1 Nephi 1
| Verse | Original | 4th Grade |
|---|---|---|
| 1 Nephi 1:1 | I, Nephi, having been born of goodly parents, therefore I was taught somewhat in all the learning of my father; and having seen many afflictions in the course of my days, nevertheless, having been highly favored of the Lord in all my days; yea, having had a great knowledge of the goodness and the mysteries of God, therefore I make a record of my proceedings in my days. | My name is Nephi. I have good parents who taught me many things. I have had many hard times, but God has been very kind to me. I learned a lot about His goodness and mysteries. So, I am writing about my life. |
| 1 Nephi 1:2 | Yea, I make a record in the language of my father, which consists of the learning of the Jews and the language of the Egyptians. | Yes, I write in my father’s language. It uses what the Jews know and the Egyptian language. |
| 1 Nephi 1:3 | And I know that the record which I make is true; and I make it with mine own hand; and I make it according to my knowledge. | I know what I write is true. I write it myself. I write what I know. |
| 1 Nephi 1:4 | For it came to pass in the commencement of the first year of the reign of Zedekiah, king of Judah, (my father, Lehi, having dwelt at Jerusalem in all his days); and in that same year there came many prophets, prophesying unto the people that they must repent, or the great city Jerusalem must be destroyed. | It happened in the first year that Zedekiah was king of Judah. My dad, Lehi, lived in Jerusalem. That year, many prophets came and told the people they needed to be sorry for their sins, or Jerusalem would be destroyed. |
| 1 Nephi 1:5 | Wherefore it came to pass that my father, Lehi, as he went forth prayed unto the Lord, yea, even with all his heart, in behalf of his people. | So my father, Lehi, went out and prayed to the Lord with all his heart for his people. |
| 1 Nephi 1:6 | And it came to pass as he prayed unto the Lord, there came a pillar of fire and dwelt upon a rock before him; and he saw and heard much; and because of the things which he saw and heard he did quake and tremble exceedingly. | While he was praying, a big fire showed up on a rock in front of him. He saw and heard many things. He got very scared because of what he saw and heard. |
| 1 Nephi 1:7 | And it came to pass that he returned to his own house at Jerusalem; and he cast himself upon his bed, being overcome with the Spirit and the things which he had seen. | He went back home to Jerusalem. He lay down on his bed because he felt so much from what he saw and felt. |
| 1 Nephi 1:8 | And being thus overcome with the Spirit, he was carried away in a vision, even that he saw the heavens open, and he thought he saw God sitting upon his throne, surrounded with numberless concourses of angels in the attitude of singing and praising their God. | He felt the Spirit very strongly and saw a vision. He thought he saw heaven open and God sitting on a throne, with lots of angels singing and praising God. |
| 1 Nephi 1:9 | And it came to pass that he saw One descending out of the midst of heaven, and he beheld that his luster was above that of the sun at noon-day. | He saw someone come down from heaven. The person was brighter than the sun at noon. |
| 1 Nephi 1:10 | And he also saw twelve others following him, and their brightness did exceed that of the stars in the firmament. | He also saw twelve others following him, and they were brighter than the stars in the sky. |
| 1 Nephi 1:11 | And they came down and went forth upon the face of the earth; and the first came and stood before my father, and gave unto him a book, and bade him that he should read. | They came down and walked on the ground. The first one stood in front of my father, gave him a book, and told him to read it. |
| 1 Nephi 1:12 | And it came to pass that as he read, he was filled with the Spirit of the Lord. | As he read, he felt the Spirit of the Lord. |
| 1 Nephi 1:13 | And he read, saying: Wo, wo, unto Jerusalem, for I have seen thine abominations! Yea, and many things did my father read concerning Jerusalem——that it should be destroyed, and the inhabitants thereof; many should perish by the sword, and many should be carried away captive into Babylon. | And he read, saying: Oh no! Jerusalem is very bad! Many things my father read about Jerusalem – that it will be destroyed, and many people will die by the sword, and many people will be taken away to Babylon. |
| 1 Nephi 1:14 | And it came to pass that when my father had read and seen many great and marvelous things, he did exclaim many things unto the Lord; such as: Great and marvelous are thy works, O Lord God Almighty! Thy throne is high in the heavens, and thy power, and goodness, and mercy are over all the inhabitants of the earth, and, because thou art merciful, thou wilt not suffer those who come unto thee that they shall perish! | When my father read and saw many amazing things, he talked to God. He said, “God, your works are amazing! You are very powerful, kind, and loving to everyone on the earth. Because you are so loving, you will take care of everyone who comes to you.” |
| 1 Nephi 1:15 | And after this manner was the language of my father in the praising of his God; for his soul did rejoice, and his whole heart was filled, because of the things which he had seen, yea, which the Lord had shown unto him. | My father spoke like this to praise God. He was very happy and his heart was full because of what he had seen. The Lord had shown him these things. |
| 1 Nephi 1:16 | And now I, Nephi, do not make a full account of the things which my father hath written, for he hath written many things which he saw in visions and in dreams; and he also hath written many things which he prophesied and spake unto his children, of which I shall not make a full account. | I am Nephi. My father wrote many things. He had dreams and visions. He told us what he saw and what would happen. I will not tell everything he wrote. |
| 1 Nephi 1:17 | But I shall make an account of my proceedings in my days. Behold, I make an abridgment of the record of my father, upon plates which I have made with mine own hands; wherefore, after I have abridged the record of my father then will I make an account of mine own life. | I will write about what I do each day. Look, I am making a short version of my father’s record on plates I made myself. After I finish my father’s record, I will write about my own life. |
| 1 Nephi 1:18 | Therefore, I would that ye should know, that after the Lord had shown so many marvelous things unto my father, Lehi, yea, concerning the destruction of Jerusalem, behold he went forth among the people, and began to prophesy and to declare unto them concerning the things which he had both seen and heard. | My father, Lehi, saw many amazing things from the Lord about Jerusalem being destroyed. He went to the people and told them what he saw and heard. |
| 1 Nephi 1:19 | And it came to pass that the Jews did mock him because of the things which he testified of them; for he truly testified of their wickedness and their abominations; and he testified that the things which he saw and heard, and also the things which he read in the book, manifested plainly of the coming of the Messiah, and also the redemption of the world. | The Jews made fun of him because he said they did bad things. He told them about the bad things they did, and he also told them that the book said the Savior would come and save the world. |
| 1 Nephi 1:20 | And when the Jews heard these things they were angry with him; yea, even as with the prophets of old, whom they had cast out, and stoned, and slain; and they also sought his life, that they might take it away. But behold, I, Nephi, will show unto you that the tender mercies of the Lord are over all those whom he hath chosen, because of their faith, to make them mighty even unto the power of deliverance. | When the Jews heard this, they were very angry at him. They wanted to hurt him like they did to the old prophets. They wanted to kill him. But I, Nephi, will show you that God is kind to those who have faith. God helps them and keeps them safe. |
1 Nephi 2
| Verse | Original | 4th Grade |
|---|---|---|
| 1 Nephi 2:1 | For behold, it came to pass that the Lord spake unto my father, yea, even in a dream, and said unto him: Blessed art thou Lehi, because of the things which thou hast done; and because thou hast been faithful and declared unto this people the things which I commanded thee, behold, they seek to take away thy life. | The Lord spoke to my father Lehi in a dream. The Lord said, “Good job, Lehi, for what you have done. Because you have been good and told the people what I told you to, now they want to hurt you.” |
| 1 Nephi 2:2 | And it came to pass that the Lord commanded my father, even in a dream, that he should take his family and depart into the wilderness. | God told my dad in a dream to take our family and go into the wild. |
| 1 Nephi 2:3 | And it came to pass that he was obedient unto the word of the Lord, wherefore he did as the Lord commanded him. | He listened to God and did what God told him to do. |
| 1 Nephi 2:4 | And it came to pass that he departed into the wilderness. And he left his house, and the land of his inheritance, and his gold, and his silver, and his precious things, and took nothing with him, save it were his family, and provisions, and tents, and departed into the wilderness. | He went into the forest. He left his house, his land, and all his gold, silver, and treasures. He took only his family, food, and tents and went into the forest. |
| 1 Nephi 2:5 | And he came down by the borders near the shore of the Red Sea; and he traveled in the wilderness in the borders which are nearer the Red Sea; and he did travel in the wilderness with his family, which consisted of my mother, Sariah, and my elder brothers, who were Laman, Lemuel, and Sam. | He came down near the shore of the Red Sea. He traveled in the wilderness near the Red Sea with his family. His family included his mother, Sariah, and his older brothers, Laman, Lemuel, and Sam. |
| 1 Nephi 2:6 | And it came to pass that when he had traveled three days in the wilderness, he pitched his tent in a valley by the side of a river of water. | He traveled for three days in the wild and then set up his tent by a river in a valley. |
| 1 Nephi 2:7 | And it came to pass that he built an altar of stones, and made an offering unto the Lord, and gave thanks unto the Lord our God. | He made an altar with stones and gave a gift to God. He thanked God. |
| 1 Nephi 2:8 | And it came to pass that he called the name of the river, Laman, and it emptied into the Red Sea; and the valley was in the borders near the mouth thereof. | So, he named the river Laman. It flowed into the Red Sea. The valley was near where the river met the sea. |
| 1 Nephi 2:9 | And when my father saw that the waters of the river emptied into the fountain of the Red Sea, he spake unto Laman, saying: O that thou mightest be like unto this river, continually running into the fountain of all righteousness! | When my dad saw that the river flows into the Red Sea, he said to Laman, “I wish you could be like this river, always going into the sea of everything good.” |
| 1 Nephi 2:10 | And he also spake unto Lemuel: O that thou mightest be like unto this valley, firm and steadfast, and immovable in keeping the commandments of the Lord! | He also talked to Lemuel: I wish you could be like this valley, strong and steady, always keeping God’s rules. |
| 1 Nephi 2:11 | Now this he spake because of the stiffneckedness of Laman and Lemuel; for behold they did murmur in many things against their father, because he was a visionary man, and had led them out of the land of Jerusalem, to leave the land of their inheritance, and their gold, and their silver, and their precious things, to perish in the wilderness. And this they said he had done because of the foolish imaginations of his heart. | He said this because Laman and Lemuel were stubborn. They complained about their father because he had dreams and led them out of Jerusalem. They had to leave their home and their things behind. They thought he did this because of his silly ideas. |
| 1 Nephi 2:12 | And thus Laman and Lemuel, being the eldest, did murmur against their father. And they did murmur because they knew not the dealings of that God who had created them. | Laman and Lemuel, who were the oldest, complained about their dad. They complained because they didn’t understand what God, who made them, was doing. |
| 1 Nephi 2:13 | Neither did they believe that Jerusalem, that great city, could be destroyed according to the words of the prophets. And they were like unto the Jews who were at Jerusalem, who sought to take away the life of my father. | They did not believe that Jerusalem, the big city, could be destroyed like the prophets said. They were like the Jews in Jerusalem who wanted to take my father’s life. |
| 1 Nephi 2:14 | And it came to pass that my father did speak unto them in the valley of Lemuel, with power, being filled with the Spirit, until their frames did shake before him. And he did confound them, that they durst not utter against him; wherefore, they did as he commanded them. | My dad talked to them in the valley. He was very strong and filled with the Spirit. They shook because of his words. They couldn’t say anything back. So, they did what he told them. |
| 1 Nephi 2:15 | And my father dwelt in a tent. | My dad lived in a tent. |
| 1 Nephi 2:16 | And it came to pass that I, Nephi, being exceedingly young, nevertheless being large in stature, and also having great desires to know of the mysteries of God, wherefore, I did cry unto the Lord; and behold he did visit me, and did soften my heart that I did believe all the words which had been spoken by my father; wherefore, I did not rebel against him like unto my brothers. | One day, I, Nephi, was young but big and wanted to know about God. So I prayed to God, and He helped me believe what my father said. I did not argue with my father like my brothers did. |
| 1 Nephi 2:17 | And I spake unto Sam, making known unto him the things which the Lord had manifested unto me by his Holy Spirit. And it came to pass that he believed in my words. | I talked to Sam and told him what God had shown me. Sam believed what I said. |
| 1 Nephi 2:18 | But, behold, Laman and Lemuel would not hearken unto my words; and being grieved because of the hardness of their hearts I cried unto the Lord for them. | But Laman and Lemuel did not listen to me. I was sad because they were not kind. I prayed to the Lord for them. |
| 1 Nephi 2:19 | And it came to pass that the Lord spake unto me, saying: Blessed art thou, Nephi, because of thy faith, for thou hast sought me diligently, with lowliness of heart. | The Lord talked to me and said: Nephi, you are blessed because you believe in me and have looked for me with a humble heart. |
| 1 Nephi 2:20 | And inasmuch as ye shall keep my commandments, ye shall prosper, and shall be led to a land of promise; yea, even a land which I have prepared for you; yea, a land which is choice above all other lands. | If you follow my rules, you will do well and go to a special place that I have ready for you, a place that is the best of all. |
| 1 Nephi 2:21 | And inasmuch as thy brethren shall rebel against thee, they shall be cut off from the presence of the Lord. | And if your brothers do not listen to you and make bad choices, they will not be with the Lord. |
| 1 Nephi 2:22 | And inasmuch as thou shalt keep my commandments, thou shalt be made a ruler and a teacher over thy brethren. | If you obey my rules, you will be a leader and a teacher for your brothers. |
| 1 Nephi 2:23 | For behold, in that day that they shall rebel against me, I will curse them even with a sore curse, and they shall have no power over thy seed except they shall rebel against me also. | If they fight against me, I will give them a big curse. They will not have power over your children unless your children also fight against me. |
| 1 Nephi 2:24 | And if it so be that they rebel against me, they shall be a scourge unto thy seed, to stir them up in the ways of remembrance. | If they don’t listen to me, they will be a trouble to your children, to help them remember. |
1 Nephi 3
| Verse | Original | 4th Grade |
|---|---|---|
| 1 Nephi 3:1 | And it came to pass that I, Nephi, returned from speaking with the Lord, to the tent of my father. | Then I, Nephi, went back to my father’s tent after talking with the Lord. |
| 1 Nephi 3:2 | And it came to pass that he spake unto me, saying: Behold I have dreamed a dream, in the which the Lord hath commanded me that thou and thy brethren shall return to Jerusalem. | And he said to me: I had a dream. The Lord told me that you and your brothers must go back to Jerusalem. |
| 1 Nephi 3:3 | For behold, Laban hath the record of the Jews and also a genealogy of my forefathers, and they are engraven upon plates of brass. | Laban has the record of the Jews and our family history. These are written on brass plates. |
| 1 Nephi 3:4 | Wherefore, the Lord hath commanded me that thou and thy brothers should go unto the house of Laban, and seek the records, and bring them down hither into the wilderness. | So, the Lord told me that you and your brothers need to go to Laban’s house, get the records, and bring them here into the wilderness. |
| 1 Nephi 3:5 | And now, behold thy brothers murmur, saying it is a hard thing which I have required of them; but behold I have not required it of them, but it is a commandment of the Lord. | Your brothers are complaining. They say I asked them to do something hard. It wasn’t me who asked. The Lord commanded it. |
| 1 Nephi 3:6 | Therefore go, my son, and thou shalt be favored of the Lord, because thou hast not murmured. | So go, my son, and you will be blessed by the Lord because you did not complain. |
| 1 Nephi 3:7 | And it came to pass that I, Nephi, said unto my father: I will go and do the things which the Lord hath commanded, for I know that the Lord giveth no commandments unto the children of men, save he shall prepare a way for them that they may accomplish the thing which he commandeth them. | I, Nephi, told my father: I will go and do what God told us to do. I know God will help us do what He tells us to do. |
| 1 Nephi 3:8 | And it came to pass that when my father had heard these words he was exceedingly glad, for he knew that I had been blessed of the Lord. | When my dad heard these words, he was very happy because he knew that God had blessed me. |
| 1 Nephi 3:9 | And I, Nephi, and my brethren took our journey in the wilderness, with our tents, to go up to the land of Jerusalem. | I, Nephi, and my brothers went with our tents on a trip in the wilderness to go to the land of Jerusalem. |
| 1 Nephi 3:10 | And it came to pass that when we had gone up to the land of Jerusalem, I and my brethren did consult one with another. | When we went up to the land of Jerusalem, my brothers and I talked to each other. |
| 1 Nephi 3:11 | And we cast lots——who of us should go in unto the house of Laban. And it came to pass that the lot fell upon Laman; and Laman went in unto the house of Laban, and he talked with him as he sat in his house. | We picked a random person to go to Laban’s house. It ended up being Laman. So, Laman went to Laban’s house and talked to him. |
| 1 Nephi 3:12 | And he desired of Laban the records which were engraven upon the plates of brass, which contained the genealogy of my father. | He asked Laban for the records on the brass plates that showed the family history of my father. |
| 1 Nephi 3:13 | And behold, it came to pass that Laban was angry, and thrust him out from his presence; and he would not that he should have the records. Wherefore, he said unto him: Behold thou art a robber, and I will slay thee. | Laban got mad and pushed him away. Laban didn’t want to give him the records. Laban said, “You are a robber, and I will kill you.” |
| 1 Nephi 3:14 | But Laman fled out of his presence, and told the things which Laban had done, unto us. And we began to be exceedingly sorrowful, and my brethren were about to return unto my father in the wilderness. | But Laman ran away from Laban and told us what happened. We felt very sad, and my brothers wanted to go back to our father in the wilderness. |
| 1 Nephi 3:15 | But behold I said unto them that: As the Lord liveth, and as we live, we will not go down unto our father in the wilderness until we have accomplished the thing which the Lord hath commanded us. | I told them: As long as the Lord lives and as long as we live, we will not go back to our father in the wilderness until we have done what the Lord told us to do. |
| 1 Nephi 3:16 | Wherefore, let us be faithful in keeping the commandments of the Lord; therefore let us go down to the land of our father—s inheritance, for behold he left gold and silver, and all manner of riches. And all this he hath done because of the commandments of the Lord. | So, let’s obey God and go to the land where our father left gold, silver, and riches. He did this because God told him to. |
| 1 Nephi 3:17 | For he knew that Jerusalem must be destroyed, because of the wickedness of the people. | He knew that Jerusalem would be destroyed because the people were bad. |
| 1 Nephi 3:18 | For behold, they have rejected the words of the prophets. Wherefore, if my father should dwell in the land after he hath been commanded to flee out of the land, behold, he would also perish. Wherefore, it must needs be that he flee out of the land. | They did not listen to the prophets. So, if my father stays in the land after he was told to leave, he will die. So, he has to leave the land. |
| 1 Nephi 3:19 | And behold, it is wisdom in God that we should obtain these records, that we may preserve unto our children the language of our fathers; | It is a smart idea from God to get these records, so we can keep our fathers’ language for our children. |
| 1 Nephi 3:20 | And also that we may preserve unto them the words which have been spoken by the mouth of all the holy prophets, which have been delivered unto them by the Spirit and power of God, since the world began, even down unto this present time. | We want to keep the words from God’s holy prophets safe. These words have been given by God’s Spirit and power from the beginning of the world until now. |
| 1 Nephi 3:21 | And it came to pass that after this manner of language did I persuade my brethren, that they might be faithful in keeping the commandments of God. | I used simple words to help my brothers be good and obey God’s rules. |
| 1 Nephi 3:22 | And it came to pass that we went down to the land of our inheritance, and we did gather together our gold, and our silver, and our precious things. | We went to our land and collected our gold, silver, and special things. |
| 1 Nephi 3:23 | And after we had gathered these things together, we went up again unto the house of Laban. | After we got everything, we went back to Laban’s house. |
| 1 Nephi 3:24 | And it came to pass that we went in unto Laban, and desired him that he would give unto us the records which were engraven upon the plates of brass, for which we would give unto him our gold, and our silver, and all our precious things. | We went to Laban and asked him for the brass plates. We said we would give him our gold, silver, and all our nice things in return. |
| 1 Nephi 3:25 | And it came to pass that when Laban saw our property, and that it was exceedingly great, he did lust after it, insomuch that he thrust us out, and sent his servants to slay us, that he might obtain our property. | When Laban saw how much we had, he wanted it very badly. He threw us out and sent his servants to kill us so he could have our things. |
| 1 Nephi 3:26 | And it came to pass that we did flee before the servants of Laban, and we were obliged to leave behind our property, and it fell into the hands of Laban. | And we ran away from Laban’s servants, and we had to leave our things behind, and Laban took them. |
| 1 Nephi 3:27 | And it came to pass that we fled into the wilderness, and the servants of Laban did not overtake us, and we hid ourselves in the cavity of a rock. | We ran into the woods, and Laban’s helpers did not catch us, and we hid in a cave. |
| 1 Nephi 3:28 | And it came to pass that Laman was angry with me, and also with my father; and also was Lemuel, for he hearkened unto the words of Laman. Wherefore Laman and Lemuel did speak many hard words unto us, their younger brothers, and they did smite us even with a rod. | Laman was mad at me and our dad. Lemuel listened to him and got mad too. They said mean things to us and hit us with a stick. |
| 1 Nephi 3:29 | And it came to pass as they smote us with a rod, behold, an angel of the Lord came and stood before them, and he spake unto them, saying: Why do ye smite your younger brother with a rod? Know ye not that the Lord hath chosen him to be a ruler over you, and this because of your iniquities? Behold ye shall go up to Jerusalem again, and the Lord will deliver Laban into your hands. | An angel came when they hit us with a stick. The angel asked, “Why are you hitting your younger brother? God has chosen him to be your leader because you did bad things. Go back to Jerusalem, and God will help you.” |
| 1 Nephi 3:30 | And after the angel had spoken unto us, he departed. | After the angel talked to us, he left. |
| 1 Nephi 3:31 | And after the angel had departed, Laman and Lemuel again began to murmur, saying: How is it possible that the Lord will deliver Laban into our hands? Behold, he is a mighty man, and he can command fifty, yea, even he can slay fifty; then why not us? | After the angel left, Laman and Lemuel started to complain again. They said, “How can the Lord help us get Laban? He is a strong man, and he can tell fifty men what to do. He can even kill fifty men. So why not us?” |
1 Nephi 4
| Verse | Original | 4th Grade |
|---|---|---|
| 1 Nephi 4:1 | And it came to pass that I spake unto my brethren, saying: Let us go up again unto Jerusalem, and let us be faithful in keeping the commandments of the Lord; for behold he is mightier than all the earth, then why not mightier than Laban and his fifty, yea, or even than his tens of thousands? | I said to my brothers, “Let’s go back to Jerusalem. Let’s listen to God and do what he says. God is stronger than anyone on earth, so he is stronger than Laban and his men.” |
| 1 Nephi 4:2 | Therefore let us go up; let us be strong like unto Moses; for he truly spake unto the waters of the Red Sea and they divided hither and thither, and our fathers came through, out of captivity, on dry ground, and the armies of Pharaoh did follow and were drowned in the waters of the Red Sea. | Let’s be brave like Moses. He spoke to the Red Sea and it split apart. Our people walked through on dry ground, but the Pharaoh’s soldiers followed and drowned in the sea. |
| 1 Nephi 4:3 | Now behold ye know that this is true; and ye also know that an angel hath spoken unto you; wherefore can ye doubt? Let us go up; the Lord is able to deliver us, even as our fathers, and to destroy Laban, even as the Egyptians. | You know this is true. You know an angel talked to you. So why doubt? Let’s go. The Lord can help us, just like He helped our fathers, and He can beat Laban, just like He did with the Egyptians. |
| 1 Nephi 4:4 | Now when I had spoken these words, they were yet wroth, and did still continue to murmur; nevertheless they did follow me up until we came without the walls of Jerusalem. | After I talked, they were still angry and complained. But they followed me until we got to the walls of Jerusalem. |
| 1 Nephi 4:5 | And it was by night; and I caused that they should hide themselves without the walls. And after they had hid themselves, I, Nephi, crept into the city and went forth towards the house of Laban. | It was night. I told them to hide outside the walls. When they hid, I, Nephi, snuck into the city and went to Laban’s house. |
| 1 Nephi 4:6 | And I was led by the Spirit, not knowing beforehand the things which I should do. | The Spirit led me, and I didn’t know what I should do before it happened. |
| 1 Nephi 4:7 | Nevertheless I went forth, and as I came near unto the house of Laban I beheld a man, and he had fallen to the earth before me, for he was drunken with wine. | But I kept going, and when I got close to Laban’s house, I saw a man on the ground who was very drunk. |
