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CHAPTER 6The Nephites prosper—Pride, wealth, and class distinctions arise—The Church is rent with dissensions—Satan leads the people in open rebellion—Many prophets cry repentance and are slain—Their murderers conspire to take over the government. [Between A.D. 26 and 30] |
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1 AND now it came to pass that the people
of the Nephites did all return to their own lands in the
*twenty and sixth year, every man, with his family, his
flocks and his herds, his ahorses and his cattle, and all
things whatsoever did belong unto them.
2 And it came to pass that they had anot eaten up all their provisions; therefore they did take with them all that they had not devoured, of all their grain of every kind, and their gold, and their silver, and all their precious things, and they did return to their own lands and their possessions, both on the north and on the south, both on the land northward and on the land southward. 3 And they granted unto those robbers who had aentered into a covenant to keep the peace of the land, who were desirous to remain Lamanites, lands, according to their numbers, that they might have, with their labors, wherewith to subsist upon; and thus they did establish peace in all the land.
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1*
[A.D. 26] a 3 Ne. 3:22 (21-23) 2a 3 Ne. 4:4 3a 3 Ne. 5:4
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4 And they began again to prosper and to wax great; and the twenty
and sixth and seventh years passed away, and there was great
aorder in the land; and they had formed their laws
according to equity and justice.
5 And now there was nothing in all the land to hinder the people from prospering continually, except they should fall into transgression. 6 And now it was aGidgiddoni, and the judge, bLachoneus, and those who had been appointed leaders, who had established this great peace in the land.
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4a
TG
Order 6a 3 Ne. 3:18 b 3 Ne. 3:1
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7 And it came to pass that there were many cities built anew,
and there were many old cities repaired.
8 And there were many ahighways cast up, and many roads made, which led from city to city, and from land to land, and from place to place. 9 And thus passed away the twenty and eighth year, and the people had continual peace.
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8a
3 Ne. 8:13
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~ 29 A.D. ~ |
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10 But it came to pass in the *twenty and ninth
year there began to be some disputings among the people; and some were lifted
up unto pride and bboastings because of their exceedingly
great riches, yea, even unto great persecutions;
11 For there were many amerchants in the land, and also many blawyers, and many officers. 12 And the people began to be distinguished by ranks, according to their ariches and their chances for learning, yea, some were bignorant because of their poverty, and others did receive great clearning because of their riches.
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10*
[A.D. 29] a TG Boasting 11a Hel. 6:8 b Alma 10:14-17, 27; Alma 14:5, 18-27 12a 1 Tim. 6:17; Hel. 4:12 (11-13) b TG Ignorance c TG Learning
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13 Some were lifted up in pride, and others were exceedingly humble;
some did return railing for railing, while others would receive railing and
apersecution and all manner of
bafflictions, and would not turn and
crevile again, but were humble and penitent before God.
14 And thus there became a great inequality in all the land, insomuch that the church began to be broken up; yea, insomuch that in the *thirtieth year the church was broken up in all the land save it were among a few of the Lamanites who were converted unto the true faith; and athey would not depart from it, for they were firm, and steadfast, and immovable, willing with all bdiligence to keep the commandments of the Lord.
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13a
TG
Persecution b TG Afflication c 3 Ne. 12:39; 4 Ne. 1:34; D&C 98:23-27; TG Reviling 14* [A.D. 30] a Alma 23:6; Alma 27:27; Hel. 15:8 (5-16) b TG Dedications; TG Diligence
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15 Now the cause of this iniquity of the people was
this—aSatan had great bpower, unto
the stirring up of the people to do all manner of iniquity, and to the
puffing them up with pride, tempting them to seek for power, and authority,
and criches, and the vain things of the world.
16 And thus Satan did lead away the hearts of the people to do all manner of iniquity; therefore they had enjoyed peace but a few years.
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15a
Moses 6:15 b 1 Ne. 22:26; Alma 48:17 b TG Selfishness
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17 And thus, in the commencement of the thirtieth year—the
people having been adelivered up for the space of a long
time to be carried about by the btemptations of the devil
whithersoever he desired to carry them, and to do whatsoever iniquity he
desired they should—and thus in the commencement of this, the thirtieth
year, they were in a state of awful wickedness.
