3 Nephi 1:1
Now it came to pa** that the ninety and first year had pa**ed
away and it was six hundred years from the time that Lehi left
Jerusalem; and it was in the year that Lachoneus was the chief
judge and the governor over the land.
3 Nephi 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 bra**, 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.
3 Nephi 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.
3 Nephi 1:4
And it came to pa** 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.
3 Nephi 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.
3 Nephi 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.
3 Nephi 1:7
And it came to pa** 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 pa**.
3 Nephi 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.
3 Nephi 1:9
Now it came to pa** that there was a day set apart by the
unbelievers, that all those who believed in those traditions
should be put to d**h except the sign should come to pa**, which
had been given by Samuel the prophet.
3 Nephi 1:10
Now it came to pa** that when Nephi, the son of Nephi, saw
this wickedness of his people, his heart was exceedingly
sorrowful.
3 Nephi 1:11
And it came to pa** 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.
3 Nephi 1:12
And it came to pa** that he cried mightily unto the Lord, all
that day; and behold, the voice of the Lord came unto him,
saying:
3 Nephi 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
fulfill all that which I have caused to be spoken by the mouth of
my holy prophets.
3 Nephi 1:14
Behold, I come unto my own, to fulfill 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.
3 Nephi 1:15
And it came to pa** 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.
3 Nephi 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.
3 Nephi 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.
3 Nephi 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.
3 Nephi 1:19
And it came to pa** that there was no darkness in all that
night, but it was as light as though it was mid-day. And it came
to pa** 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.
3 Nephi 1:20
And it had come to pa**, yea, all things, every whit,
according to the words of the prophets.
3 Nephi 1:21
And it came to pa** also that a new star did appear,
according to the word.
3 Nephi 1:22
And it came to pa** 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.
3 Nephi 1:23
And it came to pa** 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.
3 Nephi 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.
3 Nephi 1:25
But it came to pa** 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, that one jot or tittle should not pa**
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.
3 Nephi 1:26
And thus the ninety and second year did pa** away, bringing
glad tidings unto the people because of the signs which did come
to pa**, according to the words of the prophecy of all the holy
prophets.
3 Nephi 1:27
And it came to pa** that the ninety and third year did also
pa** 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.
3 Nephi 1:28
And it came to pa** that in the ninety and fourth year they
began to increase in 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.
3 Nephi 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.
3 Nephi 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.