1. DOCTRINES AND PRINCIPLES IN THIS LESSON:
•The Lord calls prophets to warn His children and testify of the truth (see 1
Nephi 1:4–20; 2:2).
•The Lord extends tender mercies to those who exercise faith in Him (see 1
Nephi 1:14, 20).
•The Lord provides a way for us to keep His commandments (see 1 Nephi
2:11–20; 3:7–28; 4:1–38; 5:8).
•The scriptures preserve the word of the Lord (see 1 Nephi 5).
Chapter 2
1 Nephi 1-5

2. The Lord calls prophets to warn His children
and testify of the truth. 1 Nephi 1:4-20; 2:2
Lehi warned the
people in Jerusalem
according to the
revelations he had
received.
GROUP 1: 1 Nephi 1:4-11
GROUP 2: 1 Nephi 1:12-17
GROUP 3: 1 Nephi 1:18-20
Answer the following questions:
•In what ways were Lehi’s experiences similar to
experiences of other prophets?
•What parallels do you see between Lehi’s vision
and later experiences and the experiences of the
Prophet Joseph Smith?
•What warning did Lehi declare to the people?
ACTIVITY

3. What warnings has the President of the Church given recently?
How do people’s responses to the prophet today compare with people’s responses to Lehi’s
message?
What gives you confidence to follow the counsel of the prophet?

4. The Lord extends tender mercies to those
who exercise faith in Him. 1 Nephi 1:14, 20
1 Nephi 1:20
And when the Jews heard these things they were angry with him; yea, even as with the
prophets of old, whom they had cast out, and stoned, and slain; and they also sought his life,
that they might take it away. But behold, I, Nephi, will show unto you that the tender
mercies of the Lord are over all those whom he hath chosen, because of their faith, to make
them mighty even unto the power of deliverance.
“Since last October I have reflected repeatedly upon the
phrase “the tender mercies of the Lord.” Through
personal study, observation, pondering, and prayer, I
believe I have come to better understand that the Lord’s
tender mercies are the very personal and individualized
blessings, strength, protection, assurances, guidance,
loving-kindnesses, consolation, support, and spiritual gifts
which we receive from and because of and through the
Lord Jesus Christ. Truly, the Lord suits “his mercies
according to the conditions of the children of men” (D&C
46:15).”
Elder David A. Bednar, April 2005 General Conference, The Tender Mercies of the Lord
I testify that the tender mercies of the Lord are available
to all of us and that the Redeemer of Israel is eager to
bestow such gifts upon us.

5. “The word chosen in 1 Nephi 1:20 *1 Ne. 1:20+ is central to understanding the concept of the Lord’s tender
mercies. The dictionary indicates that chosen suggests one who is selected, taken by preference, or picked
out. It also can be used to refer to the elect or chosen of God (Oxford English Dictionary Online, second ed.
*1989+, “Chosen”).
“Some individuals who hear or read this message erroneously may discount or dismiss in their personal lives
the availability of the tender mercies of the Lord, believing that “I certainly am not one who has been or ever
will be chosen.” We may falsely think that such blessings and gifts are reserved for other people who appear
to be more righteous or who serve in visible Church callings. I testify that the tender mercies of the Lord are
available to all of us and that the Redeemer of Israel is eager to bestow such gifts upon us.
“To be or to become chosen is not an exclusive status conferred upon us. Rather, you and I ultimately
determine if we are chosen. Please now note the use of the word chosen in the following verses from the
Doctrine and Covenants:
“Behold, there are many called, but few are chosen. And why are they not chosen?
“Because their hearts are set so much upon the things of this world, and aspire to the honors of men” (D&C
121:34–35; emphasis added).
“I believe the implication of these verses is quite straightforward. God does not have a list of favorites to
which we must hope our names will someday be added. He does not limit “the chosen” to a restricted few.
Rather, it is our hearts and our aspirations and our obedience which definitively determine whether we are
counted as one of God’s chosen.”

6. GROUP 1: 1 Nephi 1-7
GROUP 2: 1 Nephi 8-14
GROUP 3: 1 Nephi 15-22
ACTIVITY
Look in the chapter headings for instances of
deliverance. List your findings. Assign a rep to
report.
Almost every chapter in 1 Nephi describes the deliverance of a
person or a group of people. Deliverance is a central theme in the
Book of Mormon.

