As filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission
                on May 24, 1996
                                  Registration No. 333- ________

        SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION  
             WASHINGTON, D.C.  20549

                      FORM S-8
 REGISTRATION STATEMENT UNDER THE SECURITIES ACT OF 1933

                  THOMAS NELSON, INC.
  (Exact name of registrant as specified in its charter)

 Tennessee                                           62-0679364
(State or other jurisdiction of                (I.R.S. employer 
incorporation or organization)                identification no.)

 Nelson Place at Elm Hill Pike
 Nashville, Tennessee                                37214-1000
(Address of principal executive offices)             (Zip code)


        THOMAS NELSON, INC. AMENDED AND RESTATED
          1992 EMPLOYEE STOCK INCENTIVE PLAN 
               (Full title of the plan)

                    Joe L. Powers
         Executive Vice President and Secretary 
             Nelson Place at Elm Hill Pike
            Nashville, Tennessee  37214-1000 
         (Name and address of agent for service)

                   (615) 889-9000
(Telephone number, including area code, of agent for service)

                  ----------------

                      Copy To:

              James H. Cheek, III, Esq.
               Bass, Berry & Sims PLC
             2700 First American Center
            Nashville, Tennessee  37238

                  ----------------- 

<TABLE>
           CALCULATION OF REGISTRATION FEE
- --------------------------------------------------------------------------------
<CAPTION>
                                  Proposed
                                  maximum          Proposed  
Title of                          offering         maximum           Amount of
securities to   Amount to be      price per       aggregate         registration
be registered    registered       share (*)    offering price(*)       fee (*) 
- --------------------------------------------------------------------------------
<S>              <C>              <C>            <C>                <C>
Common Stock
or Class B       1,202,500        $12.625        $15,181,563        $5,236.00 
Common Stock   
Shares
================================================================================
</TABLE>

 (*)   Estimated solely for the purpose of determining the amount
of the  registration fee.  Such estimates have been calculated in
accordance with  Rule 457(h) under the Securities Act of 1933, as
amended, and are based upon  the average of the high and low
prices per share of the Common Stock and  Class B Common Stock as
reported on the New York Stock Exchange on May 22, 1996.


<PAGE>
             Registration of Additional Securities

     This  Registration Statement  is filed  pursuant to  General
Instruction  E  of  Form  S-8  for  the  purpose  of  registering
additional  shares of Common Stock, $1.00 par value per share, or
Class  B Common  Stock,  $1.00 par  value  per share,  of  Thomas
Nelson, Inc., a Tennessee corporation (the "Registrant"), for the
Thomas  Nelson, Inc.  Amended  and Restated  1992 Employee  Stock
Incentive Plan.


               Incorporation By Reference
            of Earlier Registration Statement

     The Registration  Statement on  Form S-8 (Registration  File
No. 33-80086)   heretofore  filed  by  the  Registrant  with  the
Securities  and Exchange  Commission on June  13, 1994  is hereby
incorporated by reference herein.


Item 8.  Exhibits


   Exhibit Number                     Description
   --------------                     ------------ 

         5                Opinion of Bass, Berry & Sims PLC

       23.1               Consent of Arthur Andersen LLP 

       23.2               Consent of Bass, Berry & Sims
                             PLC (included in Exhibit 5)

        24                Power of Attorney (included at
                             pages II-2 and II-3)

<PAGE>
                           SIGNATURES


     Pursuant to the requirements of the  Securities Act of 1933,
the  Registrant  certifies  that  it has  reasonable  grounds  to
believe that it meets all of the requirements for filing  on Form
S-8  and has duly caused this Registration Statement to be signed
on its behalf  by the undersigned, thereunto  duly authorized, in
the City  of Nashville, State of  Tennessee, on this 23rd  day of
May, 1996.


                          THOMAS NELSON, INC.


                          By:/s/ Joe L. Powers 
                             ------------------------- 
                              Joe L. Powers
                              Executive Vice President and
                                 Secretary

     KNOW  ALL MEN  BY  THESE PRESENTS,  that  each person  whose
signature appears below hereby constitutes and appoints Sam Moore
and  Joe  L. Powers,  and  each  of  them, his  true  and  lawful
attorneys-in-fact and agents, with full power of substitution and
resubstitution, for him and  in his name, place and stead, in any
and  all capacities,  to  sign any  and  all amendments  to  this
Registration Statement, and to file the same, with the Securities
and Exchange Commission, granting unto said attorneys-in-fact and
agents  full power and authority to do and perform each and every
act and thing requisite and necessary to be done in and about the
premises, as  fully to all  intents and  purposes as he  might or
could do in person, hereby ratifying and confirming all that said
attorneys-in-fact and agents, or their substitute or substitutes,
may lawfully do or cause to be done by virtue hereof.



     Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities  Act of 1933,
this  Registration  Statement  has   been  signed  below  by  the
following persons in the capacities and on the dates indicated.


      Signature               Title                  Date
      ---------               -----                  ----


/s/ Sam Moore           Chairman of the            May 23, 1996  
- ------------------      Board of Directors,
Sam Moore               Chief Executive
                        Officer and
                        President (Principal
                        Executive Officer)

/s/ S. Joseph Moore     Executive Vice             May 23, 1996  
- ------------------      President and
S. Joseph Moore         Director

/s/ Joe L. Powers       Executive Vice             May 23, 1996
- ------------------      President and  
Joe L. Powers           Secretary (Principal
                        Financial and
                        Accounting Officer)

/s/ Brownlee O.         Director                   May 23, 1996 
Currey, Jr. 
- ------------------
Brownlee O. Currey,
 Jr.

/s/ W. Lipscomb         Director                  May 23, 1996 
Davis, Jr.
- ------------------
W. Lipscomb Davis,
 Jr.


      Signature               Title                  Date
      ---------               -----                  ----

/s/ Robert J.           Director                   May 23, 1996 
Niebel, Sr.
- ------------------ 
Robert J. Niebel,
 Sr.


- ------------------      Director
Millard V. Oakley


/s/ Joe M. Rodgers      Director                   May 23, 1996
- ------------------
Joe M. Rodgers


/s/ Cal Turner, Jr.     Director                   May 23, 1996 
- ------------------
Cal Turner, Jr.


/s/ Andrew J. Young     Director                   May 23, 1996 
- ------------------
Andrew J. Young



<PAGE>
                           INDEX TO EXHIBITS



     Exhibit Number                      Description
     --------------                      -----------

            5                Opinion of Bass, Berry & Sims PLC
 
          23.1               Consent of Arthur Andersen LLP

          23.2               Consent of Bass, Berry & Sims PLC
                                (included in  Exhibit 5)

           24                Power of Attorney (included at pages
                                II-2 and II- 3)

<PAGE>
            B A S S,  B E R R Y  &  S I M S   P L C   
            A PROFESSIONAL LIMITED LIABILITY COMPANY
                       ATTORNEYS AT LAW

2700 FIRST AMERICAN CENTER              1700 RIVERVIEW TOWER
NASHVILLE, TENNESSEE 37238-2700         POST OFFICE BOX 1509
TELEPHONE (615) 742-6200                KNOXVILLE,TN 37901-1509
TELECOPIER (615) 742-6293               TELEPHONE (423) 521-6200
                                        TELECOPIER (423) 521-6234

                         May 23, 1996


Thomas Nelson, Inc.
Nelson Place at Elm Hill Pike
Post Office Box 141000
Nashville, Tennessee 37214

     Re:  Registration Statement on Form S-8

Ladies and Gentlemen:

     We have acted as counsel to Thomas Nelson, Inc., a Tennessee
corporation (the  Company ), in the preparation of a Registration
Statement on Form S-8  (the  Registration Statement ) relating to
the Company s Amended and  Restated 1992 Employee Stock Incentive
Plan (the  Plan ) filed  by you with the Securities  and Exchange
Commission  covering the  registration  of  1,202,500  additional
shares of Common  Stock, $1.00 par  value per share,  or Class  B
Common  Stock, $1.00 par value per share, of the Company issuable
pursuant to the Plan.

     In so acting, we have examined and relied upon such records,
documents, and other instruments as in our judgment are necessary
or appropriate  in order to  express the opinion  hereinafter set
forth and  have assumed  the genuineness  of all  signatures, the
authenticity of all documents  submitted to us as  originals, and
the conformity  to original documents of  all documents submitted
to us as certified or photostatic copies.

     Based  on  the foregoing,  we are  of  the opinion  that the
Common Stock and/or Class B Common Stock, when issued pursuant to
and in accordance with the Plan, will be duly and validly issued,
fully paid and non-assessable.

     We hereby consent  to the use of this  opinion as an exhibit
to the Registration Statement.

