4 Nephi 1

Take His Name

Jesus — Jehovah is salvation; Christ — the Anointed One

And it came to pass that the thirty and fourth year passed away, and also the thirty and fifth, and behold the disciples of Jesus had formed a church of Christ in all the lands round about. And as many as did come unto them, and did truly repent of their sins, were baptized in the name of Jesus; and they did also receive the Holy Ghost. 4 Nephi 1:1

The church is called by Christ's name and people are baptized in the name of Jesus, just as He commanded when He visited them. His name is placed on His people through baptism.

How we know: the verse itself names Him · a Church study aid lists it

• fulfils 3 Nephi 27:7-8 — Christ commanded that His church be called in His name.
• fulfils 3 Nephi 11:23-27 — Christ gave the instruction to baptize in His name.

Faith in Christ

And it came to pass in the thirty and sixth year, the people were all converted unto the Lord, upon all the face of the land, both Nephites and Lamanites, and there were no contentions and disputations among them, and every man did deal justly one with another. 4 Nephi 1:2

Just after Christ's own visit, 'the Lord' they turned to is the risen Jesus. Coming to Him made the whole society one, without contention.

• alludes to 3 Nephi 11:10-11 — The Lord they were converted to had just shown Himself to them as Jesus Christ.

Grace

And they had all things common among them; therefore there were not rich and poor, bond and free, but they were all made free, and partakers of the heavenly gift. 4 Nephi 1:3

The 'heavenly gift' is a Book of Mormon phrase tied to Christ showing Himself to the world so that people could share in what He offers. Being 'made free' echoes the freedom He gives.

• alludes to Ether 12:8 — Christ showed Himself so that others could be partakers of the heavenly gift.
• alludes to Hebrews 6:4 — The same phrase: those who 'tasted of the heavenly gift.'

Take His Name

Jesus — Jehovah is salvation

And there were great and marvelous works wrought by the disciples of Jesus, insomuch that they did heal the sick, and raise the dead, and cause the lame to walk, and the blind to receive their sight, and the deaf to hear; and all manner of miracles did they work among the children of men; and in nothing did they work miracles save it were in the name of Jesus. 4 Nephi 1:5

The disciples heal, raise the dead, and restore sight by acting in Jesus' name alone. The power belongs to Him, not to them.

How we know: the verse itself names Him

• alludes to John 14:12-14 — Jesus promised that those who believe would do works in His name.

Jesus Christ

And they did not walk any more after the performances and ordinances of the law of Moses; but they did walk after the commandments which they had received from their Lord and their God, continuing in fasting and prayer, and in meeting together oft both to pray and to hear the word of the Lord. 4 Nephi 1:12

The law of Moses pointed to Christ and was fulfilled in Him. So the people stopped the old performances and kept the commandments of their Lord and God, the same Jesus who taught them.

• alludes to 3 Nephi 15:4-5 — Christ declared that the law given to Moses was fulfilled in Him.
• alludes to 3 Nephi 9:17 — 'In me is the law of Moses fulfilled.'

Jesus

Jesus — Jehovah is salvation

And it came to pass that there was no contention among all the people, in all the land; but there were mighty miracles wrought among the disciples of Jesus. 4 Nephi 1:13

The disciples are known by whose they are: they belong to Jesus, and His power stays with them.

How we know: the verse itself names Him

Jesus

Jesus — Jehovah is salvation

And it came to pass that the seventy and first year passed away, and also the seventy and second year, yea, and in fine, till the seventy and ninth year had passed away; yea, even an hundred years had passed away, and the disciples of Jesus, whom he had chosen, had all gone to the paradise of God, save it were the three who should tarry; and there were other disciples ordained in their stead; and also many of that generation had passed away. 4 Nephi 1:14

Jesus chose the twelve Nephite disciples and promised three of them they would stay on earth until He comes again. This verse shows His promise holding true a century later.

