Alan C. Miner330 E. 400 S., Ste. #4Springville, UT 84663801-489-4540December 8, 2000

Step by Stepthrough

theBook of Mormon

A Collection of Cultural Commentary

Volume 6Covenant Obedience Brings Peace -

Disobedience Brings Destruction3 Nephi 11 -- Mormon 7

Alan C. Miner

Copyright @ 1996 by Alan C. Miner

All Rights Reserved

No part of this book may be reproduced in any form whatsoever, whether by graphic, visual, electronic, filming, microfilming, tape recording, or any other means, without prior written permission of the author, except in the case of brief passages embodied in critical reviews and articles.

This book is not an official publication of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. All opinions expressed herein are the author's and are not necessarily those of the publisher's or of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.

ISBN: 1-55517-220-2

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PREFACE

As one begins to discover the covenants in the Book of Mormon, in both their literal historic setting and in their prophetic spiritual patterns, he will also begin to discover the real story contained in the pages of the book. And as readers come to know the truth of the story contained therein, they will also come to know the truth of the Christ-centered covenants.

Nearly 2600 years ago, the prophet Nephi quoted to his brothers the prophecies of Isaiah concerning the covenant relationship of the Lord with the House of Israel. Afterward, they asked him an intriguing question: "What meaneth these things which ye have read? Behold, are they to be understood according to things which are spiritual, which shall come to pass according to the spirit and not the flesh?" (1 Nephi 22:1)

Nephi answered them with the following: "Wherefore, the things of which I have read are things pertaining to things both temporal and spiritual." (1 Nephi 22:3)

One might wonder, Why did Nephi give such a response? Is there truly a reason why Isaiah's prophecies would need to be acted out both in the temporal history of mankind and also in the spiritual life of man? Nephi, himself, provides a clue: "Behold, my soul delighteth in proving unto my people the truth of the coming of Christ; for . . . all things which have been given of God from the beginning of the world, unto man, are the typifying of him." (2 Nephi 11:4)

While the Book of Mormon is a history, full of geographical, cultural, and chronological statements, and although Mormon said that he was "commanded" by the Lord to write what he did (3 Nephi 26:12), did the Lord have a purpose in such temporal details being recorded in the text? The Lord has said: "And again, I will give unto you a pattern in all things, that ye may not be deceived; for Satan is abroad in the land, and he goeth forth deceiving the nations." (D&C 52:14) "And behold, all things have their likeness, and all things are created and made to bear record of me, both things which are temporal, and things which are spiritual . . . : all things bear record of me." (Moses 6:63)

If, according to the title page of the Book of Mormon, we are promised that the verses contained therein will eventually help lead to the "convincing of the Jew and Gentile that Jesus is the Christ," and if Nephi did not "write anything upon plates save it be that [he thought] it be sacred" (1 Nephi 19:6), then perhaps the historical and cultural references within the text might provide a fascinating, even divine perspective to the intended message of the book.

With the help of a prophetic blessing of the prophet Ezra Taft Benson to those who would read the Book of Mormon, and with an ever increasing flow of articles and books dealing not only with gospel perspectives, but cultural and historical perpsectives as well, the things of the Book of Mormon can now be appreciated and studied as Nephi intimated to his brothers that scriptures should be, in both a "temporal" and a "spiritual" covenant setting. Towards that end, my work has led me to the development of Step by Step through the Book of Mormon, which consists of three companion study texts:

1. The Covenant Story, which highlights pertinent historical, cultural, and covenant verses in the Book of Mormon text such that (a) the reader becomes aware of the multiple historical and cultural phrases that give substance to the truthfulness of the book; and (b) the reader is helped in understanding the book's covenant setting and the Lord's covenant way.

2. A Collection of Cultural Commentary, which correlates the text with pertinent cultural comments, and indexes current comments, maps, and illustrations from available published books and articles.

3. A Collection of Cultural Illustrations, which contains an ongoing and updated collection of current maps, charts, and illustrations that give understanding to the commentary and provide an invaluable resource for teaching those concepts.

Using this system, a student or teacher of the Book of Mormon can have ready access to those cultural ideas that will lead them towards a deeper understanding of the book's divinely planned and divinely recorded covenant setting.

By giving this study system to the readers of the Book of Mormon, I hope to convey to them a world of understanding that has greatly enhanced my testimony of that book, and has deepened my wonder and appreciation for the Lord's "new covenant" (D&C 84:57).

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Alan C. Miner

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CONTENTS

Volume 1: The Lord Leads His Children Through the Wilderness to the Promised Land

First Nephi......

Volume 2: The Lord Provides A Covenant Plan of Salvation Second Nephi.......Jacob........ Enos........

Volume 3: The Lord Delivers His Children Out of Bondage through Covenants Jarom........ Omni.......... Words of Mormon.......... Mosiah........

Volume 4: The Lord Redeems His Covenant ChildrenAlma........

Volume 5: The Lord Confirms the Covenant Way Alma.........Helaman........Third Nephi........

Volume 6: Covenant Obedience Brings Peace / Disobedience Brings Destruction Third Nephi........ Fourth Nephi........ Mormon........Appendix A--Chronology.......Bibliography......Author Index.......Subject Index........Additional Commentary......

Volume 7: Two or More Bear A Confirming Covenant Witness Mormon........Ether.........Moroni........

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3 NEPHI (Continued)

3 Nephi 10:18 In the Ending of the Thirty and Fourth Year, Behold, I Will Show unto You . . . Great Blessings . . . Insomuch That Soon after the Ascension of Christ into Heaven He Did Truly Manifest Himself unto Them:

According to John Welch, the exact day or time of the year when Christ "did manifest himself" (3 Nephi 10:18) unto the Nephites in the New World is an interesting question, and we simply don't have a clear answer as to how long it was after Jesus' resurrection in the Old World that this New World manifestation occurred. Nevertheless, the question has two parts which might lead to some insight.

The first part of the question is, How do you read the phrase, "in the ending of the thirty and fourth year"? If that phrase describes the time when Christ appeared, then it was a year-end festival of some kind. On the other hand, if that phrase is simply some kind of an editorial marker that says, I am now going to tell you what happened sometime between the beginning and "ending" of the thirty and fourth year, then we have no idea in what month or on what day it occurred.

The second part of the question deals with the phrase, "soon after his ascension into heaven" (3 Nephi 10:18). The question is, Which ascension? Is it the first ascension,--"touch me not for I have not yet ascended" (John 20:17)--on the morning of Christ's resurrection? Or is it the ascension 40 days later (Acts 1:3) just 10 days before the day of Pentecost--"he was taken up; and a cloud received him" (Acts 1:9)? We don't know, so that becomes again an interesting question, a puzzle. . . .

The following theories have been put forward on the "manifestation" of Christ in the Americas:

1. According to Hugh W. Nibley, just before the crucifixion the Lord went up to Jerusalem and he manifested himself in the temple for what he really was. How did he manifest himself to the people? Did they accept him as the Messiah, finally? What about Palm Sunday, as it is called, when they laid the palms before him and hailed him as the Messiah? He was recognized by the multitude. . . . the point is that we have the three days before, the three days after, and then the three days following them. How long does the Lord give his main sermons to the Nephites? It tells very explicity; you could even guess it--three days!

. . . Thus Christ appears to the Nephites and Lamanties three days after the resurrection and to the Jews three days before. But what about the three days in between? That's very important for our doctrine, isn't it? What are these days called? They go by a special name. They are called the descensus (Latin: "descent") because Peter tells us that during the three days the Savior went and "preached to the spirits in prison" (1 Peter 3:18-20), who were disobedient at the time of Noah.

2. John Tvedtnes also prefers an early date, "possibly as early as the same day or the next" after Jesus' resurrection in Jerusalem." Tvedtnes argues that "the ending of the thirty and fourth year" simply is an editorial introduction to all the remaining events in 3 Nephi, all of which transpired in the 34th year. . . . In other words, Tvedtnes proposes that Mormon is telling his readers that he is about to record the events that occurred "through the end of the thirty-fourth year" rather than those that occurred solely at the end of the thirty-fourth year. He believes that this interpretation is in keeping with the likely Hebrew idiom behind the passage, which he proposes should be understood to mean "by the end of" or "before the end of." [John A. Tvedtnes, "The Timing of Christ's Appearance to the Nephites," S.E.H.A., pp. 4,5,13]

It is worthy of note that the only other verses in the Book of Mormon using the phrase "in the ending of the . . . year" (Alma 52:14 and Helaman 3:1) tend to corroborate the interpretation of Tvedtnes. [Alan C. Miner, Personal Notes] [See the commentary on 3 Nephi 23:11]

3. Elder James Talmage writes that Christ came to the Americas "about six and a half weeks or more" after his resurrection. Thus, he would have spent the full forty days until his ascension (Acts 1:9) in Jerusalem and would not have come to the Americas until after that." [James E.

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Talmage, Jesus the Christ, 1983, p. 673]

4. In a similar manner as Talmage, John Welch thinks it was a meeting on the day of Pentecost. The reason is that in ancient Israel the day on which the giving of the law on Mount Sinai was celebrated was the Feast of Shavuoth or the Feast of Pentecost. That was the day that God came down on Mount Sinai to give the law. [John W. Welch, "The Sermon at the Temple, Law and Covenant," in Hugh W. Nibley, Teachings of the Book of Mormon, Semester 4, p. 125]

The Nephites observed the law of Moses (3 Nephi 1:24-25); however, just after the time of Jesus' death, He spoke out of the darkness to the Nephites and proclaimed its fulfillment (3 Nephi 9:17). By examining future references (3 Nephi 15:2-3) we can see that even when this fact was reiterated, they were still confused. Thus, sooner or later, sometime after the terrible destruction (the death of Jesus), when the surviving Nephites were assembled at the temple on one of their traditional Mosaic Law holy days, they probably would have wondered what they should do next. This might suggest that Christ's appearance to the Nephites at the temple (3 Nephi 11:1) was not too long after his crucifixion and ascension. . . .

Particularly important for the law of Moses and for the covenant of Israel with the Lord was a feast called Shavuot in Hebrew (Pentecost in Greek), which came in June fifty days after Passover. . . . We do not know how the Nephite ritual calendar in Bountiful related to the Israelite calendar in Jerusalem, for there had been no contact between the two for over six hundred years. It is impossible to determine which of the traditional festivals would have been observed in Zarahemla in the months following Jesus' crucifixion. . . . If one can assume, however, that the two ritual calendars had not grown too far apart, the feast of Shavuot would have been celebrated in Bountiful a few months after the Passover crucifixion and shortly after the best known ascension of Jesus from Jerusalem, reported in Acts 1. Such a scenario would thus make good sense of the reference in 3 Nephi 10:18 to Christ's appearing in Bountiful "soon after" his ascension. [John W. Welch, The Sermon at the Temple and the Sermon on the Mount, F.A.R.M.S., pp. 29-31]

John Welch notes that most of the Israelite ceremonies were three-day observances. Here, too we have Jesus speaking three days to the Nephites. [John W. Welch, "Christ at the Nephite Temple," in Teachings of the Book of Mormon, Semester 4, p. 130]

5. Kent Brown presents evidence that Christ's appearance in Bountiful occurred almost a full year after the crucifixion: His coming was "only after a substantial period of time. That period must have assuredly extended into the latter half of the year" [S. Kent Brown, "Jesus Among the Nephites: When Did It Happen?", F.A.R.M.S., p. 76-77]

Geographical Theory Map: 3 Nephi 11-28 Jesus Christ Ministers to the Nephites at Bountiful (34 A.S.)

3 Nephi 11:1 There Were a Great Multitude Gathered Together, of the People of Nephi, Round about the Temple:

According to John Welch, the stated purpose of the Sermon at the Temple is to show the disciple how to be exalted at the final judgment. Jesus said, "Whoso remembereth these sayings of mine and doeth them, him will I raise up at the last day" (3 Nephi 15:1). The Sermon contains, therefore, not just broad moral platitudes, but a concise presentation of conditions that must be satisfied in order to be admitted into God's presence (see 3 Nephi 14:21-23).

Interestingly, a few New Testament scholars have begun hinting that the Sermon on the Mount had cultic or ritual significance in the earliest Christian community. Betz, for example, sees the Sermon on the Mount as revealing the principles that "will be applied at the last judgment," and thinks that the Sermon on the Mount reminded the earliest Church members of "the most important things the initiate comes to 'know' through initiation," containing things that "originally belonged in the context of liturgical initiation." Indeed, the word "perfect" (teleios, Matthew 5:48) has long been associated with becoming initiated into the great religious mysteries. [John W. Welch, "The Sermon at the Temple," in Reexploring the Book of Mormon, p. 254-255; for extensive information see also The Sermon at the Temple and the Sermon on the Mount]

According to John Welch, Jesus could have picked a lot of places to appear, but he chose to appear at the temple. Thus, this is a profound temple-related text. . . . Some New Testament

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scholars, W. D. Davies in particular, have toyed with the idea that when the New Testament refers to the Sermon on the Mount, no normal mountain is meant. In ancient Israel there was one mount, and that, of course, was the Temple Mount. "Let us go up unto the mountain of the Lord" (Isaiah 2:2-3; Micah 4:2) refers to the temple in Jerusalem. Thus, some New Testament scholars who have sought Jewish backgrounds for the Sermon on the Mount have toyed with the idea that what Jesus is delivering is a new temple-related sermon in the Sermon on the Mount. [John W. Welch, "The Sermon at the Temple, Law and Covenant," in Hugh W. Nibley, Teachings of the Book of Mormon, Semester 4, p. 126] [See the commentary on 3 Nephi 12,13,14]

3 Nephi 11:1 The Temple:

An interesting passage from Isaiah reads:And it shall come to pass in the last days, that the mountain of the Lord's house shall

be established in the top of the mountains, and shall be exalted above the hills; and all nations shall flow into it. And many people shall go and say, Come ye, and let us go up to the mountain of the Lord, to the house of the God of Jacob . . . (Isaiah 2:2-3; see also 2 Nephi 12:2-3 and Micah 4:2)

When Abraham built his altar called Bethel, it was on top of a mountain (Genesis 12:8). Throughout southern Mexico and Guatemala, the remains of ancient altars and shrines appear on mountain tops. . . . The Maya word for their temple towers is Ku, the same word for God. Hunab Ku designated the Maya father-God of the universe. Thus the concept of the temple as an artificial mountain made holy by the presence of God was also well-known in the New World. [Bruce W. Warren and Thomas Stuart Ferguson, The Messiah in Ancient America, pp. 163-166] [See the commentary on 2 Nephi 12:2-3]

3 Nephi 11:1 A Great Multitude Gathered . . . Round about the Temple Which Was in the Land Bountiful:

The reader should notice that in 3 Nephi 11:1 it does not say that the temple was located in the "city of Bountiful," but rather "in the land Bountiful." If we were to interpret the phrase "land of Bountiful" as the general land Bountiful, then there could be a wide variance as to the location of this temple.

One statement by the 16th Century writer Ixtlilxochitl points out that after Quetzalcoatl had taught his people, he "ascended" from them at Coatzacoalcos. (Ixtlilxochitl: 39) The city of Coatzacoalcos today is in the state of Veracruz, just across the Coatzacoalcos River by the Gulf of Mexico. [See Geographical Theory Maps] [See the commentary on 3 Nephi 28:1]

3 Nephi 11:1 There Were a Great Multitude Gathered Together, of the People of Nephi, Round about the Temple:

Why was there "a great multitude" (3 Nephi 11:1) gathered at the temple? John Welch suggests that if you were a Nephite and you were standing around in Bountiful after the signs of Jesus' death had been given, there would still be a bit of a question in your mind what you should do next. The law of Moses was a very broad concept. Not only did it require the observance of commandments and ordinances, it embraced the Nephites' entire constitutional law, public law, civil law, and private law on commercial transactions. You would have known by the Savior's words out of the darkness that the law of Moses was in some way superseded ("In me is the law of Moses fulfilled"--see 3 Nephi 9:17), but you would still ask yourself, What do we do? Do we go about reconstructing the law ourselves? Do we look to the prophet to give us the law? Do we wait for Christ himself to come? Do we still go up to the temple on feast days? These would have been questions that they wouldn't have had an immediate answer to. They knew that something incredibly important had happened--the destructions made that perfectly obvious. They knew that something was no longer applicable. But the voice from heaven in 3 Nephi 9 hadn't really clarified this issue very much either, the voice simply said, "In me is the law of Moses fulfilled." . . .

One of the temple-related requirements for the law of Moses was a gathering three times a

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year. You will find this in Exodus 23, throughout Leviticus, and toward the end of Deuteronomy. . . . Three times a year all Israel had to prssent itself before God at the temple. What for? Primarily for covenant renewal. When Joshua says (in Joshua 24:15), "Choose you this day whom ye will serve," this isn't the first time Israel has chosen to follow Jehovah. This is part of a covenant renewal ceremony, very much like you renew your covenants of baptism every Sunday when the priests say a specially worded covenant prayer and you say, "Amen" and partake, and then listen to a gospel speech. Anciently at the temple they read the statutes, they read the law, they were instructed by the priests, and they performed certain rituals and ordinances. They had a liturgy that they followed very specifically on each of these high, holy festival days, these feasts. The three that were convocation festivals were Passover, Pentecost, and the Year-rite Festivals, which brought together in the ancient world all of the elements of Yom Kippur, the Day of Atonement; the Feast of Tabernacles; and Rosh ha-Shanah, the New Year, which appears to have been a single ritual complex in the pre-exilic period.

Additionally, in 3 Nephi 9:19-20 the voice said, "ye shall offer up unto me no more the shedding of blood; yea, your sacrifices and your burnt offerings shall be done away, for I will accept none of your sacrifices and your burnt offerings. And ye shall offer for a sacrifice unto me a broken heart and a contrite spirit. . . ." That phrase, by the way, comes right out of Psalms 51:17, and as such was always thought in pious Judaism as the necessary precondition for making a valid sacrifice of any kind. Did that mean to the Nephites that their feast days had been done away with? In other words, would the broken heart and contrite spirit still be a part of feast day celebration, only they just wouldn't offer blood sacrifice?

A logical conclusion might be that if they were living the law of Moses and still strictly doing so, the observance of the festival requirements would not yet have been abrogated; therefore, it would have been logical for all of this Nephite "multitude" to have presented itself before the Lord at the temple. [John W. Welch, "The Sermon at the Temple, Law and Covenant," in Hugh W. Nibley, Teachings of the Book of Mormon, Semester 4, pp. 122-123]

3 Nephi 11:1 (The Sermon at the Temple):

For John Welch, the term "Sermon at the Temple" has come to symbolize, in general, all of Christ's interactions with and teachings to the Nephites found in chapters 11-18 of 3 Nephi. However, Victor Ludlow focuses on the fact that during his visit, Christ delivered three main sermons. He terms the first of these sermons "The Sermon at the Temple." So as to keep the reader from confusion, the following is an outline of the sermons:

A. Welch: The General Sermon at the Temple (chapters 11-18)B. Ludlow: Three Main Sermons:

1. The Sermon at the Temple (chapters 12, 13, 14)2. The Law and the Covenant Discourse (chapters 15, 16)3. The Covenant People Discourse (chapter 20:10--23:5)

3 Nephi 11:1 (The Sermon at the Temple):

According to John Welch, ever since the publication of the Book of Mormon, one of the standard criticisms raised by those seeking to discredit the book has been the assertion that it plagiarizes the King James Version of the Bible, and the chief instance of alleged plagiarism is the Sermon on the Mount in 3 Nephi 12-14. Mark Twain quipped that the Book of Mormon contains passages "smouched from the New Testament, and no credit given." Reverend M.T. Lamb, who characterized the Book of Mormon as "verbose, blundering and stupid," viewed 3 Nephi 11-18 as a mere duplication of the Sermon on the Mount "word for word," and saw "no excuse for this lack of originality and constant repetition of the Bible," for "we have all such passages already in the [Bible], and God never does unnecessary things."

The case of critics like Mark Twain and Reverend Lamb gains most of its appeal by emphasizing the similarities and discounting the differences between Matthew 5-7 and 3 Nephi 12-14. Under closer textual scrutiny, however, these differences turn out to be very significant. The Book of Mormon always correctly cites the differences in Christ's Sermons (Mount/Temple) that reflect a post-resurrection setting. [John W. Welch, The Sermon at the Temple and the Sermon on

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the Mount, F.A.R.M.S., p. 32]

3 Nephi 11:1 (The Sermon at the Temple):

According to John Welch, if Jesus only had a short time to spend with the Nephites, what he would have taught them would have been things of ultimate importance. It is at the temple that we should expect to find, and in fact do find, a systematic and single presentation of the entire gospel--one that puts you into perspective with all that has gone on, where you have come from, why you are here, and what it will take for you to achieve exaltation. As we will see, this is in fact what we find in the Sermon at the Temple. I will suggest to you an interpretation that invites you to let your mind think about the temple, covenant, sacred, and secret kinds of things. . . . I'm not suggesting that what the Nephites had was exactly the same as what you will encounter and have encountered in Latter-day Saint temples, but the elements are there. They are there in a more astonishing and a more profound manner than anyone has previously suspected.

There is a problem with the Sermon on the Mount for most non-Latter-day Saint interpreters. It is fair to say that the Sermon on the Mount in Matthew has been a real puzzle for those people who have tried to understand it. . . . The Book of Mormon offers us such a solution. It asks us to think as we read this text about temples, covenant making, etc. As far as I know, it is the only interpretation that will account adequately for all of the elements in the speech, and it does so masterfully. Consider for just an overview the prima facie case that what we are talking about here is some kind of ritual text:

1. It begins in chapter 11 with certain initiatory kinds of ordinances--concerns about ordination to the priesthood, baptism, and a few other things that have to be taken care of before you can go on into the instruction portion of the text.

2. When you get the actual commandments that are given, Jesus labels these his commandments several times, but only in the Book of Mormon. This is not a term that is known from the New Testament in this context.

3. Next, we go through, in 3 Nephi 12;18-19, the giving of the law of obedience. What is that law of obedience? It is that we must sacrifice and bring the broken heart and contrite spirit. As the Nephites learned in 3 Nephi 9, as the voice of Jesus spoke from the heavens, that is now the replacement, the new law of sacrifice that they are to live.

4. Next we go to an instruction about not being angry or speaking evil of one another. 5. Another instruction pertains to the law of chastity and Christ teaches the importance of

the new understanding of the commandment, "Thou shalt not commit adultery." 6. Christ teaches them the law pertaining to generosity toward those who are in need, which

has been identified in the Doctrine and Covenants as the law of the gospel, as we will see in a minute.

7. The Savior goes on to explain that his covenant people must reach yet to a higher order and teaches them that they must be totally committed to the kingdom of God, that a man cannot serve two masters. A Man must serve either God or mammon, and he tells us what we must do in order to lay up treasures in heaven with our wealth.

There are other elements that are involved as well. Even a person who is completely unfamiliar with the Latter-day Saint temple could readily see how a number of other elements in the Sermon on the Mount could easily be placed into a ritual context. For example:

1. The use of beatitudes was a common and initial statement of promises in mystery religions and in ritual to tell the initiate what the ultimate blessings of obedience would be.

2. There is also a requirement in the Sermon on the Mount that if anyone has hard feelings against his brother, he should lay his gift at the altar and go and be reconciled before coming to proceed any further. 3. There are instructions in the Sermon on the Mount as to how to swear one's oaths. They should not be sworn by the heavens or by the earth, but they should simply be a yes or no.

4. There is instruction as to how to pray in a group context, and 5. Ultimately Jesus robes his disciples in garments more glorious than the temple garments

of even Solomon, and then explains to them how they will pass through the judgment and ultimately be admitted into the presence of God.

That is just a skeleton but it should suggest to you at least a prima facie case that invites

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closer scrutiny of each aspect of this speech in a ritual context. . . . [John W. Welch, "Christ at the Nephite Temple," in Teachings of the Book of Mormon, Semester 4, pp. 129-130]

The Doctrine and Covenants affirms that the Book of Mormon contains the fullness of the gospel. One of the criticisms that has been raised by people--some legitimate and serious seekers of truth and others who were simply trying to discredit the Book of Mormon--is that if the Book of Mormon contains the fullness of the gospel, why doesn't it contain some of the things that Latter-day Saints think to be of ultimate importance? It seems to me that perhaps we can answer that question now in a more powerful way than we had ever suspected before. Indeed, of the Book of Mormon it is said that it will be viewed as a weak thing, as a thing of naught, and that it is out of some of the things that will be viewed as the weakest of all that the Lord will turn into great strengths. Sometimes we look beyond the mark. There it might be right under our nose, and yet we don't see. We don't perceive. Our eyes and ears are not attuned, and we're not ready. Or maybe it just is that it is not the time for those kinds of things to be brought forth. [John W. Welch, "Sacrament Prayers, Implications of the Sermon at the Temple," in Teachings of the Book of Mormon, Semester 4, p. 149]

3 Nephi 11:1 (The Sermon at the Temple):

John Welch proposes forty-seven elements of the Sermon at the temple. If these are understood in connection with defining a covenant relationship between man and God, consider how it makes better sense in connection with establishing a new order of a covenant people, and how it makes better sense if you imagine it being ritualized, or having at least the capacity of being built into a ritual ceremony. One of the main features of ritual in ancient Israel and elsewhere was to take the great, momentous events between god and man and ritualize those events. The momentous events in the Garden of Eden lend themselves to ritualization. The momentous events of God appearing at Mount Sinai became the basis of Israelite temple ritual as they reenacted, remembered, and renewed the covenant that was made at Sinai. . . . It would be therefore, quite logical for the Nephites also to have ritualized the momentous teaching of Jesus which brought in a new haven and a new earth. The following is a summary of those forty-seven elements:

1. A thrice-repeated announcement from above. (3 Nephi 11:3-5)2. Opening the ears and eyes. (3 Nephi 11:5)

. . . The opening of the ears and eyes can mark the beginning of a ritual ceremony (as it expressly does in Mosiah 2:9), and can symbolize the commencement of an opening of the mysteries and a deeper understanding of what is truly being said and done. . . .

3. Delegation of duty by the Father to the Son. (3 Nephi 11:7). . . The general pattern this reveals is how the Father himself does not personally

minister to beings on earth, but does all things by sending the Son as his representative . . .4. Coming down. (3 Nephi 11:8)

Graphically, Christ came down with teachings and instructions from above. He came robed in garments worthy of mention . . . elements rich with possible ritual implementation and significance. (See Hugh Nibley, "Sacred Vestments," F.A.R.M.S., 1987)

5. Silence. (3 Nephi 11:8)6. Identification by marks on the hand. (3 Nephi 11:9-11)7. Falling down. (3 Nephi 11:12)

. . . Bowing down--or more dramatically, full prostration . . . particularly in a temple context, had long been a customary part of the Nephite covenant-making ceremony (see Mosiah 4:1)

8. Personally touching the wounds. (3 Nephi 11:13-15)The Lord asked all the people to "arise and come forth . . . that ye may thrust your

hands into my side, and also that ye may feel the prints of the nails in my hands and in my feet." . . . Thus, their knowledge was made sure . . .

9. Hosanna Shout and falling down a second time. (3 Nephi 11:16-17)Reminiscent of Melchizedek's blessing of Abraham, "Blessed be the most high God!"

(Genesis 14:20) . . .10. Ordination to the priesthood. (3 Nephi 11:18-22; 18:37; 19:4)

. . . At first Christ presumably ordains them to the Aaronic Priesthood, because he

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only gives them at this time the power to baptize. It won't be until the end of the day (at the end of 3 Nephi 18) that these same twelve are given the power to bestow the gift of the Holy Ghost and authority traditionally associated with the Melchizedek Priesthood.

11. Baptism explained (3 Nephi 11:23-28). . . This washing and purifying ordinance stands in this sequence as a necessary first

step toward the kingdom of God.12. Assuring the absence of evil. (3 Nephi 11:28-30)

Jesus took steps to assure that there were no disputations, contentions, or any influences of the devil among this people. . . .

13. Witnesses. (3 Nephi 11:31-36). . . This is an important element of most covenant making--that it be done in the

presence of witnesses--and certainly on this occasion we have that condition fulfilled . . . the Father, the Son, and the Holy Ghost. . . .

14. Teaching the Gospel (3 Nephi 11:37-41)15. Commending his disciples unto the people. (3 Nephi 11:41--12:1)

. . . In order to ease their way, Jesus exhorts the people to give strict heed to the words of the disciples whom he has chosen. . . .

16. Blessings promised. (3 Nephi 12:3-12)Several blessings, well known as the Beatitudes, were bestowed upon "all" the

people. . . meaning on each individual present there. . . .17. The people are invited to become the salt of the earth. (3 Nephi 12:13-16)

. . . This is an invitation to enter into a covenant with the Lord, carrying with it a solemn warning that those who violate the covenant will be cast out and trampled under foot (although one continues to invite them back (3 Nephi 18:32-33). . . .

The doctrine of the Two Ways, the separation of opposites, light (3 Nephi 12:16) and dark, and heaven and earth is fundamental . . . Some scholars have identified the creation account of Genesis as playing a key role in ancient Israelite temple ritual, although the details remain obscure. . .

18. The first set of laws explained. (3 Nephi 12:17-18). . . Jesus explains the essence of . . . the lower law administered anciently by the

Aaronic Priesthood. . . 19. Obedience and sacrifice. (3 Nephi 12:19-20)

. . . The offering of "a broken heart and a contrite spirit" is none other than the new law of sacrifice, as the voice of the Lord had explained earlier from heaven (3 Nephi 9:19-20). This new law of obedience and sacrifice superseded the practices of sacrifice under the law of Moses and put an end to "the shedding of blood" (3 Nephi 9:19).

20. Prohibition against anger, ill-speaking, and ridicule of brethren. (3 Nephi 12:21-22). . . speaking evil against any other priesthood brother . . .

21. Reconciliation necessary before proceeding further (3 Nephi 12:23-26). . . if anyone desires to come unto him, he or she should have no hard feelings

against any brother or sister . . . "first be reconciled to thy brother, and then come unto me with full purpose of heart, and I will receive you" (3 Nephi 12:23-24)

22. Chastity (3 Nephi 27-30)The new law imposes a strict prohibition against sexual intercourse outside of

marriage and . . . requires purity of heart and denial of these things. In committing to live by this law, the righteous bear a heavy responsibility . . . "wherein ye will take up your cross" (3 Nephi 12:30), a symbol of capital punishment..

23. Marriages of covenanters are not to be dissolved except for fornication (3 Nephi 12:31-32)

This demanding restriction applies only to husbands and wives who are bound by the eternal covenant relationship involved here.

24. Oaths sworn by saying Yes or No (3 Nephi 12:33-37)25. Love of Enemies--the Law of the Gospel (3 Nephi 12:38-45)

"Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind. This is the first and great commandment, and the second is like unto it, Thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself" (Matthew 22:37-38)

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26. Transition into a higher order (3 Nephi 12:46-48). . . "therefore (a transition word) I would that ye should be perfect even as I, or your

Father who is in heaven is perfect."27. Giving to the poor (3 Nephi 13:1-4)28. The order of prayer (3 Nephi 13:5-15)29. Fasting, washing, and anointing (3 Nephi 13:16-18)

. . . true fasting is to be accompanied with anointing the head and washing the face. Washing the face, the head, the feet, the hands, or other parts of the body is symbolic of becoming completely clean (see John 13:9-10), "clean every whit" (John 13:10).

30. A requirement of consecration (3 Nephi 13:19-24). . . "No man can serve two masters . . . Ye cannot serve God and Mammon"

(instructions tantamount to requiring one to consecrate all that one has and is to the Lord. . . .31. Care promised for the twelve disciples. (3 Nephi 13:25-27)32. Clothing (endowing) the disciples. (3 Nephi 13:25, 28-34)33. Preparing for judgment. (3 Nephi 14:1-5 )34. Secrecy required (3 Nephi 14:6)

. . . "Give not that which is holy unto the dogs, neither cast ye your pearls before swine, lest they trample them under their feet and turn again and rend you" (3 Nephi 14:6)

35. A three-fold petition. (3 Nephi 14:7-8)"Ask, and it shall be given unto you; seek, and ye shall find; knock, and it shall be

opened unto you." (3 Nephi 14:7)36. Seeking a gift from the Father. (3 Nephi 14:9-11

"Or what man is there of you, who, if his son ask [for] bread, will give him a stone?"37. [Charity towards] other people. (3 Nephi 14:12)

. . . all followers of the Lord Jesus Christ are responsible to see that other people are shown the way to salvation and eternal life and, where necessary, assisted in every way possible. . . . and to perform for them, where necessary, any vicarious ordinances. . . .

38. Entering through a narrow opening (3 Nephi 14:13-14). . . "Enter ye in at the strait gate . . . "

39. Bearing the fruit of the Tree of Life. (3 Nephi 14:15-20). . . "A good tree cannot bring forth evil fruit . . . Wherefore, by their fruits ye shall

know them. . . . (3 Nephi 18, 20)40. Entering into the presence of the Lord. (3 Nephi 14:21-23)41. Lecture on the portion of God's covenant with Israel yet to be fulfilled.42. Admonition to ponder. (3 Nephi 17:1-3)43. Healing the sick. (3 Nephi 17:5-10)44. The parents and the children. (3 Nephi 17:11-25)

. . . "Behold, your little ones" . . . [they are yours]45. The covenant memorialized and a new name given. (3 Nephi 18:1-14)46. Continued worthiness required. (3 Nephi 18:15-25)47. Conferring the power to give the Holy Ghost (3 Nephi 18:36-37)

[John W. Welch, "Christ at the Nephite Temple," in Teachings of the Book of Mormon, Semester 4, pp. 119-163; see also John W. Welch, The Sermon at the Temple, F.A.R.M.S., pp. 34-83]

3 Nephi 11:1 (The Sermon at the Temple) [Illustration]: 47 Ritual Covenant Elements [John W. Welch, "Christ at the Nephite Temple," in Teachings of the Book of Mormon, Semester 4, pp. 119-163; see also John W. Welch, The Sermon at the Temple, F.A.R.M.S., pp. 34-83]

3 Nephi 11:1 The Temple:

John Welch notes, and every reader of the Book of Mormon should make note as well, that in light of all that can be said about temples in the Book of Mormon, it should be remembered that in 1829, when the Book of Mormon was translated, Joseph Smith had scarcely thought or dreamed of a temple. Two years later he and the Church would move to Kirtland, where a temple was dedicated in 1836. The ordinances of washing, anointing, and the washing of feet were performed in that

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temple, but the full endowment was not given until 1843 in Nauvoo. Joseph Smith did not live to see the completion of the Nauvoo Temple, but he completed the task of revealing its essential architectural and ceremonial components that epitomize the gospel of Jesus Christ and its eternal laws and ordinances. In retrospect, we can see today that the blueprint of the Restoration for worshiping the Lord Jesus Christ in his holy house was already largely embedded in the texts of the Book of Mormon. [John W. Welch, "The Temple in the Book of Mormon," in Temples of the Ancient World, p. 377]

3 Nephi 11:3 They Heard a Voice . . . Voice . . .Voice . . .Voice:

According to Donald Parry, "repetition" is the frequent appearance of the same word within a passage of scripture. This repeated word may be found at irregular intervals, i.e., at the beginning, middle, or end of the sentence. The chief purpose for the repetition of individual words is to draw attention to the word being repeated, or to cause the repeated word to become the principal theme of the passage. In other words, the inspired authors had a purpose in employing the repetition of the same word. Such frequent usage tends to join the several expressions of the paragraph into a unified body -- the various parts connected by the repeated word. Often this is done in such a subtle way, that a hasty and cursory reading of the text may persuade the reader to miss its significance. Attention should be paid to the frequent recurrence of the word "voice" in 3 Nephi 11:3. In this passage, the voice of the resurrected Jesus Christ is described by Nephi:

They heard a voice as if it came out of heaven;and they cast their eyes round about,for they understood not the voice which they heard;and it was not a harsh voice,neither was it a loud voice, nevertheless, and notwithstanding it being a small voice it did pierce them.Nowhere in the scriptures is the voice of the Lord depicted in such a fashion. His voice is

neither harsh nor loud. To the contrary, the voice of God is small, yet it has qualities which pierce the soul. Examples of this figure of speech are plentiful in the Book of Mormon. For instance, the word "filthy" is found five times in 1 Nephi 15:33-34; "names" six times in Alma 5:57-58; "order" 13 times in Alma 13:1-16; "light" seven times in Alma 19:6; "joy" seven times in Alma 27:17-18; "man" seven times in Alma 48:11; "remember" eleven times in Helaman 5:6, 9-10; "treasures" five times in Helaman 13:19; and "lifted" five times in 3 Nephi 27:14-15. [Donald W. Parry, The Book of Mormon Text Reformatted according to Parallelistic Patterns, F.A.R.M.S., pp. xlvi-xlvii]

3 Nephi 11:3,5 They heard a voice as if it came out of heaven . . . and their eyes were towards the sound thereof (Illustration): "And Their Eyes Were towards the Sound Thereof." Artist: Harold I. Hopkinson. [Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, The Ensign, September 1991, inside front cover]

3 Nephi 11:5 They . . . Did Open Their Ears to Hear It; and Their Eyes Were Towards the Sound:

According to John Welch, it's hard to imagine opening your ears. You can open your eyes, but to open your ears seems strange. . . . But in a ritual context, the opening of the eyes and the opening of the ears is symbolic of opening your heart and your understanding to the mysteries--to the secrets, to the rituals, to the sacred things that will then unfold. We know this from King Benjamin's speech (Mosiah 2:9), where he says, "I have not commanded you to come up hither to trifle with the words which I shall speak, but that you should hearken unto me, and open your ears that ye may hear, and your hearts that ye may understand, and your minds that the mysteries of God may be unfolded to your view." Functionally, something like this could certainly be analogized to what we see in early Christian ritual coming from Cyril of Jerusalem. Brother Nibley has spelled out in The Message of the Joseph Smith Papyri that one of the initial ordinances given to early Christians was the anointing of eyes and ears. Cyril says that they ritualized this and said, " . . . that you might receive hearing ears of the mysteries of God." . . .

Jesus specifically said in connection with the teaching of the parables that the reason that he

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speaks in parables is so that everyone won't understand (Matthew 13:10-13). You think, why on earth is Jesus not wanting everyone to understand? Well, there are some things that people aren't yet ready to receive. He will give them and let them understand at the level at which they are prepared to receive. The same things is true with the temple. Hardly anything is taught in the temple that cannot be taught outside the temple. Those principles and doctrines are all there for everyone to hear and see, but it is only in certain connections that you really see and you are fully taught. [John W. Welch, "Christ at the Nephite Temple," in Teachings of the Book of Mormon, Semester 4, p. 132]

3 Nephi 11:7 Behold My Beloved Son:

About fifty of the Israelite-Jewish names of the Messiah were applied to the New-World Messiah. In Mesoamerica, as in the Near East, He was the God of the Sky and Earth, God of Abraham and Jacob, Great Lord, Yohualli, Sovereign Lord, Father of Life, God of Rains, Lord of the Green Earth, Creator, Son of God, the Wonderful King. The virgin-born and crucified Man-God, Itzamna-Quetzalcoatl, was symbolized by the cross, the serpent, the quetzal bird, the Tree of Life, fire, the hand, the shepherd's staff, Venus -- the Morning Star -- and other appropriate reminders of the Creator Life-God. These symbols preceded the earthly ministry of Jesus by many centuries, going back to "the beginning." [Bruce W. Warren and Thomas Stuart Ferguson, The Messiah in Ancient America, p. 22]

3 Nephi 11:8 They Saw a Man Descending Out of Heaven:

To the Nephites who had gathered at the temple in the land Bountiful (3 Nephi 11:1), there came "a Man descending out of heaven" (3 Nephi 11:8) and who declared unto them: "I am Jesus Christ" (3 Nephi 11:10). This same voiced had previously declared to them out of the darkness of destruction: "I am Jesus Christ the Son of God. I created the heavens . .." (3 Nephi 9:15).

It is interesting, in view of some major Book of Mormon geographical theories which place the land of Bountiful in the Tabasco-Chiapas region of southern Mexico, that one of the names for this region was Tamoanchan, which means literally "place of the bird-serpent." Rafael Girard, in El Popol-Vuh Fuente Historica, provides an illustration of the hieroglyph for the name "Tamoanchan (see illustration). It shows a bird above a serpent, and on the body of the serpent are stars. He states that, according to the concept of the present Maya chorti priests, the bird is a representation of the God of the Sky.

In the National Museum in Mexico city is a large mural from Teotihuacan, the great city of ancient Mexico dating to the days of Christ (illustration not available). Around the border of this huge mural is the body of a serpent, star-studded over its entire length--the Milky Way. Water falls from the hands of the deity portrayed in the mural. Rafael Girard and others have pointed out that tamoanchan was the sky home of deity where there were water and rain in the center of the sky, the source of rain, the Milky Way (Girard 1952, 25). One of the names for the Messiah in Mesoamerica was Itzamna, which means "the dew from heaven." The primary symbol of Itzamna, as for Jehovah, was the serpent, the emblem raised up by Moses in similitude of the Messiah (see 1 Nephi 17:41; 2 Nephi 25:20; Helaman 8:14-15). With this in mind, it is also interesting to note that in Egypt the sky goddess (Tiamat or Nut) is represented not only by the serpent symbol, but by the Milky Way. Thus here we have in the Tamoanchan hieroglyph and the Teotihuacan mural the identical elements in Mexico as found in the Near East--stars and serpents.

In 1912, the National Museum of Mexico published a paper by Henning, Plancarte, Robelo, and Gonzalez entitled "Tamoanchan," In it the authors point out that tamoanchan was one of several names used by the ancients in referring to their ancient, and now unidentified lost capital. [Bruce W. Warren and Thomas Stuart Ferguson, The Messiah in Ancient America, pp. 150-152]

Note* Could this lost capital have been the land of Bountiful, the land to which the "serpent," the God of the Heavens, Jesus Christ came? [Alan C. Miner, Personal Notes]

3 Nephi 11:8 They saw a Man descending out of heaven (Illustration): Fig. 41: Bird and serpent symbol of the sky god with stars on the body of the serpent. Scene from a Maya codex. [Bruce W. Warren and Thomas Stuart Ferguson, The Messiah in Ancient America, p. 151]

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3 Nephi 11:8 They saw a man descending out of heaven (Illustration): Christ Appears to the Nephites. [The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, Gospel Art, #315]

3 Nephi 11:8 They saw a man descending out of heaven (Illustration): Christ Descending [Robert T. Barrett, Verse Markers, Book of Mormon, Vol. 1, p. 7]

3 Nephi 11:8 They saw a Man descending out of heaven (Illustration): "Behold, I am Jesus Christ." Artist: Gary L. Kapp. [Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, The Ensign, May 1997, front and back cover]

3 Nephi 11:9-10 He Stretched Forth His Hand and Spake unto the People, Saying: Behold, I Am Jesus Christ, Whom the Prophets Testified Shall Come into the World:

When Jesus first appeared to the Nephites, they "wist not what it meant, for they thought it was an angel that had appeared unto them" (3 Nephi 11:8). According to John Welch, this confusion was only removed as Jesus stretched forth his hands and identified himself as "Jesus Christ, whom the prophets testified shall come into the world" (3 Nephi 11:10). Here we have another instance of a place where the Nephites would have recognized, quite probably, the way in which some old aspect of their beliefs had now become fulfilled and new in the visitation of Christ. It is found in Zechariah, a prophet who lived and worked shortly after the time of Lehi in Israel, that we read, "they shall look upon me whom they have pierced. "And one shall say unto him, What are these wounds in thine hands? Then he shall answer, Those with which I was wounded in the house of my friends." (Zechariah 13:6) The identification by marks on the hand was also something that early Christians understood. For example, in the "Odes of Solomon," one of the earliest sets of hymns that were used by the Syriac saints in Damascus, we read from the words of one of their texts, "I extended my hands and approached my Lord, for the expansion of my hands is his sign." [John W. Welch, "Christ at the Nephite Temple," in Teachings of the Book of Mormon, Semester 4, p. 133]

3 Nephi 11:9 He stretched forth his hand . . . saying: Behold, I am Jesus Christ (Illustration): The Book of Mormon Testifies of Jesus Christ. Artist: Greg Olsen [Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, The Ensign, April 1997, pp. 4-5, also back cover]

3 Nephi 11:10: Behold, I Am Jesus Christ:

Kent Brown notes that an important and rather common legal function in the ancient world was that of one person sending an envoy or representative to recover a third person who has been enslaved in a distant place. In all such cases, the agent had to bear credentials from the sender in order to prove who he was and whom he represented. The reasons were twofold. First, the captor had to be convinced that the agent had authority to negotiate the release of the one held captive. Second, the captive too had to be reassured that the agent represented the person who was seeking the release, particularly if the agent was not known to the captive. Hence, we see the need for an agent to bear credentials which prove that he or she is an authorized representative of the one seeking the release of the captive. For example, the opening of the Exodus account brims with the legal essentials required in cases wherein one seeks the release of another. In that instance, it was the Lord who sought the release of the children of Israel through his agent Moses. . . .

Significantly, in the case of Christ's visit to a distant branch of the house of Israel, the credentials of the resurrected Jesus included a name, the same name that the Lord's envoy, Moses, carried from the holy mount into the Hebrew slave camps. It was the name I AM. Please notice the words with which Jesus began his visit in the New World: 'Behold, I Am Jesus Christ" (3 Nephi 11:10).

Moreover, Jesus was the envoy or representative who came not only in his own name, but that of the Father (3 Nephi 11:7). But one might say, Who was the captor? According to the text, the reason for Christ's visit to the Nephites was to rescue his people from both Satan (see 3 Nephi 9:2) and their own sinful state (3 Nephi 20:26). But what, we may ask, did he bring as his credentials? We need not look far. He bore the proofs of his rescue mission in his own body. One need only repeat his words of invitation to the spellbound crowd who had gathered at the temple in Bountiful on the first day of his visit: "Arise and come forth unto me, that ye may thrust your hands

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into my side, and also that ye may feel the prints of the nails in my hands and in my feet" (3 Nephi 11:14). [S. Kent Brown, "Moses and Jesus: The Old Adorns the New," in From Jerusalem to Zarahemla: Literary and Historical Studies of the Book of Mormon, pp. 162-164]

3 Nephi 11:10 Behold, I am Jesus Christ, whom the prophets testified shall come into the world (Illustration): Jesus Christ Visits the Americas. Artist: John Scott [Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, The Ensign, March 1986, p. 2] [See also The Ensign, January 1997, pp. 4-5]

3 Nephi 11:11 Behold, I Am the Light and the Life of the World:

According to Warren and Ferguson, Bernadino Sahagun, a sixteenth century Spanish priest, wrote: "And when Don Hernando Cortes came [to Mexico] they thought it was He [Quetzalcoatl] and they received Cortes as such until his conversation, and that of those Spaniards who came with him, undeceived them"(Sahagun Book 8:21).

Juan de Torquemada, a Catholic priest born about 1564, arrived in Mexico from Spain early in the seventeenth century and describes Quetzalcoatl as a:

"white man, large of body, wide of forehead, large eyes, long and black hair, large and round beard . . . They held him in great esteem, . . . and in spiritual and ecclesiastical matters this Quetzalcoatl was supreme, a great priest. . . . They say about this God, Quetzalcoatl, that while living in this mortal life, he dressed in long clothes down to his feet. He was perfect in moral virtues and they say that He is alive and He is to return."

The Fair God of ancient Mexico and Central America was known by many symbolic names. But in central Mexico the most common symbolic names for him was Quetzalcoatl. Two symbols, the Quetzal bird and the serpent, identify this ancient deity as the "Life of the World." In Guatemala this ancient god was commonly called Gucumatz -- a Quiche Maya term identical in meaning to the Aztec name Quetzalcoatl. . . . In Yucatan the Messiah was known as Itzamna, the Son. . . . A belief in his divine power as creator and in his second coming was general throughout the ancient Mesoamerican world. [Bruce W. Warren and Thomas Stuart Ferguson, The Messiah in Ancient America, p. 3-5]

3 Nephi 11:11 Behold, I Am the Light and the Life of the World:

According to Joseph Allen, virtually all 16th Century writers wrote about a white god called Quetzalcoatl (Ket-sahl-kwah-tull). In the Aztec language of Mexico, the word "coatl" means serpent. The word "quetzal" means feathers. The gorgeous national bird of Guatemala is called the quetzal bird. By placing the word "quetzal" in front of the word "coatl", we convey the idea of a "feathered serpent." The deity Quetzalcoatl apparently had its origin in the visit of this White God to the American continent. The symbolic association of Jesus Christ with the tradition of the white god, Quetzalcoatl , is indeed impressive. The fact that the serpent is associated with Satan in the Garden of Eden may suggest that Christ was originally associated with the serpent and that in the Garden of Eden, Satan, as the great counterfeiter, took upon himself the identity of Christ to deceive Eve. Christ as a "serpent" is spoken of in both the Bible and the Book of Mormon (See John 3:14; 2 Nephi 25:20; Alma 33:19-20; Helaman 8:14-15). The beautiful quetzal bird is symbolic of the heavens, and the serpent is symbolic of the earth. Christ is God over both the heaven and earth. Christ descended to the earth and took upon himself flesh. As the serpent, he descended lower than man and was scourged and hung upon the cross. Like the quetzal, Christ ascended to heaven, and through the atonement, we may also resurrect and ascend to heaven. We should, however, exercise caution as we read about the legends of Quetzalcoatl because throughout pre-Columbian Mexican history, scores of individuals, both mythological and real, were given the name or title of Quetzalcoatl. Nevertheless, the deity Quetzalcoatl apparently had its origin in the visit of Jesus Christ to the American continent. Similarities of Christ and Quetzalcoatl include the following:

1. Both Christ and Quetzalcoatl were recognized as creator of all things. (Mosiah 4:2; Saenz 1962:19,40)

2. Both Christ and Quetzalcoatl were born of virgins. (Alma 7:10; Gamiz 95)3. Both Christ and Quetzalcoatl are described as being white or as wearing a white robe. (3

Nephi 11:8; Torquemada 47)

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4. Both Christ and Quetzalcoatl performed miracles. (3 Nephi 26:15; Sejourne 136-137)5. Both Christ and Quetzalcoatl taught the ordinance of baptism. (3 Nephi 11:23; Irwin

1963:170)6. Both Christ and Quetzalcoatl prophesied of future events. (Ixtlilxochitl:40)7. Both Christ and Quetzalcoatl were universal as opposed to just being recognized as local

gods. (3 Nephi 16:1; Sejourne 1962)8. A great destruction was associated with both Christ and Quetzalcoatl at exactly the same

time period in history. (3 Nephi 8:5; Ixtlilxochitl:40)9. The cross was a symbol to both Christ and Quetzalcoatl. (3 Nephi 27:14; Irwin 1963:165)10. Both Christ and Quetzalcoatl sent out disciples to preach their word. (3 Nephi 12:1; Wirth

1978:55)11. Both Christ and Quetzalcoatl promised they would come a second time. (2 Nephi 6:14;

Sahagun 1:40)12. A new star is associated with both Christ and Quetzalcoatl. (3 Nephi 1:21; Anales de

Cauhtitlan 7)13. The children of both Christ and Quetzalcoatl will become lords and heirs of the earth. (4

Nephi 1:17; Ixtlilxochitl:40)[Joseph L. Allen, Exploring the Lands of the Book of Mormon, pp. 159-161]

3 Nephi 11:11 Behold, I am the light and the life of the world (Illustration): The Quetzal Bird] [Joseph L. Allen, Exploring the Lands of the Book of Mormon, p. 160]

3 Nephi 11:13 The Lord spake unto them [at the temple] (Illustration): Christ at the Temple [Robert T. Barrett, Verse Markers, Book of Mormon, Vol. 1, p. 6]

3 Nephi 11:14 Arise and Come Forth unto Me . . . That Ye May Feel the Prints of the Nails in My Hands and in My Feet, That Ye May Know That I Am . . . the God of the Whole Earth:

In 1994, Steven Jones asked himself the following question: In view of the Book of Mormon account of Christ's visit to the Americas after his death in which he let them "feel the prints of the nails in [his] hands and in [his] feet" (3 Nephi 11:14), and since artwork around the Mediterranean Sea shows the resurrected Jesus with marks in his hands and feet, did the same thing apply in Mesoamerica? He began a search for symbolic hand markings in ancient Mesoamerican artwork portraying a deity with deliberate markings on his hands. The following is a collection of brief excerpts from an article reporting on his work:

One of the first sculptures which he came across was of a Mayan deity known as Itzamna, or "the old god." A non-LDS Mayanist described him in the following way:

Chief of the beneficent gods was Itzamna. He was the personification of the east, the rising sun with all of its manifold mythical associations . . . As light is synonymous with life and knowledge, he was said to have been the founder of the culture of the Itzas and the Mayas. He was the first priest of their religion. (Daniel Brinton, American Hero-Myths).j

Many sources indicate that Itzamna later became identified with Quetzalcoatl (the Aztec feathered-serpent god) who was called by the Maya Kukulcan. And a number of LDS scholars have associated Quetzalcoatl with Jesus Christ. With this in mind, the following sculptural evidence proves interesting.

Figure 1 (see below) shows the sculpture of Itzamna and an accompanying line drawing. George E. Stuart and Gene S. Stuart describe the sculpture as ". . . the exalted Itzamna, lord of sky and earth" (The Mysterious Maya, 97). And Robert Elliot Smith describes the line drawing as "Itzamna, the old god . . . [with] prominent cheekbones, markedly Hebraic nose . . ." (The Pottery of Mayapan, 50-52). According to Michael Coe, Itzamna can be traced in the hieroglyphic record to "the mid-second century after Christ" (Early Steps, 117). Note the pronounced holes in the hands or wrists. . . .

3 Nephi 11:14 Arise and come forth unto me . . . that ye may feel the prints of the nails in my hands and in my

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feet, that ye may know that I am . . . the God of the whole earth (Illustration): Figure 1: Sculpture of Itzamna, lord of sky and earth, with accompanying line drawing. [Steven E. Jones, Behold My Hands: Evidence for Christ's Visit in Ancient America," in Jace Willard ed. The Book of Mormon Archaeological Digest, Volume II, Issue III. Orem: Book of Mormon Tours, 1999, p. 2]

Figures 3a and 3b (see below) show photographs of ancient painted capstones from a Mayan temple in the Yucatan peninsula, from a ruin known today as Dzibilnocac. Eric Thompson suggests that the paintings depict God K of the Maya (F. Nelson, personal communication), who is sometimes identified with Itzamna (Nicholas P. dunning, Lords of the Hills: Ancient Maya Settlement in the Puuc Region, Yucatan, Mexico, 142). The original painting on the upper right (3b) is badly faded, but if you search near the center of the painting you will see a clear black spot on the palm of this deity's hand. In fact, the spot on the hand is among the clearest surviving features on this painting. The line drawing (Figure 3d) retains this circle on the back of the hand, but shows only an open circle whereas the Mayan artist clearly filled in the spot on the hand. The other capstone (Figures 3a and c) also shows the deity with a circular marking on the palm of the hand. (The fingers are not detailed in this case.)

3 Nephi 11:14 Arise and come forth unto me . . . that ye may feel the prints of the nails in my hands and in my feet, that ye may know that I am . . . the God of the whole earth (Illustration): Figure 3 a-d: Figures 3a and 3b are painted capstones from a Maya temple in the Yucatan Peninsula, of which figures 3c and 3d are line drawings. H. E. D. Pollock and W. R. Bullard, Jr., Monographs and Papers in Maya Archaeology I, 1970, p. 31. Line drawings by Clifford Dunston. [Steven E. Jones, Behold My Hands: Evidence for Christ's Visit in Ancient America," in Jace Willard ed. The Book of Mormon Archaeological Digest, Volume II, Issue III. Orem: Book of Mormon Tours, 1999, p. 3]

The Latter-day Saints understand that the crucifixion of Christ involved nails through both hands and wrists. In Mesoamerican art, Figure 7 (see below) is a stone carving at Yaxchilan, depicting marks in both the hand and wrist.

3 Nephi 11:14 Arise and come forth unto me . . . that ye may feel the prints of the nails in my hands and in my feet, that ye may know that I am . . . the God of the whole earth (Illustration): Figure 7 (a) Photograph taken by David E. Jones of a stone carving at Yaxchilan; (b) Drawing by Clifford Dunston. [Steven E. Jones, Behold My Hands: Evidence for Christ's Visit in Ancient America," in Jace Willard ed. The Book of Mormon Archaeological Digest, Volume II, Issue III. Orem: Book of Mormon Tours, 1999, p. 6]

While studying Mesoamerican artwork, Steven Jones observed that hands in various orientations are frequently used as hieroglyphs in Mayan writing, literally numbering into the thousands--and nearly all of these hand symbols bear the peculiar spot motif.

Figure 10 is taken from Piedras Negras, Guatemala, and provides a typical example of marked hand symbolism in Mayan hieroglyphic writing. I should mention that a Mayan stone carving may show an actual hole in the hand, while the modern line-drawing of the carved glyph often simply uses a circle. Sometimes the modern line drawer fills in the circle, but usually just open circles are depicted.

3 Nephi 11:14 Arise and come forth unto me . . . that ye may feel the prints of the nails in my hands and in my feet, that ye may know that I am . . . the God of the whole earth (Illustration): Figure 10: Stela 3 from Piedras Negras, Guatemala. These are a few of the many examples of marked hand iconography in the Maya hieroglyphics. (J. Marcus, Mesoamerican Writing Systems, 1992, p. 348) [Steven E. Jones, "Behold My Hands: Evidence for Christ's Visit in Ancient America," in Jace Willard ed. The Book of Mormon Archaeological Digest, Volume II, Issue III. Orem: Book of Mormon Tours, 1999, p. 14]

Figure 11 shows Maya glyphs representing "the god of the seventh day." Noted Mesoamerican scholar Eric Thompson has this to say relative to these hieroglyphics:

[Note] the close relationship between Maya hieroglyphic writing and religion, for there is no doubt that many of the forms and perhaps the names of hieroglyphs have religious connotations" (thompson, Mayan Hieroglyphic Writing, 9) . . . As in the case of several of the day signs already examined, the design has been shown to reproduce a characteristic

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attribute of the deity to whom the day was dedicated; it is virtually certain that the hand is the symbol of the god of the seventh day. . . . The hand is also associated with Itzamna . . ." (Thompson, Mayan Hieroglyphic Writing, 76)

3 Nephi 11:14 Arise and come forth unto me . . . that ye may feel the prints of the nails in my hands and in my feet, that ye may know that I am . . . the God of the whole earth (Illustration): Figure 11: Maya glyphs representing "the god of the seventh day." [Steven E. Jones, Behold My Hands: Evidence for Christ's Visit in Ancient America," in Jace Willard ed. The Book of Mormon Archaeological Digest, Volume II, Issue III. Orem: Book of Mormon Tours, 1999, pp. 2-3, 11, 14]

Evidently the marked or imprinted hand is connected to deity--in particular with Itzamna, the great Mayan deity previously discussed. It should be noted that one name of this deity is Kabal, the Great Hand, or Maker with His Hands.

In conclusion, Jones found these correlations striking and significant, for the hand with a hole or circle marking associated with Itzamna/Quetzalcoatl is precisely the same symbol Christ chose for his bleeding on the cross and subsequent triumph over death (John 20:24-28; 3 Nephi 11:14-17). Christ was also closely associated with the seventh day in the Hebrew calendar: "For the Son of man is Lord even of the sabbath day" (Matthew 12:8). [Steven E. Jones, "Behold My Hands: Evidence for Christ's Visit in Ancient America," in Jace Willard ed. The Book of Mormon Archaeological Digest, Volume II, Issue III. Orem: Book of Mormon Tours, 1999, pp. 2-3, 6, 11, 14]

3 Nephi 11:14 Come Forth unto Me, That Ye May Thrust Your Hands into My Side:

According to Warren and Ferguson, in volume 2 of Antiquities of Mexico, Kingsborough explains:

"It is extremely singular that several Mexican paintings should represent Quetzalcoatl with his side pierced with a spear and water flowing from the wound. . . . The paintings which represent Quetzalcoatl pierced with a spear and water issuing from the wound, occur at the sixty-first page of the Borgian manuscript [Kingsborough's Volume 6] and at the ninth page of the Mexican painting preserved in the library of the Institute at Bologna." (Ferguson 1958:138) [Bruce W. Warren and Thomas Stuart Ferguson, The Messiah in Ancient America, p. 37]

3 Nephi 11:14 Arise and come forth unto me (Illustration): Jesus Teaching in the Western Hemisphere. [The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, Gospel Art, #316]

3 Nephi 11:14 I Am the God of Israel:

The resurrected Jesus, whom the Nephites heard and saw, was and is the same Jehovah who was seen and heard by Moses and other ancient prophets. He is the great "I Am" (see Exodus 3:14; John 8:56-58); the "Holy One of Israel" (see Isaiah 45:11-15; 2 Nephi 25:29); the "Shepherd of Israel" (see Psalm 80:1; Isaiah 40:11; John 10:11,14-18). [Joseph F. McConkie, Robert L. Millet, Brent L. Top, "Doctrinal Commentary on the Book of Mormon, Vol. IV., p. 53]

3 Nephi 11:14 I Am the God of Israel, and the God of the Whole Earth:

T. J. O'Brien gives the following list and asks the reader who it describes:1. Born of a virgin about 2,000 years ago in the east.2. Has a little-known childhood, identified with a star.3. Appears as a holy man and teacher among men.4. Is of fair complexion, and bearded.5. Wears a long white robe and sandals.6. Is tempted by the adversary and endures a 40-day fast.7. Brings a message of peace, love, charity, and lives chastely.8. Prays to his Father in Heaven and teachers others to pray.9. Says: feed the hungry, clothe the naked, care for the sick, avoid violence.10. Creates all people and blesses his followers.

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11. Works miracles: walks on water, heals the sick, cures the blind.12. Instigates confession, communion, fasting, and baptism of water.13. Has a body, yet is worshiped as a god by his followers.14. Is identified with healing and with the serpent.15. Is persecuted by his enemies, yet offers forgiveness.16. Is scourged, wears a crown of thorns, and carries a cross.17. Is crucified, his side is pierced, and water flows from it.18. Sheds his blood for our sins, and darkness occurs at his death.19. Visits the underworld of the dead, and speaks of heaven and hell.20. Although he dies on Friday, he resurrects three days later.21. Ascends to the heavens, where he now dwells.22. Returns to the throne of his Father, who is the Supreme God of heaven.23. Becomes a Savior and Redeemer for all. Resurrects the dead.24. Is worshiped as One God, yet forms part of a trinity with his father.25. Is called the life and the light of the world, omnipotent, omniscient.26. Apostles and disciples continue his work building temples and altars.27. Will return to reign and bring about a resurrection and golden age.i

According to O'Brien, it would appear that the list describes Jesus of Nazareth, for the list admittedly contains remarkable parallels with his life as depicted in the New Testament. But it is not Christ who is described here. It is, instead, the culture hero of the ancient Americas. [T.J. O'Brien, Fair Gods and Feathered Serpents, pp. 230-231]

3 Nephi 11:14 I Am the God of Israel, and the God of the Whole Earth:

According to Warren and Ferguson, about fifty of the Israelite-Jewish names of the Messiah were applied to the New-World Messiah (see illustration). In Mesoamerica, as in the Near East, He was the God of the Sky and Earth, God of Abraham and Jacob, Great Lord, Yohualli, Sovereign Lord, Father of Life, God of Rains, Lord of the Green Earth, Creator, Son of God, the Wonderful King. [Bruce W. Warren and Thomas Stuart Ferguson, The Messiah in Ancient America, p. 22]

3 Nephi 11:14 I am the God of Israel and the God of the whole earth (Illustration): Old-World and New-World Names of the Messiah. [Bruce W. Warren and Thomas Stuart Ferguson, The Messiah in Ancient America, pp. 22-24]

3 Nephi 11:15 The Multitude . . . Did Feel the Prints of the Nails in His Hands and in His Feet:

According to Warren and Ferguson, referring to another of the manuscripts of the Aztecs, Kingsborough notes, "The seventy-fifth page of the Borgian manuscript [reproduced by Kingsborough] is very remarkable for the representation which it contains of Quetzalcoatl in the attitude of a crucified person, with the impressions of the nails visible in his hands and feet." (Ferguson 1958:139) [Bruce W. Warren and Thomas Stuart Ferguson, The Messiah in Ancient America, p. 37]

3 Nephi 11:15 [They] thrust their hands into his side, and did feel the prints of the nails in his hands and in his feet (Illustration): That Ye May Know. "The multitude went forth, and thrust their hands into his side, and did feel the prints of the nails in his hands and in his feet." Artist: Gary Kapp. [Thomas R. Valletta ed., The Book of Mormon for Latter-day Saint Families, 1999, p. 526]

3 Nephi 11:15 This They Did Do, Going Forth One by One until They Had All Gone Forth:

According to Catherine Thomas, the image of 2,500 people going forth "one by one" (3 Nephi 11:15) arrests our attention. Even if each person had only ten seconds to touch the Lord's body, that adds up to nearly seven hours that he stood patiently and graciously allowed this examination. [Catherine Thomas, "Theophany," in Studies in Scripture: Book of Mormon, Part 2, p. 182]

i. O'Brien, p. 231, #52

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3 Nephi 11:15 Going Forth One by One until They Had All Gone Forth, . . . and Did Know of a Surety:

In 3 Nephi 11:15 it says:And it came to pass that the multitude went forth, and thrust their hands into his

side, and did feel the prints of the nails in his hands and in his feet; and this they did do, going forth one by one until they had all gone forth, and did see with their eyes and did feel with their hands, and did know of a surety and did bear record, that it was he, of whom it was written by the prophets, that should come. (emphasis added)

Hugh Nibley says that chapter 11 of 3 Nephi is perhaps the most powerful statement in the Book of Mormon:

I never can read it, because I choke up every time I try to do it. And it's very simple--that's the idea. The stranger is one of their own. You do not dispute. You repent and get your act together, he says. I am pulling the family together, he says. I want to bring you back to the Father again. He appears entirely to individuals. He always appears to individuals. That's what an atonement [at-one-ment] is. He greets them one by one, he gives them the signs and tokens one by one, he converses with them one by one, he blesses the children one by one. He gives each person to understand; for example, it comes through here in 3 Nephi 11:15. That's the one by one.

[Hugh W. Nibley, Teachings of the Book of Mormon, Semester 4, p. 88--emphasis added]

3 Nephi 11:16-17 They Did Cry Out with One Accord, Saying Hosanna!:

At the time of the appearance of the resurrected Jesus Christ to the Nephites, the multitudes went forth, felt the resurrected body of the Savior, and testified that "it was he, of whom it was written by the prophets, that should come" and then cried out "with one accord, saying: Hosanna!" (3 Nephi 11:15-16).

According to Daniel Ludlow, the word "Hosanna" is a transliteration of a Hebrew word of supplication which means in essence "Oh, grant salvation." Evidently the people were asking the Savior to teach them the way to salvation; thus it is not surprising that He immediately teaches them the basic principles and ordinances of the gospel. [Daniel H. Ludlow, A Companion to Your Study of the Book Of Mormon, p. 261]

3 Nephi 11:17 Hosanna:

According to McConkie, Millet, and Top, the word "Hosanna" literally means "Save now, save we pray" and is taken from a messianic psalm found in the Old Testament (see Psalm 118:25). It was commonly used in ancient times in connection with their worship of Jehovah at the Feast of Tabernacles. Shouting Hosannas and waving palm branches was a means of worshipping the Messiah and acknowledging his saving power (see Matthew 21:9, 15). . . . In the modern Church also the "Hosanna shout" is used as a sacred means of worshipping the Lord and expressing our profound respect, love, and gratitude for him and his holy mission. The modern proclamations of "Hosanna" are usually reserved for deeply sacred events such as temple dedications. Whether done anciently or today, it is a symbol of deep reverence for and worship of our Lord. [Joseph F. McConkie, Robert L. Millet, Brent L. Top, "Doctrinal Commentary on the Book of Mormon, Vol. IV., p. 53-54]

3 Nephi 11:17 Hosanna! Blessed Be the Name of the Most High God!:

Once Christ identified himself to everyone "one by one" (3 Nephi 11:15), the people "did cry out with one accord, saying: Hosanna! Blessed be the name of the Most High God!" In Hebrew, Hosannah means "save now." This phrase is somewhat puzzling to many biblical scholars. It has been alternatively interpreted as an intercessory prayer, asking that the Lord might now send salvation; asking for assistance, that it be given to the Messiah. It has also been understood as

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some kind of royal supplication addressed to the Messiah, or perhaps a call of triumphant joy. Whatever it was, we know that the phrase Hosannah had great Messianic significance, and that it was associated with the anticipated coming of the Messiah, with the cleansing of the temple, and was certainly at home in Israelite temple ritual.

The Hallel, an ancient festival hymn which was a part of Israelite temple liturgy, reads "Hosannah. Save now, I beseech thee, O Lord: O Lord, I beseech thee, and now prosperity. Blessed be he that cometh in the name of the Lord: we have blessed you out of the house of the Lord." (Psalms 118:25-26). This was certainly well known in Israel, so it is significant, I think, that in this temple context at the temple in Bountiful all of these Nephites broke forth, crying out in unison spontaneously with this familiar liturgical temple expression. [John W. Welch, "Christ at the Nephite Temple," in Teachings of the Book of Mormon, Semester 4, p. 134]

3 Nephi 11:19-20 And Nephi Arose and Went Forth, and . . . and . . . and . . . and:

Hugh Pinnock writes that polysyndeton is among the easiest of repetitious ancient Hebrew writing forms to identify because it repeats "the word and at the beginning of successive clauses." A good example of how polysyndeton strengthens a prophet's message is found in 3 Nephi 11:19-20:

And Nephi aroseand went forthand bowed himself before the Lordand did kiss his feet.And the Lord commanded him that he should arise.And he aroseand stood before him.

Easily recognizable, polysyndeton was a tool frequently used by Hebrew writers and is an obvious support for the Book of Mormon's Hebraic roots. For additional examples of polysyndeton, see Genesis 8:22; 22:9-11, 13; Exodus 1:7; 1 Samuel 17:34-35; 2 Kings 5:26; Isaiah 2:12-19; Haggai 1:11; Matthew 24:29-31; Mark 3:31-35; Luke 7:11-18; 1 Nephi 2:4; 4:9; Enos 1:23; Alma 7:27; 8:21-23; 9:21; 4 Nephi 1:5-7; Mormon 8:37; Ether 9:17-19, 21-27.

[Hugh W. Pinnock, Finding Biblical Hebrew and Other Ancient Literary Forms in the Book of Mormon, FARMS, 1999, pp. 21, 26-27] [See the commentary on Alma 1:29, Helaman 3:14, 3 Nephi 4:7]

3 Nephi 11:21 I Give unto You Power That Ye Shall Baptize This People:

According to Warren and Ferguson, Bishop Diego de Landa, who arrived in Yucatan on the heels of Cortes and before the smoke of battle had cleared away, was surprised to learn that baptism had been practiced, as a "rebirth," for many centuries prior to the time of Columbus. Baptisms were performed in the name of the Messiah or Fair God. . . . In his book The Conquest of Yucatan, Frans Blom, a pioneer Mesoamerican archaeologist-explorer, says that the ancient Mayan baptismal rite "was in some ways more elaborate than Christian baptism, but contained the same fundamental ideas." (79)

Knowledge of baptism -- a special symbol of the cleansing, rebirth, and regeneration of the individual -- was widespread in Mesoamerica. Thomas Lopez Medel, in a document written in 1612 concerning Mesoamerica, also mentions the ancient baptismal rite:

"There was also practiced and used among the Yucatecan Indians a certain kind of baptism which although it was not obligatory nor general among all, was held in repute. . . And when they had already attained to six or seven years, the time when they were to be baptized was discussed with the priest, and the day . . . appointed. By this and other similar ceremonies which had been observed in Yucatecan Indians and in others, some of our Spaniards have taken occasion to persuade themselves and believe that in times past some of the apostles or a successor to them passed over to the West Indies and that ultimately those Indians were preached to." (226)

The Maya term for the ceremony, caput sihil, means "to be born anew." The meaning of this Maya term is confirmed from the central-mesa account of Sahagun. This "rebirth" in water was one

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of two requisites to the attainment of "glory" of the kingdom of God in Mesoamerica. Bishop Landa said that by baptism and by "a well ordered life" the Mayas hoped to attain the kingdom. [Bruce W. Warren and Thomas Stuart Ferguson, The Messiah in Ancient America, pp. 16-19]

3 Nephi 11:22 On This Wise Shall Ye Baptize; and There Shall Be No Disputations among You:

According to Gary Walker, in just twenty-two verses containing the opening remarks of the Savior, the word baptism (or one of its forms) occurs nineteen times. (3 Nephi 11:22--12:2.) Without valid baptism by one having authority from the Lord, we could not return to dwell with the Father and the Son and be one with them. Baptism is, in the literal and eternal sense, a unifying ordinance between God and his people. Hence, the principle of unity as exemplified in the Godhead was connected with the instructions regarding baptism: "After this manner shall ye baptize in my name, for behold verily I say unto you, that the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Ghost are one" (3 Nephi 11:27). [Gary Lee Walker, "The Downfall of the Nephite Nation: Lessons for Our Time," in Studies in Scripture: Book of Mormon, Part 2, p. 151]

3 Nephi 11:27 Verily I Say unto You, That the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Ghost Are One:

According to T.J. O'Brien, one of the strongest arguments for Christian teachings in ancient America would be the presence of one of Christianity's most enigmatic doctrines, the belief in one God who forms a trinity. Even devout Christians have never been able to explain fully how one God is also three. To find such a parallel among native beliefs would be remarkable indeed, yet it exists . . . [T.J. O'Brien, Fair Gods and Feathered Serpents, p. 218]

3 Nephi 11:27 The Father, and the Son, and the Holy Ghost Are One:

According to Donna Nielsen, in the original Hebrew, the word for "one" (see 3 Nephi 11:27) was echad," which meant a composite oneness rather than the absolute number "one." It was the word, for example, that would be used for a single cluster of grapes. It often took at least two to make one. The scriptures have many examples. This same word, echad, appears in Genesis 2:24 to signify that Adam and Eve became "one flesh." The purpose of marriage in biblical understanding was to "become one." so that together they could "bring forth." The word "echad" appears again in Ezekiel 37:16-19 to describe the sign of the two sticks that became "one" in the prophet's hand. In John 10:30 it is found in the declaration that Christ and the Father are "one." And in John 17:20-23 we find this word used to describe how Christ and his disciples are "one." [Donna B. Nielsen, Beloved Bridegroom: Finding Christ in Ancient Jewish Marriage and Family Customs, p. 138]

3 Nephi 11:27 The Father and I Are One:

According to Avraham Gileadi, the concept of God's "oneness" (3 Nephi 11:27) describes not singleness but unity and can be understood better in light of the ancient Near Eastern suzerain-vassal covenant relationship. Those who are one with God are in the process of ascending the spiritual ladder (see Moses 6:68). By becoming "sons" of God, they are "one" in Christ as he is "one in the Father (D&C 35:2). Their unity expresses itself in a suzerain-vassal type of relationship when both parties to the covenant keep its terms. . . .

