The Hebrew words for "sweet" and "gift"

While studying the bitter and sweet contrasts and Mormon's good and bitter water in Moroni 7:11, I had a look at the possible Hebrew roots for these words. I'm interested in learning more Hebrew and posting what I learn as I study. Sorry for the Hebrew lesson if you are not that interested, but there is a point or two in here as well.

The Hebrew word for water is "mayim". It is also symbolized by the middle letter of the Hebrew alphabet corresponding to the English 'm'. In Hebrew it looks like this: מַ. We saw in my previous post that bitter is "mar" or "marah". The Hebrew word for sweet is "mathoq", another m-word. A similar word in Hebrew, "mattanah", means "gift" (they share the first two letters, mem and taw). There is a lot of talk about gift in Moroni 7:6-10 before the verse about good and bitter water. It is mentioned 4 times. I wonder if there is some sort of wordplay here.

6 For behold, God hath said a man being evil cannot do that which is good; for if he offereth a gift, or prayeth unto God, except he shall do it with real intent it profiteth him nothing.
7 For behold, it is not counted unto him for righteousness.
8 For behold, if a man being evil giveth a gift, he doeth it grudgingly; wherefore it is counted unto him the same as if he had retained the gift; wherefore he is counted evil before God.
9 And likewise also is it counted evil unto a man, if he shall pray and not with real intent of heart; yea, and it profiteth him nothing, for God receiveth none such.
10 Wherefore, a man being evil cannot do that which is good; neither will he give a good gift.
11 For behold, a bitter fountain cannot bring forth good water; neither can a good fountain bring forth bitter water; wherefore, a man being a servant of the devil cannot follow Christ; and if he follow Christ he cannot be a servant of the devil.

An obvious argument against this, is that the term, "good water" is used, not "sweet". But when discussing the bitter/sweet contrast in previous posts, we note that "sweet" and "good" are used interchangeably. For instance, the Moses quote in this post uses "bitter" and "good", whereas the D&C quote uses and "bitter" and "sweet". James, who wrote the epistle in the New Testament, has no direct connection to Mormon that we know of, but he wrote

Doth a fountain send forth at the same place sweet water and bitter? (James 3:11)

Notice the same analogy, but sweet water instead of good water. Of course, the epistle of James is not written in Hebrew so the original word translated to sweet is Greek. We also don't know how much the Hebrew had been changed at Mormon's time but at least he must have understood the kind of Hebrew that Nephi wrote in Egyptian characters on the plates since he abridged the large plates of Nephi. There is always a bit of speculation and my very limited knowledge of Hebrew doesn't help.

Still, I find it interesting how Mormon and Moroni play around with the word, "gift". It certainly has a role in these bitter/sweet or good/evil contrasts sometimes symbolized by fruit or water. There is a connection between the "good gift", the "good water/fountain" and "Christ" in these verses in Moroni 7. Let's also  consider Moroni 10:30, where Moroni writes:

And again I would exhort you that ye would come unto Christ, and lay hold upon every good gift, and touch not the evil gift, nor the unclean thing.

I think the good fountain/water represents this "good gift". Similarly, the "evil fruit" in Jacob 5 or 3 Nephi 14:17 and the fountain of filthy water in 1 Nephi 12:16 represent the "evil gift" and the "unclean thing" that we are exhorted not to touch.

Side note: When I read about the Hebrew word for gift, "mattanah", I thought I remembered one of the 12 disciples having a similar name. Sure enough, in 3 Nephi 19:4, where their names are listed, there is someone called "Mathoni". I looked it up here and it confirmed what I thought. The name is based on the Hebrew word for gift. There are similar names in the Bible coming from the same root, but not with the "i" ending that in Hebrew would indicate the additional "my". So the disciple, Mathoni, had a name meaning "my gift" and he had a brother, also one of the twelve, named Mathonihah, probably meaning "gift of Yahweh". Sounds like there is an intriguing backstory here that perhaps was contained on the plates of Nephi. 

