4 Nephi (2nd Grade)

4 Nephi 1

Verse	Original	2nd Grade
4 Nephi 1:1	And it came to pass that the thirty and fourth year passed away, and also the thirty and fifth, and behold the disciples of Jesus had formed a church of Christ in all the lands round about. And as many as did come unto them, and did truly repent of their sins, were baptized in the name of Jesus; and they did also receive the Holy Ghost.	A whole year went by, then another. Jesus’ friends made a big church everywhere. People who said sorry for being bad and wanted to be good were baptized in Jesus’ name, and they got the Holy Ghost.
4 Nephi 1:2	And it came to pass in the thirty and sixth year, the people were all converted unto the Lord, upon all the face of the land, both Nephites and Lamanites, and there were no contentions and disputations among them, and every man did deal justly one with another.	In the 36th year, everyone believed in God. Both Nephites and Lamanites were happy and kind to each other. They were fair and good. No one argued or fought.
4 Nephi 1:3	And they had all things common among them; therefore there were not rich and poor, bond and free, but they were all made free, and partakers of the heavenly gift.	They shared everything, so there were no rich or poor people. Everyone was free and happy.
4 Nephi 1:4	And it came to pass that the thirty and seventh year passed away also, and there still continued to be peace in the land.	Then the 37th year ended, and there was still peace in the land.
4 Nephi 1:5	And there were great and marvelous works wrought by the disciples of Jesus, insomuch that they did heal the sick, and raise the dead, and cause the lame to walk, and the blind to receive their sight, and the deaf to hear; and all manner of miracles did they work among the children of men; and in nothing did they work miracles save it were in the name of Jesus.	The friends of Jesus did many amazing things. They helped sick people get better, made dead people alive again, helped people who couldn’t walk, see, or hear. They did all these miracles because of Jesus.
4 Nephi 1:6	And thus did the thirty and eighth year pass away, and also the thirty and ninth, and forty and first, and the forty and second, yea, even until forty and nine years had passed away, and also the fifty and first, and the fifty and second; yea, and even until fifty and nine years had passed away.	And so, 38 years went by. Then 39 years, then 41 years, and 42 years, until 49 years went by. Then 51 years and 52 years, until 59 years went by.
4 Nephi 1:7	And the Lord did prosper them exceedingly in the land; yea, insomuch that they did build cities again where there had been cities burned.	And God helped them a lot in the land. They built new cities where old cities had burned.
4 Nephi 1:8	Yea, even that great city Zarahemla did they cause to be built again.	Yes, they built the big city called Zarahemla again.
4 Nephi 1:9	But there were many cities which had been sunk, and waters came up in the stead thereof; therefore these cities could not be renewed.	Many cities went into the water and new water came up. These cities could not be rebuilt.
4 Nephi 1:10	And now, behold, it came to pass that the people of Nephi did wax strong, and did multiply exceedingly fast, and became an exceedingly fair and delightsome people.	The people of Nephi got very strong, grew very fast, and became very nice and happy.
4 Nephi 1:11	And they were married, and given in marriage, and were blessed according to the multitude of the promises which the Lord had made unto them.	They got married and were very happy because of the promises from God.
4 Nephi 1:12	And they did not walk any more after the performances and ordinances of the law of Moses; but they did walk after the commandments which they had received from their Lord and their God, continuing in fasting and prayer, and in meeting together oft both to pray and to hear the word of the Lord.	They stopped following the old rules of Moses. Now they followed the new rules from God. They often met to pray and listen to God’s word.
4 Nephi 1:13	And it came to pass that there was no contention among all the people, in all the land; but there were mighty miracles wrought among the disciples of Jesus.	There was no fighting among the people, and there were big miracles done by Jesus’ friends.
4 Nephi 1:14	And it came to pass that the seventy and first year passed away, and also the seventy and second year, yea, and in fine, till the seventy and ninth year had passed away; yea, even an hundred years had passed away, and the disciples of Jesus, whom he had chosen, had all gone to the paradise of God, save it were the three who should tarry; and there were other disciples ordained in their stead; and also many of that generation had passed away.	A lot of years went by. Many of Jesus’s special friends went to be with God. Only three stayed. Other new special friends were chosen. Many people from that time had also passed away.
4 Nephi 1:15	And it came to pass that there was no contention in the land, because of the love of God which did dwell in the hearts of the people.	The people did not fight because they loved God.
4 Nephi 1:16	And there were no envyings, nor strifes, nor tumults, nor whoredoms, nor lyings, nor murders, nor any manner of lasciviousness; and surely there could not be a happier people among all the people who had been created by the hand of God.	Everyone was kind and good. There was no fighting, no lying, no hurting, and no bad things. The people were very happy. They were the happiest people God ever made.
