- In Mosiah 9 and 10, Mormon copied directly from Zeniff's record. You will notice that it is all written in first person. When Mosiah 11 starts (which is also the start of a new chapter in the original text on the plates), we are back to Mormon's voice relating the events in third person. It makes a lot of sense: If King Noah kept a record like his father (and I doubt he did), he would obviously not have written: "And it came to pass that I, Noah, did my people to commit sin, and do that which was in the sight of the Lord." Mormon gives us the story from his perspective, based on other sources than the record of Zeniff or Noah.
- Just like the author(s) of Genesis, Mormon creates a pun on the name, Noah. The Hebrew meaning is "rest". Mormon describes how Noah and his priests caused a "breastwork to be built before them, that they might rest their bodies and their arms upon while they should speak lying and vain words to his people." There is some irony in the descriptions in verse 6 of how the people had to "labor exceedingly" while Noah was resting. See also this post.
- Noah builds "spacious buildings" and a "spacious palace" (verses 8-9). I have written about this before. The only other use of the expression "spacious building" in the Book of Mormon is the one in Lehi's dream and in the Book of Ether where another wicked king is described.
- Noah also builds a "great tower" (verse 13). The only other use of "great tower" in the Book of Mormon is referring to the Tower of Babel. At the time Mormon wrote this, no references to the Tower of Babel had been made yet, but it seems to be the Nephite term. Mormon uses it later in Mosiah 28:17 and Moroni uses it in Ether. The term, "Tower of Babel" does not exist in the Book of Mormon. Anyway, these are clever allusions by Mormon.
- Mormon gives King Noah the involuntary role as Pharaoh with all the connections to the Exodus. See this post.
- Mormon is also presenting King Noah as an anti-Benjamin. We have read about King Benjamin only a few chapters earlier. Note in verse 12 that King Noah builds a tower near the temple. Sounds familiar? This connection is used by Mormon to focus on the contrast between them, like "lifted up in pride" (Mosiah 11:5) vs "I am also of the dust" (Mosiah 2:26), or "boast in their own strength" (Mosiah 11:19) vs "I do not desire to boast" (Mosiah 2:16), or "laziness" (Mosiah 11:6) vs "service" (Mosiah 2:16-19). The descriptions of the effect the two kings had on their people is another example.
- I'm beginning to wonder if Mormon made another intentional allusion to Isaiah 5
1 then will I sing to my well-beloved a song of my beloved, touching his . My well-beloved hath a vineyard in a very fruitful hill.Compare with Mosiah 11
2 And he fenced it, and gathered out the stones thereof, and planted it with the choicest , and built a tower in the midst of it, and also made a wine-press therein; and he looked that it should bring forth grapes, and it brought forth wild grapes.
Just like in Isaiah's sad love song about the Lord and Israel, who only produced "wild grapes", Noah's people as a branch of Israel also planted vineyards in a "very fruitful hill", the land of their first inheritance, and built a tower, but they only produced wild fruit too.13 And it came to pass that he caused many buildings to be built in the land Shilom; and he caused a great tower to be built on the north of the land Shilom...15 And it came to pass that he planted vineyards round about in the land; and he built wine-presses, and made in abundance; and therefore he became a wine-bibber, and also his people.
All this in one chapter. Not to mention the fantastic sermon by Abinadi afterwards. There are definitely layers in the Book of Mormon.