2 NephiChapter3

And now I speak unto you, Joseph, my last-born. Thou wast born in the wilderness of mine afflictions; yea, in the days of my greatest sorrow did thy mother bear thee.

I speak now to you, Joseph, my last-born. You were born in the wilderness of my afflictions; in the days of my greatest sorrow your mother gave birth to you.

And may the Lord consecrate also unto thee this land, which is a most precious land, for thine inheritance and the inheritance of thy seed with thy brethren, for thy security forever, if it so be that ye shall keep the commandments of the Holy One of Israel.

And may the Lord consecrate this land to you as well, a most precious land, for your inheritance and the inheritance of your descendants with your brothers, for your security forever, if you keep the commandments of the Holy One of Israel.

And now, Joseph, my last-born, whom I have brought out of the wilderness of mine afflictions, may the Lord bless thee forever, for thy seed shall not utterly be destroyed.

And now, Joseph, my last-born, whom I have brought out of the wilderness of my afflictions, may the Lord bless you forever, for your descendants will never be completely destroyed.

For behold, thou art the fruit of my loins; and I am a descendant of Joseph who was carried captive into Egypt. And great were the covenants of the Lord which he made unto Joseph.

You are the fruit of my loins, and I am a descendant of Joseph, who was carried captive into Egypt. And the covenants the Lord made with Joseph were great.

Wherefore, Joseph truly saw our day. And he obtained a promise of the Lord, that out of the fruit of his loins the Lord God would raise up a righteous branch unto the house of Israel; not the Messiah, but a branch which was to be broken off, nevertheless, to be remembered in the covenants of the Lord that the Messiah should be made manifest unto them in the latter days, in the spirit of power, unto the bringing of them out of darkness unto light—yea, out of hidden darkness and out of captivity unto freedom.

So Joseph truly saw our day, and he obtained a promise from the Lord that from the fruit of his loins the Lord God would raise up a righteous branch for the house of Israel. Not the Messiah, but a branch that would be broken off, yet remembered in the covenants of the Lord, so that in the latter days the Messiah would be revealed to them in the spirit of power and bring them out of darkness into light — out of hidden darkness and out of captivity into freedom.

For Joseph truly testified, saying: A seer shall the Lord my God raise up, who shall be a choice seer unto the fruit of my loins.

For Joseph truly testified: The Lord my God will raise up a seer, who will be a choice seer for the fruit of my loins.

Yea, Joseph truly said: Thus saith the Lord unto me: A choice seer will I raise up out of the fruit of thy loins; and he shall be esteemed highly among the fruit of thy loins. And unto him will I give commandment that he shall do a work for the fruit of thy loins, his brethren, which shall be of great worth unto them, even to the bringing of them to the knowledge of the covenants which I have made with thy fathers.

Yes, Joseph truly said: Thus says the Lord to me: I will raise up a choice seer from the fruit of your loins, and he will be highly valued among the fruit of your loins. And I will command him to do a work for the fruit of your loins, his brothers, a work of great worth to them, bringing them to the knowledge of the covenants I have made with your fathers.

And I will give unto him a commandment that he shall do none other work, save the work which I shall command him. And I will make him great in mine eyes; for he shall do my work.

And I will give him a commandment to do no other work except the work I command him. And I will make him great in my eyes, for he will do my work.

And he shall be great like unto Moses, whom I have said I would raise up unto you, to deliver my people, O house of Israel.

And he will be great like Moses, whom I have said I would raise up for you to deliver my people, O house of Israel.

And Moses will I raise up, to deliver thy people out of the land of Egypt.

And I will raise up Moses to deliver your people out of the land of Egypt.

But a seer will I raise up out of the fruit of thy loins; and unto him will I give power to bring forth my word unto the seed of thy loins—and not to the bringing forth my word only, saith the Lord, but to the convincing them of my word, which shall have already gone forth among them.

But I will raise up a seer from the fruit of your loins, and I will give him power to bring forth my word to your descendants — and not only to bring forth my word, says the Lord, but to convince them of my word, which will already have gone out among them.

Wherefore, the fruit of thy loins shall write; and the fruit of the loins of Judah shall write; and that which shall be written by the fruit of thy loins, and also that which shall be written by the fruit of the loins of Judah, shall grow together, unto the confounding of false doctrines and laying down of contentions, and establishing peace among the fruit of thy loins, and bringing them to the knowledge of their fathers in the latter days, and also to the knowledge of my covenants, saith the Lord.

Therefore the fruit of your loins will write, and the fruit of the loins of Judah will write; and what the fruit of your loins writes and what the fruit of the loins of Judah writes will grow together, refuting false doctrines, settling disputes, establishing peace among the fruit of your loins, and bringing them in the latter days to the knowledge of their fathers and to the knowledge of my covenants, says the Lord.