In this covenant progression, there exist several levels on which suzerain-vassal relationships function. The intent of each such relationship is to facilitate humanity's redemption. Suzerain-vassal relationships establish an environment that enables those on a lower plane to ascend to a higher one and partake of blessings that pertain to it. . . . Each category or level of progression that divides people is governed by a suzerain-vassal type of relationship. Each category or level of progression, moreover, is marked by blessings commensurate with the law of its covenant.

Gileadi calls this phenomenon of higher and lower relationships a "paradigmatic hierarchy." In the book of Isaiah, those on a lower plane emulate a key personage on a higher plane and thus

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become like him. At the same time, the one on a higher plane emulates and becomes like one higher still. Each time a person ascends to a higher plane, he enters a new reality--he is "born" again. All intelligences who don't stop short are involved in an upward progression until they become like God. The lower become like one higher when they acquire his attributes. The lower acquire his attributes by subjecting their will to his--by exercising loyalty toward the higher. Fulfilling the will of one higher acts as the vehicle for becoming like him. Becoming like him qualifies one as an heir.

The higher serves as a model, or paradigm, to the lower, and the relationship between them is covenantal (see John 15:9-10). The higher exercises a governing and mediatory function toward the lower (see Abraham 3:1-28) and by that means attracts them to himself (see 2 Nephi 26:24). The lower do what they see the higher one do. By so doing they grow in power and are saved from a lower condition. Jesus invites all men to do what they have seen him do (3 Nephi 27:21); but Jesus does what he has seen the Father do (John 5:19). In that way, Jesus is glorified in them (3 Nephi 19:29), as the Father is glorified in him (3 Nephi 9:15; 11:11). In that way, also, they are one with Jesus, as he and the Father are one (John 17:7-23).

This covenantal unity promises the redemption of the lesser party from a lower, or fallen, state. We thus define salvation as deliverance from a lower state, and that lower state as something evil or less than desirable. "Returning to our Father in heaven" (as we would say), in effect, involves ascending through several spiritual levels, each governed by a suzerain-vassal relationship, until one reaches the "celestial kingdom," the kingdom of God. In order that we might accomplish that exaltation, God ordains helps or helpers in the form of righteous proxies.

Within this system of divine help--within God's plan for salvation and exaltation of his children--the greater party pays the price that secures the salvation of the lesser. Outside this covenant arrangement, there exists no savior who can save his people. There is but a single God--Jesus Christ, the Savior of all--on whom all depend for their everlasting salvation. Hence, King Benjamin's parallelistic statement, "There is no other head [suzerain] whereby ye can be made free. There is no other name given whereby salvation cometh" (Mosiah 5:8). [Avraham Gileadi, The Last Days: Types and Shadows from the Bible and the Book of Mormon, pp. 241-243]

3 Nephi 11:28 According As I Have Commanded You Thus Shall Ye Baptize:

According to John Welch, although Jesus gave power and instructions to the disciples to baptize (3 Nephi 11:21-28), these baptisms weren't carried out immediately as the Nephites heard Jesus at this time. Baptisms would have taken far too much time. But they were carried out the very next morning. Some might wonder why they didn't stop at this point to go and actually be baptized. One reason might be that as they had come up to the temple that morning it's quite possible that they had already properly washed and purified themselves, as an Israelite normally would have done in coming up to the temple on a routine day.

This perhaps then gives us one other instance where we might see the old form of washing and purification transformed into the new ordinance or baptism with the coming of Jesus. We know, for example, from excavations around the temple of Jerusalem, dating back to around the second century B.C., that there were mikvaoth or baptismal fonts lining the roads up to the temple so that those who were pilgrims coming to the temple could ritually immerse themselves and be then pure to present themselves at the temple. Those kinds of older forms of washings--which are precedented as early as Exodus 19:10 where Moses told the Israelites to wash their clothes and purify themselves against the day when the Lord would appear to them at Mt Sinai--had now been completely replaced by the true order of baptism which Jesus instructed them in. [John W. Welch, "Christ at the Nephite Temple," in Teachings of the Book of Mormon, Semester 4, p. 134]

3 Nephi 11:30 Such Things [of the Devil] Should Be Done Away:

According to John Welch, Jesus took steps to assure that there were no disputations, contentions, or any influences of the devil among the people at his temple sermon (see 3 Nephi 11:28-30). The Sermon at the Temple calls these the influences "of the devil, who is the father of contention" (3 Nephi 11:29). With a simple authoritative statement, Jesus asserted that "such things should be done away" (3 Nephi 11:30). This declaration fills the role of warding off the

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presence or influence of Satan--a standard element in ritual drama--and I assume that for this reason Satan's personal presence is not indicated anywhere again in the Sermon. One of the purposes of Jesus' teaching is to give the righteous the ability to be delivered "from evil," as the Lord's Prayer requests later in the Sermon (see 3 Nephi 13:12). The Greek for this can be read, "deliver us from the Evil One" (Matthew 6:13). Another power apparently given to the righteous is the ability to "cast out devils" (3 Nephi 14:22) although the Sermon warns that some will exercise this power unrighteously. [John W. Welch, The Sermon at the Temple and the Sermon on the Mount, pp. 40-41]

3 Nephi 11:32 The Father . . . The Son . . . The Holy Ghost:

To the Nephites, the resurrected Lord declared:And this is my doctrine, and it is the doctrine which the Father hath given unto me;

and I bear record of the Father, and the Father beareth record of me, and the Holy Ghost beareth record of the Father and me; and I bear record that the Father commandeth all men, everywhere, to repent and believe in me. (3 Nephi 11:32)

According to Richard Hopkins, in his First Apology, written in 150 A.D., Justin is emphatic in defending the total separateness of the Father and the Son, and the role of the pre-mortal Christ as the God of the Old Testament. He wrote:

The Jews, always thinking that the Father of all things spoke to Moses, he who spoke to him being the Son of God, who is called both Angel and Apostle, are rightly upbraided both by the Spirit of prophecy and by Christ himself, as knowing neither the Father nor the Son. For they who say that the Son is the Father are proved neither to know the Father, nor that the Father of all things has a Son, who, being moreover the first-born Word of God, is also God.ii

Justin's doctrine of separation between the three members of the Godhead was such that he placed the Father, the Son and the Holy Ghost in order of hierarchy as follows:

Our teacher of these things is Jesus Christ, who also was born for this purpose, and was crucified under Pontius Pilate, procurator of Judea, in the times of Tiberius Caesar; and that we reasonably worship Him, having learned that He is the Son of the true God Himself, and holding Him in the second place, and the prophetic Spirit in the third, we will prove.iii

[Richard R. Hopkins, How Greek Philosophy Corrupted the Christian Concept of God, p. 128]

3 Nephi 11:32 The Father Commandeth All Men, Everywhere, to Repent:

Hugh Nibley asks a pertinent question: "Who is righteous in the Book of Mormon?" There's a very simple definition of righteousness in the Book of Mormon, as in the book of Ezekiel. One is righteous because he is repentant, and a person who is not repenting is a person who is not righteous. That's all there is to it, because we're all wicked and we all need to repent all the time. "Say nothing but repentance to this generation (D&C 6:9)." The first word of the Lord to the Nephites was, "This is my doctrine . . . and I bear record that the Father commandeth all men, everywhere to repent . . ." (3 Nephi 11:32). You have to do that. And as Ezekiel tells us, if a person has been righteous all his life but he's not repenting any more, he's wicked (see Ezekiel 18:20-32). Of course, he may have been wicked all of his life, and if he's repenting now, he's righteous. It makes no difference. So, always repent, always keep repenting. "But behold, all nations, kindreds, tongues, and people shall dwell safely in the Holy One of Israel if it so be that they will repent" (1 Nephi 22:28). The phrase "all nations" occurs ninety times in the Book of Mormon. You see, the gospel isn't just for one special tribe, or a chosen people, or church, or anything like that. . . . So the Church is not provincial and it's not ethnic. [Hugh W. Nibley, Teachings of the Book of Mormon, Semester 1, p. 228, 242] [See the section on the doctrine of Christ in The Covenant Story, Vol. 2, 2 Nephi 31-33; see 1 Nephi 17:35] 3 Nephi 11:36 The Father, and I [The Son], and the Holy Ghost:

In 3 Nephi 11:35-36, Jesus identified three who would witness the making of the covenant on

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this occasion, the Father, Christ himself, and the Holy Ghost. According to John Welch, from the Old Testament we know that it is in the mouth of two or three witnesses that all things are to be established. One may think also of the three messengers who visited Abraham, or the calling of witnesses in Joshua 24:15, where Joshua says, "Choose ye this day whom ye will serve" and then points out that the people themselves on that occasion were witnesses of what they had done. That is an important element of most covenant making--that it be done in the presence of witnesses--and certainly on this occasion we have that condition fulfilled as well. [John W. Welch, "Christ at the Nephite Temple," in Teachings of the Book of Mormon, Semester 4, p. 135]

Filling a covenantal role that is familiar from several other occurrences in scripture (d.g., Genesis 18:2; Deuteronomy 4:26; 19:15; 2 Nephi 11:3), these three stand together at the commencement of this dispensation of the new law to the Nephties to witness of the gospel. [John W. Welch, The Sermon at the Temple and the Sermon on the Mount, p. 41]

3 Nephi 11:39 Gates of Hell:

According to Larry Dahl, the word hell appears sixty-two times in the text of the Book of Mormon. Thirty-three times it stands alone, without modifiers or explanation of what it means, as in "And thus we see the end of him who perverteth the ways of the Lord; and thus we see that the devil will not support his children at the last day, but doth speedily drag them down to hell" (Alma 30:60).

Twenty-nine times the word hell is used with descriptive modifiers, for example, "depths of hell" (1 Nephi 12:16), "hell which hath not end" (1 Nephi 14:3-4), "awful hell" (1 Nephi 15:29, 35; Alma 19:29; 54:7), "sleep of hell" (2 Nephi 1:13), "gates of hell" (2 Nephi 4:32; 3 Nephi 11:39-40; 18:13), "pains of hell" (Jacob 3:11-12; Alma 14:6; 26:13; 36:13), "chains of hell" (Alma 5:7,9,10; 12:11; 13:30; 26:14), "child of hell" (Alma 11:23; 54:11), "powers of hell" (Alma 48:17), "everlasting hell" (Helaman 6:28), "hell fire" (3 Nephi 12:22; Mormon 8:17), and "endless hell" (Moroni 8:13).

Numerous times in the Book of Mormon other terms or phrases are used to mean hell, and these terms add to our understanding of what hell really is. For example, the reader should note Nephi's explanation--which he received from an angel (1 Nephi 12:16-18)--of the river of filthy water in his and his father's vision of the tree of life. . . . Other terms or phrases used in the Book of Mormon to refer to hell are "eternal gulf of misery and woe" (2 Nephi 1:13), "kingdom of the devil" (2 Nephi 2:29; 28:19; Alma 41:4), "spiritual death" (2 Nephi 9:12), "awful monster" (2 Nephi 9:10), "lake of fire and brimstone" (2 Nephi 9:19,26; 28:23), "misery and endless torment" (Mosiah 3:25; Mormon 8:21), "awful chains" (2 Nephi 28:22), "everlasting chains of death" (Alma 36:18), "slumber of death" (Jacob 3:11), "deep sleep" (Alma 5:7), "second death" (Alma 13:3), "place of filthiness" (1 Nephi 15:34), "endless night of darkness" (Alma 41:7), "misery which never dies" (Mormon 8:38), and "dregs of a bitter cup" (Alma 40:26). [Larry Dahl, "The Concept of Hell," in Doctrines of the Book of Mormon: The 1991 Sperry Symposium, pp. 42-44]

3 Nephi 12,13,14 (The Sermon on the Mount / The Sermon at the Temple):

According to Victor Ludlow, chapters 12, 13, and 14 of 3 Nephi introduce some of the great teachings of the Savior, many of which He had given as part of his mortal ministry as recorded in the New Testament. In fact chapters 12, 13, and 14 are what we often call the Sermon on the Mount. Although here in the Book of Mormon setting, we call it the Sermon at the Temple. It's basically the same sermon as we find recorded in Matthew 5-7, with some important differences that allow us to interpret the sermon very differently than Bible scholars have done.

One of the most important differences is the context. Many New Testament scholars aren't really sure to whom the Savior is speaking. . . . However in the Book of Mormon, we find that the Savior is talking to those who heed the message and are willing to be baptized (3 Nephi 12:1). . . . So it wasn't just a few select apostles and disciples and it wasn't just any and everybody, but those who had entered into a covenant relationship.

The Sermon on the Mount is, as one scholar puts it, the Christian constitution. It really is a constitution of Christianity. Any and all who claim to be Christians need to read very carefully this Sermon and say, "Am I doing this? Am I fulfilling this?" Because these are the blessings and expectations the Savior Himself asks of those who have entered into the waters of baptism and

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taken His name upon themselves. This is a very important covenant context of the Sermon on the Mount that, frankly, is not clear and precise in the New Testament and that sets the stage for our whole perspective of this important Sermon. And the fact that it was given here in the Book of Mormon as in the New Testament indicates that it is very, very important, that He would repeat it among both groups of Israelites. [Victor L. Ludlow, "The Covenant Teachings of the Book of Mormon," F.A.R.M.S., pp. 4-5]

3 Nephi 12:1 Now the Number of Them . . . Was Twelve:

According to John Tvedtnes, the Hebraisms in the Book of Mormon help persuade us that it is authentic . . . A difference between Hebrew and English in the use of conjunctions is that in biblical Hebrew, a language with no punctuation, the conjunction also serves as a marker of parenthesis. The words we would put inside parenthesis in English are preceded by the conjunction in Hebrew, and, at the conclusion, the next phrase is introduced by the conjunction. One example among many found in the Book of Mormon is in 3 Nephi 12:1 (the parentheses have been added for illustration), "When Jesus had spoken these words unto Nephi, and to those who had been called, (now the number of them who had been called, and received power and authority to baptize, was twelve) and behold, he stretched forth his hand . . . [John A. Tvedtnes, "The Hebrew Background of the Book of Mormon," in Rediscovering the Book of Mormon, F.A.R.M.S., pp. 84-85]

3 Nephi 12:1 Now the number of them who had been called . . . was twelve (Illustration): Christ Ordaining the Twelve. Jesus Christ called and ordained twelve Apostles in America, just as He had done in Israel. Artist: Gary Kapp. [Thomas R. Valletta ed., The Book of Mormon for Latter-day Saint Families, 1999, p. 529]

3 Nephi 12:1 Blessed Are Ye If Ye Shall Give Heed unto the Words of These Twelve:

At Bountiful, Jesus ordained and called priesthood leaders. 3 Nephi 12 begins with two ecclesiastical beatitudes not found in the Sermon on the Mount. "Blessed are ye if ye shall give heed unto the words of these twelve whom I have chosen; . . . again, more blessed are they who shall believe in your words because that ye shall testify that ye have seen me, and that ye know that I am" (3 Nephi 12:1-2). [John W. Welch, The Sermon at the Temple and the Sermon on the Mount, F.A.R.M.S., p. 105]

3 Nephi 12:1 These Twelve Whom I Have Chosen from among You:

Jesus selected twelve special disciples and testified to the multitude of their divine calling: "Blessed are ye if ye shall give heed unto the words of these twelve whom I have chosen from among you to minister unto you, and to be your servants; and unto them I have given power" (3 Nephi 12:1). According to Robert Matthews, these twelve were, in fact, apostles, although the record does not specifically so designate them. (See Moroni 2:1-3; see also the chapter heading to Moroni 2, and Joseph Smith, the "Wentworth Letter," History of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, 2nd ed. rev., edited by B. H. Roberts (Salt Lake City: The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, 1932-51), 4:538. [Robert J. Matthews, "Christ's Authority, His Other Sheep, and the Redemption of Israel," in Studies in Scripture: Book of Mormon, Part 2, pp. 161, 171]

3 Nephi 12:3 Who Come unto Me:

According to John Welch, in the Sermon at the Temple, the injunctions and instructions were given by Jesus as "commandments" (3 Nephi 12:20), and the people received them by entering into a covenant with God that they would always remember and keep those commandments that Jesus gave to them that day (see 3 Nephi 18:7, 10). . . . No such designation appears in the Sermon on the Mount, and thus biblical scholars inconclusively debate whether Jesus' teachings in the Sermon on the Mount were intended as celestial ideals, as ethical or religious principles, or as social commentary. Second, those who will be received into the kingdom of heaven are those who come unto Christ (see 3 Nephi 12:3, 20). The phrase "who come unto me" appears five times in the Sermon at the Temple (3 Nephi 12:3,19,20, and 23 twice), but it never occurs in the Sermon on the

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Mount. Coming unto Christ . . . is in essence a covenantal concept. . . Stephen D. Ricks suggests that the phrase "come unto me" in the Sermon at the Temple may be conceptually equivalent to the Old Testament expression "stand in the presence of the Lord," which is thought to be temple terminology. [John W. Welch, The Sermon at the Temple and the Sermon on the Mount, F.A.R.M.S., pp. 99-100]

3 Nephi 12:6 Filled with the Holy Ghost:

In several passages in the Sermon at the Temple, subtle changes bring the divine influence more explicitly to the surface. When one is "filled with the Holy Ghost" (3 Nephi 12:6) in the Sermon at the Temple, the beatitude is not left unspecified, as in the Sermon on the Mount which just says "filled." [John W. Welch, The Sermon at the Temple and the Sermon on the Mount, F.A.R.M.S., p. 102]

3 Nephi 12:6 For They Shall Be Filled with the Holy Ghost:

John Welch makes the following comment:I, for one, began my work on the Book of Mormon at a time when hardly anything positive

had been written--from a scholarly point of view--about its antiquity. I believed the balance needed to be tipped back by looking for, finding, and saying things in favor of the book.

Still today, I feel no need to get too excited when I see things that might be used as evidence against the book's antiquity. Instead, I take note and begin researching the subject. Usually, as I learn more, I come to see other options and find that what I originally thought was a problem is not. Indeed, sometimes what I thought was a problematic detail turns out to be a strength. For example, Krister Stendahl once claimed that the Book of Mormon is wrong to say "they shall be filled with the Holy Ghost" (3 Nephi 12:6). Stendahl made this claim because he said, the Greek word behind this beatitude in Matthew 5, namely chortazo, cannot mean to be filled "with the Holy Ghost" but means to "fill the stomach."iv Hutchinson (p. 14, where the Greek is misspelled) and others have used this as a prime exhibit of an alleged Book of Mormon mistake. For over ten years, I figured that the best that one could say on behalf of the Book of Mormon in this instance was that it was simply expressing the image of the Holy Ghost more literally than the Protestant Stendahl would allow. That explanation was sufficient for me, but I remained aware of Stendahl's linguistic criticism. Then, I found in the Septuagint an ancient text that used chortazo to mean being filled with the spirit, being satiated with the likeness of God (Psalm 17:15). This is a text that Stendahl had apparently missed. I published this finding in 1990,v . . . Now, as a result of this excursion, I see the Book of Mormon translation in 3 Nephi 12:6 as stronger than ever, for it is consistent with an ancient usage of chortazo that even one of the learned men of the world had overlooked. Moreover, it is consonant with a unique point of Mormon doctrine that spirit is matter, meaning that one can indeed be physically filled with the spirit's substance. [John W. Welch, "Approaching New Approaches," in Review of Books on the Book of Mormon, Vol. 6/1 1994, pp. 150-151]

3 Nephi 12:6 Blessed Are All They Who Do Hunger and Thirst after Righteousness, for They Shall Be Filled With the Holy Ghost:

John Tvedtnes notes that in explaining the emblems of the sacrament to the Nephites, Jesus said, "He that eateth this bread eateth of my body to his soul; and he that drinketh of this wine drinketh of my blood to his soul; and his soul shall never hunger nor thirst, but shall be filled" (3 Nephi 20:8) But "when the multitude had all eaten and drunk, behold, they were filled with the Spirit," not with bread and wine (3 Nephi 20:9). This seems appropriate, since the promise to those who worthily partake of the sacrament is that they will "have his Spirit to be with them" (Moroni 4:3; 5:2).

On the first occasion when Jesus had blessed bread for the Nephites in the land of Bountiful, we read that "when the multitude had eaten and were filled, he said unto the disciples: Behold there shall one be ordained among you, and to him will I give power that he shall break bread and bless it and give it unto the people of my church, unto all those who shall believe and be baptized in my name" (3 Nephi 18:5).j He then specified that those who partook "shall have my Spirit" (3 Nephi

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18:7). He blessed the wine "and [the disciples] did drink of it and were filled; and they gave unto the multitude, and they did drink, and they were filled" (3 Nephi 18:9). Jesus again stressed that the emblem of his blood was reserved for "those who repent and are baptized in my name," who, by partaking, shall have my Spirit" (3 Nephi 18:11).

From this, we can see not only that the people were "filled" when partaking of the sacrament, but that Christ promised them his Spirit. The fact that he specified that the sacrament was to be administered to those who had been baptized stresses the fact that the ordinance is a renewal of the baptismal covenant by which we also have access to the Spirit (3 Nephi 19:13; 26:17). Alma the elder explained this in terms very reminiscent of the sacramental prayers when he asked his people,

Now I say unto you, if this be the desire of your hearts, what have you against being baptized in the name of the Lord, as a witness before him that ye have entered into a covenant with him, that ye will serve him and keep his commandments, that he may pour out his Spirit more abundantly upon you? (Mosiah 18:10)

Jesus told his Nephite disciples "that whoso repenteth and is baptized in my name shall be filled" (3 Nephi 27:16). He later specified what he meant by the word "filled": "come unto me, be baptized in my name, that ye may receive a remission of your sins, and be filled with the Holy Ghost" (3 Nephi 30:2).

From this we can see that there is a high degree of consistency in the Book of Mormon accounts of baptism and partaking of the sacrament. Hungering after righteousness, one must repent and participate in the covenantal rite, whereupon one can be "filled with the Holy Ghost." [John A. Tvedtnes, "Hungering and Thirsting after Righteousness," in The Most Correct Book, pp. 283-284]

3 Nephi 12:8 Blessed Are the Pure in Heart, for They Shall See God:

"Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God" (3 Nephi 12:8). According to John Welch, both of those phrases--pure in heart and seeing God--are loaded with temple symbolism and meaning. The pure in heart phrase comes out of the twenty-fourth psalm--a psalm that is very well described as an ancient temple recommend. "Who shall ascend unto the hill of the Lord?" ["He that hath clean hands and a pure heart." (Psalms 24:3-4). The hill, of course, is the temple. Who is worthy to enter the temple? Those who have clean hands and a pure heart. And what will they see when they enter the temple? The Doctrine and Covenants tells us those who enter the temple in Kirtland (D&C 97:16) will see God. These phrases are referring to temple-type experiences. Such is not completely lost, even on our Gentile scholars. You can find, for example, Hans D. Betz speculating about what on earth these Beatitudes should be understood to mean. His conclusion: The Beatitudes are the entrance requirements for the kingdom of heaven--his way of saying "temple recommend questions" perhaps. . . .

The list of virtues that you see presented in the Beatitudes is very similar to the list that you encounter in scriptures that talk about the process of sanctification. Look at 2 Peter 1; look at 1 Corinthians 13. Look at the list of virtues that King Benjamin in Mosiah 3:18-19 says a person must put on in order for the atoning blood to purify that person. That's the sanctifying power. Those are the virtues that you encounter in the Beatitudes--preparing the way for holiness and sanctification. [John W. Welch, "The Beatitudes--Christ's Teachings," in Teachings of the Book of Mormon, Semester 4, pp. 136-137]

3 Nephi 12:9 Blessed Are the Peacemakers:

According to John Welch, Deuteronomy 27 talks about how the old becomes new and what Jesus is doing. What did the Israelites do at the temple in Deuteronomy 27? One of the things was that the Levites had to stand up and pronounce curses upon the wicked. Cursed be the person who moves his neighbor's marker stone out in the field. Cursed be the person who leads the blind astray, and things like that. Each time there are twelve curses that they all pronounce. Each time one of the curses was uttered, all of the congregation there at the temple had to say, "Amen." This is a ritual sort of thing they went through every year [at the temple].

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Well, look what Jesus does. Instead of the list of curses, he has the list of blessings. As he says things like, "Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called the children of God" (3 Nephi 12:9), I like to imagine the congregation saying "Amen"--just as they were used to saying "Amen" to the curses. The combination of the cursing and the blessing, to link that one more step closer, is found in the 2 Enoch literature. I refer you to 2 Enoch, sections 42, 51, and 52. In 2 Enoch 42, you have, for example, a list of beatitudes again, and they describe the person who is worthy to enter into the third heaven. You remember in the Enoch literature you have an ascension vision, where the prophet moves from one heaven on up until he finally reaches the ultimate heaven. At each state it is described who is present at these different points. 2 Enoch 42 talks about those who enter into the "paradise room" or that stage. "Happy is the person who reverences the name of the Lord. Happy is the one who carries out righteous judgment. Happy is the one who speaks truth to his neighbor. Happy is the one who has compassion on his lips. Happy is he who understands the work of the Lord." There you have a group of beatitudes oriented around lips, understanding, heart, etc. This is from 2 Enoch, (James H. Charleworth, Old Testament Pseudepigrapha, Vol. 1). [John W. Welch, "The Beatitudes--Christ's Teachings," in Teachings of the Book of Mormon, Semester 4, p. 137]

3 Nephi 12:10 Blessed Are All They Who Are Persecuted for My Name's Sake:

According to John Welch, there's an interesting thing you should know a little about. . . . In Matthew it says for whosever shall suffer persecution and so on for righteousness's sake shall be blessed. Now as people have tried to translate the Sermon on the Mount in Greek back into the Aramaic that Jesus might have spoken, that [phrase in Matthew] is a very difficult expression to put back into Aramaic. A very strong and cogent argument has been made that Jesus didn't say that we should suffer for righteousness's sake, but that in Aramaic that most likely would have been "whosoever will suffer for the Righteous One's sake." In other words you're suffering for whom? For God. He is the Righteous One. The Book of Mormon is consistent with that where it says that you will suffer for "my name's sake" (3 Nephi 12:10). It is the Lord that is behind that. [John W. Welch, "Sacrament Prayers, Implications of the Sermon at the Nephite Temple," in Teachings of the Book of Mormon, Semester 4, pp. 150-151]

3 Nephi 12:10 For Jesus' Name's Sake:

In several passages in the Sermon at the Temple, subtle changes bring the divine influence more explicitly to the surface. One suffers, not just "for righteousness sake," but "for Jesus' name's sake" (3 Nephi 12:10). [John W. Welch, The Sermon at the Temple and the Sermon on the Mount, F.A.R.M.S., p. 102 ]

3 Nephi 12:13 I Give unto You to Be the Salt of the Earth:

According to LeGrand Baker, the scriptural phrase "salt of the earth" has come to mean many things. In likening the scriptures unto ourselves (see 1 Nephi 19:23), we may sometimes overlook the author's primary intent and the key points of comparison in his use of metaphor. A full understanding and appreciation of a given passage of scripture may thus elude us.

That sometimes appears to be the case with the metaphor of salt. Perhaps we have observed that just as salt enhances the taste of certain foods, so we must be as salt, living our lives to bless and enhance the lives of others and make the gospel palatable to them. We may have also noted that salt is a preservative not unlike the preserving influence of righteous Saints who uphold gospel ideals in a world of shifting values.

While such applications are relevant and meaningful to Latter-day Saints worldwide, to the ancients the central figurative meaning of salt had to do not with taste but with smell.

When sacrifices were offered upon the altars of ancient Israel, the Israelites did not give the Lord the flesh of the animal, the fruit of the ground, or the ashes or smoke of such sacrifices. The acceptable part of the offering presented to the Lord was the smell, "a sweet savour unto the Lord" (Leviticus 1:17). In the Bible, the word savour most often refers to the pleasant smell of burning sacrifice in the temple. To ensure that the smell would be sweet, the Mosaic law required that the

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offering be liberally sprinkled with salt.The scent of an unsalted burnt offering would be the stench of scorched flesh. But if the

meat were generously salted, the odor would be quite different, due to the reaction of the salt upon the cells that compose animal flesh. Under high-salt conditions, cellular fluid rapidly escapes the cells to dilute the salts outside cell membranes. When accentuated by heat, these fluids cause a sweet savor to emanate.

The Lord's requirements concerning the offerings of ancient Israel was clear. Referring to "the salt of the covenant," the Lord instructed the children of Israel, "With all thine offerings thou shalt offer salt" (Leviticus 2:13). Flavius Josephus, the ancient Jewish historian, explained how that was done. He wrote that the priests "cleanse the bodies [of the sacrificial animals], and divide them into parts, and salt them with salt, and lay them upon the altar, while the pieces of wood are piled one upon another, and the fire is burning. . . . This is the way of offering a burnt-offering" (Antiquities of the Jews, trans. William Whiston [1875], 3:9:1).

The purpose of the law of performances and ordinances given to the children of Israel through Moses was to point their souls to Christ and to bear witness of His gospel. The atoning sacrifice of Jesus Christ perfectly fulfilled the law of Moses and ended blood sacrifice. The resurrected Lord explained the new law of sacrifice to His followers on the American continent: "Ye shall offer up unto me no more the shedding of blood; yea, your sacrifice and your burnt offerings shall be done away. . . .And ye shall offer for a sacrifice unto me a broken heart and a contrite spirit. And whoso cometh unto me with a broken heart and a contrite spirit, him will I baptize with fire and with the Holy Ghost" (33 Nephi 9:19-20).

In this context the charge to be the "salt of the earth" takes on marvelous significance. The Lord said, "I give unto you to be the salt of the earth; but if the salt shall lose its savour wherewith shall the earth be salted?" (3 Nephi 12:13). The Savior's audience no doubt understood the law of Moses and the close connection between salt and acceptable sacrifice.

It is clear that under the new covenant the followers of Christ, as "salt," are responsible for extending gospel blessings to the whole earth. "When men are called unto mine everlasting gospel, and covenant with an everlasting covenant," the Lord explains, "they are accounted as the salt of the earth and the savor of men" (D&C 101:39). It is our privilege and blessing to lovingly lead our brothers and sisters to Christ, helping them receive their covenant blessings. As we do so, we become the figurative salt that makes it possible for them to offer the acceptable sacrifice of a broken heart and a contrite spirit. In addition, our own covenant sacrifice of time, talents, and means is pleasing to the Lord. . . .

So how do we become the salt of the earth? The Apostle Paul points out that charity is a key to this process: "Be ye therefore followers of God, as dear children; And walk in love, as Christ also hath loved us, and hath given himself for us an offering and a sacrifice to God for a sweetsmelling savour" (Ephesians 5:1-2). [LeGrand L. Baker, "I Have a Question: What does it mean to be the 'salt of the earth'?," The Ensign, April 1999, pp. 53-54]

3 Nephi 12:13 Salt Shall Lose Its Savor:

In 3 Nephi 12:13 Jesus declares: Verily, verily, I say unto you, I give unto you to be the salt of the earth; but if the salt

shall lose its savor wherewith shall the earth be salted? The salt shall be thenceforth good for nothing, but to be cast out and to be trodden under foot of men.

Elder Carlos E. Asay explained that "salt will not lose its savor with age. Savor is lost through mixture and contamination. . . . Flavor and quality flee a man when he contaminates his mind with unclean thoughts, desecrates his mouth by speaking less than the truth, and misapplies his strength in performing evil acts." (Conference Reports, April 1980, p. 60) [Joseph F. McConkie, Robert L. Millet, Brent L. Top, "Doctrinal Commentary on the Book of Mormon, Vol. IV, p. 70]

3 Nephi 12:13-14 I Give unto You to Be the Salt of the Earth . . . I Give unto You to Be the Light of This People:

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Brent Farley notes that those who follow the path marked by the beatitudes are accounted as "salt" and "light"! (3 Nephi 12:13-16) Salt has a distinctive property (or savor) that enhances the flavor of foods. Its addition tends to bring out the best of that to which it is added. So would the saints become the enhancers of those who accept the gospel. The commission to do this had a warning, however. If the savor was lost, then "wherewith shall the earth be salted? The salt shall be thenceforth good for nothing, but to be cast out and to be trodden under foot of men" (3 Nephi 12:13) Salt does not lose its savor by age, but rather by mixture and contamination. Correspondingly, the gospel does not lose its savor by age, but rather when it is mixed with the philosophies of men and devils. Salt is also a preservative. The gospel was intended to be preserved in purity. Its effects were to preserve the saints in righteousness that they might attain their celestial destiny. How appropriate was the Lord's analogy!

The Saints, the "salt of the earth," were also to be lights to which people in a darkened world could seek. . . . The symbolism of light and salt were appropriately placed together in the sacred text. Old Testament sacrificial rituals used salt as a token of gospel covenants. (See Leviticus 2:13 and Numbers 18:19) The Lord explained to Joseph Smith: "I have sent mine everlasting covenant into the world, to be a light to the world, and to be a standard for my people, and for the gentiles to seek to it, and to be a messenger before my face to prepare the way before me." (D&C 45:9; emphasis added) Thus salt represents the gospel covenant, which is a light to the world. [S. Brent Farley, "The Appearance of Christ to the People of Nephi," in Studies in Scripture: Book of Mormon, Part 2, pp. 154-155]

3 Nephi 12:17 Think Not That I Am Come to Destroy the Law:

In the midst of his Sermon at the Temple, and just preceeding some comments on ancient matters of law, Jesus says the following:

Think not that I am come to destroy the law or the prophets. I am not come to destroy but to fulfil;

For verily I say unto you, one jot nor one tittle hath not passed away from the law, but in me it hath all been fulfilled.

According to John Welch, the Ten Commandments have recently been analyzed by Moshe Weinfeld at Hebrew University in Jerusalem as also temple related materials--presenting the requirements that a person must satisfy before approaching the temple in Jerusalem. I don't know if you know this, but as you went up toward the temple in Jerusalem there were ancient warnings saying, "Caution, you are approaching sacred territory. Do not come any closer if you are not pure." They would list the Ten Commandments or things like that so that people would know that these are the requirements. If you are not complying with them, you had better not come into this sacred place. There are also some Greek temples that have similar kinds of inscriptions on the foundation stones that require a person coming into the temple to be pure--not just through some kind of ritual, but also pure in conduct and in their heart. [John W. Welch, "The Beatitudes--Christ's Teachings," in Teachings of the Book of Mormon, Semester 4, p. 137]

3 Nephi 12:17-19 [The Passage That Condemns Anyone Who Teaches People to Ignore Even the Least of the Commandments in the Law of Moses (Matthew 5:19)]

It has been suggested that certain portions of the Sermon on the Mount are Anti-Pauline and were purposely added during the time of Paul. . . . The most likely deprecation of Paul in the Sermon on the Mount is the passage that condemns anyone who teaches people to ignore even the least of the commandments in the law of Moses -- he will be called "the least in the kingdom of heaven" (Matthew 5:19) Paul is the obvious figure in early Christianity who taught and promoted the idea that Christians need not observe the law of Moses, and his ideas met considerable hostility among both Jews and certain Christians. Since Paul was known as "the least" of the apostles (1 Corinthians 15:9), it seems quite plausible that early Christians would have seen in Matthew 5:19 a direct criticism of Paul's position, if not of Paul himself. . . . Thus, the absence from the Sermon at the Temple of the chief bits of evidence of an anti-Pauline hand in the Sermon on the Mount supports the Book of Mormon. [John W. Welch, The Sermon at the Temple and the Sermon on the Mount,

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F.A.R.M.S., pp. 108-110]

3 Nephi 12:18 In Me It Hath All Been Fulfilled:

In several passages in the Sermon at the Temple, subtle changes bring the divine influence more explicitly to the surface. When Jesus spoke in Palestine, he had said, "one jot or one tittle shall in no wise pass from the law, till all is fulfilled" (Matthew 5:18), but in Bountiful he affirmed that one jot or tittle "hath not passed away from the law, but . . . it hath all been fulfilled (3 Nephi 12:18) (see also 3 Nephi 12:46-47) [John W. Welch, The Sermon at the Temple and the Sermon on the Mount, F.A.R.M.S., p. 95]

3 Nephi 12:19 Ye Have the Commandments before You, and the Law Is Fulfilled:

John Tvedtnes notes that the law of Moses was comprised of three divisions, the commandments (sometimes called "law" or "testimonies"), the statutes (sometimes called "ordinances"), and the judgments. (see Deuteronomy 4:1-2, 13-14; 5:28; 6:20; 26:17; 28:45; 2 Kings 17:34, 37; 2 Chronicles 19:10; 29:19; 33:8; 34:31; Nehemiah 9:13-14; 10:30; Jeremiah 32:11. There are many more passages in which just two of the three divisions are mentioned together)

Avraham Gileadi first noted that these same three divisions of the law are listed in the Book of Mormon, where the word "performances" sometimes replaces "judgments." (see 1 Nephi 17;22; 2 Nephi 5:10; 25:25, 30; Mosiah 6:6; Alma 8:17; 25:14-15; 31:9-10; 58:40; Helaman 3:20; 15:5; 4 Nephi 1:12)

From some of the Book of Mormon passages (Alma 30:3; 2 Nephi 25:24-25, 30; 4 Nephi 1:12), we learn that it was the statutes and judgments (or ordinances and performances) that would be done away in Christ, while the commandments would remain as part of the higher law that Christ revealed during his ministry. Thus, Christ seems to have suggested that only the lesser portion of the law was fulfilled when he said, "Behold, ye have the commandments before you, and the law is fulfilled" (3 Nephi 12:19).

Thus, that portion of the law of Moses that was also part of the higher law rejected by the Israelites (including the ten commandments) was not abolished in Christ, while lesser elements of the law, such as animal sacrifice, were done away (3 Nephi 9:19). Christ explained to the Nephites, "Therefore those things which were of old time, which were under the law, in me are all fulfilled. Old things are done away, and all things have become new" (3 Nephi 12:46). [John A. Tvedtnes, "Performances and Ordinances of the Law," in The Most Correct Book, p. 276]

3 Nephi 12:20 [Except Your Righteousness Shall Exceed the Righteousness of the Scribes and Pharisees]:

Anti-Pharisaism can be seen as one of the main tendencies of Matthew, and hence its manifestations in the Sermon on the Mount have been advanced as evidence of the Matthean composition of the Sermon on the Mount. Interestingly, the places in which scholars see these anti-Pharisaical evidences in the Sermon on the Mount are not found in the Sermon at the Temple. Thus, the saying "except your righteousness shall exceed the righteousness of the scribes and Pharisees" [Matthew 5:20] is not present in 3 Nephi. A very different and important statement in 3 Nephi 12:19-20 about obedience and sacrifice appears instead. Likewise, the unflattering comparison between good men the world over and the publicans, both of whom love their friends (see Matthew 5:46-47), is wholly absent in 3 Nephi 12. [John W. Welch, The Sermon at the Temple and the Sermon on the Mount, F.A.R.M.S., p. 105 ]

3 Nephi 12:21 And It Is Also Written before You:

According to John Welch, the Nephites relied more heavily on the written law than the Jews in Jerusalem. The Nephites saw the law primarily as a written body (see 1 Nephi 4:15-16) and viewed any change in the written law with deep suspicion (see Mosiah 29:22-23). The Jews in Jerusalem in Jesus' day, on the other hand, had an extensive body of oral law to accompany the written Torah, and the oral law was very important in the pre-Talmudic period of Jewish legal history.

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Accordingly, in the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus says repeatedly to the Jews, "Ye have heard that it was said . . ." (Matthew 5:21,27,33,38,43; italics added). To the Nephites, however, such a statement would not have carried as much weight as would a reference to the written law. Thus, in the Sermon at the Temple Jesus consistently cites the written law, saying, "Ye have heard that it hath been said by them of old time, and it is also written before you" (3 Nephi 12:21), "it is written by them of old time" (3 Nephi 12:27), "again it is written" (3 Nephi 12:33), "behold, it is written" (3 Nephi 12:38), "and behold it is written also" (3 Nephi 12:43). [John W. Welch, The Sermon at the Temple and the Sermon on the Mount, F.A.R.M.S., p. 99]

3 Nephi 12:22 Whosever Is Angry with His Brother [Without Cause]:

According to John Welch, there's an interesting thing you should know a little about. Well, let me give you this example . . . In Matthew 5:21-22 there's the saying, "Ye have heard that it was said by them of old time, Thou shalt not kill . . . But I say unto you , That whosoever is angry with his brother . . . shall be in danger." Now in your King James version you read, for "whosoever is angry with his brother without a cause," Okay? In other words, if you've got a good cause, then you're okay. But if you are angry with your brother without a good reason, then you are in danger of the council and the judgment. Now that phrase, without a cause, is this little Greek word eike . . . Now, [you notice an] interesting thing when you go to the earliest manuscripts, several of them--[such as] P64 and P67. This New Testament manuscript dates to around A.D. 200, among the earliest New Testament manuscripts we have. Also [there is] the original hand of the Codex Sinaiticus, one of the better of the New Testament codices, and several other minuscules and other early Christian Fathers. When they present this material, they drop this word [eike--without a cause]. I mean they don't drop it--it's just not there. So it just says whoever is angry is in trouble.

Now look at 3 Nephi 12:22, and you'll see that the phrase "without a cause" is not there. New Testament scholars have concluded that this is probably the original, the better reading, to drop this, because Jesus rarely gave people excuses or escape hatches. He doesn't say, whosever looks upon a woman to lust after with good cause is okay. No. The harder sayings of Jesus are the ones that are usually consistent with the rest of his preaching. So here we have one place in the Book of Mormon where the New Testament manuscripts make a difference in the meaning of how we understand what Jesus is saying, and the Book of Mormon conforms with what appears to me, and I thing most would agree, to be the stronger reading. [John W. Welch, "Sacrament Prayers, Implications of the Sermon at the Nephite Temple," in Teachings of the Book of Mormon, Semester 4, pp. 150-151]

3 Nephi 12:22 Raca:

Some scholars have suggested that the word "Raca" (3 Nephi 12:22) is Greek. Raca is, however, to be derived from Aramaic and Hebrew. The Hebrew reqim is used in the Old Testament for good-for-nothings. In Judges 11:3 the "worthless fellows" who associated themselves with Jephthah are called reqim; in 2 Samuel 6:20 Michal despised David because he uncovered himself as one of the reqim (RSV "vulgar fellows"). [Tyndale House, The Illustrated Bible Dictionary, Vol. 3, p. 1315]

3 Nephi 12:21-22 Of the Judgment of God:

In several passages in the Sermon at the Temple, subtle changes bring the divine influence more explicitly to the surface. The murderer is in danger, not just of "the judgment," but of the judgment "of God" (3 Nephi 12:21). [John W. Welch, The Sermon at the Temple and the Sermon on the Mount, F.A.R.M.S., p. 102]

3 Nephi 12:24 First Be Reconciled to Thy Brother, and Then Come unto Me:

In 3 Nephi 12:21-24, Jesus speaks about the process of reconciliation between two people in order to avoid condemnation for speaking or doing evil against another. He says:

Ye have heard that it hath been said by them of old time, and it is also written before

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you, that thou shalt not kill, and whosoever shall kill shall be in danger of the judgment of God;

But I say unto you, that whosoever is angry with his brother shall be in danger of his judgment. . . .

Therefore, if ye shall come unto me, or shall desire to come unto me, and rememberest that thy brother hath aught against thee--Go thy way unto thy brother, and first be reconciled to thy brother, and then come unto me with full purpose of heart, and I will receive you.

According to John Welch, you have councils referred to in the early Christian literature where people were brought before the council because they had spoken evil of one another. This was grounds for excommunication. This is worse than death itself. Why? Because it reviles and defies God and his presence in the community that is being formed. How? By the covenant relationship that these people are entering into. Gentile and Jewish scholars have noticed this kind of thing. In the Dead Sea Scrolls the Manual of Discipline places a very high premium on the need for harmony within the community. I'll read from a commentary on the Manual of Discipline 7:8: "Anger against a fellow member of the society could not be tolerated under any circumstances. Punishment applied in any case of a member harboring angry feelings." [John W. Welch, "The Beatitudes--Christ's Teachings," in Teachings of the Book of Mormon, Semester 4, p. 139]

3 Nephi 12:24 I Will Receive You:

In several passages in the Sermon at the Temple, subtle changes bring the divine influence more explicitly to the surface. After teaching that when one comes to Christ after first being reconciled to his brother, Christ says "I will receive you" (3 Nephi 12:24). [John W. Welch, The Sermon at the Temple and the Sermon on the Mount, F.A.R.M.S., p. 102 ]

3 Nephi 12:26 A Senine:

According to John Welch, instead of a "farthing" (Matthew 5:26), Jesus mentions a "senine" (3 Nephi 12:26), a Nephite unit of exchange. Although this change might appear a superficial change or an artifice, there is subtle substance to it. Jesus undoubtedly had several meaningful reasons for mentioning the senine when he spoke to the Nephites.

First, it was not just one of many Nephite measures but was their basic measure of gold (see Alma 11:5-19). Through it one converted values of precious metals into the measurement "of every kind of grain" (Alma 11:7). Moreover, it was the smallest Nephite measure of gold (see Alma 11:8-10). Thus, when Jesus told the Nephites that they might be held in prison unable to pay "even one senine" (3 Nephi 12:26), he was referring to a relatively small amount, equal to one measure of grain. Furthermore, it was not just the smallness that Jesus had in mind, for otherwise he could better have spoken of a "leah" (Alma 11:17), their smallest measure of silver. The senine, however, was especially important because it was the amount paid to each Nephite judge for a day's service at law (see Alma 11:3). Evidently, the losing party in a law suit was liable to pay the judges one senine each, a burden that would give potential litigants all the more reason to "agree with thine adversary quickly while thou art in the way with him" (3 Nephi 12:25). One should note that the Greek phrase meaning "in the way," in Matthew 5:25, originally referred to the commencement of a law suit. [John W. Welch, The Sermon at the Temple and the Sermon on the Mount, F.A.R.M.S., pp. 96-97]

3 Nephi 12:29 [He Shall Be Called the Least in the Kingdom of Heaven]:

In two places, penalties mentioned in the Sermon on the Mount are conspicuously absent in the Sermon at the Temple. First, the Sermon on the Mount teaches that anyone who "shall break one of these least commandments, and shall teach men so, he shall be called the least in the kingdom of heaven" (Matthew 5:19), but the Sermon at the Temple mentions no such punishment or criticism. Second, where the Sermon on the Mount says, "If thy right eye offend thee, pluck it out, . . . and if the right hand offend thee, cut it off" (Matthew 5:29-30), the Sermon at the Temple

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simply gives the commandment "that ye suffer none of these things to enter into your heart" (3 Nephi 12:29).

Interestingly, the Sermon on the Mount has been subjected to considerable criticism by commentators on account of these two passages. On the one hand, some have argued that the drastic punishment of one who breaks even the least commandment seems grossly disproportionate to the crime and, uncharacteristically, too legalistic for Jesus to have said. On the other hand, the suggestion of bodily mutilation seems wholly inconsistent with the extraordinary Jewish respect for the human body, and seems at odds with the other statement in the Sermon on the Mount that one should cast the beam from one's eye (but not cast away the eye). None of these problems arises, however, in the Sermon at the Temple. Indeed, the absence of these problematic passages here can even be used to support the idea that these two passages were not originally parts of the Sermon on the Mount, as some commentators have suspected. [John W. Welch, The Sermon at the Temple and the Sermon on the Mount, F.A.R.M.S., p 103]

3 Nephi 12:30 Deny Yourselves . . . Take Up Your Cross:

According to John Welch, unlike the Sermon on the Mount, the Sermon at the Temple mentions no penalty concerning the unchaste eye that should be cast out if it offends (see Matthew 5:29). This has been a troublesome point for many biblical commentators, for Jewish attitudes around the time of Jesus were strongly set against any punishment that took the form of bodily mutilation. . . All references to plucking out the eye or to cutting off the hand that offends are absent in the Book of Mormon text, suggesting that this problematic verse in the Sermon on the Mount, on its face, does not fully reflect Jesus' original intent. Instead, the Sermon at the Temple speaks at this point of a total commitment -- of the disciple taking up a symbolic cross (3 Nephi 12:30), a symbol of capital punishment. . . . The image this may bring to mind is that of a covenanter taking this obligation very seriously, for hanging or exposing a body on a tree or on a cross was part of the standard punishment under the law of Moses for any person who committed a sin worthy of death. [John W. Welch, The Sermon at the Temple and the Sermon on the Mount, F.A.R.M.S., p. 52]

3 Nephi 12:30 Take up your cross (Illustration): Ancient American Crosses. (Above) This carving from lintel 2 at Yaxchilan shows that crosses had ceremonial significance to the ancient Americans. Many archaeologists call the crosses (left & right) the Tree of Life. From what we know of the Book of Mormon that makes little difference. The hand-held crosses (above) are obviously not trees. (Below) The top of this tomb in Oaxaca has been removed demonstrating another of the many uses of the cross in ancient America. [Glenn A. Scott, Voices from the Dust, p. 210]

3 Nephi 12:34 Swear Not at All:

In his Sermon at the Temple, Jesus declares, "swear not at all; neither by heaven, for it is God's throne; Nor by the earth, for it is his footstool . . ." (3 Nephi 12:34-35). According to McConkie, Millet, and Top, from the beginning of time the oath was the most sacred, solemn attestation a person could make to affirm a statement or his word on a matter. Before much time had passed, however, the oath was misused or used for nefarious purposes, as when Cain and his followers swore an oath to Satan in order to gain power (see Moses 5). . . . Though we in modern times are prone to refer to the use of profanity or vulgarity as swearing, and though such things are and should be reprehensible and inappropriate for one who seeks to follow Jesus, in reality these verses have nothing to do with condemning this latter vice. [Joseph F. McConkie, Robert L. Millet, Brent L. Top, "Doctrinal Commentary on the Book of Mormon, Vol. IV, p. 75]

3 Nephi 12:34 Swear Not at All [by Jerusalem . . . the City of the Great King]:

In his Sermon at on the Mount, Jesus declares, "swear not at all; neither by heaven, for it is God's throne; Nor by the earth, for it is his footstool: neither by Jerusalem; for it is the city of the great King. . . ." (Matthew 5:34-35). According to John Welch, in the Book of Mormon Sermon at the Temple, there is no mention of Jerusalem. Of course, no Nephite would be inclined to swear "by Jerusalem, . . . the city of the great king" (Matthew 5:35), since the Nephite view of Jerusalem was

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rather grim. But more than that, omitting this phrase may be closer to what Jesus originally said in Palestine as well. [John W. Welch, The Sermon at the Temple and the Sermon on the Mount, F.A.R.M.S., p. 97]

3 Nephi 12:43 It is Written Also, That Thou Shalt Love Thy Neighbor and Hate Thine Enemy:

According to John Welch, the New Testament phrase "Thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself" (Matthew 5:43-44; compare 3 Nephi 12:43) was not a phrase invented by Jesus in response to questioning Pharisees. He is quoting there from the book of Leviticus (Leviticus 19:18). . . .

D&C 104:18 defines the law of the gospel as follows (this is the only place I know of in scripture where this term is defined): "Therefore, if any man shall take of the abundance which I have made, and impart not his portion, according to the law of my gospel, unto the poor and the needy, he shall, with the wicked, lift up his eyes in hell, being in torment." What we have then, in this part of the sermon can, I think, aptly be described as the law of love, the law of the gospel. "Love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them who despitefully use you and persecute you; That ye may be the children of your Father who is in heaven . . . " (3 Nephi 12:44-45). [John W. Welch, "The Beatitudes--Christ's Teachings," in Teachings of the Book of Mormon, Semester 4, pp. 140-141]

3 Nephi 12:45 [Rain]:

According to John Welch, there is no mention of rain in 3 Nephi 12:45, whereas Matthew 5:45 says that the Lord makes the sun rise and also the rain fall on the just and the unjust. It is unknown why the Sermon at the Temple does not mention rain in this verse. Perhaps this difference reflects less concern in Nephite lands over regular rain or different religious or cultural attitudes in Mesoamerica toward rainfall. [John W. Welch, The Sermon at the Temple and the Sermon on the Mount, F.A.R.M.S., p. 98]

3 Nephi 12:48 Be Perfect, Even As I:

In several passages in the Sermon at the Temple, subtle changes bring the divine influence more explicitly to the surface. In light of the glorified state of the resurrected Jesus at the time of the Sermon at the Temple, he could accurately say, "I would that ye should be perfect even as I, or your Father who is in heaven is perfect" (3 Nephi 12:48). [John W. Welch, The Sermon at the Temple and the Sermon on the Mount, F.A.R.M.S., p. 95]

3 Nephi 12:48 I Would That Ye Should Be Perfect:

According to John Welch, the Greek word translated into English as "perfect" in Matthew 5:48 (compare 3 Nephi 12:48) is teleios. This important word is used in Greek religious literature to describe the person who has become fully initiated in the rituals of the religion. Teleios is "a technical term of the mystery religions, which refers to one initiated into the mystic rites, the initiate. The word is used in Hebrews 5:14-6:1 to distinguish between the initial teachings and the full instruction; and in Hebrews 9:11 it refers to the heavenly temple. Generally in the Epistle to the Hebrews, its usage follows a "special use" from Hellenistic Judaism, where the word teleioo means "to put someone in the position in which he can come, or stand, before God." Thus, in ritual connotations, this word refers to preparing a person to be presented to come before God "in priestly action" or "to qualify for the cultus." Early Christians continued to use this word in this way in connection with their sacraments and ordinances.

Most intriguing in this regard is the letter of Clement of Alexandria describing the existence (c. 200 A.D.) of a second Gospel of Mark, reporting the Lord's doing as recounted by Peter and going beyond the public Gospel of Mark now found in the New Testament. This so-called Secret Gospel of Mark according to Clement, contained things "for the use of those who were being perfected (teleioumenon). Nevertheless, he [Mark] did not divulge the things not to be uttered, nor did he write down the hierphantic [priesthood] teaching of the Lord . . . The copy was read "only to those

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who are being initiated into the great mysteries." [John W. Welch, The Sermon at the Temple and the Sermon on the Mount, F.A.R.M.S., pp. 58-59]

Thus, the temple setting in the Book of Mormon more fully amplifies this sacred covenant concept than the Bible does.

3 Nephi 13:2 As Will Hypocrites Do:

According to John Welch, the Nephites had had no experience with the hypocrites of Matthew 6:2, who cast their alms with the sounding of (or into) trumpets, and thus Jesus did not speak to the Nephites of what such hypocrites "do, but what they "will do" (3 Nephi 13:2). For the Nephites, such behavior was hypothetical or figurative, not familiar. [John W. Welch, The Sermon at the Temple and the Sermon on the Mount, F.A.R.M.S., p. 98]

3 Nephi 13:9-13 (The Lord's Prayer):

Brent Farley notes that the Lord repeated to his American saints the concise model referred to as "the Lord's prayer" (3 Nephi 13:9-13). The total prayer could easily be read in less than thirty seconds. The intent was not to encourage short prayers but to make a valid contrast with the "much speaking and the "vain repetitions," of the hypocrites, who prayed for show. In doing so, the Lord left a basic pattern to guide the secret prayers of the children of his kingdom. [S. Brent Farley, "The Appearance of Christ to the People of Nephi," in Studies in Scripture: Book of Mormon, Part 2, pp. 156-157]

3 Nephi 13:9-13 [Thy Kingdom Come]:

In several passages in the Sermon at the Temple, subtle changes bring the divine influence more explicitly to the surface. There was no need in Bountiful for Jesus to instruct the people to pray, "Thy kingdom come" (Matthew 6:10), a phrase missing from the Lord's Prayer in the Sermon at the Temple. [John W. Welch, The Sermon at the Temple and the Sermon on the Mount, F.A.R.M.S., p. 95]

3 Nephi 13:10 [Give Us This Day Our Daily Bread]:

According to McConkie, Millet, and Top, it is noteworthy that the phrase "Give us this day our daily bread," found in Matthew, is missing from the Bountiful sermon. This omission, though subtle, is intentional. In Galilee, the counsel to pray for daily bread, though appropriate and praiseworthy for all members or the Church, was directed specifically to the Twelve, those who would serve full-time missions and would work without purse or scrip. Their daily prayer needed to be for food and drink in order to sustain life. In Bountiful the phrase is omitted, inasmuch as this portion of the sermon is directed to the entire multitude, a people whose daily work would sustain them (see 3 Nephi 12:1). [Joseph F. McConkie, Robert L. Millet, Brent L. Top, "Doctrinal Commentary on the Book of Mormon, Vol. IV., p. 83]

3 Nephi 13:12 Lead Us Not into Temptation:

According to Angela Crowell, many readers have wondered why the Lord's prayer is worded differently in the Book of Mormon and the Inspired Version of the Bible. In 3 Nephi 13:12 the verse reads "lead us not into temptation," and in Matthew 6:14 (I.V.) the verse reads "suffer us not to be led into temptation." It is interesting that even though Joseph Smith revised the Book of Mormon manuscript in 1837, he did not change the wording to agree with the Inspired Version of the Bible. Perhaps the Seer did not consider this difference to be a mistake.

In E. W. Bullinger's book (Figures of Speech Used in the Bible: Explained and Illustrated, 1898) the author gives reference to this New Testament scripture. . . . In his chapter on Hebrew idioms and idiomatic usages of verbs, the author presents several rules and examples of active verbs including the following: "Active verbs were used by the Hebrews to express, not the doing of the thing, but the permission of the thing which the agent is said to do." Two examples from the

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Old Testament are Exodus 4:21 and Jeremiah 4:10. In Exodus 4:21 we read in the King James Version: "I will harden his heart (i.e., I will permit or suffer his heart to be hardened), that he shall not let the people go." In Jeremiah 4:10: "Lord God, surely thou hast greatly deceived this people (i.e., "Thou hast suffered this people to be greatly deceived, by the false prophets, saying: Ye shall have peace, etc.")vi

The most important example of this idiomatic usage in the New Testament is Matthew 6:13 (I.V. 6:14). Bullinger interprets the passage this way: "Lead us not (i.e., suffer us not to be led) into temptation."vii Numerous Bible commentaries support Bullinger's statement on this scripture. . . . Thus, the phrase "lead us not into temptation" is a Hebrew idiom strictly translated in the Book of Mormon. "Suffer us not to be led into temptation" is correctly interpreted into English in the Inspired Version of the Bible. Obviously Joseph was a Seer in the truest sense of the word. [Angela Crowell, "Lead Us Not Into Temptation," in Recent Book of Mormon Developments, Vol. 1, p. 63]

3 Nephi 13:13 For Thine Is the Kingdom, and the Power, and the Glory, Forever. Amen:

Some question the inclusion of this doxology in the Lord's prayer. In his discussion on the early use of prayer circles, Hugh Nibley writes:

In the Testament of the Twelve Apostles, the Lord, appearing to the people after the resurrection just before producing bread and wine miraculously for the administering of the sacrament, has a conversation with a child.viii In exactly the same situation in the Book of Mormon the resurrected Lord blesses the little children "one by one," but he begins his discourse to the Nephites by telling them three times that no one can approach him except as a little child (see 3 Nephi 9:22, 11:37-38). The prayer circle is the nearest approach to the Lord that men make on earth--and they can approach him only "as little children."

The prayer spoken in the circle differs every time; it is not strictly prescribed. The one leading the prayer expresses himself as the Spirit moves him, and the others either repeat each line after him (which would not be necessary if they all knew it by heart) or add an "amen" at the end of each phrase, which is the equivalent of reciting the prayer for oneself. The most significant example of this freedom of composition is certainly the Lord's Prayer. "Originally," wrote Jeremias, "the doxology, 'For thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, for ever," was absent," yet it is found in the oldest church order, the "Teaching of the Twelve Apostles." Has someone taken liberties with the sacred canon, then? No, "the absence of the doxology from the original text," Jeremias explains, "does not mean that Jesus intended his prayer to be recited without a word of praise at the end. but in the very earliest times, the doxology had no fixed form and its precise wording was left too those who prayed." Only "later on . . . it was felt necessary to establish the doxology in a fixed form," ix

which explains why the prayer has different forms in Matthew 6:13 and Luke 11:4. Also, the older Aramaic form of the prayer required forgive "our debts," which the Greek of Luke changes to forgive "our sins."x This vindicates both the inclusion of the doxology in the Lord's prayer in 3 Nephi 13:9-13 and the reading there of "debts" instead of "sins." [Hugh W. Nibley, "The Early Christian Prayer Circle," in Mormonism and Early Christianity, pp. 55-56]

3 Nephi 13:13 For Thine Is the Kingdom, and the Power, and the Glory, Forever. Amen:

According to McConkie, Millet, and Top, the phrase, "for thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, forever Amen" (3 Nephi 13:13) which is part of the Lord's Prayer in Matthew, is known as a doxology and has been questioned by scholars over the generations. Many feel that it was added later by the Christian church because it contains what they conclude to be language used much later than the days of Jesus. However, a very early Christian document called the Didache or "Teaching of the Twelve Apostles" (late first century A.D.) contains the Lord's Prayer, including this doxology, thus suggesting its antiquity. The Book of Mormon serves as an additional witness. [Joseph F. McConkie, Robert L. Millet, Brent L. Top, "Doctrinal Commentary on the Book of Mormon, Vol. IV, p. 83]

According to John Welch, we might pause and say something about this [doxology] for just a minute: "For thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, forever" (3 Nephi 13:13). Many of

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you are aware that in some of the early manuscripts, indeed, the better manuscripts of Matthew, you don't have the long ending [doxology] to the Lord's Prayer. It just ends "Amen." That, of course, is not the case in the Book of Mormon, which gives you the long ending. . . .

The question is then why doesn't Luke (in Luke 6 and 11 when you have the sermon on the plain and the teachings of Jesus are comparable) end the brief prayer that he gives in chapter 11 with any kind of doxology. There the manuscripts are clear. It just ends with an "Amen." It might be that when you are in a temple context [as described in the Book of Mormon] you are more inclined to include a doxology, the praising of God. But when you are out in the fields teaching people how to pray, you would close with a simply "Amen." I refer you to Strack and Billerbeck who have gathered some Talmudic sources on this point. They describe the prayers that were offered in the temple on the Day of Atonement. They say after the people and the priests standing in the forecourt hear the name of the Lord cried out, then they all fall down on their faces, and they say, "Praised be the name of his glorious kingdom forever and eternally." . . . In other words, it was a part of the special ending of a prayer. On the Day of Atonement that longer ending would have been appropriate. If we are right that Jesus is appearing to the Nephites on a day that had ceremonial significance, it cannot be counted as an error that the Lord's Prayer ends with the doxology in 3 Nephi. . . . Biblical scholars, Jeremias in particular, have argued that you cannot imagine a prayer being offered by a Jew (and Jesus was a Jew) that didn't end with some kind of doxology praising God. Jeremias isn't sure what doxology Jesus might have used, but he has no doubt that one would have been there. [John W. Welch, "The Beatitudes--Christ's Teachings," in Teachings of the Book of Mormon, Semester 4, p. 142]

3 Nephi 13:22 If Therefore, Thine Eye Be Single, Thy Whole Body Shall Be Full of Light:

According to John Welch, it's interesting that the phrase--the singleness of your heart and eyes to God (3 Nephi 13:21-24)--appears in the Doctrine and Covenants 88:67-68 when the section is again describing the process of sanctification. [John W. Welch, "The Beatitudes--Christ's Teachings," in Teachings of the Book of Mormon, Semester 4, p. 143]

3 Nephi 13:24 Mammon:

In 3 Nephi 13:24 Jesus declares, "No man can serve two masters; for either he will hate the one and love the other, or else he will hold to the one and despise the other. Ye cannot serve God and Mammon." According to Adam Clarke, mamon is a term used for money in the Targum of Onkelos, Exodus 18:21; and in that of Jonathan, Judges 5:19; I Samuel 8:3. The Syriac word mamona is used in the same sense, Exodus 21:30. Dr. Castel deduces these words from the Hebrew aman, to trust, confide; because men are apt to trust in riches. Mammon may therefore be considered any thing a man confides in. [Adam Clarke, Clarke's Commentary, p. 91]

3 Nephi 13:30 Even So Will He Clothe You, If Ye Are Not of Little Faith:

During his Sermon at the Temple, Jesus specifically addressed the twelve as follows:Take no thought for your life, what ye shall eat, or what ye shall drink; nor yet for

your body, what ye shall put on. Is not the life more than meat, and the body than raiment? . . . Which of you by taking thought can add one cubit unto his stature? And why take thought for raiment? Consider the lilies of the field how they grow; they toil not, neither do they spin;

And yet I say unto you, that even Solomon, in all his glory, was not arrayed like one of these. Wherefore, if God so clothe the grass of the field, which today is, and tomorrow is cast into the oven, even so will he clothe you, if ye are not of little faith. (3 Nephi 13:25-30)

According to John Welch, in Greek the word endua, from which our word endow is directly derived, has two meanings. Enduo means "to clothe, to put on clothing." It also means "to take on characteristics, virtues, and intentions." When a person is endowed, the person is clothed. Jesus told his disciples not to leave Jerusalem (Luke 24:49) until they were "endued with power from on high." The clothing represents the robes of God's righteousness. The atonement occurs when one

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is encircled by the robes of God's righteousness, but his only occurs as these attributes are taken on--the attributes set forth in the beginning in the Beatitudes. Joseph Smith spoke frequently about the need to be endowed in the House of the Lord. It's interesting that Jesus expresses this idea by saying to his disciples, I will give you clothing. And the word there is endumata. I will give you garments that are more glorious than whose? Than the garments of Solomon ("even Solomon, in all his glory, was not arrayed like one of these"). He, of course, is always connected with the temple. [John W. Welch, "Christ at the Nephite Temple," in Teachings of the Book of Mormon, Semester 4, p. 143]

3 Nephi 13:30 Even So Will He Clothe You, If Ye Are Not of Little Faith:

During his Sermon at the Temple, Jesus covenanted with his chosen twelve, "even so will he [your heavenly Father] clothe you, if ye are not of little faith" (3 Nephi 13:30). According to Raymond Treat, a man's robe was symbolic of all his material possessions. Therefore, by giving his robe, he was pledging everything he had to his covenant brother. . . . [Raymond C. Treat, "Understanding Our Covenant," in Recent Book of Mormon Developments, vol. 2, p. 35]

Note* According to Raymond Treat, Robes of Righteousness have to be given, they cannot be earned.

3 Nephi 14:6 Give Not That Which Is Holy unto the Dogs . . .:

To "give not that which is holy unto the dogs" (3 Nephi 14:6) is a very troubling passage for many. What does it mean to "cast not your pearls before the swine?" What on earth is this text talking about? According to John Welch, these phrases make good sense in a temple context. The clue couldn't be more obvious, it is the word "holy." Jesus is talking about a covenant and an obligation of secrecy at this point. There are certain things that are not to be divulged. Interestingly, we also encounter a covenant penalty. If you do cast "your pearls before swine," they will "turn again and rend you" and trample [the covenants] under their feet" (3 Nephi 14:6). Those are common curses that you will see referred to in the Old Testament, reserved for those people who violate the covenant. [John W. Welch, "Christ at the Nephite Temple," in Teachings of the Book of Mormon, Semester 4, p. 143]

3 Nephi 14:9 If a Son Ask Bread, Will [His Father] Give Him a Stone?:

"Ask, and it shall be given unto you; seek, and ye shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you" (3 Nephi 14:7). There's a three-fold petition. If one asks properly who will be there to open unto you? The Father. He will give you "good things," for what father is there if his son asks for bread "will give him a stone?" (3 Nephi 14:9) [In a righteous covenant manner] if you are asking for the Bread of Life, are you going to be stoned to death? If you ask for a fish, an obvious symbol of Christ, will you be given a serpent, an obvious symbol of Satan? You will be given a "gift," which is another word for endowment. [John W. Welch, "Christ at the Nephite Temple," in Teachings of the Book of Mormon, Semester 4, p. 143]

3 Nephi 14:17 Every Good Tree Bringeth Forth Good Fruit:

According to John Welch, when Jesus points to the imagery of the tree: "Every good tree bringeth forth good fruit" (3 Nephi 14:17), echoes of temple and eschatological imagery are discernible in his words. First, Jesus speaks of eternal trees, symbolic of the final state of one's eternal character. . . . Second, these good trees are trees of life. One only lives forever by partaking of the fruit of the Tree of Life (see Genesis 3:22). Accordingly, the tree is an important feature in the landscape of all temple literature. . . . Third, Jesus equates individual people with the Tree, or by planting the seed of life in oneself, each disciple grows up into a tree of life, as the prophet Alma describes in Alma 323:41-42. . . . Fourth, another temple echo may be heard in the possibility that the cross is also, ironically, a symbol of a Tree of Life (see 1 Peter 2:24). Each person who is raised up in the form of the tree will have eternal life. Ritually, the early Christians prayed in the "cruciform" position, with their hands raised, "stretched out towards the Lord." This "extension,"

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they said, "is the upright cross." Originally this signified the passion of Christ and was a gesture used in confessing Christ at baptism; it imitated the cross, death, and a mystic unification and life with Christ.xi [John W. Welch, The Sermon at the Temple and the Sermon on the Mount, pp. 75-77]

3 Nephi 14:23 I Never Knew You:

Jesus declared:Not every one that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven;

but he that doeth the will of my Father who is in heaven. Many will say to me in that day: Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in thy name, and in thy name have cast out devils, and in thy name done many wonderful works? And then will I profess unto them: I never knew you: depart from me, ye that work iniquity. (3 Nephi 14:21-23)

One might ask, What is it that these people lack that Jesus will have to turn away and say, "I

never knew you" (3 Nephi 14:23). According to John Welch to know the Lord is a common expression in Amos and elsewhere in the Old Testament. Amos 3:2 is a good example. To know the Lord means to enter into a covenant with the Lord. The Hebrew word for know is yada. It has a broad range of meanings, but certainly one of them is covenantal. "You only have I known of all the families of the earth." In what sense has God only known Israel? By means of the covenant. [John W. Welch, "Christ at the Nephite Temple," in Teachings of the Book of Mormon, Semester 4, p. 144]

According to McConkie, Millet, and Top, it is interesting to note that the Joseph Smith Translation of the Galilean sermon renders the phrase I never knew you (3 Nephi 14:23) as, "Ye never knew me" (JST, Matthew 7:33). This meaning is confirmed by the words of the Lord through Alma the elder:

For behold, in my name are they called; and if they know me they shall come forth, and shall have a place eternally at my right hand. And it shall come to pass that when the second trump shall sound then shall they that never knew me come forth and shall stand before me. And then shall they know that I am the Lord their God, that I am their Redeemer; but they would not be redeemed. And then I will confess unto them that I never knew them; and they shall depart into everlasting fire prepared for the devil and his angels. (Mosiah 26:24-27)

[Joseph F. McConkie, Robert L. Millet, Brent L. Top, "Doctrinal Commentary on the Book of Mormon, Vol. IV, p. 97]

3 Nephi 15, 16 (The Law and the Covenant Discourse):

According to Victor Ludlow, chapters 15 and 16 of 3 Nephi introduce a second sermon or discourse that the Savior gives, sometimes called the Law and the Covenant Discourse. It's basically chapters 15 and 16 of 3 Nephi. We don't find this in it's entirety in the New Testament. Bits and pieces of it are scattered around, like in John 10 and elsewhere. This isn't a developed sermon that we find recorded in any of the New Testament accounts of the Savior's ministry.

Part of the context of this Law and Covenant Discourse is that among the Nephites and Lamanites in the New World, signs were given and recorded of Christ's birth. There were some that thought, "Now that the sign of the Savior's birth is being given, He's now here upon the earth and so we don't need to be living these old Mosaic laws anymore." But Nephi, their prophet, told them properly, "No, we still need to be living the Mosaic law until we're told otherwise" (see 3 Nephi 1:24-25). Well, here comes the Savior to them now as a resurrected being a little over 30 years later. He's going to teach them about some old things and some new things--old things like the Mosaic law, some new things of His own laws and covenants. He discusses some of these old things like the law of Moses that had passed away . . . but he says that the covenant is not yet all fulfilled. There were yet other promises to be fulfilled, some in conjunction with his Second Coming, or his coming in power and glory, the promise to redeem the Earth and its inhabitants from its Telestial environment. [Victor L. Ludlow, "The Covenant Teachings of the Book of Mormon," F.A.R.M.S., pp. 6-8]

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3 Nephi 15:5 I Am He That Gave the Law:

According to Robert Matthews, that portion of the Savior's instruction that parallels the Sermon on the Mount seems to have a natural ending at the close of 3 Nephi 14, concluding with the parable of the houses built on sand and on rock. However, readers of the New Testament will remember that Matthew 7:28-29 adds a comment that Jesus' hearers in Palestine were "astonished at his doctrine: for he taught them as one having authority, and not as the scribes." The JST records this as: "He taught them as one having authority form God, and not as having authority from the Scribes." (JST Matthew 7:37.) At first glance it appears that this item concerning Jesus' authority is missing in the 3 Nephi account. Its parallel however, is in fact found in the subsequent chapter, in 3 Nephi 15:1-10. The two-verse, one-sentence observation of 28 words in Matthew is contrasted in 3 Nephi with a ten-verse, thirteen-sentence, 364-word declaration by Jesus. The 3 Nephi expression includes several concepts dealing with Jesus' authority. First Jesus affirmed that the instruction he had just given them contained "the things which I taught [in the Holy Land] before I ascended to my Father" (v. 1). He then explained: "I am he who gave the law" to Moses, and "the law in me is fulfilled" (vv. 3-8). He further established his identity, and thus his authority, by saying that he, Jesus, was the God who covenanted with Israel (v. 5). Earlier, at the beginning of this visit, he had declared to the multitude that he was "the God of Israel, and the God of the whole earth," and had "been slain for the sins of the world" (3 Nephi 11:14).

Jesus further attested to his authority by saying, "I am the law, and the light. Look unto me . . . and ye shall live," and he promised that unto those who obey him to the end, he would "give eternal life." (3 Nephi 15:9) The authority theme is continued with Jesus saying: "I have given unto you the commandments: therefore keep my commandments. And this is the law and the prophets, for they truly testified of me" (v. 10, emphasis added).

It would be difficult to miss the point that Jesus in these verses was giving an unqualified statement of his authority and primal position (under the Father) both on earth and in heaven. As noted, this is a much stronger statement than the brief comment by Matthew at the close of the sermon on the Mount, yet it is parallel to it in its placement at the end of the Sermon. [Robert J. Matthews, "Christ's Authority, His Other sheep, and the Redemption of Israel," in Studies in Scripture: Book of Mormon, Part 2, pp. 161-162]

3 Nephi 15:16-17 This Much Did the Father Command Me, That I Should Tell unto them: That Other Sheep I have Which Are Not of This Fold:

In 3 Nephi 15:16-18, Jesus revealed to the Nephites in the Americas something about what he had said to the Jews in the Old World:

This much did the Father command me, that I should tell unto them: That other sheep I have which are not of this fold; them also I must bring, and they shall hear my voice; and there shall be one fold, and one shepherd. And now, because of the stiffneckedness and unbelief they understood not my word; therefore I was commanded to say no more of the Father concerning this thing unto them.

