Please read this post to learn how and why I began this deep dive into Mormon 8:8.
To summarize my hypothesis, I believe Moroni points to covenant themes three times in the second half of Mormon 8:8, in a display of just how tightly and subtly the aithors of the Book of Mormon embedded additional layers of meaning into the text.
8 And behold, it is the hand of the Lord which hath done it. And behold also, the Lamanites are at war one with another;- and the whole face of this land
- is one continual round of murder and bloodshed;
- and no one knoweth the end of the war.
This post will outline how the phrase "no one knoweth" (and similar variants) is used intentionally to point our minds to the Nephites' covenant with God. In part 2, we'll look at "no one knoweth" and "great knowledge" as a pair of contrasting covenant elements.
I turned my attention to the phrase that follows: "no one knoweth the end of the war" and searched for every instance of "no one" and "know/knoweth/knew" showing up in the same sentence. I was surprised to find only five instances. I had assumed it would be much more common. I was further surprised to find that among those five examples were three distinct contexts related to aspects of the Nephites that contributed to their eventual fall. In other words, "no one knows" seems to be a key phrase intended to remind us of the unique covenant circumstances in which the Nephites existed.
Context #1 -- The establishment of the Lehite branch of Israel
This first context is probably the weakest in terms of its direct connection to Mormon 8:8, but as we'll see by the end of this post, it sets the stage for the other contexts.
In 3 Nephi 5, Mormon writes:
20 I am Mormon, and a pure descendant of Lehi. I have reason to bless my God and my Savior Jesus Christ, that he brought our fathers out of the land of Jerusalem, (and no one knew it save it were himself and those whom he brought out of that land) and that he hath given me and my people so much knowledge unto the salvation of our souls.
21 Surely he hath blessed the house of Jacob, and hath been merciful unto the seed of Joseph. (3 Nephi 5)
A righteous remnant of the covenant people escaped the destruction that came to those in Jerusalem according to the mercy of God. This is foundational Nephite doctrine, an essential part of their origin story. We find it referenced repeatedly through the Book of Mormon. "No one knew" but God and those whom he had blessed. Notice how the idea that "no one knew" in verse 20 is immediately enhanced further with the acknowledgement that God gave the Nephites "so much knowledge unto the salvation of [their] souls."
We can certainly contrast the fact that "no one knew" the origin of the Nephites with the description of the war that caused the "great and marvelous fall," the end of which "no one knows." As we'll see, the importance of this phrase grows when we look at the other contexts it is used in the Book of Mormon.
Context #2 -- Secret works of darkness
Another example of "no one knoweth" is found in Helaman 2:
3 But behold, Kishkumen, who had murdered Pahoran, did lay wait to destroy Helaman also; and he was upheld by his band, who had entered into a covenant that no one should know his wickedness.
4 For there was one Gadianton, who was exceedingly expert in many words, and also in his craft, to carry on the secret work of murder and of robbery; therefore he became the leader of the band of Kishkumen. (Helaman 2)
In this passage, we learn that the fundamental purpose of entering into this secret covenant was to conceal the "secret work of murder and of robbery." Kishkumen murdered Pahoran and "did lay wait to destroy Helaman," supported by a band ready to protect him, "that no one should know his wickedness."
Isn't it ironic, then, that this secret combination ultimately brought about the destruction of the Nephites and subjected those who remained ("there are none save it be the Lamanites and robbers that do exist upon the face of the land") end up locked in a war, the end of which "no one knoweth?"
Context #3 -- The timing of the resurrection of the dead
Concerning the eternal fate of the fallen Nephites, we find one additional lesson by looking at uses of the phrase "no one knoweth." In Alma 40:3-4 at the start of a passage about the resurrection of the dead, Alma-2 introduces the topic by writing about the mysteries of God:
3 Behold, he bringeth to pass the resurrection of the dead. But behold, my son, the resurrection is not yet. Now, I unfold unto you a mystery; nevertheless, there are many mysteries which are kept, that no one knoweth them save God himself. But I show unto you one thing which I have inquired diligently of God that I might know—that is concerning the resurrection.
4 Behold, there is a time appointed that all shall come forth from the dead. Now when this time cometh no one knows; but God knoweth the time which is appointed.
Just a few verses later we read:
13 And then shall it come to pass, that the spirits of the wicked, yea, who are evil—for behold, they have no part nor portion of the Spirit of the Lord; for behold, they chose evil works rather than good; therefore the spirit of the devil did enter into them, and take possession of their house—and these shall be cast out into outer darkness; there shall be weeping, and wailing, and gnashing of teeth, and this because of their own iniquity, being led captive by the will of the devil.
14 Now this is the state of the souls of the wicked, yea, in darkness, and a state of awful, fearful looking for the fiery indignation of the wrath of God upon them; thus they remain in this state, as well as the righteous in paradise, until the time of their resurrection.
From these verses (I've highlighted in yellow the relevant text to make it easier to find in the passage above), we learn:
- No one knows the timing of the resurrection of the dead but God.
- Until their resurrection, the spirits of the wicked are "in darkness, and a state of awful, fearful looking for the fiery indignation of the wrath of God upon them."
- They remain in this state "until the time of their resurrection."
If we combine what we learn here with Mormon 8:8, we can see how the phrase "no one knows" is meant to point our minds to the state of the fallen Nephites. Rather than keeping God's commandments and thereby prospering in the land, as was promised to them many times (see Alma 37:13 above as one example), the Nephites rebelled and fell. Their promised land fell into "one continual round of murder and bloodshed." Furthermore, just as their spirits are "in darkness" until a time "no one knows," the Nephite lands have fallen into war. "And no one knoweth the end of the war."
"And behold, it is the hand of the Lord which hath done it."
Chilling.
Conclusion
When I undertake a study like this, I can't help but ask myself if this is all just a coincidence. In this case, I feel confident concluding it is not. Here's why:
- "No one knows" is rarely used in the Book of Mormon, with only five total occurrences.
- In my experience, the more unique a phrase is, the more likely its use is intentional by the author, especially when the context aligns.
- The context of every occurrence aligns.
- In Alma 40, the context is the fate of wicked spirits who await the resurrection to bring an end to their awful state.
- In Helaman 2, the context is the origin of secret combinations among the Nephites, with a focus on their goal of murdering the righteous Nephite leaders.
- In 3 Nephi 5, the context is a fundamental component of the origin of the Nephites -- that their fathers were led out of the land by God without anyone else knowing.
- In Mormon 8, right after Moroni goes out of his way to point out that God brought about the fall of the Nephites because of their rebellion, he points out that no one knows the end of the war. It's poetic and poignant, but incredibly subtle.
In the next post, I'll show how "no one knows" complements "great knowledge" to create yet another contrasting pair of covenant terms.