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Book of Mormon Commentary
4 Nephi Chapter 1
passed away; ...and there was no contention in the land" (21). Right living brings happiness, a
blessing which riches do not guarantee.
DIVISIONS AND CLASSES ARISE, VER. 22-4.5
4 Ne 1:22 And it came to pass that Nephi, he that kept the 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;
Amos kept the record for eighty-four years. At his death in A.D. 194, a small group "had revolted
from the church, and took upon them the name of Lamanites" (23).
Amos' son, also named Amos, kept the record on the plates of Nephi instead of his father (24).
Two hundred years had passed away, and the second generation since the birth of Christ had
passed away, "save it were a few" (25). Mormon wrote that the people "were spread upon all the
face of the land, and that they had become exceeding rich, because of their prosperity in Christ"
(26).
As usually follows, this people "were lifted up in pride," which was evidenced by "the wearing of
costly apparel and. .. fine pearls." And from this time forth their goods and substance were held
"no more common among them, 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" (27, 28).
In A.D. 210 there were many churches in the land. They professed to know Christ, but they denied
much of his gospel, and "did administer that which was sacred unto him to whom it was forbidden,
because of unworthiness" (29). This doubtless re- fers to the Communion. (See comment on III N.
8:60.)
4 Ne 1:31 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;
They put the three disciples who tarried into prison, but they had such divine power that "the
prisons were rent in twain," and they went out and continued ministering to the people. Then,
seeing that their prisons would not hold the three disciples, they tried to kill these Nephites (34).
And they were cast "into furnaces of fire" and "into dens of wild beasts," but no harm came to
them from these efforts (35).
"They did smite upon the people of Jesus; but the people of Jesus did not smite again" (37). In
A.D. 231 "there was a great division among the people. ...They who rejected the gospel, were
called Lamanites, and Lemuelites, and Ishmaelites." The true worshipers were called Nephites,
Jacobites, Josephites, and Zoramites ( 39, 42, 41). The anti-Christ group taught their children to
hate the children 0£ God (43-45).
GADIANTONS SPREAD OVER ALL THE LAND, VER; 46-59
4 Ne 1:47 And the more wicked part of the people did wax strong, and became exceeding more
numerous than were the people of God.