3 Nephi 5

3 Nephi 5:1

1 And now behold, there was not a living soul among all the people of the Nephites who did doubt in the least the words of all the holy prophets who had spoken; for they knew that it must needs be that they must be fulfilled.

Historical/Textual: Mormon describes the people of Nephi in the twenty-second year of the birth of the Messiah (see verse 7 below) as completely converted. From Mormon’s perspective of a religious history, this is a required historical statement. The foundational promise is that they Nephites would be protected by God if they were righteous. Mormon has just shown that the people have been protected, and therefore they were righteous. While it is possible that this is exactly what happened, it is more likely that this is Mormon’s idealized view of the Nephite society. Certainly there would be no statistics in Mormon’s sources that could record a degree of righteousness and the statistical extent of such righteousness.

Seen from the purely skeptical view of a modern historian, this statement could have had no accurate textual basis from which Mormon could cite the fact. Certainly from Mormon’s perspective nearly four hundred years later there is nothing that would remain that could indicate the completely righteousness of the people at this time.

It is certain that it is possible that Mormon could have had a spiritual witness as to the righteousness of the people, and that possibility should not be discounted. However, this current faithfulness will fail in only seven years. It is hard to imagine that the conversion of the entire population could have been as complete and sincere as Mormon paints it, and then fall to pieces only seven years later (see beginning 3 Nephi 6:10). From that purely skeptical historical view, the best explanation of this particular verse is that Mormon is not writing a history that follows modern rules of evidence, but rather a sacred and spiritual history. In this spiritual history, it was absolutely true that the salvation of the people came from the hand of God, and that it required the righteousness of the people. The way Mormon is writing his narrative, this had to have been a true statement.

For modern history, however, the events only seven years later strongly suggest that the seeds of those ultimate divisions are present in the current Nephite society. While the euphoria of victory unites the people, and likely provides the visual appearance of unity, in fact the rifts were still there. They were simply buried by necessity, and would flower when “watered” by prosperity.

3 Nephi 5:2

2 And they knew that it must be expedient that Christ had come, because of the many signs which had been given, according to the words of the prophets; and because of the things which had come to pass already they knew that it must needs be that all things should come to pass according to that which had been spoken.

Just as it is part of Mormon’s spiritual history that the people were righteous, it is equally important that they universally acknowledge the Atoning Messiah. This has been an essential aspect of Nephite religion since the time of the first Nephi, and at this point in time it is particularly important. These people are living in between two of the greatest miracles ever displayed in the heavens; the sign of the Messiah’s birth and death. They are a generation whose righteous will live to see the Atoning Messiah in person. Certainly they should be believers in the true Nephite religion, now that the time is so nigh for the glorious justification of true Nephite faith from the time of the fathers.

3 Nephi 5:3

3 Therefore they did forsake all their sins, and their abominations, and their whoredoms, and did serve God with all diligence day and night.

The righteousness becomes their way of life. This is a restatement of the beginning declaration that: “there was not a living soul among all the people of the Nephites who did doubt in the least the words of all the holy prophets who had spoken.”

3 Nephi 5:4

4 And now it came to pass that when they had taken all the robbers prisoners, insomuch that none did escape who were not slain, they did cast their prisoners into prison, and did cause the word of God to be preached unto them; and as many as would repent of their sins and enter into a covenant that they would murder no more were set at liberty.

There were still Gadiantons in the Nephite world, but they were in prison. To these the gospel is preached and those who accept are freed. This is reminiscent of the great Captain Moroni’s treatment of his prisoners as recorded in Alma 44:1-7.

3 Nephi 5:5

5 But as many as there were who did not enter into a covenant, and who did still continue to have those secret murders in their hearts, yea, as many as were found breathing out threatenings against their brethren were condemned and punished according to the law.

The prisoners are given a choice, just as were the prisoners of Moroni. They could honorably accept either alternative, although one alternative meant death or some other means of certain punishment. In both cases the honor of the men dictated that they could only accept salvation if they actually could accept the conditions of the salvation. They could not lie and be saved.

In an odd moral for our personal journey, the same choice is given to us. We, just as the prisoners, are given two alternatives, a way of life and a way of death. Even though our moral position might be tempted to lie to temporarily accept the way of life, the lesson here is that it cannot be done. We truly receive the way of life only if it works its way into our hearts. We cannot lie our way into salvation.

