Page:A dictionary of the Book of Mormon.pdf/225

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Lehi.

from the Lord. Like Enoch, John the Revelator and others, the world's future history was mapped out before him, and he not only saw things that related to his own posterity, but the scene widened until he appears to have been shown all that would happen to the sons and daughters of mankind to the very last generation. (See I Nephi, chap. 8.) Nephi, his son, was favored of the Lord with similar manifestations.

Before long, Lehi was directed to resume his journey; and a wonderful instrument, prepared by Divine condescension, called a Liahona, or compass, was given him to guide the wandering feet of the company in their travels.

So particular was the Lord that Lehi's party should not come in contact with the people of Arabia, through which land they passed, that He gave them the command that they should not cook their meat, lest the flame or smoke from their fires should draw attention towards them; but He promised that He would make their meat sweet to them, that they could eat it with pleasure and satisfaction without it being cooked with fire. Probably it was dried after the manner that the people in this region often dry beef and other meats.

To their next tarrying place, which they reached in four days, they gave the name of Shazer. After a short rest, during which time they killed game for food, they again took up their line of march, keeping in the most fertile parts of the wilderness, which were near the borders of the Red Sea. Thus they continued journeying for some time, when, by direction of the Liahona, they changed the course of their travels, and moved almost directly east across the Arabian peninsula, until they reached the waters on its eastern coast. There they found a very fruitful land, which they called Bountiful, because of the abundance of its natural productions. To the sea which washed its shores they