1 Nephi 1:16 - 1:20

1 Nephi 1:16 And now I, Nephi, do not make a full account of the things which my father hath written, for he hath written many things which he saw in visions and in dreams; and he also hath written many things which he prophesied and spake unto his children, of which I shall not make a full account.

Nephi tells us that it is not his purpose to record all that Lehi has seen in vision about and in addition what he had prophesied about the future of his own family. His main purpose to take about his own life.

1 Nephi 1:17 But I shall make an account of my proceedings in my days. Behold, I make an abridgment of the record of my father, upon plates which I have made with mine own hands; wherefore, after I have abridged the record of my father then will I make an account of mine own life.

Nephi gives us a editorial note by informing us that he will abridge his fathers record first and then his own experiences. The plates he is engraving on are of his own making. He must have had some metallurgy experience with smelting and forming plates.

1 Nephi 1:18 Therefore, I would that ye should know, that after the Lord had shown so many marvelous things unto my father, Lehi, yea, concerning the destruction of Jerusalem, behold he went forth among the people, and began to prophesy and to declare unto them concerning the things which he had both seen and heard.

Lehi is shown many marvelous things in his visions, but seeing the destruction of Jerusalem cause him to start warning his friends and neighbors that they needed to repent or they would soon be destroyed. Were not told specify what the people were doing wrong to fall under the displeasure of Jehovah, but one can find out be reading Jeremiah in the Old Testament.

1 Nephi 1:19 And it came to pass that the Jews did mock him because of the things which he testified of them; for he truly testified of their wickedness and their abominations; and he testified that the things which he saw and heard, and also the things which he read in the book, manifested plainly of the coming of a Messiah, and also the redemption of the world.

The Jews would not listen to his warnings and started to make fun of him. Lehi was bold in his assertions about their wickedness which he read about in the book that the Lord has shown him. He also talked plainly about the coming of the Messiah and his saving mission. I think what Lehi was doing was trying to show the Jews that their deliverance from the Babylonians would come by repenting of sins not military preparedness. So the Jews looked upon him at least as a nut or at worse a subversive who needed to be shut up less he get other people to agree with him and stop sub porting the government possession of siding with the Egyptians.

1 Nephi 1:20 And when the Jews heard these things they were angry with him; yea, even as with the prophets of old, whom they had cast out, and stoned, and slain; and they also sought his life, that they might take it away. But behold, I, Nephi, will show unto you that the tender mercies of the Lord are over all those whom he hath chosen, because of their faith, to make them mighty even unto the power of deliverance.

The reaction of the people to Lehi’s warning were the same as to the prophets of the past. The Jews now sought for his life to silent him. But the Lord was merciful to him and his family and would now have to get them away to deliver them from threats of the people and most probably from the city officials, who may have look upon Lehi as subverting their foreign policy towards Babylon and Egypt.