Plates of Nephi
Encyclopedia
According to the Book of Mormon
, the plates of Nephi, consisting of the large plates of Nephi and the small plates of Nephi, are a portion of the collection of inscribed metal plates which make up the record of the Nephites
. This record was later abridged by Mormon
and inscribed onto gold plates
from which Joseph Smith translated the Book of Mormon after he discovered them on a hill near the town of Palmyra, New York.
Palaeographic
study of plates are not possible, according to Joseph Smith those golden objects were returned to an angel, named Moroni, and are not in human possession.
: "I make an abridgment of the record of my father, upon plates which I have made with mine own hands; wherefore, after I have abridged the record of my father then will I make an account of mine own life." Nephi's father, Lehi
, was also a prophet who, after prophesying of the destruction of Jerusalem, left with members of his extended family around 600 BC and was eventually directed to the New World. Nephi was commanded to make two sets of plates: A small set of plates "for the special purpose that there should be an account engraven of the ministry of my people," and "the other plates are for the more part of the reign of the kings and the wars and contentions of my people." These plates, as well as other records made and found by Nephi's people were handed down from generation to generation.
delivered the plates to Benjamin
, king of Zarahemla
, who "put them with the other plates, which contained records which had been handed down by the kings" . Amaleki's last writing was to state that the small plates were full and from this point there were no further additions to the small plates. Mormon did not abridge the small plates of Nephi but he did include them in the records he gave to his son Moroni .
The first six books of the Book of Mormon, from First Nephi
to Omni
are said to be a translation of the small plates of Nephi.
, seeing that the destruction of the Nephite nation was imminent, abridged the large plates of Nephi. This abridgement, with additions by Mormon's son, Moroni
, was part of the set of gold plates Moroni delivered to Joseph Smith.
The books within the Book of Mormon from The Words of Mormon
to Fourth Nephi
, are taken from Mormon's abridgment of the large plates. Although the large plates were intended for the more secular history of the Nephites, it is obvious from the version available in the Book of Mormon that there was a good deal of spiritual content as well, including sermons, prophecies and moral lessons. Some periods of time are covered in more detail than others, in particular a series of wars between the Nephites and the Lamanites in the Book of Alma
. Whether the uneven coverage is a reflection of the original record or is an artifact of Mormon's abridgement is not clear from the text.
While translating the gold plates, Joseph Smith reluctantly allowed his associate, Martin Harris, to take the entirety of the translation to that point, 116 manuscript pages, to show to Harris's wife and her family, to convince them that his (Harris's) financial support of Smith was worthwhile. Although strictly charged to ensure its safety, Harris lost the manuscript. The lost portion, part of the large plates of Nephi, contained Nephi's record of his father, Lehi's, ministry and was known as The Book of Lehi. Joseph Smith recorded, in the Doctrine and Covenants
, sections 3 and 10, that the Lord instructed him not to re-translate the portion of the book that was lost but to continue forward.
In place of the lost Book of Lehi, the translation from the small plates of Nephi was used, which covered the same time period. Both Nephi and Mormon recorded that the small plates were made for a "wise purpose" that was known to the Lord. The aforementioned sections of the Doctrine and Covenants (D&C 3, D&C 10) state that the loss of the Book of Lehi was foreseen by the Lord and that it was for this purpose that the small plates were provided.
, Sword of Laban, the Plates of Nephi, Liahona, Plates of Ether
, other records engraven on metal plates, and at least one record engraven upon stone were passed down from generation to generation. Each generation had one caretaker who was responsible for these items, mostly records; caretaker for more than their own record(s). Here is the list of caretakers, according to the Book of Mormon:
Book of Mormon
The Book of Mormon is a sacred text of the Latter Day Saint movement that adherents believe contains writings of ancient prophets who lived on the American continent from approximately 2600 BC to AD 421. It was first published in March 1830 by Joseph Smith, Jr...
, the plates of Nephi, consisting of the large plates of Nephi and the small plates of Nephi, are a portion of the collection of inscribed metal plates which make up the record of the Nephites
Record of the Nephites
The phrase record of the Nephites has two distinct but related usages. The primary use is to describe the collection of inscribed metal plates on which the Nephites recorded their history. An abridged version of this record, inscribed on gold plates, was the source of the Book of Mormon, according...
