1 Assim terminou a criação do céu, e da terra, e de tudo o que há neles. 2 No sétimo dia Deus acabou de fazer todas as coisas e descansou de todo o trabalho que havia feito. 3 Então abençoou o sétimo dia e o separou como um dia sagrado, pois nesse dia ele acabou de fazer todas as coisas e descansou. 4 E foi assim que o céu e a terra foram criados.

Quando o Senhor Deus fez o céu e a terra, 5 não haviam brotado nem capim nem plantas, pois o Senhor ainda não tinha mandado chuvas, e não havia ninguém para cultivar a terra. 6 Mas da terra saía uma corrente de água que regava o chão. 7 Então, do pó da terra, o Senhor formou o ser humano . O Senhor soprou no nariz dele uma respiração de vida, e assim ele se tornou um ser vivo.

8 Depois o Senhor Deus plantou um jardim na região do Éden, no Leste, e ali pôs o ser humano que ele havia formado. 9 O Senhor fez com que ali crescessem árvores lindas de todos os tipos, que davam frutas boas de se comer. No meio do jardim ficava a árvore que dá vida e também a árvore que dá o conhecimento do bem e do mal.

10 No Éden nascia um rio que regava o jardim e que, saindo dali, se dividia, formando quatro rios. 11 O primeiro é o Pisom, que rodeia a região de Havilá, onde há ouro. 12 O ouro dessa região é puro, e ali também há um perfume raro e pedras preciosas. 13 O segundo rio se chama Giom; ele dá volta por toda a região de Cuche. 14 O terceiro rio é o Tigre, que passa a leste da Assíria. E o quarto rio é o Eufrates.

15 Então o Senhor Deus pôs o homem no jardim do Éden, para cuidar dele e nele fazer plantações. 16 E o Senhor deu ao homem a seguinte ordem:

— Você pode comer as frutas de qualquer árvore do jardim, 17 menos da árvore que dá o conhecimento do bem e do mal. Não coma a fruta dessa árvore; pois, no dia em que você a comer, certamente morrerá.

18 Depois o Senhor disse:

— Não é bom que o homem viva sozinho. Vou fazer para ele alguém que o ajude como se fosse a sua outra metade.

19 Depois que o Senhor Deus formou da terra todos os animais selvagens e todas as aves, ele os levou ao homem para que pusesse nome neles. E eles ficaram com o nome que o homem lhes deu. 20 Ele pôs nomes nas aves e em todos os animais domésticos e selvagens. Mas para Adão não se achava uma ajudadora que fosse como a sua outra metade.

21 Então o Senhor Deus fez com que o homem caísse num sono profundo. Enquanto ele dormia, Deus tirou uma das suas costelas e fechou a carne naquele lugar. 22 Dessa costela o Senhor formou uma mulher e a levou ao homem. 23 Então o homem disse:

"Agora sim!

Esta é carne da minha carne

e osso dos meus ossos.

Ela será chamada de ‘mulher’

porque Deus a tirou do homem ."

24 É por isso que o homem deixa o seu pai e a sua mãe para se unir com a sua mulher, e os dois se tornam uma só pessoa.

25 Tanto o homem como a sua mulher estavam nus, mas não sentiam vergonha.

1 FOR behold, it came to pass that the Lord spake unto my father, yea, even in a dream, and said unto him: Blessed art thou Lehi, because of the things which thou hast done; and because thou hast been faithful and declared unto this people the things which I commanded thee, behold, they seek to take away thy life.2 And it came to pass that the Lord commanded my father, even in a dream, that he should take his family and depart into the wilderness.3 And it came to pass that he was obedient unto the word of the Lord, wherefore he did as the Lord commanded him.4 And it came to pass that he departed into the wilderness. And he left his house, and the land of his inheritance, and his gold, and his silver, and his precious things, and took nothing with him, save it were his family, and provisions, and tents, and departed into the wilderness.{600 B.C.}5 And he came down by the borders near the shore of the Red Sea; and he traveled in the wilderness in the borders which are nearer the Red Sea; and he did travel in the wilderness with his family, which consisted of my mother, Sariah, and my elder brothers, who were Laman, Lemuel, and Sam.6 And it came to pass that when he had traveled three days in the wilderness, he pitched his tent in a valley by the side of a river of water.7 And it came to pass that he built an altar of stones, and made an offering unto the Lord, and gave thanks unto the Lord our God.8 And it came to pass that he called the name of the river, Laman, and it emptied into the Red Sea; and the valley was in the borders near the mouth thereof.9 And when my father saw that the waters of the river emptied into the fountain of the Red Sea, he spake unto Laman, saying: O that thou mightest be like unto this river, continually running into the fountain of all righteousness!10 And he also spake unto Lemuel: O that thou mightest be like unto this valley, firm and steadfast, and immovable in keeping the commandments of the Lord!11 Now this he spake because of the stiffneckedness of Laman and Lemuel; for behold they did murmur in many things against their father, because he was a visionary man, and had led them out of the land of Jerusalem, to leave the land of their inheritance, and their gold, and their silver, and their precious things, to perish in the wilderness. And this they said he had done because of the foolish imaginations of his heart.12 And thus Laman and Lemuel, being the eldest, did murmur against their father. And they did murmur because they knew not the dealings of that God who had created them.13 Neither did they believe that Jerusalem, that great city, could be destroyed according to the words of the prophets. And they were like unto the Jews who were at Jerusalem, who sought to take away the life of my father.14 And it came to pass that my father did speak unto them in the valley of Lemuel, with power, being filled with the Spirit, until their frames did shake before him. And he did confound them, that they durst not utter against him; wherefore, they did as he commanded them.15 And my father dwelt in a tent.16 And it came to pass that I, Nephi, being exceedingly young, nevertheless being large in stature, and also having great desires to know of the mysteries of God, wherefore, I did cry unto the Lord; and behold he did visit me, and did soften my heart that I did believe all the words which had been spoken by my father; wherefore, I did not rebel against him like unto my brothers.17 And I spake unto Sam, making known unto him the things which the Lord had manifested unto me by his Holy Spirit. And it came to pass that he believed in my words.18 But, behold, Laman and Lemuel would not hearken unto my words; and being grieved because of the hardness of their hearts I cried unto the Lord for them.19 And it came to pass that the Lord spake unto me, saying: Blessed art thou, Nephi, because of thy faith, for thou hast sought me diligently, with lowliness of heart.20 And inasmuch as ye shall keep my commandments, ye shall prosper, and shall be led to a land of promise; yea, even a land which I have prepared for you; yea, a land which is choice above all other lands.21 And inasmuch as thy brethren shall rebel against thee, they shall be cut off from the presence of the Lord.22 And inasmuch as thou shalt keep my commandments, thou shalt be made a ruler and a teacher over thy brethren.23 For behold, in that day that they shall rebel against me, I will curse them even with a sore curse, and they shall have no power over thy seed except they shall rebel against me also.24 And if it so be that they rebel against me, they shall be a scourge unto thy seed, to stir them up in the ways of remembrance.