| 1:1 And it came to pass that the thirty and fourth
year passed away, and also the thirty and fifth, and
behold the disciples of Jesus had formed a church of
Christ in all the lands round about. And as many as did
come unto them, and did truly 1repent of their sins, were baptized in the name
of Jesus; and they did also receive the Holy Ghost. |
[1] Acts 2:38: ...Repent, and be baptized every
one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission
of sins, and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost.
|
| 1:2 And it came to pass in the thirty and sixth
year, the people were all converted unto the Lord, upon
all the face of the land, both Nephites and Lamanites,
and there were no contentions and disputations among
them, and every man did deal justly one with another. |
|
| 1:3 And they 1had all things common among them; therefore
there were not rich and poor, 2bond and free, but they were all made free, and 3partakers
of the heavenly gift. |
[1] Acts 2:44: ...and had all things common...
[2] Galatians 3:28:
...there is neither bond nor free...
[3] Hebrews 6:4: ...and have tasted of the
heavenly gift, and were made partakers of the Holy
Ghost... |
| 1:4 And it came to pass that the thirty and seventh
year passed away also, and there still continued to be
peace in the land. |
|
| 1:5 And there were great and marvelous works
wrought by the disciples of Jesus, insomuch that they did
heal the sick, and raise the dead, and cause the lame to
walk, and the blind to receive their sight, and the deaf
to hear; and all manner of miracles did they work among
the children of men; and in nothing did they work
miracles save it were in the name of Jesus. |
|
| 1:6 And thus did the thirty and eighth year pass
away, and also the thirty and ninth, and forty and first,
and the forty and second, yea, even until forty and nine
years had passed away, and also the fifty and first, and
the fifty and second; yea, and even until fifty and nine
years had passed away. |
|
| 1:7 And the Lord did prosper them exceedingly in
the land; yea, insomuch that they did build cities again
where there had been cities burned. |
|
| 1:8 Yea, even that great city Zarahemla did they
cause to be built again. |
|
| 1:9 But there were many cities which had been sunk,
and waters came up in the stead thereof; therefore these
cities could not be renewed. |
|
| 1:10 And now, behold, it came to pass that the
people of Nephi did wax strong, and did multiply
exceedingly fast, and became an exceedingly fair and
delightsome people. |
|
| 1:11 And they were married, and given in marriage,
and were blessed according to the multitude of the
promises which the Lord had made unto them. |
|
| 1:12 And they did not walk any more after the
performances and ordinances of the law of Moses; but they
did walk after the commandments which they had received
from their Lord and their God, continuing in fasting and
prayer, and in meeting together oft both to pray and to
hear the word of the Lord. |
|
| 1:13 And it came to pass that there was no
contention among all the people, in all the land; but
there were mighty miracles wrought among the disciples of
Jesus. |
|
| 1:14 And it came to pass that the seventy and first
year passed away, and also the seventy and second year,
yea, and in fine, till the seventy and ninth year had
passed away; yea, even an hundred years had passed away,
and the disciples of Jesus, whom he had chosen, had all
gone to the paradise of God, save it were the three who
should tarry; and there were other disciples ordained in
their stead; and also many of that generation had passed
away. |
|
| 1:15 And it came to pass that there was no
contention in the land, because of the love of God which
did dwell in the hearts of the people. |
|
| 1:16 And there were no envyings, nor strifes, nor
tumults, nor whoredoms, nor lyings, nor murders, nor any
manner of lasciviousness; and surely there could not be a
happier people among all the people who had been created
by the hand of God. |
|
| 1:17 There were no robbers, nor murderers, neither
were there Lamanites, nor any manner of -ites; but they
were in one, the children of Christ, and heirs to the
kingdom of God. |
|
| 1:18 And how blessed were they! For the Lord did
bless them in all their doings; yea, even they were
blessed and prospered until an hundred and ten years had
passed away; and the first generation from Christ had
passed away, and there was no contention in all the land.
