What is the 1st Nephi book about in the Book of Mormon?

Answer 1

The book of First Nephi in the Book of Mormon focuses on the family of the prophet Lehi. Lehi was a prophet in Jerusalem at about the time of Jeremiah in the Old Testament (around 600 B.C.). Lehi is told in a dream that he must get his family and flee Jerusalem because it will be destroyed. He, his wife Sariah, and their four sons Laman, Lemuel, Sam, and Nephi travel to the wilderness.

Lehi sends his sons back into Jerusalem to retrieve a copy of the brass plates, which was their scripture and contained the books of the Old Testament written at that point as well as the writings of a few other prophets. In doing so, the wicked man who owned the plates, Laban, robbed them of their wealth and sent his guards to kill them. Nephi went back into the city at night, was told by God to kill Laban, and wore Laban's clothing in order to get into the treasury and get the plates. After returning to their father, Lehi asks that the sons return again to retrieve the family of Ishamel so that their children might intermarry. They do so, and Ishmael's daughters marry Lehi's sons.

While in the wilderness, several things happen. Nephi is bound with cords by his brothers but is freed by the power of God. Lehi receives a vision of the tree of life, which has become quite important in LDS theology. Lehi and Nephi prophesy of Jesus Christ and various things that will happen to the house of Israel.

The families travel through the wilderness, lead by a sort of compass, called the "Liahona", which works if they obey the commandments of God and leads them in circles if they are not obedient. Sariah bears two sons as they travel, Jacob and Joseph. The recently married couples also begin to bear children. Ishamel dies and is buried. Laman and Lemuel, the oldest sons, are unrighteous and often complain and threaten to harm various members of the family. Sam and Nephi, the younger brothers, are righteous and obey the commandments of God to build a ship once they reach the ocean.

With the ship built, the families board and trust that God will take the ship to a "Promised Land" where they will be preserved from the destruction of Jerusalem and the scattering of Israel. While on the ship, the wicked sons and their wives tie Nephi up and do not allow the others to assist him. A huge storm comes up and threatens to destroy the ship and the family until the older brothers finally agree to untie Nephi, who calms the storm.

Near the end of the book, the family arrives in the Promised Land, which modern scholars place somewhere in South America. While there Nephi makes the new set of plates which becomes The Book of Mormon, and begins to quote and explain several chapters of Isaiah.

You can read chapter breakdown summary (with links to the actual chapters) at the "Related Link" below.