                                      Sincerely,

                                      /s/ Bass, Berry & Sims PLC

<PAGE>
                     Arthur Andersen LLP
                424 Church Street, Suite 1000
                  Nashville, Tennessee  37219
                    Telephone (615) 726-6121
                    Facsimile (615) 726-6299






           CONSENT OF INDEPENDENT PUBLIC ACCOUNTANTS


     As  independent  public accountants,  we  hereby  consent to 
the incorporation  by   reference  in  this  Form   S-8 
registration statement  of  our report  dated  May  19, 1995 
incorporated  by reference in Thomas Nelson,  Inc.'s Form 10-K
for the  year ended March 31, 1995 and to all references to our
Firm included in this registration statement.


                                   /s/  ARTHUR ANDERSEN LLP

Nashville, Tennessee
May 21, 1996


<PAGE>
                    Thomas Nelson, Inc.
              Nelson Place at Elm Hill Pike
                  Post Office Box 141000
                Nashville, Tennessee 37214
                 Telephone (615) 889-9000
                 Telecopier (615) 883-6353



May 23, 1996



VIA EDGAR

Filing Desk
Securities and Exchange Commission
450 Fifth Street, N.W.
Washington, D.C.  20549

     Re:  Thomas Nelson, Inc. --  Registration Statement on Form
          S-8 relating to Amended  and Restated 1992 Employee     
          Stock Incentive Plan

Ladies and Gentlemen:

     Pursuant  to Rule  901 of  Regulation S-T,  the following 
is the electronic  submission  of   the  above-referenced  
Registration Statement.  By copy of this letter, one true and
complete copy of the above-referenced Registration Statement is
being concurrently sent for filing with the New York  Stock
Exchange. 

     Please contact the undersigned  at the above-referenced
number or our  counsel, Gregory  T. Stevens  of Bass,  Berry &
Sims  PLC at (615) 742-6200, with any  comments pertaining to the
Registration Statement.

Sincerely,



Joe L. Powers
Executive Vice President
and Secretary


cc:  New York Stock Exchange
     Gregory T. Stevens
[{"type": "S-8", "sequence": "1", "secsgml_size_bytes": 12103}]
{"company-data": {"conformed-name": "NELSON THOMAS INC", "cik": "0000071023", "assigned-sic": "2731", "irs-number": "620679364", "state-of-incorporation": "TN", "fiscal-year-end": "0331"}, "filing-values": {"form-type": "S-8", "act": "33", "file-number": "333-04503", "film-number": "96572278"}, "business-address": {"street1": "P O BOX 141000", "city": "NASHVILLE", "state": "TN", "zip": "37214-1000", "phone": "6158899000"}, "mail-address": {"street1": "P O BOX 141000", "city": "NASHVILLE", "state": "TN", "zip": "37214-1000"}, "former-company": {"former-conformed-name": "ROYAL PUBLISHERS INC", "date-changed": "19721019"}}
As filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission
                on May 24, 1996
                                  Registration No. 333- ________

        SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION  
             WASHINGTON, D.C.  20549

                      FORM S-8
 REGISTRATION STATEMENT UNDER THE SECURITIES ACT OF 1933

                  THOMAS NELSON, INC.
  (Exact name of registrant as specified in its charter)

 Tennessee                                           62-0679364
(State or other jurisdiction of                (I.R.S. employer 
incorporation or organization)                identification no.)

 Nelson Place at Elm Hill Pike
 Nashville, Tennessee                                37214-1000
(Address of principal executive offices)             (Zip code)

        THOMAS NELSON, INC. AMENDED AND RESTATED
          1992 EMPLOYEE STOCK INCENTIVE PLAN 
               (Full title of the plan)

                    Joe L. Powers
         Executive Vice President and Secretary 
             Nelson Place at Elm Hill Pike
            Nashville, Tennessee  37214-1000 
         (Name and address of agent for service)

                   (615) 889-9000
(Telephone number, including area code, of agent for service)

                  ----------------

                      Copy To:

              James H. Cheek, III, Esq.
               Bass, Berry & Sims PLC
             2700 First American Center
            Nashville, Tennessee  37238

                  ----------------- 

           CALCULATION OF REGISTRATION FEE
- --------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Proposed
                                  maximum          Proposed  
Title of                          offering         maximum           Amount of
securities to   Amount to be      price per       aggregate         registration
be registered    registered       share (*)    offering price(*)       fee (*) 
- --------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Common Stock
or Class B       1,202,500        $12.625        $15,181,563        $5,236.00 
Common Stock   
Shares
================================================================================
(*)   Estimated solely for the purpose of determining the amount
of the  registration fee.  Such estimates have been calculated in
accordance with  Rule 457(h) under the Securities Act of 1933, as
amended, and are based upon  the average of the high and low
prices per share of the Common Stock and  Class B Common Stock as
reported on the New York Stock Exchange on May 22, 1996.
Registration of Additional Securities

