1 Nephi 5:20-23 "worth" "preserve"

Nephi rejoices in the scriptures.  Remember how he said that if he kept the commandments he would prosper in the land?  In verse 20 he proclaims his status as having "kept the commandments wherewith the Lord had commanded us."  Then in verse 21 he tells how the Lord has prospered them.  They had "obtained the records with the Lord had commanded [them], and searched them and found that they were desirable; yea even of great worth unto us"  They were prospered.

They valued the scriptures and certainly the scriptures are valuable to 'converting the soul', showing the mysteries of the kingdom, providing genealogies, preserving language, and allowing them to know the laws statutes, and commandments of God.

Some key phrases related to preserving the records that caught my attention: "hid up", "sealed up", "kept and preserved".  These phrases have specific meaning, I believe they are all similar in meaning just the common phrase of the prophet at the time that he used it.  We seek "kept and preserved through Mosiah and Alma, as an example.  Mormon and Moroni use the phrase hid up and sealed up more often.  It may relate very directly to the manner in which they kept the records safe.

Nephi concludes chapter 5 by saying that it was wisdom that they should carry the scriptures with them into the wilderness.