According to John Fowles, not only did the Jews at the time of Jesus fail to comprehend the verse in John 10:16 concerning the "other sheep," but todays scholars see Jesus' sermon of visiting other sheep as reference only to the Gentiles and not to the rest of the house of Israel. Moreover, no one except Latter-day Saints connect this prophecy with Ezekiel 37 as it applies to the writings of the "lost sheep" of the tribe of Joseph (the "stick" of Joseph"--the Book of Mormon) being brought together with the writings of Judah (the "stick" of Judah--the Bible). Rather, these non-LDS scholars would say Ezekiel's prophecy is simply a symbolic representation of the reunification of Israel. However, Fowles notes some studies by Aileen Guilding that give verification to what is found in the Book of Mormon.

According to Guilding, during New Testament times the law of Moses was read in the synagogues (Acts 15:21). To accomplish the goal of reading all of the law of Moses on consecutive Sabbaths, the first five books of the Bible were divided up into approximately 150 sections called sedarim. It took three years for completing the reading of the Law. To go along with the reading of

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these sedarim sections of the Law, the Jews had also developed a parallel set of readings from the Prophets. These thematic readings were called haphtorahs. During the synagogue service the scheduled section of the Law would be read first, and then the reading of the parallel thematic passage from the Prophets would follow.

Guilding has also shown that John's gospel was written to show Jewish readers that Jesus fulfilled prophecy, particularly as it related to each successive feast. In this gospel, Jesus' comments dealt not only with the very scriptures that were being studied at the particular feast that was going on at the time, but also the customs and practices associated with them.

Given this background for the gospel of John and the scheduled readings of the Law and the Prophets in the synagogues, it is very intriguing that Jesus' announcement of visiting other sheep (John 10:16) came while Jesus was in Jerusalem during the time of the Feast of Dedication. According to Guilding's reconstruction of the cycle of the sedarim, the scheduled scriptures to be read would have come from Genesis 46:28---47:31. These verses spoke of the reuniting of Joseph and Judah. Even more intriguing, the accompanying thematic reading from the Prophets (or haphtorah) would have been Ezekiel 37:15-28 regarding the reuniting of Judah and Joseph, including their records. This gives impressive support to the idea that Christ's promise to the Jews to visit his "other sheep" was at the same time themes of shepherding, gathering, and Ezekiel's prediction of the records of Joseph ("stick of Joseph") being joined with the records of Judah (the "stick of Judah") were being studied and read in the synagogue. As we learn in 3 Nephi 15:18, the Jews didn't comprehend what Jesus was saying to them and the Father forbid him to say any more to them because of their unbelief. [John L. Fowles, "The Jewish Lectionary and Book of Mormon Prophecy," in Journal of Book of Mormon Studies, Vol. 3, Num. 2, F.A.R.M.S., (Fall 1994), pp. 118-122] [See the commentary on 2 Nephi 3:12]

3 Nephi 15:17 Other Sheep I Have Which Are Not of This Fold:

According to Robert Matthews, fourteen verses in 3 Nephi 15 deal chiefly with a detailed explanation that the Nephites and the Lamanites were the "other sheep" once spoken of by Jesus to the Jews in Palestine, as recorded in John 10:16. Most readers of the Book of Mormon are aware that Jesus visited these "other sheep" in America. However, the Savior was so definitive on this point that it deserves particular attention. The passage in John 10:16 was cited by Jesus in 3 Nephi 15:16-17 as follows: "This much did the Father command me, that I should tell unto them: That other sheep I have which are not of this fold, them also I must bring, and they shall hear my voice; and there shall be one fold, and one shepherd."

Jesus said that the Father had commanded him to teach the Jews about the "other sheep," but when he did so (as explained in this verse), the Jews failed to understand the meaning. It appears that it was not only the multitude of the Jews but even the brethren in the Jewish Church who missed the meaning. This failure came from "stiffneckedness and unbelief." Therefore Jesus was "commanded to say no more of the Father" to the Jews about the subject. (3 Nephi 15:18)

The Jews thought that the "other sheep" were the Gentiles. (3 Nephi 15:22) This is suggested also in John 7:35, when the unbelieving Jews said, "Will he go unto the dispersed among the Gentiles, and teach the Gentiles?" This misconception has been a popular interpretation by modern biblical scholars also.xii

It is at this point in Jesus' explanation that the doctrine becomes extremely valuable to our understanding of Jesus' worldwide mission, and also as an aid to the interpretation of scripture. The crux of the statement that Jesus makes in 3 Nephi 15:21-24 is that he will not at any time manifest himself personally nor by his audible voice to a Gentile nation. Such an event is declared to be a blessing reserved for those who are of the house of Israel. The Gentiles are to be converted through the preaching of those who are of Israel, and Jesus will manifest himself to the believing Gentiles through the Holy Ghost. This same concept is referred to in 1 Nephi 10:11, wherein Lehi said that Jesus would "make himself manifest, by the Holy Ghost, unto the Gentiles." This procedure is a provision of, and is in harmony with, the covenant to Abraham, as stated in Abraham 2:9-10, that Abraham's descendants have the responsibility of the ministry and will carry the priesthood and the gospel unto all nations. [Robert J. Matthews, "Christ's Authority, His Other sheep, and the Redemption of Israel," in Studies in Scripture: Book of Mormon, Part 2, pp. 162-164]

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3 Nephi 15:17 Other sheep I have . . . and they shall hear my voice (Illustration): The Trail of the Prophet. A graphic illustration of the many sites in the Americas from which emanate legends of the White God. [L. Taylor Hanson, He Walked the Americas, pp. 196-197]

3 Nephi 15:21 Ye Are They of Whom I Said: Other Sheep I Have Which Are Not of This Fold:

According to Bruce Warren, although we may not know the identities of all the "other sheep" to which Christ makes reference to in 3 Nephi 15:21, we do know that there was a great intelligent population of Nephites in the Americas. Moreover, there is ample evidence that at least certain Palestinian individuals had an understanding of these Mesoamerican peoples. Religious scholar and philosopher Hugh Nibley has written about the very "interesting hint" dropped by Origen:

Clement, the disciple of the Apostles, recalls those whom the Greeks designate as antichthonians [dwellers on the other side of the earth], and other parts of the earth's sphere [or circuit] which cannot be reached by anyone from our regions, and from which none of the inhabitants dwelling there is able to get to us; he calls these areas "worlds" when he says: "The Ocean is not to be crossed by men, but those worlds which lie on the other side of it are governed by the same ordinances [lit. dispositions] of a guiding and directing God as these."

Nibley continues:Here is a clear statement that the earliest Christians taught that there were people

living on the other side of the world who enjoyed the guidance of God in complete isolation from the rest of the world. Origen knows of mysterious knowledge that was had among the leaders of the Primitive Church but was neither divulged by them to the general public nor passed on to the general membership, and this includes the assurance that there were people living on the other side of the world who enjoyed the same divine guidance as themselves in a state of complete isolation (Nibley, An Approach to the Book of Mormon, 1988, 326).

[Bruce W. Warren, Blaine M. Yorgason, Harold Brown, New Evidences of Christ in Mesoamerica, Unpublished Manuscript]

3 Nephi 15:24 Ye Have Both Heard My Voice, and Seen Me; and Ye Are My Sheep:

In many ways the resurrected Christ made an indelible impression on the hearts and minds of the Nephites whom he visited on the American continent. In 3 Nephi 15:24 we find Christ verifying to them that "ye have both heard my voice, and seen me; and ye are my sheep."

T.J. O'Brien poses the question, "Of all the American heroes, who was the greatest?" Was it George Washington, Abraham Lincoln, John Kennedy, perhaps Albert Einstein? How about Martin Luther King, Simon Bolivar, Benito Juarez, Eleanor Roosevelt or Eva Peron? Every nation on the North and South American Continents can list men and women of strong impact. Many of these individuals were great only within their own countries, while others transcended borders and still inspire us today.

But of the many noteworthy individuals produced by the Americas, only one had a power so pervasive that it has touched every corner of the continents and the life of every inhabitant. One figure alone has given rise to accounts of accomplishments so great that they eclipse the deeds of all the other heroes of the Americas combined.

Indian legends, from the Bering Straits in Alaska to Cape Horn in South America, tell of an amazing white, bearded "foreigner" whose contributions in distant past were so remarkable that they eventually penetrated every culture of the Americas then, and still endure today. So revered was this person that huge monuments were erected to his honor. His symbol, the feathered serpent, is still found today in ceremonies, paintings, carvings, and architecture throughout all the lands of the Western Hemisphere. . . . Who is this figure? He has been called by various tribes and cultures "Quetzalcoatl," "Kulculcan," "Viracocha," "Ioskeha," and a host of other names. . . . Fascinating clues, which today are rapidly increasing, will entice the reader to join the search for a solution to the oldest and most baffling mystery of the Americas: the identity of the fair, bearded

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visitor from across the sea, and the feathered serpents by which he or they were everywhere identified. [T.J. O'Brien, Fair Gods and Feathered Serpents, pp. 13-14]

3 Nephi 15:24 Ye have both heard my voice, and seen me, and ye are my sheep (Illustration): Locations Visited by the Bearded, White Mystery Man. [T.J. O'Brien, Fair Gods and Feathered Serpents, p. 30]

3 Nephi 15:24 Ye have both heard my voice, and seen me, and ye are my sheep (Illustration): Representations of the Bearded White God in Mesoamerica. [Glenn A. Scott, Voices from the Dust, p. 196]

3 Nephi 16:1 I Have Other Sheep Which Are Not of This Land, Neither of the Land of Jerusalem:

Clayton Brough notes that as the Lost Ten Tribes made their way northward through the unknown region of "Arsareth," they were "led by prophets and inspired leaders" who "were guided by the spirit of revelation, kept the law of Moses, and carried with them the statutes and judgments which the Lord had given them in ages past."xiii Indeed, the spirit of the Lord continually watched over the Lost Ten Tribes of Israel and guided them throughout their journey northward. (See Jeremiah 23:7-8; 16:14-15)

In regard to other spiritual events that later transpired among the Lost Ten Tribes, such as the Lord personally visiting them following his ministry to the Nephites on the American continent, their being taught the Gospel, and their creating and maintaining volumes of scripture, Elder Bruce R. McConkie has written:

In their northward journeyings they were led by prophets and inspired leaders. They had their Moses and their Lehi, were guided by the spirit of revelation, kept the law of Moses, and carried with them the statutes and judgments which the Lord had given them in ages past. They were still a distinct people many hundreds of years later, for the resurrected Lord visited and ministered among them following his ministry on this continent among the Nephites. (see 3 Nephi 16:1-4; 17:4) Obviously he taught them in the same way and gave them the same truths which he gave his followers in Jerusalem and on the American continent; and obviously they recorded his teachings, thus creating volumes of scripture comparable to the Bible and Book of Mormon. (See 2 Nephi 29:12-14) [Bruce R. McConkie, Gospel Doctrine, pp. 457-458]

Brough notes that following our Lord's resurrection and personal visit to the peoples of the Lost Ten Tribes of Israel, our Savior also assigned one of his chosen Apostles, John the Revelator, who is presently a "translated being," to watch over the Lost Ten Tribes and to assist them in preparing for their future return from "the land of the north." (R. Clayton Brough, They Who Tarry, 1976, pp. 37-43; also D&C 110:11) [R. Clayton Brough, The Lost Tribes: History, Doctrine, Prophecies, and Theories About Israel's Lost Ten Tribes, pp. 31-32] [See the commentary on 1 Nephi 22:4; 2 Nephi 29:13]

3 Nephi 16:3 There shall be one fold and one shepherd (Illustration): The Lost Lamb. "There shall be one fold and one shepherd." Artist: Del Parson. [Thomas R. Valletta ed., The Book of Mormon for Latter-day Saint Families, 1999, p. 538]

3 Nephi 17:7 Have Ye Any That Are Lame, or . . . or . . . or . . . or:

According to Donald Parry, the repetition of the disjunctives "either" and "or" or "neither" and "nor" at the beginning of successive sentences is called pardiastole. Jesus used the word "or" seven consecutive times during his visit to the righteous Nephites after his resurrection.

Have ye any that are lame,or blind,or halt,or maimed,or leprous,or that are withered,or that are deaf,

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or that are afflicted in any manner? (3 Nephi 17:7)[Donald W. Parry, The Book of Mormon Text Reformatted according to Parallelistic Patterns, F.A.R.M.S., p. xxxix-xl]

3 Nephi 17:7 Bring them hither and I will heal them (Illustration): Jesus Healing the Nephites. [The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, Gospel Art, #317]

3 Nephi 17:9 [Christ] did heal them every one as they were brought forth unto him (Illustration): Christ in America [Gary Kapp, Verse Markers, Book of Mormon, Vol. 1, p. 1]

3 Nephi 17:9 He did heal them every one as they were brought forth unto him (Illustration): Christ Healing the People in America. Artist: Gary Kapp. [Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, The Ensign, April 1994, front cover]

3 Nephi 17:9 He did heal every one as they were brought forth unto him (Illustration): Christ Healing the Sick. "Have ye any that are lame, or blind, or halt, or maimed, or leprous, or that are withered, or that are deaf, or that are afflicted in any manner? Bring them hither and I will heal them." Artist: Gary Kapp. [Thomas R. Valletta ed., The Book of Mormon for Latter-day Saint Families, 1999, p. 541]

3 Nephi 17:12 They brought their little children and set them down upon the ground round about him (Illustration): Christ with Children [Robert T. Barrett, Verse Markers, Book of Mormon, Vol. 1, p. 6]

3 Nephi 17:12 They brought their little children and set them down upon the ground round about him, and Jesus stood in the midst (Illustration): Christ Appears to the Nephites. Artist: Ron Crosby. [Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, The Ensign, February 1978, pp. 52-53]

3 Nephi 17:17 We heard him pray for us unto the Father (Illustration): The Resurrected Lord Prays with Nephites at Bountiful. Artist: Ted Henninger. [Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, The Ensign, April 1982, inside front cover]

3 Nephi 17:21 He Took Their Little Children, One by One, and Blessed Them:

Weeping, Jesus took the children "one by one" and blessed them, and prayed to the Father for them. (3 Nephi 17:21) Then he wept again. According to Catherine Thomas, this is the second use of "one by one" (see 3 Nephi 11:15) and reassures us of the Lord's individual attention to each of his children. Again we calculate how much time the blessing of many hundreds of children individually must have taken. (If each child's blessing took 1 minute of the Savior's time, and if we just figure for only 300 children, then five hours were spent in these blessings.) If such was the case, the the Savior well illustrated what he says later: "I know my sheep, and they are numbered." (3 Nephi 18:31) [Catherine Thomas, "Theophany," in Studies in Scripture: Book of Mormon, Part 2, p. 183]

3 Nephi 17:21 He took their little children, one by one, and blessed them (Illustration): Behold Your Little Ones. Artist: Del Parson. [Thomas R. Valletta ed., The Book of Mormon for Latter-day Saint Families, 1999, p. 543]

3 Nephi 17:23 He spake unto the multitude, and said unto them: Behold your little ones: Behold Your Little Ones. Artist David Lindsley. [Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, The Ensign, February 1988, p. 13]

3 Nephi 17:23 Behold Your Little Ones:

After Jesus blesses the parents, then he turns to the children and blesses each one of them. Concerning this action, John Welch has this to say:

I think it's significant that the text says, after [Jesus] concludes this blessing [of the children], that he turns to the parents and says, "Behold your little ones" (3 Nephi 17:23). It seems to me--and again I just suggest this for your pondering--that Jesus is doing something more here than simply saying: look at your little kids--aren't they cute? Aren't they cute little guys? He's saying "behold your little ones." In some sense now I think they are their little ones, in a sense that they weren't prior to the time this blessing was given. . . . You

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remember that the parents witness what has gone on. Angels descend and minister, and thus this portion of the Sermon at the Temple is witnessed by God, angels, and the parents as witnesses. The suggestion, of course, is that some form of priesthood blessing has been given which now brings these families together in a special, spiritual way. They would never be the same as families, in any event, having experienced this great event together as a family unit. [John W. Welch, "Sacrament Prayers, Implications of the Sermon at the Nephite Temple," in Teachings of the Book of Mormon, Semester 4, p. 146]

3 Nephi 17:24 Angels . . . came down and encircled those little ones about (Illustration): Christ in America [Robert T. Barrett, Verse Markers, Book of Mormon, Vol. 1, p. 6]

3 Nephi 18:3 He Took the Bread and Brake and Blessed It; and He Gave unto the Disciples and Commanded That They should Eat:

Donna Nielsen writes that biblical peoples (Middle Easterners) have strong associations between covenants and the idea of a covenant meal to seal an agreement. Eating a covenant meal together in biblical times was a way to ratify pacts or treaties. By consuming meals together, they symbolically became members of the same family. This was especially true regarding bread. Through partaking from the same loaf at the same table, even strangers became companions, a word whose literal meaning is "one with whom bread is broken." Some linguists believe that the Hebrew word for "covenant" (berith) possibly had its origin in the Hebrew word meaning "to eat with salt."xiv A frequent saying repeated by people from the Middle East is, "There is bread and salt between us," meaning that we are one by solemn agreement. To break a "bread and salt covenant" violates something that is considered sacred. [Donna B. Nielsen, Beloved Bridegroom: Finding Christ in Ancient Jewish Marriage and Family Customs, p. 20]

3 Nephi 18:3 He took the bread and brake and blessed it (Illustration): That Ye Do Always. Jesus institutes the sacrament among His disciples in America. Artist: Gary Kapp. [Thomas R. Valletta ed., The Book of Mormon for Latter-day Saint Families, 1999, p. 545]

3 Nephi 18:7 If Ye Do Always Remember Me Ye shall Have My Spirit to Be with You:

Jesus placed the Nephites in ancient Bountiful under covenant to "always remember" him (3 Nephi 18:7, 11), yet a few verses later this term is put into perspective when Christ says, "Therefore blessed are ye if ye shall keep my commandments" (3 Nephi 18:14). This is one of many instances in which the term "remembrance" or "remember" is used. According to Louis Midgley, by placing emphasis on the concept of "remembering" and its correlate "keeping," the Book of Mormon captures one of the most significant and distinctive aspects of Israelite mentality. Moreover, like the Hebrew Bible, the Book of Mormon uses the expression keep and remember interchangeably

Brevard Childs demonstrates that more than two hundred instances of the various forms of the Hebrew verb zakher occur in the Old Testament.xv He shows that what is understood in the Old Testament by memory and remembrance goes far beyond the mere mental recall of information. . . . the word in Hebrew thus carries a wider range of meaning than is recognized in English. Indeed, to remember in Hebrew involves turning to God, repenting, acting in accordance with divine injunctions. . . . From the perspective of the Nephites, remembrance included active participation in some form. For them it meant recalling not merely or simply with the mind but also with the heart (the heart being the seat of will, cognition, and memory for biblical peoples). For the Nephites, as for ancient Israel, to remember was to place the event upon the heart, or to turn the heart toward God--to repent or return to him and his ways as their righteous forefathers had done. One demonstrated remembrance through a faithful response to the terms of the covenant--in strict obedience to statutes and ordinances, by keeping the commandments.

The high density of words for memory and remembrance in the Book of Mormon remains unnoticed by casual readers. Though the range of uses of remembering in the Book of Mormon is perhaps not quite as extensive as that identifiable in the Old Testament, the idiom of remembrance in both books includes warnings, promises (especially those found in the blessings and cursings that accompany covenant making and renewals), threats, pleas, and complaints, and also the same

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deep connection between memory and action that is so prominent in the Old Testament. As in the Hebrew Bible, the Book of Mormon language of remembrance provides a clear link between the commandments and covenant history. It is linked with the possession of records. It is a special brand of historical memory that establishes the continuity of Israel as God's people.

By focusing on language which articulates the ways of remembrance, we uncover the presence of yet another deep structure in the Book of Mormon that stands as a witness to Joseph Smith's remarkable prophetic powers. [Louis Midgley, "'To Remember and Keep': On the Book of Mormon as an Ancient Book," in The Disciple As Scholar: Essays on Scripture and the Ancient World in Honor of Richard Lloyd Anderson, pp. 111-122]

Note* Rather than include the multitude of scriptural references to the various aspects of remembrance in the Book of Mormon included within the text of this article, the reader is strongly advised to read the article and/or make a computer word search. In doing a quick review myself, I have found 158 instances of the word "remember," and 23 occurrences of the word "remembrance." [Alan C. Miner, Personal Notes]

3 Nephi 18:8 He Commanded His Disciples That They Should Take of the Wine of the Cup and Drink of It:

Donna Nielsen writes that a knowledge of scriptural marriage imagery can greatly enrich our understanding of how God relates to us through covenants. In the Bible we find that Jesus taught the people using examples of weddings and feasts, and of Himself as the Bridegroom. It was meaningful to the Jews in a way that it is not to us because we lack understanding of their culture

The marriage covenant was sealed with a cup of wine. Wine represented blood (Matthew 26:27-28) [hence its suitability for covenant making], sacrifice, and also joy. These three elements were intrinsic to the marriage relationship.

After all the negotiation and talk, a bride price settled, a gift having been offered, the man would then pour a cup of wine for the woman and place it before her. Now came the suspenseful part. At this point, the woman had about thirty seconds to make up her mind. If the woman was willing to receive the man and his proposed condition, she would accept his gift and also drink the cup of wine which sealed the covenant. This showed that she was willing to take his name upon her. This act had to be witnessed by two observers. Technically, once the above conditions were met, they were considered married.xvi [Donna B. Nielsen, Beloved Bridegroom: Finding Christ in Ancient Jewish Marriage and Family Customs, pp. 2, 30]

3 Nephi 18:10 This [Sacrament] Doth Witness unto the Father That Ye are Willing to Do That Which I Have Commanded You:

We find in 3 Nephi 18 that as part of his temple setting discourse, Jesus first had his disciples administer the sacrament bread and wine to the multitude, and then he spoke to them concerning this ordinance. According to John Welch, although we don't celebrate the sacrament today in our temples, in the Kirtland Temple and in the Nauvoo Temple that was standard. In fact, as a part of the dedicatory service for the Kirtland Temple, after Sidney Rigdon finally got through with his two-and-a-half-hour sermon (Sidney was into long sermons), they broke for the afternoon and came back. Then following the dedicatory prayer and a number of testimonies and speaking in tongues and so on, then the twelve apostles administered the sacrament to all who were present. That was also done in the Nauvoo Temple. . . .

To us the sacrament is a very open thing. Anyone can come and watch us administer to and pass and partake of the sacrament. What we're seeing here [however, is that] when Jesus finally gets to the pinnacle, the last thing that he is going to present to these people--is the sacrament, a very sacred inner ordinance. In early Christianity the love feasts, the agape feasts, the eucharistic experience was kept extremely secret. In fact that was one of the things that led to so much speculation about what the early Christians were doing off in these things. People assumed that since they were called "love feasts" they must be R rated or X rated or something. That was part of the reason that the Christians then made the sacrament a more public event in the second century. I point that out simply to say that whatever those [sacramental] prayers were originally, they were kept very sacred and very secret and that explains, I think, to some extent why we don't know

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exactly what Peter and Paul would have been using as they went around and administered the sacrament to the faithful there. [John W. Welch, "Sacrament Prayers, Implications of the Sermon at the Nephite Temple," in Teachings of the Book of Mormon, Semester 4, pp. 147-148] [See the commentary on Moroni 4, 5]

3 Nephi 18:35 I Go unto the Father Because It Is Expedient That I Should:

In 3 Nephi 18:35 Christ says, "I go unto the Father because it is expedient that I should go unto the Father for your sakes." John Welch asks, What is expedient about his returning? He is returning and reporting, and it is "expedient"--a word that is used always in the Book of Mormon in connection with the efficacy of saving ordinances. Check the use of that unusual word. It doesn't mean expedient in a sense of "just pragmatic," ("this is an expedient kind of solution, a short cut to get out of a problem"). No, it's expedient meaning "expediting, efficient, effective." [John W. Welch, "Christ at the Nephite Temple," in Teachings of the Book of Mormon, Semester 4, p. 132]

3 Nephi 18:36-37 I Will Show unto You Hereafter That This Record Is True:

John Tvedtnes notes that as an abridger of the Nephite records, Mormon makes several important promises which are later fulfilled. One example is found in 3 Nephi 18:36-37. Here Mormon wrote how Jesus had given the twelve disciples "power to give the Holy Ghost. And I will show unto you hereafter that this record is true." In 3 Nephi 19:13, he told how the Holy Ghost fell on the twelve after their baptism, and in 4 Nephi 1:1, he wrote that those baptized by the twelve "did also receive the Holy Ghost." But it was Moroni who quoted Christ's actual words to the twelve (left out by Mormon in 3 Nephi 18): "ye shall have power that to him upon whom ye shall lay your hands, ye shall give the Holy Ghost" (Moroni 2:2), then adding, "and on as many as they laid their hands, fell the Holy Ghost" [John A. Tvedtnes, "Mormon As an Abridger of Ancient Records," in The Most Correct Book, pp. 9-10]

3 Nephi 18:37 And I Will Show unto You Hereafter That This Record Is True:

After recording that Jesus "touched with his hand the disciples" and that "the disciples bare record that he gave them power to give the Holy Ghost," Mormon notes to the reader that "I will show unto you hereafter that this record is true" (3 Nephi 18:37). According to Donl Peterson, it is unclear in what manner Mormon "will show" these things. In chapter 19 which follows, Mormon gives an account of the disciples baptizing people upon whom soon afterward the Holy Ghost "did fall." Yet one might ask, Did Mormon's comment ("I will show you") refer to (1) the fact Mormon showed in chapter 19 that the Twelve actually baptized and that the Holy Ghost fell on those people because the Twelve had that power; or (2) the fact that Mormon intended to include the manner of the Savior's authorization to the Twelve later on in his writings. If the latter was intended, we find that Moroni included the details of this authorization in his writings:

. . . as he laid his hands upon them . . . he called them by name saying: Ye shall call on the Father in my name, in mighty prayer; and after ye have done this ye shall have power that to him upon whom ye shall lay your hands, ye shall give the Holy Ghost; and in my name shall ye give it, for thus do mine apostles. (Moroni 2:1-2)

[H. Donl Peterson, Moroni: Ancient Prophet Modern Messenger, p. 59]

3 Nephi 19:1 Jesus Had Ascended into Heaven:

According to the Works of Ixtlilxochitl, "He [Quetzalcoatl] having preached the said things in the majority of the cities of the Ulmecas and Xicalancas and . . . returned through the same part from whence he had come, which was by the orient, disappearing through Coatzalcoalcos." [Milton R. Hunter and Thomas Stuart Ferguson, Ancient America and the Book of Mormon, p. 218]

3 Nephi 19:4 Nephi . . . Jonas . . . Mathoni . . . Kumen . . . Shemnon . . . Zedekiah . . . Isaiah . . . (Names in the Book of Mormon):

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According to Widtsoe and Harris in Seven Claims of the Book of Mormon, in no instance is there a letter "Q", "X", or "W" in an uncorrupted proper name in the translated Nephite records. Nor is one of them in an uncorrupted Hebraic proper name found in the Bible. Not one of these letters occurs in the Hebrew alphabet under any name, and the Nephites as Israelites, or Hebrews, could not therefore make use of them. . . . Furthermore, there are no surnames in the Book of Mormon--a profoundly wise omission, since surnames first came into general use about A.D. 1040. [Quoted in Roy E. Weldon, Book of Mormon Deeps, Vol. III, p. 289]

3 Nephi 19:4 Now these were the names of the disciples whom Jesus had chosen (Illustration): Christ Calls the Twelve [Gary Kapp, Verse Markers, Book of Mormon, Vol. 1, p. 2]

3 Nephi 19:4 Timothy:

The name of one of the Lord's disciples listed in 3 Nephi 19:4 -- Timothy -- seems to be Greek in origin. Is there an explanation for the appearance of a Greek name in the Book of Mormon? According to Stephen Ricks, it may be that the name Timothy, as well as other manifestations of Greek influence, were brought to the New World by the Mulekites. The people of Mulek may have made their escape to the New World on a Phoenician ship (see Ross T. Christensen, ed., Transoceanic Crossings to Ancient America, S.E.H.A.) The Phoenicians, whose port cities included Sidon, Acco, and Tyre, were the greatest seamen of the region. They had regular contacts both with Greek speaking merchants and traders and with the Israelites. (See, for example, Judg. 1:31; 2 Sam. 5:11; 1 Kgs. 5:1-12; Matt. 11:21-22; Mark 3:8).

Perhaps the strongest possibility for the appearance of Timothy in the Book of Mormon, however, is that Greek names were not unknown among the Israelites even before Lehi left Jerusalem. Contacts between the Greeks and the peoples of the eastern Mediterranean -- including the Israelites -- had already begun centuries before Lehi was born. Professor Cyrus H. Gordon, who has studied early evidence of Greek contacts in the ancient Near East, writes in his book The Common Background of Greek and Hebrew Civilization, that trade and other cultural contacts existed between the Greeks and the ancient Near East from the middle of the second millennium B.C.

Thus, it should not be surprising that names of Greek origin might be found among the peoples of the ancient Near East, including the Hebrews, since names are easily and widely borrowed among people of various cultures. Lehi's tribe, Manasseh, was quite cosmopolitan, so foreign names could well have been in Lehi's genealogy found on the plates of brass (see 1 Nephi 5:14; Alma 10:3). [Stephen D. Ricks, "I Have A Question," The Ensign, Oct. 1992, p. 53]

3 Nephi 19:4 [Nephi's] brother whom he had raised from the dead, whose name was Timothy (Illustration): Nephi Raises Timothy [Steven Lloyd Neal, Verse Markers, Book of Mormon, Vol. 1, p. 5]

3 Nephi 19:6 And the Twelve Did Teach the Multitude:

According to Joy Osborn, in Teotihuacan, on one side of the Temple of the Sun stands the Temple of the Moon, and on the other side the Temple of Quetzalcoatl. Jack West says the Indians "tell us the Temple of the Moon was built in honor of the Holy Ghost. The Temple of the Sun to the Father God and the Temple of Quetzalcoatl to the Son-God -- not s-u-n God, but Son-God." The Indians said the twelve small temples or pyramids that surrounded the Pyramid of Quetzalcoatl represented the twelve helpers of the Son-God. [Joy M. Osborn, The Book of Mormon -- The Stick of Joseph, p. 151]

3 Nephi 19:10 They Went down unto the Water's Edge:

After praying with the multitude "that the Holy Ghost should be given unto them [meaning those Jesus had chosen]" (3 Nephi 19:9), the twelve "went down unto the water's edge, and the multitude followed them" (3 Nephi 19:10-11). There they were baptized and filled with the Holy Ghost and with fire.

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Geographically speaking, one might conclude that if the "water's edge" was immediately adjacent to where the multitude heard the Savior at the temple in the land of Bountiful, then water may have been a feature of the landscape (maybe a river, considering the near coastal setting of the land of Bountiful).

3 Nephi 19:25 The Light of His Countenance Did Shine upon Them and Behold They Were As White As the Countenance and Also the Garments of Jesus:

According to Joseph Allen, there is substantial historical evidence that Quetzalcoatl taught the gospel in an ancient Mexican city named Tula. Tula was linguistically correlated with Bountiful decades ago by the late Dr. M. Wells Jakeman. He pointed out that Tula literally means "place of the abundant [or bountiful] reeds." In other words, Quetzalcoatl is associated with Tula just like Christ is associated with Bountiful. Unfortunately, the ancient city of Tula has never been unequivocally identified. Although there is an archaeological site by that name today, it was given that name by the archaeologists that excavated it--not because they knew for sure that they had uncovered the original Tula.xvii

With this in mind, the tradition of the "white god' concept may have come about as a result of an experience recorded in 3 Nephi 25. Indeed, the "white" associated with both Christ and Quetzalcoatl may in truth have more to do with the brightness of his countenance, than the color of his skin:

And it came to pass that Jesus blessed them [his 12 disciples], as they did pray unto him; and his countenance did smile upon them, and the light of his countenance did shine upon them and behold they were as white as the countenance and also the garments of Jesus; and behold the whiteness thereof did exceed all the whiteness, yea, even there could be nothing upon the earth so white as the whiteness thereof. (3 Nephi 19:25)

Is it any wonder that the tradition of the "white god" would continue for 2000 years? [Joseph L. Allen, "Quetzalcoatl, The White God," in Jace Willard ed. The Book of Mormon Archaeological Digest, Volume II, Issue III. Orem: Book of Mormon Tours, 1999, pp. 7, 11]

3 Nephi 19:25 His Countenance Did Shine . . . Yea, Even There Could Be Nothing upon Earth So White:

According to Warren and Ferguson, Juan de Cordova, a Spanish friar in Oaxaca, recorded an account just a few years after the coming of Cortes. As part of a discussion of one of the day signs in the ritual calendar of ancient Mesoamerica, he describes the eighteenth one, a flint blade which is sometimes called the solar beam. In Tony Shearer's Beneath the Moon and Under the Sun, he says that it is one of the strangest glyphs among the twenty. . . . The Tenochs [a term which refers to the Aztecs] thought it came from the sun. Earlier uses of it suggest that it came from the northern sky, perhaps from the northeastern sky, and could be seen in broad daylight; so the story goes:

"On the day we call Tecpatl [the Aztec name for the day sign flint knife] a great light came from the northeastern sky. It glowed for four days in the sky, then lowered itself to the rock; the rock can still be seen at Tenochtitlan de Valle in Oaxaca. From the light there came a great, very powerful being, who stood on the very top of the rock and glowed like the sun in the sky. There he stood for all to see, shining day and night. Then he spoke, his voice was like thunder, booming across the valley. Our old men and women, the astronomers and astrologists, could understand him and he could understand them. He (the solar beam) told us how to pray and fixed for us days of fast and days of feasting. He then balanced the 'Book of Days' (sacred calendar) and left vowing that he would always watch down upon us his beloved people." (71-72) [Bruce W. Warren and Thomas Stuart Ferguson, The Messiah in Ancient America, p. 2]

3 Nephi 19:27 [He] went a little way off and bowed himself to the earth (Illustration): Christ Praying for the Nephites. "Jesus departed out of the midst of them, and went a little way off from them and bowed himself to the earth." Artist: Gary Kapp. [Thomas R. Valletta ed., The Book of Mormon for Latter-day Saint Families, 1999, p. 550]

3 Nephi 19:30 He Did Smile upon Them Again, and Behold They Were White Even As

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Jesus:

In 3 Nephi 19;30 we find that "when Jesus had spoken these words he came again unto his disciples; and behold they did pray steadfastly, without ceasing, unto him; and he did smile upon them again; and behold they were white, even as Jesus" (3 Nephi 19:30).

Catherine Thomas asks, What does the shining, smiling face of God signify? The smile reflects the joy in God's nature and his giving of that joy to his receptive children. Elder Melvin J. Ballard experienced that divine smile:

As I entered the door, I saw, seated on a raised platform, the most glorious Being my eyes have ever beheld or that I ever conceived existed in all the eternal worlds. As I approached to be introduced, he arose and stepped towards me with extended arms, and he smiled as he softly spoke my name. If I shall live to be a million years old, I shall never forget that smile. He took me into his arms and kissed me, pressed me to his bosom, and blessed me, until the marrow of my bones seemed to melt! When he had finished, I knelt at his feet, and as I bathed them with my tears and kisses, I saw the prints of the nails in the feet of the Redeemer of the world. The feeling that I had in the presence of him who hath all things in his hands, to have his love, his affection, and his blessing was such that if I ever can receive that of which I had but a foretaste, I would give all that I am, all that I ever hope to be, to feel what I then felt.xviii

[Catherine Thomas, "Theophany," in Studies in Scripture: Book of Mormon, Part 2, pp. 180-181]

3 Nephi 19:34 So great and marvelous were the words which he prayed that they cannot be written (Illustration): "Words That Cannot Be Written." Artist: Gary L. Kapp. Courtesy of David Larsen. [The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, the Ensign, January 2000, Front cover]

3 Nephi 20:1 And [= But] He Commanded Them That They Should Not Cease:

According to John Tvedtnes, the Hebraisms in the Book of Mormon help persuade us that it is authentic . . . A difference between Hebrew and English conjunctions is that in Hebrew the same conjunction can carry both the meaning and and also the opposite meaning but. Evidence for Hebraism in the Book of Mormon lies in the fact that some passages use the conjunction and when but is expected. One example among many is found in 3 Nephi 20:1, "He commanded the multitude that they should cease to pray, and also his disciples. And [= but] he commanded them that they should not cease to pray in their hearts." [John A. Tvedtnes, "The Hebrew Background of the Book of Mormon," in Rediscovering the Book of Mormon, F.A.R.M.S., p. 84]

3 Nephi 20:3 He brake bread and blessed it, and gave it to his disciples to eat (Illustration) "That Ye Do Always Remember Me." Artist: Gary L. Kapp [Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, The Ensign, Front and back cover, November 1998]

3 Nephi 20:10 (The Covenant People Discourse):

According to Victor Ludlow, the third major sermon given by Christ in the New World is called "The Covenant People Discourse." It goes from chapter 20, verse 10, through chapter 23, verse 5. The previous day, Christ had stopped preaching after just mentioning a few of the words of Isaiah (3 Nephi 16:-20). Upon seeing that the people were not absorbing his message, he stopped and told them to go home and ponder (3 Nephi 17:2-3). Now, at the beginning of this sermon he says:

Ye remember that I spake unto you, and said that when the words of Isaiah should be fulfilled . . . And verily, verily, I say unto you, that when they shall be fulfilled then is the fulfilling of the covenant which the Father hath made unto his people, O house of Israel. (3 Nephi 20:11-12)

Now I wish that somewhere or another the Lord had sat one of His prophets down with a large manuscript and said, "I'd like to give you a list of, say, 200 absolutely essential prophesies of the last days in chronological sequence and I want you to record them and have many copies of it

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made so it can be circulated throughout all the children of man." . . . but He's not going to tell us the specific order in which they will be fulfilled. But this verse (3 Nephi 20:12) is as close as He's going to come. . . . In other words, the most important checklist is in the words of Isaiah because when they are fulfilled, then the covenant is fulfilled.

If this Covenant People Discourse could be located in some Ancient Near Eastern manuscript, biblical scholars would be ecstatic--important new teachings of the Savior! But we have it and I'm afraid we often just kind of skip over it, partially because not only is there chapter 52 of Isaiah here, but all of chapter 22 of 3 Nephi is chapter 54 of Isaiah. So within this three chapter discourse are two full chapters of Isaiah blended in there, plus a little bit of Micah. So we think, well, this is just a bunch of Old Testament teachings. Oh, but this is gleaning from the essential Old Testament teachings that would have application for Israel in the latter days with a sign so that we would know when the work hath already commenced unto the fulfilling of the covenant which the Lord hath made 4,000 years ago, almost, with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. . . . And where is that sign? Right at the center of the whole chiastic sermon--3 Nephi 21:1-7:

And verily I say unto you, I give unto you a sign, that ye may know the time when these things shall be about to take place . . . when these works and the works which shall be wrought among you hereafter shall come forth from the Gentiles unto your seed . . . it shall be a sign unto them, that they may know that the work of the Father hath already commenced unto the fulfilling of the covenant which he hath made unto the people who are of the house of Israel.

[Victor L. Ludlow, "The Covenant Teachings of the Book of Mormon," F.A.R.M.S., pp. 10-15]

3 Nephi 20:10 -- 23:1 (Jesus' Covenant People Discourse--Chiastic Outline):

A The Father and Son work together (20:10) B Isaiah's words are written, therefore search them (20:11) C Isaiah's words and the Father's covenant with Israel will be fulfilled! (20:12)* D Scattered Israel to be gathered (20:13) E America an inheritance for the Lamanites (20:14) F Gentiles to repent & receive blessings (Micah 4:12-13; 5:8-9) (20:15-20)* G The Lord's covenant with Moses, Gentiles, etc. (20:21-29)****** H Gospel preached and Zion established; the marred servant (Isa. 52) (20:30-44) I Kings shall be speechless (Isa. 52:15) (20:45) J Covenant and work of the Father (20:46)** K A key sign to be given when things are "about to take place" (21:1) L Gentiles learn of scattered Israel (21:2) M These things (B. of M.) to come from Gentiles to you (21:3) N The Sign of the Covenant (21:4)** M' These works to come from Gentiles to Lamanites (21:5) L' Some Gentiles to be with Israel (21:6) K' Sign as Lamanites begin to know B. of M. that work "hath commenced" (21:7) J' Work and covenant of the Father (21:7)* I' Kings shall be speechless (Isa. 52:15) (21:8) H' A great and marvelous work; the marred servant (Isa. 52:14) (21:9-10) G' Moses, the Gentiles and covenant Israel (21:11)* F' Unrepentant Gentiles will be cut down (Micah 5:8-14) (21:12-21) E' America an inheritance for the righteous (21:22-23)* D' Gentiles to help in the gathering of Israel (21:24-25) C' Father's work with his people (21:26-27)A' The Father and Son work together (21:28-29) B' Isaiah's portrayal of Zion; search his words! (Isa. 54) (chap 22; 23:1-3)

X Christ's command to heed and write these things; to hearken to his words and be saved; and to "search the prophets, for many there be that testify of these things." (3 Nephi 23:4-5)

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Note: The symbol * = the fifteen specific "covenant" references in this sermon.[Victor L. Ludlow, "Jesus' Covenant People Discourse," handout]

3 Nephi 20:10 -- 23:1 (Jesus' Covenant People Discourse--Chiastic Outline) [Illustration]: Jesus' Covenant People Discourse--A Chiastic Outline. [Victor L. Ludlow, "Jesus' Covenant People Discourse," handout]

3 Nephi 20:10 -- 23:1 (Jesus' Covenant People Discourse--Chiastic Outline):

Hugh W. Pinnock reports that after studying chiasmus in the Book of Mormon and then expanding his study to encompass other literary qualities of the Book of Mormon, he introduced several examples of Hebrew writing forms found in that book to a well-educated and intelligent Jewish woman, Mary Kay Lazarus. She called a rabbi friend she knew in Ohio and said, "Rabbi, I have found a book filled with chiasmus." "Then, my dear," he responded, "you have found one of God's books because chiasmus is the language of God."xix Since that time she has had great respect for the Book of Mormon.

Elder Pinnock further writes that a vital part of understanding Hebrew writing structures is knowing why the ancient prophets and other authors expended so much time and energy to create the artistic, poetic devices that became standard Hebrew writing forms. He suggests a few:

1. Form: Format is often revelatory. Hebrew writing forms in the Book of Mormon are not alone. They can be found not only in the Old Testament, the New Testament and the Doctrine & Covenants.

2. Clarity: Hebrew poetic forms helped authors and prophets communicate what they wanted the reader to know. Because these forms are complex, they imply extensive editing and review before inscription.

3. Translation Tools: These forms provide a checklist for verifying the accuracy of translating the message into other languages.

4. Verification of Translated Texts: By carefully examining passages that in English exemplify certain Hebrew writing forms, one can determine whether these forms have been preserved in the translation.

5. Substitute for Punctuation: The typical punctuation marks used today--periods, commas, colons, and semicolons, for example--were developed long after the ancient scriptural texts were written. Writings forms were sometimes used by ancient inspired writers as a form of punctuation which frequently delineated the beginning and end of a given passage.

6. Establish Priorities: Ancient authors may have employed writing forms to emphasize and focus on the items or concepts they felt to be most vital.

7. Relieve Possible Monotony: By adding interest, rhythm, and flow to scriptural texts, writing forms relieve the monotony of potentially redundant and repetitious writing.

8. Memorization Tools: Ancient people did not have their own personal scriptures, and of necessity they were trained to memorize great volumes of materials. Writings forms aided and encouraged the memorization of long passages.

9. Beauty: The incredible energy, time and resources required to produce these ancient writing forms inspires awe and gives inner beauty to the scriptures.

10. Strengthen Testimony: The number and variety of explicit ancient Hebrew writing forms found in the Book of Mormon are evidence of its origin and truthfulness. They indicate that the Book of Mormon is exactly what Joseph Smith, the Prophet, claimed it to be--an ancient religious and historical record written by ancient Hebrew prophets and authors. It contains language forms that were used by prophets and scholars of the earliest Hebrew periods but apparently not known to modern America until well after the death of Joseph Smith.

[Hugh W. Pinnock, Finding Biblical Hebrew and Other Ancient Literary Forms in the Book of Mormon, FARMS, 1999, pp. ix, 2-7]

3 Nephi 20:10--23:1 (Jesus' Discourses):

Avraham Gileadi has a somewhat different perspective than does Victor Ludlow on Jesus' discourse(s) found in chapters 20-22 of 3 Nephi. According to Gileadi, even as Nephi1 presents two

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versions of a prophetic sequence in relation to the great and marvelous work (see Gileadi's commentary on 1 Nephi 13-22), so Jesus, speaking to the Nephites, gives two recapitulations of essentially the same events. . . . Thus, 3 Nephi 20:10 through 21:29 contains two consecutive discourses about the last days that Jesus gives to the Nephites. Both deal with essentially the same subject. The order of events varies, but that is not important because they are not chronologies. The second discourse by and large repeats what the first contains. Together, they are a twofold witness of major events of the last days. . . . [See the illustrations]

Jesus' First Discourse:Jesus' first discourse emphasizes what happens to the house of Israel. (By definition, the

Lamanites, the Jews, and the Ten Tribes compose the house of Israel.) More specifically, the first discourse deals with the Lord's fulfilling his covenant with the house of Israel (3 Nephi 20:12, 22, 25-27, 29, 46). The Gentiles feature in the discourse only so far as they receive an opportunity to be blessed under the covenant. Though the Gentiles enjoy this blessing for a time--after they exercise power over the house of Israel--in the end, many harden their hearts (3 Nephi 20:27-28). At that point, the house of Israel treads down the wicked (3 Nephi 20:15-17). The idea of permanence in the promised land, which the Lord's fulfillment of the covenant exemplifies, we find only in connection with the house of Israel. At the center of the chiastic structure appear the words of Christ. Many refuse to hear his words and are cut off from his people (3 Nephi 20:23; compare 21:11). Thus, it is against the words of Christ, when they are revealed, that many Gentiles harden their hearts.

The house of Israel, on the other hand, reacts differently toward the words of Christ. At that time, the house of Israel comes to believe in Christ and to know him (3 Nephi 20:13, 30-31; compare 2 Nephi 25:16-18). As the house of Israel accepts Christ, the people gather together to the lands of their inheritance (3 Nephi 20:13-14,29). At that very time, also, the wicked Gentiles suffer the Lord's justice (3 Nephi 20:13-22). These Gentiles are destroyed, therefore, after they reject the words of Christ, which words they reject after enjoying the blessings of the gospel for a time (compare 3 Nephi 16:10-16; 26:6-11; Ether 4:8-9).

Jesus' Second Discourse:Jesus' second discourse emphasizes what happens to the Gentiles. Though the Gentiles

receive an opportunity to be blessed under the Lord's covenant with the house of Israel, in the end many Gentiles do not repent (3 Nephi 21:6,14). These are cut off from the covenant because they refuse to believe the words of Christ (3 Nephi 21:11). At that point, the house of Israel treads them down (3 Nephi 21:12-21). These things repeat essentially the same scenario we find in Jesus' first discourse. . . .

That Jesus ends his first discourse by quoting most of Isaiah 52 (see 3 Nephi 20:32-45) and his second discourse by quoting all of Isaiah 54 (see 3 Nephi 22:1-17) raises a further point. Such structuring leads us to look for at least a reference to Isaiah 53 somewhere between the two. That reference we find in 3 Nephi 21:9 and 11. There, we read that some Gentiles "will not believe" the great and marvelous work nor the words of Christ that the servant brings forth. Of course, this statement implies that some Gentiles will believe. . . . The belief or disbelief that people show toward the words of Christ constitutes a grand key to the structures. [Avraham Gileadi, The Last Days: Types and Shadows from the Bible and the Book of Mormon, pp. 88-95]

3 Nephi 20:10--23:1 (Jesus' Discourses) [Illustration]: Jesus' First Discourse [Avraham Gileadi, The Last Days: Types and Shadows from the Bible and the Book of Mormon, p. 89]

3 Nephi 20:10--23:1 (Jesus' Discourses) [Illustration]: Jesus' Second Discourse [Avraham Gileadi, The Last Days: Types and Shadows from the Bible and the Book of Mormon, p. 92]

3 Nephi 20:12 Covenant:

According to Victor Ludlow, the term covenant shows up one way or another, in one form or another, over a hundred and fifty times in the Book of Mormon. . . . Some of you Bible scholars may be aware of the fact that in the earliest English editions and translations of the Bible, the two parts of the Bible were known as the Old Covenant and the New Covenant that we now identify as the Old Testament and the New Testament. . . . Sometimes we may not appreciate how much covenant

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teachings are a part of the Book of Mormon, but we find it starting right on the front page, on the very title page. The first stated purpose of the Book of Mormon 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."

Now there are many purposes for covenants (see illustration, figure 1). Covenants give us teachings about purposes of life, our existence, our relationship with our Heavenly Father, the plan of Salvation. Covenants also indicate God's commandments and expectations for us. . . . Covenants also provide incentives for obedience and warnings for disobedience of that covenant contract. . . . But one of the most important purposes of covenants is they provide gateways for salvation. There are certain covenants, such as baptism by water and spirit, that are absolutely prerequisite for a person to enter into the kingdom of God. And there are other covenants like those of the temple that are necessary gateways for special Celestial blessings that our Heavenly Father would like to give to us. Covenants also give us measurements, or show us how far we are progressing on our personal path towards perfection.

We find that of the over 150 covenant references in the Book of Mormon, 113 are vertical covenant relationships between God and mortals. But they are not evenly distributed throughout the Book of Mormon (see illustration, figures 2, 3, 4). These vertical covenant relationships tend to predominate in three books. It's easy to remember which three books they are, because they all have the same name with a different numerical prefix--First, Second, and Third--meaning 1, 2, and 3 Nephi. [Victor L. Ludlow, "The Covenant Teachings of the Book of Mormon," F.A.R.M.S., pp. 1-4]

3 Nephi 20:12 Covenant (Illustration): (Figure 1) Covenant = karat b'rith "to cut a bond" (Figure 2) "Covenant" Citations in the Book of Mormon (Figure 3) "Covenant" Citations in the Book of Mormon--Number of Citations by Section (Figure 4) "Covenant Citations in the Book of Mormon--Number of Citations by Spokesman. [Victor L. Ludlow, "The Covenant Teachings of the Book of Mormon," F.A.R.M.S.]

3 Nephi 20:22 The Covenant That I Made with Your Father Jacob:

Jesus declares to the Nephites, "this people will I establish in this land, unto the fulfilling of the covenant which I made with your father Jacob" (3 Nephi 20:22). According to Richard D. Anthony, Jacob as the firstborn heir, needed to find a woman of the noble birthright. Also, he needed to flee for his life as the sibling rivalry "type" of Jesus and Lucifer, Cain and Abel, Ishmael and Isaac, was continued between him and Esau. Enmity between and among family members has always been prime cause for destruction of the eternal patriarchal or family covenant. Jacob's mother Rebecca directed him to her brother, Laban. Jacob's father Isaac blessed and confirmed her direction. Isaac also blessed Jacob at this time with the blessings of Abraham.

A pattern begins to emerge from the stories of each of the patriarchs--Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. Each was almost killed, or at least was threatened by a family member. Abraham was almost sacrificed on an altar, Isaac was threatened by Ishmael and Hagar. Jacob was threatened by Esau. They all left where they were and fled to another land. Here God blessed them. Although they had trials, they returned to the promised land better than they were before. The House of Israel also as a group went to another land, Egypt, had trials, but were delivered. Delivery was always by the firstborn and ultimate delivery will be by the firstborn son of God, even Jesus Christ. He will bring them back into the presence of His Father. The more we can see this type, rather than reading the Old Testament as a compilation of unrelated stories, the more we will be able to understand the prophecies of the Old Testament prophets, particularly Isaiah. This concept is the key to understanding Isaiah's message [and the Book of Mormon].

Jacob's marriage to Leah and Rachel set the stage for two blessings of the Lord to Abraham to be fulfilled. The Lord promised Abraham, that through his literal seed, the Messiah would be born, and the world would receive the blessings of the gospel, and salvation, and eternal life. This promise was fulfilled through Leah. She became the mother of Judah, and it is through the line of Judah that Mary, the mother of Jesus was born.

Through Rachel another promise to Abraham was fulfilled. This promise was that through Abraham's seed, or through his priesthood, all the nations of the earth would be blessed. It was through Rachel that Joseph, the firstborn, or birthright son was born. To him and to his descendants, Ephraim and Manasseh, the keys of the priesthood were given to bring not only the

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whole house of Israel to Christ, but also the gentiles.All nations of the earth were blessed through Jesus Christ who is a blood descendant of

Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, and Sarah, Rebekah, and Leah, through Judah and Mary. Likewise all nations of the earth are blessed through Joseph and his posterity. It is through Joseph and his posterity that the keys of the priesthood are and were given to bring all to Christ. Both of these blessings were specifically promised to Abraham. The fulfillment of them was through Judah and his line, and Joseph and his line.

The Lord blessed Jacob in that Esau's enmity was abated, and they met and were reconciled one to another. Furthermore, God blessed Jacob, and changed his name to Israel and called him a prince (Genesis 32:28). The name Israel means one who prevails with God, or let God prevail. This name (the house of Israel) applied not only to Jacob, but to the literal descendants of Jacob, and to the true believers in Christ, regardless of their lineage or geographical location. [Richard D. Anthony, Isaiah and Joseph, pp. 35-37, unpublished manuscript] [See 2 Nephi 5:4-5]

3 Nephi 20:25 The Covenant Which the Father Made with . . . Abraham:

According to Richard Anthony, the story of the Father and the firstborn was given to us for the first time in greatest detail with Abraham. . . . As Adam was firstborn son, and Noah a firstborn son, Abraham became a firstborn son also. It was to be through Abraham's ministry that God's name would be known in the earth forever (Abraham 1:19).

The firstborn of the Father, Jehovah, made a promise to Abraham that:1. He would make him a great nation.2. He would bless him above measure, (beyond man's ability to measure).3. His name would be great among nations.4. He would be a blessing to his seed who should bear this priesthood and ministry.5. God would bless those that bless Abraham, and curse those who curse him, (curse those

who pay no heed to the teachings of Abraham and His seed)6. Through Abraham's literal seed, the Firstborn Son of God would be born to bless all the

earth with the gospel of salvation and eternal life. (Abraham 2:10-11)

As Adam started life on this earth, and Noah started life again after the flood, so Abraham started in the likeness of Adam and Noah. Rather than destroy all evil with another flood, God chose to scatter the righteous seed among these "desolate" nations so that the blessings of the covenant people might come to all. This is part of the great plan of Mercy, from before the foundation of the world.[Richard D. Anthony, Isaiah and Joseph, p. 30, unpublished] [See Helaman 8:18, 1 Nephi 15:18]

3 Nephi 20:27 After That Ye Were Blessed Then Fulfilleth the Father the Covenant . . . with Abraham:

Jesus declared:Verily I say unto you, yea, and all the prophets from Samuel and those that follow

after, as many as have spoken, have testified of me. And behold, ye are the children of the prophets; and ye are of the house of Israel; and ye are of the covenant which the Father made with your fathers, saying unto Abraham: And in thy seed shall all the kindreds of the earth be blessed. The Father having raised me up unto you first, and sent me to bless you in turning away every one of you from his iniquities; and this because ye are the children of the covenant--And after that ye were blessed then fulfilleth the Father the covenant which he made with Abraham, saying: In thy seed shall all the kindreds of the earth be blessed . . . (3 Nephi 24-27)

According to Richard Anthony, after the patriarch Jacob's arrival in the promised land, Rachel gave birth to Jacob's 12th son, and died in the process. Here the story line in Genesis turns to Joseph. Thirteen of the 50 chapters of Genesis are devoted to Joseph. . . . Not only are that many chapters devoted to Joseph, but the prophet Joseph Smith added much to these chapters in the JST (Joseph Smith Translation) specifically about Joseph.

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Joseph was designated as the firstborn, or the birthright son. The life of Joseph is more than a fascinating story of a young man sold by his brothers, who rose to prominence in a foreign land, and then saved his family. Joseph's life was a type or shadow of the future of the whole house of Israel from "generation to generation." His life, and episodes in his life are mentioned over and over in the scriptures--particularly in the Old Testament and the Book of Mormon. He and his descendants were types of Christ and types of the father-firstborn relationship until the great winding-up scene.

Joseph's life and what he did for his eleven brothers is a mirror of what Joseph's descendants would do for the tribes of Israel until the end of the world. Joseph is the greatest example of the firstborn concept of which we have record.

Although the Savior did not come directly through his loins, the keys of the priesthood to bring Israel and the gentiles to Christ were centered in Joseph and his posterity through Ephraim and Manasseh. If we understand the life of Joseph, his prophecies and the prophecies about him, particularly the ones by Jacob as recorded in Genesis 50 of the JST, we can begin to understand the Old Testament prophets, who wrote about Joseph and his calling. Isaiah was a particular prophet who seems to have been able to put all of the prophecies about Joseph and his responsibility into "one." [Richard D. Anthony, Isaiah and Joseph,, pp. 37-38, unpublished]

3 Nephi 20:27 In Thy Seed Shall All the Kindreds of the Earth Be Blessed--unto the Pouring out of the Holy Ghost:

According to Joseph McConkie, Joseph Smith's translation of the Abraham papyrus opens to us a flood of knowledge about the covenant God made with our ancient father--knowledge now lost to those whose understanding is limited to the Bible. From the record we learn that Abraham was promised that his seed--his literal descendants--were to hold the priesthood and carry the message of salvation, even the blessing of eternal life to all nations. (Abraham 2:9-11) This right has not been given to those of any other lineage. In 3 Nephi 20:26-27 we find the following words of Jesus to the Nephites:

The Father having raised me up unto you first, and sent me to bless you in turning away every one of you from his iniquities; and this becaause ye are the children of the covenant--And after that ye were blessed then fulfilleth the Father the covenant which he made with Abraham, saying: In thy seed shall all the kindredds of the earth be blessed--unto the pouring out of the Holy Ghost through me upon the Gentiles, which blessing upon the Gentiles shall make them mighty above all, unto the scattering of my people, O house of Israel. (emphasis added)

Here Christ reminds the Nephites that they are the children of the prophets and thus inheritors of the promises made to Abraham. It was because of that covenant that Christ had come to them and sought to turn them from their iniquities. Amplifying the Abrahamic covenant over that preserved for us in the Bible, the Savior said that he had promised Abraham that through his posterity all the families of the earth would be blessed by the "pouring out of the Holy Ghost." [Joseph F. McConkie, "The Final Gathering to Christ," in Studies in Scripture: Book of Mormon, Part 2, pp. 188-189]

3 Nephi 20:32--22:17 (Note* Commentary on Isaiah)

A simple, yet very effective commentary on the words of the prophet Isaiah as quoted by the Savior in his New World visit can be found included (within parenthesis) in the scriptural text of the companion book to this commentary called The Covenant Story (Volume 6). The style used is patterned after David J. Ridges' Isaiah Made Easier, and much of the wording or meaning has been adopted from that text by permission of the author. [See David J. Ridges, Isaiah Made Easier / The Book of Revelation Made Easier, 1994]

For the benefit of the reader, the Isaiah text and commentary from The Covenant Story (3 Nephi 20:32--22:17) will be included in this commentary. [Alan C. Miner, Personal Notes]

3 Nephi 20:32-46 (Isaiah Text & Commentary):

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3 Nephi 20:32-35(Compare with Isaiah 52:8-10)

32 Then shall their watchmen (or the prophet leaders) lift up their voice, and with the voice together shall they sing; for they shall see eye to eye. 33 Then will the Father gather them together again, and give unto them Jerusalem for the land of their inheritance. 34 Then shall they break forth into joy──Sing together, ye waste places of Jerusalem; for the Father hath comforted his people, he hath redeemed Jerusalem. (which redemption will likely occur in the last days, near or at the beginning of the Millennium) 35 The Father hath made bare his holy arm (or shown forth his power) in the eyes of all the nations; and all the ends of the earth shall see THE SALVATION OF THE FATHER (or the power to save and redeem His children); and the Father and I are One.

3 Nephi 20:36-46(Compare Isaiah 52:1-3,6-7,11-15)

36 And then shall be brought to pass that which is written: Awake, awake again, and put on thy strength (that is, Repent! and take Christ's name upon you), O Zion; put on thy beautiful garments (or in other words, return to the proper use of the priesthood, D&C 113:7&8), O Jerusalem, the holy city, for henceforth there shall no more come into thee the uncircumcised and the unclean (that is, there will be no more non-covenant wicked people allowed). 37 Shake thyself from the dust; arise (or in other words, let the times of being walked on be over), sit down (that is, sit down in the tent of thy Father redeemed at last), O Jerusalem; loose thyself from the bands of thy neck (or come forth out of bondage), O captive daughter of Zion. 38 For thus saith the Lord: Ye have sold yourselves for naught (or in other words, for worthless earthly riches you have sold your covenant birthright and yourselves into spiritual slavery), and (but) ye shall be redeemed without money (that is, the Lord will grace you with the redeeming power of His Atonement). 39 Verily, verily, I say unto you, that my people shall know my name; yea, in that day (the last days) they shall know that I AM HE THAT DOTH SPEAK. 40 And then shall they say: How beautiful upon the mountains are the feet of H IM THAT BRINGETH GOOD TIDINGS UNTO THEM, THAT PUBLISHETH PEACE; THAT BRINGETH GOOD TIDINGS UNTO THEM OF GOOD, THAT PUBLISHETH SALVATION, THAT SAITH UNTO ZION: THY GOD REIGNETH! (Our Beautiful Savior, What a Marvelous Work and a Wonder He has wrought, He is our King!) 41 And then (in the last days) shall a cry go forth: Depart ye, depart ye, go ye out from thence (or from the wicked world--D&C 38:42), touch not that which is unclean; go ye out of the midst of her (or out of mother Babylon); be ye clean that bear the vessels of the Lord (or in other words, the Lord's covenant people should be washed and declared clean from the blood and sins of their generation). 42 For ye shall not go out with haste nor go by flight (that is, trust in the steadiness and sureness of the Gospel plan); for the Lord will go before you, and the God of Israel shall be your rearward (or in other words, the Lord will guide and protect you). 43 Behold, my servant (Christ--the prophets--covenant servants) shall deal prudently; he shall be exalted and extolled and be very high. 44 As many were astonished at thee──his visage was so marred, more than any man, and his form more than the sons of men── (That is, Christ--Joseph Smith--the prophets, while being highly praised by some, are much maligned by others) 45 So shall he sprinkle (JST: gather) many nations; the kings shall shut their mouths at him, for that which had not been told them shall they see; and that which they had not heard shall they consider (in essence, the powerful leaders of the world will not be able to stop the Lord's work in the last days). 46 Verily, verily, I say unto you, all these things shall surely come, even as the Father hath commanded me. Then shall this covenant which the Father hath covenanted with his people be fulfilled; and then shall Jerusalem be inhabited again with my people, and it shall be the land of their inheritance.[Alan C. Miner, Step by Step through the Book of Mormon: The Covenant Story, Vol. 6. Adadpted from David J. Ridges, Isaiah Made Easier / The Book of Revelation Made Easier, 1994]

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3 Nephi 21 (The Lord Speaks on Isaiah's Prophecies)

Chapter 21

The Coming Forth of the Book of Mormon is a Sign of the Father's Work

1 And verily I say unto you, I give unto you a sign, that ye may know the time when these things shall be about to take place──that I shall gather in, from their long dispersion, my people, O house of Israel, and shall establish again among them my Zion; 2 And behold, this is the thing which I will give unto you for a sign──for verily I say unto you that when these things which I declare unto you, and which I shall declare unto you hereafter of myself, and by the power of the Holy Ghost which shall be given unto you of the Father (that is, My words and the message of the records your prophets are keeping--the Book of Mormon), shall be made known unto the Gentiles (lineal Israelites but cultural Gentiles--see 1 Ne 22:7; D&C 109:60) that they may know concerning this people (the Nephites and Lamanites) who are a remnant of the house of Jacob, and concerning this my people who shall be scattered by them; 3 Verily, verily, I say unto you, when these things (relative to the Book of Mormon) shall be made known unto them (the cultural Gentiles) of the Father, and shall come forth of the Father, from them (the Latter-day saints) unto you (your Latter-day remnant); 4 For it is wisdom in the Father that they (lineal Israel--especially the tribe of Joseph--but cultural Gentiles) should be established in this land (the Americas--your Promised Land), and be set up as a free people (no longer in bondage) by the power of the Father, that these things might come forth from them unto a remnant of your seed, that the covenant of the Father may be fulfilled which he hath covenanted with his people, O house of Israel; 5 Therefore, when these works and the works which shall be wrought among you hereafter shall come forth from the Gentiles, unto your seed which shall dwindle in unbelief because of iniquity; 6 For thus it behooveth the Father that it should come forth from the Gentiles, that he may show forth his power unto the Gentiles, for this cause that the Gentiles, if they will not harden their hearts, that they may repent and come unto me and be baptized in my name and know of the true points of my doctrine, that they may be numbered among my people, O house of Israel; 7 And when these things come to pass that thy seed shall begin to know these things ── it shall be a sign unto them, that they may know that the work of the Father hath already commenced unto the fulfilling of the covenant which he hath made unto the people who are of the house of Israel.

Joseph Smith and the Great and Marvelous Work

8 And when that day shall come, it shall come to pass that kings shall shut their mouths; for that which had not been told them shall they see; and that which they had not heard shall they consider (in essence, the powerful leaders of the world will not be able to stop the Lord's work in the last days, revealed through a young farmboy named Joseph Smith). 9 For in that day, for my sake shall the Father work a work, which shall be a great and a marvelous work among them (that is, the work of restoring the Covenant and the gathering of Israel); and there shall be among them those who will not believe it, although a man shall declare it unto them. 10 But behold, the life of my servant (Joseph Smith--and also the prophets who follow him) shall be in my hand; therefore they shall not hurt him (that is, Joseph Smith's pre-ordained work--and the work of the prophets who follow him will not be stopped), although he shall be marred because of them (Joseph especially will be persecuted and suffer a martyrs fate). Yet I will heal him, for I will show unto them that my wisdom is greater than the cunning of the Devil (that is, despite the most strenuous efforts of the Devil, the Restoration and Gathering will move forward through the Lord's prophets). 11 Therefore it shall come to pass that whosoever will not believe in my words, who am Jesus Christ, which the Father shall cause him (my servant) to bring forth unto the Gentiles, and shall give unto him power that he shall bring them forth unto the Gentiles, (it shall be done even as Moses said) [see 3 Nephi 20:23] they shall be cut off from among my people who are of the covenant.

The Unrepentant Gentiles Will Be Cut Off from the Covenant People and Thus Destroyed

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12 And my people (my covenant people) who are a remnant of Jacob shall be among the Gentiles, yea, in the midst of them as a lion among the beasts of the forest (that is, they shall have dominating power), as a young lion among the flocks of sheep, who, if he go through both treadeth down and teareth in pieces, and none can deliver (in other words, there will be no stopping the consequences of the final Gathering). 13 Their hand shall be lifted up upon their adversaries, and all their enemies shall be cut off (cut off from the light and power of Christ). 14 Yea, wo be unto the Gentiles except they repent; for it shall come to pass in that day, saith the Father, that I will cut off thy horses out of the midst of thee, and I will destroy thy chariots (symbolic of military power); 15 And I will cut off the cities of thy land, and throw down all thy strongholds (symbolic of security); 16 And I will cut off witchcrafts out of thy land, and thou shalt have no more soothsayers; (symbolic of false religions) 17 Thy graven images I will also cut off, and thy standing images out of the midst of thee, and thou shalt no more worship the works of thy hands; (that is, neither will your false gods save you) 18 And I will pluck up thy groves out of the midst of thee; so will I destroy thy cities. (Your immoral wicked lives, which once profited you with earthly security, will be destroyed) 19 And it shall come to pass that all lyings, and deceivings, and envyings, and strifes, and priestcrafts, and whoredoms, shall be done away (ultimately with the coming of Christ). 20 For it shall come to pass, saith the Father, that at that day whosoever will not repent and come unto my Beloved Son, them will I cut off from among my people (my covenant people), O house of Israel; 21 And I will execute vengeance and fury upon them, even as upon the heathen, such as they have not heard.

Establishment of the New Jerusalem (Zion)

22 But if they will repent and hearken unto my words, and harden not their hearts, I will establish my church among them, and they shall come in unto the covenant and be numbered among this the remnant of Jacob (covenant people), unto whom I have given this land (the Promised Land--the place where the true covenant Gospel is administered) for their inheritance; 23 And they shall assist my people, the remnant of Jacob (the covenant House of Israel), and also as many of the house of Israel as shall come, that they may build a city, which shall be called the New Jerusalem (Zion--Moses 7:61-62). 24 And then shall they assist my people that they may be gathered in, who are scattered upon all the face of the land, in unto the New Jerusalem. 25 And then shall the power of heaven come down among them; and I also will be in the midst (a function of temples). 26 And then shall the work of the Father commence at that day, even when this gospel shall be preached among the remnant of this people. Verily I say unto you, at that day shall the work of the Father commence among all the dispersed of my people, yea, even the tribes which have been lost, which the Father hath led away out of Jerusalem. 27 Yea, the work shall commence among all the dispersed of my people, with the Father to prepare the way whereby they may come unto me, that they may call on the Father in my name. 28 Yea, and then shall the work commence, with the Father among all nations in preparing the way whereby his people may be gathered home to the land of their inheritance. 29 And they shall go out from all nations; and they shall not go out in haste, nor go by flight (that is, the work will be organized and directed by the Lord), for I will go before them, saith the Father, and I will be their rearward.[Alan C. Miner, Step by Step through the Book of Mormon: The Covenant Story, Vol. 6. Adadpted from David J. Ridges, Isaiah Made Easier / The Book of Revelation Made Easier, 1994]

3 Nephi 22 (Isaiah Text & Commentary):

Chapter 22(Compare Isaiah 54)

The Savior Quotes Isaiah on the Gathering of Israel

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1 And then (in the last days) shall that which is written (or shall the prophecies) come to pass: Sing, O barren (or those who have not produced until now), thou that didst not bear (that is, did not bear any children of Israel); break forth into singing (or rejoice), and cry aloud (or give thanks), thou that didst not travail (you who did not go through labor and delivery) with child (in other words, be thankful that you were not part of apostate Israel from times past); for more are the children of the desolate (that is, there will be more righteous children of Israel gathered in the last days from the Gentiles) than the children of the married wife (than from established Israelites), saith the Lord. (In essence, in the last days there will be more righteous children of Israel than you ever thought possible) 2 Enlarge the place of thy tent (or in other words, make more room), and let them stretch forth the curtains of thy habitations; spare not, lengthen thy cords and strengthen thy stakes (meaning that in the last days, the Church will greatly expand as righteous Israel is gathered); 3 For thou shalt break forth on the right hand and on the left (that is, righteous Israelites will be appearing on every side), and thy seed shall inherit the Gentiles and make the desolate cities to be inhabited (or in other words, the Church shall be established in cities where the Gospel had been heretofore unknown). 4 Fear not, for thou shalt not be ashamed (that is, you won't fail); neither be thou confounded, for thou shalt not be put to shame; for thou shalt forget the shame of thy youth, and shalt not remember the reproach of thy youth, and shalt not remember the reproach of thy widowhood any more. (In essence, you can forget all the failures of the past when Israel was apostate; the once "barren" Church is going to bear much fruit in the last days) 5 For THY MAKER THY HUSBAND THE LORD OF HOSTS is his name (in other words, the God you worship as the Creator is in charge); and THY REDEEMER THE HOLY ONE OF ISRAEL THE GOD OF THE WHOLE EARTH shall he be called. (and furthermore, this same being, who is also called the Holy One of Israel - Christ - shall rule according to his calling in the Millennium) 6 For the Lord hath called thee as a woman forsaken and grieved in spirit (that is, the house of Israel has been through some very rough times), and a wife of youth, when thou wast refused (or in other words, it was clear back in Old Testament times when the Lord allowed Israel to be scattered), saith thy God. 7 For a small moment have I forsaken thee (although you might feel that this scattering has lasted so long that you are forever lost), but with great mercies will I gather thee. 8 In a little wrath I hid my face from thee for a moment, but with everlasting kindness will I have mercy on thee, saith the Lord thy Redeemer. 9 For this (this scattering -- is like), the waters of Noah unto me, for as I have sworn that the waters of Noah should no more go over the earth, so have I sworn that I would not be wroth with thee. (In essence, just as I "gathered" the waters of Noah that had covered or flooded the earth, so shall I gather scattered Israel) 10 For the mountains shall depart and the hills be removed (that is, the people of the earth might experience drastic changes), but my kindness shall not depart from thee, neither shall the covenant of my peace be removed, saith the Lord that hath mercy on thee. (In truth, the Lord will always keep his covenants) 11 O thou afflicted (or scattered Israel), tossed with tempest, and not comforted (having experienced a difficult past)! Behold, I will lay thy stones with fair colors, and lay thy foundations with sapphires (or in other words, I will make your eternal homes with me in heaven very beautiful -- see Revelations 21). 12 And I will make thy windows of agates (or of colored precious stones), and thy gates of carbuncles (or of bright red precious stones), and all thy borders of pleasant stones (that is, the righteous will have it very good). 13 And all thy children shall be taught of the Lord; and great shall be the peace of thy children. (What a great period of time will be the Millennium -- and furthermore:) 14 In righteousness shalt thou be established; thou shalt be far from oppression for thou shalt not fear, and from terror for it shall not come near thee. 15 Behold, they (or the enemies of righteousness) shall surely gather together against thee, not by me (or in other words, although the principle of "opposition in all things" is eternal, I the Lord will not be it's head); whosoever shall gather together against thee shall fall for thy sake (that is, I the Lord will protect you and give you peace). 16 Behold, I have created the smith (or blacksmith) that bloweth the coals in the fire, and that bringeth forth an instrument (or a weapon) for his work; and I have created the waster (or the Destroyer) to destroy. (In truth, I the Lord have created all men and have given them agency to do good or evil; however, I the Lord have power over all things) 17 No weapon that is formed against thee shall prosper; and every tongue that shall revile against thee in judgment thou shalt condemn. This is the heritage of the servants of the Lord, and their righteousness is of me, saith the Lord. (Thus, there will be safety for the righteous with me)[Alan C. Miner, Step by Step through the Book of Mormon: The Covenant Story, Vol. 6; Adadpted

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from David J. Ridges, Isaiah Made Easier / The Book of Revelation Made Easier, 1994]

3 Nephi 22:5 Thy Husband:

One of the titles for the Lord that is found in the Book of Mormon is "Thy Husband" (3 Nephi 22:5). It comes from the words of Isaiah quoted by the Lord to the Nephites at the time of his visit to this continent. This passage from Isaiah if filled with allusions to marriage between the Lord and his covenant people.

According to Donna Nielsen, a knowledge of scriptural marriage imagery can greatly enrich our understanding of how God relates to us through covenants. In the Bible we find that Jesus taught the people using examples of weddings and feasts, and of Himself as the Bridegroom. It was meaningful to the Jews in a way that it is not to us because we lack understanding of their culture. Among the Jews, the terms of the marriage contract were spelled out in a formal document called a ketubah. In fact, the "ketubah" is a marriage contract that all bridegrooms are required to give their brides today at a Jewish wedding. Anciently, this was done at the time of negotiating the bride price. It is still considered so very important and binding that, if a couple ever loses their ketubah, they are forbidden to live together until a new one has been written. Essentially, the ketubah stated the groom's promises to the bride in language similar to this:

(1) I will provide you with the necessities.(2) I will redeem you if you are ever taken captive.(3) I will live with you as a husband according to the universal custom.

