Even more on the number 8

I just found a detail that should have been part of this post, but I didn't know at the time so I will make a short, separate post as add-on to it. To recap briefly, in Hebrew, the number eight represents new beginnings and is derived from the word "to grow fat" and therefore also linked to abundance. More details are found in the linked post, where I gave two examples. Lehi and his family sojourned eight years in the wilderness before they came to the promised land. Jared, his brother and their families journeyed to the promised land in eight vessels. It makes sense that the number eight is brought up in conjunction with new beginnings in a promised land with an abundance of resources.

Here is the third example that I should have included in the linked post: Alma was one of the priests of King Noah. He believed Abinadi's message, taught his word in secret among the people and gathered a group of believers. The king sent his army to kill them but they were warned and fled.

3 And they fled eight days’ journey into the wilderness.

4 And they came to a land, yea, even a very beautiful and pleasant land, a land of pure water.

5 And they pitched their tents, and began to till the ground, and began to build buildings; yea, they were industrious, and did labor exceedingly. (Alma 23)

There it is again. New beginnings for a group of recent converts in a "very beautiful and pleasant land". Alma's conversion and the church he established is considered of major significance by Book of Mormon authors. In fact, there is no talk about a church among the Nephites before Alma establishes it. King Benjamin's people take upon them the name of Christ and enter into a covenant but they are not described as a church. Likewise, Nephi, Jacob and Enos preach to their people but they are not described as a church. Alma's organisation of a church is therefore a unique event in the Book of Mormon.

In addition, Alma became the first chief judge and his posterity became the record keepers and authors of the large plates of Nephi. Alma and his people's escape and establishment of a church is therefore a pivotal moment in Book of Mormon history. There are frequent reminders of this scattering in the remainder of the Book of Mormon. Here are some examples:

and thus ended the days of Alma, who was the founder of their church. (Mosiah 29:47)

3 I, Alma, having been consecrated by my father, Alma, to be a high priest over the church of God, he having power and authority from God to do these things, behold, I say unto you that he began to establish a church in the land which was in the borders of Nephi; yea, the land which was called the land of Mormon; yea, and he did baptize his brethren in the waters of Mormon.
4 And behold, I say unto you, they were delivered out of the hands of the people of king Noah, by the mercy and power of God. (Alma 5)

Yea, and I also remember the captivity of my fathers; for I surely do know that the Lord did deliver them out of bondage, and by this did establish his church; yea, the Lord God, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob, did deliver them out of bondage. (Alma 29:11)

And behold, I am called Mormon, being called after the land of Mormon, the land in which Alma did establish the church among the people, yea, the first church which was established among them after their transgression. (3 Nephi 5:12)

Mormon was even named after the waters where Alma and his group first gathered and were baptized. Seeing the number eight showing up at this significant event that perfectly fits the description of a new beginning in addition to the two voyages to the promised land cannot just be dismissed as coincidence. It also shows that Hebrew traditions were kept among the Nephites, at least the scribes who were "taught in all the language of [their] fathers" (Mosiah 1:2).

 

Internally consistent detail about Nephi's reign

There is a curious detail in 1 Nephi 10:1

And now I, Nephi, proceed to give an account upon these plates of my proceedings, and my reign and ministry

What reign? At this point, Nephi is likely a teenager who has just left Jerusalem with his family. The first time reader does not yet know that it is a much older Nephi that is reflecting on his life and writing about his experiences. And if they have guessed that much, they don't know much about this older Nephi and what kind of reign this is referring to.

For the rest of 1 Nephi, he keeps narrating his experiences, temporal and spiritual, from earlier in his life. Not until 2 Nephi 5, we learn about the background for his writing and the reference to reigning. In this chapter, Nephi is in the promised land and establishes a society of those who hearken to the commandments of the Lord, after which we read:

18 And it came to pass that they would that I should be their king. But I, Nephi, was desirous that they should have no king; nevertheless, I did for them according to that which was in my power.

Even though he doesn't want the title of king, he is a leader of this group, and his people regard him more or less as king. In Jacob 1:10-11, we read

10 The people having loved Nephi exceedingly, he having been a great protector for them, having wielded the sword of Laban in their defence, and having labored in all his days for their welfare—
11 Wherefore, the people were desirous to retain in remembrance his name. And whoso should reign in his stead were called by the people, second Nephi, third Nephi, and so forth...

