Third Nephi — Chapter 5
1 Now every living Nephite knew without a doubt that all the words the prophets had said would come true.
2 They also knew that Christ would come, because of the many signs which had been given as the prophets had said. The people knew that everything the prophets had said would come true because of the many things which had already come true.
3 So they stopped being wicked, and stopped committing sexual sins, and served God faithfully day and night.
4 When they had taken prisoner all the robbers who had not been killed, they put them in jail and taught them the gospel. All the robbers who repented of their sins and promised they would not kill anymore were set free.
5 But those who would not make this promise, and who still wanted in their hearts to kill others, and who said they would kill others, were judged and punished by law.
6 This was how the Nephites stopped those evil, secret, and awful combinations which had caused so much wickedness and killing.
7 This was how the twenty-second, twenty-third, twenty-fourth, and twenty-fifth years went by.
8 Many things happened which some people thought were great and wonderful, but they cannot all be written in this book. This book cannot hold even a very small part of what happened among this people during twenty-five years’ time.
9 But there are records which tell everything that happened to this people. Nephi wrote a short but true history, too.
10 This is why I have based what I have written on Nephi’s record, which was written on what were called the plates of Nephi.
11 I am writing this record on metal plates I made myself.
12 My name is Mormon. I was named after the land of Mormon, where Alma began the first church among the people after they had sinned.
13 I am a disciple of Jesus Christ. He has called me to teach the gospel to his people so they might have everlasting life.
14 God has told me to make this record to answer the prayers of the holy people who have lived before.
15 This is a short history of the things which have happened up to now since Lehi left Jerusalem.
16 I am basing my history on the records the people before me have written (up to my time).
17 Then I will write about the things I have seen with my own eyes.
18 I know that what I am writing is true, but there are many things we cannot write because of our language.
19 Now I will stop writing these things about myself and will keep on writing about the things which happened before my time.
20 I am Mormon, one of Lehi’s pure descendants. I bless my God and my Savior, Jesus Christ, for bringing our ancestors out of Jerusalem (and no one knew about it except God and those he brought out of Jerusalem), and for giving me and my people the things we need to know to be saved.
21 He has blessed the House of Jacob and has had mercy on the House of Joseph.
22 Whenever Lehi’s descendants have kept God’s commandments, he has blessed them as he said he would.
23 Yes, he will truly bring the gospel to the House of Joseph again.
24 And he will gather together all the House of Jacob scattered all over the earth.
25 He will keep his promise to the House of Jacob to bring the knowledge of his promises to them when the time is right.
26 Then they will know that Jesus Christ is the Son of God and their Savior. Then they will be gathered together from all over the earth and brought back to their own lands. As God lives, this will happen. Amen.
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