18 Now they did not sin aignorantly, for they knew the bwill of God concerning them, for it had been taught unto them; therefore they did wilfully crebel against God.
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17a
Moses 5:23 b TG Temptation 18a Num. 15:27 (2-29); Mosiah 3:11; TG Ignorance b TG God, Will of c TG Rebellion
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19 And now it was in the days of Lachoneus, the son of
aLachoneus, for Lachoneus did fill the seat of his father
and did govern the people that year.
20 And there began to be men ainspired from heaven and sent forth, standing among the people in all the land, preaching and testifying boldly of the sins and iniquities of the people, and testifying unto them concerning the redemption which the Lord would make for his people, or in other words, the resurrection of Christ; and they did testify boldly of his bdeath and sufferings.
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19a
3 Ne. 1:1 20a TG Inspiration; TG Prophets, Mission of b TG Jesus Christ, Death of
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21 Now there were many of the people who were exceedingly angry
because of those who testified of these things; and those who were
angry were chiefly the chief judges, and they who ahad been
high priests and lawyersa; yea, all
those who were lawyers were angry with those who testified of these things.
22 Now there was no lawyer nor judge nor high priest that could have power to condemn any one to death save their condemnation was signed by the governor of the land.
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21a those who were angry were chiefly the chief judges, and they who had high pirests and lawyers Now these 'officials of the people', these judges, priests and lawyers were those who did benefit from the profession of priestcraft. And their anger was because of the lose of power, authority and their source of riches. For if the people lived righteously then there were none to employ them and to bow to their power and authority and to pay the wages of those officials and those officials would have to work with their hands to make their living rather than to rely upon the poeple who paid their high wages unto their professions and there employ. |
21a
D&C 121:37;
TG
Apostasy of Individuals
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23 Now there were many of those awho testified of
the things pertaining to Christ who testified boldly, who were taken and put
to death bsecretly by the judges, that the knowledge of
their death came not unto the governor of the land until after their death.
24 Now behold, this was contrary to the laws of the land, that any man should be put to death except they had power from the governor of the land— 25 Therefore a complaint came up unto the land of Zarahemla, to the governor of the land, against these judges who had condemned the prophets of the Lord unto adeath, not according to the law.
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23a
3 Ne. 7:14 a Hel. 6:17-38 25a 3 Ne. 9:9
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26 Now it came to pass that they were taken and brought up before the
judge to be judged of the crime which they had done, according to the
alaw which had been given by the people.
27 Now it came to pass that those judges had many friends and kindreds; and the remainder, yea, even almost all the lawyers and the high priestsa, did gather themselves together, and unite with the kindreds of those judges who were to be tried according to the law. 28 And they did enter into a acovenant one with another, yea, even into that covenant which was given by them of old, which covenant was given and administered by the bdevil, to combine against all righteousness.
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27a almost all the lawyers and the high priests Rather than the corruption coming from those who would be robbers, this corruption did begin and spread through the hierarchy of the governments of both the land and the church. It was the lawyers and high priests who did seek for riches and power and authority and the things of the world. And they did order themselves to hide their sins of murdering the prophets directly. And they did contrive to over throw and take hold of the government of the land to raise up kings among themselves. |
26a
Mosiah 29:25;
Alma 1:14 28a TG Secret Combinations b Hel. 6:26; Ether 8:9, 15-16
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29 Therefore they did combine against the people of the Lord,
and [did] enter into a covenant to destroy them, and to deliver those
who were guilty of murder from the grasp of justice, which was
about to be administered according to the law.
30 And they did set at defiance the law and the rights of their country; and they did covenant one with another to destroy the governor, and to establish a aking over the land, that the land should no more be at bliberty but should be subject unto kings.
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30a
1 Sam. 8:5;
Alma 51:5;
3 Ne. 7:12; TG Tyranny b TG Liberty
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| * Verse 1 [A.D. 26]. | ||
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