and your own eternal welfare.
46 And ye have murmured because he hath been plain unto you.
47 Ye say that he hath used sharpness; ye say that he hath been angry with you.
48 But behold, his sharpness was the sharpness of the power of the word of God, which was in him;
49 And that which ye call anger, was the truth, according to that which is in God, which he could not restrain, manifesting boldly concerning your iniquities.
50 And it must needs be that the power of God must be with him, even unto his commanding you, that ye must obey.
51 But behold, it was not him, but it was the Spirit of the Lord which was in him, which opened his mouth to utterance, that he could not shut it.
52 And now my son Laman and also Lemuel and Sam, and also my sons who are the sons of Ishmael, behold, if ye will hearken unto the voice of Nephi, ye shall not perish.
53 And if ye will hearken unto him, I leave unto you a blessing, yea, even my first blessing.
54 But if ye will not hearken unto him, I take away my first blessing, yea, even my blessing, and it shall rest upon him.