Domesticated and wild animals

I am breaking up the gospel dispensation series with some further thoughts on Lord Wilmore's post discussing one of the temple pattern elements: flocks and herds. Reading that, it struck me that the Book of Mormon connects the Nephites with domesticated animals and Lamanites with wild animals. I may be wrong, but at least I could only think of one example where the Lamanites are described having flocks and herds. This is when Ammon is set to watch King Lamoni's flocks. So it is actually a Nephite doing what Nephites are often described doing in the Book of Mormon: Watching flocks of domesticated animals.

Lamanites as wild animals

We know there is powerful symbolism in the shepherd, the person who watches and protects domesticated animals, like Ammon does in the story. This is only one of many deeper symbols of that story by the way. But realizing the connection between Nephites and domesticated animals and Lamanites and wild animals, indicates that this symbolism extends beyond "the good shepherd" and his flocks. It would be reasonable to assume that Lamanites also had domesticated animals, but I think it is telling that the Book of Mormon authors avoid mentioning that and focus on the wild animals instead. Here are some examples of how the Lamanites are described:

And because of their cursing which was upon them they did become an idle people, full of mischief and subtlety, and did seek in the wilderness for beasts of prey. (2 Nephi 5:24)

And I bear record that the people of Nephi did seek diligently to restore the Lamanites unto the true faith in God. But our labors were vain; their hatred was fixed, and they were led by their evil nature that they became wild, and ferocious, and a blood-thirsty people, full of idolatry and filthiness; feeding upon beasts of prey (Enos 1:20)

And they were scattered upon much of the face of the land, and the Lamanites also. And they were exceedingly more numerous than were they of the Nephites; and they loved murder and would drink the blood of beasts. (Jarom 1:6)

Notice that the Lamanites are described as "wild and ferocious", similar to how you would typically describe wild animals. Nephites, on the other hand, have flocks and herds, a detail that is especially brought up when the establishment of a covenant people is described. They listen to the voice of the good shepherd and become shepherds themselves. This ties back to the post I linked in the beginning where the domesticated animals, symbolizing the covenant people, hear the shepherd's words [Hebr. dabar] in the wilderness [Hebr. midbar].

Covenant breakers as flock without shepherd

It also adds context to another previous post on shepherd symbolism. The quoted passage from Helaman 7 in particular:

17 O repent ye, repent ye! Why will ye die? Turn ye, turn ye unto the Lord your God. Why has he forsaken you?

18 It is because you have hardened your hearts; yea, ye will not hearken unto the voice of the good shepherd; yea, ye have provoked him to anger against you.

19 And behold, instead of gathering you, except ye will repent, behold, he shall scatter you forth that ye shall become meat for dogs and wild beasts.

Normally, a prophetic warning like this to the Nephites would threaten with destruction by the hand of the Lamanites, but wild beasts is used instead, perhaps both literally and metaphorically. It is also interesting to note that whereas those who had never entered into the covenant are linked to wild beasts, those who have broken their covenants are like sheep without a shepherd. This is also evident in Alma 25:12

And he said unto the priests of Noah that their seed should cause many to be put to death, in the like manner as he was, and that they should be scattered abroad and slain, even as a sheep having no shepherd is driven and slain by wild beasts; and now behold, these words were verified, for they were driven by the Lamanites, and they were hunted, and they were smitten.

When the Nephites break the covenant, they are no longer protected by their covenant and by their shepherd, leaving them vulnerable and an easy prey for the "wild beasts".

The inversion - lion symbolism

In light of all this, comparisons between the righteous and lions may be confusing (see Alma 14:29; 3 Nephi 20:16; 3 Nephi 21:12; Mormon 5:24). But it is not uncommon in Hebrew symbolism with these dual and opposite meanings. Take water as symbol, for instance. It can be positive (living waters, fountain of all righteousness) or negative (a chaos motif like the flood, the filthy water in Lehi's dream). Similarly, the role of wild animal is sometimes taken by the wicked and sometimes by the righteous. But for the righteous, it is always the lion that is used as symbol. It represents power and is connected to the atonement in the Hebrew language. (see this post). 