3 Nephi 5:6

6 And thus they did put an end to all those wicked, and secret, and abominable combinations, in the which there was so much wickedness, and so many murders committed.

It is important for Mormon to show that righteousness can completely defeat the secret combinations. While it is part of his over-arching narrative theme that the secret combinations can destroy the society of God, it is equally important that we remember that they have power over us only to the extent that we are not righteous. If we are righterous, if it is true of us that “there [is] not a living soul among all the people of the Nephites who [does] doubt in the least the words of all the holy prophets who had spoken,” then we too may defeat the modern secret combinations that attempt to tear down the kingdom of God. All hinges upon our choice to follow the gospel in righteousness.

3 Nephi 5:7

7 And thus had the twenty and second year passed away, and the twenty and third year also, and the twenty and fourth, and the twenty and fifth; and thus had twenty and five years passed away.

Literary: Mormon marks the time. Since the time is getting shorter, Mormon marks the passing years carefully. This heightens the suggestion of impending time. Unlike portions of his narrative where large spans of years might pass, as he approaches the time of the coming of the Messiah, time slows, and is marked carefully by the years.

3 Nephi 5:8

8 And there had many things transpired which, in the eyes of some, would be great and marvelous; nevertheless, they cannot all be written in this book; yea, this book cannot contain even a hundredth part of what was done among so many people in the space of twenty and five years;

3 Nephi 5:9

9 But behold there are records which do contain all the proceedings of this people; and a shorter but true account was given by Nephi.

3 Nephi 5:10

10 Therefore I have made my record of these things according to the record of Nephi, which was engraven on the plates which were called the plates of Nephi.

In spite of the vacant years that Mormon notes in verse 7, he recognizes in verse 8 that “many things transpired which, in the eyes of some, would be great and marvelous.” Mormon clearly indicates that he is making selections, and making selections according to the criteria that he is using to dictate his overall purpose. In this case, it is not that these years pass with nothing of note occurring, but that those things that did occur are not part of what interests Mormon. He is rushing into the most important part of his story, and he is not to be sidetracked by mere history.

Textual: Verses 9 and 10 tell us the provenance of the information in this account. Nephi is among the political rulers at this time, and he is maintaining his record “on the plates which were called the plates of Nephi.” As noted earlier, Nephi’s father, Nephi the elder, would have taken these sacred records with him when he was ousted from leadership by the Gadiantons. His son continues to write on those plates, but under a new book required by the change in political status.

In spite of this, records were kept, and no doubt they were official records of the ruling parties. Mormon has access to that parallel tradition, but he elects to follow the plate of Nephi tradition. This is no doubt occasioned by the more spiritual nature of the events recorded by Nephi the son of Nephi. The “many things transpired which, in the eyes of some, would be great and marvelous,” were most likely more secular in nature, and therefore not of the same interest to Mormon’s narrative.

3 Nephi 5:11

11 And behold, I do make the record on plates which I have made with mine own hands.

3 Nephi 5:12

12 And behold, I am called Mormon, being called after the land of Mormon, the land in which Alma did establish the church among the people, yea, the first church which was established among them after their transgression.

Verses 11-26 constitute a special-case personal introduction by Mormon. This introduction contrasts to the posited introduction that would have been given early in the Book of Lehi, as suggested in the comments entitled “Mormon’s missing introduction,” found following Words of Mormon 1:1. In that comment, it was recognized that this particular personal introduction comes very late in the Book of Mormon. In the text as we have it, Mormon simply assumes that we know who he is and what he is doing. Surely in the original (and now lost) book of Lehi, he would have made a more formal introduction.

The posited presence of that earlier introduction nevertheless raises the question as to why this introduction exists. In this introduction, we have Mormon the apostle introducing himself. As Mormon sets up the story of the appearance of the Atoning Messiah in the New World, he declares the truth of that event through his own apostolic witness. Mormon may be writing on the plates. Mormon may be taking his account from other records, but the witness of the divine mission of the Atoning Messiah is personal. Here we are not introduced to Mormon the editor, but to Mormon the apostle of the Lord, the personal witness to the divinity of the savior.