[Donna B. Nielsen, Beloved Bridegroom: Finding Christ in Ancient Jewish Marriage and Family Customs, pp. 2, 26]

3 Nephi 22:9 Noah (Illustration): Chart: A Latter-Day Saint View of Noah. [Joseph B. Romney, "Noah the Great Preacher of Righteousness," in The Ensign, February 1998, p. 24]

3 Nephi 22:9 I have sworn that the waters of Noah should no more go over the earth (Illustration): Noah's Preaching Scorned. Artist: Harry Anderson. [Joseph B. Romney, "Noah the Great Preacher of Righteousness," in The Ensign, February 1998, p. 23]

3 Nephi 22:9 I have sworn that the waters of Noah should no more go over the earth (Illustration): Noah After the Deluge. Artist: Frederic Henrischopin [Joseph B. Romney, "Noah the Great Preacher of Righteousness," in The Ensign, February 1998, p. 26]

3 Nephi 23:1 A Commandment I Give unto You That Ye Search These Things Diligently; for Great Are the Worlds of Isaiah:

[See the commentary of Words of Mormon 1:5]

3 Nephi 23:7-13 Bring forth the record which ye have kept (Illustration): Bring Forth the Record. Artist: Robert Barrett. [Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, The Ensign, April 1985, front and back cover]

3 Nephi 23:7 [Jesus] said unto Nephi: Bring forth the record which ye have kept (Illustration): Bring the Record [Robert T. Barrett, Verse Markers, Book of Mormon, Vol. 1, p. 6]

3 Nephi 23:7 Bring forth the record which ye have kept (Illustration): Bring Forth the Record. Artist: Robert T. Barrett. [Thomas R. Valletta ed., The Book of Mormon for Latter-day Saint Families, 1999, p. 562]

3 Nephi 23:7 Bring forth the record which ye have kept (Illustration): Christ Reviewing the Record. Artist: Gary Kapp. [Thomas R. Valletta ed., The Book of Mormon for Latter-day Saint Families, 1999, p. 570]

3 Nephi 23:11 How Be It That Ye Have Not Written This Thing, That Many Saints Did Arise:

After having Nephi bring forth the records, Jesus examined them and found a prophecy of

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Samuel the Lamanite missing. Concerning this missing prophecy he declared, "How be it that ye have not written this thing, that many saints did arise and appear unto many and did minister unto them?" (3 Nephi 23:11) The meaning of this verse has sparked a debate among scholars relative to the time of Christ's visit to the Nephites in America.

John Tvedtnes thinks one must allow enough time between the destructions at the time of the crucifixion and the appearance of Jesus at Bountiful for some record keeping to have occurred during the interval, since Jesus reviewed the Nephite records and asked Nephi why they had not recorded "that many saints did arise and appear unto many and did minister unto them" (3 Nephi 23:11). Tvedtnes finds no way to satisfactorily explain why "[Nephi} would have to 'remember' the thing had not been written if the event were only a day or so old" [John A. Tvedtnes, "The Timing of Christ's Appearance to the Nephites," S.E.H.A., p. 13]

Indeed, when Jesus audited the records of the Nephites on his second day among them, he inspected everything down to that point in time, including the Nephite records regarding events at the time of the destruction. This would require that some record keeping must have taken place between the crucifixion and Christ's appearance.

Since the Nephites had "gathered together . . . round about the temple" (3 Nephi 11:1) with "men, women, and children" (3 Nephi 17:25), one is reminded of a covenant assembly. Traditionally, Israelites (and Nephites) gathered at the temple at appointed times each year for the feasts of Passover, Pentecost, and Tabernacles: "three times in the year all thy males shall appear before the Lord God" (Exodus 23:17). [John Tvedtnes and Kent Brown ("Jesus Among the Nephites: When Did It Happen?", F.A.R.M.S.]

Note* Both Tvedtnes and Brown accept the likelihood that the festival of Passover was involved; however, John Welch prefers another festival.

According to John Welch the Nephites had observed the law of Moses until Jesus proclaimed its fulfillment (3 Nephi 1:24-25; 15:2-8). While Jesus' voice had announced to the Nephites the end of the Mosaic law at the time of his death (3 Nephi 9:17), no new instructions had yet been given. Moreover, Jesus reiterated the fact that the old law had been fulfilled when he spoke to them in person (3 Nephi 12:18; 15;4), but they were still confused about what Jesus meant by this (3 Nephi 15:2-3). Sooner or later, as they gathered at their temple, they would have wondered if their old ritual order was still appropriate. Since it seems unlikely that they would have gone 12 months without addressing the implications of Christ's death for the continuation of their public rites, this would argue that his appearance was probably not so long after his crucifixion.

If one can assume that the two ritual calendars (Old World and New World) had not grown too far apart, the feast of Shavuoth (Pentecost in Greek) would have been celebrated in Bountiful about two months after Jesus' crucifixion and shortly after the best known ascension of Jesus from Jerusalem, reported in Acts 1. Such a date would make good sense of the reference in 3 Nephi 10:18 to Christ's appearing in Bountiful "soon after" his ascension; plus, that date is not so long after the events of the destruction that the people could still "marvel" and "wonder" about the whole situation as they conversed about Christ and the signs of his death (3 Nephi 11:1-2). Such a date accommodates all of Brown's points about the settled condition of the people, and it also solves Tvedtnes' major problem by allowing time for records to have been kept between the time of the crucifixion and the appearance in Bountiful.

The hypothesis that Christ appeared at the feast of Shavuoth in Bountiful raises some interesting implications. No more relevant occasion than Shavuoth can be imagined for the day on which to explain the fulfillment of the old law and the issuance of the new. It was on the Feast of Shavuoth, according to recent scholarship, that ancient Israelites celebrated the giving of the law, especially the revelation of the Ten Commandments on Mount Sinai. Given the obvious connections between materials in Matthew 5, 3 Nephi 12, and three of the Ten Commandments, it seems ideal that the day on which the Nephites would have traditionally celebrated the giving of the Ten Commandments should be the time when Jesus could teach the new understanding of those very commandments. In addition, Shavuoth was a day for remembering great spiritual experiences (cf. the Holy Ghost was manifest as tongues of fire to the saints gathered for Pentecost that same year in Jerusalem, Acts 2:1-4). Shavuoth celebrated the day on which the Lord came down on Mount Sinai and appeared to Moses on behalf of the host of Israel. Now Jesus came down and appeared to all gathered in Bountiful. Indeed, the ancient model for Shavuoth was the three day ritual observed by the Israelites before the giving of the law at Sinai (see Exodus 19:15) and Jesus similarly

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appeared three days to the Nephites (3 Nephi 11:1: 19:1; 26:13). Thus, while the suggestion that Jesus appeared at Bountiful on Shavuoth remains tentative, the choice of Shavuoth could well be considered more deeply. [John W. Welch, "When Did Jesus Appear To The Nephites In Bountiful?," F.A.R.M.S., pp. 5-10]

3 Nephi 23:11 How Be It That Ye Have Not Written This Thing:

During the second day of his visit to the Nephites, the Lord asked Nephi to bring forth the records which had been kept. He reminded Nephi he had commanded Samuel to testify that many would arise from the dead and appear to many at the time of his resurrection and noted this had not been recorded (3 Nephi 23:7-13). Accordingly, the missing scripture was added to the record. According to Lynn Johnson, on the surface, this account seems straightforward enough. The Savior shows his concern that the scriptures be complete, and a prior omission is rectified. But what was omitted? Was it a record of the prophecy, or a record of the fulfillment of the prophecy?

There are several indications that the prophecy was missing in their records. The Savior's question in verse 9 appears to support this interpretation. If the prophecy had been written in the records he had before him, it is doubtful he would have reminded them that they hadn't recorded the fulfillment. Their response, "Yea, Lord, Samuel did prophesy according to thy words" (3 Nephi 23:10), is consistent with a missing record of the prophecy. Such a statement would not have been called for if they were looking at the written prophecy. [D. Lynn Johnson, "The Missing Scripture," in Journal of Book of Mormon Studies, Fall 1994, p. 84-91] [see the commentary on Helaman 14:25]

3 Nephi 23:14 Jesus . . . Expounded All the Scriptures in One Which They Had Written:

One might ponder what Nephi (and/or Mormon) had in mind when he recorded that "Jesus . . . expounded all the scriptures in one which they had written (3 Nephi 23:14).

Almon Fackrell notes that the Lord has used parallels, comparisons, types or examples, throughout the scriptures, to help distinguish between truths and falsehoods, to choose between good and evil, and especially to identify the Messiah, His prophets, and His people the Saints. The more we parallel our lives with the life of the Son of God, with the lives of the prophets, or with the lives of the successful Saints, the better off we will be in the hereafter.

These parallels give evidence to the age-old theory that "history repeats itself" and the old saying, "There is nothing new under the sun," which is a paraphrase of Ecclesiastes 1:9-10.

Some of the most obvious examples of these types or parallels pertain to the Messiah:a. Abel's sacrificial offerings were the "firstlings" of his flock. (see Genesis 4:4). God's sacrificial offering was his "firstborn" Son. (see Romans 8:29 & Colossians 1:15).b. Abraham's offering was a "lamb." (see Genesis 22:8) Jesus is called the "Lamb" of God. (see John 1:36)c. Moses' sacrificial lamb was a male without blemish. (see Exodus 12:5) God's sacrificial lamb was a male without blemish. (see 1 Peter 1:19)d. Manna was the bread of life for the Israelites in the wilderness. (see Exodus 16:15) Jesus is the bread of life for Christians. (see John 6:35)e. The rock in the wilderness provided water for the Israelites. (see Exodus 17:6) Jesus is the rock which provides living water for Christians. (see 1 Corinthians 10:4)f. There would come a prophet like unto Moses. (see Deuteronomy 18:15) Jesus was that prophet like unto Moses. (see Acts 7:37).

Almon Fackrell, Parallels of Moses, Jesus, and Joseph Smith, pp. 17-19]

To more fully understand these types and parallels which appear in cycles over and over through the history of the earth, the reader might refer back to the words of Nephi at the conceptual chiastic center of his book of First Nephi. These thoughts would chiastically be the most important concepts in all of First Nephi and they are as follows:

For He is the same yesterday, to-day, 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.

For he that diligently seeketh shall find; and the mysteries of God shall be unfolded

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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. (1 Nephi 10:18-19) [Alan C. Miner, Personal Notes]

3 Nephi 23:14 Jesus . . . Expounded All the Scriptures in One Which They Had Written:

According to John Gee, in his sermons to the Nephites in the New World, Christ used a series of basic texts with slight changes to clarify his intent, continually alluding to these texts in his explanations by picking up the wording from the passages. He also introduced the writings of prophets that were not part of the Nephite canon (3 Nephi 23:6, 23:13; 26:2). In this fashion, Jesus "expounded all the scriptures in one" (3 Nephi 23:14; see also 3 Nephi 26:1, 3-4). . . [John Gee, "'Choose the Things That Please Me': On the Selection of the Isaiah Sections in the Book of Mormon," in Isaiah in the Book of Mormon, p. 82]

3 Nephi 23:14 Jesus . . . expounded all the scriptures in one which they had written (Illustration): Table 3: Passages Quoted by Jesus in 3 Nephi. [John Gee, "'Choose the Things That Please Me': On the Selection of the Isaiah Sections in the Book of Mormon," in Isaiah in the Book of Mormon, p. 82]

3 Nephi 24:1 Thus Said the Father unto Malachi -- Behold, I Will Send My Messenger:

John Pratt notes that the closing words of the Old Testament contain Malachi's promise that Elijah the prophet would be sent before the Messiah to fulfill an important mission:

Behold, I will send you Elijah the prophet before the coming of the great and dreadful day of the Lord.

And he shall turn the heart of the fathers to the children, and the heart of the children to their fathers, lest I come and smite the earth with a curse. (Malachi 4:5-6)

Malachi's words were considered so important that the Savior gave to the Nephites all of chapters 3 and 4 of Malachi, which end with this prophecy of Elijah's return. After commanding them to write the words (3 Nephi 24:1), he explained, "These scriptures, which ye had not with you, the Father commanded that I should give unto you; for it was wisdom that they should be given unto future generations." (3 Nephi 26:2). . .

The promise of Elijah, taught by the scribes in Jesus' day, is still remembered by the Jewish people every year at Passover. A special place is set for him, with a cup of wine. At a prescribed time during the meal, the door is opened for him to enter.

The origin of the tradition that Elijah would return at Passover seems to have been lost in antiquity. It has been suggested that Elijah's return was associated with Passover, the feast commemorating the redemption of Israel, because it would herald the coming of the Messiah, the Redeemer of Israel. . . .

The long awaited return of Elijah occurred in the Kirtland Temple on Easter Sunday, 16 Nisan, 3 April 1836. First the Savior appeared, followed by Moses, then Elias, and finally Elijah. . . .

Thus, the coming of Elijah on 3 April 1836 was to occur after forerunners had returned in the spirit of Elias to prepare the way. (See D&C 27:6-7; 128:20-21) . . .

Should the date of Elijah's return be anything special? Ancient prophets had revelations concerning the use of astronomy for reckoning time. Abraham, for example, was given to know the "set times" of the earth, moon, and sun, and then was shown that these "lights in the expanse of the heaven" were to be "for signs and for seasons, and for days and for years." (Abraham 3:6; 4:14) . . . Moses received revelations mentioning the use of the sun and moon to reckon time (Moses 2:14), which became very important in determining sacred days according to the law of Moses (see Leviticus 23) . . .

Even in our day, the Lord has promised that "all the days of their days, months, and years, and all their glories, laws, and set times, shall be revealed in the days of the dispensation of the fulness of times." (D&C 121:31)

It is intriguing that Elijah's return at the Kirtland temple occurred not only during Passover week, as anticipated by the Jews, but also on an Easter Sunday that was calendrically similar to the proposed date of the Savior's resurrection, being both April 3 on the Gregorian calendar and 16

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Nisan on the Hebrew calendar. Was this merely a calendrical coincidence? Or could the timing of Elijah's return have been purposely chosen to correspond to some special Passover in accordance with Jewish tradition? . . . The chance that Easter Sunday would occur on both April 3 and 16 Nisan (as it did in A.D. 33) happens less than once every century. . . . In addition, to the very day, the Easter of 1836 completed a Jewish calendar realignment interval of 1,803 years since the Easter of A.D. 33. . . . In other words, this means that the Easter of 1836 was calendrically the most similar in history to the Easter of A.D. 33. . . . Moreover, the interval of exactly 658,532 days between 3 April A.D. 33 and 3 April 1836 is equal to 100 saros periods of 6,585.321 days each. . . . The saros is a period of 18.03 years known to astronomers as the interval in which solar or lunar eclipses often repeat. . . . That is, if one counts saros periods from the lunar eclipse that occurred on the proposed date for the Crucifixion, 1 April A.D. 33, the first time that a saros would again begin on April 1 would be in 1836.

It should be emphasized that the fact that the same period of time (1,803 years) can be equal both to a lunisolar calendar realignment interval and to 100 saros periods is very surprising because the length of the saros is also determined by other factors.

Is there any astronomical significance to the number 100 (saros)? Yes, it turns out that after 100 saros periods, the lunar orbit is in about the same orientation relative to the sun.

Thus in summary, a period of 1,803 years (658,532 days) is simultaneously two realignment intervals: (1) for the day, week, month, and year of the Jewish calendar; and (2) for the saros and the year.

The evidence presented above suggests that the timing of Elijah's return may have been arranged to occur on the best anniversary of Easter, calendrically speaking, in history. But for what reason?

1. Apparently this dispensation could not have fully begun before 3 April 1836, when the keys of Elijah were restored. . . . Thus, on Sunday, 3 April 1836, apparently the time had fully come to open the dispensation of the fulness of times on a special anniversary of the fulness of time of the Resurrection.

2. It is proposed that on Easter Sunday, 16 Nisan, 3 April A.D. 33, the physical body of Christ was restored, clothed with a fulness of power and glory. (See Alma 40:23) On Easter Sunday, 16 Nisan, 3 April A.D. 1836, the ecclesiastical body of Christ was restored, clothed with a fulness of priesthood authority. Thus, a correspondence is suggested between the restoration of the body of the Savior to a fulness of power and the restoration of the body of the Church to the fulness of the Melchizedek Priesthood. [John P. Pratt, "The Restoration of Priesthood Keys on Easter 1836 -- Part 2: Symbolism of Passover and of Elijah's Return," in The Ensign, July 1985, pp. 60-61]

3 Nephi 24:1 Thus said the Father unto Malachi -- Behold, I will send my messenger (Illustration): Realignment Intervals. [John P. Pratt, "The Restoration of Priesthood Keys on Easter 1836 -- Part 2: Symbolism of Passover and of Elijah's Return," in The Ensign, July 1985, p. 60]

3 Nephi 24:1 Malachi:

In 3 Nephi 24:1 Jesus commanded that the words the Father had given unto Malachi should be written. And these words he specifically told them, saying:

Thus said the Father unto Malachi--Behold, I will send my messenger, and he shall prepare the way before me, and the Lord whom ye seek shall suddenly come to his temple, even the messenger of the covenant . . .

The meaning of the Hebrew name Malachi is literally "my messenger." [Tyndale House, The Illustrated Bible Dictionary, Vol. 2, p. 937]

3 Nephi 24:1 Behold, I Will Send My Messenger, and He Shall Prepare the Way Before Me, and the Lord Whom Ye Seek Shall Suddenly Come to His Temple:

Towards the end of his preaching to the Nephites on the American continent after his resurrection, Christ promised that he would return to the earth a second time in the last days. To emphasize this fact, he first had them record, and then he quoted them the words of the Old World

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prophet Malachi: "Behold, I will send my messenger, and he shall prepare the way before me, and the Lord whom ye seek shall suddenly come to his temple." (3 Nephi 24:1).

According to T.J. O'Brien, in a most remarkable coincidence, Hernando Cortez unwittingly chose to visit the Eastern Aztec shores in the year "one reed" and on the day "nine wind" of the Aztec calendar. For the Spaniards this was Good Friday, April 21, 1519; for the natives this was a new century cycle. Even more amazing, it was a year prophesied for the return of the enduring and bearded culture hero, Quetzalcoatl. (Year Prophesied: Carrasco 1984, 194-5)

If this were not enough to stir native superstition, the very beaches upon which the Spaniards disembarked were the same from which the revered Quetzalcoatl supposedly had departed centuries ago. These two remarkable coincidences make it obvious why the Indians greeted the Spaniards with mixed feelings of apprehension and good will. . . .

Many spectacular temples to the numerous gods of ancient Mexico pierced the skies of Tenochtitlan (the Aztec capital). One of them was dedicated to a singular god called Quetzalcoatl, the ancient fair skinned culture hero the Aztecs inherited along with other religious beliefs from the Toltecs, who had worshiped him as a prophet and teacher of the arts of civilization and healing. This bearded Toltec deity now resided in the sacred memory of the Aztecs as well, and both cultures represented him with the strange but easily-recognized symbol of a feathered-serpent. Like the coiled serpent, the temple of Quetzalcoatl was also circular in form. The entrance resembled a giant serpent's mouth, bristling with sharp fangs and teeth "diabolically painted" (Serpent temple: Gomara 1964, 165)--probably red to represent fresh blood. Although his temple sounds threatening, Quetzalcoatl was a peacemaker, and no god was held in higher esteem.

Sacred manuscripts, guarded since Toltec times, insisted that although Quetzalcoatl had left the land centuries before the Aztec emergence, he promised to return some day and resume possession of his empire which had been passed on to the Aztecs from the Toltecs. Each succeeding generation looked forward confidently to his arrival. But in the long silent absence, the Aztecs had replaced him with their own earlier tribal war god. This one, unlike Quetzalcoatl, hungered daily for sacrificial blood and human lives. (Bloodthirsty God: Bancroft 1883, Vol. 5, 482)

Montezuma painfully remembered the promised return of the fair god, a return awaited by the Aztecs with as much assurance as the Messiah by the Jews or Jesus by the Christians. Rumors of bearded white men along the shores of his domain and of the increasing occurrence in nature of strange signs convinced the disturbed King that the appointed day for Quetzalcoatl's return was finally at hand. He also knew that the revered Lord, Quetzalcoatl, forbade human sacrifices. Yet, daily, the Aztecs now performed these bloody rites to their ravenous war god and his blood-thirsty companion-gods. Some estimates say these sacrifices reached as high as 50,000 humans for the dedication of the great temple. (50,000 Sacrifices: Prescott (Modern library), 48)

In welcoming Cortez to his capital city, the courteous Montezuma provided some background to the mysterious reception of near-adulation given Columbus by the natives at so many landings. Prescott relates the Montezuma claimed that his own distant ancestors were not natives to this land either, but newcomers. They were led here by a great being, who, after giving them laws and ruling over the nation for a time, had withdrawn to the regions where the sun rises. This great lord had declared on his departure that he or his descendants would again visit them to "resume his empire. This valuable insight to the now-familiar white god legend was recorded by Cortez in a document sent to Spain in 1520."(Return: Prescott (Modern Library), 305-6; Castillo 1972, 204; Pagden 1992, 85,98.) . . .

The ancient "Indian" belief in a returning fair god was so implanted in the mind of Montezuma that, even when he finally realized that Cortez and the Spaniards were mere mortals, he still pledged allegiance to their sovereign, the King of Spain. Although the Aztec ruler was the highest of high priests, with absolute power over millions of subjects, a power steeped in centuries of unchanging traditions, he was willing to concede to a foreign ruler as the rightful Lord of all and to continue his own rule in the name of the Spanish King. (Rule in Name of King: Prescott (Modern Library), 306) . . . [T.J.O'Brien, Fair Gods and Feathered Serpents, pp. 22-24, 26-27]

3 Nephi 24:2 Fuller's Soap:

In the words of Malachi which the Savior ask the Nephites to record, we find the following: "But who may abide the day of his coming, and who shall stand when he appeareth? For he is like a

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refiner's fire, and like fuller's soap" (3 Nephi 24:2). The art of fulling, cleansing and bleaching cloth was of importance because of the high cost

of clothing and the need to cleanse the fibers of their natural oil or gums before dying. In some places the fuller was also the dyer.

It was customary for a fuller to work outside a town within reach of water in which clothes could be cleaned by treading them on a submerged stone. Hence the fuller was characteristically called a "trampler" (Heb. Kabas). At Jerusalem the locality outside the East wall where garments were spread to dry in the sun was called the "fuller's field" (2 Kings 18:17; Isaiah 7:3; 36:2). [Tyndale House, The Illustrated Bible Dictionary, Vol. 1, p. 128]

It is interesting that while we don't know whether the Nephites knew what the term "fuller's soap" mean't before the Savior's visit, we are told that, at this time, Jesus "expounded" the words of Malachi unto them (3 Nephi 24:1), so the cultural meaning would have been clearly brought out to them.

3 Nephi 24:9 Ye Are Cursed with a Curse:

According to Roy Weldon, the Book of Mormon is replete with Hebraic phrases. One classification of these Hebraisms involves verbs with cognate nouns. In the Bible some examples are found in Job 3:25 ("Feared a fear") and Jeremiah 46:5 ("Fled a flight"). One good example in the Book of Mormon is found in 3 Nephi 24:9: "Ye are cursed with a curse . . . [Roy E. Weldon, Book of Mormon Deeps, Vol. III, p. 275] [See the commentary on Alma 1:1]

3 Nephi 25:1 It Shall Leave Them Neither Root Nor Branch:

According to Donna Nielsen, Israelite prophets frequently used "trees" as symbols for the people because of their long lives, deep roots, and spreading branches. The roots represented ancestry and the branches typified posterity. To be cut off "root and branch" (Malachi 4:1 / 3 Nephi 25:1) was a horrifying image because it meant no familial ties or increase. [Donna B. Nielsen, Beloved Bridegroom: Finding Christ in Ancient Jewish Marriage and Family Customs, p. 102]

3 Nephi 25:2 Son of Righteousness:

The Lord foretold the condition of those who "fear [his] name." For them, "the Son of righteousness [shall] arise with healing in his wings." According to Kent Jackson, in the Bible the term "Sun" is used, whereas here in the Book of Mormon the record uses "Son." The translators of the King James Bible correctly recognized the term "Sun of righteousness" as an allusion to the Lord, noting this understanding by the use of the capital letter in the word "Sun." Their interpretation is borne out by the Book of Mormon, where the phrase is personified completely--"Son of Righteousness." (3 Nephi 25:2)

The personification of the metaphor "sun" to the explicit "Son" need not be viewed as a scribal matter, regardless of what may have been either in Malachi's original text or on the gold plates of Mormon's abridgment. There is no reason not to assume that the Book of Mormon text here is deliberate and inspired. [Kent P. Jackson, "Teaching From the Words of the Prophets," in Studies in Scripture: Book of Mormon, Part 2, p. 201]

3 Nephi 25:2 Wings:

In 3 Nephi 25:2 we find the statement that "the Son of Righteousness [shall] arise with healling in his wings." The term "wings" is obviously symbolic, but of what? David Ridges notes that understanding symbolism can help one understand the scriptures and gives the following list as an aid to the reader:Body Parts Symbolism wings power to move, act, etc. (Example: Revelation 4:8; D&C 77:4)palms joy; triumph, victory (Example: John 12:13; Revelation 7:9)eye perception; light and knowledgehead governing

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ears obedience; hearingmouth speakinghair modesty; coveringmembers offices and callingsheart inner man; couragehands action, actingrt. hand covenant hand; making covenantsbowels center of emotion; whole beingloins posterity; preparting for action (gird up your loins)liver center of feelingreins kidneys; center of desires, thoughtsarm powerfoot mobility; foundationtoe associated with cleansing rites (Example: Leviticus 14:17)nose anger (Example: 2 Samuel 22:16; Job 4:9)tongue speakingblood life of the bodyknee humility; submissionshoulder strength; effortforehead total dedication, loyalty (Example: Revelation 13:16:14:1)

[David J. Ridges, The Book of Revelation Made Easier, preface]

3 Nephi 25:2 The Son of Righteousness Shall Arise with Healing in His Wings:

According to John Pratt, a clear example of the rising sun representing Christ is the prophecy that unto the righteous "shall the Sun of righteousness arise with healing in his wings." (Malachi 4:2) This reference to the sun so clearly meant Christ that the phrase "Son of Righteousness" is interchangeable with it. (see 3 Nephi 25:2; 2 Nephi 26:9) Nephi pointed out that Christ would rise "with healing in his wings" at His resurrection. (see 2 Nephi 25:13) Mark wrote that when the women arrived at the tomb, the sun had risen, and Christ also had risen (see Mark 16:2,9).

Adam was given the promise that the Son of Man, Jesus Christ, would come "in the meridian of time." (Moses 6:57) Later, Enoch specifically asked when the Savior would come, and he was given the same response: "in the meridian of time." (Moses 7:46) This phrase is again used in the Doctrine and Covenants to refer to the time of the first coming of the Savior. (see D&C 20:26; 39:3) But what does this phrase, "the meridian of time," mean?

In astronomy, the meridian is a north-south line passing exactly overhead that divides the sky in half. Meridian literally means "mid-day." The sun culminates (reaches its high point) as it passes over the meridian. Time before that "passover" is called ante meridiem (A.M., or "before midday") and afterward it is post meridiem (P.M., or "after midday"). . .

The law of Moses was given to prepare Israel for the "coming of Christ." (2 Nephi 11;4), but just how is the meridian of time symbolized in the calendar of the law of Moses as a "type of his coming" (Alma 25:15) "with healing in his wings?" (3 Nephi 25:2)

The Hebrew day begins in the evening, the month begins at the new moon, and the year begins in the fall. Because the Hebrew 24-hour day begins at sunset, the meridian - or middle point - of the full daily cycle is actually at sunrise.

The first day of any month is within two days of the new moon, and the fifteenth day of any month (of twenty-nine or thirty days) is near the full moon. Accordingly, the midpoint of every Hebrew month can be represented by the fifteenth day.

The meridian month of the year is the spring month Nisan. Thus, 15 Nisan represents the meridian both of the Hebrew year and of that month. In the law revealed to Moses, this meridian day of the Hebrew year was also the annual Passover feast day.

Inasmuch as Jesus died in the closing hours of 14 Nisan, his coming to the spirit world was at the beginning of the Passover feast day, 15 Nisan, the day symbolic of deliverance from the house of bondage. (see D&C 138:50) This coming fulfilled one Jewish tradition which insisted that the Redemption could take place only on 15 Nisan, as foreshadowed by the Exodus. The tradition is:

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"God said, 'Let this sign be in your hands: on the day when I wrought salvation for you, and on that very night know that I will redeem you; but if it is not this night, then do not believe.'" A footnote clarifies: "This apparently means: Should a pretended redeemer come at any other time, do not believe him, for the redemption will take place on that day and on no other."

The climax of the Savior's mission in the meridian of time was the act of delivering mankind out of bondage by loosing the chains of hell and breaking the bands of death. (See Alma 5:6-9) It was the apex of a crescendo that had been swelling since the fall of Adam, culminating in the three days of the Atonement (Friday) to Resurrection (Sunday).

We read that those in the spirit world had been "assembled awaiting the advent of the Son of God into the spirit world." In fact, they were already "rejoicing in the hour of their deliverance from the chains of death," when the Redeemer would come to declare "liberty to the captives who had been faithful." (D&C 138:16, 18) Thus, they clearly expected the Lord to come at that very time. But why? Apparently it was because it was Passover, the day when Israel had been "redeemed" from the "house of bondage" at the exodus (see Deut. 13:5), foreshadowing the day when "the Redeemer" would proclaim "the opening of the prison," and deliver the "spirits in prison" from "bondage." (see D&C 138:42,28) [John P. Pratt, "Passover -- Was It Symbolic of His Coming?", The Ensign, January 1994, pp. 38-41]

3 Nephi 25:4 I Commanded unto [Moses] in Horeb for All Israel:

In 3 Nephi 25:4, we find the following words of Malachi: "Remember ye the law of Moses, my servant, which I commanded unto him in Horeb for all Israel, with the statutes and judgments." According to Matthew Brown, Abraham might have also been familiar with Mount Horeb (Mount Sinai). An apocryphal work known as the Apocalypse of Abraham depicts Abraham on Mount Horeb, the holy mountain of God, where he offers sacrifice and is informed by an angel that he will be shown "the garden of Eden." Satan appears on the scene in disguise and tries to convince Abraham to cease his worshipful activities but an angel of God, who is with Abraham, identifies Satan and commands him to "depart.".xx This same source also depicts Abraham offering prayer upon his knees and requesting that the Lord "teach" him information he had been "promised" he would receive. During this prayer the patriarch employed the curious threefold petition "El, El, El.".xxi [Matthew B. Brown, The Gate of Heaven, p. 40]

3 Nephi 25:4 Remember Ye the Law of Moses . . . Which I Commanded unto Him in Horeb:

In addressing the Nephites in the Americas, the Savior quoted to them the third and fourth chapters of Malachi (3 Nephi 24-25) concerning the second coming of the Lord. In this context it is interesting that just before mention is made of the work of Elijah (3 Nephi 25:5-6) which work is associated with covenant temple sealings, an exhortation is given to "remember ye the law of Moses, my servant, which I commanded unto him in Horeb for all Israel" (2 Nephi 25:4). One might wonder, How is obedience to the law of Moses associated not only with the coming of Elijah, but with the second coming of the Lord?

According to Matthew Brown, in order to gain a more complete understanding of these verses, it is important to understand that the Israelites who lived during the time of Moses were aware of the gospel of Jesus Christ (see Hebrews 4:2; 1 Corinthians 10:1-4). After Moses had led the children of Israel out of bondage in Egypt, he took them to the foot of Mount Sinai, which was also known as "the mountain of God" (Exodus 3:1; 4:27; 18:5). There the Lord promised them that if they would obey His voice and keep His covenant He would make them "a kingdom of priests" and a holy nation (Exodus 19:1-6).

The Israelites agreed to these stipulations and proceeded to build an altar at which they entered into a covenant to be obedient to divine laws (see Exodus 24:1-8). Following this solemn ceremony, the Lord allowed several Israelite leaders, including "seventy of the elders of Israel," to ascend the mountain and see him from a distance (Exodus 24:1-2, 9-10). After this experience, the Lord revealed the pattern for the tabernacle to Moses (see Exodus 25-31) and directed that it be erected in the camp of the Israelites so that He could "dwell among them" (Exodus 25:8-9; 29:45-46).

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But the tabernacle was also built for another purpose. In the Doctrine and Covenants the Lord tells us that He commanded Moses to build the tabernacle so that He could reveal certain ordinances unto His people (see D&C 124:37-41). Moses "plainly taught" the children of Israel about the need for these ordinances and "sought diligently to sanctify his people that they might behold the face of God" as he had. But unfortunately the Lord's covenant people "hardened their hearts and could not endure his presence" (D&C 84:19-25).xxii They became so hardened and rebellious, in fact, that they fashioned and worshipped a golden calf. This act of idolatry was all the more atrocious because it took place right before the holy mountain of God (see Exodus 32:1-8).xxiii

Because of their extremely wicked behavior, Moses took the stone tablets, whereon God himself had written the laws of the covenant, and destroyed them(see Exodus 24:12; 32:15-16, 19). Some biblical interpreters feel that this action signified that the covenant had been broken. These tablets had contained "the words of the everlasting covenant of the holy priesthood" that would have made it possible for the children of Israel to enter into the Lord's presence (JST Deuteronomy 10:2). It is from the Joseph Smith Translation that we learn what happened next.

And the Lord said unto Moses, Hew thee two other tables of stone, like unto the first, and I will write upon them also, the words of the law, according as they were written at the first on the tables which thou brakest; but it shall not be according to the first, for I will take away the priesthood out of their midst; therefore my holy order, and the ordinances thereof, shall not go before them; for my presence shall not go up in their midst, lest I destroy them.

But I will give unto them the law as at the first, but it shall be after the law of a carnal commandment; for I have sworn in my wrath, that they shall not enter into my presence, into my rest, in the days of their pilgrimage. Therefore do as I have commanded thee, and be ready in the morning, and come up in the morning unto mount Sinai. (JST Exodus 34:1-2; emphasis added)

This remarkable restoration of scripture, and the Prophet's assertion that the "law revealed to Moses in Horeb never was revealed to the children of Israel,"xxiv finds support in ancient Jewish tradition. In the Zohar, for instance, we read that the first set of stone tablets given to Moses "emanated from the tree of life" but the second set "came from the side of the tree of good and evil." And according to Jewish kabalah, the first tablets "were the light and doctrine of the Messiah, the outpouring of universal deliverance, the source of eternal life on earth" while the second pair "represented the indirect or 'fragmented' manifestation of this light."xxv

Because the children of Israel chose to be "lawless and disobedient" and to believe in precepts that were "contrary to sound doctrine" (1 Timothy 1:9-10), the Lord "added" the Law of Moses unto the gospel as a strict "schoolmaster"xxvi to prepare them for the coming of the Messiah (JST Galatians 3:19-20, 24). At that time the Savior would once again invite all Israel to participate in the ordinances of the temple and thereby qualify to enter into the presence of the Lord.xxvii

[Matthew B. Brown, The Gate of Heaven, pp. 58-59] [See the commentary on Jacob 4:4-5]

3 Nephi 25:4 Horeb:

We find in the words of Malachi, which the Savior gave to the Nephites, a charge to "remember ye the law of Moses, my servant, which I commanded unto him in Horeb for all Israel" (3 Nephi 25:4). The reader should note that Mt Sinai is also called Horeb in the Old Testament. The Israelites reached Sinai in the 3rd month after their departure from Egypt (Exodus 19:1), and camped at its foot on a plain from which the top was visible (Exodus 19:16,18,20). The Lord revealed himself to Moses on this mountain . . . The covenant made here between God and the people played a major role in binding the tribes together and molding them into one nation serving one God.

The location of this mountain is uncertain. . . . Tradition and most of the modern scholars accept Jebel Musa as Mt Sinai. [Tyndale House, The Illustrated Bible Dictionary, Vol. 3, pp. 1460-61] [However, see the commentary on 1 Nephi 4:2]

3 Nephi 25:4 Horeb (Illustration): (1) The Sinai Peninsula (2) The granite summit of Jebel Musa, the most probable location of Mt. Sinai. [Tyndale House, The Illustrated Bible Dictionary, Vol. 3, p. 1460]

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3 Nephi 25:4-5 Moses . . . Elijah:

We find the following in the words of Malachi, which Jesus gave to the Nephites: "Remember ye the law of Moses, my servant, which I commanded unto him in Horeb for all Israel, with the statutes and judgments. Behold, I will send you Elijah the prohet before the coming of the great and dreadful day of the Lord" (3 Nephi 25:4-5). With this in mind, it is interesting that in 1 Nephi 21:11, Isaiah prophesies that in the last days, the Lord will gather his people to Zion: "And I will make all my mountains a way, and my highway shall be exalted" (Isaiah 49:11). According to Richard Anthony, this "mountain" set up by the Lord is through the tribe of Joseph, and constitutes the "way" God will redeem his people (D&C 133:18:34). The "highway" of the Lord leads to the "mountain of the Lord's house." It was Moses (3 Nephi 25:4), of the loins of Joseph, who delivered the keys of this gathering, or the keys of this highway, to Joseph Smith, who was also of the loins of Joseph, on April 3, 1836 in the Kirtland temple (D&C 110:11). It is a subject of great meditation, that this temple in Kirtland was built basically as a house where these keys could be restored, and instruction in their use could take place. The Kirtland temple was different in purpose than other Latter-day temples.

It is in the temple, or "mountain" or "high place," that sealing powers are exercised. These sealing powers, or the keys of these sealing powers were held anciently by Elijah, the Tishbite, or prophet from Tishbe. The town of Tishbe was located in the lands assigned to and settled by the tribe of Manasseh. It was this same Elijah (3 Nephi 25:5), also a descendant of Joseph, who delivered these keys to Joseph Smith on April 3, 1836 in the "mountain" of the Lord's house, and made a "way" for the children of Israel, here and in the spirit world, to be "exalted." [Richard D. Anthony, Isaiah & Joseph, pp. 64-65, unpublished] [See the commentary on 2 Nephi 7]

3 Nephi 26:5 If They Be Good, to the Resurrection of Everlasting Life:

According to John Welch, as Mormon was giving a speech in Helaman 12, he talked about the dust of the earth being greater than man because the dust of the earth will obey. He concluded chapter 12 by saying, "But we read that in the great and last day there are some who shall be cast out, yea, who shall be cast off from the presence of the Lord." We will stand before God to be judged. "They that have done good shall have everlasting life; and they that have done evil shall have everlasting damnation" (Helaman 12:25-26). Now it is interesting. Mormon says, "as we read," but he doesn't say where. Where has he read it? He has read it exactly here in 3 Nephi (26:4-5). Now he hasn't yet abridged 3 Nephi, but he knows it is there. He has read it, and he quotes the text. That's really rather remarkable. Here you have Joseph Smith going along translating in the book of Helaman, and he quotes a text that he hasn't even encountered yet, which he will later find in 3 Nephi 26. [John W. Welch, "Understanding the Sermon at the Temple, Zion Society," in Teachings of the Book of Mormon, Semester 4, p. 162] [See the commentary on Helaman 12:25-26]

3 Nephi 26:11 The Lord Forbade It, Saying: I Will Try the Faith of My People:

If the purpose of the Book of Mormon is to persuade the world that Jesus is truly the Christ, one might ask, Why did Mormon not continue to write in detail of Christ's Nephite ministry? According to Donl Peterson, the answer is in the text: Mormon wanted to continue; he had planned to, but the Lord forbade him. Mormon explained the situation as follows:

And these things have I written, which are a lesser part of the things which he taught the people; and I have written them to the intent that they may be brought again unto this people, from the Gentiles, according to the words which Jesus hath spoken. And when they shall have received this, which is expedient that they should have first, to try their faith, and if it shall so be that they shall believe these things then shall the greater things be made manifest unto them. And if it so be that they will not believe these things, then shall the greater things be withheld from them, unto their condemnation. Behold, I was about to write them, all which were engraven upon the plates of Nephi, but the Lord forbade it, saying: I will try the faith of my people. (3 Nephi 26:8-11; emphasis added). [H. Donl Peterson, Moroni: Ancient Prophet Modern Messenger, pp. 12-13] Note* Students of the Book of Mormon would do well to remember the Lord's counsel to

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Mormon here. When various pieces of textual data concerning culture, chronology, history, etc. do not seem to fall into place immediately, or if the lack thereof seems to frustrate a more complete understanding of the text, it might be because the Lord inspired Mormon to purposely leave out those details. In essence, the Lord might be trying our faith. [Alan C. Miner, Personal Notes]

3 Nephi 26:12 I, Mormon, Do Write the Things Which Have Been Commanded Me of the Lord:

According to Raymond Treat, the principle, "What is in the Book of Mormon is There for a Purpose," is a very important principle to understand about the Book of Mormon. The dictionary tells us that a principle is a general truth on which other truths depend. The recognition of the "purpose principle" is the recognition of a general truth about the book of Mormon which in turn will lead to other truths. If we ask the question, "Why has this particular information been included?" every time we study a portion of the Book of Mormon we should receive insights that otherwise might be missed.

How do we know that what is in the book of Mormon is there for a purpose? Because major writers of the Book of Mormon tell us they were directed by God as to what to put in the Book of Mormon and what to leave out. For example, in 3 Nephi 26:11-2 Mormon states the following concerning the words of Christ to the Nephites:

Behold, I was about to write them all which were engraven upon the plates of Nephi, but the Lord forbade it, saying: I will try the faith of my people. Therefore I, Mormon, do write the things which have been commanded me of the Lord. And now I, Mormon, make an end of my sayings, and proceed to write the things which have been commanded me.

The chart "The Contents of the Book of Mormon Were Divinely Controlled" (see illustration) is designed to illustrate this point. The chart gives us information about three major Book of Mormon writers--Nephi, Mormon and Moroni. In each case these writers were told both what to put in the Book of Mormon and what to leave out.

For all practical purposes two of these three writers, Mormon and Moroni, controlled the contents of the entire Book of Mormon. Mormon was directed to add the entire contents of the small plates of Nephi to the Book of Mormon. . . . Nephi was responsible for about 82 percent of the contents of the small plates of Nephi, which strengthens the case even further that the contents of the Book of Mormon were indeed divinely controlled. They also give validity to the principle that what is in the Book of Mormon is there for a purpose. [Raymond C. Treat, "What is in the Book of Mormon is There for a Purpose," in Recent Book of Mormon Developments, Vol. 2, pp. 172-173]

3 Nephi 26:12 I, Mormon, do write the things which have been commanded me of the Lord (Illustration): Chart: "The Contents of the Book of Mormon Were Divinely Controlled." [Raymond C. Treat, "What is in the Book of Mormon is There for a Purpose," in Recent Book of Mormon Developments, Vol. 2, p. 172]

3 Nephi 26:12 I, Mormon, do write the things which have been commanded me of the Lord (Illustration): Chart: The Contents of the Book of Mormon Were Divinely Controlled. [Raymond C. Treat, "What Is in the Book of Mormon is There for a Purpose," in Recent Book of Mormon Developments, Vol. 2, p. 172]

3 Nephi 26:13 The Lord Truly Did Teach the People for the Space of Three Days:

According to John Welch, recent scholarship has shown that ancient Israelites may have celebrated, as part of Shavuot (Pentecost in Greek), the giving of the law to Moses and the revelation of the Ten Commandments on Mount Sinai. . . In addition, Shavuot (Pentecost) was a day for remembering great spiritual manifestations. Thus, the Holy Ghost was manifest as tongues of fire to the saints gathered for Pentecost that same year in Jerusalem (see Acts 2:1-4). Shavuot came to be associated with the day on which the Lord came down in smoke and flame on Mount Sinai and appeared to Moses on behalf of the host of Israel. Now Jesus had come down and appeared to all gathered in Bountiful. Indeed, the ancient model for Shavuot was the three day ritual the Israelites observed before the law was given at Sinai (see Exodus 19:15), and Jesus similarly "did teach the [Nephites] for the space of three days" (3 Nephi 26:13; see also 11:1-8;

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19:4-15). Thus, while the suggestion that Jesus appeared at Bountiful on Shavuot or any other particular holy day remains tentative, the choice of Shavuot is attractive and symbolically meaningful. [John W. Welch, The Sermon at the Temple and the Sermon on the Mount, F.A.R.M.S., p. 32]

3 Nephi 26:13 The Lord Truly Did Teach the People For the Space of Three Days:

According to Vicki Alder, the number three has very special significance. Its main purpose appears to lie in presiding. The number three also has special importance in witnessing or bearing record. The frequency of the number three in the life of the Savior is phenomenal.

The infant Jesus was given three gifts from the wise men. (Matthew 2:11) The wedding in Cana where Jesus performed His first miracle and changed the water into wine was held on the "third" day of the week. (John 2:1; JST John 2:1) Apostle Jedediah M. Grant, an early Church leader, taught in Conference that Jesus was married. Apostle Orson Hyde said that the marriage in Cana was Christ's own wedding as anciently the groom was in charge of providing the wine at marriages. (J.M.G., J.D. 1:345-346; O.H., J.D. 4:259-260)

After the Lord's baptism, the devil tempted Jesus three separate times. (Matthew 4:3-11; Luke 4:2-13)

Christ's ministry to the Jews was for three years. (D&C 138:25) On the mount of transfiguration after a heavenly vision, Peter wanted to erect three tabernacles to represent Jesus, Moses and Elias who had been there. (Matthew 17:4; Mark 9:5; Luke 9:33)

Jesus prophesied that Peter would deny Him three times, which he did. (Matthew 26:34, 75; Luke 22:34) When the Lord went into the Garden of Gethsemane to suffer he took three apostles with him. He found them sleeping three times during his agony, and He admonished and spoke to them three times. (Mark 14:33-41; Matthew 26:37-45)

During the trial of the Lord, Pilate asked the people three times to release Jesus and three times the majority of them wanted to crucify Him. (Luke 23:14-23)

Nails were driven into three places in Christ's body during the crucifixion, His palms, wrists and feet. "And it was the third hour, and they crucified him." (Mark 15:25) A superscription was placed over the Lord saying, "This is the King of the Jews" in three languages: Greek, Latin and Hebrew. (Luke 23:38; John 19:19-20) There were three crosses on Golgotha, because Jesus was crucified between two thieves Mark recorded: "And he was numbered with the transgressors." (Mark 15:28; see Isaiah 53:12) At that time in the Americas, there were three hours of tremendous upheaval and earthquakes. (3 Nephi 8:19) At about the same time in Israel, there were three hours of darkness. (Matthew 27:45; Luke 23:44) In the Americas, there were three days of darkness (1 Nephi 19:10; Helaman 14:20, 27; 3 Nephi 8:23), while in Jerusalem the body of Jesus lay in a sepulchre for three days. (2 Nephi 25:13) The resurrection was to take place on the third day. (Matthew 20:19; Luke 24:7; Acts 10:40) Jesus lived in mortality for thirty-three years.

In Israel after His resurrection, Jesus showed Himself to His disciples three times. (John 21:14) Before ascending to heaven, Jesus asked Peter three times if he loved him and three times He admonished him to feed the Lord's sheep. (John 21:15-17)

When Jesus appeared to the Nephites, the voice of Heavenly Father was heard three times before the Nephites understood what He said. (3 Nephi 11:3-7) Jesus taught the Nephites for three days. (3 Nephi 26:13) The Lord then translated three of the Nephites. (3 Nephi 28:4-9) And afterward, three generations of Nephites passed away in righteousness. (1 Nephi 12:11; 2 Nephi 26:9) It is recorded that Jesus showed himself to three nations after His resurrection, the Jews, the Nephites and the lost tribes of Israel. (3 Nephi 11:8, 15:14-17)

It is apparent that the number three figured prominently in the life of Jesus Christ who witnessed for His Father. The consistency of the use of certain holy and special numbers both in the Bible and the Book of Mormon, Doctrine and Covenants and Pearl of Great Price is further evidence and testimony that the same God inspired and revealed all of these scriptures for He is the same yesterday, today and forever. (Hebrews 13:8) [Vicki Alder, Mysteries in the Scriptures: Enlightenment through Ancient Beliefs, pp. 113-115, 137]

3 Nephi 26:13 He Did Show Himself unto Them Oft:

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Jesus told the Nephites on the American continent: "Ye are they of whom I said: Other sheep I have which are not of this fold; them also I must bring, and they shall hear my voice; and there shall be one fold, and one shepherd." Yet, although we tend to think of Christ's visit to the Nephites as a single event at Bountiful, but we cannot rule out the possibility that Christ might have visited and ministered to some of his "other sheep" in Mesoamerica at the same time. Though the Book of Mormon mentions that "he [Christ] did show himself unto them [the Nephites] oft" (3 Nephi 26:13), it is silent on Jesus' other contacts with people on the American continent. However, the Mesoamerican record keepers are not. Ixtlilxochitl was an Aztec prince who took it upon himself to record their history. As part of this history, Ixtlilxochitl wrote about a Toltec priest king called Tolpiltzin, who had taken upon himself the name Quetzalcoatl because of many circumstances in his life which paralleled the original Quetzalcoatl god. He also apparently patterned his life according to those parallels. With this in mind, Ixtlilxochitl's words take on added interest:

He [Quetzalcoatl], having preached . . . in the majority of the cities of the Ulmecas and Xicalancas and in particular in that of Cholula, . . . returned through the same part from when he had come, which was by the orient [east] disappearing through Coatzalcoalco" (Ixtlilxochitl, translation in Hunter and Ferguson 1950:218; Quetzalcoatl's departure, in Kingsborough 1848)

The cities of the Ulmecas (Olmecs) and Xicalancas are in the southern Gulf Coast of Tabasco (which means abundance [Scholes and Roys 1948]) near the Isthmus of Tehuantepec. This region correlates with some major Book of Mormon geographical models as the land of Bountiful and the "eastern" coastal territory near the narrow neck of land. Quetzalcoatl's place of departure ("Coatzalcoalco") is today still named Coatzalcoalcos, and is located east southeast from Cholula, Mexico. Moreover, when Ixtlilxochitl states that Quetzalcoatl visited Cholula of the "Ulmecas" or Olmecs, he is dating the ministry of the Fair God to an early era many centuries before Aztec times. A whole series of Olmec communities were flourishing in Mesoamerica in the days of Jesus, Cholula among them. Thus, if Topiltzin Quetzalcoatl's journeys paralleled those of the ancient Quetzalcoatl, then Christ would have also visited Cholula before returning and departing from the proposed land of Bountiful near Coatzalcoalcos. [Bruce W. Warren, Blaine M. Yorgason, Harold Brown, New Evidences of Christ in Mesoamerica, Unpublished Manuscript]

3 Nephi 26:19 And They Had All Things Common among Them:

In 4 Nephi 1:3 we find: "And they had all things common among them; therefore there were not rich and poor, bond and free, but they were all made free, and partakers of the heavenly gift." According to Andrew Skinner, the most striking thing about the law of the celestial kingdom as it operated among he Nephites and Lamanites, and others as well, was the economic equality that prevailed. The scriptures use the phrase "all things common" to describe the condition. This was not a system of communal ownership such as has been advocated by nineteenth- and twentieth-century secular political theories. Nor did it mean that each person had exactly the same amount of personal goods. The following instruction may help to further clarify the matter:

The scriptural phrase "they had all things common" (Acts 4:32; see also Acts 2:44; 3 Nephi 26:19; 4 Nephi 1:3) is used to characterize those who lived the law of consecration in ancient times. Some have speculated that the term common suggests a type of communalism or "Christian Communism." This interpretation is in error. The Prophet Joseph Smith taught clearly the true nature of having all things common: I preached on the stand about one hour on the 2nd chapter of Acts, designing to show the folly of common stock (holding property in common). In Nauvoo every one is steward over his own (property)." (Joseph Smith, History of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, 6:37-38)xxviii

Each stewardship is considered private property, and the residues and surpluses consecrated for the storehouse became the "common property of the whole church" (D&C 82:18). It is referred to as the "common property" because every covenant member of the order had access to it, according to his just "wants" and "needs," including the need to improve his stewardship. (Doctrine and Covenants Student Manual: Religion 324-325, 1981, p. 425).

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[Andrew C. Skinner, "The Course of Peace and Apostasy," in Studies in Scripture: Book of Mormon, Part 2, p. 223]

3 Nephi 27:5 Ye Must Take upon You the Name of Christ, Which Is My Name:

According to Dallin Oaks, the word name occurs in the scriptures about 1500 times, mostly as references to Deity or to the name of Deity. Instead of directly referring to God the Father or His Son, Jesus Christ, many passages of scripture refer only to "the name of the Lord," to "his name," or to "my name" (for example, see 3 Nephi 8:1). . . . What is the significance of the word name when it refers to Deity? Or more especially, What does it mean to "take upon you the name of Christ"? (3 Nephi 27:5)

The first dictionary meaning of the word name is a word or words by which a person is identified, designated, or known. Consequently, a scriptural reference to the "name" of the Father or the Son can be simply a reference to God himself (see 2 Nephi 9:52). . . .

Many scriptural references to the "name" of Jesus Christ seem to be references to the authority or priesthood or power of Jesus Christ. . . . A prominent Bible dictionary observes, "The prophets spoke in the name of the Lord--i.e., with divine authority (James 5:10)" xxix . . . For example, the Book of Mormon prophet, Nephi, "[did] many more miracles, in the sight of the people, in the name of Jesus" (3 Nephi 7:20). . . . Dictionaries note that when one person acts in the "name" of another, he acts as the deputy or representative of the other or in behalf of the other.xxx . . .

The most frequent single meaning of the scriptures that refer to the name of the Lord seems to be work of the Lord (or His work or My work). . . . The Book of Mormon records an impressive illustration of the use of "name" to not just identify the Lord's Church, but to declare that something more is required:

And how be it my church save it be called in my name? For if a church be called in Moses' name then it be Moses' church; or if it be called in the name of a man then it be the church of a man; but if it be called in my name then it is my church, if it so be that they are built upon my gospel. (3 Nephi 27:8)

There is one more meaning of the word name, as applied to Jesus Christ or God the Father, that incorporates all the other meanings and goes beyond. It comes from the meaning of the word name as signifying (or even embodying) the essence of the one named. In this meaning the scriptural words name of the Lord or His name or My name not only incorporate the ideas of His identity, His authority (priesthood), and His work, but also include the idea of His essence, including His Godliness . . . When we read some scriptures to embody this meaning, we also find strong confirmation of the ancient Christian doctrine of deification and of the Latter-day Saint belief in exaltation. . . . There are numerous occasions where the Lord identifies Himself (or His prophets identify Him) by names that describe one of His qualities. [Note* There are over 500 different descriptive titles for Deity in the Book of Mormon alone--see Volume 1, Appendix B] This revealing of the attributes of God has the important purpose of helping us to know God and thereby helping us toward eternal life (see John 17:3)

In the ancient world, a name represented the essence of the person named. Thus, a prominent Bible dictionary declares:

In biblical thought a name is not a mere label of identification; it is an expression of the essential nature of its bearer. A man's name reveals his character. . . . Hence to know the name of God is to know God as he has revealed himself.xxxi

The dictionary explains, "Nothing exists unless it has a name. . . . It's essence is concentrated in its name" (Interpreter's Dictionary, 3:501). . . . One of the names of the Lord is "I AM" (Exodus 3:13-14; see also 3 Nephi 9:15; 11:15; 15:5). In English the words I am signify the state of being (the first person present tense of the vert to be). (In Latin, the verb of being is esse, which is the root source of essence.) Thus, when Moses asked to know the name of God, he was asking to know the essence or nature of God, and God answered in those same terms. The Bible dictionary quoted above concludes:

The uses of the word "name" in the Old Testament are all related to the central conception of name as denoting essential being. this applies with regard to both man and

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God. . .. The name in the Old Testament is the essence of personality, the expression of innermost being. (Interpreter's Dictionary, 3:501)The resurrected Lord taught the covenant concept of "taking upon you the name of Christ"

when He appeared to the Nephites:Have they not read the scriptures, which say ye must take upon you the name of

Christ, which is my name? For by this name shall ye be called at the last day; And whoso taketh upon him my name and endureth to the end, the same shall be saved at the last day. (3 Nephi 27:5-6).

This reference to taking upon us the name of Christ and being "saved at the last day" is a clear reference to exaltation, which means attaining the essence of Christ. Thus, in the concluding lecture on faith, the Prophet taught that "salvation [exaltation] consists in the glory, authority, majesty, power and dominion which Jehovah possesses and in nothing else; and no being can possess it but himself or one like him." (Lectures on Faith, 7:9) In other words, to be saved we must take upon us--attain to--the essence of Christ. This is the purpose and goal of His plan, including His atonement, His authority, and His commandments, under which we give obedience and service, receive ordinances, and make and keep covenants. [Dallin H. Oaks, His Holy Name, pp. 1-56]

3 Nephi 27:7 Therefore, Ye Shall Call the Church in My Name:

People came up to the Lord and wanted to know the name that they should call the Church because they were having "disputations" (3 Nephi 27:3). In response, the Lord said:

Have they not read the scriptures, which say ye must take upon you the name of Christ, which is my name? For by this name shall ye be called at the last day;

And whoso taketh upon him my name, and endureth to the end, the same shall be saved at the last day. (3 Nephi 27:5-6)

According to John Welch, the giving of the name of the church; the explaining of the importance of the name of the church, that it is the church of Christ, and that it should be called after the name of Christ, etc., is not just an idle thing. It is related to the fact that the name of Christ has been taken upon these people by way of covenant and, therefore, the Church describes those people who have entered into this covenant relationship with Christ. [John W. Welch, "Understanding the Sermon at the Temple, Zion Society," in Teachings of the Book of Mormon, Semester 4, p. 157] [See the commentary on 3 Nephi 5:12]

3 Nephi 27:14 My Father Sent Me That I Might Be Lifted Up upon the Cross:

In 3 Nephi 27:14 Jesus declares, "My sent me that I might be lifted up upon the cross." According to the Works of Ixtlilxochitl, the symbol of the cross was given to the ancient inhabitants of America by Quetzalcoatl. . . . Ancient pre-Spanish Conquest crosses have been found in southern Mexico in ancient Bountiful-land territory. A beautiful example is the famous cross on the stone altar in the Maya temple at Palenque. Atop that cross sits the quetzal bird, another symbol of the resurrected Lord. That the cross and the quetzal bird appear together is noteworthy. Another cross was found by archaeologists at Yachilan on the Guatemala side of the Usumacinta River. The cross was known and used in Yucatan right down to the time of the coming of the Spaniards. . . . According to Mesoamerican histories, "[He was] the first who worshiped and placed the Cross, which some called quiauhtzteotlchicahualizteotl, and others called Tonacaquahuitl, which means god of rains and health, and tree of sustenance or of life. [Milton R. Hunter and Thomas Stuart Ferguson, Ancient America and the Book of Mormon, pp. 210-211]

3 Nephi 27:14 My Father Sent Me That I Might Be Lifted Up upon the Cross:

In 3 Nephi 27:14 Jesus declares, "My sent me that I might be lifted up upon the cross." According to Warren and Ferguson, shortly before the arrival of the Spaniards in the New World, Chilam prophesied the return of Itzamna-Quetzalcoatl, the bearded, white-robed, white skinned Messiah of his ancient ancestry. When the Spaniards arrived, the Mayas of Yucatan believed at first,

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as did Moctezuma's people of central Mexico, that the "Fair God" had finally returned as promised (Roys 187). His people thereafter regarded Chilam Balam as a great prophet. Actually, he had merely repeated the ancient prophecy of the Fair God himself who had announced anciently that someday he would return. The prophet Chilam said a number of interesting and important things about Itzamna, the ancient prophecy of Itzamna's return, and Hunab-ku, father of Itzamna:

"There is the sign of Hunab-ku on high. The raised wooden standard [the cross] shall come. . . . Let us exalt his sign on high. . . . The First Tree of the World [the tree of life] is restored; it is displayed to the world. This is the sign of Hunab-ku on high. You shall be converted to the word of Hunab-ku, Lord; it came from heaven. Oh it is he who speaks to you!" (Roys 167-69)

Peter Matyr D'Anghera, an Italian geographer and historian who wrote in 1516 on the discovery of the Yucatan and the Mayas, observed:

They worship idols, and some of them, but not all, are circumcised. They have laws, and are extremely honest in trading, which they carry on without money. Crosses have been seen amongst them; and when they were asked, through interpreters, the meaning of that emblem, some of them answered that a very beautiful man had once lived amongst them, who had left them this symbol as a remembrance of him; others said that a man more radiant than the sun had died upon the cross. (MacNutt 7-8)

[Bruce W. Warren and Thomas Stuart Ferguson, The Messiah in Ancient America, pp. 81-82]

3 Nephi 27:14 My father sent me that I might be lifted up upon the cross (Illustration): Ancient Mesoamerican crosses: No. 1 is a Serpent Cross; No. 2, Cross shown on Quetzalcoatl's tunic; No. 3, Cross from Mayapan, Yucatan; No. 4, Cross of Teotihuacan (near Mexico City) with Life symbol at the top; No. 5, Cross from the tablet of the Foliated Cross temple at Palenque, Chiapas; No. 6, Cross and Tree of Life from Yaxchilan, Guatemala, with serpent-like tail feathers extending from the tail of the bird at the top of the cross; No. 7, Tree and cross from the tablet of the Cross at Palenque, Chiapas. [Bruce W. Warren and Thomas Stuart Ferguson, The Messiah in Ancient America, p. 80]

3 Nephi 27:14 My Father Sent Me That I Might Be Lifted up upon the Cross:

According to Warren and Ferguson, in Mesoamerica the virgin-born and crucified Man-God, Itzamna-Quetzalcoatl, was symbolized by the cross (3 Nephi 27:14), the serpent, the quetzal bird, the Tree of Life, fire, the hand, the shepherd's staff, Venus--the Morning Star, and other appropriate reminders of the Creator Life-God (see illustration). These symbols preceded the earthly ministry of Jesus by many centuries, going back to "the beginning." [Bruce W. Warren and Thomas Stuart Ferguson, The Messiah in Ancient America, p. 22]

3 Nephi 27:14 My Father sent me that I might be lifted upon the cross (Illustration): Symbols of the Messiah Common to Both the Old World and the New World. [Bruce W. Warren and Thomas Stuart Ferguson, The Messiah in Ancient America, pp. 25-26]

3 Nephi 27:15 For This Cause Have I Been Lifted Up; Therefore . . . I Will Draw All Men unto Me:

T. J. O'Brien notes that in Mexico, feathered-serpent translates into "Quetzalcoatl," the name by which this highly revered god/man was known. The meaning behind that title is basic to comprehending the mission and place accorded the hero.

Quetzal: The Quetzal is one of the most beautiful birds living in the Western Hemisphere. Inhabiting the tops of trees in the highlands of Guatemala and Chiapas, Mexico, it is seldom seen by humans and is difficult to maintain in captivity. Its iridescent emerald-green plumage, scarlet breast, and unusually long tail feathers are prized for their decorative qualities. In ancient times, the bird's feathers were worn only by royalty, and killing it was considered a crime. . . .

Symbolically to the ancient Mesoamericans, wings gave birds the same mobility as that possessed by the gods. Birds were considered sacred messengers from heaven. Among many tribes they were seldom killed, and their songs were carefully studied for important omens from the

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world above. . . .Coatl: The Coatl is the ever-present and ever-threatening serpent, usually the rattlesnake.

Mexico, the land of the Mexica, could also be called the land of the serpent. This ominous reptile is not only abundant in nature, it appears in every art form all over Mesoamerica: picture writing, ceramic decoration, painted murals, and carvings on temple walls. Large stone monuments were erected to this fearsome, but highly regarded creature, and religious ceremonies were seldom complete without it. . . .

Forever bound to the earth, and inhabitant of the underground, the serpent (coatl) is considered by many primitive cultures to be supernatural. Its enviable ability to shed an old skin for a healthy new one gave the serpent, in native minds, an association with new life and rejuvenation which also connect the serpent symbol with another symbol for life and regeneration, the sun.xxxii

As different as a soaring bird might seem from a coiled serpent, they do share certain characteristics: the long, flowing feathers of some birds can recall the similarly sinuous movements of a serpent. Both could resemble the winding path of water--another giver of life.xxxiii . . . Both bird and serpent were believed to have supernatural powers--those of the bird came from above; those of the serpent resided in the mysterious underworld. Serpents and birds both lay eggs, which are a universal symbol of fertility and birth. Both serpents and birds were associated in the Indian mind with other elements of fertility and new growth: water, rain, and vegetation.xxxiv

So what has all of this to do with a bearded visitor? [and also a Messiah who has been "lifted up" and who desires to draw "all men unto me"? -- 3 Nephi 27:15] In identifying with a feathered-serpent, the culture hero advantageously assumes all the amazing qualities attributed to both bird and serpent. The symbolic transformation of earthly scales into more lofty feathers allows the feathered-serpent of mythology to soar. Represented by this symbol, the bearded culture hero is also believed to ascend into heaven and, through a ritualistic process, generously offers his followers a similar privilege. In accepting Quetzalcoatl, the weary native hoped for a release from his limited, serpent-like, earthbound sphere, and expected to eventually become like serpent-bird and god, able to rise toward heaven.

The combined figure of serpent and bird together united the saving elements of earth and sky. What at first seemed hardly compatible now becomes a fitting metaphor and symbol for the Mexican hero/god. The chief mission of Quetzalcoatl, claims Sejourne, was to "lift his people out of their carnal element and make them divine."xxxv [T.J. O'Brien, Fair Gods and Feathered Serpents, pp. 52-54]

3 Nephi 27:20 Come unto Me and Be Baptized in My Name:

According to T.J. O'Brien, there are examples of the baptism rite all over the Americas, from immersion to sprinklings, and in Mexico, children were baptized in special water in the name of Quetzalcoatl. Considered necessary for everyone, this one-time ceremony was preceded by a special confession of sins to the priests, and it was believed that those who died without it would suffer more in the next life. For those who were baptized, there was a ceremony of remembrance, much like the Christian communion, in which images of his body were made of dough, broken and eaten.xxxvi [T.J. O'Brien, Fair Gods and Feathered Serpents, p. 221]

3 Nephi 27:32 The Fourth Generation from This Generation . . . Are Led Away Captive By . . . the Son of Perdition:

In 3 Nephi 27:32 we find the Savior prophesying concerning the future generations of the Nephites:

But behold, it sorroweth me because of the fourth generation from this generation, for they are led away captive by him even as was the son of perdition; for they will sell me for silver and for gold, and for that which moth doth corrupt and which thieves can break through and steal. And in that day will I visit them, even in turning their works upon their own heads.

This prophecy builds on the vision of Nephi wherein he saw the following:11: And the angel said unto me: Look! And I looked, and beheld three generations pass

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away in righteousness; and their garments were white even like unto the Lamb of God. 12: And the angel said unto me: These are made white in the blood of the Lamb, because of their faith in him. And I, Nephi, also saw many of the fourth generation who passed away in righteousness. 15: And it came to pass that I looked and beheld the people of my seed gathered together in multitudes against the seed of my brethren; and they were gathered together to battle.20: And it came to pass that I beheld, and saw the people of the seed of my brethren that they had overcome my seed; (1 Nephi 12:11-12, 15, 20)

Nephi also repeats this prophecy in 2 Nephi 26:9-11:But the Son of righteousness shall appear unto them; and he shall heal them, and

they shall have peace with him, until three generations shall have passed away, and many of the fourth generation shall have passed away in righteousness.

And when these things have passed away a speedy destruction cometh unto my people; for, notwithstanding the pains of my soul, I have seen it; wherefore, I know that it shall come to pass; and they sell themselves for naught; for, for the reward of their pride and their foolishness they shall reap destruction; for because they yield unto the devil and choose works of darkness rather than light, therefore they must go down to hell.

For the Spirit of the Lord will not always strive with man. And when the Spirit ceaseth to strive with man then cometh speedy destruction, and this grieveth my soul

Almost 500 years later [abt. 73 B.C.], Alma2 came to his son Helaman and repeated this prophecy concerning the destruction of the Nephites. Helaman recorded this prophecy as follows :

9: But behold, I have somewhat to prophesy unto thee; but what I prophesy unto thee ye shall not make known; yea, what I prophesy unto thee shall not be made known, even until the prophecy is fulfilled; therefore write the words which I shall say.10: And these are the words: Behold, I perceive that this very people, the Nephites, according to the spirit of revelation which is in me, in four hundred years from the time that Jesus Christ shall manifest himself unto them, shall dwindle in unbelief.11: Yea, and then shall they see wars and pestilences, yea, famines and bloodshed, even until the people of Nephi shall become extinct--12: Yea, and this because they shall dwindle in unbelief and fall into the works of darkness, and lasciviousness, and all manner of iniquities; yea, I say unto you, that because they shall sin against so great light and knowledge, yea, I say unto you, that from that day, even the fourth generation shall not all pass away before this great iniquity shall come.13: And when that great day cometh, behold, the time very soon cometh that those who are now, or the seed of those who are now numbered among the people of Nephi, shall no more be numbered among the people of Nephi.14: But whosoever remaineth, and is not destroyed in that great and dreadful day, shall be numbered among the Lamanites, and shall become like unto them, all, save it be a few who shall be called the disciples of the Lord; and them shall the Lamanites pursue even until they shall become extinct. And now, because of iniquity, this prophecy shall be fulfilled. (Alma 45:9-14)

Just previous to the Savior's birth (about 6 B.C.), Samuel the Lamanite included words concerning the Nephite destruction among his prophecies:

5: And he said unto them: Behold, I, Samuel, a Lamanite, do speak the words of the Lord which he doth put into my heart; and behold he hath put it into my heart to say unto this people that the sword of justice hangeth over this people; and four hundred years pass not away save the sword of justice falleth upon this people.6: Yea, heavy destruction awaiteth this people, and it surely cometh unto this people, and nothing can save this people save it be repentance and faith on the Lord Jesus Christ, who surely shall come into the world, and shall suffer many things and shall be slain for his people.7: And behold, an angel of the Lord hath declared it unto me, and he did bring glad tidings to my soul. And behold, I was sent unto you to declare it unto you also, that ye might have

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glad tidings; but behold ye would not receive me.8: Therefore, thus saith the Lord: Because of the hardness of the hearts of the people of the Nephites, except they repent I will take away my word from them, and I will withdraw my Spirit from them, and I will suffer them no longer, and I will turn the hearts of their brethren against them.9: And four hundred years [A.D. 394?] shall not pass away before I will cause that they shall be smitten; yea, I will visit them with the sword and with famine and with pestilence.10: Yea, I will visit them in my fierce anger, and there shall be those of the fourth generation who shall live, of your enemies, to behold your utter destruction; and this shall surely come except ye repent, saith the Lord; and those of the fourth generation shall visit your destruction.

[Note* This is probably referring to the final battles]11: But if ye will repent and return unto the Lord your God I will turn away mine anger, saith the Lord; yea, thus saith the Lord, blessed are they who will repent and turn unto me, but wo unto him that repenteth not.12: Yea, wo unto this great city of Zarahemla; for behold, it is because of those who are righteous that it is saved; yea, wo unto this great city, for I perceive, saith the Lord, that there are many, yea, even the more part of this great city, that will harden their hearts against me, saith the Lord.13: But blessed are they who will repent, for them will I spare. But behold, if it were not for the righteous who are in this great city, behold, I would cause that fire should come down out of heaven and destroy it.14: But behold, it is for the righteous' sake that it is spared. But behold, the time cometh, saith the Lord, that when ye shall cast out the righteous from among you, then shall ye be ripe for destruction; yea, wo be unto this great city, because of the wickedness and abominations which are in her.15: Yea, and wo be unto the city of Gideon, for the wickedness and abominations which are in her.16: Yea, and wo be unto all the cities which are in the land round about, which are possessed by the Nephites, because of the wickedness and abominations which are in them.17: And behold, a curse shall come upon the land, saith the Lord of Hosts, because of the people's sake who are upon the land, yea, because of their wickedness and their abominations.18: And it shall come to pass, saith the Lord of Hosts, yea, our great and true God, that whoso shall hide up treasures in the earth shall find them again no more, because of the great curse of the land, save he be a righteous man and shall hide it up unto the Lord.19: For I will, saith the Lord, that they shall hide up their treasures unto me; and cursed be they who hide not up their treasures unto me; for none hideth up their treasures unto me save it be the righteous; and he that hideth not up his treasures unto me, cursed is he, and also the treasure, and none shall redeem it because of the curse of the land. (Helaman 13:5-19)

That Mormon was able to include prophecies such as these in his record signifies their importance. That he was able to cite their fulfillment is a testament to his record. The following verses are a direct fulfillment of the vision of Nephi and the timetable prophesied by the Savior concerning the fourth generation:

(1st generation) In 4 Nephi 1:18 we find that "an hundred and ten years had passed away; and the first generation from Christ had passed away, and there was no contention in all the land."

(2nd generation) In 4 Nephi 1:22 we find that "two hundred years had passed away; and the second generation had all passed away save it were a few."

(3rd generation) In 4 Nephi 1:48 we find that "when three hundred and twenty years had passed away, Ammaron, being constrained by the Holy Ghost, did hide up the records which were sacred--yea, even all the sacred records which had been handed down from

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generation to generation, which were sacred--even until the three hundred and twentieth year from the coming of Christ."

