- 6Now the Nephites all returned to their own lands in the 26th year, every one with their family, flocks and herds, horses and cattle, and everything they owned. 2They hadn’t consumed all their provisions, so they took with them all the grain they hadn’t eaten, of every kind, as well as their gold, silver, and valuables. And they returned to their own lands and property, toward the north and south, and in the land to the north and south. 3They allowed those robbers who had made a covenant to keep peace in the land (they wanted to remain Lamanites), to have land based on their numbers, so they could have something to survive on. In this way, they established peace throughout the land; 4and they again started to flourish and grow strong. And the 26th and 27th years came to an end. Social order returned to the land, and their laws, based upon fairness and justice, were again enforced. 5At this time nothing in the whole land would prevent their continuing prosperity, other than if they again fell into transgression. 6Now it was Gidgiddoni and Lachoneus, the chief judge, and those who had been appointed to be their leaders, who led in establishing this great peace in the land.
- 7Many cities were rebuilt and many old cities were repaired. 8Many highways were constructed and new roads connected city to city, land to land, and area to area. 9The 28th year ended in abiding peace. 10But in the 29th year, some controversies arose between people, and some were now proud and boastful because of their great wealth, so much so that they actively persecuted others. 11Now there were many merchants, many lawyers, and officials also. 12The people began to be divided into classes based on wealth and their opportunities for education. Unfortunately, some were uneducated due to their poverty; and others were highly educated because of their wealth. 13Some were very prideful and others very humble. Some met verbal abuse by returning verbal abuse, while others tolerated abuse, persecution, and other mistreatment without retaliating; but to the contrary, they were humble and repentant before God. 14Therefore inequality increased throughout the land, with even the congregation becoming divided, so much so that in the 30th year the congregation broke apart throughout the land with the exception of a few Lamanites who remained committed to the true faith. They refused to abandon it, since they were firm, resolute, and immovable, willing to diligently keep the Lord’s commandments.
- 15Now the cause of the people’s iniquity was that Satan had such influence that people began to commit all kinds of iniquity; to become prideful, and tempting them to seek power, authority, wealth, and property with no eternal value. 16Satan led the hearts of the people into all kinds of iniquity. Therefore they had only enjoyed peace for a few short years. 17At the start of the 30th year, the people were in an awful state of wickedness. They submitted to the accuser’s temptations, doing as he led them, participating in exactly the sins he urged upon them. 18Now they didn’t sin ignorantly; they knew God’s will for them, since it had been taught to them. Therefore they willfully rebelled against God.
- 19Now Lachoneus the son of Lachoneus replaced his father in the governor’s seat, and was serving at the time. 20Then men began to be inspired by heaven and sent out, warning the people all over the land, preaching and exposing the people’s sins and iniquities, and telling them about the redemption the Lord would provide for His people through Christ’s resurrection. They taught clearly about His death and suffering. 21Now many people got very angry because of the men who testified of these things. Those who were angry included the chief judges and those who had been high priests and lawyers. All the lawyers were angry with those who testified of these things. 22Now, no lawyer, judge, or high priest had the authority to condemn anyone to death until the death order was signed by the governor. 23But many of those who taught about Christ, testifying boldly, were taken and put to death secretly by the judges, so the governor didn’t learn of their deaths until after they had been killed. 24Now it violated the laws of the land for anyone to be put to death without the governor’s approval. 25Therefore a complaint was sent to Zarahemla, to the governor, accusing the judges who had condemned the Lord’s prophets to death of violating the law.
- 26They were arrested and brought before the judge to be judged for the crime they had committed, according to the law adopted by the people. 27Now these judges had many friends and relatives. Those others, including almost all the lawyers and high priests, joined with the relatives of the judges facing a trial for violating the law. 28They entered into a covenant with each other, the same as the one made long ago, which was given and administered by the accuser, to conspire against all righteousness. 29Therefore they conspired against the Lord’s people and made a covenant to kill them and to free the guilty murderers from the justice to be imposed under the law. 30They defied the law and the rights of their country. And they covenanted with one another to kill the governor and set up a king over the land, to destroy liberty and establish control by kings.
