THE PROMISED LAND—CHILI—ITS NATURAL PRODUCTIONS—THE DEATH OF LEHI—HIS BLESSING ON HIS POSTERITY—PROPHECIES OF HIS ANCESTOR JOSEPH.

(I. NEPHI CHAP. 18 TO II. NEPHI CHAP. 4.)

WHEN the little colony, which numbered, we imagine, from sixty to eighty souls, landed on the promised land they pitched their tents and soon after began to till the ground. From their sowing they reaped abundant crops. They explored the wilderness around them, and found beasts of the forest of many kinds; also the ox, the horse, the goat and the wild goat. In the rocks they discovered ores of gold, silver and copper. Of the gold ore Nephi was commanded of the Lord to make plates on which to keep the records of his people.

The description given by Nephi of the region where the colony landed exactly corresponds with what we know of the country now called Chili; and it was on its coast, the Prophet Joseph Smith informs us, that the Nephites landed, and there they established their first homes. Chili is favored with one of the finest and healthiest climates in the world. The soil is exceedingly fertile, and the productions of both hemispheres seem to thrive equally well there. The most delicious fruit grows in abundance—the apple, peach, grape, strawberry, etc. Its forests are magnificent, and furnish many kinds of beautiful wood. The grass, in its rich meadow pastures, is often so tall and luxuriant as to hide the cattle grazing amongst it. Chili also possesses valuable mines, especially of gold, silver, copper and coal.

The people of Lehi were so few in number that they were a quiet and solemn race, with few amusements, but with an oppressing sense of the vastness of the land which they occupied, and of their own insignificance. Nor was there entire peace amongst them, for Laman and Lemuel, with others, were still fractious and turbulent.

In course of time Lehi felt that his earthly life was near its close, for he was aged and in failing health. So he called to him his sons and daughters and the other members of his colony, and blessed them in the same manner as his forefather Jacob blessed his family before he died. Lehi also prophesied many things that should happen to his posterity after him, for he was possessed of much of the Spirit of the Lord. After he had done this he died and was buried.

Lehi appears to have taken great pleasure in the knowledge that he was a descendant of that Joseph who was sold by his brethren, and afterwards carried into Egypt. In the blessing that he pronounced upon his own son Joseph, Lehi quotes largely from the prophecies of the former Joseph; prophecies which are nowhere given us, except in the Book of Mormon. From them we learn that this mighty son of Jacob was greatly favored of the Lord in having revealed to him much that related to the future of his father's house, especially to his own posterity. He saw the days of Moses and the work that that prophet performed; he saw Lehi's day and his work, and, more interesting to us than all, he saw the establishment of the kingdom of God in our day. He was told that the prophet whom the Lord would raise up to be the leader of God's people in the latter days would be of his seed, and the name of this prophet, and that of his father also, would be the same as his—that is, it would be Joseph. Many other events of great moment that are even now taking place, were also made manifest to him by the Lord.