Later in 2 Nephi 5, we learn that it is during this reign established in 2 Nephi 5 that Nephi is commanded to make the so-called small plates and engrave the words that we now have in 1 and 2 Nephi.

30 And it came to pass that the Lord God said unto me: Make other plates; and thou shalt engraven many things upon them which are good in my sight, for the profit of thy people.
31 Wherefore, I, Nephi, to be obedient to the commandments of the Lord, went and made these plates upon which I have engraven these things.

In this context, obviously 1 Nephi 10:1 makes sense. But it is not the first time that we get these subtle details that do not make sense until we get the explanation afterwards. In fact, this is quite similar to how we are introduced to Mormon. In the Words of Mormon, we suddenly get a snapshot of the situation several hundred years from where the Book of Omni left off. There is some uncertainty about whether the Words of Mormon came first or last in the dictation sequence. But another one of those details is in Mosiah 18 where we get introduced to the background for Mormon's name, without knowing. Not until 3 Nephi 5, Mormon properly introduces himself and explains that he is named after the place that tells about the converts in Mosiah 18 (see 3 Nephi 5:12).

Some people claim that a poorly educated young farmer just made this all up. He would have to be very clever to complicate the narrative and drop these hints and get back to them later to connect the dots, all to make it seem authentic. This is something he apparently could do seamlessly in essentially one draft with his face in a hat. I don't buy it. Nephi and Mormon were actual people, writing to obey God's commandments for our benefit.

Another side note about "No one knoweth"

This post is designed to point out a curious connection between Alma's sermon to the apostate Nephites in Ammonihah and usage of the phrase "no one knows" in the Book of Mormon.  As I outlined in this post, "no one knows/knoweth" occurs only 5 times in the entire Book of Mormon, in four passages:

1. Alma 40 (twice), in the context of no one but God knowing the timing of the end of the misery of those who died in their sins.
2. Helaman 2, in the context of the origin of secret combinations aimed at destroying the Nephites through secret works of murder and robbery.
3. 3 Nephi 5, in the context of no one in Jerusalem knowing that the Lord led Lehi out of the land.
4. Mormon 8, where Moroni goes out of his way to point out that "no one knoweth the end of the war."  

Curiously, several of these context appear at the start of Alma's sermon in Ammonihah, found in Alma 9, right before he warns the people they will be "visited with utter destruction" "in a time when [they] know not." I've color-coded the relevant parts above and below.

9 Do ye not remember that our father, Lehi, was brought out of Jerusalem by the hand of God? Do ye not remember that they were all led by him through the wilderness?
10 And have ye forgotten so soon how many times he delivered our fathers out of the hands of their enemies, and preserved them from being destroyed, even by the hands of their own brethren?
11 Yea, and if it had not been for his matchless power, and his mercy, and his long-suffering towards us, we should unavoidably have been cut off from the face of the earth long before this period of time, and perhaps been consigned to a state of endless misery and woe. (Alma 9)

Of course this could be a complete coincidence, but I've learned to trust that this book is capable of teaching really important lessons to those who open their heart to learn from it, so I'm making this note and paying attention to this detail as I continue to study. 

"No one knoweth" -- Part 1

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; 

1. and the whole face of this land 
2. is one continual round of murder and bloodshed; 
3. 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.

As I studied Moroni's dark contrast between "one continual round of murder and bloodshed" with examples of a similar phrase ("the Lord's course is one eternal round"), I wondered if I could find more evidence to support my growing suspicion that this contrast was intentional. I believe I succeeded.

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:

1. No one knows the timing of the resurrection of the dead but God.
2. 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."
3. 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:

1. "No one knows" is rarely used in the Book of Mormon, with only five total occurrences. 
2. In my experience, the more unique a phrase is, the more likely its use is intentional by the author, especially when the context aligns.
3. 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. 

Chiastic structures in 3 Nephi 5

In 3 Nephi 5, Mormon, who has abridged the records on the large plates of Nephi thus far, introduces himself properly for the first time. Doing so, he seems to get in a rather poetic mood. The poetic parallelism in verse 21 sounds like something taken straight from Isaiah

Surely he hath blessed the house of Jacob, and hath been merciful unto the seed of Joseph.

But as I read on, I found this to be the opening part of a chiasmus

A. Surely he hath blessed the house of Jacob, 

   B. and hath been merciful unto the seed of Joseph. 

      C. And insomuch as the children of Lehi have kept his commandments he hath blessed them and prospered them according to his word.

   B'. Yea, and surely shall he again bring a remnant of the seed of Joseph to the knowledge of the Lord their God.

