[color-box]For comparison purposes, the original Book of Mormon text is supplied (italicized and indented) after each Modern Book of Mormon verse.[/color-box]

1 The Lord commanded me to make metal plates and engrave on them the history of my people, so I did. On the plates, I engraved my father’s history, our journey in the wilderness, my father’s prophecies, and many of my own prophecies.

1 And it came to pass that the Lord commanded me, wherefore I did make plates of ore that I might engraven upon them the record of my people. And upon the plates which I made I did engraven the record of my father, and also our journeyings in the wilderness, and the prophecies of my father; and also many of mine own prophecies have I engraven upon them.

2 I didn’t know then that the Lord would command me to make these plates later. My father’s history, the genealogy of his fathers, and the full record of what we experienced in the wilderness are all engraved on that first set of plates. The things that happened before I made these plates are covered in more depth in the first plates.

2 And I knew not at the time when I made them that I should be commanded of the Lord to make these plates; wherefore, the record of my father, and the genealogy of his fathers, and the more part of all our proceedings in the wilderness are engraven upon those first plates of which I have spoken; wherefore, the things which transpired before I made these plates are, of a truth, more particularly made mention upon the first plates.

3 And after I had been commanded to make these plates, I was commanded to make these plates and write in them the ministry and prophecies. The things written here are for my people’s instruction and also for other wise purposes that the Lord has in mind.

3 And after I had made these plates by way of commandment, I, Nephi, received a commandment that the ministry and the prophecies, the more plain and precious parts of them, should be written upon these plates; and that the things which were written should be kept for the instruction of my people, who should possess the land, and also for other wise purposes, which purposes are known unto the Lord.

4 On the other plates, I wrote a more full account of the wars, quarrels, and devastation of my people. I have commanded my people that after I am gone, they should hand these plates down from generation to generation—or from one prophet to another—until the Lord says otherwise.

4 Wherefore, I, Nephi, did make a record upon the other plates, which gives an account, or which gives a greater account of the wars and contentions and destructions of my people. And this have I done, and commanded my people what they should do after I was gone; and that these plates should be handed down from one generation to another, or from one prophet to another, until further commandments of the Lord.

5 And I will talk more about making these plates later. I have done as I said so that my people will know about the more sacred things.

5 And an account of my making these plates shall be given hereafter; and then, behold, I proceed according to that which I have spoken; and this I do that the more sacred things may be kept for the knowledge of my people.

6 I’m not writing anything unless I think it’s sacred. If I make a mistake, just like people have always made mistakes (and I’m not saying that to justify myself, just to say that all men are weak), I apologize.

6 Nevertheless, I do not write anything upon plates save it be that I think it be sacred. And now, if I do err, even did they err of old; not that I would excuse myself because of other men, but because of the weakness which is in me, according to the flesh, I would excuse myself.

7 The things that some men deem valuable, both to the body and soul, are deemed worthless by others. People even do this to the God of Israel himself—they pay no attention to him and don’t listen to his counsel.

7 For the things which some men esteem to be of great worth, both to the body and soul, others set at naught and trample under their feet. Yea, even the very God of Israel do men trample under their feet; I say, trample under their feet but I would speak in other words—they set him at naught, and hearken not to the voice of his counsels.

8 According to the angel, the God of Israel will come six hundred years after we left Jerusalem.

8 And behold he cometh, according to the words of the angel, in six hundred years from the time my father left Jerusalem.

9 The world, because of their sins, will not pay any attention to him. They will whip him, and he will endure it. They will spit on him, and he will endure it because of his loving kindness and patients toward all people.

9 And the world, because of their iniquity, shall judge him to be a thing of naught; wherefore they scourge him, and he suffereth it; and they smite him, and he suffereth it. Yea, they spit upon him, and he suffereth it, because of his loving kindness and his long-suffering towards the children of men.

10 The God of our ancestors led them out of Egypt and out of slavery and kept them alive in the wilderness. He is the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, and he will give himself up to wicked men, according to the angel. He will be lifted up on a cross and crucified, according to Zenock and Neum. He will be buried in a sepulcher, according to Zenos. That will mark the beginning of three days of darkness that will be a sign of his death, and that sign will be visible to those that live on the islands, especially those who are part of the house of Israel.

10 And the God of our fathers, who were led out of Egypt, out of bondage, and also were preserved in the wilderness by him, yea, the God of Abraham, and of Isaac, and the God of Jacob, yieldeth himself, according to the words of the angel, as a man, into the hands of wicked men, to be lifted up, according to the words of Zenock, and to be crucified, according to the words of Neum, and to be buried in a sepulchre, according to the words of Zenos, which he spake concerning the three days of darkness, which should be a sign given of his death unto those who should inhabit the isles of the sea, more especially given unto those who are of the house of Israel.

11 The prophet said, At that time, the Lord God will visit everyone that is part of the house of israel. He will visit some with his voice because of their righteousness, much to their joy and to their salvation. He will visit others with thunder, lightning, storms, smoke, and darkness. The earth will open up and mountains will be moved.

