From Lehi to Moroni

1 Six hundred years before Jesus Christ was born, Lehi and his family were told by the Lord to leave Jerusalem. (1 Ne. 2:2.)

2 They traveled through the wilderness to the sea, where they were instructed to build a ship and to sail to the promised land (America). (1 Ne. 17:4, 5, 8; 1 Ne. 18:23.)

3 In America those people who followed the teachings of Lehi’s son Nephi were called Nephites. (2 Ne. 5:6–9; Jacob 1:14.)

4 Followers of Laman, another of Lehi’s sons, were called Lamanites. Because of their wickedness, the Lord caused their skins to darken. (2 Ne. 5:20–21; Jacob 1:14.)

5 When the people were righteous, God blessed them and there was peace. When they were wicked, they were not blessed and had many wars. (Omni 1:1–7.)

6 Jesus Christ visited America and taught the multitudes after He was resurrected. (3 Ne. 11:3–10.)

7 Jesus chose disciples and gave them authority to lead His church. He showed them what they must do. Then He blessed the people before He left them. (3 Ne. 18:36–39.)

8 The people lived in peace and prospered for 200 years because of their obedience to Jesus’ teachings. (4 Ne. 1:1–23.)

9 Then pride and wickedness crept in, and they began to deny Christ and fight against each other until many of them were killed. (4 Ne. 1:24–49.)

10 Mormon, a Nephite leader, was charged with the safekeeping of the plates upon which the prophets had written. He later gave the plates to his son Moroni. (Morm. 6:6.)

11 Moroni, the only one of the Nephites who was not killed, wrote on the plates what happened to his people. Afterward he hid the plates in the hill we know as Cumorah. (Morm. 8:1–4.)