3 Nephi
30 verses
The Nephite people all returned to their own lands in the twenty-sixth year, each person with his family, his flocks and herds, his horses and cattle, and everything that belonged to them.
And now it came to pass that the people of the Nephites did all return to their own lands in the twenty and sixth year, every man, with his family, his flocks and his herds, his horses and his cattle, and all things whatsoever did belong unto them.
They had not used up all their provisions, so they took with them everything they hadn’t consumed—all their grain of every kind, their gold, their silver, and all their precious things—and returned to their own lands and possessions, both in the north and in the south, in the land northward and the land southward.
And it came to pass that they had not eaten up all their provisions; therefore they did take with them all that they had not devoured, of all their grain of every kind, and their gold, and their silver, and all their precious things, and they did return to their own lands and their possessions, both on the north and on the south, both on the land northward and on the land southward.
They gave land to those robbers who had promised to keep the peace and wanted to stay Lamanites, giving them enough according to their numbers so they could support themselves by their own work. In this way, they established peace throughout the land.
And they granted unto those robbers who had entered into a covenant to keep the peace of the land, who were desirous to remain Lamanites, lands, according to their numbers, that they might have, with their labors, wherewith to subsist upon; and thus they did establish peace in all the land.
They began to prosper and grow strong again. The twenty-sixth and twenty-seventh years passed, and there was great order in the land. They had established their laws based on fairness and justice.
And they began again to prosper and to wax great; and the twenty and sixth and seventh years passed away, and there was great order in the land; and they had formed their laws according to equity and justice.
There was nothing anywhere in the land to stop the people from continually prospering, unless they fell into sin.
And now there was nothing in all the land to hinder the people from prospering continually, except they should fall into transgression.
Gidgiddoni, the judge Lachoneus, and the appointed leaders established this great peace in the land.
And now it was Gidgiddoni, and the judge, Lachoneus, and those who had been appointed leaders, who had established this great peace in the land.
Many new cities were built, and many old cities were repaired.
And it came to pass that there were many cities built anew, and there were many old cities repaired.
Many highways were built, and many roads were made, connecting city to city, land to land, and place to place.
And there were many highways cast up, and many roads made, which led from city to city, and from land to land, and from place to place.
The twenty-eighth year ended, and the people had continual peace.
And thus passed away the twenty and eighth year, and the people had continual peace.
In the twenty-ninth year, some disagreements began among the people, and some became proud and boastful because of their extremely great riches, even leading to severe persecutions.
But it came to pass in the twenty and ninth year there began to be some disputings among the people; and some were lifted up unto pride and boastings because of their exceedingly great riches, yea, even unto great persecutions;
There were many merchants in the land, as well as many lawyers and many officers.
For there were many merchants in the land, and also many lawyers, and many officers.
The people started to separate into classes based on their wealth and their opportunities for education. Some were uneducated because they were poor, while others received a great education because they were rich.
And the people began to be distinguished by ranks, according to their riches and their chances for learning, yea, some were ignorant because of their poverty, and others did receive great learning because of their riches.
Some became prideful, while others were extremely humble. Some responded to insults with more insults, while others endured insults, persecution, and all kinds of afflictions without retaliating, but remained humble and repentant before God.
Some were lifted up in pride, and others were exceedingly humble; some did return railing for railing, while others would receive railing and persecution and all manner of afflictions, and would not turn and revile again, but were humble and penitent before God.
This created a great inequality throughout the land, so much that the church began to break apart. In the thirtieth year, the church was broken up everywhere except among a few of the Lamanites who had converted to the true faith. They refused to leave it, remaining firm, steadfast, and immovable, and were willing with all diligence to keep the commandments of the Lord.
And thus there became a great inequality in all the land, insomuch that the church began to be broken up; yea, insomuch that in the thirtieth year the church was broken up in all the land save it were among a few of the Lamanites who were converted unto the true faith; and they would not depart from it, for they were firm, and steadfast, and immovable, willing with all diligence to keep the commandments of the Lord.
The reason for the people's wickedness was that Satan had great power, stirring them up to do all kinds of evil and filling them with pride, tempting them to seek power, authority, riches, and the vain things of the world.
Now the cause of this iniquity of the people was this—Satan had great power, unto the stirring up of the people to do all manner of iniquity, and to the puffing them up with pride, tempting them to seek for power, and authority, and riches, and the vain things of the world.
In this way, Satan led the hearts of the people to commit all kinds of wickedness, so they had only enjoyed peace for a few years.