(4th generation)a. In Mormon 1:2 we find that "about the time that Ammaron hid up the records

unto the Lord, he came unto me [Mormon], . . . and Ammaron said unto me . . . when ye are about twenty and four years old I would that ye should . . . take the plates of Nephi unto yourself . . . and ye shall engrave on the plates of Nephi all the things that ye have observed concerning this people.

b. In about the year A.D. 322, "there began to be a war between the Nephites . . . and the Lamanites" (Mormon 1:8)

c. Mormon writes: "In the three hundred and sixty and second year . . . I Mormon did utterly refuse from this time forth to be a commander and a leader of this people, because of their wickedness and abomination . . . and I did even as the Lord had commanded me; and I did stand as an idle witness to manifest unto the world the things which I saw and heard according to the manifestations of the Spirit which had testified of things to come. (Mormon 3:8, 11, 16)

d. Mormon writes, "when three hundred and eighty and four years had passed away, we had gathered in all the remainder of our people unto the land of Cumorah. . . . And it came to pass that they [the Lamanites] came to battle against us. . . . [and] they [went] through and hew[ed] down all my people save it were twenty and four of us. (Mormon 6:5, 8, 11, 15)

e. Moroni writes, "Behold four hundred years have passed away since the coming of our Lord and Savior [A.D. 400?]. 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. (Mormon 8:6)

As for the rest of the Savior's prophecy, he builds on words which he had taught previously:Lay not up for yourselves treasures upon earth, where moth and rust doth corrupt,

and thieves break through and steal; but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor trust doth corrupt, and where thieves do not break through nor steal. for where your treasure is, there will your heart be also. (3 Nephi 13:19-21)

It is interesting to note that Samuel the Lamanite also prophesied of slippery treasures relative to the Nephite destruction (see above). To his credit, Mormon noted the fulfillment of that prophecy (see Mormon 1;19). Moroni also noted the association of slippery treasures (degenerate thievery) among the Jaredites at the time of their destruction (see Ether 14:1-2). [Alan C. Miner, Personal Notes] [See the commentary on Mormon 1:19; Ether 14:1-2]

3 Nephi 28:1 After That I Am Gone to the Father:

According to John Tvedtnes, the Hebraisms in the Book of Mormon help persuade us that it is authentic . . . Biblical Hebrew begins subordinate clauses with prepositions plus a word that translates as that, such as in Ezekiel 40:1: "after that the city was smitten." Such a use of that in English is awkward and therefore rare. Yet it appears frequently in the Book of Mormon, another evidence of Hebrew influence. It was even more frequent in the 1830 edition, but many of the thats were dropped from later editions to read more smoothly (for example 2 Nephi 2:26; 4:32; 29:8; 6:5; 1 Nephi 13:15; 16:22 etc.). One example among many found in the Book of Mormon is in 3 Nephi 28:1, "after that I am gone to the Father." [John A. Tvedtnes, "The Hebrew Background of the Book of Mormon," in Rediscovering the Book of Mormon, F.A.R.M.S., pp. 86-87]

3 Nephi 28:7 Ye Shall Never Taste of Death . . . Until . . . I Come in My Glory:

About A.D. 34, Jesus translated the Three Nephites according to their request. Christ said that the Three Nephites were "more blessed" than the other nine disciples who requested to die after their missions were completed. (3 Nephi 28:7) On the other side of the world, John the

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Beloved asked Christ to translate him which He did. (John 21:21-23, D&C 7) But John was not the only disciple that was translated at that time in the Holy Land for Jesus testified to the people: "There be some standing here, which shall not taste of death, till they see the Son of man coming in his kingdom [the second coming]." (Matthew 16:28; see also Mark 9:1; Luke 9:27) Obviously, there were others who were translated that we have no record of as Jesus revealed: "Wherefore, I will that all men shall repent, for all are under sin, except those which I have reserved unto myself, the holy men that ye know not of." (D&C 49:8; see JST Genesis 19:15, D&C 45:11-14)

Apostle Franklin D. Richards believed that when the Three Nephites were translated that the Lord "took them into the heavens and endowed them with the power of translation, probably in one of Enoch's temples, and brought them back to the earth." (J.D. 25:236) It was written that the Three Nephites said of their translation experience: "for it did seem unto them like a transfiguration of them, that they were changed from this body of flesh into an immortal state, that they could behold the things of God" (3 Nephi 28:15). [Vicki Alder, Mysteries in the Scriptures: Enlightenment through Ancient Beliefs, pp. 272-273]

3 Nephi 28:7 More blessed are ye, for ye shall never taste of death (Illustration): Christ with the Three Nephites. Artist: Gary Kapp. [Thomas R. Valletta ed., The Book of Mormon for Latter-day Saint Families, 1999, p. 572]

3 Nephi 28:7 I Shall Come [Again] in My Glory with the Powers of Heaven:

In 3 Nephi 28:7-8 Christ is addressing the three disciples who desired to tarry. Christ says the following:

Therefore, more blessed are ye, for ye shall never taste of death; but ye shall live to behold all the doings of the Father unto the children of men, even until all things shall be fulfilled according to the will of the Father, when I shall come in my glory with the powers of heaven. And ye shall never endure the pains of death; but when I shall come in my glory ye shall be changed in the twinkling of an eye from mortality to immortality.

According to Garth Norman, a tenth-century Mexican culture hero called Ce Acatl Topitltzin Quetzalcoatl took upon himself the title of the deity Quetzalcoatl. There is good reason to believe that this man-god, who was a priest king of Tula, was regarded as an incarnation of the original god Quetzalcoatl, and significant historic events in his life may have been designed to convey that meaning. How else can we account for his birth on 1 Reed (Ce Acatl), his death on 1 Reed, and his promise to return as a Messianic-type resurrected being on 1 Reed (Carrasco p. 34; Bierhorsts 1974, p. 37). Bruce Warren has convincingly correlated this 1 Reed date with Christ's birth (as explained in AAF Newsletter No. 3). So it is reasonable to suspect that the Quetzalcoatl god they were looking for was Christ--and of course Quetzalcoatl Topiltzin who was regarded as an incarnation of the original god Quetzalcoatl. . . . The native belief in Quetzalcoatl's return is documented in Alvarado Tezozomoc's account where Moctezuma II's counselor Tlacaelel reminds the king that it is time to renovate a deteriorated wooden "image of Quetzalcoatl who went to heaven, saying when he left he would return and bring our brothers, . . . and it has to be renovated, to be the god we all wait for, who went tot he sea and sky." . . . When we consider the three Nephite disciples at Bountiful being privileged to remain and not taste of death to bring souls to Christ until his second coming (3 Nephi 28:4-9), it is easier to comprehend both the perpetuation of that prophecy down through Mesoamerican historical tradition and the place where it may have occurred. [V. Garth Norman, "The Case for Quetzalcoatl-Christ and Where He Administered Is Growing," in Ancient America Foundation Newsletter, No. 14 September 1998, pp. 6-7] [See the commentary on 3 Nephi 28:12]

3 Nephi 28:12 He Departed [from Them and Ascended into Heaven]:

Book of Mormon readers will notice that the phrasing in 3 Nephi 28:12 ("he departed") is not only very similar to 3 Nephi 18:39 which says, "he departed from them, and ascended into heaven." but can be understood to imply the same.

If we assume a Mesoamerican setting, one statement by the 16th Century writer Ixtlilxochitl points out that after Quetzalcoatl had taught his people, he "ascended" from them at Coatzacoalcos. (Ixtlilxochitl:39). The city of Coatzacoalcos today is in the state of Veracruz, Mexico, just across the

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Coatzacoalcos River by the Gulf of Mexico. We will first address Christ's connection with Quetzalcoatl, and second the connection of Coatzacoalcos with Quetzalcoatl's ascension.

According to Garth Norman, a tenth-century Mexican culture hero called Ce Acatl Topiltzin Quetzalcoatl took upon himself the title of the deity Quetzalcoatl. There is good reason to believe that this man-god, who was a priest king of Tula, was regarded as an incarnation of the original god Quetzalcoatl, and significant historic events in his life may have been designed to convey that meaning. . . . We find that the name Coatzacoalcos, the place where Quetzalcoatl Topiltzin went for his departure, is from quequetzalco meaning "successor of Quetzalcoatl." The event and name were so important that a great river where he departed retains the name. Note the implication from this name that Quetzalcoatl Topilzin is "the successor of Quetzalcoatl."

So who was the original Quetzalcoatl, and did he have anything to do with this territory? The Rio Coatzacoalcos waters the land most serious students of Mesoamerican Book of Mormon geography recognize as the land of Bountiful where Christ ministered to Book of Mormon peoples after his resurrection (see 3 Nephi 11:1). This correspondence implies that the river may have been previously named Quetzalcoatl or another name from which it was translated. The literal meaning of the name Quetzalcoatl is "raised up serpent," which is a dead ringer for the brazen serpent raised on a staff that Moses gave to the children of Israel as an emblem for Jehovah-Christ.

We previously explored the meaning of the native name Tabasco for the lowland Bountiful territory that borders eastward from the Coatzacoalcos drainage. I showed that Tabasco means Bountiful and can be constructed as a composite of two words in Hebrew, tob and sho'a, that mean Bountiful. (See AAF Newsletter Nos. 5 and 6).

The implication is all too obvious. The reason Quetzalcoatl Topiltzin made that long journey from Tula to this particular location for his departure has always been a mystery. But it makes perfect sense in a Book of Mormon context as a pilgrimage to the place where the first Quetzalcoatl (Christ) departed (3 Nephi 28:12) and promised to return (3 Nephi 28:7-8). [V. Garth Norman, "The Case for Quetzalcoatl-Christ and Where He Administered Is Growing," in Ancient America Foundation Newsletter, No. 14 September 1998, pp. 6-7] [See the commentary on 3 Nephi 11:1; 3 Nephi 28:7]

3 Nephi 28:12 Three Who Were to Tarry:

Who were those three remarkable disciples, those "three who were to tarry" (3 Nephi 28:12) who would "never taste of death"? (3 Nephi 28:7) Mormon was about to write their names but was forbidden (see 3 Nephi 28:25.

According to Douglas and Robert Clark, would it not be reasonable to guess that one of the three translated disciples was Nephi, son and twice-great-grandson of men who had been granted similar blessings according to their desires? . . . One cannot help but recollect that Nephi's forefather Alma the younger himself had wished to be an angel (see Alma 29:1) and had apparently got his wish when he was translated (so it would appear) to continue his ministry (see Alma 45:19). Furthermore, Nephi's own righteous father had disappeared quite like Alma and possibly had also been translated (see 3 Nephi 1:3). Would it not be at least plausible to suppose that Nephi likewise possessed this same desire so prominent among his forefathers to continue their ministry?

Truman Madsen reports a tradition that Joseph Smith believed that the three translated Nephite disciples included Nephi and his brother Timothy.xxxvii If Nephi was indeed one of the chosen three, his translation into an angelic ministrant would be yet another remarkable reflection and repetition of the possible translation of two of his fathers. In addition, Mormon reports that Christ's three translated disciples were cast into prison, but "the prisons could not hold them, for they were rent in twain" (3 Nephi 28:19). The story echoes the deliverance granted to Nephi the younger's father, Nephi (see Helaman 5) and forefather, Alma the younger (see Alma 14). [E. Douglas Clark and Robert S. Clark, Fathers and Sons in the Book of Mormon, pp. 207-208]

3 Nephi 28:19-22 And They [the Three Nephites] Were Cast into Prison by Them Who Did Not Belong to the Church . . . [etc.):

According to John Tvedtnes, one of the evidences for Mormon's reliance on extant annals is found in the story of the three Nephite disciples who had been promised by Christ that they would not die. In order to illustrate the effects of this translation, Mormon wrote:

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And they were cast into prison by them who did not belong to the church. And the prisons could not hold them, for they were rent in twain. And they were cast down into the earth; but they did smite the earth with the word of God, insomuch that by his power they were delivered out of the depths of the earth; and therefore they could not dig pits sufficient to hold them. And thrice they were cast into a furnace and received no harm. And twice they were cast into a den of wild beasts; and behold they did play with the beasts as a child with a suckling lamb, and received no harm. (3 Nephi 28:19-22)

In 4 Nephi, recounting the success of the Church, Mormon writes of the beginning of apostasy, then of "another church which . . . did persecute the true church of Christ" (4 Nephi 1:23-29). Then follows a description of that false church's acts toward the three Nephites, which events are said to have occurred between 210 and 230 years after the birth of Christ (4 Nephi 1:27, 35). This description is very similar to that recorded in 3 Nephi 28. The question then follows: Were these two separate instances of persecution against the three Nephites?

According to Tvedtnes, it would appear that the recitation of the trials of the three disciples found in 3 Nephi 28 was included merely to illustrate the benefits of their translation. Why, then, did Mormon list them here and repeat them in 4 Nephi? The answer is found in 3 Nephi 28:24, where we read that Mormon intended to stop writing for a time. Indeed, the two chapters that immediately follow this statement comprise exhortations that appear to be closing remarks addressed to a later generation.

When, at length, Mormon returned to the abridgment and wrote 4 Nephi, he cut the story short. Centuries became but a few lines of text. But this time, at least, he included the story of the afflictions of the three disciples in its proper historical context.

It is the historians's perspective and access to written records that made it possible for Mormon to refer to the same event in two different parts of his work. These same factors made it possible for him to provide a measure of consistency to the text of his abridgement. [John A. Tvedtnes, "Mormon As an Abridger of Ancient Records," in The Most Correct Book, pp. 16-17]

3 Nephi 28:23 [They] Did Preach the Gospel of Christ unto All People upon the Face of the Land:

According to a letter written by a Creole priest, Fray Servando Teresa de Mier, and translated by Jace Willard, many Nahuatl (Aztec) names had Hebrew roots:

According to Torquemada, the first missionaries, in order to write the Aztec tongue . . . that we call Mexican, were in agreement with the wisest Indians created in the School of Santiago Tlatilolco (sic), and as their pronunciation has two Hebrew letters, Sade and Scin, they substitute them in their writing by approximating the first with tz and the second with a soft x. But . . . the majority of the conquistadors, being from Extremadura or Andalucia, or Arab in their pronunciation, strongly pronounced all of the x's written by the missionaries. . . . Because of this the Spaniards said "Mexico" (Mejico), even though the Indians invariably pronounced it "Mexico" (Mescico) with the Hebrew letter Scin. . . .

Mexico with a soft x like the Indians pronounced it means: "where Christ is worshiped" and [thus the term] "Mexicans" is the same as "Christians." . . . And Mexi, I ask, means what? As the Indians pronounced it, it is a Hebrew word that means, taking it from the Latin unctus, what we call "anointed," taking it from the Greek Chrestous, what we call "Christ," and taking it from the Hebrew Mesci, what we call "Messiah."

[Jace Willard, "Christian Myths in Pre-Columbian Mexico: An Analysis of the Writings of Fray Servando Teresa de Mier" in Joseph L. Allen ed. The Book of Mormon Archaeological Digest, Volume II, Issue V, 2000, pp. 12-13]

3 Nephi 28:25 I Was About to Write the Names of Those Who Were Never to Taste of Death, but the Lord Forbade:

The prophet Mormon was going to write the names of the three translated Nephites in the Book of Mormon but the Lord would not allow him to give their names because they were to be kept

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secret from the people. Mormon commented: "Behold, I was about to write the names of those who were never to taste of death, but the Lord forbade; therefore I write them not, for they are hid from the world" (3 Nephi 28:25) One might ask, What was the purpose in keeping these names secret?

According to Vicki Alder, anciently a person's name was not merely some verbal appellation or label, but was an actual manifestation of the individual. A name was the person and also his character. In antiquity, a name was an integral element and part of a person's being. (Isaiah 30:27) A name represented a person and therefore shared in that individual's power. (John 1:12)

There must have been a good reason why it was necessary to keep the names of the Three Nephites secret. In ancient thought, to be able to identify a person precisely had the potential of giving someone a measure of control over that person. For that reason, to know a person's name was very important since it was an integral part of their being. [Vicki Alder, Mysteries in the Scriptures: Enlightenment through Ancient Beliefs, pp. 87, 106-107]

3 Nephi 29:5-7 Wo . . . Wo . . . Wo . . . Wo . . .:

According to John Welch, the book of Third Nephi ends, as many covenant texts do in the ancient Near East, with a series of warnings and admonitions. Having entered into a covenant, people need to be reminded of the seriousness of what they have done. At the end of King Benjamin's covenant ceremony (Mosiah 6) the first order of business was to appoint priests to remind people of the covenant that they had entered into, to recall to their memory the seriousness of the commitments that they had made. So again as you see in many ancient Near Eastern covenant or treaty documents, it's appropriate to end with a number of wo's--"Wo unto him that spurneth at the doings of the Lord" (3 Nephi 29:5) . . . "Wo unto him that shall deny the Christ and his works" (3 Nephi 29:5) . . . wo unto him that shall deny the revelations of the Lord" (3 Nephi 29:6) . . . "wo unto him that shall say at that day, to get gain, that there can be no miracle wrought by Jesus Christ" (3 Nephi 29:7) . . . [John W. Welch, "Understanding the Sermon at the Temple, Zion Society," in Teachings of the Book of Mormon, Semester 4, p. 157]

3 Nephi 29:6 Worketh by Revelation, or by Prophecy, or . . . or . . . or . . . or:

Hugh Pinnock writes that whenever many disjunctives, such as either/or and neither/nor, are located at the beginning of successive phrases, sentences, or series of words is called a paradiastole. Paradiastole is a form which characterizes ancient Hebrew writing. Pinnock cites H. Clay Gorton, who finds that the conjunction "or" seems to have four applications, each of which is used extensively in the Book of Mormon.xxxviii These four are as follows:

1. To identify opposites: "they are free to choose liberty and eternal life . . . or to choose captivity and death" (2 Nephi 2:27). 2. To identify equivalents: "Favored above every other nation, kindred, tongue, or people" (Alma 9:20). This is the most frequent application in the Book of Mormon. 3. To restate: "I have dreamed a dream; or, in other words, I have seen a vision" (1 Nephi 8:2). 4. To aid in correcting a statement: "thus we see that they buried their weapons of peace, or they buried their weapons of war, for peace" (Alma 24:19). In this form, the author makes a statement and then restates the idea using similar words because he is correcting or clarifying his original thoughts.

Joseph Smith, as he translated literally the Book of Mormon, included these Hebrew writing forms because the plates were inscribed by ancient prophets who utilized this style of communicating in their writings. He knew nothing explicit of these forms, however, in 3 Nephi 29:6 we find a clear example:

worketh by revelation,or by prophecy,or by gifts,or by tongues,or by healings,or by the power of the Holy Ghost!

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Additional examples of paradiastole include Exodus 22:10; Leviticus 13:48-49, 52-53, 56-59; 21:14, 18-20; Deuteronomy 5:21; 12:17; 18:10-11; 1 Samuel 30:19; Ecclesiastes 9:10-11; Jeremiah 16:5-7; Matthew 10:9-10; Romans 8:38-39; 1 Corinthians 3:22; 5:10-11; 6:9; Colossians 2:16; 2 Nephi 2:11, 13; Mosiah 2:12-13; Alma 1:30; 7:20; 23:1-2; 3 Nephi 17:7; 4 Nephi 1:16-17; Moroni 6:9. [Hugh W. Pinnock, Finding Biblical Hebrew and Other Ancient Literary Forms in the Book of Mormon, FARMS, 1999, pp. 27-30]

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4 NEPHI

4 Nephi Heading The book of Nephi, who is the son of Nephi--one of the disciples of Jesus Christ (Nephite Record Keepers) [Illustration]: Nephite Record Keepers. Adapted from [Church Educational System, Book of Mormon Student Manual: Religion 121 and 122, 1989, p. 155]

4 Nephi 1:1 The Disciples of Jesus Had Formed a Church of Christ in All the Lands Round About:

According to John Sorenson, the phrasing of 4 Nephi 1:1 ("the disciples of Jesus had formed a church of Christ in all the lands round about") suggests that we ought to be able to detect new religious practices in the Mesoamerican materials around the mid-first century A.D. And we can.

A shift in ritual equipment and practices is seen at about the time of Christ. Some old practices quite suddenly were given up. Certain old incense burners went out of use or changed form, and the use of the little clay figurings,which probably had some sort of religious significance, was abandoned in many places.xxxix Both those features, the burners and the figurines, had parallels in Palestine, where they represented religious practices either of a folk nature or connected with Mosaic orthodoxy. It is logical that some of Lehi's people brought knowledge of these features and adapted preexisting Mesoamerican forms of them to their purpose. These would have continued for centuries, at least among the folk. These artifacts may have had to do with the official Nephite rites under "the law of Moses" (Alma 30:3), or perhaps not. In any case they were so entrenched both in Mesoamerica and in the Near East that people hardly have given up such customs except under the impact of powerfully felt beliefs such as were incorporated in "the church of Christ."

Another shift in religious practice at the same time was giving up the carving of dated stone monuments. This practice had just built up momentum; examples known at Chiapa de Corzo, San Isidro Piedra Parada, Tres Zapotes, and El Baul had started near 35 B.C.xl The series ends with one whose date is either A./D. 36 or 16 (the reading is unclear). Then nothing new occurs for many years. This "enigmatic gap in dated monuments"xli seems to have begun at about the time when many earlier carved stones were battered and some intentionally buried, as if a religious revolution of some sort had taken place.xlii At Chalchuapa, El Salvador, one of these inscribed monuments was said to be smashed in a "ritual of destruction" at the moment of the great volcanic eruption near the time of Christ. Its fragments are covered by the ash fall.xliii Among the sites where vigorous monument smashing is in evidence are Kaminaljuyu/Nephi and Chiapa de Corzo/Sidom. The Book of Mormon provides a possible explanation for this behavior. It could have been a reaction by the enthusiastic new church against the old worship under the law of Moses or against cults of "idols" (Helaman 6:31). Of course other explanations are possible. [John L. Sorenson, An Ancient American Setting for the Book of Mormon, pp. 330-331]

4 Nephi 1:1-2 In All the Lands Round About . . . upon All the Face of the Land:

We find the following at the beginning of the book of Fourth Nephi:And it came to pass that the thirty and fourth year passed away, and also the thirty

and fifth, and behold the disciples of Jesus had formed a church of Christ in all the lands round about. . . . And it came to pass in the thirty and sixth year, the people were all converted unto the Lord, upon all the face of the land, both Nephites and Lamanites . . . (4 Nephi 1:1-2)

Assuming that the land of Bountiful where Christ appeared at the temple (3 Nephi 11:1) was the centerplace of the Church, then the Church apparently spread to "all the lands round about" the land of Bountiful. If the gospel had been preached and the Church organized in every local land which the Nephites and Lamanites were known to inhabit at that time, one would have to wonder how, in the two years since Christ's visit (from the year 34 to 36--see 4 Ne 1:1-2), the disciples of

xxxix. John L. Sorenson, A Chronological Ordering of the Mesoamerican Pre-Classic, MARI 18 (1955), pp. 53-57.

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Jesus could sufficiently cover the entire continents of North and South America, preaching, baptizing, and organizing churches in order for Mormon to say that "the people were all converted unto the Lord, upon all the face of the land, both Nephites and Lamanites" (4 Nephi 1:2).

On the other hand, by assuming a Mesoamerican setting, the distance and logistic conditions of this missionary undertaking could have been met quite nicely. We would be dealing in hundreds of miles instead of thousands of miles. [Alan C. Miner, Personal Notes]

Geographical Theory Map: 4 Nephi 1:1-2 All Converted in All the Land (34 A.S.--36 A.S.)

4 Nephi 1:4, 48 The Thirty and Seventh Year Passed Away . . . Three Hundred and Twenty Years Had Passed Away (Time Span):

According to Andrew Skinner, in these short verses of 4 Nephi we are taken through almost one-third (approximately 300) of all the years covered by the entire Book of Mormon (approximately 1,000). Truly the magnitude of Mormon's prophetic task and accomplishment is shown clearly here.

Some readers may lament the fact that one of the greatest periods of Nephite civilization--an era of ultimate earthly peace, prosperity and spirituality--was given such relatively sparse historical treatment. Sidney Sperry observed that "it is unfortunate--at least vexing that the great Golden Era of Nephite history . . . should be so sparingly treated by Mormon, the abridger." (Book of Mormon Compendium, p. 434)

However it must be remembered, first, that sometimes things were commanded by the Lord not to be discussed in the records. (3 Nephi 26:11,18) A similar injunction may have applied to this portion of the abridgment. Second, Mormon's purpose was not the writing of history, nor was it historical embellishment or even enlargement. His abridgment was first and foremost intended to teach the most important truths of the kingdom as they could be culled from history. (see Words of Mormon 1:7-9). [Andrew C. Skinner, "The Course of Peace and Apostasy," in Studies in Scripture: Book of Mormon, Part 2, p. 220]

Note* For a reiteration of the main purposes of the Book of Mormon (covenants and Christ), see the Title Page commentary. [Alan C. Miner, Personal Notes]

4 Nephi 1:4, 48 The thirty and seventh year passed away . . . three hundred and twenty years had passed away (Illustration): Chart: "Nephite Books Compared by Length and Years Covered." [John W. & J. Gregory Welch, Charting the Book of Mormon: Visual Aids for Personal Study and Teaching, F.A.R.M.S., Chart #24]

4 Nephi 1:6 And Thus Did the Thirty and Eighth Year Pass Away, and Also the Thirty and Ninth, and Forty and First, and the Forty and Second . . .:

According to John Tvedtnes, most of Mormon's abridgment (Mosiah through Mormon) gives precise years for the various events, even when they are "flashbacks." Such precision implies that the records which Mormon possessed were very precise on chronology. It is likely that the historical records he consulted were in the form of annals.

However, sometimes Mormon listed years without recording any events for them. Thus, in 4 Nephi 1:6 he wrote, "And thus did the thirty and eighth year pass away, and also the thirty and ninth, and forty and first, and the forty and second, yea, even until forty and nine years had passed away, and also the fifty and first, and the fifty and second; yea, and even until fifty and nine years had passed away." Note also 4 Nephi 1:14: "And it came to pass that the seventy and first year passed away, and also the seventy and second year, yea, and in fine, till the seventy and ninth year had passed away; yea, even an hundred years had passed away."

Such rambling seems to be a waste of precious space on the plates. Mormon's run-down of dates in these verses is probably intended to record the years of the annals he consulted, even though he did not feel to write the history of each. [John A. Tvedtnes, "Mormon As an Abridger of Ancient Records," in The Most Correct Book, pp. 14-15]

4 Nephi 1:6 (Annalistic Writing):

In 4 Nephi 1:6 we find the following:

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"And thus did the thirty and eighth year pass away, and also the thirty and ninth, and forty and first, and the forty and second, yea, even until forty and nine years had passed away, and also the fifty and first, and the firfty and second; yea, and even until fifty and nine years had passed away."

According to Daniel Peterson, this verse has been greatly ridiculed by some critics of the Book of Mormon, but it is, in fact, an exceptionally good illustration of the annalist Mormon, at work. Manifestly, he was summarizing other chronicles that he had before him. However, so little was happening in this period that even the conscientious Mormon began to omit annual accounts. It is apparently difficult even for inspired authors to make good and happy times live up to our taste for the sensational and the horrific. "May you live in interesting times!" is, in fact, an old Chinese curse. And Leo Tolstoy began his great novel Anna Karenina with the marvelous line: "Happy families are all alike; every unhappy family is unhappy in its own way." [Daniel C. Peterson, "Their Own Worst Enemies," in Studies in Scripture: Book of Mormon, Part 2, p. 104]

4 Nephi 1:7-9 They Did Build Cities Again:

Some have proposed that after the destruction at the time of Christ's crucifixion, the face of the land was tremendously changed so that it would be impossible to correlate post-crucifixion maps and pre-crucifixion maps, thus rendering the study of Book of Mormon geography "useless." However, according to the Book of Mormon record itself, after the destruction the people "did build many cities again which were burned (4 Nephi 1:7), Zarahemla was rebuilt (4 Nephi 1:8), Ramah/Cumorah was still recognized and valued as a strategic hill (Ether 15:11; Mormon 6:4)), the Narrow Neck and the Narrow Pass were still there (Mormon 3:5), the Land Northward and the Land Southward were still there (Mormon 3:5), the river Sidon was still there (Mormon 1:10). There were, however, "many cities which had been sunk (by water) that could not be renewed" (4 Nephi 1:9). Thus, according to the Book of Mormon record, although destruction might have been widespread, it apparently was only irreparable around coastlines or shorelines; and rightly so, for cities cannot easily be rebuilt upon water. I don't think there is a basis for saying that the geographical map was forever altered to the point of being unrecognizable. According to John Sorenson (The Geography of Book of Mormon Events: A Source Book, p. 298), the rapid rebound in population and prosperity confirms the general stability of the scene even after the destruction.

4 Nephi 1:12 They Did Not Walk Any More after the Performances and Ordinances of the Law of Moses:

According to the record of Nephi4 after the visit of the Savior the Nephites "did not walk any more after the performances and ordinances of the law of Moses; but they did walk after the commandments which they had received form their Lord and their God . . . (4 Nephi 1:12). Some might think that this statement implies that everything taught by the Savior was new, however John Tvedtnes notes the following:

Paul wrote that the law of Moses was "added" because of transgression (Galatians 3:19). To what was it added? Was it not to the higher law of the gospel revealed through Moses? The Book of Mormon indicates that it was only this added part, the "performances and ordinances" or "statutes and judgments," that was abolished with Christ's coming (see 2 Nephi 25:30; Alma 25:15; 4 Nephi 1:12). What remained was the law that God had always revealed to his prophets even before Moses' time.

[John Tvedtnes, Book Review in Review of Books on the Book of Mormon, Vol. 4 1992, p. 230]

4 Nephi 1:16-17 Nor [No] Murderers:

According to Barbara Fowler, to most English-speaking people, the use of a double negative, such as, "You cannot have no candy," grates against the ears. To the English culture "two negatives equal a positive." However, according to the Gesenius' Hebrew Grammar it is stated that "two negatives in the same sentence do not neutralize each other but make the negation the more

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emphatic" (Kautach 1909:483).In the process of restoring words from the Original and Printer's Manuscripts of the Book of

Mormon we found several instances where a negative word had been deleted or changed to a positive word. Its restoration would result in the offensive grammatical occurrence we call the double negative. One such instance is found in 4th Nephi. The book of 4th Nephi paints a glorious picture of what life was like when people all lived together with the love of God and each other in their hearts:

"And it came to pass that there was no contention in the land because of the love of God which did dwell in the hearts of the people.

And there were no envyingsnor strifesnor tumultsnor whoredomsnor lyingsnor murdersnor [no] manner of lasciviousness:

And surely there could not be a happier people among all the people which had been created by the hand of God.

There wereno robbersnor [no] murderersNeither were there Lamanitesnor [no] manner of ites." (4 Nephi 1:16-17)

[Barbara Fowler, "Double Negatives in the Book of Mormon? Yes! Yes!," in Recent Book of Mormon Developments, Vol. 2, pp. 57-58]

4 Nephi 1:17 There Were No -ites; But They Were in One:

Did the general location and borders of the original lands according to Alma 22:27-34 (Nephi, Zarahemla, Bountiful, Desolation) still remain the same or did they lose their significance once the people "were in one"? If political boundaries did disappear, did the peoples that inhabited those lands still basically keep their own culture? I think we will see that they did.

According to John Tvedtnes, we read in 4 Nephi 1:17 that there were no more "-ites" after the coming of Christ, but that all of the people were united in the kingdom of God. However, this evidently has reference to political factionalism, rather than the abandonment of lineage ties. It should be noted that not long before the coming of Christ, the people had dissolved their political ties and retained tribal allegiances (3 Nephi 7:2-4). There is reason to believe that these tribal units continued to exist after the time of Christ. [John A. Tvedtnes, "Book of Mormon Tribal Affiliation and Military Castes," in Warfare in the Book Of Mormon, pp. 308-309] [See the commentary on 4 Nephi 1:36]

Geographical Theory Map: 4 Nephi 1:3-18 No Lamanites Or Nephites -- They Are"in One" (36 A.S.--110 A.S.)

4 Nephi 1:19 Nephi, he that kept this last record . . . died, and his son Amos kept it in his stead (Nephite Record Keepers) [Illustration]: Nephite Record Keepers. Adapted from [Church Educational System, Book of Mormon Student Manual: Religion 121 and 122, 1989, p. 155]

4 Nephi 1:20 Therefore There Began to Be Lamanites Again in the Land:

Did these new "Lamanites": (1) start to surface in the same particular regions as they inhabited previously?; or (2) Do we envision a land where "pockets" of Lamanites were cropping up both in the Land of Nephi and the Land of Zarahemla?; or (3) Do we see pockets of Lamanites that were forming throughout all the land northward and all the land southward? I feel we will find that the original cultures, for the most part, remained in place. [Alan C. Miner, Personal Notes] [See the commentary on 4 Nephi 1:36-38] Geographical Theory Map: 4 Nephi 1:20 The First "Lamanites" Appear (110 A.S.--194 A.S.)

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4 Nephi 1:20 He Kept [the Records] Eighty and Four Years:

The four historians who wrote during the period covered by the book of 4th Nephi are:(1) Nephi (the son of the Nephi who was a disciple of Jesus Christ) (see the subtitle of the

book of 4th Nephi and 4 Nephi 1:18-19)(2) Amos (the son of the historian Nephi mentioned above) (4 Nephi 1:19-24),(3) Amos (the son of Amos listed above) (4 Nephi 1:21, 47),(4) Ammaron (the brother of Amos mentioned in 3, above) (4 Nephi 1:47-49; Mormon 1:3).According to Daniel Ludlow, apparently the first historian kept the record for 77 years, the

second for 84 years, and the third for 112 years! Thus, life expectancy was quite long during this period. [Daniel H. Ludlow, A Companion to Your Study of the Book of Mormon, p. 167]

This long of a life span has not been acceptable to some scholars, in particular the life of Amos. According to Verneil Simmons, with the death of Amos1, the records passed to a son called Amos2. According to Mormon's account, the records next passed from Amos2 to his brother, Ammoron, in the year 305. No other custodian is indicated between A.D. 194 and 305, but it seems rather evident that there must have been one. The second Amos, if born in the year 194 (his father had to have been in his nineties), would have been 111 years old in the year 305. It appears more logical that Amos2 passed the records to a son, who might well have been named Amos, and that this Amos passed them on to his younger brother Ammoron in 305. An extra person added to the prophets' line between 194 and 305 makes the chronology much more logical. [Verneil Simmons, Peoples, Places and Prophecies, pp. 220-221]

Perhaps another approach to this situation of longevity relates to just how old these recordkeepers were when they were encharged with keeping the records. [Alan C. Miner, Personal Notes] [See Appendix A -- Chronology]

4 Nephi 1:21 Amos died . . . and his son Amos kept the record in his stead (Nephite Record Keepers) [Illustration]: Nephite Record Keepers. Adapted from [Church Educational System, Book of Mormon Student Manual: Religion 121 and 122, 1989, p. 155]

4 Nephi 1:21, 47 Amos died also (and it was an hundred and ninety and four years from the coming of Christ) and his son Amos kept the record . . . after three hundred and five years had passed away . . . Amos died; and his brother, Ammaron, did keep the record (Illustration): Chart: "Life Span's of Alma's Lineage." [John W. & J. Gregory Welch, Charting the Book of Mormon: Visual Aids for Personal Study and Teaching, F.A.R.M.S., Chart #28]

Geographical Theory Map: 4 Nephi 1:23 They Began to Be Divided into Classes (201 A.S.-- 231 A.S.)

4 Nephi 1:24 The Wearing of Costly Apparel:

According to Joseph Allen, the great apostasy in the Book of Mormon correlates in detail to the time period when the apostasy began in Mesoamerica. No place tells the story of the apostasy in Mesoamerica better than at the Maya ruins of Uxmal in Yucatan, Mexico. However, Uxmal is not the only place. We need only to look at the stone monuments and the written codices to realize that the priests controlled everything. They wore elaborate clothing. Did you catch that? In 4 Nephi we are told that there were those who were "lifted up in pride, such as the wearing of costly apparel." The archaeological record illustrates how the priests who wore the elaborate and costly apparel looked. Such apparel became a mark of class distinction. [Joseph L. Allen, Exploring the Lands of the Book of Mormon, p. 392]

4 Nephi 1:24 The wearing of costly apparel (Illustration): Depiction of priest wearing elaborate apparel. [Joseph L. Allen, Exploring the Lands of the Book of Mormon, p. 392]

4 Nephi 1:24 All Manner of Fine Pearls:

The singular reference to pearls in the Book of Mormon (other than the Savior's "pearls before swine" reference in 3 Nephi 14:6) is found in 4 Nephi 1:24:

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And now, in this two hundred and first year there began to be among them those who were lifted up in pride, such as the wearing of costly apparel, and all manner of fine pearls, and of the fine things of the world.

According to Gregory Witt, archaeological evidence validates the existence of fine pearls among the ancient Mayans. At Palenque, a classic Mayan site, the pyramid tomb of Pacal is adorned with a lustrous sea pearl, displayed in its shell. Similar pearls and pearl jewelry are on display at the Museum of Anthropology in Mexico City and in the Anthropology Museum in Guatemala City.

Nevertheless, early critics of the Book of Mormon claimed that the Book of Mormon reference to pearls was just another evidence of Joseph Smith's folly. One might ask, Why? The answer might be found with the coming of Columbus. Five hundred years ago, oysters were abundant in the coastal areas of Central America and Mexico. Then, Columbus and Balboa arrived and discovered pearls. Most people are unaware that, until the development of gold and silver mines in Mexico and Peru, pearls were the New World's biggest export. In fact, the value of pearls exceeded that of all other exports combined, and in Spain, the Americas became known as "The Lands That Pearls Come From." Over harvesting of oysters, however, led to a dramatic decline in pearl production (Newman, 1990).

The Book of Mormon reader might also note that the Nephites adorned themselves with "all manner" of fine pearls. Therefore, the question might be asked: Is there any evidence to suggest any notable variety of pearls that would give credibility to the phrase "all manner of pearls"? The answer is, Yes!

First of all, one of the most famous pearls ever found was a pear-shaped pearl about the size of a pigeon's egg. Its owners have been Phillip II of Spain, Mary Tudor of England, Napoleon III, and Elizabeth Taylor. This unusual pear-shaped pearl was not found in the Red Sea nor in Asia, but it came from the Americas.

Secondly, most people are not aware that pearls can be classified as saltwater or freshwater. People are generally familiar only with the round, lustrous salt-water pearls. But freshwater pearls, which are found in mussels or oysters in rivers or lakes, tend to have a more irregular shape. Some almost have the appearance of teeth, small shells, or even Rice Crispies. These lesser known freshwater pearls have also been found in Mesoamerica, and were used as ornamental jewelry by the ancient Maya.

So once again, the Book of Mormon is surprisingly specific in its phraseology. [Gregory Witt, "All Manner of Fine Pearls," in The Book of Mormon Archaeological Digest, Vol. II, Issue I, 1999, p. 15]

4 Nephi 1:26 They Began to Be Divided into Classes:

According to Joseph Allen, the archaeological record at Uxmal (in Yucatan, Mexico) states that during the Early Classic Period (A.D. 200-A.D. 350) the dominant group was a hereditary elite which emerged in the last century before Christ. Its authority extended throughout all aspects of social life, but in particular they were representatives or mediators between the community and the divine or supernatural forces, utilizing magical/religious means. This group controlled the knowledge of the times . . . much of which determined social behavior. (Uxmal 1986:32) This "hereditary elite" might have been the same people who are called "kingmen" or "those of high birth" who rose up in the "last century before Christ" in the Book of Mormon. Notice in Alma 51:8 it says, "Now those who were in favor of kings were those of high birth, and they sought to be kings; and they were supported by those who sought power and authority over the people." [Joseph L. Allen, Exploring the Lands of the Book of Mormon, p. 392] [See the commentary on Alma 51:8]

4 Nephi 1:26 They began to be divided into classes (Illustration): An artist's display of social strata in Maya society, around A.D. 600-700, uses a pyramid format to show the ranks or classes . . . [John L. Sorenson, Images of Ancient America, p. 81]

4 Nephi 1:26 They Began to Be Divided into Classes and They Began to Build up Churches unto Themselves to Get Gain:

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At about 200 B.C., we find evidence of religious revolution documented in 4 Nephi 1:26-27:And they began to be divided into classes; and they began to build up churches unto

themselves to get gain, and began to deny the true church of Christ. And it came to pass that when two hundred and ten years had passed away there were many churches in the land; yea, there were many churches which professed to know the Christ, and yet they did deny the more parts of this gospel, insomuch that they did receive all manner of wickedness, and did administer that which was sacred unto him to whom it had been forbidden because of unworthiness.

According to Todd Allen, there is striking evidence of this religious corruption at this time period in Mesoamerica. One example is Teotihuacan.

At the beginning, Teotihuacan was mainly an agricultural city. As it began to grow, many different occupations were pursued, including those of merchants, artists, religious and political leaders, and others. The population reached between 25,000 and 30,000 inhabitants during the early formative period (150 B.C. to A.D. 200) and the famous Pyramid of the Sun was completed. According to archaeological history, Teotihuacan's early growth was due to migrations of people from the southern areas of Mesoamerica into the Mexico Valley and eventually into the great city of Teotihuacan. From a Book of Mormon standpoint this is particularly intriguing as the Book of Mormon mentions similar migrations into the land northward at the same time period.

Teotihuacan continued to grow and prosper, reaching 50,000 inhabitants by Period II (A.D. 200 to 350), where we find it falling prey to the same sins that characterize the Nephites in their periods of greatest abundance. Interestingly, this was also the period of mass apostasy in the Book of Mormon.

The changes in Teotihuacan during this time period are visibly manifest in the dramatic alterations we observe in architecture. Sacred buildings, such as the temple of Quetzalcoatl, were being elaborately decorated as never before. And the foundation was laid for the future worship of "a pantheon of gods" (Exploring the Lands, 99). Another correlation we see is that Teotihuacan's inhabitants began to divide into high and low classes and soon its elite were exercising unrighteous power over the lower class. This was largely facilitated through an alliance that was created between the merchants, the military leaders, and the priests. This alliance, or secret combination (of powers), took advantage of the expanding trade throughout Mesoamerica, controlling all trade out of Teotihuacan. The organization is reminiscent of the Gadianton robbers in the Book of Mormon, with its trading activity occurring at precisely the same time when the Gadianton robbers had some control in the land northward. Under such circumstances, Teotihuacan's population expanded to 200,000 and it became possibly the largest city in the world by A.D. 350. [Todd Allen, "Secret Combinations at Teotihuacan," in The Book of Mormon Archaeological Digest, Volume II, Issue II, 1999, p. 10] [See the commentary on Mormon 2:28]

4 Nephi 1:26,27,34,41: They Began to Build Up Churches unto Themselves:

According to Joseph Allen, the Book of Mormon is very specific on the subject of building churches to get gain. In the last half of 4 Nephi, the church building activity is mentioned four times:

And they began to build up churches unto themselves to get gain, and began to deny the true church of Christ (4 Nephi 1:26).

And it came to pass that when two hundred and ten years had passed away there were many churches in the land; yea, there were many churches which professed to know the Christ, and yet they did deny the more parts of his gospel . . . (4 Nephi 1:27)

Nevertheless, the people did harden their hearts, for they were led by many priests and false prophets to build up many churches, and to do all manner of iniquity (4 Nephi 1:34).

And they did still continue to build up churches unto themselves, and adorn them with all manner of precious things. And thus did two hundred and fifty years pass away, and also two hundred and sixty years (4 Nephi 1:41).

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Again, the archaelogical record at Uxmal explains the same type of activity as outllined in 4 Nephi. This massive building program began in Mesoamerica at 200 A.D. and continued for more than five centuries.

Architecture was developed during this period (after 200 AD) and in particular a local architectonic style. The structures generally reflect a predominant use of massive stone to create an impressive exterior aspect with little concern for the practical use of interior spaces. This tendency served to reinforce the visual and symbolic elements of a structural ideology which reflected the dominant social structures prevalent in everyday life. It is evident that a great part of the collective force was concentrated in building constructions which were not directly concerned with productivity (Barrera 1985:32-33).

Many people who have traveled with us to Mexico and Guatemala throughout the years are frustrated to stand in front of the awe-inspiring Temple of Kukulcan at Chichen Itza or the picturesque ruins of Tulum and suddenly realize that these ruins are post Book of Mormon ruins. The Temple of Kukulcan dates to A.D. 1000. and the majority of the buildings of Tulum date even later to the Postclassic Era. Sometimes we might have difficulty understanding why the beginning of the apostasy in the Book of Mormon is also the beginning of the Classic Period among the Maya. However, upon thinking through the details, we need not feel that the situation is strange at all. A society that divorces itself from God almost always ends up worshipping the works of its own hands. The Tower of Babel is one example. In our day, many large buildings, such as football stadiums are built with money used to desecrate the Sabbath. [Joseph L. Allen, Exploring the Lands of the Book of Mormon, p. 392]

4 Nephi 1:26,27,34,41: They began to build up churches unto themselves (Illustration): Classic Maya ruins (200 AD--900 AD) showing massive adornment. [Joseph L. Allen, Exploring the Lands of the Book of Mormon, p. 393]

4 Nephi 1:30-33 Therefore They Did Exercise Power and Authority over the disciples of Jesus Who Did Tarry With Them:

[See the commentary on 3 Nephi 28:19-22]

4 Nephi 1:34 They Were Led by Many Priests and False Prophets:

According to Joseph Allen, in Mesoamerica, the priests controlled the religious, social, and commerical activities of the people. The book of 4 Nephi describes the situation as follows:

. . . they did receive all manner of wickedness, and did administer that which was sacred unto him to whom it had been forbidden because of unworthiness (4 Nephi 1:27).

And again, there was another church which denied the Christ; and they did persecute the true church of Christ . . . (4 Nephi 1:29).

. . . they did exercise power and authority over the disciples of Jesus who did tarry with them, and they did cast them into prison . . . (4 Nephi 1:30)

. . . the people did harden their hearts, for they were led by many priests and false prophets . . . (4 Nephi 1:34)

. . . the wicked part of the people began again to build up the secret oaths and combinations of Gadianton (4 Nephi 1:42; 260 AD)

[Joseph L. Allen, Exploring the Lands of the Book of Mormon, p. 393]

4 Nephi 1:34 They Were Led by Many Priests and False Prophets:

The statement in 4 Nephi 1:34 that the people "were led by many priests and false prophets" is culturally at home in Mesoamerica. According to John Sorenson, prophecy among the Maya was a well-established cultural institution termed "bobatil." . . . Their prophecies were written down in books called "huunob." All these features were normal in Post-Classic Maya life, and thus Munro Edmonson cautiously concludes: "It would be surprising if they had not had books of historical prophecy" in the Classic era (A.D. 200-800).

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The Maya governed their lives by their prophetic outlook. Dennis Puleston maintains that changes in Maya civilization were "triggered by an internal mechanism" consisting of Maya assumptions about the power of prophetic time. When change was to come, it would "inevitably come." [John L. Sorenson, "Prophecy Among the Maya," in Reexploring the Book of Mormon, p. 263]

4 Nephi 1:34 They Were Led by Many Priests and False Prophets:

In 4 Nephi 1:34 it says that "the people did harden their hearts, for they were led by many priests and false prophets to build up many churches, and to do all manner of iniquity." Some insight into how far the role of these "priests" evolved over time in Mesoamerica is given in a paper by John Sorenson. According to Sorenson, most Mesoamerican records were in the hands of priests, for few other than they were thoroughly literate.xliv . . . The priesthood among the Mesoamerican peoples consisted of several levels of power and jurisdiction, and priests varied in their functions, but many of them had to do with books. Among the Maya of Yucatan, a "high priest" was held in general respect, and a similar office existed elsewhere in Mexico.xlv . . . They employed themselves in the duties of the temples and in teaching their sciences as well as in writing books about them. . . . The sciences which they taught were the computation of the years, months and days, the festivals and ceremonies, the administration of the sacraments, the fateful days and seasons, their methods of divination and their prophecies.xlvi

Both "prophet" and "seer" were established roles, and as indicated [previously in the paper], records of their statements were kept as part of the general historical archives of official documents of native states. . . . The Quiche Maya had hiq' vachinel, "far seers," who were prophetic diviners with second sight able to "see at a distance' or scrutinize (niq'oh) and peer into (vachih) things. Peering into special stones was widespread in Mesoamericaxlvii and elsewhere in the world.xlviii An ilol was another type of seer (from iloh, "see"), one who interpreted omens.xlix Among the Aztecs, a type of diviner was called tlaachtopaitoani, or "prophet," while another was the quinextiani, whose title was translated to Spanish as "revelator."l A prophet in Yucatan was called ah bobat. The man holding the office of Chilam Balam ("spokesman") was not only "a" prophet but "the" prophet--the official prophet in his city-state for the katun calendar period. He had to be highly trained and a sage (ah miatz). When disagreements arose over the prophecies, he was the one to resolve them (compare 3 Nephi 1:4-8).

The document Chilam Balam of Tizimin reports that a prophet named Xupan Nauat prophesied in Yucatan in A.D. 1527 that strangers (whose description and actions turned out to fit the Spaniards) would arrive in three years.li Other prophets gave similar predictions about the coming of the foreigners.lii [John L. Sorenson, "The Book of Mormon as a Mesoamerican Record," in Book of Mormon Authorship Revisited, pp. 462-463] [See the commentary on Mosiah 28:16]

Geographical Theory Map: 4 Nephi 1:35 Great Division--Nephites & Lamanites (231 A.S.--306 A.S.)

4 Nephi 1:36-38 Nephites, Jacobites, Josephites, Zoramites . . . Lamanites, Lemuelites, and Ishmaelites:

According to John Tvedtnes, before two hundred years had passed (4 Nephi 1:22), in the second generation after Christ, those who rebelled against the church called themselves Lamanites. However, by the 231st year, those who rejected the gospel were termed Lamanites and Lemuelites and Ishmaelites (4 Nephi 1:38). The same evolution is mentioned regarding the Nephites of the 231st year -- that is although they were termed the "true believers in Christ," there were those among them "who were called by the Lamanites -- Jacobites, and Josephites, and Zoramites" (4 Nephi 1:36). That the tribal structure had never changed is evidenced by the fact that these groups are named in this same order in 4 Nephi 1:38 (referring to events dating two centuries prior to Mormon's time) and Jacob 1:13-14 (dating to the sixth century B.C.). The reversion to the ancient tribal names is more than coincidence. Merely separating into two groups would have been simpler for the people, according to whether they followed or rejected the established religion. Believing that people actually took upon themselves the names of the tribes from which they descended is much more reasonable. This is not to say that there was no intermarriage nor intermingling of tribes. But, following the patrilineal system of their ancestors, it is logical to assume that these

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Israelites considered themselves to be members of the paternal clan and tribe. . . . The fact that, during Mormon's time, both the Nephites and the Lamanites had become apostate (4 Nephi 1:43,45) indicates that the distinction became more tribal than religious (that is, "believer" vs. "nonbeliever"). That the Lamanites of Mormon's day were more numerous than the Nephites (see Mormon 4:13, 17; 2:3, 25; 5:6) is further evidence of continuing tribal identities. [John A. Tvedtnes, "Book of Mormon Tribal Affiliation and Military Castes," in Warfare In The Book Of Mormon, pp. 309-311] [See the commentary on Mormon 1:8-9]

4 Nephi 1:42 The People Began Again to Build Up the Secret Oaths and Combinations:

In 4 Nephi 1:42 it says that "the people began again to build up the secret oaths and combinations." According to Bruce Warren, secret societies were a part pre-Columbian Mesoamerica. Mexican artist and writer Miguel Covarrubias describes the nature of secret societies in Mesoamerica as follows:

"In those days the ancient jaguar cult prevailed throughout southern Mexico and in Central America, superimposed upon the formal, official Indian religion. . . . To quote Sahagun, "like assassins, daring and accustomed to kill, they carried on their persons pieces of jaguar skin. . . . In ancient times the jaguar was an earth god, symbol of the interior of the earth and of the night, of darkness, because jaguars were believed to swallow the sun and cause eclipses. He was the god of caves, the dark interior of mountains . . . As such he was worshipped throughout southern Mexico and particularly around Tehuantepec." [Bruce W. Warren, "Secret Combinations, Warfare, and Sacrifice," in Warfare in the Book of Mormon, pp. 229-230] [See Ether 8:18]

4 Nephi 1:45-46 The People . . . Did Lay Up in Store in Abundance . . . and Did Traffic in All Manner of Traffic:

In 4 Nephi 1:45-46 we find:. . . there were none that were righteous save it were the disciples of Jesus. And gold

and silver did they lay up in store in abundance, and did traffic in all manner of traffic (4 Nephi 1:46; A.D. 305).

According to Joseph Allen, you may say that nothing is wrong with practicing free enterprise and having a year's food supply, or more, stored in your basement. The Mesoamerica archaeological record drives home the problem. The thing that was wrong with laying up "in store in abundance" and trafficking "in all manner of traffic" is that priests controlled everything. We can only imagine the "religious" and "social" means the priests employed to control the profits. The Uxmal account states:

This period runs from A.D. 200-1000 and has been called the period of the Theocratic States Monopoly by the virtue of the fact that the high priests controlled and monopolized the main activities of the social and economic life of the population, encompassing even the simple ritualism, symbolism and beliefs" (Uxmal 1986:32).

From A.D. 350 to A.D. 900, a great deal of trade activity occurred throughout Mesoamerica. By 400 AD, strong trade agreements had been reached between the administrators living in the Mexico Valley (Teotihuacan) and the administrators who lived in Guatemala. On the outskirts of the City of Huehuetenango, in Guatemala, are the Postclassic Maya ruins of Zaculeu. These ruins apparently served as the last outpost for centuries previous to A.D. 900. Even today, the Guatemala military outpost is nearby. Much trading activity passed through this military outpost. [Joseph L. Allen, Exploring the Lands of the Book of Mormon, pp. 393-394]

4 Nephi 1:45-46 The people . . . did lay up in store in abundance . . . and did traffic in all manner of traffic (Illustration): Map illustrating trade activities beginning after A.D. 350. [Joseph L. Allen, Exploring the Lands of the Book of Mormon, p. 395]

4 Nephi 1:47 Amos died, and his brother, Ammaron, did keep the record in his stead (Nephite Record Keepers) [Illustration]: Nephite Record Keepers. Adapted from [Church Educational System, Book of Mormon Student Manual:

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Religion 121 and 122, 1989, p. 155]

4 Nephi 1:48 Ammaron . . . Did Hide Up the Records:

The gold plates that were delivered to Joseph Smith amounted to about a "hundredth part" of the total recorded history if Mormon if the references in the record itself are correct (Jacob 3:13, Helaman 3:14, Ether 15:13). In other words, we might say that the entire collection of plates that Ammaron turned over to Mormon occupied 100 times the volume and weighed 100 times the weight as the set of plates eventually given to Joseph Smith. If that truly was the case, then considering the circumstances, how far or to what distance would Ammaron travel from where he lived in order to "hide up these records"? One should notice here that there is no mention or any attempt to indicate any long journey or extended travel in order to reach the site where these records were hidden (the hill Shim).

Mormon was only 10 years old when he was entrusted with these records (Mormon 1:2). Mormon would be taken southward to the land of Zarahemla when he was age 11 (Mormon 1:6). This means that sometime between his calling at age 10 and his obtaining the records at age 24 (Mormon 1:3), Mormon would have had to gain some very distinct geographical knowledge of the land Antum and the hill Shim. All these records had been cared for by men who up until this time were all located in the Land Southward (Nephi, Zarahemla, and Bountiful). It doesn't seem very practical at all for Ammaron to be in charge of recording the history of a people thousands of miles away from where he himself was living. Thus, if Ammaron hid the plates in the Hill Shim in the Land Antum (Mormon 1:3). And if the Hill Shim was mentioned in the same scripture with the location of the Hill Cumorah (Ether 9:3) Then both the Hill Shim and the Hill Cumorah might have been located not only somewhat near to each other, but within a few hundred miles of the land of Zarahemla. [See also the commentary on Mormon 1:3; 3:5]

4 Nephi 1:48 All the sacred records which had been handed down from generation to generation (Illustration): Sources, plates, records, and manuscripts of the Book of Mormon. [John W. Welch ed., Reexploring the Book of Mormon, p. 17] Note* For a more complete listing, the reader is referred to Appendix B

Geographical Theory Map: 4 Nephi 1:48-49 Ammaron Hides up the Plates -- Chooses Mormon (321 A.S.)

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MORMON

Mormon 1:1 I Mormon Make a Record of the Things Which I Have Both Seen and Heard:

Mormon's making of "a record of the things which I have both seen and heard" (Mormon 1:1) has similarities to what has been found in Mesoamerica. Hunter and Ferguson relate an account of Huematzin [Hueman], a Mesoamerican astrologer. . . . Before dying he (Huematzin) gathered together all the histories the Tultecas had, from the creation of the world up to that time (his time) and had them pictured in a very large book, where were pictured all their persecutions and hardships, prosperities and good happenings, kings and lords, laws and good government of their ancestors, old sayings and good examples, temples, idols, sacrifices, rites and ceremonies that they had, astrology, philosophy, architecture, and the other arts, good as well as bad, and a resume of all things of science, knowledge, prosperous and adverse battles, and many other things. He entitled this book Teoamoxtli, which well interpreted means various things of God and divine book. The natives now call the Holy Scriptures Teoamoxtli because it is almost the same, principally in the persecutions and hardships of men.

According to Ixtlilxochitl, Hueman rose up as a great leader of the people of Bountiful-land in the year they left their ancient homeland (A.D.339). [Milton R. Hunter and Thomas Stuart Ferguson, Ancient America and the Book of Mormon, pp. 337, 344]

Mormon 1:1-4 Ammaron said unto me [Mormon] . . . take the plates of Nephi unto yourself (Nephite Record Keepers) [Illustration]: Nephite Record Keepers. Adapted from [Church Educational System, Book of Mormon Student Manual: Religion 121 and 122, 1989, p. 155]

Mormon 1:2 I being about ten years of age (Illustration): Mormon As a Young Boy. Artist: Scott Snow. [Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, The Ensign, November 1987, p. 84]

Mormon 1:2 I [Mormon] being about ten years of age, and I began to be learned (Illustration): Mormon Age 10. Mormon was "a sober child, and . . . quick to observe." Artist: Scott Snow. [Thomas R. Valletta ed., The Book of Mormon for Latter-day Saint Families, 1999, p. 583]

Mormon 1:3 Go to the Land Antum, unto a Hill Which Shall Be Called Shim:

Mormon 1:3 states that the hill Shim was in the land Antum ("go to the land Antum, unto a hill which shall be called Shim"). According to the Book of Mormon record, the land Antum was probably located close enough to where Mormon was living at the time that he was somewhat familiar with it. We can use the following reasoning:

Starting with the geographical description in the 22nd chapter of Alma, "the land on the northward was called Desolation, and the land on the southward was called Bountiful" (Alma 22:31). There also was "a small neck of land between the land northward and the land southward" (Alma 22:32). In the final Nephite battles, Mormon describes a land Desolation in which there was a city Desolation which "was in the borders, by the narrow pass which led into the land southward" (Mormon 3:5) In these final battles, the Nephites fled from the city Desolation to the city Boaz (Mormon 4:20). When the city Boaz was taken by the Lamanites, Mormon, "seeing that the Lamanites were about to overthrow the land, . . . did go to the hill Shim, and did take up all the records" (Mormon 4:23). Thus, the hill Shim was probably near or in the land Desolation (Mormon 4:1,19), and not too far away from the "the narrow pass which led into the land southward." In another account of the battles, the Nephites were forced to flee from "the land of Joshua" (Mormon 2:6). They "were pursued until they came even to the land of Jashon" (Mormon 2:16), and "the city of Jashon was near the land where Ammaron had deposited the records" (Mormon 2:17). In the book of Ether we read that Omer "came over and passed by the hill of Shim, and came over by the place where the Nephites were destroyed" (Ether 9:3), which seems to imply that the hill Shim was located somewhat near to the hill Cumorah.

Thus, if Mormon lived in the land northward until he was eleven years old (Mormon 1:6), then his home was probably not far from (1) the land Antum; (2) the land of Desolation; (3) the narrow

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pass; (4) the city of Jashon; and (5) the hill Cumorah. [Alan C. Miner, Personal Notes] [See the commentary on Mormon 3:23] [See Geographical Theory Maps]

Mormon 1:3 The Land Antum:

According to Jerry Ainsworth, the name Cori-antum-r may might have some reference not only to the land Antum, where Ammaron hid up all the engravings concerning "this people" in the hill Shim (see Mormon 1:3), but to the location where Coriantumr was found by the people of Zarahemla (see Omni 1:21). The historian Ixtlilxochitl appears to pinpoint the location of a meeting with surviving Jaredites when he says: "On the banks of the Atoyac river, which is the one that passes between Puebla and Cholula . . . they found some of the giants that had escaped the calamity and extermination of the second age."liii The Atoyac River begins east of the continental divide in the state of Puebla, Mexico. [Jerry L. Ainsworth, The Lives and Travels of Mormon and Moroni, pp. 82-83]

Mormon 1:3 The Land Antum:

According to Jerry Ainsworth, the name Antum apparently has something to do with water. Nephi relates how "we beheld the sea, which we called Irreantum, which, being interpreted, is many waters" (1 Nephi 17:5). Hugh Nibley notes that the Egyptian term an-t refers to water, while the word Iaru, a non-Semitic name, anciently referred to the Red Sea (Collected Works of Hugh Nibley, 7:171-72).

Because Irre-antum identifies a place where waters end up, it's possible that antum identifies a place connected with waters. If Ammaron had referred to the area of the Hill Shim as the land of Antum, that would have implied it was named after a person, as were other Nephite lands. Rather, he referred to it in such a way as to possibly imply that the name was descriptive; it might have identified what the place was like.

According to Ainsworth, Ammaron's description of the land best fits the valleys of Puebla and Tlaxcala in Mexico. These adjoining valleys are surrounded by four volcanoes covered with snow. The two western-most volcanoes sit on the continental divide. From that point, waters flow to both the western and eastern seaboards. The area is indeed descriptive of where waters originate, or a "land Antum" (see illustration). The chief ancient city of these valleys is Cholula, which nestles at the foot of the snow-covered volcanoes. Its Olmec name is Atlxoloayan, which means "Where the Waters Begin to Flow" or, literally, "The Place of the Fleeing of the Waters."

A prominent hill, called Malinche, sits in the middle of the Valley of Puebla (see illustration). Its numerous caves are considered taboo by the local inhabitants. They will not allow anyone to enter them on threat of death. People who have attempted to enter have lost their lives; some have had narrow escapes. Perhaps in one or more of these caves Ammaron hid the plates containing the Nephite records. Perhaps this is the hill Shim. [Jerry L. Ainsworth, The Lives and Travels of Mormon and Moroni, pp. 145-146]

Mormon 1:3 The land Antum (Illustration): Map 24. The Land Antum. [Jerry L. Ainsworth, The Lives and Travels of Mormon and Moroni, p. 147]

Mormon 1:3 The land Antum (Illustration): 73. The Hill Malinche in the state of Tlaxcala, Mexico; possible site of the Hill Shim. [Jerry L. Ainsworth, The Lives and Travels of Mormon and Moroni, p. 148]

Mormon 1:5 I Mormon, Being a Descendant of Nephi, and My Father's Name Was Mormon:

According to David Lamb, in Mormon 1:5 Mormon identifies his lineage. He states that he is a descendant of Nephi and that his father's name was Mormon. However, he does not state that he was primarily named after his father and this should not be assumed. Mormon apparently had been taught about his heritage by his parents and understood the sacred significance associated with the name Mormon. In 3 Nephi 5:12 Mormon tells us that he was not named after his father, but rather

liii. Quoted in Hunter and Ferguson, Ancient America and the Book of Mormon, p. 136.

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he was named after the land in which a great event took place -- the restoration of Christ's covenant people, Christ's church. Thus, in 3 Nephi 5:12 Mormon gives us a clear indication that the name Mormon is symbolically synonymous with the restoration of the covenant which took place in the land of Mormon by Alma and his people.

A study of the title page of the Book of Mormon tells us its main purpose is to restore a knowledge of the covenants to the house of Israel. This adds weight to the understanding that the name Mormon was always associated with the place of the restoration of the covenant to the Nephites. In fact, the name Mormon might have become synonymous with the concept of restoring the covenants. [David Lamb, "The Meaning of the Name Mormon," in Recent Book of Mormon Developments, Vol 2., p. 45]

Readers should note also that the 1986 addition to the Book of Mormon title, "Another Testament (Covenant) of Jesus Christ," reinforces this idea. [See the commentary on 3 Nephi 5:12; 27:7]

Mormon 1:6 I [Mormon] Was Carried by My Father into the Land Southward:

John Tvedtnes tells the story about one of his students who suggested that Mormon, the father of the abridger of the Nephite record, was a professional soldier. As evidence, the student noted that the younger Mormon was eleven years of age when his father took him into the "land southward" (Mormon 1:6) and that "in this year there began to be a war between the Nephites . . . and the Lamanites (Mormon 1:8). The family's departure into the war zone hints at a military transfer. In light of this possibility, Tvedtnes suggests that the historian/general/prophet Mormon was, in fact, from a line of army leaders who belonged to a military caste. . . . There appear to have been two distinct warrior castes in the Book of Mormon. The first was that of the Zoramites. The other warrior caste comprised men such as the earlier Moroni and Moronihah and probably Mormon and his father Mormon, as well as his son Moroni and another Moronihah. It may not be out of line to suggest that this caste descended from the ancient kings. . . . The earlier Moroni, who was Nephite chief captain when the war with the Lamanites broke out about 74 B.C. . . . may have been a descendant of King Benjamin or the first Mosiah, and hence of the royal seed. This would give more meaning to the claim of Mormon not only to be "a descendant of Nephi" (Mormon 1:5), but to be a "pure descendant" of Nephi (see 3 Nephi 5:20). It should be noted that Nephi personally wielded the sword of Laban in the defense of his people (Jacob 1:10), and only descendants of Nephi were chosen as kings (see Mosiah 25:13). It should be noted that Mormon took possession of both the sword of Laban and the records of the kings, and they were duly passed on to his son Moroni. [John A. Tvedtnes, "Tribal Affiliation and Military Castes," in Warfare in the Book of Mormon, pp. 317-322]

Mormon 1:6 I [Mormon] Was Carried . . . into the Land Southward:

Jerry Ainsworth notes that at age eleven, in A.D. 322, Mormon was carried by his father from the land northward to the land of Zarahemla (Mormon 1:6). Being carried this distance is probably an accurate description of what actually happened and is possibly indicative of Mormon's socio-economic position. In Part 2 of the text of Izapa Sculpture, Garth Norman states, "Maya dignitaries are known to have been transported in sedan chairs carried by two attendants" (see illustrations). Indeed, regal, wealthy, and aristocratic families were commonly carried in litters over an excellent highway system of this time period. [Jerry L. Ainsworth, The Lives and Travels of Mormon and Moroni, p. 153]

Mormon 1:6 I [Mormon] was carried . . . into the land southward (Illustration): (76) Rolled-out watercolor painting from a Mayan vase in Ratinlixul, Guatemala, showing use of a litter. Used by permission of the University of Pennsylvania. (77) Tracing of a small portion of Stela 21, showing use of a litter, from Izapa, southern section of the state of Chiapas, Mexico. (78) Use of litter in transportation, from Codice Magliabechi, p. 35. [Jerry L. Ainsworth, The Lives and Travels of Mormon and Moroni, p. 154]

Mormon 1:6 Mormon:

[See the commentary on 3 Nephi 5:12]

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Mormon 1:6 I [Mormon] . . . Was Carried . . . Even to the Land of Zarahemla:

In Mormon 1:6, Mormon states that "I, being eleven years old, was carried by my father into the land southward, even to the land of Zarahemla." If the land of Zarahemla was "in the heart of the country" (of Zarahemla--Alma 60:19) and "in the center of the land" (of Zarahemla--Helaman 1:27); and if the hill Shim was located near the hill Cumorah (Ether 9:3), and was somewhere near where the historian Ammaron and the boy Mormon were living; and if Mormon was taken by his father to the land of Zarahemla which action implies social ties between the two places; then, the question that we should address here is, How much distance was there between the hill Shim and the land of Zarahemla. As discussed previously in the commentary on 4 Nephi 1:48 and Mormon 1:3, the reasoning tends to favor a maximum distance of only a few hundred miles. If we were to assume a traditional hemispheric model of Book of Mormon geography (North America - South America), then Mormon might have had to travel thousands of miles to reach his destination. [Alan C. Miner, Personal Notes] [See Geographical Theory Maps]

Geographical Theory Map: Mormon 1:1-6 Mormon Goes Southward To Zarahemla (322 A.S.)

Mormon 1:7 The Whole Face of the Land Had Become Covered with Buildings:

Mormon said that when he went southward from the land northward as a child he saw that "the whole face of the land had become covered with buildings, and the people were as numerous almost, as it were the sand of the sea" (Mormon 1:7). According to Jerry Ainsworth, that description--for that time period (about A.D. 322)--coincides only with Central America, where the massive ruins of contiguous cities runs for hundreds of miles. No archaeological sites have been found within the boundaries of North and South America that qualify for Mormon's description of that time and place. One has only to visit the lowlands of southern Mexico and northern Guatemala to appreciate the magnitude of their ancient civilizations and to realize how few of their sites have been excavated. Today, entire metropolises lie hidden in huge tracts of jungle, seemingly as if they never existed. Where else do we find concrete evidence of anything comparable? [Jerry L. Ainsworth, The Lives and Travels of Mormon and Moroni, pp. 42, 155]

Mormon 1:7 The whole face of the land had been covered with buildings, and the people were as numerous almost, as it were the sand of the sea (Illustration): (79) Painting of a section of El Mirador, an ancient city in the northern part of Guatemala (Zarahemla). "The whole face of the land had become covered with buildings, and the people were as numerous almost, as it were the sand of the sea" (Mormon 1:7. Used by permission of the National Geographic Society. [Jerry L. Ainsworth, The Lives and Travels of Mormon and Moroni, p. 155] Mormon 1:7 The whole face of the land had been covered with buildings, and the people were as numerous almost, as it were the sand of the sea (Illustration): (81) Painting of a section of Tikal, a large ancient city in the northern (Peten) section of Guatemala (Zarahemla). [Jerry L. Ainsworth, The Lives and Travels of Mormon and Moroni, p. 157]

Mormon 1:10 The War Began . . . in the Borders of Zarahemla, by the Waters of Sidon:

We find in Mormon 1:10 that "the war began to be among them in the borders of Zarahemla, by the waters of Sidon." If the term Zarahemla means the general land of Zarahemla, then these borders might somewhat match the borders described in Alma 22:27. In that verse a description is given of a narrow strip of wilderness which divided the land on the north (Zarahemla) from the land on the south (Nephi). This narrow strip of wilderness went "through the borders of Manti, by the head of the river Sidon, running from the east towards the west". This border location seems logical because of the Nephite history in which that area was fortified -- the city of Manti being established there. This area is mentioned heavily in regards to travel and battles between the people of Nephi and Zarahemla. Any other location, although possible, would need some explanation. It is an interesting cultural note that although the Lamanites and Nephites at one time "were one" (4 Nephi 1:17) and were spread out "upon all the face of the land" (4 Nephi 1:2), the war between the Lamanites and Nephites began here, of all places, in these historically and militarily significant

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"borders of Zarahemla by the waters of Sidon." [Alan C. Miner, Personal Notes] [See Geographical Theory Maps]

Mormon 1:10 The War Began . . . in the Borders of Zarahemla, by the Waters of Sidon:

John Sorenson notes that the conflict that was to result in extermination of the Nephite lineages began in the same place as the earlier wars--where expanding Lamanite power on the south rubbed against the Nephite political presence. "The war began to be among them in the borders of Zarahemla, by the waters of Sidon" (Mormon 1:10).

As has been noted before (see Alma 31:3; Alma 50:8), southeast Chiapas formed a boundary between speakers of Maya languages and other groups, particularly the Zoqueans, who had been among the bearers of the Olmec/Jaredite tradition. Our glimpses of ethnic history before the time of Columbus indicate that the Maya speakers occupied nearly all the lands we have identified as included in the greater land of Nephi. The mass of folk governed by the Lamanite lineage of rulers probably spoke one or another Mayan tongue. The tendency of the speakers of those languages, as shown by linguistic reconstruction, has been to expand in a northern and western direction into Chiapas.liv It seems almost historically inevitable that the Mayan/Lamanite movement would crowd the southern edge of the Nephite domain. The renewed conflict in the fourth century at that particular geographical point adjacent to the Sidon and to Zarahemla fits in as a logical continuation of the process begun centuries before. [John L. Sorenson An Ancient American Setting for the Book of Mormon, pp. 335-336]

Geographical Theory Map: Mormon 1:10 War Starts in the Borders of Zarahemla (322 A.S.--326 A.S.)

Mormon 1:11 Sands of the Sea (30,000):

In Mormon 1:7, Mormon notes that "the people were as numerous almost, as it were the sand of the sea." However, just 4 verses later in Mormon 1:11 he states that "the Nephites had gathered together a great number of men, even to exceed the number of thirty thousand. And it came to pass that they did have in this same year a number of battles, in which the Nephites did beat the Lamanites and did slay many of them." One might ask, Why, if the Nephites were as numerous as "the sands of the sea," could they only raise an army of 30,000? Perhaps this verse is either describing only one of many battle zones for the Nephite "armies" (see Mormon 2:3), or it is possibly describing a relatively minor battle. [Alan C. Miner, Personal Notes]

Mormon 1:15 I Being Fifteen Years of Age . . . Was Visited of the Lord:

Mormon says the following:And I, being fifteen years of age and being somewhat of a sober mind, therefore I was visited

of the Lord, and tasted and knew of the goodness of Jesus. (Mormon 1:15)

According to Douglas and Robert Clark, there must be something significant concerning the stage of life one goes through at the age of about fourteen or fifteen. Mormon's awakening to spiritual matters at about this age foreshadows a similar awakening at a similar age by the young Joseph Smith (see JS-H 1), who would translate Mormon's record. And the experiences of both these men echo that of their ancient father Abraham, who was fourteen years old (according to the ancient and venerable Book of Jubilees) when he "began understanding" how society had gone astray and consequently "began to pray to the Creator" for guidance. lv Fifteen is the age specified in Confucian tradition to set one's heart upon learning, and thirteen is the age specified in Jewish tradition for the acceptance of moral responsibility.lvi Similarly, through modern-day prophets, the Lord has specified twelve as the age when worthy young men of his church can receive the Aaronic Priesthood. [E. Douglas Clark and Robert S. Clark, Fathers and Sons in the Book of Mormon, p. 230]

Mormon 1:15 I Was Visited of the Lord and . . . Knew of the Goodness of Jesus:

Under conditions of widespread wickedness, Mormon, at age fifteen, becomes chief captain

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of the Nephite armies (Mormon 2:1-2). This is the same Mormon after whom the Book of Mormon is named. More to the point, however, Mormon writes the following: "And I, being fifteen years of age and being somewhat of a sober mind, therefore I was visited of the Lord, and tasted and knew of the goodness of Jesus." (Mormon 1:15)

According to Avraham Gileadi, the parallelism of these two statements implies that to know the goodness of Jesus is to be visited of the Lord, to make one's calling and election sure. Gileadi notes that in the Interpreter's Dictionary of the Bible (3:352-53), the term "goodness" is listed as a synonym of covenant blessing and covenant keeping. In the very beginning of the Book of Mormon, Nephi, the son of Lehi, also comes to know personally the "goodness" and mysteries of God (1 Nephi 1:1). Like Mormon, at a young age Nephi becomes a prophet in his own right--he sees the Lord in a vision, thus making sure his calling and election (1 Nephi 11:7,21,27; 18:3). [Avraham Gileadi, The Last Days: Types and Shadows from the Bible and the Book of Mormon, pp. 216, 232] [See the commentary on 1 Nephi 1:1],

Mormon 1:17 The Land Was Cursed for Their Sake:

One might wonder why "the land was cursed for their sake"? According to McConkie, Millet, and Top, Mormon uses the phrase "for their sake" not to illustrate any beneficial aspects but rather to point out another terrible consequence of the wickedness of his people. The definition of "sake" in an 1830 dictionary or some other contemporary edition would include "on account of." This definition seems to fit better with Mormon's intent and is consistent with other Book of Mormon passages that use similar language. Thus the land was "cursed" not for the blessing or benefit of the Nephites in any way, but rather "on account of" the great wickedness. See 2 Nephi 1:7; Alma 45:10-16; Ether 2:8-12. [Joseph F. McConkie, Robert L. Millet, Brent L. Top, Doctrinal Commentary on the Book of Mormon, Vol. IV, p. 212]

Mormon 1:18 [They] Began to Hide Up Their Treasures in the Earth:

Roger Keller reasons that if the writings of latter-day prophets reflect their author's personal characteristics, then records left by ancient prophets should also contain features that distinguish their authors as individuals. In his published study, Professor Keller, of the Department of Church History and Doctrine at Brigham Young University, analyzes the traits that set each Book of Mormon author apart from the others.

