When Nephi set out to build a ship, as the Lord had directed, his older brothers set out to destroy him. Fortunately, God intervened. Nephi was given such power in his words that his brothers quaked before him and, penitent, joined him in building the boat according to the Lord's directions.
And when my brethren saw that I was about to build a ship, they began to murmur against me. . . [and Nephi said] Ye are swift to do iniquity, but slow to remember the Lord your God . . . I, Nephi, said many things unto my brethren insomuch that they were confounded and durst not lay their hands upon me . . . the Lord said unto me: Stretch forth thine hand again unto thy brethren, and they shall not wither before thee, but I will shock them, saith the Lord, and this will I do, that they may know that I am the Lord their God . . . I stretched forth my hand unto my brethren, and they did not wither before me; but the Lord did shake them, even according to the word which he had spoken. (1 Nephi 17: 17, 45, 52-54)
And it came to pass that I, Nephi, said unto them that they should murmur no more against their father; neither should they withhold their labor from me, for God had commanded me that I should build a ship. (1 Nephi 17: 49)
And . . . we did work timbers of curious workmanship. And the Lord did show me from time to time after what manner I should work the timbers of the ship . . . After I had finished the ship, according to the word of the Lord, my brethren beheld that it was good, and that the workmanship thereof was exceedingly fine; wherefore, they did humble themselves again before the Lord. And it came to pass that the voice of the Lord came unto my father, that we should arise and go down into the ship . . . And it came to pass after we had all gone down into the ship, and had taken with us our provisions and things which had been commanded us, we did put forth into the sea and were driven forth before the wind towards the promised land. (1 Nephi 18: 1,4-5, 9)
Text from the Book of Mormon
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