| 1 Nephi 4:8 | And when I came to him I found that it was Laban. | When I came to him, I saw that it was Laban. |
| 1 Nephi 4:9 | And I beheld his sword, and I drew it forth from the sheath thereof; and the hilt thereof was of pure gold, and the workmanship thereof was exceedingly fine, and I saw that the blade thereof was of the most precious steel. | I saw his sword. I pulled it out of its cover. The handle was made of gold. It was very well made. The blade was made of shiny steel. |
| 1 Nephi 4:10 | And it came to pass that I was constrained by the Spirit that I should kill Laban; but I said in my heart: Never at any time have I shed the blood of man. And I shrunk and would that I might not slay him. | The Spirit told me to kill Laban, but I didn’t want to because I had never hurt anyone before. I felt scared and did not want to do it. |
| 1 Nephi 4:11 | And the Spirit said unto me again: Behold the Lord hath delivered him into thy hands. Yea, and I also knew that he had sought to take away mine own life; yea, and he would not hearken unto the commandments of the Lord; and he also had taken away our property. | The Spirit said to me: The Lord has given him to you. I knew he tried to kill me. He did not obey the Lord’s rules. He also took our things. |
| 1 Nephi 4:12 | And it came to pass that the Spirit said unto me again: Slay him, for the Lord hath delivered him into thy hands; | Then the Spirit said to me again: Kill him, because the Lord has put him in your hands. |
| 1 Nephi 4:13 | Behold the Lord slayeth the wicked to bring forth his righteous purposes. It is better that one man should perish than that a nation should dwindle and perish in unbelief. | Look, the Lord stops bad people to make good things happen. It is better for one person to die than for a whole nation to stop believing and die. |
| 1 Nephi 4:14 | And now, when I, Nephi, had heard these words, I remembered the words of the Lord which he spake unto me in the wilderness, saying that: Inasmuch as thy seed shall keep my commandments, they shall prosper in the land of promise. | Now, when I, Nephi, heard these words, I remembered what the Lord told me in the wilderness. He said, if your children follow my rules, they will be happy in the promised land. |
| 1 Nephi 4:15 | Yea, and I also thought that they could not keep the commandments of the Lord according to the law of Moses, save they should have the law. | I thought they couldn’t follow God’s rules from the law of Moses without having the law. |
| 1 Nephi 4:16 | And I also knew that the law was engraven upon the plates of brass. | I knew that the law was written on the brass plates. |
| 1 Nephi 4:17 | And again, I knew that the Lord had delivered Laban into my hands for this cause——that I might obtain the records according to his commandments. | I knew that God helped me get Laban so I could get the records just like He told me to. |
| 1 Nephi 4:18 | Therefore I did obey the voice of the Spirit, and took Laban by the hair of the head, and I smote off his head with his own sword. | So, I listened to the Holy Ghost, grabbed Laban’s hair, and cut off his head with his own sword. |
| 1 Nephi 4:19 | And after I had smitten off his head with his own sword, I took the garments of Laban and put them upon mine own body; yea, even every whit; and I did gird on his armor about my loins. | I cut off Laban’s head with his sword. Then, I put on Laban’s clothes and armor. |
| 1 Nephi 4:20 | And after I had done this, I went forth unto the treasury of Laban. And as I went forth towards the treasury of Laban, behold, I saw the servant of Laban who had the keys of the treasury. And I commanded him in the voice of Laban, that he should go with me into the treasury. | After I did this, I went to Laban’s treasury. On my way there, I saw Laban’s servant with the keys. I told him, using Laban’s voice, to come with me into the treasury. |
| 1 Nephi 4:21 | And he supposed me to be his master, Laban, for he beheld the garments and also the sword girded about my loins. | He thought I was his master, Laban, because he saw the clothes I was wearing and the sword by my side. |
| 1 Nephi 4:22 | And he spake unto me concerning the elders of the Jews, he knowing that his master, Laban, had been out by night among them. | He talked to me about the leaders of the Jews. He knew that his boss, Laban, had been out at night with them. |
| 1 Nephi 4:23 | And I spake unto him as if it had been Laban. | I talked to him pretending to be Laban. |
| 1 Nephi 4:24 | And I also spake unto him that I should carry the engravings, which were upon the plates of brass, to my elder brethren, who were without the walls. | I told him that I should take the writings on the brass plates to my older brothers, who were outside the walls. |
| 1 Nephi 4:25 | And I also bade him that he should follow me. | And I told him to come with me. |
| 1 Nephi 4:26 | And he, supposing that I spake of the brethren of the church, and that I was truly that Laban whom I had slain, wherefore he did follow me. | He thought I was talking about the people from the church and that I was really Laban, the man I had killed, so he followed me. |
| 1 Nephi 4:27 | And he spake unto me many times concerning the elders of the Jews, as I went forth unto my brethren, who were without the walls. | He often talked to me about the leaders of the Jews as I went to visit my brothers outside the city walls. |
| 1 Nephi 4:28 | And it came to pass that when Laman saw me he was exceedingly frightened, and also Lemuel and Sam. And they fled from before my presence; for they supposed it was Laban, and that he had slain me and had sought to take away their lives also. | When Laman saw me, he got very scared. Lemuel and Sam got scared too. They ran away because they thought I was Laban and that Laban had killed me and wanted to kill them too. |
| 1 Nephi 4:29 | And it came to pass that I called after them, and they did hear me; wherefore they did cease to flee from my presence. | So I called out to them, and they heard me. Then they stopped running away from me. |
| 1 Nephi 4:30 | And it came to pass that when the servant of Laban beheld my brethren he began to tremble, and was about to flee from before me and return to the city of Jerusalem. | The servant of Laban saw my brothers, got scared, and was about to run back to Jerusalem. |
| 1 Nephi 4:31 | And now I, Nephi, being a man large in stature, and also having received much strength of the Lord, therefore I did seize upon the servant of Laban, and held him, that he should not flee. | I am Nephi. I am big and strong. God made me strong. I grabbed Laban’s servant so he could not run away. |
| 1 Nephi 4:32 | And it came to pass that I spake with him, that if he would hearken unto my words, as the Lord liveth, and as I live, even so that if he would hearken unto our words, we would spare his life. | I talked to him and said, if he listens to me and my friends, we will not hurt him. |
| 1 Nephi 4:33 | And I spake unto him, even with an oath, that he need not fear; that he should be a free man like unto us if he would go down in the wilderness with us. | I told him he didn’t need to be scared, and he would be a free man like us if he went into the wilderness with us. |
| 1 Nephi 4:34 | And I also spake unto him, saying: Surely the Lord hath commanded us to do this thing; and shall we not be diligent in keeping the commandments of the Lord? Therefore, if thou wilt go down into the wilderness to my father thou shalt have place with us. | I told him, “God asked us to do this. Shouldn’t we try our best to follow God’s commands? So, if you go to my father in the wilderness, you can be with us.” |
| 1 Nephi 4:35 | And it came to pass that Zoram did take courage at the words which I spake. Now Zoram was the name of the servant; and he promised that he would go down into the wilderness unto our father. Yea, and he also made an oath unto us that he would tarry with us from that time forth. | Zoram felt brave when I talked to him. Zoram was the servant’s name. He said he would go to the wilderness with our father. He also promised to stay with us forever. |
| 1 Nephi 4:36 | Now we were desirous that he should tarry with us for this cause, that the Jews might not know concerning our flight into the wilderness, lest they should pursue us and destroy us. | We wanted him to stay with us so the Jews wouldn’t find out we had gone into the wilderness. We were afraid they might chase us and hurt us. |
| 1 Nephi 4:37 | And it came to pass that when Zoram had made an oath unto us, our fears did cease concerning him. | When Zoram promised us, we were not afraid of him anymore. |
| 1 Nephi 4:38 | And it came to pass that we took the plates of brass and the servant of Laban, and departed into the wilderness, and journeyed unto the tent of our father. | We got the brass plates and Laban’s helper, then left for the wilderness, and went to our father’s tent. |
1 Nephi 5
| Verse | Original | 4th Grade |
|---|---|---|
| 1 Nephi 5:1 | And it came to pass that after we had come down into the wilderness unto our father, behold, he was filled with joy, and also my mother, Sariah, was exceedingly glad, for she truly had mourned because of us. | When we got back to our father in the wilderness, he was very happy. My mother, Sariah, was also very glad because she had been very worried about us. |
| 1 Nephi 5:2 | For she had supposed that we had perished in the wilderness; and she also had complained against my father, telling him that he was a visionary man; saying: Behold thou hast led us forth from the land of our inheritance, and my sons are no more, and we perish in the wilderness. | She thought we had died in the forest. She told my dad he was dreaming too much. She said, “You took us away from our home, and now my sons are gone, and we will die in the forest.” |
| 1 Nephi 5:3 | And after this manner of language had my mother complained against my father. | And this is how my mom complained about my dad. |
| 1 Nephi 5:4 | And it had come to pass that my father spake unto her, saying: I know that I am a visionary man; for if I had not seen the things of God in a vision I should not have known the goodness of God, but had tarried at Jerusalem, and had perished with my brethren. | My father talked to her and said, “I know that I see important things from God in my dreams. If I didn’t see these things, I would not know how good God is. I would have stayed in Jerusalem and died with my brothers.” |
| 1 Nephi 5:5 | But behold, I have obtained a land of promise, in the which things I do rejoice; yea, and I know that the Lord will deliver my sons out of the hands of Laban, and bring them down again unto us in the wilderness. | I have found a good land. I am happy about it. I know the Lord will help my sons get away from Laban and come back to us in the wilderness. |
| 1 Nephi 5:6 | And after this manner of language did my father, Lehi, comfort my mother, Sariah, concerning us, while we journeyed in the wilderness up to the land of Jerusalem, to obtain the record of the Jews. | My dad, Lehi, talked to my mom, Sariah, to make her feel better about us while we traveled in the wilderness to get the records from Jerusalem. |
| 1 Nephi 5:7 | And when we had returned to the tent of my father, behold their joy was full, and my mother was comforted. | When we went back to my dad’s tent, everyone was very happy and my mom felt better. |
| 1 Nephi 5:8 | And she spake, saying: Now I know of a surety that the Lord hath commanded my husband to flee into the wilderness; yea, and I also know of a surety that the Lord hath protected my sons, and delivered them out of the hands of Laban, and given them power whereby they could accomplish the thing which the Lord hath commanded them. And after this manner of language did she speak. | She said, “Now I know for sure that God told my husband to go into the wilderness. I also know that God kept my sons safe and helped them do what God wanted them to do.” |
| 1 Nephi 5:9 | And it came to pass that they did rejoice exceedingly, and did offer sacrifice and burnt offerings unto the Lord; and they gave thanks unto the God of Israel. | They were very happy. They gave gifts to the Lord and thanked the God of Israel. |
| 1 Nephi 5:10 | And after they had given thanks unto the God of Israel, my father, Lehi, took the records which were engraven upon the plates of brass, and he did search them from the beginning. | After they thanked God, my father, Lehi, took the plates of brass with words on them and read them from the start. |
| 1 Nephi 5:11 | And he beheld that they did contain the five books of Moses, which gave an account of the creation of the world, and also of Adam and Eve, who were our first parents; | He saw that the books had the five books of Moses. These tell about how the world was made and about Adam and Eve, who were our first parents. |
| 1 Nephi 5:12 | And also a record of the Jews from the beginning, even down to the commencement of the reign of Zedekiah, king of Judah; | It is a story about the Jews from the start until the time when Zedekiah became the king of Judah. |
| 1 Nephi 5:13 | And also the prophecies of the holy prophets, from the beginning, even down to the commencement of the reign of Zedekiah; and also many prophecies which have been spoken by the mouth of Jeremiah. | The holy prophets gave messages from the beginning until Zedekiah became king. Jeremiah also spoke many messages from God. |
| 1 Nephi 5:14 | And it came to pass that my father, Lehi, also found upon the plates of brass a genealogy of his fathers; wherefore he knew that he was a descendant of Joseph; yea, even that Joseph who was the son of Jacob, who was sold into Egypt, and who was preserved by the hand of the Lord, that he might preserve his father, Jacob, and all his household from perishing with famine. | My father, Lehi, found a family history on the brass plates. He learned that he came from Joseph, the son of Jacob. Joseph was sold into Egypt but was saved by the Lord to help his family survive a famine. |
| 1 Nephi 5:15 | And they were also led out of captivity and out of the land of Egypt, by that same God who had preserved them. | And God saved them and took them out of the land of Egypt. |
| 1 Nephi 5:16 | And thus my father, Lehi, did discover the genealogy of his fathers. And Laban also was a descendant of Joseph, wherefore he and his fathers had kept the records. | So, my father, Lehi, found out about his family’s history. Laban was also part of the family of Joseph, so he and his family had kept the records. |
| 1 Nephi 5:17 | And now when my father saw all these things, he was filled with the Spirit, and began to prophesy concerning his seed—— | When my father saw everything, he felt very happy and started talking about what would happen to his children. |
| 1 Nephi 5:18 | That these plates of brass should go forth unto all nations, kindreds, tongues, and people who were of his seed. | These brass plates should go to everyone, no matter where they are from or what language they speak. |
| 1 Nephi 5:19 | Wherefore, he said that these plates of brass should never perish; neither should they be dimmed any more by time. And he prophesied many things concerning his seed. | He said the brass plates will never be lost or get old. He also talked about many things that will happen to his children. |
| 1 Nephi 5:20 | And it came to pass that thus far I and my father had kept the commandments wherewith the Lord had commanded us. | We did what God told us to do. |
| 1 Nephi 5:21 | And we had obtained the records which the Lord had commanded us, and searched them and found that they were desirable; yea, even of great worth unto us, insomuch that we could preserve the commandments of the Lord unto our children. | We got the records that the Lord told us to get. We read them and found they were very good and important. They helped us keep the Lord’s commandments for our children. |
| 1 Nephi 5:22 | Wherefore, it was wisdom in the Lord that we should carry them with us, as we journeyed in the wilderness towards the land of promise. | So, God wanted us to bring them with us as we traveled through the wilderness to the promised land. |
1 Nephi 6
| Verse | Original | 4th Grade |
|---|---|---|
| 1 Nephi 6:1 | And now I, Nephi, do not give the genealogy of my fathers in this part of my record; neither at any time shall I give it after upon these plates which I am writing; for it is given in the record which has been kept by my father; wherefore, I do not write it in this work. | I, Nephi, do not write down my family history here. My father already wrote it, so I won’t write it again. |
| 1 Nephi 6:2 | For it sufficeth me to say that we are descendants of Joseph. | We are descendants of Joseph. |
| 1 Nephi 6:3 | And it mattereth not to me that I am particular to give a full account of all the things of my father, for they cannot be written upon these plates, for I desire the room that I may write of the things of God. | It doesn’t matter to me to write everything my father did, because there isn’t enough space on these plates. I want to save room to write about the things of God. |
| 1 Nephi 6:4 | For the fulness of mine intent is that I may persuade men to come unto the God of Abraham, and the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob, and be saved. | My main goal is to help people come to God and be saved. |
| 1 Nephi 6:5 | Wherefore, the things which are pleasing unto the world I do not write, but the things which are pleasing unto God and unto those who are not of the world. | So, I don’t write the things that make the world happy. I write the things that make God happy and those who follow Him happy. |
| 1 Nephi 6:6 | Wherefore, I shall give commandment unto my seed, that they shall not occupy these plates with things which are not of worth unto the children of men. | So, I will tell my children to only write important things on these plates. |
1 Nephi 7
| Verse | Original | 4th Grade |
|---|---|---|
| 1 Nephi 7:1 | And now I would that ye might know, that after my father, Lehi, had made an end of prophesying concerning his seed, it came to pass that the Lord spake unto him again, saying that it was not meet for him, Lehi, that he should take his family into the wilderness alone; but that his sons should take daughters to wife, that they might raise up seed unto the Lord in the land of promise. | After my father, Lehi, finished talking about our family, the Lord told him not to go into the wilderness alone. The Lord said that Lehi’s sons should marry daughters to have children in the promised land. |
| 1 Nephi 7:2 | And it came to pass that the Lord commanded him that I, Nephi, and my brethren, should again return unto the land of Jerusalem, and bring down Ishmael and his family into the wilderness. | The Lord told Nephi and his brothers to go back to Jerusalem to bring Ishmael and his family into the wilderness. |
| 1 Nephi 7:3 | And it came to pass that I, Nephi, did again, with my brethren, go forth into the wilderness to go up to Jerusalem. | I, Nephi, went again with my brothers into the wild to go to Jerusalem. |
| 1 Nephi 7:4 | And it came to pass that we went up unto the house of Ishmael, and we did gain favor in the sight of Ishmael, insomuch that we did speak unto him the words of the Lord. | We went to Ishmael’s house, and he liked us. We told him what the Lord said. |
| 1 Nephi 7:5 | And it came to pass that the Lord did soften the heart of Ishmael, and also his household, insomuch that they took their journey with us down into the wilderness to the tent of our father. | The Lord made Ishmael and his family kind, so they decided to go with us to our father’s tent in the wilderness. |
| 1 Nephi 7:6 | And it came to pass that as we journeyed in the wilderness, behold Laman and Lemuel, and two of the daughters of Ishmael, and the two sons of Ishmael and their families, did rebel against us; yea, against me, Nephi, and Sam, and their father, Ishmael, and his wife, and his three other daughters. | As we traveled in the desert, Laman and Lemuel and some of Ishmael’s children and their families did not listen to us. They rebelled against me, Nephi, and Sam, and their father, Ishmael, and his wife, and his other daughters. |
| 1 Nephi 7:7 | And it came to pass in the which rebellion, they were desirous to return unto the land of Jerusalem. | And they wanted to go back to the land of Jerusalem. |
| 1 Nephi 7:8 | And now I, Nephi, being grieved for the hardness of their hearts, therefore I spake unto them, saying, yea, even unto Laman and unto Lemuel: Behold ye are mine elder brethren, and how is it that ye are so hard in your hearts, and so blind in your minds, that ye have need that I, your younger brother, should speak unto you, yea, and set an example for you? | I, Nephi, was very sad because my brothers, Laman and Lemuel, were not kind or understanding. I asked them why they were so stubborn and did not see things clearly. I wondered why I, their younger brother, had to explain things to them and show them how to act. |
| 1 Nephi 7:9 | How is it that ye have not hearkened unto the word of the Lord? | Why didn’t you listen to God’s word? |
| 1 Nephi 7:10 | How is it that ye have forgotten that ye have seen an angel of the Lord? | Why did you forget that you saw an angel from God? |
| 1 Nephi 7:11 | Yea, and how is it that ye have forgotten what great things the Lord hath done for us, in delivering us out of the hands of Laban, and also that we should obtain the record? | How did you forget the big things the Lord did for us? He saved us from Laban and helped us get the record. |
| 1 Nephi 7:12 | Yea, and how is it that ye have forgotten that the Lord is able to do all things according to his will, for the children of men, if it so be that they exercise faith in him? Wherefore, let us be faithful to him. | How did you forget that the Lord can do everything if we have faith in Him? So, let’s trust Him. |
| 1 Nephi 7:13 | And if it so be that we are faithful to him, we shall obtain the land of promise; and ye shall know at some future period that the word of the Lord shall be fulfilled concerning the destruction of Jerusalem; for all things which the Lord hath spoken concerning the destruction of Jerusalem must be fulfilled. | If we listen to God, we will get a special land. One day, you will know that what God said about Jerusalem being destroyed will happen. Everything God said about it must come true. |
| 1 Nephi 7:14 | For behold, the Spirit of the Lord ceaseth soon to strive with them; for behold, they have rejected the prophets, and Jeremiah have they cast into prison. And they have sought to take away the life of my father, insomuch that they have driven him out of the land. | The Spirit of the Lord will soon stop helping them because they did not listen to the prophets. They put Jeremiah in prison. They tried to kill my father and made him leave the land. |
| 1 Nephi 7:15 | Now behold, I say unto you that if ye will return unto Jerusalem ye shall also perish with them. And now, if ye have choice, go up to the land, and remember the words which I speak unto you, that if ye go ye will also perish; for thus the Spirit of the Lord constraineth me that I should speak. | If you go back to Jerusalem, you will die there too. If you want, go to the land, but remember my words. If you go, you will die. The Spirit of the Lord told me to say this. |
| 1 Nephi 7:16 | And it came to pass that when I, Nephi, had spoken these words unto my brethren, they were angry with me. And it came to pass that they did lay their hands upon me, for behold, they were exceedingly wroth, and they did bind me with cords, for they sought to take away my life, that they might leave me in the wilderness to be devoured by wild beasts. | When I, Nephi, talked to my brothers, they got very mad at me. They grabbed me and tied me up because they wanted to leave me in the wild so that animals would eat me. |
| 1 Nephi 7:17 | But it came to pass that I prayed unto the Lord, saying: O Lord, according to my faith which is in thee, wilt thou deliver me from the hands of my brethren; yea, even give me strength that I may burst these bands with which I am bound. | I prayed to God and said: “God, please help me. Give me strength to break free from these ropes.” |
| 1 Nephi 7:18 | And it came to pass that when I had said these words, behold, the bands were loosed from off my hands and feet, and I stood before my brethren, and I spake unto them again. | After I said these words, the ropes on my hands and feet came off. I stood up in front of my brothers and talked to them again. |
| 1 Nephi 7:19 | And it came to pass that they were angry with me again, and sought to lay hands upon me; but behold, one of the daughters of Ishmael, yea, and also her mother, and one of the sons of Ishmael, did plead with my brethren, insomuch that they did soften their hearts; and they did cease striving to take away my life. | They got mad at me again and wanted to hurt me. But one of Ishmael’s daughters, her mom, and one of Ishmael’s sons asked my brothers not to. My brothers stopped trying to hurt me. |
| 1 Nephi 7:20 | And it came to pass that they were sorrowful, because of their wickedness, insomuch that they did bow down before me, and did plead with me that I would forgive them of the thing that they had done against me. | They were very sad because they did bad things. They knelt down to me and asked me to forgive them for what they did. |
| 1 Nephi 7:21 | And it came to pass that I did frankly forgive them all that they had done, and I did exhort them that they would pray unto the Lord their God for forgiveness. And it came to pass that they did so. And after they had done praying unto the Lord we did again travel on our journey towards the tent of our father. | I told them I forgave everything they did. I asked them to pray to God for forgiveness. They prayed, and then we continued our trip to my father’s tent. |
| 1 Nephi 7:22 | And it came to pass that we did come down unto the tent of our father. And after I and my brethren and all the house of Ishmael had come down unto the tent of my father, they did give thanks unto the Lord their God; and they did offer sacrifice and burnt offerings unto him. | We went to our father’s tent. After we all arrived, we thanked God and made offerings to Him. |
1 Nephi 8
| Verse | Original | 4th Grade |
|---|---|---|
| 1 Nephi 8:1 | And it came to pass that we had gathered together all manner of seeds of every kind, both of grain of every kind, and also of the seeds of fruit of every kind. | We got all kinds of seeds. We got seeds for all kinds of grains and all kinds of fruits. |
| 1 Nephi 8:2 | And it came to pass that while my father tarried in the wilderness he spake unto us, saying: Behold, I have dreamed a dream; or, in other words, I have seen a vision. | My dad stayed in the forest and talked to us. He said, “Look, I had a dream. I saw something.” |
| 1 Nephi 8:3 | And behold, because of the thing which I have seen, I have reason to rejoice in the Lord because of Nephi and also of Sam; for I have reason to suppose that they, and also many of their seed, will be saved. | I am happy because I saw something good. I am glad for Nephi and Sam. I think they and their children will be safe. |
| 1 Nephi 8:4 | But behold, Laman and Lemuel, I fear exceedingly because of you; for behold, methought I saw in my dream, a dark and dreary wilderness. | But look, Laman and Lemuel, I am very scared because of you. I dreamed I saw a dark and empty place. |
| 1 Nephi 8:5 | And it came to pass that I saw a man, and he was dressed in a white robe; and he came and stood before me. | I saw a man in a white dress. He came and stood in front of me. |
| 1 Nephi 8:6 | And it came to pass that he spake unto me, and bade me follow him. | And he told me to follow him. |
| 1 Nephi 8:7 | And it came to pass that as I followed him I beheld myself that I was in a dark and dreary waste. | As I followed him, I saw that I was in a dark and sad place. |
| 1 Nephi 8:8 | And after I had traveled for the space of many hours in darkness, I began to pray unto the Lord that he would have mercy on me, according to the multitude of his tender mercies. | Then, after I walked for a long time in the dark, I started to pray to the Lord to be kind to me because He is very kind. |
