Brief biography
Circa 75 B.C.-1 B.C.
Nephi was the son of Helaman, the grandson of Helaman, and the great-grandson of Alma the Younger. He became the chief judge over the people of Nephi following the death of his father (Helaman 3:37). During his reign, there was a serious war with the Lamanites, in which the Nephites lost the land of Zarahemla and most of their possessions in the land southward (Helaman 4:5-10). They had, at this time, fallen into a state of serious apostasy (Helaman 4:11-26). Like his great-grandfather Alma, Nephi yielded up his office as chief judge and devoted the remainder of his life to the ministry (Helaman 5:1-3).
Total recorded words -- 2,256
Insights into words and phrases
Nephi and his brother Lehi, named after their righteous ancestors, were
great missionaries and performed many miracles in the Lord’s name (Helaman
5:17-52). Following a lengthy mission in the land northward, Nephi returned
to the land of Zarahemla to again find the Nephites in a state of gross
apostasy, and the government in possession of a faction of the Gadianton
robbers (Helaman 7:1-6). He prophesied that the Nephites would be destroyed
if they did not repent, and announced the murder of the chief judge as a
sign of that destruction (Helaman 8:27-28). Then, through the gift of
prophecy, he revealed the identity of the secret murderer (Helaman
9:26-38).
Due to his faithfulness, the Lord blessed Nephi with
the sealing power (Helaman 10:4-10). He continued to preach and prophesy, as
wars increased among his unrepentant people (Helaman 10:12-18). At his
request, the Lord caused a famine to replace the destruction caused by war,
and after the people repented, the Lord, at Nephi’s request, brought an end
to the famine (Helaman 11:1-17). He continued to preach and baptize until
shortly before the birth of Christ (Helaman 16:4-5), at which time he
entrusted his son, Nephi, with the sacred records and departed out of the
land. Like Alma, he was never seen again among the people of Nephi (3 Nephi
1:2-3; 2:9).
Nephi’s reference to the Nephite refusal to lay up
"treasures in heaven" (Helaman 8:25) suggests that he remembered the counsel
of his father, Helaman, who taught his sons to "lay up for yourselves a
treasure in heaven, yea, which is eternal, and which fadeth not away"
(Helaman 5:8).
The term "good shepherd" is used only eight times
in the Book of Mormon. Nephi is one of only two speakers to use that term.
Nephi uses the phrase, "except ye shall repent," three times, while it is
used only two more times in the rest of the Book of Mormon. Only Nephi uses
the words "appeased," "brazen," "doors," "examine," "heaping," "hurl,"
"Israelites," "joyed," "paleness," "parted," and "skirts."
Nephi’s
favorite word and the word he uses most often is "behold." He uses it to
direct his audience’s attention to the points he is making in his discourse:
"Yea, behold it [the Nephite destruction] is now even at your doors. . . "
and then announces the murder of the chief judge. This provides a concrete
example of the fate that awaits them and a sign to show that the Lord knew
of and had power to reveal the secret iniquities of the people (Helaman
8:27).
As he defends himself from the accusation of being a
false prophet, Nephi shows his familiarity with the Nephites’ scriptural
heritage by appealing to no fewer than nine prophets by name, and many other
unnamed ones who testified of Christ, in just seven verses. He specifically
names Moses, Abraham, Zenos, Zenock, Ezias, Isaiah, Jeremiah, Lehi, and
Nephi, but also appeals to "many" others before and after the time of
Abraham (Helaman 8:16-22). This shows his familiarity with and confidence in
citing the scriptures.
Personal application
Nephi’s righteous desires, his faith in Christ, and his familiarity with the scriptural heritage of the Nephites provided him with many tools to be a successful missionary. His trustworthiness, diligence, and faithfulness, even in the face of great difficulties and sometimes at the risk of his own life, enabled the Lord to trust him with great power, which he used righteously. As you read the words of Nephi, consider how his example can help you to be faithful as well, so that the Lord will bless you with His Spirit, and the other things you need in your life.
Nephi: A Skilled Teacher
Even at this time, instead of laying up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where nothing doth corrupt, and where nothing can come which is unclean, ye are heaping up for yourselves wrath against the day of judgment (Helaman 8:25).
Nephi also shows the ability to make object lessons out of the actions of his listeners. As the people gather around him as he prays on the tower in his garden, he asks, "Why have ye gathered yourselves together?" (Helaman 7:13), and observes, "Because of my mourning and lamentation ye have gathered yourselves together" (Helaman 7:15). He then announces that, "instead of gathering you," the Good Shepherd "shall scatter you forth that ye shall become meat for dogs and wild beasts" (Helaman 7:19).
As he defends himself from the accusation of being a false prophet, Nephi shows his familiarity with the Nephites’ scriptural heritage by appealing to no fewer than nine prophets by name, and many other unnamed ones who testified of Christ, in just seven verses. He specifically names Moses, Abraham, Zenos, Zenock, Ezias, Isaiah, Jeremiah, Lehi, and Nephi, but also appeals to "many" others before and after the time of Abraham (Helaman 8:16-22). This shows his familiarity with and confidence in citing the scriptures.
The name "Zarahemla" appears to be a Hebrew name that means "seed" (zera) of "compassion" (hemla). In its verbal form, hemla can also mean "to spare" or "to have mercy." It was the name of a descendant of Mulek, the only surviving son or seed of king Zedekiah of Judah, who was spared when all the others were killed. When he speaks to the people of Zarahemla, Nephi seems to make a wordplay when he tells the wicked of Zarahemla that, while they will be destroyed if they fail to repent, "the Lord will be merciful unto [the Lamanites]; yea, he will lengthen out their days and increase their seed, even when thou shalt be utterly destroyed except thou shalt repent" (Helaman 7:24).1
Personal application
Nephi’s words show him to be a remarkable teacher who could effectively use
creative images. His words conveyed rhetorical power by making use of
objects, ideas, and actions familiar to his hearers, and linking them to a
message of repentance that they could not easily ignore. As we have
opportunities to teach, we can learn from the example of Nephi, and of our
Savior, who spoke in parables.
1 https://evidencecentral.org/evidence/wordplay-on-zarahemla