3  Nevertheless, I have received a commandment of the Lord that I should make these plates, for the special ^apurpose that there should be an account engraven of the ministry of my people.

  16  And I had faith, and I did cry unto God that he would ^apreserve the records; and he covenanted with me that he would bring them forth unto the Lamanites in his own due time.

  4  Yea, all this was done that the ^aword of the Lord might be fulfilled.

  14  And it hath become expedient that I, according to the will of God, that the prayers of those who have gone hence, who were the holy ones, should be fulfilled according to their faith, should make a ^arecord of these things which have been done—

  47  And I said unto them, that it should be ^agranted unto them according to their faith in their prayers;

  3  And after I had made these plates by way of commandment, I, Nephi, received a commandment that the ministry and the prophecies, the more plain and precious parts of them, should be written upon these plates; and that the things which were written should be kept for the instruction of my people, who should possess the land, and also for other ^bwise purposes, which purposes are known unto the Lord.

  2  And it is many hundred years after the coming of Christ that I deliver these records into the hands of my son; and it supposeth me that he will witness the entire destruction of my people. But may God grant that he may survive them, that he may write somewhat concerning them, and somewhat concerning Christ, that perhaps some day it may ^cprofit them.

  7  And I do this for a ^awise purpose; for thus it whispereth me, according to the workings of the Spirit of the Lord which is in me. And now, I do not know all things; but the Lord knoweth all things which are to come; wherefore, he worketh in me to do according to his will.