In these two verses we have two essential pieces of Mormon’s biography. The first is that he is the editor, the one who is making the record on plates. The grammatical structure of verse 11 suggests that Mormon physically made the plates as well as wrote on them. This may be Mormon’s conceptual tie to the first New World prophet, Nephi, who also wrote on plates made by his own hands.

The theme of historical connections continues in the next verse where Mormon links his name to the beginnings of the Nephite church with Alma the Elder in the waters of Mormon. Naming was an important and meaningful act in the ancient world. We have seen Helaman specifically tell his sons (Nephi and Lehi) that they are named for the early prophets so that they will remember (Helaman 5:6). This attempt to influence the character of the descendants by giving them a name of importance from the past is part of what Mormon is telling us here. He is Mormon, and his tie to the past is to one of the important events in Nephite history. He is now an apostle in this church that was originally established by the waters from which his name was taken. Thus his name, and perhaps his character, and surely his remembering are all linked to the person of Alma the Elder, the event of the establishment of a church and to the method of entering that church, the waters of baptism.

3 Nephi 5:13

13 Behold, I am a disciple of Jesus Christ, the Son of God. I have been called of him to declare his word among his people, that they might have everlasting life.

After declaring his spiritual lineage through the connection of his name, he declares the important information about his current position. It is one thing to be well-related, but quite another to fulfill the promise of his naming. Mormon declares simply and powerfully that he is “a disciple of Jesus Christ, the Son of God.” He further notes that he has a direct commission to “declare his word among his people.”

It is this commission to declare the word that Mormon discharges through the writing of this text. We have the Book of Mormon because Mormon was faithful to the Lord’s command that he declare the word. In Mormon’s battle-torn world, there was little preaching that didn’t come at the blade of the sword. Nevertheless, Mormon’s impact as a preacher of the word is perhaps greater than any other prophet who has written. No prophet has provided a larger, longer, or more complete testimony of the Savior than Mormon.

3 Nephi 5:14

14 And it hath become expedient that I, according to the will of God, that the prayers of those who have gone hence, who were the holy ones, should be fulfilled according to their faith, should make a record of these things which have been done—

3 Nephi 5:15

15 Yea, a small record of that which hath taken place from the time that Lehi left Jerusalem, even down until the present time.

3 Nephi 5:16

16 Therefore I do make my record from the accounts which have been given by those who were before me, until the commencement of my day;

When Mormon introduced himself he made sure to tie his name, and therefore himself, to the sacred past. After the personal connection to an important prophet, place, and event, he now connects his record to the past. In this case, the connection is that this record is the fulfillment of the prayers “of those who have gone hence, who were the holy ones.”

Textual: These are some of the rare places where Mormon describes his work. His impetus to the work is “according to the will of God.” He declares with this introduction that the entire work is sacred in nature, and comes as a commission from God. He further indicates that this is a work that is the fulfillment of the desires of holy prophets. Unquestionably, Mormon sees what he is doing as part of a divine purpose. Therefore we should not be surprised when Mormon writes in such a way that the spiritual aspects of history are elucidated over the pure facts of history.

The scope of his work is presented as having been divinely set. He is to trace that “which hath taken place from the time that Lehi left Jerusalem, even down until the present time.” The present time of this sentence is Mormon’s own time (made absolutely clear in verse 16). This entire section is a present-time aside placed inside the historical record.

3 Nephi 5:17

17 And then I do make a record of the things which I have seen with mine own eyes.

Textual: The two types of sources for Mormon’s record are given in verses 16 and 17. In verse 16 the first set of sources is “the accounts which have been given by those who were before me.” These are the volumes of records that are before Mormon. However, in addition, Mormon makes a “record of the things which [he has] seen with [his] own eyes.” Thus Mormon not only makes a record from that which is written, but he writes of his own experience. As a disciple of the Lord, this personal witness extends beyond the eye witness to historical events, and becomes a personal witness of the gospel contained in the text. While Mormon may not have seen the events written in the accounts, he may nevertheless testify to their truth because of his position as a witness for the Lord.

3 Nephi 5:18

18 And I know the record which I make to be a just and a true record; nevertheless there are many things which, according to our language, we are not able to write.

Here Mormon declares that witness. He has the records. He has the personal witness, therefore he may seal with his word the “true record.”

3 Nephi 5:19

19 And now I make an end of my saying, which is of myself, and proceed to give my account of the things which have been before me.