A'. And as surely as the Lord liveth, will he gather in from the four quarters of the earth all the remnant of the seed of Jacob

The chiasmus builds up with the forefathers of the Nephites and is centered on the "children of Lehi". Mormon has just mentioned that he is a "pure descendant of Lehi". He is among the people at the center of the chiasmus and probably understands the importance of the work he is doing with preserving and writing on the plates. He knows that some day, the future "children of Lehi" will receive the knowledge of the Lord's covenants that will link them to their forefathers, Jacob and Joseph.

Notice also how A and B talk about the past of Jacob and Joseph, while their counterparts, A' and B', prophesy of their future.

Another interesting note: The center of the chiasmus is another quote from King Benjamin. Compare with Mosiah 2:22

if ye do keep his commandments he doth bless you and prosper you

There were probably many sermons that did not make it to the abridged version. Since Mormon included King Benjamin's entire talk, it must mean that it was regarded as pivotal in the Nephite heritage or that Mormon personally loved the talk, or both. So a reference by him makes sense. 

Reading that whole verse in Mosiah 2:22 clearly demonstrates another example of the Book of Mormon proverb. Quite fittingly, Mormon manages to put that into the center of the chiasm as well.

Since I already have downloaded a document showing poetic parallelisms in the whole Book of Mormon, I was curious to see if this one was included. Interestingly, it wasn't but the latter part was included as part of another chiasmus. That is, the A' from the chiasmus above is also the beginning of a new chiasmus that looks like this:

A And as surely as the Lord liveth,

   B will he gather in from the four quarters of the earth all the remnant of the seed of Jacob, who are scattered abroad upon all the face of the earth.

      C And as he hath covenanted with all the house of Jacob, 

         D even so shall the covenant wherewith he hath covenanted 

            E with the house of Jacob be fulfilled in his own due time, 

            E' unto the restoring all the house of Jacob unto the knowledge 

         D' of the covenant that he hath covenanted with them. 

      C' And then shall they know their Redeemer, who is Jesus Christ, the Son of God; 

   B' and then shall they be gathered in from the four quarters of the earth unto their own lands, from whence they have been dispersed; 

A' yea, as the Lord liveth so shall it be. Amen

C does not seem a great match until we realize that "they" in C' refers to the house of Jacob and "he" in C refers to Jesus Christ (see verse 20 in 3 Nephi 5). This makes C and C' a rather beautiful pair: Christ has covenanted with the house of Jacob and because of the covenant, one day the house of Jacob will know Christ, their Redeemer.

I am not sure if this overlapping chiastic structure even was a thing in ancient Hebrew poetry. Of course, you can never know for certain if a chiasmus was intentional or not, but I think both are pretty strong candidates. Maybe Mormon was just very clever?

 

Scattering as a necessary prerequisite for the gathering -- Part 2 of 2

In part 1, we looked at the prophesied scattering of Israel, a major theme of the Book of Mormon.  This scattering is necessary for the gathering to take place.

In this post, we'll look at a few of the many references to the gathering of Israel in the Book of  Mormon. As with the scattering of Israel, many references to the gathering of Israel in the last days can be found in the Book of Mormon.  This is a major theme.

Lehi prophesied about the gathering of Israel:

14 And after the house of Israel should be scattered they should be gathered together again; or, in fine, after the Gentiles had received the fulness of the Gospel, the natural branches of the olive tree, or the remnants of the house of Israel, should be grafted in, or come to the knowledge of the true Messiah, their Lord and their Redeemer. (1 Nephi 10)

Nephi also prophesied about the gathering:

12 Wherefore, he will bring them again out of captivity, and they shall be gathered together to the lands of their inheritance; and they shall be brought out of obscurity and out of darkness; and they shall know that the Lord is their Savior and their Redeemer, the Mighty One of Israel. (1 Nephi 22)

14 And it shall come to pass that my people, which are of the house of Israel, shall be gathered home unto the lands of their possessions; and my word also shall be gathered in one. And I will show unto them that fight against my word and against my people, who are of the house of Israel, that I am God, and that I covenanted with Abraham that I would remember his seed forever. (2 Nephi 29) 

Nephi quoted Isaiah about the gathering of Israel:

12 And he shall set up an ensign for the nations, and shall assemble the outcasts of Israel, and gather together the dispersed of Judah from the four corners of the earth. (2 Nephi 21)

Mormon wrote about it as well:

26 And then shall they know their Redeemer, who is Jesus Christ, the Son of God; and then shall they be gathered in from the four quarters of the earth unto their own lands, from whence they have been dispersed; yea, as the Lord liveth so shall it be. Amen. (3 Nephi 5)

Jesus Christ teaches about the gathering several times, perhaps most notably in 3 Nephi 20:

13 And then shall the remnants, which shall be scattered abroad upon the face of the earth, be gathered in from the east and from the west, and from the south and from the north; and they shall be brought to the knowledge of the Lord their God, who hath redeemed them.