| 1 Nephi 8:9 | And it came to pass after I had prayed unto the Lord I beheld a large and spacious field. | After I prayed to the Lord, I saw a big, open field. |
| 1 Nephi 8:10 | And it came to pass that I beheld a tree, whose fruit was desirable to make one happy. | I saw a tree with fruit that could make you happy. |
| 1 Nephi 8:11 | And it came to pass that I did go forth and partake of the fruit thereof; and I beheld that it was most sweet, above all that I ever before tasted. Yea, and I beheld that the fruit thereof was white, to exceed all the whiteness that I had ever seen. | I went and tasted the fruit. It was the sweetest thing I ever tried. The fruit was very white, whiter than anything I had seen before. |
| 1 Nephi 8:12 | And as I partook of the fruit thereof it filled my soul with exceedingly great joy; wherefore, I began to be desirous that my family should partake of it also; for I knew that it was desirable above all other fruit. | When I ate the fruit, it made me very happy. I wanted my family to eat it too because it was the best fruit. |
| 1 Nephi 8:13 | And as I cast my eyes round about, that perhaps I might discover my family also, I beheld a river of water; and it ran along, and it was near the tree of which I was partaking the fruit. | I looked around to find my family. I saw a river of water. It flowed close to the tree where I was eating the fruit. |
| 1 Nephi 8:14 | And I looked to behold from whence it came; and I saw the head thereof a little way off; and at the head thereof I beheld your mother Sariah, and Sam, and Nephi; and they stood as if they knew not whither they should go. | I looked to see where it came from, and I saw the top of it not far away. At the top, I saw your mom Sariah, and Sam, and Nephi. They stood there looking like they didn’t know where to go. |
| 1 Nephi 8:15 | And it came to pass that I beckoned unto them; and I also did say unto them with a loud voice that they should come unto me, and partake of the fruit, which was desirable above all other fruit. | I called to them and told them loudly to come to me and eat the best fruit. |
| 1 Nephi 8:16 | And it came to pass that they did come unto me and partake of the fruit also. | And they came to me and ate the fruit too. |
| 1 Nephi 8:17 | And it came to pass that I was desirous that Laman and Lemuel should come and partake of the fruit also; wherefore, I cast mine eyes towards the head of the river, that perhaps I might see them. | I really wanted Laman and Lemuel to eat the fruit too. So, I looked up the river to see if I could find them. |
| 1 Nephi 8:18 | And it came to pass that I saw them, but they would not come unto me and partake of the fruit. | I saw them, but they didn’t come to me to eat the fruit. |
| 1 Nephi 8:19 | And I beheld a rod of iron, and it extended along the bank of the river, and led to the tree by which I stood. | I saw an iron rod. It went along the river and led to the tree where I stood. |
| 1 Nephi 8:20 | And I also beheld a strait and narrow path, which came along by the rod of iron, even to the tree by which I stood; and it also led by the head of the fountain, unto a large and spacious field, as if it had been a world. | I saw a straight and narrow path next to the iron rod. It went to the tree where I was and also went by the fountain to a big open field, like a world. |
| 1 Nephi 8:21 | And I saw numberless concourses of people, many of whom were pressing forward, that they might obtain the path which led unto the tree by which I stood. | I saw many groups of people. Many of them were trying hard to get to the path that led to the tree where I was standing. |
| 1 Nephi 8:22 | And it came to pass that they did come forth, and commence in the path which led to the tree. | They started walking on the path that led to the tree. |
| 1 Nephi 8:23 | And it came to pass that there arose a mist of darkness; yea, even an exceedingly great mist of darkness, insomuch that they who had commenced in the path did lose their way, that they wandered off and were lost. | A thick, dark fog came. It was very hard to see. The people could not find their way. They got lost. |
| 1 Nephi 8:24 | And it came to pass that I beheld others pressing forward, and they came forth and caught hold of the end of the rod of iron; and they did press forward through the mist of darkness, clinging to the rod of iron, even until they did come forth and partake of the fruit of the tree. | And I saw other people walking forward. They held onto a metal rod and kept walking, even through the dark mist, until they reached the tree and ate its fruit. |
| 1 Nephi 8:25 | And after they had partaken of the fruit of the tree they did cast their eyes about as if they were ashamed. | After they ate the fruit from the tree, they looked around like they were embarrassed. |
| 1 Nephi 8:26 | And I also cast my eyes round about, and beheld, on the other side of the river of water, a great and spacious building; and it stood as it were in the air, high above the earth. | I looked around and saw, on the other side of the river, a big and roomy building. It was floating high above the ground. |
| 1 Nephi 8:27 | And it was filled with people, both old and young, both male and female; and their manner of dress was exceedingly fine; and they were in the attitude of mocking and pointing their fingers towards those who had come at and were partaking of the fruit. | The place was full of people, both old and young, boys and girls. They wore very nice clothes. They were making fun of and pointing at the people who were eating the fruit. |
| 1 Nephi 8:28 | And after they had tasted of the fruit they were ashamed, because of those that were scoffing at them; and they fell away into forbidden paths and were lost. | After they tasted the fruit, they felt bad because people made fun of them. They left the good path and got lost. |
| 1 Nephi 8:29 | And now I, Nephi, do not speak all the words of my father. | I am Nephi, and I do not tell you everything my father said. |
| 1 Nephi 8:30 | But, to be short in writing, behold, he saw other multitudes pressing forward; and they came and caught hold of the end of the rod of iron; and they did press their way forward, continually holding fast to the rod of iron, until they came forth and fell down and partook of the fruit of the tree. | He saw groups of people moving forward. They grabbed the end of the iron rod. They held onto the iron rod and kept moving forward until they reached the tree and ate the fruit. |
| 1 Nephi 8:31 | And he also saw other multitudes feeling their way towards that great and spacious building. | And he saw other groups of people trying to find their way to the big, spacious building. |
| 1 Nephi 8:32 | And it came to pass that many were drowned in the depths of the fountain; and many were lost from his view, wandering in strange roads. | Many people fell into the water and drowned; and many others got lost on strange roads. |
| 1 Nephi 8:33 | And great was the multitude that did enter into that strange building. And after they did enter into that building they did point the finger of scorn at me and those that were partaking of the fruit also; but we heeded them not. | A lot of people went into the strange building. After they went in, they made fun of me and others who were eating the fruit. But we did not listen to them. |
| 1 Nephi 8:34 | These are the words of my father: For as many as heeded them, had fallen away. | These are my father’s words: Many people who listened, fell away. |
| 1 Nephi 8:35 | And Laman and Lemuel partook not of the fruit, said my father. | And Laman and Lemuel did not eat the fruit, my father said. |
| 1 Nephi 8:36 | And it came to pass after my father had spoken all the words of his dream or vision, which were many, he said unto us, because of these things which he saw in a vision, he exceedingly feared for Laman and Lemuel; yea, he feared lest they should be cast off from the presence of the Lord. | After my father told us about his dream, he said he was very worried about Laman and Lemuel. He thought they might be kept away from the Lord. |
| 1 Nephi 8:37 | And he did exhort them then with all the feeling of a tender parent, that they would hearken to his words, that perhaps the Lord would be merciful to them, and not cast them off; yea, my father did preach unto them. | He talked to them like a loving parent, asking them to listen to him so that the Lord would be kind to them and not leave them. My father taught them. |
| 1 Nephi 8:38 | And after he had preached unto them, and also prophesied unto them of many things, he bade them to keep the commandments of the Lord; and he did cease speaking unto them. | He taught them and told them about many things. He asked them to follow God’s rules, and then he stopped talking to them. |
1 Nephi 9
| Verse | Original | 4th Grade |
|---|---|---|
| 1 Nephi 9:1 | And all these things did my father see, and hear, and speak, as he dwelt in a tent, in the valley of Lemuel, and also a great many more things, which cannot be written upon these plates. | My father saw, heard, and spoke many things while he lived in a tent in the valley of Lemuel. There are many more things he did that we can’t write here. |
| 1 Nephi 9:2 | And now, as I have spoken concerning these plates, behold they are not the plates upon which I make a full account of the history of my people; for the plates upon which I make a full account of my people I have given the name of Nephi; wherefore, they are called the plates of Nephi, after mine own name; and these plates also are called the plates of Nephi. | These are not the main plates. The main plates are called the plates of Nephi, named after me. These plates are also called the plates of Nephi. |
| 1 Nephi 9:3 | Nevertheless, I have received a commandment of the Lord that I should make these plates, for the special purpose that there should be an account engraven of the ministry of my people. | But, God told me to make these plates to write down the important things my people did. |
| 1 Nephi 9:4 | Upon the other plates should be engraven an account of the reign of the kings, and the wars and contentions of my people; wherefore these plates are for the more part of the ministry; and the other plates are for the more part of the reign of the kings and the wars and contentions of my people. | These plates are mostly about my people’s leaders and battles. The other plates are mostly about the kings, wars, and fights. |
| 1 Nephi 9:5 | Wherefore, the Lord hath commanded me to make these plates for a wise purpose in him, which purpose I know not. | So, the Lord told me to make these plates for a good reason. I don’t know the reason, but He does. |
| 1 Nephi 9:6 | But the Lord knoweth all things from the beginning; wherefore, he prepareth a way to accomplish all his works among the children of men; for behold, he hath all power unto the fulfilling of all his words. And thus it is. Amen. | But God knows everything from the start; so, He makes a way to do all His plans with people; because He has all power to do what He says. And that’s how it is. Amen. |
1 Nephi 10
| Verse | Original | 4th Grade |
|---|---|---|
| 1 Nephi 10:1 | And now I, Nephi, proceed to give an account upon these plates of my proceedings, and my reign and ministry; wherefore, to proceed with mine account, I must speak somewhat of the things of my father, and also of my brethren. | Now I, Nephi, want to tell my story on these plates. I will talk about what I did, my time as a leader, and my work. To do this, I need to talk about my father and my brothers. |
| 1 Nephi 10:2 | For behold, it came to pass after my father had made an end of speaking the words of his dream, and also of exhorting them to all diligence, he spake unto them concerning the Jews—— | My dad finished telling his dream and encouraged them to be diligent. Then, he talked to them about the Jews. |
| 1 Nephi 10:3 | That after they should be destroyed, even that great city Jerusalem, and many be carried away captive into Babylon, according to the own due time of the Lord, they should return again, yea, even be brought back out of captivity; and after they should be brought back out of captivity they should possess again the land of their inheritance. | After Jerusalem is destroyed and people are taken to Babylon, they will come back. They will get their land back. |
| 1 Nephi 10:4 | Yea, even six hundred years from the time that my father left Jerusalem, a prophet would the Lord God raise up among the Jews——even a Messiah, or, in other words, a Savior of the world. | Six hundred years after my father left Jerusalem, God will choose a special prophet from the Jews. This prophet will be called the Messiah, or the Savior of the world. |
| 1 Nephi 10:5 | And he also spake concerning the prophets, how great a number had testified of these things, concerning this Messiah, of whom he had spoken, or this Redeemer of the world. | He talked about the prophets. Many prophets said these things about the Messiah, or Savior of the world. |
| 1 Nephi 10:6 | Wherefore, all mankind were in a lost and in a fallen state, and ever would be save they should rely on this Redeemer. | So, everyone was lost and sad, and they would always feel that way unless they trusted this Savior. |
| 1 Nephi 10:7 | And he spake also concerning a prophet who should come before the Messiah, to prepare the way of the Lord— | He talked about a prophet who would come before Jesus, to get people ready for Him. |
| 1 Nephi 10:8 | Yea, even he should go forth and cry in the wilderness: Prepare ye the way of the Lord, and make his paths straight; for there standeth one among you whom ye know not; and he is mightier than I, whose shoe—s latchet I am not worthy to unloose. And much spake my father concerning this thing. | A man went into the woods and shouted, “Get ready for the Lord! Make a straight path for him. There is someone here who is stronger than me. I am not good enough to untie his shoes.” My dad talked a lot about this. |
| 1 Nephi 10:9 | And my father said he should baptize in Bethabara, beyond Jordan; and he also said he should baptize with water; even that he should baptize the Messiah with water. | My dad said he should baptize in Bethabara, across the Jordan River. He also said he should baptize with water, even baptize the Messiah with water. |
| 1 Nephi 10:10 | And after he had baptized the Messiah with water, he should behold and bear record that he had baptized the Lamb of God, who should take away the sins of the world. | After he had baptized Jesus with water, he would see and tell everyone that he had baptized the Lamb of God, who would take away the sins of the world. |
| 1 Nephi 10:11 | And it came to pass after my father had spoken these words he spake unto my brethren concerning the gospel which should be preached among the Jews, and also concerning the dwindling of the Jews in unbelief. And after they had slain the Messiah, who should come, and after he had been slain he should rise from the dead, and should make himself manifest, by the Holy Ghost, unto the Gentiles. | My dad talked to my brothers about telling the Jews the good news. He said the Jews would stop believing. After they hurt Jesus, He would come back to life and show himself to others with the help of the Holy Ghost. |
| 1 Nephi 10:12 | Yea, even my father spake much concerning the Gentiles, and also concerning the house of Israel, that they should be compared like unto an olive-tree, whose branches should be broken off and should be scattered upon all the face of the earth. | My father talked a lot about people who are not Jews and the people of Israel. He said they are like an olive tree. The branches of the tree will be broken and spread all over the world. |
| 1 Nephi 10:13 | Wherefore, he said it must needs be that we should be led with one accord into the land of promise, unto the fulfilling of the word of the Lord, that we should be scattered upon all the face of the earth. | So, he said we need to go together to the promised land, to do what the Lord said, which is to be spread all over the earth. |
| 1 Nephi 10:14 | And after the house of Israel should be scattered they should be gathered together again; or, in fine, after the Gentiles had received the fulness of the Gospel, the natural branches of the olive-tree, or the remnants of the house of Israel, should be grafted in, or come to the knowledge of the true Messiah, their Lord and their Redeemer. | After the people of Israel are scattered, they will come back together. When the Gentiles have the full Gospel, the people of Israel will learn about the true Messiah, their Lord, and Savior. |
| 1 Nephi 10:15 | And after this manner of language did my father prophesy and speak unto my brethren, and also many more things which I do not write in this book; for I have written as many of them as were expedient for me in mine other book. | My father spoke and told my brothers many things. I did not write all of them in this book because I wrote some of them in another book. |
| 1 Nephi 10:16 | And all these things, of which I have spoken, were done as my father dwelt in a tent, in the valley of Lemuel. | All these things happened while my father lived in a tent in the valley called Lemuel. |
| 1 Nephi 10:17 | And it came to pass after I, Nephi, having heard all the words of my father, concerning the things which he saw in a vision, and also the things which he spake by the power of the Holy Ghost, which power he received by faith on the Son of God—and the Son of God was the Messiah who should come—I, Nephi, was desirous also that I might see, and hear, and know of these things, by the power of the Holy Ghost, which is the gift of God unto all those who diligently seek him, as well in times of old as in the time that he should manifest himself unto the children of men. | Nephi listened to his dad talk about a vision. The vision was from God’s Spirit. Nephi wanted to see the same things. He wanted to understand them too. He knew God’s Spirit would help him. |
| 1 Nephi 10:18 | For he is the same yesterday, to-day, and forever; and the way is prepared for all men from the foundation of the world, if it so be that they repent and come unto him. | God is always the same. He made a way for everyone a long time ago if they say sorry and come to Him. |
| 1 Nephi 10:19 | For he that diligently seeketh shall find; and the mysteries of God shall be unfolded unto them, by the power of the Holy Ghost, as well in these times as in times of old, and as well in times of old as in times to come; wherefore, the course of the Lord is one eternal round. | If you look hard, you will find answers. God will show you mysteries through the Holy Ghost, now and in the past, and in the future. God’s way is always the same. |
| 1 Nephi 10:20 | Therefore remember, O man, for all thy doings thou shalt be brought into judgment. | Remember, everyone, all the things you do will be judged. |
| 1 Nephi 10:21 | Wherefore, if ye have sought to do wickedly in the days of your probation, then ye are found unclean before the judgment-seat of God; and no unclean thing can dwell with God; wherefore, ye must be cast off forever. | If you have done bad things, you cannot be with God. You must be sent away forever. |
| 1 Nephi 10:22 | And the Holy Ghost giveth authority that I should speak these things, and deny them not. | The Holy Ghost tells me I must say these things and not hide them. |
1 Nephi 11
| Verse | Original | 4th Grade |
|---|---|---|
| 1 Nephi 11:1 | For it came to pass after I had desired to know the things that my father had seen, and believing that the Lord was able to make them known unto me, as I sat pondering in mine heart I was caught away in the Spirit of the Lord, yea, into an exceedingly high mountain, which I never had before seen, and upon which I never had before set my foot. | I wanted to know what my father saw, and I believed the Lord could show me. As I thought about it, I was taken by the Spirit to a very high mountain that I had never seen before. |
| 1 Nephi 11:2 | And the Spirit said unto me: Behold, what desirest thou? | And the Spirit said to me: Look, what do you want? |
| 1 Nephi 11:3 | And I said: I desire to behold the things which my father saw. | I said: I want to see what my father saw. |
| 1 Nephi 11:4 | And the Spirit said unto me: Believest thou that thy father saw the tree of which he hath spoken? | The Spirit asked me: Do you believe that your father saw the tree he talked about? |
| 1 Nephi 11:5 | And I said: Yea, thou knowest that I believe all the words of my father. | And I said: Yes, you know that I believe everything my father said. |
| 1 Nephi 11:6 | And when I had spoken these words, the Spirit cried with a loud voice, saying: Hosanna to the Lord, the most high God; for he is God over all the earth, yea, even above all. And blessed art thou, Nephi, because thou believest in the Son of the most high God; wherefore, thou shalt behold the things which thou hast desired. | After I said these things, the Spirit shouted loudly: “Hosanna to the Lord, the most high God. He is God over all the earth, even above everything. And you, Nephi, are blessed because you believe in the Son of the most high God. So, you will see the things you wanted.” |
| 1 Nephi 11:7 | And behold this thing shall be given unto thee for a sign, that after thou hast beheld the tree which bore the fruit which thy father tasted, thou shalt also behold a man descending out of heaven, and him shall ye witness; and after ye have witnessed him ye shall bear record that it is the Son of God. | This will be a sign for you: After you see the tree with fruit that your father ate, you will see a man come down from heaven. You will see him and know he is the Son of God. |
| 1 Nephi 11:8 | And it came to pass that the Spirit said unto me: Look! And I looked and beheld a tree; and it was like unto the tree which my father had seen; and the beauty thereof was far beyond, yea, exceeding of all beauty; and the whiteness thereof did exceed the whiteness of the driven snow. | The Spirit told me: Look! I looked and saw a tree. It was like the tree my father saw. It was the most beautiful tree, whiter than snow. |
| 1 Nephi 11:9 | And it came to pass after I had seen the tree, I said unto the Spirit: I behold thou hast shown unto me the tree which is precious above all. | After I saw the tree, I said to the Spirit: You showed me the special tree. |
| 1 Nephi 11:10 | And he said unto me: What desirest thou? | He asked me: What do you want? |
| 1 Nephi 11:11 | And I said unto him: To know the interpretation thereof—for I spake unto him as a man speaketh; for I beheld that he was in the form of a man; yet nevertheless, I knew that it was the Spirit of the Lord; and he spake unto me as a man speaketh with another. | I talked to him because I wanted to understand what it meant. He looked like a man, and I knew he was the Spirit of the Lord. We talked like two people talk to each other. |
| 1 Nephi 11:12 | And it came to pass that he said unto me: Look! And I looked as if to look upon him, and I saw him not; for he had gone from before my presence. | He said to me: Look! I looked, but I did not see him because he was gone. |
| 1 Nephi 11:13 | And it came to pass that I looked and beheld the great city of Jerusalem, and also other cities. And I beheld the city of Nazareth; and in the city of Nazareth I beheld a virgin, and she was exceedingly fair and white. | I saw the big city of Jerusalem and also other cities. I saw the city of Nazareth. In Nazareth, I saw a young woman. She was very beautiful. |
| 1 Nephi 11:14 | And it came to pass that I saw the heavens open; and an angel came down and stood before me; and he said unto me: Nephi, what beholdest thou? | I saw the sky open up. An angel came down and stood in front of me. He said to me, “Nephi, what do you see?” |
| 1 Nephi 11:15 | And I said unto him: A virgin, most beautiful and fair above all other virgins. | And I said to him: A very beautiful girl, prettier than all other girls. |
| 1 Nephi 11:16 | And he said unto me: Knowest thou the condescension of God? | And he asked me: Do you know how God has come down to help us? |
| 1 Nephi 11:17 | And I said unto him: I know that he loveth his children; nevertheless, I do not know the meaning of all things. | I said to him: I know that he loves his children; but I don’t know everything. |
| 1 Nephi 11:18 | And he said unto me: Behold, the virgin whom thou seest is the mother of the Son of God, after the manner of the flesh. | He said to me: Look, the young woman you see is the mother of God’s Son in a human way. |
| 1 Nephi 11:19 | And it came to pass that I beheld that she was carried away in the Spirit; and after she had been carried away in the Spirit for the space of a time the angel spake unto me, saying: Look! | She was taken by the Spirit. After some time, the angel said to me, “Look!” |
| 1 Nephi 11:20 | And I looked and beheld the virgin again, bearing a child in her arms. | I saw the woman again, holding a baby in her arms. |
| 1 Nephi 11:21 | And the angel said unto me: Behold the Lamb of God, yea, even the Son of the Eternal Father! Knowest thou the meaning of the tree which thy father saw? | The angel said to me: Look at the Lamb of God, the Son of the Eternal Father! Do you know what the tree your father saw means? |
| 1 Nephi 11:22 | And I answered him, saying: Yea, it is the love of God, which sheddeth itself abroad in the hearts of the children of men; wherefore, it is the most desirable above all things. | I said to him, “Yes, it is God’s love in people’s hearts. It is the best thing of all.” |
| 1 Nephi 11:23 | And he spake unto me, saying: Yea, and the most joyous to the soul. | And he said to me: Yes, and the happiest for the heart. |
| 1 Nephi 11:24 | And after he had said these words, he said unto me: Look! And I looked, and I beheld the Son of God going forth among the children of men; and I saw many fall down at his feet and worship him. | After he said these words, he told me to look. I looked and saw the Son of God walking among people. Many people fell down and worshiped him. |
| 1 Nephi 11:25 | And it came to pass that I beheld that the rod of iron, which my father had seen, was the word of God, which led to the fountain of living waters, or to the tree of life; which waters are a representation of the love of God; and I also beheld that the tree of life was a representation of the love of God. | I saw a strong, iron rod. This rod was God’s word. It showed the way to the living waters and the tree of life. These waters and the tree show God’s love. |
| 1 Nephi 11:26 | And the angel said unto me again: Look and behold the condescension of God! | The angel said to me: Look and see how God came down to help us! |
| 1 Nephi 11:27 | And I looked and beheld the Redeemer of the world, of whom my father had spoken; and I also beheld the prophet who should prepare the way before him. And the Lamb of God went forth and was baptized of him; and after he was baptized, I beheld the heavens open, and the Holy Ghost come down out of heaven and abide upon him in the form of a dove. | I saw the Savior of the world that my father talked about. I also saw the prophet who would get things ready for him. The Lamb of God went to the prophet and was baptized. After that, I saw the sky open, and the Holy Ghost came down like a dove and stayed with him. |
| 1 Nephi 11:28 | And I beheld that he went forth ministering unto the people, in power and great glory; and the multitudes were gathered together to hear him; and I beheld that they cast him out from among them. | I saw that he went to help the people with great power and glory, and many people came to listen to him. But then they made him leave. |
| 1 Nephi 11:29 | And I also beheld twelve others following him. And it came to pass that they were carried away in the Spirit from before my face, and I saw them not. | I saw twelve people following him. Then they went away, and I couldn’t see them anymore. |
| 1 Nephi 11:30 | And it came to pass that the angel spake unto me again, saying: Look! And I looked, and I beheld the heavens open again, and I saw angels descending upon the children of men; and they did minister unto them. | The angel talked to me again and said: Look! I looked and saw the sky open and angels coming down to help people. |
