3 Nephi 2

3 Nephi 2

3 Nephi 2:1–3

1 And it came to pass that thus passed away the ninety and fifth year also, and the people began to forget those signs and wonders which they had heard, and began to be less and less astonished at a sign or a wonder from heaven, insomuch that they began to be hard in their hearts, and blind in their minds, and began to disbelieve all which they had heard and seen—

2 Imagining up some vain thing in their hearts, that it was wrought by men and by the power of the devil, to lead away and deceive the hearts of the people; and thus did Satan get possession of the hearts of the people again, insomuch that he did blind their eyes and lead them away to believe that the doctrine of Christ was a foolish and a vain thing.

3 And it came to pass that the people began to wax strong in wickedness and abominations; and they did not believe that there should be any more signs or wonders given; and Satan did go about, leading away the hearts of the people, tempting them and causing them that they should do great wickedness in the land.

Comments

A sign was given for the birth of a Messiah on the other side of the world. In the immediate world of the Nephites, after the day without a night, there were no more signs, no more miracles. As a phenomenon associated with nature, it was assumed to have some kind of natural explanation and so, many began to fall back into the routines of their daily lives. Their previous prosperity was returning, and with it their previous relationships with the culture surrounding that prosperity. With no better sign of a Savior than one that they could find a way to excuse, they returned even to a disbelief in the Savior whose sign they had seen.

3 Nephi 2:4–8

4 And thus did pass away the ninety and sixth year; and also the ninety and seventh year; and also the ninety and eighth year; and also the ninety and ninth year;

5 And also an hundred years had passed away since the days of Mosiah, who was king over the people of the Nephites.

6 And six hundred and nine years had passed away since Lehi left Jerusalem.

7 And nine years had passed away from the time when the sign was given, which was spoken of by the prophets, that Christ should come into the world.

8 Now the Nephites began to reckon their time from this period when the sign was given, or from the coming of Christ; therefore, nine years had passed away.

Comments

Dr. Mark Wright noticed that the Nephites did not immediately begin to mark time from the sign of the Messiah’s birth, but rather backdated that new beginning of their calendar only after 100 years had passed in the reign of the judges. He suggested that the Nephites paid attention to sets of years and preferred to deal with time in more symbolic units. Therefore, even though there was a great rebirth of belief at the time of the sign, the change of the calendar to mark that time came later, only after one hundred years of the reign of the judges had passed.

Modern readers understand the change of a calendar to mark Christ’s birth, as we follow a calendar that uses that event as a beginning point. In the Book of Mormon, it was the third time that there was a change in the beginning point of the calendar. The first was when Nephite time was counted from when Lehi₁ left Jerusalem, which was a change from the calendar used in Jerusalem at that time. The second was with the change from monarchy to the reign of the judges.

Nephites and Lamanites Unite against Gadianton Robbers

3 Nephi 2:9–11

9 And Nephi, who was the father of Nephi, who had the charge of the records, did not return to the land of Zarahemla, and could nowhere be found in all the land.

10 And it came to pass that the people did still remain in wickedness, notwithstanding the much preaching and prophesying which was sent among them; and thus passed away the tenth year also; and the eleventh year also passed away in iniquity.

11 And it came to pass in the thirteenth year there began to be wars and contentions throughout all the land; for the Gadianton robbers had become so numerous, and did slay so many of the people, and did lay waste so many cities, and did spread so much death and carnage throughout the land, that it became expedient that all the people, both the Nephites and the Lamanites, should take up arms against them.

Comments

Verse 9 is interesting. It mentions that Nephi₂, the father of Nephi₃, did not return to Zarahemla. Mormon told of his disappearance in terms that appeared to assume that he had died in 3 Nephi 1:1. Now Mormon simply mentions in passing and, over a decade later, that he still had not returned. Why mention Nephi₂, son of Helaman₂, when it is Nephi₃ who has the records?

Mormon says very little of Nephi₃, son of Nephi₂. His story is coming later. At this point, Mormon is setting up the events that will destroy the Nephite nation, as reported in 3 Nephi 7. By mentioning that Nephi₂, son of Helaman₂, does not return, Mormon symbolically notes that true repentance and true Nephite religion, such as that which Nephi₃ embodied, did not return.

What they got instead was a continued increase in the influence of the Gadianton robbers. They were so prevalent that both Lamanites and Nephites took up arms against them. Also important in this statement is Mormon’s separation of the Gadiantons from both the Nephites and the Lamanites. Mormon considers them a third entity, even though some of the members of the Gadiantons were formerly part of either the Nephites or the Lamanites.

3 Nephi 2:12–16

12 Therefore, all the Lamanites who had become converted unto the Lord did unite with their brethren, the Nephites, and were compelled, for the safety of their lives and their women and their children, to take up arms against those Gadianton robbers, yea, and also to maintain their rights, and the privileges of their church and of their worship, and their freedom and their liberty.

13 And it came to pass that before this thirteenth year had passed away the Nephites were threatened with utter destruction because of this war, which had become exceedingly sore.

14 And it came to pass that those Lamanites who had united with the Nephites were numbered among the Nephites;

15 And their curse was taken from them, and their skin became white like unto the Nephites;

16 And their young men and their daughters became exceedingly fair, and they were numbered among the Nephites, and were called Nephites. And thus ended the thirteenth year.

Comments

Verse 15 notes that the Lamanites’ “skin became white like unto the Nephites.” This creates the antithesis of God causing “a skin of blackness to come upon [the Lamanites]” (2 Nephi 5:21). The contrast between white and black is intentional and should not be confused with skin pigmentation (see the comments on 2 Nephi 5:20–21).

Note the timing of this change. In verse 12, we have previously converted Lamanites. They were converted by Nephi₂ well over a decade before. They had not only been righteous, but they were so righteous that they could send a prophet, Samuel, to preach to the Nephites. They do not become “white” until they “did unite with their brethren, the Nephites.” Thus, it appears that “whiteness” is associated with being politically Nephite. The Lamanites and Nephites united against a common foe. The Lamanites are still considered righteous, and Mormon told us in verse 10 of this chapter that the Nephites “did still remain in wickedness.”

The “whiteness” appears only when the Lamanites were “numbered among the Nephites.” The terms are simply further markers of an in-group versus an out-group. There is no relationship here to skin pigmentation.

Nephites on the Brink of Destruction

3 Nephi 2:17–19

17 And it came to pass in the commencement of the fourteenth year, the war between the robbers and the people of Nephi did continue and did become exceedingly sore; nevertheless, the people of Nephi did gain some advantage of the robbers, insomuch that they did drive them back out of their lands into the mountains and into their secret places.

18 And thus ended the fourteenth year. And in the fifteenth year they did come forth against the people of Nephi; and because of the wickedness of the people of Nephi, and their many contentions and dissensions, the Gadianton robbers did gain many advantages over them.

19 And thus ended the fifteenth year, and thus were the people in a state of many afflictions; and the sword of destruction did hang over them, insomuch that they were about to be smitten down by it, and this because of their iniquity.

Comments

The war with the Gadiantons heats up, and each side has its small victories. Nevertheless, Mormon prepares his audience for his upcoming message: “the sword of destruction did hang over them, insomuch that they were about to be smitten down by it, and this because of their iniquity.” The Nephites still have not fully come to live by their covenants, and therefore they are forfeiting the promise of protection that is part of the covenant of the land.

This chapter does end a chapter in the 1830 edition.