The Smaller Plates of Nephi containing the sacred annals of Nephi's people were not entirely filled with engravings until about 200 years before Christ. They were started by Nephi between 570-550 B.C. But the history they contain goes back to the time when Lehi left Jerusalem, or 600 B.C. So in reality they contain the history of God's dealings with that branch of the House of Israel for about four hundred years.
When Nephi died, he transferred these sacred records to the care of his brother, Jacob. From then until Moroni finally hid them in the Hill Cumorah, they continued in the hands of four families, who had charge of them as near as can be told from the abridgment. We may summarize as follows: Jacob and his descendants held them from 546 B.C. to about 200 B.C., when they were transferred to King Benjamin. He, with his son, Mosiah, held them until 91 B.C., at which time they were given into the care of Alma, the Chief Judge. Alma and his posterity retained them until 320 years after the advent of the Messiah. After these, Mormon and Moroni were the custodians until the close of the record in the year A.D. 420.
Here are the facts concerning the custodianship of the sacred plates from the foregoing statement of the Prophet Mormon. Beginning with Amaleki, he gave the plates to King Benjamin about 200 B.C. Of King Benjamin, we read "... that when King Benjamin had made an end of all these things, and had consecrated his son Mosiah to be a ruler and a king over his people, and he had given him all the charges concerning the kingdom ..." (Mosiah 28:20) This was in 91 B.C.
Alma, about seventeen years later, entrusted the plates to his son, Helaman. It is recorded in the Book of Alma, 37:1-2, "And now, my son Helaman, I command you that ye take the records which have been entrusted with me; And I also command you that you keep a record of this people, according as I have done, upon the Plates of Nephi, and keep all these things sacred which I have kept, even as I have kept them; for it is for a wise purpose that they are kept."
In the year 544 of the Nephite Annals, or fifty-seven years before the birth of Christ, Helaman died, and Shiblon, his brother, we are told, "...took possession of these sacred things which had been delivered unto Helaman by Alma." (Alma 63:1)
Four years later, or 53 B.C., Shiblon died, and, "It became expedient for Shiblon to confer those sacred things, before his death, upon the son of Helaman, being called after the name of his father." (Alma 63:11)
In 39 B.C., "Helaman died, and his eldest son Nephi began to reign in his stead." (Hel. 3:37) Of him it is written:
And Nephi, the son of Helaman, had departed out of the land of Zarahemla, giving charge to his son Nephi, who was his eldest son, concerning the plates of brass, and all the records which had been kept, and all those things which had been kept sacred from the departure of Lehi out of Jerusalem. Then he departed out of the land, and whither he went, no man knoweth; and his son Nephi did keep the records in his stead, yea, the record of this people. (3 Ne. 1:2-3)
Nephi, the son of Nephi and the grandson of Helaman, thus, shortly before the birth of the Savior in Bethlehem of Judea, received the Sacred Records with instructions as to their care. This second Nephi was chosen by the Risen Redeemer to be a member of the Twelve whom He named. Nephi, the second, kept the plates in his possession until after the glorious appearing of the Savior, when he gave them into the care of his son, who was also named Nephi. He, presumably, was a young man at that time, for he kept them seventy-six years, or until A.D. 110, when a son, named Amos received them. "And he kept it eighty and four years,"..."and he kept it upon the plates of Nephi also." ( 19)
And it came to pass that Amos died also (and it was an hundred and ninety and four years from the coming of Christ) and his son Amos kept the record in his stead; and he also kept the record upon the plates of Nephi;...(4 1 Ne. 21)
And it came to pass that after three hundred and five years had passed away, (and the people did still remain in wickedness) Amos died; and his brother, Ammaron, did keep the records in his stead. (4 Ne. 47)
Ammaron hid up all the plates in the Hill Shim. (Morm. 1:2-3)
Mormon obtained the plates as Ammaron had directed. (Morm. 4:23)
Mormon hid all the records in the Hill Cumorah, save the abridged ones, which he gave to his son, Moroni. (Morm. 6:6)
Moroni said, "I am the son of Mormon.... And I am the same who hideth up this record unto the Lord; ..." (Moro. 10:2)
The following are the names of the Nephite historians, with the times during which they held the plates. Where a blank space is noted, the information is not given in the Book of Mormon, and therefore can only be guessed at, which we choose not to do.
Nephi, from ___ to 546 B.C.
Jacob, from 546 to ___.
Enos, from ___ to 422.
Jarom, from 422 to 362.
Omni, from 362 to 318.
Amaron, from 318 to 280.
Chemish, from 280 to ___.
Abinadom, from ___ to ___.
Amaleki, from ___ to 200 (circa).
King Benjamin, from 200 to 125.
King Mosiah, from 125 to 91.
Alma, the Younger, from 91 to 73.
Helaman, the Elder, from 73 to 57.
Shiblon, from 57 to 53.
Helaman, the Younger, from 53 to 39.
Nephi, from 39 to 1.
Nephi, the Disciple, from 1 to A.D. 34.
Nephi, the son of the Disciple, 34 to 110.
Amos, from 110 to 194.
Amos, the Younger, from 194 to 306.
Ammaron, from 306 to 320.
Mormon, from 320 to 385.
Moroni, from 385 to 420. Record closes.