So regardless of speculations about underlying Hebrew roots for specific words in the Book of Mormon, there are obvious Hebrew traces and lots of reasons to believe in its ancient Israelite origins. Joseph Smith had no knowledge of Hebrew at the time when he translated the Book of Mormon. If he were making this up, it would be very risky to invent a name that was not found in the Bible but that still needed to sound Hebrew (or Egyptian). Even a name like Mathoni, being close to a Biblical name but not quite, was risky. Small differences (like the "i" at the end) could have completely ruined the plausibility of a Hebrew origin, but it didn't. If you try to argue that Joseph Smith just guessed and got lucky each time or had help from Hebrew experts in the translation process, you won't get very far with me. He really did translate by the gift and power of God (pun intended)!

"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. 

Bitter and sweet -- Part 2

I didn't label the last post on this topic part 1, because I didn't know there would be a part 2 at the time. That seems to happen a lot these days. In the first post I connected the bitter/sweet contrast in the scriptures to the the trees in the Garden of Eden and its fruit. Tree symbolism in the scriptures often go together with water. See for instance this post and this post. So I came to think about the bitter and good waters that Mormon talks about in his sermon in Moroni 7. He says

For behold, a bitter fountain cannot bring forth good water; neither can a good fountain bring forth bitter water; wherefore, a man being a servant of the devil cannot follow Christ; and if he follow Christ he cannot be a servant of the devil. (Moroni 7:11) 

We know examples of trees producing good/sweet fruit and bad/bitter fruit. Zenos' allegory in Jacob 5 is perhaps the most extensive treatise of this subject. Jesus teaches the Nephites:

17 Even so every good tree bringeth forth good fruit; but a corrupt tree bringeth forth evil fruit.
18 A good tree cannot bring forth evil fruit, neither a corrupt tree bring forth good fruit. (3 Nephi 14)

A very similar sentiment to what Moroni presents, only that Christ talks about trees and Moroni talks about water. The ultimate fruit and source of "good water" is the fruit of the tree of life and the fountain of living waters. They are both found together in Lehi/Nephi's visions in 1 Nephi 8 and 11 and John's vision of the New Jerusalem in Revelation 22:1-2.

It is interesting that Mormon chooses this analogy with water, considering the fact that his own name can be connected to the fountain of living waters. The first time his name is mentioned in the Book of Mormon, it is the name of the place he is named after.

Now, there was in Mormon a fountain of pure water, and Alma resorted thither, there being near the water a thicket of small trees, where he did hide himself in the daytime from the searches of the king. (Mosiah 18:5)

Notice how Mormon goes out of his way to inform the reader that there also were trees near that fountain of pure water. 

So there are several references to pure/good/living waters in the scriptures. Where did the bitter water come from? This contrast is found in Lehi's dream/Nephi's vision, where there is filthy water as a contrast to the pure. But Mormon and his audience might also have been aware of another story with bitter water. Evidently, the Exodus story was found on the brass plates. In Exodus 15, we read about an interesting event

22 So Moses brought Israel from the Red sea, and they went out into the wilderness of Shur; and they went three days in the wilderness, and found no water.
23 And when they came to Marah, they could not drink of the waters of Marah, for they were bitter: therefore the name of it was called Marah.
24 And the people murmured against Moses, saying, What shall we drink?
25 And he cried unto the Lord; and the Lord shewed him a tree, which when he had cast into the waters, the waters were made sweet: there he made for them a statute and an ordinance, and there he proved them

For the record, "marah" means bitter in Hebrew. So the water was bitter, but became sweet when Moses tossed a tree into it (can also be translated as "wood"). This is another example of the connection between trees and water. According to this article, the Zohar suggests that it was wood from the tree of life thrown into the water.

I am not sure I understand all the aspects of this symbolism. But we have seen before how trees connect to God/our potential and the atonement. God's power manifest in the atonement is a healing power that turns bitter to sweet. The weird story of a tree thrown into the bitter water to make it sweet, makes sense when we consider

• Trees and water often go together as symbols in the scriptures, just like food and drink are both necessary to sustain physical life
• Christ was "hanged on a tree" (Acts 5:30) after suffering in a garden of olive trees. His atonement turned bitter into sweet. He drank the "bitter cup" so that we wouldn't have to.