How we know: the verse itself names Him

• fulfils 3 Nephi 28:4-9 — Christ's promise that the three would tarry.
• alludes to 3 Nephi 12:1 — Jesus calls and gives power to the twelve He chose.

Take His Name

Christ — the Anointed One

There were no robbers, nor murderers, neither were there Lamanites, nor any manner of -ites; but they were in one, the children of Christ, and heirs to the kingdom of God. 4 Nephi 1:17

Instead of tribal names like Lamanites or Nephites, they were one family: the children of Christ. Through covenant, Christ spiritually begets His people, and they become heirs.

How we know: the verse itself names Him

• alludes to Mosiah 5:7 — King Benjamin: 'ye shall be called the children of Christ.'
• alludes to Galatians 3:28-29 — All are one in Christ and heirs according to the promise.

Christ

Christ — the Anointed One

And how blessed were they! For the Lord did bless them in all their doings; yea, even they were blessed and prospered until an hundred and ten years had passed away; and the first generation from Christ had passed away, and there was no contention in all the land. 4 Nephi 1:18

The Nephites count their generations from Christ's coming. He is the center their whole history is measured from.

How we know: the verse itself names Him

Christ

Christ — the Anointed One

And it came to pass that Amos died also, (and it was an hundred and ninety and four years from the coming of Christ) and his son Amos kept the record in his stead; and he also kept it upon the plates of Nephi; and it was also written in the book of Nephi, which is this book. 4 Nephi 1:21

The calendar itself testifies of Christ, because years are counted from His coming.

How we know: the verse itself names Him

• alludes to 3 Nephi 2:8 — The Nephites began counting time from the sign of Christ's coming.

Christ

Christ — the Anointed One

And now I, Mormon, would that ye should know that the people had multiplied, insomuch that they were spread upon all the face of the land, and that they had become exceedingly rich, because of their prosperity in Christ. 4 Nephi 1:23

Mormon says their prosperity came from being 'in Christ.' Their blessings came through Him, which makes the pride that follows even more tragic.

How we know: the verse itself names Him

Christ

Christ — the Anointed One

And they began to be divided into classes; and they began to build up churches unto themselves to get gain, and began to deny the true church of Christ. 4 Nephi 1:26

The true church is His church, called by His name. Churches built for money turn away from Him.

How we know: the verse itself names Him

• alludes to 3 Nephi 27:8-10 — Christ's test of His true church: called in His name and built on His gospel.

Sacrament

Christ — the Anointed One

And it came to pass that when two hundred and ten years had passed away there were many churches in the land; yea, there were many churches which professed to know the Christ, and yet they did deny the more parts of his gospel, insomuch that they did receive all manner of wickedness, and did administer that which was sacred unto him to whom it had been forbidden because of unworthiness. 4 Nephi 1:27

These churches claimed to know Christ but threw away most of His gospel. They even gave the sacred emblems to the unworthy, which Christ had forbidden when He gave the sacrament to the Nephites.

How we know: the verse itself names Him

• alludes to 3 Nephi 18:28-29 — Christ forbade letting anyone partake of His flesh and blood unworthily.

Faith in Christ

Christ — the Anointed One

And again, there was another church which denied the Christ; and they did persecute the true church of Christ, because of their humility and their belief in Christ; and they did despise them because of the many miracles which were wrought among them. 4 Nephi 1:29

Belief in Christ separates the persecuted from the persecutors. The true church is hated for its humility and faith in Him.

How we know: the verse itself names Him · a footnote points to Him

Jesus

Jesus — Jehovah is salvation

Therefore they did exercise power and authority over the disciples of Jesus who did tarry with them, and they did cast them into prison; but by the power of the word of God, which was in them, the prisons were rent in twain, and they went forth doing mighty miracles among them. 4 Nephi 1:30–33

The three disciples Jesus kept on earth are protected just as He promised. Prisons, furnaces, and wild beasts cannot harm them.

