Mosiah 11:10–12 (renovated between 160 and 150 B.C.)

When king Noah, the unrighteous Nephite king, began his rule in the land of Nephi (between 160 and 150 B.C.), he had many of the buildings rebuilt, including Nephi’s original temple in the city of Nephi. The land and city of Nephi had been abandoned by the Nephites when “as many as would hearken unto the voice of the Lord” journeyed north to the land of Zarahemla under king Mosiah (the first) in about 200 B.C., after the “more wicked part of the Nephites were destroyed” (Omni 1:5–19). The Book of Mormon record states that king Noah’s “workmen [worked] all manner of fine work within the walls of the temple, of fine wood, and of copper, and of brass,” and the seats “he did ornament with pure gold; and he caused a breastwork to be built before them, that they might rest their bodies and their arms upon while they should speak lying and vain words to his people” (Mosiah 11:10–11).

Not unlike the palace and other buildings that king Noah previously built of wood, along with “precious things, of gold, and of silver, and of iron, and of brass, and of ziff, and of copper,” it is not unexpected that the temple renovations were also built of wood and these same listed materials (Mosiah 11:8–9). Stone construction is not mentioned for the temple renovations or for the construction of king Noah’s palace and his other buildings. If Nephi’s original temple were built of stone, one would expect a restoration after 400 years would have required some stone repairs. Clearly “fine wood,” and “copper” and “brass” were the principal building materials in the restoration of this first Nephite temple, with an emphasis on “fine wood” construction.