In the next verse after the ones I quotes from the Exodus, God makes sure to inform:

I am the Lord that healeth thee

I have noticed that tree/fruit/water symbolism in the scriptures generally can refer to either

• God's love/power to save/the atonement or the power and influence of the devil
• Our own deeds, either good deeds/entering into and keeping covenants, or bad/breaking covenants). In other words, to what degree we let either of two sources of influence affect our lives.

To summarize:

• In the first verse I quoted in Moroni 7, Mormon clearly equates the bitter water with the devil and the good water with Christ. 
• In the Exodus story, the atonement (tree), turned the bitter water sweet. 
• In Lehi's and Nephi's visions, the tree of life and the living waters represented the love of God.
• In Mosiah 15, where converts gathered to enter into a covenant, there was a fountain of pure water and a thicket of trees. 
• This one has not been mentioned yet, but in Alma 5:3, Alma reminds the people of this covenant mentioned in the point above. Then in verse 34-35:

34 Yea, he saith: Come unto me and ye shall partake of the fruit of the tree of life; yea, ye shall eat and drink of the bread and the waters of life freely;
35 Yea, come unto me and bring forth works of righteousness, and ye shall not be hewn down and cast into the fire

"One continual round" versus "one eternal round"

I'm in the process of intensely studying Mormon 8-9, Moroni's somber conclusion to his father's book. 

In the opening of chapter 8, Moroni says the following about the current state of affairs in the land:

8 ...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.

I wonder if Moroni is intentionally contrasting "one continual round of murder and bloodshed" with the Lord's course being "one eternal round."  We find the latter phrase three times in the Book of Mormon, each time immediately preceding a warning about being cut off or remaining in filthiness:

20 I perceive that it has been made known unto you, by the testimony of his word, that he cannot walk in crooked paths; neither doth he vary from that which he hath said; neither hath he a shadow of turning from the right to the left, or from that which is right to that which is wrong; therefore, his course is one eternal round.

21 And he doth not dwell in unholy temples; neither can filthiness or anything which is unclean be received into the kingdom of God; therefore I say unto you the time shall come, yea, and it shall be at the last day, that he who is filthy shall remain in his filthiness. (Alma 7)

12 And it may suffice if I only say they are preserved for a wise purpose, which purpose is known unto God; for he doth counsel in wisdom over all his works, and his paths are straight, and his course is one eternal round.
13 O remember, remember, my son Helaman, how strict are the commandments of God. And he said: If ye will keep my commandments ye shall prosper in the land—but if ye keep not his commandments ye shall be cut off from his presence. (Alma 37)

18 For he is the same yesterday, today, and forever; and the way is prepared for all men from the foundation of the world, if it so be that they repent and come unto him.
19 For he that diligently seeketh shall find; and the mysteries of God shall be unfolded unto them, by the power of the Holy Ghost, as well in these times as in times of old, and as well in times of old as in times to come; wherefore, the course of the Lord is one eternal round.
20 Therefore remember, O man, for all thy doings thou shalt be brought into judgment.
21 Wherefore, if ye have sought to do wickedly in the days of your probation, then ye are found unclean before the judgment-seat of God; and no unclean thing can dwell with God; wherefore, ye must be cast off forever. (1 Nephi 10)

Going back to Mormon 8, notice how Moroni describes war and depravity in which he finds himself:

7 And behold, the Lamanites have hunted my people, the Nephites, down from city to city and from place to place, even until they are no more; and great has been their fall; yea, great and marvelous is the destruction of my people, the Nephites.
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. (Moroni 8)

"...it is the hand of the Lord which hath done it." In other words, Moroni is openly aware that the Nephites' fall came as a result of the violation of their covenant.

In the next post, We'll look at the phrase in purple above and show how it also serves an important role in pointing our minds to three key aspects of the Nephite's history and covenants which justify their downfall.  