11 For thus spake the prophet: The Lord God surely shall visit all the house of Israel at that day, some with his voice, because of their righteousness, unto their great joy and salvation, and others with the thunderings and the lightnings of his power, by tempest, by fire, and by smoke, and vapor of darkness, and by the opening of the earth, and by mountains which shall be carried up.

12 All of these things will happen, according to the prophet Zenos. Rocks will be torn in half. The earth will make groaning noises, and many of the kings of islands in the sea will be prompted by the Spirit to say, The God of nature is suffering.

12 And all these things must surely come, saith the prophet Zenos. And the rocks of the earth must rend; and because of the groanings of the earth, many of the kings of the isles of the sea shall be wrought upon by the Spirit of God, to exclaim: The God of nature suffers.

13 As for those in Jerusalem, the prophet said that they will be punished by all people because they crucified the God of Israel. They turned their hearts away, rejecting signs, wonders, and the power and glory of the God of Israel.

13 And as for those who are at Jerusalem, saith the prophet, they shall be scourged by all people, because they crucify the God of Israel, and turn their hearts aside, rejecting signs and wonders, and the power and glory of the God of Israel.

14 The prophet said that because they will turn their hearts away and will despise the Holy One of Israel. They will wander, die, and be hated by all nations. People will boo and jeer at them.

14 And because they turn their hearts aside, saith the prophet, and have despised the Holy One of Israel, they shall wander in the flesh, and perish, and become a hiss and a byword, and be hated among all nations.

15 When that day comes, the prophet declared, that they no longer turn their hearts away from the Holy One of Israel, he will remember the covenants that he has made with their ancestors.

15 Nevertheless, when that day cometh, saith the prophet, that they no more turn aside their hearts against the Holy One of Israel, then will he remember the covenants which he made to their fathers.

16 He will remember the islands of the sea and all the people who are part of the house of Israel will be gathered in by him from the four corners of the earth, according to the prophet Zenos.

16 Yea, then will he remember the isles of the sea; yea, and all the people who are of the house of Israel, will I gather in, saith the Lord, according to the words of the prophet Zenos, from the four quarters of the earth.

17 The whole earth will see the Lord’s salvation. Every nation, family, language, and people will be blessed.

17 Yea, and all the earth shall see the salvation of the Lord, saith the prophet; every nation, kindred, tongue and people shall be blessed.

18 I, Nephi, have written these things for my people so that I might be able to persuade them to remember the Lord their Redeemer.

18 And I, Nephi, have written these things unto my people, that perhaps I might persuade them that they would remember the Lord their Redeemer.

19 I’m speaking to the whole house of Israel, if they happen to read these things.

19 Wherefore, I speak unto all the house of Israel, if it so be that they should obtain these things.

20 The spirit has been working in me to the point that my joints are weak, and I worry for the people who are in Jerusalem. If the Lord hadn’t been merciful and shown me these things, I would have died there too.

20 For behold, I have workings in the spirit, which doth weary me even that all my joints are weak, for those who are at Jerusalem; for had not the Lord been merciful, to show unto me concerning them, even as he had prophets of old, I should have perished also.

21 And the Lord showed the ancient prophets everything concerning the Jews, and he showed things concerning us to a lot of the prophets. It is important that we know about them, and that’s why those things are written on the brass plates.

21 And he surely did show unto the prophets of old all things concerning them; and also he did show unto many concerning us; wherefore, it must needs be that we know concerning them for they are written upon the plates of brass.

22 And I, Nephi, taught my brothers these things. I read to them a lot of the things that were on the brass plates so that they would know what the Lord had done anciently in other lands.

22 Now it came to pass that I, Nephi, did teach my brethren these things; and it came to pass that I did read many things to them, which were engraven upon the plates of brass, that they might know concerning the doings of the Lord in other lands, among people of old.

23 I read to them a lot of things that were written in the books of Moses. To persuade them even harder to believe in the Lord their Redeemer, I read to them what was written by the prophet Isaiah. I applied all scriptures to us so that we could benefit and learn.

23 And I did read many things unto them which were written in the books of Moses; but that I might more fully persuade them to believe in the Lord their Redeemer I did read unto them that which was written by the prophet Isaiah; for I did liken all scriptures unto us, that it might be for our profit and learning.

24 I told them, Listen to the words of the prophet, you who are a remainder of the house of Israel and a branch that has been broken off. Hear the prophet’s words that were written to the whole house of Israel, and apply them to yourselves so that you can have hope like your brothers that you were broken off from.

24 Wherefore I spake unto them, saying: Hear ye the words of the prophet, ye who are a remnant of the house of Israel, a branch who have been broken off; hear ye the words of the prophet, which were written unto all the house of Israel, and liken them unto yourselves, that ye may have hope as well as your brethren from whom ye have been broken off; for after this manner has the prophet written.