One analysis involved the word "earth." According to Keller, while among the various authors, there are a few scattered references to the earth meaning the "ground," either as that to which people relate in some way, i.e., they fall on it, sit on it, etc., or as that stuff of which the earth is composed and which may bear fruit, be smitten, bear seeds, etc. . . . we find that 71.4 percent of all Mormon's uses of "earth" mean ground. Of those usages, 57.8 percent refer to people in relationship to the ground, and 42.2 percent refer to the ground as the essence of the earth, thus making Mormon distinctly different from all other authors with the possible exception of his son, who may have been influenced by his father's language (see illustration).

Based on his research, Professor Keller concludes:I have no reluctance whatsoever in asserting that no one person could possibly have

written the Book of Mormon. Either it is the product of massive collusion among numerous nineteenth-century persons, or it is precisely what it claims to be---an ancient book written by ancient people. There is simply no viable middle ground.

[Roger R. Keller, Book of Mormon Authors: Their Words and Messages, pp. 60, 73-77, 196]

Mormon 1:18 [They] began to hide up their treasures in the earth (Illustration): Figure 5: Earth---As Related to Humans. Figure 6: Earth---Ground as Ground. [Roger R. Keller, Book of Mormon Authors: Their Words and Messages, p. 74]

Mormon 1:18 Their Treasures . . . Became Slippery:

In calling the Nephites to repentance, Samuel the Lamanite warned that "the time cometh that [the Lord] curseth your riches, that they become slippery, that ye cannot hold them; and in the days of your poverty ye cannot retain them" (Helaman 13:31). More than three centuries later,

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Mormon recorded that, in fulfillment of Samuel's prophecy, the Gadianton robbers"did infest the land, insomuch that the inhabitants thereof began to hide up their

treasures in the earth; and they became slippery, because the Lord had cursed the land, that they could not hold them, nor retain them again" (Mormon 1:18).

According to Kevin Barney, some critics have suggested that these passages reflect beliefs prevalent in Joseph Smith's day. One such belief was that guardian demons moved buried treasures to different locations when people dug for them. Because the general idea of slippery treasures appears in the Book of Mormon, critics see it as evidence of the book's supposed 19th-century origin. However, the concept of slippery treasures is found to have existed in the ancient Near East of Lehi's time.

One example comes from the Instructions of Amenemope, an Egyptian text dating to between the 11th and 13 centuries B.C. and believed by many to have been the source for a portion of the biblical book of Proverbs. Proverbs 23:4-5 closely parallels chapter 7 of Amenemope. Compare the first lines of each passage:lvii

Do not wear yourself out to get rich; be wise enough to desist. (Proverbs)Do not strain to seek an excess, when thy needs are safe for thee. (Amenemope)

Compare also the end of each passage:When your eyes light upon it, it is gone; for suddenly it takes wings to itself, flying like an

eagle toward heaven. (Proverbs)(Or) they [riches] have made themselves wings like geese and are flown away to the

heavens. (Amenemope)

[Kevin L. Barney, "'Slippery Treasures' in the Book of Mormon: A Concept from the Ancient World," FARMS Update Number 135 in Insights: A Window on the Ancient World, June 2000, p. 2]

Mormon 1:19 There Were Sorceries, and Witchcrafts, and Magics:

Mormon notes that "there were sorceries, and witchcrafts, and magics; and the power of the evil one was wrought upon all the face of the land, . . ." (Mormon 1:19).

According to Hunter and Ferguson, usually those who sought or practiced the black arts were endeavoring to obtain some unfair advantage over their fellows. The practices were condemned under ancient Israelite law but were never wholly eradicated. The law is given in Deuteronomy as follows:

There shall not be found among you anyone that maketh his son or his daughter to pass through the fire, or that useth divination, or an observer of time, or an enchanter, or a witch, or a charmer, or a consulter with familiar spirits or a wizard, or a necromancer. For all that do these things are an abomination unto the Lord; and because of these abominations the Lord thy God doth drive them out from before thee. (Deuteronomy 18:10-12; )

Virtually the same law existed in Middle America, even as late as the Conquest period. Sorcery and witchcraft were illegal if employed to injure the community or the individual.

In striking confirmation, Ixtlilxochitl grouped together four of the pseudo-arts practiced by the Tultecas prior to the Conquest: necromancy, enchantment, sorcery and astrology. Necromancers are those who pretend to forecast events by alleged communication with the dead. Necromancy is generally regarded as one of the black arts, along with sorcery. The latter is related to magic or witchery. Astrology, too, is a false "science" by which the destinies of men are allegedly told by study of the stars. Ixtlilxochitl's statement on the black arts in Mesoamerica is similar to the Book of Mormon report of happenings in Bountiful-Zarahemla just prior to the expulsion of the Nephites from that ancient center (Mormon 2:10-11). [Milton R. Hunter and Thomas Stuart Ferguson, Ancient America and the Book of Mormon, pp. 290-291]

Mormon 1:19 There were sorceries, and witchcrafts, and magics (Illustration): Secrecy was heavily ingrained in Mesoamerican life. Witchcraft and sorcery were, and still are, common ingredients in the social and ritual life of certain groups. The remarkable piece of ceramic sculpture shown here dates to the Maya Late Classic. It recalls Mormon 1:19,

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written in the fourth century A.D., "There were sorceries, and witchcrafts and magics . . . upon all the face of the land." [John L. Sorenson, Images of Ancient America, p. 119]

Mormon 1:19 Even unto the Fulfilling of All the Words of Abinadi:

Mormon records that "there were sorceries, and witchcrafts, and magics; and the power of the evil one was wrought upon all the face of the land, even unto the fulfilling of all the words of Abinadi, and also Samuel the Lamanite" (Mormon 1:19).

This verse creates confusion for the reader because, first, it is apparently not punctuated correctly. As the verse now stands, the reader is incorrectly led to believe that both Abinadi and Samuel prophesied about sorceries (which they did not). Additionally, if the reader looks at the footnotes they will find a reference to Samuel's prophecy but no reference is given for Abinadi. This adds to the confusion because the reader is led to believe that there is no recorded prophecy by Abinadi in the Book of Mormon which fulfills these words by Mormon.

The answer to all this confusion is that Abinadi did NOT prophesy about sorceries and witchcrafts; he prophesied about a people ripe for destruction. In other words, Abinadi prophesied about what Mormon discussed in verses 11-17. Samuel prophesied about what Mormon discussed in verses 17-19.

For the benefit of the reader, I will first note the specific prophecy of Abinadi, and then the specific prophecy of Samuel the Lamanite:

Prophecy of Abinadi Concerning Complete Destruction:And now, because of this great victory they were lifted up in the pride of their hearts;

they did boast in their own strength . . . and thus they did boast, and did delight in blood, and the shedding of the blood of their brethren, and this because of the wickedness of their king and priests.

And it came to pass that there was a man among them whose name was Abinadi [who was apparently a "type" for Mormon], and he went forth among them, and began to prophesy, saying: Behold, thus saith the Lord, and thus hath he commanded me, saying, Go forth, and say unto this people, thus saith the Lord--Wo be unto this people, for I have seen their abominations, and their wickedness, and their whoredoms; and except they repent I will visit them in mine anger. . . .

And it shall come to pass that except they repent I will utterly destroy them from off the face of the earth; yet they shall leave a record behind them, and I will preserve them for other nations which shall possess the land; yea, even this will I do that I may discover the abominations of this people to other nations. And many things did Abinadi prophesy against this people.

And it came to pass that they were angry with him . . . (Mosiah 11:19-20; 12:8-9).

Prophecy of Samuel Concerning Slippery Treasures:And behold, if a man hide up a treasure in the earth, and the Lord shall say--Let it be

accursed, because of the iniquity of him who hath hid it up--behold, it shall be accursed. (Helaman 12:18)

And behold, a curse shall come upon the land, saith the Lord of Hosts, because of the people's sake who are upon the land, yea, because of their wickedness and their abominations. And it shall come to pass, saith the Lord of Hosts, yea, our great and true God, that whoso shall hide up treasures in the earth shall find them again no more, because of the great curse of the land, save he be a righteous man and shall hide it up unto the Lord. For I will, saith the Lord that they shall hide up their treasures unto me; and cursed be they who hide not up their treasures unto me; for none hideth up their treasures unto me save it be the righteous; and he that hideth not up his treasures unto me, cursed is he, and also the treasure, and none shall redeem it because of the curse of the land. And the day shall come that they shall hide up their treasures, because they have set their hearts upon riches; and because they have set their hearts upon their riches, I will hide up their treasures when they shall flee before their enemies; because they will not hide them up unto me, cursed be they

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and also their treasures; and in that day shall they be smitten, saith the Lord. Behold ye, the people of this great city, and hearken unto my words; yea, hearken unto the words which the Lord saith; for behold, he saith that ye are cursed because of your riches, and also are your riches cursed because ye have set your hearts upon them, and have not hearkened unto the words of him who gave them unto you. Ye do not remember the Lord your God in the things with which he hath blessed you, but ye do always remember your riches, not to thank the Lord your God for them; yea, your hearts are not drawn out unto the Lord, but they do swell with great pride, unto boasting, and unto great swelling, envyings, strifes, malice, persecutions and murders, and all manner of iniquities. For this cause hath the Lord God caused that a curse should come upon the land, and also upon your riches, and this because of your iniquities. (Helaman 13:17-23)

Yea, behold, the anger of the Lord is already kindled against you; behold, he hath cursed the land because of your iniquity. And behold, the time cometh that he curseth your riches, that they become slippery, that ye cannot hold them; and in the days of your poverty ye cannot retain them. And in the days of your poverty ye shall cry unto the Lord; and in vain shall ye cry, for your desolation is already come upon you, and your destruction is made sure; and then shall ye weep and howl in that day, saith the Lord of Hosts. And then shall ye lament, and say: O that I had repented, and had not killed the prophets, and stoned them, and cast them out. Yea, in that day ye shall say: O that we had remembered the Lord our God in the day that he gave us our riches, and then they would not have become slippery that we should lose them; for behold, our riches are gone from us. Behold, lay a tool here and on the morrow it is gone; and behold, our swords are taken from us in the day we have sought them for battle. Yea, we have hid up our treasures and they have slipped away from us, because of the curse of the land. O that we had repented in the day that the word of the Lord came unto us; for behold the land is cursed, and all things are become slippery, and we cannot hold them. Behold, we are surrounded by demons, yea, we are encircled about by the angels of him who hath sought to destroy our souls. Behold, our iniquities are great. O Lord, canst thou not turn away thine anger from us? And this shall be your language in those days. But behold, your days of probation are past; ye have procrastinated the day of your salvation until it is everlastingly too late, and your destruction is made sure; yea, for ye have sought all the days of your lives for that which ye could not obtain; and ye have sought for happiness in doing iniquity, which thing is contrary to the nature of that righteousness which is in our great and Eternal Head. (Helaman 13:30-38)

Now, in order to more fully bring this message home to the reader, I will give a more appropriate punctuation for Mormon 1:19 as follows:

19a. "And it came to pass that there were sorceries, and witchcrafts, and magics."

The reader should note that verse 19a is a continuation of verses 17-18, which talk about a curse on the land and about slippery treasures. Mormon now summarizes the two messages which he has previously stated--(1) verses 11-17; and (2) verses 17-19a:

19b. : "And the power of the evil one was wrought upon all the face of the land, even unto the fulfilling of all the words of Abinadi, and also of Samuel the Lamanite."

Thus, in Mormon's reference to the fulfillment of these prophecies, we find another superb illustration of Mormon's inspired writing (and another reason to doubt that Joseph Smith could have written the Book of Mormon by himself). In a most convincing way, Mormon brings together specific prophecies about the destructions which occurred among his people, and the reasons behind those destructions. Mormon also gives to the reader in the last days a most convincing warning of what will happen if history chooses to repeat itself. [Alan C. Miner, Personal Notes]

Mormon 2:1 Notwithstanding I Being Young, Was Large in Stature; Therefore the People of Nephi Appointed Me That I Should Be . . . the Leader of Their Armies:

Mormon was appointed to be the leader of the Nephite armies at the age of fifteen (Mormon 2:1-2). He says: "notwithstanding I being young, was large in stature; therefore the people of Nephi

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appointed me that I should be their leader, or the leader of their armies" (Mormon 2:1). One might wonder why being "large in stature" would have such an influence on the Nephites? After all, Mormon was just fifteen!

According to Jerry Ainsworth, it was common for Maya to select large people as their military leaders. The Nephites also likely knew of the unique family from which Mormon came. If Mormon came from a wealthy, aristocratic family, as it appears he did, then his travels throughout the land of Zarahemla would not have gone unnoticed. Certainly his family's name, lineage, and status would have been well known among the Nephites. It is conceivable that information about Mormon's calling as the record keeper became public, especially since he endeavored "to preach unto this people" (Mormon 1:16). The people would have understood that he had been "visited of the Lord, and [had tasted and knew of the goodness of Jesus" (Mormon 1:15). They undoubtedly knew of his superb schooling and of his noble and/or aristocratic lineage, as well as his spiritual roots. Because of this, Mormon would have been a perfect selection for such a military position. The Nephites had a long-standing custom of choosing someone with the gift of prophecy as a military commander (see 3 Nephi 3:19). [Jerry L. Ainsworth, The Lives and Travels of Mormon and Moroni, p. 158]

Note* Nephi also considered himself "large in stature" (1 Nephi 4:31). [Alan C. Miner, Personal Notes]

Mormon 2:1 The Leader of Their Armies:

According to Jerry Ainsworth, Mormon 2:1 offers confirmation that Mormon had not been raised among the people of Zarahemla but was essentially from a different land, the land northward. Mormon says, "the people of Nephi appointed me that I should be their leader, or the leader of their armies" (emphasis added). Had Mormon been reared among these Nephites, he certainly would have referred to these armies as our armies. However, after serving as leader of the Nephite armies for one year, Mormons states, "the Lamanites did come upon us with exceedingly great power, insomuch that they did frighten my armies" (Mormon 2:3; emphasis added). [Jerry L. Ainsworth, The Lives and Travels of Mormon and Moroni, p. 158]

Mormon 2:2 I [Mormon] did go forth at the head of an army of the Nephites (Major Nephite Leaders) [Illustration]: The Major Leaders During Nephite History. [Church Educational System, Book of Mormon Student Manual: Religion 121 and 122, 1989, p. 160]

Mormon 2:3 In the Three Hundred and Twenty and Seventh Year the Lamanites Did Come upon Us with Exceeding Great Power:

We find in Mormon 2:3 that "in the three hundred and twenty and seventh year the Lamanites did come upon [the Nephites] with exceeding great power, insomuch that they did frighten my armies; therefore they would not fight, and they began to retreat towards the north countries." Sometime before "three hundred and forty and four years had passed away," Mormon notes that he "saw that the day of grace was passed with them, both temporally and spiritually" (Mormon 2:15).

According to Hunter and Ferguson, many years of quiet peace followed the ministry of Christ in the land of Bountiful. Ixtlilxochitl (a 16th century Mesoamerican historian) dates the interruption at 305 years after the crucifixion, that is, 305 years after the eclipse of the sun and the moon that occurred in approximately A.D. 34. Thus, the peace lasted until approximately A.D. 339 according to him. The Book of Mormon is consistent, reporting this long era as an epoch of peace, prosperity, righteousness and happiness. The first signs of war in 300 years flared up in A.D. 322 (Mormon 1:6,10). By 339 A.D., Ixtlilxochitl's date for the disruption of peace, war was in full progress again. Where did the trouble start? Both accounts point to the ancient "seat of the kingdom." Ixtlilxochitl, like the Book of Mormon refers to the absolute banishment of the Bountiful artisans. It would have been impossible for Ixtlilxochitl to have known that his ancestors experienced a long period of peace following the visitation of Quetzalcoatl (Jesus Christ) to the western hemisphere except through the authentic traditions and records which came to him from his predecessors. The Catholic missionaries were not informed on that matter and could have had no influence on his thinking.

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[Milton R. Hunter and Thomas Stuart Ferguson, Ancient America and the Book of Mormon, pp. 223,232]

Mormon 2:3 The Lamanites Did Come upon Us:

Mormon notes that "the Lamanites did come upon us" (Mormon 2:3). The reader should notice that from the Nephite point of view in the land of Zarahemla, the Lamanites did not come down. Mormon and his Nephite army only "go forth" (Mormon 2:2) rather than up against the Lamanites. If this war was started in the narrow strip of wilderness "in the borders of Zarahemla, by the waters of Sidon," it seems strange that there is no mention of elevation. Perhaps this war was fought on multiple fronts along these southerly borders and at different elevations, as Mormon 2:6 also refers to "borders west by the seashore." Although John Sorenson tends to feel that, in general, Mormon uses elevational prepositions only sparingly in his own story (Source Book, p. 299), it might be well for the student to compare the war setting of the sons of Helaman (Alma 56) which relates the circumstances of war in the borders of the land of Zarahemla by the head of the river Sidon. [Alan C. Miner, Personal Notes]

Mormon 2:3 They Began to Retreat towards the North Countries:

The Nephite armies "began to retreat towards the north countries" (Mormon 2:3), but what and where were the north countries? Were the north countries a synonym for "the land northward"? It is interesting to note that at the beginning of his abridgment of the book of Ether, Moroni says, "now I, Moroni, proceed to give an account of those ancient inhabitants who were destroyed by the hand of the Lord upon the face of this north country" (Ether 1:1). By saying "this north country," Moroni seems to imply that he was located in the north country, or the place where the Jaredites had been destroyed. The final battle site of the Jaredites (the hill Ramah) was the same final battle site of the Nephites (the hill Cumorah) (Mormon 8:1-4). The fact that Moroni was abridging the record of the Jaredites seems to imply that he had returned to the hill Cumorah, located in "this north country." Mormon himself will record that the Nephite "retreat" ended at the hill Cumorah (Mormon 6:4-11). [Alan C. Miner, Personal Notes] [See the commentary for Ether 1:1]

Mormon 2:3 They Began to Retreat towards the North Countries:

According to John Sorenson, the cultural connections of the Chiapas area (Sorenson's proposed land of Zarahemla) since A.D. 50 had been primarily to the Isthmus of Tehuantepec (proposed narrow neck) and beyond to south-central Veracruz (proposed land northward). That would tie Sorenson's Zarahemla area to Bountiful, and also to Desolation and Cumorah, Mormon's homeland. The Book of Mormon's statements and implications agree with that picture. It was northward to those areas that the Nephites finally retreated (Mormon 2:16-17, 28-29). . . . At the date in question the site of Kaminaljuyu (proposed local land of Nephi) in the Valley of Guatemala was regaining its former glory. It was already coming under the influence of the sprawling metropolis of Teotihuacan in central Mexico, at that moment the most impressive of all Mesoamerican centers. Several explanations have been offered for the developing tie between the two centers. They emphasize Kaminaljuyu's function as a southern trade center for Teotihuacan through which to exploit valuable obsidian deposits nearby. . . . The Lamanites who attacked Mormon's forces in Zarahemla/Chiapas could well have been bearers of highland Guatemalan culture under Teotihuacan stimulation. Moving northward from their base in the land of Nephi, the Lamanite lineage chiefs must have had big ideas about power, their eyes having been opened to the possibilities for conquest by their Teotihuacan teachers and exemplars. They would have been organized and equipped better than former Lamanites had been in their attacks on the hereditary enemy, the Nephites. This picture gets support from the archaeological data at Mirador (proposed area for Angola). [John L. Sorenson, An Ancient American Setting for the Book of Mormon, pp. 340-341] [See the commentary on Mormon 2:4 and 2:8]

Mormon 2:3 In the Three Hundred and Twenty and Seventh Year . . . [the Nephites] Began to Retreat towards the North Countries:

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When Mormon was eleven years old, he accompanied his father to the land of Zarahemla. At the age of fifteen, he was appointed to be the leader of the Nephite armies. Now he states that "in the three hundred and twenty and seventh year the Lamanites did come upon us with exceedingly great power, insomuch that they did frighten my armies; therefore they would not fight, and they began to retreat towards the north countries" (Mormon 2:3). According to the geographical theory of John Sorenson, this retreat marked the beginning of the Nephite exodus from the Central Depression of Chiapas.

Sorenson notes that the Central Depression constituted the "heart" of isthmian Mesoamerica, "surrounded by security" (Alma 60:19). . . . It occupied a central position within the broader area encompassed by the Izapan style of art, which ranged from coastal southern Guatemala through Chiapas into southern and central Veracruz state. The peak of Izapan development dated between the second century B.C. and the fourth century A.D. This Izapan style is, so far, the best hint of the presence of Nephites, although the association is based on inference from time and space factors. . . . Beginning in the late fourth century A.D., when the Nephite demise came, most cities in Chiapas were abandoned and the population dropped markedly. The area never again became a significant player in the ongoing course of Mesoamerican civilization. [John L. Sorenson, Images of Ancient America, p. 196]

Mormon 2:4 Angola:

According to Richard Hauck, the settlement of Angola was spelled "Angelah" in the original 1830 edition of the Book of Mormon, p. 520. [F. Richard Hauck, Deciphering the Geography of the Book of Mormon, p. 105]

Mormon 2:4 Angola (Angolah)?:

In 1999, the Zarahemla Research Foundation (RLDS) finished an exhaustive review of all known manuscripts and editions of the Book of Mormon in order to restore the text "to its purity." The result was the Restored Covenant Edition of the Book of Mormon. One of their "restorations" involves the geographical place name "Angola" (Mormon 2:4), which has been changed to read "Angolah." [Zarahemla Research Foundation, "Geography Concordance" in The Book of Mormon: Restored Covenant Edition, p. 999]

This must be considered tentative subject to the verification of Royal Skousen, director of the Book of Mormon manuscript project, who will not comment at this time relative to such changes. [Personal communication, 11/22/1999]

Mormon 2:4 City of Angola:

Apparently from a location "in the borders of Zarahemla, by the waters of Sidon," the Nephite army "did come to" the city of Angola as the Nephite "armies" "began to retreat towards the north countries (Mormon 2:3). Notice that possibly soon after this, the location of the Nephite armies is described as being "in the borders west by the seashore" (Mormon 2:6). Thus, geographically speaking, the "retreat towards the north countries" was apparently not in a direct line due north.

According to John Sorenson, since Angola and the land of David appear as stopping places on the way from Zarahemla to the west coast (Mormon 2:4-6) near the narrow pass or narrow passage (Mormon 2:29; 3:5), they would lie north-westward, in Nephite terms, from the land of Zarahemla. From central Chiapas (Sorenson's proposed land of Zarahemla) the normal way to reach the Pacific coast leads west from the upper Grijalva/Sidon River through the Cintalapa Valley to the passes over the wilderness mountain strip above Arriaga. (The Lamanites had followed the same route in reverse in their early attacks on Ammonihah and Noah -- Alma 16:2, 49:1-14). Angola and David were probably along that route somewhere, although the brevity of Mormon's record denies us enough information to pin down the places definitively. The city of Angola likely was at or near the site of Mirador, identified earlier as Ammonihah. [John L. Sorenson, An Ancient American Setting for the Book of Mormon, p. 338] [See Geographical Theory Maps]

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Mormon 2:4 We Did Take Possession of the City:

According to John Sorenson, the nature of the Nephites' organizational problem is described in the phrasing of Mormon 2:4: "We did come to the city of Angola, and we did take possession of the city, and make preparations to defend ourselves against the Lamanites." This statement is remarkable because Angola was already part of the greater land of Zarahemla. Why would Mormon's forces have to "take possession" of it? The key point about the Nephite political structure has already been made several times: there was no unitary Nephite state. What we see in Mormon's appointment and in the affair at Angola is the system of lineage leadership in the political arena. Leaders held power on the basis of the loyalty given to them by kin or "friends" who had made a commitment to ally with a powerful major lineage. Smaller units had to link themselves with others in order to survive in a dog-eat-dog world of tests of power. That had been true just before the Savior's appearance (3 Nephi 7:2-6) and it was true again now. Each lineage tended to occupy certain areas and communities. Each was tied with others through interpersonal bonds--distant shared ancestry, trade alliances, friendship, intermarriage, shared religion, and so on--as these connections were cultivated by their leaders. Thus combined armies would be put together according to the political weather of the moment.

We can get a glimpse of how such a system worked at the time of Cortez's conquest, twelve centuries after Mormon. The essentials of the pattern had changed little in between. We saw earlier how, when Cortez first encountered the Tlaxcalans, who eventually became his allies against the Aztecs, he found a fragmented leadership. "These same Caciques [leaders] . . . came out to receive us, and brought with them their sons and nephews and many of the leading inhabitants, each group of kindred and clan a party by itself."lviii Among the Nephites similar fragmentation surely prevailed, the military commander using powers of persuasion and diplomacy about as often as he used his limited authority. . .

As the Nephite forces retreated still farther, they repeated this process over and over, forcing local people to cast their lots with the retreating lineages and their armies. All the political and military means available to Mormon and his people they used to "gather in our people as fast as it were possible, that we might get them together in one body" (Mormon 2:7). [John L. Sorenson, An Ancient American Setting for the Book of Mormon, pp. 336-337]

Geographical Theory Map: Mormon 2:3 Nephites Begin Retreat towards the North Countries (327 A.S.--331 A.S.)

Mormon 2:5 The Land of David:

Not only were the Nephites driven out of the city of Angola, but they were also driven out of "the land of David" (Mormon 2:5), which is a land for which no city is mentioned in the Book of Mormon. According to John Sorenson, the land of David could have been westward along the Cintalapa Valley from Mirador, Chiapas, Mexico (which is the normal way to reach the Pacific coast from the upper Grijalva/Sidon river). [John L. Sorenson, An Ancient American Setting for the Book of Mormon, p. 338]

Mormon 2:6 The Land of Joshua, Which Was in the Borders West by the Seashore:

After the Nephite armies were driven out of the land of David, they marched to the land of Joshua. Assuming a Mesoamerican setting, these "borders west by the seashore" (Mormon 2:6) might have been on the Pacific coastal plain. John Sorenson proposes this zone to be the land of Joshua. According to Sorenson, the Arriaga--Tonala coastal zone was heavily settled in those times. In Mormon 2:9 it says that at the land of Joshua, the 42,000 man Nephite army withstood the 44,000 man Lamanite army. This can possibly be explained geographically by the Nephites holding the two major passes over the mountains above Arriaga--Tonala (the land of Joshua), so that the enemy could not reach the Pacific coastal strip. [John L. Sorenson, An Ancient American Setting for the Book of Mormon, pp. 338-340]

Mormon's army was successful in fortifying against the Lamanites here in the land of Joshua for about 14 years, whereas at the city of Angola and the land of David they could not hold. This not

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only suggests that the land of Joshua was probably in a more defensible position, but that this war was moving geographically quite slowly. [Alan C. Miner, Personal Notes]

Mormon 2:7 We Did Gather in Our People As Fast As It Were Possible, That We Might Get Them Together in One Body:

[See the commentary on Mormon 2:4]

Mormon 2:8 The Land Was Filled with Robbers:

According to John Sorenson, Book of Mormon and Mesoamerican secret groups were up to the same tricks and operated according to similar rules. But were these practices really ancient in America, or were they late developments? Some researchers think the pochteca (long distance trading) groups' origin goes back to Teotihuacan (the early centuries A.D., but Professor Coe maintains that a similar institution was vital in Olmec civilization before 1000 B.C. J. A. Bennyhoff has interpreted masks recovered by archaeologists as indications of the presence of secret societies anciently. These ritual artifacts are present from about 1200 B.C. to 600 B.C. in the Valley of Oaxaca (Jaredite Moron). . . . Masks again are found in large numbers during developed Teotihuacan times, for a few centuries after A.D. 300. This happens to be just the period when Mormon reports the rise of the secret society that was instrumental in the downfall of the Nephites (Mormon 2:8, 10, 27-28; Ether 8:19-21). [John L. Sorenson, An Ancient American Setting for the Book of Mormon, pp. 308-309]

Mormon 2:8 The land was filled with robbers (Illustration): Masks like this one of the Teotihuacan era have been interpreted as evidence for secret societies (Photo by Daniel Bates. Courtesy David A. Palmer and the Society for Early Historic Archaeology.) [John L. Sorenson, An Ancient American Setting for the Book of Mormon, p. 303]

Mormon 2:8 It Was One Complete Revolution throughout All the Face of the Land:

Apparently, during the time that the Nephite armies were gathering to the land of Joshua, Mormon mentions that "a complete revolution" (Mormon 2:8) had been going on throughout the land of Zarahemla. According to John Sorenson, archaeological evidence in Chiapas, Mexico, a proposed site for the land of Zarahemla, seems to reflect this "revolution." According to a report on the site of Mirador (proposed area of Angola) by archaeologist Agrinier, the Jiquipilas phase (A.D. 250 to 350) "was ended by an intense fire that totally destroyed" the structure of the largest sacred building at Mirador. "It seems that the temple had been thoroughly cleaned of its contents prior to its burning." This suggests either a scorched earth policy on the part of retreating inhabitants or looting by the invader, or both."lix Tombs at the site were sacked at the same time. lx After the destruction of the temple, a period of temporary abandonment followed, perhaps as little as a single year. . . . When Mirador was settled anew, it was by a new people. The buildings suggest "shoddier construction" by "a transitory elite . . . more concerned with quickly-secured grandeur than with long-range durability."lxi That sounds like what we could expect from the Lamanite invaders who followed on the heels of Mormon's retreating people. . . . In addition, it turns out that the invaders who looted and burned there, arriving on the heels of the populace abandoning the site, displayed a mixture of Guatemalan and Teotihuacan traditions. [John L. Sorenson, An Ancient American Setting for the Book of Mormon, pp. 340, 342]

Mormon 2:9 The Lamanites Had a King and His Name Was Aaron:

[See the commentary on Moroni 9:17]

Mormon 2:3-9 330 Years Had Passed Away (Year 327 to Year 331 = 3-Plus Years of War):

By the time "330 years had passed away" (Mormon 2:9), or in close to 3 years of war, the following happenned:

(1) the Nephites fortified Angola;

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(2) the Lamanites took Angola; (3) the Lamanites took the land of David; (4) the Nephites came to the land of Joshua; (5) the Nephites tried to gather; (6) there was revolution throughout all the face of the land; and (7) the Nephites beat an army of 40,000 Lamanites.

These circumstances open up a number of questions regarding geography. Starting at somewhere along the possible southern border of the land of Zarahemla, how far towards the north countries did the Nephite armies go in 3 years, especially when "there was one complete revolution throughout all the face of the land?" Were all the Nephites everywhere in the general land of Zarahemla retreating towards the north countries? or just Moroni's army? There is no mention of traveling through the small neck of land, or through the land of Bountiful, or through the land of Desolation, all of which were apparently on the north of the land of Zarahemla (Alma 22:27-34). It must have taken at least some amount of time to "fortify the city of Angola with all their might" and to "gather" the people to Joshua, so to what distance could the Nephites ultimately retreat in the time alloted? [Alan C. Miner, Personal Notes] [See Geographical Theory Maps]

Geographical Theory Map: Mormon 2:4-7 Nephites Driven from Angola, David--Gather to Joshua (327 A.S.--331 A.S.)

Mormon 2:10-11 The Nephites Began to Repent . . . and Cry unto the Lord As Had Been Prophesied by Samuel the Prophet:

It is interesting that although just previously in Mormon 1:19, Mormon noted the fulfillment of Samuel the Lamanite's prophecies concering sorceries, witchcraft, and magic (see Helaman 13:18-23), he now adds to that fulfillment with words about repentance and crying unto the Lord in Mormon 2:10-11:

And it came to pass that the Nephites began to repent of their iniquity, and began to cry even as had been prophesied by Samuel the prophet; for behold no man could keep that which was his own, for the thieves, and the robbers, and the murderers, and the magic art, and the witchcraft which was in the land. Thus there began to be a mourning and a lamentation in all the land because of these things, and more especially among the people of Nephi.

Once again, for the benefit of the reader, the following is the specific prophecy of Samuel the Lamanite:

Yea, behold, the anger of the Lord is already kindled against you; behold, he hath cursed the land because of your iniquity.

And behold, the time cometh that he curseth your riches, that they become slippery, that ye cannot hold them; and in the days of your poverty ye cannot retain them.

And in the days of your poverty ye shall cry unto the Lord; and in vain shall ye cry, for your desolation is already come upon you, and your destruction is made sure; and then shall ye weep and howl in that day, saith the Lord of Hosts. And then shall ye lament, and say:

O that I had repented, and had not killed the prophets, and stoned them, and cast them out. Yea, in that day ye shall say: O that we had remembered the Lord our God in the day that he gave us our riches, and then they would not have become slippery that we should lose them; for behold, our riches are gone from us.

Behold, we lay a tool here and on the morrow it is gone; and behold, our swords are taken from us in the day we have sought them for battle.

Yea, we have hid up our treasures and they have slipped away from us, because of the curse of the land.

O that we had repented in the day that the word of the Lord came unto us; for behold the land is cursed, and all things are become slippery, and we cannot hold them.

Behold, we are surrounded by demons, yea, we are encircled about by the angels of him who hath sought to destroy our souls. Behold, our iniquities are great. O Lord, canst thou not turn away thine anger from us? And this shall be your language in those days.

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But behold, your days of probation are past; ye have procrastinated the day of your salvation until it is everlastingly too late, and your destruction is made sure; yea, for ye have sought all the days of your lives for that which ye could not obtain; and ye have sought for happiness in doing iniquity, which thing is contrary to the nature of that righteousness which is in our great and Eternal Head. (Helaman 13:30-38)

Once again, one should note here the excellence of Mormon as an inspired editor, tying in the fulfillment of prophecies made about 330 years before this time. More importantly, however, the reader should be aware that Mormon is giving a spiritual and cultural description of his people (and hopefully giving sufficient warning to us) in the most subtle yet emphatic manner possible. If Joseph Smith wrote the Book of Mormon, he has once again proved to be a genius at tying in loose ends of the story. [Alan C. Miner, Personal Notes]

Mormon 2:10 Murderers, and the Magic Art, and the Witchcraft Which Was in the Land:

According to John Sorenson, J. A. Bennyhoff has interpreted masks recovered by archaeologists as indications of the presence of secret societies anciently. These ritual artifacts are present from about 1200 B.C. to 600 B.C. in the Valley of Oaxaca, Mexico (proposed as the Jaredite site of Moron).lxii . . . Masks again are found in large numbers during developed Teotihuacan times, for a few centuries after A.D. 300. This happens to be just the period when Mormon reports the rise of the secret society that was instrumental in the downfall of the Nephites (Mormon 2:8, 10, 27-28; Ether 8:19-21). [John L. Sorenson, An Ancient American Setting For the Book of Mormon, p. 309]

Mormon 2:15 [No Record*]

According to Mormon 1:3-5, when Mormon (then 10 years old) turned 24 years of age, he was to "go to the land Antum, unto a hill which shall be called Shim." He was to "take the plates of Nephi unto [himself]" and "engrave the things concerning this people." It is significant that here in verse 5, Mormon says that "I remembered the things which Ammaron commanded me." When Mormon turned 24 it would have been 335 A.S. (compare 4 Nephi 1:48, Mormon 1:2). The last recorded episodes of Mormon before 335 A.S. were "in the three hundred and twenty and seventh year" (Mormon 2:3) when the Lamanites drove the Nephite armies from the city of Angola and the land of David until they came to the land of Joshua, "which was in the borders west by the seashore" (Mormon 2:6).

Mormon records that in the land of Joshua, the Nephites withstood the Lamanite armies "and three hundred and thirty years had passed away" (Mormon 2:9). In the land of Joshua, the Nephites began to repent and apparently maintained their position for about 14 years (Mormon's next date is recorded "in the three hundred and forty and fifth year" when "the Nephites did begin to flee before the Lamanites" (Mormon 2:16). It seems odd for Mormon not to mention more details of any trip to the hill Shim during this 14-year time period. I have to ask myself why this trip is not mentioned until ten years later? (Mormon 2:16-18) The reader should note that if we were to plot Mormon's travels according to the hemispheric geographical model (North America-South America), this round trip from a South America location south of the narrow neck (Panama) to a proposed hill Shim situated somewhere near the state of New York could have taken Mormon up to 6000 miles.

Assuming a Mesoamerican setting, Mormon's probable route to the hill Shim would have taken him from a location near the "west" coast on the Pacific Ocean through the Isthmus of Tehuantepec. Depending on the Mesoamerican geographical theory, this distance to the proposed hill Shim would range from just a few miles to a little over one hundred. I would have to suppose that during Mormon's trip to the hill Shim, Mormon's army would have been stationed "in the borders west by the seashore" blocking the Lamanite advance. [Alan C. Miner, Personal Notes] [See Geographical Theory Maps]

Geographical Theory Map: Mormon 2:10-15 [No Record] Mormon Goes to Hill Shim and Retrieves Plates ("335 A.S.")

Mormon 2:16 The City of Jashon:

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In Mormon 2:16 it says that in the 345th year, the Nephite armies began to flee from the Lamanite armies (supposedly from the location of the land of Joshua) "until they came even to the land of Jashon." If:

(1) "the city of Jashon was near where Ammaron deposited the records" (Mormon 2:17); (2) the hill Shim was where the records were (Mormon 1:3); (3) the last recorded site of the Nephites before Mormon turned 24 and retrieved the plates

was "in the land of Joshua, which was "in the borders west by the seashore," where the Nephites tried to gather (Mormon 2:6-15); and

(4) the hill Shim was near the hill Cumorah, and one went "eastward" from there to a "seashore" (Ether 9:3);

then, according to a hemispheric geographical Book of Mormon model (North America--South America), Mormon (after already making a round-trip to retrieve the plates) could have been forced to make another 3000-4000 mile continuous retreat with all his people from a location on the Pacific coast ("in the borders west by the seashore") to somewhere near the hill Cumorah (New York State) and an "east" sea (possibly the Atlantic). Depending on the location of the city of Jashon, this trip would have been two or three times as far as Brigham Young led the saints. I doubt such an extensive retreat, plus another retreat "northward to the land of Shem," took place in the space of one year (Mormon 2:20,22). [Alan C. Miner, Personal Notes] [See Geographical Theory Maps]

Geographical Theory Map: Mormon 2:16 The Nephites Flee to the Land of Jashon (345 A.S.)

Mormon 2:17 I Had Gone . . . and [Had] Taken . . . and Did Make a Record:

In the comments corresponding to the year 345, Mormon notes that by this point in time (at the land of Jashon) he had gone and had taken the plates of Nephi, and did make a record according to the words of Ammaron (Mormon 2:17). Thus, Mormon had begun to record upon the large plates of Nephi which were left to him by Ammaron. Mormon's record on the Large Plates was apparently called as it is in the abridgment, "The Book of Mormon" (Mormon 1:1).

According to Mormon's chronology, the Nephites spent 14 years in the land of Joshua (from 330-344 A.S.). In the year 345 the Nephites were forced to "flee before the Lamanites" (Mormon 2:16-17) and were involved in battles until the year 350 (Mormon 2:16-29). We can reason that because Mormon was the leader of the Nephite armies, the military time period between 345-350 A.S. was probably not devoted to either the study or the writing of many records. However, while previously residing at the land of Joshua, Mormon apparently had about 10 fairly stable years for studying and recording on the Large Plates. [Alan C. Miner, The Chronology and Compilation of the Writings of Mormon and Moroni," p. 2]

Mormon 2:17-18 Upon the Plates of Nephi I Did Make a Full Account . . . but upon These Plates I Did Forbear:

According to Daniel Ludlow, when Ammaron turned the responsibility of the records over to Mormon, he indicated that Mormon should "engrave on the plates of Nephi all the things that [he] had observed concerning his people" (Mormon 1:4). Thus Mormon's major record of the events of his day was written on the Large Plates of Nephi.

However, later in his life Mormon was commanded by the Lord to make a separate set of plates, the Plates of Mormon (Mormon 3:16). Mormon then abridged onto the Plates of Mormon all of the writings from the Large Plates of Nephi, including his own writings. Concerning his writings on these two sets of plates, Mormon said:

"And upon the plates of Nephi I did make a full account of all the wickedness and abominations; but upon these plates [the Plates of Mormon] I did forbear to make a full account of their wickedness and abominations" (Mormon 2:18) [Daniel H. Ludlow, A Companion to Your Study of the Book of Mormon, p. 170]

Mormon 2:19 I Know That I Shall Be Lifted up At the Last Day:

Andrew Skinner notes that Mormon suffered greatly because of the wickedness of his people.

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However, he was buoyed up and received some comforting in the sure knowledge that he would be lifted up at the last day just as the Savior had promised. (3 Nephi 27:14) Said Mormon, "Wo is me because of their wickedness; for my heart has been filled with sorrow because of their wickedness, all my days; nevertheless, I know that I shall be lifted up at the last day" (Mormon 2:19).

Mormon's knowledge was well founded. He had received the Second Comforter (D&C 88:3-4, 67-68) and possessed the more sure word of prophecy, as did other Nephite prophets including Alma (Mosiah 26:20), Enos (Enos 1:27), and the Twelve on the American continent (3 Nephi 28:3). Modern revelation teaches: "The more sure word of prophecy means a man's knowing that he is sealed up unto eternal life, by revelation and the spirit of prophecy, through the power of the Holy Priesthood" (D&C 131:5). Such was the anchor to Mormon's soul in the face of the worst kind of calamity. [Andrew C. Skinner, "The Course of Peace and Apostasy," in Studies in Scripture: Book of Mormon, Part 2, pp. 227-228]

Mormon 2:20 We Were Driven Forth (from the Land of Jashon) . . . to the Land Which Was Called Shem:

In the 345th year (Mormon 2:16) the Nephites retreated first to the land of Jashon, and then "northward to the land which was called Shem" (Mormon 2:20). Assuming a Mesoamerican setting and according to John Sorenson, the distance to the land of Shem might have only been a single retreat sequence away from Jashon, and thus might have only stretched anywhere from 10 to 60 miles (Source Book, p. 301).

According to John Sorenson, the most likely Mesoamerican location for the land of Jashon and the land of Shem, although no geographical details are provided, would be on the strip around Acayucan and Hueyapan, south and west of the Tuxtlas [in Veracruz, Mexico], or else in the 50-mile sector from San Juan Evangelista in the direction of Tuxtepec. All these places were in the eastern, lowland sector of the land northward. According to the text's account of the final wars, there are no "ups" nor "downs" in the geography of the Nephite lands north of Bountiful. [John L. Sorenson, An Ancient American Setting For the Book of Mormon, p. 344] [See Geographical Theory Maps]

Geographical Theory Map: Mormon 2:20 The Nephites Are Driven Northward to the Land of Shem (345 A.S.--346 A.S.)

Mormon 2:23 Fight for Their Wives, Houses, Homes:

The fact that the Nephites were fighting "for their houses, and their homes" (Mormon 2:23) and that the Nephites "did gather in our people" tends to suggest that the land of Shem was somewhat a center of Nephite population.

If we assume a hemispheric Book of Mormon geography model, after a very convincing and continuous retreat of possibly 3000-4000 miles from the land of Joshua "in the borders west by the seashore" to the land of Jashon (near the hill Shim, and somewhat near the hill Cumorah and an east sea), plus another retreat northward to the land of Shem, would the Nephites still be fighting for their "houses," and their "homes" (Mormon 2:23)? They certainly wouldn't have had time to build any in the previous 2 years of retreat, and given the odds and circumstances, would they even want to retrace their steps back to where there were?

On the other hand, assuming a Mesoamerican setting, the land of Shem could have been a familiar part of Nephite occupied land close to the narrow pass area (travel corridor through the Isthmus of Tehuantepec) for quite some time. [Alan C. Miner, Personal Notes]

Mormon 2:25 We Did Contend with an Army of 30,000 against an Army of 50,000:

Mormon notes that in the 346th year, the Nephites "did contend with an army of thirty thousand against an army of fifty thousand" (Mormon 2:25). One might ask, Why would all the Nephites only have an army of 30,000 and the Lamanites only 50,000 if "the people were as numerous almost, as it were the sand of the sea" (Mormon 1:7)? Could the war be proceeding on multiple fronts? Was Mormon only talking about his army? Or was the war not sufficiently serious as to merit the full attention of either the Nephites or the Lamanites? Or did many of the Nephites

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tend to side with the Lamanites and not care so much for the ideals of the Nephite nation? [Alan C. Miner, Personal Notes] [See the commentary on Mormon 2:4]

Mormon 2:26-27 Lands of Our Inheritance:

Mormon records that the Nephites were successful in retaking possession of "the lands of [their] inheritance" (Mormon 2:27). But what were considered the "lands of our Inheritance"? Did these lands extend "southward, even to the land of Zarahemla" (Mormon 1:6). Did these lands extend to the "borders west by the seashore" (Mormon 2:6)? We might get an answer in Alma 22:29-32 which talks about the Nephite lands. According to Alma 22:32 there was a "small neck of land between the land northward and the land southward," Alma 22:31 says that "the land on the northward was called Desolation and the land on the southward was called Bountiful. Thus, if the "narrow passage" mentioned in Mormon 2:29 is somewhat equal to the "small neck of land" mentioned in Alma 22:32, then the Nephite "lands of inheritance" constituted:

(1) the land northward (of the "narrow passage"), the southernmost part of which apparently was called "Desolation"; and

(2): the general land of Bountiful and the general land of Zarahemla which constituted the Nephite land southward.

Assuming a hemispheric model, with only one quick reference here to a military march (1-3 years in length at the most), do the Nephites with an army that only counted 30,000 before the battles conquer all the land from Canada to the middle of South America (the Nephite "lands of inheritance")? Does this mean that the Nephites once again make a mass migration, only this time it is four times as far as Brigham Young led the saints, (a total of 5000 miles)? [Alan C. Miner, Personal Notes] [See Geographical Theory Maps]

Mormon 2:27 The Lands of Our Inheritance:

Mormon records that the Nephites were successful in retaking possession of "the lands of [their] inheritance" (Mormon 2:27). But what were considered the "lands of our Inheritance"?

According to John Sorenson, the cultural connections of the Chiapas area (proposed general land of Zarahemla) since A.D. 50 had been primarily to the Isthmus of Tehuantepec (proposed narrow neck and land Bountiful) and beyond to south-central Veracruz (proposed land northward--hill Cumorah area). That would tie our Zarahemla area to Bountiful, and also to Desolation and Cumorah, Mormon's homeland. The Book of Mormon's statements and implications agree with that picture. It was northward to those areas that the Nephites finally retreated (Mormon 2:16-17,28-29) On the contrary, practically no connections are evident in early A.D. times between the Chiapas sites (general land of Zarahemla) and Maya-speaking areas to the south and east. Since that is what we have considered Lamanite territory, this cultural differentiation again fits the Book of Mormon situation. [John L. Sorenson, An Ancient American Setting for the Book of Mormon, p. 340]

Mormon 2:27 Lands of Our Inheritance:

Mormon records that the Nephites were successful in retaking possession of "the lands of [their] inheritance" (Mormon 2:27). But what were considered the "lands of our Inheritance"?

According to J.N. Washburn, Jesus came to the temple at Bountiful, Zarahemla having been burned. At least four times in his discourses he mentioned that that land (not necessarily just Bountiful, but the area) was the land of the people's inheritance (3 Nephi 15:13, 16:16, 20:14; 21:22). It was unquestionably that country to which Mormon referred in Mormon 2:27-29 as "the lands of our inheritnace." [J.N. Washburn, Book of Mormon Lands and Times, p. 213]

Yet from this perspective, one might ask: How could the Nephites reclaim any land as an "inheritance" if the Nephites and Lamanites became "one people" at the time of Christ? (4 Nephi 1:17) What became of political boundaries and lands when in 4 Nephi 1:2,17 (34-110 A.D.) it says that there were "no Lamanites or Nephites--they were one"? Wouldn't this mean that the "Lamanites" had just as much right to consider local lands as "lands of our inheritance" as the "Nephites" ? [Alan C. Miner, Personal Notes]

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Geographical Theory Map: Mormon 2:26-28 The Nephites Retake the Lands of Their Inheritance (346 A.S.--349 A.S.)

Mormon 2:29 The Narrow Passage:

Mormon records that in the 350th year, "the Lamanites did give unto us the land northward, yea, even to the narrow passage which led into the land southward. And we did give unto the Lamanites all the land southward" (Mormon 2:29). One might ask, Is the "narrow passage" referred to in Mormon 2:29 the same geographical location as the "small neck of land" referred to in Alma 22:31-32? First of all let's refer back to Alma:

Thus the land on the northward was called Desolation, and the land on the southward was called Bountiful . . . and now, it was only the distance of a day and a half's journey for a Nephite, on the line Bountiful and the land Desolation, from the east to the west sea; and thus the land of Nephi land the land of Zarahemla were nearly surrounded by water, there being a small neck of land between the land northward and the land southward. (Alma 22:31-32)

If the "narrow passage" mentioned in Mormon 2:29 is somewhat equal to the "small neck of land" mentioned in Alma 22:32, then the Nephites were giving up the general land of Bountiful and the general land of Zarahemla which constituted the Nephite land southward. Now as it says here in Mormon 2:28 "we (the Nephites) did get the lands of our inheritance divided." So, apparently much as it describes in Alma 22:29-32, this division occurred at the "small neck of land," or maybe otherwise called "the narrow passage," and the Nephites occupied the land northward of this passage. The land immediately north of this "small neck of land" was called "Desolation" according to Alma 22:31.

Another question might be asked: Is "the narrow passage" of Mormon 2:29 the same as "the narrow pass" referred to in Alma 52:9? Let us review that passage of scripture:

And (Moroni) also sent orders unto (Teancum) that he should fortify the land Bountiful, and secure the narrow pass which led into the land northward, lest the Lamanites should obtain that point and should have power to harass them on every side." (Alma 52:9)

Apparently then, the "narrow passage" was as important to Mormon as the "narrow pass" had been to captain Moroni centuries before. That is, the "narrow pass" or "narrow passage" were both defensible positions that prevented armies from advancing into the land northward.

Question: Is this "narrow passage" in Mormon 2:29 the same as the "narrow pass" in Mormon 3:5? Once again, let us review the scripture:

And it came to pass that I did cause my people that they should gather themselves together at the land Desolation, to a city which was in the borders, by the narrow pass which led into the land southward. (Mormon 3:5)

The value of this "narrow pass" area in Mormon 3:5 might be hinted at in Mormon 3:6, where it says that "there we did place our armies, that we might stop the armies of the Lamanites, that they might not get possession of any of our lands." The phrase "our lands" might be interpreted to mean that the Nephites were protecting the lands northward of the "narrow pass."

If we assume a Mesoamerican setting, then all these terms could be referring to the travel corridor through the Isthmus of Tehuantepec, which "narrow pass . . . went by the sea into the land northwards, yea, by the sea, on the west and on the east." (Alma 50:34) This Isthmus of Tehuantepec has been the main corridor of travel and trade from Central America northward toward what is now Veracruz since Olmec (Jaredite) times. Thus, one would travel "by the sea" on the west" along the Pacific Coast of Guatemala, and then travel through the Isthmus of Tehuantepec before reaching the Gulf of Mexico Coast "on the east." [Alan C. Miner, Personal Notes] [See the commentary on Alma 22:32; 50:34; 63:5; Mormon 2:29] [See Step by Step Cultural Commentary, Volume 2, Appendix B] [See Geographical Theory Maps]

Mormon 2:29 The Lamanites Did Give unto Us (350 A.S. Treaty):

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Mormon records in Mormon 2:29 that the Lamanites granted the Nephites "the land northward, yea, even to the narrow passaage which led into the land southward. And we did give unto the Lamanites all the land southward." Assuming a hemispheric Book of Mormon geography model (North America-South America), one might wonder how a whole continent of people could be asked to separate and move for the sake of a treaty drawn by armies totaling 80,000 people? (Mormon 2:25) If, during these final battles, the Nephites had gone from the land of Zarahemla (in South America) to the hill Shim (near New York) and back, and Mormon had gone twice, then why has the "narrow pass" not been mentioned from the start of the battles in 322 A.S. until this treaty in 350 A.S.? [Alan C. Miner, Personal Notes]

Mormon 2:29 The Lamanites Did Give unto Us (350 A.S. Treaty):

According to Hunter and Ferguson, the parallels between (the 16th century Mesoamerican historian) Ixtlilxochitl and the Book of Mormon concerning the agreement or treaty of 350 AD (Mormon 2:29) are too striking to pass over without comment. According to Ixtlilxochitl, seven leaders held the meeting to discuss terms. Obviously, they were the leaders of the seven original tribal groups into which the Bountiful-land people separated at the end of the long era of peace. Ixtlilxochitl mentions that there were "two principal leaders and five other minor ones." This is in close accord with the Nephite record which says that the dominant tribes were the Nephites on the one hand and the Lamanites on the other.

Ixtlilxochitl makes it clear that the prophet-historian, Hueman, spoke for the exiled branch of the original united peoples of Bountiful-land. Mormon, in his own Nephite record is modest, saying merely that "we made a treaty . . ." Clearly he was the primary or principal spokesman for the exiled Nephites. [Milton R. Hunter and Thomas Stuart Ferguson, Ancient America and the Book of Mormon, p. 355]

Mormon 2:29 The Lamanites Did Give unto Us (350 A.S. Treaty):

According to Joseph Allen, the 350 AD treaty (Mormon 2:29) was not just a treaty between the Nephites and the Lamanites. The Robbers of Gadianton were included in the treaty (Mormon 2:28). The governmental stronghold of the Robbers of Gadianton possibly was at Teotihuacan in the Valley of Mexico. Beginning at 350 AD, the combination of government at Teotihuacan began to exercise control and to trade throughout Mesoamerica. The Nephites who lived about the narrow passage or small neck of land [Isthmus of Tehuantepec] may have simply been in the way of the trade activities between the Mexico Valley and Guatemala City (Kaminaljuyu). [Joseph L. Allen, Exploring the Lands of the Book of Mormon, p. 107]

According to David Palmer, could an informal alliance have been struck between the two powerful cities [Kaminaljuyu and Teotihuacan]? If so, the only thing preventing a consummation of that marriage would have been the presence of the hated "Nephites." [David A. Palmer, In Search of Cumorah, p. 204]

Mormon 2:29 The Lamanites Did Give unto Us (350 A.S. Treaty):

According to Todd Allen, at about A.D. 350 , a treaty was made that affected Nephite land ownership. What is astonishing to many readers of the Book of Mormon is that this treaty not only involved the Lamanites, but the Gadianton robbers. One might wonder, Why were they invited to join the treaty? The cultures of Mesoamerica offer a possible scenario.

At about A.D. 400, open trade occurs for the fist time between Teotihuacan (the Valley of Mexico) and Kaminaljuyu (Guatemala City). What was previously impeding this trade may be evident by paying close attention to the treaty involving the Gadianton robbers in Mormon 2:28. Apparently there were three separate regional divisions at the time, each controlled by separate governmental organizations: (1) the Lamanites, who controlled the land of Nephi, or the Guatemala highlands in the south; (2) the Gadianton robbers, who controlled the land northward, or the Teotihuacan region; and (3) the Nephites, who controlled the land of Zarahemla, or the land in between the Lamanites and the Gadianton robbers, better known as the Mexican state of Chiapas

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and the Peten jungle of Guatemala.If the Gadianton robbers were in fact controlling the land northward at this time, then it

makes sense that they would have had to be included in the treaty talks. But why were they willing to give up a portion of their land to the Nephites? And why would the Nephites agree to give up half their lands? The answer is apparently the perceived hope for more money and more power. With the Nephites controlling the lands of Zarahemla and Bountiful, all trade between the Gadianton robbers and the Lamanites would have gone through them. Naturally, the Nephites would have exacted a price for the exchange that could not occur without passing through them. But greed apparently took over with all parties involved, and so contentions arose. With the treaty of A.D. 350, the Nephites agreed to leave the more secure surroundings of the land of Zarahemla (the Chiapas Depression) and move up into the narrow neck of land (or the Gulf area of the Isthmus of Tehuantepec). This move apparently offered the Nephites a tighter control of trade (and riches), however it sacrificed some of their defensive capabilities. Under these conditions, David Palmer asks, "Could an informal alliance have been struck between the two powerful cities [Guatemala city of the Lamanites and Teotihuacan of the Gadianton robbers]? If so, the only thing preventing a consummation of that marriage would have been the presence of the hated "Nephites" who controlled areas on both sides of the Isthmus [of Tehuantepec, or the narrow neck of land]" ( In Search of Cumorah, 1981, 204)

Apparently, this was the case. It was just ten years after this treaty that the Lamanites began to engage in battle with the Nephites, and only 35 years would pass before the Nephites were completely destroyed at Cumorah, finally removing the literal "middle man" between the Lamanites and the Gadianton robbers. This presents new possibilities for explaining Moroni's statement that "[secret combinations] have caused the destruction . . . of the people of Nephi" (Ether 8:21).

Interestingly, the powerful Teotihuacan suffered the same fate as the Nephites, or any other nation which upholds secret combinations. It was eventually destroyed according to the promise found in Ether 8:22. The population of Teotihuacan fell from an all time high of 200,000 to about 60,000 as a result of "deep dissatisfaction of the people toward the government" (Ignacio Bernal 1985, 54). The society soon collapsed, with the neighboring Toltecs becoming the controlling power, and the city of Teotihuacan was abandoned. [Todd Allen, "Secret Combinations at Teotihuacan," in The Book of Mormon Archaeological Digest, Volume II, Issue II, 1999, p. 10, 13] [See the commentary on 4 Nephi 1:26]

Geographical Theory Map: Mormon 2:28-29 Treaty: Nephites = Land Northward Lamanites = Land Southward (350 A.S.)

Mormon 3:2 And I Did Cry unto This People, But It Was in Vain:

There is a dilemma here, so let me explain. During the time period leading up to Mormon's life, we find that the Nephites became progressively more wicked. In fact, by the year A.D. 245, we find that "the more wicked part of the people did wax strong, and became exceedingly more numerous than were the people of God" (4 Nephi 1:40). By the year 301, "there were NONE that were righteous save it were the disciples of Jesus" (4 Nephi 1:45, emphasis added). (The reader should note here that the term "disciples" is only used in the Book of Mormon to specifically designate the twelve special witnesses of the Lord, and even more specifically the three who chose not to taste of death.) Moreover, during Mormon's lifetime, there are only two mentions of Mormon even trying to preach to the people:

(1) The first time was when he was fifteen (about A.D. 326) when he was "visited of the Lord, and tasted and knew of the goodness of Jesus" (Mormon 1:15). Mormon notes that he endeavored to preach, but "my mouth was shut, and I was forbidden that I should preach unto them: for behold they had wilfully rebelled against their God; and the beloved disciples were taken away out of the land, because of their iniquity" (Mormon 1:16). In this spiritual void Mormon records that "there were no gifts from the Lord, and the Holy Ghost did not come upon ANY, because of their wickedness and unbelief" (Mormon 1:14, emphasis added).

(2) The second time occurred between the years A.D 350 and 360. Mormon notes:the Lord did say unto me: Cry unto this people--Repent ye, and come unto me,

and be ye baptized, and build up again my church, and ye shall be spared. And I did

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cry unto this people, but it was in vain, and they did not realize that it was the Lord that had spared them, and granted unto them a chance for repentance. And behold, they did harden their hearts against the Lord their God. (Mormon 3:2)

Thus all the textual clues, if interpreted in an "absolute" manner, would seem to eliminate

the possibility of an existing Church of Christ during Mormon's lifetime. Yet Mormon spoke his sermon as recorded in Moroni 7 not on repentance, but on faith, hope and charity "as he taught [the people] in the synagogue which they had built for the place of worship. Moreover, Mormon addressed them as his "beloved brethren" (Moroni 7:2), those "of the church, that are the peaceable followers of Christ, and that have obtained a sufficient hope by which ye can enter into the rest of the Lord, from this time henceforth until ye shall rest with him in heaven" (Moroni 7:3). Furthermore, Mormon told these brethren that he was able to make this judgment "because of your peaceable walk with the children of men" (Moroni 7:4)--strange words from a military leader to an unrighteous and unrepentant mass of degenerate humanity absorbed in the horrors of war. Complicating this scenario are some additional comments found in an epistle of Mormon to Moroni (Moroni 8). It seems Mormon had to write Moroni concerning his son's "ministry" and the "disputations among [the people he was ministering to] concerning the baptism of your little children" (Moroni 8:1-5)--hardly a concern if there was no true Church or there were no righteous people to minister to or baptize into that Church. Thus the Book of Mormon reader is left to formulate a scenario that might give a plausible answer to the dilemma.

For a plausible answer to this dilemma, the reader is referred to Appendix A ("The Chronological Setting for Moroni 7"). [Alan C. Miner, Personal Notes]

Geographical Theory Map: Mormon 3:5-8 Lamanites Beaten Twice at Desolation 361 A.S.--362 A.S.

Mormon 3:5 A City Which Was in the Borders, by the Narrow Pass (City of Desolation):

The city of Desolation was said to be "in the borders" of the land (Mormon 3:5). Mormon 3:6-7 speaks about placing armies there to prevent the Lamanites (on the south) from getting possession of any more Nephite land. If the city of Desolation was in the land of Desolation, it probably was located at the southward extremity of the land Desolation, which was also probably the southward extremity of the land northward. [Alan C. Miner, Personal Notes] [See Geographical Theory Maps]

Mormon 3:5 A City Which Was in the Borders, by the Narrow Pass (City of Desolation):

In the year 360 A.S., Mormon caused that his people "should gather themselves together at the land Desolation, to a city which was in the borders, by the narrow pass which led into the land southward" (Mormon 3:5).

According to John Sorenson's Mesoamerican theory, the city of Desolation would have been near the modern city of Minatitlan. Mormon 3:7 says that the Lamanites "did come down to the city of Desolation" to battle. The Lamanites apparently came out of highland Guatemala and Chiapas, Mexico. The battle must have been at the ford across the Coatzacoalcos River, a dozen miles up from its mouth. [John L. Sorenson, An Ancient American Setting for the Book of Mormon, p. 345]

According to David Palmer, movement through the Isthmus of Tehuantepec on the Gulf of Mexico side of the divide is extremely difficult unless the ridge running from Acayucan past Minatitlan is followed. Elsewhere the area is too swampy for travel. In fact, going back through time, it appears that there never have been trade routes crossing the isthmus in a true east-west direction except along that ridge and along the Pacific side. Modern roads are . . . not dissimilar from ancient trade routes. According to Zeitlin (1979:168), both the Pan American and trans-Isthmian highways" . . . closely parallel ancient paths of trade and communication." There are some Nephite-period ruins overlooking the road between Acayucan and Minatitlan. [David A. Palmer, In Search of Cumorah, p. 31]

Mormon 3:5 A City Which Was in the Borders, by the Narrow Pass (City of Desolation):

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According to Joseph Allen's Mesoamerican theory, the city of Desolation would be located where the present day city of Acayucan in the State of Veracruz is located. Acayucan is near the Olmec ruins of San Lorenzo.

As you drive from Juchitan, Mexico north through the Isthmus of Tehuantepec, a distance of about 110 miles, you will arrive at Acayucan. . . . This road connecting the Gulf of Tehuantepec on the Pacific side and the Gulf of Mexico on the Atlantic side is the old Kings Highway. It is the most passable route from Central America to the northern part of Mexico. To cross into northern Mexico from the Tabasco-Campeche north side is very difficult because of the many river drainages and countless lagoons in that area. To travel directly east to west from Central America to northern Mexico is also very difficult because of the rugged mountain ranges separated by the narrow passage that goes between the two mountain ranges.

The railroad tracks go the same south-north route from Juchitan to Acayucan. Acayucan is about 28 miles from the Gulf of Mexico on the eastward side. [Joseph L. Allen, Exploring the Lands of the Book of Mormon, pp. 231-232] [See Geographical Theory Maps]

Geographical Theory Map: Mormon 3:5 The Nephites Gather at Desolation (by the Narrow Pass) (361 A.S.--362 A.S.)

Mormon 3:5 The City of Desolation (Illustration): The proposed geographical locations at the A.D. 360 gathering (at Desolation) near the Narrow Neck of Land. [Joseph L. Allen, Exploring the Lands of the Book of Mormon, p. 348]

Mormon 3:5 The City of Desolation (Illustration): The proposed location of the A.D. 375 battle between the Nephites and the Lamanites. [Joseph L. Allen, Exploring the Lands of the Book of Mormon, p. 348]

Mormon 3:5 The City of Desolation (Illustration): Map illustrating the Nephite cities of Angola, David, Joshua, and Jashon. [Joseph L. Allen, Exploring the Lands of the Book of Mormon, p. 395]

Mormon 3:5 A City which was in the borders, by the narrow pass (Illustration): Map #4 shows a number of the ruins which definitely date to the Nephite period located in the general area of these lagoons. The NWAF has reported many other sites without a description of their age. They also reported a number of sites dating to the early Classic time period which begins in A.D. 300. Such sites were not included because they might, but don't necessarily, go back to the time of Mormon. (Delagado, 1965) [David A. Palmer, In Search of Cumorah, pp. 34, 256-257]

Mormon 3:6 Any of Our Lands:

By defending a Nephite position by the narrow pass (Mormon 3:5), could Mormon hope to keep the Lamanites from conquering "any of our lands" (Mormon 3:6)--meaning that the Nephites could prevent the Lamanites from conquering anything that could be considered Nephite territory? Or does the phrase "any of our lands" simply go along with a "retreat" philosophy, meaning that if the Nephites were successful here, they would not give up any additional fortified Nephite lands. I feel that it is almost impossible to find anywhere on the whole North American-South American continent where a total blockade could be maintained; however, of the two plausible candidates (Panama and the Isthmus of Tehuantepec), the travel corridor through the Isthmus of Tehuantepec seems to be a more plausible candidate for such a blockade as described here. From ancient times, the swampy Panama isthmus has never been traversable by land for large groups. so the whole wartime retreat scenario would seem out of place. It would be difficult, also, in such flat Panama terrain for Lamanites to come "down" or for Nephites to go "up." [Alan C. Miner, Personal Notes] [See the commentary on Mormon 3:7; 5:4]

Mormon 3:7 The Lamanites Did Come down to the City of Desolation to Battle:

In Mormon 3:7, it says that "the Lamanites did come down to the city of Desolation to battle." According to David Palmer, in the Mesoamerican geographic model of John Sorenson, the city of Desolation is located at Minatitlan, Mexico near the Gulf of Mexico on the Coatzacoalcos River. That location is near his proposed "narrow pass" which is a gravelly ridge coming from the east through swampy terrain. However, close examination shows that there are no elevated areas within a hundred kilometers of this gravelly ridge near this location on the Coatzacoalcos River. In

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addition, John Sorenson himself notes (Setting, p. 43) that when his narrow pass (gravelly ridge) is approached from the direction of the west sea in the series of final battles of the Nephites (Mormon 2:3-6, 16-17, and 29 to 4:23), the city Bountiful goes unmentioned. His only comment regarding this problem is that "perhaps the city Bountiful was no longer inhabited by the fourth century A.D."

As an alternative to Sorenson's proposed location for the city of Desolation, David Palmer goes on to say that by contrast (to Sorenson's location distant from any mountains), the Sierra Madre reaches close to the shoreline on the Pacific side of the Isthmus of Tehuantepec, where a city located near the present town of Juchitan could control travel both towards the Tuxtlas (on the north) and towards the valley of Oaxaca (on the northwest). Could this not be the specific land of Desolation spoken of? If so, it would seem likely that the city Desolation was Laguna Zope, a very large center during both Jaredite and Nephite times. Laguna Zope is located 1 kilometer from Juchitan and straddles the Pan American Highway. It was in an exceptionally good location to benefit from trade through the isthmus. Notice that the text implies that the city of Desolation was near the seashore because "the city Teancum lay in the borders by the seashore, and it was also near the city Desolation." (Mormon 4:3)

If the city Desolation was near the sea, then which sea was it near? This is suggested, though not definitively, by the almost identical wording of Mormon 3:5-7 and Alma 63:5:

I did cause my people that they should gather themselves together at the land Desolation to a city which was in the borders, by the narrow pass which led into the land southward (Mormon 3:5)

And it came to pass that Hagoth . . . built an exceedingly large ship, on the borders of the land Bountiful, by the land Desolation, and launched it forth into the west sea, by the narrow neck which led into the land northward. (Alma 63:5)

Either one of the two inland lagoons on the Pacific Ocean side of the Isthmus of Tehuantepec would have been ideal launching points for such a vessel. [David A. Palmer, In Search of Cumorah, p. 33]

Note** Richard Hauck apparently agrees with a Pacific coastal location for the city of Desolation. [F. Richard Hauck, Deciphering the Geography of the Book of Mormon, pp. 102-104] [See Geographical Theory Maps]

Mormon 3:7 The Lamanites Did Come Down:

The phrase "the Lamanites did come down" (Mormon 3:7) might also give us some verification of the meaning of the terms "up" and "down" in the Book of Mormon. The Lamanites were south of the Nephites, thus they would have "come down" against the Nephites going northward. As people read a map, they normally use the word "down" to describe movement going southward from a certain point on the map. Therefore, because this verse doesn't fit with our normal manner of reading maps, we might be justified in assuming that the terms "down" and "up" refer to elevation in the Book of Mormon story. [Alan C. Miner, Personal Notes]

John Sorenson notes that Mormon has not used a single "up", "down," or "over" in his own account to this point, so this use of the term "down" is probably meaningful here. [John L. Sorenson, The Geography of Book of Mormon Events: A Source Book, p. 302]

Mormon 3:8 Their Dead Were Cast into the Sea:

The phrase "their dead were cast into the sea" (Mormon 3:8) might imply that the battle site, and also the city of Desolation were either close to a sea or that they were located at a point on a river or other drainage into the sea such that it was close enough to be considered "the sea."

According to John Sorenson's theory, if the location of the City of Desolation was on the Coatzacoalcos River (Setting, p. 345), then the dead "were cast into the sea" presumably by way of the Coatzacoalcos River which empties into the Gulf of Mexico. On the other hand, according to Palmer (Cumorah, p. 33) and Hauck (Deciphering, pp. 102-104), the location could have been by the west sea (Pacific) near Laguna Zope.

Mormon 3:10,14,16; 4:1 Up:

Four times the word "up" is used to refer to the Nephites going against the Lamanites to

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battle (Mormon 3:10, 14, 16; 4:1). Assuming a Mesoamerican setting, the Nephite "narrow pass" might be located somewhere along the narrow travel corridor through the Isthmus of Tehuantepec, which is mostly a lowland route from the Pacific coast on the south ("west") to the Gulf of Mexico coast on the north ("east"). If the Nephites were going "up" they might have been going into that wilderness (mountain) strip which was described in Alma 22:29 as going "round about on the wilderness side on the north [of Zarahemla] even until they [the Nephites at that time] came to the land which they called Bountiful." Putting this in a Mesoamerican setting, the Nephites would have been going up into a range of mountains which sweeps from the Pacific Coast towards the Gulf of Mexico and borders the coastal corridor through the Isthmus of Tehuantepec. [Alan C. Miner, Personal Notes]

Geographical Theory Map: Mormon 3:9--4:1 The Nephites Wage War (363 A.S.)

Mormon 3:16 I Stand As an Idle Witness to Manifest unto the World:

Buoyed up by their successes against the Lamanites, and in spite of the pleading of Mormon to the contrary, the Nephites decided for the first time to "wage" war against the Lamanites. At this time, Mormon "utterly refused" to be their commander (Mormon 3:9-11). For the next 13 years he would "stand as an idle witness" against them (Mormon 3:16, 5:1).

A careful reading of Mormon's comments for this time reveal that Mormon received a command from the Lord to carry a message to the world (Mormon 3:16-22, 5:8-24; 3 Nephi 5:8-18, 26:12). In fact, the first known chronological dating of the Lord's command to write the abridgment is found in Mormon's comments of the year 362 (Mormon 3:14-17). Thus, between 362 and 375 Mormon would use his time away from the military battles along with his knowledge of all the records at his disposal (Helaman 3:13-16; 3 Nephi 5:8-9) to craft a message that would be appropriate for our day (see Title Page). In 3 Nephi 5:11 we have a note by Mormon in which he says that he made the plates (presumably for the abridgment) "with mine own hands." Mormon might have made all of the plates that he would require for his abridgment during this time when he wasn't involved with military matters. [Alan C. Miner, The Chronology and Compilation of the Writings of Mormon and Moroni," p. 3]

Mormon 3:16 I Did Stand As an Idle Witness:

In talking about Mormon's role in shaping the account of the Book of Mormon, Kevin and Shauna Christensen note a 1984 FARMS paper by Lisa Bolin Hawkins and Gordon Thomasson, "I Only Am Escaped Alone to Tell Thee: Survivor Witnesses in the Book of Mormon." It compares the editors of the Book of Mormon with a profile of those who survived the horrors of the Nazi and Soviet death camps and felt compelled to survive and bear witness. It turns out that Mormon and Moroni fit precisely the profile of a survivor witness. They describe violence because they do not want us to forget. The following is a summary of the similarities they cite between Mormon and Moroni and survivors in general:

1. The will to remember and record anchors the survivor in the moral purpose of bearing witness, thus maintaining his own integrity in conscious contradiction of the savagery around him (Mormon 3:11-16; Moroni 9:6-25).

2. It is instinctively felt, an involuntary outburst, born out of the horror that no one will be left (Mormon 6:17-22; 8:1-3).

3. The task is often carried out despite great risks; often in secret by depositing the record in a secret archive (Mormon 6:6; 8:14).

4. Survivors do not bear witness in order to inflict guilt or to rationalize their own survival. Their mission transcends guilt and their irrepressible urge to witness arises before any thought of guilt surfaces and at their initial stage of adjustment to extremity (Mormon 9:30-31; Moroni 9:3-6).

5. They speak simply to tell, to describe, out of a common care for life and the future, realizing that we all live in a realm of mutual sacrifice (Mormon 4:17-22; 8:37-40; Moroni 7:45-48).

6. Survival in this sense is a collective act; the survivor has pledged to see that the story is told (Mormon 3:16).

7. The survivors speak to the whole world, as a firsthand eyewitness, one whose words

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cannot be ignored (Mormon 3:16-22; 9:30).8. They perceive that "out of horror . . . the truth will emerge and be made secure," that

"good and evil are only clear in retrospect," for wisdom only comes at a terrible price. Thus, their mission is to display the "objective conditions of evil" Mormon 5:8-9; 9:31; Moroni 9, 10). lxiii

[Lisa Bolin Hawkins and Gordon Thomasson, "I Only Am Escaped Alone to Tell Thee: Survivor Witnesses in the Book of Mormon," F.A.R.M.S., 1984, as quoted in Kevin and Shauna Christensen, "Nephite Feminism Revisited: Thoughts on Carol Lynn Pearson's View of Women in the Book of Mormon," in FARMS Review of Books, Volume 10, Number 2, 1998, pp. 31-32].

