1 Nephi 3

Jehovah

And it came to pass that I, Nephi, said unto my father: I will go and do the things which the Lord hath commanded, for I know that the Lord giveth no commandments unto the children of men, save he shall prepare a way for them that they may accomplish the thing which he commandeth them. 1 Nephi 3:7

Nephi testifies that the Lord never commands without also preparing a way to obey. The Lord who commands and makes a way here is Jehovah, the premortal Christ.

How we know: Jehovah is the premortal Christ (Abraham 1:16; D&C 110:3–4)

• alluded to by 1 Nephi 9:6 — Nephi repeats it: the Lord prepareth a way to accomplish all his works.
• alluded to by 1 Nephi 17:3 — God provides means for His children to accomplish what He has commanded.

Christ (testimony of the prophets)

And behold, it is wisdom in God that we should obtain these records, that we may preserve unto our children the language of our fathers; 1 Nephi 3:19–20

Nephi risks his life for the words of all the holy prophets. The Book of Mormon later teaches that every one of those prophets spoke of Christ, and the brass plates carried Zenos, Zenock, and Neum's prophecies of His crucifixion.

• interpreted by Jacob 7:11 — None of the prophets have written or prophesied save they have spoken concerning Christ.
• interpreted by 1 Nephi 19:10 — The brass-plate prophets Zenock, Neum, and Zenos foretold the God of Israel being crucified and buried.

Jehovah

And it came to pass as they smote us with a rod, behold, an angel of the Lord came and stood before them, and he spake unto them, saying: Why do ye smite your younger brother with a rod? Know ye not that the Lord hath chosen him to be a ruler over you, and this because of your iniquities? Behold ye shall go up to Jerusalem again, and the Lord will deliver Laban into your hands. 1 Nephi 3:29

An angel sent by the Lord stops the beating and speaks the Lord's will: Nephi is chosen to lead. This angel is a messenger, not the Angel of the LORD title for Christ. He carries out the Lord's promise from 1 Nephi 2:22.

How we know: Jehovah is the premortal Christ (Abraham 1:16; D&C 110:3–4)

• fulfils 1 Nephi 2:22 — The Lord promised Nephi he would be made a ruler and a teacher over his brethren.