The Book of Nephi: The Son of Nephi, Who Was the Son of Helaman is
religious text
Religious texts, including scripture, are texts which various religions consider to be of central importance to their religious tradition. They differ from literature by being a compilation or discussion of beliefs, mythologies, ritual prac ...
of the
Latter Day Saint movement
The Latter Day Saint movement (also called the LDS movement, LDS restorationist movement, or Smith–Rigdon movement) is the collection of independent church groups that trace their origins to a Christian Restorationist movement founded by Jo ...
. The book is usually referred to as Third Nephi or 3 Nephi, and is one of fifteen books that make up the
Book of Mormon
The Book of Mormon is a religious text of the Latter Day Saint movement, which, according to Latter Day Saint theology, contains writings of ancient prophets who lived on the American continent from 600 BC to AD 421 and during an interlude date ...
. This book was firstly called "III Nephi" in the 1879 edition and "Third Nephi" in the 1920 edition of the Book of Mormon. It contains an account of the visit of
Jesus Christ
Jesus, likely from he, יֵשׁוּעַ, translit=Yēšūaʿ, label=Hebrew/Aramaic ( AD 30 or 33), also referred to as Jesus Christ or Jesus of Nazareth (among other names and titles), was a first-century Jewish preacher and religious ...
to the inhabitants of ancient America. Jesus had told his disciples in Jerusalem according to the
Bible
The Bible (from Koine Greek , , 'the books') is a collection of religious texts or scriptures that are held to be sacred in Christianity, Judaism, Samaritanism, and many other religions. The Bible is an anthologya compilation of texts of a ...
in the
Gospel of John
The Gospel of John ( grc, Εὐαγγέλιον κατὰ Ἰωάννην, translit=Euangélion katà Iōánnēn) is the fourth of the four canonical gospels. It contains a highly schematic account of the ministry of Jesus, with seven "sig ...
, "And other sheep I have, which are not of this fold: them also I must bring, and they shall hear my voice; and there shall be one fold, and one shepherd." In this book, Christ declares to those in ancient America that they were these "other sheep" of whom he spoke. The account of this visit is recorded beginning in chapter 11 of 3 Nephi.
Narrative of Christ's Visit
![Destruction of Zarahemla](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/c/c1/Destruction_of_Zarahemla.PNG)
Before Christ visits these people there is a giant storm, a tremendous earthquake, and darkness. Cities burn, cities sink into the sea, mountains are brought down and valleys brought up. There is sharp lightning, wind, and thunderings and many people die. After the great storm comes darkness and the voices of mourning for the dead. The darkness lasts for approximately three days, during which a voice is "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 that they shall repent; for the devil laugheth, and his angels rejoice, because of the slain fair sons and daughters of my people; and it is because of their iniquities and abominations that they are fallen!" (3 Nephi 9:1-2) The voice then lists cities "and the inhabitants thereof" he had destroyed because of their wickedness:
Zarahemla
According to the beliefs of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, Zarahemla () refers to a large city in the ancient Americas which is described in the Book of Mormon. Archaeologists and historians have not been able to archaeological ...
(3 Nephi 9:3),
Moroni (9:4),
Moronihah (9:5),
Gilgal
Gilgal ( he, גִּלְגָּל ''Gilgāl''), also known as Galgala or Galgalatokai of the 12 Stones ( grc-gre, Γαλαγα or , ''Dōdekalithōn''), is the name of one or more places in the Hebrew Bible. Gilgal is mentioned 39 times, in particula ...
(9:6),
Onihah,
Mocum, and Jerusalem (the New World city founded by the
Lamanites
The Lamanites () are one of the four ancient peoples (along with the Jaredites, the Mulekites, and the Nephites) described as having settled in the ancient Americas in the Book of Mormon, a sacred text of the Latter Day Saint movement. The Lamani ...
,
Amelekites, and
Amulonites
According to the Book of Mormon, the people commonly referred to as the Amulonites () were composed of the priests of king Noah and the daughters of the Lamanites, whom the Amulonites took to wife by force. They are named after Amulon, their leade ...
,
[See ]Alma
Alma or ALMA may refer to:
Arts and entertainment
* ''Alma'' (film), a 2009 Spanish short animated film
* ''Alma'' (Oswald de Andrade novel), 1922
* ''Alma'' (Le Clézio novel), 2017
* ''Alma'' (play), a 1996 drama by Joshua Sobol about Alma ...
21:2 not
Jerusalem
Jerusalem (; he, יְרוּשָׁלַיִם ; ar, القُدس ) (combining the Biblical and common usage Arabic names); grc, Ἱερουσαλήμ/Ἰεροσόλυμα, Hierousalḗm/Hierosóluma; hy, Երուսաղեմ, Erusałēm. i ...
in
Judaea
Judea or Judaea ( or ; from he, יהודה, Standard ''Yəhūda'', Tiberian ''Yehūḏā''; el, Ἰουδαία, ; la, Iūdaea) is an ancient, historic, Biblical Hebrew, contemporaneous Latin, and the modern-day name of the mountainous south ...