|
|
| 1:19 And it came to pass that Nephi, he that kept
this last record, (and he kept it upon the plates of
Nephi) died, and his son Amos kept it in his stead; and
he kept it upon the plates of Nephi also. |
|
| 1:20 And he kept it eighty and four years, and there
was still peace in the land, save it were a small part of
the people who had revolted from the church and taken
upon them the name of Lamanites; therefore there began to
be Lamanites again in the land. |
|
| 1:21 And it came to pass that Amos died also, (and
it was an hundred and ninety and four years from the
coming of Christ) and his son Amos kept the record in his
stead; and he also kept it upon the plates of Nephi; and
it was also written in the book of Nephi, which is this
book. |
|
| 1:22 And it came to pass that two hundred years had
passed away; and the second generation had all passed
away save it were a few. |
|
| 1:23 And now I, Mormon, would that ye should know
that the people had multiplied, insomuch that they were
spread upon all the face of the land, and that they had
become exceedingly rich, because of their prosperity in
Christ. |
|
| 1:24 And now, in this two hundred and first year
there began to be among them those who were lifted up in
pride, such as the wearing of costly apparel, and all
manner of fine pearls, and of the fine things of the
world. |
|
| 1:25 And from that time forth they did have their
goods and their substance no more common among them. |
|
| 1:26 And they began to be divided into classes; and
they began to build up churches unto themselves to get
gain, and began to deny the true church of Christ. |
|
| 1:27 And it came to pass that when two hundred and
ten years had passed away there were many churches in the
land; yea, there were many churches which professed to
know the Christ, and yet they did deny the more parts of
his gospel, insomuch that they did receive all manner of
wickedness, and did administer that which was sacred unto
him to whom it had been forbidden because of
unworthiness. |
|
| 1:28 And this church did multiply exceedingly
because of iniquity, and because of the power of Satan
who did get hold upon their hearts. |
|
| 1:29 And again, there was another church which
denied the Christ; and they did persecute the true church
of Christ, because of their humility and their belief in
Christ; and they did despise them because of the many
miracles which were wrought among them. |
|
| 1:30 Therefore they did exercise power and authority
over the disciples of Jesus who did tarry with them, and
they did cast them into prison; but by the power of the
word of God, which was in them, the prisons were 1rent in twain, and they went forth doing mighty
miracles among them. |
[1] Matthew 27:51:
...the veil of the temple was rent in twain... |
| 1:31 Nevertheless, and notwithstanding all these
miracles, the people did harden their hearts, and did
seek to kill them, even as the Jews at Jerusalem sought
to kill Jesus, according to his word. |
|
| 1:32 And they did cast them into furnaces of fire,
and they came forth receiving no harm. |
|
| 1:33 And they also cast them into dens of wild
beasts, and they did play with the wild beasts even as a
child with a lamb; and they did come forth from among
them, receiving no harm. |
|
| 1:34 Nevertheless, the people did harden their
hearts, for they were led by many priests and false
prophets to build up many churches, and to do all manner
of iniquity. And they did smite upon the people of Jesus;
but the people of Jesus did not smite again. And thus
they did dwindle in unbelief and wickedness, from year to
year, even until two hundred and thirty years had passed
away. |
|
| 1:35 And now it came to pass in this year, yea, in
the two hundred and thirty and first year, there was a
great division among the people. |
|
| 1:36 And it came to pass that in this year there
arose a people who were called the Nephites, and they
were true believers in Christ; and among them there were
those who were called by the Lamanites--Jacobites, and
Josephites, and Zoramites; |
|
| 1:37 Therefore the true believers in Christ, and the
true worshipers of Christ, (among whom were the three
disciples of Jesus who should tarry) were called
Nephites, and Jacobites, and Josephites, and Zoramites. |
|
| 1:38 And it came to pass that they who rejected the
gospel were called Lamanites, and Lemuelites, and
Ishmaelites; and they did not dwindle in unbelief, but
they did wilfully rebel against the gospel of Christ; and
they did teach their children that they should not
believe, even as their fathers, from the beginning, did
dwindle. |
|
| 1:39 And it was because of the wickedness and
abomination of their fathers, even as it was in the
beginning. And they were taught to hate the children of
God, even as the Lamanites were taught to hate the
children of Nephi from the beginning. |
|
| 1:40 And it came to pass that two hundred and forty
and four years had passed away, and thus were the affairs
of the people. And the more wicked part of the people did
wax strong, and became exceedingly more numerous than
were the people of God. |
|
| 1:41 And they did still continue to build up
churches unto themselves, and adorn them with all manner
of precious things. And thus did two hundred and fifty
years pass away, and also two hundred and sixty years. |
|
| 1:42 And it came to pass that the wicked part of the
people began again to build up the secret oaths and
combinations of Gadianton. |
|
| 1:43 And also the people who were called the people
of Nephi began to be proud in their hearts, because of
their exceeding riches, and become vain like unto their
brethren, the Lamanites. |
|
| 1:44 And from this time the disciples began to
sorrow for the sins of the world. |
|
| 1:45 And it came to pass that when three hundred
years had passed away, both the people of Nephi and the
Lamanites had become exceedingly wicked one like unto
another. |
|
| 1:46 And it came to pass that the robbers of
Gadianton did spread over all the face of the land; and
there were none that were righteous save it were the
disciples of Jesus. And gold and silver did they lay up
in store in abundance, and did traffic in all manner of
traffic. |
|
| 1:47 And it came to pass that after three hundred
and five years had passed away, (and the people did still
remain in wickedness) Amos died; and his brother,
Ammaron, did keep the record in his stead. |
|
| 1:48 And it came to pass that when three hundred and
twenty years had passed away, Ammaron, being constrained
by the Holy Ghost, did hide up the records which were
sacred--yea, even all the sacred records which had been
handed down from generation to generation, which were
sacred--even until the three hundred and twentieth year
from the coming of Christ. |
|
| 1:49 And he did hide them up unto the Lord, that
they might come again unto the remnant of the house of
Jacob, according to the prophecies and the promises of
the Lord. And thus is the end of the record of Ammaron. |
|