| 1 Nephi 11:31 | And he spake unto me again, saying: Look! And I looked, and I beheld the Lamb of God going forth among the children of men. And I beheld multitudes of people who were sick, and who were afflicted with all manner of diseases, and with devils and unclean spirits; and the angel spake and showed all these things unto me. And they were healed by the power of the Lamb of God; and the devils and the unclean spirits were cast out. | He spoke to me again and said, “Look!” I looked and saw the Lamb of God with people. I saw many sick people with diseases and bad spirits. The angel showed me. They were healed by the Lamb of God, and the bad spirits went away. |
| 1 Nephi 11:32 | And it came to pass that the angel spake unto me again, saying: Look! And I looked and beheld the Lamb of God, that he was taken by the people; yea, the Son of the everlasting God was judged of the world; and I saw and bear record. | The angel said to me, “Look!” And I saw the Lamb of God. The people took Him. The Son of God was judged by the world. I saw this and I tell you it is true. |
| 1 Nephi 11:33 | And I, Nephi, saw that he was lifted up upon the cross and slain for the sins of the world. | I, Nephi, saw Jesus on the cross. He died for the people’s wrongs. |
| 1 Nephi 11:34 | And after he was slain I saw the multitudes of the earth, that they were gathered together to fight against the apostles of the Lamb; for thus were the twelve called by the angel of the Lord. | After he was killed, I saw many people on the earth. They came together to fight the apostles of the Lamb. The angel of the Lord called these twelve men apostles. |
| 1 Nephi 11:35 | And the multitude of the earth was gathered together; and I beheld that they were in a large and spacious building, like unto the building which my father saw. And the angel of the Lord spake unto me again, saying: Behold the world and the wisdom thereof; yea, behold the house of Israel hath gathered together to fight against the twelve apostles of the Lamb. | Many people in the world came together. I saw them in a big building, like the one my father saw. An angel talked to me and said, “Look at the world and how smart it thinks it is. The house of Israel has come together to fight against the twelve apostles of the Lamb.” |
| 1 Nephi 11:36 | And it came to pass that I saw and bear record, that the great and spacious building was the pride of the world; and it fell, and the fall thereof was exceedingly great. And the angel of the Lord spake unto me again, saying: Thus shall be the destruction of all nations, kindreds, tongues, and people, that shall fight against the twelve apostles of the Lamb. | I saw a big, tall building. It was very fancy and proud. But then it fell down, and it was a big crash. An angel told me that all groups and people who fight against God’s apostles will be destroyed like the building. |
1 Nephi 12
| Verse | Original | 4th Grade |
|---|---|---|
| 1 Nephi 12:1 | And it came to pass that the angel said unto me: Look, and behold thy seed, and also the seed of thy brethren. And I looked and beheld the land of promise; and I beheld multitudes of people, yea, even as it were in number as many as the sand of the sea. | The angel said to me: Look and see your children and your brothers’ children. I looked and saw the promised land. I saw many people, as many as the sand on the beach. |
| 1 Nephi 12:2 | And it came to pass that I beheld multitudes gathered together to battle, one against the other; and I beheld wars, and rumors of wars, and great slaughters with the sword among my people. | I saw many people fighting each other. There were wars and talk about wars. Many people were hurt and killed. |
| 1 Nephi 12:3 | And it came to pass that I beheld many generations pass away, after the manner of wars and contentions in the land; and I beheld many cities, yea, even that I did not number them. | I saw many years go by with lots of fighting and wars. I saw many cities, so many that I couldn’t count them. |
| 1 Nephi 12:4 | And it came to pass that I saw a mist of darkness on the face of the land of promise; and I saw lightnings, and I heard thunderings, and earthquakes, and all manner of tumultuous noises; and I saw the earth and the rocks, that they rent; and I saw mountains tumbling into pieces; and I saw the plains of the earth, that they were broken up; and I saw many cities that they were sunk; and I saw many that they were burned with fire; and I saw many that did tumble to the earth, because of the quaking thereof. | I saw dark mist over the land. I saw lightning and heard thunder and earthquakes. I heard loud noises. I saw the ground crack and rocks break. I saw mountains fall apart. I saw the flat land break. I saw many cities sink, burn with fire, and fall down because of shaking. |
| 1 Nephi 12:5 | And it came to pass after I saw these things, I saw the vapor of darkness, that it passed from off the face of the earth; and behold, I saw multitudes who had not fallen because of the great and terrible judgments of the Lord. | After I saw these things, the dark clouds went away. I saw many people who were still alive because they had not been hurt by the Lord’s big punishments. |
| 1 Nephi 12:6 | And I saw the heavens open, and the Lamb of God descending out of heaven; and he came down and showed himself unto them. | I saw the sky open, and the Lamb of God came down from heaven. He came down and showed himself to the people. |
| 1 Nephi 12:7 | And I also saw and bear record that the Holy Ghost fell upon twelve others; and they were ordained of God, and chosen. | I saw that twelve people got a special blessing from the Holy Ghost. God chose them for a special job. |
| 1 Nephi 12:8 | And the angel spake unto me, saying: Behold the twelve disciples of the Lamb, who are chosen to minister unto thy seed. | The angel said to me, “Look at the twelve helpers of Jesus. They will teach your children.” |
| 1 Nephi 12:9 | And he said unto me: Thou rememberest the twelve apostles of the Lamb? Behold they are they who shall judge the twelve tribes of Israel; wherefore, the twelve ministers of thy seed shall be judged of them; for ye are of the house of Israel. | He said to me: Do you remember the twelve apostles of Jesus? They will judge the twelve tribes of Israel. The twelve leaders of your people will be judged by them because you are from Israel. |
| 1 Nephi 12:10 | And these twelve ministers whom thou beholdest shall judge thy seed. And, behold, they are righteous forever; for because of their faith in the Lamb of God their garments are made white in his blood. | These twelve helpers you see will judge your people. They are good and clean because they believe in Jesus. |
| 1 Nephi 12:11 | And the angel said unto me: Look! And I looked, and beheld three generations pass away in righteousness; and their garments were white even like unto the Lamb of God. And the angel said unto me: These are made white in the blood of the Lamb, because of their faith in him. | The angel said to me: Look! I looked and saw three generations of good people. They wore white clothes like the Lamb of God. The angel said: Their clothes are white because they believe in the Lamb of God. |
| 1 Nephi 12:12 | And I, Nephi, also saw many of the fourth generation who passed away in righteousness. | I, Nephi, saw many people from the fourth generation who lived good lives and then died. |
| 1 Nephi 12:13 | And it came to pass that I saw the multitudes of the earth gathered together. | I saw many people from all over the earth coming together. |
| 1 Nephi 12:14 | And the angel said unto me: Behold thy seed, and also the seed of thy brethren. | The angel said to me: Look at your children and the children of your brothers. |
| 1 Nephi 12:15 | And it came to pass that I looked and beheld the people of my seed gathered together in multitudes against the seed of my brethren; and they were gathered together to battle. | I saw my people gathered in large groups to fight against my brothers’ people. |
| 1 Nephi 12:16 | And the angel spake unto me, saying: Behold the fountain of filthy water which thy father saw; yea, even the river of which he spake; and the depths thereof are the depths of hell. | The angel said to me: Look at the dirty water that your dad saw; yes, the river he talked about. The deep parts are like the depths of hell. |
| 1 Nephi 12:17 | And the mists of darkness are the temptations of the devil, which blindeth the eyes, and hardeneth the hearts of the children of men, and leadeth them away into broad roads, that they perish and are lost. | The mists of darkness are the devil’s tricks. They make people blind and mean, leading them down wrong paths where they get lost. |
| 1 Nephi 12:18 | And the large and spacious building, which thy father saw, is vain imaginations and the pride of the children of men. And a great and a terrible gulf divideth them; yea, even the word of the justice of the Eternal God, and the Messiah who is the Lamb of God, of whom the Holy Ghost beareth record, from the beginning of the world until this time, and from this time henceforth and forever. | The big, fancy building your father saw is like people’s silly thoughts and their pride. A huge, scary space separates them. This is because of God’s fair rules and Jesus, who is God’s Lamb. The Holy Spirit has always told this, from the start of the world until now, and will forever. |
| 1 Nephi 12:19 | And while the angel spake these words, I beheld and saw that the seed of my brethren did contend against my seed, according to the word of the angel; and because of the pride of my seed, and the temptations of the devil, I beheld that the seed of my brethren did overpower the people of my seed. | While the angel talked, I saw my brothers’ children fight against my children. This happened because my children were too proud and listened to the devil. Because of this, my brothers’ children won. |
| 1 Nephi 12:20 | And it came to pass that I beheld, and saw the people of the seed of my brethren that they had overcome my seed; and they went forth in multitudes upon the face of the land. | I saw that my brothers’ children had won against my children, and many of them went all over the land. |
| 1 Nephi 12:21 | And I saw them gathered together in multitudes; and I saw wars and rumors of wars among them; and in wars and rumors of wars I saw many generations pass away. | I saw lots of people come together. I saw them fight in wars and talk about wars. Many years went by with the wars and talk of wars. |
| 1 Nephi 12:22 | And the angel said unto me: Behold these shall dwindle in unbelief. | The angel told me: Look, these people will stop believing. |
| 1 Nephi 12:23 | And it came to pass that I beheld, after they had dwindled in unbelief they became a dark, and loathsome, and a filthy people, full of idleness and all manner of abominations. | The people stopped believing and became bad, dirty, and lazy. They did wrong things. |
1 Nephi 13
| Verse | Original | 4th Grade |
|---|---|---|
| 1 Nephi 13:1 | And it came to pass that the angel spake unto me, saying: Look! And I looked and beheld many nations and kingdoms. | And then the angel talked to me and said: Look! So I looked and saw many places and kings. |
| 1 Nephi 13:2 | And the angel said unto me: What beholdest thou? And I said: I behold many nations and kingdoms. | The angel asked me: What do you see? I said: I see many countries and kingdoms. |
| 1 Nephi 13:3 | And he said unto me: These are the nations and kingdoms of the Gentiles. | He told me: These are the countries and places of the people who are not Jews. |
| 1 Nephi 13:4 | And it came to pass that I saw among the nations of the Gentiles the formation of a great church. | I saw that a big church was made among the people. |
| 1 Nephi 13:5 | And the angel said unto me: Behold the formation of a church which is most abominable above all other churches, which slayeth the saints of God, yea, and tortureth them and bindeth them down, and yoketh them with a yoke of iron, and bringeth them down into captivity. | The angel said to me: Look, there is a very bad church. It hurts and kills God’s good people. It puts heavy chains on them and makes them prisoners. |
| 1 Nephi 13:6 | And it came to pass that I beheld this great and abominable church; and I saw the devil that he was the founder of it. | I saw a big, bad church. The devil made it. |
| 1 Nephi 13:7 | And I also saw gold, and silver, and silks, and scarlets, and fine-twined linen, and all manner of precious clothing; and I saw many harlots. | I saw gold, silver, fancy clothes, and many bad people. |
| 1 Nephi 13:8 | And the angel spake unto me, saying: Behold the gold, and the silver, and the silks, and the scarlets, and the fine-twined linen, and the precious clothing, and the harlots, are the desires of this great and abominable church. | The angel said to me: Look at the gold, silver, fancy clothes, and other valuable things. These are what the bad church wants. |
| 1 Nephi 13:9 | And also for the praise of the world do they destroy the saints of God, and bring them down into captivity. | They destroy God’s good people and make them prisoners just to get the praise of others. |
| 1 Nephi 13:10 | And it came to pass that I looked and beheld many waters; and they divided the Gentiles from the seed of my brethren. | I saw lots of water, and it kept my people away from the other people. |
| 1 Nephi 13:11 | And it came to pass that the angel said unto me: Behold the wrath of God is upon the seed of thy brethren. | The angel told me: Look, God’s anger is on the children of your brothers. |
| 1 Nephi 13:12 | And I looked and beheld a man among the Gentiles, who was separated from the seed of my brethren by the many waters; and I beheld the Spirit of God, that it came down and wrought upon the man; and he went forth upon the many waters, even unto the seed of my brethren, who were in the promised land. | I saw a man far away from my brothers. There was a big ocean between them. God’s Spirit came to the man and helped him. He traveled across the ocean to where my brothers lived in the new land. |
| 1 Nephi 13:13 | And it came to pass that I beheld the Spirit of God, that it wrought upon other Gentiles; and they went forth out of captivity, upon the many waters. | I saw God’s Spirit help other people, and they left captivity and crossed the big waters. |
| 1 Nephi 13:14 | And it came to pass that I beheld many multitudes of the Gentiles upon the land of promise; and I beheld the wrath of God, that it was upon the seed of my brethren; and they were scattered before the Gentiles and were smitten. | I saw many groups of people in a new land. I saw that God was angry with my brothers, and they were scattered and hurt by the people. |
| 1 Nephi 13:15 | And I beheld the Spirit of the Lord, that it was upon the Gentiles, and they did prosper and obtain the land for their inheritance; and I beheld that they were white, and exceedingly fair and beautiful, like unto my people before they were slain. | I saw the Lord’s Spirit with the Gentiles. They did well and got the land. I saw that they were white and very beautiful, like my people before they were killed. |
| 1 Nephi 13:16 | And it came to pass that I, Nephi, beheld that the Gentiles who had gone forth out of captivity did humble themselves before the Lord; and the power of the Lord was with them. | I, Nephi, saw that the people who were set free prayed to the Lord, and the Lord helped them. |
| 1 Nephi 13:17 | And I beheld that their mother Gentiles were gathered together upon the waters, and upon the land also, to battle against them. | I saw that the mother countries of the Gentiles came together on the water and on the land to fight against them. |
| 1 Nephi 13:18 | And I beheld that the power of God was with them, and also that the wrath of God was upon all those that were gathered together against them to battle. | I saw that God helped them, and that God was angry with those who tried to fight against them. |
| 1 Nephi 13:19 | And I, Nephi, beheld that the Gentiles that had gone out of captivity were delivered by the power of God out of the hands of all other nations. | I, Nephi, saw that the people who were freed were saved by God’s power from all the other nations. |
| 1 Nephi 13:20 | And it came to pass that I, Nephi, beheld that they did prosper in the land; and I beheld a book, and it was carried forth among them. | Nephi saw that the people were doing well. He saw a book being shared with them. |
| 1 Nephi 13:21 | And the angel said unto me: Knowest thou the meaning of the book? | The angel asked me: Do you know what the book means? |
| 1 Nephi 13:22 | And I said unto him: I know not. | I said to him: I don’t know. |
| 1 Nephi 13:23 | And he said: Behold it proceedeth out of the mouth of a Jew. And I, Nephi, beheld it; and he said unto me: The book that thou beholdest is a record of the Jews, which contains the covenants of the Lord, which he hath made unto the house of Israel; and it also containeth many of the prophecies of the holy prophets; and it is a record like unto the engravings which are upon the plates of brass, save there are not so many; nevertheless, they contain the covenants of the Lord, which he hath made unto the house of Israel; wherefore, they are of great worth unto the Gentiles. | He said: Look, it comes from the mouth of a Jew. I, Nephi, saw it. He told me: The book you see is a record of the Jews. It has the promises God made to Israel. It also has many prophecies of holy prophets. It is similar to the writings on the brass plates, but there are not as many. Still, it has the promises God made to Israel. So, it is very valuable to the Gentiles. |
| 1 Nephi 13:24 | And the angel of the Lord said unto me: Thou hast beheld that the book proceeded forth from the mouth of a Jew; and when it proceeded forth from the mouth of a Jew it contained the fulness of the gospel of the Lord, of whom the twelve apostles bear record; and they bear record according to the truth which is in the Lamb of God. | The angel said to me: You saw that the book came from a Jew. When it came from the Jew, it had all of God’s teachings. The twelve apostles taught these true teachings about Jesus. |
| 1 Nephi 13:25 | Wherefore, these things go forth from the Jews in purity unto the Gentiles, according to the truth which is in God. | So, these messages come from the Jews clean and true to the non-Jews, following God’s truth. |
| 1 Nephi 13:26 | And after they go forth by the hand of the twelve apostles of the Lamb, from the Jews unto the Gentiles, thou seest the formation of a great and abominable church, which is most abominable above all other churches; for behold, they have taken away from the gospel of the Lamb many parts which are plain and most precious; and also many covenants of the Lord have they taken away. | After the 12 apostles of Jesus share the gospel with the Gentiles, a bad church forms. This church is worse than all others because it removes important and special parts of Jesus’s teachings and promises. |
| 1 Nephi 13:27 | And all this have they done that they might pervert the right ways of the Lord, that they might blind the eyes and harden the hearts of the children of men. | They did all these things to make people forget what is right, to confuse and make people’s hearts unkind. |
| 1 Nephi 13:28 | Wherefore, thou seest that after the book hath gone forth through the hands of the great and abominable church, that there are many plain and precious things taken away from the book, which is the book of the Lamb of God. | So, you see that after the book goes out from the bad church, many simple and important parts are taken away from the book, which is the book of God’s Lamb. |
| 1 Nephi 13:29 | And after these plain and precious things were taken away it goeth forth unto all the nations of the Gentiles; and after it goeth forth unto all the nations of the Gentiles, yea, even across the many waters which thou hast seen with the Gentiles which have gone forth out of captivity, thou seest—because of the many plain and precious things which have been taken out of the book, which were plain unto the understanding of the children of men, according to the plainness which is in the Lamb of God—because of these things which are taken away out of the gospel of the Lamb, an exceedingly great many do stumble, yea, insomuch that Satan hath great power over them. | After important things were taken away, the book went to all the nations. It went even across the sea with people who were free from captivity. Because the important things were taken away and they were easy to understand, many people have trouble. Because of this, Satan has a lot of power over them. |
| 1 Nephi 13:30 | Nevertheless, thou beholdest that the Gentiles who have gone forth out of captivity, and have been lifted up by the power of God above all other nations, upon the face of the land which is choice above all other lands, which is the land that the Lord God hath covenanted with thy father that his seed should have for the land of their inheritance; wherefore, thou seest that the Lord God will not suffer that the Gentiles will utterly destroy the mixture of thy seed, which are among thy brethren. | But you see that the people who were once held captive and freed by God are now powerful. They live in the best land, which God promised to your ancestors. God will make sure that these people will not completely destroy your family. |
| 1 Nephi 13:31 | Neither will he suffer that the Gentiles shall destroy the seed of thy brethren. | He won’t let the other people hurt your brothers’ children. |
| 1 Nephi 13:32 | Neither will the Lord God suffer that the Gentiles shall forever remain in that awful state of blindness, which thou beholdest they are in, because of the plain and most precious parts of the gospel of the Lamb which have been kept back by that abominable church, whose formation thou hast seen. | God won’t let the people stay blind forever because important parts of Jesus’ teachings have been hidden by a bad church. |
| 1 Nephi 13:33 | Wherefore saith the Lamb of God: I will be merciful unto the Gentiles, unto the visiting of the remnant of the house of Israel in great judgment. | The Lamb of God says: I will be kind to the Gentiles and visit the people of Israel with great judgement. |
| 1 Nephi 13:34 | And it came to pass that the angel of the Lord spake unto me, saying: Behold, saith the Lamb of God, after I have visited the remnant of the house of Israel—and this remnant of whom I speak is the seed of thy father—wherefore, after I have visited them in judgment, and smitten them by the hand of the Gentiles, and after the Gentiles do stumble exceedingly, because of the most plain and precious parts of the gospel of the Lamb which have been kept back by that abominable church, which is the mother of harlots, saith the Lamb—I will be merciful unto the Gentiles in that day, insomuch that I will bring forth unto them, in mine own power, much of my gospel, which shall be plain and precious, saith the Lamb. | An angel of God spoke to me and said: Look, the Lamb of God says, after I visit the children of Israel and punish them through other people, then those people will have problems because some important parts of the gospel were kept from them. But I will be kind to them and give them my gospel again, which will be clear and important, says the Lamb. |
| 1 Nephi 13:35 | For, behold, saith the Lamb: I will manifest myself unto thy seed, that they shall write many things which I shall minister unto them, which shall be plain and precious; and after thy seed shall be destroyed, and dwindle in unbelief, and also the seed of thy brethren, behold, these things shall be hid up, to come forth unto the Gentiles, by the gift and power of the Lamb. | The Lamb says: I will show myself to your children. They will write down many important things I tell them. After your children and your brothers’ children are gone, these writings will be hidden and later given to the Gentiles by the power of the Lamb. |
| 1 Nephi 13:36 | And in them shall be written my gospel, saith the Lamb, and my rock and my salvation. | The Lamb says, “My good news will be written in them. I am a rock and I am here to save.” |
| 1 Nephi 13:37 | And blessed are they who shall seek to bring forth my Zion at that day, for they shall have the gift and the power of the Holy Ghost; and if they endure unto the end they shall be lifted up at the last day, and shall be saved in the everlasting kingdom of the Lamb; and whoso shall publish peace, yea, tidings of great joy, how beautiful upon the mountains shall they be. | Happy are those who try to make Zion at that time. They will have the Holy Ghost’s help. If they stay good until the end, they will be lifted up and saved in God’s forever kingdom. Those who spread peace and good news will be beautiful upon the mountains. |
| 1 Nephi 13:38 | And it came to pass that I beheld the remnant of the seed of my brethren, and also the book of the Lamb of God, which had proceeded forth from the mouth of the Jew, that it came forth from the Gentiles unto the remnant of the seed of my brethren. | I saw the children of my brothers and a special book from God. This book came from the people called Jews and then went to other people and to the children of my brothers. |
| 1 Nephi 13:39 | And after it had come forth unto them I beheld other books, which came forth by the power of the Lamb, from the Gentiles unto them, unto the convincing of the Gentiles and the remnant of the seed of my brethren, and also the Jews who were scattered upon all the face of the earth, that the records of the prophets and of the twelve apostles of the Lamb are true. | After it came to them, I saw more books. These books came by the power of the Lamb. They came to convince the Gentiles and my brothers’ children, and also the Jews all over the world, that the prophets and the twelve apostles’ words are true. |
| 1 Nephi 13:40 | And the angel spake unto me, saying: These last records, which thou hast seen among the Gentiles, shall establish the truth of the first, which are of the twelve apostles of the Lamb, and shall make known the plain and precious things which have been taken away from them; and shall make known to all kindreds, tongues, and people, that the Lamb of God is the Son of the Eternal Father, and the Savior of the world; and that all men must come unto him, or they cannot be saved. | The angel said to me, “These last records will show the truth of the first records from the twelve apostles. They will tell the important things that were taken away and will let everyone know that the Lamb of God is the Son of the Eternal Father and the Savior of the world. Everyone must come to Him to be saved.” |
| 1 Nephi 13:41 | And they must come according to the words which shall be established by the mouth of the Lamb; and the words of the Lamb shall be made known in the records of thy seed, as well as in the records of the twelve apostles of the Lamb; wherefore they both shall be established in one; for there is one God and one Shepherd over all the earth. | They must follow the words given by the Lamb. These words will be in the records of your descendants and the records of the twelve apostles. These records will be united because there is one God and one Shepherd for everyone. |
| 1 Nephi 13:42 | And the time cometh that he shall manifest himself unto all nations, both unto the Jews and also unto the Gentiles; and after he has manifested himself unto the Jews and also unto the Gentiles, then he shall manifest himself unto the Gentiles and also unto the Jews, and the last shall be first, and the first shall be last. | The time will come when he will show himself to everyone. First to the Jews and then to everyone else. After that, he will show himself to everyone again, but in reverse order. Those who were first will be last, and those who were last will be first. |
1 Nephi 14
| Verse | Original | 4th Grade |
|---|---|---|
| 1 Nephi 14:1 | And it shall come to pass, that if the Gentiles shall hearken unto the Lamb of God in that day that he shall manifest himself unto them in word, and also in power, in very deed, unto the taking away of their stumbling blocks— | If the people listen to Jesus and follow Him, He will help them and take away their problems. |