. This record was later abridged by Mormon
Mormon (prophet)
Mormon is believed by followers of Mormonism to have been the narrator of much of the Book of Mormon, a sacred text of the Latter Day Saint movement, which describes him as a prophet-historian and a member of a tribe of indigenous Americans known as the Nephites...
and inscribed onto gold plates
Golden Plates
According to Latter Day Saint belief, the golden plates are the source from which Joseph Smith, Jr. translated the Book of Mormon, a sacred text of the faith...
from which Joseph Smith translated the Book of Mormon after he discovered them on a hill near the town of Palmyra, New York.
Palmyra (town), New York
Palmyra is a town in Wayne County, New York, USA. The population was 7,672 at the 2000 census. The town is named after the ancient city Palmyra in Syria....
Palaeographic
Palaeography
Palaeography, also spelt paleography is the study of ancient writing. Included in the discipline is the practice of deciphering, reading, and dating historical manuscripts, and the cultural context of writing, including the methods with which writing and books were produced, and the history of...
study of plates are not possible, according to Joseph Smith those golden objects were returned to an angel, named Moroni, and are not in human possession.
Origins
According to the Book of Mormon prophet NephiNephi
According to the Book of Mormon, Nephi was the son of Lehi, a prophet, founder of the Nephite people, and author of the first two books of the Book of Mormon, First and Second Nephi.- Early life :Nephi was the fourth of six sons of Lehi and Sariah...
: "I make an abridgment of the record of my father, upon plates which I have made with mine own hands; wherefore, after I have abridged the record of my father then will I make an account of mine own life." Nephi's father, Lehi
Lehi (Book of Mormon prophet)
According to the Book of Mormon, Lehi was a prophet who lived in Jerusalem during the reign of king Zedekiah . Lehi was an Israelite of the Tribe of Manasseh, and father to Nephi, another prominent prophet in the Book of Mormon...
, was also a prophet who, after prophesying of the destruction of Jerusalem, left with members of his extended family around 600 BC and was eventually directed to the New World. Nephi was commanded to make two sets of plates: A small set of plates "for the special purpose that there should be an account engraven of the ministry of my people," and "the other plates are for the more part of the reign of the kings and the wars and contentions of my people." These plates, as well as other records made and found by Nephi's people were handed down from generation to generation.
Small plates
After Nephi had begun the large plates, he was instructed by the Lord to make another set of plates to record "the ministry and the prophecies, the more plain and precious parts of them." These smaller plates were kept by Nephi's descendants until about 150 BC, when the prophet AmalekiAmaleki
According to the Book of Mormon, Amaleki was a Nephite record keeper . He received the Plates of Nephi from his father Abinadom, and penned 18 verses in the Book of Omni...
delivered the plates to Benjamin
King Benjamin
According to the Book of Mormon, King Benjamin, son of King Mosiah the first, was the second Nephite king to rule over Zarahemla. An account of his life and teachings are recorded in both the Words of Mormon and the Book of Mosiah...
, king of Zarahemla
Zarahemla
Zarahemla is the name of a prominent land, a capital city, and a leader in the Book of Mormon. The Book of Mormon is revered by members of various Latter Day Saint churches as sacred scripture....
, who "put them with the other plates, which contained records which had been handed down by the kings" . Amaleki's last writing was to state that the small plates were full and from this point there were no further additions to the small plates. Mormon did not abridge the small plates of Nephi but he did include them in the records he gave to his son Moroni .
The first six books of the Book of Mormon, from First Nephi
First Book of Nephi
The First Book of Nephi is the first book of the Book of Mormon. Its full title is The First Book of Nephi: His Reign and Ministry. The book is usually referred to as First Nephi and abbreviated as "1 Ne.". It is a first-person narrative, beginning around 600 BC, of a prophet named Nephi...
to Omni
Book of Omni
The Book of Omni is one of the books that make up the Book of Mormon. The book contains only one chapter although it covers more than two centuries of Nephite history ....
are said to be a translation of the small plates of Nephi.
Large plates
Joseph Smith said the large plates of Nephi were continually maintained until about AD 385, when the prophet MormonMormon (prophet)
Mormon is believed by followers of Mormonism to have been the narrator of much of the Book of Mormon, a sacred text of the Latter Day Saint movement, which describes him as a prophet-historian and a member of a tribe of indigenous Americans known as the Nephites...