Remember the Lord's words to Nephi

And if it so be that they (Nephites) rebel against me, they (Lamanites) shall be a scourge unto thy seed, to stir them up in the ways of remembrance. (1 Nephi 2:24, parenthesis added for context/clarification)

If there is no wild beast lurking, the sheep worry less about protection and are in less need of a shepherd. So in a way, the wild beast is there to fulfill God's purposes and stir the sheep up to remembrance or execute judgment. Sometimes, the wicked assume that role ("it is by the wicked that the wicked are punished", according to Mormon 4:5), and sometimes the righteous. The story of Ammonihah is a great example of that. In Alma 14:29, Alma and Amulek are the lions

Now the people having heard a great noise came running together by multitudes to know the cause of it; and when they saw Alma and Amulek coming forth out of the prison, and the walls thereof had fallen to the earth, they were struck with great fear, and fled from the presence of Alma and Amulek even as a goat fleeth with her young from two lions; and thus they did flee from the presence of Alma and Amulek.

In Alma 16:10, the city of Ammonihah has just been destroyed by the Lamanites and Mormon makes another connection to wild beasts.

But behold, in one day it was left desolate; and the carcasses were mangled by dogs and wild beasts of the wilderness.

Returning to the paradisaical state

As we have discussed numerous times on this blog, a lot of the covenant symbolism in the scriptures refers back to the creation. Isaiah talks about a time when

6 The wolf also shall dwell with the lamb, and the leopard shall lie down with the kid, and the calf and the young lion and fatling together; and a little child shall lead them.

7 And the cow and the bear shall feed; their young ones shall lie down together; and the lion shall eat straw like the ox.

Notice how the domesticated and wild animals are described living together in harmony. This will happen in the millennium and describes a return to the paradisaical state of the Garden of Eden. A similar state is described in 4 Nephi

There were no robbers, nor murderers, neither were there Lamanites, nor any manner of -ites; but they were in one, the children of Christ, and heirs to the kingdom of God. (1 Nephi 1:17)

"Neither were there Lamanites" surely does not mean there were no descendants of Laman among the people, but there was no reason to distinguish between groups because they were all "in one". Similarly, there are wolves, bears and lions in the millennium, but they behave like domesticated animals.

 

The Nephite governmental transition

I am very fascinated by and interested in Nephite history. Obviously I wish we had more information, What was on the large plates that Mormon abridged from? What information did he leave out? What was on the translated pages that Martin Harris lost? I expect it will take a while before I can get those answers (although Don Bradley provides some great insight in his book). So the only thing I can do except for learning directly from the Book of Mormon, is paying attention to details and reading between the lines. Doing so, I have been trying to better understand the Nephite government and the transition from kings to judges. Interestingly, this transition is a reversal of the Biblical transition from judges to kings.

The transition from kings to judges is also a monumental event in Nephite history. It is marked by a long speech by the king in the last chapter of Mosiah and the transition from the Book of Mosiah to the Book of Alma. It is also an event that happens in the middle of Nephite history. King Mosiah died and Alma became the first chief judge 509 years after Lehi left Jerusalem, according to Mosiah 29:46. Fast forward another 509 years and we are in 419 AD when Moroni was wandering around alone with the plates about to bury them in the ground.

This milestone of changing the governmental form was so monumental that they changed the time reckoning for the first time since Lehi left Jerusalem. The laws that king Mosiah established that the people were to be governed by under the rule of the judges, are referred to several times later in the Book of Mormon.

Reading between the lines, the transition may not have been without complications. A king is usually considered the highest authority in all affairs of the kingdom. He has his royal court so that he gets advise and help with all the affairs but he always has the final word. Nephite kings had at least the following responsibilities:

• Secular affairs (law enforcement etc.)
• Ecclesiastical affairs
• Warfare
• Record keeping

It is obvious that the first point should become the new responsibility of the judges. But what about the rest? I think this was not obvious and perhaps not sufficiently discussed or thought through before the transition was made. Here are some comments on how this was managed before and after the transition from kings to judges.

