Ship is a vessel built to carry people and provisions across waters. The Lord commanded Nephi, “Thou shalt construct a ship, after the manner which I shall show thee,” so that he might carry his people “across these waters” (1 Nephi 17:8). Nephi sought ore to make tools to construct the ship (1 Nephi 17:9).
Nephi’s brethren murmured when they saw him about to build a ship and said that he thought he could cross “these great waters” (1 Nephi 17:17). Nephi and those who went with him worked “timbers of curious workmanship,” and the Lord showed Nephi how to work the ship’s timbers (1 Nephi 18:1). Nephi said that he built the ship “after the manner which the Lord had shown unto me” (1 Nephi 18:2).
After Nephi finished the ship according to the Lord’s word, his brethren saw “that the workmanship thereof was exceedingly fine” (1 Nephi 18:4). Those aboard went down into the ship with provisions, seeds, wives, and children (1 Nephi 18:6). They put forth into the sea and were driven before the wind toward the promised land (1 Nephi 18:8). Nephi later guided the ship as it sailed again toward the promised land (1 Nephi 18:22).