3 Nephi 1
| Verse | Original | 7th Grade |
|---|---|---|
| 3 Nephi 1:1 | Now it came to pass that the ninety and first year had passed away and it was six hundred years from the time that Lehi left Jerusalem; and it was in the year that Lachoneus was the chief judge and the governor over the land. | The ninety-first year had passed, and it had been six hundred years since Lehi left Jerusalem. It was the year Lachoneus was the chief judge and the governor over the land. |
| 3 Nephi 1:2 | And Nephi, the son of Helaman, had departed out of the land of Zarahemla, giving charge unto his son Nephi, who was his eldest son, concerning the plates of brass, and all the records which had been kept, and all those things which had been kept sacred from the departure of Lehi out of Jerusalem. | Nephi, the son of Helaman, left Zarahemla and gave his oldest son, Nephi, the responsibility for the brass plates and all the records and sacred items that had been kept since Lehi left Jerusalem. |
| 3 Nephi 1:3 | Then he departed out of the land, and whither he went, no man knoweth; and his son Nephi did keep the records in his stead, yea, the record of this people. | Then he left the land, and no one knows where he went; and his son Nephi took over keeping the records of the people. |
| 3 Nephi 1:4 | And it came to pass that in the commencement of the ninety and second year, behold, the prophecies of the prophets began to be fulfilled more fully; for there began to be greater signs and greater miracles wrought among the people. | At the start of the ninety-second year, the prophecies of the prophets started to come true more clearly; there were more signs and miracles happening among the people. |
| 3 Nephi 1:5 | But there were some who began to say that the time was past for the words to be fulfilled, which were spoken by Samuel, the Lamanite. | But some people started saying that the time had already passed for Samuel the Lamanite’s words to come true. |
| 3 Nephi 1:6 | And they began to rejoice over their brethren, saying: Behold the time is past, and the words of Samuel are not fulfilled; therefore, your joy and your faith concerning this thing hath been vain. | They started celebrating and said, “Look, the time has passed, and Samuel’s words didn’t come true. So, all your joy and faith in this matter have been for nothing.” |
| 3 Nephi 1:7 | And it came to pass that they did make a great uproar throughout the land; and the people who believed began to be very sorrowful, lest by any means those things which had been spoken might not come to pass. | There was a huge commotion throughout the land, and the people who believed started to feel very sad, worried that the things they had been told might not actually happen. |
| 3 Nephi 1:8 | But behold, they did watch steadfastly for that day and that night and that day which should be as one day as if there were no night, that they might know that their faith had not been vain. | But look, they kept a close watch for that special day and night and day that would blend into one continuous day, so they’d know their faith wasn’t for nothing. |
| 3 Nephi 1:9 | Now it came to pass that there was a day set apart by the unbelievers, that all those who believed in those traditions should be put to death except the sign should come to pass, which had been given by Samuel the prophet. | One day, the non-believers decided that anyone who believed in those traditions would be killed, unless the sign predicted by Samuel the prophet happened. |
| 3 Nephi 1:10 | Now it came to pass that when Nephi, the son of Nephi, saw this wickedness of his people, his heart was exceedingly sorrowful. | When Nephi, the son of Nephi, saw how wicked his people were, he was very sad. |
| 3 Nephi 1:11 | And it came to pass that he went out and bowed himself down upon the earth, and cried mightily to his God in behalf of his people, yea, those who were about to be destroyed because of their faith in the tradition of their fathers. | He went out, bowed down to the ground, and cried out strongly to God for his people, who were about to be destroyed because of their belief in their ancestors’ traditions. |
| 3 Nephi 1:12 | And it came to pass that he cried mightily unto the Lord, all that day; and behold, the voice of the Lord came unto him, saying: | He prayed fervently to the Lord all day, and then the Lord’s voice spoke to him, saying: |
| 3 Nephi 1:13 | Lift up your head and be of good cheer; for behold, the time is at hand, and on this night shall the sign be given, and on the morrow come I into the world, to show unto the world that I will fulfill all that which I have caused to be spoken by the mouth of my holy prophets. | Hold your head up and be happy; the time has come, and tonight the sign will be given. Tomorrow I will come into the world to show everyone that I will do everything my holy prophets said I would. |
| 3 Nephi 1:14 | Behold, I come unto my own, to fulfill all things which I have made known unto the children of men from the foundation of the world, and to do the will, both of the Father and of the Son—of the Father because of me, and of the Son because of my flesh. And behold, the time is at hand, and this night shall the sign be given. | I am coming to my people to fulfill everything I promised since the beginning of the world, and to do the will of both the Father and the Son – the Father because of me, and the Son because of my human form. The time has come, and tonight the sign will be given. |
| 3 Nephi 1:15 | And it came to pass that the words which came unto Nephi were fulfilled, according as they had been spoken; for behold, at the going down of the sun there was no darkness; and the people began to be astonished because there was no darkness when the night came. | The words that came to Nephi came true. As the sun set, there was no darkness, and people were amazed because night came but it wasn’t dark. |
| 3 Nephi 1:16 | And there were many, who had not believed the words of the prophets, who fell to the earth and became as if they were dead, for they knew that the great plan of destruction which they had laid for those who believed in the words of the prophets had been frustrated; for the sign which had been given was already at hand. | Many people who didn’t believe the prophets fell to the ground as if they were dead because they realized their plan to destroy the believers had failed; the sign they were given had already happened. |
| 3 Nephi 1:17 | And they began to know that the Son of God must shortly appear; yea, in fine, all the people upon the face of the whole earth from the west to the east, both in the land north and in the land south, were so exceedingly astonished that they fell to the earth. | The people started to understand that the Son of God was about to come soon. Everyone on earth, from the west to the east, and in the land north and south, were so amazed that they fell to the ground. |
| 3 Nephi 1:18 | For they knew that the prophets had testified of these things for many years, and that the sign which had been given was already at hand; and they began to fear because of their iniquity and their unbelief. | They knew that the prophets had talked about these things for years and that the given sign was already happening. They started to fear because of their wickedness and disbelief. |
| 3 Nephi 1:19 | And it came to pass that there was no darkness in all that night, but it was as light as though it was mid-day. And it came to pass that the sun did rise in the morning again, according to its proper order; and they knew that it was the day that the Lord should be born, because of the sign which had been given. | That night, there was no darkness—everything was as bright as midday. The sun rose the next morning just like it always does, and they knew it was the day the Lord was to be born because of the sign they had been given. |
| 3 Nephi 1:20 | And it had come to pass, yea, all things, every whit, according to the words of the prophets. | And it happened just like the prophets said, every single bit of it. |
| 3 Nephi 1:21 | And it came to pass also that a new star did appear, according to the word. | A new star appeared just as had been foretold. |
| 3 Nephi 1:22 | And it came to pass that from this time forth there began to be lyings sent forth among the people, by Satan, to harden their hearts, to the intent that they might not believe in those signs and wonders which they had seen; but notwithstanding these lyings and deceivings the more part of the people did believe, and were converted unto the Lord. | From this time on, Satan started spreading lies among the people to harden their hearts so they wouldn’t believe in the signs and wonders they had seen. But despite these lies and deceptions, most of the people believed and converted to the Lord. |
| 3 Nephi 1:23 | And it came to pass that Nephi went forth among the people, and also many others, baptizing unto repentance, in the which there was a great remission of sins. And thus the people began again to have peace in the land. | Nephi and many others went among the people, baptizing them unto repentance, which led to a great remission of sins. As a result, the people began to have peace in the land again. |
| 3 Nephi 1:24 | And there were no contentions, save it were a few that began to preach, endeavoring to prove by the scriptures that it was no more expedient to observe the law of Moses. Now in this thing they did err, having not understood the scriptures. | There were no arguments, except for a few people who started to preach and tried to show from the scriptures that it was no longer necessary to follow the law of Moses. But they were wrong about this, because they didn’t understand the scriptures. |
| 3 Nephi 1:25 | But it came to pass that they soon became converted, and were convinced of the error which they were in, for it was made known unto them that the law was not yet fulfilled, and that it must be fulfilled in every whit; yea, the word came unto them that it must be fulfilled; yea, that one jot or tittle should not pass away till it should all be fulfilled; therefore in this same year were they brought to a knowledge of their error and did confess their faults. | But soon they were converted and realized they were wrong, because they learned that the law wasn’t fully completed yet and that every part of it had to be fulfilled. They were told that not a single detail would be left out until it was all done. So that same year, they understood their mistake and admitted their faults. |
| 3 Nephi 1:26 | And thus the ninety and second year did pass away, bringing glad tidings unto the people because of the signs which did come to pass, according to the words of the prophecy of all the holy prophets. | So, the ninety-second year ended, bringing good news to the people because the signs predicted by all the holy prophets came true. |
| 3 Nephi 1:27 | And it came to pass that the ninety and third year did also pass away in peace, save it were for the Gadianton robbers, who dwelt upon the mountains, who did infest the land; for so strong were their holds and their secret places that the people could not overpower them; therefore they did commit many murders, and did do much slaughter among the people. | The ninety-third year passed peacefully, except for the Gadianton robbers who lived in the mountains and plagued the land. Their strongholds and secret places were so secure that the people couldn’t defeat them, so they committed many murders and caused a lot of bloodshed among the people. |
| 3 Nephi 1:28 | And it came to pass that in the ninety and fourth year they began to increase in great degree, because there were many dissenters of the Nephites who did flee unto them, which did cause much sorrow unto those Nephites who did remain in the land. | In the ninety-fourth year, they began to grow a lot because many Nephites deserted and joined them, which made the Nephites who stayed very sad. |
| 3 Nephi 1:29 | And there was also a cause of much sorrow among the Lamanites; for behold, they had many children who did grow up and began to wax strong in years, that they became for themselves, and were led away by some who were Zoramites, by their lyings and their flattering words, to join those Gadianton robbers. | The Lamanites were also very sorrowful because many of their children grew up and became strong, but were led astray by some Zoramites with their lies and flattery, and joined the Gadianton robbers. |
| 3 Nephi 1:30 | And thus were the Lamanites afflicted also, and began to decrease as to their faith and righteousness, because of the wickedness of the rising generation. | The Lamanites also began to suffer and lose their faith and righteousness because of the wickedness of the younger generation. |
3 Nephi 2
| Verse | Original | 7th Grade |
|---|---|---|
| 3 Nephi 2:1 | And it came to pass that thus passed away the ninety and fifth year also, and the people began to forget those signs and wonders which they had heard, and began to be less and less astonished at a sign or a wonder from heaven, insomuch that they began to be hard in their hearts, and blind in their minds, and began to disbelieve all which they had heard and seen— | The ninety-fifth year passed, and people started to forget the signs and wonders they had seen and heard about. They became less amazed by miracles from heaven and grew more hard-hearted and closed-minded, beginning to doubt everything they had experienced. |
| 3 Nephi 2:2 | Imagining up some vain thing in their hearts, that it was wrought by men and by the power of the devil, to lead away and deceive the hearts of the people; and thus did Satan get possession of the hearts of the people again, insomuch that he did blind their eyes and lead them away to believe that the doctrine of Christ was a foolish and a vain thing. | People started imagining all sorts of nonsense, thinking that it was made up by humans and driven by the power of the devil to mislead and trick everyone. This allowed Satan to take control of their hearts again, blinding them and making them believe that the teachings of Christ were foolish and pointless. |
| 3 Nephi 2:3 | And it came to pass that the people began to wax strong in wickedness and abominations; and they did not believe that there should be any more signs or wonders given; and Satan did go about, leading away the hearts of the people, tempting them and causing them that they should do great wickedness in the land. | The people started becoming really wicked and doing terrible things. They didn’t believe there would be any more signs or miracles. Satan was leading them astray, tempting them, and making them commit great wickedness in the land. |
| 3 Nephi 2:4 | And thus did pass away the ninety and sixth year; and also the ninety and seventh year; and also the ninety and eighth year; and also the ninety and ninth year; | The ninety-sixth year passed, and so did the ninety-seventh, ninety-eighth, and ninety-ninth. |
| 3 Nephi 2:5 | And also an hundred years had passed away since the days of Mosiah, who was king over the people of the Nephites. | It’s also been a hundred years since Mosiah was king over the Nephites. |
| 3 Nephi 2:6 | And six hundred and nine years had passed away since Lehi left Jerusalem. | 609 years had gone by since Lehi left Jerusalem. |
| 3 Nephi 2:7 | And nine years had passed away from the time when the sign was given, which was spoken of by the prophets, that Christ should come into the world. | It’s been nine years since the prophets’ sign about Christ coming into the world. |
| 3 Nephi 2:8 | Now the Nephites began to reckon their time from this period when the sign was given, or from the coming of Christ; therefore, nine years had passed away. | The Nephites started counting their years from the time the sign was given or from when Christ came. Therefore, nine years had passed. |
| 3 Nephi 2:9 | And Nephi, who was the father of Nephi, who had the charge of the records, did not return to the land of Zarahemla, and could nowhere be found in all the land. | Nephi, the father of Nephi who was responsible for the records, didn’t return to Zarahemla and couldn’t be found anywhere in the entire land. |
| 3 Nephi 2:10 | And it came to pass that the people did still remain in wickedness, notwithstanding the much preaching and prophesying which was sent among them; and thus passed away the tenth year also; and the eleventh year also passed away in iniquity. | Even with all the preaching and prophesying among them, the people remained wicked. The tenth year went by like this, and the eleventh year also passed in sin. |
| 3 Nephi 2:11 | And it came to pass in the thirteenth year there began to be wars and contentions throughout all the land; for the Gadianton robbers had become so numerous, and did slay so many of the people, and did lay waste so many cities, and did spread so much death and carnage throughout the land, that it became expedient that all the people, both the Nephites and the Lamanites, should take up arms against them. | In the thirteenth year, wars and conflicts broke out all over the land. The Gadianton robbers had become so many, killed so many people, destroyed so many cities, and caused so much death and ruin that it became necessary for everyone, both Nephites and Lamanites, to take up arms against them. |
| 3 Nephi 2:12 | Therefore, all the Lamanites who had become converted unto the Lord did unite with their brethren, the Nephites, and were compelled, for the safety of their lives and their women and their children, to take up arms against those Gadianton robbers, yea, and also to maintain their rights, and the privileges of their church and of their worship, and their freedom and their liberty. | All the Lamanites who had converted to the Lord joined with the Nephites. They had to take up arms to protect their lives, along with the lives of their women and children, against the Gadianton robbers. They also fought to maintain their rights, their church privileges, their right to worship, and their freedom. |
| 3 Nephi 2:13 | And it came to pass that before this thirteenth year had passed away the Nephites were threatened with utter destruction because of this war, which had become exceedingly sore. | Before the thirteenth year ended, the Nephites faced the threat of complete destruction because the war had become extremely severe. |
| 3 Nephi 2:14 | And it came to pass that those Lamanites who had united with the Nephites were numbered among the Nephites; | The Lamanites who had joined the Nephites were counted as Nephites. |
| 3 Nephi 2:15 | And their curse was taken from them, and their skin became white like unto the Nephites; | Their curse was lifted, and their skin became as fair as the Nephites’. |
| 3 Nephi 2:16 | And their young men and their daughters became exceedingly fair, and they were numbered among the Nephites, and were called Nephites. And thus ended the thirteenth year. | Their young men and daughters became very attractive, and they joined the Nephites and were known as Nephites. And that was the end of the thirteenth year. |
| 3 Nephi 2:17 | And it came to pass in the commencement of the fourteenth year, the war between the robbers and the people of Nephi did continue and did become exceedingly sore; nevertheless, the people of Nephi did gain some advantage of the robbers, insomuch that they did drive them back out of their lands into the mountains and into their secret places. | At the start of the fourteenth year, the war between the robbers and the Nephites kept going and got really intense. However, the Nephites managed to gain some ground and pushed the robbers back into the mountains and their hiding places. |
| 3 Nephi 2:18 | And thus ended the fourteenth year. And in the fifteenth year they did come forth against the people of Nephi; and because of the wickedness of the people of Nephi, and their many contentions and dissensions, the Gadianton robbers did gain many advantages over them. | And so the fourteenth year ended. During the fifteenth year, the Gadianton robbers attacked the people of Nephi. Because the Nephites were wicked and constantly fighting among themselves, the Gadianton robbers gained many advantages over them. |
| 3 Nephi 2:19 | And thus ended the fifteenth year, and thus were the people in a state of many afflictions; and the sword of destruction did hang over them, insomuch that they were about to be smitten down by it, and this because of their iniquity. | And so, the fifteenth year ended, and the people were suffering from many problems. They were on the brink of being destroyed because of their wickedness. |
3 Nephi 3
| Verse | Original | 7th Grade |
|---|---|---|
| 3 Nephi 3:1 | And now it came to pass that in the sixteenth year from the coming of Christ, Lachoneus, the governor of the land, received an epistle from the leader and the governor of this band of robbers; and these were the words which were written, saying: | In the sixteenth year after Christ’s coming, Lachoneus, the governor of the land, got a letter from the leader of a group of robbers. Here’s what it said: |
| 3 Nephi 3:2 | Lachoneus, most noble and chief governor of the land, behold, I write this epistle unto you, and do give unto you exceedingly great praise because of your firmness, and also the firmness of your people, in maintaining that which ye suppose to be your right and liberty; yea, ye do stand well, as if ye were supported by the hand of a god, in the defence of your liberty, and your property, and your country, or that which ye do call so. | Lachoneus, noble and chief governor of the land, I’m writing this letter to you. I want to give you a lot of praise for your firmness, and also for the firmness of your people, in standing up for what you believe to be your rights and liberty. Yes, you stand strong, as if backed by the hand of a god, in defending your freedom, your property, and your country, or what you call it. |
| 3 Nephi 3:3 | And it seemeth a pity unto me, most noble Lachoneus, that ye should be so foolish and vain as to suppose that ye can stand against so many brave men who are at my command, who do now at this time stand in their arms, and do await with great anxiety for the word—Go down upon the Nephites and destroy them. | I think it’s a shame, noble Lachoneus, that you’re being so foolish and vain to believe you can stand against the many brave men under my command. They are ready and waiting anxiously for my order to go down and destroy the Nephites. |
| 3 Nephi 3:4 | And I, knowing of their unconquerable spirit, having proved them in the field of battle, and knowing of their everlasting hatred towards you because of the many wrongs which ye have done unto them, therefore if they should come down against you they would visit you with utter destruction. | I know they have an unbreakable spirit because I’ve seen them in battle. They hate you deeply because of all the wrongs you’ve done to them. So, if they come after you, they will bring total destruction. |
| 3 Nephi 3:5 | Therefore I have written this epistle, sealing it with mine own hand, feeling for your welfare, because of your firmness in that which ye believe to be right, and your noble spirit in the field of battle. | I wrote this letter and signed it myself because I care about you and respect your strong beliefs and courageous actions in battle. |
| 3 Nephi 3:6 | Therefore I write unto you, desiring that ye would yield up unto this my people, your cities, your lands, and your possessions, rather than that they should visit you with the sword and that destruction should come upon you. | So I’m writing to ask that you surrender your cities, lands, and possessions to my people, instead of facing them in battle and bringing destruction upon yourselves. |
| 3 Nephi 3:7 | Or in other words, yield yourselves up unto us, and unite with us and become acquainted with our secret works, and become our brethren that ye may be like unto us—not our slaves, but our brethren and partners of all our substance. | In other words, join us, get to know our secret ways, and become our brothers. Not as our slaves, but as our equals and partners in everything we have. |
| 3 Nephi 3:8 | And behold, I swear unto you, if ye will do this, with an oath, ye shall not be destroyed; but if ye will not do this, I swear unto you with an oath, that on the morrow month I will command that my armies shall come down against you, and they shall not stay their hand and shall spare not, but shall slay you, and shall let fall the sword upon you even until ye shall become extinct. | Listen, I promise you, if you do this, you won’t be destroyed. But if you don’t, I swear that next month I’ll have my armies come down against you. They won’t hold back and will kill you all until you’re wiped out. |
| 3 Nephi 3:9 | And behold, I am Giddianhi; and I am the governor of this the secret society of Gadianton; which society and the works thereof I know to be good; and they are of ancient date and they have been handed down unto us. | I am Giddianhi, the leader of the secret Gadianton society. I know the group’s works are good, and they come from ancient times and have been passed down to us. |
| 3 Nephi 3:10 | And I write this epistle unto you, Lachoneus, and I hope that ye will deliver up your lands and your possessions, without the shedding of blood, that this my people may recover their rights and government, who have dissented away from you because of your wickedness in retaining from them their rights of government, and except ye do this, I will avenge their wrongs. I am Giddianhi. | I’m writing this letter to you, Lachoneus, and I hope you will surrender your lands and possessions peacefully, so my people can reclaim their rights and government. They left you because you unjustly took their governance rights. If you don’t comply, I will seek retribution. I am Giddianhi. |
| 3 Nephi 3:11 | And now it came to pass when Lachoneus received this epistle he was exceedingly astonished, because of the boldness of Giddianhi demanding the possession of the land of the Nephites, and also of threatening the people and avenging the wrongs of those that had received no wrong, save it were they had wronged themselves by dissenting away unto those wicked and abominable robbers. | When Lachoneus got this letter, he was really shocked. Giddianhi had the nerve to demand control of the Nephite land and also threatened the people, claiming to avenge the wrongs of those who hadn’t been wronged, except by their own choice to join those wicked robbers. |
| 3 Nephi 3:12 | Now behold, this Lachoneus, the governor, was a just man, and could not be frightened by the demands and the threatenings of a robber; therefore he did not hearken to the epistle of Giddianhi, the governor of the robbers, but he did cause that his people should cry unto the Lord for strength against the time that the robbers should come down against them. | Now listen, Lachoneus, the governor, was a fair and brave man who couldn’t be scared by the threats and demands of a robber. So he didn’t listen to the letter from Giddianhi, the leader of the robbers. Instead, he had his people pray to the Lord for strength for when the robbers would come against them. |
| 3 Nephi 3:13 | Yea, he sent a proclamation among all the people, that they should gather together their women, and their children, their flocks and their herds, and all their substance, save it were their land, unto one place. | He sent out an announcement to everyone, telling them to gather their wives, children, livestock, and all their belongings, except their land, to one place. |
| 3 Nephi 3:14 | And he caused that fortifications should be built round about them, and the strength thereof should be exceedingly great. And he caused that armies, both of the Nephites and of the Lamanites, or of all them who were numbered among the Nephites, should be placed as guards round about to watch them, and to guard them from the robbers day and night. | He ordered that strong fortifications be built around them, making them very strong. He also deployed armies, both Nephite and Lamanite, or anyone counted among the Nephites, to act as guards around them, protecting them from robbers day and night. |
| 3 Nephi 3:15 | Yea, he said unto them: As the Lord liveth, except ye repent of all your iniquities, and cry unto the Lord, ye will in no wise be delivered out of the hands of those Gadianton robbers. | He said to them, “As long as the Lord lives, unless you repent of all your sins and cry out to Him, you won’t be rescued from the Gadianton robbers.” |
| 3 Nephi 3:16 | And so great and marvelous were the words and prophecies of Lachoneus that they did cause fear to come upon all the people; and they did exert themselves in their might to do according to the words of Lachoneus. | Lachoneus spoke such powerful and amazing words and prophecies that they made everyone afraid, and the people worked hard to follow what Lachoneus said. |
| 3 Nephi 3:17 | And it came to pass that Lachoneus did appoint chief captains over all the armies of the Nephites, to command them at the time that the robbers should come down out of the wilderness against them. | Lachoneus appointed chief captains over all the Nephite armies to lead them when the robbers came out of the wilderness to attack. |
| 3 Nephi 3:18 | Now the chiefest among all the chief captains and the great commander of the armies of the Nephites was appointed, and his name was Gidgiddoni. | The top leader and main commander of the Nephite armies was appointed, and his name was Gidgiddoni. |
| 3 Nephi 3:19 | Now it was the custom among all the Nephites to appoint for their chief captains, (save it were in their times of wickedness) some one that had the spirit of revelation and also prophecy; therefore, this Gidgiddoni was a great prophet among them, as also was the chief judge. | The Nephites usually chose their chief captains based on who had the spirit of revelation and prophecy, except when they were wicked. Gidgiddoni was a great prophet and also the chief judge. |
| 3 Nephi 3:20 | Now the people said unto Gidgiddoni: Pray unto the Lord, and let us go up upon the mountains and into the wilderness, that we may fall upon the robbers and destroy them in their own lands. | The people said to Gidgiddoni, “Pray to the Lord, and let us go up into the mountains and the wilderness to attack and destroy the robbers in their own lands.” |
| 3 Nephi 3:21 | But Gidgiddoni saith unto them: The Lord forbid; for if we should go up against them the Lord would deliver us into their hands; therefore we will prepare ourselves in the center of our lands, and we will gather all our armies together, and we will not go against them, but we will wait till they shall come against us; therefore as the Lord liveth, if we do this he will deliver them into our hands. | Gidgiddoni said to them, “No way! If we attack them, the Lord will let them beat us. Instead, we’ll get ready in the middle of our lands, gather all our armies, and wait for them to come to us. If we do this, the Lord will make sure we win.” |
| 3 Nephi 3:22 | And it came to pass in the seventeenth year, in the latter end of the year, the proclamation of Lachoneus had gone forth throughout all the face of the land, and they had taken their horses, and their chariots, and their cattle, and all their flocks, and their herds, and their grain, and all their substance, and did march forth by thousands and by tens of thousands, until they had all gone forth to the place which had been appointed that they should gather themselves together, to defend themselves against their enemies. | In the seventeenth year, at the end of the year, Lachoneus’s proclamation had spread across the land. The people took their horses, chariots, cattle, flocks, herds, grain, and all their belongings, and marched in groups of thousands and tens of thousands to the appointed place to defend themselves against their enemies. |
| 3 Nephi 3:23 | And the land which was appointed was the land of Zarahemla, and the land which was between the land Zarahemla and the land Bountiful, yea, to the line which was between the land Bountiful and the land Desolation. | The land assigned was Zarahemla, and the area between Zarahemla and Bountiful, all the way to the border between Bountiful and Desolation. |
| 3 Nephi 3:24 | And there were a great many thousand people who were called Nephites, who did gather themselves together in this land. Now Lachoneus did cause that they should gather themselves together in the land southward, because of the great curse which was upon the land northward. | There were a lot of people called Nephites who gathered together in this land. Lachoneus told them to gather in the southern part of the land because the northern part was cursed. |
| 3 Nephi 3:25 | And they did fortify themselves against their enemies; and they did dwell in one land, and in one body, and they did fear the words which had been spoken by Lachoneus, insomuch that they did repent of all their sins; and they did put up their prayers unto the Lord their God, that he would deliver them in the time that their enemies should come down against them to battle. | They fortified themselves against their enemies and lived together in one place. They were afraid of what Lachoneus had said, so they repented of all their sins and prayed to God to deliver them when their enemies came to fight them. |
| 3 Nephi 3:26 | And they were exceedingly sorrowful because of their enemies. And Gidgiddoni did cause that they should make weapons of war of every kind, and they should be strong with armor, and with shields, and with bucklers, after the manner of his instruction. | They were very sad because of their enemies. Gidgiddoni made them create all kinds of weapons for war, and they were equipped with strong armor, shields, and bucklers, just as he instructed. |
3 Nephi 4
| Verse | Original | 7th Grade |
|---|---|---|
| 3 Nephi 4:1 | And it came to pass that in the latter end of the eighteenth year those armies of robbers had prepared for battle, and began to come down and to sally forth from the hills, and out of the mountains, and the wilderness, and their strongholds, and their secret places, and began to take possession of the lands, both which were in the land south and which were in the land north, and began to take possession of all the lands which had been deserted by the Nephites, and the cities which had been left desolate. | In the late part of the eighteenth year, the armies of robbers got ready for battle. They came down from the hills, the mountains, the wilderness, their strongholds, and secret places. They started taking over the lands in both the southern and northern parts, as well as the cities and lands that the Nephites had abandoned. |
| 3 Nephi 4:2 | But behold, there were no wild beasts nor game in those lands which had been deserted by the Nephites, and there was no game for the robbers save it were in the wilderness. | But look, there were no wild animals or any game in the lands abandoned by the Nephites, and the robbers could only find game in the wilderness. |
| 3 Nephi 4:3 | And the robbers could not exist save it were in the wilderness, for the want of food; for the Nephites had left their lands desolate, and had gathered their flocks and their herds and all their substance, and they were in one body. | The robbers couldn’t survive except in the wilderness because there was no food. The Nephites had abandoned their lands and taken all their animals and belongings with them, gathering together in one place. |