Secular affairs (government)

As mentioned, the Book of Mormon frequently refers back to the law that were prepared by king Mosiah for the reign of the judges. This does not mean that there were no laws before then. Jarom says about the Nephites:

They observed to keep the law of Moses and the sabbath day holy unto the Lord. And they profaned not; neither did they blaspheme. And the laws of the land were exceedingly strict. (Jarom 1:5)

But they weren't referred to often. These rare occasion mentions it in conjunction with the law of Moses. I get a sense that the laws they lived by pretty much were based on the Torah ("law" or "instruction" in Hebrew) on the brass plates. In Israel, any righteous king at least would let the Torah comprise the governing principles of the land. I expect the Nephites to have followed that tradition. Practical matters that were not covered by the Torah may have simply been up to the king to decide. It makes sense that a change from king to judge would necessitate a more detailed law. 

37 And now it came to pass, after king Mosiah had sent these things forth among the people they were convinced of the truth of his words.

38 Therefore they relinquished their desires for a king, and became exceedingly anxious that every man should have an equal chance throughout all the land; yea, and every man expressed a willingness to answer for his own sins.

39 Therefore, it came to pass that they assembled themselves together in bodies throughout the land, to cast in their voices concerning who should be their judges, to judge them according to the law which had been given them; and they were exceedingly rejoiced because of the liberty which had been granted unto them. (Mosiah 29)

Their "equal chance" was not based on the king's mood, righteousness or whim, but a detailed law that should apply to everybody. For instance, King Benjamin said to his people: "Neither have I suffered that ye should be confined in dungeons" (Mosiah 2:13) whereas King Noah cast Abinadi in prison for his preaching. What crimes warranted a prison sentence were probably more up to the king to decide than determined by a detailed juridical system. This changed when Mosiah established laws that the people should be judged by under the new system and Alma became the first appointed chief judge.

Ecclesiastical affairs

Alma was the first chief judge and also the high priest of the church. So one would think that this responsibility automatically followed in a system with little separation between church and state. Think again. Alma was already the high priest before the reign of the judges. It just so happened that he also became the first chief judge. But this was quite independently from his position as high priest.

Before Alma-2's father, Alma-1, became the first high priest, there really was none. That is, there were priests who served in the temple and prophets, but no high priest over the church (who had a similar role as the president of the church today) because there was no church! At least, there is no mention of a church organization among the Nephites before Alma-1 established one. This was another milestone for the Nephites that is referred back to many times later in the Book of Mormon.

Before that time, the king was the primary ecclesiastical leader as long as he was righteous. When he wasn't, prophets like Abinadi came with a warning. But unfortunately because of the lost pages, we know very few Nephite kings. In the Words of Mormon 1:17-18 we read that King Benjamin, "with the assistance from the holy prophets", preached the word of God to the people. The kings were responsible for ecclesiastical affairs even though there was no church organization as such. But they were helped by prophets and priests. King Noah's priests followed this tradition, even though they were wicked. But we read that his father had priests too, as probably all Nephite kings did.

Not long after the reign of the judges started, Alma gave up the judgment seat to focus on his role as high priest. Those two tasks were simply too much. In the rest of the Book of Mormon the two roles are usually held by two different people. Why would it be too much when the kings managed just fine, and more? Probably because the kings had their court and a larger network around them to assist. The chief judge was perhaps more left to himself. A bit speculative but that is what I think.

Warfare

Again back to King Benjamin (we don't have a lot of Nephite kings to choose from), we read:

And it came to pass also that the armies of the Lamanites came down out of the land of Nephi, to battle against his people. But behold, king Benjamin gathered together his armies, and he did stand against them; and he did fight with the strength of his own arm, with the sword of Laban. (Words of Mormon 1:13)

He who had the sword of Laban was the leader of the army, no doubt. This is also made clear by "gathered together his armies". The question is who becomes the leader of the army when there are no more kings. Reading between the lines, I think this was not really thought through. It is obvious that the king should be leading the army but perhaps not so obvious that the chief judge should have that role. This happened nonetheless but it didn't last for very long. In Alma 2, he had only been chief judge for a little more than four years

Now Alma, being the chief judge and the governor of the people of Nephi, therefore he went up with his people, yea, with his captains, and chief captains, yea, at the head of his armies, against the Amlicites to battle.