The line of Nephite record keepers

How were Nephite records passed from one generation to the next? Who had the responsibility? Easy, you would say: The record keeper gave them to his oldest son before he died (with a few exceptions like Nephi handing the plates to his brother, Jacob). That is the simple and not entirely correct version. Here is the detailed one:

The Small Plates of Nephi

As mentioned, Nephi gave the plates to his brother, Jacob. Why not his son? Her are some possible reasons:

• He did but only the large plates. This the large plates were passed down the line of kings, it would imply that Nephi's son became the king after Nephi died. This explanation seems unlikely, given the wording in Jacob 1:9: "Now Nephi began to be old, and he saw that he must soon die; wherefore, he anointed a man to be a king and a ruler over his people". We would expect "a man" to be replaced with "his son" if that in fact were the case.
• Nephi had only girls. We know he had children (1 Nephi 18:19), but we don't know their gender.
• None of Nephi's sons had proven worthy to be entrusted with the plates
• This was the first time plates were handed over since Nephi created them. There simply was no system or tradition yet for how it was to be done and Nephi saw Jacob, who he had ordained as priest and teacher, as a natural successor.

From Jacob on, we read that the plates are typically handed from father to son, Enos, Jarom, Omni, etc. In one case they are handed to a brother for reasons we can only speculate about. But studying the timeline, it is quite obvious that the plates were not typically handed to the oldest son. I'm not going to include all the details of my study here, but I figured Jacob must have been 70+ when Enos was born, Enos around 70 when Jarom was born and Jarom about 50 when Omni was born. Information is scarce so these are rough estimates, but to make it all work, none of these figures can be much reduced without increasing the other. After Omni, there are about 50 years between the generations of record keepers until the plates are full and given to King Benjamin.

From this we can conclude that it was Nephite tradition to pass the small plates to the youngest son. One may even wonder how Jacob and Enos could have children when they were 70 or more. But in Ether 9:24, we read

24 And it came to pass that his wife died, being an hundred and two years old. And it came to pass that Coriantum took to wife, in his old age, a young maid, and begat sons and daughters; wherefore he lived until he was an hundred and forty and two years old.

This is pretty extreme, at least for our standards, and make even Jacob and Enos look like young fathers. If it happened among the Jaredites, there is no reason why it couldn't happen among the Nephites too.

The Large Plates of Nephi - Period of Kings

We know very little about the Nephite kings. But in the period between Nephi and Mosiah II, the large plates of Nephi were passed from one king to the next, which presumably also would be from father to son. Which son we don't know. I have realized that the Jaredites most likely had a system of conferring the kingdom to the youngest son. I don't think that is the case for Nephite kings. Although we know very little about the kings before Benjamin, we know that Benjamin had three sons, named in order in Mosiah 1:2. Since Mosiah is mentioned first, it is reasonable to assume that he also was the oldest and he became the next king. Based on that information, I assume that it was Nephite tradition to confer the kingdom and the large plates to the oldest son.

The Large Plates of Nephi - Period of Judges

We know much more about this period, described in detail from the beginning of the Book of Alma until Christ comes in 3 Nephi. The generational gap from one record keeper to the next is much smaller than the one we see on the small plates. In some cases, we also know that the plates were handed to the oldest son. For instance, Helaman-I was the oldest son of Alma-II. The interesting part, however, is that this was not at all obvious from the beginning.

It all starts with Mosiah-II ending the reign of kings and initiating the reign of judges. The large plates had been passed from king to king but also from father to son. Now that there was no king, should Mosiah's oldest son get the plates? He was not around since he had gone on a mission to the Lamanites. We know that Alma-II got the plates. But was it because the sons of Mosiah were not able to take the records or was it because Alma was now the ruler/chief judge? We are not told. Personally, I think Alma would have received the plates anyway. The plates contained time-keeping and a great deal of information about governmental affairs, wars, etc. in addition to prophecies and spiritual matters. The large plates had always been the responsibility of the chief ruler. It used to be a king, now it was a judge.

This helps explain an oddity in Alma 50

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.

We learn that Helaman was Alma's second choice. He first asked Nephihah to take the plates and other sacred relics, but he refused. Since we are used to having the period of kings covered mostly by the small plates and knowing what happens after Alma-II, we are also used to the plates being handed primarily from father to son. This verse indicates that the change from kings to judges had not really settled the question about whose responsibility it was to keep the records. Alma had stepped away from the judgment seat and appointed Nephihah to rule in his place. He apparently thought that the plates, having been passed from one king to the next, now should go from one chief judge to the next. But Nephihah refused. Again we can only speculate. Did he not feel capable of fulfilling the task? Or did he simply think that the plates should go from father to son, not from one ruler to the next? (Ruler and son were not the same person anymore as it had been in the past).