| 3 Nephi 4:4 | Therefore, there was no chance for the robbers to plunder and to obtain food, save it were to come up in open battle against the Nephites; and the Nephites being in one body, and having so great a number, and having reserved for themselves provisions, and horses and cattle, and flocks of every kind, that they might subsist for the space of seven years, in the which time they did hope to destroy the robbers from off the face of the land; and thus the eighteenth year did pass away. | The robbers had no chance to steal food unless they fought the Nephites in open battle. The Nephites were united and had a large number of people, with enough provisions, horses, cattle, and flocks to last seven years. They hoped to eliminate the robbers during this time. And so, the eighteenth year passed. |
| 3 Nephi 4:5 | And it came to pass that in the nineteenth year Giddianhi found that it was expedient that he should go up to battle against the Nephites, for there was no way that they could subsist save it were to plunder and rob and murder. | In the nineteenth year, Giddianhi realized it was necessary to go to battle against the Nephites because they couldn’t survive without plundering, robbing, and killing. |
| 3 Nephi 4:6 | And they durst not spread themselves upon the face of the land insomuch that they could raise grain, lest the Nephites should come upon them and slay them; therefore Giddianhi gave commandment unto his armies that in this year they should go up to battle against the Nephites. | The enemy didn’t dare spread out on the land to grow crops, fearing the Nephites would attack and kill them. So, Giddianhi ordered his armies to go into battle against the Nephites that year. |
| 3 Nephi 4:7 | And it came to pass that they did come up to battle; and it was in the sixth month; and behold, great and terrible was the day that they did come up to battle; and they were girded about after the manner of robbers; and they had a lamb-skin about their loins, and they were dyed in blood, and their heads were shorn, and they had head-plates upon them; and great and terrible was the appearance of the armies of Giddianhi, because of their armor, and because of their being dyed in blood. | They went up to battle in the sixth month. It was a day of fierce fighting. They were dressed like robbers with lamb-skins around their waists, dyed in blood, heads shaved, and wearing head-plates. The armies of Giddianhi looked terrifying because of their armor and the blood stains. |
| 3 Nephi 4:8 | And it came to pass that the armies of the Nephites, when they saw the appearance of the army of Giddianhi, had all fallen to the earth, and did lift their cries to the Lord their God, that he would spare them and deliver them out of the hands of their enemies. | When the Nephite armies saw Giddianhi’s army, they all dropped to the ground and cried out to the Lord, asking Him to save them from their enemies. |
| 3 Nephi 4:9 | And it came to pass that when the armies of Giddianhi saw this they began to shout with a loud voice, because of their joy, for they had supposed that the Nephites had fallen with fear because of the terror of their armies. | When Giddianhi’s armies saw this, they started shouting loudly out of joy because they thought the Nephites had been scared into defeat by the terror of their forces. |
| 3 Nephi 4:10 | But in this thing they were disappointed, for the Nephites did not fear them; but they did fear their God and did supplicate him for protection; therefore, when the armies of Giddianhi did rush upon them they were prepared to meet them; yea, in the strength of the Lord they did receive them. | But in this thing they were disappointed, because the Nephites weren’t afraid of them; instead, they feared God and prayed to Him for protection. So, when Giddianhi’s armies attacked, they were ready to face them. Yes, they received them with the strength of the Lord. |
| 3 Nephi 4:11 | And the battle commenced in this the sixth month; and great and terrible was the battle thereof, yea, great and terrible was the slaughter thereof, insomuch that there never was known so great a slaughter among all the people of Lehi since he left Jerusalem. | The battle began in the sixth month and it was incredibly fierce and deadly. There had never been such a great slaughter among all the people of Lehi since he left Jerusalem. |
| 3 Nephi 4:12 | And notwithstanding the threatenings and the oaths which Giddianhi had made, behold, the Nephites did beat them, insomuch that they did fall back from before them. | Even though Giddianhi made threats and swore oaths, the Nephites beat them, making them retreat. |
| 3 Nephi 4:13 | And it came to pass that Gidgiddoni commanded that his armies should pursue them as far as the borders of the wilderness, and that they should not spare any that should fall into their hands by the way; and thus they did pursue them and did slay them, to the borders of the wilderness, even until they had fulfilled the commandment of Gidgiddoni. | Gidgiddoni ordered his armies to chase the enemy to the borders of the wilderness and not spare anyone they captured along the way. So, they pursued them and killed them until they reached the wilderness, fulfilling Gidgiddoni’s command. |
| 3 Nephi 4:14 | And it came to pass that Giddianhi, who had stood and fought with boldness, was pursued as he fled; and being weary because of his much fighting he was overtaken and slain. And thus was the end of Giddianhi the robber. | Giddianhi, who had bravely stood and fought, was chased as he tried to escape. Exhausted from all the fighting, he was caught and killed. And that was the end of Giddianhi the robber. |
| 3 Nephi 4:15 | And it came to pass that the armies of the Nephites did return again to their place of security. And it came to pass that this nineteenth year did pass away, and the robbers did not come again to battle; neither did they come again in the twentieth year. | The Nephite armies went back to their safe place. The nineteenth year passed, and the robbers didn’t come to fight again, nor did they return in the twentieth year. |
| 3 Nephi 4:16 | And in the twenty and first year they did not come up to battle, but they came up on all sides to lay siege round about the people of Nephi; for they did suppose that if they should cut off the people of Nephi from their lands, and should hem them in on every side, and if they should cut them off from all their outward privileges, that they could cause them to yield themselves up according to their wishes. | In the twenty-first year, they didn’t attack directly but surrounded the people of Nephi from all sides, laying siege. They thought that cutting the Nephites off from their land and all their external resources would force them to surrender. |
| 3 Nephi 4:17 | Now they had appointed unto themselves another leader, whose name was Zemnarihah; therefore it was Zemnarihah that did cause that this siege should take place. | They chose a new leader named Zemnarihah, and it was him who made the siege happen. |
| 3 Nephi 4:18 | But behold, this was an advantage to the Nephites; for it was impossible for the robbers to lay siege sufficiently long to have any effect upon the Nephites, because of their much provision which they had laid up in store, | But look, this worked out in the Nephites’ favor because the robbers couldn’t lay siege long enough to affect them. The Nephites had stored up plenty of provisions. |
| 3 Nephi 4:19 | And because of the scantiness of provisions among the robbers—for behold, they had nothing save it were meat for their subsistence, which meat they did obtain in the wilderness; | Because the robbers had so few supplies—they had nothing but meat they got from the wilderness for their food. |
| 3 Nephi 4:20 | And it came to pass that the wild game became scarce in the wilderness—insomuch that the robbers were about to perish with hunger. | The wild game became so scarce in the wilderness that the robbers were about to starve. |
| 3 Nephi 4:21 | And the Nephites were continually marching out by day and by night, and falling upon their armies, and cutting them off by thousands and by tens of thousands. | The Nephites kept moving day and night, attacking the enemy’s armies and killing them by the thousands and tens of thousands. |
| 3 Nephi 4:22 | And thus it became the desire of the people of Zemnarihah to withdraw from their design, because of the great destruction which came upon them by night and by day. | So the people of Zemnarihah wanted to give up their plan because they faced a lot of destruction both day and night. |
| 3 Nephi 4:23 | And it came to pass that Zemnarihah did give command unto his people that they should withdraw themselves from the siege, and march into the furthermost parts of the land northward. | Zemnarihah ordered his people to end the siege and move to the furthest parts of the land to the north. |
| 3 Nephi 4:24 | And now, Gidgiddoni being aware of their design, and knowing of their weakness because of the want of food, and the great slaughter which had been made among them, therefore he did send out his armies in the night-time, and did cut off the way of their retreat, and did place his armies in the way of their retreat. | Gidgiddoni realized their plan and knew they were weak because they lacked food and had suffered heavy losses. So, he sent his armies out at night to block their retreat and positioned his forces along their escape routes. |
| 3 Nephi 4:25 | And this did they do in the night-time, and got on their march beyond the robbers, so that on the morrow, when the robbers began their march, they were met by the armies of the Nephites both in their front and in their rear. | They did this during the night and moved ahead of the robbers. So, the next day, when the robbers started their march, they were ambushed by the Nephite armies in front and behind them. |
| 3 Nephi 4:26 | And the robbers who were on the south were also cut off in their places of retreat. And all these things were done by command of Gidgiddoni. | The robbers in the south were also cut off in their hideouts. All of this was done under Gidgiddoni’s orders. |
| 3 Nephi 4:27 | And there were many thousands who did yield themselves up prisoners unto the Nephites, and the remainder of them were slain. | Many thousands surrendered themselves as prisoners to the Nephites, and the rest were killed. |
| 3 Nephi 4:28 | And their leader, Zemnarihah, was taken and hanged upon a tree, yea, even upon the top thereof until he was dead. And when they had hanged him until he was dead they did fell the tree to the earth, and did cry with a loud voice, saying: | Their leader, Zemnarihah, was captured and hanged from a tree until he died. After he was dead, they cut the tree down and shouted loudly, saying: |
| 3 Nephi 4:29 | May the Lord preserve his people in righteousness and in holiness of heart, that they may cause to be felled to the earth all who shall seek to slay them because of power and secret combinations, even as this man hath been felled to the earth. | May the Lord keep His people righteous and pure in heart, so they can overcome anyone who tries to kill them for power and secret plots, just as this man has been defeated. |
| 3 Nephi 4:30 | And they did rejoice and cry again with one voice, saying: May the God of Abraham, and the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob, protect this people in righteousness, so long as they shall call on the name of their God for protection. | They were happy and shouted together: “May the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob protect us as long as we call on Him for help.” |
| 3 Nephi 4:31 | And it came to pass that they did break forth, all as one, in singing, and praising their God for the great thing which he had done for them, in preserving them from falling into the hands of their enemies. | They all started singing and praising God together for saving them from their enemies. |
| 3 Nephi 4:32 | Yea, they did cry: Hosanna to the Most High God. And they did cry: Blessed be the name of the Lord God Almighty, the Most High God. | Yes, they shouted, “Hosanna to the Most High God!” And they cried out, “Blessed be the name of the Lord God Almighty, the Most High God!” |
| 3 Nephi 4:33 | And their hearts were swollen with joy, unto the gushing out of many tears, because of the great goodness of God in delivering them out of the hands of their enemies; and they knew it was because of their repentance and their humility that they had been delivered from an everlasting destruction. | Their hearts were filled with so much joy that they cried many tears because of God’s great goodness in saving them from their enemies. They knew they were saved from eternal destruction because they repented and humbled themselves. |
3 Nephi 5
| Verse | Original | 7th Grade |
|---|---|---|
| 3 Nephi 5:1 | And now behold, there was not a living soul among all the people of the Nephites who did doubt in the least the words of all the holy prophets who had spoken; for they knew that it must needs be that they must be fulfilled. | And now, there wasn’t a single person among all the Nephites who doubted, even a little bit, the words of all the holy prophets who had spoken; because they knew these things were certain to happen. |
| 3 Nephi 5:2 | And they knew that it must be expedient that Christ had come, because of the many signs which had been given, according to the words of the prophets; and because of the things which had come to pass already they knew that it must needs be that all things should come to pass according to that which had been spoken. | They realized that Christ must have come because of all the signs the prophets had given. And seeing everything that had already happened, they knew that everything would happen just as it had been foretold. |
| 3 Nephi 5:3 | Therefore they did forsake all their sins, and their abominations, and their whoredoms, and did serve God with all diligence day and night. | So they gave up all their sins, bad habits, and immoral actions, and served God diligently day and night. |
| 3 Nephi 5:4 | And now it came to pass that when they had taken all the robbers prisoners, insomuch that none did escape who were not slain, they did cast their prisoners into prison, and did cause the word of God to be preached unto them; and as many as would repent of their sins and enter into a covenant that they would murder no more were set at liberty. | After they captured all the robbers, ensuring none escaped unless they were killed, they put them in prison. They had them taught the word of God, and those who repented and promised not to kill anymore were set free. |
| 3 Nephi 5:5 | But as many as there were who did not enter into a covenant, and who did still continue to have those secret murders in their hearts, yea, as many as were found breathing out threatenings against their brethren were condemned and punished according to the law. | But those who didn’t make a promise and continued to harbor murderous thoughts, and those who threatened their brothers, were judged and punished according to the law. |
| 3 Nephi 5:6 | And thus they did put an end to all those wicked, and secret, and abominable combinations, in the which there was so much wickedness, and so many murders committed. | So they put an end to all those wicked and secret, evil groups where there was so much wrongdoing and so many murders. |
| 3 Nephi 5:7 | And thus had the twenty and second year passed away, and the twenty and third year also, and the twenty and fourth, and the twenty and fifth; and thus had twenty and five years passed away. | And so, the 22nd year passed, then the 23rd, 24th, and the 25th year as well. So, 25 years had gone by. |
| 3 Nephi 5:8 | And there had many things transpired which, in the eyes of some, would be great and marvelous; nevertheless, they cannot all be written in this book; yea, this book cannot contain even a hundredth part of what was done among so many people in the space of twenty and five years; | A lot of things happened that some people would find amazing and wonderful. However, we can’t write everything down in this book. In fact, this book can’t even hold a hundredth of what went on among so many people over the span of twenty-five years. |
| 3 Nephi 5:9 | But behold there are records which do contain all the proceedings of this people; and a shorter but true account was given by Nephi. | But there are records that detail everything this people did. Nephi provided a shorter but accurate account. |
| 3 Nephi 5:10 | Therefore I have made my record of these things according to the record of Nephi, which was engraven on the plates which were called the plates of Nephi. | So, I have made my record based on Nephi’s record, which was engraved on the plates called the plates of Nephi. |
| 3 Nephi 5:11 | And behold, I do make the record on plates which I have made with mine own hands. | And look, I am making this record on plates that I made with my own hands. |
| 3 Nephi 5:12 | And behold, I am called Mormon, being called after the land of Mormon, the land in which Alma did establish the church among the people, yea, the first church which was established among them after their transgression. | I am Mormon, named after the land of Mormon where Alma first established the church among the people after they had sinned. |
| 3 Nephi 5:13 | Behold, I am a disciple of Jesus Christ, the Son of God. I have been called of him to declare his word among his people, that they might have everlasting life. | I’m a follower of Jesus Christ, the Son of God. He has called me to share His message with His people so they can have eternal life. |
| 3 Nephi 5:14 | And it hath become expedient that I, according to the will of God, that the prayers of those who have gone hence, who were the holy ones, should be fulfilled according to their faith, should make a record of these things which have been done— | It has become necessary for me, according to God’s will, to make a record of these events so that the prayers of the holy ones who have passed on may be fulfilled according to their faith. |
| 3 Nephi 5:15 | Yea, a small record of that which hath taken place from the time that Lehi left Jerusalem, even down until the present time. | Yes, it’s a short record of what has happened since Lehi left Jerusalem, right up until now. |
| 3 Nephi 5:16 | Therefore I do make my record from the accounts which have been given by those who were before me, until the commencement of my day; | So I’m making my record based on the accounts written by those who came before me, up until my own time. |
| 3 Nephi 5:17 | And then I do make a record of the things which I have seen with mine own eyes. | Now I’m writing down the things I’ve seen with my own eyes. |
| 3 Nephi 5:18 | And I know the record which I make to be a just and a true record; nevertheless there are many things which, according to our language, we are not able to write. | I know the record I make is true and fair, but there are many things we can’t write because of our language. |
| 3 Nephi 5:19 | And now I make an end of my saying, which is of myself, and proceed to give my account of the things which have been before me. | I’m finishing talking about myself now, and I’m going to start telling you about things that happened before my time. |
| 3 Nephi 5:20 | I am Mormon, and a pure descendant of Lehi. I have reason to bless my God and my Savior Jesus Christ, that he brought our fathers out of the land of Jerusalem, (and no one knew it save it were himself and those whom he brought out of that land) and that he hath given me and my people so much knowledge unto the salvation of our souls. | I am Mormon, a direct descendant of Lehi. I am grateful to my God and Savior Jesus Christ for bringing our ancestors out of Jerusalem, which only He and those He brought knew about. He has given me and my people a lot of knowledge for the salvation of our souls. |
| 3 Nephi 5:21 | Surely he hath blessed the house of Jacob, and hath been merciful unto the seed of Joseph. | He has definitely blessed the family of Jacob and shown mercy to the descendants of Joseph. |
| 3 Nephi 5:22 | And insomuch as the children of Lehi have kept his commandments he hath blessed them and prospered them according to his word. | When the children of Lehi have followed God’s commandments, He has blessed them and made them successful, just as He said He would. |
| 3 Nephi 5:23 | Yea, and surely shall he again bring a remnant of the seed of Joseph to the knowledge of the Lord their God. | Yes, God will bring some of the descendants of Joseph back to the knowledge of the Lord, their God. |
| 3 Nephi 5:24 | And as surely as the Lord liveth, will he gather in from the four quarters of the earth all the remnant of the seed of Jacob, who are scattered abroad upon all the face of the earth. | As surely as the Lord lives, He will gather from all parts of the earth the remaining descendants of Jacob, who are scattered everywhere. |
| 3 Nephi 5:25 | And as he hath covenanted with all the house of Jacob, even so shall the covenant wherewith he hath covenanted with the house of Jacob be fulfilled in his own due time, unto the restoring all the house of Jacob unto the knowledge of the covenant that he hath covenanted with them. | Just as God made a promise to all of Jacob’s descendants, He will fulfill that promise in His own time by bringing all of Jacob’s descendants back to the knowledge of the promise He made to them. |
| 3 Nephi 5:26 | And then shall they know their Redeemer, who is Jesus Christ, the Son of God; and then shall they be gathered in from the four quarters of the earth unto their own lands, from whence they have been dispersed; yea, as the Lord liveth so shall it be. Amen. | Then they’ll know Jesus Christ, their Redeemer, the Son of God. They will be gathered from all around the world back to their own lands, where they were scattered from. Yes, as the Lord lives, it will happen. Amen. |
3 Nephi 6
| Verse | Original | 7th Grade |
|---|---|---|
| 3 Nephi 6:1 | And now it came to pass that the people of the Nephites did all return to their own lands in the twenty and sixth year, every man, with his family, his flocks and his herds, his horses and his cattle, and all things whatsoever did belong unto them. | In the twenty-sixth year, the Nephites all went back to their own lands, each person with their family, flocks, herds, horses, cattle, and everything they owned. |
| 3 Nephi 6:2 | And it came to pass that they had not eaten up all their provisions; therefore they did take with them all that they had not devoured, of all their grain of every kind, and their gold, and their silver, and all their precious things, and they did return to their own lands and their possessions, both on the north and on the south, both on the land northward and on the land southward. | They hadn’t used up all their supplies, so they took all the extra grain, gold, silver, and valuables they hadn’t consumed and went back to their own lands and possessions, both to the north and south. |
| 3 Nephi 6:3 | And they granted unto those robbers who had entered into a covenant to keep the peace of the land, who were desirous to remain Lamanites, lands, according to their numbers, that they might have, with their labors, wherewith to subsist upon; and thus they did establish peace in all the land. | They gave lands to the robbers who promised to keep the peace and wanted to stay Lamanites, according to their numbers, so they could work and live off the land. This established peace throughout the land. |
| 3 Nephi 6:4 | And they began again to prosper and to wax great; and the twenty and sixth and seventh years passed away, and there was great order in the land; and they had formed their laws according to equity and justice. | They started to thrive and grow again. The twenty-sixth and twenty-seventh years went by, and there was great order in the land. They created their laws based on fairness and justice. |
| 3 Nephi 6:5 | And now there was nothing in all the land to hinder the people from prospering continually, except they should fall into transgression. | Now, there was nothing stopping the people from being successful all the time, unless they messed up. |
| 3 Nephi 6:6 | And now it was Gidgiddoni, and the judge, Lachoneus, and those who had been appointed leaders, who had established this great peace in the land. | It was Gidgiddoni, Judge Lachoneus, and the appointed leaders who established this great peace in the land. |
| 3 Nephi 6:7 | And it came to pass that there were many cities built anew, and there were many old cities repaired. | Many new cities were built, and many old cities were repaired. |
| 3 Nephi 6:8 | And there were many highways cast up, and many roads made, which led from city to city, and from land to land, and from place to place. | There were many highways and roads built that went from city to city, from land to land, and from place to place. |
| 3 Nephi 6:9 | And thus passed away the twenty and eighth year, and the people had continual peace. | And so the twenty-eighth year went by, and the people continued to have peace. |
| 3 Nephi 6:10 | But it came to pass in the twenty and ninth year there began to be some disputings among the people; and some were lifted up unto pride and boastings because of their exceedingly great riches, yea, even unto great persecutions; | In the twenty-ninth year, there started to be some arguments among the people. Some became proud and boastful because of their great wealth, even to the point of causing big problems. |
| 3 Nephi 6:11 | For there were many merchants in the land, and also many lawyers, and many officers. | There were lots of merchants, lawyers, and officers in the land. |
| 3 Nephi 6:12 | And the people began to be distinguished by ranks, according to their riches and their chances for learning, yea, some were ignorant because of their poverty, and others did receive great learning because of their riches. | People started being separated into different social classes based on their wealth and educational opportunities. Some remained uneducated due to their poverty, while others gained a lot of knowledge because they were rich. |
| 3 Nephi 6:13 | Some were lifted up in pride, and others were exceedingly humble; some did return railing for railing, while others would receive railing and persecution and all manner of afflictions, and would not turn and revile again, but were humble and penitent before God. | Some became arrogant, while others were very humble. Some retaliated to insults, while others accepted insults, persecution, and all kinds of suffering without fighting back. They remained humble and repentant before God. |
| 3 Nephi 6:14 | And thus there became a great inequality in all the land, insomuch that the church began to be broken up; yea, insomuch that in the thirtieth year the church was broken up in all the land save it were among a few of the Lamanites who were converted unto the true faith; and they would not depart from it, for they were firm, and steadfast, and immovable, willing with all diligence to keep the commandments of the Lord. | There was a lot of inequality across the land, to the point that the church started falling apart. By the thirtieth year, the church had completely broken up everywhere except among a few of the Lamanites who had converted to the true faith. These Lamanites stayed committed, firm, and unshakeable, diligently keeping the commandments of the Lord. |
| 3 Nephi 6:15 | Now the cause of this iniquity of the people was this—Satan had great power, unto the stirring up of the people to do all manner of iniquity, and to the puffing them up with pride, tempting them to seek for power, and authority, and riches, and the vain things of the world. | The people were doing bad things because Satan had a lot of power over them. He stirred them up to commit all kinds of sins, and made them proud and eager to seek power, authority, wealth, and other vain things of the world. |
| 3 Nephi 6:16 | And thus Satan did lead away the hearts of the people to do all manner of iniquity; therefore they had enjoyed peace but a few years. | And so Satan led the people’s hearts astray to commit all sorts of wickedness; because of this, they had only enjoyed peace for a few years. |
| 3 Nephi 6:17 | And thus, in the commencement of the thirtieth year—the people having been delivered up for the space of a long time to be carried about by the temptations of the devil whithersoever he desired to carry them, and to do whatsoever iniquity he desired they should—and thus in the commencement of this, the thirtieth year, they were in a state of awful wickedness. | At the start of the thirtieth year, the people had been led by the devil’s temptations for a long time, doing whatever he wanted them to do. So, as this thirtieth year began, they were in a state of terrible wickedness. |
| 3 Nephi 6:18 | Now they did not sin ignorantly, for they knew the will of God concerning them, for it had been taught unto them; therefore they did wilfully rebel against God. | They didn’t sin out of ignorance, because they knew what God wanted from them since it had been taught to them; so they chose to rebel against God on purpose. |
| 3 Nephi 6:19 | And now it was in the days of Lachoneus, the son of Lachoneus, for Lachoneus did fill the seat of his father and did govern the people that year. | It was during the time of Lachoneus, the son of Lachoneus, who took his father’s place and governed the people that year. |
| 3 Nephi 6:20 | And there began to be men inspired from heaven and sent forth, standing among the people in all the land, preaching and testifying boldly of the sins and iniquities of the people, and testifying unto them concerning the redemption which the Lord would make for his people, or in other words, the resurrection of Christ; and they did testify boldly of his death and sufferings. | Men inspired by heaven began to appear among the people throughout the land. They stood up and preached boldly about the people’s sins and wrongdoings and spoke to them about the redemption the Lord would bring for his people, which is the resurrection of Christ. They boldly testified about his death and sufferings. |
| 3 Nephi 6:21 | Now there were many of the people who were exceedingly angry because of those who testified of these things; and those who were angry were chiefly the chief judges, and they who had been high priests and lawyers; yea, all those who were lawyers were angry with those who testified of these things. | Many people were really mad at those who testified about these things. The ones who were most upset were the chief judges, former high priests, and lawyers. Yes, all the lawyers were mad at those who spoke out. |
| 3 Nephi 6:22 | Now there was no lawyer nor judge nor high priest that could have power to condemn any one to death save their condemnation was signed by the governor of the land. | No lawyer, judge, or high priest could sentence anyone to death unless the governor of the land signed the condemnation. |
| 3 Nephi 6:23 | Now there were many of those who testified of the things pertaining to Christ who testified boldly, who were taken and put to death secretly by the judges, that the knowledge of their death came not unto the governor of the land until after their death. | Many people who testified boldly about Christ were secretly put to death by the judges, so the governor didn’t find out about their deaths until after they had already happened. |
| 3 Nephi 6:24 | Now behold, this was contrary to the laws of the land, that any man should be put to death except they had power from the governor of the land— | This was against the laws of the land; no one could be executed without permission from the governor. |
| 3 Nephi 6:25 | Therefore a complaint came up unto the land of Zarahemla, to the governor of the land, against these judges who had condemned the prophets of the Lord unto death, not according to the law. | A complaint was brought to the land of Zarahemla, to the governor, against the judges who had sentenced the prophets of the Lord to death against the law. |
| 3 Nephi 6:26 | Now it came to pass that they were taken and brought up before the judge to be judged of the crime which they had done, according to the law which had been given by the people. | They were taken and brought before the judge to be judged for the crime they committed, according to the law set by the people. |
| 3 Nephi 6:27 | Now it came to pass that those judges had many friends and kindreds; and the remainder, yea, even almost all the lawyers and the high priests, did gather themselves together, and unite with the kindreds of those judges who were to be tried according to the law. | So, those judges had a lot of friends and family members; and almost all the other lawyers and high priests joined them and united with the families of the judges who were going to be tried according to the law. |
| 3 Nephi 6:28 | And they did enter into a covenant one with another, yea, even into that covenant which was given by them of old, which covenant was given and administered by the devil, to combine against all righteousness. | They made a pact with each other, the same kind of pact that was made long ago, which was given and overseen by the devil, to work together against all that is right. |
| 3 Nephi 6:29 | Therefore they did combine against the people of the Lord, and enter into a covenant to destroy them, and to deliver those who were guilty of murder from the grasp of justice, which was about to be administered according to the law. | So, they teamed up against the Lord’s people, made a pact to wipe them out, and planned to free the murderers before justice could be served by the law. |
| 3 Nephi 6:30 | And they did set at defiance the law and the rights of their country; and they did covenant one with another to destroy the governor, and to establish a king over the land, that the land should no more be at liberty but should be subject unto kings. | They openly rejected the law and the rights of their country. They made a pact with each other to overthrow the governor and establish a king, so the land would no longer be free but under the rule of kings. |
3 Nephi 7
| Verse | Original | 7th Grade |
|---|---|---|
| 3 Nephi 7:1 | Now behold, I will show unto you that they did not establish a king over the land; but in this same year, yea, the thirtieth year, they did destroy upon the judgment seat, yea, did murder the chief judge of the land. | Now, look, I’ll show you that they didn’t set up a king over the land. In this same year, the thirtieth year, they destroyed the judgment seat and murdered the chief judge of the land. |
| 3 Nephi 7:2 | And the people were divided one against another; and they did separate one from another into tribes, every man according to his family and his kindred and friends; and thus they did destroy the government of the land. | The people turned against each other and split into tribes based on their families and friends, which led to the downfall of the government. |
| 3 Nephi 7:3 | And every tribe did appoint a chief or a leader over them; and thus they became tribes and leaders of tribes. | Each tribe picked a chief or leader, and that’s how they became tribes with their own leaders. |
| 3 Nephi 7:4 | Now behold, there was no man among them save he had much family and many kindreds and friends; therefore their tribes became exceedingly great. | Everyone had large families and many relatives and friends, so their tribes grew very big. |
| 3 Nephi 7:5 | Now all this was done, and there were no wars as yet among them; and all this iniquity had come upon the people because they did yield themselves unto the power of Satan. | All of this happened, and there hadn’t been any wars among them yet. All this wickedness came upon the people because they let themselves fall under Satan’s power. |