He is the chief captain of the army at this point. Only six years later

Therefore, he that had been appointed chief captain over the armies of the Nephites, (and his name was Zoram, and he had two sons, Lehi and Aha)—now Zoram and his two sons, knowing that Alma was high priest over the church, and having heard that he had the spirit of prophecy, therefore they went unto him and desired of him to know whither the Lord would that they should go into the wilderness in search of their brethren, who had been taken captive by the Lamanites. (Alma 16:5)

In the meantime, Alma has also given up the judgment seat and is focusing on his role as high priest. He is also not the chief captain of the army and more. Is that because he gave up the judgment seat? No. Because if the role as chief captain followed the role as chief judge, Nephihah, the chief judge should also have been captain of the army. Instead it is a man named Zoram. In this case he approaches the high priest and former chief captain, Alma, to see if he can inquire of the Lord.

I can easily imagine some events here that have not been carried over into Mormon's abridgment. Alma is chief captain of the army just because the kings used to be and he is the closest equivalent of former kings in the new system. But after a while he (or others) ask. "Who said the chief judge should lead the army anyway? We haven't really thought this through, have we?" Or the question comes up when Alma leaves the judgment seat to Nephihah. "OK, I'll be the chief judge but I'm not going to lead the army. I'm not a warrior, I'm terrible with the sword". From this time on, the chief captain (of which captain Moroni is the most famous) is never the same person as the chief judge. 

Record keeping 

The large plates of Nephi went from the hands of one king to the next, starting with Nephi himself who made the plates. This was not a minor task. At least the righteous kings took it very seriously and handing the plates and other sacred relics to the next generation was like a ceremonial event. Most of Mosiah 1 is describing this as King Benjamin hands them over to his son, Mosiah. So what happened at the transition to the reign of the judges? Alma, the first chief judge, was handed the records from Mosiah as we can read in Mosiah 28:20. The question is if Alma was expected to keep the records because he was the chief judge or because he was the high priest? It turns out that it probably was because of his role as chief judge.

37 And it came to pass that in the same year that the people of Nephi had peace restored unto them, that Nephihah, the second chief judge, died, having filled the judgment-seat with perfect uprightness before God.

38 Nevertheless, he had refused Alma to take possession of those records and those things which were esteemed by Alma and his fathers to be most sacred; therefore Alma had conferred them upon his son, Helaman. (Alma 50)

Alma first offered the records to Nephihah, the chief judge, rather than his son Helaman, who was high priest over the church. It shows an expectation that the records were the responsibility of the chief judge. But after Helaman took them, this changed, and the Nephite records stayed in that family of prophets/high priests rather than the judges.

Eventually, the four roles of the king became distinct roles for three different people after the reign of the judges. The high priestly office and responsibility for record keeping was held by the same person.  For instance, later in Alma, Pahoran was the chief judge, Moroni was the chief captain of the army and Helaman was the high priest and record keeper.

What does it mean to be stiffnecked?

Stiffnecked is a term used quite frequently in the Book of Mormon. Where does it come from and what does it mean? According to the Lexham Bible dictionary.

An idiom based on a farm animal stiffening its neck to refuse the yoke (Exod 32:9, 33:3, 33:5, 34:9; 2 Chr 30:8, 36:13; Neh 9:16–29; Prov 29:1; Jer 7:26, 17:23, 19:15). For the people of Israel, bearing the yoke was living in obedience to the covenant; stiffening the neck against the yoke was disobedience. The idiom seems to be used first after the incident with the golden calf (Exod 32:9). Stephen compares the Jewish leaders who resisted the Holy Spirit in his day with the “stiff-necked” of Israel (Acts 7:51).

 As the quote states, Exodus 32:9 is the first time we encounter the term in the scriptures.

9 And the Lord said unto Moses, I have seen this people, and, behold, it is a stiffnecked people

The setting here is Moses on Mount Sinai speaking with the Lord. He is about to give the Israelites his law, but in the meantime they make a golden calf to worship instead. From then on, this expression is used several times in Exodus and Deuteronomy, where the Mosaic covenant is established and reiterated.

Jehovah wants to be their God and lead them (as symbolized by the cloud by day and the pillar of fire by night). Their stiffneckedness is used to describe how they are set in their own wicked ways and are not willing to hearken or be led, like a stubborn ox. Even when this expression is used on a few occasions later in the Bible, it is often with reference to the stubborn Israelites. In Jeremiah 7, for instance:

22 Neither carry forth a burden out of your houses on the sabbath day, neither do ye any work, but hallow ye the sabbath day, as I commanded your fathers.

