- 1The 34th year came to an end and the 35th year as well, and Jesus’ disciples had formed a congregation of Christ in every surrounding land. Those who came to them and truly repented of their sins were baptized in Jesus’ name and received the Holy Ghost. 2In the 36th year, the people were all converted to the Lord throughout the land, both Nephites and Lamanites. There were no conflicts or disputes among them. Everyone dealt fairly and honestly with each other. 3They had all things in common, so there weren’t any rich or poor people, enslaved or free people, but they were all given their freedom and allowed to share in the heavenly gift.
- 4The 37th year came to an end as well, and peace still prevailed in the land. 5Jesus’ disciples performed great miracles, as they healed the sick, raised the dead, and caused the crippled to walk, the blind to see, and the deaf to hear. And they performed all kinds of miracles among the people, and they didn’t do any miracles without doing them in Jesus’ name. 6So the 38th year ended, and the 39th as well, and the 41st and 42nd, up until 49 years had come to an end, and the 51st and 52nd, until 59 years also ended. 7The Lord blessed them with great prosperity in the land, so they built cities again where they had been burned. 8They rebuilt that great city of Zarahemla again. 9But there were many cities that had been sunk and water came up in their place, therefore these cities couldn’t be restored. 10The Nephites grew strong and very quickly increased in numbers and became a very beautiful and delightful people. 11They were married and given in marriage, and were blessed according to the many promises the Lord had made to them. 12They didn’t perform the rites and ordinances of the Law of Moses anymore, but they obeyed the commandments they received from their Lord and God, continuing in fasting and prayer and in meeting together often, both to pray and hear the Lord’s word. 13There were no conflicts among the people in the whole land, but there were mighty miracles happening among Jesus’ disciples.
- 14The 71st year came to an end, and the 72nd year as well, and in short, up to the 79th year passed by; indeed, 100 years came and went. And the disciples of Jesus, whom He had chosen, had all gone to God’s paradise, except for the three who were to remain. Other disciples were ordained to replace them, and many of that generation also died. 15There were no conflicts in the land because of God’s love that filled the people’s hearts. 16There was no envying or disputes or disturbances or whoredoms or lying or murder or any kind of unrestrained, lustful conduct. There certainly couldn’t have been a happier people among all the people created by God. 17There were no robbers or murderers, neither were there Lamanites or any kind of ites, but they were united, Christ’s children, and heirs to God’s kingdom. 18How they were blessed! The Lord blessed them in everything they did, and they were blessed and given prosperity until 110 years had ended. And the first generation after Christ had died, and there were no conflicts in the whole land.
- 19And Nephi — the one who kept this last record, and he kept it on the plates of Nephi — died, and his son Amos kept it in his place. He also kept it on the plates of Nephi; 20and he kept it for 84 years. There was still peace in the land except for a small part of the people who had revolted from the congregation and taken upon themselves the name of Lamanites. So there were once again Lamanites in the land. 21And Amos died as well. And it was 194 years from Christ’s coming, and his son Amos kept the record in his place. He also kept it on the plates of Nephi; and it was also recorded in Nephi’s book, meaning this book. 22And 200 years ended, and the second generation had all died except for a few.
- 23Now I Mormon want you to know the number of people increased to such an extent that they had spread throughout the land, and they had become very wealthy because Christ blessed them with prosperity. 24In the 201st year, some began to be lifted up in pride, such as wearing expensive clothing and all kinds of fine pearls and wealthy possessions. 25From then on, they no longer shared their goods and material possessions equally. 26They began to be divided into classes. They began to build up churches to themselves to make money, and they began to deny Christ’s true congregation.
- 27When 210 years had ended, there were many churches in the land. There were churches that claimed to know Christ, yet denied most of His gospel, so that they accepted all kinds of wickedness and administered sacred things to those to whom it had been forbidden, because of unworthiness. 28This church grew tremendously in size because of iniquity and the power of Satan, who had seized control of their hearts. 29There was another church that denied Christ. They persecuted those who belonged to Christ’s true congregation because of their humility and belief in Christ. They despised them because of the many miracles that happened among them. 30So they exerted power and control over Jesus’ disciples who remained with them. They threw them in prison; but by the power of God’s word that was in them, the prisons were split apart; and they went out performing mighty miracles. 31Nevertheless — and despite all these miracles — the people hardened their hearts and tried to kill them, just as the Jews at Jerusalem decided to kill Jesus, according to His testimony. 32They threw them in blazing furnaces, yet they emerged unharmed. 33They also threw them in the dens of wild animals, but they played with the wild animals just like a child with a lamb; and they emerged unharmed. 34The people, however, hardened their hearts, because many priests and false prophets led them to build up many churches and do all kinds of iniquity. They would hit the people of Jesus, but the people of Jesus wouldn’t hit back. And so they dwindled away into unbelief and wickedness from year to year, until 230 years came to an end.
- 35Now in the 231st year there was a great separation among the people. 36In this year some people began calling themselves Nephites, and they were true believers in Christ. Among them were others the Lamanites called Jacobites, Josephites, and Zoramites. 37Therefore the true believers in Christ and the true worshipers of Christ, which included the three disciples of Jesus who were divinely appointed to remain on earth, were called Nephites, Jacobites, Josephites, and Zoramites. 38Those who rejected the gospel were called Lamanites, Lemuelites, and Ishmaelites. They didn’t slowly dwindle into unbelief, but they willfully rebelled against Christ’s gospel. They taught their children not to believe, just as their ancestors fell away at the beginning. 39It was because of their parents’ wickedness and abominations, just like it was at the beginning. They were taught to hate God’s children, just as the Lamanites were taught to hate Nephi’s children from the beginning. 40And 244 years had ended, and this was the state of affairs among the people. The more wicked part of the people grew in strength and outnumbered God’s people. 41They continued to build up churches for themselves and decorate them with a variety of precious things. So 250 years ended, and 260 years as well.
- 42Then the wicked part of the people again began to build up Gaddianton’s secret oaths and conspiracies. 43And the Nephites began to be prideful as well, because of their great wealth, and they became vain like their fellow Lamanites. 44Starting at this time, the disciples began to grieve for the world’s sins. 45When 300 years had ended, both the Nephites and Lamanites had become very wicked, the one like the other. 46And Gaddianton’s robbers spread throughout the land. No one was righteous, except for Jesus’ disciples. The people accumulated gold and silver in abundance and traded all kinds of goods.
- 47After 305 years had ended — and the people persisted in doing evil — Amos died, and his brother Ammaron kept the record in his place. 48When 320 years came to an end, Ammaron, compelled by the Holy Ghost, hid all the sacred records that had been handed down from generation to generation until the 320th year from Christ’s coming. 49He concealed them with the Lord’s protection so that they could be returned to the remnant of Jacob’s family, according to the Lord’s prophecies and promises. This is the end of Ammaron’s record.
The Fourth Book of Nephi
WHO WAS THE SON OF NEPHI,
ONE OF CHRIST’S DISCIPLES
[FOURTH NEPHI]
An account of the Nephites according to his record.