| 3 Nephi 7:6 | And the regulations of the government were destroyed, because of the secret combination of the friends and kindreds of those who murdered the prophets. | The government fell apart because of the secret alliances among the friends and relatives of those who killed the prophets. |
| 3 Nephi 7:7 | And they did cause a great contention in the land, insomuch that the more righteous part of the people had nearly all become wicked; yea, there were but few righteous men among them. | They caused such great turmoil in the land that most of the good people had become wicked; there were only a few righteous men left. |
| 3 Nephi 7:8 | And thus six years had not passed away since the more part of the people had turned from their righteousness, like the dog to his vomit, or like the sow to her wallowing in the mire. | It’s only been six years, and most of the people have already turned away from their righteousness, like a dog going back to its vomit or a pig returning to the mud. |
| 3 Nephi 7:9 | Now this secret combination, which had brought so great iniquity upon the people, did gather themselves together, and did place at their head a man whom they did call Jacob; | This secret group, which caused so much wickedness among the people, gathered together and chose a man named Jacob to be their leader. |
| 3 Nephi 7:10 | And they did call him their king; therefore he became a king over this wicked band; and he was one of the chiefest who had given his voice against the prophets who testified of Jesus. | They made him their king, so he became the leader of this wicked group. He was one of the main people who spoke out against the prophets who testified of Jesus. |
| 3 Nephi 7:11 | And it came to pass that they were not so strong in number as the tribes of the people, who were united together save it were their leaders did establish their laws, every one according to his tribe; nevertheless they were enemies; notwithstanding they were not a righteous people, yet they were united in the hatred of those who had entered into a covenant to destroy the government. | Even though their numbers were smaller than the tribes of unified people who had each established their own laws, they were still enemies. Despite not being righteous, they were united in their hatred for those who had made a pact to destroy the government. |
| 3 Nephi 7:12 | Therefore, Jacob seeing that their enemies were more numerous than they, he being the king of the band, therefore he commanded his people that they should take their flight into the northernmost part of the land, and there build up unto themselves a kingdom, until they were joined by dissenters, (for he flattered them that there would be many dissenters) and they become sufficiently strong to contend with the tribes of the people; and they did so. | So Jacob saw that their enemies were more numerous, and since he was the leader, he ordered his people to flee to the northernmost part of the land. There, he told them to build a kingdom and wait for dissenters to join them (he convinced them that many would defect). They would only fight the tribes when they had enough strength. And they did as he commanded. |
| 3 Nephi 7:13 | And so speedy was their march that it could not be impeded until they had gone forth out of the reach of the people. And thus ended the thirtieth year; and thus were the affairs of the people of Nephi. | Their march was so fast that nothing could stop them until they were out of reach of the people. And that’s how the thirtieth year ended, along with the affairs of the people of Nephi. |
| 3 Nephi 7:14 | And it came to pass in the thirty and first year that they were divided into tribes, every man according to his family, kindred and friends; nevertheless they had come to an agreement that they would not go to war one with another; but they were not united as to their laws, and their manner of government, for they were established according to the minds of those who were their chiefs and their leaders. But they did establish very strict laws that one tribe should not trespass against another, insomuch that in some degree they had peace in the land; nevertheless, their hearts were turned from the Lord their God, and they did stone the prophets and did cast them out from among them. | In the thirty-first year, the people were divided into tribes, each person sticking with their own family, relatives, and friends. They agreed not to go to war with each other, but they didn’t have the same laws or government. Each tribe followed the laws made by their own leaders. They did have strict rules to prevent one tribe from harming another, so there was some peace. However, their hearts had turned away from the Lord, and they stoned the prophets and drove them out. |
| 3 Nephi 7:15 | And it came to pass that Nephi—having been visited by angels and also the voice of the Lord, therefore having seen angels, and being eye-witness, and having had power given unto him that he might know concerning the ministry of Christ, and also being eye-witness to their quick return from righteousness unto their wickedness and abominations; | Nephi saw angels and heard the voice of the Lord. Because of this, he knew about Christ’s ministry. He also witnessed how quickly people turned from righteousness to wickedness and abominations. |
| 3 Nephi 7:16 | Therefore, being grieved for the hardness of their hearts and the blindness of their minds—went forth among them in that same year, and began to testify, boldly, repentance and remission of sins through faith on the Lord Jesus Christ. | So, being upset about how stubborn and closed-minded they were, I went among them that same year and started to boldly preach about repenting and having sins forgiven through faith in Jesus Christ. |
| 3 Nephi 7:17 | And he did minister many things unto them; and all of them cannot be written, and a part of them would not suffice, therefore they are not written in this book. And Nephi did minister with power and with great authority. | He taught them many things, but not everything can be written down, and some parts wouldn’t be enough on their own, so they aren’t included in this book. Nephi taught with power and great authority. |
| 3 Nephi 7:18 | And it came to pass that they were angry with him, even because he had greater power than they, for it were not possible that they could disbelieve his words, for so great was his faith on the Lord Jesus Christ that angels did minister unto him daily. | They were angry with him because he had more power than they did. They couldn’t doubt his words because his faith in the Lord Jesus Christ was so strong that angels visited him daily. |
| 3 Nephi 7:19 | And in the name of Jesus did he cast out devils and unclean spirits; and even his brother did he raise from the dead, after he had been stoned and suffered death by the people. | In the name of Jesus, he cast out devils and unclean spirits. He even raised his brother from the dead after he had been stoned and killed by the people. |
| 3 Nephi 7:20 | And the people saw it, and did witness of it, and were angry with him because of his power; and he did also do many more miracles, in the sight of the people, in the name of Jesus. | The people saw it and witnessed it. They were angry with him because of his power, and he also performed many more miracles in front of them, in the name of Jesus. |
| 3 Nephi 7:21 | And it came to pass that the thirty and first year did pass away, and there were but few who were converted unto the Lord; but as many as were converted did truly signify unto the people that they had been visited by the power and Spirit of God, which was in Jesus Christ, in whom they believed. | In the thirty-first year, not many people converted to the Lord; but those who did made it clear to everyone that they had been touched by the power and Spirit of God through Jesus Christ, whom they believed in. |
| 3 Nephi 7:22 | And as many as had devils cast out from them, and were healed of their sicknesses and their infirmities, did truly manifest unto the people that they had been wrought upon by the Spirit of God, and had been healed; and they did show forth signs also and did do some miracles among the people. | Those who had devils cast out from them and were healed of their sicknesses and weaknesses showed the people that they had been touched by the Spirit of God and healed. They also performed signs and miracles among the people. |
| 3 Nephi 7:23 | Thus passed away the thirty and second year also. And Nephi did cry unto the people in the commencement of the thirty and third year; and he did preach unto them repentance and remission of sins. | Another year passed, and at the beginning of the thirty-third year, Nephi called out to the people, preaching repentance and the forgiveness of sins. |
| 3 Nephi 7:24 | Now I would have you to remember also, that there were none who were brought unto repentance who were not baptized with water. | Remember also, that everyone who repented was baptized with water. |
| 3 Nephi 7:25 | Therefore, there were ordained of Nephi, men unto this ministry, that all such as should come unto them should be baptized with water, and this as a witness and a testimony before God, and unto the people, that they had repented and received a remission of their sins. | Nephi appointed men to this ministry, so that all who came to them would be baptized with water as a witness and testimony before God and the people that they had repented and received forgiveness for their sins. |
| 3 Nephi 7:26 | And there were many in the commencement of this year that were baptized unto repentance; and thus the more part of the year did pass away. | At the beginning of this year, many people were baptized and repented, and that’s basically how most of the year went. |
3 Nephi 8
| Verse | Original | 7th Grade |
|---|---|---|
| 3 Nephi 8:1 | And now it came to pass that according to our record, and we know our record to be true, for behold, it was a just man who did keep the record—for he truly did many miracles in the name of Jesus; and there was not any man who could do a miracle in the name of Jesus save he were cleansed every whit from his iniquity— | And now it happened that according to our record, which we know is true because a righteous man kept it, and he performed many miracles in the name of Jesus; no one could perform miracles in Jesus’ name unless they were completely cleansed from their sins. |
| 3 Nephi 8:2 | And now it came to pass, if there was no mistake made by this man in the reckoning of our time, the thirty and third year had passed away; | So, if this man’s calculation of our time was correct, the thirty-third year had already passed. |
| 3 Nephi 8:3 | And the people began to look with great earnestness for the sign which had been given by the prophet Samuel, the Lamanite, yea, for the time that there should be darkness for the space of three days over the face of the land. | The people started eagerly watching for the sign that the prophet Samuel, the Lamanite, had given them—the time when there would be three days of darkness over the land. |
| 3 Nephi 8:4 | And there began to be great doubtings and disputations among the people, notwithstanding so many signs had been given. | There were lots of doubts and arguments among the people, even though there were so many signs given. |
| 3 Nephi 8:5 | And it came to pass in the thirty and fourth year, in the first month, on the fourth day of the month, there arose a great storm, such an one as never had been known in all the land. | In the thirty-fourth year, on the fourth day of the first month, there was a massive storm like nothing anyone had ever seen in the land. |
| 3 Nephi 8:6 | And there was also a great and terrible tempest; and there was terrible thunder, insomuch that it did shake the whole earth as if it was about to divide asunder. | There was also a huge and terrible storm. The thunder was so loud and strong that it shook the whole earth as if it was about to split apart. |
| 3 Nephi 8:7 | And there were exceedingly sharp lightnings, such as never had been known in all the land. | There were incredibly powerful lightning storms, unlike anything anyone had ever seen in the entire area. |
| 3 Nephi 8:8 | And the city of Zarahemla did take fire. | The city of Zarahemla caught fire. |
| 3 Nephi 8:9 | And the city of Moroni did sink into the depths of the sea, and the inhabitants thereof were drowned. | The city of Moroni sank into the sea, and the people there drowned. |
| 3 Nephi 8:10 | And the earth was carried up upon the city of Moronihah that in the place of the city there became a great mountain. | The earth was moved up over the city of Moronihah, and a large mountain formed where the city used to be. |
| 3 Nephi 8:11 | And there was a great and terrible destruction in the land southward. | There was a huge and awful destruction in the land to the south. |
| 3 Nephi 8:12 | But behold, there was a more great and terrible destruction in the land northward; for behold, the whole face of the land was changed, because of the tempest and the whirlwinds and the thunderings and the lightnings, and the exceedingly great quaking of the whole earth; | But there was an even greater and more terrible destruction in the northern land. The entire landscape was changed because of storms, whirlwinds, thunder, lightning, and massive earthquakes. |
| 3 Nephi 8:13 | And the highways were broken up, and the level roads were spoiled, and many smooth places became rough. | The highways were destroyed, and the flat roads were messed up, and many smooth places became rough. |
| 3 Nephi 8:14 | And many great and notable cities were sunk, and many were burned, and many were shaken till the buildings thereof had fallen to the earth, and the inhabitants thereof were slain, and the places were left desolate. | Many great and notable cities sank, many were burned, and others were shaken until their buildings collapsed. The people were killed, and the places were left deserted. |
| 3 Nephi 8:15 | And there were some cities which remained; but the damage thereof was exceedingly great, and there were many of them who were slain. | Some cities survived, but they were heavily damaged, and many people were killed. |
| 3 Nephi 8:16 | And there were some who were carried away in the whirlwind; and whither they went no man knoweth, save they know that they were carried away. | Some people were taken away by the whirlwind; no one knows where they went, but they were definitely taken away. |
| 3 Nephi 8:17 | And thus the face of the whole earth became deformed, because of the tempests, and the thunderings, and the lightnings, and the quaking of the earth. | The whole surface of the earth became messed up with storms, thunder, lightning, and earthquakes. |
| 3 Nephi 8:18 | And behold, the rocks were rent in twain; they were broken up upon the face of the whole earth, insomuch that they were found in broken fragments, and in seams and in cracks, upon all the face of the land. | And look, the rocks split apart, breaking up all over the earth so that they were found in pieces, in seams, and cracks across the land. |
| 3 Nephi 8:19 | And it came to pass that when the thunderings, and the lightnings, and the storm, and the tempest, and the quakings of the earth did cease—for behold, they did last for about the space of three hours; and it was said by some that the time was greater; nevertheless, all these great and terrible things were done in about the space of three hours—and then behold, there was darkness upon the face of the land. | After the thunder, lightning, storm, and earthquakes stopped—these lasted for about three hours, though some said it felt like longer—all these terrible things happened in roughly three hours, and then there was darkness over the land. |
| 3 Nephi 8:20 | And it came to pass that there was thick darkness upon all the face of the land, insomuch that the inhabitants thereof who had not fallen could feel the vapor of darkness; | There was thick darkness all over the land, so much that the people who hadn’t fallen could feel the darkness. |
| 3 Nephi 8:21 | And there could be no light, because of the darkness, neither candles, neither torches; neither could there be fire kindled with their fine and exceedingly dry wood, so that there could not be any light at all; | There couldn’t be any light because of the darkness. No candles, no torches; they couldn’t even start a fire with their very dry wood, so there was absolutely no light at all. |
| 3 Nephi 8:22 | And there was not any light seen, neither fire, nor glimmer, neither the sun, nor the moon, nor the stars, for so great were the mists of darkness which were upon the face of the land. | No light could be seen—no fire, no glimmer, not the sun, the moon, or the stars—because the mists of darkness over the land were so thick. |
| 3 Nephi 8:23 | And it came to pass that it did last for the space of three days that there was no light seen; and there was great mourning and howling and weeping among all the people continually; yea, great were the groanings of the people, because of the darkness and the great destruction which had come upon them. | For three days there was no light at all, and everyone was mourning and crying all the time. The people were groaning a lot because of the darkness and the great destruction that had come upon them. |
| 3 Nephi 8:24 | And in one place they were heard to cry, saying: O that we had repented before this great and terrible day, and then would our brethren have been spared, and they would not have been burned in that great city Zarahemla. | In one place, people were crying out, saying: “Oh, if only we had repented before this awful day, then our brothers would have been saved, and they wouldn’t have been burned in that big city, Zarahemla.” |
| 3 Nephi 8:25 | And in another place they were heard to cry and mourn, saying: O that we had repented before this great and terrible day, and had not killed and stoned the prophets, and cast them out; then would our mothers and our fair daughters, and our children have been spared, and not have been buried up in that great city Moronihah. And thus were the howlings of the people great and terrible. | In another place, people were crying and mourning, saying: “Oh, if only we had repented before this terrible day came, and hadn’t killed and stoned the prophets or driven them out. Then our mothers, our beautiful daughters, and our children would have been spared and not buried in the huge city of Moronihah.” The people’s cries were intense and heartbreaking. |
3 Nephi 9
| Verse | Original | 7th Grade |
|---|---|---|
| 3 Nephi 9:1 | And it came to pass that there was a voice heard among all the inhabitants of the earth, upon all the face of this land, crying: | A voice was heard by everyone on earth, all across the land, shouting: |
| 3 Nephi 9:2 | Wo, wo, wo unto this people; wo unto the inhabitants of the whole earth except they shall repent; for the devil laugheth, and his angels rejoice, because of the slain of the fair sons and daughters of my people; and it is because of their iniquity and abominations that they are fallen! | Oh no, oh no, oh no to these people; oh no to everyone on earth unless they repent; because the devil is laughing, and his followers are happy about the death of the good sons and daughters of my people; and it’s because of their sins and disgusting acts that they have fallen! |
| 3 Nephi 9:3 | Behold, that great city Zarahemla have I burned with fire, and the inhabitants thereof. | Look, I have burned the great city Zarahemla with fire, and its inhabitants. |
| 3 Nephi 9:4 | And behold, that great city Moroni have I caused to be sunk in the depths of the sea, and the inhabitants thereof to be drowned. | And look, I made the great city of Moroni sink into the sea, and the people there drowned. |
| 3 Nephi 9:5 | And behold, that great city Moronihah have I covered with earth, and the inhabitants thereof, to hide their iniquities and their abominations from before my face, that the blood of the prophets and the saints shall not come any more unto me against them. | Look, I’ve covered the great city of Moronihah with earth and buried its people to hide their sins and evil deeds from my sight. This way, the blood of the prophets and saints won’t cry out to me against them anymore. |
| 3 Nephi 9:6 | And behold, the city of Gilgal have I caused to be sunk, and the inhabitants thereof to be buried up in the depths of the earth; | I caused the city of Gilgal to sink, and its people were buried deep in the earth. |
| 3 Nephi 9:7 | Yea, and the city of Onihah and the inhabitants thereof, and the city of Mocum and the inhabitants thereof, and the city of Jerusalem and the inhabitants thereof; and waters have I caused to come up in the stead thereof, to hide their wickedness and abominations from before my face, that the blood of the prophets and the saints shall not come up any more unto me against them. | Yes, and the city of Onihah and its people, and the city of Mocum and its people, and the city of Jerusalem and its people; I caused waters to come up in their place to cover their wickedness and sins, so that the blood of the prophets and saints would no longer call out against them to me. |
| 3 Nephi 9:8 | And behold, the city of Gadiandi, and the city of Gadiomnah, and the city of Jacob, and the city of Gimgimno, all these have I caused to be sunk, and made hills and valleys in the places thereof; and the inhabitants thereof have I buried up in the depths of the earth, to hide their wickedness and abominations from before my face, that the blood of the prophets and the saints should not come up any more unto me against them. | Look, I caused the city of Gadiandi, the city of Gadiomnah, the city of Jacob, and the city of Gimgimno, to sink into the ground, forming hills and valleys in their places. I buried the people living there deep in the earth to hide their wickedness and horrible deeds from my sight, so the blood of the prophets and saints would no longer cry out to me against them. |
| 3 Nephi 9:9 | And behold, that great city Jacobugath, which was inhabited by the people of king Jacob, have I caused to be burned with fire because of their sins and their wickedness, which was above all the wickedness of the whole earth, because of their secret murders and combinations; for it was they that did destroy the peace of my people and the government of the land; therefore I did cause them to be burned, to destroy them from before my face, that the blood of the prophets and the saints should not come up unto me any more against them. | Listen, that big city called Jacobugath, where King Jacob’s people lived, I burned it down because of their sins and incredible wickedness. Their crimes were worse than anyone else’s because they committed secret murders and conspiracies. They destroyed the peace of my people and messed up the government. So, I burned them to get rid of them so that the blood of the prophets and saints wouldn’t cry out to me anymore because of them. |
| 3 Nephi 9:10 | And behold, the city of Laman, and the city of Josh, and the city of Gad, and the city of Kishkumen, have I caused to be burned with fire, and the inhabitants thereof, because of their wickedness in casting out the prophets, and stoning those whom I did send to declare unto them concerning their wickedness and their abominations. | Look, I burned down the cities of Laman, Josh, Gad, and Kishkumen because their people were wicked. They threw out the prophets and stoned those I sent to tell them about their sins and evil ways. |
| 3 Nephi 9:11 | And because they did cast them all out, that there were none righteous among them, I did send down fire and destroy them, that their wickedness and abominations might be hid from before my face, that the blood of the prophets and the saints whom I sent among them might not cry unto me from the ground against them. | Because they cast everyone out and there were no righteous people left among them, I sent down fire to destroy them. I did this to hide their wickedness and terrible acts from my sight, so that the blood of the prophets and saints I sent wouldn’t cry out to me from the ground against them. |
| 3 Nephi 9:12 | And many great destructions have I caused to come upon this land, and upon this people, because of their wickedness and their abominations. | I have brought many great destructions upon this land and its people because of their wickedness and terrible actions. |
| 3 Nephi 9:13 | O all ye that are spared because ye were more righteous than they, will ye not now return unto me, and repent of your sins, and be converted, that I may heal you? | You who were spared because you were more righteous than others, will you not return to me, repent of your sins, and be converted so that I can heal you? |
| 3 Nephi 9:14 | Yea, verily I say unto you, if ye will come unto me ye shall have eternal life. Behold, mine arm of mercy is extended towards you, and whosoever will come, him will I receive; and blessed are those who come unto me. | Yes, truly, I tell you, if you come to me, you will have eternal life. Look, my arm of mercy is extended to you, and I will receive anyone who comes to me. Blessed are those who come to me. |
| 3 Nephi 9:15 | Behold, I am Jesus Christ the Son of God. I created the heavens and the earth, and all things that in them are. I was with the Father from the beginning. I am in the Father, and the Father in me; and in me hath the Father glorified his name. | I am Jesus Christ, the Son of God. I created the heavens, the earth, and everything in them. I have been with the Father from the beginning. I am in the Father, and the Father is in me; through me, the Father has glorified His name. |
| 3 Nephi 9:16 | I came unto my own, and my own received me not. And the scriptures concerning my coming are fulfilled. | I came to my own people, but they didn’t accept me. And the scriptures about my coming have been fulfilled. |
| 3 Nephi 9:17 | And as many as have received me, to them have I given to become the sons of God; and even so will I to as many as shall believe on my name, for behold, by me redemption cometh, and in me is the law of Moses fulfilled. | Anyone who has accepted me, I have given the right to become children of God. And I will do the same for anyone who believes in my name. For look, redemption comes through me, and in me, the law of Moses is fulfilled. |
| 3 Nephi 9:18 | I am the light and the life of the world. I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the end. | I am the light and life of the world. I am the beginning and the end. |
| 3 Nephi 9:19 | And ye shall offer up unto me no more the shedding of blood; yea, your sacrifices and your burnt offerings shall be done away, for I will accept none of your sacrifices and your burnt offerings. | You don’t need to offer any more blood sacrifices; your sacrifices and burnt offerings are no longer needed, and I won’t accept them anymore. |
| 3 Nephi 9:20 | And ye shall offer for a sacrifice unto me a broken heart and a contrite spirit. And whoso cometh unto me with a broken heart and a contrite spirit, him will I baptize with fire and with the Holy Ghost, even as the Lamanites, because of their faith in me at the time of their conversion, were baptized with fire and with the Holy Ghost, and they knew it not. | You should offer a sacrifice to me with a humble heart and a repentant spirit. Whoever comes to me with such a heart and spirit, I will baptize with fire and the Holy Ghost, just like the Lamanites were during their conversion because of their faith in me, even though they didn’t realize it. |
| 3 Nephi 9:21 | Behold, I have come unto the world to bring redemption unto the world, to save the world from sin. | Look, I’ve come into the world to bring redemption and save it from sin. |
| 3 Nephi 9:22 | Therefore, whoso repenteth and cometh unto me as a little child, him will I receive, for of such is the kingdom of God. Behold, for such I have laid down my life, and have taken it up again; therefore repent, and come unto me ye ends of the earth, and be saved. | So, anyone who repents and comes to me with the innocence of a little child, I will accept, because the kingdom of God belongs to such as these. Look, I have given my life and taken it back for them; so repent and come to me from all corners of the earth and be saved. |
3 Nephi 10
| Verse | Original | 7th Grade |
|---|---|---|
| 3 Nephi 10:1 | And now behold, it came to pass that all the people of the land did hear these sayings, and did witness of it. And after these sayings there was silence in the land for the space of many hours; | Now, listen up. Everyone in the land heard these words and saw what happened. And after these things were said, there was silence in the land for many hours. |
| 3 Nephi 10:2 | For so great was the astonishment of the people that they did cease lamenting and howling for the loss of their kindred which had been slain; therefore there was silence in all the land for the space of many hours. | The people were so shocked that they stopped crying and wailing for their loved ones who had been killed. As a result, there was silence across the land for many hours. |
| 3 Nephi 10:3 | And it came to pass that there came a voice again unto the people, and all the people did hear, and did witness of it, saying: | And then a voice spoke to the people again, and everyone heard it and witnessed it, saying: |
| 3 Nephi 10:4 | O ye people of these great cities which have fallen, who are descendants of Jacob, yea, who are of the house of Israel, how oft have I gathered you as a hen gathereth her chickens under her wings, and have nourished you. | People of these once-great cities who have fallen, you descendants of Jacob, members of the house of Israel, how often have I gathered you like a hen gathers her chicks under her wings and cared for you. |
| 3 Nephi 10:5 | And again, how oft would I have gathered you as a hen gathereth her chickens under her wings, yea, O ye people of the house of Israel, who have fallen; yea, O ye people of the house of Israel, ye that dwell at Jerusalem, as ye that have fallen; yea, how oft would I have gathered you as a hen gathereth her chickens, and ye would not. | How many times have I wanted to gather you like a hen gathers her chicks under her wings, O people of Israel who have fallen? People of Jerusalem who have also fallen, how many times have I wanted to gather you, but you wouldn’t let me. |
| 3 Nephi 10:6 | O ye house of Israel whom I have spared, how oft will I gather you as a hen gathereth her chickens under her wings, if ye will repent and return unto me with full purpose of heart. | O house of Israel, whom I’ve spared, how often will I gather you like a hen gathers her chicks under her wings, if you repent and come back to me with all your heart? |
| 3 Nephi 10:7 | But if not, O house of Israel, the places of your dwellings shall become desolate until the time of the fulfilling of the covenant to your fathers. | But if not, O house of Israel, your homes will become empty until the promise made to your ancestors is fulfilled. |
| 3 Nephi 10:8 | And now it came to pass that after the people had heard these words, behold, they began to weep and howl again because of the loss of their kindred and friends. | After the people heard these words, they started to cry and lament again because they had lost their family and friends. |
| 3 Nephi 10:9 | And it came to pass that thus did the three days pass away. And it was in the morning, and the darkness dispersed from off the face of the land, and the earth did cease to tremble, and the rocks did cease to rend, and the dreadful groanings did cease, and all the tumultuous noises did pass away. | Three days went by. In the morning, the darkness lifted from the land, the shaking of the earth stopped, the rocks stopped breaking apart, the terrible groaning stopped, and all the chaotic noises faded away. |
| 3 Nephi 10:10 | And the earth did cleave together again, that it stood; and the mourning, and the weeping, and the wailing of the people who were spared alive did cease; and their mourning was turned into joy, and their lamentations into the praise and thanksgiving unto the Lord Jesus Christ, their Redeemer. | The earth came back together and stood firm. The people who survived stopped mourning, weeping, and wailing. Their sadness turned into joy, and their cries turned into praise and thanks to the Lord Jesus Christ, their Redeemer. |
| 3 Nephi 10:11 | And thus far were the scriptures fulfilled which had been spoken by the prophets. | So at this point, the prophecies spoken by the prophets had been fulfilled. |
| 3 Nephi 10:12 | And it was the more righteous part of the people who were saved, and it was they who received the prophets and stoned them not; and it was they who had not shed the blood of the saints, who were spared— | The more righteous people were saved. They listened to the prophets and didn’t stone them. They didn’t kill the saints, so they were spared. |
| 3 Nephi 10:13 | And they were spared and were not sunk and buried up in the earth; and they were not drowned in the depths of the sea; and they were not burned by fire, neither were they fallen upon and crushed to death; and they were not carried away in the whirlwind; neither were they overpowered by the vapor of smoke and of darkness. | They were saved and didn’t get buried in the earth; they didn’t drown in the sea, burn in fire, get crushed, get swept away by a whirlwind, or get overcome by smoke and darkness. |
| 3 Nephi 10:14 | And now, whoso readeth, let him understand; he that hath the scriptures, let him search them, and see and behold if all these deaths and destructions by fire, and by smoke, and by tempests, and by whirlwinds, and by the opening of the earth to receive them, and all these things are not unto the fulfilling of the prophecies of many of the holy prophets. | Now, anyone reading this, try to understand; if you have the scriptures, look through them and see if all these deaths and destructions by fire, smoke, storms, whirlwinds, and the earth opening up to swallow people aren’t fulfilling the prophecies of many holy prophets. |
| 3 Nephi 10:15 | Behold, I say unto you, Yea, many have testified of these things at the coming of Christ, and were slain because they testified of these things. | Listen, I’m telling you, yes, many people witnessed these things when Christ came, and they were killed because of their testimonies. |
| 3 Nephi 10:16 | Yea, the prophet Zenos did testify of these things, and also Zenock spake concerning these things, because they testified particularly concerning us, who are the remnant of their seed. | Yes, the prophet Zenos spoke about these things, and so did Zenock, because they specifically talked about us, who are the remaining descendants of their people. |
| 3 Nephi 10:17 | Behold, our father Jacob also testified concerning a remnant of the seed of Joseph. And behold, are not we a remnant of the seed of Joseph? And these things which testify of us, are they not written upon the plates of brass which our father Lehi brought out of Jerusalem? | Look, our father Jacob also talked about a small group left from Joseph’s descendants. And look, aren’t we part of that small group? And aren’t these things about us written on the brass plates that our father Lehi brought from Jerusalem? |
| 3 Nephi 10:18 | And it came to pass that in the ending of the thirty and fourth year, behold, I will show unto you that the people of Nephi who were spared, and also those who had been called Lamanites, who had been spared, did have great favors shown unto them, and great blessings poured out upon their heads, insomuch that soon after the ascension of Christ into heaven he did truly manifest himself unto them— | Near the end of the thirty-fourth year, I’m going to show you how the Nephites who were spared, and also those called Lamanites who were spared, received great blessings. Just after Christ ascended to heaven, He truly appeared to them. |