4 Nephi 1:17	There were no robbers, nor murderers, neither were there Lamanites, nor any manner of —ites; but they were in one, the children of Christ, and heirs to the kingdom of God.	There were no bad guys. Everyone was nice. They were all called children of Christ, and they were part of God’s kingdom.
4 Nephi 1:18	And how blessed were they! For the Lord did bless them in all their doings; yea, even they were blessed and prospered until an hundred and ten years had passed away; and the first generation from Christ had passed away, and there was no contention in all the land.	They were very happy! God helped them in everything they did. They lived well and had many good things for 110 years. The people from Jesus’ time lived long and there was no fighting in the land.
4 Nephi 1:19	And it came to pass that Nephi, he that kept this last record, (and he kept it upon the plates of Nephi) died, and his son Amos kept it in his stead; and he kept it upon the plates of Nephi also.	Nephi, who wrote this record, died. His son Amos took over and wrote on the plates too.
4 Nephi 1:20	And he kept it eighty and four years, and there was still peace in the land, save it were a small part of the people who had revolted from the church and taken upon them the name of Lamanites; therefore there began to be Lamanites again in the land.	He kept it for 84 years. There was still peace in the land. But some people left the church and called themselves Lamanites. So, Lamanites started again in the land.
4 Nephi 1:21	And it came to pass that Amos died also, (and it was an hundred and ninety and four years from the coming of Christ) and his son Amos kept the record in his stead; and he also kept it upon the plates of Nephi; and it was also written in the book of Nephi, which is this book.	Amos died. It was 194 years after Jesus came. Amos’s son took care of the record. He wrote it on the plates of Nephi. This is the book of Nephi.
4 Nephi 1:22	And it came to pass that two hundred years had passed away; and the second generation had all passed away save it were a few.	Two hundred years went by. Almost all the children from the second group had died, except for a few.
4 Nephi 1:23	And now I, Mormon, would that ye should know that the people had multiplied, insomuch that they were spread upon all the face of the land, and that they had become exceedingly rich, because of their prosperity in Christ.	I, Mormon, want you to know that there were many people living all over the land, and they became very rich because they followed Christ.
4 Nephi 1:24	And now, in this two hundred and first year there began to be among them those who were lifted up in pride, such as the wearing of costly apparel, and all manner of fine pearls, and of the fine things of the world.	In the 201st year, some people started to be proud. They wore expensive clothes, pearls, and fancy things.
4 Nephi 1:25	And from that time forth they did have their goods and their substance no more common among them.	From then on, they did not share their things and belongings with everyone.
4 Nephi 1:26	And they began to be divided into classes; and they began to build up churches unto themselves to get gain, and began to deny the true church of Christ.	They started to split into groups; they made their own churches to get money, and they stopped believing in the true church of Jesus.
4 Nephi 1:27	And it came to pass that when two hundred and ten years had passed away there were many churches in the land; yea, there were many churches which professed to know the Christ, and yet they did deny the more parts of his gospel, insomuch that they did receive all manner of wickedness, and did administer that which was sacred unto him to whom it had been forbidden because of unworthiness.	After 210 years, there were many churches in the land. These churches said they knew Christ, but they didn’t follow all His teachings. They did bad things and gave holy things to people who shouldn’t have them.
4 Nephi 1:28	And this church did multiply exceedingly because of iniquity, and because of the power of Satan who did get hold upon their hearts.	The church grew a lot because people were doing bad things and Satan made them bad in their hearts.
4 Nephi 1:29	And again, there was another church which denied the Christ; and they did persecute the true church of Christ, because of their humility and their belief in Christ; and they did despise them because of the many miracles which were wrought among them.	There was another church that did not believe in Christ. They were mean to the true believers in Christ because they were humble and believed in Him. They also hated them because many miracles happened to them.
4 Nephi 1:30	Therefore they did exercise power and authority over the disciples of Jesus who did tarry with them, and they did cast them into prison; but by the power of the word of God, which was in them, the prisons were rent in twain, and they went forth doing mighty miracles among them.	So they took control over Jesus’ friends and put them in jail. But God’s power helped them break out of jail and do amazing things.
4 Nephi 1:31	Nevertheless, and notwithstanding all these miracles, the people did harden their hearts, and did seek to kill them, even as the Jews at Jerusalem sought to kill Jesus, according to his word.	But even with all the miracles, the people made their hearts hard. They wanted to hurt them, just like the people in Jerusalem wanted to hurt Jesus.
4 Nephi 1:32	And they did cast them into furnaces of fire, and they came forth receiving no harm.	They threw them into the fire, but they came out safe and not hurt.
4 Nephi 1:33	And they also cast them into dens of wild beasts, and they did play with the wild beasts even as a child with a lamb; and they did come forth from among them, receiving no harm.	They put them with wild animals, but the wild animals did not hurt them; they were safe like children with a pet lamb.
