Chapter 6
The Nephites
prosper—Pride, wealth, and class distinctions arise—The Church is rent with
dissensions—Satan leads the people in open rebellion—Many prophets cry
repentance and are slain—Their murderers conspire to take over the government.
About A.D. 26–30
1 AND now it came to pass that the people of the Nephites did
all return to their own lands in the twenty and sixth year [26 A.D.],
every man, with his family, his flocks and his herds, his horses and his
cattle, and all things whatsoever did belong unto them.
2 And it came to pass that they had not eaten up all their
provisions; therefore they did take with them all that they had not devoured,
of all their grain of every kind, and their gold, and their silver, and all
their precious things, and they did return to their own lands and their
possessions, both on the north and on the south, both on the land northward and
on the land southward. 3 And they granted unto
those robbers who had entered into a covenant to keep the peace of the land,
who were desirous to remain Lamanites, lands, according to their numbers, that
they might have, with their labors, wherewith to subsist upon; and thus they
did establish peace in all the land.
4 And they began again to prosper and to wax
great; and the twenty and sixth and seventh years passed away, and
there was great order in the land; and they had formed their laws according to
equity and justice. 5 And now there was nothing in all the land to hinder
the people from prospering continually, except they should fall into
transgression.
3 Nephi 6:1 – 5 (Emphasis mine)
The war is over. The
people took their possessions and left the safe area. They had not eaten all the food, so it was
given to the people. (“Therefore, there was no chance for the
robbers to plunder and to obtain food, save it were to come up in open battle
against the Nephites; and the Nephites being in one body, and having so great a
number, and having reserved for themselves provisions, and horses and cattle,
and flocks of every kind, that they might subsist for the space of seven years,
in the which time they did hope to destroy the robbers from off the face of the
land; and thus the eighteenth year did pass away” 3 Nephi 4:4.) All returned to their own land.
The robbers who had been captured and entered into a covenant
of peace (And now it came to pass that
when they had taken all the robbers prisoners, insomuch that none did escape
who were not slain, they did cast their prisoners into prison, and did cause the
word of God to be preached unto them; and as many as would repent of their sins
and enter into a covenant that they would murder no more were set at liberty” 3
Nephi 5:4.) were allowed to remain
in the Lamanite lands
The people began to prosper and the population grew. There was justice, equality, and order
throughout the land. The only thing that
could prevent their prosperity would be if they turned away from God.
Hugh Nibley writes:
Everything was going so well.
They'd come through a terrible time; then everything was going too well. It all
"came up roses"; everything was happy. Then we're told in 3 Nephi 6:5
that things couldn't be better. There was nothing to keep them from being
completely happy. There were no economic, social, or any other kinds of
problems except in themselves—that was the only trouble.[1]
6 And now it was Gidgiddoni, and the judge, Lachoneus,
and those who had been appointed leaders, who had established this great peace
in the land. 7 And it came to pass
that there were many cities built anew, and there were many old cities
repaired. 8 And there were many highways cast up, and many
roads made, which led from city to city, and from land to land, and from place
to place. 9 And thus passed away the twenty and eighth year,
and the
people had continual peace.
3 Nephi 6:6 – 9 (Emphasis mine)
The peace and prosperity in the land was because of the
efforts of Gidgiddoni and Lachoneus.
These two men saved Nephite society and then helped it rebuild and
become prosperous.
Public work projects were done. New cities were built. Old cities were repaired. Highways and roads that went from
city-to-city, land-to-land, and place-to-place were built.
Lindon Robison observes:
It is also interesting that it was
during a period of unity and caring—when Gidgiddoni was the Nephite commander
and Lachoneus the chief judge—that the Nephites' investments in public goods
were renewed. Nephi, the disciple of Christ, records that there many highways
cast up and many roads which led from city to city, and many cities built anew
and many old cities repaired (3 Nephi 6:7–8).[2]
[1] Lecture 88: 3 Nephi 6-7, Hugh W. Nibley, Provo, Utah:
Maxwell Institute, accessed November 4, 2012.
[2] Economic Insights from the Book of Mormon, Lindon J. Robison, Provo,
Utah: Maxwell Institute, accessed November 4, 2012.
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