| 3 Nephi 10:19 | Showing his body unto them, and ministering unto them; and an account of his ministry shall be given hereafter. Therefore for this time I make an end of my sayings. | He showed them his body and served them. I will give more details about his ministry later. For now, this is the end of my words. |
3 Nephi 11
| Verse | Original | 7th Grade |
|---|---|---|
| 3 Nephi 11:1 | And now it came to pass that there were a great multitude gathered together, of the people of Nephi, round about the temple which was in the land Bountiful; and they were marveling and wondering one with another, and were showing one to another the great and marvelous change which had taken place. | People from Nephi gathered in large numbers around the temple in the land of Bountiful. They were amazed and talking to each other, showing and discussing the incredible changes that had happened. |
| 3 Nephi 11:2 | And they were also conversing about this Jesus Christ, of whom the sign had been given concerning his death. | They were also talking about Jesus Christ, the one whose death was predicted by the sign. |
| 3 Nephi 11:3 | And it came to pass that while they were thus conversing one with another, they heard a voice as if it came out of heaven; and they cast their eyes round about, for they understood not the voice which they heard; and it was not a harsh voice, neither was it a loud voice; nevertheless, and notwithstanding it being a small voice it did pierce them that did hear to the center, insomuch that there was no part of their frame that it did not cause to quake; yea, it did pierce them to the very soul, and did cause their hearts to burn. | While they were talking, they heard a voice from above. They looked around because they didn’t understand it. The voice wasn’t harsh or loud, but even though it was soft, it pierced them deeply, making their whole bodies shake. It reached their very souls and made their hearts burn. |
| 3 Nephi 11:4 | And it came to pass that again they heard the voice, and they understood it not. | They heard the voice again, but didn’t understand it. |
| 3 Nephi 11:5 | And again the third time they did hear the voice, and did open their ears to hear it; and their eyes were towards the sound thereof; and they did look steadfastly towards heaven, from whence the sound came. | Once again, they heard the voice for the third time. This time, they really listened, focusing on the sound and looking up towards heaven, where the sound was coming from. |
| 3 Nephi 11:6 | And behold, the third time they did understand the voice which they heard; and it said unto them: | And finally, the third time they understood the voice they heard; and it said to them: |
| 3 Nephi 11:7 | Behold my Beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased, in whom I have glorified my name—hear ye him. | Look, this is my Beloved Son. I am very pleased with Him and have glorified my name through Him. Listen to Him. |
| 3 Nephi 11:8 | And it came to pass, as they understood they cast their eyes up again towards heaven; and behold, they saw a Man descending out of heaven; and he was clothed in a white robe; and he came down and stood in the midst of them; and the eyes of the whole multitude were turned upon him, and they durst not open their mouths, even one to another, and wist not what it meant, for they thought it was an angel that had appeared unto them. | As they understood, they looked up again towards heaven and saw a Man coming down from heaven. He was wearing a white robe. He came down and stood among them. Everyone was looking at Him and didn’t say a word to each other because they thought it was an angel appearing to them. |
| 3 Nephi 11:9 | And it came to pass that he stretched forth his hand and spake unto the people, saying: | He reached out his hand and spoke to the people, saying: |
| 3 Nephi 11:10 | Behold, I am Jesus Christ, whom the prophets testified shall come into the world. | I am Jesus Christ, the one the prophets said would come into the world. |
| 3 Nephi 11:11 | And behold, I am the light and the life of the world; and I have drunk out of that bitter cup which the Father hath given me, and have glorified the Father in taking upon me the sins of the world, in the which I have suffered the will of the Father in all things from the beginning. | Look, I am the light and life of the world. I’ve taken that bitter cup the Father gave me and glorified Him by taking on the sins of the world. I’ve followed the Father’s will in everything from the beginning. |
| 3 Nephi 11:12 | And it came to pass that when Jesus had spoken these words the whole multitude fell to the earth; for they remembered that it had been prophesied among them that Christ should show himself unto them after his ascension into heaven. | When Jesus finished speaking, everyone fell to the ground because they remembered the prophecy that Christ would appear to them after ascending into heaven. |
| 3 Nephi 11:13 | And it came to pass that the Lord spake unto them saying: | Then the Lord spoke to them and said: |
| 3 Nephi 11:14 | Arise and come forth unto me, that ye may thrust your hands into my side, and also that ye may feel the prints of the nails in my hands and in my feet, that ye may know that I am the God of Israel, and the God of the whole earth, and have been slain for the sins of the world. | Get up and come to me. You can touch the wound in my side and feel the marks from the nails in my hands and feet. This way, you will know that I am the God of Israel, the God of the whole earth, and that I was killed for the sins of the world. |
| 3 Nephi 11:15 | And it came to pass that the multitude went forth, and thrust their hands into his side, and did feel the prints of the nails in his hands and in his feet; and this they did do, going forth one by one until they had all gone forth, and did see with their eyes and did feel with their hands, and did know of a surety and did bear record, that it was he, of whom it was written by the prophets, that should come. | The crowd came forward and put their hands into his side, feeling the prints of the nails in his hands and feet. They did this one by one until everyone had done it, seeing with their eyes and feeling with their hands, knowing for sure and bearing witness that he was the one the prophets had written about. |
| 3 Nephi 11:16 | And when they had all gone forth and had witnessed for themselves, they did cry out with one accord, saying: | When they had all come forward and seen for themselves, they all cried out together, saying: |
| 3 Nephi 11:17 | Hosanna! Blessed be the name of the Most High God! And they did fall down at the feet of Jesus, and did worship him. | Hosanna! Blessed is the name of God! And they knelt before Jesus and worshiped him. |
| 3 Nephi 11:18 | And it came to pass that he spake unto Nephi (for Nephi was among the multitude) and he commanded him that he should come forth. | He called out to Nephi, who was among the crowd, and told him to come forward. |
| 3 Nephi 11:19 | And Nephi arose and went forth, and bowed himself before the Lord and did kiss his feet. | Nephi got up, went forward, and bowed down before the Lord, kissing His feet. |
| 3 Nephi 11:20 | And the Lord commanded him that he should arise. And he arose and stood before him. | The Lord told him to get up. So he got up and stood in front of Him. |
| 3 Nephi 11:21 | And the Lord said unto him: I give unto you power that ye shall baptize this people when I am again ascended into heaven. | The Lord said to him, “I give you the power to baptize these people when I return to heaven.” |
| 3 Nephi 11:22 | And again the Lord called others, and said unto them likewise; and he gave unto them power to baptize. And he said unto them: On this wise shall ye baptize; and there shall be no disputations among you. | And once more, the Lord called others and told them the same thing; He gave them the power to baptize. He said to them: This is how you should baptize, and let there be no arguments among you. |
| 3 Nephi 11:23 | Verily I say unto you, that whoso repenteth of his sins through your words and desireth to be baptized in my name, on this wise shall ye baptize them—Behold, ye shall go down and stand in the water, and in my name shall ye baptize them. | I tell you truly, anyone who repents of their sins because of your words and wants to be baptized in my name, this is how you should baptize them: Go down into the water and baptize them in my name. |
| 3 Nephi 11:24 | And now behold, these are the words which ye shall say, calling them by name, saying: | Now, here are the words you should say, addressing each person by their name: |
| 3 Nephi 11:25 | Having authority given me of Jesus Christ, I baptize you in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost. Amen. | With the authority given to me by Jesus Christ, I baptize you in the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. Amen. |
| 3 Nephi 11:26 | And then shall ye immerse them in the water, and come forth again out of the water. | Then you should baptize them by immersing them in the water and bringing them back up out of the water. |
| 3 Nephi 11:27 | And after this manner shall ye baptize in my name; for behold, verily I say unto you, that the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Ghost are one; and I am in the Father, and the Father in me, and the Father and I are one. | This is how you should baptize in my name: Truly, I tell you that the Father, the Son, and the Holy Ghost are one; and I am in the Father, and the Father is in me, and the Father and I are one. |
| 3 Nephi 11:28 | And according as I have commanded you thus shall ye baptize. And there shall be no disputations among you, as there have hitherto been; neither shall there be disputations among you concerning the points of my doctrine, as there have hitherto been. | As I have instructed you, this is how you should baptize. There should be no arguments among you, as there have been before. There should also be no arguments about my teachings, as there have been before. |
| 3 Nephi 11:29 | For verily, verily I say unto you, he that hath the spirit of contention is not of me, but is of the devil, who is the father of contention, and he stirreth up the hearts of men to contend with anger, one with another. | I tell you truly, anyone who has a spirit of contention is not from me, but from the devil, who is the source of contention. He stirs up people to argue with anger against each other. |
| 3 Nephi 11:30 | Behold, this is not my doctrine, to stir up the hearts of men with anger, one against another; but this is my doctrine, that such things should be done away. | This isn’t my teaching, to make people angry at each other. My teaching is that we should get rid of such things. |
| 3 Nephi 11:31 | Behold, verily, verily, I say unto you, I will declare unto you my doctrine. | Listen, I’m telling you the truth, I’ll explain my teachings to you. |
| 3 Nephi 11:32 | And this is my doctrine, and it is the doctrine which the Father hath given unto me; and I bear record of the Father, and the Father beareth record of me, and the Holy Ghost beareth record of the Father and me; and I bear record that the Father commandeth all men, everywhere, to repent and believe in me. | This is my teaching, and it is the teaching that the Father has given me. I testify of the Father, and the Father testifies of me, and the Holy Ghost testifies of the Father and me. I testify that the Father commands everyone, everywhere, to repent and believe in me. |
| 3 Nephi 11:33 | And whoso believeth in me, and is baptized, the same shall be saved; and they are they who shall inherit the kingdom of God. | Anyone who believes in me and is baptized will be saved, and they are the ones who will inherit the kingdom of God. |
| 3 Nephi 11:34 | And whoso believeth not in me, and is not baptized, shall be damned. | Whoever doesn’t believe in me and isn’t baptized will be condemned. |
| 3 Nephi 11:35 | Verily, verily, I say unto you, that this is my doctrine, and I bear record of it from the Father; and whoso believeth in me believeth in the Father also; and unto him will the Father bear record of me, for he will visit him with fire and with the Holy Ghost. | Truly, truly, I tell you, this is my doctrine and I testify of it from the Father. Whoever believes in me believes in the Father too, and the Father will testify of me to them, for he will visit them with fire and the Holy Ghost. |
| 3 Nephi 11:36 | And thus will the Father bear record of me, and the Holy Ghost will bear record unto him of the Father and me; for the Father, and I, and the Holy Ghost are one. | So, the Father will testify about me, and the Holy Ghost will testify to him about the Father and me, because the Father, the Son, and the Holy Ghost are one. |
| 3 Nephi 11:37 | And again I say unto you, ye must repent, and become as a little child, and be baptized in my name, or ye can in nowise receive these things. | Once again, I’m telling you, you need to repent, become like a little child, and be baptized in my name, or you won’t be able to receive these things. |
| 3 Nephi 11:38 | And again I say unto you, ye must repent, and be baptized in my name, and become as a little child, or ye can in nowise inherit the kingdom of God. | And again I tell you, you need to repent, be baptized in my name, and become like a little child, or you won’t be able to enter the kingdom of God. |
| 3 Nephi 11:39 | Verily, verily, I say unto you, that this is my doctrine, and whoso buildeth upon this buildeth upon my rock, and the gates of hell shall not prevail against them. | I tell you the truth, this is my teaching: if you build your life on this, you are building on my foundation, and nothing can overpower you. |
| 3 Nephi 11:40 | And whoso shall declare more or less than this, and establish it for my doctrine, the same cometh of evil, and is not built upon my rock; but he buildeth upon a sandy foundation, and the gates of hell stand open to receive such when the floods come and the winds beat upon them. | Anyone who adds to or takes away from this, and calls it my doctrine, is doing evil. They are not building on my solid foundation, but on sand. When troubles come, they will fall, and hell will claim them. |
| 3 Nephi 11:41 | Therefore, go forth unto this people, and declare the words which I have spoken, unto the ends of the earth. | So, go out to these people and share the words I’ve spoken, all the way to the ends of the earth. |
3 Nephi 12
| Verse | Original | 7th Grade |
|---|---|---|
| 3 Nephi 12:1 | And it came to pass that when Jesus had spoken these words unto Nephi, and to those who had been called, (now the number of them who had been called, and received power and authority to baptize, was twelve) and behold, he stretched forth his hand unto the multitude, and cried unto them, saying: Blessed are ye if ye shall give heed unto the words of these twelve whom I have chosen from among you to minister unto you, and to be your servants; and unto them I have given power that they may baptize you with water; and after that ye are baptized with water, behold, I will baptize you with fire and with the Holy Ghost; therefore blessed are ye if ye shall believe in me and be baptized, after that ye have seen me and know that I am. | After Jesus spoke to Nephi and the other twelve who were called and given authority to baptize, he reached out to the crowd and said, âYou are blessed if you listen to these twelve I have chosen to serve you. I have given them the power to baptize you with water, and after you are baptized, I will baptize you with fire and the Holy Ghost. You will be blessed if you believe in me and are baptized, now that you have seen me and know who I am.â |
| 3 Nephi 12:2 | And again, more blessed are they who shall believe in your words because that ye shall testify that ye have seen me, and that ye know that I am. Yea, blessed are they who shall believe in your words, and come down into the depths of humility and be baptized, for they shall be visited with fire and with the Holy Ghost, and shall receive a remission of their sins. | You’re even more blessed if you believe what they say because they testify that they’ve seen me and know I exist. Yes, blessed are those who believe in their words, humble themselves, and get baptized, for they will be visited by the Holy Ghost and will have their sins forgiven. |
| 3 Nephi 12:3 | Yea, blessed are the poor in spirit who come unto me, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. | Yes, blessings go to the humble who come to me, for they will inherit the kingdom of heaven. |
| 3 Nephi 12:4 | And again, blessed are all they that mourn, for they shall be comforted. | And once again, blessed are all those who mourn, for they will be comforted. |
| 3 Nephi 12:5 | And blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth. | Blessed are those who are gentle and humble, for they will receive the earth as their inheritance. |
| 3 Nephi 12:6 | And blessed are all they who do hunger and thirst after righteousness, for they shall be filled with the Holy Ghost. | Blessed are those who deeply desire to do what is right, for they will be filled with the Holy Ghost. |
| 3 Nephi 12:7 | And blessed are the merciful, for they shall obtain mercy. | Blessed are those who show mercy, for they will be shown mercy. |
| 3 Nephi 12:8 | And blessed are all the pure in heart, for they shall see God. | Blessed are those with pure hearts, for they will see God. |
| 3 Nephi 12:9 | And blessed are all the peacemakers, for they shall be called the children of God. | Blessed are all the peacemakers, for they will be called the children of God. |
| 3 Nephi 12:10 | And blessed are all they who are persecuted for my name—s sake, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. | And blessed are everyone who is persecuted because of me, for they will have the kingdom of heaven. |
| 3 Nephi 12:11 | And blessed are ye when men shall revile you and persecute, and shall say all manner of evil against you falsely, for my sake; | You are blessed when people insult and persecute you and falsely accuse you of all sorts of evil because of me. |
| 3 Nephi 12:12 | For ye shall have great joy and be exceedingly glad, for great shall be your reward in heaven; for so persecuted they the prophets who were before you. | You will have great joy and be very happy, because your reward in heaven will be great. They treated the prophets before you the same way. |
| 3 Nephi 12:13 | Verily, verily, I say unto you, I give unto you to be the salt of the earth; but if the salt shall lose its savor wherewith shall the earth be salted? The salt shall be thenceforth good for nothing, but to be cast out and to be trodden under foot of men. | I tell you the truth, I make you the salt of the earth. But if the salt loses its flavor, how can it be made salty again? It’s no longer useful for anything, except to be thrown out and trampled underfoot. |
| 3 Nephi 12:14 | Verily, verily, I say unto you, I give unto you to be the light of this people. A city that is set on a hill cannot be hid. | I promise you, you will be a light for these people. A city on a hill can’t be hidden. |
| 3 Nephi 12:15 | Behold, do men light a candle and put it under a bushel? Nay, but on a candlestick, and it giveth light to all that are in the house; | “Do people light a candle and then hide it under a basket? No, they put it on a stand so it can light up the whole house.” |
| 3 Nephi 12:16 | Therefore let your light so shine before this people, that they may see your good works and glorify your Father who is in heaven. | So let your light shine in front of others, so they can see your good deeds and give glory to your Father in heaven. |
| 3 Nephi 12:17 | Think not that I am come to destroy the law or the prophets. I am not come to destroy but to fulfil; | Don’t think that I came to get rid of the law or the prophets. I didn’t come to get rid of them, but to fulfill them. |
| 3 Nephi 12:18 | For verily I say unto you, one jot nor tittle hath not passed away from the law, but in me it hath all been fulfilled. | Truly, I tell you, not a single part of the law has disappeared, but in me, it has all been fulfilled. |
| 3 Nephi 12:19 | And behold, I have given you the law and the commandments of my Father, that ye shall believe in me, and that ye shall repent of your sins, and come unto me with a broken heart and a contrite spirit. Behold, ye have the commandments before you, and the law is fulfilled. | Look, I’ve given you my Father’s law and commandments, so you need to believe in me, repent of your sins, and come to me with a sincere and humble heart. You have the commandments in front of you, and the law is fulfilled. |
| 3 Nephi 12:20 | Therefore come unto me and be ye saved; for verily I say unto you, that except ye shall keep my commandments, which I have commanded you at this time, ye shall in no case enter into the kingdom of heaven. | So come to me and be saved. I’m telling you, if you don’t keep the commandments I’m giving you right now, you won’t be able to enter the kingdom of heaven. |
| 3 Nephi 12:21 | Ye have heard that it hath been said by them of old time, and it is also written before you, that thou shalt not kill, and whosoever shall kill shall be in danger of the judgment of God; | You’ve heard it said in the past, and it’s written here too, that you shouldn’t kill. Anyone who does will face God’s judgment. |
| 3 Nephi 12:22 | But I say unto you, that whosoever is angry with his brother shall be in danger of his judgment. And whosoever shall say to his brother, Raca, shall be in danger of the council; and whosoever shall say, Thou fool, shall be in danger of hell fire. | But I’m telling you, anyone who gets angry with their brother or sister is in danger of being judged. Anyone who insults their brother or sister by saying ‘Raca’ is in danger of the council’s judgment. And anyone who calls someone a fool is at risk of facing hellfire. |
| 3 Nephi 12:23 | Therefore, if ye shall come unto me, or shall desire to come unto me, and rememberest that thy brother hast aught against thee— | So, if you come to me, or want to come to me, and remember that your brother has something against you⦠|
| 3 Nephi 12:24 | Go thy way unto thy brother, and first be reconciled to thy brother, and then come unto me with full purpose of heart, and I will receive you. | Go and make up with your brother first. After you’ve reconciled with him, then come to me with a sincere heart, and I will accept you. |
| 3 Nephi 12:25 | Agree with thine adversary quickly while thou art in the way with him, lest at any time he shall get thee, and thou shalt be cast into prison. | Settle your disagreements quickly while you’re still with your opponent, so they don’t take you to court and get you thrown in jail. |
| 3 Nephi 12:26 | Verily, verily, I say unto thee, thou shalt by no means come out thence until thou hast paid the uttermost senine. And while ye are in prison can ye pay even one senine? Verily, verily, I say unto you, Nay. | I tell you the truth, you won’t get out until you’ve paid the last senine. And while you’re in prison, can you even pay one senine? I tell you, no. |
| 3 Nephi 12:27 | Behold, it is written by them of old time, that thou shalt not commit adultery; | Look, it was written long ago, don’t commit adultery. |
| 3 Nephi 12:28 | But I say unto you, that whosoever looketh on a woman, to lust after her, hath committed adultery already in his heart. | But I’m telling you, whoever looks at a woman with lust has already committed adultery in his heart. |
| 3 Nephi 12:29 | Behold, I give unto you a commandment, that ye suffer none of these things to enter into your heart; | Listen, I’m giving you a command: don’t let any of these things into your heart. |
| 3 Nephi 12:30 | For it is better that ye should deny yourselves of these things, wherein ye will take up your cross, than that ye should be cast into hell. | It’s better for you to deny yourself these things and take up your cross than to be thrown into hell. |
| 3 Nephi 12:31 | It hath been written, that whosoever shall put away his wife, let him give her a writing of divorcement. | It has been said that anyone who divorces his wife should give her a written notice of divorce. |
| 3 Nephi 12:32 | Verily, verily, I say unto you, that whosoever shall put away his wife, saving for the cause of fornication, causeth her to commit adultery; and whoso shall marry her who is divorced committeth adultery. | Listen, I’m telling you the truth: anyone who divorces his wife, except for because of unfaithfulness, makes her commit adultery; and anyone who marries a divorced woman commits adultery. |
| 3 Nephi 12:33 | And again it is written, thou shalt not forswear thyself, but shalt perform unto the Lord thine oaths; | It also says, don’t break your promises, but keep the vows you make to the Lord. |
| 3 Nephi 12:34 | But verily, verily, I say unto you, swear not at all; neither by heaven, for it is God—s throne; | But truly, I tell you, don’t swear at all; not by heaven, because it’s God’s throne. |
| 3 Nephi 12:35 | Nor by the earth, for it is his footstool; | Don’t swear by the earth, because it’s God’s footstool. |
| 3 Nephi 12:36 | Neither shalt thou swear by thy head, because thou canst not make one hair black or white; | And don’t swear by your head, because you can’t make even one hair black or white. |
| 3 Nephi 12:37 | But let your communication be Yea, yea; Nay, nay; for whatsoever cometh of more than these is evil. | Just let your words be ‘Yes, yes’ or ‘No, no’; anything more than this comes from evil intentions. |
| 3 Nephi 12:38 | And behold, it is written, an eye for an eye, and a tooth for a tooth; | Remember, it’s been said, “an eye for an eye, and a tooth for a tooth.” |
| 3 Nephi 12:39 | But I say unto you, that ye shall not resist evil, but whosoever shall smite thee on thy right cheek, turn to him the other also; | But I tell you, don’t fight against evil people. If someone hits you on the right cheek, let them hit the other cheek too. |
| 3 Nephi 12:40 | And if any man will sue thee at the law and take away thy coat, let him have thy cloak also; | If someone sues you for your coat, give them your cloak too. |
| 3 Nephi 12:41 | And whosoever shall compel thee to go a mile, go with him twain. | If someone forces you to go one mile, go with them two miles. |
| 3 Nephi 12:42 | Give to him that asketh thee, and from him that would borrow of thee turn not away. | Give to anyone who asks you, and don’t turn away from anyone who wants to borrow from you. |
| 3 Nephi 12:43 | And behold it is written also, that thou shalt love thy neighbor and hate thine enemy; | It’s also written that you should love your neighbor and hate your enemy. |
| 3 Nephi 12:44 | But I say unto you, love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them who despitefully use you and persecute you; | But I’m telling you, love your enemies. Bless those who curse you, do good to those who hate you, and pray for those who mistreat and persecute you. |
| 3 Nephi 12:45 | That ye may be the children of your Father who is in heaven; for he maketh his sun to rise on the evil and on the good. | So you can be like your Father in heaven; He makes the sun rise on both the bad and the good. |
| 3 Nephi 12:46 | Therefore those things which were of old time, which were under the law, in me are all fulfilled. | So, the things from long ago that were part of the old law are all fulfilled in me. |
| 3 Nephi 12:47 | Old things are done away, and all things have become new. | Old things are gone, and everything is new now. |
| 3 Nephi 12:48 | Therefore I would that ye should be perfect even as I, or your Father who is in heaven is perfect. | So, I want you to be perfect just like me, or like your Father in heaven is perfect. |
3 Nephi 13
| Verse | Original | 7th Grade |
|---|---|---|
| 3 Nephi 13:1 | Verily, verily, I say that I would that ye should do alms unto the poor; but take heed that ye do not your alms before men to be seen of them; otherwise ye have no reward of your Father who is in heaven. | Honestly, I want you to give to the poor, but be careful not to do it just for show; if you do, you won’t get any reward from your Father in heaven. |
| 3 Nephi 13:2 | Therefore, when ye shall do your alms do not sound a trumpet before you, as will hypocrites do in the synagogues and in the streets, that they may have glory of men. Verily I say unto you, they have their reward. | So, when you give to the needy, don’t announce it with a trumpet like hypocrites do in synagogues and streets to get praise from people. I’m telling you, they’ve already got their reward. |
| 3 Nephi 13:3 | But when thou doest alms let not thy left hand know what thy right hand doeth; | When you give to charity, don’t let your left hand know what your right hand is doing. |
| 3 Nephi 13:4 | That thine alms may be in secret; and thy Father who seeth in secret, himself shall reward thee openly. | Give your charitable deeds in private; then your Father, who sees what is done in private, will openly reward you. |
| 3 Nephi 13:5 | And when thou prayest thou shalt not do as the hypocrites, for they love to pray, standing in the synagogues and in the corners of the streets, that they may be seen of men. Verily I say unto you, they have their reward. | When you pray, don’t be like the hypocrites who love to pray standing in synagogues and on street corners just to be seen by others. I tell you the truth, they’ve already received their reward. |
| 3 Nephi 13:6 | But thou, when thou prayest, enter into thy closet, and when thou hast shut thy door, pray to thy Father who is in secret; and thy Father, who seeth in secret, shall reward thee openly. | But when you pray, go into your room, close the door, and pray to your Father who is unseen. Then your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you openly. |
| 3 Nephi 13:7 | But when ye pray, use not vain repetitions, as the heathen, for they think that they shall be heard for their much speaking. | When you pray, don’t use empty repetitions like those who don’t believe, because they think they’ll be heard for talking a lot. |
| 3 Nephi 13:8 | Be not ye therefore like unto them, for your Father knoweth what things ye have need of before ye ask him. | Don’t be like them, because your Father already knows what you need before you ask Him. |
| 3 Nephi 13:9 | After this manner therefore pray ye: Our Father who art in heaven, hallowed be thy name. | So, when you pray, say something like this: Our Father in heaven, holy is your name. |
| 3 Nephi 13:10 | Thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven. | May your will be done on earth just like it is in heaven. |
| 3 Nephi 13:11 | And forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors. | Forgive us our debts as we forgive those who owe us. |
| 3 Nephi 13:12 | And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil. | Don’t let us fall into temptation, but save us from evil. |
| 3 Nephi 13:13 | For thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, forever. Amen. | The kingdom, the power, and the glory are yours forever. Amen. |
| 3 Nephi 13:14 | For, if ye forgive men their trespasses your heavenly Father will also forgive you; | If you forgive others for their mistakes, your heavenly Father will also forgive you. |
| 3 Nephi 13:15 | But if ye forgive not men their trespasses neither will your Father forgive your trespasses. | But if you don’t forgive others for their mistakes, your Father won’t forgive you for yours. |
| 3 Nephi 13:16 | Moreover, when ye fast be not as the hypocrites, of a sad countenance, for they disfigure their faces that they may appear unto men to fast. Verily I say unto you, they have their reward. | When you fast, don’t be like the hypocrites who make themselves look sad so people will see them fasting. I tell you the truth, they already have their reward. |
| 3 Nephi 13:17 | But thou, when thou fastest, anoint thy head, and wash thy face; | But when you fast, put oil on your head and wash your face. |
| 3 Nephi 13:18 | That thou appear not unto men to fast, but unto thy Father, who is in secret; and thy Father, who seeth in secret, shall reward thee openly. | Don’t make it obvious to others that you’re fasting; only God, who is unseen, should know. And God, who sees everything, will reward you openly. |
| 3 Nephi 13:19 | Lay not up for yourselves treasures upon earth, where moth and rust doth corrupt, and thieves break through and steal; | Don’t store up treasures for yourself on earth, where moths and rust destroy, and thieves break in and steal. |
| 3 Nephi 13:20 | But lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust doth corrupt, and where thieves do not break through nor steal. | Store up treasures for yourself in heaven, where they can’t be destroyed by moths or rust, and where thieves can’t break in and steal. |
| 3 Nephi 13:21 | For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also. | Wherever your treasure is, that’s where your heart will be too. |
| 3 Nephi 13:22 | The light of the body is the eye; if, therefore, thine eye be single, thy whole body shall be full of light. | The eye is the source of light for the body; so if your eye is focused, your whole body will be full of light. |
| 3 Nephi 13:23 | But if thine eye be evil, thy whole body shall be full of darkness. If, therefore, the light that is in thee be darkness, how great is that darkness! | But if your eyes are bad, your whole body will be full of darkness. So if the light you think you have is actually darkness, how deep that darkness is! |
| 3 Nephi 13:24 | No man can serve two masters; for either he will hate the one and love the other, or else he will hold to the one and despise the other. Ye cannot serve God and Mammon. | You can’t serve two bosses. You’ll hate one and love the other, or you’ll be loyal to one and think little of the other. You can’t serve both God and money. |
| 3 Nephi 13:25 | And now it came to pass that when Jesus had spoken these words he looked upon the twelve whom he had chosen, and said unto them: Remember the words which I have spoken. For behold, ye are they whom I have chosen to minister unto this people. Therefore I say unto you, take no thought for your life, what ye shall eat, or what ye shall drink; nor yet for your body, what ye shall put on. Is not the life more than meat, and the body than raiment? | After Jesus said these things, he looked at the twelve he had chosen and told them to remember his words. He said, “You are the ones I have chosen to serve these people. So I tell you, don’t worry about your life, what you will eat or drink, or about your body and what you will wear. Isn’t life more than food, and the body more than clothes?” |
| 3 Nephi 13:26 | Behold the fowls of the air, for they sow not, neither do they reap nor gather into barns; yet your heavenly Father feedeth them. Are ye not much better than they? | Look at the birds in the sky; they don’t plant or harvest or store food in barns, but your heavenly Father feeds them. Aren’t you much more valuable than they are? |
| 3 Nephi 13:27 | Which of you by taking thought can add one cubit unto his stature? | Which of you can, by worrying, add even a single inch to your height? |
| 3 Nephi 13:28 | And why take ye thought for raiment? Consider the lilies of the field how they grow; they toil not, neither do they spin; | Why worry about clothes? Look at the lilies in the field, see how they grow; they don’t work or make their own clothes. |