23 But they obeyed not, neither inclined their ear, but made their neck stiff, that they might not hear, nor receive instruction.

As the Lexham Bible Dictionary states, Stephen in Acts 7 also talks about the Israelites of old and refers to them when calling the Jewish leaders of his day stiffnecked. 

Ye stiffnecked and uncircumcised in heart and ears, ye do always resist the Holy Ghost: as your fathers did, so do ye. (Acts 7:51)

As usual, I have been interested in seeing how this understanding and context of the term fits its use in the Book of Mormon. I first started reflecting on this reading Jarom 1:4

And there are many among us who have many revelations, for they are not all stiffnecked. And as many as are not stiffnecked and have faith, have communion with the Holy Spirit, which maketh manifest unto the children of men, according to their faith.

Notice how it compares with the other quoted verse from Acts in relation to the Holy Ghost.

Frequently, the word "stiffnecked" in the Book of Mormon is used together with a hardened heart. I will not quote all the examples but references include Jacob 6:4, Alma 9:5, 2 Nephi 25:12 among others. Interestingly, the idea of a hard heart also originates from Exodus and is used there far more than any other book in the Bible. First it is Pharaoh who repeatedly hardens his heart, but eventually the Israelites do not "enter into His rest" because of their hardened hearts. After studying this, I believe that stiffnecked and hardhearted are allusions to a covenant people of old who failed to keep their part of the covenant. Sometimes it is stated directly, like in Jacob 4:14

But behold, the Jews were a stiffnecked people; and they despised the words of plainness, and killed the prophets, and sought for things that they could not understand.

as well as Jacob 6:4, Mosiah 3:14 and Mosiah 13:29.

But it is also used as a description of a contemporary people, and I believe by using the term they are being compared with the Israelites of old. As mentioned, it is used as a description of a people who stubbornly pursue their own wicked ways instead of being guided by God when He offers his covenant. The Book of Helaman provides several examples:

But Nephi said unto them: O ye fools, ye uncircumcised of heart, ye blind, and ye stiffnecked people, do ye know how long the Lord your God will suffer you that ye shall go on in this your way of sin? (Helaman 9:21)

Yea, and this was not all; they were a stiffnecked people, insomuch that they could not be governed by the law nor justice, save it were to their destruction. (Helaman 5:3) 

O ye wicked and ye perverse generation; ye hardened and ye stiffnecked people, how long will ye suppose that the Lord will suffer you? Yea, how long will ye suffer yourselves to be led by foolish and blind guides? Yea, how long will ye choose darkness rather than light? (Helaman 13:29)

Yea, they began to remember the prophecies of Alma, and also the words of Mosiah; and they saw that they had been a stiffnecked people, and that they had set at naught the commandments of God (Helaman 4:21)

 

The Book of Mormon proverb

20 And inasmuch as ye shall keep my commandments, ye shall prosper, and shall be led to a land of promise; yea, even a land which I have prepared for you; yea, a land which is choice above all other lands.
21 And inasmuch as thy brethren shall rebel against thee, they shall be cut off from the presence of the Lord.

Sounds familiar? If it does, it is because it is consistently repeated throughout the pre-Christ phase of the Book of Mormon. This is from 1 Nephi 2, the first time this statement is spoken by the Lord himself to Nephi while he was in the wilderness. This is also what Nephi refers to in 1 Nephi 4 when he is back in Jerusalem to get the brass plates

14 And now, when I, Nephi, had heard these words, I remembered the words of the Lord which he spake unto me in the wilderness, saying that: Inasmuch as thy seed shall keep my commandments, they shall prosper in the land of promise.

It is repeated several more times in 1st and 2nd Nephi
1 Nephi 17:13

wherefore, inasmuch as ye shall keep my commandments ye shall be led towards the promised land

2 Nephi 1:9

Wherefore, I, Lehi, have obtained a promise, that inasmuch as those whom the Lord God shall bring out of the land of Jerusalem shall keep his commandments, they shall prosper upon the face of this land

(It seems that both Nephi and Lehi had received this promise individually directly from the Lord. The "have obtained" refers to a previous occasion probably recorded on the large plates. A couple of times in Alma, this "Book of Mormon proverb" is referred to as something the Lord told Lehi.)