Some have also speculated that Helaman was not up to the task and this is why Alma chose Nephihah first. It might be, but in the context of all this it actually makes sense to me that Alma would want to offer them to the chief judge first. Helaman getting the responsibility for the large plates of Nephi would probably be the first time a non-ruler had that. It marks a turning point in Nephite history. The records are now handed from father to (probably) the eldest son, regardless of who is chief judge. Incidentally, Helaman-II is appointed chief judge later on (see Helaman 2:2), but he is already the record keeper at the time. 

Another oddity: In the period of judges, we also read about a brother getting the responsibility. Alma 63:1

And it came to pass in the commencement of the thirty and sixth year of the reign of the judges over the people of Nephi, that Shiblon took possession of those sacred things which had been delivered unto Helaman by Alma.

Shiblon was the brother of Helaman-I and he "took possession" of the plates only 3 years before he conferred them to Helaman-I's son, Helaman-II and then died. Perhaps Helaman-I died suddenly and unexpected and didn't get the time to properly hand over the plates with instructions like for instance Alma did in Alma 37? That could explain the phrase, "took possession".

Conclusion

• The small plates of Nephi seem to typically be handed from father to the youngest son (in some cases a brother)
• The large plates of Nephi are handed from one king to the next, who is assumed to typically also be the oldest son
• After the period of kings, the large plates of Nephi are handed from father to the oldest son (with Shiblon, the brother of Helaman-I being one exception), after an apparent period of uncertainty about who they should be transmitted to

"Why do ye adorn yourselves with that which hath no life?"

In my last post, I pointed out an example of wordplay centered on Mormon 8:39.

Moroni's piercing question in that verse serves as the title of this post.  

"Why do ye adorn yourselves with that which hath no life?"

By asking why one chooses to be clothed in "that which hath no life," he implies the opposite is possible -- we can be clothed with something which has life. In this question, I see a deep connection to the temple. 

More wordplay 

I'd like to build on some themes I first presented in this post.  Please take the time to review it before proceeding if you'd like more detail. Here's a summary:

• God's glory is intimately connected with the robes of His righteousness. (In fact, "glory" and "robe" come from the same Hebrew root.) 
• To stand before Him naked is synonymous with being unprepared and filthy. 
• We are told that those who experience this will have "a flame of unquenchable fire" kindled upon them, a symbol of damnation of their eternal progress. (See Mormon 9:5.) 
• To stand before Him clothed and worthy has everything to do with Jesus Christ. 
• When Moroni contrasts the nakedness of the unworthy with God's "glory" and Christ's "holiness," he is connecting Christ's power with the garment with which we should adorn ourselves.

Glory as a garment

Many scriptures make reference to this clothing.

10 I will greatly rejoice in the Lord, my soul shall be joyful in my God; for he hath clothed me with the garments of salvation, he hath covered me with the robe of righteousness, as a bridegroom decketh himself with ornaments, and as a bride adorneth herself with her jewels. (Isaiah 61)

33 O Lord, wilt thou encircle me around in the robe of thy righteousness! (2 Nephi 4)

 

31 And awake, and arise from the dust, O Jerusalem; yea, and put on thy beautiful garments, O daughter of Zion; and strengthen thy stakes and enlarge thy borders forever, that thou mayest no more be confounded, that the covenants of the Eternal Father which he hath made unto thee, O house of Israel, may be fulfilled. (Moroni 10)

More about that final example in the next post. Moroni's exhortation in Mormon 9:1-6 indicates that a key component of our preparation for the judgment day involves being clothed in a garment that represents our commitment to Jesus Christ and His sacrifice for us.

Connections between the garment and Joseph in Egypt

I've pointed out many times on this blog that I believe the temple covenant was central to the Nephites and part of the covenant involved wearing a long garment. Just as Joseph of Egypt wore an ornate robe symbolizing the favor he found with his father, the Nephites -- descendants of that same Joseph -- wore a similar garment. Captain Moroni wore a coat that symbolized his covenant with God, and the men he recruited to fight for their freedom also wore garments they rent in token of their covenant. This garment was directly connected to their covenants and "tak[ing] upon [them] the name of Christ."  See Alma 46:11, 18-21.