| 1 Nephi 14:2 | And harden not their hearts against the Lamb of God, they shall be numbered among the seed of thy father; yea, they shall be numbered among the house of Israel; and they shall be a blessed people upon the promised land forever; they shall be no more brought down into captivity; and the house of Israel shall no more be confounded. | Don’t be mean to Jesus, and you will be part of your father’s family. You will be part of God’s special people and will be happy on the promised land forever. You won’t be captured anymore, and God’s people won’t be confused again. |
| 1 Nephi 14:3 | And that great pit, which hath been digged for them by that great and abominable church, which was founded by the devil and his children, that he might lead away the souls of men down to hell—yea, that great pit which hath been digged for the destruction of men shall be filled by those who digged it, unto their utter destruction, saith the Lamb of God; not the destruction of the soul, save it be the casting of it into that hell which hath no end. | The big hole made by the bad church, started by the devil, will be filled by the people who made it. This will destroy them, says the Lamb of God. It won’t destroy their souls, but they will be sent to a never-ending hell. |
| 1 Nephi 14:4 | For behold, this is according to the captivity of the devil, and also according to the justice of God, upon all those who will work wickedness and abomination before him. | Listen, this is what happens because of the devil and because God is fair. It happens to everyone who does bad things in front of Him. |
| 1 Nephi 14:5 | And it came to pass that the angel spake unto me, Nephi, saying: Thou hast beheld that if the Gentiles repent it shall be well with them; and thou also knowest concerning the covenants of the Lord unto the house of Israel; and thou also hast heard that whoso repenteth not must perish. | The angel talked to me, Nephi, and said: If the people change and say sorry, things will be good for them. You know God’s promises to Israel. You also heard that if someone does not say sorry, they will be in trouble. |
| 1 Nephi 14:6 | Therefore, wo be unto the Gentiles if it so be that they harden their hearts against the Lamb of God. | So, bad things will happen to people if they don’t listen to Jesus and make their hearts hard. |
| 1 Nephi 14:7 | For the time cometh, saith the Lamb of God, that I will work a great and a marvelous work among the children of men; a work which shall be everlasting, either on the one hand or on the other—either to the convincing of them unto peace and life eternal, or unto the deliverance of them to the hardness of their hearts and the blindness of their minds unto their being brought down into captivity, and also into destruction, both temporally and spiritually, according to the captivity of the devil, of which I have spoken. | The Lamb of God says that a time will come when I will do an amazing work for all people. This work will last forever. It will help people find peace and live forever, or it will harden their hearts and blind their minds, leading them to captivity and destruction, both in their lives and in their spirits, because of the devil. |
| 1 Nephi 14:8 | And it came to pass that when the angel had spoken these words, he said unto me: Rememberest thou the covenants of the Father unto the house of Israel? I said unto him, Yea. | After the angel talked to me, he asked, “Do you remember the promises God made to Israel?” I said, “Yes.” |
| 1 Nephi 14:9 | And it came to pass that he said unto me: Look, and behold that great and abominable church, which is the mother of abominations, whose founder is the devil. | He said to me: Look, see that big bad church. It is very bad and started by the devil. |
| 1 Nephi 14:10 | And he said unto me: Behold there are save two churches only; the one is the church of the Lamb of God, and the other is the church of the devil; wherefore, whoso belongeth not to the church of the Lamb of God belongeth to that great church, which is the mother of abominations; and she is the whore of all the earth. | He said to me, “There are only two churches. One is the church of God, and the other is the church of the devil. If you are not in God’s church, you are in the devil’s church.” |
| 1 Nephi 14:11 | And it came to pass that I looked and beheld the whore of all the earth, and she sat upon many waters; and she had dominion over all the earth, among all nations, kindreds, tongues, and people. | I saw a bad woman on many waters. She had power over everyone on the earth. |
| 1 Nephi 14:12 | And it came to pass that I beheld the church of the Lamb of God, and its numbers were few, because of the wickedness and abominations of the whore who sat upon many waters; nevertheless, I beheld that the church of the Lamb, who were the saints of God, were also upon all the face of the earth; and their dominions upon the face of the earth were small, because of the wickedness of the great whore whom I saw. | I saw the church of God. There were not many people in it because of the bad things happening. But the church of God was still all over the world, even if it was small because of the badness. |
| 1 Nephi 14:13 | And it came to pass that I beheld that the great mother of abominations did gather together multitudes upon the face of all the earth, among all the nations of the Gentiles, to fight against the Lamb of God. | And I saw that the evil woman brought many people from all over the world to fight against God’s Lamb. |
| 1 Nephi 14:14 | And it came to pass that I, Nephi, beheld the power of the Lamb of God, that it descended upon the saints of the church of the Lamb, and upon the covenant people of the Lord, who were scattered upon all the face of the earth; and they were armed with righteousness and with the power of God in great glory. | Nephi saw the power of Jesus. It came to the good people in the church and the Lord’s people everywhere. They were made strong with goodness and God’s great power. |
| 1 Nephi 14:15 | And it came to pass that I beheld that the wrath of God was poured out upon that great and abominable church, insomuch that there were wars and rumors of wars among all the nations and kindreds of the earth. | I saw that God was very angry with the big bad church, and there were many fights and talk about fights between all the people on the earth. |
| 1 Nephi 14:16 | And as there began to be wars and rumors of wars among all the nations which belonged to the mother of abominations, the angel spake unto me, saying: Behold, the wrath of God is upon the mother of harlots; and behold, thou seest all these things— | There were fights and talks of fights among all the countries. The angel told me, “Look, God is angry at the bad people. You can see all these things.” |
| 1 Nephi 14:17 | And when the day cometh that the wrath of God is poured out upon the mother of harlots, which is the great and abominable church of all the earth, whose founder is the devil, then, at that day, the work of the Father shall commence, in preparing the way for the fulfilling of his covenants, which he hath made to his people who are of the house of Israel. | When God’s anger comes on the bad church started by the devil, God will start getting ready to keep His promises to His people of Israel. |
| 1 Nephi 14:18 | And it came to pass that the angel spake unto me, saying: Look! | The angel talked to me and said: Look! |
| 1 Nephi 14:19 | And I looked and beheld a man, and he was dressed in a white robe. | I saw a man wearing a white robe. |
| 1 Nephi 14:20 | And the angel said unto me: Behold one of the twelve apostles of the Lamb. | The angel said to me: Look, here is one of the twelve special helpers of Jesus. |
| 1 Nephi 14:21 | Behold, he shall see and write the remainder of these things; yea, and also many things which have been. | Look, he will see and write the rest of these things; yes, and also many things that have been. |
| 1 Nephi 14:22 | And he shall also write concerning the end of the world. | He will write about the end of the world. |
| 1 Nephi 14:23 | Wherefore, the things which he shall write are just and true; and behold they are written in the book which thou beheld proceeding out of the mouth of the Jew; and at the time they proceeded out of the mouth of the Jew, or, at the time the book proceeded out of the mouth of the Jew, the things which were written were plain and pure, and most precious and easy to the understanding of all men. | The things he writes are good and true. They are in the book that you saw. When the book was first made, the things in it were clear and easy to understand for everyone. |
| 1 Nephi 14:24 | And behold, the things which this apostle of the Lamb shall write are many things which thou hast seen; and behold, the remainder shalt thou see. | Look! This apostle of the Lamb will write many things you have seen. And you will see the rest. |
| 1 Nephi 14:25 | But the things which thou shalt see hereafter thou shalt not write; for the Lord God hath ordained the apostle of the Lamb of God that he should write them. | You should not write the things you will see later. The Lord God has chosen the apostle of the Lamb of God to write them instead. |
| 1 Nephi 14:26 | And also others who have been, to them hath he shown all things, and they have written them; and they are sealed up to come forth in their purity, according to the truth which is in the Lamb, in the own due time of the Lord, unto the house of Israel. | And some other people saw everything from Him and wrote it down. It is kept safe and will come out later, exactly right, when the Lord decides it is the right time, for the people of Israel. |
| 1 Nephi 14:27 | And I, Nephi, heard and bear record, that the name of the apostle of the Lamb was John, according to the word of the angel. | I am Nephi. I heard and tell you that the apostle’s name is John. The angel told me this. |
| 1 Nephi 14:28 | And behold, I, Nephi, am forbidden that I should write the remainder of the things which I saw and heard; wherefore the things which I have written sufficeth me; and I have written but a small part of the things which I saw. | I am Nephi. I can’t write everything I saw and heard. I have written just a small part. |
| 1 Nephi 14:29 | And I bear record that I saw the things which my father saw, and the angel of the Lord did make them known unto me. | I saw the same things my father saw. An angel from God showed them to me. |
| 1 Nephi 14:30 | And now I make an end of speaking concerning the things which I saw while I was carried away in the spirit; and if all the things which I saw are not written, the things which I have written are true. And thus it is. Amen. | I am done talking about what I saw when the spirit took me. Not everything I saw is written, but what I wrote is true. That is all. Amen. |
1 Nephi 15
| Verse | Original | 4th Grade |
|---|---|---|
| 1 Nephi 15:1 | And it came to pass that after I, Nephi, had been carried away in the spirit, and seen all these things, I returned to the tent of my father. | After I, Nephi, saw many things in the spirit, I came back to my father’s tent. |
| 1 Nephi 15:2 | And it came to pass that I beheld my brethren, and they were disputing one with another concerning the things my father had spoken unto them. | I saw my brothers, and they were arguing about what my father had told them. |
| 1 Nephi 15:3 | For he truly spake many great things unto them, which were hard to be understood, save a man should inquire of the Lord; and they being hard in their hearts, therefore they did not look unto the Lord as they ought. | He told them many important things that were hard to understand. They needed to ask God for help. But, because their hearts were not soft, they did not ask God as they should. |
| 1 Nephi 15:4 | And now I, Nephi, was grieved because of the hardness of their hearts, and also, because of the things which I had seen, and knew they must unavoidably come to pass because of the great wickedness of the children of men. | I, Nephi, was very sad because my people were not nice. I was also sad because of the bad things I saw would happen because of how bad the people were. |
| 1 Nephi 15:5 | And it came to pass that I was overcome because of my afflictions, for I considered that mine afflictions were great above all, because of the destruction of my people, for I had beheld their fall. | And I felt very sad because of my problems. I thought my problems were the worst because my people were gone. I had seen them fall. |
| 1 Nephi 15:6 | And it came to pass that after I had received strength I spake unto my brethren, desiring to know of them the cause of their disputations. | After I got my strength back, I talked to my brothers and asked them why they were arguing. |
| 1 Nephi 15:7 | And they said: Behold, we cannot understand the words which our father hath spoken concerning the natural branches of the olive-tree, and also concerning the Gentiles. | They said: We don’t understand what our father said about the olive tree branches and the Gentiles. |
| 1 Nephi 15:8 | And I said unto them: Have ye inquired of the Lord? | I asked them: Did you ask the Lord? |
| 1 Nephi 15:9 | And they said unto me: We have not; for the Lord maketh no such thing known unto us. | And they said to me: We have not, because the Lord has not told us. |
| 1 Nephi 15:10 | Behold, I said unto them: How is it that ye do not keep the commandments of the Lord? How is it that ye will perish, because of the hardness of your hearts? | Listen, I asked them: Why don’t you follow God’s rules? Why are you in trouble because your hearts are not soft? |
| 1 Nephi 15:11 | Do ye not remember the things which the Lord hath said?—If ye will not harden your hearts, and ask me in faith, believing that ye shall receive, with diligence in keeping my commandments, surely these things shall be made known unto you. | Don’t you remember what the Lord said? If you don’t be stubborn, and ask in faith, believing you will get an answer, and try hard to follow my commandments, surely you will know these things. |
| 1 Nephi 15:12 | Behold, I say unto you, that the house of Israel was compared unto an olive-tree, by the Spirit of the Lord which was in our father; and behold are we not broken off from the house of Israel, and are we not a branch of the house of Israel? | Look, I tell you, the house of Israel is like an olive tree. The Spirit of the Lord told our father this. Are we not a part of the house of Israel, like a branch of that tree? |
| 1 Nephi 15:13 | And now, the thing which our father meaneth concerning the grafting in of the natural branches through the fulness of the Gentiles, is, that in the latter days, when our seed shall have dwindled in unbelief, yea, for the space of many years, and many generations after the Messiah shall be manifested in body unto the children of men, then shall the fulness of the gospel of the Messiah come unto the Gentiles, and from the Gentiles unto the remnant of our seed— | In the future, when many of our people don’t believe, the full message of Jesus will come to other people. These people will then share it with us again. |
| 1 Nephi 15:14 | And at that day shall the remnant of our seed know that they are of the house of Israel, and that they are the covenant people of the Lord; and then shall they know and come to the knowledge of their forefathers, and also to the knowledge of the gospel of their Redeemer, which was ministered unto their fathers by him; wherefore, they shall come to the knowledge of their Redeemer and the very points of his doctrine, that they may know how to come unto him and be saved. | On that day, our children will know they are part of Israel and special to the Lord. They will learn about their ancestors and the teachings of Jesus, who taught their ancestors. They will understand Jesus and his teachings, so they can come to him and be saved. |
| 1 Nephi 15:15 | And then at that day will they not rejoice and give praise unto their everlasting God, their rock and their salvation? Yea, at that day, will they not receive the strength and nourishment from the true vine? Yea, will they not come unto the true fold of God? | And on that day, will they be happy and thank their forever God, their rock and their Savior? Yes, on that day, will they get strength and food from the true vine? Yes, will they come to the true flock of God? |
| 1 Nephi 15:16 | Behold, I say unto you, Yea; they shall be remembered again among the house of Israel; they shall be grafted in, being a natural branch of the olive-tree, into the true olive-tree. | Listen, I tell you: Yes, they will be remembered with the people of Israel. They will join the true olive tree, like a natural branch. |
| 1 Nephi 15:17 | And this is what our father meaneth; and he meaneth that it will not come to pass until after they are scattered by the Gentiles; and he meaneth that it shall come by way of the Gentiles, that the Lord may show his power unto the Gentiles, for the very cause that he shall be rejected of the Jews, or of the house of Israel. | Our father is saying that this will happen after the people are scattered by others. It will come from others so that the Lord can show His power, because He will be rejected by His own people. |
| 1 Nephi 15:18 | Wherefore, our father hath not spoken of our seed alone, but also of all the house of Israel, pointing to the covenant which should be fulfilled in the latter days; which covenant the Lord made to our father Abraham, saying: In thy seed shall all the kindreds of the earth be blessed. | So, our father talked about not just our family, but all the people of Israel. He talked about a promise that would happen later. This promise was made by the Lord to our father Abraham. The promise said: All the families of the earth will be blessed through your children. |
| 1 Nephi 15:19 | And it came to pass that I, Nephi, spake much unto them concerning these things; yea, I spake unto them concerning the restoration of the Jews in the latter days. | And it happened that I, Nephi, talked a lot to them about these things. Yes, I told them about the Jews coming back in the future. |
| 1 Nephi 15:20 | And I did rehearse unto them the words of Isaiah, who spake concerning the restoration of the Jews, or of the house of Israel; and after they were restored they should no more be confounded, neither should they be scattered again. And it came to pass that I did speak many words unto my brethren, that they were pacified and did humble themselves before the Lord. | I told them the words of Isaiah, who talked about bringing the Jews, or the house of Israel, back together. After they came back, they wouldn’t be confused or scattered again. I spoke many words to my brothers, and they calmed down and were humble before the Lord. |
| 1 Nephi 15:21 | And it came to pass that they did speak unto me again, saying: What meaneth this thing which our father saw in a dream? What meaneth the tree which he saw? | And then they talked to me again and asked, “What does the dream our father had mean? What does the tree he saw mean?” |
| 1 Nephi 15:22 | And I said unto them: It was a representation of the tree of life. | I told them: It was a picture of the tree of life. |
| 1 Nephi 15:23 | And they said unto me: What meaneth the rod of iron which our father saw, that led to the tree? | They asked me: What does the iron rod mean that our father saw, leading to the tree? |
| 1 Nephi 15:24 | And I said unto them that it was the word of God, and whoso would hearken unto the word of God, and would hold fast unto it, they would never perish; neither could the temptations and the fiery darts of the adversary overpower them unto blindness, to lead them away to destruction. | I told them that it was God’s word. If they listen to God’s word and hold on to it, they will be safe. Bad things and temptations cannot hurt them or lead them away. |
| 1 Nephi 15:25 | Wherefore, I, Nephi, did exhort them to give heed unto the word of the Lord; yea, I did exhort them with all the energies of my soul, and with all the faculty which I possessed, that they would give heed to the word of God and remember to keep his commandments always in all things. | So, I, Nephi, told them to listen to God’s words. Yes, I told them with all my heart and all my strength to listen to God and keep His rules always. |
| 1 Nephi 15:26 | And they said unto me: What meaneth the river of water which our father saw? | They asked me: What does the river of water that our dad saw mean? |
| 1 Nephi 15:27 | And I said unto them that the water which my father saw was filthiness; and so much was his mind swallowed up in other things that he beheld not the filthiness of the water. | I told them that the water my father saw was really dirty. He was thinking so much about other things that he didn’t notice how dirty the water was. |
| 1 Nephi 15:28 | And I said unto them that it was an awful gulf, which separated the wicked from the tree of life, and also from the saints of God. | I told them that there was a big, scary gap that kept the bad people away from the tree of life and God’s good people. |
| 1 Nephi 15:29 | And I said unto them that it was a representation of that awful hell, which the angel said unto me was prepared for the wicked. | And I told them that it was a picture of the bad place, which the angel said was made for the wicked people. |
| 1 Nephi 15:30 | And I said unto them that our father also saw that the justice of God did also divide the wicked from the righteous; and the brightness thereof was like unto the brightness of a flaming fire, which ascendeth up unto God forever and ever, and hath no end. | I told them that our father saw that God separated the good people from the bad people; and it was bright like a fire that goes up to God forever and never stops. |
| 1 Nephi 15:31 | And they said unto me: Doth this thing mean the torment of the body in the days of probation, or doth it mean the final state of the soul after the death of the temporal body, or doth it speak of the things which are temporal? | They asked me: Does this mean the body hurts now, or does it mean what happens to the soul after the body dies, or is it talking about things that are just for now? |
| 1 Nephi 15:32 | And it came to pass that I said unto them that it was a representation of things both temporal and spiritual; for the day should come that they must be judged of their works, yea, even the works which were done by the temporal body in their days of probation. | I told them it was a picture of things that happen in life and things about God. One day, they will be judged for what they did while they lived on earth. |
| 1 Nephi 15:33 | Wherefore, if they should die in their wickedness they must be cast off also, as to the things which are spiritual, which are pertaining to righteousness; wherefore, they must be brought to stand before God, to be judged of their works; and if their works have been filthiness they must needs be filthy; and if they be filthy it must needs be that they cannot dwell in the kingdom of God; if so, the kingdom of God must be filthy also. | If they die doing bad things, they cannot go to heaven. They have to stand before God and be judged. If they did bad things, they cannot live with God in His kingdom. |
| 1 Nephi 15:34 | But behold, I say unto you, the kingdom of God is not filthy, and there cannot any unclean thing enter into the kingdom of God; wherefore there must needs be a place of filthiness prepared for that which is filthy. | Listen, the kingdom of God is very clean. Nothing dirty can go into God’s kingdom. So, there has to be a place for dirty things. |
| 1 Nephi 15:35 | And there is a place prepared, yea, even that awful hell of which I have spoken, and the devil is the preparator of it; wherefore the final state of the souls of men is to dwell in the kingdom of God, or to be cast out because of that justice of which I have spoken. | There is a place called hell that the devil made. Because of God’s justice, people will live with God or be sent away. |
| 1 Nephi 15:36 | Wherefore, the wicked are rejected from the righteous, and also from that tree of life, whose fruit is most precious and most desirable above all other fruits; yea, and it is the greatest of all the gifts of God. And thus I spake unto my brethren. Amen. | So, bad people are kept away from good people and from the tree of life. The fruit on that tree is the best and most wanted. It is the best gift from God. And that’s what I told my brothers. The end. |
1 Nephi 16
| Verse | Original | 4th Grade |
|---|---|---|
| 1 Nephi 16:1 | And now it came to pass that after I, Nephi, had made an end of speaking to my brethren, behold they said unto me: Thou hast declared unto us hard things, more than we are able to bear. | After I, Nephi, finished talking to my brothers, they said to me: You have told us difficult things, more than we can handle. |
| 1 Nephi 16:2 | And it came to pass that I said unto them that I knew that I had spoken hard things against the wicked, according to the truth; and the righteous have I justified, and testified that they should be lifted up at the last day; wherefore, the guilty taketh the truth to be hard, for it cutteth them to the very center. | And I said to them that I knew I told bad people the truth. Good people will be happy in the end. Bad people think the truth is hard because it hurts them inside. |
| 1 Nephi 16:3 | And now my brethren, if ye were righteous and were willing to hearken to the truth, and give heed unto it, that ye might walk uprightly before God, then ye would not murmur because of the truth, and say: Thou speakest hard things against us. | If you are good and listen to the truth, and follow it, you will not complain and say that the truth is too hard for you. |
| 1 Nephi 16:4 | And it came to pass that I, Nephi, did exhort my brethren, with all diligence, to keep the commandments of the Lord. | And Nephi told his brothers to always obey God’s rules. |
| 1 Nephi 16:5 | And it came to pass that they did humble themselves before the Lord; insomuch that I had joy and great hopes of them, that they would walk in the paths of righteousness. | They felt sorry and prayed to God. This made me happy and I hoped they would be good people. |
| 1 Nephi 16:6 | Now, all these things were said and done as my father dwelt in a tent in the valley which he called Lemuel. | My father did all these things while he lived in a tent in a place he named Lemuel. |
| 1 Nephi 16:7 | And it came to pass that I, Nephi, took one of the daughters of Ishmael to wife; and also, my brethren took of the daughters of Ishmael to wife; and also Zoram took the eldest daughter of Ishmael to wife. | Nephi married one of Ishmael’s daughters. Nephi’s brothers also married Ishmael’s daughters. Zoram married Ishmael’s oldest daughter. |
| 1 Nephi 16:8 | And thus my father had fulfilled all the commandments of the Lord which had been given unto him. And also, I, Nephi, had been blessed of the Lord exceedingly. | My father did everything God told him to do. And I, Nephi, was very blessed by God. |
| 1 Nephi 16:9 | And it came to pass that the voice of the Lord spake unto my father by night, and commanded him that on the morrow he should take his journey into the wilderness. | The Lord spoke to my father at night and told him that the next day he should go into the wilderness. |
| 1 Nephi 16:10 | And it came to pass that as my father arose in the morning, and went forth to the tent door, to his great astonishment he beheld upon the ground a round ball of curious workmanship; and it was of fine brass. And within the ball were two spindles; and the one pointed the way whither we should go into the wilderness. | One morning, my dad woke up and went to the door of our tent. He was surprised to see a round ball on the ground that was made of shiny brass. Inside the ball, there were two sticks. One of the sticks showed us which way to go in the wilderness. |
| 1 Nephi 16:11 | And it came to pass that we did gather together whatsoever things we should carry into the wilderness, and all the remainder of our provisions which the Lord had given unto us; and we did take seed of every kind that we might carry into the wilderness. | We got everything we needed to take with us into the wild, including all the food God gave us. We also took seeds of all kinds to plant. |