) (9:7),
Gadiandi,
Gadiomnah,
Jacob
Jacob (; ; ar, يَعْقُوب, Yaʿqūb; gr, Ἰακώβ, Iakṓb), later given the name Israel, is regarded as a patriarch of the Israelites and is an important figure in Abrahamic religions, such as Judaism, Christianity, and Islam. J ...
, and
Gimgimno (9:8),
Jacobugath (9:9),
Laman
In the Book of Mormon, Laman and Lemuel () are the two eldest sons of Lehi and the older brothers of Sam, Nephi, Jacob, and Joseph. According to the text, they lived around 600 BC. They were notable for their rebellion against Lehi and Nephi, b ...
,
Josh
Josh is a masculine given name, frequently a diminutive (hypocorism) of the given names Joshua or Joseph, though since the 1970s, it has increasingly become a full name on its own. It may refer to:
People A–J
* "Josh", an early pseudonym of S ...
,
Gad, and
Kishkumen (9:10), since "there were none righteous among them" (9:11). He asks, "O all ye that are spared because you 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?" (9:13) "Yea, verily, I say unto you, if ye shall come unto me, ye shall have eternal life. Behold, my arm of mercy is extended towards you, and whosoever will come, him will I receive, and blessed are those that come unto me." (9:14) "Behold, I am Jesus Christ, the Son of God. I created the heavens and the earth, and all things that in them are. I was with the Father from the beginning. I am in the Father, and the Father in me; and in me hath the Father glorified his name." (9:15)
After three days, the darkness clears. It is the time of the resurrection of Christ. The people gather to a land called Bountiful where stood a temple. A voice is heard from heaven which the people did not understand it at first, that "did pierce them that did hear to the center, insomuch that there was no part of their frame that it did not cause to quake; yea, it did pierce them to the very soul, and did cause their hearts to burn."
The voice is the voice of God Almighty, the very Eternal Father proclaiming His Son Jesus Christ the risen Lord.
![The Glorious Appearing of Jesus to the Nephites by William Armitage](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/a/a1/The_Glorious_Appearing_of_Jesus_to_the_Nephites_by_William_Armitage.PNG)
The resurrected Christ descends from the sky. He stands before them and calls them to come and sees the wounds in His hands and side. He heals them and teaches them precepts that were to guide their Church.
# He gave to Nephi and others that he called the power to baptize the people, using the words: "Having authority given me of Jesus Christ, I baptize you in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost. Amen." Then they were to be immersed in the water, and come out of the water again.
# There were to be no disputes about his doctrine, because contention is Satanic.
# Actions which stirred men to anger must be done away with. And Jesus said his doctrine came from the Father himself.
# Repentance from sin must accompany baptism. Salvation depends on believing in Jesus and being baptized. Anyone who does not believe in Jesus and is not baptized will be damned.
# Be reconciled with one's brother before asked to be reconciled with Christ.
# Do not look on a woman with lust.
# Do not divorce your wife except on grounds of unfaithfulness.
# Do not swear oaths.
# Resist evil.
# When compelled to make a plaintiff whole in a civil suit, make more than full restitution.
# When pressed into labor, do twice the work that is compelled.
# Do not turn away anyone who asks to borrow.
# Love your enemies.
# Do not make a public display of alms-giving.
# Do not make a public display of prayer or use vain repetition.
# Do not visibly emphasize your misery when fasting.
# Do not judge.
# Ask God for all things through prayer with faith.
# Do not follow after false prophets.
# Jesus' words must be declared to the ends of the earth.
# Ye shall call the church in my name. (3 Nephi 27:7)
# Bring ye all the tithes into the storehouse, that there may be meat in my house (3 Nephi 24:10)
# Never cease to pray in your hearts (3 Nephi 20:1)
# Suffer not any one knowingly to partake of my flesh and blood unworthily (3 Nephi 18:28)
# Ye shall meet together oft; and ye shall not forbid any man from coming unto you when ye shall meet together, but suffer them that they may come unto you and forbid them not (3 Nephi 18:22)
# Always pray unto the Father in my name (3 Nephi 18:19)
# Keep my commandments, which the Father hath commanded me that I should give unto you (3 Nephi 18:14)
# There shall one be ordained among you, and to him will I give power that he shall break bread and bless it and give it unto the people of my church, unto all those who shall believe and be baptized in my name. And this shall ye always observe to do, even as I have done, even as I have broken bread and blessed it and given it unto you (3 Nephi 18:5-6)
See also
*''
The Testaments of One Fold and One Shepherd
The Joseph Smith Memorial Building, originally called the Hotel Utah, is a social center located on the corner of Main Street and South Temple in Salt Lake City. It is named in honor of Joseph Smith, the founder of the Latter Day Saint movement. I ...
''
*
Resurrection appearances of Jesus
The resurrection of Jesus ( grc-x-biblical, ἀνάστασις τοῦ Ἰησοῦ) is the Christian belief that God raised Jesus on the third day after his crucifixion, starting – or restoring – his exalted life as Christ and Lord ...
References
Further reading
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External links
Jesus Christ Visits the Americas (Image)by John Scott
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