MormonChapter1

And now I, Mormon, make a record of the things which I have both seen and heard, and call it the Book of Mormon.

I, Mormon, am making a record of the things I have both seen and heard, and I call it the Book of Mormon.

And about the time that Ammaron hid up the records unto the Lord, he came unto me, (I being about ten years of age, and I began to be learned somewhat after the manner of the learning of my people) and Ammaron said unto me: I perceive that thou art a sober child, and art quick to observe;

About the time Ammaron hid the records away for the Lord, he came to me. I was about ten years old then, and I had begun to be taught something of the learning of my people. And Ammaron said to me, "I perceive that you are a sober child, and are quick to observe.

Therefore, when ye are about twenty and four years old I would that ye should remember the things that ye have observed concerning this people; and when ye are of that age go to the land Antum, unto a hill which shall be called Shim; and there have I deposited unto the Lord all the sacred engravings concerning this people.

So when you are about twenty-four years old, I want you to remember the things you have observed about this people. And when you are that age, go to the land of Antum, to a hill that will be called Shim; and there I have entrusted to the Lord all the sacred engravings about this people.

And behold, ye shall take the plates of Nephi unto yourself, and the remainder shall ye leave in the place where they are; and ye shall engrave on the plates of Nephi all the things that ye have observed concerning this people.

Take the plates of Nephi for yourself, and leave the rest in the place where they are; and engrave on the plates of Nephi everything you have observed about this people."

And I, Mormon, being a descendant of Nephi, (and my father’s name was Mormon) I remembered the things which Ammaron commanded me.

I, Mormon, am a descendant of Nephi, and my father's name was Mormon too. And I remembered what Ammaron had commanded me.

And it came to pass that I, being eleven years old, was carried by my father into the land southward, even to the land of Zarahemla.

When I was eleven, my father took me down into the land southward, all the way to the land of Zarahemla.

The whole face of the land had become covered with buildings, and the people were as numerous almost, as it were the sand of the sea.

The whole face of the land had been covered over with buildings, and the people were almost as many as the sand of the sea.

And it came to pass in this year there began to be a war between the Nephites, who consisted of the Nephites and the Jacobites and the Josephites and the Zoramites; and this war was between the Nephites, and the Lamanites and the Lemuelites and the Ishmaelites.

That year a war broke out between the Nephites and the Lamanites. On the one side were the Nephites, the Jacobites, the Josephites, and the Zoramites; on the other were the Lamanites, the Lemuelites, and the Ishmaelites.

Now the Lamanites and the Lemuelites and the Ishmaelites were called Lamanites, and the two parties were Nephites and Lamanites.

Now the Lamanites, the Lemuelites, and the Ishmaelites were all called Lamanites, so the two sides were simply Nephites and Lamanites.

And it came to pass that the war began to be among them in the borders of Zarahemla, by the waters of Sidon.

The war began on the borders of Zarahemla, by the waters of Sidon.

And it came to pass that the Nephites had gathered together a great number of men, even to exceed the number of thirty thousand. And it came to pass that they did have in this same year a number of battles, in which the Nephites did beat the Lamanites and did slay many of them.

The Nephites had gathered a large army, more than thirty thousand men. And that same year they fought a number of battles, in which the Nephites beat the Lamanites and killed many of them.

And it came to pass that the Lamanites withdrew their design, and there was peace settled in the land; and peace did remain for the space of about four years, that there was no bloodshed.

Then the Lamanites gave up their plan, and peace settled over the land. It held for about four years, and there was no bloodshed.

But wickedness did prevail upon the face of the whole land, insomuch that the Lord did take away his beloved disciples, and the work of miracles and of healing did cease because of the iniquity of the people.

But wickedness took hold of the whole land, until the Lord took away his beloved disciples, and the work of miracles and of healing stopped because of the sin of the people.

And there were no gifts from the Lord, and the Holy Ghost did not come upon any, because of their wickedness and unbelief.

There were no gifts from the Lord, and the Holy Ghost came to no one, because of their wickedness and unbelief.

And I, being fifteen years of age and being somewhat of a sober mind, therefore I was visited of the Lord, and tasted and knew of the goodness of Jesus.

And I, being fifteen years old and of a somewhat sober mind, was visited by the Lord, and I tasted and knew the goodness of Jesus.

And I did endeavor to preach unto this people, but my mouth was shut, and I was forbidden that I should preach unto them; for behold they had wilfully rebelled against their God; and the beloved disciples were taken away out of the land, because of their iniquity.

I tried to preach to this people, but my mouth was shut, and I was forbidden to preach to them, because they had willfully rebelled against their God; and the beloved disciples had been taken out of the land because of their wickedness.

But I did remain among them, but I was forbidden to preach unto them, because of the hardness of their hearts; and because of the hardness of their hearts the land was cursed for their sake.

I stayed among them, but I was not allowed to preach to them, because of the hardness of their hearts; and because of the hardness of their hearts the land itself was cursed for their sake.

And these Gadianton robbers, who were among the Lamanites, did infest the land, insomuch that the inhabitants thereof began to hide up their treasures in the earth; and they became slippery, because the Lord had cursed the land, that they could not hold them, nor retain them again.

And the Gadianton robbers, who were among the Lamanites, infested the land, until the people living there began to bury their treasures in the ground. And the treasures became slippery, because the Lord had cursed the land, so that they could not hold on to them or get them back.

And it came to pass that there were sorceries, and witchcrafts, and magics; and the power of the evil one was wrought upon all the face of the land, even unto the fulfilling of all the words of Abinadi, and also Samuel the Lamanite.

There were sorceries, and witchcrafts, and magic arts, and the power of the evil one was at work across the whole land, fulfilling all the words of Abinadi, and of Samuel the Lamanite.