The concept of sacred clothing dates all the way back to Adam and Eve and has intimate connections to the atoning sacrifice of Jesus Christ. See Moses 4:27 and Moses 5:5-8.

The importance of wearing this garment is hinted at repeatedly in the Book of Mormon.  As I've pointed out many times before, wearing such a garment would be rather conspicuous in the tropical climate of Mesoamerica. Likewise, removing the garment would not only violate the covenant but would also allow a person to fit in among non-Nephite neighbors. (As an aside, this would also explain why "nakedness" and "filthiness" would be connected to each other in Nephite culture, and why those two terms might also be connected to a skin of darkness, which would surely come upon anyone living in that climate who did not cover themselves.) 

I can imagine tremendous pressure to fit in by removing the garment, especially as Nephite culture came under attack and other cultures rose to political dominance.

Might this explain why Moroni, the last surviving Nephite, had to flee instead of finding a way to live among the people who overthrew his people?

2 For behold, their wars are exceedingly fierce among themselves; and because of their hatred they put to death every Nephite that will not deny the Christ.
3 And I, Moroni, will not deny the Christ; wherefore, I wander whithersoever I can for the safety of mine own life. (Moroni 1)

Is it possible the Lamanites demanded any Nephite they found to remove their garment or die? If true, it adds a new layer of meaning to adorning one's self with that which hath life!

Conclusion

I'll make one final point to end this post, which I will explore in the next post:

In addition to everything else going on in in Mormon 8, Moroni subtly and repeatedly quotes the prophecy of Joseph in Egypt found in 2 Nephi 3.  I find this detail incredibly compelling, connecting two big concepts (the latter-day work through a modern-day Joseph and the fulfillment of God's ancient promise to gather Israel) directly to the biblical figure who is best known for his ornate robe. This connection underscores the significance of latter-day temples and the covenants associated with temple worship. To quote Moroni, these covenants prepare us to: 

...cry mightily unto the Father in the name of Jesus, that perhaps [we] may be found spotless, pure, fair, and white, having been cleansed by the blood of the Lamb, at that great and last day. (Mormon 9:6)

Bitter and sweet

2 Nephi 2 is known as Lehi's discourse on an "opposition in all things". He says

it must needs be that there was an opposition; even the forbidden fruit in opposition to the tree of life; the one being sweet and the other bitter. (2 Nephi 2:15)

Curiously, Lehi changes the order when he refers to the taste of the fruit. It is of course the forbidden fruit (mentioned first) that is bitter (mentioned last) and the tree of life that is sweet. Lehi would know. He got to taste the fruit of the tree of life in a dream and described it as

most sweet, above all that I ever before tasted. (1 Nephi 8:11)

So Lehi's statement in 2 Nephi 2 is structured chiastically

the forbidden fruit in opposition to 

     the tree of life; 

     the one being sweet 

and the other bitter

A much more complex and well-know chiasmus is also playing on the sweet and bitter opposites, namely Alma 36.

Yea, I say unto you, my son, that there could be nothing so exquisite and so bitter as were my pains. Yea, and again I say unto you, my son, that on the other hand, there can be nothing so exquisite and sweet as was my joy. (Alma 36:21)

An antithetic parallelism in the middle of that long chiasmus. In a previous blog post, I speculated that Alma and other prophet's description of "tasting" joy, love and light are references to the tree of life. His talk of bitter and sweet makes me even more sure. There are a few other verses in the scriptures talking about this contrast and they typically connect to the Garden of Eden

39 And it must needs be that the devil should tempt the children of men, or they could not be agents unto themselves; for if they never should have bitter they could not know the sweet—
40 Wherefore, it came to pass that the devil tempted Adam, and he partook of the forbidden fruit and transgressed the commandment (L&P 29)

53 And our father Adam spake unto the Lord, and said: Why is it that men must repent and be baptized in water? And the Lord said unto Adam: Behold I have forgiven thee thy transgression in the Garden of Eden.
54 Hence came the saying abroad among the people, that the Son of God hath atoned for original guilt, wherein the sins of the parents cannot be answered upon the heads of the children, for they are whole from the foundation of the world.
55 And the Lord spake unto Adam, saying: Inasmuch as thy children are conceived in sin, even so when they begin to grow up, sin conceiveth in their hearts, and they taste the bitter, that they may know to prize the good. (Moses 6)