And thus Satan did lead away the hearts of the people to do all manner of iniquity; therefore they had enjoyed peace but a few years.
At the beginning of the thirtieth year, the people had been under the influence of the devil for a long time, led by his temptations wherever he wanted and doing whatever evil he wanted them to do. At the start of this thirtieth year, they were in a state of terrible wickedness.
And thus, in the commencement of the thirtieth year—the people having been delivered up for the space of a long time to be carried about by the temptations of the devil whithersoever he desired to carry them, and to do whatsoever iniquity he desired they should—and thus in the commencement of this, the thirtieth year, they were in a state of awful wickedness.
They did not sin out of ignorance, because they knew God’s will for them, since it had been taught to them. So they deliberately rebelled against God.
Now they did not sin ignorantly, for they knew the will of God concerning them, for it had been taught unto them; therefore they did wilfully rebel against God.
At that time, Lachoneus, the son of Lachoneus, was leading the people, because he took his father’s place and governed them that year.
And now it was in the days of Lachoneus, the son of Lachoneus, for Lachoneus did fill the seat of his father and did govern the people that year.
Men inspired by heaven were sent out and stood among the people throughout the land, preaching and boldly testifying about the sins and wrongdoings of the people. They testified to them about the redemption the Lord would bring to his people—that is, the resurrection of Christ—and they boldly testified of his death and sufferings.
And there began to be men inspired from heaven and sent forth, standing among the people in all the land, preaching and testifying boldly of the sins and iniquities of the people, and testifying unto them concerning the redemption which the Lord would make for his people, or in other words, the resurrection of Christ; and they did testify boldly of his death and sufferings.
Many of the people were extremely angry at those who testified of these things, and those who were angry were mainly the chief judges, former high priests, and lawyers. In fact, all the lawyers were angry with those who testified of these things.
Now there were many of the people who were exceedingly angry because of those who testified of these things; and those who were angry were chiefly the chief judges, and they who had been high priests and lawyers; yea, all those who were lawyers were angry with those who testified of these things.
No lawyer, judge, or high priest had the authority to sentence anyone to death unless the governor of the land signed the condemnation.
Now there was no lawyer nor judge nor high priest that could have power to condemn any one to death save their condemnation was signed by the governor of the land.
Many people testified boldly about things concerning Christ, and the judges secretly put them to death, so that the governor of the land didn’t learn about their deaths until after they had already been killed.
Now there were many of those who testified of the things pertaining to Christ who testified boldly, who were taken and put to death secretly by the judges, that the knowledge of their death came not unto the governor of the land until after their death.
This was against the laws of the land, because no one could be put to death unless they had authority from the governor.
Now behold, this was contrary to the laws of the land, that any man should be put to death except they had power from the governor of the land—
A complaint was brought to the governor of the land in Zarahemla against the judges who had sentenced the prophets of the Lord to death, not according to the law.
Therefore a complaint came up unto the land of Zarahemla, to the governor of the land, against these judges who had condemned the prophets of the Lord unto death, not according to the law.
They were taken and brought before the judge to be judged for the crime they had committed, according to the law given by the people.
Now it came to pass that they were taken and brought up before the judge to be judged of the crime which they had done, according to the law which had been given by the people.
Those judges had many friends and relatives, and nearly all the lawyers and high priests gathered together and united with the families of the judges who were to be tried according to the law.
Now it came to pass that those judges had many friends and kindreds; and the remainder, yea, even almost all the lawyers and the high priests, did gather themselves together, and unite with the kindreds of those judges who were to be tried according to the law.
They entered into a covenant with each other, the same covenant that was made by people in the past, which was given and carried out by the devil, to unite against all righteousness.
And they did enter into a covenant one with another, yea, even into that covenant which was given by them of old, which covenant was given and administered by the devil, to combine against all righteousness.
So they joined together against the people of the Lord, making a covenant to destroy them and to rescue those guilty of murder from justice, which was about to be carried out according to the law.
Therefore they did combine against the people of the Lord, and enter into a covenant to destroy them, and to deliver those who were guilty of murder from the grasp of justice, which was about to be administered according to the law.
They openly defied the law and the rights of their country, and they made a pact with each other to kill the governor and set up a king over the land, so that the land would no longer be free but would be ruled by kings.
And they did set at defiance the law and the rights of their country; and they did covenant one with another to destroy the governor, and to establish a king over the land, that the land should no more be at liberty but should be subject unto kings.