18 And I will gather my people together as a man gathereth his sheaves into the floor.

29 And I will remember the covenant which I have made with my people; and I have covenanted with them that I would gather them together in mine own due time, that I would give unto them again the land of their fathers for their inheritance, which is the land of Jerusalem, which is the promised land unto them forever, saith the Father.

33 Then will the Father gather them together again, and give unto them Jerusalem for the land of their inheritance.

When President Nelson speaks of the utmost importance of the gathering of Israel, he is speaking of the fulfillment of a prophecy that is thousands of years old!


I also see temple themes embedded within this pattern of scattering and gathering. In order to progress back to the presence of the Father with a physical body, we chose to leave His presence and "come down" to an uncertain and dreary place, undergoing a type of scattering, but not without a promise that messengers would visit us and show us the way back -- a plan from the beginning to gather us in. This mortal phase is about hearkening to those messengers and following the path back to the tree of life. If the fall represents a scattering, the everlasting covenant represents the gathering.

Mormon breaks the fourth wall, part 2

This is part 2 of a series of posts breaking down what we learn from Mormon's long aside found in 3 Nephi 5.  Part 1 can be found here.

13 Behold, I am a disciple of Jesus Christ, the Son of God. I have been called of him to declare his word among his people, that they might have everlasting life.

Here is a succinct summary of the role of a prophet if I ever saw one.

14 And it hath become expedient that I, according to the will of God, that the prayers of those who have gone hence, who were the holy ones, should be fulfilled according to their faith, should make a record of these things which have been done—
15 Yea, a small record of that which hath taken place from the time that Lehi left Jerusalem, even down until the present time.

Here is Mormon's second chief assignment--to make a "small record" documenting the history of the Nephites up to the "present time." Also note that Mormon understands an important part this purpose is to fulfill the words of the prophets.  This explains why Mormon goes out of his way to point out the fulfillment of prophecies.  (For example, see 3 Nephi 1:4, 13, 18, 20, 21, 26; or 3 Nephi 10:11, 14, 16, 17.)

16 Therefore I do make my record from the accounts which have been given by those who were before me, until the commencement of my day;
17 And then I do make a record of the things which I have seen with mine own eyes.

In verse 17, we find an editorial promise--Mormon will proceed to give us a record of what he has seen with his own eyes after he finishes the abridgment of those previous record-keepers.  He does precisely this in Mormon 1:1.

18 And I know the record which I make to be a just and a true record; nevertheless there are many things which, according to our language, we are not able to write.
19 And now I make an end of my saying, which is of myself, and proceed to give my account of the things which have been before me.

Verse 18 speaks to the accuracy of the record, and Mormon makes an interesting comment--"there are many things which, according to our language, we are not able to write." I wonder what these things are and why they can't write them. Notice that in verse 19 he attempts to end his aside, but ends up adding 7 more verses.

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.

I consider this verse to be "outsider evidence." If the only people in the new world were descendants of Lehi, why does Mormon feels the need to state this?  I take this to represent indirect evidence that the Nephites and Lamanites mixed with existing peoples.

As we get to the end of this long aside, Mormon gives us a summary of what I consider to be the overarching themes of the Book of Mormon. We get a reminder of what the Lord has done (verses 21-22) and what He will yet do for the House of Israel (verses 23-26).

21 Surely he hath blessed the house of Jacob, and hath been merciful unto the seed of Joseph.
22 And insomuch as the children of Lehi have kept his commandments he hath blessed them and prospered them according to his word.
23 Yea, and surely shall he again bring a remnant of the seed of Joseph to the knowledge of the Lord their God.
24 And as surely as the Lord liveth, will he gather in from the four quarters of the earth all the remnant of the seed of Jacob, who are scattered abroad upon all the face of the earth.
25 And as he hath covenanted with all the house of Jacob, even so shall the covenant wherewith he hath covenanted with the house of Jacob be fulfilled in his own due time, unto the restoring all the house of Jacob unto the knowledge of the covenant that he hath covenanted with them.
26 And then shall they know their Redeemer, who is Jesus Christ, the Son of God; and then shall they be gathered in from the four quarters of the earth unto their own lands, from whence they have been dispersed; yea, as the Lord liveth so shall it be. Amen.