| 3 Nephi 13:29 | And yet I say unto you, that even Solomon, in all his glory, was not arrayed like one of these. | I’m telling you, even Solomon in all his splendor wasn’t dressed as well as one of these. |
| 3 Nephi 13:30 | Wherefore, if God so clothe the grass of the field, which today is, and tomorrow is cast into the oven, even so will he clothe you, if ye are not of little faith. | So, if God dresses the grass in the field so nicely, which is here today and gone tomorrow, won’t He do much more for you if you have faith? |
| 3 Nephi 13:31 | Therefore take no thought, saying, What shall we eat? or, What shall we drink? or, Wherewithal shall we be clothed? | So don’t worry about asking, “What will we eat?” or “What will we drink?” or “What will we wear?” |
| 3 Nephi 13:32 | For your heavenly Father knoweth that ye have need of all these things. | Your Heavenly Father knows that you need all these things. |
| 3 Nephi 13:33 | But seek ye first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things shall be added unto you. | Put God’s kingdom and his way of life first, and everything else will fall into place. |
| 3 Nephi 13:34 | Take therefore no thought for the morrow, for the morrow shall take thought for the things of itself. Sufficient is the day unto the evil thereof. | Don’t worry about tomorrow, because tomorrow will take care of itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own. |
3 Nephi 14
| Verse | Original | 7th Grade |
|---|---|---|
| 3 Nephi 14:1 | And now it came to pass that when Jesus had spoken these words he turned again to the multitude, and did open his mouth unto them again, saying: Verily, verily, I say unto you, Judge not, that ye be not judged. | After Jesus finished speaking, he turned to the crowd and said, “Truly, I tell you, don’t judge others, so you won’t be judged.” |
| 3 Nephi 14:2 | For with what judgment ye judge, ye shall be judged; and with what measure ye mete, it shall be measured to you again. | The way you judge others is the way you will be judged; the standards you use for others will be used for you. |
| 3 Nephi 14:3 | And why beholdest thou the mote that is in thy brother—s eye, but considerest not the beam that is in thine own eye? | Why do you notice the tiny speck in your brother’s eye, but ignore the big log in your own eye? |
| 3 Nephi 14:4 | Or how wilt thou say to thy brother: Let me pull the mote out of thine eye—and behold, a beam is in thine own eye? | How can you say to your brother, “Let me take the speck out of your eye,” when there’s a log in your own eye? |
| 3 Nephi 14:5 | Thou hypocrite, first cast the beam out of thine own eye; and then shalt thou see clearly to cast the mote out of thy brother—s eye. | You hypocrite, first get rid of the log in your own eye; then you will see clearly to remove the speck from your brother’s eye. |
| 3 Nephi 14:6 | Give not that which is holy unto the dogs, neither cast ye your pearls before swine, lest they trample them under their feet, and turn again and rend you. | Don’t give sacred things to those who won’t appreciate them, and don’t waste your time trying to share valuable insights with people who will only disregard them and possibly turn against you. |
| 3 Nephi 14:7 | Ask, and it shall be given unto you; seek, and ye shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you. | Ask, and you will receive; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you. |
| 3 Nephi 14:8 | For every one that asketh, receiveth; and he that seeketh, findeth; and to him that knocketh, it shall be opened. | Anyone who asks will receive; anyone who looks will find; and for anyone who knocks, the door will be opened. |
| 3 Nephi 14:9 | Or what man is there of you, who, if his son ask bread, will give him a stone? | Which one of you, if your son asks for bread, will give him a stone? |
| 3 Nephi 14:10 | Or if he ask a fish, will he give him a serpent? | If he asks for a fish, will he give him a snake instead? |
| 3 Nephi 14:11 | If ye then, being evil, know how to give good gifts unto your children, how much more shall your Father who is in heaven give good things to them that ask him? | If you, who are imperfect, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give good things to those who ask him? |
| 3 Nephi 14:12 | Therefore, all things whatsoever ye would that men should do to you, do ye even so to them, for this is the law and the prophets. | So, treat others the way you want to be treated. This sums up the law and the teachings of the prophets. |
| 3 Nephi 14:13 | Enter ye in at the strait gate; for wide is the gate, and broad is the way, which leadeth to destruction, and many there be who go in thereat; | Enter through the narrow gate, because the gate that leads to destruction is wide and the road is broad, and many people enter through it. |
| 3 Nephi 14:14 | Because strait is the gate, and narrow is the way, which leadeth unto life, and few there be that find it. | The gate is small and the path is narrow that leads to life, and not many people find it. |
| 3 Nephi 14:15 | Beware of false prophets, who come to you in sheep—s clothing, but inwardly they are ravening wolves. | Watch out for fake prophets who seem harmless like sheep, but inside they’re like dangerous wolves. |
| 3 Nephi 14:16 | Ye shall know them by their fruits. Do men gather grapes of thorns, or figs of thistles? | You can tell what kind of people they are by the results of their actions. Do people pick grapes from thorn bushes or figs from thistles? |
| 3 Nephi 14:17 | Even so every good tree bringeth forth good fruit; but a corrupt tree bringeth forth evil fruit. | Just like a healthy tree produces good fruit, a bad tree produces bad fruit. |
| 3 Nephi 14:18 | A good tree cannot bring forth evil fruit, neither a corrupt tree bring forth good fruit. | A good tree can’t produce bad fruit, and a bad tree can’t produce good fruit. |
| 3 Nephi 14:19 | Every tree that bringeth not forth good fruit is hewn down, and cast into the fire. | Every tree that doesn’t produce good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. |
| 3 Nephi 14:20 | Wherefore, by their fruits ye shall know them. | So, you’ll know them by what they do. |
| 3 Nephi 14:21 | Not every one that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will of my Father who is in heaven. | Not everyone who calls out to me, “Lord, Lord,” will enter the kingdom of heaven. Only those who do the will of my Father in heaven will get in. |
| 3 Nephi 14:22 | Many will say to me in that day: Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in thy name, and in thy name have cast out devils, and in thy name done many wonderful works? | Many will say to me on that day: Lord, Lord, didn’t we prophesy in your name, and in your name cast out demons, and in your name do many amazing things? |
| 3 Nephi 14:23 | And then will I profess unto them: I never knew you; depart from me, ye that work iniquity. | Then I will tell them plainly: I never knew you. Leave me, you who do evil. |
| 3 Nephi 14:24 | Therefore, whoso heareth these sayings of mine and doeth them, I will liken him unto a wise man, who built his house upon a rock— | If you listen to what I say and follow it, you are like a wise person who built their house on a rock. |
| 3 Nephi 14:25 | And the rain descended, and the floods came, and the winds blew, and beat upon that house; and it fell not, for it was founded upon a rock. | The rain poured down, the floods rose, and the winds howled and beat against that house; but it didn’t fall because it was built on solid rock. |
| 3 Nephi 14:26 | And every one that heareth these sayings of mine and doeth them not shall be likened unto a foolish man, who built his house upon the sand— | Anyone who hears what I say but doesn’t act on it is like a foolish person who built their house on sand. |
| 3 Nephi 14:27 | And the rain descended, and the floods came, and the winds blew, and beat upon that house; and it fell, and great was the fall of it. | The rain poured down, the floods rose, and the winds blew fiercely, battering that house. It collapsed, and its fall was immense. |
3 Nephi 15
| Verse | Original | 7th Grade |
|---|---|---|
| 3 Nephi 15:1 | And now it came to pass that when Jesus had ended these sayings he cast his eyes round about on the multitude, and said unto them: Behold, ye have heard the things which I taught before I ascended to my Father; therefore, whoso remembereth these sayings of mine and doeth them, him will I raise up at the last day. | When Jesus finished speaking, he looked at the crowd and said, “You have heard the things I taught before I went up to my Father. So, if you remember my teachings and follow them, I will raise you up on the last day.” |
| 3 Nephi 15:2 | And it came to pass that when Jesus had said these words he perceived that there were some among them who marveled, and wondered what he would concerning the law of Moses; for they understood not the saying that old things had passed away, and that all things had become new. | When Jesus finished speaking, he noticed that some people were amazed and confused about what he meant regarding the law of Moses, because they didn’t understand that the old ways had ended and everything was now new. |
| 3 Nephi 15:3 | And he said unto them: Marvel not that I said unto you that old things had passed away, and that all things had become new. | He said to them, “Don’t be surprised when I tell you that the old ways are gone and everything is now new.” |
| 3 Nephi 15:4 | Behold, I say unto you that the law is fulfilled that was given unto Moses. | Listen, I’m telling you that the law given to Moses is now fulfilled. |
| 3 Nephi 15:5 | Behold, I am he that gave the law, and I am he who covenanted with my people Israel; therefore, the law in me is fulfilled, for I have come to fulfil the law; therefore it hath an end. | I am the one who gave the law and made a covenant with the people of Israel. Now that I have come to fulfill the law, it is completed. |
| 3 Nephi 15:6 | Behold, I do not destroy the prophets, for as many as have not been fulfilled in me, verily I say unto you, shall all be fulfilled. | Look, I don’t destroy the prophets. For those prophecies that haven’t been fulfilled in me yet, I assure you, they will all be fulfilled. |
| 3 Nephi 15:7 | And because I said unto you that old things have passed away, I do not destroy that which hath been spoken concerning things which are to come. | Even though I told you that old things have passed away, I am not doing away with what has been said about things that are still to come. |
| 3 Nephi 15:8 | For behold, the covenant which I have made with my people is not all fulfilled; but the law which was given unto Moses hath an end in me. | Listen, the agreement I made with my people isn’t completely fulfilled yet; but the law given to Moses ends with me. |
| 3 Nephi 15:9 | Behold, I am the law, and the light. Look unto me, and endure to the end, and ye shall live; for unto him that endureth to the end will I give eternal life. | Listen, I am the law and the light. Look to me and keep going until the end, and you will live; because anyone who keeps going to the end, I will give eternal life. |
| 3 Nephi 15:10 | Behold, I have given unto you the commandments; therefore keep my commandments. And this is the law and the prophets, for they truly testified of me. | Listen, I’ve given you the commandments, so follow them. This is what the law and the prophets are all about, because they truly testified about me. |
| 3 Nephi 15:11 | And now it came to pass that when Jesus had spoken these words, he said unto those twelve whom he had chosen: | Then, after Jesus had finished saying these things, he turned to the twelve he had chosen and said to them: |
| 3 Nephi 15:12 | Ye are my disciples; and ye are a light unto this people, who are a remnant of the house of Joseph. | You are my followers and a light to these people, who are descendants of Joseph. |
| 3 Nephi 15:13 | And behold, this is the land of your inheritance; and the Father hath given it unto you. | Look, this is the land promised to you; the Father has given it to you. |
| 3 Nephi 15:14 | And not at any time hath the Father given me commandment that I should tell it unto your brethren at Jerusalem. | And the Father has never given me a command to tell your brothers in Jerusalem about it. |
| 3 Nephi 15:15 | Neither at any time hath the Father given me commandment that I should tell unto them concerning the other tribes of the house of Israel, whom the Father hath led away out of the land. | The Father has never commanded me to tell them about the other tribes of Israel that He led away. |
| 3 Nephi 15:16 | This much did the Father command me, that I should tell unto them: | God the Father told me to tell them this. |
| 3 Nephi 15:17 | That other sheep I have which are not of this fold; them also I must bring, and they shall hear my voice; and there shall be one fold, and one shepherd. | I have other sheep that aren’t in this flock. I need to bring them too. They’ll hear my voice, and there will be one flock with one shepherd. |
| 3 Nephi 15:18 | And now, because of stiffneckedness and unbelief they understood not my word; therefore I was commanded to say no more of the Father concerning this thing unto them. | And now, because they were stubborn and didn’t believe, they couldn’t understand my message. So, I was told not to say anything more about this subject from the Father to them. |
| 3 Nephi 15:19 | But, verily, I say unto you that the Father hath commanded me, and I tell it unto you, that ye were separated from among them because of their iniquity; therefore it is because of their iniquity that they know not of you. | But truly, I’m telling you that the Father commanded me to inform you that you were separated from them because of their sins; that’s why they don’t know about you. |
| 3 Nephi 15:20 | And verily, I say unto you again that the other tribes hath the Father separated from them; and it is because of their iniquity that they know not of them. | And really, I’m telling you again that God has separated the other tribes from them; and because of their wickedness, the other tribes don’t know about them. |
| 3 Nephi 15:21 | And verily I say unto you, that ye are they of whom I said: Other sheep I have which are not of this fold; them also I must bring, and they shall hear my voice; and there shall be one fold, and one shepherd. | I’m telling you truly, you are the ones I mentioned when I said: I have other sheep that do not belong to this flock; I need to bring them too, and they will listen to my voice; then there will be one flock and one shepherd. |
| 3 Nephi 15:22 | And they understood me not, for they supposed it had been the Gentiles; for they understood not that the Gentiles should be converted through their preaching. | They didn’t understand me because they thought I was talking about the Gentiles. They didn’t get that the Gentiles would be converted through their preaching. |
| 3 Nephi 15:23 | And they understood me not that I said they shall hear my voice; and they understood me not that the Gentiles should not at any time hear my voice—that I should not manifest myself unto them save it were by the Holy Ghost. | They didn’t understand me when I said they would hear my voice, nor did they understand that the Gentiles would not hear my voice directly—I would only reveal myself to them through the Holy Ghost. |
| 3 Nephi 15:24 | But behold, ye have both heard my voice, and seen me; and ye are my sheep, and ye are numbered among those whom the Father hath given me. | But look, you’ve heard my voice and seen me. You are my followers, and you’re counted among those the Father has given me. |
3 Nephi 16
| Verse | Original | 7th Grade |
|---|---|---|
| 3 Nephi 16:1 | And verily, verily, I say unto you that I have other sheep which are not of this land, neither of the land of Jerusalem, neither in any parts of that land round about whither I have been to minister. | I tell you truly, I have other followers who aren’t from this land, nor from Jerusalem, nor from any surrounding areas where I have ministered. |
| 3 Nephi 16:2 | For they of whom I speak are they who have not as yet heard my voice; neither have I at any time manifested myself unto them. | The people I’m talking about are the ones who haven’t heard my voice yet and to whom I haven’t shown myself. |
| 3 Nephi 16:3 | But I have received a commandment of the Father that I shall go unto them, and that they shall hear my voice, and shall be numbered among my sheep, that there may be one fold and one shepherd; therefore I go to show myself unto them. | I have received a command from the Father to go to them. They will hear my voice and be part of my flock, so there will be one group with one shepherd. That’s why I am going to show myself to them. |
| 3 Nephi 16:4 | And I command you that ye shall write these sayings after I am gone, that if it so be that my people at Jerusalem, they who have seen me and been with me in my ministry, do not ask the Father in my name, that they may receive a knowledge of you by the Holy Ghost, and also of the other tribes whom they know not of, that these sayings which ye shall write shall be kept and shall be manifested unto the Gentiles, that through the fulness of the Gentiles, the remnant of their seed, who shall be scattered forth upon the face of the earth because of their unbelief, may be brought in, or may be brought to a knowledge of me, their Redeemer. | I command you to write down these sayings after I am gone. If my people in Jerusalem, who have seen and been with me during my ministry, do not pray to the Father in my name to learn about you through the Holy Ghost, and about the other tribes they do not know, then the things you write will be shown to the Gentiles. This will help bring the descendants of my scattered people, who were dispersed because of their unbelief, to a knowledge of me, their Redeemer. |
| 3 Nephi 16:5 | And then will I gather them in from the four quarters of the earth; and then will I fulfill the covenant which the Father hath made unto all the people of the house of Israel. | Then I will gather them from all parts of the earth, and I will fulfill the promise made by the Father to all the people of Israel. |
| 3 Nephi 16:6 | And blessed are the Gentiles, because of their belief in me, in and of the Holy Ghost, which witnesses unto them of me and of the Father. | And blessed are the Gentiles because they believe in me and the Holy Ghost, which testifies to them about me and the Father. |
| 3 Nephi 16:7 | Behold, because of their belief in me, saith the Father, and because of the unbelief of you, O house of Israel, in the latter day shall the truth come unto the Gentiles, that the fulness of these things shall be made known unto them. | Look, because they believe in me, says the Father, and because you, O house of Israel, do not believe, the truth will come to the Gentiles in the latter days, and they will come to know all these things. |
| 3 Nephi 16:8 | But wo, saith the Father, unto the unbelieving of the Gentiles—for notwithstanding they have come forth upon the face of this land, and have scattered my people who are of the house of Israel; and my people who are of the house of Israel have been cast out from among them, and have been trodden under feet by them; | But woe, says the Father, to the unbelieving Gentiles—for even though they have come to this land and have scattered my people of Israel, and my people of Israel have been cast out and trampled by them. |
| 3 Nephi 16:9 | And because of the mercies of the Father unto the Gentiles, and also the judgments of the Father upon my people who are of the house of Israel, verily, verily, I say unto you, that after all this, and I have caused my people who are of the house of Israel to be smitten, and to be afflicted, and to be slain, and to be cast out from among them, and to become hated by them, and to become a hiss and a byword among them— | Because of God’s kindness to the Gentiles, and the judgments He made on my people of Israel, I’m telling you the truth: after all this, I’ve allowed my people of Israel to be beaten, suffer, be killed, be cast out, become despised, and become a byword among them. |
| 3 Nephi 16:10 | And thus commandeth the Father that I should say unto you: At that day when the Gentiles shall sin against my gospel, and shall reject the fulness of my gospel, and shall be lifted up in the pride of their hearts above all nations, and above all the people of the whole earth, and shall be filled with all manner of lyings, and of deceits, and of mischiefs, and all manner of hypocrisy, and murders, and priestcrafts, and whoredoms, and of secret abominations; and if they shall do all those things, and shall reject the fulness of my gospel, behold, saith the Father, I will bring the fulness of my gospel from among them. | So, the Father commands me to tell you: When the Gentiles sin against my gospel, reject its fullness, and become prideful above all other nations and people, filled with lies, deceit, mischief, hypocrisy, murder, corrupt religious practices, and secret sins, and if they do all these things and reject my gospel, then, says the Father, I will take its fullness away from them. |
| 3 Nephi 16:11 | And then will I remember my covenant which I have made unto my people, O house of Israel, and I will bring my gospel unto them. | I will remember my promise to the people of Israel and bring them my gospel. |
| 3 Nephi 16:12 | And I will show unto thee, O house of Israel, that the Gentiles shall not have power over you; but I will remember my covenant unto you, O house of Israel, and ye shall come unto the knowledge of the fulness of my gospel. | I will show you, my people of Israel, that the Gentiles won’t have power over you. I will remember my covenant with you, and you will come to understand the full truth of my gospel. |
| 3 Nephi 16:13 | But if the Gentiles will repent and return unto me, saith the Father, behold they shall be numbered among my people, O house of Israel. | But if the Gentiles repent and come back to me, says the Father, they will be counted among my people, O house of Israel. |
| 3 Nephi 16:14 | And I will not suffer my people, who are of the house of Israel, to go through among them, and tread them down, saith the Father. | I will not let my people, who are from the house of Israel, go among them and trample them down, says the Father. |
| 3 Nephi 16:15 | But if they will not turn unto me, and hearken unto my voice, I will suffer them, yea, I will suffer my people, O house of Israel, that they shall go through among them, and shall tread them down, and they shall be as salt that hath lost its savor, which is thenceforth good for nothing but to be cast out, and to be trodden under foot of my people, O house of Israel. | But if they won’t turn to me and listen to my voice, I will let my people, the house of Israel, go among them and bring them down. They’ll be like salt that has lost its flavor â good for nothing except to be thrown out and trampled underfoot by my people, the house of Israel. |
| 3 Nephi 16:16 | Verily, verily, I say unto you, thus hath the Father commanded me—that I should give unto this people this land for their inheritance. | I tell you the truth, the Father has commanded me to give this people this land as their inheritance. |
| 3 Nephi 16:17 | And then the words of the prophet Isaiah shall be fulfilled, which say: | Then the prophecy of Isaiah will come true, which says: |
| 3 Nephi 16:18 | Thy watchmen shall lift up the voice; with the voice together shall they sing, for they shall see eye to eye when the Lord shall bring again Zion. | Your watchmen will raise their voices; together they’ll sing, for they’ll see things clearly when the Lord restores Zion. |
| 3 Nephi 16:19 | Break forth into joy, sing together, ye waste places of Jerusalem; for the Lord hath comforted his people, he hath redeemed Jerusalem. | Rejoice and sing together, you ruins of Jerusalem, for the Lord has comforted His people and redeemed Jerusalem. |
| 3 Nephi 16:20 | The Lord hath made bare his holy arm in the eye of all the nations; and all the ends of the earth shall see the salvation of God. | The Lord has revealed His holy power to all the nations; everyone, everywhere will see God’s salvation. |
3 Nephi 17
| Verse | Original | 7th Grade |
|---|---|---|
| 3 Nephi 17:1 | Behold, now it came to pass that when Jesus had spoken these words he looked round about again on the multitude, and he said unto them: Behold, my time is at hand. | Jesus then looked at the crowd again after speaking and said, “My time has come.” |
| 3 Nephi 17:2 | I perceive that ye are weak, that ye cannot understand all my words which I am commanded of the Father to speak unto you at this time. | I can see that you are struggling and might not be able to understand everything I need to say right now. |
| 3 Nephi 17:3 | Therefore, go ye unto your homes, and ponder upon the things which I have said, and ask of the Father, in my name, that ye may understand, and prepare your minds for the morrow, and I come unto you again. | Go home and think about what I’ve said. Pray to the Father in my name that you may understand and get ready for tomorrow. I’ll come to you again then. |
| 3 Nephi 17:4 | But now I go unto the Father, and also to show myself unto the lost tribes of Israel, for they are not lost unto the Father, for he knoweth whither he hath taken them. | But now I’m going to the Father and to show myself to the lost tribes of Israel. They aren’t lost to the Father because He knows where He’s taken them. |
| 3 Nephi 17:5 | And it came to pass that when Jesus had thus spoken, he cast his eyes round about again on the multitude, and beheld they were in tears, and did look steadfastly upon him as if they would ask him to tarry a little longer with them. | After Jesus had said these things, he looked around at the crowd again and saw that they were crying, looking at him intently as if they wanted to ask him to stay with them a bit longer. |
| 3 Nephi 17:6 | And he said unto them: Behold, my bowels are filled with compassion towards you. | He said to them, “Look, I feel deep compassion for you.” |
| 3 Nephi 17:7 | Have ye any that are sick among you? Bring them hither. Have ye any that are lame, or blind, or halt, or maimed, or leprous, or that are withered, or that are deaf, or that are afflicted in any manner? Bring them hither and I will heal them, for I have compassion upon you; my bowels are filled with mercy. | Do you have anyone who is sick? Bring them here. Do you have anyone who is lame, blind, crippled, injured, suffering from leprosy, withered, deaf, or afflicted in any way? Bring them here, and I will heal them because I care for you and am filled with compassion. |
| 3 Nephi 17:8 | For I perceive that ye desire that I should show unto you what I have done unto your brethren at Jerusalem, for I see that your faith is sufficient that I should heal you. | I can see that you want to know what I did to your brothers in Jerusalem, and I can tell that you have enough faith for me to heal you. |
| 3 Nephi 17:9 | And it came to pass that when he had thus spoken, all the multitude, with one accord, did go forth with their sick and their afflicted, and their lame, and with their blind, and with their dumb, and with all them that were afflicted in any manner; and he did heal them every one as they were brought forth unto him. | When he finished speaking, everyone together brought their sick, their injured, their disabled, their blind, their mute, and anyone else suffering. He healed all of them as they were brought to him. |
| 3 Nephi 17:10 | And they did all, both they who had been healed and they who were whole, bow down at his feet, and did worship him; and as many as could come for the multitude did kiss his feet, insomuch that they did bathe his feet with their tears. | Everyone, whether they were healed or already healthy, bowed at his feet and worshiped him. As many as could, given the crowd, kissed his feet and cried so much that their tears washed his feet. |
| 3 Nephi 17:11 | And it came to pass that he commanded that their little children should be brought. | He ordered that their little children be brought to him. |
| 3 Nephi 17:12 | So they brought their little children and set them down upon the ground round about him, and Jesus stood in the midst; and the multitude gave way till they had all been brought unto him. | So they brought their little children and had them sit down around Jesus, who stood in the middle. The crowd moved aside until all the children were brought to him. |
| 3 Nephi 17:13 | And it came to pass that when they had all been brought, and Jesus stood in the midst, he commanded the multitude that they should kneel down upon the ground. | When everyone had been gathered and Jesus stood among them, he told the crowd to kneel down on the ground. |
| 3 Nephi 17:14 | And it came to pass that when they had knelt upon the ground, Jesus groaned within himself, and said: Father, I am troubled because of the wickedness of the people of the house of Israel. | When they knelt down, Jesus sighed deeply and said, “Father, I’m upset because of the wickedness of the people of Israel.” |
| 3 Nephi 17:15 | And when he had said these words, he himself also knelt upon the earth; and behold he prayed unto the Father, and the things which he prayed cannot be written, and the multitude did bear record who heard him. | After saying these words, he knelt down on the ground and prayed to the Father. What he prayed about can’t be written down, but everyone who heard him can testify to it. |
| 3 Nephi 17:16 | And after this manner do they bear record: The eye hath never seen, neither hath the ear heard, before, so great and marvelous things as we saw and heard Jesus speak unto the Father; | Here’s how they bear witness: We’ve never seen or heard such great and marvelous things before as we did when Jesus spoke to the Father. |
| 3 Nephi 17:17 | And no tongue can speak, neither can there be written by any man, neither can the hearts of men conceive so great and marvelous things as we both saw and heard Jesus speak; and no one can conceive of the joy which filled our souls at the time we heard him pray for us unto the Father. | No one could describe or write down the amazing things we saw and heard Jesus speak. Our hearts couldn’t even imagine them. And no one could understand the joy we felt when we heard Him pray for us to the Father. |
| 3 Nephi 17:18 | And it came to pass that when Jesus had made an end of praying unto the Father, he arose; but so great was the joy of the multitude that they were overcome. | When Jesus finished praying to the Father and stood up, the crowd was so happy that they were overwhelmed. |
| 3 Nephi 17:19 | And it came to pass that Jesus spake unto them, and bade them arise. | Then Jesus spoke to them and told them to get up. |
| 3 Nephi 17:20 | And they arose from the earth, and he said unto them: Blessed are ye because of your faith. And now behold, my joy is full. | They stood up, and he told them, âYou are blessed because of your faith. Now look, my joy is complete.â |
| 3 Nephi 17:21 | And when he had said these words, he wept, and the multitude bare record of it, and he took their little children, one by one, and blessed them, and prayed unto the Father for them. | When he finished speaking, he cried. Everyone saw it and remembered. He then took their little children one by one, blessed them, and prayed to the Father for them. |
| 3 Nephi 17:22 | And when he had done this he wept again; | After he did this, he cried again. |
| 3 Nephi 17:23 | And he spake unto the multitude, and said unto them: Behold your little ones. | He spoke to the crowd and said, “Look at your little ones.” |
| 3 Nephi 17:24 | And as they looked to behold they cast their eyes towards heaven, and they saw the heavens open, and they saw angels descending out of heaven as it were in the midst of fire; and they came down and encircled those little ones about, and they were encircled about with fire; and the angels did minister unto them. | As they looked up, they saw the heavens open and angels coming down surrounded by fire. The angels came down and encircled the little ones with fire and ministered to them. |
| 3 Nephi 17:25 | And the multitude did see and hear and bear record; and they know that their record is true for they all of them did see and hear, every man for himself; and they were in number about two thousand and five hundred souls; and they did consist of men, women, and children. | The crowd saw, heard, and confirmed everything; they knew their account was true because each person experienced it for themselves. There were about 2,500 people, including men, women, and children. |
3 Nephi 18
| Verse | Original | 7th Grade |
|---|---|---|
| 3 Nephi 18:1 | And it came to pass that Jesus commanded his disciples that they should bring forth some bread and wine unto him. | Jesus told his disciples to bring him some bread and wine. |
| 3 Nephi 18:2 | And while they were gone for bread and wine, he commanded the multitude that they should sit themselves down upon the earth. | While they went to fetch bread and wine, he told the crowd to sit down on the ground. |
| 3 Nephi 18:3 | And when the disciples had come with bread and wine, he took of the bread and brake and blessed it; and he gave unto the disciples and commanded that they should eat. | When the disciples brought bread and wine, He took the bread, broke it, blessed it, and gave it to the disciples, telling them to eat. |
| 3 Nephi 18:4 | And when they had eaten and were filled, he commanded that they should give unto the multitude. | After everyone had eaten their fill, he told them to share with the crowd. |
| 3 Nephi 18:5 | And when the multitude had eaten and were filled, he said unto the disciples: Behold there shall one be ordained among you, and to him will I give power that he shall break bread and bless it and give it unto the people of my church, unto all those who shall believe and be baptized in my name. | After the crowd had eaten and were full, he told the disciples, “Look, one among you will be chosen, and I will give him the power to break bread, bless it, and give it to the members of my church, to everyone who believes and is baptized in my name.” |
| 3 Nephi 18:6 | And this shall ye always observe to do, even as I have done, even as I have broken bread and blessed it and given it unto you. | Always keep doing this, just like I did: I broke bread, blessed it, and gave it to you. |
| 3 Nephi 18:7 | And this shall ye do in remembrance of my body, which I have shown unto you. And it shall be a testimony unto the Father that ye do always remember me. And if ye do always remember me ye shall have my Spirit to be with you. | Do this to remember my body, which I’ve shown you. It will be a sign to the Father that you always remember me. If you always remember me, you’ll have my Spirit with you. |
| 3 Nephi 18:8 | And it came to pass that when he said these words, he commanded his disciples that they should take of the wine of the cup and drink of it, and that they should also give unto the multitude that they might drink of it. | After saying this, he told his disciples to take some wine and drink it. He also told them to give it to the crowd so they could drink too. |
| 3 Nephi 18:9 | And it came to pass that they did so, and did drink of it and were filled; and they gave unto the multitude, and they did drink, and they were filled. | They did as instructed, drank, and were satisfied. They then gave to the crowd, who also drank and were satisfied. |