2 Nephi 1:20

And he hath said that: Inasmuch as ye shall keep my commandments ye shall prosper in the land; but inasmuch as ye will not keep my commandments ye shall be cut off from my presence. 

2 Nephi 4:4

For the Lord God hath said that: Inasmuch as ye shall keep my commandments ye shall prosper in the land; and inasmuch as ye will not keep my commandments ye shall be cut off from my presence.

2 Nephi 5:20

Wherefore, the word of the Lord was fulfilled which he spake unto me, saying that: Inasmuch as they will not hearken unto thy words they shall be cut off from the presence of the Lord. And behold, they were cut off from his presence.

Interestingly, after the books of Nephi, each of the small books contain this same statement. They write so little, yet they make sure to repeat this particular promise.

First, a variant of this spoken directly by the Lord to Enos in verse 10

I will visit thy brethren according to their diligence in keeping my commandments. I have given unto them this land, and it is a holy land; and I curse it not save it be for the cause of iniquity

Then a reference to what the Lord had said to "our fathers" in Jarom verse 9. We note the plural and the fact that Jarom's father, Enos, his granduncle, Nephi, and his great-grandfather, Lehi, had all received this promise individually

But the word of the Lord was verified, which he spake unto our fathers, saying that: Inasmuch as ye will keep my commandments ye shall prosper in the land

Another reference to what the Lord had said to "our fathers" in Omni verse 6

he would not suffer that the words should not be verified, which he spake unto our fathers, saying that: Inasmuch as ye will not keep my commandments ye shall not prosper in the land.

Over to the large plates of Nephi. I will not quote every single one but here is an overview:

• King Benjamin to his sons in Mosiah 1:7
• King Benjamin to the people in Mosiah 2:22 and 31
• Alma to the people of Ammonihah in Alma 9:13
• Alma to his son, Helaman, in Alma 36:1 and 30 (beginning and end of the chiasmus)
• Alma to his son, Helaman again in Alma 37:13
• Alma to his son, Shiblon, in Alma 38:1
• References by Mormon in his abridgment in Alma 48:15, 25 and 50:20

Altogether 20 repetitions of this promise. That is a lot! One may wonder why this is repeated so consistently from 1 Nephi through Alma and then it seems to disappear except a few possible allusions, like Helaman 12:21

And if the Lord shall say—Because of thine iniquities thou shalt be cut off from my presence—he will cause that it shall be so.

Why this is the case, I don't know. But the rest of the Book of Mormon is a fulfillment of this promise. After the Saviour's visit in 3rd Nephi, the people keep the commandments and prosper as promised in 4th Nephi

7 And the Lord did prosper them exceedingly in the land

Then they turn away from God, and are cut off from his presence (see for instance Mormon 1:14)

And there were no gifts from the Lord, and the Holy Ghost did not come upon any, because of their wickedness and unbelief.

Finally, the Nephites, as we know, are completely cut off from the land.

The Lamanites and the law of Moses

The Nephite authors of the Book of Mormon, sometimes give certain descriptions of the Lamanites that are not exactly flattering. In many cases, they seem to make a point of the Lamanites not following the Law of Moses, which to them is a sign of a people who have strayed from the covenant with God. Some examples:

Jarom 1:6

and they loved murder and would drink the blood of beasts

As mentioned in this post, the consumption of blood was against the Law of Moses. 

Alma 17:15

Thus they were a very indolent people, many of whom did worship idols

In the Old Testament, idol-worshipping was perhaps the very sign of apostasy from the covenant. This was the first of the ten commandments that Moses received.

2 Nephi 5:24

they did become an idle people, full of mischief and subtlety, and did seek in the wilderness for beasts of prey

Beasts of prey were not among the 'clean' animals that were permitted under the Law of Moses. Again, the Nephite authors seem to be making a point about the Lamanites not keeping the Law of Moses.

As a side note, it's tempting to speculate about the original word that has been translated to "subtelty" in the last example, considering the fact that the Hebrew, "arum", means both "subtle" and "naked" and several other passages in the Book of Mormon describing the Lamanites as naked.

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.