The Book of Mormon rocks

Sorry, I couldn't resist the temptation to use a word-play to create a click-bait title, it should read "the rocks in the Book of Mormon". For context, let me comment briefly on the use of rocks in the Bible. About 50% of the use is metaphorical and points to the Savior. "Rock of my salvation" is found multiple times in the book of Psalms for instance. Moses smote the rock and water came out. Christ is the source of living water and Paul is saying that the rock was Christ. The symbolism is fitting when we think about the steadfastness of the solid rock.

Even though they didn't have the New Testament story of Jesus at the well or Paul's letters, Lehi, Nephi and their righteous descendants definitely were familiar with this symbolism. One example is found in 2 Nephi 25:20

And now, my brethren, I have spoken plainly that ye cannot err. And as the Lord God liveth that brought Israel up out of the land of Egypt, and gave unto Moses power that he should heal the nations after they had been bitten by the poisonous serpents, if they would cast their eyes unto the serpent which he did raise up before them, and also gave him power that he should smite the rock and the water should come forth; yea, behold I say unto you, that as these things are true, and as the Lord God liveth, there is none other name given under heaven save it be this Jesus Christ, of which I have spoken, whereby man can be saved.

I don't think it's a coincidence that Nephi uses the story of Moses smiting a rock as an example when he testifies of the salvation through Christ. As a side note, I also noticed the repetitive resumption in this verse and marked it in yellow.

We also see the "my rock and my salvation" and "the rock of my salvation" language from the Old Testament echoed in the Book of Mormon.

Psalm 95:1

O come, let us sing unto the Lord: let us make a joyful noise to the rock of our salvation.

2 Nephi 4:30

Rejoice, O my heart, and cry unto the Lord, and say: O Lord, I will praise thee forever; yea, my soul will rejoice in thee, my God, and the rock of my salvation.

No wonder we refer to 2 Nephi 4 as Nephi's psalm. There are multiple other examples both from the Bible and the Book of Mormon and I will not list them all. But I actually started looking into this when I read 1 Nephi 13:36

And in them [the Nephite records] shall be written my gospel, saith the Lamb, and my rock and my salvation.

I was a bit puzzled by the way it was phrased. It seems that the verse is saying that "my rock and my salvation" shall be written in the records. This use of the expression would deviate a bit from the norm. Considering the fact that the punctuation was not part of the original text and placed there by the printer, E. B. Grandin, perhaps it would be better to drop the comma after Lamb. "saith the Lamb and my rock and my salvation", changes the meaning and is perhaps a better one, in my opinion, more in line with the other similar expressions in the scriptures.

We have seen before that Jacob seems particularly fond of the Book of Psalms and he uses this expression both in 2 Nephi 9:45

O, my beloved brethren, turn away from your sins; shake off the chains of him that would bind you fast; come unto that God who is the rock of your salvation.

and in Jacob 7:25

Wherefore, the people of Nephi did fortify against them with their arms, and with all their might, trusting in the God and rock of their salvation;

I will create another post tomorrow looking further into the use of rocks as symbol in the Book of Mormon.