In 1 Nephi 1:17 Nephi refers to "the record of my father." According to S. Kent Brown, both Nephi and Jacob included parts of the record of Lehi on the small plates. Jacob hints (Jacob 4:1-2) that this record of Lehi was not kept on metal. Rolls or scrolls made from skins were used in Lehi's day (see Jeremiah 36:2; Ezekiel 2:9-10), and there are some hints not only that Lehi used a skin scroll rather than metal (1 Nephi 17:2,12), but that he wrote his record in Hebrew (Mormon 9:33). [S. Kent Brown, "Nephi's Use of Lehi's Record," in Rediscovering the Book of Mormon, F.A.R.M.S., p. 3] [See the commentary on 1 Nephi 19:1]
1 Nephi 1:17 I make an abridgment of the record of my father ([Illustration]): Writings of Lehi Quoted or Paraphrased by Nephi and Jacob. (Source: S. Kent Brown, "Lehi's Personal Record: Quest for a Missing Source," BYU Studies 24:1, 1984: 19-42). [John W. Welch and J. Gregory Welch, Charting the Book of Mormon: Visual Aids for Personal Study and Teaching, F.A.R.M.S., Chart 19]
“I Make an Abridgment of the Record of My Father”
In 1 Nephi 1:17, Nephi states: "I make an abridgment of the record of my father, upon plates which I have made with mine own hands; wherefore, after I have abridged the record of my father then will I make an account of mine own life." It is interesting that unlike the abridgment which Mormon and Moroni make, Nephi chooses to write his record on the small plates in first person narrative. That is, he says "I" did this and "I" did that, while including historical information. Mormon and Moroni mostly used third person narrative with a few personal interjections. Could it be that Nephi is not making a continuous abridgment, but including selected pieces of information from his father's record into his own message? In the book of 1 Nephi we find a repeated pattern wherein Nephi first cites what happened to his father, and then compares himself and his actions with those of his father, as if he is recording the testimony of two witnesses. This repetitive pattern could be part of what Nephi alludes to when he says, "after I have abridged the record of my father then will I make an account of mine own life.
Question: Does Nephi's reference to an abridgment of the record of his father "upon plates which I have made with mine own hands" refer to the large plates? This seems very unlikely. (See 1 Nephi 9:2-4; 19:1-6; 2 Nephi 5:30) [Alan C. Miner, Personal Notes]