Wednesday, September 11, 2019

The remarkable organization of the Book of Mormon text -- Lehi comforts Sariah

Hat tip -- Grant Hardy.

1 Nephi 5:2-8 contains a very high degree of internal structure.  The purpose of the text is to show how Lehi comforted Sariah while their sons were away. Verse 2 outlines three specific complaints, which I have color coded to help us keep track of them:


2 For she had supposed that we had perished in the wilderness; and she also had complained against my father, telling him that he was a visionary man; saying: Behold thou hast led us forth from the land of our inheritance, and my sons are no more, and we perish in the wilderness.
3 And after this manner of language had my mother complained against my father.


Following this summary of the three complaints, we get Lehi's response, which addresses each of the three complaints:

4 And it had come to pass that my father spake unto her, saying: I know that I am a visionary man; for if I had not seen the things of God in a vision I should not have known the goodness of God, but had tarried at Jerusalem, and had perished with my brethren.
5 But behold, I have obtained a land of promise, in the which things I do rejoice; yea, and I know that the Lord will deliver my sons out of the hands of Laban, and bring them down again unto us in the wilderness.
6 And after this manner of language did my father, Lehi, comfort my mother, Sariah, concerning us, while we journeyed in the wilderness up to the land of Jerusalem, to obtain the record of the Jews.


When Lehi's faith is confirmed, Sariah summarizes what she has learned and now understands:

7 And when we had returned to the tent of my father, behold their joy was full, and my mother was comforted.
8 And she spake, saying: Now I know of a surety that the Lord hath commanded my husband to flee into the wilderness; yea, and I also know of a surety that the Lord hath protected my sons, and delivered them out of the hands of Laban, and given them power whereby they could accomplish the thing which the Lord hath commanded them. And after this manner of language did she speak.


There are examples of this kind of tight internal structure all over the text.  Sometimes the structure is contained within a few verses, as is the case with this example.  Other times, the structure is far more spread out.

Whatever the case, structure like this underscores the degree of planning and preparation that went into creating the text.