SEC Form 4

FORM 4		UNITED STATES SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION Washington, D.C. 20549 STATEMENT OF CHANGES IN BENEFICIAL OWNERSHIP Filed pursuant to Section 16(a) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 or Section 30(h) of the Investment Company Act of 1940	OMB APPROVAL OMB Number: 3235-0287 Expires: December 31, 2014 Estimated average burden hours per response: 0.5
	Check this box if no longer subject to Section 16. Form 4 or Form 5 obligations may continue. See Instruction 1(b).

1. Name and Address of Reporting Person* HENSON BRIAN (Last) (First) (Middle) (Street) (City) (State) (Zip)	2. Issuer Name and Ticker or Trading Symbol NELSON THOMAS INC [ TNM ]	5. Relationship of Reporting Person(s) to Issuer (Check all applicable) Director 10% Owner Officer (give title below) X Other (specify below) Budget Forecast Director
	3. Date of Earliest Transaction (Month/Day/Year) 07/17/2003
	4. If Amendment, Date of Original Filed (Month/Day/Year)	6. Individual or Joint/Group Filing (Check Applicable Line) X Form filed by One Reporting Person Form filed by More than One Reporting Person

Table I - Non-Derivative Securities Acquired, Disposed of, or Beneficially Owned
1. Title of Security (Instr. 3)	2. Transaction Date (Month/Day/Year)	2A. Deemed Execution Date, if any (Month/Day/Year)	3. Transaction Code (Instr. 8)		4. Securities Acquired (A) or Disposed Of (D) (Instr. 3, 4 and 5)			5. Amount of Securities Beneficially Owned Following Reported Transaction(s) (Instr. 3 and 4)	6. Ownership Form: Direct (D) or Indirect (I) (Instr. 4)	7. Nature of Indirect Beneficial Ownership (Instr. 4)
			Code	V	Amount	(A) or (D)	Price
Thomas Nelson Inc. - Common Shares (TNM)	07/17/2003	07/17/2003	X(1)		1,000	A	7	1,930	D
Thomas Nelson Inc. - Common Stock (TNM)	07/17/2003	07/17/2003	X(2)		333	A	7.05	2,263	D

Table II - Derivative Securities Acquired, Disposed of, or Beneficially Owned (e.g., puts, calls, warrants, options, convertible securities)
1. Title of Derivative Security (Instr. 3)	2. Conversion or Exercise Price of Derivative Security	3. Transaction Date (Month/Day/Year)	3A. Deemed Execution Date, if any (Month/Day/Year)	4. Transaction Code (Instr. 8)		5. Number of Derivative Securities Acquired (A) or Disposed of (D) (Instr. 3, 4 and 5)		6. Date Exercisable and Expiration Date (Month/Day/Year)		7. Title and Amount of Securities Underlying Derivative Security (Instr. 3 and 4)		8. Price of Derivative Security (Instr. 5)	9. Number of derivative Securities Beneficially Owned Following Reported Transaction(s) (Instr. 4)	10. Ownership Form: Direct (D) or Indirect (I) (Instr. 4)	11. Nature of Indirect Beneficial Ownership (Instr. 4)
				Code	V	(A)	(D)	Date Exercisable	Expiration Date	Title	Amount or Number of Shares
Stock Option - Right to Buy	7	07/17/2003	07/17/2003	X(1)			1,000	05/24/2003	05/24/2003	Thomas Nelson Inc - Common Stock	1,000	$7	0	D
Stock Option - Right to Buy	7.05	07/17/2003	07/17/2003	X(2)			333	05/16/2003	05/16/2011	Thomas Nelson Inc. - Common Stock (TNM)	333	$7.05	667	D

Explanation of Responses:

1. X1 - Exercise of in the money derivative security is reported as an acquisition of a direct interst and a dispositon of a direct interest in a derivative

2. X2 - Exercise of in the money derivative security is reproted as an acquisiton of a direct interest and a disposition of a direct interest in a derivative

	Les Hottovy, power of attorney for Brian Henson	07/18/2003
	** Signature of Reporting Person	Date
Reminder: Report on a separate line for each class of securities beneficially owned directly or indirectly.
* If the form is filed by more than one reporting person, see Instruction 4 (b)(v).
** Intentional misstatements or omissions of facts constitute Federal Criminal Violations See 18 U.S.C. 1001 and 15 U.S.C. 78ff(a).
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