Reddit mentions of In the Buddha's Words

You don't want the Pali Canon. It's tens of thousands of pages that are mostly irrelevant to a lay follower. Additionally, they're not organized in any thematic way. They may be hard to understand without commentary.

I recommend an introductory book instead. This one provides highlights in an organized way along with helpful commentary. The author is a monk and an esteemed scholar of the Canon.

https://www.amazon.com/Buddhas-Words-Anthology-Discourses-Canon/dp/1536614688

In trying to better understand this question, I have found it useful to study how Buddhism evolved over the last 2500 years. To get a better sense of what the historical Buddha may have said and taught, I have found Bhikku Boddhi's translations of the Pali canon and the Theravada tradition useful and it does not seem to emphasize inherent buddha nature.

https://www.amazon.com/Buddhas-Words-Anthology-Discourses-Canon/dp/1536614688

However, later Mahayana schools of thought seem to have emphasized the inherent buddhahood or buddha nature or Tathāgatagarbha nature. I have found Gethin and Williams books useful to understand these later evolutions of the theory and practice of buddhism.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tath%C4%81gatagarbha_S%C5%ABtra

https://www.amazon.com/Mahayana-Buddhism-Doctrinal-Foundations-Religious/dp/0415356539