Omni Chapter 1
Summary: Omni,the son of Jaron, takes over the plates. But he was a wicked man and did not keep the commandments of God. Even so, he kept the plates, and then gave them to his son, Amaron, so that they could be preserved. Amaron, writes about the destruction of the wicked in his generation. He gives the records to his brother Chemish, who wrote very little except to testify that his witnessed his brother writing the thing he has said. The records then pass to Abinadom, the son of Chemish, who writes only a little as well. He basically notes that there have been many wars and contention between the Nephites and the Lamanites. The records then pass to Amaleki, the son off Abinadom. He writes of how a Mosiah, a leader who would become King, was warned to leave the land of Nephi and so he did and eventually came down to the land called Zarahemla.
Mosiah discovers the people of Zarahemla who came from Jerusalem in the days of King Zedekiah (about 13 years after Lehi had left). These people were decedents of Mulek. The people of Mosiah and the people of Zarahemla (the Mulekites) unite and make Mosiah their king. The Mulekites show King Mosiah a stone with writings on it. On the stone, he is able to decipher (through the gift and power of God) the writings of a man Coriantumr, who was the last of the Jaredites, a third group that had come out of the land that was Babylon at the time.
Mosiah grows old and dies, and his son, Benjamin becomes king. Abinadom becomes old, and, having no son, gives his records to King Benjamin.
Lessons Taught/To be Learned: (no specific lessons for this chapter)
Key Scriptures (italicized and in quotes):
"25 ...exhorting all men to come unto God, the Holy One of Israel, and believe in prophesying, and in revelations, and in the ministering of angels, and in the gift of speaking with tongues, and in the gift of interpreting languages, and in all things which are good; for there is nothing which is good save it comes from the Lord: and that which is evil cometh from the devil."
"26 And now, my beloved brethren, I would that ye should come unto Christ, who is the Holy One of Israel, and partake of his salvation, and the power of his redemption. Yea, come unto him, and offer your whole souls as an offering unto him, and continue in fasting and praying, and endure to the end; and as the Lord liveth ye will be saved."