Compare these verses to this passage from the Title Page: "Which is to show unto the remnant of the house of Israel what great things the Lord hath done for their fathers; and that they may know the covenants of the Lord, that they are not cast off forever—And also to the convincing of the Jew and Gentile that Jesus is the Christ, the Eternal God, manifesting himself unto all nations."

All of this, especially the final verses, indicate to me that Mormon is working from notes.  He is intentionally abridging the record to conform to the commandments of God.  This is an insider's glimpse into why he presents the narrative in a way that focuses on the House of Israel, the seed of Joseph, the latter-day restoration of the covenant, and the gathering of scattered Israel throughout the earth.

As we know, the Isaiah chapters in 1 and 2 Nephi serve to underscore this point, but these chapters haven't been dictated by this point, and won't be for another 80 chapters, which means if the critics' theories are right and Joseph Smith was simply planning to use Isaiah-KJV to make the Book of Mormon seem longer, he must have had a detailed plan long in advance, because he just so happened to pick chapters that discuss these concepts in detail. He also managed to give Nephi and Jacob a lot of detailed insight into these prophecies and how they relate to the larger Nephite narrative.  It is a pretty amazing accomplishment, and one that could not have been done without extensive notes and planning.

Joseph, of course, did all of this in one dictated draft. I have read many criticisms of the presence of Isaiah in the Book of Mormon, but I have yet to see a critic address how Joseph Smith managed to use Isaiah in such a complex, thematically-relevant way, without notes!

Mormon breaks the fourth wall, part 1

In 3 Nephi 5, Mormon breaks from the narrative to give the reader a clear look at who he is and why he is creating this abridgment.

The idea of Mormon as narrator is a subtle complexity in the Book of Mormon (especially since he isn't the only narrator).  Although 3 Nephi 5 isn't the only time Mormon breaks from the narrative to point things out to us ("and thus we see ... "), whenever he does, there is usually a good reason, which he tells us.

In this example, which comprises 3 Nephi 5:8-26, Mormon begins the aside with an explanation that his record is only a cursory summary of the history of the people, but he goes on to offer us several intriguing details about his life and the mission to which he has been called.

What follows in the rest of this post and all of part 2 is the entire passage (verses 8-26) interrupted by comments from me about what I consider to be the significant details we get about Mormon from these verses:

8 And there had many things transpired which, in the eyes of some, would be great and marvelous; nevertheless, they cannot all be written in this book; yea, this book cannot contain even a hundredth part of what was done among so many people in the space of twenty and five years;
9 But behold there are records which do contain all the proceedings of this people; and a shorter but true account was given by Nephi.
10 Therefore I have made my record of these things according to the record of Nephi, which was engraven on the plates which were called the plates of Nephi.

In verse 9, the Nephi who is mentioned is Nephi, who was the son of Nephi, who was the son of Helaman, who was the son of Helaman, who was the son of Alma, who was the son of Alma. (That's fun, isn't it?)  Apparently this Nephi kept a more detailed record of the proceedings of the people along with the "record of Nephi" which was created by the original Nephi (see 1 Nephi 9:2 and 2 Nephi 4:14). Here we are 625 years after Lehi left Jerusalem and the record of Nephi is still being actively kept.

11 And behold, I do make the record on plates which I have made with mine own hands.

I consider this to be very significant.  The original Nephi made plates (see 1 Nephi 1:17 and 1 Nephi 19:1). Other authors speak of running out of space on the records, implying they didn't have the means or knowledge to make more plates. See Jarom 1:14, for example.

12 And behold, I am called Mormon, being called after the land of Mormon, the land in which Alma did establish the church among the people, yea, the first church which was established among them after their transgression.

Verse 12 contains a great example of internal consistency.  We know from Mosiah 18:4 that "the king" (possibly Noah?) had named a certain area "Mormon," and that Alma and his first followers fled there as a place of resort. We also know that it was in the waters of Mormon that these first believers were baptized.  This was the beginning of a new church in the land. We also know that the name was significant to Mormon as he recorded this mass conversion experience (see Mosiah 18:30).

In part 2, we'll continue looking at this long and fascinating aside.