| 3 Nephi 18:10 | And when the disciples had done this, Jesus said unto them: Blessed are ye for this thing which ye have done, for this is fulfilling my commandments, and this doth witness unto the Father that ye are willing to do that which I have commanded you. | When the disciples had done this, Jesus told them, “You’re blessed for what you’ve done. This fulfills my commandments and shows the Father that you’re willing to follow my instructions.” |
| 3 Nephi 18:11 | And this shall ye always do to those who repent and are baptized in my name; and ye shall do it in remembrance of my blood, which I have shed for you, that ye may witness unto the Father that ye do always remember me. And if ye do always remember me ye shall have my Spirit to be with you. | Always do this for those who repent and get baptized in my name. Do it to remember my blood, which I shed for you, so you can show the Father that you always remember me. And if you always remember me, my Spirit will be with you. |
| 3 Nephi 18:12 | And I give unto you a commandment that ye shall do these things. And if ye shall always do these things blessed are ye, for ye are built upon my rock. | I give you a commandment to do these things. If you always do them, you will be blessed because you are built on my rock. |
| 3 Nephi 18:13 | But whoso among you shall do more or less than these are not built upon my rock, but are built upon a sandy foundation; and when the rain descends, and the floods come, and the winds blow, and beat upon them, they shall fall, and the gates of hell are ready open to receive them. | But anyone who does more or less than this isn’t building on my foundation, but on a shaky one. When the rain, floods, and winds come, they’ll collapse, and hell is ready to take them. |
| 3 Nephi 18:14 | Therefore blessed are ye if ye shall keep my commandments, which the Father hath commanded me that I should give unto you. | So, you will be blessed if you follow the commandments that God has told me to give to you. |
| 3 Nephi 18:15 | Verily, verily, I say unto you, ye must watch and pray always, lest ye be tempted by the devil, and ye be led away captive by him. | I say to you, you must always watch and pray, or else you might be tempted by the devil and taken captive by him. |
| 3 Nephi 18:16 | And as I have prayed among you even so shall ye pray in my church, among my people who do repent and are baptized in my name. Behold I am the light; I have set an example for you. | Just as I have prayed with you, you should pray in my church with my people—those who repent and are baptized in my name. Look, I am the light and I’ve set an example for you. |
| 3 Nephi 18:17 | And it came to pass that when Jesus had spoken these words unto his disciples, he turned again unto the multitude and said unto them: | After Jesus spoke to his disciples, he turned to the crowd and said: |
| 3 Nephi 18:18 | Behold, verily, verily, I say unto you, ye must watch and pray always lest ye enter into temptation; for Satan desireth to have you, that he may sift you as wheat. | Listen, I’m telling you straight: you need to always stay vigilant and pray so you don’t fall into temptation, because Satan wants to take you down and grind you up like wheat. |
| 3 Nephi 18:19 | Therefore ye must always pray unto the Father in my name; | You should always pray to the Father in my name. |
| 3 Nephi 18:20 | And whatsoever ye shall ask the Father in my name, which is right, believing that ye shall receive, behold it shall be given unto you. | And whatever you ask the Father in my name, if it’s right and you believe you’ll receive it, you will receive it. |
| 3 Nephi 18:21 | Pray in your families unto the Father, always in my name, that your wives and your children may be blessed. | Pray with your families to the Father, always in my name, so your wives and children can be blessed. |
| 3 Nephi 18:22 | And behold, ye shall meet together oft; and ye shall not forbid any man from coming unto you when ye shall meet together, but suffer them that they may come unto you and forbid them not; | And look, you should meet together often; and don’t stop anyone from joining you when you meet, but let them come and don’t turn them away. |
| 3 Nephi 18:23 | But ye shall pray for them, and shall not cast them out; and if it so be that they come unto you oft ye shall pray for them unto the Father, in my name. | Pray for them, and don’t turn them away; if they come to you often, keep praying for them to the Father in my name. |
| 3 Nephi 18:24 | Therefore, hold up your light that it may shine unto the world. Behold I am the light which ye shall hold up—that which ye have seen me do. Behold ye see that I have prayed unto the Father, and ye all have witnessed. | So, let your light shine before the world. Look, I am the light you should hold up â do what you’ve seen me do. You saw that I prayed to the Father, and you all were witnesses. |
| 3 Nephi 18:25 | And ye see that I have commanded that none of you should go away, but rather have commanded that ye should come unto me, that ye might feel and see; even so shall ye do unto the world; and whosoever breaketh this commandment suffereth himself to be led into temptation. | I have told you not to go away, but to come to me so you can feel and see. You should do this for everyone. Whoever breaks this commandment leads themselves into temptation. |
| 3 Nephi 18:26 | And now it came to pass that when Jesus had spoken these words, he turned his eyes again upon the disciples whom he had chosen, and said unto them: | After Jesus finished speaking, he looked again at the disciples he had chosen and said to them: |
| 3 Nephi 18:27 | Behold verily, verily, I say unto you, I give unto you another commandment, and then I must go unto my Father that I may fulfil other commandments which he hath given me. | Listen, for real, I’m giving you another commandment, and then I have to go to my Father to fulfill other commandments He’s given me. |
| 3 Nephi 18:28 | And now behold, this is the commandment which I give unto you, that ye shall not suffer any one knowingly to partake of my flesh and blood unworthily, when ye shall minister it; | Here is a commandment I give to you: Don’t let anyone knowingly take part in my flesh and blood unworthily when you offer it. |
| 3 Nephi 18:29 | For whoso eateth and drinketh my flesh and blood unworthily eateth and drinketh damnation to his soul; therefore if ye know that a man is unworthy to eat and drink of my flesh and blood ye shall forbid him. | For anyone who eats and drinks my body and blood without being worthy, brings condemnation upon themselves; so, if you know someone is not worthy to take my body and blood, you should not let them. |
| 3 Nephi 18:30 | Nevertheless, ye shall not cast him out from among you, but ye shall minister unto him and shall pray for him unto the Father, in my name; and if it so be that he repenteth and is baptized in my name, then shall ye receive him, and shall minister unto him of my flesh and blood. | Don’t kick him out, but help him and pray for him to the Father in my name. If he repents and gets baptized in my name, welcome him and continue to help him with the Sacrament. |
| 3 Nephi 18:31 | But if he repent not he shall not be numbered among my people, that he may not destroy my people, for behold I know my sheep, and they are numbered. | But if he doesn’t repent, he won’t be counted as one of my people, so he doesn’t harm them. I know my people, and they are counted. |
| 3 Nephi 18:32 | Nevertheless, ye shall not cast him out of your synagogues, or your places of worship, for unto such shall ye continue to minister; for ye know not but what they will return and repent, and come unto me with full purpose of heart, and I shall heal them; and ye shall be the means of bringing salvation unto them. | But don’t kick them out of your synagogues or places of worship. Instead, keep helping them, because you never know if they might come back, repent, and turn to me with all their heart. Then I will heal them, and you’ll be the reason they find salvation. |
| 3 Nephi 18:33 | Therefore, keep these sayings which I have commanded you that ye come not under condemnation; for wo unto him whom the Father condemneth. | So, make sure to follow what I’ve told you so that you don’t get in trouble; because it’s bad for anyone who the Father judges harshly. |
| 3 Nephi 18:34 | And I give you these commandments because of the disputations which have been among you. And blessed are ye if ye have no disputations among you. | I am giving you these instructions because of the arguments you’ve been having. You’ll be blessed if you don’t have any arguments among you. |
| 3 Nephi 18:35 | And now I go unto the Father, because it is expedient that I should go unto the Father for your sakes. | Now I’m going to the Father, because it’s necessary for your benefit. |
| 3 Nephi 18:36 | And it came to pass that when Jesus had made an end of these sayings, he touched with his hand the disciples whom he had chosen, one by one, even until he had touched them all, and spake unto them as he touched them. | When Jesus had finished speaking, he went and touched each of the disciples he had chosen, one by one, and spoke to them as he touched them. |
| 3 Nephi 18:37 | And the multitude heard not the words which he spake, therefore they did not bear record; but the disciples bare record that he gave them power to give the Holy Ghost. And I will show unto you hereafter that this record is true. | The crowd couldn’t hear what he was saying, so they didn’t write it down. But the disciples did write down that he gave them the power to bestow the Holy Ghost. I’ll show you later that this record is true. |
| 3 Nephi 18:38 | And it came to pass that when Jesus had touched them all, there came a cloud and overshadowed the multitude that they could not see Jesus. | After Jesus touched them all, a cloud came and covered the crowd so they couldn’t see Jesus. |
| 3 Nephi 18:39 | And while they were overshadowed he departed from them, and ascended into heaven. And the disciples saw and did bear record that he ascended again into heaven. | While they were overshadowed, he left them and went up into heaven. The disciples saw it happen and testified that he went up into heaven again. |
3 Nephi 19
| Verse | Original | 7th Grade |
|---|---|---|
| 3 Nephi 19:1 | And now it came to pass that when Jesus had ascended into heaven, the multitude did disperse, and every man did take his wife and his children and did return to his own home. | After Jesus went back to Heaven, the crowd broke up, and everyone went home with their families. |
| 3 Nephi 19:2 | And it was noised abroad among the people immediately, before it was yet dark, that the multitude had seen Jesus, and that he had ministered unto them, and that he would also show himself on the morrow unto the multitude. | Word quickly spread among the people, even before nightfall, that the crowd had seen Jesus. He had ministered to them and would appear again to the crowd the next day. |
| 3 Nephi 19:3 | Yea, and even all the night it was noised abroad concerning Jesus; and insomuch did they send forth unto the people that there were many, yea, an exceedingly great number, did labor exceedingly all that night, that they might be on the morrow in the place where Jesus should show himself unto the multitude. | All night, news about Jesus spread quickly. Many people worked tirelessly that night so they could be at the place where Jesus would appear to the crowd the next day. |
| 3 Nephi 19:4 | And it came to pass that on the morrow, when the multitude was gathered together, behold, Nephi and his brother whom he had raised from the dead, whose name was Timothy, and also his son, whose name was Jonas, and also Mathoni, and Mathonihah, his brother, and Kumen, and Kumenonhi, and Jeremiah, and Shemnon, and Jonas, and Zedekiah, and Isaiah—now these were the names of the disciples whom Jesus had chosen—and it came to pass that they went forth and stood in the midst of the multitude. | The next day, when the crowd had gathered, Nephi and his brother Timothy, whom he had raised from the dead, along with his son Jonas, Mathoni, Mathonihah (his brother), Kumen, Kumenonhi, Jeremiah, Shemnon, Jonas, Zedekiah, and Isaiah—these were the disciples Jesus had chosen—went forward and stood in the middle of the crowd. |
| 3 Nephi 19:5 | And behold, the multitude was so great that they did cause that they should be separated into twelve bodies. | The crowd was so large that they decided to divide into twelve groups. |
| 3 Nephi 19:6 | And the twelve did teach the multitude; and behold, they did cause that the multitude should kneel down upon the face of the earth, and should pray unto the Father in the name of Jesus. | The twelve taught the crowd and had them kneel down and pray to the Father in the name of Jesus. |
| 3 Nephi 19:7 | And the disciples did pray unto the Father also in the name of Jesus. And it came to pass that they arose and ministered unto the people. | The disciples prayed to the Father in Jesus’ name. Then, they got up and served the people. |
| 3 Nephi 19:8 | And when they had ministered those same words which Jesus had spoken—nothing varying from the words which Jesus had spoken—behold, they knelt again and prayed to the Father in the name of Jesus. | After they shared the exact words Jesus had spoken, they knelt down again and prayed to the Father in Jesus’ name. |
| 3 Nephi 19:9 | And they did pray for that which they most desired; and they desired that the Holy Ghost should be given unto them. | They prayed for what they wanted most; they wanted to receive the Holy Ghost. |
| 3 Nephi 19:10 | And when they had thus prayed they went down unto the water—s edge, and the multitude followed them. | After they prayed, they went down to the water’s edge and the crowd followed them. |
| 3 Nephi 19:11 | And it came to pass that Nephi went down into the water and was baptized. | Nephi went down into the water and was baptized. |
| 3 Nephi 19:12 | And he came up out of the water and began to baptize. And he baptized all those whom Jesus had chosen. | He came up out of the water and started baptizing. He baptized everyone Jesus had chosen. |
| 3 Nephi 19:13 | And it came to pass when they were all baptized and had come up out of the water, the Holy Ghost did fall upon them, and they were filled with the Holy Ghost and with fire. | When they had all been baptized and came up out of the water, the Holy Ghost came upon them, and they were filled with the Holy Ghost and with fire. |
| 3 Nephi 19:14 | And behold, they were encircled about as if it were by fire; and it came down from heaven, and the multitude did witness it, and did bear record; and angels did come down out of heaven and did minister unto them. | And look, they were surrounded by something like fire that came down from heaven. Everyone saw it and testified about it. Angels came down from heaven and ministered to them. |
| 3 Nephi 19:15 | And it came to pass that while the angels were ministering unto the disciples, behold, Jesus came and stood in the midst and ministered unto them. | While the angels were teaching the disciples, Jesus suddenly appeared and started teaching them too. |
| 3 Nephi 19:16 | And it came to pass that he spake unto the multitude, and commanded them that they should kneel down again upon the earth, and also that his disciples should kneel down upon the earth. | He spoke to the crowd and told them to kneel down on the ground again, and he also told his disciples to kneel down on the ground. |
| 3 Nephi 19:17 | And it came to pass that when they had all knelt down upon the earth, he commanded his disciples that they should pray. | When they were all kneeling on the ground, he told his followers to pray. |
| 3 Nephi 19:18 | And behold, they began to pray; and they did pray unto Jesus, calling him their Lord and their God. | They began to pray, and they prayed to Jesus, calling Him their Lord and God. |
| 3 Nephi 19:19 | And it came to pass that Jesus departed out of the midst of them, and went a little way off from them and bowed himself to the earth, and he said: | Jesus left the group, went a short distance away, knelt down, and said: |
| 3 Nephi 19:20 | Father, I thank thee that thou hast given the Holy Ghost unto these whom I have chosen; and it is because of their belief in me that I have chosen them out of the world. | Father, thank you for giving the Holy Ghost to these people I have chosen. I chose them because they believe in me. |
| 3 Nephi 19:21 | Father, I pray thee that thou wilt give the Holy Ghost unto all them that shall believe in their words. | Heavenly Father, I ask that you give the Holy Spirit to everyone who believes in their words. |
| 3 Nephi 19:22 | Father, thou hast given them the Holy Ghost because they believe in me; and thou seest that they believe in me because thou hearest them, and they pray unto me; and they pray unto me because I am with them. | Father, you have given them the Holy Ghost because they believe in me. You see that they believe in me because you hear them, and they pray to me because I am with them. |
| 3 Nephi 19:23 | And now Father, I pray unto thee for them, and also for all those who shall believe on their words, that they may believe in me, that I may be in them as thou, Father, art in me, that we may be one. | Father, I pray to You for them and for everyone who will believe in their words, that they may believe in me, so that I can be in them as You, Father, are in me, so that we can be one. |
| 3 Nephi 19:24 | And it came to pass that when Jesus had thus prayed unto the Father, he came unto his disciples, and behold, they did still continue, without ceasing, to pray unto him; and they did not multiply many words, for it was given unto them what they should pray, and they were filled with desire. | After Jesus prayed to the Father, he came to his disciples and saw that they were still praying to him without stopping. They didn’t use many words because they were given what to pray about and were full of desire. |
| 3 Nephi 19:25 | And it came to pass that Jesus blessed them as they did pray unto him; and his countenance did smile upon them, and the light of his countenance did shine upon them, and behold they were as white as the countenance and also the garments of Jesus; and behold the whiteness thereof did exceed all the whiteness, yea, even there could be nothing upon earth so white as the whiteness thereof. | Jesus blessed them as they prayed to Him, and He smiled at them. His face shone on them and they became as white as His face and clothes. There could be nothing on earth as white as they were. |
| 3 Nephi 19:26 | And Jesus said unto them: Pray on; nevertheless they did not cease to pray. | Jesus told them to keep praying, and they didn’t stop. |
| 3 Nephi 19:27 | And he turned from them again, and went a little way off and bowed himself to the earth; and he prayed again unto the Father, saying: | He walked away from them again, went a short distance, knelt down, and prayed to the Father again. |
| 3 Nephi 19:28 | Father, I thank thee that thou hast purified those whom I have chosen, because of their faith, and I pray for them, and also for them who shall believe on their words, that they may be purified in me, through faith on their words, even as they are purified in me. | Father, thank you for purifying those I have chosen because of their faith. I pray for them and also for those who will believe their words, that they may be purified in me through faith in their words, just as they are purified in me. |
| 3 Nephi 19:29 | Father, I pray not for the world, but for those whom thou hast given me out of the world, because of their faith, that they may be purified in me, that I may be in them as thou, Father, art in me, that we may be one, that I may be glorified in them. | Father, I’m not praying for the whole world, but for those you gave me because of their faith. I pray that they can be purified through me, so I can be in them as you, Father, are in me. I pray that we can be united and that I will be glorified in them. |
| 3 Nephi 19:30 | And when Jesus had spoken these words he came again unto his disciples; and behold they did pray steadfastly, without ceasing, unto him; and he did smile upon them again; and behold they were white, even as Jesus. | After Jesus said these things, he came back to his disciples. They prayed to him continuously and with great faith. Jesus smiled at them again, and they became pure and radiant, just like Jesus. |
| 3 Nephi 19:31 | And it came to pass that he went again a little way off and prayed unto the Father; | He went a little farther and prayed to the Father again. |
| 3 Nephi 19:32 | And tongue cannot speak the words which he prayed, neither can be written by man the words which he prayed. | No one can describe the words he prayed, and no one can write the words he prayed. |
| 3 Nephi 19:33 | And the multitude did hear and do bear record; and their hearts were open and they did understand in their hearts the words which he prayed. | The crowd listened and understood in their hearts the words of his prayer. |
| 3 Nephi 19:34 | Nevertheless, so great and marvelous were the words which he prayed that they cannot be written, neither can they be uttered by man. | Even so, the words he prayed were so amazing and wonderful that they can’t be written down or spoken by anyone. |
| 3 Nephi 19:35 | And it came to pass that when Jesus had made an end of praying he came again to the disciples, and said unto them: So great faith have I never seen among all the Jews; wherefore I could not show unto them so great miracles, because of their unbelief. | After Jesus finished praying, he came back to the disciples and said, “I’ve never seen such great faith among all the Jews. Because of their unbelief, I couldn’t show them such great miracles.” |
| 3 Nephi 19:36 | Verily I say unto you, there are none of them that have seen so great things as ye have seen; neither have they heard so great things as ye have heard. | Truly, I’m telling you, none of them have seen such amazing things as you have seen; nor have they heard such incredible things as you have heard. |
3 Nephi 20
| Verse | Original | 7th Grade |
|---|---|---|
| 3 Nephi 20:1 | And it came to pass that he commanded the multitude that they should cease to pray, and also his disciples. And he commanded them that they should not cease to pray in their hearts. | He told the crowd and his disciples to stop praying out loud, but to keep praying in their hearts. |
| 3 Nephi 20:2 | And he commanded them that they should arise and stand up upon their feet. And they arose up and stood upon their feet. | He told them to get up and stand on their feet. So they got up and stood. |
| 3 Nephi 20:3 | And it came to pass that he brake bread again and blessed it, and gave to the disciples to eat. | Then he broke the bread again, blessed it, and gave it to the disciples to eat. |
| 3 Nephi 20:4 | And when they had eaten he commanded them that they should break bread, and give unto the multitude. | After they had eaten, he told them to break bread and share it with everyone. |
| 3 Nephi 20:5 | And when they had given unto the multitude he also gave them wine to drink, and commanded them that they should give unto the multitude. | After they gave the crowd the bread, he also gave them wine to drink and told them to share it with everyone. |
| 3 Nephi 20:6 | Now, there had been no bread, neither wine, brought by the disciples, neither by the multitude; | There was no bread or wine brought by the disciples or by the crowd. |
| 3 Nephi 20:7 | But he truly gave unto them bread to eat, and also wine to drink. | He gave them bread to eat and wine to drink. |
| 3 Nephi 20:8 | And he said unto them: He that eateth this bread eateth of my body to his soul; and he that drinketh of this wine drinketh of my blood to his soul; and his soul shall never hunger nor thirst, but shall be filled. | He told them, “Anyone who eats this bread is partaking of my body for their soul; and anyone who drinks this wine is partaking of my blood for their soul. Their soul will never hunger or thirst again, but will be fulfilled.” |
| 3 Nephi 20:9 | Now, when the multitude had all eaten and drunk, behold, they were filled with the Spirit; and they did cry out with one voice, and gave glory to Jesus, whom they both saw and heard. | Once everyone had eaten and drunk, they were filled with the Spirit. They all cried out together and gave glory to Jesus, whom they both saw and heard. |
| 3 Nephi 20:10 | And it came to pass that when they had all given glory unto Jesus, he said unto them: Behold now I finish the commandment which the Father hath commanded me concerning this people, who are a remnant of the house of Israel. | After they all praised Jesus, he said to them, “Now I will complete the commandment God gave me about you, a remnant of Israel.” |
| 3 Nephi 20:11 | Ye remember that I spake unto you, and said that when the words of Isaiah should be fulfilled—behold they are written, ye have them before you, therefore search them— | Remember that I told you when the words of Isaiah come true—they are written down and you have them, so look them up and study them. |
| 3 Nephi 20:12 | And verily, verily, I say unto you, that when they shall be fulfilled then is the fulfilling of the covenant which the Father hath made unto his people, O house of Israel. | And I tell you the truth, when all this comes to pass, it means the covenant God made with His people, the house of Israel, is fulfilled. |
| 3 Nephi 20:13 | And then shall the remnants, which shall be scattered abroad upon the face of the earth, be gathered in from the east and from the west, and from the south and from the north; and they shall be brought to the knowledge of the Lord their God, who hath redeemed them. | Then the scattered remnants from all over the earth will be gathered from the east, west, south, and north. They will come to know the Lord their God, who has redeemed them. |
| 3 Nephi 20:14 | And the Father hath commanded me that I should give unto you this land, for your inheritance. | The Father has commanded me to give you this land as your inheritance. |
| 3 Nephi 20:15 | And I say unto you, that if the Gentiles do not repent after the blessing which they shall receive, after they have scattered my people— | And I tell you, if the Gentiles don’t repent after the blessings they receive and after they have scattered my people… |
| 3 Nephi 20:16 | Then shall ye, who are a remnant of the house of Jacob, go forth among them; and ye shall be in the midst of them who shall be many; and ye shall be among them as a lion among the beasts of the forest, and as a young lion among the flocks of sheep, who, if he goeth through both treadeth down and teareth in pieces, and none can deliver. | Then you, the remaining descendants of Jacob, will go among them. You will be surrounded by many people. You will be among them like a lion among the forest animals, and like a young lion among sheep, who, when he passes through, tramples down and tears apart, and no one can save them. |
| 3 Nephi 20:17 | Thy hand shall be lifted up upon thine adversaries, and all thine enemies shall be cut off. | Your hand will be raised against your enemies, and all your foes will be destroyed. |
| 3 Nephi 20:18 | And I will gather my people together as a man gathereth his sheaves into the floor. | And I will bring my people together like a man gathers his harvest into the barn. |
| 3 Nephi 20:19 | For I will make my people with whom the Father hath covenanted, yea, I will make thy horn iron, and I will make thy hoofs brass. And thou shalt beat in pieces many people; and I will consecrate their gain unto the Lord, and their substance unto the Lord of the whole earth. And behold, I am he who doeth it. | I will make my people, who the Father has made promises to, strong and powerful. You will destroy many nations, and I will dedicate their riches and resources to the Lord of the whole earth. And remember, I am the one who will do this. |
| 3 Nephi 20:20 | And it shall come to pass, saith the Father, that the sword of my justice shall hang over them at that day; and except they repent it shall fall upon them, saith the Father, yea, even upon all the nations of the Gentiles. | And the Father says, “There will come a time when my justice will be ready to strike them. If they don’t repent, it will fall on them, including all the nations of the Gentiles.” |
| 3 Nephi 20:21 | And it shall come to pass that I will establish my people, O house of Israel. | I will establish my people, the house of Israel. |
| 3 Nephi 20:22 | And behold, this people will I establish in this land, unto the fulfilling of the covenant which I made with your father Jacob; and it shall be a New Jerusalem. And the powers of heaven shall be in the midst of this people; yea, even I will be in the midst of you. | Look, I’ll establish these people in this land to fulfill the promise I made with your ancestor Jacob. It will be a New Jerusalem, and heavenly powers will be among these people. Yes, I will be among you. |
| 3 Nephi 20:23 | Behold, I am he of whom Moses spake, saying: A prophet shall the Lord your God raise up unto you of your brethren, like unto me; him shall ye hear in all things whatsoever he shall say unto you. And it shall come to pass that every soul who will not hear that prophet shall be cut off from among the people. | Listen, I am the one Moses talked about when he said: God will raise up a prophet for you from among your people, someone like me; you should listen to everything he tells you. And it will happen that anyone who doesn’t listen to that prophet will be separated from the people. |
| 3 Nephi 20:24 | Verily I say unto you, yea, and all the prophets from Samuel and those that follow after, as many as have spoken, have testified of me. | I tell you truly, all the prophets from Samuel onward have testified about me. |
| 3 Nephi 20:25 | And behold, ye are the children of the prophets; and ye are of the house of Israel; and ye are of the covenant which the Father made with your fathers, saying unto Abraham: And in thy seed shall all the kindreds of the earth be blessed. | Listen, you are the descendants of the prophets and belong to the house of Israel. You are part of the covenant God made with your ancestors, saying to Abraham: Through your descendants, all the families of the earth will be blessed. |
| 3 Nephi 20:26 | The Father having raised me up unto you first, and sent me to bless you in turning away every one of you from his iniquities; and this because ye are the children of the covenant— | The Father raised me up to come to you first and sent me to bless you by turning each of you away from your sins because you are the children of the covenant. |
| 3 Nephi 20:27 | And after that ye were blessed then fulfilleth the Father the covenant which he made with Abraham, saying: In thy seed shall all the kindreds of the earth be blessed—unto the pouring out of the Holy Ghost through me upon the Gentiles, which blessing upon the Gentiles shall make them mighty above all, unto the scattering of my people, O house of Israel. | After you were blessed, the Father fulfilled the covenant he made with Abraham, saying: Through your descendants, all the families of the earth will be blessed by the Holy Ghost being poured out on the Gentiles through me, which will make the Gentiles powerful, leading to the scattering of my people, O house of Israel. |
| 3 Nephi 20:28 | And they shall be a scourge unto the people of this land. Nevertheless, when they shall have received the fulness of my gospel, then if they shall harden their hearts against me I will return their iniquities upon their own heads, saith the Father. | They will be a problem for the people of this land. But, when they fully accept my gospel, if they then turn their hearts against me, I will make them bear the consequences of their actions, says the Father. |
| 3 Nephi 20:29 | And I will remember the covenant which I have made with my people; and I have covenanted with them that I would gather them together in mine own due time, that I would give unto them again the land of their fathers for their inheritance, which is the land of Jerusalem, which is the promised land unto them forever, saith the Father. | I’ll remember the agreement I made with my people. I promised to bring them back together when the time is right and give them the land of their ancestors, which is Jerusalem, as their inheritance forever, says the Father. |
| 3 Nephi 20:30 | And it shall come to pass that the time cometh, when the fulness of my gospel shall be preached unto them; | There will come a time when the fullness of my gospel will be preached to them. |
| 3 Nephi 20:31 | And they shall believe in me, that I am Jesus Christ, the Son of God, and shall pray unto the Father in my name. | They will believe in me, that I am Jesus Christ, the Son of God, and they will pray to the Father in my name. |
| 3 Nephi 20:32 | Then shall their watchmen lift up their voice, and with the voice together shall they sing; for they shall see eye to eye. | Then their watchmen will raise their voices and sing together. They will see things clearly. |
| 3 Nephi 20:33 | Then will the Father gather them together again, and give unto them Jerusalem for the land of their inheritance. | Then the Father will bring them together again and give them Jerusalem as their inherited land. |
| 3 Nephi 20:34 | Then shall they break forth into joy—Sing together, ye waste places of Jerusalem; for the Father hath comforted his people, he hath redeemed Jerusalem. | Then they will burst into joy. Sing together, broken places of Jerusalem, for the Father has comforted His people and has redeemed Jerusalem. |
| 3 Nephi 20:35 | The Father hath made bare his holy arm in the eyes of all the nations; and all the ends of the earth shall see the salvation of the Father; and the Father and I are one. | God has revealed His power to everyone, and people all over the world will see His salvation. God and I are one. |
| 3 Nephi 20:36 | And then shall be brought to pass that which is written: Awake, awake again, and put on thy strength, O Zion; put on thy beautiful garments, O Jerusalem, the holy city, for henceforth there shall no more come into thee the uncircumcised and the unclean. | And then what is written will happen: Wake up, wake up again, and be strong, Zion; dress in your beautiful clothes, Jerusalem, the holy city, because from now on, no more will the unclean and those who don’t belong enter. |
| 3 Nephi 20:37 | Shake thyself from the dust; arise, sit down, O Jerusalem; loose thyself from the bands of thy neck, O captive daughter of Zion. | Shake off the dust and get up, Jerusalem; sit down and free yourself from the chains around your neck, captive daughter of Zion. |
| 3 Nephi 20:38 | For thus saith the Lord: Ye have sold yourselves for naught, and ye shall be redeemed without money. | This is what the Lord says: You sold yourselves for nothing, and you will be redeemed without money. |
| 3 Nephi 20:39 | Verily, verily, I say unto you, that my people shall know my name; yea, in that day they shall know that I am he that doth speak. | I tell you this: My people will know my name. Yes, on that day they will know that it is I who speaks to them. |
| 3 Nephi 20:40 | And then shall they say: How beautiful upon the mountains are the feet of him that bringeth good tidings unto them, that publisheth peace; that bringeth good tidings unto them of good, that publisheth salvation; that saith unto Zion: Thy God reigneth! | And then they’ll say: How beautiful it is to see the one who brings good news, proclaiming peace and good things, proclaiming salvation, and saying to Zion, âYour God reigns!â |
