and came towards him.

Zoram (that was the name of Laban's servant) was greatly surprised at that moment. He saw that Nephi was not his master, and he was about to run back home when Nephi caught him by the arm.

"Do not have the least fear, Zoram," said Nephi. "The Lord has told us to do this, and if you will come down with us to our father and mother we will treat you kindly, and will take you with us to a beautiful country far across the great waters."

Zoram agreed to go with Nephi and his brethren. So, with the good book safe in their hands, they started back for the place where their father and mother were watching and waiting for them.

On seeing his sons coming, Lehi hastened to meet them, and when he heard that they had the good book with them he shed tears of joy. That evening they all knelt in prayer, and Lehi thanked and praised the Lord for bringing his boys back safely. Then he opened the book and read to them some of the wonderful things which the Lord had done from the creation of the world.

HOW THE LORD ANSWERED NEPHI'S PRAYER.

I am going to tell you this evening about another trip which Nephi and his brethren made to Jerusalem, the city where they came from, and what took place on the way back.

You see, the country they were going to was a very large country. There were no people living in it at that time. But the Lord wanted it filled with good men and women and good boys and girls.

So He told Lehi to send his sons back to Jerusalem to ask a man named Ishmael and his family, who lived there, to go with them to the wonderful country far across the great waters.

Ishmael had a number of beautiful daughters, and the Lord wanted Lehi's sons to marry some of them, so that they could have good families.

Lehi told his sons what the Lord wanted them to do, and they all said they would go. After traveling for a long time they arrived at the home of Ishmael. They were taken in and were treated very kindly.

Nephi told Ishmael why he and his brethren had come to his home. Then they all talked the matter over, and at last Ishmael and his family said they would go with Nephi and his brethren.

A day or two later the company started out for the place where Lehi and his wife were. All went well for a time; but after a while Laman and Lemuel and part of Ishmael's family stopped and said they would go no farther.

Nephi pleaded with them to continue the journey. He told them that if they would do as the Lord wanted them to do, He would take them across the great waters and land them safely in a beautiful country, where they would find all manner of choice fruit and other good things.

"We don't want to go to a new country," they answered, sharply. "We want to go back to our own home, and stay with the people there."

"Well," said Nephi, "you can go back if you want to, but if you do you will be sorry. The people you speak of are wicked, and the Lord is going to punish them. So if you go back you will be punished, too."

Then Laman spoke very sharply to Nephi. "We do not believe you," he said. "How do you know that the Lord is going to punish the people in the place where we used to live?"

"He told our father so," said Nephi, "and everything that the Lord says is true. You did not believe we would get the good book our father sent us for, but we did get it, just as the Lord said we would."

Then Laman and Lemuel and some of Ishmael's family grew very angry. They ran and caught Nephi and tied him with strong cords to a tree.

"You will not preach to us any more," they said. "We are going to go away and leave you here, and after a while wild beasts will come and kill and eat you."

Poor Nephi! What a terrible way to be treated by his own brothers! He was suffering great pain, for the cords were cutting his wrists and ankles. But he did not get angry, nor speak hard words to those who had so cruelly treated him. He knew the Lord would not let the wild beasts harm him, and after a time He would help him to get free.

A happy thought came to him: he would pray to the Lord to give him strength to break the cords. He looked up to heaven and said, "Dear Heavenly Father, I know you will not let me be left here to be killed by wild beasts. Please give me strength to break these cords, that I may be able to go back to my dear father and mother."

At that moment Nephi felt great strength come into his body. The Lord had heard and answered his prayer. He broke the cords as easily as if they had been tiny threads and stood forth free before his brethren.

When they saw what had happened, they began to tremble with fear. "Surely, the Lord is with Nephi," they said, and they came and bowed down before him and begged of him to forgive them.

What did Nephi do? He said, "My dear brothers, I freely forgive you for all the wrong you have done me. Now pray to our Father in Heaven to forgive you also."

They did so, and then the company began to travel again. They reached home in safety. Nephi and his brothers married four of the daughters of Ishmael, and after a time little baby boys and girls were born to them.

HOW THE LORD GUIDED LEHI AND HIS FAMILY.

This evening I am going to tell you how Lehi and his family were guided on their journey.

They were now a long way from their old home. They had not been in that part of the land before, and the place was new and strange to them. They could not ask anyone to tell them the way they should travel, for, as I told you, there was no one living in that part.

How were they to know which way they should go?

"I can see what is going to happen to us," said Laman one evening as they all sat outside their tents.

Nephi was reading the good book at the time, but on hearing what his brother said he stopped. Looking straight into the face of Laman, he asked, "What do you think is going to happen to us?"

"We are going to get lost; that is what is going to happen," said Laman, sharply.

"I don't think so," said Nephi, calmly, and a bright smile lit up his sweet face. "I am sure we will get to the wonderful country all right."

"O, yes," said Laman, as he cast a wicked glance at Nephi, "you are sure of everything. You know all and we know nothing. Isn't that so, boys?" he asked, turning to his other brothers and to the sons of Ishmael.

They all, with the exception of Sam, nodded their heads, which meant that they agreed with what Laman had said.

Then Sam spoke up in behalf of his brother: "I think," said he, "that you are all too hard on Nephi. It is a shame the way you have treated him. He is one of the best boys that ever lived, and I am proud to have him for my brother."

"Well, you won't feel so proud of him after a while," said Lemuel, "when he leads you away over those mountains and you get lost."

"Do not be afraid, Sam," said Nephi. "We will find the way all right."

"I know we will," said Sam, "and I will follow you, Nephi, wherever you go."

"And how do you know you will find the way?" Laman asked, turning to his brother Sam.

"I believe the Lord will show us the way," said Sam. "Indeed, I know He will, if we will have faith in Him and do what He tells us from time to time."

"That is true," said Nephi. "And now I want to tell you what I have just read in the good book. After Moses had led the children of Israel out of Egypt they came to the waters of the Red Sea. On looking back they saw Pharaoh and his army coming after them.

"'Oh, dear, what shall we do?' they cried. 'We cannot cross these waters. In a little while we will all be killed.'

"Then Moses stood up before them and said, 'Do not be afraid. The Lord will save yon from Pharaoh's army.' Then he stretched his rod across the waters, the sea divided, and all the children of Israel crossed over on dry ground. When they had reached the other side,