Mormon 3:18 I [Mormon] write unto the ends of the earth (Illustration): Chart: Writings of Mormon. [John W. Welch and Morgan A. Ashton, "Charting the Book of Mormon," Packet 1, F.A.R.M.S.]

Mormon 4:1 The Nephites Did Go Up to Battle (Chronology ---> Geography):

At this point in the text--Mormon 4:1, the Nephite-Lamanite wars have gone on now for approximately 42 years. It seems easier to visualize the battles happening within the limited confines of Mesoamerica rather than having whole populations of people traveling up and down all over North, Central, and South America. It is interesting to note that even after the Nephite-Lamanite Treaty has been agreed to, the Nephites still seem to have an affinity towards the Land Southward--Zarahemla (Mormon 2:29,3:5,4:1). It would be hard to imagine people in North America (what is now the United States) being motivated to retake lands reaching to the middle of South America. [See Appendix A - Chronology]

Mormon 4:3 The City of Teancum Lay in the Borders by the Seashore:

When the Lamanites finally took the city of Desolation, the Nephite armies found refuge at the city of Teancum "in the borders by the seashore" (Mormon 4:3). According to John Sorenson's Mesoamerican theory, the location of Teancum could be around the site of Pilapan, some dozen miles away from the modern-day Minatitlan, Mexico on the Gulf coast. [John L. Sorenson, An Ancient American Setting for the Book of Mormon, pp. 345-346]

Joseph Allen places the city of Teancum relative to modern-day Acayucan, Mexico, his proposed city of Desolation. Acayucan is about 28 miles from the Gulf of Mexico. [Joseph L. Allen, Exploring the Lands of the Book of Mormon, p. 232].

According to Richard Hauck, "the west sea (or Pacific Ocean) must have been adjacent to the city of Desolation, for during a major battle in A.D. 362 the Lamanite dead were "cast into the sea" (Mormon 3:8). By comparing his cover maps, I presume the city of Teancum was somewhat to the northwest of the [modern-day] city of Arriaga, Mexico near the [Pacific] coast. [Richard Hauck, Deciphering the Geography of the Book of Mormon, p. 188, inside front cover, inside back cover][See Geographical Theory Maps]

Geographical Theory Map: Mormon 4:2 The Lamanites Take Desolation (364 A.S.)

Mormon 4:8 [The Nephites] Took Possession Again of the City of Desolation:

Here in Mormon 4:8 we find that the Nephites "took possession again of the city of Desolation. We are reminded, with this Nephite retaking of the city of Desolation, that the Nephite-Lamanite series of final battles did not move steadily northward, especially in these years of battle over the city Desolation. [See Appendix A--Chronology]

Geographical Theory Map: Mormon 4:7-8 The Nephites Take Desolation Back (364 A.S.--366 A.S.)

Geographical Theory Map: Mormon 4:10-14 The Lamanites Retake Desolation and Teancum (367 A.S.)

Mormon 4:12 There Never Had Been So Great Wickedness among All the Children of Lehi, nor Even among All the House of Israel:

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In Mormon 4:12, Mormon makes an interesting statement regarding the degree of wickedness to which the Nephites and Lamanites had sunken to:

And it is impossible to describe, or for man to write a perfect description of the horrible scene of the blood and carnage which was among the people, both of the Nephites and the Lamanites; and every heart was hardened, so that they delighted in the shedding of blood continually.

And there never had been so great wickedness among all the children of Lehi, nor even among all the house of Israel, according to the words of the Lord, as was among this people. (Mormon 4:12-13)

According to Douglas and Robert Clark, this statement can hardly be appreciated without reading the Old Testament's descriptions of the appalling degradation that had set in on the kingdom of Judah just prior to the Babylonian destruction. The only thing in history known to compare with the Nephite wickedness is the infamous generation of the flood, whose degradation, depravation, and refusal to repent were similar to that of the Nephites (see Genesis 6:5, 11-13; Moses 7:32-41; 8:18-30)lxiv -- and brought a similar result: total annihilation. [E. Douglas Clark and Robert S. Clark, Fathers and Sons in the Book of Mormon, p. 237]

Mormon 4:14 [The Lamanites] Did Offer Them Up As Sacrifices unto Their Idol Gods:

Mormon notes that the Lamanites drove the inhabitants out of the city of Teancum, "and did take many prisoners both women and children, and did offer them up as sacrifices unto their idol gods" (Mormon 4:14). According to John Sorenson, there is evidence that correlates the mention of human sacrifice in the Book of Mormon (Mormon 4:14) with Mesoamerica. Sorenson notes that for late Teotihuacan times (around A.D. 600), excavation has revealed clear evidence of human sacrifice, with a meal made of the victims. Sanders has reported earlier data on the same practice from a site near Teotihuacan dating between A.D. 450 and 550. If Teotihuacan culture elements were as deeply involved in the life of the Guatemalan Lamanites as it appears, these despicable rites are not surprising among the Lamanites. [John L. Sorenson, An Ancient American Setting for the Book of Mormon, p. 346]

Mormon 4:15 [The Nephites] Did Drive [the Lamanites] out of Their Lands:

Considering the agreement of 350 A.S. in which the Nephite lands of inheritance were divided, the words here in Mormon 4:15, "they (the Nephites) did beat again the Lamanites, and drive them out of their lands" probably mean that the Lamanites were only forced to retreat southward past the narrow passage (the dividing line in the 350 A.S. treaty). Southward of the narrow passage was presumably the former Nephite land of Bountiful (Alma 22:31-33). Thus, it is not likely that the Nephites again regained all of the general land of Zarahemla as some might presume. [Alan C. Miner, Personal Notes]

Geographical Theory Map: Mormon 4:15 The Lamanites Are Driven Out of Nephite Lands (367 A.S.)

Mormon 4:16 The Lamanites Did Not Come Again against the Nephites until the [375th] Year:

If the Lamanites were driven out of the land in the 367th year (Mormon 4:15), and did not come again against the Nephites "until the three hundred and seventy and fifth year" (Mormon 4:16), then the Nephites had at least seven years of peace at this time in the city of Desolation. [See Appendix A--Chronology]

Mormon 4:20 They Came to the City Boaz:

From the city of Desolation, the Nephites were forced to flee in retreat (probably northward). However, the reader should notice that, unlike the previous retreat, nothing is said about coming to

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the city Teancum before "they came to the city Boaz" (Mormon 4:20). This might be a clue as to the "power" of the Lamanites and the swiftness of the retreat, but then again it might be a clue as to the direction. [Alan C. Miner, Personal Notes]

Mormon 4:23 The Lamanites Were about to Overthrow the Land, Therefore I Did Go to the Hill Shim:

When the Nephites lost the city of Boaz, apparently Mormon felt that no strategic stand could stop the Lamanites from overthrowing the land. Mormon states that "the Lamanites were about to overthrow the land, therefore I did go to the hill Shim, and did take up all the records which Ammaron had hid up unto the Lord" (Mormon 4:23). Whether Mormon kept the plates with him, or moved them quickly to the hill he called Cumorah, we are not told.

Geographically speaking, what did Mormon mean by "the land"? Although we don't quite know in what general land the city of Boaz was located, from the tone of Mormon's remarks, it seems to have been within the land that the Lamanites were about to overthrow. That "land" was possibly the land of Desolation (Mormon 4:1, 4:19). In order to appreciate this assumption, let us summarize the distance covered by all the final wars:

1. The wars started in the borders of Zarahemla in 322 A.S. after Mormon had just returned to the land of Zarahemla from a location close enough to the hill Shim that he was acquainted with details about it at the age of 10.

2. Zarahemla was south of the narrow pass (passage -- small neck of land)3. The battles have lasted 54 years 4. These last series of battles can definitely be located by the narrow pass (passage) for 26

years. (349 A.S.-375 A.S.)5. Twenty-six years is about one-half of the total war years.6. The fighting has not been a steady retreat northward.

If the land of Desolation was near the narrow pass (passage) (Mormon 2:29; 3:5) and if this "narrow pass" is equivalent to the "small neck of land" which divided the land northward--Desolation from the land southward--Bountiful and Zarahemla (Alma 22:31-33), then it is not too improbable to assume that the first series of battles were in the vicinity of the narrow pass also. And it also is not too improbable to believe that the "land" that the Lamanites were about to overthrow was the land Desolation, or a land very close to it.

According to John Sorenson, the hill Shim was probably northward (from Boaz), still in Nephite hands, but near enough that it was clear to Mormon that the land Antum where the hill Shim was could fall soon (Source Book, p. 304). We might speculate that the hill Shim was within a distance of between 10 and 60 miles from the battles at Boaz.

Assuming a hemispheric (North America--South America) "One Cumorah" theory, these scriptures cited above probably do not give much support to the idea of a move from near the narrow pass (Panama) all the way into North America. In order to do so, the Nephites would have had to take one giant step northward. In addition, Mormon would not have wanted to abandon the Nephite people at this time of battle in order to make such a lengthy trip because the reason he went to get the plates in the first place was that he saw that "the Lamanites were about to overthrow the land" (Mormon 4:23). [Alan C. Miner, Personal Notes] [See Geographical Theory Maps]

Mormon 4:23 The Hill Shim:

According to Joseph Allen, there is a hill named "Cintepec" which is located east of Lake Catemaco in the Tuxtla Mountain Range in the State of Veracruz, Mexico. The location of this Hill Cintepec is close to the Hill Vigia, which is the leading candidate for the location where the last great battles as discussed in the Book of Mormon were fought. The last part of the word Cintepec, "tepec," means hill or mountain in the Nahuatl (Aztec) language. The front part of the word, "Cin," means corn. Hence, the word "Cintepec" means Corn Hill. The word "Shim" in the Maya language also means corn. Therefore, Hill Cintepec, the Tuxtla Mountains hill that is close to the Hill Vigia (proposed hill Cumorah), may be the hill Shim mentioned in the Book of Mormon. It is very

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interesting that Hill Cintepec is the hill where the stone was quarried to construct the large Olmec stone heads discovered along the Gulf of Mexico. The Olmec culture dates to the Jaredite time period. [Joseph L. Allen, Exploring the Lands of the Book of Mormon, pp. 38-39]

According to John Sorenson, the book of Ether tells us that the hill Shim was between the Jaredite land of Moron and the hill Ramah (the Nephites' hill Cumorah--Ether 9:3). Hills prominent enough to deserve being named as landmarks such as the hill Shim was are in the southern part of the Tuxtlas mountain mass or, less likely, in the foothills of the Sierra Madre 80 miles to the southwest. [John L. Sorenson, An Ancient American Setting for the Book of Mormon, pp. 343-344]

Geographical Theory Map: Mormon 4:16-23 Lamanites Use All Power--Begin to Sweep Off the Nephites (375 A.S.)Mormon Goes to the Hlll Shim

Mormon 4:23 I [Mormon] Did Take Up All the Records Which Ammaron Had Hid Up unto the Lord:

[See commentary on 4 Nephi 1:48]

Mormon 5:3 City of Jordan [Jashon]:

On page 1082 of the FARMS publication of the Printers Manuscript, it says that the word Jordan should be "Jashon". [Royal Skousen, Book of Mormon Critical Text, F.A.R.M.S., p. 1082]

Geographical Theory Map: Mormon 5:3-5 The Nephites Flee to Jordan (Jashon?) (375 A.S.)

Mormon 5:4 Which Strongholds Did Cut Them Off That They Could Not Get into the Country Which Lay Before Us:

The Nephites apparently positioned themselves so that the Lamanites could not get beyond them into "the country which lay before us" (Mormon 5:4). By assuming a Mesoamerican setting, this phrase fits quite nicely. The travel corridor through the Isthmus of Tehuantepec in Mesoamerica is situated such that when travelers get to that area wanting to go northward to Mexico City, they only have two choices: (1) a major highway through fertile, easy terrain that goes through what is now the state of Veracruz; and (2) a very rugged route through desolate mountain terrain up to what is now the state of Oaxaca. Apparently the Nephites had been blocking one or both major trade routes which connected the two major trading centers at the time, Kaminaljuyu (Guatemala City) and Teotihuacan (Mexico City). [Alan C. Miner, Personal Notes]

Mormon 5:5 Whatsoever Lands We Had Passed By . . . the Inhabitants Were Destroyed:

In writing about the Nephite retreat in Mormon 5:5, Mormon states that "whatsoever lands we had passed by, and the inhabitants therof were not gathered in, were destroyed by the Lamanites, and their towns, and villages, and cities were burned with fire." The fact that the Lamanites chose to destroy people and villages apart from the main Nephite armies might mean that there were still quite a number of "Nephites" or people associated with the Nephites that hadn't been involved in battles yet, and that they were living between the city of Boaz and where the Nephites made a stand at the city of Jordan (Jashon). The reader should note that in this retreat, the lands of Joshua (Mormon 2:6), and Jashon (Mormon 2:16-17) are not mentioned. One has to wonder if Mormon was retreating over the same path as before.

From the perspective of a hemispheric model, if the Nephites gathered in all their people as they moved great distances (from Panama to New York), one has to wonder first how the Nephites could logistically sustain their numbers, and secondly why the Lamanites would keep advancing in the face of such increasing numbers for the opposition. Moreover, the farther northward the Lamanites came after the treaty of 350 A.S. (which gave all the land northward to the Nephites), the more they would be surrounded by Nephites, and the more precarious their position. Why would the Lamanites move deep into enemy territory if it took them far into North America? [Alan C. Miner, Personal Notes]

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Geographical Theory Map: Mormon 5:6-7 The Lamanites Overwhelm the Nephites--the Nephites Flee (380 A.S.)

[Moroni 8 & 9] [Note* Mormon's Epistles to Moroni (Chronology)]:

Although Chapters 8 & 9 of the book of Moroni (Mormon's epistles to Moroni) were placed with the Plates of Mormon sometime between the years 401 A.S. and 421 A.S., these chapters of the book of Moroni most probably relate to a time period around 375 A.S. to 376 A.S. (chapter 5 in the book of Mormon) because of the following subtle bits of information contained within those chapters:

1. Moroni was old enough (24-30?) to be called to the ministry (Moroni 8:1).2. Mormon was personally involved in battles (Moroni 9:2).3. The battles were "sore battles" (Moroni 9:2).4. The battles were ones in which the Nephites "did not conquer" (Moroni 9:2).5. The Lamanites at this time "have many prisoners" (Moroni 9:7).6. The prisoners are slain and treated inhumanely (Moroni 9:8).7. The Nephites are making inhumane sacrifices of their own (Moroni 9:9-10).8. Aaron is in charge of a Lamanite army (Moroni 9:17).9. Mormon "cannot any longer enforce my commands" (Moroni 9:18).10. Mormon has "sacred records that I would deliver up unto thee" (Moroni 9:24).

[Alan C. Miner, "A Chronological Setting for the Epistles of Mormon to Moroni, Journal of Book of Mormon Studies, Vol. 3/2 Fall 1994, pp 95-96] [See the commentary and chart on Moroni 8-9]

Mormon 5:6 So Great Were Their Numbers:

According to David Palmer, Mormon emphasizes the importance of "numbers" of people in winning the battles (Mormon 4;17, 5:6) in his statements concerning the last battles. In view of this, Mormon probably chose an area for the last battle that not only was familiar to the people, but he chose it on the basis of potential for food production. The best way to attract people to his side was to have plenty of food. Choice of a particularly productive area in which to concentrate his people would help him to gather in the largest possible army. This approach stands in contrast to the idea of taking his people on a great march into unfamiliar territory where provision of food would be the single greatest problem. In fact, it would have been suicide. [David A. Palmer, In Search of Cumorah, p. 44]

Mormon 5:8,9,12-13 Therefore I Write a Small Abridgment (Mormon's Abridgement):

Mormon had the time between the years 362 and 375 (about 13 years) in which he "did utterly refuse" to fight, and instead "stood as an idle witness." In addition, at least the last seven of those 13 years that he refused to fight (367-375 A.S.) were peaceful between the Nephites and the Lamanites. Thus, Mormon had peaceful access to all the records in the hill Shim until the year 375 A.S. when he took all the sacred records from the hill Shim and retreated from the advancing Lamanite armies (Mormon 4:23). I don't think we can know when Mormon started his abridgement, but the phrases in Mormon 5:8,9,13 seem to be referring to that process in a time period just after Mormon had 13 years to devote himself to a complete understanding of the Nephite records:

"But, I, knowing that these things must surely be made known, and that all things which are hid must be revealed upon the house-tops--" (Mormon 5:8)

"And also that a knowledge of these things must come unto the remnant of these people, and also unto the Gentiles . . . therefore I write a small abridgment . . . " (Mormon 5:9)

"And this is the commandment which I have received . . . " (Mormon 5:13)

In the year 375 A.S., Mormon returned to his command of the Nephite armies (Mormon 5:1). After a five year period of Lamanite devastation upon his people, and a four year period of gathering, Mormon makes the statement:

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Knowing it to be the last struggle of my people, and having been commanded of the Lord that I should not suffer the records which had been handed down by our fathers, which were sacred, to fall into the hands of the Lamanites, (for the Lamanites would destroy them) therefore I made this record out of the plates of Nephi. (Mormon 6:6)

It is hard to tell by Mormon's phrase "I made this record" whether he was just completing a record already started (maybe during his 13 year interval of standing as an "idle witness") or whether Mormon's 13 year period of standing as an "idle witness" allowed the time for him to sufficiently acquaint himself with the Nephite records that he was able to make his abridgment after he had gathered in his people and before the final battles (Mormon 6:6). [Alan C. Miner, Personal Notes]

Mormon 5:9 I Write a Small Abridgment:

In Mormon 5:9, Mormon comments: "Therefore I write a small abridgment, daring not to give a full account of the things which I have seen, because of the commandment which I have received . . ." According to John Tvedtnes, although Mormon's abridgment comprises some sixty-four percent of the Book of Mormon (Mosiah through Mormon 7), Mormon uses the word "abridgment" only twice within the record (Words of Mormon 1:3; Mormon 5:9), with a third mention of his "abridgment of the record of the people of Nephi" occurring in the title page. Yet Mormon was not the first Nephite to have abridged records. In the beginning, Nephi had "abridged the record of [his] father" (1 Nephi 1:17). But neither Mormon nor Nephi invented the concept of abridging records. It was already a common phenomenon evidenced in the Bible.

Specific phrases and anachronisms, as well as reference to earlier writings containing greater detail, provide evidence for the abridgment of earlier records to produce our current Bible. For example, the phrase "unto this day" refers to an historical event marking the establishment of something that remained in place at the time of the individual who made the final record. We find the expression in works attributed to Moses and to Joshua, as well as various historical books (Judges through 2 Chronicles). The book of Judges, for example, covers such a long period of time that it must have been compiled from earlier records or oral traditions. That it was composed by a single historian is suggested by the fact that the book, as a whole, describes what the author saw as a cycle of sin, followed by captivity, then the cry of the people for assistance, and their delivery by a judge called by God. The perspective is clearly ex post facto rather than contemporary. [John A. Tvedtnes, "I Make This Small Abridgment," in The Most Correct Book, pp. 1-3]

Mormon 5:11 In the Arms of Jesus:

According to David Seely, many of the images of God touching man with his hand in the Old Testament denote sickness, plague, judgment, destruction, and so forth. . . . . The Book of Mormon has a significantly different set of imagery regarding God's positive contacts with man. This set is consistent and well developed throughout the book. Central to it is the image of an embrace, of being circled about by the arms of Christ. The Book of Mormon invites all to "come unto Christ" (1 Nephi 6:4; Moroni 10:32). A profound picture of what this means is frequently given of Christ waiting to embrace -- to encircle with his arms -- his children who come to him . . . Mormon, at the end of his ministry, is saddened by the final destruction of his people because "this people had not repented that they might have been clasped in the arms of Jesus." (Mormon 5:11). "O ye fair ones," he exclaimed, "how could ye have rejected that Jesus, who stood with open arms to receive you!" (Mormon 6:17).

Hugh Nibley has traced the origins of this atonement imagery to a Semitic word that in the Bible is usually translated "atonement." Nibley finds one of the primary meanings of this term to be encircling or surrounding. This means that the embrace imagery in the Book of Mormon is a continuation or variant of a Near Eastern way of speaking. [David Rolph Seely, "The Image of the Hand of God," in Rediscovering the Book of Mormon, p. 149]

Mormon 5:14 Jesus Is the Christ, the Son of the Living God:

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Mormon, in prophesying about the coming forth of the words of the Book of Mormon, declares the doctrine that the Father and the Son are separate beings yet both are Gods:

And behold, they shall go unto the unbelieving of the Jews; and for this intent shall they go--that they may be persuaded that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of the living God; that the Father may bring about, through his most Beloved, his great and eternal purpose, in restoring the Jews, or all the house of Israel, to the land of their inheritance, which the Lord their God hath given them, unto the fulfilling of his covenant. (Mormon 5:14)

According the Richard Hopkins, the earliest apologetic writing of which a clearly genuine copy is available today is the Epistle to Diognetus, written in about A.D. 130. The author and addressee of this letter are completely unknown. Internal evidence suggests that it was written by someone who lived at the beginning of the second century. He describes himself as follows: "having been a disciple of the Apostles, I am become a teacher of the Gentiles." If this is true, the writer would be properly included among the Apostolic Fathers. . . . The Epistle contains statements that are completely consistent with biblical Mormonism. The author repeatedly refers to the Father and the Son as entirely separate individuals and at one point describes their relationship as follows: "As a king sends his son, who is also a king, so sent He Him; as God." lxv This understanding of the relationship between the Father and the Son--as of a King and His Prince--is a clear and accurate expression of biblical theology. It recognizes the complete separation of the individual who is King from the individual who is Prince, while it explains the filial relationship between the two that allows the Son to be called God without violating the authority of His Father, the King. [Richard R. Hopkins, How Greek Philosophy Corrupted the Christian Concept of God, p. 126]

Mormon 5:15 This People Shall . . . Become a Dark, a Filthy, and a Loathsome People:

[See the commentary on Moroni 9:20]

Mormon 6:1 And Now I Finish My Record:

In the year 380, the Lamanites came down against the Nephites and "so great were their numbers that they did tread the people of the Nephites under their feet" (Mormon 5:6). The Nephites were forced to flee for their lives. Mormon records that "those whose flight was swifter than the Lamanites' did escape, and those whose flight did not exceed the Lamanites' were swept down and destroyed" (Mormon 5:7). Mormon's comments on these scenes of carnage (Mormon 5) may have been his final recorded comments before the last battle at Cumorah. Starting in Mormon 6:1, in words apparently recorded after the battle of Cumorah but describing the events before the battle, Mormon says, "And now I finish my record concerning the destruction of my people, the Nephites." [Alan C. Miner, The Chronology and Compilation of the Writings of Mormon and Moroni," p. 4]

Mormon 6:1 And Now I Finish My Record Concerning the Destruction of My People, the Nephites:

Jerry Ainsworth notes that at the beginning of the sixth chapter of the book of Mormon, Mormon undertakes to "finish my record concerning the destruction of my people, the Nephites" (Mormon 6:1). In other words, he has witnessed the complete or almost complete destruction of his people, so that he can now tell about it. According the Ainsworth, Mormon 6 corresponds with, and in some ways parallels, Mormon's words near the beginning of the Words of Mormon. There, he says that he has "witnessed almost all the destruction of my people, the Nephites" and he is "about to deliver up the record which I have been making into the hands of my son Moroni" (Words of Mormon 1:1; emphasis added). It appears that both of these writings--Mormon 6 and the Words of Mormon--were written about the same time.

Mormon also says that he has added the small plates of Nephi to his own abridgment or record, which record he takes from the large plates of Nephi (see Words of Mormon 1:6, 9). He again says, after witnessing "almost all the destruction" of his people, that he will now "finish out my record" of the history of the Nephites (Words of Mormon 1:9; emphasis added). His language in the

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two writings is thus virtually identical.The "destruction" of the Nephites, of which Mormon speaks in Mormon 6 and the Words of

Mormon, almost certainly refers to that at Cumorah. Additionally, in Mormon 6:16, Mormon says, "My soul was rent with anguish, because of the

slain of my people." Had Mormon written this immediately after the battle at Cumorah, he would probably have said, "My soul is rent."

These things mean that Mormon had time to "finish [his] record" after Cumorah, both his account of Nephite history on the large plates of Nephi and his abridgment of that history. [Jerry L. Ainsworth, The Lives and Travels of Mormon and Moroni, p. 196]

Mormon 6:2 I Mormon, Wrote an Epistle unto the King of the Lamanites:

In Mormon 6:2, Mormon records that "I Mormon, wrote an epistle unto the king of the Lamanites." According to Hunter and Ferguson, there is an interesting comment from Ixtlilxochitl relating to an event which occurred nearly 500 years after Mormon's time [but which correlates with Mormon's statement]. Topiltzin (king of Tula - near what is now Mexico city), seeing himself so oppressed and that there was no way out (of military confrontation), asked for time, for it was a law among them that before a battle they would notify each other some years in advance so that on both sides they would be warned and prepared. (xcl) [Milton R. Hunter and Thomas Stuart Ferguson, Ancient America and the Book of Mormon, p. 361]

Geographical Theory Map: Mormon 6:1-5 Mormon Writes to the Lamanite King--the Nephites Will Gather to Cumorah (381 A.S.)

Mormon 6:2 That We Might Gather . . . and There We Could Give Them Battle:

Mormon notes:And it came to pass that we did march forth before the Lamanites. And I, Mormon,

wrote an epistle unto the king of the Lamanites, and desired of him that he would grant unto us that we might gather together our people unto the land of Cumorah, by a hill which was called Cumorah, and there we could give them battle. And it came to pass that the king of the Lamanites did grant unto me the thing which I desired. (Mormon 6:1-3)

According to John Sorenson, a valid question is, Why didn't the Nephites continue retreating farther and farther north and so escape the Lamanites altogether? [rather than gather at one location for a final battle] In the first place, we must realize that rarely if ever is there any decent land that does not already contain a sizeable population, so the Nephites would have had to dispossess other people first. Besides, moving farther on, the Nephites would have entered ecologically new territory, and the prospects would be slim that they could successfully feed their numbers in a new environment with no time to learn how to exploit the land. Assuming a Mesoamerican setting, farther north of the Nephites' position lay another military threat. Beyond the big swamps [of present day Veracruz] they would come nearer and nearer to the territory of Teotihuacan proper, the powerful state allied culturally if not militarily with the Lamanites (i.e. Kaminaljuyu). The Teotihuacan domain of control apparently did not extend quite as far as the Tuxtlas (land of Cumorah) by A.D. 380, but any move farther north by Mormon's people would have encountered this great power, standing in the wings but uninvolved directly in the present conflict. Yet the real key to the Nephites' standing fast could simply be that the lands they were defending were their own already; they felt they had a right to them and were motivated to defend them if at all possible. . . So, caught between the millstones of Lamanite powers and Teotihuacan itself, the Nephites willingly defended their shrunken core of lands because they had to. [John L. Sorenson, An Ancient American Setting for the Book of Mormon, p. 348]

Mormon 6:2 That We Might Gather . . . and There We Could Give Them Battle:

If the Nephite retreat was continental (from Panama to New York), one would have to ask why the Lamanite king would allow the Nephites to gather (from all over what is now the United

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States and Mexico) when many of the Nephites would have needed to bypass the Lamanite king's armies to do so? Moreover, how could a Lamanite king stay 5000 miles away from his people (in South America) for so long (up to 4 years) without the Lamanite society at home becoming chaotic? And if the Lamanite king wasn't with his army but was at home (in South America), would the Nephites think of reaching him with a message (Mormon 6:2-3) which required 12,000 miles round trip? [Alan C. Miner, Personal Notes]

Mormon 6:2 The Land of Cumorah:

According to John Sorenson's Mesoamerican theory, the "land of Cumorah" (Mormon 6:2) must be part of the northern or western extremity of the Tuxtla Mountains, some 90 miles from the Isthmus of Tehuantepec (narrow pass), and near the huge site of Tres Zapotes. The Tuxtla ("place of the macaws") region has been described by artist-author Miguel Covarrubias as "a land of unprecedented fertility, watered in all directions by streams, water falls, and lakes." lxvi Mormon called it "a land of many waters, rivers, and fountains" (Mormon 6:4). A thousand years before, that area had been key in the late Olmec (Jaredite) settlement system, no doubt for the same reason. This zone, exceedingly fertile because of rich volcanic soil and abundant rainfall, could probably supply by itself the food needs of the concentrated Nephite forces. [John L. Sorenson, An Ancient American Setting for the Book of Mormon, p. 347]

Mormon 6:2 A Hill Which Was Called Cumorah:

The hill Ramah was a major site in the final battles of the Jaredites. Moroni says that the hill Ramah "was that same hill where my father Mormon did hide up the records unto the Lord, which were sacred" (Ether 15:11). In Mormon 6:2 this hill is identified as the "hill which was called Cumorah."

According to Hunter and Ferguson, careful study of the Nephite account discloses that Cumorah was a place of considerable elevation. The fact that it was prominent and conspicuous enough to bear a name in both Jaredite and Hebrew-Nephite geographical terminology suggests the idea of a prominent elevation. . . . Also, the place was known to their historians for many hundreds of years as has been shown.

The question arises, if Ramah-Cumorah were an elevation of considerable height, as suggested, why then do the Book of Mormon writers refer to it as a "hill"? The interesting fact is that all mountains, regardless of size, are referred to as "hills" in the Book of Mormon. The Hebrew term "harar" is translated "hill or mountain." It is the term used for referring to large elevations. The translators of the Old Testament have sometimes rendered the term "hill" and sometimes as "mountain." Apparently Joseph Smith saw fit to render it "hill" in all instances where an elevation was referred to by name in the Nephite account. In doing so he was doing an excellent job of translating.

Thus, the expression found in the Nephite account, "hill Cumorah" would seem to refer to a mount or mountain of considerable prominence in the area where it was located. The reader should also keep in mind that the hill Cumorah was near another hill, the "hill Shim" (Ether 9:3). [Milton R. Hunter and Thomas Stuart Ferguson, Ancient America and the Book of Mormon, pp. 364-365]

Mormon 6:2 A Hill Which Was Called Cumorah:

According to Hunter and Ferguson, the name "Cumorah" (Mormon 6:2) appears to be Hebrew. The Hebrew is written out in our script as Komaw or Qowmah, meaning "height, high, tall." The suffix at the end of Cumorah may be derived from the Hebrew term sounded out as rah-mah, the latter term also meaning "height, high." As has been pointed out, the early Jaredites used the name Ramah in referring to the Cumorah area (Ether 15:11). Thus, the two terms, Ramah and Cumorah -- one a Jaredite term for the elevation and the other a Nephite term for the same place -- are consistently descriptive of the place. In both instances the meaning is "height' or "high." [Milton R. Hunter and Thomas Stuart Ferguson, Ancient America and the Book of Mormon, p. 364]

Mormon 6:2 Cumorah:

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Concerning different meanings suggested for the name "Cumorah" (Mormon 6:2), John Tvedtnes notes that for a meaning of "arise, o light," one would expect the Hebrew form qumi or, though qumi orah would not be impossible.lxvii The suggested etymology kum orah, "mound of light/revelation,"lxviii is a better explanation. . . . A more plausible etymology for Cumorah is Hebrew kamorah, "priesthood," an abstract noun based on the word komer, "priest." . . .

Some have privately objected that this explanation is unlikely because the term komer is always used in the Old Testament in reference to false priests (2 Kings 23:5; Hosea 10:5; Zephaniah 1:4), while the word kohen is used to denote Israelite priests.lxix But this objection fails to note that both terms are used together in the Zephaniah passage. It seems more likely to us that the term komer was simply used to denote a priest who was not of the tribe of Levi, while kohen in all cases refers to a Levitical priest. Since Lehi's party did not include descendants of Levi, they probably used komer wherever the Book of Mormon speaks of priests.lxx [Stephen D. Ricks and John A Tvedtnes, "The Hebrew Origin of Some Book of Mormon Place Names," in Journal of Book of Mormon Studies, 6/2 1997, pp. 256-257]

Mormon 6:2 A hill which was called Cumorah (Illustration): Cerro Vigia on the western edge of the Tuxtla Mountains, a plausible candidate for the hill Ramah-Cumorah. [F.A.R.M.S. Staff, "Lands Of The Book Of Mormon," Slide #103]

Mormon 6:4 The Hill Cumorah (Geographical Setting--New York):

According to David Palmer, a more traditional belief concerning the hill Cumorah among Latter-day Saints is that it refers to the hill near present-day Palmyra and Manchester, New York, where the plates from which the Prophet Joseph Smith translated the Book of Mormon were found. B. H. Roberts writes the following:

Encouraged by this repetition of the vision of the previous night, and strengthened by the assurances of his father that the visitation was of God, Joseph repaired that same day to the hill he had seen in vision, the place where the sacred record was concealed, some two miles distant from the Smith home. The hill is about four miles south of the town of Palmyra, in Wayne county. It stands on the east side of the Canandaigua road, and is the most conspicuous land mark in all that section of New York. In the Book of Mormon the hill is known as Ramah, and Cumorah, referred to more frequently, however, by the latter name. Approaching Cumorah from the north, you are confronted by the bold fact of the hill, which rise quite abruptly from the common level of the surrounding country; and as the east and west slopes of the hill, as viewed form the north, are about equal and regular, it looks from a distance as if it might be a huge conical shaped mound. Ascending its steep north side to the summit dispels the illusion, for one finds that he has but climbed the abrupt north end of a ridge of hill having its greatest extent from north to south, and which from its very narrow summit broadens and slopes gently to the southward until it sinks to the level of the common country. The east side of the hill is now ploughed, but the west side is untouched by the husbandman; and about two or three hundred yards from the north end there is on the west side a small, scattered grove of young trees, with here and there a decaying stump of a large tree to bear witness that the hill was once covered with a heavy growth of timber. Unquestionably Cumorah is the most distinct land mark in all that section of country, the highest hill, and the most commanding in what I should describe as an extensive plain sloping northward, filled with numerous irregular hills, but which in the main have their greatest extent, like Cumorah, from north to south; and which, also like Cumorah, are generally highest at the north end. [B. H. Roberts, A Comprehensive History of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints ,Vol. 1, pp. 75-76]

In 1928 the Church purchased the western New York hill land in 1935 erected a monument recognizing the visit of the angel Moroni. A visitors' center was later built at the base of the hill. Each summer since 1937, the Church has staged the Cumorah pageant at this site. Entitled America's Witness for Christ, it depicts important events from Book of Mormon history. This annual pageant has reinforced the common assumption that Moroni buried the plates of Mormon in the same hill where his father had buried the other plates, thus equating this New York hill with the

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Book of Mormon Cumorah. Because the New York site does not readily fit the Book of Mormon description of Book of Mormon geography, some Latter-day Saints have looked for other possible explanations and locations, including Mesoamerica. [David A. Palmer, "Cumorah" in Daniel H. Ludlow, S. Kent Brown, and John W. Welch selection eds., To All the World: The Book of Mormon Articles from the Encyclopedia of Mormonism , F.A.R.M.S., p. 82]

Mormon 6:4 The Hill Cumorah (Geographical Setting--New York) [Illustration]: The north end of the hill Cumorah, near Palmyra, New York, as it appeared in 1904 in this single view from an Underwood and Underwood stereo view. Courtesy Rare Books and Manuscripts, Brigham Young University. [David A. Palmer, "Cumorah" in Daniel H. Ludlow, S. Kent Brown, and John W. Welch selection eds., To All the World: The Book of Mormon Articles from the Encyclopedia of Mormonism , F.A.R.M.S., p. 81]

Mormon 6:4 The Hill Cumorah (Geographical Setting):

According to David Palmer, there is not one single directional statement given, from the time of the battles at the city of Desolation to the battle at Cumorah. There is nothing to suggest that the Nephites were not still within a few hundred kilometers of the Isthmus. . . . Based on direct statements from the text of the Book of Mormon, and in a few cases, strong inferences drawn from statements in the text, a list of topographic and geographic criteria for Mormon's Cumorah has been developed. These criteria are as follows:

1. It was near an eastern seacoast (Ether 9:3). 2. It was near a narrow neck of land (Alma 22:29-32, Mormon 2:29, Mormon 3:5) (Alma 43)

(Alma 56) Alma 50:33-34, 52:9) (Mormon 2:29, 3:5-7, Alma 63:5) (Ether 10:22-28). 3. It was on a coastal plain, and possibly near other mountains and valleys (Ether 14:12-15). 4. It was one day's journey south (east-south-east in modern coordinates) of a large body of

water (Ether 15:8-11). 5. It was in an area of many rivers and waters (Mormon 6:4). 6. It was in the presence of fountains (Mormon 6:4). 7. The abundance of water apparently provided a military advantage (Mormon 6:4). 8. There was an escape route to the land ("country") southward (Mormon 8:2). 9. The hill was large enough to provide a view of hundreds of thousands of bodies (Mormon

6:11). 10. The hill was apparently a significant landmark (Ether 9:3; Mormon 6:6).11. The hill was apparently free standing so people could camp around it (Mormon 6:2,

6:11). 12. The climate was apparently temperate with no cold or snow (No record of cold or snow)

(Enos 1:20) (Alma 46:40) 13. The hill was located in a volcanic zone susceptible to earthquakes (3 Nephi 8:6-23)

[David A. Palmer, In Search of Cumorah, pp. 42, 53]

Mormon 6:4 The Hill Cumorah (Geographical Setting):

David Palmer and Joseph Allen have listed the following reasons for labeling the Cerro Vigia located in the state of Veracruz, Mexico as the Hill Cumorah:

1. Near an Eastern seacoast: The Gulf of Mexico constitutes an eastern seacoast 30-40 miles from the Hill Vigia.

2. Near the Narrow Neck of Land (Narrow Pass): The Hill Vigia is about 60 miles from the top of a pass that runs through the Isthmus of Tehuantepec.

3. On a Coastal Plain and Possibly Near Other Mountains (hill Shim?) and Valleys: The Hill Vigia is situated so it overlooks a coastal plain. Looking inland, there is another expansive plain. Towards the Gulf of Mexico and stretching down towards the Isthmus of Tehuantepec, lies the heart of the volcanic Tuxtla mountain chain.

4. One Day's Journey South of a Large Body of Water: About 20 kilometers "north" of Cerro (Hill) Vigia is the beginning of the vast expanse of water known as the Papaloapan lagoon system. Large oceangoing vessels are used to fish those waters. . . . Since this area is neither a lake nor a river it is a good candidate for "Ripliancum" which was interpreted as "large, or to exceed all."

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5. In an Area of Many Rivers and Waters: The Tuxtla mountain range is encompassed by two great drainage systems, the Papaloapan, and the Coatzacoalcos. The general area of the Cerro (Hill) Vigia was known anciently as "nonohualco," which means "place where water is everywhere."

6. Presence of Fountains: The Hill Vigia is located in a land of pure water where streams of underground water spring forth.

7. The Abundance of Water Must Provide a Military Advantage: The Tuxtla Mountain area is the Hawaii of Mexico. What does all this information about climate and water have to do with a military advantage? Palmer postulates that the military advantage sought was attraction of people. The battle was basically a numbers game. People could only be attracted to an army if they were fed, and how does one go about providing food for an army of a quarter million people? The way Mormon chose to provide food for his peopled during the four year gathering period was to choose as the place of his last stand one of the most fertile areas of the Western Hemisphere.

8. Escape Route to the Land Southward: Those escaping to the "south countries" would have followed the route . . . skirting the northern flank of the Tuxtlas and approaching the sea. From there they would have been able to travel down to the isthmus virtually undetected, having a mountain range between them and the Lamanites.

9. Hill Must Be Large Enough to Provide a View of Hundreds of Thousands of Bodies: The Hill Vigia is about 2,400 feet high. A person can make a round trip to the top in 3-4 hours.

10. The Hill Must be a Significant Landmark: Cerro Vigia is easily distinguishable since it sits on the plain out of the main line of the Tuxtla chain. Friedlander found in 1922 that the Indians considered Cerro Vigia sacred. This may be related to the fact that a number of the Olmec monuments were carved from basalt taken from Cerro Vigia. This hill also appears to have been used for astronomical sightings. . . . These were important for maintenance of the calendar which was used for a guide in the planting of crops.

11. The Hill Should be Free Standing so People Can Camp Around it: Cerro Vigia stands apart from the rest of the Tuxtla Mountain chain, separated from it by the city of Santiago Tuxtla.

12 The Hill Should be in a Temperate Climate with no Cold or Snow: The Tuxtlas are a year-round resort for the Mexican tourists. The area is the Hawaii of Mexico.

13. The hill is in a Volcanic Zone Subject to Earthquakes: Mesoamerica has been an area of very heavy volcanic activity. Mexico has about 37 recent volcanoes, twelve currently active. In Central America there are 67 recent volcanoes, 32 presently active. Both Mexico and Central American countries are plagued by earthquakes.

From a purely logical point of view, the Latter-day Saint "Hill Cumorah" in New York meets only partially the above Book of Mormon requirements for the Nephite Hill Cumorah. [David A. Palmer, In Search of Cumorah, pp. 96-101; and Joseph L. Allen, Exploring the Lands of the Book of Mormon, pp. 343-344]

The Book of Mormon itself must stand as the best witness of the criteria necessary to locate the Jaredite, Nephite, Lamanite, and Mulekite cultures. Therefore, thirteen geographic/topographic criteria were determined from the text. A discussion of the specific references from the Book of Mormon is given in the book, In Search of Cumorah by David Palmer (pp. 28-72).

The hill in New York meets criteria 2 (minimally), 4, 5, and 11. It does not meet the others. The hill Vigia in Mexico, proposed by Palmer (In Search of Cumorah, pp. 89-123) and Sorenson (An Ancient American Setting, p. 350) meets all of them. [David A. Palmer, Book Review in Review of Books on the Book of Mormon, Vol. 2, 1990, pp. 69-71]

Mormon 6:4 The Hill Cumorah (Cultural Setting):

The Book of Mormon itself must stand as the best witness of the criteria necessary to locate the Nephite, Lamanite, and Mulekite cultures. Therefore, fifteen cultural criteria were determined from the text:

1. cities in the vicinity of the hill: 3 Nephi 8:8-14; 9:3-10; 2. towers or stepped pyramids for religious purposes: Mosiah 2:7; 11:12-13; 20:8; Helaman

7:103. efficient agriculture: Mosiah 7:22; 9:9; 9:144. metallurgy: 1 Nephi 18:25; 2 Nephi 5:15; Jarom 1:8; Mosiah 22:125. formal political states with centralized law enforcement: Mosiah 29:38-42; Alma 10:14-15;

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3 Nephi 1:16. organized religion: 2 Nephi 5:18; Alma 4:4-5; 3 Nephi 11-28; 4 Nephi 1:26-417. idolatry at certain times:8. craft specialization such as textiles:9. trade and commerce: Alma 63:5-8; Helaman 3:10; Helaman 6:7-8; 3 Nephi 3:24; 4 Nephi

1:4610. writing: Alma 63:12; Mormon 9:3211. weaponry in the immediate vicinity of the hill:

Criteria applicable only for the Nephites. (However, the absence of mention of these four traits for the Jaredites does not preclude their presence during those times.)

12. astronomy: Alma 30:44; Helaman 12:15; 3 Nephi 1:21; 13. calendar systems: 14. cement: Helaman 3:9-11;15. wheels: Alma 19:6; 3 Nephi 3:22

The Cerro Vigia in Mexico meets all of these cultural criteria. The hill in New York meets none of them. Modern archaeological research shows that there was little culture there until A.D. 1100. [David A. Palmer, Book Review in Review of Books on the Book of Mormon, Vol. 2, 1990, pp. 69-71]

Mormon 6:4 The Hill Cumorah (Cultural Setting):

According to David Palmer, fifteen traits and types of archaeological information are required for any candidate hill to be called the "hill Cumorah" (Mormon 6:4). The following is an evaluation of Cerro Vigia ("Lookout Hill") in Mesoamerica:

1. Cities in the Vicinity of the Hill: The Cerro Vigia is surrounded by ruins dating to the Jaredite and Nephite times. . . . The more ancient ruins are found in southern Veracruz, where the Cerro Vigia is located.

2. Towers or stepped Pyramids for Religious Purposes: In the Nephite period there were large pyramids located in the following archaeological sites: in Guatemala (Kaminaljuyu), in the state of Chiapas, Mexico (Izapa, Chiapa de Corzo, etc.), in the state of Oaxaca (Dainzu) and in the valley of Mexico (Cuicuilco, Teotihuacan, Tlapacoya, and Cholula).

The pyramid at La Venta, in the state of Tabasco, Mexico is entirely manmade. It apparently served as a focal point for the Olmec religion from about 1000 B.C. to 600 B.C. Another Jaredite time period pyramid is seen at the site of San Jose Mogote, in the state of Oaxaca, Mexico.

3. Efficient Agriculture: Stantley (1982) has found strong evidence for intensive early Preclassic (400-600 B.C.) farming in the Tuxtla mountains of southern Veracruz, Mexico. Work by Flannery in Oaxaca, Mexico has shown that the people exploited the high water table by digging wells and carrying water to irrigate their crops. As many as ten wells would be located in a one-acre plot. This technological advance allowed such efficient food production that at least half the population was able to turn to craft manufacture and mining. (Flannery, 1967) Three crops per year are possible using intensive irrigation. The use of canal systems for irrigation can be firmly dated to at least 400 B.C. in Oaxaca, with some village runoff canals going back to 1000 B.C. (Flannery, 1976)

4. Metallurgy: In Nephite times the presence of iron is found at the archaeological site of Kaminaljuyu in Guatemala City (a proposed site for the city of Nephi). . . . However, the antiquity of use of ancient metals in Mesoamerica is placed at 1500 B.C. This is based on language studies called glotto-chronology (Campbell and Kaufman, 1976).

5. Formal Political States: Mesoamerica offers the best examples of organized political states in America during Jaredite and Nephite times. The Olmec (Jaredite time period) centers of San Lorenzo and La Venta, with their monumental sculptures [of the heads of their leaders] are the best examples. During Nephite times the centers of Kaminaljuyu, Izapa, Chiapa de Corzo, Monte Alban, Dainzu, Santa rosa, and Teotihuacan are just a few examples.

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6. Organized Religion: No one seriously questions the fact that organized religion was a very important cultural and historical factor in Mesoamerica from the very earliest times. This is documented in the accounts of ancient Mesoamerican history, such as the writings of Ixtlilxochitl.

7. Idolatry at Certain Times: From Mesoamerican archaeology we have been able to learn quite specifically what types of idols were worshipped in Lamanite-Nephite times and even in Jaredite times. The reason is that many of the idols were made in either stone or ceramic, and have survived.

8. Craft Specialization: Professions which can be archaeologically documented in Mesoamerica developed in Jaredite and Nephite time periods. These include spinners, weavers, architects, rock quarryers, sculptors, transportation experts, paper makers, artists, and workers of obsidian. In Teotihuacan alone, over five hundred craft workshops have been found.

9. Trade: Long distance trade developed in Mesoamerica at least by 1500 B.C. and was an important factor thereafter.

10. Writing: The earliest Mesoamerican writing system of which we have evidence appeared about 600 B.C. in Oaxaca, Mexico. Secondary evidence suggest strongly the use of writing on paper in early times. Scripts are found on cylinder seals as well as monuments. Such seals, which are similar to those in use in Mesopotamia, have been found in a number of places in Mesoamerica, including the Cerro Vigia.

11. Weaponry in Immediate Vicinity of Hill: The museum in Santiago Tuxtla at the base of the Cerro Vigia has on display only a few artifacts from the vicinity of the hill. Yet not only are there arrowheads and spear points, but also a variety of axe heads and other fearsome stone weapons.

12 & 13. Astronomy and Calendar: Observation of the heavenly bodies was intimately tied to the development of an accurate calendar. So accurate were the observations recorded that the Maya possessed a calendar superior to that of the Europeans who came to "civilize" them.

14. Cement: The use of cement and concrete spread throughout Mesoamerica in a time span from at least as early as 100 B.C. through A.D. 400. The tourist sees it in great abundance at Teotihuacan. At Kaminaljuyu the concrete mix was similar.

15. Wheels: The only direct evidence thus far encountered for wheels in Mesoamerica is on toys. About thirty examples of wheeled toys have been found, the earliest of which were discovered at the archaeological site of Tres Zapotes, near the Cerro Vigia.

In summary, though the Cerro Vigia passes all the criteria set down in the pages of the Book of Mormon, that does not necessarily prove that the correct hill has been identified. Any proposed alternative, however, must be subjected to the same stringent tests and pass them all. [David A. Palmer, In Search of Cumorah, pp. 106-123]

Mormon 6:4 We did pitch our tents round about the hill Cumorah (Illustration): The information in Mormon's record about the final battle area matches in detail the characteristics of this hill, Cerro El Vigia, in southern Veracruz state and the region around it. this view of 2600-foot El Vigia is from the plains to its southwest, where the final battle likely took place. [John L. Sorenson, Images of Ancient America, p. 211]

Mormon 6:4 And [the hill Cumorah] was in a land of many waters, rivers, and fountains (Illustration): The land of Cumorah was an area with many streams and lakes, like this zone at the foot of Cerro El Vigia in south-central Veracruz state. [John L. Sorenson, Images of Ancient America, p. 210]

Mormon 6:4 And [the hill Cumorah] was in a land of many waters, rivers, and fountains (Illustration): Lago de Catemaco in the Tuxtlas Mountains of southern Veracruz qualifies as part of the complex of "many waters, rivers, and fountains" in the area of Cumorah (Mormon 6:4). [John L. Sorenson, Images of Ancient America, p. 202]

Mormon 6:4 It was a land of many waters, rivers, and fountains (Illustration): Eyipantla waterfalls near San Andreas Tuxtla may be part of the "land of many waters, rivers, and fountains" where Mormon had all the Nephites gather for the "last struggle" with the Lamanites. Mormon states that "here we had hope to gain advantage over the Lamanites." It was the same place the Jaredites had come for their last, great battle, likely for the same reason. There were Jaredite fortifications already in place that could be rebuilt. What does Mormon's statement mean? Possible explanations are that, according to legend, this area was associated with ritualistic and spiritual power. It may have also been considered an entrance into the underworld. Here natural terrain could be used to form a strong, defensive stance. [Scot and Maurine Proctor, Light from the

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Dust, p. 194]

Mormon 6:4 Here We Had Hope to Gain Advantage Over the Lamanites:

Mormon notes that "we did march forth to the land of Cumorah, and we did pitch our tents around about the hill Cumorah; and it was in a land of many waters, rivers, and fountains; and here we had hope to gain advantage over the Lamanites" (Mormon 6:4). According to John Sorenson, the "advantage" the Nephites thought they might enjoy at the hill Cumorah could have been due to the broken terrain, which Mormon must have known intimately. Or possibly the Nephites thought the place would be fateful for the Lamanites because of superstitious beliefs or traditions concerning the end of the Jaredites on that very spot. [John L. Sorenson, An Ancient American Setting for the Book of Mormon, pp. 347-348]

Mormon 6:4 Here we had hope to gain advantage over the Lamanites (Illustration): Morning sun sends streams of light through low-lying, misty valleys in the Tuxtla Mountains of Mexico. From the number of early fortifications that fill this naturally protected basin, it is clear that large scale, ancient battles took place here. It could very well be the site of the last battles of the Jaredites and the Nephites. Artifacts in this small basin date to two time periods: 300 to 400 B.C. and A.D. 300 to 400. Archaeologically it appears that large groups came here, not building extensive dwellings but only fortifications, then mysteriously disappeared, leaving huge amounts of artifacts behind. [Scot and Maurine Proctor, Light from the Dust, pp. 188-189]

Mormon 6:4 Here we had hope to gain advantage over the Lamanites (Illustration): Ceiba tree stands over 100 feet tall as a lone sentinel on a more than 2,000 foot-long, man-made ridge of dirt in a protected basin in the Tuxtla Mountains of Mexico. [Scot and Maurine Proctor, Light from the Dust, p. 190]

Mormon 6:4 Here we had hope to gain advantage over the Lamanites (Illustration): Lower battle complex in a basin area of the Tuxtla Mountains of southern Mexico. Line after line of artificial defensive mounds, hills, and ridges have been discovered in this area, with artifacts dating to the times of the last battles of the Jaredites and the Nephites. [Scot and Maurine Proctor, Light from the Dust, p. 195]

Mormon 6:4 Here we had hope to gain advantage over the Lamanites (Illustration): Defensive and ceremonial complex in the lower battle area of this protected basin in the Tuxtla Mountains of Mexico. If this was the place of the final battle, the Lamanites would have come from the south, which horizon is seen in the right of this picture. For a site to qualify as the last battle area, it must have massive fortification. The Nephites did not sit down at Cumorah and wait for four years for the appointed day of the battle. Out of love for his people, Mormon would surely have caused fortifications to be erected, as he had in all previous strongholds, with large heaps of earth to be thrown up, and strategies planned to defend themselves against the onslaught of the Lamanites. Sixteen centuries would not have completely hidden these fortifications. [Scot and Maurine Proctor, Light from the Dust, p. 195]

Mormon 6:4 Here we had hope to gain advantage over the Lamanites (Illustration): View from the top of a strategic hill at the north end of this basin in the Tuxtla Mountains. The fog in the middle of the picture outlines a man-made ridge that rims this hill, averaging 30 to 40 feet high and running over 2,000 feet long. On the right is a giant sinkhole that measures about 500 feet across and 200 feet deep with only one natural entry. This could have been used to protect the women and children of the Nephites. The number of women and children who were killed, with the soldiers, could have easily brought the total Nephite dead to over one million. Given a defensive position like this, it is clear that the Lamanites massively outnumbered the Nephites, so the dead Lamanites likely numbered in the millions. [Scot and Maurine Proctor, Light from the Dust, pp. 196-197]

Mormon 6:4 Here we had hope to gain advantage over the Lamanites (Illustration): Morning light touches a strategic hill in the north center of the basin complex of the Tuxtla Mountains. From atop this hill, part of which is man-made, the two mile by two and one-half mile basin can easily be seen. Mormon might not have wanted to retreat any farther north from here because of the mighty Teotihuacani people who were militarily the most powerful group in Mesoamerica. Mormon speaks remorsefully "that there were sorceries, and witchcrafts, and magics; and the power of the evil one was wrought upon all the face of the land." This area still attracts these evils and is a world center for witchcraft. [Scot and Maurine Proctor, Light from the Dust, p. 198]

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Mormon 6:4 Here we had hope to gain advantage over the Lamanites (Illustration): First light touches gnarled and weather-worn tree anchored to the side of a strategic hill in the Tuxtla Mountains of southern Mexico. . . . From internal clues in the Book of Mormon and from all that scholarship can teach us, it appears that the great and last battle of the Nephites may have taken place somewhere in these verdant mountains rather than in western New York as tradition has taught us for generations. [Scot and Maurine Proctor, Light from the Dust, p. 203]

Mormon 6:5 When [384] Years Had Passed Away, We Had Gathered (Time Period for Gathering):

The last recorded reference to time before the Nephite gathering was when Mormon recorded in Mormon 5:6 that "in the three hundred eightieth year the Lamanites did come again against us to battle, . . . and they did tread the people of the Nephites under their feet. And it came to pass that we did again take to flight, and those whose flight was swifter than the Lamanites did escape, and those whose flight did not exceed the Lamanites' were swept down and destroyed." How long it took after these battles began for the Nephites to begin gathering to Cumorah is not mentioned. It seems probable that the gathering, or plans to gather, started immediately with the flight of the Nephites in the year 380, especially in light of the hill Cumorah's apparent strategic military value. Whatever the case, Mormon records that "when three hundred and eighty and four years had passed away, we had gathered in all the remainder of our people unto the land of Cumorah" (Mormon 6:5). It is interesting to note that if the Nephite gathering took four years (which the chronological data supports), then this time period would be the exact time period that the Jaredites took to gather at the hill Ramah for their final battle (see Ether 15:14). [Alan C. Miner, Personal Notes]

One might ask, Why would the Lamanites allow a period of up to four years for the Nephites to get ready? According to John Sorenson's theory, in the first place, the Lamanites would understand from their knowledge of the regional geography that the Nephites had no place to retreat to beyond Cumorah, for behind them lay only the huge estuary of Alvarado (the Ripliancum of the Jaredites) and the tangle of rivers and swamps known in modern times as "La Mixtequilla." lxxi

So both sides knew this would be a decisive battle between the ancient rivals. Another reason the Lamanites would be agreeable to this place and appointed time may have been that they needed a period to build up their own forces for the climactic clash, for they were a long distance from their home base. In any case, the agreed site was deeper into the now-limited territory under Nephite control so the Lamanites had nothing to lose. [John L. Sorenson, An Ancient American Setting for the Book of Mormon, p. 348]

Mormon 6:5 We Had Gathered in All the Remainder of Our People:

If Mormon "gathered in all the remainder of [his] people" (Mormon 6:5), then the total number of Nephites gathered was between a quarter million and a million, based on the casualty figures in Mormon 6:10-15. Most of these people probably lived in the land of Cumorah for a good part of the four years. To support so many, the land must have been extremely bountiful in wildlife, and extremely fertile.

Assuming a continental geographical model, one might wonder, How could so many people survive the winters of 4 years in New York? And why are the winters not mentioned? Even if by some miraculous circumstances there was enough food to sustain these millions in New York, how and why would the Lamanites coexist with the Nephites for years at a location 5000 miles from their home? Would fresh supplies be shipped from the lands south of the narrow pass (South America)? And without fresh supplies, why would the Lamanites refrain from fighting the Nephites over the rights to the available food and shelter? In addition, when Mormon states that he had gathered in ALL the remainder of his people (Mormon 6:5), does this also mean the Lamanites wiped clean the whole North American continent except at the "Hill Cumorah" in New York? [Alan C. Miner, Personal Notes]

Geographical Theory Map: Mormon 6:5 All the Nephites Have Gathered to Cumorah (385 A.S.)

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Mormon 6:6 I Made This Record Out of the Plates of Nephi:

When Mormon states that "I made this record out of the plates of Nephi" (Mormon 6:6), he seems to be refering to his abridgment of the Large Plates of Nephi (the Plates of Mormon). Even if our assumption is correct, however, it is hard to tell by Mormon's words whether he was just completing a record already started (maybe during his 13 year interval of standing as an "idle witness") or if he made his abridgment after he had gathered in his people and before the final battles (Mormon 6:6).

In view of the many records that Mormon used as source material (Helaman 3:13, Words of Mormon 1:3-5, Moroni 9:23), if Mormon attempted to make his abridgement after the gathering was completed (as the order of the text seems to imply, then in less than a year he would have needed to abridge the messages contained in what amounted to over 100 times the material contained within our present Book of Mormon (3 Nephi 5:8). Perhaps Mormon did much of his abridging previously during the 13 year interval in which he stood as an "idle witness." Or perhaps Mormon made his abridgement during the four years of gathering. Whatever the case, Mormon "made this record" by first abridging the Large Plates. He then apparently added the small plates of Nephi (Words of Mormon 1:5). Next, Mormon attached to the small plates of Nephi an explanatory note detailing what the Small Plates were (Words of Mormon 1:1-7). Mormon then proceeded to "finish" his record (Words of Mormon 1:9) by first completing his Words of Mormon with a historical summary (Words of Mormon 1:10-18) of king Benjamin's reign, designed to bridge from where the message of the small plates stopped to the proper historical spot in Mormon's abridgment of the Large Plates. Finally, Mormon filled in the Title Page to his "record," and "gave" Moroni the responsibility to complete what he had started if he (Mormon) were not to survive the last battle (Mormon 8:1). Thus, Mormon's statement in the year 385 that he "made this record out of the plates of Nephi" (Large and Small Plates) can be fully justified. [Alan C. Miner, Personal Notes] [See Alan C. Miner, "The Chronology and Compilation of the Writings of Mormon and Moroni"] [For alternative insights, see also the articles from the Book of Mormon Symposium #9 entitled "Why is 4 Nephi So Short?" by Steven L. Olsen, and "Mormon's Greatest Work Came After Cumorah" by Donald L. Enders, Sr.] [See Appendix B--Records]

Mormon 6:6 [I] Hid up in the Hill Cumorah All the Records Which Had Been Entrusted to Me:

In Mormon 6:6 we find some types and shadows that might have a precedent in the Old World. Mormon says he was,

commanded of the Lord that I should not suffer the records which had been handed down by our fathers, which were sacred, to fall into the hands of the Lamanites, (for the Lamanites would destroy them) therefore I made this record out of the plates of Nephi, and hid up in the hill Cumorah all the records which had been entrusted to me by the hand of the Lord, save it were these few plates which I gave unto my son Moroni.

Jeremiah was the Lord's prophet who was given the responsibility to testify of the fulfillment of many prophecies concerning the destruction of a Jewish nation that had forsaken their covenants with the Lord. Apparently, during the initial sacking of Jerusalem, Jeremiah, as the prophet of the people, was given some authority over the sacred items in the temple. Glenn Scott quotes the following details from 2 Maccabees:

Now it is found in the descriptions of Jeremiah, the prophet, that he commanded them that went into captivity, to take the fire [of the Temple], as it hath been signified, and how he gave charge to them that were carried away into captivity.

And how he gave them the law that they should not forget the commandments of the Lord, and that they should not err in their minds, seeing the idols of gold and silver, and the ornaments of them. And with other such like speeches, he exhorted them that they would not remove the law from their heart.

It was also contained in the same writing, how the prophet, being warned by God, commanded that the tabernacle and the ark should accompany him, till he came forth to the mountain where Moses went up, and saw the inheritance of God.

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And when Jeremiah came thither he found a hollow cave, and he carried in thither the tabernacle, and the ark, and the altar of incense, and so stopped the door.

Then some of them that followed him, came up to mark the place, but they could not find it, and when Jeremiah perceived it, he blamed them, saying: the place shall be unknown, till God gather together the congregation of the people, and receive them to mercy.

And then the Lord will show these things, and the majesty of the Lord shall appear, and there shall be a cloud as it was also showed to Moses, and he showed it when Solomon prayed that the place might be sanctified to the great God. --( II Maccabees 1:1-8)

Scott A. Glenn, Voices from the Dust, p.32]

Could the prophet Mormon be a type and shadow of Jeremiah? In addition to having him hide the tabernacle and the ark, did the Lord command Jeremiah to hide up sacred records? And if Jeremiah did have access to those records, did he compile an abridgement detailing the rise and fall of his people because of disobedience to their covenants? Consider the following commentary from The Illustrated Bible Dictionary:

The book of Kings consists of an account of the Israelite monarchy written from a theological perspective and taking the history from its high point in the united monarchy to its low point in the [destruction and] Exile. . . The book of Kings is the closing part of the narrative which begins in Genesis and focuses on the story of Israel from her origins in Egypt [from which Israel was led by Moses through the wilderness to the Promised Land] to the ending of her political independence by the Babylonians. . . . We do not know the name of the author(s) of Kings, though the group which was responsible for the work is often described as the "Deuteronomists." This description reflects the view that Kings is not merely the last part of the story begun in Genesis; it is more specifically the last part of the "Deuteronomistic history," which begins with the book of Deuteronomy. On this view, the story from Joshua to Kings, known in the Hebrew Bible as the "Former Prophets," has been written or edited as a whole to show how principles declared in Deuteronomy worked out in Israel's history from the conquest, via the period of the judges and the united monarchy, to the Exile. (emphasis added) (The Universities and Colleges Christian Fellowship, The Illustrated Bible Dictionary, Vol. 2, pp. 856-857)

Note: It is also an interesting coincidence that one of the theories regarding the location of Mount Sinai (Horeb) places it in the proposed location of the Valley of Lemuel (the ancient land of Midian). And that in addition to Moses, this sacred mountain could have been visited by Nephi, Jeremiah, Elijah, Paul, and others. (See the illustrations below) [See the commentary on 1 Nephi 4:2; Helaman 6:10]

Mormon 6:6 (Types and Shadows: The Hill Cumorah and Horeb ) (Illustrations): The correlation of Mount Horeb (Mount Sinai) and its hidden treasures with a Mount Lawz near the northeastern shores of the ancient land of Midian (now Saudi Arabia) is the subject of a fascinating book entitled "The Gold of Exodus." The following are illustrations from that book:

(a) The Path of the Exodus(b) Jabal al Lawz. Using the Bible as their guide, Williams and Cornuke found the visual proof they had been

searching for--Jabal al Lawz was Mount Sinai.[Howard Blum, The Gold of Exodus, pages not numbered]

Mormon 6:6 I . . . Hid Up in the Hill Cumorah All the Records Which Had Been Entrusted to Me:

If Mormon "hid up in the hill Cumorah all the records which had been entrusted" to him (Mormon 6:6), and in view of the many records that Mormon and Moroni used as source material (see Helaman 3:13, Words of Mormon 1:2-5, Moroni 9:23), one might reason that this repository was a cave not only because of size but because of continual access. The reader might also note that the last Jaredite prophet, Ether, also wrote his history from a "cavity of a rock" (see Ether 13:13-14, 18).

According to Ben Olsen, who has some geological experience in Mexico, Guatemala and

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Belize, caves most frequently visited in the world are those within limestones, which form by dissolving action of groundwater circulating along the partings in the rocks. Caves formed in this manner take thousands to millions of years to develop large underground connecting rooms. . . Smaller cavities in limestones can occur more quickly when the limestone beds are exposed in canyons to fast moving river currents, where they are not only dissolved, but cut by water erosion as well. . . . Another quickly-formed type of cave is that associated with volcanism. Volcanic vents and fissures on the flanks of volcanoes are natural openings extending into the volcano which could develop into large cavities. Lava flows may, on cooling, develop a stiff upper crust over still molten rock which, continuing to flow after supply at the source has ceased, may leave caves or lava tubes. . . .

While there are many caves in and around the proposed site of the hill Cumorah (Cerro Vigia) in Veracruz, Mexico, there is a geological problem with caves in New York. Ben Olsen relates the following:

As a young person I had heard and assumed it was factual, that the prophet Joseph and others had physically walked into a cave in the hill Cumorah and observed the plates, sword, etc. (see the related commentary on Mormon 6:6). I grew up assuming that this hill was in New York.

In the course of my geological studies I learned about the geology of New York, of the formation of the elongate, rounded hills in the Finger Lakes area, and I became a bit alarmed at the thought of a naturally-formed room being inside the New York hill now called Cumorah.

This hill, and others like it in the region, are called drumlins and are composed of rock debris originally incorporated within the continental ice sheet that covered the area during the last ice age. As the ice melted, this debris accumulated on the earth's surface. This loose unconsolidated debris, consisting of sands, silts, muds and gravels, was then molded into drumlin-shaped hills as the frontal lobes of the ice advanced and receded during the waning stages of glacial time, about 10 to 13 thousand years ago.

Though nothing is impossible with God, I found it difficult to imagine a naturally-formed room in a hill composed primarily of unconsolidated material.

[Ben L. Olsen, Some Earthly Treasures of the Book of Mormon, pp. 54-55, Unpublished]

Mormon 6:6 [Mormon] Hid up in the Hill Cumorah All the Records Which Had Been Entrusted to [Him] (Possible Caves or Caverns in New York):

Oliver Cowdery writes:Soon after this visit to Cumorah, a gentleman from the south part of the state,

(Chenango County), employed our brother [Joseph Smith] as a common laborer and accordingly he visited that section of the country; and had he not been accused of digging down all, or nearly so, the mountains of Susquehanna, or causing others to do it by some art of necromancy, I should leave this for the present unnoticed. You will remember, in the meantime, that those who seek to vilify his character, say that he has always been notorious for his idleness. This gentleman whose name is Stoal, resided in the town of Bainbridge, on or near the head-waters of the Susquehanna river. Some forty miles south, or down the river, in the town of Harmony, Susquehanna County, Pa., is said to be a cave or subterraneous recess, whether entirely formed by art or not, I am uninformed, neither does this matter; but such is said to be the case--where a company of Spaniards, a long time since, when the county was uninhabited by white settlers, excavated from the bowels of the earth ore, and coined a large quantity of money, after which they secured the cavity and evacuated, leaving a part still in the cave, purposing to return at some distant period. A long time elapsed, and this account came from one of the individuals who was first engaged in this mining business. The country was pointed out, and the spot minutely described. This, I believe is the substance, so far as my memory serves, though I shall not pledge my veracity for the correctness of the account as I have given it. Enough, however, was credited of the Spaniard's story, to excite the belief of many that there was a fine sum of precious metal lying coined in this subterraneous vault, among whom was the employer; and accordingly

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our brother [Joseph] was required to spend a few months with some others in excavating the earth in pursuit of this treasure. While employed here he became acquainted with the family of Isaac Hale, of whom you read in several of the productions of those who have sought to destroy the validity of the Book of Mormon. (Messenger and Advocate, October, 1835)

[As quoted in Francis W. Kirkham, A New Witness for Christ in America, vol. 1, pp. 104-105]

Mormon 6:6 The Records Which Had Been Handed down by Our Fathers [Were] Hid up in the Hill Cumorah:

John Tvedtnes writes that Elder Orson Pratt suggested that the records of the Nephites had been hidden up and kept "under the charge of holy angels, until the day should come for them to be transferred to the sacred temple; of Zion."lxxii His brother, Elder Parley P. Pratt, wrote of a room inside the New Jerusalem temple that would be set aside to hold these and other sacred records. lxxiii

[John Tvedtnes, The Book of Mormon and Other Hidden Books: Out of Darkness unto Light, p. 160]

Mormon 6:6 All the Records Which Had Been Entrusted to Me:

[For a comprehensive listing of all records referred to in the Book of Mormon, see Appendix B--Records]

Mormon 6:6 I . . . Hid Up in the Hill Cumorah All the Records Which Had Been Entrusted to Me:

In Mormon 6:6 it says:And it came to pass that when we had gathered in all our people in one to the land of

Cumorah, behold I, Mormon, began to be old; and knowing it to be the last struggle of my people, and having been commanded of the Lord that I should not suffer the records which had been handed down by our fathers, which were sacred, to fall into the hands of the Lamanites, (for the Lamanites would destroy them) therefore I made this record out of the plates of Nephi, and hid up in the hill Cumorah all the records which had been entrusted to me by the hand of the Lord, save it were these few plates which I gave unto my son Moroni . (emphasis added)

According to Joseph Allen, the question is often asked, "How did the records that Mormon gave to Moroni about 385 AD and that the Angel Moroni gave to Joseph Smith in 1827 AD get to the Hill Cumorah in New York?"

If the last battle was fought at the hill Vigia in Veracruz, Mexico, then Moroni must have carried the records to New York after the final battle at Ramah/Cumorah in Mesoamerica. The final battle was 385 AD; Moroni's last entry was 421 AD. That makes 36 years from the time of the last battle to Moroni's last dated entry. During that 36 years, he abridged the Jaredite record that we know as the book of Ether; he finished the record of his father, Mormon; and he wrote material under his own name, which is the last book in the Book of Mormon.

Furthermore, he tells us that he did not make himself known to the Lamanites because they killed everyone who did not deny Christ; and he refused to deny Christ. After abridging the Book of Ether, Moroni very probably hid up, in the Mesoamerica Cumorah, the 24 gold plates from which he abridged the Jaredite record and then carried the abridged portion of the record to New York. He had ample time. His motivation to distance himself from the Lamanites is adequate.

One evidence of Moroni's wandering comes from a story quoted by Elder Franklin D. Richards of the Council of the Twelve in an Ensign article. The incident he spoke of occurred at the temple-site dedication of the Manti Temple on April 25, 1877. Early that morning, Brigham Young had asked Warren S. Snow to go with him to the temple hill. According to Snow:

We two were alone; President Young took me to a spot where the temple was to stand; we went to the southeast corner, and President Young said: "Here is the spot where the Prophet Moroni stood and dedicated this piece of land for a temple site, and that is the reason why the location is made here, and we can't move it from this spot." (Ensign, January 1972, p. 33)

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Other possible evidences of Moroni's wanderings might come from the knowledge of gospel principles and legends about Christ which were told to the new American settlers by native North American Indians (Moroni might have spread the gospel as he wandered). In any event, the guiding hand of the Lord played a major role in Moroni's depositing the Book of Mormon record in New York.

Another issue in regards to the location of the hill Cumorah has arisen from a talk given by Brigham Young after the saints arrived in the Salt Lake Valley. This talk has been used as an argument on occasion to suggest that the Nephite Hill Cumorah was in New York. The rationale for the statement is that the Latter-day Saint Hill Cumorah in New York opened up and a number of the brethren went inside where they saw wagon loads of records. A follow-up visit included a statement dealing with the sword of Laban that had been unsheathed. The conclusion of the story is that if the Latter-day Saint Hill Cumorah in New York opened up, then the last battles must have been fought around that hill.

The statement of Brigham Young was printed in mainstream Latter-day Saint literature. However, a statement about the same experience, given by Heber C. Kimball, has not been included in the literature, and perhaps sheds some important light on the issue. In his talk, Brigham Young said that Oliver Cowdery and others went "into the hill." However, Heber C. Kimball said that the incident was a "vision" that the brethren had of the hill. Thus, those who might try to support a particular geographical point of view would be on inconclusive grounds. The Book of Mormon itself records a vision of Nephi concerning the history of the house of Israel (1 Nephi) in which he was carried to an exceedingly high mountain "in spirit."

For the benefit of the Book of Mormon student, the statements of Brigham Young and Heber C. Kimball are written here as follows:

Oliver Cowdery went with the prophet Joseph when he deposited these plates. Joseph did not translate all of the plates; there was a portion of them sealed, which you can learn from the book of Doctrine and Covenants. When Joseph got the plates, the angel instructed him to carry them back to the hill Cumorah, which he did. Oliver says that when Joseph and Oliver went there, the hill opened, and they walked into a cave, in which there was a large and spacious room. He says he did not think, at the time, whether they had the light of the sun or artificial light; but that it was just as light as day. They laid the plates on a table; it was a large table that stood in the room. Under this table there was a pile of plates as much as two feet high, and there were altogether in this room more plates than probably many wagon loads; they were piled up in the corners and along the walls. The first time they went there the sword of Laban hung upon the wall; but when they went again it had been taken down and laid upon the table across the gold plates; it was unsheathed, and on it was written these words: "This sword will never be sheathed again until the kingdoms of this world become the kingdom of our God and his Christ." I tell you this as coming not only from Oliver Cowdery, but others who were familiar with it, and who understood it just as well as we understand coming to this meeting enjoying the day, and by and by we separate and go away, forgetting most of what is said, but remembering some things. (Brigham Young, Journal of Discourses, 19:38)

Brother Mills mentioned in his song, that crossing the Plains with hand-carts was one of the greatest events that ever transpired in this Church. I will admit that it is an important event, successfully testing another method for gathering Israel, but its importance is small in comparison with the visitation of the angel of God to the Prophet Joseph, and with the reception of the sacred records from the hand of Moroni at the hill Cumorah. How does it compare with the vision that Joseph and others had, when they went into a cave in the hill Cumorah, and saw more records than ten men could carry? There were books piled upon tables, book upon book. Those records this people will yet have, if they accept of the Book of Mormon and observe its precepts, and keep the commandments. (Heber C. Kimball, Journal of Discourses, 4:104--italics added)

[Joseph L. Allen, Exploring the Lands of the Book of Mormon, pp. 351-352]

Mormon 6:6 Which I Gave unto My Son Moroni:

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Mormon says, "I made this record out of the plates of Nephi, and hid up in the hill Cumorah all the records which had been entrusted to me by the and of the Lord, save it were these few plates which I gave unto my son Moroni" (Mormon 6:6). Normally people have taken the phrase "I gave" to mean that Mormon physically gave up the total possession of the abridgment records to Moroni. However, the reader will find that Mormon continues to write his history through the end of Chapter 7, which covers a period of time after the battle of Cumorah had taken place. In addition, the reader should notice that Moroni does not actually take over any part of the writing until Mormon is dead, which could have been up to 16 years after these words "I gave unto my son Moroni" were written (Mormon 8:1-3).

