# 3 Nephi 9

*Paraphrase*

### The Voice from Heaven

Then a voice came—one that every person across the land could hear.

“Disaster is coming for this people—for everyone on earth—unless you turn back to me. The Devil is laughing, and his angels are celebrating the deaths of my people, beautiful sons and daughters, all because of your wickedness and your corrupt ways.”

### Cities Destroyed for Wickedness

“I burned Zarahemla—that great city—and everyone in it.”

“I sank the great city of Moroni into the ocean depths and drowned everyone who lived there.”

“I buried Moronihah—that great city—under earth, along with all its people, to hide their wickedness and corruption from my sight, so that the blood of the prophets and the faithful would no longer cry out to me against them.”

“I sank the city of Gilgal, burying its people deep in the earth.”

“And the cities of Onihah, Mocum, and Jerusalem—I brought water up over them all, to hide their evil and corruption from my sight, so that the blood of the prophets and the faithful would no longer cry out to me against them.”

“The cities of Gadiandi, Gadiomnah, Jacob, and Gimgimno—I sank them all. Where they once stood, I made hills and valleys. I buried their people in the depths of the earth to hide their wickedness and corruption from my sight, so that the blood of the prophets and the faithful would no longer cry out to me against them.”

“And Jacobugath—that great city where King Jacob’s people lived—I burned it with fire because of their sins and wickedness, which surpassed all the evil on earth. Their secret murders and conspiracies destroyed the peace of my people and tore down the government. So I burned them to ash, to wipe them from my sight, so that the blood of the prophets and the faithful would no longer cry out to me against them.”

“The cities of Laman, Josh, Gad, and Kishkumen—I burned them all with fire, along with their people, because of their wickedness in driving out the prophets I sent to warn them about their evil and corruption. They stoned the messengers I sent.”

“They drove out every last righteous person. Not one good person remained. So I sent fire down and destroyed them all, to hide their wickedness and corruption from my sight, so that the blood of the prophets and the faithful I sent to them would not cry out to me from the ground.”

“I have brought many great disasters upon this land and this people because of their wickedness and corruption.”

### An Invitation to Come Back

“But you who survived—you who were more righteous than they were—won’t you come back to me now? Turn away from your sins and change your hearts so I can heal you.”

“Listen closely—if you come to me, you’ll have eternal life. My arms are wide open, ready to show you mercy. Whoever wants to come, I will welcome. Blessed are those who come to me.”

### I Am Jesus Christ

“I am Jesus Christ, the Son of God. I created the heavens and the earth and everything in them. I was with the Father from the beginning. I am in the Father, and the Father is in me. In me, the Father has revealed his glory.”

“I came to my own people, but they didn’t accept me. The scriptures about my coming have been fulfilled.”

“To everyone who has received me, I’ve given the right to become children of God. And I’ll do the same for everyone who believes in me. Through me comes redemption. In me, the law of Moses is fulfilled.”

“I am the light and the life of the world. I am the Alpha and Omega—the beginning and the end.”

### A New Kind of Sacrifice

“Don’t offer me blood sacrifices anymore. Your burnt offerings are finished. I won’t accept them.”

“What I want from you is a broken heart and a humble spirit. If you come to me with a broken heart and a humble spirit, I will baptize you with fire and with the Holy Spirit—just as I did for the Lamanites when they believed in me. They were baptized with fire and the Holy Spirit, though they didn’t realize it at the time.”

“I came into the world to bring redemption—to save the world from sin.”

“So if you turn from your sins and come to me with childlike trust, I will receive you. The kingdom of God belongs to people like that. For them, I gave my life and took it up again. Turn back to me, all you people everywhere, and be saved.”

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*Source: [The Book of Mormon](https://bookofmormon.com/paraphrase/3-nephi/9)*
