That’s probably not the best title for
this post – but I am not the only mind that has felt a sense of that thought at
some point during one’s life time. The Book of Mormon starts out as an account
written in first person. Nephi has two
sets of plates which he so cleverly refers to as the large plates of Nephi and
the small plates of Nephi. Say what?
The large plates share the history of
the people while the small plates refer to the word of God. Nephi writes according to what he is told and
what he learns and would like for us to learn.
Nephi is the author of the first two books.
From my understanding the small plates
were handed down from one generation to the next while the large plates were
passed from king to king (or ruler to ruler).
So before Nephi dies he passes the plates to his brother Jacob who
passes them onto his son Enos who passes them onto his son Omni.
Omni contains only 30 verses written
by 5 different authors – Omni writes 4 verses.
His son Amoron adds five more.
His brother Chemish writes only one followed by his son Abinadom writes
two and the remaining 19 are written by Amaleki. The book of Omni takes place between 279 and
130 BC. In conclusion Amaleki mentions three journeys of various groups leaving
Zarahemla – first to search for the land of Nephi or land of their inheritance.
Third to search for those that did not return.
Amaleki mentions a brother who who
had gone with the search party who were still missing when the small plates
end. The small plates are given to King Benjamin who also has the large plates
of Nephi. The Book of Mosiah starts out with the reign of a righteous king
named King Benjamin. But before Mosiah
starts and where Omni ends are The Words of Mormon. This is known as a bridge
that ties the small plates and the large plates together. And the world was in such chaos at the time
Mormon writes (or translates) the plates that Mormon seems to have a lot of
time on his hand to do so.
(There is an illustration of this on the church website here. The words come out blurred in the portrait appearance but there is also a PDF (here) in landscape that is readable)
Now comes the confusion (for many of
us at some point within our life time) as Mormon also writes in first
person. His words are recorded about 385
AD. But not to worry he does take us
back to the continued story (or stories rather) of the journeys and the results
of leaving Zarahemla and being in bondage – flashbacks with history and more
important the acceptance of Christ and groups who’d forgotten and groups who
accepted and groups moving through the wilderness and more bondage and more
trials. Eight different journeys and
finally getting back to Zarahemela.
The Book of Mosiah starts about 124
BC. In chapter 7 we meet the third group
that has journeyed to find those who had left Zarahemla initially. We meet Ammon who is part of those who took the
third journey from Zarahemla. In verse 7
they are thrown into prison. Fortunately
the king (Limhi) is willing to listen to their explanation of why they had
come. We learn all kind of things about bondage
and trials and discoveries and so forth.
It is quite fascinating.
Limhi tells about his grandfather Zeniff
from the first journey made about 200 BC.
Chapters 9 and 10 gives an account of Ziniff and his people as told by
Zeniff. But chapter 11 goes back to a
third person account written by Mormon as he continues the story under the
ruling of one of Zeniff’s sons named king Noah. Not every verse is in third
person. Sometimes there is a first person. One of the first persons quoted is Abinidi
who often quotes the Lord also in first person.
I have heard that the first person account changes more than 1,700 times
throughout the Book of Mormon. No doubt.
To be continued . . .
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