As our first chapter begins, we are introduced to our hero. His name is Lehi (pronounced lee-high), and he is one of the prophets who lived and taught in Jerusalem among the Jews just before the armies of Babylon raided the city and took most of those in the Kingdom of Judah captive (right around 600 BC or BCE). In fact, Lehi is a contemporary of the Old Testament prophet Jeremiah, and when the story opens, we find Lehi testifying to the people of Jerusalem that they needed to repent and turn back to the Lord or risk destruction (the classic prophetic "voice of warning"). After praying especially hard for his people to open their hearts, he receives a vision. In the vision, he apparently sees Jesus Christ and his 12 apostles descending in glory, and they provide him direct revelation about many things.
After his vision, it seems that Lehi now preaches repentance to the people with a much greater sense of certitude about what's at stake. If he doubted before, there is no equivocation anymore. He now shares some very specific things with his people about the dangers that await them, and is mocked for it. One of the key components of his teaching is that the Messiah will come to redeem the world.
As the chapter ends, the people appear to have some ominous things in mind for Lehi. But we are reassured that the "tender mercies" of the Lord are over those who follow him, even unto their deliverance.
This brings me to an important point. Our narrator is not Lehi himself, but his son Nephi (neef-eye). Nephi is telling the story from memory several years later. In hearing Lehi's story through Nephi, we sense that this father and son share a special bond, and anticipate learning more about how the quest Lehi will later start will involve Nephi.
The first line of the chapter reads, "I, Nephi, having been born of goodly parents..." and then begins the narrative. This teaches us how important our families are to our identities and our backgrounds. Right from the start, we learn that family will be a central theme of the Book of Mormon, and throughout the book we will trace how important (though not completely determinative) family interactions and traditions--especially how we record and share our family's stories of heritage--are to the fate of communities and civilizations.
The most important takeaways from this chapter, in my opinion, are the admirable qualities Lehi shows in humbling himself before the Lord and seeking knowledge from Him. Lehi is equally determined to help his people if there is any chance he can, and to find out key eternal truths and principles important to every person's understanding of their relationship to God and the world. Right from the very beginning, we are shown that this book testifies of Jesus Christ and the salvation offered through Him.
You can read the chapter here: https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/study/scriptures/bofm/1-ne/1?lang=eng
Also see the first 7:27 of this video clip:
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