1 Nephi Chapter 6

1 And now I, Nephi, do not give the genealogy of my fathers in this part of my record; neither at any time shall I give it after upon these plates which I am writing; for it is given in the record which has been kept by my father; wherefore, I do not write it in this work.

2 For it sufficeth me to say that we are descendants of Joseph.

3 And it mattereth not to me that I am particular to give a full account of all the things of my father, for they cannot be written upon these plates, for I desire the room that I may write of the things of God.

verses 1-3 "These plates" are, of course, the small plates of Nephi. If you need a review of the large and small plates of Nephi and the plates of Mormon, see the supplemental article, Those Confusing Book of Mormon Plates.

The "record which has been kept by my father [Lehi]" was obviously Lehi's personal journal. As has been mentioned previously, it may have been kept on material other than metal plates such as parchment. Certainly the materials included on this record would have been entered onto the large plates of Nephi by Nephi himself, who was the creator and engraver for the first part of the large plates of Nephi. When Mormon later abridged the large plates of Nephi, he would have found the genealogy of Lehi on that record. If he did choose to include that genealogy in his abridgement of the large plates of Nephi, then he would have entered it onto his record on the plates of Mormon. It would have then been found in the book of Lehi which was the first part of the record on the plates of Mormon. If it was in fact found there, then Martin Harris lost it when the 116 pages of manuscript were taken from him.

verse 3 "it mattereth not to me that I am particular to give a full account of all the things of my father" This phrase means in essence, "I don't feel it is necessary to give a full account here on the small plates of Nephi of all of the secular things on my father's record." Nephi's implication is that the space is limited on the small plates of Nephi, and writings on the small plates are to emphasize spiritual things or "the things of God."

4 For the fulness of mine intent is that I may persuade men to come unto the God of Abraham, and the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob, and be saved.

verse 4 "God of Abraham, and the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob" These titles for Jehovah have their origins in the Abrahamic covenant. For a summary of this covenant, see the commentary for 1 Nephi 14:8. Also included in these titles are Jehovah's acts as deliverer of the Hebrew slaves (Alma 29:11; Alma 36:2) and his redemptive role as Savior (1 Nephi 19:10).

5 Wherefore, the things which are pleasing unto the world I do not write, but the things which are pleasing unto God and unto those who are not of the world.

6 Wherefore, I shall give commandment unto my seed, that they shall not occupy these plates with things which are not of worth unto the children of men.

verse 6 Nephi commits himself to pass on to the future keepers of the small plates of Nephi the "commandment" that the writings on "these plates" should contain only spiritually edifying ideas.