, seeing that the destruction of the Nephite nation was imminent, abridged the large plates of Nephi. This abridgement, with additions by Mormon's son, Moroni
Moroni (prophet)
The Angel Moroni is an angel that Joseph Smith, Jr. said visited him on numerous occasions, beginning on September 21, 1823. According to Smith, the angel was the guardian of the golden plates, which Latter Day Saints believe were the source material for the Book of Mormon, buried in a hill near...
, was part of the set of gold plates Moroni delivered to Joseph Smith.
The books within the Book of Mormon from The Words of Mormon
Words of Mormon
The Words of Mormon is one of the books that make up the Book of Mormon. It consists of a single chapter of eighteen verses. According to the text, it is a comment inserted by the prophet Mormon while compiling the records which became the Book of Mormon....
to Fourth Nephi
Fourth Nephi
Fourth Nephi is one of the books of the Book of Mormon. Its full title is Fourth Nephi: The Book of Nephi, Who Is the Son of Nephi, One of the Disciples of Jesus Christ...
, are taken from Mormon's abridgment of the large plates. Although the large plates were intended for the more secular history of the Nephites, it is obvious from the version available in the Book of Mormon that there was a good deal of spiritual content as well, including sermons, prophecies and moral lessons. Some periods of time are covered in more detail than others, in particular a series of wars between the Nephites and the Lamanites in the Book of Alma
Book of Alma
The Book of Alma is one of the books that make up the Book of Mormon. The full title is The Book of Alma: The Son of Alma. The title refers to Alma the Younger, a prophet and "chief judge" of the Nephites.-Historical Outline:...
. Whether the uneven coverage is a reflection of the original record or is an artifact of Mormon's abridgement is not clear from the text.
Book of Lehi
While recording his own history, Nephi mentioned "the record which has been kept by my father" in a few places. Nephi also mentioned that he had made an abridgement of the record of his father at the beginning of his own record.While translating the gold plates, Joseph Smith reluctantly allowed his associate, Martin Harris, to take the entirety of the translation to that point, 116 manuscript pages, to show to Harris's wife and her family, to convince them that his (Harris's) financial support of Smith was worthwhile. Although strictly charged to ensure its safety, Harris lost the manuscript. The lost portion, part of the large plates of Nephi, contained Nephi's record of his father, Lehi's, ministry and was known as The Book of Lehi. Joseph Smith recorded, in the Doctrine and Covenants
Doctrine and Covenants
The Doctrine and Covenants is a part of the open scriptural canon of several denominations of the Latter Day Saint movement...
, sections 3 and 10, that the Lord instructed him not to re-translate the portion of the book that was lost but to continue forward.
In place of the lost Book of Lehi, the translation from the small plates of Nephi was used, which covered the same time period. Both Nephi and Mormon recorded that the small plates were made for a "wise purpose" that was known to the Lord. The aforementioned sections of the Doctrine and Covenants (D&C 3, D&C 10) state that the loss of the Book of Lehi was foreseen by the Lord and that it was for this purpose that the small plates were provided.
Caretakers
The Plates of LabanLaban (Book of Mormon)
Laban was the name of a person in the first part of The Book of Mormon, a scripture of the Latter Day Saint movement. Although he only makes a brief appearance in the narrative, his brass plates would play an important role amongst the Nephites, who are the book's main protagonists.-Laban:In the...
, Sword of Laban, the Plates of Nephi, Liahona, Plates of Ether
Book of Ether
The Book of Ether is one of the books that make up the Book of Mormon. The Book of Ether tells of an ancient people , descendants of Jared and his companions who were led by God to the Americas shortly after the confusion of tongues and the destruction of the Tower of Babel...
, other records engraven on metal plates, and at least one record engraven upon stone were passed down from generation to generation. Each generation had one caretaker who was responsible for these items, mostly records; caretaker for more than their own record(s). Here is the list of caretakers, according to the Book of Mormon:
- NephiNephiAccording to the Book of Mormon, Nephi was the son of Lehi, a prophet, founder of the Nephite people, and author of the first two books of the Book of Mormon, First and Second Nephi.- Early life :Nephi was the fourth of six sons of Lehi and Sariah...
, son of Lehi — The first caretaker of:- Small and Large Plates of Nephi
- Plates and Sword of Laban — Retrieved by Nephi and his brothers in the First Book of NephiFirst Book of NephiThe First Book of Nephi is the first book of the Book of Mormon. Its full title is The First Book of Nephi: His Reign and Ministry. The book is usually referred to as First Nephi and abbreviated as "1 Ne.". It is a first-person narrative, beginning around 600 BC, of a prophet named Nephi...
chapters 3 & 4 - Record of Lehi
- Jacob, son of Lehi — Nephi's brother
- EnosEnos (Book of Mormon)According to the Book of Mormon, Enos, was a son of Jacob, a Nephite prophet and author of the Book of Enos.-Family:-Nephite record keeping:...