     This  Registration Statement  is filed  pursuant to  General
Instruction  E  of  Form  S-8  for  the  purpose  of  registering
additional  shares of Common Stock, $1.00 par value per share, or
Class  B Common  Stock,  $1.00 par  value  per share,  of  Thomas
Nelson, Inc., a Tennessee corporation (the "Registrant"), for the
Thomas  Nelson, Inc.  Amended  and Restated  1992 Employee  Stock
Incentive Plan.

               Incorporation By Reference
            of Earlier Registration Statement

     The Registration  Statement on  Form S-8 (Registration  File
No. 33-80086)   heretofore  filed  by  the  Registrant  with  the
Securities  and Exchange  Commission on June  13, 1994  is hereby
incorporated by reference herein.

Item 8.  Exhibits

   Exhibit Number                     Description
   --------------                     ------------ 

         5                Opinion of Bass, Berry & Sims PLC

       23.1               Consent of Arthur Andersen LLP 

       23.2               Consent of Bass, Berry & Sims
                             PLC (included in Exhibit 5)

        24                Power of Attorney (included at
                             pages II-2 and II-3)
SIGNATURES

     Pursuant to the requirements of the  Securities Act of 1933,
the  Registrant  certifies  that  it has  reasonable  grounds  to
believe that it meets all of the requirements for filing  on Form
S-8  and has duly caused this Registration Statement to be signed
on its behalf  by the undersigned, thereunto  duly authorized, in
the City  of Nashville, State of  Tennessee, on this 23rd  day of
May, 1996.

                          THOMAS NELSON, INC.

                          By:/s/ Joe L. Powers 
                             ------------------------- 
                              Joe L. Powers
                              Executive Vice President and
                                 Secretary

     KNOW  ALL MEN  BY  THESE PRESENTS,  that  each person  whose
signature appears below hereby constitutes and appoints Sam Moore
and  Joe  L. Powers,  and  each  of  them, his  true  and  lawful
attorneys-in-fact and agents, with full power of substitution and
resubstitution, for him and  in his name, place and stead, in any
and  all capacities,  to  sign any  and  all amendments  to  this
Registration Statement, and to file the same, with the Securities
and Exchange Commission, granting unto said attorneys-in-fact and
agents  full power and authority to do and perform each and every
act and thing requisite and necessary to be done in and about the
premises, as  fully to all  intents and  purposes as he  might or
could do in person, hereby ratifying and confirming all that said
attorneys-in-fact and agents, or their substitute or substitutes,
may lawfully do or cause to be done by virtue hereof.

     Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities  Act of 1933,
this  Registration  Statement  has   been  signed  below  by  the
following persons in the capacities and on the dates indicated.

      Signature               Title                  Date
      ---------               -----                  ----

/s/ Sam Moore           Chairman of the            May 23, 1996  
- ------------------      Board of Directors,
Sam Moore               Chief Executive
                        Officer and
                        President (Principal
                        Executive Officer)

/s/ S. Joseph Moore     Executive Vice             May 23, 1996  
- ------------------      President and
S. Joseph Moore         Director

/s/ Joe L. Powers       Executive Vice             May 23, 1996
- ------------------      President and  
Joe L. Powers           Secretary (Principal
                        Financial and
                        Accounting Officer)

/s/ Brownlee O.         Director                   May 23, 1996 
Currey, Jr. 
- ------------------
Brownlee O. Currey,
 Jr.

/s/ W. Lipscomb         Director                  May 23, 1996 
Davis, Jr.
- ------------------
W. Lipscomb Davis,
 Jr.

      Signature               Title                  Date
      ---------               -----                  ----

/s/ Robert J.           Director                   May 23, 1996 
Niebel, Sr.
- ------------------ 
Robert J. Niebel,
 Sr.

- ------------------      Director
Millard V. Oakley

/s/ Joe M. Rodgers      Director                   May 23, 1996
- ------------------
Joe M. Rodgers

/s/ Cal Turner, Jr.     Director                   May 23, 1996 
- ------------------
Cal Turner, Jr.

