14 the prophecy of Enoch. _Rev_. 1. 11 the book sent to the seven churches of Asia. 5. 1 a book sealed with seven seals. 10. 2 little book which a mighty angel had in his hand. 20. 12 the books out of which the dead will be judged. RECORDS OF THE NEPHITES. The record of first importance to the Nephites was that of the plates of brass, which was taken from the treasury of Laban by Nephi. It contained the five books of Moses, the history of the Jews down to the reign of Zedekiah, and a genealogy of the family of Lehi. This record was invaluable to the Jewish-American colony as a means of perpetuating the religion, customs and civilization of their fathers. Lehi prophesied, in his first camp in the wilderness, "That these plates of brass should go forth unto all nations, kindreds, tongues, and people who were of his seed;" 1 _Nephi_ 5. 18. He further said "That these plates of brass should never perish; neither should they be dimmed any more by time;" _verse_ 19. Nearly two thousand five hundred years have passed away since this prophecy of Lehi's was recorded, and we are assured that these plates of brass are well preserved, and are yet to come forth to all the tribes and peoples of the aboriginal American race, and to all the race of Lehi who may be scattered on the islands of the sea. This record, on brass plates, was written in the Egyptian language; _Mos_. 1. 4. It appears to have borne the same relationship to the Nephites, that the Bible has to Christian nations, and to have been not only their guide in religion, but also the foundation of their ethics and jurisprudence. From the first, Nephi was strongly impressed with the importance of keeping a faithful record of his people. He says in the beginning of his first book, "I make a record in the language of my father, which consists of the learning of the Jews, and the language of the Egyptians;" 1. 2. The Egyptian language must have had about the same relation to the Jews, that the Latin has to modern Christian nations. The purpose of the Lord, in inspiring Nephi to make ample preparations for keeping a record of his people, was gradually developed to him, for he says in 9. 5, of his first book, "The Lord hath commanded me to make these plates for a wise purpose in him; which purpose I know not." The importance of the future record of his people was afterwards shown him in vision: "For behold, saith the Lamb, I will manifest myself unto thy seed, that they shall write many things which I shall minister unto them, which shall be plain and precious; and after thy seed shall be destroyed, and dwindle in unbelief, and also the seed of thy brethren; behold, these things shall be hid up, to come forth unto the Gentiles, by the gift and power of the Lamb;" 13. 35. The remainder of this chapter further explains this subject.