Mormon declares that he will leave off “my saying.” What he is ending is this intercalation of his testimony that is placed out of sequence in the text. Nevertheless, he does not end at this point, but rather ends with a final specific testimony.

3 Nephi 5:20

20 I am Mormon, and a pure descendant of Lehi. I have reason to bless my God and my Savior Jesus Christ, that he brought our fathers out of the land of Jerusalem, (and no one knew it save it were himself and those whom he brought out of that land) and that he hath given me and my people so much knowledge unto the salvation of our souls.

Mormon is a historian of the sacred, and his focus when he is writing in on the sacred patterns of the past so that they may inform the future. It is therefore completely fitting that as he bears his testimony, he uses connections to the past to proclaim truth to his future readers. In his personal testimony he begins with the repetition of his name. The statement “I am Mormon,” is not made because he expects that we have forgotten, but rather because he is invoking his name in a formulaic benediction of his efforts. In the ancient world one’s name was a powerful bond of one’s presence and being.

In addition to declaring his name, he also declares his lineage. A man of the ancient world was not an individual, but a representative of the kinship line that produced him. Thus part of who Mormon was is identified when he indicates that he is “a pure descendant of Lehi.”

The connection of the present to the past is made in the last sentence, where Mormon links the fathers to his current effort.

3 Nephi 5:21

21 Surely he hath blessed the house of Jacob, and hath been merciful unto the seed of Joseph.

3 Nephi 5:22

22 And insomuch as the children of Lehi have kept his commandments he hath blessed them and prospered them according to his word.

Mormon evokes the ancestors of Lehi. This is a tradition that has crossed the ocean, and has such ancient ties that they run deep into a time before Lehites were in the New world. As part of the invocation of the ancient, Mormon speaks of the blessing that have come through the ancient lineage of Jacob and Joseph (the lineage of Lehi). There was a specific promise made to the Lehites, and that is the foundational promise, which Mormon restates here. It is quite fitting that he should bring the promise to the conscious present of his narration since he is currently involved in the dramatic demonstration of the promise and the blessings that come from righteousness that are being contrasted with the disasters that come from disobedience.

3 Nephi 5:23

23 Yea, and surely shall he again bring a remnant of the seed of Joseph to the knowledge of the Lord their God.

Mormon ties the lineage of the past to the progeny of the future. This is a lineage record, and this is a lineal promise (though many of us receive it through adoption rather than birthright). The lineage of Jacob and Joseph are declared in verse 21. Here the seed of Joseph receive blessings stored up for them.

3 Nephi 5:24

24 And as surely as the Lord liveth, will he gather in from the four quarters of the earth all the remnant of the seed of Jacob, who are scattered abroad upon all the face of the earth.

3 Nephi 5:25

25 And as he hath covenanted with all the house of Jacob, even so shall the covenant wherewith he hath covenanted with the house of Jacob be fulfilled in his own due time, unto the restoring all the house of Jacob unto the knowledge of the covenant that he hath covenanted with them.

Mormon is creating a record that is pointed to the future while it replays the past. In his testimony of the truth of that record, his testimony points to those who will ultimately receive it. What his record is to do is aid in the restoration of the covenants with “all the house of Jacob.”

3 Nephi 5:26

26 And then shall they know their Redeemer, who is Jesus Christ, the Son of God; and then shall they be gathered in from the four quarters of the earth unto their own lands, from whence they have been dispersed; yea, as the Lord liveth so shall it be. Amen.

The pinnacle of the blessings of Jacob is the knowledge of their Redeemer. This is the purpose of Mormon’s text, declared here as well as in the Title Page:

“Which is to show unto the remnant of the House of Israel what great things the Lord hath done for their fathers; and that they may know the covenants of the Lord, that they are not cast off forever—And also to the convincing of the Jew and Gentile that JESUS is the CHRIST, the ETERNAL GOD, manifesting himself unto all nations:

Cultural: When Mormon notes that “they shall be gathered in from the four quarters of the earth,” he is suggesting that they will come from the whole world. However, it would not be certain how Mormon would have understood the “whole world” at his time. Certain his most immediate reference to the “four quarters” would have been local. It is not certain that he would indicate that there were members of the house of Jacob in the “whole world” that we know, or that he would be referring to the “four quarters” that were more familiar to him.

Textual: This ends a chapter in the 1830 edition