| 1:1 Now it came to pass that the ninety and first
year had passed away and it was six hundred years from
the time that Lehi left Jerusalem; and it was in the year
that 1Lachoneus was the chief judge and the governor
over the land. |
Topic: Anachronistic Words [1]
'Lachoneus' appears to be Greek, a language that the
Nephites were probably not familiar with. 
|
| 1:2 And Nephi, the son of Helaman, had departed out
of the land of Zarahemla, giving charge unto his son
Nephi, who was his eldest son, concerning the plates of
brass, and all the records which had been kept, and all
those things which had been kept sacred from the
departure of Lehi out of Jerusalem. |
|
| 1:3 Then he departed out of the land, and whither
he went, no man knoweth; and his son Nephi did keep the
records in his stead, yea, the record of this people. |
|
| 1:4 And it came to pass that in the commencement of
the ninety and second year, behold, the prophecies of the
prophets began to be fulfilled more fully; for there
began to be greater signs and greater miracles wrought
among the people. |
|
| 1:5 But there were some who began to say that the
time was past for the words to be fulfilled, which were
spoken by Samuel, the Lamanite. |
|
| 1:6 And they began to rejoice over their brethren,
saying: Behold the time is past, and the words of Samuel
are not fulfilled; therefore, your joy and your faith
concerning this thing hath been vain. |
|
| 1:7 And it came to pass that they did make a great
uproar throughout the land; and the people who believed
began to be very sorrowful, lest by any means those
things which had been spoken might not come to pass. |
|
| 1:8 But behold, they did watch steadfastly for that
day and that night and that day which should be as one
day as if there were no night, that they might know that
their faith had not been vain. |
|
| 1:9 Now it came to pass that there was a day set
apart by the unbelievers, that all those who believed in
those traditions should be put to death except the sign
should come to pass, which had been given by Samuel the
prophet. |
|
| 1:10 Now it came to pass that when Nephi, the son of
Nephi, saw this wickedness of his people, his heart was
exceedingly sorrowful. |
|
| 1:11 And it came to pass that he went out and bowed
himself down upon the earth, and cried mightily to his
God in behalf of his people, yea, those who were about to
be destroyed because of their faith in the tradition of
their fathers. |
|
| 1:12 And it came to pass that he cried mightily unto
the Lord all that day; and behold, the voice of the Lord
came unto him, saying: |
|
| 1:13 Lift up your head and be of good cheer; for
behold, the time is at hand, and on this night shall the
sign be given, and on the morrow come I into the world,
to show unto the world that I will fulfil all that which
I have caused to be spoken by the mouth of my holy
prophets. |
|
| 1:14 Behold, I come unto my own, to fulfil all
things which I have made known unto the children of men
from the foundation of the world, and to do the will,
both of the Father and of the Son--of the Father because
of me, and of the Son because of my flesh. And behold,
the time is at hand, and this night shall the sign be
given. |
|
| 1:15 And it came to pass that the words which came
unto Nephi were fulfilled, according as they had been
spoken; for behold, at the going down of the sun there
was no darkness; and the people began to be astonished
because there was no darkness when the night came. |
|
| 1:16 And there were many, who had not believed the
words of the prophets, who fell to the earth and became
as if they were dead, for they knew that the great plan
of destruction which they had laid for those who believed
in the words of the prophets had been frustrated; for the
sign which had been given was already at hand. |
|
| 1:17 And they began to know that the Son of God must
shortly appear; yea, in fine, all the people upon the
face of the whole earth from the west to the east, both
in the land north and in the land south, were so
exceedingly astonished that they fell to the earth. |
|
| 1:18 For they knew that the prophets had testified
of these things for many years, and that the sign which
had been given was already at hand; and they began to
fear because of their iniquity and their unbelief. |
|
| 1:19 And it came to pass that there was no darkness
in all that night, but it was as light as though it was
mid-day. And it came to pass that the sun did rise in the
morning again, according to its proper order; and they
knew that it was the day that the Lord should be born,
because of the sign which had been given. |
|
| 1:20 And it had come to pass, yea, all things, every
whit, according to the words of the prophets. |
|
| 1:21 And it came to pass also that a new star did
appear, according to the word. |
|
| 1:22 And it came to pass that from this time forth
there began to be lyings sent forth among the people, by Satan, to harden their hearts, to the intent that
they might not believe in those signs and wonders which
they had seen; but notwithstanding these lyings and
deceivings the more part of the people did believe, and
were converted unto the Lord. |
|
| 1:23 And it came to pass that Nephi went forth among
the people, and also many others, baptizing unto
repentance, in the which there was a great remission of
sins. And thus the people began again to have peace in
the land. |
|
| 1:24 And there were no contentions, save it were a
few that began to preach, endeavoring to prove by the
scriptures that it was no more expedient to observe the law of Moses. Now in this thing they did err, having not
understood the scriptures. |
|
| 1:25 But it came to pass that they soon became
converted, and were convinced of the error which they
were in, for it was made known unto them that the law was
not yet fulfilled, and that it must be fulfilled in every
whit; yea, the word came unto them that it must be
fulfilled; yea, 1that one jot or tittle should not pass away till
it should all be fulfilled; therefore in this same year
were they brought to a knowledge of their error and did
confess their faults. |
[1] Matthew 5:18: ...one jot or one tittle shall
in no wise pass from the law, till all be fulfilled. |
| 1:26 And thus the ninety and second year did pass
away, bringing glad tidings unto the people because of
the signs which did come to pass, according to the words
of the prophecy of all the holy prophets. |
|
| 1:27 And it came to pass that the ninety and third
year did also pass away in peace, save it were for the
Gadianton robbers, who dwelt upon the mountains, who did
infest the land; for so strong were their holds and their
secret places that the people could not overpower them;
therefore they did commit many murders, and did do much
slaughter among the people. |
|
| 1:28 And it came to pass that in the ninety and
fourth year they began to increase in a great degree,
because there were many dissenters of the Nephites who
did flee unto them, which did cause much sorrow unto
those Nephites who did remain in the land. |
|
| 1:29 And there was also a cause of much sorrow among
the Lamanites; for behold, they had many children who did
grow up and began to wax strong in years, that they
became for themselves, and were led away by some who were
Zoramites, by their lyings and their flattering words, to
join those Gadianton robbers. |
|
| 1:30 And thus were the Lamanites afflicted also, and
began to decrease as to their faith and righteousness,
because of the wickedness of the rising generation. |
|
