4 Nephi 1:2
And it came to pass in the thirty sixth year, the people were all converted to the lord, upon all the face of the land, both Nephites and Lamanites, and there were no contentions and disputations amongst them, and every man dealt justly with one another.
4 Nephi 1:3
And they had all things common amongst them; therefore, there were not rich and poor, bond and free, but they were all made free, and partakers of the heavenly gift.
4 Nephi 1:4
And it came to pass that the thirty seventh year passed away also, and there still continued to be peace in the land.
4 Nephi 1:5
And there were great and marvelous works done by the disciples of Jesus, insomuch that they healed the sick, and raised the dead, and caused the lame to walk, and the blind to receive their sight, and the deaf to hear; and they worked all manner of miracles amongst the children of men; and they worked miracles in nothing unless it was in the name of Jesus.
4 Nephi 1:6
And thus the thirty eighth year passed away, and also the thirty ninth, and forty first, and the forty second, indeed, even until forty ninth years had passed away, and also the fifty first, and the fifty second; indeed, and even until fifty ninth years had passed away.
4 Nephi 1:7
And the Lord prospered them exceedingly in the land; indeed, insomuch that they built cities again where there had been cities burned.
4 Nephi 1:8
Indeed, even that great city Zarahemla, they caused to be built again.
4 Nephi 1:9
But there were many cities which had been sunk, and waters came up in the stead; therefore these cities could not be renewed.
4 Nephi 1:10
And now, behold, it came to pass that the people of Nephi grew strong, and multiplied exceedingly fast, and became an exceedingly fair and delightsome people.
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 to them.
4 Nephi 1:12
And they did not walk any more after the performances and ordinances of the law of Moses; but they walked after the commandments which they had received from their Lord and their God, continuing in fasting and prayer, and in meeting together often both to pray and to hear the word of the Lord.
4 Nephi 1:13
And it came to pass that there was no contention amongst all the people in all the land; but there were mighty miracles done amongst the disciples of Jesus.
4 Nephi 1:14
And it came to pass that the seventy first year passed away, and also the seventy second year, indeed, and in fine, till the seventy ninth year had passed away; indeed, even a hundred years had passed away, and the disciples of Jesus, whom he had chosen, had all gone to the Paradise of God, except the three who should stay; and there were other disciples ordained in their stead; and also many of that generation had 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 dwelled in the hearts of the people.
4 Nephi 1:16
And there was no envying, nor strife, nor tumults, nor whoredoms, nor lying, nor murders, nor any manner of lasciviousness; and surely there could not be a happier people amongst all the people who had been created by the hand of God.
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.
4 Nephi 1:18
And how blessed were they! For the Lord blessed them in all their doings; indeed, even they were blessed and prospered until a 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.
4 Nephi 1:19
And it came to pass that Nephi, he who 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.
4 Nephi 1:20
And he kept it eighty four years, and there was still peace in the land, except for a small part of the people who had revolted from the church and taken the name of Lamanites upon them; therefore, there began to be Lamanites again in the land.
4 Nephi 1:21
And it came to pass that Amos died also, (and it was a hundred and ninety 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.
4 Nephi 1:22
And it came to pass that two hundred years had passed away; and the second generation had all passed away except a few.
4 Nephi 1:23
And now I, Mormon, willed that you 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.
4 Nephi 1:24
And now, in this two hundred and first year, there began to be those who were lifted up in pride amongst them, such as the wearing of costly apparel, and all manner of fine pearls, and of the fine things of the world.
4 Nephi 1:25
And from that time forth, they had their goods and their substance no more common among them.
4 Nephi 1:26
And they began to be divided into classes; and they began to build up churches to themselves to get gain, and began to deny the true church of Christ.
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; indeed, there were many churches which professed to know the Christ, and still they denied the greater parts of his Gospel, insomuch that they received all manner of wickedness, and administered that which was sacred to him to whom it had been forbidden because of unworthiness.
4 Nephi 1:28
And this church multiplied exceedingly because of iniquity, and because of the power of Satan who got hold upon their hearts.
4 Nephi 1:29
And again, there was another church which denied the Christ; and they persecuted the true church of Christ, because of their humility and their belief in Christ; and they despised them because of the many miracles which were done among them.
4 Nephi 1:30
Therefore, they exercised power and authority over the disciples of Jesus who stayed with them, and they cast them into prison; but by the power of the word of God which was in them, the prisons were torn in two, and they went forth doing mighty miracles amongst them.
4 Nephi 1:31
Nevertheless, and notwithstanding all these miracles, the people hardened their hearts, and sought to kill them, even as the Jews at Jerusalem sought to kill Jesus, according to his word.
4 Nephi 1:32
And they cast them into furnaces of fire, and they came forth receiving no harm.
4 Nephi 1:33
And they also cast them into dens of wild beasts, and they played with the wild beasts even as a child with a lamb; and they came forth from amongst them, receiving no harm.
4 Nephi 1:34
Nevertheless, the people hardened 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 struck upon the people of Jesus; but the people of Jesus did not strike again. And thus, they dwindled in disbelief and wickedness, from year to year, even until two hundred and thirty years had passed away.
4 Nephi 1:35
And now it came to pass in this year, indeed, in the two hundred and thirty first year, there was a great division amongst the people.
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;
4 Nephi 1:37
Therefore, the true believers in Christ, and the true worshippers of Christ, (among whom were the three disciples of Jesus who should wait) were called Nephites, and Jacobites, and Josephites, and Zoramites.
4 Nephi 1:38
And it came to pass that those who rejected the Gospel were called Lamanites, and Lemuelites, and Ishmaelites; and they did not dwindle in disbelief, but they willfully rebelled against the Gospel of Christ; and they taught their children that they should not believe, even as their fathers, from the beginning, dwindled.
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.
4 Nephi 1:40
And it came to pass that two hundred and forty four years had passed away, and thus were the affairs of the people. And the more wicked part of the people grew strong, and became exceedingly more numerous than the people of God.
4 Nephi 1:41
And they still continued to build up churches to themselves, and adorn them with all manner of precious things. And thus two hundred and fifty years passed away, and also two hundred and sixty 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.
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 their brethren, the Lamanites.
4 Nephi 1:44
And from this time, the disciples began to sorrow for the sins of the world.
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 like one another.
4 Nephi 1:46
And it came to pass that the robbers of Gadianton spread over all the face of the land; and there were none who were righteous except the disciples of Jesus. And they laid up gold and silver in store in abundance and trafficked in all manner of traffic.
4 Nephi 1:47
And it came to pass that after three hundred and five years had passed away, (and the people still remained in wickedness), Amos died; and his brother, Ammaron, kept the record in his stead.
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 Spirit, hid up the records which were sacred - indeed, 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.