| 1 Nephi 16:12 | And it came to pass that we did take our tents and depart into the wilderness, across the river Laman. | We packed our tents and went into the wild, crossing the river Laman. |
| 1 Nephi 16:13 | And it came to pass that we traveled for the space of four days, nearly a south-southeast direction, and we did pitch our tents again; and we did call the name of the place Shazer. | We traveled for four days in a south-southeast direction. Then we set up our tents again and named the place Shazer. |
| 1 Nephi 16:14 | And it came to pass that we did take our bows and our arrows, and go forth into the wilderness to slay food for our families; and after we had slain food for our families we did return again to our families in the wilderness, to the place of Shazer. And we did go forth again in the wilderness, following the same direction, keeping in the most fertile parts of the wilderness, which were in the borders near the Red Sea. | We took our bows and arrows and went into the woods to get food for our families. After getting the food, we went back to our camp in a place called Shazer. Then, we went further into the woods, staying in the good parts near the Red Sea. |
| 1 Nephi 16:15 | And it came to pass that we did travel for the space of many days, slaying food by the way, with our bows and our arrows and our stones and our slings. | We traveled for many days and hunted for food with our bows, arrows, stones, and slings. |
| 1 Nephi 16:16 | And we did follow the directions of the ball, which led us in the more fertile parts of the wilderness. | We followed the ball, and it took us to the good parts of the wilderness. |
| 1 Nephi 16:17 | And after we had traveled for the space of many days, we did pitch our tents for the space of a time, that we might again rest ourselves and obtain food for our families. | After we had traveled for many days, we set up our tents for a while so we could rest and get food for our families. |
| 1 Nephi 16:18 | And it came to pass that as I, Nephi, went forth to slay food, behold, I did break my bow, which was made of fine steel; and after I did break my bow, behold, my brethren were angry with me because of the loss of my bow, for we did obtain no food. | I am Nephi. I went to get food. My bow broke. My bow was good. My brothers were mad. We had no food. |
| 1 Nephi 16:19 | And it came to pass that we did return without food to our families, and being much fatigued, because of their journeying, they did suffer much for the want of food. | We went back to our families without food. Because of the long trip, we were very tired and hungry. |
| 1 Nephi 16:20 | And it came to pass that Laman and Lemuel and the sons of Ishmael did begin to murmur exceedingly, because of their sufferings and afflictions in the wilderness; and also my father began to murmur against the Lord his God; yea, and they were all exceedingly sorrowful, even that they did murmur against the Lord. | Laman, Lemuel, and the sons of Ishmael started to complain a lot because they were having a hard time in the wilderness. My father also started to complain to God. They were all very sad and complained to God. |
| 1 Nephi 16:21 | Now it came to pass that I, Nephi, having been afflicted with my brethren because of the loss of my bow, and their bows having lost their springs, it began to be exceedingly difficult, yea, insomuch that we could obtain no food. | One day, I, Nephi, was sad because my bow was broken. My brothers’ bows didn’t work too. It was very hard, and we had no food. |
| 1 Nephi 16:22 | And it came to pass that I, Nephi, did speak much unto my brethren, because they had hardened their hearts again, even unto complaining against the Lord their God. | I, Nephi, talked a lot to my brothers because they were being mean and complaining about God again. |
| 1 Nephi 16:23 | And it came to pass that I, Nephi, did make out of wood a bow, and out of a straight stick, an arrow; wherefore, I did arm myself with a bow and an arrow, with a sling and with stones. And I said unto my father: Whither shall I go to obtain food? | Nephi made a bow from wood and an arrow from a stick. He got a sling and some stones too. Nephi asked his dad, “Where should I go to find food?” |
| 1 Nephi 16:24 | And it came to pass that he did inquire of the Lord, for they had humbled themselves because of my words; for I did say many things unto them in the energy of my soul. | And he asked the Lord for help, because they listened to me and felt sorry for what they did. I spoke to them with all my heart. |
| 1 Nephi 16:25 | And it came to pass that the voice of the Lord came unto my father; and he was truly chastened because of his murmuring against the Lord, insomuch that he was brought down into the depths of sorrow. | And the Lord spoke to my father. He was very sad because he complained against the Lord. He felt very sorry. |
| 1 Nephi 16:26 | And it came to pass that the voice of the Lord said unto him: Look upon the ball, and behold the things which are written. | Then the Lord said to him: Look at the ball and see what is written. |
| 1 Nephi 16:27 | And it came to pass that when my father beheld the things which were written upon the ball, he did fear and tremble exceedingly, and also my brethren and the sons of Ishmael and our wives. | When my father saw the writings on the ball, he became very scared and shook a lot. My brothers, the sons of Ishmael, and our wives were also scared. |
| 1 Nephi 16:28 | And it came to pass that I, Nephi, beheld the pointers which were in the ball, that they did work according to the faith and diligence and heed which we did give unto them. | I, Nephi, saw the pointers in the ball. They worked when we had faith, tried hard, and followed them. |
| 1 Nephi 16:29 | And there was also written upon them a new writing, which was plain to be read, which did give us understanding concerning the ways of the Lord; and it was written and changed from time to time, according to the faith and diligence which we gave unto it. And thus we see that by small means the Lord can bring about great things. | There was new writing on them that was easy to read. It helped us understand God’s ways. The writing changed over time, depending on how much faith and hard work we put into it. This shows that God can do big things with small efforts. |
| 1 Nephi 16:30 | And it came to pass that I, Nephi, did go forth up into the top of the mountain, according to the directions which were given upon the ball. | Nephi went up to the top of the mountain as the ball showed him. |
| 1 Nephi 16:31 | And it came to pass that I did slay wild beasts, insomuch that I did obtain food for our families. | And I killed animals to get food for our families. |
| 1 Nephi 16:32 | And it came to pass that I did return to our tents, bearing the beasts which I had slain; and now when they beheld that I had obtained food, how great was their joy! And it came to pass that they did humble themselves before the Lord, and did give thanks unto him. | I went back to our tents with the animals I had hunted. Everyone was so happy when they saw I had food. They prayed and thanked the Lord. |
| 1 Nephi 16:33 | And it came to pass that we did again take our journey, traveling nearly the same course as in the beginning; and after we had traveled for the space of many days we did pitch our tents again, that we might tarry for the space of a time. | We started traveling the same way as before. After many days, we set up our tents and stayed there for a while. |
| 1 Nephi 16:34 | And it came to pass that Ishmael died, and was buried in the place which was called Nahom. | Ishmael died and was buried in a place called Nahom. |
| 1 Nephi 16:35 | And it came to pass that the daughters of Ishmael did mourn exceedingly, because of the loss of their father, and because of their afflictions in the wilderness; and they did murmur against my father, because he had brought them out of the land of Jerusalem, saying: Our father is dead; yea, and we have wandered much in the wilderness, and we have suffered much affliction, hunger, thirst, and fatigue; and after all these sufferings we must perish in the wilderness with hunger. | The daughters of Ishmael were very sad because their father died. They were also sad because they had a hard time in the wilderness. They complained to my father. They said, “Our father is dead. We have walked a lot in the wilderness. We have been very hungry, thirsty, and tired. Now, we might die here in the wilderness from hunger.” |
| 1 Nephi 16:36 | And thus they did murmur against my father, and also against me; and they were desirous to return again to Jerusalem. | They complained about my father and me. They wanted to go back to Jerusalem. |
| 1 Nephi 16:37 | And Laman said unto Lemuel and also unto the sons of Ishmael: Behold, let us slay our father, and also our brother Nephi, who has taken it upon him to be our ruler and our teacher, who are his elder brethren. | Laman said to Lemuel and the sons of Ishmael: “Let’s kill our father and brother Nephi. Nephi thinks he is our leader and teacher, but we are older than he is.” |
| 1 Nephi 16:38 | Now, he says that the Lord has talked with him, and also that angels have ministered unto him. But behold, we know that he lies unto us; and he tells us these things, and he worketh many things by his cunning arts, that he may deceive our eyes, thinking, perhaps, that he may lead us away into some strange wilderness; and after he has led us away, he has thought to make himself a king and a ruler over us, that he may do with us according to his will and pleasure. And after this manner did my brother Laman stir up their hearts to anger. | He says the Lord talked to him and angels helped him. But we know he lies. He tells us these things and uses tricks to fool us. He wants to lead us to a strange place and then become our king, doing whatever he wants with us. This is how my brother Laman made them angry. |
| 1 Nephi 16:39 | And it came to pass that the Lord was with us, yea, even the voice of the Lord came and did speak many words unto them, and did chasten them exceedingly; and after they were chastened by the voice of the Lord they did turn away their anger, and did repent of their sins, insomuch that the Lord did bless us again with food, that we did not perish. | The Lord was with us. He spoke to the people and corrected them. After He corrected them, they stopped being angry and said sorry for their sins. Then the Lord gave us food so we did not die. |
1 Nephi 17
| Verse | Original | 4th Grade |
|---|---|---|
| 1 Nephi 17:1 | And it came to pass that we did again take our journey in the wilderness; and we did travel nearly eastward from that time forth. And we did travel and wade through much affliction in the wilderness; and our women did bear children in the wilderness. | We started to travel again in the wilderness. We went mostly to the east. There were many problems on our way. The women had babies while we were in the wilderness. |
| 1 Nephi 17:2 | And so great were the blessings of the Lord upon us, that while we did live upon raw meat in the wilderness, our women did give plenty of suck for their children, and were strong, yea, even like unto the men; and they began to bear their journeyings without murmurings. | God helped us so much that even when we ate raw food in the wild, the moms could feed their babies well. The moms were strong, just like the dads, and they traveled without complaining. |
| 1 Nephi 17:3 | And thus we see that the commandments of God must be fulfilled. And if it so be that the children of men keep the commandments of God he doth nourish them, and strengthen them, and provide means whereby they can accomplish the thing which he has commanded them; wherefore, he did provide means for us while we did sojourn in the wilderness. | We see that we need to follow God’s rules. If people keep God’s rules, He will help them. He will make them strong and give them what they need to do what He asks. God gave us help when we were in the wilderness. |
| 1 Nephi 17:4 | And we did sojourn for the space of many years, yea, even eight years in the wilderness. | And we traveled for a long time, yes, eight years in the wild. |
| 1 Nephi 17:5 | And we did come to the land which we called Bountiful, because of its much fruit and also wild honey; and all these things were prepared of the Lord that we might not perish. And we beheld the sea, which we called Irreantum, which, being interpreted, is many waters. | We came to a place with lots of fruit and honey. We called it Bountiful. God made these things for us so we would not die. We saw the sea and called it Irreantum, which means many waters. |
| 1 Nephi 17:6 | And it came to pass that we did pitch our tents by the seashore; and notwithstanding we had suffered many afflictions and much difficulty, yea, even so much that we cannot write them all, we were exceedingly rejoiced when we came to the seashore; and we called the place Bountiful, because of its much fruit. | We set up our tents by the beach. Even though we had lots of problems and hard times, we were very happy when we got to the beach. We named the place Bountiful because it had lots of fruit. |
| 1 Nephi 17:7 | And it came to pass that after I, Nephi, had been in the land of Bountiful for the space of many days, the voice of the Lord came unto me, saying: Arise, and get thee into the mountain. And it came to pass that I arose and went up into the mountain, and cried unto the Lord. | After I, Nephi, was in the land for many days, I heard the Lord say: “Get up and go to the mountain.” So I got up, went to the mountain, and prayed to the Lord. |
| 1 Nephi 17:8 | And it came to pass that the Lord spake unto me, saying: Thou shalt construct a ship, after the manner which I shall show thee, that I may carry thy people across these waters. | And the Lord said to me, “Build a ship the way I show you, so you can take your people over the water.” |
| 1 Nephi 17:9 | And I said: Lord, whither shall I go that I may find ore to molten, that I may make tools to construct the ship after the manner which thou hast shown unto me? | I said: Lord, where should I go to find metal to make tools so I can build the ship you showed me? |
| 1 Nephi 17:10 | And it came to pass that the Lord told me whither I should go to find ore, that I might make tools. | And the Lord showed me where to go to find metal, so I could make tools. |
| 1 Nephi 17:11 | And it came to pass that I, Nephi, did make a bellows wherewith to blow the fire, of the skins of beasts; and after I had made a bellows, that I might have wherewith to blow the fire, I did smite two stones together that I might make fire. | I, Nephi, made a tool from animal skins to blow on the fire. Then, I hit two stones together to make a fire. |
| 1 Nephi 17:12 | For the Lord had not hitherto suffered that we should make much fire, as we journeyed in the wilderness; for he said: I will make thy food become sweet, that ye cook it not; | The Lord did not let us make big fires while we traveled in the wilderness. He said He would make our food taste good without cooking it. |
| 1 Nephi 17:13 | And I will also be your light in the wilderness; and I will prepare the way before you, if it so be that ye shall keep my commandments; wherefore, inasmuch as ye shall keep my commandments ye shall be led towards the promised land; and ye shall know that it is by me that ye are led. | I will be your light in the wilderness. I will show you the way if you keep my rules. If you keep my rules, I will lead you to the promised land. You will know that I am leading you. |
| 1 Nephi 17:14 | Yea, and the Lord said also that: After ye have arrived in the promised land, ye shall know that I, the Lord, am God; and that I, the Lord, did deliver you from destruction; yea, that I did bring you out of the land of Jerusalem. | When you get to the new land, you will know that I am God. I saved you and brought you out of Jerusalem. |
| 1 Nephi 17:15 | Wherefore, I, Nephi, did strive to keep the commandments of the Lord, and I did exhort my brethren to faithfulness and diligence. | So, I, Nephi, tried hard to follow God’s rules, and I asked my brothers to be faithful and work hard. |
| 1 Nephi 17:16 | And it came to pass that I did make tools of the ore which I did molten out of the rock. | I made tools from metal that I took out of the rock. |
| 1 Nephi 17:17 | And when my brethren saw that I was about to build a ship, they began to murmur against me, saying: Our brother is a fool, for he thinketh that he can build a ship; yea, and he also thinketh that he can cross these great waters. | When my brothers saw that I was going to build a ship, they started to complain. They said, “Our brother is silly because he thinks he can build a ship. He also thinks he can sail across the big water.” |
| 1 Nephi 17:18 | And thus my brethren did complain against me, and were desirous that they might not labor, for they did not believe that I could build a ship; neither would they believe that I was instructed of the Lord. | My brothers complained and didn’t want to work. They didn’t believe I could build a ship and didn’t believe that God had told me to. |
| 1 Nephi 17:19 | And now it came to pass that I, Nephi, was exceedingly sorrowful because of the hardness of their hearts; and now when they saw that I began to be sorrowful they were glad in their hearts, insomuch that they did rejoice over me, saying: We knew that ye could not construct a ship, for we knew that ye were lacking in judgment; wherefore, thou canst not accomplish so great a work. | I, Nephi, was very sad because their hearts were hard. When they saw I was sad, they were happy. They said, “We knew you couldn’t build a ship because you don’t know how. You can’t do such a big job.” |
| 1 Nephi 17:20 | And thou art like unto our father, led away by the foolish imaginations of his heart; yea, he hath led us out of the land of Jerusalem, and we have wandered in the wilderness for these many years; and our women have toiled, being big with child; and they have borne children in the wilderness and suffered all things, save it were death; and it would have been better that they had died before they came out of Jerusalem than to have suffered these afflictions. | You are like our father. He followed his heart and took us out of Jerusalem. We have lived in the wilderness for many years. Our women have worked hard, even when they were going to have babies. They had their babies in the wilderness and suffered many things. It would have been better if they had died before leaving Jerusalem than to suffer so much. |
| 1 Nephi 17:21 | Behold, these many years we have suffered in the wilderness, which time we might have enjoyed our possessions and the land of our inheritance; yea, and we might have been happy. | Look, for many years we have struggled in the wilderness. We could have enjoyed our things and our land; we could have been happy. |
| 1 Nephi 17:22 | And we know that the people who were in the land of Jerusalem were a righteous people; for they kept the statutes and judgments of the Lord, and all his commandments, according to the law of Moses; wherefore, we know that they are a righteous people; and our father hath judged them, and hath led us away because we would hearken unto his words; yea, and our brother is like unto him. And after this manner of language did my brethren murmur and complain against us. | The people in Jerusalem were good because they followed God’s rules. They listened to what Moses taught. Our father knew this and led us away because we listened too. Our brother is like our father. But my brothers complained against us. |
| 1 Nephi 17:23 | And it came to pass that I, Nephi, spake unto them, saying: Do ye believe that our fathers, who were the children of Israel, would have been led away out of the hands of the Egyptians if they had not hearkened unto the words of the Lord? | I, Nephi, said to them, “Do you think our ancestors, the children of Israel, would have escaped from the Egyptians if they didn’t listen to the Lord?” |
| 1 Nephi 17:24 | Yea, do ye suppose that they would have been led out of bondage, if the Lord had not commanded Moses that he should lead them out of bondage? | Do you think they would have been freed if God had not told Moses to lead them out of slavery? |
| 1 Nephi 17:25 | Now ye know that the children of Israel were in bondage; and ye know that they were laden with tasks, which were grievous to be borne; wherefore, ye know that it must needs be a good thing for them, that they should be brought out of bondage. | The children of Israel were slaves. They had very hard jobs. It was good for them to be set free. |
| 1 Nephi 17:26 | Now ye know that Moses was commanded of the Lord to do that great work; and ye know that by his word the waters of the Red Sea were divided hither and thither, and they passed through on dry ground. | Moses was told by the Lord to do a big job. By his word, the waters of the Red Sea moved apart, and the people walked on dry ground. |
| 1 Nephi 17:27 | But ye know that the Egyptians were drowned in the Red Sea, who were the armies of Pharaoh. | You know that the Egyptians, who were Pharaoh’s soldiers, drowned in the Red Sea. |
| 1 Nephi 17:28 | And ye also know that they were fed with manna in the wilderness. | And you know that they were given food in the desert. |
| 1 Nephi 17:29 | Yea, and ye also know that Moses, by his word according to the power of God which was in him, smote the rock, and there came forth water, that the children of Israel might quench their thirst. | Moses hit a rock with God’s power, and water came out for the children of Israel to drink. |
| 1 Nephi 17:30 | And notwithstanding they being led, the Lord their God, their Redeemer, going before them, leading them by day and giving light unto them by night, and doing all things for them which were expedient for man to receive, they hardened their hearts and blinded their minds, and reviled against Moses and against the true and living God. | Even though God was helping them and guiding them during the day and night, the people did not listen. They became stubborn, ignored what was right, and spoke badly about Moses and God. |
| 1 Nephi 17:31 | And it came to pass that according to his word he did destroy them; and according to his word he did lead them; and according to his word he did do all things for them; and there was not any thing done save it were by his word. | And so it happened that he did what he said. He destroyed them. He led them. He did everything for them, just like he said he would. Nothing happened that he did not say would happen. |
| 1 Nephi 17:32 | And after they had crossed the river Jordan he did make them mighty unto the driving out of the children of the land, yea, unto the scattering them to destruction. | After they crossed the river, he made them strong so they could chase away the people living there. |
| 1 Nephi 17:33 | And now, do ye suppose that the children of this land, who were in the land of promise, who were driven out by our fathers, do ye suppose that they were righteous? Behold, I say unto you, Nay. | Do you think the children who were in this land and were sent away by our fathers were good? I tell you, no. |
| 1 Nephi 17:34 | Do ye suppose that our fathers would have been more choice than they if they had been righteous? I say unto you, Nay. | Do you think our ancestors would have been better than others if they had been good? I say to you, No. |
| 1 Nephi 17:35 | Behold, the Lord esteemeth all flesh in one; he that is righteous is favored of God. But behold, this people had rejected every word of God, and they were ripe in iniquity; and the fulness of the wrath of God was upon them; and the Lord did curse the land against them, and bless it unto our fathers; yea, he did curse it against them unto their destruction, and he did bless it unto our fathers unto their obtaining power over it. | God loves everyone the same. Good people are special to God. But the people did not listen to God. They were very bad. God was very angry with them. He made the land bad for them. But He made it good for our ancestors. He gave our ancestors power over the land. |
| 1 Nephi 17:36 | Behold, the Lord hath created the earth that it should be inhabited; and he hath created his children that they should possess it. | Look, the Lord made the earth for people to live on; and He made His children to live on it. |
| 1 Nephi 17:37 | And he raiseth up a righteous nation, and destroyeth the nations of the wicked. | He makes a good nation, and he destroys the bad nations. |
| 1 Nephi 17:38 | And he leadeth away the righteous into precious lands, and the wicked he destroyeth, and curseth the land unto them for their sakes. | He takes good people to nice places, and he destroys bad people and curses the land for them. |
| 1 Nephi 17:39 | He ruleth high in the heavens, for it is his throne, and this earth is his footstool. | He is in charge in heaven, where he sits on his throne, and he uses the earth as a place to rest his feet. |
| 1 Nephi 17:40 | And he loveth those who will have him to be their God. Behold, he loved our fathers, and he covenanted with them, yea, even Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob; and he remembered the covenants which he had made; wherefore, he did bring them out of the land of Egypt. | God loves the people who choose Him. He loved our ancestors like Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. God made promises to them, and He remembered those promises. So, He brought them out of Egypt. |
| 1 Nephi 17:41 | And he did straiten them in the wilderness with his rod; for they hardened their hearts, even as ye have; and the Lord straitened them because of their iniquity. He sent fiery flying serpents among them; and after they were bitten he prepared a way that they might be healed; and the labor which they had to perform was to look; and because of the simpleness of the way, or the easiness of it, there were many who perished. | He punished them in the wilderness because they were bad, just like you. The Lord sent poisonous snakes to bite them. After they were bitten, He made a way to heal them. All they had to do was look at something to be healed. But many did not believe and died. |
| 1 Nephi 17:42 | And they did harden their hearts from time to time, and they did revile against Moses, and also against God; nevertheless, ye know that they were led forth by his matchless power into the land of promise. | Sometimes, they were stubborn and said mean things about Moses and God. But you know that God used His great power to lead them to a wonderful new land. |
| 1 Nephi 17:43 | And now, after all these things, the time has come that they have become wicked, yea, nearly unto ripeness; and I know not but they are at this day about to be destroyed; for I know that the day must surely come that they must be destroyed, save a few only, who shall be led away into captivity. | Now, after everything, the people have become very bad. I think they might be destroyed soon. Only a few good people will be taken away. |
| 1 Nephi 17:44 | Wherefore, the Lord commanded my father that he should depart into the wilderness; and the Jews also sought to take away his life; yea, and ye also have sought to take away his life; wherefore, ye are murderers in your hearts and ye are like unto them. | So, God told my dad to go into the forest. Some people wanted to kill him. Yes, you wanted to kill him too. So, you feel like killers inside. |
| 1 Nephi 17:45 | Ye are swift to do iniquity but slow to remember the Lord your God. Ye have seen an angel, and he spake unto you; yea, ye have heard his voice from time to time; and he hath spoken unto you in a still small voice, but ye were past feeling, that ye could not feel his words; wherefore, he has spoken unto you like unto the voice of thunder, which did cause the earth to shake as if it were to divide asunder. | You are quick to do bad things but slow to remember God. You saw an angel, and he talked to you. You have heard his voice many times. He has spoken to you quietly, but you didn’t listen. So, he spoke loudly like thunder, and it made the earth shake. |
