The People Believe and Obey
Not a single person among the Nephites doubted the words of the holy prophets. They knew everything the prophets said would come true. They knew Christ had come because of the many signs that had been given. These signs matched what the prophets had said. The things that had already happened proved that everything the prophets said would come true. So they stopped all their sins. They served God day and night.
They caught all the robbers. None of them got away. They put them in prison and taught them about God. If the prisoners were sorry for their sins and promised to never kill again, they were set free. But those who would not make that promise and still wanted to kill were punished according to the law. This included anyone who made threats against others. This is how they ended all those secret groups that did so many wicked things and murders.
Mormon Explains His Record
The twenty-second year passed. Then the twenty-third, twenty-fourth, and twenty-fifth years passed too. Twenty-five years had gone by. Many great and amazing things happened during those years. But they cannot all be written in this book. This book cannot contain even one percent of what happened among so many people in twenty-five years.
But there are records that contain all the events of these people. Nephi wrote a shorter but true account. So I have made my record based on Nephi’s record. His record was carved on plates called the plates of Nephi. I am making this record on plates I made with my own hands.
I am called Mormon. I am named after the land of Mormon. That is where Alma started the church among the people. It was the first church started among them after they sinned. I am a follower of Jesus Christ, the Son of God. He has chosen me to share his message with his people so they can have eternal life.
God wanted me to make this record. The holy people who died prayed that this would happen. Their prayers have been answered because of their faith. This is a short record of what happened from the time Lehi left Jerusalem until now. I am making my record from the records written by those who came before me. I use their records up until my own time. Then I write about the things I have seen with my own eyes. I know the record I am making is fair and true. But there are many things we cannot write because of the limits of our language.
I am done talking about myself. I will go back to telling the story of what happened before me.
Mormon’s Testimony
I am Mormon. I come from Lehi’s family line. I have reason to bless my God and my Savior Jesus Christ. He brought our fathers out of Jerusalem. No one knew about it except him and those he brought out. He has given me and my people so much knowledge to save our souls. He has blessed the family of Jacob. He has been kind to Joseph’s children. When Lehi’s children have obeyed his commands, he has blessed them and helped them do well. That is what he promised.
He will bring some of Joseph’s children back to know the Lord their God. As the Lord lives, he will gather all of Jacob’s children from all over the earth. He made a promise to the family of Jacob. At the right time, he will keep that promise. He will bring all of Jacob’s family back to understand the promise he made to them. Then they will know their Savior, who is Jesus Christ, the Son of God. They will be gathered from all over the earth and brought back to their own lands. As the Lord lives, this will happen. Amen.