After we had been in Bountiful for many days, the Lord's voice came to me, saying,
- "Go up onto the mountain.”
I went up and prayed, and the Lord said to me,
- “Nephi, you will build a ship according to my design that I will show you. You will do this so that I may carry your people to the promised land across this great ocean.”
I asked the Lord, "Where do I find ore to smelt, to make the tools needed to build this ship?" And the Lord told me where to find the ore.
I, Nephi, made bellows from animal skins to blow a fire. Then I struck two stones together and made a fire. Before this, I had not made many fires because of the Lord's command, for He had said,
- "I will make your raw meat taste good so you will not have to cook it. If you keep my commandments, I will be your light in the wilderness and prepare the way before you. I will lead you to the promised land, and you will know that it is I who leads you.
- After you arrive in the promised land, you will know that I the Lord am God, and that I delivered you from destruction by bringing you out of Jerusalem.”
After speaking with the Lord, I did my best to keep His commandments, and I encouraged my brothers to be faithful and diligent as well. Then I made tools from metal ore that I smelted out of the rock.