| 1 Nephi 17:46 | And ye also know that by the power of his almighty word he can cause the earth that it shall pass away; yea, and ye know that by his word he can cause the rough places to be made smooth, and smooth places shall be broken up. O, then, why is it, that ye can be so hard in your hearts? | And you know that with his powerful word, he can make the earth disappear. You also know that with his word, he can make rough places smooth and smooth places bumpy. So, why are your hearts so hard? |
| 1 Nephi 17:47 | Behold, my soul is rent with anguish because of you, and my heart is pained; I fear lest ye shall be cast off forever. Behold, I am full of the Spirit of God, insomuch that my frame has no strength. | Look, I am very sad because of you, and my heart hurts; I am afraid you will be lost forever. I have the Spirit of God so much that I feel very weak. |
| 1 Nephi 17:48 | And now it came to pass that when I had spoken these words, they were angry with me, and were desirous to throw me into the depths of the sea; and as they came forth to lay their hands upon me I spake unto them, saying: In the name of the Almighty God, I command you that ye touch me not, for I am filled with the power of God, even unto the consuming of my flesh; and whoso shall lay his hands upon me shall wither even as a dried reed; and he shall be as naught before the power of God, for God shall smite him. | When I said these things, they got very mad at me. They wanted to throw me into the sea. As they came to grab me, I said, “In God’s name, don’t touch me. I have God’s power. If you touch me, you will dry up like a dead plant, because God will punish you.” |
| 1 Nephi 17:49 | And it came to pass that I, Nephi, said unto them that they should murmur no more against their father; neither should they withhold their labor from me, for God had commanded me that I should build a ship. | I, Nephi, told them not to complain about their father and to help me because God told me to build a ship. |
| 1 Nephi 17:50 | And I said unto them: If God had commanded me to do all things I could do them. If he should command me that I should say unto this water, be thou earth, it should be earth; and if I should say it, it would be done. | I told them: If God told me to do anything, I could do it. If He told me to say to this water, be earth, it would be earth; and if I said it, it would happen. |
| 1 Nephi 17:51 | And now, if the Lord has such great power, and has wrought so many miracles among the children of men, how is it that he cannot instruct me, that I should build a ship? | If God has so much power and has done many miracles for people, why can’t He show me how to build a ship? |
| 1 Nephi 17:52 | And it came to pass that I, Nephi, said many things unto my brethren, insomuch that they were confounded and could not contend against me; neither durst they lay their hands upon me nor touch me with their fingers, even for the space of many days. Now they durst not do this lest they should wither before me, so powerful was the Spirit of God; and thus it had wrought upon them. | I, Nephi, talked to my brothers a lot, and they got very confused and couldn’t argue with me. They also didn’t touch me or come near me for many days because they were scared that something bad would happen to them. This was because God’s Spirit was very strong with me. |
| 1 Nephi 17:53 | And it came to pass that the Lord said unto me: Stretch forth thine hand again unto thy brethren, and they shall not wither before thee, but I will shock them, saith the Lord, and this will I do, that they may know that I am the Lord their God. | The Lord said to me: “Reach out your hand to your brothers again. They will not fall, but I will surprise them. I do this so they know I am the Lord their God.” |
| 1 Nephi 17:54 | And it came to pass that I stretched forth my hand unto my brethren, and they did not wither before me; but the Lord did shake them, even according to the word which he had spoken. | I reached out my hand to my brothers, and they were not hurt. But the Lord made them shake, just like He said He would. |
| 1 Nephi 17:55 | And now, they said: We know of a surety that the Lord is with thee, for we know that it is the power of the Lord that has shaken us. And they fell down before me, and were about to worship me, but I would not suffer them, saying: I am thy brother, yea, even thy younger brother; wherefore, worship the Lord thy God, and honor thy father and thy mother, that thy days may be long in the land which the Lord thy God shall give thee. | The people said: We know God is with you because His power has shaken us. They wanted to bow to me, but I told them: I am your brother, your younger brother. Worship God and respect your parents so you can live a long time in the land God will give you. |
1 Nephi 18
| Verse | Original | 4th Grade |
|---|---|---|
| 1 Nephi 18:1 | And it came to pass that they did worship the Lord, and did go forth with me; and we did work timbers of curious workmanship. And the Lord did show me from time to time after what manner I should work the timbers of the ship. | They worshiped God and came with me. We worked on the wood to build the ship. God showed me how to work on the wood. |
| 1 Nephi 18:2 | Now I, Nephi, did not work the timbers after the manner which was learned by men, neither did I build the ship after the manner of men; but I did build it after the manner which the Lord had shown unto me; wherefore, it was not after the manner of men. | I, Nephi, did not make the wood like other people do. I did not build the ship like other people do. I made it the way the Lord showed me. So, it was not like what other people do. |
| 1 Nephi 18:3 | And I, Nephi, did go into the mount oft, and I did pray oft unto the Lord; wherefore the Lord showed unto me great things. | I, Nephi, went to the mountain many times to pray to God. God showed me many great things. |
| 1 Nephi 18:4 | And it came to pass that after I had finished the ship, according to the word of the Lord, my brethren beheld that it was good, and that the workmanship thereof was exceedingly fine; wherefore, they did humble themselves again before the Lord. | After I built the ship as God told me to, my brothers saw it was very good and well-made. They felt sorry and turned to God again. |
| 1 Nephi 18:5 | And it came to pass that the voice of the Lord came unto my father, that we should arise and go down into the ship. | The voice of the Lord told my father that we should get up and go to the ship. |
| 1 Nephi 18:6 | And it came to pass that on the morrow, after we had prepared all things, much fruits and meat from the wilderness, and honey in abundance, and provisions according to that which the Lord had commanded us, we did go down into the ship, with all our loading and our seeds, and whatsoever thing we had brought with us, every one according to his age; wherefore, we did all go down into the ship, with our wives and our children. | The next day, after we got everything ready, like fruits, meat, and honey, we went into the ship. We took all our stuff and seeds, and everyone went into the ship with their families. |
| 1 Nephi 18:7 | And now, my father had begat two sons in the wilderness; the elder was called Jacob and the younger Joseph. | My father had two sons in the forest. The older one was Jacob, and the younger one was Joseph. |
| 1 Nephi 18:8 | And it came to pass after we had all gone down into the ship, and had taken with us our provisions and things which had been commanded us, we did put forth into the sea and were driven forth before the wind towards the promised land. | After we all got on the ship with everything we needed, we sailed on the sea towards the promised land. |
| 1 Nephi 18:9 | And after we had been driven forth before the wind for the space of many days, behold, my brethren and the sons of Ishmael and also their wives began to make themselves merry, insomuch that they began to dance, and to sing, and to speak with much rudeness, yea, even that they did forget by what power they had been brought thither; yea, they were lifted up unto exceeding rudeness. | After many days on the boat, my brothers and their wives started having fun. They danced and sang and were very rude. They forgot how they ended up on the boat and were very rude again. |
| 1 Nephi 18:10 | And I, Nephi, began to fear exceedingly lest the Lord should be angry with us, and smite us because of our iniquity, that we should be swallowed up in the depths of the sea; wherefore, I, Nephi, began to speak to them with much soberness; but behold they were angry with me, saying: We will not that our younger brother shall be a ruler over us. | I, Nephi, started to get very scared that the Lord might be mad at us and punish us by making us drown in the sea. So, I talked to my brothers seriously. But they got angry and said they did not want me, their younger brother, to be their leader. |
| 1 Nephi 18:11 | And it came to pass that Laman and Lemuel did take me and bind me with cords, and they did treat me with much harshness; nevertheless, the Lord did suffer it that he might show forth his power, unto the fulfilling of his word which he had spoken concerning the wicked. | Laman and Lemuel tied me up with ropes and were very mean to me, but the Lord let it happen to show his power and keep his promise about the wicked. |
| 1 Nephi 18:12 | And it came to pass that after they had bound me insomuch that I could not move, the compass, which had been prepared of the Lord, did cease to work. | After they tied me up so I couldn’t move, the special compass stopped working. |
| 1 Nephi 18:13 | Wherefore, they knew not whither they should steer the ship, insomuch that there arose a great storm, yea, a great and terrible tempest, and we were driven back upon the waters for the space of three days; and they began to be frightened exceedingly lest they should be drowned in the sea; nevertheless they did not loose me. | So, they didn’t know where to sail the ship. A big storm came, and we went backwards on the water for three days. They got very scared that they might sink in the sea, but they didn’t let me go. |
| 1 Nephi 18:14 | And on the fourth day, which we had been driven back, the tempest began to be exceedingly sore. | On the fourth day, when we were pushed back, the storm got very bad. |
| 1 Nephi 18:15 | And it came to pass that we were about to be swallowed up in the depths of the sea. And after we had been driven back upon the waters for the space of four days, my brethren began to see that the judgments of God were upon them, and that they must perish save that they should repent of their iniquities; wherefore, they came unto me, and loosed the bands which were upon my wrist, and behold they had swollen exceedingly; and also mine ankles were much swollen, and great was the soreness thereof. | We were almost lost in the sea. After four days on the water, my brothers saw they were in trouble because of their bad choices. They came to me and untied my hands. My wrists and ankles were very swollen and hurt a lot. |
| 1 Nephi 18:16 | Nevertheless, I did look unto my God, and I did praise him all the day long; and I did not murmur against the Lord because of mine afflictions. | But I did trust God and thanked Him all day. I did not complain to Him about my problems. |
| 1 Nephi 18:17 | Now my father, Lehi, had said many things unto them, and also unto the sons of Ishmael; but, behold, they did breathe out much threatenings against anyone that should speak for me; and my parents being stricken in years, and having suffered much grief because of their children, they were brought down, yea, even upon their sick-beds. | My father, Lehi, talked a lot to them and to Ishmael’s sons. But they got very angry and threatened anyone who spoke for me. My parents were old and very sad because of their children. They became so sad they had to stay in bed. |
| 1 Nephi 18:18 | Because of their grief and much sorrow, and the iniquity of my brethren, they were brought near even to be carried out of this time to meet their God; yea, their grey hairs were about to be brought down to lie low in the dust; yea, even they were near to be cast with sorrow into a watery grave. | Because they were very sad and their brothers did bad things, they were about to die and meet God. Their old, grey hairs were close to lying in the dust. They were also close to being very sad and drowned in the water. |
| 1 Nephi 18:19 | And Jacob and Joseph also, being young, having need of much nourishment, were grieved because of the afflictions of their mother; and also my wife with her tears and prayers, and also my children, did not soften the hearts of my brethren that they would loose me. | Jacob and Joseph were sad because they were young and needed food. They were also sad because their mother was upset. My wife cried and prayed, and my children were upset too. But my brothers did not let me go. |
| 1 Nephi 18:20 | And there was nothing save it were the power of God, which threatened them with destruction, could soften their hearts; wherefore, when they saw that they were about to be swallowed up in the depths of the sea they repented of the thing which they had done, insomuch that they loosed me. | Only God’s power could make them change their hearts. When they saw they might drown in the sea, they said sorry for what they did and let me go. |
| 1 Nephi 18:21 | And it came to pass after they had loosed me, behold, I took the compass, and it did work whither I desired it. And it came to pass that I prayed unto the Lord; and after I had prayed the winds did cease, and the storm did cease, and there was a great calm. | After they let me go, I took the compass and it showed the way I wanted. I prayed to God, and the wind and storm stopped. It became very calm. |
| 1 Nephi 18:22 | And it came to pass that I, Nephi, did guide the ship, that we sailed again towards the promised land. | I, Nephi, steered the ship and we sailed to the new land. |
| 1 Nephi 18:23 | And it came to pass that after we had sailed for the space of many days we did arrive at the promised land; and we went forth upon the land, and did pitch our tents; and we did call it the promised land. | After many days of sailing, we reached the promised land. We set up our tents and called it the promised land. |
| 1 Nephi 18:24 | And it came to pass that we did begin to till the earth, and we began to plant seeds; yea, we did put all our seeds into the earth, which we had brought from the land of Jerusalem. And it came to pass that they did grow exceedingly; wherefore, we were blessed in abundance. | We started to dig the soil and plant seeds. We put all our seeds into the ground. The seeds grew very well, and we had many plants. We were very happy because of this. |
| 1 Nephi 18:25 | And it came to pass that we did find upon the land of promise, as we journeyed in the wilderness, that there were beasts in the forests of every kind, both the cow and the ox, and the ass and the horse, and the goat and the wild goat, and all manner of wild animals, which were for the use of men. And we did find all manner of ore, both of gold, and of silver, and of copper. | We walked in the new land and found lots of animals. We saw cows, oxen, donkeys, horses, goats, wild goats, and other animals. We also found gold, silver, and copper. |
1 Nephi 19
| Verse | Original | 4th Grade |
|---|---|---|
| 1 Nephi 19:1 | And it came to pass that the Lord commanded me, wherefore I did make plates of ore that I might engraven upon them the record of my people. And upon the plates which I made I did engraven the record of my father, and also our journeyings in the wilderness, and the prophecies of my father; and also many of mine own prophecies have I engraven upon them. | God told me to make metal plates. I made the plates and wrote down the story of my people. I wrote about my father’s story, our travels in the wild, what my father said would happen, and also what I think will happen. |
| 1 Nephi 19:2 | And I knew not at the time when I made them that I should be commanded of the Lord to make these plates; wherefore, the record of my father, and the genealogy of his fathers, and the more part of all our proceedings in the wilderness are engraven upon those first plates of which I have spoken; wherefore, the things which transpired before I made these plates are, of a truth, more particularly made mention upon the first plates. | I didn’t know when I made the first plates that the Lord would tell me to make these new plates. The first plates have my father’s record, his family tree, and what happened to us in the wilderness. The first plates have more details about what happened before I made these new plates. |
| 1 Nephi 19:3 | And after I had made these plates by way of commandment, I, Nephi, received a commandment that the ministry and the prophecies, the more plain and precious parts of them, should be written upon these plates; and that the things which were written should be kept for the instruction of my people, who should possess the land, and also for other wise purposes, which purposes are known unto the Lord. | After I made these plates because God told me to, I, Nephi, was told to write the important and clear parts of our teachings and prophecies on them. These writings were to help my people and for other good reasons that God knows. |
| 1 Nephi 19:4 | Wherefore, I, Nephi, did make a record upon the other plates, which gives an account, or which gives a greater account of the wars and contentions and destructions of my people. And this have I done, and commanded my people what they should do after I was gone; and that these plates should be handed down from one generation to another, or from one prophet to another, until further commandments of the Lord. | So, I, Nephi, wrote on the other plates. These plates tell more about the wars and fights and the troubles my people had. I did this and told my people what to do after I was gone. The plates should be passed down from one leader to another until God says differently. |
| 1 Nephi 19:5 | And an account of my making these plates shall be given hereafter; and then, behold, I proceed according to that which I have spoken; and this I do that the more sacred things may be kept for the knowledge of my people. | I will tell you later how I made these plates. Now, I will do what I said. I do this so that the special things are saved for my people to know. |
| 1 Nephi 19:6 | Nevertheless, I do not write anything upon plates save it be that I think it be sacred. And now, if I do err, even did they err of old; not that I would excuse myself because of other men, but because of the weakness which is in me, according to the flesh, I would excuse myself. | I only write important things on these plates. And if I make mistakes, it’s because I am human and not perfect. |
| 1 Nephi 19:7 | For the things which some men esteem to be of great worth, both to the body and soul, others set at naught and trample under their feet. Yea, even the very God of Israel do men trample under their feet; I say, trample under their feet but I would speak in other words—they set him at naught, and hearken not to the voice of his counsels. | Some things that people think are very important, others do not care about and treat badly. Some people even treat God badly and do not listen to what He says. |
| 1 Nephi 19:8 | And behold he cometh, according to the words of the angel, in six hundred years from the time my father left Jerusalem. | And look, he comes, just like the angel said, 600 years after my father left Jerusalem. |
| 1 Nephi 19:9 | And the world, because of their iniquity, shall judge him to be a thing of naught; wherefore they scourge him, and he suffereth it; and they smite him, and he suffereth it. Yea, they spit upon him, and he suffereth it, because of his loving kindness and his long-suffering towards the children of men. | The world will think he is nothing because they are bad. They will hurt him, but he will let them. They will hit him, but he will let them. They will spit on him, but he will let them because he loves everyone very much. |
| 1 Nephi 19:10 | And the God of our fathers, who were led out of Egypt, out of bondage, and also were preserved in the wilderness by him, yea, the God of Abraham, and of Isaac, and the God of Jacob, yieldeth himself, according to the words of the angel, as a man, into the hands of wicked men, to be lifted up, according to the words of Zenock, and to be crucified, according to the words of Neum, and to be buried in a sepulchre, according to the words of Zenos, which he spake concerning the three days of darkness, which should be a sign given of his death unto those who should inhabit the isles of the sea, more especially given unto those who are of the house of Israel. | God, who helped our fathers out of Egypt and kept them safe, will come as a man. He will let bad people hurt him. He will be put on a cross and buried. After he dies, there will be three days of darkness. This will be a sign for the people, especially the house of Israel. |
| 1 Nephi 19:11 | For thus spake the prophet: The Lord God surely shall visit all the house of Israel at that day, some with his voice, because of their righteousness, unto their great joy and salvation, and others with the thunderings and the lightnings of his power, by tempest, by fire, and by smoke, and vapor of darkness, and by the opening of the earth, and by mountains which shall be carried up. | The prophet said: The Lord will come to the people of Israel. He will talk to some of them because they are good, making them happy and saved. But others will hear loud noises and see lightning, storms, fire, smoke, darkness, and the earth will open up, and mountains will move. |
| 1 Nephi 19:12 | And all these things must surely come, saith the prophet Zenos. And the rocks of the earth must rend; and because of the groanings of the earth, many of the kings of the isles of the sea shall be wrought upon by the Spirit of God, to exclaim: The God of nature suffers. | The prophet Zenos said these things will happen. The rocks will break, and the earth will make many kings of the islands feel the Spirit of God and say: The God of nature is sad. |
| 1 Nephi 19:13 | And as for those who are at Jerusalem, saith the prophet, they shall be scourged by all people, because they crucify the God of Israel, and turn their hearts aside, rejecting signs and wonders, and the power and glory of the God of Israel. | The prophet says the people in Jerusalem will be punished by everyone because they did not believe in God and did not pay attention to the amazing things God did. |
| 1 Nephi 19:14 | And because they turn their hearts aside, saith the prophet, and have despised the Holy One of Israel, they shall wander in the flesh, and perish, and become a hiss and a byword, and be hated among all nations. | The prophet says they will turn away from God, and because they don’t love Him, they will get lost and die. People will speak badly of them and they will be hated everywhere. |
| 1 Nephi 19:15 | Nevertheless, when that day cometh, saith the prophet, that they no more turn aside their hearts against the Holy One of Israel, then will he remember the covenants which he made to their fathers. | But when the day comes, says the prophet, that they stop turning their hearts away from the Holy One of Israel, then he will remember his promises to their fathers. |
| 1 Nephi 19:16 | Yea, then will he remember the isles of the sea; yea, and all the people who are of the house of Israel, will I gather in, saith the Lord, according to the words of the prophet Zenos, from the four quarters of the earth. | Yes, God will remember the islands in the sea. He will bring all the people of Israel together from all over the earth, just like the prophet Zenos said. |
| 1 Nephi 19:17 | Yea, and all the earth shall see the salvation of the Lord, saith the prophet; every nation, kindred, tongue and people shall be blessed. | Yes, everyone on earth will see God’s help, says the prophet. Every country, family, language, and person will be blessed. |
| 1 Nephi 19:18 | And I, Nephi, have written these things unto my people, that perhaps I might persuade them that they would remember the Lord their Redeemer. | I am Nephi. I wrote these things for my people so they might remember the Lord who saves them. |
| 1 Nephi 19:19 | Wherefore, I speak unto all the house of Israel, if it so be that they should obtain these things. | So, I’m talking to everyone in Israel, if they can get these things… |
| 1 Nephi 19:20 | For behold, I have workings in the spirit, which doth weary me even that all my joints are weak, for those who are at Jerusalem; for had not the Lord been merciful, to show unto me concerning them, even as he had prophets of old, I should have perished also. | I feel very tired and weak because of what I feel in my heart for the people in Jerusalem. If God had not been kind and shown me what would happen to them, I would have died too. |
| 1 Nephi 19:21 | And he surely did show unto the prophets of old all things concerning them; and also he did show unto many concerning us; wherefore, it must needs be that we know concerning them for they are written upon the plates of brass. | God showed the old prophets everything about their time. He also showed many things about us. So, we need to know about them because it’s written on the brass plates. |
| 1 Nephi 19:22 | Now it came to pass that I, Nephi, did teach my brethren these things; and it came to pass that I did read many things to them, which were engraven upon the plates of brass, that they might know concerning the doings of the Lord in other lands, among people of old. | I, Nephi, taught my brothers many things. I read to them from the brass plates so they could know about what God did in other places long ago. |
| 1 Nephi 19:23 | And I did read many things unto them which were written in the books of Moses; but that I might more fully persuade them to believe in the Lord their Redeemer I did read unto them that which was written by the prophet Isaiah; for I did liken all scriptures unto us, that it might be for our profit and learning. | I read them many things from the books of Moses. But to help them believe in the Lord, I read what the prophet Isaiah wrote. I showed how the scriptures can teach and help us. |
| 1 Nephi 19:24 | Wherefore I spake unto them, saying: Hear ye the words of the prophet, ye who are a remnant of the house of Israel, a branch who have been broken off; hear ye the words of the prophet, which were written unto all the house of Israel, and liken them unto yourselves, that ye may have hope as well as your brethren from whom ye have been broken off; for after this manner has the prophet written. | So, I talked to them and said: Listen to the words of the prophet, you who are a small part of Israel, a branch that has been broken off. Listen to what the prophet wrote for all of Israel. Think about these words for yourself, so you can have hope like your family you were separated from. This is what the prophet wrote. |
1 Nephi 20
| Verse | Original | 4th Grade |
|---|---|---|
| 1 Nephi 20:1 | Hearken and hear this, O house of Jacob, who are called by the name of Israel, and are come forth out of the waters of Judah, or out of the waters of baptism, who swear by the name of the Lord, and make mention of the God of Israel, yet they swear not in truth nor in righteousness. | Listen to me, people of Jacob, who are called Israel. You came from Judah, or from baptism waters. You say you follow the Lord and talk about the God of Israel, but you don’t really mean it or do the right things. |
| 1 Nephi 20:2 | Nevertheless, they call themselves of the holy city, but they do not stay themselves upon the God of Israel, who is the Lord of Hosts; yea, the Lord of Hosts is his name. | They say they are from God’s city, but they do not trust the God of Israel. His name is the Lord of Hosts. |
| 1 Nephi 20:3 | Behold, I have declared the former things from the beginning; and they went forth out of my mouth, and I showed them. I did show them suddenly. | Look, I told you things from the start. They came from my mouth, and I showed them to you quickly. |
| 1 Nephi 20:4 | And I did it because I knew that thou art obstinate, and thy neck is an iron sinew, and thy brow brass; | I did it because I knew you are stubborn, and your neck is stiff like iron, and your forehead is hard like brass. |