How we know: the verse itself names Him

• the same event in 3 Nephi 28:19-22 — Mormon's account of the three being thrown into prisons, a furnace, and a den of beasts without harm.
• fulfils 3 Nephi 28:7-9 — Christ's promise that the three would not taste death or suffer pain.

Crucifixion

Jesus — Jehovah is salvation

Nevertheless, and notwithstanding all these miracles, the people did harden their hearts, and did seek to kill them, even as the Jews at Jerusalem sought to kill Jesus, according to his word. 4 Nephi 1:31

The disciples are persecuted just as their Master was, as He said would happen. Their suffering mirrors His rejection and death at Jerusalem.

How we know: the verse itself names Him

• alludes to John 15:20 — 'If they have persecuted me, they will also persecute you.'

Take His Name

Jesus — Jehovah is salvation

Nevertheless, the people did harden their hearts, for they were led by many priests and false prophets to build up many churches, and to do all manner of iniquity. And they did smite upon the people of Jesus; but the people of Jesus did not smite again. And thus they did dwindle in unbelief and wickedness, from year to year, even until two hundred and thirty years had passed away. 4 Nephi 1:34

Believers are called 'the people of Jesus,' and they act like Him by refusing to strike back, just as He taught.

How we know: the verse itself names Him

• alludes to 3 Nephi 12:39 — Christ taught to turn the other cheek.

Faith in Christ

Christ — the Anointed One

And it came to pass that in this year there arose a people who were called the Nephites, and they were true believers in Christ; and among them there were those who were called by the Lamanites—Jacobites, and Josephites, and Zoramites; 4 Nephi 1:36–37

The name 'Nephite' comes back, but now it means those who truly believe in and worship Christ. The dividing line is faith in Him, not family.

How we know: the verse itself names Him

Doctrine of Christ

Christ — the Anointed One

And it came to pass that they who rejected the gospel were called Lamanites, and Lemuelites, and Ishmaelites; and they did not dwindle in unbelief, but they did wilfully rebel against the gospel of Christ; and they did teach their children that they should not believe, even as their fathers, from the beginning, did dwindle. 4 Nephi 1:38

The new 'Lamanites' did not just drift away. They knowingly rebelled against Christ's gospel and taught their children not to believe.

How we know: the verse itself names Him

• alludes to 3 Nephi 27:13-21 — Christ defines 'my gospel.'

Jesus

Jesus — Jehovah is salvation

And it came to pass that the robbers of Gadianton did spread over all the face of the land; and there were none that were righteous save it were the disciples of Jesus. And gold and silver did they lay up in store in abundance, and did traffic in all manner of traffic. 4 Nephi 1:46

When the whole land falls to wickedness, only Jesus' own disciples stay righteous.

How we know: the verse itself names Him

Christ

Christ — the Anointed One

And it came to pass that when three hundred and twenty years had passed away, Ammaron, being constrained by the Holy Ghost, did hide up the records which were sacred—yea, even all the sacred records which had been handed down from generation to generation, which were sacred—even until the three hundred and twentieth year from the coming of Christ. 4 Nephi 1:48

Even as the sacred records are hidden, the date is still counted from Christ's coming.

How we know: the verse itself names Him

Jesus Christ

And he did hide them up unto the Lord, that they might come again unto the remnant of the house of Jacob, according to the prophecies and the promises of the Lord. And thus is the end of the record of Ammaron. 4 Nephi 1:49

The risen Christ Himself promised the Nephites that their record would come back to their descendants in the last days. The Lord whose promises Ammaron trusts is Jesus.

How we know: Jehovah is the premortal Christ (Abraham 1:16; D&C 110:3–4)

• alludes to 3 Nephi 21:2-7 — Christ's promise that these records would come forth to the remnant of Lehi's seed.
• alludes to Enos 1:16 — The Lord covenanted to bring the records forth to the Lamanites.