, son of Jacob - JaromJaromAccording to the Book of Mormon, Jarom was a Nephite prophet, the son of the prophet Enos, who lived from about 420 BC to about 361 BC. Jarom is thought to have authored the Book of Jarom, which comprises 15 verses in the Book of Mormon....
, son of Enos - Omni, son of Jarom
- AmaronAmaronAccording to the Book of Mormon, Amaron was a Nephite record keeper, who received the Plates of Nephi from his father Omni in 279 BC. He wrote verses four through eight in the Book of Omni. In those verses, Amaron relates that a large portion of the Nephite civilization was destroyed, in...
, son of Omni - ChemishChemishAccording to the Book of Mormon, Chemish was a Nephite record keeper. He received the Book of Mormon record from his brother Amaron, and penned a single verse in the Book of Omni before passing the record to his son Abinadom:...
, son of Omni — brother of Amaron - AbinadomAbinadomAccording to the Book of Mormon, Abinadom was a Nephite record keeper, and the son of Chemish. He received the Plates of Nephi from his father and penned two verses in the Book of Omni before conferring the record to his son, Amaleki....
, son of Chemish - AmalekiAmalekiAccording to the Book of Mormon, Amaleki was a Nephite record keeper . He received the Plates of Nephi from his father Abinadom, and penned 18 verses in the Book of Omni...
, son of Abinadom- Jaredite Record — During the time of MosiahKing Mosiah IAccording to the Book of Mormon, Mosiah I was a Nephite prophet who led the Nephites from the land of Nephi to the land of Zarahemla and was later appointed king. He was the father of King Benjamin, the first of two individuals in the Book of Mormon with that name...
, the NephiteNephiteAccording to the Book of Mormon, a Nephite is a member of one of the four main groups of settlers of the ancient Americas. The other three groups are the Lamanites, Jaredites and Mulekites. In the Book of Mormon, the Nephites were a group of people descended from or associated with Nephi, the...
s fled to the land of ZarahemlaZarahemlaZarahemla is the name of a prominent land, a capital city, and a leader in the Book of Mormon. The Book of Mormon is revered by members of various Latter Day Saint churches as sacred scripture....
and discovered the Mulekites who had found a stone tablet with writing on it. Mosiah interpreted the writings by the power of God, and it turned out to be a record of the people of Jared, more fully recorded in the Book of EtherBook of EtherThe Book of Ether is one of the books that make up the Book of Mormon. The Book of Ether tells of an ancient people , descendants of Jared and his companions who were led by God to the Americas shortly after the confusion of tongues and the destruction of the Tower of Babel...
. - Amaleki was also the last to write on the Small Plates of Nephi.
- Jaredite Record — During the time of Mosiah
- King BenjaminKing BenjaminAccording to the Book of Mormon, King Benjamin, son of King Mosiah the first, was the second Nephite king to rule over Zarahemla. An account of his life and teachings are recorded in both the Words of Mormon and the Book of Mosiah...
, son of King MosiahKing Mosiah IAccording to the Book of Mormon, Mosiah I was a Nephite prophet who led the Nephites from the land of Nephi to the land of Zarahemla and was later appointed king. He was the father of King Benjamin, the first of two individuals in the Book of Mormon with that name...
— Amaleki wrote, "having no seed, and knowing king Benjamin to be a just man before the Lord, wherefore, I shall deliver up these plates unto him." - King MosiahKing Mosiah IIAccording to the Book of Mormon, Mosiah II, King Benjamin's son and Mosiah I's grandson, was king of the Nephite nation from about 124 BC to 91 BC. The Book of Mosiah is named after Mosiah II.-Accounts:...
, son of King Benjamin — Besides caretaking of the records, Mosiah added two sets of records returned by Ammon and the people of ZeniffZeniffZeniff is a minor but pivotal person in the Book of Mormon. He is a Nephite. He left Zarahemla with a group of Nephites to go to the land of Nephi. This is remarkable since the Nephites had previously abandoned the land of Nephi. At the time of Zeniff's journey to the land of Nephi, it was...
