At this time of catastrophic happenings in the Nephite Commonwealth, Nephi, who afterwards became the chiefest of Christ's Disciples, was called by the voice of the Lord and the visitation of angels to labor diligently in Christ's ministry among the wicked people whose government had become so disarranged that it no longer functioned either religiously nor politically.
Being an eyewitness to their many follies, Nephi quickly sensed how quick the people were to forget God's goodness to them and to return "unto their wickedness and abominations." To sit idly by and lament their ways was not his part in the drama that was being enacted. Grieved unmeasurably because the great majority of his people, by their actions, denied the Law of Moses which pointed to Christ, and which they had observed, he with courage and fortitude went forth and with boldness began to declare "repentance and remission of sins through faith on the Lord Jesus Christ." (verse 16)
Nephi Did Minister with Power and Great Authority
Going about every day doing good to his unfortunate people, and ministering to their wants, Nephi, however, performed his greatest service, as did all the prophets before him, in crying repentance and Salvation by reason of faith in Christ, and remission of sins.
We may conceive that Nephi not only preached the Gospel of Christ by word of mouth, but by alleviating his people's burdens and in ameliorating their sufferings. In many ways he administered aid in their wants. He brought succor to the oppressed and help to the helpless. He mourned with those who mourned, and rejoiced with them that saw in him the purposes of the Lord being accomplished. In many ways the power of God was manifest in his labors, but it must be remembered that an evil person often rejects divine intercession and refuses to accept God's providences. Thus the day of their affliction is prolonged. That is just what the Nephite tribesmen did; they spurned Nephi's ministrations because the Spirit of the Lord had left them; their hearts were hardened, and their minds, Mormon noted, were blinded by the craftiness of men. Nevertheless, Nephi was diligent in his divine commitment, and for three years "he did preach repentance and remission of sins."
On the plates Mormon had made, and on which he was attempting to engrave, in an abridged form, a full account of that which he found written upon other plates, there was not space to record his findings. He makes the comment that the many things in which Nephi ministered to his people therefore cannot be contained in the record he was making, "and a part of them would not suffice," (v. 17) but he adds this interesting observation: "And Nephi did minister with power and with great authority."and Titus 2:15)2
Nephi's ministrations were attended with such showings of God's power that even the hard-hearted and stiff-necked were astonished at his words and could not disbelieve them. He spoke, convincing many of their wicked ways, yet they grew more and more angry with him because he was able to show them their need of repentance. In common parlance, he hit where it hurt them most. As a witness to them whereof he spoke, "In the Name of Jesus did he cast out devils and unclean spirits; and even his brother did he raise from the dead, after he had been stoned and suffered death by the people." (v. 19))3