| 3 Nephi 20:41 | And then shall a cry go forth: Depart ye, depart ye, go ye out from thence, touch not that which is unclean; go ye out of the midst of her; be ye clean that bear the vessels of the Lord. | A call will go out: Leave, leave, get out of there, don’t touch anything unclean; leave the center of it; be clean if you handle the Lord’s vessels. |
| 3 Nephi 20:42 | For ye shall not go out with haste nor go by flight; for the Lord will go before you, and the God of Israel shall be your rearward. | You won’t need to rush or flee in a hurry, because the Lord will lead you and the God of Israel will have your back. |
| 3 Nephi 20:43 | Behold, my servant shall deal prudently; he shall be exalted and extolled and be very high. | Look, my servant will act wisely; he’ll be uplifted and praised and held in high regard. |
| 3 Nephi 20:44 | As many were astonished at thee—his visage was so marred, more than any man, and his form more than the sons of men— | Many people were shocked when they saw you—your appearance was so disfigured, more than any other person, and your form was almost unrecognizable compared to others. |
| 3 Nephi 20:45 | So shall he sprinkle many nations; the kings shall shut their mouths at him, for that which had not been told them shall they see; and that which they had not heard shall they consider. | He will influence many nations; even kings will be speechless before him, because they will see things they weren’t told and understand things they hadn’t heard about. |
| 3 Nephi 20:46 | Verily, verily, I say unto you, all these things shall surely come, even as the Father hath commanded me. Then shall this covenant which the Father hath covenanted with his people be fulfilled; and then shall Jerusalem be inhabited again with my people, and it shall be the land of their inheritance. | Truly, I tell you, all these things will definitely happen just as the Father has commanded me. Then the covenant the Father made with His people will be fulfilled; and Jerusalem will be inhabited once again by my people, and it will be their land of inheritance. |
3 Nephi 21
| Verse | Original | 7th Grade |
|---|---|---|
| 3 Nephi 21:1 | And verily I say unto you, I give unto you a sign, that ye may know the time when these things shall be about to take place—that I shall gather in, from their long dispersion, my people, O house of Israel, and shall establish again among them my Zion; | I am giving you a sign so you can recognize when these events will happen: I will gather my people, the house of Israel, from their long dispersion and will reestablish Zion among them. |
| 3 Nephi 21:2 | And behold, this is the thing which I will give unto you for a sign—for verily I say unto you that when these things which I declare unto you, and which I shall declare unto you hereafter of myself, and by the power of the Holy Ghost which shall be given unto you of the Father, shall be made known unto the Gentiles that they may know concerning this people who are a remnant of the house of Jacob, and concerning this my people who shall be scattered by them; | Here is a sign I will give you: When the things I am telling you now and will tell you later by the power of the Holy Ghost given to you by the Father are made known to the Gentiles, they will learn about this people who are a remnant of the house of Jacob, and about this my people who will be scattered by them. |
| 3 Nephi 21:3 | Verily, verily, I say unto you, when these things shall be made known unto them of the Father, and shall come forth of the Father, from them unto you; | Truly, truly, I tell you, when these things are made known to them by the Father and come from the Father to you… |
| 3 Nephi 21:4 | For it is wisdom in the Father that they should be established in this land, and be set up as a free people by the power of the Father, that these things might come forth from them unto a remnant of your seed, that the covenant of the Father may be fulfilled which he hath covenanted with his people, O house of Israel; | It is wise for the Father to establish them in this land and make them a free nation by His power, so that these things can come from them to some of your descendants, fulfilling the Father’s covenant with His people, O house of Israel. |
| 3 Nephi 21:5 | Therefore, when these works and the works which shall be wrought among you hereafter shall come forth from the Gentiles, unto your seed which shall dwindle in unbelief because of iniquity; | So, when these works and the ones that will be done among you in the future are brought to you from the outsiders, to your descendants who will lose faith because of wickedness; |
| 3 Nephi 21:6 | For thus it behooveth the Father that it should come forth from the Gentiles, that he may show forth his power unto the Gentiles, for this cause that the Gentiles, if they will not harden their hearts, that they may repent and come unto me and be baptized in my name and know of the true points of my doctrine, that they may be numbered among my people, O house of Israel; | This is how the Father wants it to happen: the message should come from the Gentiles so He can show His power to them. If they don’t harden their hearts, they can repent, come to me, be baptized in my name, learn the true points of my doctrine, and be counted among my people, O house of Israel. |
| 3 Nephi 21:7 | And when these things come to pass that thy seed shall begin to know these things—it shall be a sign unto them, that they may know that the work of the Father hath already commenced unto the fulfilling of the covenant which he hath made unto the people who are of the house of Israel. | When your descendants start to understand these things, it will be a sign to them that the work of God has already begun to fulfill the covenant He made with the people of Israel. |
| 3 Nephi 21:8 | And when that day shall come, it shall come to pass that kings shall shut their mouths; for that which had not been told them shall they see; and that which they had not heard shall they consider. | When that day comes, kings will be speechless; they’ll see things they’ve never been told about and consider things they’ve never heard before. |
| 3 Nephi 21:9 | For in that day, for my sake shall the Father work a work, which shall be a great and a marvelous work among them; and there shall be among them those who will not believe it, although a man shall declare it unto them. | Because of me, on that day, the Father will do a great and marvelous work among them; and even though someone declares it to them, there will still be those who don’t believe it. |
| 3 Nephi 21:10 | But behold, the life of my servant shall be in my hand; therefore they shall not hurt him, although he shall be marred because of them. Yet I will heal him, for I will show unto them that my wisdom is greater than the cunning of the devil. | But look, my servant’s life is in my control. So, even though they will harm him, they won’t be able to destroy him completely. I will heal him, to show them that my wisdom is greater than the devil’s tricks. |
| 3 Nephi 21:11 | Therefore it shall come to pass that whosoever will not believe in my words, who am Jesus Christ, which the Father shall cause him to bring forth unto the Gentiles, and shall give unto him power that he shall bring them forth unto the Gentiles, (it shall be done even as Moses said) they shall be cut off from among my people who are of the covenant. | So, here’s what’s going to happen: anyone who doesn’t believe in my words—because I am Jesus Christ, and the Father will make sure they reach the Gentiles, giving the messenger power to do so—will be cut off from my people who are part of the covenant, just like Moses said. |
| 3 Nephi 21:12 | And my people who are a remnant of Jacob shall be among the Gentiles, yea, in the midst of them as a lion among the beasts of the forest, as a young lion among the flocks of sheep, who, if he go through both treadeth down and teareth in pieces, and none can deliver. | My people, who are descendants of Jacob, will be among the Gentiles, right in the middle of them like a lion among the animals of the forest, like a young lion among the sheep. They will move through, trampling down and tearing apart, and no one will be able to rescue them. |
| 3 Nephi 21:13 | Their hand shall be lifted up upon their adversaries, and all their enemies shall be cut off. | They will stand strong against their enemies, and all those who oppose them will be defeated. |
| 3 Nephi 21:14 | Yea, wo be unto the Gentiles except they repent; for it shall come to pass in that day, saith the Father, that I will cut off thy horses out of the midst of thee, and I will destroy thy chariots; | Yes, woe to the Gentiles unless they repent. For there will come a day, says the Father, when I will take away your horses and destroy your chariots. |
| 3 Nephi 21:15 | And I will cut off the cities of thy land, and throw down all thy strongholds; | I will destroy your cities and tear down all your fortresses. |
| 3 Nephi 21:16 | And I will cut off witchcrafts out of thy land, and thou shalt have no more soothsayers; | I will remove witchcraft from your land, and you won’t have any more fortune tellers. |
| 3 Nephi 21:17 | Thy graven images I will also cut off, and thy standing images out of the midst of thee, and thou shalt no more worship the works of thy hands; | I will destroy your carved images and remove your idols from among you, and you will no longer worship what your hands have made. |
| 3 Nephi 21:18 | And I will pluck up thy groves out of the midst of thee; so will I destroy thy cities. | I will tear down your groves and destroy your cities. |
| 3 Nephi 21:19 | And it shall come to pass that all lyings, and deceivings, and envyings, and strifes, and priestcrafts, and whoredoms, shall be done away. | All lies, deceit, jealousy, conflicts, corrupt religious practices, and sexual sins will be eliminated. |
| 3 Nephi 21:20 | For it shall come to pass, saith the Father, that at that day whosoever will not repent and come unto my Beloved Son, them will I cut off from among my people, O house of Israel; | This is what the Father says: One day, anyone who doesn’t repent and come to my Beloved Son will be cut off from my people, O house of Israel. |
| 3 Nephi 21:21 | And I will execute vengeance and fury upon them, even as upon the heathen, such as they have not heard. | I will bring severe punishment and anger upon them, just like I did with the heathens, in a way they have never experienced before. |
| 3 Nephi 21:22 | But if they will repent and hearken unto my words, and harden not their hearts, I will establish my church among them, and they shall come in unto the covenant and be numbered among this the remnant of Jacob, unto whom I have given this land for their inheritance; | But if they repent, listen to my words, and don’t harden their hearts, I will establish my church among them. They will join the covenant and be counted among the remnant of Jacob, to whom I have given this land as their inheritance. |
| 3 Nephi 21:23 | And they shall assist my people, the remnant of Jacob, and also as many of the house of Israel as shall come, that they may build a city, which shall be called the New Jerusalem. | They will help my people, the remnant of Jacob, and also anyone from the house of Israel who comes, so they can build a city called the New Jerusalem. |
| 3 Nephi 21:24 | And then shall they assist my people that they may be gathered in, who are scattered upon all the face of the land, in unto the New Jerusalem. | Then they will help gather my people, who are scattered across the land, into the New Jerusalem. |
| 3 Nephi 21:25 | And then shall the power of heaven come down among them; and I also will be in the midst. | Then the power of heaven will come down among them, and I will be right there with them. |
| 3 Nephi 21:26 | And then shall the work of the Father commence at that day, even when this gospel shall be preached among the remnant of this people. Verily I say unto you, at that day shall the work of the Father commence among all the dispersed of my people, yea, even the tribes which have been lost, which the Father hath led away out of Jerusalem. | And then the Father’s work will begin that day, when this gospel will be shared with the remaining people. Truly, I tell you, on that day the Father’s work will start with all the scattered people, even the lost tribes that the Father led away from Jerusalem. |
| 3 Nephi 21:27 | Yea, the work shall commence among all the dispersed of my people, with the Father to prepare the way whereby they may come unto me, that they may call on the Father in my name. | Yes, the work will start among all my scattered people, with the Father preparing the way for them to come to me, so they can call on the Father in my name. |
| 3 Nephi 21:28 | Yea, and then shall the work commence, with the Father among all nations in preparing the way whereby his people may be gathered home to the land of their inheritance. | Yes, and then the work will begin, with the Father among all nations, to prepare the way for his people to be gathered back to their homeland. |
| 3 Nephi 21:29 | And they shall go out from all nations; and they shall not go out in haste, nor go by flight, for I will go before them, saith the Father, and I will be their rearward. | They will leave from all the nations at a steady pace, not in a rush or fleeing, because I will go ahead of them, says the Father, and I will also have their back. |
3 Nephi 22
| Verse | Original | 7th Grade |
|---|---|---|
| 3 Nephi 22:1 | And then shall that which is written come to pass: Sing, O barren, thou that didst not bear; break forth into singing, and cry aloud, thou that didst not travail with child; for more are the children of the desolate than the children of the married wife, saith the Lord. | Then what has been written will happen: Sing, you who couldn’t have children; burst into song and shout, you who didn’t go through childbirth; because the children of the lonely woman will be more than those of the married woman, says the Lord. |
| 3 Nephi 22:2 | Enlarge the place of thy tent, and let them stretch forth the curtains of thy habitations; spare not, lengthen thy cords and strengthen thy stakes; | Expand the place of your tent and spread out the fabric of your home; don’t hold back, make your ropes longer and your stakes stronger. |
| 3 Nephi 22:3 | For thou shalt break forth on the right hand and on the left, and thy seed shall inherit the Gentiles and make the desolate cities to be inhabited. | You’ll expand in every direction, and your descendants will take over nations and repopulate deserted cities. |
| 3 Nephi 22:4 | Fear not, for thou shalt not be ashamed; neither be thou confounded, for thou shalt not be put to shame; for thou shalt forget the shame of thy youth, and shalt not remember the reproach of thy youth, and shalt not remember the reproach of thy widowhood any more. | Don’t be afraid, you won’t be embarrassed; don’t be confused, you won’t be disgraced. You’ll forget the shame of your youth and won’t remember the humiliation from when you were a widow anymore. |
| 3 Nephi 22:5 | For thy maker, thy husband, the Lord of Hosts is his name; and thy Redeemer, the Holy One of Israel—the God of the whole earth shall he be called. | Your maker and husband is the Lord of Hosts. He is the Holy One of Israel, your Redeemer. He will be called the God of the whole earth. |
| 3 Nephi 22:6 | For the Lord hath called thee as a woman forsaken and grieved in spirit, and a wife of youth, when thou wast refused, saith thy God. | The Lord has called you like a woman who feels abandoned and heartbroken, like a young wife who was rejected, says your God. |
| 3 Nephi 22:7 | For a small moment have I forsaken thee, but with great mercies will I gather thee. | For a brief moment I left you alone, but I will bring you back with great compassion. |
| 3 Nephi 22:8 | In a little wrath I hid my face from thee for a moment, but with everlasting kindness will I have mercy on thee, saith the Lord thy Redeemer. | For a brief moment, I was angry and turned away from you, but with everlasting kindness, I will show you mercy, says the Lord, your Redeemer. |
| 3 Nephi 22:9 | For this, the waters of Noah unto me, for as I have sworn that the waters of Noah should no more go over the earth, so have I sworn that I would not be wroth with thee. | This promise is like the promise I made about Noah’s waters. Just as I swore that Noah’s flood would never cover the earth again, I swear that I will not be angry with you. |
| 3 Nephi 22:10 | For the mountains shall depart and the hills be removed, but my kindness shall not depart from thee, neither shall the covenant of my peace be removed, saith the Lord that hath mercy on thee. | Even if the mountains crumble and the hills disappear, my kindness will never leave you, and my promise of peace will not be broken, says the Lord who has compassion for you. |
| 3 Nephi 22:11 | O thou afflicted, tossed with tempest, and not comforted! Behold, I will lay thy stones with fair colors, and lay thy foundations with sapphires. | You who are suffering, overwhelmed, and without comfort! Look, I will make your foundations beautiful and build them with precious stones like sapphires. |
| 3 Nephi 22:12 | And I will make thy windows of agates, and thy gates of carbuncles, and all thy borders of pleasant stones. | I will make your windows shine like agates, your gates glow with gems, and all your borders beautiful with pleasant stones. |
| 3 Nephi 22:13 | And all thy children shall be taught of the Lord; and great shall be the peace of thy children. | All your children will be taught by the Lord, and they will have great peace. |
| 3 Nephi 22:14 | In righteousness shalt thou be established; thou shalt be far from oppression for thou shalt not fear, and from terror for it shall not come near thee. | You will live a righteous life and be safe from oppression and fear. Terror will not come near you. |
| 3 Nephi 22:15 | Behold, they shall surely gather together against thee, not by me; whosoever shall gather together against thee shall fall for thy sake. | Look, people will definitely come together against you, but not because of me. Anyone who does will end up falling for your sake. |
| 3 Nephi 22:16 | Behold, I have created the smith that bloweth the coals in the fire, and that bringeth forth an instrument for his work; and I have created the waster to destroy. | Look, I made the blacksmith who works the fire and creates tools for his work, and I also made the destroyer to cause destruction. |
| 3 Nephi 22:17 | No weapon that is formed against thee shall prosper; and every tongue that shall revile against thee in judgment thou shalt condemn. This is the heritage of the servants of the Lord, and their righteousness is of me, saith the Lord. | No weapon made to harm you will succeed; and you’ll prove false every accusation against you. This is the legacy of the Lord’s servants, and their righteousness comes from me, says the Lord. |
3 Nephi 23
| Verse | Original | 7th Grade |
|---|---|---|
| 3 Nephi 23:1 | And now, behold, I say unto you, that ye ought to search these things. Yea, a commandment I give unto you that ye search these things diligently; for great are the words of Isaiah. | Listen, I tell you, you should study these things. Yes, I’m telling you to study them carefully because the words of Isaiah are very important. |
| 3 Nephi 23:2 | For surely he spake as touching all things concerning my people which are of the house of Israel; therefore it must needs be that he must speak also to the Gentiles. | For sure, he talked about everything concerning my people who are of the house of Israel; so he also has to speak to the Gentiles. |
| 3 Nephi 23:3 | And all things that he spake have been and shall be, even according to the words which he spake. | Everything he said has happened and will happen, just like he said. |
| 3 Nephi 23:4 | Therefore give heed to my words; write the things which I have told you; and according to the time and the will of the Father they shall go forth unto the Gentiles. | So listen to what I say; write down everything I’ve told you. When the time is right and it’s God’s will, it will be shared with the Gentiles. |
| 3 Nephi 23:5 | And whosoever will hearken unto my words and repenteth and is baptized, the same shall be saved. Search the prophets, for many there be that testify of these things. | Anyone who listens to my words, repents, and gets baptized will be saved. Look up the prophets, because many of them talk about these things. |
| 3 Nephi 23:6 | And now it came to pass that when Jesus had said these words he said unto them again, after he had expounded all the scriptures unto them which they had received, he said unto them: Behold, other scriptures I would that ye should write, that ye have not. | After Jesus said these things, he spoke to them again. Having explained all the scriptures they had received, he told them, “Look, there are other scriptures I want you to write down that you haven’t received yet.” |
| 3 Nephi 23:7 | And it came to pass that he said unto Nephi: Bring forth the record which ye have kept. | Then he said to Nephi, “Bring the record you’ve been keeping.” |
| 3 Nephi 23:8 | And when Nephi had brought forth the records, and laid them before him, he cast his eyes upon them and said: | When Nephi brought the records and laid them out in front of him, he looked at them and said: |
| 3 Nephi 23:9 | Verily I say unto you, I commanded my servant Samuel, the Lamanite, that he should testify unto this people, that at the day that the Father should glorify his name in me that there were many saints who should arise from the dead, and should appear unto many, and should minister unto them. And he said unto them: Was it not so? | I tell you the truth, I commanded my servant Samuel, the Lamanite, to tell the people that when the Father glorified His name in me, many saints would rise from the dead and appear to many people, ministering to them. And he asked them: Didn’t it happen just like that? |
| 3 Nephi 23:10 | And his disciples answered him and said: Yea, Lord, Samuel did prophesy according to thy words, and they were all fulfilled. | And his disciples replied, “Yes, Lord. Samuel did prophesize exactly what you said, and everything he predicted came true.” |
| 3 Nephi 23:11 | And Jesus said unto them: How be it that ye have not written this thing, that many saints did arise and appear unto many and did minister unto them? | And Jesus said to them, “Why haven’t you written down that many saints rose up, appeared to many people, and ministered to them?” |
| 3 Nephi 23:12 | And it came to pass that Nephi remembered that this thing had not been written. | Nephi remembered that this hadn’t been written down yet. |
| 3 Nephi 23:13 | And it came to pass that Jesus commanded that it should be written; therefore it was written according as he commanded. | Jesus commanded that it be written down, so it was written just as He said. |
| 3 Nephi 23:14 | And now it came to pass that when Jesus had expounded all the scriptures in one, which they had written, he commanded them that they should teach the things which he had expounded unto them. | After Jesus explained all the scriptures they had written, he told them to teach what he had explained to them. |
3 Nephi 24
| Verse | Original | 7th Grade |
|---|---|---|
| 3 Nephi 24:1 | And it came to pass that he commanded them that they should write the words which the Father had given unto Malachi, which he should tell unto them. And it came to pass that after they were written he expounded them. And these are the words which he did tell unto them, saying: Thus said the Father unto Malachi—Behold, I will send my messenger, and he shall prepare the way before me, and the Lord whom ye seek shall suddenly come to his temple, even the messenger of the covenant, whom ye delight in; behold, he shall come, saith the Lord of Hosts. | He told them to write down the words that the Father had given to Malachi to share with them. After they wrote it down, he explained the meaning. These are the words: “The Father said to Malachi: Look, I will send my messenger to prepare the way before me, and then the Lord you are seeking will suddenly come to his temple. The messenger of the covenant, the one you are looking forward to, will come, says the Lord of Hosts.” |
| 3 Nephi 24:2 | But who may abide the day of his coming, and who shall stand when he appeareth? For he is like a refiner—s fire, and like fuller—s soap. | But who can endure the day when he comes, and who can stand when he appears? He is like a refiner’s fire and like a cleaner’s soap. |
| 3 Nephi 24:3 | And he shall sit as a refiner and purifier of silver; and he shall purify the sons of Levi, and purge them as gold and silver, that they may offer unto the Lord an offering in righteousness. | He will be like a silversmith who refines and purifies silver. He will purify the descendants of Levi and refine them like gold and silver, so they can offer the Lord an offering of righteousness. |
| 3 Nephi 24:4 | Then shall the offering of Judah and Jerusalem be pleasant unto the Lord, as in the days of old, and as in former years. | Then the offerings from Judah and Jerusalem will be pleasing to the Lord, just like they were in the old days. |
| 3 Nephi 24:5 | And I will come near to you to judgment; and I will be a swift witness against the sorcerers, and against the adulterers, and against false swearers, and against those that oppress the hireling in his wages, the widow and the fatherless, and that turn aside the stranger, and fear not me, saith the Lord of Hosts. | I will come close to judge you. I will quickly testify against the sorcerers, the adulterers, the liars, those who cheat workers out of their pay, who mistreat widows and orphans, who turn away strangers, and those who do not respect me, says the Lord of Hosts. |
| 3 Nephi 24:6 | For I am the Lord, I change not; therefore ye sons of Jacob are not consumed. | I am the Lord, I don’t change. That’s why you descendants of Jacob aren’t completely wiped out. |
| 3 Nephi 24:7 | Even from the days of your fathers ye are gone away from mine ordinances, and have not kept them. Return unto me and I will return unto you, saith the Lord of Hosts. But ye say: Wherein shall we return? | From the days of your ancestors, you have strayed from my commandments and haven’t followed them. Come back to me and I will come back to you, says the Lord of Hosts. But you ask, “How should we return?” |
| 3 Nephi 24:8 | Will a man rob God? Yet ye have robbed me. But ye say: Wherein have we robbed thee? In tithes and offerings. | Would someone actually steal from God? Yet you’ve stolen from me. But you ask: How have we stolen from you? By not giving your tithes and offerings. |
| 3 Nephi 24:9 | Ye are cursed with a curse, for ye have robbed me, even this whole nation. | You’re cursed because you’ve robbed me, and this whole nation too. |
| 3 Nephi 24:10 | Bring ye all the tithes into the storehouse, that there may be meat in my house; and prove me now herewith, saith the Lord of Hosts, if I will not open you the windows of heaven, and pour you out a blessing that there shall not be room enough to receive it. | Bring all your tithes to the storehouse so there can be food in my house. Test me in this, says the Lord of Hosts, and see if I don’t open the windows of heaven and pour out so many blessings that you won’t have enough room for them. |
| 3 Nephi 24:11 | And I will rebuke the devourer for your sakes, and he shall not destroy the fruits of your ground; neither shall your vine cast her fruit before the time in the fields, saith the Lord of Hosts. | I will stop the pests for your benefit, and they won’t destroy your crops; your vines won’t lose their fruit before they are ripe, says the Lord of Hosts. |
| 3 Nephi 24:12 | And all nations shall call you blessed, for ye shall be a delightsome land, saith the Lord of Hosts. | All nations will call you blessed because you will be a delightful land, says the Lord of Hosts. |
| 3 Nephi 24:13 | Your words have been stout against me, saith the Lord. Yet ye say: What have we spoken against thee? | “The things you’ve said against me are harsh, says the Lord. But you ask, âWhat have we said against you?'” |
| 3 Nephi 24:14 | Ye have said: It is vain to serve God, and what doth it profit that we have kept his ordinances and that we have walked mournfully before the Lord of Hosts? | You have said: It is pointless to serve God. What do we gain by following His rules and walking humbly before the Lord of Hosts? |
| 3 Nephi 24:15 | And now we call the proud happy; yea, they that work wickedness are set up; yea, they that tempt God are even delivered. | Now we say that the arrogant are happy; those who do evil are promoted; and those who challenge God are even rescued. |
| 3 Nephi 24:16 | Then they that feared the Lord spake often one to another, and the Lord hearkened and heard; and a book of remembrance was written before him for them that feared the Lord, and that thought upon his name. | Those who respected the Lord talked often with each other, and the Lord listened and heard them. A book of remembrance was written for those who respected the Lord and thought about His name. |
| 3 Nephi 24:17 | And they shall be mine, saith the Lord of Hosts, in that day when I make up my jewels; and I will spare them as a man spareth his own son that serveth him. | “They will be mine,” says the Lord of Hosts, “on that day when I gather my treasures. I will treat them with care, just as a man treats his own son who serves him.” |
| 3 Nephi 24:18 | Then shall ye return and discern between the righteous and the wicked, between him that serveth God and him that serveth him not. | Then you will return and be able to tell the difference between those who are righteous and those who are wicked, between those who serve God and those who do not. |
3 Nephi 25
| Verse | Original | 7th Grade |
|---|---|---|
| 3 Nephi 25:1 | For behold, the day cometh that shall burn as an oven; and all the proud, yea, and all that do wickedly, shall be stubble; and the day that cometh shall burn them up, saith the Lord of Hosts, that it shall leave them neither root nor branch. | Listen, the time is coming when it will be scorching hot, and all the arrogant and wicked people will be like dry straw. That day will burn them up completely, leaving nothing behind, says the Lord of Hosts. |
| 3 Nephi 25:2 | But unto you that fear my name, shall the Son of Righteousness arise with healing in his wings; and ye shall go forth and grow up as calves in the stall. | But for you who respect my name, the Son of Righteousness will rise with healing power; and you will go out and grow strong like well-fed calves. |
| 3 Nephi 25:3 | And ye shall tread down the wicked; for they shall be ashes under the soles of your feet in the day that I shall do this, saith the Lord of Hosts. | You will crush the wicked beneath your feet, for they will be like ashes under you on the day this happens, says the Lord of Hosts. |
| 3 Nephi 25:4 | Remember ye the law of Moses, my servant, which I commanded unto him in Horeb for all Israel, with the statutes and judgments. | Remember the law of Moses, my servant, which I commanded to him at Horeb for all of Israel, along with the statutes and judgments. |
| 3 Nephi 25:5 | Behold, I will send you Elijah the prophet before the coming of the great and dreadful day of the Lord; | Listen, I will send the prophet Elijah to you before the Lord’s great and terrible day comes. |
| 3 Nephi 25:6 | And he shall turn the heart of the fathers to the children, and the heart of the children to their fathers, lest I come and smite the earth with a curse. | He will help parents and children care for each other. If they don’t, I’ll have to come and punish the earth. |
3 Nephi 26
| Verse | Original | 7th Grade |
|---|---|---|
| 3 Nephi 26:1 | And now it came to pass that when Jesus had told these things he expounded them unto the multitude; and he did expound all things unto them, both great and small. | When Jesus had said these things, he explained them to the crowd; he explained everything, both big and small, to them. |
| 3 Nephi 26:2 | And he saith: These scriptures, which ye had not with you, the Father commanded that I should give unto you; for it was wisdom in him that they should be given unto future generations. | He said, “These scriptures that you didn’t have, the Father told me to give them to you because it was wise for future generations to have them.” |
| 3 Nephi 26:3 | And he did expound all things, even from the beginning until the time that he should come in his glory—yea, even all things which should come upon the face of the earth, even until the elements should melt with fervent heat, and the earth should be wrapt together as a scroll, and the heavens and the earth should pass away; | He explained everything, starting from the beginning and going all the way to when he would come in his glory. He described everything that would happen on earth, even until the elements melted from intense heat, the earth rolled up like a scroll, and the heavens and the earth passed away. |
| 3 Nephi 26:4 | And even unto the great and last day, when all people, and all kindreds, and all nations and tongues shall stand before God, to be judged of their works, whether they be good or whether they be evil— | Until the very last day, when everyone from all races, nations, and languages will stand before God to be judged for their actions, whether they were good or bad. |
| 3 Nephi 26:5 | If they be good, to the resurrection of everlasting life; and if they be evil, to the resurrection of damnation; being on a parallel, the one on the one hand and the other on the other hand, according to the mercy, and the justice, and the holiness which is in Christ, who was before the world began. | If they are good, they will rise to eternal life; and if they are evil, they will rise to eternal punishment. These outcomes are based on Christ’s mercy, justice, and holiness, present since before the world began. |
| 3 Nephi 26:6 | And now there cannot be written in this book even a hundredth part of the things which Jesus did truly teach unto the people; | We can’t even fit one percent of everything Jesus truly taught the people in this book. |
| 3 Nephi 26:7 | But behold the plates of Nephi do contain the more part of the things which he taught the people. | But look, the plates of Nephi contain most of the things he taught the people. |
| 3 Nephi 26:8 | And these things have I written, which are a lesser part of the things which he taught the people; and I have written them to the intent that they may be brought again unto this people, from the Gentiles, according to the words which Jesus hath spoken. | I’ve written down some of the things he taught the people, but it’s just a small part. I wrote these things so that they can be given back to the people, through the Gentiles, just as Jesus said would happen. |
| 3 Nephi 26:9 | And when they shall have received this, which is expedient that they should have first, to try their faith, and if it shall so be that they shall believe these things then shall the greater things be made manifest unto them. | When they receive this, which they need to get first to test their faith, and if they believe these things, then they’ll be shown greater things. |
| 3 Nephi 26:10 | And if it so be that they will not believe these things, then shall the greater things be withheld from them, unto their condemnation. | If they don’t believe this, then greater knowledge will be kept from them, to their detriment. |
| 3 Nephi 26:11 | Behold, I was about to write them, all which were engraven upon the plates of Nephi, but the Lord forbade it, saying: I will try the faith of my people. | I was about to write down everything that was engraved on the plates of Nephi, but the Lord stopped me, saying: I will test the faith of my people. |
