that these plates of brass should never perish, neither shall they be dimmed any more by time." p. 15.
The above plates have not been found; if they have, we have not been furnished with a translation. Nephi, and his brethren, are again sent back to Jerusalem, to bring with them into the wilderness, a man by the name of Ishmael, and his family, which consists of daughters and sons enough, to furnish each family with husbands and wives. They all arrive in the wilderness, and very soon a quarrel ensues between the different individuals of the families, which Nephi settles in a most masterly manner; after which, the males of both families take wives, with which the provident author has kindly provided them.
The three next pages, to wit: 18, 19, and 20, are taken up in relating a marvelous dream, or vision, in which Laman and Lemuel are represented as being finally apostates, and would be cut off.
Nephi informs us, that he is at that time employed in engraving, or writing, on the plates, which he now names after himself; and whether the plates of Laban are included, we are not told, nor are we informed how they were disposed of. The plates, hereafter, are called the plates of Nephi. p. 21.
A little further, on the same page, he says he has a commandment from the Lord, to make plates for the special. purpose of making a record of his own ministry, and of his own people.
Here our hero introduces himself as a minister, and as having the charge of a people—he is in the wilderness destitute of any thing, nothing but tents and provisions, every thing was left behind, gold, silver, no metals or tools as a matter of course, but the command to make his plates is obeyed. We shall be compelled to institute a chapter of