So I'm making the case that Alma with his talk of bitter and sweet in Alma 36:21 was referring to 2 Nephi 2 and the symbolism of the two trees. In the next verse he quotes 1 Nephi 1:8 verbatim

Yea, methought I saw, even as our father Lehi saw, God sitting upon his throne, surrounded with numberless concourses of angels, in the attitude of singing and praising their God; yea, and my soul did long to be there. (Alma 36:22)

Let's also have a look at the next 4 verses

23 But behold, my limbs did receive their strength again, and I stood upon my feet, and did manifest unto the people that I had been born of God.
24 Yea, and from that time even until now, I have labored without ceasing, that I might bring souls unto repentance; that I might bring them to taste of the exceeding joy of which I did taste; that they might also be born of God, and be filled with the Holy Ghost.
25 Yea, and now behold, O my son, the Lord doth give me exceedingly great joy in the fruit of my labors;
26 For because of the word which he has imparted unto me, behold, many have been born of God, and have tasted as I have tasted, and have seen eye to eye as I have seen; therefore they do know of these things of which I have spoken, as I do know; and the knowledge which I have is of God.

Compare with 1 Nephi 8:11-12

11 And it came to pass that I did go forth and partake of the fruit thereof; and I beheld that it was most sweet, above all that I ever before tasted. Yea, and I beheld that the fruit thereof was white, to exceed all the whiteness that I had ever seen.
12 And as I partook of the fruit thereof it filled my soul with exceedingly great joy; wherefore, I began to be desirous that my family should partake of it also; for I knew that it was desirable above all other fruit.

Based on all this it is easy to imagine that Alma is teaching his son, Helaman, from the small plates. He uses Lehi's teachings and the tree symbolism in the Garden of Eden to relate his own conversion story. In particular, I noted a this part of verse 24

that I might bring souls unto repentance; that I might bring them to taste of the exceeding joy of which I did taste

As I have mentioned on this blog before, repentance in Hebrew ('shuv') literally means to turn around. The underlying idea is to walk back to the original state in the Garden of Eden, to God's presence, from which they were cast out because of sin.

Not only Adam tasted the bitter. Adam is Hebrew for 'mankind'. We all taste the bitter according to the plan of salvation. But through repentance, we can turn around and partake of the sweet fruit of the tree of life. It was originally blocked by cherubim and a flaming sword because 'mankind' needed to taste the bitter first. But Alma is teaching Helaman that when we have tasted the bitter fruit that this life inevitably offers, we can repent, cry out for mercy and taste the sweet.

Moroni's wordplay -- adorn/pass by

I noticed a clever example of Hebrew wordplay in Mormon 8, which we can add to a growing list of wordplay that makes more sense in Hebrew than in English.

Here is the verse:

39 Why do ye adorn yourselves with that which hath no life, and yet suffer the hungry, and the needy, and the naked, and the sick and the afflicted to pass by you, and notice them not? (Mormon 8)

The context is important. Moroni is talking about the latter days, a time when the church is corrupted and "none save a few only" have avoided pride. The prideful lift themselves up "unto the wearing of very fine apparel" and love money, substance, fine apparel, and "the adorning of your churches" more than the poor.

Thus, while the prideful "adorn [them]selves," they suffer "the naked" to "pass by."  Pretty clever.

As I studied the Hebrew root for "adorn" I noticed another really interesting layer.  The clear candidate here is:

עָדָה "adah" -- adorn, deck self, pass by, take away

Notice the third definition.  "Pass by."  We find that in the same verse!  

In other words, the root of "adorn" is the same as the root of "pass by."  So we could say that the prideful adorn (adah) themselves to be noticed of the world, yet suffer the naked to pass by (adah) without noticing them.

There's more context here that renders this passage not only pointed and clever but also majestic and temple-related.  It centers on the first part of the verse: "Why do ye adorn yourselves with that which hath no life?"  This question will be the topic of my next post.