| 3 Nephi 26:12 | Therefore I, Mormon, do write the things which have been commanded me of the Lord. And now I, Mormon, make an end of my sayings, and proceed to write the things which have been commanded me. | I’m Mormon, and I’m writing what the Lord has commanded me. Now, I’m finishing my words and continuing to write what the Lord has instructed me. |
| 3 Nephi 26:13 | Therefore, I would that ye should behold that the Lord truly did teach the people, for the space of three days; and after that he did show himself unto them oft, and did break bread oft, and bless it, and give it unto them. | So, I want you to see that the Lord really did teach the people for three days. After that, he showed himself to them often, and he often broke bread, blessed it, and gave it to them. |
| 3 Nephi 26:14 | And it came to pass that he did teach and minister unto the children of the multitude of whom hath been spoken, and he did loose their tongues, and they did speak unto their fathers great and marvelous things, even greater than he had revealed unto the people; and he loosed their tongues that they could utter. | He taught and ministered to the children of the crowd we talked about, and he helped them speak. They said great and marvelous things to their fathers, even greater things than he had told the people; and he let them speak. |
| 3 Nephi 26:15 | And it came to pass that after he had ascended into heaven—the second time that he showed himself unto them, and had gone unto the Father, after having healed all their sick, and their lame, and opened the eyes of their blind and unstopped the ears of the deaf, and even had done all manner of cures among them, and raised a man from the dead, and had shown forth his power unto them, and had ascended unto the Father— | After Jesus had gone up to heaven for the second time and showed himself to the people, he went to the Father. Before that, he had healed all their sick and disabled people, made the blind see and the deaf hear, performed all kinds of cures, brought a man back to life, showed his power to them, and then returned to the Father. |
| 3 Nephi 26:16 | Behold, it came to pass on the morrow that the multitude gathered themselves together, and they both saw and heard these children; yea, even babes did open their mouths and utter marvelous things; and the things which they did utter were forbidden that there should not any man write them. | The next day, a large crowd gathered, and they saw and heard the children. Even babies spoke amazing things that grown-ups were not allowed to write down. |
| 3 Nephi 26:17 | And it came to pass that the disciples whom Jesus had chosen began from that time forth to baptize and to teach as many as did come unto them; and as many as were baptized in the name of Jesus were filled with the Holy Ghost. | The disciples chosen by Jesus started baptizing and teaching everyone who came to them from that time on. Those who were baptized in Jesus’ name were filled with the Holy Spirit. |
| 3 Nephi 26:18 | And many of them saw and heard unspeakable things, which are not lawful to be written. | Many of them saw and heard incredible things that can’t be written down. |
| 3 Nephi 26:19 | And they taught, and did minister one to another; and they had all things common among them, every man dealing justly, one with another. | They taught and helped each other, sharing everything they had. Everyone treated each other fairly. |
| 3 Nephi 26:20 | And it came to pass that they did do all things even as Jesus had commanded them. | They did everything just as Jesus had told them to do. |
| 3 Nephi 26:21 | And they who were baptized in the name of Jesus were called the church of Christ. | Those who were baptized in Jesus’ name were called the church of Christ. |
3 Nephi 27
| Verse | Original | 7th Grade |
|---|---|---|
| 3 Nephi 27:1 | And it came to pass that as the disciples of Jesus were journeying and were preaching the things which they had both heard and seen, and were baptizing in the name of Jesus, it came to pass that the disciples were gathered together and were united in mighty prayer and fasting. | As Jesus’s disciples were traveling, preaching what they had seen and heard, and baptizing in His name, they gathered together, united in powerful prayer and fasting. |
| 3 Nephi 27:2 | And Jesus again showed himself unto them, for they were praying unto the Father in his name; and Jesus came and stood in the midst of them, and said unto them: What will ye that I shall give unto you? | Jesus showed himself to them again while they were praying to the Father in his name. He came and stood among them and asked, “What do you want me to give you?” |
| 3 Nephi 27:3 | And they said unto him: Lord, we will that thou wouldst tell us the name whereby we shall call this church; for there are disputations among the people concerning this matter. | They asked him, “Lord, can you tell us what to call this church? The people are arguing about it.” |
| 3 Nephi 27:4 | And the Lord said unto them: Verily, verily, I say unto you, why is it that the people should murmur and dispute because of this thing? | And the Lord said to them, “Why are people complaining and arguing about this?” |
| 3 Nephi 27:5 | Have they not read the scriptures, which say ye must take upon you the name of Christ, which is my name? For by this name shall ye be called at the last day; | Haven’t they read the scriptures that say you must take upon yourself the name of Christ, which is my name? For by this name you’ll be called on the last day. |
| 3 Nephi 27:6 | And whoso taketh upon him my name, and endureth to the end, the same shall be saved at the last day. | “Whoever takes on my name and stays faithful until the end will be saved in the end.” |
| 3 Nephi 27:7 | Therefore, whatsoever ye shall do, ye shall do it in my name; therefore ye shall call the church in my name; and ye shall call upon the Father in my name that he will bless the church for my sake. | So, whatever you do, do it in my name; call the church by my name, and ask the Father in my name to bless the church for my sake. |
| 3 Nephi 27:8 | And how be it my church save it be called in my name? For if a church be called in Moses— name then it be Moses— church; or if it be called in the name of a man then it be the church of a man; but if it be called in my name then it is my church, if it so be that they are built upon my gospel. | And how can it be my church unless it is called by my name? If a church is named after Moses, then it’s Moses’ church. If it’s named after a man, then it’s that man’s church. But if it’s called by my name and built on my gospel, then it’s my church. |
| 3 Nephi 27:9 | Verily I say unto you, that ye are built upon my gospel; therefore ye shall call whatsoever things ye do call, in my name; therefore if ye call upon the Father, for the church, if it be in my name the Father will hear you; | I tell you truly, you are founded on my gospel. So, whatever you ask for in my name, if you pray to the Father for the church in my name, the Father will hear you. |
| 3 Nephi 27:10 | And if it so be that the church is built upon my gospel then will the Father show forth his own works in it. | If the church is founded on my gospel, the Father will show his works through it. |
| 3 Nephi 27:11 | But if it be not built upon my gospel, and is built upon the works of men, or upon the works of the devil, verily I say unto you they have joy in their works for a season, and by and by the end cometh, and they are hewn down and cast into the fire, from whence there is no return. | But if it’s not built on my gospel and is instead built on human works or the works of the devil, I tell you, they might enjoy their deeds for a while, but eventually the end comes, and they’re cut down and thrown into the fire, from which there’s no return. |
| 3 Nephi 27:12 | For their works do follow them, for it is because of their works that they are hewn down; therefore remember the things that I have told you. | Their actions follow them, and because of what they do, they are cut down. So, remember what I have told you. |
| 3 Nephi 27:13 | Behold I have given unto you my gospel, and this is the gospel which I have given unto you—that I came into the world to do the will of my Father, because my Father sent me. | I’ve given you my gospel, and this is it—that I came into the world to do my Father’s will because He sent me. |
| 3 Nephi 27:14 | And my Father sent me that I might be lifted up upon the cross; and after that I had been lifted up upon the cross, that I might draw all men unto me, that as I have been lifted up by men even so should men be lifted up by the Father, to stand before me, to be judged of their works, whether they be good or whether they be evil— | My Father sent me to be lifted up on the cross. After being lifted up, I would draw everyone to me. Just as I was lifted up by men, everyone will be lifted up by the Father to stand before me and be judged for their actions, whether good or bad. |
| 3 Nephi 27:15 | And for this cause have I been lifted up; therefore, according to the power of the Father I will draw all men unto me, that they may be judged according to their works. | I’ve been raised up for this reason; so, by the power of the Father, I will bring everyone to me so they can be judged based on what they have done. |
| 3 Nephi 27:16 | And it shall come to pass, that whoso repenteth and is baptized in my name shall be filled; and if he endureth to the end, behold, him will I hold guiltless before my Father at that day when I shall stand to judge the world. | Anyone who repents and gets baptized in my name will be filled. If they stay faithful until the end, I will consider them guiltless before my Father on the day I judge the world. |
| 3 Nephi 27:17 | And he that endureth not unto the end, the same is he that is also hewn down and cast into the fire, from whence they can no more return, because of the justice of the Father. | If you don’t stick it out until the end, you’ll be cut off and thrown into the fire, and you won’t be able to come back, because of God’s justice. |
| 3 Nephi 27:18 | And this is the word which he hath given unto the children of men. And for this cause he fulfilleth the words which he hath given, and he lieth not, but fulfilleth all his words. | This is the message he has given to us. For this reason, he keeps his promises. He doesn’t lie; he fulfills all his words. |
| 3 Nephi 27:19 | And no unclean thing can enter into his kingdom; therefore nothing entereth into his rest save it be those who have washed their garments in my blood, because of their faith, and the repentance of all their sins, and their faithfulness unto the end. | No unclean thing can enter His kingdom. So, only those who have been cleansed by my blood, because of their faith, repentance of all their sins, and faithfulness to the end, can enter His rest. |
| 3 Nephi 27:20 | Now this is the commandment: Repent, all ye ends of the earth, and come unto me and be baptized in my name, that ye may be sanctified by the reception of the Holy Ghost, that ye may stand spotless before me at the last day. | Here is the commandment: Repent, everyone, and come to me. Be baptized in my name so that you can be made pure by receiving the Holy Ghost and stand spotless before me on the last day. |
| 3 Nephi 27:21 | Verily, verily, I say unto you, this is my gospel; and ye know the things that ye must do in my church; for the works which ye have seen me do that shall ye also do; for that which ye have seen me do even that shall ye do; | I tell you the truth, this is my gospel. You know what you need to do in my church because you’ve seen my works. Just as you’ve seen me do, that’s what you should do too. |
| 3 Nephi 27:22 | Therefore, if ye do these things blessed are ye, for ye shall be lifted up at the last day. | So, if you do these things, you’ll be blessed and will be raised up at the end. |
| 3 Nephi 27:23 | Write the things which ye have seen and heard, save it be those which are forbidden. | Write down the things you’ve seen and heard, except for the things you’re told not to. |
| 3 Nephi 27:24 | Write the works of this people, which shall be, even as hath been written, of that which hath been. | Write down what happens to these people in the future, just like it has been recorded about what happened in the past. |
| 3 Nephi 27:25 | For behold, out of the books which have been written, and which shall be written, shall this people be judged, for by them shall their works be known unto men. | See, from the books that have been written and the ones that will be written, these people will be judged, because their actions will be known to others through these books. |
| 3 Nephi 27:26 | And behold, all things are written by the Father; therefore out of the books which shall be written shall the world be judged. | Look, everything is recorded by the Father, so the world will be judged based on what is written in these books. |
| 3 Nephi 27:27 | And know ye that ye shall be judges of this people, according to the judgment which I shall give unto you, which shall be just. Therefore, what manner of men ought ye to be? Verily I say unto you, even as I am. | You will be judges of this people, based on the judgment I give you, and it will be fair. So, what kind of people should you be? Truly, I tell you, just like I am. |
| 3 Nephi 27:28 | And now I go unto the Father. And verily I say unto you, whatsoever things ye shall ask the Father in my name shall be given unto you. | Now I’m going to the Father. And I tell you the truth, whatever you ask the Father in my name will be given to you. |
| 3 Nephi 27:29 | Therefore, ask, and ye shall receive; knock, and it shall be opened unto you; for he that asketh, receiveth; and unto him that knocketh, it shall be opened. | So, ask and you’ll get what you need; knock and the door will be opened for you. Because whoever asks will receive, and whoever knocks will have the door opened. |
| 3 Nephi 27:30 | And now, behold, my joy is great, even unto fulness, because of you, and also this generation; yea, and even the Father rejoiceth, and also all the holy angels, because of you and this generation; for none of them are lost. | Now, I’m really happy, actually overjoyed, because of you and this generation. Even the Father and all the holy angels are celebrating because none of you are lost. |
| 3 Nephi 27:31 | Behold, I would that ye should understand; for I mean them who are now alive of this generation; and none of them are lost; and in them I have fulness of joy. | Listen, I want you to understand; I’m talking about those who are living right now in this generation. None of them are lost, and they bring me complete joy. |
| 3 Nephi 27:32 | But behold, it sorroweth me because of the fourth generation from this generation, for they are led away captive by him even as was the son of perdition; for they will sell me for silver and for gold, and for that which moth doth corrupt and which thieves can break through and steal. And in that day will I visit them, even in turning their works upon their own heads. | But look, it makes me sad because the fourth generation from now will be led astray just like the son of perdition. They will betray me for money and valuables that don’t last and which can be stolen. On that day, I will confront them and bring their actions back upon them. |
| 3 Nephi 27:33 | And it came to pass that when Jesus had ended these sayings he said unto his disciples: Enter ye in at the strait gate; for strait is the gate, and narrow is the way that leads to life, and few there be that find it; but wide is the gate, and broad the way which leads to death, and many there be that travel therein, until the night cometh, wherein no man can work. | When Jesus finished speaking, he told his disciples: “Enter through the narrow gate, because the gate is small and the path is narrow that leads to life, and only a few find it. But the gate is wide and the path is broad that leads to death, and many travel that way, until night comes when no one can work.” |
3 Nephi 28
| Verse | Original | 7th Grade |
|---|---|---|
| 3 Nephi 28:1 | And it came to pass when Jesus had said these words, he spake unto his disciples, one by one, saying unto them: What is it that ye desire of me, after that I am gone to the Father? | When Jesus finished speaking, He talked to His disciples one by one and asked them, “What do you want from me once I ascend to the Father?” |
| 3 Nephi 28:2 | And they all spake, save it were three, saying: We desire that after we have lived unto the age of man, that our ministry, wherein thou hast called us, may have an end, that we may speedily come unto thee in thy kingdom. | All of them spoke, except for three, saying: We want that after we live out our lives, the ministry you’ve called us to will end, so we can quickly join you in your kingdom. |
| 3 Nephi 28:3 | And he said unto them: Blessed are ye because ye desired this thing of me; therefore, after that ye are seventy and two years old ye shall come unto me in my kingdom; and with me ye shall find rest. | He said to them: You are blessed for wanting this from me; so, when you are seventy-two years old, you will come to my kingdom and find rest with me. |
| 3 Nephi 28:4 | And when he had spoken unto them, he turned himself unto the three, and said unto them: What will ye that I should do unto you, when I am gone unto the Father? | After speaking to them, he turned to the three and asked, “What do you want me to do for you when I go to the Father?” |
| 3 Nephi 28:5 | And they sorrowed in their hearts, for they durst not speak unto him the things which they desired. | They were sad in their hearts because they didn’t dare tell him what they wanted to say. |
| 3 Nephi 28:6 | And he said unto them: Behold, I know your thoughts, and ye have desired the thing which John, my beloved, who was with me in my ministry, before that I was lifted up by the Jews, desired of me. | And he said to them, “Look, I know what you’re thinking. You want the same thing that John, my beloved, who was with me during my ministry before I was taken by the Jews, wanted from me.” |
| 3 Nephi 28:7 | Therefore, more blessed are ye, for ye shall never taste of death; but ye shall live to behold all the doings of the Father unto the children of men, even until all things shall be fulfilled according to the will of the Father, when I shall come in my glory with the powers of heaven. | So, you’re more blessed, because you won’t die but will stay alive to witness everything the Father does for humanity until everything is completed according to His will, when I’ll come in my glory with the powers of heaven. |
| 3 Nephi 28:8 | And ye shall never endure the pains of death; but when I shall come in my glory ye shall be changed in the twinkling of an eye from mortality to immortality; and then shall ye be blessed in the kingdom of my Father. | You won’t experience the pain of death; but when I come in my glory, you’ll be instantly changed from mortal to immortal; then you’ll be blessed in my Father’s kingdom. |
| 3 Nephi 28:9 | And again, ye shall not have pain while ye shall dwell in the flesh, neither sorrow save it be for the sins of the world; and all this will I do because of the thing which ye have desired of me, for ye have desired that ye might bring the souls of men unto me, while the world shall stand. | You won’t feel pain while you’re in your body, and you won’t be sad except for the sins of the world. I will do all this because you asked me to, as you wanted to bring people to me while the world exists. |
| 3 Nephi 28:10 | And for this cause ye shall have fulness of joy; and ye shall sit down in the kingdom of my Father; yea, your joy shall be full, even as the Father hath given me fulness of joy; and ye shall be even as I am, and I am even as the Father; and the Father and I are one; | Because of this, you will experience complete joy. You will be welcomed into my Father’s kingdom, and your joy will be as full as the joy the Father has given me. You will become as I am, and I am just like the Father. The Father and I are one. |
| 3 Nephi 28:11 | And the Holy Ghost beareth record of the Father and me; and the Father giveth the Holy Ghost unto the children of men, because of me. | The Holy Spirit testifies of the Father and me; and because of me, the Father gives the Holy Spirit to everyone. |
| 3 Nephi 28:12 | And it came to pass that when Jesus had spoken these words, he touched every one of them with his finger save it were the three who were to tarry, and then he departed. | After Jesus said these things, he touched everyone with his finger except for the three who were to stay, and then he left. |
| 3 Nephi 28:13 | And behold, the heavens were opened, and they were caught up into heaven, and saw and heard unspeakable things. | And look, the heavens opened up, and they were taken into heaven and saw and heard things that can’t be described. |
| 3 Nephi 28:14 | And it was forbidden them that they should utter; neither was it given unto them power that they could utter the things which they saw and heard; | They were not allowed to speak about it, and they did not have the power to describe what they saw and heard. |
| 3 Nephi 28:15 | And whether they were in the body or out of the body, they could not tell; for it did seem unto them like a transfiguration of them, that they were changed from this body of flesh into an immortal state, that they could behold the things of God. | They couldn’t tell if they were in their bodies or not, because it felt like they were transformed from their physical bodies into an immortal state, so they could see the things of God. |
| 3 Nephi 28:16 | But it came to pass that they did again minister upon the face of the earth; nevertheless they did not minister of the things which they had heard and seen, because of the commandment which was given them in heaven. | But they came back to serve on the earth again. However, they did not share what they had heard and seen because of the commandment given to them from heaven. |
| 3 Nephi 28:17 | And now, whether they were mortal or immortal, from the day of their transfiguration, I know not; | Now, I don’t know if they were mortal or immortal from the time they were transformed. |
| 3 Nephi 28:18 | But this much I know, according to the record which hath been given—they did go forth upon the face of the land, and did minister unto all the people, uniting as many to the church as would believe in their preaching; baptizing them, and as many as were baptized did receive the Holy Ghost. | But here’s what I do know: according to the records we have, they went around the land and served all the people. They united everyone who believed in their message to the church, baptized them, and those who were baptized received the Holy Spirit. |
| 3 Nephi 28:19 | And they were cast into prison by them who did not belong to the church. And the prisons could not hold them, for they were rent in twain. | They were thrown into prison by people who weren’t part of the church. But the prisons couldn’t hold them, because they were torn apart. |
| 3 Nephi 28:20 | And they were cast down into the earth; but they did smite the earth with the word of God, insomuch that by his power they were delivered out of the depths of the earth; and therefore they could not dig pits sufficient to hold them. | They were thrown into the earth, but they spoke the word of God with such power that they were delivered from the depths, and no pit was deep enough to hold them. |
| 3 Nephi 28:21 | And thrice they were cast into a furnace and received no harm. | They were thrown into a furnace three times, but they didn’t get hurt. |
| 3 Nephi 28:22 | And twice were they cast into a den of wild beasts; and behold they did play with the beasts as a child with a suckling lamb, and received no harm. | Twice they were thrown into a den of wild animals, but they played with the beasts like kids with a baby lamb and weren’t hurt at all. |
| 3 Nephi 28:23 | And it came to pass that thus they did go forth among all the people of Nephi, and did preach the gospel of Christ unto all people upon the face of the land; and they were converted unto the Lord, and were united unto the church of Christ, and thus the people of that generation were blessed, according to the word of Jesus. | The people of Nephi went out among everyone and preached the gospel of Christ across the land. Everyone converted to the Lord and joined the church of Christ, and because of this, that generation was blessed according to the word of Jesus. |
| 3 Nephi 28:24 | And now I, Mormon, make an end of speaking concerning these things for a time. | Now, I’m Mormon, and I’m going to stop talking about these things for a while. |
| 3 Nephi 28:25 | Behold, I was about to write the names of those who were never to taste of death, but the Lord forbade; therefore I write them not, for they are hid from the world. | I was about to write the names of those who would never die, but the Lord told me not to. So, I didn’t write them down because they are hidden from the world. |
| 3 Nephi 28:26 | But behold, I have seen them, and they have ministered unto me. | But look, I’ve seen them, and they’ve helped me. |
| 3 Nephi 28:27 | And behold they will be among the Gentiles, and the Gentiles shall know them not. | And look, they will be among the Gentiles, but the Gentiles won’t recognize them. |
| 3 Nephi 28:28 | They will also be among the Jews, and the Jews shall know them not. | They will be among the Jews, but the Jews won’t recognize them. |
| 3 Nephi 28:29 | And it shall come to pass, when the Lord seeth fit in his wisdom that they shall minister unto all the scattered tribes of Israel, and unto all nations, kindreds, tongues and people, and shall bring out of them unto Jesus many souls, that their desire may be fulfilled, and also because of the convincing power of God which is in them. | When the Lord decides the time is right, they will help all the scattered tribes of Israel, as well as people of all nations, languages, and groups. They will bring many souls to Jesus, fulfilling their desire and demonstrating the convincing power of God that works through them. |
| 3 Nephi 28:30 | And they are as the angels of God, and if they shall pray unto the Father in the name of Jesus they can show themselves unto whatsoever man it seemeth them good. | They are like God’s angels. If they pray to the Father in Jesus’ name, they can show themselves to anyone they choose. |
| 3 Nephi 28:31 | Therefore, great and marvelous works shall be wrought by them, before the great and coming day when all people must surely stand before the judgment-seat of Christ; | So, they will do amazing and wonderful things before the big day when everyone has to stand before Christ for judgment. |
| 3 Nephi 28:32 | Yea even among the Gentiles shall there be a great and marvelous work wrought by them, before that judgment day. | Yes, even among the Gentiles, there will be an amazing and wonderful work done by them before judgment day. |
| 3 Nephi 28:33 | And if ye had all the scriptures which give an account of all the marvelous works of Christ, ye would, according to the words of Christ, know that these things must surely come. | If you had all the scriptures that tell about Christ’s amazing works, you would know, according to Christ’s words, that these things must happen. |
| 3 Nephi 28:34 | And wo be unto him that will not hearken unto the words of Jesus, and also to them whom he hath chosen and sent among them; for whoso receiveth not the words of Jesus and the words of those whom he hath sent receiveth not him; and therefore he will not receive them at the last day; | And shame on anyone who doesn’t listen to the words of Jesus and those he has sent to teach them. If you don’t accept the words of Jesus and those he’s chosen, you’re rejecting him. And because of that, he won’t accept you in the end. |
| 3 Nephi 28:35 | And it would be better for them if they had not been born. For do ye suppose that ye can get rid of the justice of an offended God, who hath been trampled under feet of men, that thereby salvation might come? | It would have been better for them if they had never been born. Do you think you can escape the justice of an offended God, who has been disrespected by people, so that salvation could come? |
| 3 Nephi 28:36 | And now behold, as I spake concerning those whom the Lord hath chosen, yea, even three who were caught up into the heavens, that I knew not whether they were cleansed from mortality to immortality— | So, about those three people I mentioned who the Lord chose and who were taken up into heaven—I’m not sure if they were changed from mortal beings to immortal ones. |
| 3 Nephi 28:37 | But behold, since I wrote, I have inquired of the Lord, and he hath made it manifest unto me that there must needs be a change wrought upon their bodies, or else it needs be that they must taste of death; | But since I last wrote, I asked the Lord, and He revealed to me that their bodies must change, or they would have to die. |
| 3 Nephi 28:38 | Therefore, that they might not taste of death there was a change wrought upon their bodies, that they might not suffer pain nor sorrow save it were for the sins of the world. | So that they wouldn’t die, their bodies were changed. This way, they wouldn’t feel pain or sorrow, except for the sins of the world. |
| 3 Nephi 28:39 | Now this change was not equal to that which shall take place at the last day; but there was a change wrought upon them, insomuch that Satan could have no power over them, that he could not tempt them; and they were sanctified in the flesh, that they were holy, and that the powers of the earth could not hold them. | This change wasn’t as big as the one that will happen at the end of days, but there was a transformation in them so that Satan couldn’t control or tempt them anymore. They were made holy in their bodies, and the forces of the earth couldn’t restrain them. |
| 3 Nephi 28:40 | And in this state they were to remain until the judgment day of Christ; and at that day they were to receive a greater change, and to be received into the kingdom of the Father to go no more out, but to dwell eternally in the heavens. | They were to stay like this until Christ’s judgment day; and on that day, they would be changed even more and accepted into the Father’s kingdom to stay forever and live eternally in heaven. |
3 Nephi 29
| Verse | Original | 7th Grade |
|---|---|---|
| 3 Nephi 29:1 | And now behold, I say unto you that when the Lord shall see fit, in his wisdom, that these sayings shall come unto the Gentiles according to his word, then ye may know that the covenant which the Father hath made with the children of Israel, concerning their restoration to the lands of their inheritance, is already beginning to be fulfilled. | Now listen, I’m telling you that when the Lord, in His wisdom, decides that these words should go to the Gentiles just as He promised, you will know that the promise God made with the children of Israel about their return to their lands is starting to be fulfilled. |
| 3 Nephi 29:2 | And ye may know that the words of the Lord, which have been spoken by the holy prophets, shall all be fulfilled; and ye need not say that the Lord delays his coming unto the children of Israel. | And you can know that everything the Lord has said through the holy prophets will come true. You don’t need to say that the Lord is taking too long to come to the children of Israel. |
| 3 Nephi 29:3 | And ye need not imagine in your hearts that the words which have been spoken are vain, for behold, the Lord will remember his covenant which he hath made unto his people of the house of Israel. | Don’t think that the words spoken are useless. The Lord will remember the covenant He made with the people of Israel. |
| 3 Nephi 29:4 | And when ye shall see these sayings coming forth among you, then ye need not any longer spurn at the doings of the Lord, for the sword of his justice is in his right hand; and behold, at that day, if ye shall spurn at his doings he will cause that it shall soon overtake you. | When you see these words coming among you, you don’t need to ignore the Lord’s works anymore, because his justice is ready to act; and when that time comes, if you still reject his works, his justice will quickly come upon you. |
| 3 Nephi 29:5 | Wo unto him that spurneth at the doings of the Lord; yea, wo unto him that shall deny the Christ and his works! | Woe to those who reject the works of the Lord; yes, woe to those who deny Christ and all He has done! |
| 3 Nephi 29:6 | Yea, wo unto him that shall deny the revelations of the Lord, and that shall say the Lord no longer worketh by revelation, or by prophecy, or by gifts, or by tongues, or by healings, or by the power of the Holy Ghost! | Yes, woe to anyone who denies the revelations of the Lord and says that the Lord no longer works through revelation, prophecy, gifts, tongues, healings, or the power of the Holy Ghost! |
| 3 Nephi 29:7 | Yea, and wo unto him that shall say at that day, to get gain, that there can be no miracle wrought by Jesus Christ; for he that doeth this shall become like unto the son of perdition, for whom there was no mercy, according to the word of Christ! | And trouble awaits anyone who says, to make a profit, that Jesus Christ can’t perform miracles. That person will become like the son of perdition, who received no mercy, according to Christ’s word! |
| 3 Nephi 29:8 | Yea, and ye need not any longer hiss, nor spurn, nor make game of the Jews, nor any of the remnant of the house of Israel; for behold, the Lord remembereth his covenant unto them, and he will do unto them according to that which he hath sworn. | Stop mocking or mistreating the Jews or any of the descendants of Israel. The Lord remembers his promises to them and will act according to what he has sworn. |
| 3 Nephi 29:9 | Therefore ye need not suppose that ye can turn the right hand of the Lord unto the left, that he may not execute judgment unto the fulfilling of the covenant which he hath made unto the house of Israel. | So, you shouldn’t think that you can change God’s plan or prevent Him from carrying out His judgment and fulfilling the promises He made to the house of Israel. |
3 Nephi 30
| Verse | Original | 7th Grade |
|---|---|---|
| 3 Nephi 30:1 | Hearken, O ye Gentiles, and hear the words of Jesus Christ, the Son of the living God, which he hath commanded me that I should speak concerning you, for, behold he commandeth me that I should write, saying: | Listen, you Gentiles, and hear the words of Jesus Christ, the Son of the living God. He has commanded me to speak to you and to write this message: |
| 3 Nephi 30:2 | Turn, all ye Gentiles, from your wicked ways; and repent of your evil doings, of your lyings and deceivings, and of your whoredoms, and of your secret abominations, and your idolatries, and of your murders, and your priestcrafts, and your envyings, and your strifes, and from all your wickedness and abominations, and come unto me, and be baptized in my name, that ye may receive a remission of your sins, and be filled with the Holy Ghost, that ye may be numbered with my people who are of the house of Israel. | Gentiles, turn away from your wicked ways. Repent from your evil actions, lies, deceit, immoral acts, secret sins, idolatry, murders, corrupt practices, envy, and conflict. Come to me and be baptized in my name so you can be forgiven of your sins and be filled with the Holy Spirit. Then you will be counted among my people who belong to the house of Israel. |
Book of Mormon Simplified 