This book is only one chapter long but covers the course of a few hundred years, it has almost a complete summary of the Book of Mormon, in the respects of how a great people fell into destruction. Thats the great lesson we get from the Book of Mormon; a warning of how to not fall into destruction as these people did.
4th Nephi shows us some tips and amazing facts about the people. In verse 2 it says "the people were all converted unto the Lord, upon all the face of the land, both Nephites and Lamanites, and there were no contentions and disputations among them, and every man did deal justly one with another." The whole land was converted! Thats happened so few times in history.
Verse 3 says "And they had all things common among them; therefore there were not rich and poor...but they were all made free and partakers of the heavenly gift." What another amazing statement. This also hasn't happened very often for it seems there is always poor in the land but everybody was rich.
The point here is the Lord is showing us that we can live happier His way than by our own ways. Men without the influence of the Lord, begin to set their hearts on money or things of the world rather than God and His people, and then there are classes, covetousness, pride, lust, and oppression (much like today).
Verses 5,7-10 explains how the people had many miracles wrought and began to build up those cities that were destroyed earlier.
A common theme running in the chapter (and the Book of Mormon) shows that the people had "no contentions", it says that 4 times through out the chapter, in verses 2, 13, 15, and 18. No contentions. How did they avoid their contentions? Verse 15 says "because of the love of God."
Verse 16 says "And there were no envyings, nor strifes, nor tumults, nor whoredoms, nor lyings, nor murders, nor any manner of lasciviousness; and surely there could not be a happier people among all the people who had been created by the hand of God"
The people were happy because of their unity and love of God.
They were so prosperous because of their righteousness. They had everything they could ever want or need because they put the Lord first.
But now the fall.
Verse 24 says they began to be prideful due to their "costly apparel, and all manner of fine pearls, and of the fine things of the world."
Verse 25 says "And from that time forth they did have their goods and their substance no more common among them"
Verse 26 says "And they began to be divided into classes."
Now, they're not about the love of God but the love of "the fine things of the world." Sadly, how often does this happen in societies today! How common a mistake we make. Just like today and just like the whole Book of Mormon; this is a recipe for destruction. The rest of the chapter explains how there were many churches built up, the people began to be completely divided again, the children were taught to hate, their pride grew and the secret works of mafia like people were rampant through out the land.
Let this chapter be a warning to us.
