The Three Nephites

Saints, Service, and Supernatural Legend

Author: Julie Swallow, Christopher James Blythe, Eric A. Eliason, and Jill Terry Rudy

Hundreds of Nephite stories with essays on the genre’s place in the lives of Latter-day Saints

Cloth – $110

978-0-252-04683-4

Paper – $27.95

978-0-252-08892-6

eBook – $14.95

978-0-252-04836-4

Publication Date

Paperback: 10/07/2025
Cloth: 10/07/2025

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About the Book

Stories of encounters with the Three Nephites, immortal saint-like figures, dominate the folklore of the Latter-day Saint tradition. The authors of this volume use hundreds of legends collected by the renowned folklorist William A. Wilson from across a lifetime of research, study, and interviews to focus on the different themes exhibited by the Three Nephites and show that LDS culture, beliefs, and values are embodied by and through the Three Nephites.

Each chapter focuses on a different theme from Three Nephites lore. “Vanishing Hitchhiker Nephites” addresses stories of the Nephites’ travels. “The Worldwide End of the World” considers the Nephites as harbingers of the Second Coming. “Proclaiming-the-Gospel Stories” examines the interactions of the Three Nephites with missionaries. “Mix-ups, High Jinks, and Jokes” explores Nephite stories aimed at getting laughs. “That Your Joy Might Be Full” analyzes the types of service the Three Nephites render and reflects on the connection to the Church’s injunction to serve others.

A one-of-a-kind collection, The Three Nephites allows readers to see the extent that this supernatural legend has played in Latter-day Saint lore.

About the Author

Julie Swallow is a teaching and learning consultant at Brigham Young University. Christopher James Blythe is an assistant professor of English at Brigham Young University. Eric A. Eliason is a professor of English at Brigham Young University. Jill Terry Rudy is an associate professor of English at Brigham Young University.

Reviews

“Based on a massive engaging and eclectic collection of narratives, The Three Nephites is a fascinating scholarly examination of the Three Nephites narrative tradition. Those interested in the stories themselves will not be disappointed by the vast and varied narrative content, but neither will those hoping for serious and insightful folkloristic, historical, and religious, analysis of this persistent and yet dynamic tradition. The authors have done credit to Bert Wilson’s remarkable collection and to the moving and sometimes quirky Nephite tradition.”
—Diane E. Goldstein, author of Once Upon a Virus: AIDS Legends and Vernacular Risk Perception