7. The Lord provides a way for us to keep His commandments.
1 Nephi 2:11-20; 3:7-28; 4:1-38; 5:8
In 3:1-5, what command is given to Lehi and his
sons?
Why do you think Laman and Lemuel would say
that this command was “a hard thing”?
SCRIPTURE MASTERY!!!
1 Nephi 3:7
And it came to pass that I, Nephi, said unto my
father: I will go and do the things which the Lord
hath commanded, for I know that the Lord
giveth no commandments unto the children of
men, save he shall prepare a way for them that
they may accomplish the thing which he
commandeth them.
How do you think Nephi knew that God
would prepare a way?
What is the difference between the
attitude of Nephi and Sam and the
attitude of Laman and Lemuel?
Why Nephi and Sam were more ready to
obey the Lord?

8. (see Student Manual, p.410)
The distance from Jerusalem to the Red
Sea is approximately 180 miles. Lehi and
his family had “traveled three days”
beyond this point (see 1 Nephi 2:5–6).
This meant at least a 12- to 14-day trip
one way from Jerusalem to their
temporary home in the valley of
Lemuel.

9. (see 1 Nephi 3-4)
Obtaining the Brass Plates from Laban
In this story, what are some examples of how God helped Nephi accomplish the things He
had commanded, even when those tasks seemed impossible?

10. The scriptures preserve the word of the Lord. 1 Nephi 5
2 Nephi 5:10-16
10 And after they had given thanks unto the God of Israel, my father,
Lehi, took the records which were engraven upon the plates of brass,
and he did search them from the beginning.
11 And he beheld that they did contain the five books of Moses, which
gave an account of the creation of the world, and also of Adam and
Eve, who were our first parents;
12 And also a record of the Jews from the beginning, even down to
the commencement of the reign of Zedekiah, king of Judah;
13 And also the prophecies of the holy prophets, from the beginning,
even down to the commencement of the reign of Zedekiah; and also
many prophecies which have been spoken by the mouth of Jeremiah.
14 And it came to pass that my father, Lehi, also found upon the
plates of brass a genealogy of his fathers; wherefore he knew that he
was a descendant of Joseph; yea, even that Joseph who was the son of
Jacob, who was sold into Egypt, and who was preserved by the hand of
the Lord, that he might preserve his father, Jacob, and all his
household from perishing with famine.
15 And they were also led out of captivity and out of the land of
Egypt, by that same God who had preserved them.
16 And thus my father, Lehi, did discover the genealogy of his fathers.
And Laban also was a descendant of Joseph, wherefore he and his
fathers had kept the records.
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11. According to 1 Nephi 5:17, how did the study of these
scriptures affect Lehi?
Why do you think that studying the contents of the brass
plates mentioned in verses 10–16 would bring about the
blessings described in verse 17?
How did Lehi and Nephi show that they valued the
scriptures?
What can we do to show that we value the scriptures?
1 Nephi 5:17 And now when my father saw all these
things, he was filled with the Spirit, and began to
prophesy concerning his seed—
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Digital VS Traditional?
Something to

12. WITHOUT SCRIPTURES WITH SCRIPTURES
More than 300 years after Lehi and his
family left Jerusalem, his descendants
discovered a group of people whose
ancestors had also fled Jerusalem. These
people, who now lived in a city they called
Zarahemla, had not carried written
scriptures with them. (see Omni 1:14-17)
What happened to this people’s faith
and language because they did not have
a scriptural record? Why do you think
the lack of the scriptures had this effect
on them?
How did they feel when they learned
that Mosiah and his people had a
scriptural record?
The people of Zarahemla and the Nephites
united under the leadership of Mosiah. After
Mosiah died, his son Benjamin served as the
people’s king. Benjamin taught his sons
“concerning the records which were engraven
on the plates of brass” (see Mosiah 1:1-5)
How did King Benjamin and his people benefit
because the brass plates had been preserved?
What can we do to preserve the scriptures for
ourselves and our families?