4 Nephi 1:34	Nevertheless, the people did harden their hearts, for they were led by many priests and false prophets to build up many churches, and to do all manner of iniquity. And they did smite upon the people of Jesus; but the people of Jesus did not smite again. And thus they did dwindle in unbelief and wickedness, from year to year, even until two hundred and thirty years had passed away.	The people were mean and did bad things because they listened to bad leaders. They hurt the people who followed Jesus, but Jesus’ people did not hurt them back. The people became less and less good, for many years, even until 230 years went by.
4 Nephi 1:35	And now it came to pass in this year, yea, in the two hundred and thirty and first year, there was a great division among the people.	And now, in this year, the 231st year, the people split up.
4 Nephi 1:36	And it came to pass that in this year there arose a people who were called the Nephites, and they were true believers in Christ; and among them there were those who were called by the Lamanites—Jacobites, and Josephites, and Zoramites;	In this year, there were people called Nephites. They believed in Jesus. There were also people called Jacobites, Josephites, and Zoramites.
4 Nephi 1:37	Therefore the true believers in Christ, and the true worshipers of Christ, (among whom were the three disciples of Jesus who should tarry) were called Nephites, and Jacobites, and Josephites, and Zoramites.	The true believers in Jesus, and the true worshipers of Jesus, were called Nephites, Jacobites, Josephites, and Zoramites.
4 Nephi 1:38	And it came to pass that they who rejected the gospel were called Lamanites, and Lemuelites, and Ishmaelites; and they did not dwindle in unbelief, but they did wilfully rebel against the gospel of Christ; and they did teach their children that they should not believe, even as their fathers, from the beginning, did dwindle.	The people who didn’t believe in the gospel were called Lamanites, Lemuelites, and Ishmaelites. They chose not to believe and went against the gospel of Christ. They taught their children not to believe too.
4 Nephi 1:39	And it was because of the wickedness and abomination of their fathers, even as it was in the beginning. And they were taught to hate the children of God, even as the Lamanites were taught to hate the children of Nephi from the beginning.	Their fathers were very bad people, just like at the start. They learned to hate God’s children, just like the Lamanites learned to hate Nephi’s children long ago.
4 Nephi 1:40	And it came to pass that two hundred and forty and four years had passed away, and thus were the affairs of the people. And the more wicked part of the people did wax strong, and became exceedingly more numerous than were the people of God.	244 years went by. The wicked people grew stronger and there were more of them than the good people.
4 Nephi 1:41	And they did still continue to build up churches unto themselves, and adorn them with all manner of precious things. And thus did two hundred and fifty years pass away, and also two hundred and sixty years.	They built churches and made them very fancy with nice things. 250 years went by, and then 260 years.
4 Nephi 1:42	And it came to pass that the wicked part of the people began again to build up the secret oaths and combinations of Gadianton.	The bad people started to make secret plans again.
4 Nephi 1:43	And also the people who were called the people of Nephi began to be proud in their hearts, because of their exceeding riches, and become vain like unto their brethren, the Lamanites.	The Nephite people got rich and started to be proud, just like the Lamanites.
4 Nephi 1:44	And from this time the disciples began to sorrow for the sins of the world.	The disciples started to feel sad because people did bad things.
4 Nephi 1:45	And it came to pass that when three hundred years had passed away, both the people of Nephi and the Lamanites had become exceedingly wicked one like unto another.	After three hundred years, the Nephites and the Lamanites were very bad, just like each other.
4 Nephi 1:46	And it came to pass that the robbers of Gadianton did spread over all the face of the land; and there were none that were righteous save it were the disciples of Jesus. And gold and silver did they lay up in store in abundance, and did traffic in all manner of traffic.	Gadianton’s robbers spread everywhere. Only Jesus’ disciples were good. They collected lots of gold and silver and traded many things.
4 Nephi 1:47	And it came to pass that after three hundred and five years had passed away, (and the people did still remain in wickedness) Amos died; and his brother, Ammaron, did keep the record in his stead.	After 305 years, Amos died. The people were still bad. Amos’s brother Ammaron took over keeping the record.
4 Nephi 1:48	And it came to pass that when three hundred and twenty years had passed away, Ammaron, being constrained by the Holy Ghost, did hide up the records which were sacred—yea, even all the sacred records which had been handed down from generation to generation, which were sacred—even until the three hundred and twentieth year from the coming of Christ.	A man named Ammaron listened to the Holy Ghost and hid some important books after 320 years. These books were special and had been kept safe for a long, long time.
4 Nephi 1:49	And he did hide them up unto the Lord that they might come again unto the remnant of the house of Jacob according to the prophecies and the promises of the Lord. And thus is the end of the record of Ammaron.	He hid them so they could come back to the family of Jacob as God promised. This is the end of Ammaron’s record.