pgs. 416 and 417...as many as would repent of their sins and enter into a covenant that they would murder no more were set at liberty.

THIRD NEPHI
THE BOOK OF NEPHI
THE SON OF NEPHI, WHO WAS THE SON OF HELAMAN

CHAPTER 5

The Nephites repent and forsake their sins—Mormon writes the history of his people and declares the everlasting word to them—Israel shall be gathered in from her long dispersion. Between A.D. 21 and 26

  1 And now behold, there was not a living soul among all the people of the Nephites who did ^adoubt in the least the words of all the holy prophets who had spoken; for they knew that it must needs be that they must be fulfilled.

  2 And they knew that it must be expedient that Christ had come, because of the many signs which had been given, according to the words of the prophets; and because of the things which had come to pass already they knew that it must needs be that all things should come to pass according to that which had been spoken.

  3 Therefore they did forsake all their sins, and their abominations, and their whoredoms, and did serve God with all diligence day and night.

  4 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 ^aenter into a ^bcovenant that they would murder no more were set at ^cliberty.

  5 But as many as there were who did not enter into a covenant, and who did still continue to have those ^asecret murders in their hearts, yea, as many as were found breathing out threatenings against their brethren were condemned and punished according to the law.

  6 And thus they did put an end to all those wicked, and secret, and abominable combinations, in the which there was so much wickedness, and so many murders committed.

  7 And thus had the ^atwenty and second year passed away, and the twenty and third year also, and the twenty and fourth, and the twenty and fifth; and thus had *twenty and five years passed away.

  8 And there had many things transpired which, in the eyes of some, would be great and marvelous; nevertheless, they cannot all be written in this book; yea, this book cannot contain even a ^ahundredth part of what was done among so many people in the space of twenty and five years;

  9 But behold there are ^arecords which do contain ^ball the proceedings of this people; and a ^cshorter but true account was given by Nephi.

  10 Therefore I have made my ^arecord of these things according to the record of Nephi, which was engraven on the plates which were called the ^bplates of Nephi.

  11 And behold, I do make the record on plates which I have made with mine own hands.

  12 And behold, I am called ^aMormon, being called after the ^bland of Mormon, the land in which Alma did establish the church among the people, yea, the first church which was established among them after their transgression.

  13 Behold, I am a disciple of Jesus Christ, the Son of God. I have been ^acalled of him to declare his word among his people, that they might have everlasting life.

  14 And it hath become expedient that I, according to the will of God, that the prayers of those who have gone hence, who were the holy ones, should be fulfilled according to their faith, should make a^arecord of these things which have been done—

  15 Yea, a ^asmall record of that which hath taken place from the time that Lehi left Jerusalem, even down until the present time.

  16 Therefore I do make my record from the accounts which have been given by those who were before me, until the commencement of my day;

  17 And then I do make a ^arecord of the things which I have seen with mine own eyes.

  18 And I know the record which I make to be a just and a true record; nevertheless there are many things which, according to our ^alanguage, we are not able to ^bwrite.

  19 And now I make an end of my saying, which is of myself, and proceed to give my account of the things which have been before me.

  20 I am Mormon, and a pure ^adescendant of Lehi. I have reason to bless my God and my Savior Jesus Christ, that he brought our fathers out of the land of Jerusalem, (and ^bno one knew it save it were himself and those whom he brought out of that land) and that he hath given me and my people so much knowledge unto the salvation of our souls.

  21 Surely he hath ^ablessed the house of ^bJacob, and hath been ^cmerciful unto the seed of Joseph.

  22 And ^ainsomuch as the children of Lehi have kept his commandments he hath blessed them and prospered them according to his word.

  23 Yea, and surely shall he again bring a ^aremnant of the seed of Joseph to the ^bknowledge of the Lord their God.

  24 And as surely as the Lord liveth, will he ^agather in from the four quarters of the earth all the remnant of the ^bseed of Jacob, who are scattered abroad upon all the face of the earth.

  25 And as he hath ^acovenanted with all the house of Jacob, even so shall the covenant wherewith he hath covenanted with the house of Jacob be fulfilled in his own due time, unto the ^brestoring all the house of Jacob unto the knowledge of the covenant that he hath covenanted with them.

  26 And then shall they ^aknow their Redeemer, who is Jesus Christ, the Son of God; and then shall they be gathered in from the four quarters of the earth unto their own lands, from whence they have been dispersed; yea, as the Lord liveth so shall it be. Amen.

* VERSE 7 (A.D. 21—26).

This is a great commentary on verse five from the Institute Manual.  I enjoy it because it draws a connection between the Book of Mormon society and our own today.

The Nephite approach to the captured Gadianton members was remarkable in light of many trends in our present society. Modern societies expend millions of dollars trying to psychoanalyze and rehabilitate criminals. Notice the twofold approach of the Nephites, who understood that the Gadianton conspiracy posed a real threat to both the government and the Church. The Nephites preached the gospel to the robbers to see if they would be converted. If converted, the Gadiantons were freed—a remarkable bit of jurisprudence in and of itself! If the Gadiantons refused to repent, they “were condemned and punished according to the law” (3 Nephi 5:5).