/s/ Andrew J. Young     Director                   May 23, 1996 
- ------------------
Andrew J. Young
INDEX TO EXHIBITS

     Exhibit Number                      Description
     --------------                      -----------

            5                Opinion of Bass, Berry & Sims PLC
 
          23.1               Consent of Arthur Andersen LLP

          23.2               Consent of Bass, Berry & Sims PLC
                                (included in  Exhibit 5)

           24                Power of Attorney (included at pages
                                II-2 and II- 3)
B A S S,  B E R R Y  &  S I M S   P L C   
            A PROFESSIONAL LIMITED LIABILITY COMPANY
                       ATTORNEYS AT LAW

2700 FIRST AMERICAN CENTER              1700 RIVERVIEW TOWER
NASHVILLE, TENNESSEE 37238-2700         POST OFFICE BOX 1509
TELEPHONE (615) 742-6200                KNOXVILLE,TN 37901-1509
TELECOPIER (615) 742-6293               TELEPHONE (423) 521-6200
                                        TELECOPIER (423) 521-6234

                         May 23, 1996

Thomas Nelson, Inc.
Nelson Place at Elm Hill Pike
Post Office Box 141000
Nashville, Tennessee 37214

     Re:  Registration Statement on Form S-8

Ladies and Gentlemen:

     We have acted as counsel to Thomas Nelson, Inc., a Tennessee
corporation (the  Company ), in the preparation of a Registration
Statement on Form S-8  (the  Registration Statement ) relating to
the Company s Amended and  Restated 1992 Employee Stock Incentive
Plan (the  Plan ) filed  by you with the Securities  and Exchange
Commission  covering the  registration  of  1,202,500  additional
shares of Common  Stock, $1.00 par  value per share,  or Class  B
Common  Stock, $1.00 par value per share, of the Company issuable
pursuant to the Plan.

     In so acting, we have examined and relied upon such records,
documents, and other instruments as in our judgment are necessary
or appropriate  in order to  express the opinion  hereinafter set
forth and  have assumed  the genuineness  of all  signatures, the
authenticity of all documents  submitted to us as  originals, and
the conformity  to original documents of  all documents submitted
to us as certified or photostatic copies.

     Based  on  the foregoing,  we are  of  the opinion  that the
Common Stock and/or Class B Common Stock, when issued pursuant to
and in accordance with the Plan, will be duly and validly issued,
fully paid and non-assessable.

     We hereby consent  to the use of this  opinion as an exhibit
to the Registration Statement.

                                      Sincerely,

                                      /s/ Bass, Berry & Sims PLC
Arthur Andersen LLP
                424 Church Street, Suite 1000
                  Nashville, Tennessee  37219
                    Telephone (615) 726-6121
                    Facsimile (615) 726-6299

           CONSENT OF INDEPENDENT PUBLIC ACCOUNTANTS

     As  independent  public accountants,  we  hereby  consent to 
the incorporation  by   reference  in  this  Form   S-8 
registration statement  of  our report  dated  May  19, 1995 
incorporated  by reference in Thomas Nelson,  Inc.'s Form 10-K
for the  year ended March 31, 1995 and to all references to our
Firm included in this registration statement.

                                   /s/  ARTHUR ANDERSEN LLP

Nashville, Tennessee
May 21, 1996
Thomas Nelson, Inc.
              Nelson Place at Elm Hill Pike
                  Post Office Box 141000
                Nashville, Tennessee 37214
                 Telephone (615) 889-9000
                 Telecopier (615) 883-6353

May 23, 1996

VIA EDGAR

Filing Desk
Securities and Exchange Commission
450 Fifth Street, N.W.
Washington, D.C.  20549

     Re:  Thomas Nelson, Inc. --  Registration Statement on Form
          S-8 relating to Amended  and Restated 1992 Employee     
          Stock Incentive Plan

Ladies and Gentlemen:

     Pursuant  to Rule  901 of  Regulation S-T,  the following 
is the electronic  submission  of   the  above-referenced  
Registration Statement.  By copy of this letter, one true and
complete copy of the above-referenced Registration Statement is
being concurrently sent for filing with the New York  Stock
Exchange. 

     Please contact the undersigned  at the above-referenced
number or our  counsel, Gregory  T. Stevens  of Bass,  Berry &
Sims  PLC at (615) 742-6200, with any  comments pertaining to the
Registration Statement.

Sincerely,

Joe L. Powers
Executive Vice President
and Secretary

cc:  New York Stock Exchange
     Gregory T. Stevens