:- The Record of ZeniffThe Record of ZeniffIn the Book of Mormon, chapters 9 through 22 of the Book of Mosiah are identified as The Record of Zeniff. These chapters contain the story of a group of Nephites, led by Zeniff, who leave the land of Zarahemla and return to their former land, known as the land of Nephi, which was then occupied by...
- Plates of Ether that had been recovered by the people of Zeniff.
- The Record of Zeniff
- AlmaAlma the YoungerAccording to the Book of Mormon, Alma, the son of Alma was a Nephite prophet often referred to as "Alma the Younger" to distinguish him from his father, who is often referred to as "Alma the Elder"...
son of AlmaAlma the ElderAccording to the Book of Mormon, Alma was a Nephite prophet who established the Church of Jesus Christ in the Americas during the reign of the wicked King Noah... - HelamanHelamanAccording to the Book of Mormon, Helaman was a Nephite prophet and soldier who lived around the 1st century BC. He is perhaps best known in LDS theology for leading into battle an army of two thousand young warriors, which he referred to as his two thousand sons...
, son of Alma - ShiblonShiblonAccording to the Book of Mormon, Shiblon was a Nephite missionary and record-keeper. He was the second son of Alma the Younger, who was the first chief judge...
, son of Alma — Helaman had died without naming a caretaker successor. - Helaman, son of HelamanHelaman, son of HelamanAccording to the Book of Mormon, Helaman, son of Helaman, was a Nephite prophet who lived around 30 BC. His father was Helaman, son of Alma, who was also a prophet and military commander. The younger of Helaman's sons include the missionaries Nephi and Lehi.-Family tree:...
— nephew of Shiblon - Nephi, son of HelamanNephi, son of HelamanAccording to the Book of Mormon Nephi , along with his brother Lehi, was a Nephite missionary. His father was Helaman, and his sons include two of the twelve Nephite disciples at the time that Christ visited the Americas. -Known genealogy:...
— No record of when he became the caretaker. - NephiNephi the DiscipleAccording to the Book of Mormon, Nephi was the name of the son of Nephi, son of Helaman, who was given charge over the Nephite records and other sacred things. He was the prophet during the birth and death of Christ...
, son of Nephi - Nephi the DiscipleNephi the DiscipleAccording to the Book of Mormon, Nephi was the name of the son of Nephi, son of Helaman, who was given charge over the Nephite records and other sacred things. He was the prophet during the birth and death of Christ...
, — No record of when he became the caretaker. - Amos, son of NephiAmos, son of NephiAccording to the Book of Mormon, Amos was a Nephite record keeper and son of Nephi the Disciple. Amos had custody of the Nephite records for 84 years, from approximately AD 110 to 194...
- Amos, son of AmosAmos, son of AmosAccording to the Book of Mormon, Amos was a Nephite record keeper. His father was Amos, and his grandfather was Nephi the Disciple. Mormon is thought to have abridged his record which consists of 26 verses in the Book of 4th Nephi...
- AmmaronAmmaronAccording to the Book of Mormon, Ammaron was a Nephite record-keeper and perhaps a prophet...
, son of Amos — brother of Amos, son of Amos.- "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."
- MormonMormon (prophet)Mormon is believed by followers of Mormonism to have been the narrator of much of the Book of Mormon, a sacred text of the Latter Day Saint movement, which describes him as a prophet-historian and a member of a tribe of indigenous Americans known as the Nephites...
, son of Mormon- When Mormon was ten years old, Ammaron told him where to find the records that had been hidden.
- Mormon waited until he was twenty-four years old (as instructed) to retrieve the records.
- Plates of MormonGolden PlatesAccording to Latter Day Saint belief, the golden plates are the source from which Joseph Smith, Jr. translated the Book of Mormon, a sacred text of the faith...
— Made his own plates where he abridged the previous records and that he later passed down to his son Moroni.
- MoroniMoroni (prophet)The Angel Moroni is an angel that Joseph Smith, Jr. said visited him on numerous occasions, beginning on September 21, 1823. According to Smith, the angel was the guardian of the golden plates, which Latter Day Saints believe were the source material for the Book of Mormon, buried in a hill near...
, son of Mormon
External links
- A Brief Explanation of the Book of Mormon on the lds.org website
- Book of Mormon Movie "The Journey" (Google video)
- Book of Mormon Plates and Records by Grant R. Hardy and Robert E. Parsons