| 1 Nephi 20:5 | And I have even from the beginning declared to thee; before it came to pass I showed them thee; and I showed them for fear lest thou shouldst say—mine idol hath done them, and my graven image, and my molten image hath commanded them. | From the very start, I told you what would happen. Before it happened, I showed you. I did this so you wouldn’t say, “My idol or my statue made this happen.” |
| 1 Nephi 20:6 | Thou hast seen and heard all this; and will ye not declare them? And that I have showed thee new things from this time, even hidden things, and thou didst not know them. | You have seen and heard all this. Will you not tell others? I have shown you new things, even secret things, that you did not know before. |
| 1 Nephi 20:7 | They are created now, and not from the beginning, even before the day when thou heardest them not they were declared unto thee, lest thou shouldst say—Behold I knew them. | They are made now, not from long ago. Before you heard about them, they were told to you, so you can’t say, “I already knew them.” |
| 1 Nephi 20:8 | Yea, and thou heardest not; yea, thou knewest not; yea, from that time thine ear was not opened; for I knew that thou wouldst deal very treacherously, and wast called a transgressor from the womb. | You didn’t listen or know. Your ears weren’t open because I knew you would be untrustworthy, and you have been breaking the rules since you were born. |
| 1 Nephi 20:9 | Nevertheless, for my name—s sake will I defer mine anger, and for my praise will I refrain from thee, that I cut thee not off. | But I will wait and not be angry because of my name and for my praise, so I will not cut you off. |
| 1 Nephi 20:10 | For, behold, I have refined thee, I have chosen thee in the furnace of affliction. | Look, I made you better. I picked you when things were hard. |
| 1 Nephi 20:11 | For mine own sake, yea, for mine own sake will I do this, for I will not suffer my name to be polluted, and I will not give my glory unto another. | I will do this for me, yes, just for me. I won’t let my name be hurt, and I won’t share my special glory with anyone else. |
| 1 Nephi 20:12 | Hearken unto me, O Jacob, and Israel my called, for I am he; I am the first, and I am also the last. | Listen to me, Jacob and Israel, the ones I chose. I am the first and the last. |
| 1 Nephi 20:13 | Mine hand hath also laid the foundation of the earth, and my right hand hath spanned the heavens. I call unto them and they stand up together. | I made the earth with my hands, and I made the sky with my right hand. I call them and they come together. |
| 1 Nephi 20:14 | All ye, assemble yourselves, and hear; who among them hath declared these things unto them? The Lord hath loved him; yea, and he will fulfill his word which he hath declared by them; and he will do his pleasure on Babylon, and his arm shall come upon the Chaldeans. | Everyone, come together and listen. Who has told them these things? The Lord loves him and will do what he promised through them. He will do what he wants in Babylon, and his power will come upon the Chaldeans. |
| 1 Nephi 20:15 | Also, saith the Lord; I the Lord, yea, I have spoken; yea, I have called him to declare, I have brought him, and he shall make his way prosperous. | The Lord says: I have spoken and called him. I brought him, and he will be successful. |
| 1 Nephi 20:16 | Come ye near unto me; I have not spoken in secret; from the beginning, from the time that it was declared have I spoken; and the Lord God, and his Spirit, hath sent me. | Come close to me; I have told you everything. From the start, I have spoken. God and His Spirit have sent me. |
| 1 Nephi 20:17 | And thus saith the Lord, thy Redeemer, the Holy One of Israel; I have sent him, the Lord thy God who teacheth thee to profit, who leadeth thee by the way thou shouldst go, hath done it. | The Lord, your Savior, the Holy One of Israel, says: I have sent him, the Lord your God, who teaches you to benefit, who leads you in the way you should go, has done this. |
| 1 Nephi 20:18 | O that thou hadst hearkened to my commandments—then had thy peace been as a river, and thy righteousness as the waves of the sea. | If you had listened to my rules, you would have felt calm like a river and done good things like the waves in the sea. |
| 1 Nephi 20:19 | Thy seed also had been as the sand; the offspring of thy bowels like the gravel thereof; his name should not have been cut off nor destroyed from before me. | Your children would have been as many as the sand; their children like tiny rocks; their name would not have been forgotten or lost from me. |
| 1 Nephi 20:20 | Go ye forth of Babylon, flee ye from the Chaldeans, with a voice of singing declare ye, tell this, utter to the end of the earth; say ye: The Lord hath redeemed his servant Jacob. | Leave Babylon and run away from the Chaldeans. Tell everyone with singing: The Lord has saved Jacob, his servant. |
| 1 Nephi 20:21 | And they thirsted not; he led them through the deserts; he caused the waters to flow out of the rock for them; he clave the rock also and the waters gushed out. | They were not thirsty. He led them through the deserts. He made water come out of a rock for them. He broke the rock and water flowed out. |
| 1 Nephi 20:22 | And notwithstanding he hath done all this, and greater also, there is no peace, saith the Lord, unto the wicked. | Even though God has done many great things, bad people don’t have peace, says the Lord. |
1 Nephi 21
| Verse | Original | 4th Grade |
|---|---|---|
| 1 Nephi 21:1 | And again: Hearken, O ye house of Israel, all ye that are broken off and are driven out because of the wickedness of the pastors of my people; yea, all ye that are broken off, that are scattered abroad, who are of my people, O house of Israel. Listen, O isles, unto me, and hearken ye people from far; the Lord hath called me from the womb; from the bowels of my mother hath he made mention of my name. | Listen, people of Israel. You who feel lost and far away because of bad leaders, hear me. People who are spread out, you are my people, Israel. Listen to me, faraway islands and people. The Lord knew me before I was born. He talked about me when I was in my mother’s belly. |
| 1 Nephi 21:2 | And he hath made my mouth like a sharp sword; in the shadow of his hand hath he hid me, and made me a polished shaft; in his quiver hath he hid me; | He made my words strong like a sword. He kept me safe and made me shiny. He kept me safe like an arrow in his bag. |
| 1 Nephi 21:3 | And said unto me: Thou art my servant, O Israel, in whom I will be glorified. | He said to me: You are my helper, Israel, and I will make you great. |
| 1 Nephi 21:4 | Then I said, I have labored in vain, I have spent my strength for naught and in vain; surely my judgment is with the Lord, and my work with my God. | I said, I tried hard for no reason, I used my strength for nothing. But I trust the Lord to be fair, and my work is for God. |
| 1 Nephi 21:5 | And now, saith the Lord—that formed me from the womb that I should be his servant, to bring Jacob again to him—though Israel be not gathered, yet shall I be glorious in the eyes of the Lord, and my God shall be my strength. | God made me to be his helper. He wants me to bring his people back to him. Even if all of Israel isn’t together, God will still see me as special, and He will give me strength. |
| 1 Nephi 21:6 | And he said: It is a light thing that thou shouldst be my servant to raise up the tribes of Jacob, and to restore the preserved of Israel. I will also give thee for a light to the Gentiles, that thou mayest be my salvation unto the ends of the earth. | He said: It is easy for you to be my helper to bring back the tribes of Jacob and save the people of Israel. I will also make you a light for everyone else so you can bring my salvation to the whole world. |
| 1 Nephi 21:7 | Thus saith the Lord, the Redeemer of Israel, his Holy One, to him whom man despiseth, to him whom the nation abhorreth, to servant of rulers: Kings shall see and arise, princes also shall worship, because of the Lord that is faithful. | God, who saves Israel and is very holy, says to the one people do not like, the one the nation hates, the servant of rulers: Kings will see you and stand up, princes will bow down, because of the faithful Lord. |
| 1 Nephi 21:8 | Thus saith the Lord: In an acceptable time have I heard thee, O isles of the sea, and in a day of salvation have I helped thee; and I will preserve thee, and give thee my servant for a covenant of the people, to establish the earth, to cause to inherit the desolate heritages; | The Lord says: I have listened to you, islands of the sea. On a special day, I have helped you. I will keep you safe and give you my servant to take care of the land and people. |
| 1 Nephi 21:9 | That thou mayest say to the prisoners: Go forth; to them that sit in darkness: Show yourselves. They shall feed in the ways, and their pastures shall be in all high places. | Tell the prisoners: Come out. Tell those in the dark: Show yourselves. They will eat along the paths, and their fields will be everywhere. |
| 1 Nephi 21:10 | They shall not hunger nor thirst, neither shall the heat nor the sun smite them; for he that hath mercy on them shall lead them, even by the springs of water shall he guide them. | They will not be hungry or thirsty. The hot sun will not hurt them. The kind leader will guide them to cool springs of water. |
| 1 Nephi 21:11 | And I will make all my mountains a way, and my highways shall be exalted. | I will make my mountains into roads, and my highways will be lifted up. |
| 1 Nephi 21:12 | And then, O house of Israel, behold, these shall come from far; and lo, these from the north and from the west; and these from the land of Sinim. | And then, people of Israel, look, some will come from far away; some from the north and the west, and some from the land of Sinim. |
| 1 Nephi 21:13 | Sing, O heavens; and be joyful, O earth; for the feet of those who are in the east shall be established; and break forth into singing, O mountains; for they shall be smitten no more; for the Lord hath comforted his people, and will have mercy upon his afflicted. | Sing, skies; be happy, earth; people will come to the east and stay; sing, mountains; they will not be hurt anymore; the Lord has helped his people and will be kind to those who are sad. |
| 1 Nephi 21:14 | But, behold, Zion hath said: The Lord hath forsaken me, and my Lord hath forgotten me—but he will show that he hath not. | But look, Zion said: The Lord has left me, and my Lord has forgotten me. But he will show that he has not. |
| 1 Nephi 21:15 | For can a woman forget her sucking child, that she should not have compassion on the son of her womb? Yea, they may forget, yet will I not forget thee, O house of Israel. | Can a mother forget her baby? Even if she does, I will not forget you, O house of Israel. |
| 1 Nephi 21:16 | Behold, I have graven thee upon the palms of my hands; thy walls are continually before me. | Look, I have written you on my hands; I always see your walls. |
| 1 Nephi 21:17 | Thy children shall make haste against thy destroyers; and they that made thee waste shall go forth of thee. | Your children will hurry to fight against your enemies; and those who hurt you will leave you. |
| 1 Nephi 21:18 | Lift up thine eyes round about and behold; all these gather themselves together, and they shall come to thee. And as I live, saith the Lord, thou shalt surely clothe thee with them all, as with an ornament, and bind them on even as a bride. | Look around you and see; all these people are coming to you. The Lord says, “I promise you will have them all like a beautiful decoration, and you will wear them like a bride.â |
| 1 Nephi 21:19 | For thy waste and thy desolate places, and the land of thy destruction, shall even now be too narrow by reason of the inhabitants; and they that swallowed thee up shall be far away. | Your empty and broken places will be full of people, and those who hurt you will be far away. |
| 1 Nephi 21:20 | The children whom thou shalt have, after thou hast lost the first, shall again in thine ears say: The place is too strait for me; give place to me that I may dwell. | The other children you will have, after losing the first ones, will say: This place is too small for me; give me space to live. |
| 1 Nephi 21:21 | Then shalt thou say in thine heart: Who hath begotten me these, seeing I have lost my children, and am desolate, a captive, and removing to and fro? And who hath brought up these? Behold, I was left alone; these, where have they been? | You will wonder and ask: Who gave me all these children? I had lost my children and felt all alone. I was a captive and moved around. Who raised these children? Look, I was left all by myself. Where did these children come from? |
| 1 Nephi 21:22 | Thus saith the Lord God: Behold, I will lift up mine hand to the Gentiles, and set up my standard to the people; and they shall bring thy sons in their arms, and thy daughters shall be carried upon their shoulders. | God says: Look, I will raise my hand to the other nations and show my sign to the people. They will carry your sons in their arms, and your daughters will ride on their shoulders. |
| 1 Nephi 21:23 | And kings shall be thy nursing fathers, and their queens thy nursing mothers; they shall bow down to thee with their face towards the earth, and lick up the dust of thy feet; and thou shalt know that I am the Lord; for they shall not be ashamed that wait for me. | Kings and queens will take care of you. They will show you great respect and bow down to you. They will know that I am the Lord, and everyone who waits for me will not be disappointed. |
| 1 Nephi 21:24 | For shall the prey be taken from the mighty, or the lawful captives delivered? | Can strong people keep what they take? Can those who are captured be set free? |
| 1 Nephi 21:25 | But thus saith the Lord, even the captives of the mighty shall be taken away, and the prey of the terrible shall be delivered; for I will contend with him that contendeth with thee, and I will save thy children. | But the Lord says, even strong people’s captives will be freed, and the victims of the scary ones will be saved; because I will fight anyone who fights you, and I will save your children. |
| 1 Nephi 21:26 | And I will feed them that oppress thee with their own flesh; they shall be drunken with their own blood as with sweet wine; and all flesh shall know that I, the Lord, am thy Savior and thy Redeemer, the Mighty One of Jacob. | I will make the people who hurt you eat their own flesh and drink their own blood. Everyone will know that I am the Lord, your Savior, and your Protector. |
1 Nephi 22
| Verse | Original | 4th Grade |
|---|---|---|
| 1 Nephi 22:1 | And now it came to pass that after I, Nephi, had read these things which were engraven upon the plates of brass, my brethren came unto me and said unto me: What meaneth these things which ye have read? Behold, are they to be understood according to things which are spiritual, which shall come to pass according to the spirit and not the flesh? | After I, Nephi, read the words on the brass plates, my brothers came to me. They asked, “What do these words mean? Are they about spiritual things, not physical things?” |
| 1 Nephi 22:2 | And I, Nephi, said unto them: Behold they were manifest unto the prophet by the voice of the Spirit; for by the Spirit are all things made known unto the prophets, which shall come upon the children of men according to the flesh. | Nephi said to them, “The Spirit told the prophet. The Spirit shows prophets what will happen to people.” |
| 1 Nephi 22:3 | Wherefore, the things of which I have read are things pertaining to things both temporal and spiritual; for it appears that the house of Israel, sooner or later, will be scattered upon all the face of the earth, and also among all nations. | The things I read about are about everyday life and about God. The people of Israel will be spread out all over the world, in every nation. |
| 1 Nephi 22:4 | And behold, there are many who are already lost from the knowledge of those who are at Jerusalem. Yea, the more part of all the tribes have been led away; and they are scattered to and fro upon the isles of the sea; and whither they are none of us knoweth, save that we know that they have been led away. | Many people from Jerusalem do not know where most of their tribes have gone. They have been taken away and are now living on islands in the sea. We do not know where they are, but we know they have left. |
| 1 Nephi 22:5 | And since they have been led away, these things have been prophesied concerning them, and also concerning all those who shall hereafter be scattered and be confounded, because of the Holy One of Israel; for against him will they harden their hearts; wherefore, they shall be scattered among all nations and shall be hated of all men. | Because they turned away, it was told that this would happen to them and to everyone who will be lost and confused. They won’t listen to the Holy One of Israel and will be spread out everywhere and people won’t like them. |
| 1 Nephi 22:6 | Nevertheless, after they shall be nursed by the Gentiles, and the Lord has lifted up his hand upon the Gentiles and set them up for a standard, and their children have been carried in their arms, and their daughters have been carried upon their shoulders, behold these things of which are spoken are temporal; for thus are the covenants of the Lord with our fathers; and it meaneth us in the days to come, and also all our brethren who are of the house of Israel. | After the Gentiles take care of them, the Lord will help the Gentiles. The Gentiles will take care of their children and daughters. The things we talked about are for now. These are the promises the Lord made to our fathers. They mean something for us in the future and also for all of our brothers from the house of Israel. |
| 1 Nephi 22:7 | And it meaneth that the time cometh that after all the house of Israel have been scattered and confounded, that the Lord God will raise up a mighty nation among the Gentiles, yea, even upon the face of this land; and by them shall our seed be scattered. | It means that one day, after all the people of Israel have been scattered and confused, God will make a strong country among the Gentiles, here on this land. And this country will scatter our people. |
| 1 Nephi 22:8 | And after our seed is scattered the Lord God will proceed to do a marvelous work among the Gentiles, which shall be of great worth unto our seed; wherefore, it is likened unto their being nourished by the Gentiles and being carried in their arms and upon their shoulders. | After our children are spread out, God will do a great work with other people. This work will be very good for our children. It will be like these people taking care of our children and carrying them. |
| 1 Nephi 22:9 | And it shall also be of worth unto the Gentiles; and not only unto the Gentiles but unto all the house of Israel, unto the making known of the covenants of the Father of heaven unto Abraham, saying: In thy seed shall all the kindreds of the earth be blessed. | This will be important to everyone, not just the Gentiles, but also to all of Israel. It will help them know the promises God made to Abraham, saying that everyone on Earth will be blessed through his descendants. |
| 1 Nephi 22:10 | And I would, my brethren, that ye should know that all the kindreds of the earth cannot be blessed unless he shall make bare his arm in the eyes of the nations. | Brothers, I want you to know that everyone on earth cannot be blessed unless he shows his power to all the nations. |
| 1 Nephi 22:11 | Wherefore, the Lord God will proceed to make bare his arm in the eyes of all the nations, in bringing about his covenants and his gospel unto those who are of the house of Israel. | So, God will show his power to everyone, and he will keep his promises and share his teachings with the people of Israel. |
| 1 Nephi 22:12 | Wherefore, he will bring them again out of captivity, and they shall be gathered together to the lands of their inheritance; and they shall be brought out of obscurity and out of darkness; and they shall know that the Lord is their Savior and their Redeemer, the Mighty One of Israel. | So, he will free them, and they will go back to their homes; they will come out of hiding and darkness; and they will know that the Lord is their Savior and Helper, the Mighty One of Israel. |
| 1 Nephi 22:13 | And the blood of that great and abominable church, which is the whore of all the earth, shall turn upon their own heads; for they shall war among themselves, and the sword of their own hands shall fall upon their own heads, and they shall be drunken with their own blood. | The bad people will fight each other, and they will hurt themselves. They will get very confused and hurt. |
| 1 Nephi 22:14 | And every nation which shall war against thee, O house of Israel, shall be turned one against another, and they shall fall into the pit which they digged to ensnare the people of the Lord. And all that fight against Zion shall be destroyed, and that great whore, who hath perverted the right ways of the Lord, yea, that great and abominable church, shall tumble to the dust and great shall be the fall of it. | Every nation that fights against Israel will fight each other and fall into the traps they made. All who fight against Zion will be destroyed. The big, bad church that teaches wrong things will fall to the ground and it will be a big fall. |
| 1 Nephi 22:15 | For behold, saith the prophet, the time cometh speedily that Satan shall have no more power over the hearts of the children of men; for the day soon cometh that all the proud and they who do wickedly shall be as stubble; and the day cometh that they must be burned. | A prophet says, “Soon, Satan will not be able to control people’s hearts. Soon, bad people will be like tiny dry plants and they will be burned.” |
| 1 Nephi 22:16 | For the time soon cometh that the fulness of the wrath of God shall be poured out upon all the children of men; for he will not suffer that the wicked shall destroy the righteous. | Soon, God will be very angry and punish all people. He will not let bad people hurt good people. |
| 1 Nephi 22:17 | Wherefore, he will preserve the righteous by his power, even if it so be that the fulness of his wrath must come, and the righteous be preserved, even unto the destruction of their enemies by fire. Wherefore, the righteous need not fear; for thus saith the prophet, they shall be saved, even if it so be as by fire. | So, God will keep good people safe with his power. Even if he has to show his anger, good people will still be safe, even if their enemies are destroyed by fire. So, good people should not be afraid because the prophet says they will be saved, even by fire. |
| 1 Nephi 22:18 | Behold, my brethren, I say unto you, that these things must shortly come; yea, even blood, and fire, and vapor of smoke must come; and it must needs be upon the face of this earth; and it cometh unto men according to the flesh if it so be that they will harden their hearts against the Holy One of Israel. | Listen, my friends. I tell you, these things will happen soon. There will be blood, fire, and smoke on this earth. It will happen to people who choose to ignore God. |
| 1 Nephi 22:19 | For behold, the righteous shall not perish; for the time surely must come that all they who fight against Zion shall be cut off. | Good people will not die; those who fight against Zion will be stopped. |
| 1 Nephi 22:20 | And the Lord will surely prepare a way for his people, unto the fulfilling of the words of Moses, which he spake, saying: A prophet shall the Lord your God raise up unto you, like unto me; him shall ye hear in all things whatsoever he shall say unto you. And it shall come to pass that all those who will not hear that prophet shall be cut off from among the people. | God will help His people. He promised Moses. Moses said: God will send a prophet like me. Listen to that prophet. If you don’t listen, you will be separated from the people. |
| 1 Nephi 22:21 | And now I, Nephi, declare unto you, that this prophet of whom Moses spake was the Holy One of Israel; wherefore, he shall execute judgment in righteousness. | Now I, Nephi, tell you that the prophet Moses talked about was the Holy One of Israel. He will make fair and good decisions. |
| 1 Nephi 22:22 | And the righteous need not fear, for they are those who shall not be confounded. But it is the kingdom of the devil, which shall be built up among the children of men, which kingdom is established among them which are in the flesh— | Good people do not need to be scared, because they will not be confused. But the bad kingdom will be made by bad people. This bad kingdom will be among people who live on Earth. |
| 1 Nephi 22:23 | For the time speedily shall come that all churches which are built up to get gain, and all those who are built up to get power over the flesh, and those who are built up to become popular in the eyes of the world, and those who seek the lusts of the flesh and the things of the world, and to do all manner of iniquity; yea, in fine, all those who belong to the kingdom of the devil are they who need fear, and tremble, and quake; they are those who must be brought low in the dust; they are those who must be consumed as stubble; and this is according to the words of the prophet. | Soon, all churches that are made to get money or power, all those who want to be famous or do bad things, all those who follow the devil, will be very afraid. They will be brought down, and they will be burned like straw. This is what the prophet said. |
| 1 Nephi 22:24 | And the time cometh speedily that the righteous must be led up as calves of the stall, and the Holy One of Israel must reign in dominion, and might, and power, and great glory. | Soon, good people will be taken care of like young cows. The Holy One of Israel will be in charge with great power and glory. |
| 1 Nephi 22:25 | And he gathereth his children from the four quarters of the earth; and he numbereth his sheep, and they know him; and there shall be one fold and one shepherd; and he shall feed his sheep, and in him they shall find pasture. | He brings his children from all over the world. He counts his sheep, and they know him. There will be one group and one shepherd. He will take care of his sheep, and they will find food and rest with him. |
| 1 Nephi 22:26 | And because of the righteousness of his people, Satan has no power; wherefore, he cannot be loosed for the space of many years; for he hath no power over the hearts of the people, for they dwell in righteousness, and the Holy One of Israel reigneth. | Because the people are good, Satan has no power. He can’t do anything for many years because people’s hearts are good, and the Holy One of Israel is in charge. |
| 1 Nephi 22:27 | And now behold, I, Nephi, say unto you that all these things must come according to the flesh. | And now listen, I Nephi, tell you that all these things must happen in real life. |
| 1 Nephi 22:28 | But, behold, all nations, kindreds, tongues, and people shall dwell safely in the Holy One of Israel if it so be that they will repent. | But look, everyone from every place will be safe with the Holy One of Israel if they say sorry and change. |
| 1 Nephi 22:29 | And now I, Nephi, make an end; for I durst not speak further as yet concerning these things. | Now I’m done because I can’t talk more about this right now. |
| 1 Nephi 22:30 | Wherefore, my brethren, I would that ye should consider that the things which have been written upon the plates of brass are true; and they testify that a man must be obedient to the commandments of God. | So, my brothers, I want you to know that the things written on the brass plates are true. They tell us that a person must obey God’s commandments. |
| 1 Nephi 22:31 | Wherefore, ye need not suppose that I and my father are the only ones that have testified, and also taught them. Wherefore, if ye shall be obedient to the commandments, and endure to the end, ye shall be saved at the last day. And thus it is. Amen. | So, you don’t need to think that my father and I are the only ones who have told and taught them. If you follow the rules and stay strong until the end, you will be saved. And that’s how it is. Amen. |
Book of Mormon Simplified 