- 7Now you should know they didn’t establish a king, but in that 30th year they murdered the chief judge while on the judgment seat. 2Then the people divided against each other. They separated into tribes, everyone gathering with family, relatives, and friends. And the government was destroyed. 3Each tribe had a ruler or leader over them, resulting in tribes forming around tribal leaders. 4Now every man had many family members and many relatives and friends; therefore the resulting tribes were quite large. 5Now when this happened, at first there were no wars among them. All these terrible consequences happened because the people submitted to Satan’s power. 6The secret conspiracy of the friends and relatives of those who murdered the prophets destroyed all governmental order. 7They caused a great conflict in the land, but there was still a small righteous part of the people, despite the overwhelming majority becoming wicked; yet there were a few righteous among them. 8In less than six years most of the people had abandoned their righteousness like the dog to his vomit, or like a sow to her wallowing in the mire.
- 9Now the secret society of conspirators who had led them into iniquity united together to put a man in charge named Jacob. 10They called him their king. Therefore he was king over this evil society. He was one of the most vocal opponents of the prophets who testified of Jesus. 11Yet his group wasn’t as large as the combined tribes of the people. Each tribe was led separately, with its own laws, but they united to oppose the evil society as their common enemy. Despite not being righteous, the people were united in their hatred of those who had made the covenant to destroy the government. 12Therefore when Jacob realized their enemies were more numerous than they were, using his position as king of the group, he ordered his people to flee into the northernmost part of the land to establish a kingdom for themselves where they would await defectors. He persuaded them there would be many defectors. With additional defectors he said they would become strong enough to defeat the other tribes. His group then followed his plan. 13Their departure was so quick it couldn’t be intercepted before they were beyond the people’s reach. That’s how the 30th year ended in this state of affairs among the Nephites.
- 14In the 31st year, they remained divided into tribes, every one according to their family, relatives, and friends. Nevertheless, they agreed they wouldn’t go to war with each other. But they weren’t united in their laws or in their ways of governing, because their rulers and leaders decided those matters. But they adopted very strict laws against one tribe doing wrong to another, so to some degree they had peace in the land. Nevertheless, their hearts were against the Lord their God; and they stoned the prophets and drove them away.
- 15Nephi, who had been visited by angels and heard the Lord’s voice, had seen angels, and was an eyewitness, then had power given to him to let them know about Christ’s ministry. He was also an eyewitness of the swift fall from righteousness to wickedness and abominations. 16Because he was troubled at the hardness of their hearts and the blindness of their minds, he went out to preach to them that same year. He boldly testified of the need for repentance and remission of sins through faith in the Lord Jesus Christ. 17He warned them of many things. Because they can’t all be written, and a part wouldn’t be sufficient, they aren’t written in this book. Nephi taught with power and great authority.
- 18They were angry with him, because he truly had greater power than they did. So it was impossible for them to refute the truth of his words. His faith in the Lord Jesus Christ was so deep that angels ministered to him daily. 19He drove out devils and unclean spirits in Jesus’ name and even raised his brother from the dead after he had been stoned and killed by the people. 20They saw it with their own eyes and were angry with him because of his power. He also performed many more miracles in the people’s sight, in Jesus’ name.
- 21And the 31st year came to an end. Only a few were converted to the Lord. But all those who were converted, truthfully declared to the people they had been visited by the power and Spirit of God that was in Jesus Christ, in whom they believed. 22All those who had devils driven out of them and who were healed of sickness and disease truthfully declared to the people it was the Spirit of God given to them that let them be healed. Signs followed them as well, and people saw them also perform some miracles.
- 23So the 32nd year came to an end as well. Nephi cried out to the people at the start of the 33rd year, preaching repentance and remission of sins to them. 24Now I would like you to remember there wasn’t anyone who repented who wasn’t baptized with water. 25Therefore Nephi ordained other men to this ministry, to let everyone be baptized with water who came forward. This was done as a witness and testimony before God and the people that they had repented and received a remission of their sins. 26Many repented and were baptized at the start of this year. And so most of the year went by.
Chapter 3