And out of weakness he shall be made strong, in that day when my work shall commence among all my people, unto the restoring thee, O house of Israel, saith the Lord.

And out of weakness he will be made strong, in the day when my work begins among all my people, the work of restoring you, O house of Israel, says the Lord.

And thus prophesied Joseph, saying: Behold, that seer will the Lord bless; and they that seek to destroy him shall be confounded; for this promise, which I have obtained of the Lord, of the fruit of my loins, shall be fulfilled. Behold, I am sure of the fulfilling of this promise;

And this is how Joseph prophesied: The Lord will bless that seer, and those who try to destroy him will be put to shame; for this promise, which I have obtained from the Lord concerning the fruit of my loins, will be fulfilled. I am sure of the fulfillment of this promise.

And his name shall be called after me; and it shall be after the name of his father. And he shall be like unto me; for the thing, which the Lord shall bring forth by his hand, by the power of the Lord shall bring my people unto salvation.

And he will be named after me, and it will also be the name of his father. And he will be like me; for the thing the Lord will bring forth by his hand, by the power of the Lord, will bring my people to salvation.

Yea, thus prophesied Joseph: I am sure of this thing, even as I am sure of the promise of Moses; for the Lord hath said unto me, I will preserve thy seed forever.

Yes, this is how Joseph prophesied: I am sure of this, just as I am sure of the promise of Moses; for the Lord has said to me: I will preserve your descendants forever.

And the Lord hath said: I will raise up a Moses; and I will give power unto him in a rod; and I will give judgment unto him in writing. Yet I will not loose his tongue, that he shall speak much, for I will not make him mighty in speaking. But I will write unto him my law, by the finger of mine own hand; and I will make a spokesman for him.

And the Lord has said: I will raise up a Moses; and I will give him power in a staff, and I will give him judgment in writing. Yet I will not loosen his tongue so that he can speak much, for I will not make him powerful in speech. But I will write my law for him with the finger of my own hand, and I will make a spokesman for him.

And the Lord said unto me also: I will raise up unto the fruit of thy loins; and I will make for him a spokesman. And I, behold, I will give unto him that he shall write the writing of the fruit of thy loins, unto the fruit of thy loins; and the spokesman of thy loins shall declare it.

And the Lord also said to me: I will raise up one for the fruit of your loins, and I will make a spokesman for him. And I myself will grant that he will write the writing of the fruit of your loins, to the fruit of your loins; and the spokesman of your loins will declare it.

And the words which he shall write shall be the words which are expedient in my wisdom should go forth unto the fruit of thy loins. And it shall be as if the fruit of thy loins had cried unto them from the dust; for I know their faith.

And the words that he writes will be the words that, in my wisdom, ought to go out to the fruit of your loins. And it will be as if the fruit of your loins had cried to them from the dust, for I know their faith.

And they shall cry from the dust; yea, even repentance unto their brethren, even after many generations have gone by them. And it shall come to pass that their cry shall go, even according to the simpleness of their words.

And they will cry from the dust; they will cry repentance to their brothers, even after many generations have gone by. And their cry will go out according to the simplicity of their words.

Because of their faith their words shall proceed forth out of my mouth unto their brethren who are the fruit of thy loins; and the weakness of their words will I make strong in their faith, unto the remembering of my covenant which I made unto thy fathers.

Because of their faith, their words will go forth from my mouth to their brothers who are the fruit of your loins; and I will make the weakness of their words strong in their faith, so that they remember my covenant that I made with your fathers.

And now, behold, my son Joseph, after this manner did my father of old prophesy.

And now, my son Joseph, this is how my father of old prophesied.

Wherefore, because of this covenant thou art blessed; for thy seed shall not be destroyed, for they shall hearken unto the words of the book.

So you are blessed because of this covenant; for your descendants will not be destroyed, because they will listen to the words of the book.

And there shall rise up one mighty among them, who shall do much good, both in word and in deed, being an instrument in the hands of God, with exceeding faith, to work mighty wonders, and do that thing which is great in the sight of God, unto the bringing to pass much restoration unto the house of Israel, and unto the seed of thy brethren.

And one powerful person will rise up among them who will do much good, in both word and deed. He will be an instrument in the hands of God, with great faith, to work powerful wonders and do what is great in the sight of God, and to bring about much restoration to the house of Israel and to the descendants of your brothers.

And now, blessed art thou, Joseph. Behold, thou art little; wherefore hearken unto the words of thy brother, Nephi, and it shall be done unto thee even according to the words which I have spoken. Remember the words of thy dying father. Amen.

And now, blessed are you, Joseph. You are still little, so listen to the words of your brother Nephi, and it will be done for you according to the words I have spoken. Remember the words of your dying father. Amen.