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Book of Mormon Commentary
3 Nephi Chapter 4
darkness. Finally one morning the great sun arose again and the people were so overjoyed that they built a great
temple to the sun. (See comments on 1 N. 5:245.)
3 Ne 4:23 And in one place they were heard to cry, saying, O that we had repented before this great and
terrible day, and then would our brethren have been spared, and they would not have been burned in that
great city Zarahemla.
During the darkness "there was great mourning, and howling, and weeping among all the people
continually" (21). They wept for those "burned in that great city Zarahemla" and those "buried up
in that great city Moronihah" (23-25).
A VOICE FROM ON HIGH Is HEARD, VER. 26-43
3 Ne 4:26 And it came to pass that there was a voice heard among all the inhabitants of the earth upon
all the face of this land, crying, Wo, wo, wo unto this people; wo unto the inhabitants of the whole earth,
except they shall repent,
This voice came from on high and spoke in the first person but withheld identification for a time.
“That great city Moroni have I caused to be sunk in the depths of the sea, and the inhabitants
thereof to be drowned" (29). “The city of Gilgal have I caused to be sunk” (31), also the cities of
Onihah, Mocum, Jerusalem, Gadiandi, Gadiomnah, Jacob, Gimgimno (32- 34). In addition to the
city of Zarahemla, the following cities have I caused to be burned with fire" because of the sins,
wickedness, secret murders and combinations: Jacobugath, Laman, Josh, Gad, and Kishkumen
(36-38).
Professor J. N. Washburn calls attention to the number of proper names used in the Book of
Mormon. What makes it the more remarkable, the translation of the book of 350,000 words took
between 75 and 90 days. He said:
Now, it might be possible for a man to sit and call off 250 or 300 unheard-of names-intriguing, strange, beautiful
names- if he did not have anything further to do with them. Any of us could do it. But with each repetition of anyone
of those names the possibility of error appears, and the danger grows geometrically with each reappearance of the
name--if one is fabricating.
3 Ne 4:41 O all ye that are spared, because ye were more righteous than they, will ye not now return
unto me, and repent of your sins, and be converted, that I may heal you?
With this invitation was the promise of eternal life (42). "Whosoever will come, him will I
receive; and blessed are those who come unto me." This was the same spirit which caused Jesus to
weep over Jerusalem in Palestine, which was destroyed in A.D. 70 (Luke 13:34-36).
I AM JESUS CHRIST; IN ME Is THE LAWOF MOSES FULFILLED, VER. 44- 75
3 Ne 4:48 I am the light and the life of the world. I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the end.
Thus the voice identifies itself: "1 am Jesus Christ, the Son of God. ...I was with the Father from
the beginning" (44, 45; Mos. 8:82). "By me redemption cometh, and in me is the law of Moses