Before the final battle at Cumorah, Mormon might have been thinking that he would die and that Moroni would survive (see Moroni 9:22). Under those circumstances, Mormon might have physically turned over the plates to Moroni. However if he did, he must have taken them back after surviving the battle. But whether Mormon did or didn't actually turn the record over to Moroni physically, in the overall view of Nephite recordkeeping, the word "gave" reflects more than just taking possession, it involved Moroni's responsibility of filling the remaining space on the plates with the things that Mormon wanted him to record if and when Mormon died and couldn't finish. [Alan C. Miner, "The Chronology and Compilation of the Writings of Mormon and Moroni," p. 6, unpublished]

Mormon 6:9 They did fall upon my people with the sword, and with the bow, and with the arrow, and with the ax, and with all manner of weapons of war (Illustration): Drawing of the final battle at Cumorah, A.D. 385, by Terry Rutledge. [Jerry L. Ainsworth, The Lives and Travels of Mormon and Moroni, p. 180]

Mormon 6:10 My Ten Thousand Who Were with Me:

We find in Mormon's account of the final battle at Cumorah that he organized his men into groups of ten thousand (see Mormon 6:10-15). According to Jerry Ainsworth, it appears that the Lamanites may have also organized their armies in regiments of ten thousand, as Mexico a Traves de los Siglos states: "The lance with a large obsidian point seems to have been the weapon of the most noble and distinguished people of the south. The Chief of the warrior class was the Hunictok; he was the Chief of ten thousand lances."lxxiv This statement tends to show that the Lamanite as well as the Nephite armies were organized by groups of ten thousand. It also might imply that each regiment of ten thousand specialized in a specific weapon (ten thousand archers, ten thousand lancers, etc.). [Jerry L. Ainsworth, The Lives and Travels of Mormon and Moroni, p. 181]

Mormon 6:11 All My People Save It Were Twenty and Four of Us:

In Mormon 6:11 we find that "they had gone through and hewn down all my people save it were twenty and four of us, (among whom was my son Moroni) and we having survived the dead of our people, did behold on the morrow . . . [the destruction of] . . . all my people, save it were those twenty and four who were with me . . .

One might ask, Are the numbers which appear in the Book of Mormon in any way symbolic? David Ridges notes that understanding symbolism can help one understand the scriptures and gives the following list as an aid to the reader:

Number Symbolism 1 unity; God 3 God; Godhead; A word repeated 3 times means superlative, "the most," "the best"

(see Isaiah 6:3) 4 man; earth 7 perfection; perfect; When man lets God help, it leads to perfection.

man (4) + God (3) = perfection (7) 10 numerical perfection; well-organized (see Rev. 13:1--Satan is well organized) 12 divine government; God's organization (see JST Rev. 5:6) 40 days literal; sometimes means "a long time" (as in 1 Samuel 17:16) forever a specific period or age; not endless (see BYU Studies Newsletter, Vol. 8, No. 3, May

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1994)

[David J. Ridges, The Book of Revelation Made Easier, preface]

According to John Welch, certain numbers were clearly meaningful in antiquity: seven was the number of spiritual perfection (as in the seven seals in the book of Revelation); twelve was a governmental number (as with the twelve tribes, twelve apostles). The number twenty-four, being a multiple of twelve, was associated with heavenly government, especially priestly judgment and temple service.lxxv . . . In the New Testament apocalyptic book of Revelation, not only do twenty-four elders judge the world but these twenty-four elders are mentioned twelve times in the book.

Turning to other places in the Book of Mormon, we see that twenty-four has remarkably similar significance :

1. Apparently there were twenty-four judges on King Noah's court, since Noah and his priests kidnapped twenty-four Lamanite daughters (see Mosiah 20:5).

2. The twenty-four plates of Ether were seen as a record of the "judgment of God" upon those people (Alma 37:30).

3. Like the twelve apostles of the Old World, the twelve Nephite disciples (for a total of twenty-four) will act as judges in the final judgment of the world (see 3 Nephi 27:27).

4. There were "twenty and four" survivors of the final destruction of the Nephites who witnessed the judgment of God upon this people (see Mormon 6:11,15,22). There were other survivors (see Mormon 6:15), but the twenty-four apparently stood as a body of special witnesses. This number may have been coincidental, but nevertheless it was significant enough to be specifically mentioned. (Note* The above are only 4 of 8 listed by Welch.)[John W. Welch, "Number 24," in Reexploring the Book of Mormon, F.A.R.M.S., pp. 272-273]

Mormon 6:8 [The Lamanites] came to battle against us, and every soul was filled with terror (Illustration): The Nephite's Last Battle [Gary E. Smith, Verse Markers, Book of Mormon, Vol. 1, p. 3]

Mormon 6:11 And We . . . Did Behold on the Morrow:

According to Daniel Ludlow, the Book of Mormon is not absolutely clear on how long the battle at Cumorah lasted. It states that the battle of Cumorah started when "three hundred and eighty and four years had passed away," that is, A.D. 385. (Mormon 6:5). After the battle was completed and the Lamanites had killed most of the Nephites, Mormon took the Nephite survivors with him and they "did behold on the morrow, when the Lamanites had returned unto their camps," the terrible scene of destruction (Mormon 6:11, 15). This could mean "on the morrow" after the battle was completed, regardless of how long the battle lasted. [Daniel H. Ludlow, A Companion to Your Study of the Book of Mormon, p. 173]

Mormon 6:11 From the Top of the Hill Cumorah:

One consideration in determining the site of the hill Cumorah has to do with height. In Mormon 6:11, Mormon says that "we having survived the dead of our people, did behold on the morrow, when the Lamanites had returned unto their camps, from the top of the hill Cumorah, the ten thousand of my people who were hewn down, being led in the front by me." Another consideration has to do with the fact that a "wounded" Mormon would have had to climb the mountain sometime during or after the battle. Just what height was sufficient to provide Mormon a hiding place, a viewpoint, and an acceptable climb is debatable. As far as "Mormon hill" in western New York state is concerned, Orson F. Whitney states that it "about equals in height the Salt Lake Assembly Hall, exclusive of the towers. [Orson F. Whitney, "Some Historical and Prophetic Phases of the Book of Mormon," in A Book of Mormon Treasury, p. 217]

Mormon 6:11 From the top of the hill Cumorah (Illustration): This view from the top of Cerro El Vigia looks down on the plains to the west. If this is the correct hill, Mormon and the handful of survivors with him had this same view on the morning after their climactic battle, with hundreds of thousands of the dead and dying in their view (see Mormon 6:11-15). [John L.

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Sorenson, Images of Ancient America, p. 211]

Mormon 6:11 We having survived . . . did behold . . . from the top of the hill Cumorah (Illustration): Mormon Bids Farewell to a Once Great Nation. [The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, Gospel Art, #319]

Mormon 6:11 From the Top of the hill Cumorah (Illustration): Hill Cumorah, Manchester, New York. Photographer: George Edward Anderson. This 1907 view shows the land around the hill which, at the time of the photograph, was used predominantly for farming. [Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, The Ensign, February 1993, inside back cover]

Mormon 6:11-15 The Ten Thousand . . . Ten Thousand . . . Ten Thousand . . .:

From Mormon's description of the destruction of the Nephite armies, we find that they were organized into groups of "ten thousand" (Mormon 6:11-15). According to John Sorenson, at the time of the Spanish conquest, Bernal Diaz used similar language regarding the organization of the Tlascalan armies that faced Cortez. Five captains appeared on the battlefield, each with his ten thousand men -- "Of the followers of the old Xicotenga . . . there were ten thousand; of another great chief named Moseescaci there were another ten thousand; of a third, who was called Chichimecatecle, there were as many more," and so on. [John L. Sorenson, An Ancient American Setting For the Book of Mormon, pp. 263-264]

Mormon 6:11-15 [The Lamanites] Had Hewn Down All [230,000 of] My People:

After the final battle, Mormon notes:[the Lamanites] had gone through and hewn down all my peopple save it were

twenty and four of us, (among whom was my son Moroni) and we having survived the dead of our people, did behold on the morrow, when the Lamanites had returned unto their camps, from the top of the hill Cumorah:

the ten thousand . . . who were hewn down, being led in the front of me;the ten thousand . . . led by my son Moroni;the ten thousand of Gidgidonnah;Lamah . . . with his ten thousand;Gilgal . . . with his ten thousand;Limhah . . . with his ten thousand;Joneam . . . with his ten thousand;Camenihah . . .Moronihah . . . Antionum . . . Shiblom . . .Shem . . .Josh . . . with their ten thousand;ten more . . . with their ten thousand each (Mormon 6:11-15)

According to Joseph Allen, the battle at Cumorah was devastating to the Nephite nation, as 230,000 Nephite soldiers were killed. Why do we not see that statistical number showing up in the records of the Maya chronology? At least three reasons stand out. First, the archaeological data can only show that which transpired in the area researched. Maya territory was probably the same area that is called the land southward in the Book of Mormon. Although that area does indeed show a decline in population in some sites, as discussed earlier. The last battle was fought on the northern side of the narrow neck of land. Second, the distance in time from 385 AD, the last Nephite battle, is far removed from our day, or even the 16th Century when the Spanish arrived. In Maya history, many wars had transpired over those 1,200 years, many of which appear to be just as devastating in numbers as was the last Nephite-Lamanite war in the Book of Mormon. Finally, we should mention that the last chapter has not been written about the Maya. Further evidence may be forthcoming. [Joseph L. Allen, Exploring the Lands of the Book of Mormon, p. 83]

According to John Sorenson, twenty-three 10,000-man armies made up the Nephite force.

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All were wiped out on that one grim day. Could Mesoamerica have been the scene for a war on the impressive scale the Book of Mormon relates? The central Mexican chronicler, Ixtlilxochitl, reported of the Tultecas around A.D. 1060 that in a three-year war, 5,600,000 were slain on both sides. lxxvi

Even allowing him considerable room for exaggeration, we are left with little doubt that the battle at Cumorah was within the realm of the plausible in Mesoamerican terms. [John L. Sorenson, An Ancient American Setting for the Book of Mormon, p. 350]

Mormon 6:11-15 [The Lamanites] Had Hewn Down All [230,000 of] My People: United States Casualties in Major Wars [Daniel H. Ludlow, A Companion to Your Study of the Book of Mormon, p. 173]

Mormon 6:13 Gidgidonnah:

John Welch notes some interesting background relative to the name "Gidgidonnah" (Mormon 6:13). At the beginning of Nephite history, during the time period that the prophet and patriarch Lehi lived at Jerusalem, Israel's rulers formed an alliance with Egypt against their traditional enemy, Babylon. Jeremiah vehemently criticized this choice, and there seems to be evidence that Lehi's political sympathies were as unpopular as Jeremiah's. One of Babylon's allies was Sidon; but Sidon's twin city, Tyre, had sided with Egypt. The reader should note that the people of the Book of Mormon frequently used the name Sidon. There was a city named Sido(n), a river named Sidon and, even more intriguingly, here in Mormon 6:13, a man named Gidgidonnah. Why is this intriguing? Dr. Hugh Nibley points out that the name "Gidgiddonah" is the Egyptian name for Sidon.

Also worthy of note is the fact that the name Tyre never appears in any form in the Book of Mormon, whereas in the Old Testament the two names are constantly linked; one hardly ever appears without the other. This apparent preference for Sidon over Tyre in the Book of Mormon fits perfectly into the world situation that Lehi knew. (Approach to the Book of Mormon, Melchizedek Priesthood Course, 1957, p. 52.) [John W. Welch, "A Book You Can Respect," in The Ensign, September 1977, p. 47.] [See the commentary on Alma 2:15].

Could it be that Phoenician sailors from the port of Sidon were among the Jewish group that sailed with Mulek, the son of Zedekiah, in their travels to the New World? [See the commentary on Omni 1:16; Alma 2:15]

Mormon 6:14 Josh:

According to John A. Tvedtnes and Matthew Roper, in recent years, ancient sites in and around Israel have yielded numerous ancient writings, many of which contain proper names. Although many of the names are known from the Bible and other ancient texts, others were unattested in ancient sources until recently. Included in the latter group are several Semitic names that appear in the Book of Mormon, one of which is the name "Josh," mentioned as both a name of a city (3 Nephi 9:10) and a man (Mormon 6:14). While critics claim that this name is merely the American diminutive form of Joshua, many ancient bullae (seal impressions) and ostraca (inscribed pottery fragments) indicate otherwise. These artifacts, which date to around 600 B.C. (the time of Lehi), bear the name Y's (s is the sh sound in English), which Hugh Nibley has suggested was identical to Josh. Evidence shows that the Semitic versions of Josiah and Josh were in use in Jerusalem during Lehi's time. [John A. Tvedtnes and Matthew Roper, "FARMS Update," Num. 131, in Insights: A Window on the Ancient World, December 1999, p. 2]

Mormon 6:15 Those Twenty-four Who Were with Me:

Jerry Ainsworth writes that he observed two references to twenty-four survivors which seemed to be inconsistent. In the first reference, Mormon says, "When they had gone through and hewn down all my people save it were twenty and four of us" (Mormon 6:11; emphasis added). This statement implies that Mormon was one of twenty-four survivors of the battle at Cumorah. However, in the second reference, a few verses later, he excludes himself from the twenty-four survivors. He says, "Yea, and even all my people, save it were those twenty-four who were with me" (Mormon 6:15; emphasis added). This second statement implies that Mormon was not one of the twenty-four survivors.

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While trying to resolve the disparity between these two statements, Ainsworth observed other references to twenty-four in the Book of Mormon. On further investigation, he concluded that the issue Mormon was trying to convey was not the precise number of survivors but the number twenty-four. The discrepancy over the twenty-four survivors of Cumorah, therefore, didn't mean that there was not actually that number. It did mean that the number twenty-four contained a message. That number itself conveyed a meaning that was more important than whether Mormon himself was one of the twenty-four.

As a note of interest, Joseph Smith was twenty-four years old when he founded the Church--the same age as Mormon when he retrieved the Nephite records from the Hill Shim. From the time Joseph Smith received the First Vision to his death was twenty-four years. Christ promised nine of the twelve disciples that they would live to the age of seventy-two. Seventy-two is three times twenty-four. [Jerry L. Ainsworth, The Lives and Travels of Mormon and Moroni, pp. 237-238] [See the commentary on Mormon 6:11]

Question: What is the symbolic meaning of the number 24? [Alan C. Miner, Personal Notes]

Mormon 6:15 Mother Earth:

There are three Book of Mormon occurrences of the term "mother earth" (2 Nephi 9:7; Mosiah 2:26; Mormon 6;15). In order to explore the possible religious and cultural background behind the use of such language, Kevin and Shauna Christensen note the words of Northrop Frye:

No principle is without many exceptions in mythology, but one very frequent mythical formulation of this attitude to nature is an earth-mother, from whom everything is born and to whom everything returns at death. Such an earth-mother is the most easily understood image of natura naturans, and she acquires its moral ambivalence. As the womb of all forms of life, she has a cherishing and nourishing aspect; as the tomb of all forms of life, she has a menacing and sinister aspect; as the manifestation of an unending cycle of life and death, she has an inscrutable and elusive aspect. Hence, she is often a dive triformis, a goddess of a threefold form of some kind, usually birth, death, and renewal in time; or heaven, earth, and hell in space.lxxvii

The references to "mother earth" in the Book of Mormon are subtle but neatly spread across the entire history arguing for a long-standing tradition. Also, it is clear that these references, in connection with other archetypal feminine images, contain the essentials of the mythic formulation. The presence of these essential elements of the picture in the text invites our further exploration of the Old land New World contexts.

Some have expressed concern that the three passages cited all refer to mother earth in the context of death. While this is strictly correct, other passages in the Book of Mormon suggest the life-giving aspects of mother earth (for example, see Helaman 11:13, 17). [Kevin and Shauna Christensen, "Nephite Feminism Revisited: Thoughts on Carol Lynn Pearson's View of Women in the Book of Mormon," in FARMS Review of Books, Volume 10, Number 2, 1998, pp. 27-28]

Mormon 6:16-20 And My Soul Was Rent with Anguish (Mormon's Lamentation):

After the destruction of his people, Mormon mourned their passing. His lament is, of course, characterized by intense grief and sorrow. Sidney Sperry has arranged it in poetic form:

Mormon's Lamentation

O ye fair ones,how could ye have departedfrom the ways of the Lord!

O ye fair ones,how could ye have rejected that Jesus, who stood with open armsto receive you!

Behold, if ye had not done this,ye would not have fallen.

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But behold, ye are fallen,and I mourn your loss.

O ye fair sons and daughthers,ye fathers and mothers,ye husbands and wives,ye fair ones,how is itthat ye could have fallen!

But behold, ye are gone,and my sorrowscannot bring your return.

[Sidney B. Sperry, Book of Mormon Compendium, p. 452]

Mormon 6:16 My Soul Was Rent with Anguish, Because of the Slain of My People:

[See the commentary on Mormon 6:1]

Mormon 7:2 Know Ye That Ye Are of the House of Israel . . . Know Ye . . . Know Ye:

In Mormon's final closing message to the remnant of "this people who are spared" who might be privileged to read the words of his abridgment, he not only affirms to them that they are covenant people of Christ, but implores them to take advantage of that covenant, that they might "know" that they are "of the house of Israel" (Mormon 7:2). According to Donna Nielsen, a knowledge of scriptural marriage imagery can greatly enrich our understanding of how God relates to us through covenants. Nielsen notes that every Jewish bride longs to completely know her Bridegroom. In New Testament Greek, "to know" also means "to feel." It goes beyond mere intellectual knowledge and reaches into our hearts. [Donna B. Nielsen, Beloved Bridegroom: Finding Christ in Ancient Jewish Marriage and Family Customs, pp. 2, 139]

Mormon 7:2-5 Know Ye . . . (Anaphora):

According to Donald Parry, parallelism is universally recognized as the characteristic feature of biblical Hebrew poetry. (p. i) Apparently, the prophets and writers of the scriptures employed the repetition of alternating parallel lines for the purpose of reinforcing their teachings and doctrines. (p. x)

Anaphora is defined as an identical word or set of words which begin two or more consecutive clauses. Anaphoric clauses abound in the scriptures. (p. xxxvi) A good example of Anaphora is found in Mormon 7:2-5:

Know ye that ye are of the house of Israel.Know ye that ye must come unto repentance, or ye cannot be saved.Know ye that ye must lay down your weapons of war, and delight no more in the shedding of

blood, and take them not again, save it be that God shall command you.Know ye that ye must come to the knowledge of your fathers,

[Donald W. Parry, The Book of Mormon Text Reformatted according to Parallelistic Patterns, p. 445]

Mormon 7:5 Know Ye Not That Ye Must Come to a Knowledge of Your Forefathers:

According to Richard Rust, the Book of Mormon is prophecy designed specifically and intentionally for our day (see Mormon 8:35; 3 Nephi 26:12; 2 Nephi 3:19). When I say "designed," I mean not only planned with a purpose but shaped artistically so that form and content are totally integrated. . . . I have come to realize that the literary aspects of the Book of Mormon are essential to its purposes. . . . Imagery helps teach memorably and vividly the covenants of the Lord. Imagery also helps show latter-day Lamanites they are not cast off forever. For example, in its overall structure, the Book of Mormon begins and ends with concern for the Lamanites receiving the gospel. The Title Page states that the Book of Mormon was "written to the Lamanites, who are a remnant of the house of Israel . . ." Reiterating the main points from the title page, Nephi says that through the

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Book of Mormon the Lamanites shall know they are of Israel and through it "they shall be restored unto the knowledge of their fathers, and also to the knowledge of Jesus Christ" (see 2 Nephi 30:1-6). Then toward the end, Mormon says much the same thing: "Know ye that ye are of the house of Israel. . . . Know ye that ye must come to the knowledge of your fathers, and repent of all your sins and iniquities, and believe in Jesus Christ" (Mormon 7:5). At the physical center of the book is the narrative of the conversion of the Lamanites. This central part begins with the decree of the king of the Lamanites that Ammon and his brethren should be free to preach the word of God throughout all the land, and ends with gratitude by these great missionaries for the thousands of Lamanite souls "brought to behold the marvelous light of God" (Alma 26:3). The narrative high point of the book is the ministry of the resurrected Savior. While discoursing to both the Lamanites and Nephites before him, Jesus as well speaks to their descendants, saying that the Book of Mormon "shall come forth of the Father, from [the Gentiles] unto you" (3 Nephi 21:3). He confirms the prophecies of Isaiah that in the last days the children of Lehi will be gathered both physically and spiritually. "Then is the fulfilling," he says, "of the covenant which the Father hath made unto his people, O house of Israel" (3 Nephi 20:12). [Richard D. Rust, "The Book of Mormon, Designed for Our Day," in Review of Books on the Book of Mormon, Vol. 2, 1990, pp. 2,16-17]

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APPENDIX A (Chronology)

CHRONOLOGY OF THE BOOK OF THIRD NEPHI

YEAR EVENT

(Christ Speaks to the Nephites)4 A.S. in the thirty and fourth year, in the first month, on the fourth day of the month (8:5)

a great storm, terrible tempest, terrible thunder, sharp lightnings (8:5-7)Many great cities sunk, many burned, many shaken (8:8-15)All these terrible things were done in about the space of three hours (8:19)jDarkness did last for the space of three days - no light seen (8:23)Christ speaks from heavens - no more sacrifices & burnt offerings (9:19)There is silence for the space of many hours (10:1,2)Christ speaks again - promises to gather his people (10: 3-8)Thus did the three days pass away and it was in the morning, and the darkness dispersed (10:9)

(Christ's First Main Appearance to the Nephites)In the ending of the thirty and fourth year, behold (Mormon) will show that people had great blessings (10:18)Soon after the ascension of Christ into heaven he did manifest himself unto them (10:18)A great multitude is gathered at the temple in Bountiful (11:1)A heavenly voice repeats 3 times ""Behold my Beloved Son" (11:3-7)Christ descends from heaven (11:8)People allowed to feel his wounds (11:14)Doctrine of baptism (11)Jesus calls and commissions the twelve (12)The Sermon at the Temple (12 - 14)Law of Moses superseded (15)Another fold to hear Savior (16)Savior blesses little children & heals sick (17)Sacrament instituted - authority to give Holy Ghost (18)Jesus departs into heaven (18:39)People return home - Jesus to return on the morrow (19:2)

(Christ's Second Main Appearance to the Nephites)People gather - the twelve minister unto them (19)Jesus comes - prays with people (19)Sacrament miraculously given - Savior like unto Moses (20)Glory for those who repent - The New Jerusalem (21)Isaiah 54 quoted - Israel shall be gathered in the last days (22)Jesus corrects the record - Samuel's words "many did arise" (23)Law of tithes & offerings (24)Elijah & the great and dreadful day of the Lord (25)Savior expounds all things - Disciples teach & baptize (26)The Lord truly did teach the people for the space of three days (26:13)After that he did show himself unto them oft (26:13)

(Christ's Third Main Appearance to the Nephites)After he had ascended into heaven the second time (26:15)On the morrow the multitude gathered together (26:16)As disciples are gathered together to preach - Jesus again showed himself unto them (27:2)Christ names his church - people to be judged by written books (27)The 3 Nephites (28)Jesus touched every one of the disciples save it were three and then he departed (28:12)Mormon's warning to those who spurn the words & works of the Lord (29)

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Mormon calls the Gentiles to repentance (30)

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CHRONOLOGY OF THE BOOK OF FOURTH NEPHI

YEAR EVENT

35 A.S. the thirty and fourth year passed away (4 Nephi 1:1)36 A.S. and also the thirty and fifth (4 Nephi 1:1)

the disciples of Jesus had formed a church of Christ in all the lands round about (4 Nephi 1:1)36 A.S. in the thirty and sixth year (4 Nephi 1:2)

the people were all converted unto the Lord upon all the face of the land, both Nephites and Lamanites (4 Nephi 1:2)38 A.S. the thirty and seventh year passed away (4 Nephi 1:4)

there still continued to be peace in the land.39 A.S. thus did the thirty and eighth year pass away (4 Nephi 1:6)40 A.S. and also the thirty and ninth (4 Nephi 1:6)42 A.S. and forty and first (4 Nephi 1:6)43 A.S. and the forty and second (4 Nephi 1:6)50 A.S. forty and nine years had passed away (4 Nephi 1:6)52 A.S. and also the fifty and first (4 Nephi 1:6)53 A.S. and the fifty and second (4 Nephi 1:6)60 A.S. fifty and nine years had passed away (4 Nephi 1:6)

they did build cities again -- even that great city Zarahemla (4 Nephi 1:7-8)the people wax strong -- they do not obey the law of Moses, but they obey the commandments of the Lord (4 Nephi 1:10-12)there is no contention in all the land (4 Nephi 1:13)

72 A.S. the seventy and first year passed away (4 Nephi 1:14)73 A.S. and also the seventy and second year (4 Nephi 1:14)80 A.S. the seventy and ninth year had passed away (4 Nephi 1:14)

all the disciples of Jesus had died save the three who should tarry (4 Nephi 1:14)other disciples are ordained in their stead (4 Nephi 1:14)there are no robbers, nor murderers, nor Lamanites, nor any manner of "ites," -- they were in one the children of Christ

111 A.S. an hundred and ten years had passed away (4 Nephi 1:18)the first generation from Christ had passed away -- no contention in all the land (4 Nephi 1:18)Nephi (the recordkeeper) dies (4 Nephi 1:19)Nephi's son Amos keeps the record in his stead -- he kept it eighty and four years (4 Nephi 1:19-20)Some people revolt against the church and take the name of Lamanites -- There began to be Lamanites again in the land

195 A.S. Amos dies -- and it was an hundred and ninety and four years from the coming of Christ (4 Nephi 21)Amos' son Amos keeps the records

201 A.S. two hundred years had passed awaythe people had spread upon all the face of the land, and had become exceedingly rich (4 Nephi 1:23)in this two hundred and first year they began have among them those lifted up in the pride of the world (4 Nephi 1:24)from that time forth they did not have things in common among them (4 Nephi 1:25)they began to be divided into classes -- to build churches unto themselves to get gain (4 Nephi 1:26)

211 A.S. when two hundred and ten years had passed away (4 Nephi 1;27)there were many churches in the land -- they did persecute the true church of Christthe three disciples are cast into furnaces of fire and dens of wild beasts without harm (4 Nephi 1:30-32)

231 A.S. two hundred and thirty years had passed away (4 Nephi 1:34)in this year there was a great division among the people -- Nephites, Jacobites, Josephites, Zoramites, Lamanites Lemuelites, Ishmaelites

245 A.S. two hundred and forty and four years had passed away (4 Nephi 1:40)they continue to build churches unto themselves

251 A.S. thus did two hundred and fifty years pass away261 A.S. and also two hundred and sixty years (4 Nephi 1:41)

the wicked people build up the secret oaths and combinations of Gadiantonthe people of Nephi began to become vain like the Lamanites (4 Nephi 1:43)

301 A.S. When three hundred years had passed away (4 Nephi 1:45)the Nephites and Lamanites both had become wickedthe Gadianton robbers spread over all the land, acquiring riches

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CHRONOLOGY OF THE BOOK OF FOURTH NEPHI

YEAR EVENT

306 A.S. after three hundred and five years had passed away (4 Nephi 1:47)Amos diesAmos' brother Ammaron keeps the record in his stead

321 A.S. when three hundred and twenty years had passed away (4 Nephi 1:48)Ammaron hides up all the sacred records kept even until the three hundred and twentieth year (4 Nephi 1:48)thus is the end of the record of Ammaron (4 Nephi 1:49)

CHRONOLOGY OF THE BOOK OF MORMON

YEAR (A.S.) EVENT

(321) Ammaron chooses Mormon at age 10 (Mormon 1:2)(322) Mormon "carried by my father into the land southward, even to the land of Zarahemla" (Mormon 1:6)

War starts "in the borders of Zarahemla, by the waters of Sidon" (Mormon 1:10)In this same year in "a number of battles"---"Nephites did beat the Lamanites" (Mormon 1:11)

(323) "Peace did remain for the space of about four years" (Mormon 1:13)(326) Mormon (age 15) "was visited by the Lord" (Mormon 1:15)

Mormon did "endeavor to preach . . . but I was forbidden (Mormon 1:16-17)"There began to be war again" (Mormon 2:1)

326 Nephites appoint Mormon (age 15) "the leader of their armies" (Mormon 2:1-2)327 Lamanites attack with power--Nephites "would not fight"--"retreat towards the north countries" (Mormon 2:3)

Nephites fortify city of Angola --- Lamanites drive them out (Mormon 2:4)Lamanites drive Nephites out of the land of David (Mormon 2:5)

(327) Nephites gather at land of Joshua "in the borders west by the seashore" (Mormon 2:6-7)330 Nephites beat Lamanites: (Mormon 2:9)

Lamanite army = 44,000 King = AaronNephite army = 42,000

(331) Beginning of 14 Year Period of Peace (A.D. 331 to A.D. 345)(335) Mormon goes to hill Shim and retrieves plates according to words of Ammaron (No record)(See Mormon 1:2-3)(335) (Mormon is age 24 and has time to marry, start a family, and preach the gospel)344 "the day of grace was passed with them" (the Nephites) (Mormon 2:15)345 Nephites "flee before the Lamanites -- "even to the land of Jashon" (Mormon 2:16-17)

"City of Jashon was near the land where Ammaron had deposited the records unto the Lord"Mormon did make a record: (Mormon 2:17)

"Upon the plates of Nephi (Large Plates) I did make a full account"(Moroni is possibly born when Mormon is age 34)

345 Nephites driven "northward to the land which was called Shem" (Mormon 2:20)Nephites gather -- Shem fortified

346 Mormon speaks -- Nephites aroused "somewhat" -- Lamanites flee (Mormon 2:25)Nephite army = 30,000 Lamanite army = 50,000Nephites pursue and beat Lamanites a second time

349 Nephites "had again taken possession of the lands of our inheritance" (Mormon 2:27)350 Nephite-Lamanite Treaty: (Mormon 2:29)

"Lamanites did give unto us the land northward, yea, even to the narrow passage which led into theland southward""(Nephites) did give unto the Lamanites all the land southward"

Beginning of Ten Year Period of Peace (A.D. 350 to A.D. 360) (Mormon 3:1-3)Mormon cries for repentance in vain (Mormon 3:1-3)

361 Lamanite king sends epistle to Mormon -"they were preparing to come again to battle against us" (Mormon 3:4)Nephites gather "at the land Desolation to a city which was in the borders by the narrow pass which led into

the land southward" (Mormon 3:5) "That they might no get possession of ANY of our lands" (Mormon 3:6)Lamanites "come down" to city of Desolation - Nephites beat them - they retreat to their OWN lands (Mormon 3:7)

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CHRONOLOGY OF THE BOOK OF MORMON

YEAR (A.S.) EVENT

362 Lamanites "come down again" to Desolation -- Nephites beat them again (Mormon 3:8)"Their dead were cast into the sea"

Nephites decide to WAGE war (Mormon 3:9-10)Mormon "did utterly refuse from this time forth to be a commander and a leader of this people" (Mormon 3:11)

Mormon "did stand as an idle witness" (Mormon 3:16)Mormon receives command to make the abridgment (Mormon 3:16-17, 5:8-24)

363 Nephites "go up" to battle Lamanites "out of Desolation: (Mormon 4:1-3)Nephites driven back to Desolation"Sore battle" -- Lamanites "take possession of the city Desolation"Lamanites "did slay many" and "did take many prisoners"

363 Nephites flee to the city Teancum

364 Lamanites come against Teancum -- They are "repulsed" (Mormon 4:8)Nephites "boast of their strength"

Nephites take "possession again of the city Desolation" (Mormon 4:8)"thousands slain on both sides"

367 Lamanites attack -- take possession of the city Desolation (Mormon 4:13-14)Lamanites drive Nephites from the city TeancumTake many prisoners "both women and children" & did offer them as sacrifices unto their idol gods."

Nephites were "angry because the Lamanites had sacrificed their women and their children" (Mormon 4:15)Nephites "beat again the Lamanites, and (did) drive them out of their lands"

367 Beginning of 7 Year Period of Peace (A.D. 367 to A.D. 375)(375) (Possible time when Moroni begins his ministry at age 30) (See Moroni 8:1)375-79 Lamanites "come down against the Nephites with ALL their powers; and they were not numbered" (Mormon 4:17)

"From this time forth did the Nephites gain no power over the Lamanites" (Mormon 4:18)"Sore battle" at Desolation -- Lamanites beat NephitesNephites flee to the city Boaz: Nephites withstand first attack (Mormon 4:20)Lamanites attack the 2nd time: "an exceedingly great slaughter," Nephites flee

Mormon sees that "the Lamanites were about to overthrow the land" (Mormon 4:23)Mormon "did go to the hill Shim, and take up ALL the records which Ammaron had hid up"

Mormon "did repent of the oath" -- Nephites give him "command again of their armies" (Mormon 5:1)(Possible time when Mormon writes 1st epistle to Moroni (Moroni-Chapter 8)

Lamanites attack--Nephites flee--"Whatsoever lands we had passed by, and the inhabitants thereof were notgathered in, were destroyed by the Lamanites, and their towns, and villages, and cities were burned [Possible time period that Mormon writes his 2nd epistle to Moroni (Moroni-Chapter 9) ]

Lamanites attack city of Jordan (Jashon?) --driven back twiceNephites maintain the city -- also other cities "which strongholds did cut them off that they could not

get into the country which lay before us, to destroy the inhabitants of our land.380-84 Lamanites attack - they did tread the people of the Nephites under their feet," Nephites flee (Mormon 5:6)

Mormon "wrote an epistle to the king of the Lamanites" --Nephites desire to gather "unto the land ofCumorah""By a hill which was called Cumorah, and there we could give them battle" (Mormon 6:2)

Lamanite king grants Mormon's wish (Mormon 6:3)Nephites "march forth to the land of Cumorah:

"We did pitch our tents around about the hill Cumorah""It was in a land of many waters, rivers, and fountains""Here we had hope to gain advantage over the Lamanites"

385 Nephites "had gathered in all the remainder of our people unto the land of Cumorah" (Mormon 6:5)Mormon "began to be old" (Age = 74) Mormon made "this record out of the plates of Nephi" (Mormon 6:6)Mormon hides up all the records "in the hill Cumorah" "save these few plates" "these few plates" were the ones "which I (Mormon) GAVE unto my son Moroni" (Mormon 6:6)

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BRIEF CHRONOLOGY TO THE END OF THE RECORD

YEAR (A.S.) EVENT

(385+) Mormon survives Cumorah, gives pertinent details of destruction (Mormon 6)Mormon admonishes the Lamanites (Mormon 7)Mormon says "Amen" (Mormon 7:10)

->401 Moroni says "my father also was killed," "I remain alone" and "I fulfill the commandment of my father" (Mormon 8:1-3)Moroni says "my father hath made this record, and he hath written the intent thereof" (Mormon 8:5)Moroni says "I would write it also if I had room upon the plates, but I have not; and ore I have none"(Mormon 8:5)

401 Moroni finishes Mormon's writings (Mormon 8 & 9)401-421 Moroni gives an account from the Book of Ether (Ether)

Moroni supposed not to have written more (Mormon 1:1) Moroni will write some things of worth (Moroni 1-10)

421+ "MORE than four hundred and twenty years have passed away" (Mormon 10:1)Moroni says "Amen" and seals up the record for the final time (Mormon 10:2,34)

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November 19, 2000

The Chronological Setting for Moroni 7

Over six years ago I wrote an article published in the Journal of Book of Mormon Studies lxxviii detailing the chronological setting for the epistles of Mormon to Moroni, which make up the content of chapters 8 and 9 of the book of Moroni. Although Moroni had placed these epistles in his final book sometime after the final battles at the hill Cumorah and before he buried the plates for the final time at the hill in New York, he did not specifically give the date of their origin. Yet by analyzing the specific chronological clues contained in the text of these epistles and by comparing them with Mormon's abridged record of the final years of the Nephite nation, I was able to create a set of chronological time frames which, when compared with one another, pointed to the epistles being written during a time period of between A.D. 375 and 376. Recently however, additional textual clues have been put forward that, for some, might put my chronological setting for the epistles into question. lxxix Let me explain the dilemma.

During the time period leading up to Mormon's life, we find that the Nephites became progressively more wicked. In fact, by the year A.D. 245, we find that "the more wicked part of the people did wax strong, and became exceedingly more numerous than were the people of God" (4 Nephi 1:40). By the year 301, "there were NONE that were righteous save it were the disciples of Jesus" (4 Nephi 1:45, emphasis added). (The reader should note here that the term "disciples" is only used in the Book of Mormon to specifically designate the twelve special witnesses of the Lord, and even more specifically the three who chose not to taste of death.) Moreover, during Mormon's lifetime, there are only two mentions of Mormon even trying to preach to the people:

(1) The first time was when he was fifteen (about A.D. 326) when he was "visited of the Lord, and tasted and knew of the goodness of Jesus" (Mormon 1:15). Mormon notes that he endeavored to preach, but "my mouth was shut, and I was forbidden that I should preach unto them: for behold they had wilfully rebelled against their God; and the beloved disciples were taken away out of the land, because of their iniquity" (Mormon 1:16). In this spiritual void Mormon records that "there were no gifts from the Lord, and the Holy Ghost did not come upon ANY, because of their wickedness and unbelief" (Mormon 1:14, emphasis added).

(2) The second time occurred between the years A.D 350 and 360. Mormon notes:the Lord did say unto me: Cry unto this people--Repent ye, and come unto me, and be ye

baptized, and build up again my church, and ye shall be spared. And I did cry unto this people, but it was in vain, and they did not realize that it was the Lord that had spared them, and granted unto them a chance for repentance. And behold, they did harden their hearts against the Lord their God. (Mormon 3:2)

Thus all the textual clues, if interpreted in an "absolute" manner, would seem to eliminate the possibility of

an existing Church of Christ during Mormon's lifetime. Yet Mormon spoke his sermon as recorded in Moroni 7 not on repentance, but on faith, hope and charity "as he taught [the people] in the synagogue which they had built for the place of worship. Moreover, Mormon addressed them as his "beloved brethren" (Moroni 7:2), those "of the church, that are the peaceable followers of Christ, and that have obtained a sufficient hope by which ye can enter into the rest of the Lord, from this time henceforth until ye shall rest with him in heaven" (Moroni 7:3). Furthermore, Mormon told these brethren that he was able to make this judgment "because of your peaceable walk with the children of men" (Moroni 7:4)--strange words from a military leader to an unrighteous and unrepentant mass of degenerate humanity absorbed in the horrors of war. Complicating this scenario are some additional comments found in an epistle of Mormon to Moroni (Moroni 8). It seems Mormon had to write Moroni concerning his son's "ministry" and the "disputations among [the people he was ministering to] concerning the baptism of your little children" (Moroni 8:1-5)--hardly a concern if there was no true Church or there were no righteous people to minister to or baptize into that Church. Thus the Book of Mormon reader is left to formulate a scenario that might

lxxviii. Alan C. Miner, A Chronological Setting for the Epistles of Mormon to Moroni," in Journal of Book of Mormon Studies, 3/2, F.A.R.M.S., Fall 1994, pp. 94-113.

lxxix. See Jerry Ainsworth, The Travels of Mormon & Moroni, PeaceMakers Publishing, 2000. In this book Ainsworth proposes a post-Cumorah setting for both the epistles (Moroni 8 & 9) and the sermon contained in Moroni 7.

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give a plausible answer to the dilemma.In constructing a plausible scenario that would give an answer to all these questions, I would first like to

pay tribute to Jerry Ainsworth for not only elucidating the dilemma, but for bringing forward plausible ideas that might contribute to a solution. Although my solution differs from his, the reader will find that I have elaborated on a number of his ideas in order to construct my scenario.

The reader should also be aware that there are a few key ideas which have unlocked this dilemma for me. The first key comes from the multiple symbolisms which permeate the story of the people of Ammon. The second key has to do with the assumption that while chapters 7, 8, & 9 of Moroni are possibly sequential in nature as reflected in their positioning in the text, they might not necessarily have been written at the same time nor from the same location. The third key revolves around the idea that Mormon was not only singled out to be a special witness to the destruction of a political Nephite nation, but to be a special witness of Christ.

Now as a prelude to my discussion on the chronological setting of Moroni 7, I would invite the reader to review my article, "A Chronological Setting for the Epistles of Mormon to Moroni," because I am still committed to the plausibility of almost everything proposed there. One thing I must caution the reader about, however, is that my article only pertained to Moroni 8 & 9. The chronological setting for Moroni 7 is a different story. Thus in order to more fully understand that setting, I will now move forward with a pertinent chronology, along with some questions and commentary.

Year Verse Event 101 4N 1:14 Disciples of Christ pass away (except 3)--Other disciples chosen

Question : What is the meaning of the word "disciple"? Does it always denote one of the special witnesses of Christ or is it a term that could be applied to all followers of Christ?

Comment: The word "disciple" in the Book of Mormon seems to always refer to one of the special chosen witnesses of Christ. I think such is the case here.

210 4N 1:27 Many other churches formed w/ some power over disciples (v. 30)231 4N 1:35 Great division: Nephites--true believers (3 disciples among them)

Lamanites--did not believe ("did not dwindle"?)301 4N 1:45 "People of Nephi" had become exceedingly wicked

Comment: One might wonder whether the term "people of Nephi" might be different in some way from the term "Nephites," but I think they can be taken as synonymous.

( ) 4N 1:46 Gadianton robbers over "the face of the land."

Question: What "land" is Mormon referring to? What are the boundaries for the term "the face of the land"?

( ) 4N 1:46 "None that were righteous save the disciples of Jesus."

Question: What is the definition of the term "righteous? The 3 disciples of Jesus were translated beings (terrestrial level). Does this mean that nobody reached their level of spirituality. What about the process of calling other disciples? (see 4N 1:14) Had the other disciples all died and had nobody been called to replace them? Was there still any formal "Church of Christ"?

Comment: In view of the "many churches" and the Gadianton philosophy which pervaded the Nephite people, I think the point Mormon is making here is that the only way to righteousness at this time was by following the "disciples" or special witnesses of Jesus. I also believe the process of following these disciples required people to distance themselves geographically from the non-believers because of persecution. This would have created a tribal "Nephite" nation who did not follow Christ.

321 4N 1:48 Ammaron "constrained by the Holy Ghost," hides up the records.

Comment: One might wonder how Ammaron could be "constrained by the Holy Ghost" if "none were righteous." Interpreting verses that "none" were righteous or received the Holy Ghost in an "absolute" manner would lead to contradictions. I believe Ammaron was a disciple of Jesus (special witness). Ammaron seems to

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have lived in the land northward near the hill Shim. For this time period, this location could have been at a distance from the center of Nephite rebellion.

(322?) M 1:6 Mormon carried by his father into the land southward, even to the land ofZarahemla.

The whole face of the land had become covered with buildings.The people were as numerous as the sands of the sea.

Comment: It is not said whether Mormon's father was righteous, but I believe he was. I believe that he had distanced himself from the main Nephite rebellions, both militarily and spiritually. The term "land southward" could be just a directional term, but it also seems to fit into a "Land Southward" connotation, implying a political unit. I think the term "whole face of the land" is mainly referring to the land southward into which Mormon was carried. Thus the boundaries of the "whole land" probably mean those lands close and to the south of the narrow neck of land.

( ) M 1:8 There began a war between the Nephites and Lamanites.

Question: Mormon has previously defined the term "Nephites" as "the true believers in Christ." (see 4N 1:36) How can there now be "Nephites" when there were "none that are righteous"? (see 4N 1:46)

Comment: I think Mormon is now referring to political entities.

( ) M 1:10 The war began "in the borders of Zarahemla, by the waters of Sidon."

Comment: This seems to be describing the location of Manti, where the previous wars had been initiated (see Alma 43:25; 53:8, 56:13-14). This would be the same southern Nephite borders as before the time of Christ when everyone became as "one." Thus, the term Nephites might tend to be a more tribal or political term at this point in the narrative.

( ) M 1:11 Nephites gather "a great number" --30,000.

Question: How can 30,000 be considered "a great number" when Mormon has just said that the people were as numerous as the sands of the sea"? (see M 1:7)

Comment: I think this is another clue that Mormon is focusing his narrative.

( ) M 1:12 Peace in "the land," wickedness did prevail upon the face of "the whole land."

Question: What is the extent of "the land" or "the whole land"?

( ) M 1:13-14 The Lord did take away his beloved disciples ("out of the land"-v. 16).There were no gifts from the Lord.The Holy Ghost did not come upon ANY.

Question: Had the church ceased to exist?Was there NO righteous person anywhere on the continent?Where did the "beloved disciples" go?

326 M 1:15 Mormon was visited of the Lord.( ) M 1:16 Mormon attempt to preach to "this people" but his mouth is shut.

Mormon is forbidden to preach unto "them."

Question: Is Mormon the only righteous person on the continent?

( ) M 1:18 Gadianton robbers infest "the land," the "land" is cursed.

Comment: What are the boundaries of "the land"?

327 M 2:3 Nephite-Lamanite war. Nephites retreat toward "north countries."

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Question: Is the term "north countries" a directionally descriptive term or a proper name (North Countries)? Are these countries a political entity distinct from the "country" of the Nephites?

330 M 2:9 Lamanite King named Aaron comes against Mormon with 44,000 men.

Comment: There is a Lamanite army leader named Aaron mentioned in Mormon's epistle (Moroni 9:17).

350 M 2:28-29 Nephite lands of inheritance divided by "narrow passage."

Comment: If Nephite lands were divided then part of the Nephite land was north of the narrow passage. One might wonder how the Nephite lands after the time of Christ could be so geographically similar to the Nephite lands before the time of Christ (see Alma 22 and Alma 50) if the definition of a Nephite ONLY pertained to their belief in Christ, especially when NONE were righteous. Once again this is evidence that Mormon is focusing on a political Nephite nation.

360 M 3:3 Mormon commanded to cry repentance to "this people, but it was in vain.

Comment: There have been only two references to Mormon either being commanded not to preach or preaching in vain to "this people." If one were to take an "absolute" interpretation, this would make Moroni 7 a textual contradiction during Mormon's military years. If the interpretation is not absolute, then a plausible explanation is that Mormon delivered the context of Moroni 7 to a group of "beloved brethren" geographically distant from the Nephite nation during the period of respite from his military duties.lxxx

362 M 3:11 Mormon refuses to lead the Nephite armies.375 M 4:23 Mormon retakes leadership of the Nephite armies.

Comment: Where had Mormon been during these 13 years? Where is Moroni? I believe that Mormon went to a place where there were righteous people or "beloved brethren" at a location distant from the Nephite nation. These righteous "brethren" could well have included the people of Ammon, who had departed into the land northward about 46 B.C. (Helaman 3:12). Here Mormon (who had been visited by the Lord) would have been considered a special witness of Christ, and would have been one of the authorities (if not thee authority) of the church. Towards the end of this period of time, and just before Mormon chose to return to be a "witness" to the destruction of the Nephite nation, I believe Mormon ordained his young son Moroni to "the ministry," which involved watching over the scattered locations of the faithful.

Now, having completed this review of pertinent chronology, I would like to give a background review of the people of Ammon in order to emphasize why they might have been so crucial to not only Mormon's abridgment, but to Mormon's sermon found in Moroni 7. In the Title Page of the Book of Mormon we find that the first proposed purpose of the book is to "show unto the remnant of the House of Israel what great things the Lord hath done for their fathers . . . that they may know the covenants of the Lord, that they are not cast off forever." Raymond Treat notes that part of the ancient Hebrew covenant ritual involved exchanging names or taking a new name. Each covenant participant would take the other person's last name and add it to his own. lxxxi In the book of Alma we find not only the story of the redemption of Alma and the Sons of Mosiah, but their subsequent missionary efforts. The sons of Mosiah (of whom Ammon was the eldest and the leader) went among the Lamanites and converted a number of them. The converted Lamanites eventually took upon themselves the name "Ammon. Thus one might wonder if, according to the design of the Book of Mormon, there is any symbolic covenant significance to not only the name "Ammon" and his story, but the people who took upon them this name.

Some scholars might recognize the name "Amon" as an Egyptian pagan god, but according to Hugh Nibley, "he's not pagan at all."

The Egyptian word Amon means lots and lots of things. The main thing it means is "the unknown one," the one the Egyptians don't know. They call him "the hidden one, the concealed one, the one whose name nobody knows." Of course, that's exactly what the Hebrews said about him. Only the high priest in Israel knew the name of God. He only whispered it once a year when he went behind the veil. Nobody else knew that name. The name of Amon is written in Egyptian with a man concealing himself behind a blind. That is always read as Imn, "the one who is not seen, the one who is invisible, the one we don't

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know and who is above." In several of our hymns we use the word Amon for the name of God:What, tho, if the favor of Ahman possessing,This world's bitter hate you are called to endure?("The Time is Far spent" Hymnbook, p. 266) lxxxii

Now according to Louis Midgley, the name and description of the community (or church) in the Book of Mormon was People of

God (Mosiah 25:24; Alma 2:11, 19:14; 4 Nephi 1:40), or Covenant People of the Lord (1 Nephi 14:14; 2 Nephi 30:2; Mormon 8:15,21). Those names, as well as a complex of related language, are linked with the making and renewal of the covenant binding the faithful to God. The covenant was at times renewed through rituals involving the entire community. Those rituals admonished and constituted, as they did with ancient Israel, what the Book of Mormon calls "ways of remembrance" (1 Nephi 2:24). . . . [Such] provide us with prophetic direction and warning by preserving and enlarging our own memory of God's mighty deeds, and of the terms of the covenant that made them (and us) the People of God.lxxxiii

Thus by linking the people of Ammon with the people of God (see Mosiah 25:24; Alma 25:13; 27:27), a symbolic background is established for the many types and shadows of covenant salvation evoked in the story of the redemption of the people of Ammon. In order to understand why Ammon and the people of Ammon were uniquely important to Mormon, it might prove enlightening to the reader to list just briefly a few of the symbolisms associated with their story of redemption. The following is a partial list:lxxxiv

1. Ammon was redeemed of the Lord. (Mosiah 27:8-34)2. He learned that "all mankind" must be redeemed in order to inherit the kingdom of God. (Mosiah 27:25-

27) 3. He began to "publish peace." (Mosiah 27:32-37)4. He desired to preach repentance to his brethren the Lamanites. (Mosiah 28:1-5)5. Ammon was apparently the oldest and "chief" among those who desired to preach (Alma 17:18)

(Symbolic of the Firstborn)6. Before departing for their missions, Ammon blessed all the servants and administered unto them (Alma

17:18). (Symbolic of foreordination in the Premortal sphere)7. Ammon went to the land of Ishmael (Ishmael is a biblical person symbolizing those children of the

Father born outside the Abrahamic covenant. These were children of the Father "born after the flesh" in "bondage"--see Galations 6:22-23)

8. Ammon was willing to give his life to fulfill his calling (Alma 17:23). (Symbolic of the Savior)9. Ammon forsook riches and power in order to serve his king (Alma 17:24-25) (Christ also did the same,

but in order to serve The King)10. After 3 days, as Ammon and the servants of the king (symbolic of God's prophets) were leading their

flocks (symbolic of covenant children) to water (symbolic of living water) their flocks were scattered. (Alma 17:27)11. The servants of the king feared for their lives because of this scattering. (Alma 17:28) 12. Ammon showed forth his power. With the servants he led the flocks back to the place of water (Alma

17:29-32) 13. The wicked men came to scatter the flocks again.(Alma 17:33)14. Ammon overcame them and cut off their arms (symbolic of their power) (Alma 17:37)15. The arms were presented to the king as proof of Ammon's actions (Alma 17:39)16. The servants testified of the power of Ammon (Alma 18:1)17. Ammon was perceived as having all the attributes of the Great Spirit. (Alma 18:2-4).18. Ammon was the greatest of all servants to the king (Alma 18:10).19. Ammon was called "Rabbanah," meaning powerful or great king (Alma 18:13), a title nearly identical

to "Rabhboni," meaning master, which was directed by Mary Magdalene to the resurrected Lord (John 20:16).20. Ammon's only desire was to serve the king.21. Ammon knew the thoughts of a man's heart. (Alma 18:18)22. Ammon had been called to teach the true nature of a just God (Alma 18:26-34)23. Ammon was a man created after the image of God and called by His spirit (Alma 18:34)24. Ammon taught the gospel from the scriptures, specifically the creation, the fall, and the atonement

(Alma 18:36-39)25. Once the king (or symbolic representative of the people) understood and believed, he fell into a

comatose state (symbolic of the death of the natural man). (Alma 18:40-43)

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26. He was in this state of death until the third day, (symbolic of Christ's death) however during this time his spirit was being taught by the Redeemer (symbolic of Christ's mission to the Spirit World) (Alma 19:1-13);

27. When he arose he was a new man, spiritually reborn (symbolic of the covenant of baptism).28. Wicked men tried to slay Ammon but he could not be slain according to the promises of the Lord

(Alma 19:22-23)29. The king said that were Ammon to be slain, innocent blood would be shed (Alma 20:19)30. Ammon had power even over the king of all the Lamanites (symbolic of Satan). He smote his arm

that he could not use it (Alma 20:20)31. Ammon requested and was granted his wish that his brethren be released from prison (Alma 20:24)

(symbolizing the power to free men from a spiritual prison). 32. Ammon returned to the land of his inheritance (Alma 21:18)33. Ammon taught the people all things pertaining to righteousness (Alma 21:23)34. As the people of the king were converted, they buried their weapons of war in covenant (symbolic of

baptism)--they became new people. (Alma 23:7)35 The people gave their lives completely to this covenant. Even though they covenanted to not take

someone's life, they triumphed over many of their enemies in battle (Alma 23-26)36. Although they endured sufferings, the Lord would not allow this people to be totally destroyed. (Alma

27:1-14)37. They were told to depart from their homeland in order to go to a new land of inheritance. They were

given the land of Jershon, which literally means "a land of inheritance," or in Book of Mormon terms "a land of promise." (Alma 27:15-26)

38. They took upon themselves the name of "the people of Ammon," which means "the people of God" (Ammon = God) by which they were distinguished "ever after." (Alma 27:26)

39. There they kept their covenants perfectly (Alma 27:27) and were protected from destruction. (Alma 28:1-3)

40. When once again in the face of ultimate destruction, they refused to break their covenant they were led to the land of Melek which literally means "the land of the king" (in Hebrew Melekh = king). (Alma 35:13)

41. In Melek they prospered and raised up a righteous posterity. This people of Ammon ("people of God" or covenant people) had children who also lived by the covenant. (Alma 56:3-9)

42 When ultimate danger threatened for the third time, the righteous posterity rose up to preserve the lives of their covenant progenitors. (Alma 56-59)

43. The commander of the Nephites (Moroni) had established a covenant of peace. (Alma 44:14-15)44. Those who fought against the covenant people ("king-men" --who wanted to establish a false king)

and who refused the covenant of peace suffered death. (Alma 44:14)45 Not one life of the young people of Ammon was lost. (Alma 56-59) 46. Mormon also recorded that as far as he knew, the people of Ammon never did fall away. (Alma 23:5-7;

27:26-30)

Understanding this symbolism surrounding the people of Ammon lets us make a few assumptions about what might have been going on during the life of Mormon. In about 46 B.C., when contention arose among the Nephite nation, Mormon notes that the people of Ammon departed out of the land into the land northward. (Hel 3:3-5, 11-15). Although Mormon never states specifically just where the people of Ammon settled in the land northward, he did not attempt to correlate the subsequent wickedness in the land northward with the people of Ammon. Mormon makes no specific mention of them in his description of the rejection of Nephi's preaching in that land at around 23 B.C. (see Helaman 7:1-6). This would have been only about 40 years from the miraculous battles of the sons of Helaman and it is highly doubtful that the people of Ammon would have ever rejected Nephi if Mormon specifically states that "they never did fall away." Such a drastic turnabout would not have escaped Mormon's record.

Over two hundred years after the Lord's visit, Mormon records that the people began to dwindle into unbelief and wickedness. For the next two hundred years the Nephite nation continued their downward spiral into total wickedness until they were totally destroyed. (4 Ne 1:24 - Mormon 8:2). But what about the people of Ammon? As has just been established, the people of Ammon could have been a viable community during the lifetime of Mormon, distant both geographically and spiritually from the total moral decay of a nation which led ultimately to the wars of extermination.

Now as to the possible period(s) of time during the lifetime of Mormon in which he could have traveled to

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where the people of Ammon were located and delivered the sermon found in Moroni 7, the following are possibilities:

a. The fourteen years of peace (331-45; see Mormon 2:10-15) (Mormon would have been 20-34 years old).

b. The ten-year period of peace (350-60; see Mormon 3:1-2) (Mormon would have been 39-49 years old).

c. The twelve plus years that Mormon stood as an "idle witness" (362-75; Mormon 3:16) Mormon would have been 51-63+ years old).

Since Moroni had to be old enough to labor in the ministry sometime during this time period, we can consider possibility "b" or "c." Since I will assume the writings of Mormon (Moroni 7, 8 & 9) are sequential, and since Moroni notes that one of Mormon's epistles (Moroni 8) was written to him "soon after [his] calling to the ministry, and since the time frame for the epistles (Moroni 8 & 9) has been shown to be between the years 375-376, then the most logical choice for Mormon's sermon on faith, hope & charity (Moroni 7) would be "c," or sometime during the twelve years that Mormon stood as an "idle witness" (A.D. 362-375). lxxxv The reader should note that Mormon was not forbidden to preach during the years from 362-375, but only comments that he was commanded to cry repentance to "this people" (or the Nephite nation) (Mormon 3:3) lxxxvi Thus during the time period proposed, Mormon could have traveled to where the people of Ammon were located and preached to them.

This leads us to the last key, that Mormon was not only a special witness to the destruction of the Nephite nation, but a special witness of Christ. The text of Mormon 3:16 implies as much, as does Moroni 9:1-6. When Mormon informs his son Moroni that he is "laboring with them continually . . . speaking the word of God" (Moroni 9:4) we need not suppose that he is performing missionary labor in the customary sense of the word. Mormon's "labors" were probably not of the same nature that Moroni's labors were. I believe Mormon's labors involved witnessing the destruction of the Nephite nation while personally doing all he could to prevent it by preaching Christ when he could to the people, even though he knew it would be in vain. I believe Moroni's labors involved seeing to the needs of righteous people located elsewhere in the land northward. However there is one symbolic comparison in the text which I believe Mormon makes to himself that might be more telling than anything else Mormon implies concerning his association with the people of Ammon. The reader will note that there was another very special witness of Christ whose story was intertwined with that of Ammon. His name was Alma. It is most intriguing to me, and most telling, that Alma, as the chief authority of the Church, was last reported as traveling to be with the people of Ammon. Mormon notes symbolically that Alma (the chief judge and high priest) was on his way to the land of Melek (the location of the people of Ammon--see Alma 35:13) when he was "taken up by the Spirit or buried by the hand of the Lord" (Alma 45:18-19). lxxxvii As a special witness of Christ I like to think that Mormon had a great affinity to Alma, as well as to Ammon and other people important to his abridgment narrative,lxxxviii although their callings took them down somewhat different paths.

In summary, I propose that the scenario for Moroni 7 can plausibly be plugged into a time period between A.D. 362 and 375. As I have shown previously, the epistles of Mormon to Moroni could have been written between the years 375-376, and thus correlate with my chronological positioning of Moroni 7. The three main pillars of support for this hypothesis are (1) Mormon's historical and symbolical textual notes concerning the people of Ammon; (2) the sequential nature of Moroni 7, 8 & 9 as they relate to the chronological clues contained within their text and within the writings of Mormon; and (3) the fact that Mormon was a special witness of Christ.

167

168

APPENDIX B

A Comprehensive List of Records Mentioned in the Book of Mormon

Although many attempts have been made to illustrate and itemize those records mentioned within the Book of Mormon, lxxxix I feel that a comprehensive updated list is in order.

Key: Scriptural references to the cited Records are enclosed in parenthesis ( ) Major or minor quotations from the cited Records are enclosed in brackets [ ]

1. The Record of Lehixc a. "Record of my father" (1 Ne 19:1-2) [1 Ne 1-10]

1. Visions & Dreams (1 Ne 1:16)2. Genealogy of Lehi's fathers (1 Ne 19:2)

b. "Journeyings in the wilderness" (1 Ne 19:1-2) [1 Ne 16-18]c. "Prophecies of my father" (1 Ne 19:2) [2 Ne 1-4]

1. Doctrines & Teachings [2 Ne 2:15-- ] [Jacob 2:34] 2. Blessings [2 Ne 1:1-4; 12] [2 Ne 2:10-22] [2 Ne 3,4]

2. The Plates of Brassxci (1 Nephi 3:3)xcii

a. Five books of Moses (1 Ne 5:11)1. Creation (1 Ne 17:36) (2 Ne 2:14)2. Fall of Adam (2 Ne 2:18) [2 Ne 2:14-26] 3. "All the holy prophets from Moses to Abraham" (Hel 8:16,18) [Alma 46:24-26]

lxxxix. See the following:"Sources, plates, records, and manuscripts of the Book of Mormon," in John W. Welch ed.,

Reexploring The Book Of Mormon, (Salt Lake City: Deseret Book Company, 1992), 17.

Verla Birrell, The Book of Mormon Guide Book, (Salt Lake City: Birrell Book Company, 1948), 29-58.

Church Educational System, Book of Mormon Student Manual, Religion 121 and 122, (Salt Lake City: The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, 1989), 155-157.

"Book of Mormon Plates and Records, in Daniel H. Ludlow ed., Encyclopedia of Mormonism Vol. 1, (New York: Macmillan Publishing Company, 199 ), 195-201.

xc. Within our present Book of Mormon, there is no scriptural mention of the phrase "Record of Lehi,""Book of Lehi," or "Plates of Lehi." The closest reference is to the "record of my father" (1 Nephi 19:1-2). For an excellent article on the record of Lehi see S. Kent Brown, "Nephi's use of Lehi's Record," in John L. Sorenson and Melvin J. Thorne, eds, Rediscovering the Book of Mormon, (Salt Lake City: Deseret Book and F.A.R.M.S., 1991), 3-14.

ii. Justin, First Apology, 63.

iii. Ibid., 13.

iv. Krister Stendahl, "The Sermon on the Mount and Third Nephi," in Truman Madsen, ed., Reflections on Mormonism: Judaeo-Christian Parallels (Provo: Religious Studies Center, Brigham Young University, 1978), 142.

v. John W. Welch, The Sermon at the Temple and the Sermon on the Mount (Salt Lake City: Deseret Book and F.A.R.M.S., 1990), 114-15.

vi. E. W. Bullinger, Figures of Speech used in the Bible: Explained and Illustrated, Messrs. Eyre and Spottiswoode, London, 1898, p. 823.

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4. Prophecies of Joseph (2 Ne 4:1-2) [2 Ne 3:5-21]5. Life of Moses (Hel 8:11,14-15,16)6. Law of Moses (2 Ne 25:24-25) (Alma 25:15) (2 Ne 9:17; 15:28) (Hel 13:1; 15:5)

b. Record of the Jews down to the reign of Zedekiah (1 Ne 5:12)c. Prophecies of the Holy Prophets including many by Jeremiah (1 Ne 5:13)

1. Ezias (Helaman 8:20)2. Isaiah [1 Ne 20,21] [2 Ne 6,7,8,12-24] [Mos 14] (Hel 8:20) [3 Ne 22 (Savior's quote)]3. Jeremiah (Hel 8:20)4. Neum (1 Ne 19:10)5. Zenock (1 Ne 19:10) (Alma 33:15) (Hel 8:20) (3 Ne 10:16)6. Zenos (1 Ne 19:10-17) [Jacob 5] (Alma 33:13) (Hel 8:19) (3 Ne 10:16)7. Unknown Prophetsxciii (2 Ne 32:4) (2 Ne 9:10-13) (Mos 3:10) (Alma 11:40-45) (Hel 5:8,12,25; 10:7; 12:25-26)

vii. Ibid, p. 824

viii. Gospel of the Twelve Apostles 2,, in PO 2:133.

ix. Jeremias, "Lord's Prayer in Modern Research," 10; italics added.

x. Ibid., 11.

xi. Odes of Solomon 27:3; 35:7; 37:1; in OTP 2:759, 765-66. "The Odist refers to the early cruciform position for praying," James H. Charlesworth, The Odes of Solomon (Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1973), 125 n. 10. See also 1 Timothy 2:8: "I wish that men everywhere would raise holy hands." In the Greek tragedians, hosioi cheires are "hands which are ritually pure." Martin Dibelius and Hans Conzelmann, The Pastoral Epistles (Philadelphia: Fortress, 1972), 44.

xii. For example, the noted and respected F. F. Bruce approvingly quotes R. A. Knox as saying of John 10:16, "Our Lord evidently refers to the Gentiles who would believe him." (F. F. Bruce, The Books and the Parchments [London: Revell Company, 1955], p. 199.) The Reverend J. R. Dummelow in his Commentary on the Holy Bible (New York: MacMillan, 1960, p. 792) also interprets the "other sheep" of John 10:16 as the Gentiles and writes, "The Gentiles are also God's children. The gospel is for them also, and Jew and Gentile shall form one Church under one shepherd."

xiii. Bruce R. McConkie, Mormon Doctrine, pp. 457-458.

xiv. Sara Juengst, Breaking Bread: The Spiritual Significance of Food. Louisville: Westminster/John Knox Press, 1992, p. 17.

xv. (Note 45)

xvi. Galen Peterson, The Everlasting Tradition. Grand Rapids, MI: Kregel Publications, 1995, p. 73.

xvii. The many signs and symbols of Quetzalcoatl that the archaeologists found at their archaeological site led them to give their site the name Tula. However, the Quetzalcoatl of their archaeological site was Topiltzin Quetzalcoatl, the cultural hero who was not born until A.D. 935 but who took upon himself the name Quetzalcoatl.

xviii. Bryant S. Hickley, Sermons and Missionary Service of Melvin J. Ballard (Salt lake City: Deseret Book Company, 1949), pp. 155-156.

xix. The rabbi's statement, of course, should not be misunderstood or exaggerated. While God may on occasion use chiasmus, alternate forms, or anaphoras, this does not mean that he always does.

xx. James H. Charlesworth, ed., The Old Testament Psedepigrapha (Garden City, New York: Doubleday, 1985), 1:694-95

170

d. Genealogy of Lehi's fathers (1 Ne 5:14-16)

3. The (Small) Plates of Nephixciv (1 Nephi 9:2) (1 Nephi 1:17) (1 Nephi 6:1)xcv [1 Nephi 1:1 - Omni 1:30]a. Plates of Nephi [1 Nephi 1 - 2 Nephi 33]

1. The First Book of Nephi (First Edition) [1 Nephi 1-22]a. Nephi abridges the Record of Lehi (1 Ne 1:16-17) (1 Ne 19:1-4)b. For quotations from Brass Plates--See above #2. Brass Plates (1 Ne 3:3; 1 Ne 19:1-4);c. Nephi writes (1 Ne 1:1; 19:1)

2. The Second Book of Nephi (First Edition) [2 Nephi 1-33]b. Plates of Jacobxcvi (Jacob 3:14) [Jacob 1 - Omni 1]

1. The Book Of Jacob, The Brother Of Nephi (First Edition) [Jacob 1-7]d. Jacob, the brother of Nephi writes (Jacob 1:1-4)

2. The Book Of Enos (First Edition) [Enos 1]

xxi. Ibid., 1:696-97.

xxii. "Moses sought to bring the children of Israel into the presence of God, through the power of the Priesthood" (WJS, 9).

xxiii. This sin was so serious that the chief participants in the act were executed by the sons of Levi, and the Lord brought a plague upon the remainder of the people (see (Exodus 32:25-35; see also JST Exodus 32:14). The Lord even refused, in his anger, to allow Moses to see his face when they met together (see JST Exodus 33:18-23). The Lord threatened to destroy the entire antion except for Moses and commanded the Israelites to remove their "ornaments" (Exodus 33:4-6). The Septuagint (or ancient Greek version of the Old Testament) adds that the Israelites had on "robes of . . . glory" and they were required to remove them also (Curtis Vaughan, ed., Twenty-Six Translations of the Bible [Chattanooga, Tennessee: AMG Publishers, 1985], 1:295).

xxiv. WJS, 244.

xxv. Leo Schaya, The Universal Meaning of the Kabbalah (London: George Allen and Unwin, 1971), 15-16.

xxvi. "Schoolmaster" is translated from the Greek word paidagogos and caries the meaning "instructor" or "tutor" (see Strong, The New Strong's Exhaustive Concordance of the Bible, Greek Dictionary, 66, word #3807).

xxvii. In his comments on the Savior's lament found in Matthew 23:37, Joseph Smith directly connected the concept of gathering the Lord's people with the building of temples and the bestowal of the ordinances of salvation (see TPJS, 307-308).

xxviii. Joseph Smith, History of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, 2nd ed. rev., edited by B. H. Roberts (Salt Lake City: The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, 1932-51), 6:37-38.

xxix. The Interpreter's Dictionary of the Bible. New York: Abingdon Press, 1962, 3:506.

xxx. Interpreter's Dictionary, 3:502.

xxxi. Interpreter's Dictionary, 3:500-501.

xxxii. Sun symbol: Squier 1851, 155-8.

xxxiii. Winding like water: De Leonard (in Wauchope 1971), Vol. 10, 218.

xxxiv. Serpents and birds: Alexander 1964, Vol. 10, 300.

xxxv. Divine: Sejourne 1976, 84,53.

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e. Enos, the son of Jacob writes (Jacob 7:27)3. The Book Of Jarom (First Edition) [Jarom 1]

f. Jarom, the son of Enos writes ( Jarom 1:1)4. The Book Of Omni (First Edition) [Omni 1]

g. Omni, the son of Jarom writes (Jarom 1:15)h. Amaron, the son of Omni writes (Omni 1:4)i. Chemish, the brother of Amaron writes (Omni 1:8)

xxxvi. Baptism and communion: Tozzer 1966, 102, 142, 207; Sejourne 1976, 61.

xxxvii. See Truman Madsen, Christ and the Inner Life. Privately published, n.d.

xxxviii. These ideas are from H. Clay Gorton, conversation with author, 20 May 1996. See also H. Clay Gorton, "If There Be Faults," Latter-day Digest 2/2 (1993): 30-38.

xl. Joyce Marcus, "The Origins of Mesoamerican Writing," Annual Review of Anthropology 5 (1976):49-55.

xli. Lee A. Parsons, "An Early Maya Stela on the Pacific Coast of Guatemala," Estudios de Cultura Maya 6 (1976):180. More recently at Abaj Takalik on the coast of Guatemala was found a stela dated A.D. 126, which narrows the "gap."

xlii. Lowe and colleagues refer to the violent breaking up and burying of carved stone monuments at Chiapa de Corzo, Chinkultic, and various sites in Guatemala and El Salvador. Gareth W. Lowe, Thomas A. Lee, Jr., and Eduardo Martinez E., Izapa: An Introduction to the Ruins and Monuments, NWAF 31 (1982), p. 28. At this same time at Chiapa de Corzo, the "Horcones occupation ended with its violent overthrow" accompanied by "an attitude of irreverence for both the dead and for certain conventions." Lowe, "Burial Customs," p. 73.

xliii. Robert J. Sharer, "Chalchuapa: Investigations at a Highland Maya Ceremonial Center," Expedition 121 (Winter 1969):36-38.

xliv. Ralph L. Roys, "Lowland Maya Native Society at Spanish Contact," in Archaeology of Southern Mesoamerica, Part 2, vol. 3 of Handbook of Middle American Indians, ed. Gordon R. Willey (Austin: University of Texas Press, 1965), 673.

xlv. Tozzer, "Landa's Relacion," 29; and Henry B. Nicholson, "Religion in Pre-Hispanic Central Mexico,' in Archaeology of Northern Mesoamerica, Part 1, 436.

xlvi. Tozzer, "Landa's Relacion," 27.

xlvii. See Edmonson, Popol Vuh, 17. For the Maya at the conquest and in modern times, see Tozzer, "Landa's Relacion," 117, 130; on the Huastec Indians of the Gulf Coast, see Guy Stresser-Pean, "Ancient Sources on the Huasteca," in Archaeology of Northern Mesoamerica, Part 2, vol. 11 of Handbook of Middle American Indians, ed. Gordon F. Ekholm and Ignacio Bernal (Austin:University of Texas Press, 1971), 600; for the Aztec scrying in a polished obsidian surface, virtually a "mirror," see Nicholson, "Religion," 440.

xlviii. In general, see George F. Kunz, The Curious Lore of Precious Stones (Philadelphia: Lippincott, 1913).

xlix. See Edmonson, Popol Vuh, 17.

172

A Comprehensive List of Records Mentioned in the Book of Mormon (Continued)

j. Abinadom, the son of Chemish writes (Omni 1:10)k. Amaleki, the son of Abinadom finishes record and turns it over to King Benjamin (Omni 1:12)

(W.ofM 1:3,10)l. Miscellaneous additional records referred to in the Book of Omni:

a. Record of the "People of Zarahemla" (the Mulekites) (Omni 1:18)b. Mosiah's interpretation of the large stone (account of Coriantumr) (Omni 1:20-22)

4. The (Large) Plates of Nephi (Record of the Kings -- Jarom 1:14; Omni 1:11, W. Of M. 1:10) (1 Nephi 9:2, 1 Ne 19:1-4) Although what is written in the abridgment of Mormon and Moroni is an indirect reflection of those events originally recorded on the

large plates of Nephi, the only direct evidence of the contents of the large plates are "first person" quotations of actual words spoken by the

l. See Nicholson, "Religion," 441.

li. Ibid.; also Tozzer,"Landa's Relacion," 42,207,217.

lii. Tozzer, "Landa's Relacion," 42-3; Hubert Howe Bancroft, The Native Races of the Pacific States (San Francisco: A.L. Bancroft, 1883), 2:464-9.

liv. Terrence Kaufman, "Archaeological and Linguistic Correlations in Mayaland and Associated Areas of Meso-America," World Archaeology 8 (1976):106-9.

lv. Jubilees 11:16-17, in James H. Charlesworth, ed., The Old Testament Pseudepigrapha 2:79.

lvi. See Viorst 1986:395

lvii. The translations of Proverbs and the Instructions of Amenemope are from Karel van der Toorn, "Did Ecclesiastes Copy Gilgamesh?" Bible Review, February 2000, 28.

lviii. Bernal Diaz del Castillo, The Discovery and Conquest of Mexico, 1517-1521, trans. and annot. A. P. Maudslay (New York: Farrer, Straus and Cudahy, 1956), p. 150.

lix. Pierre Agrinier, Mounds 9 and 10 at Mirador, Chiapas, Mexico, NWAF 39 (1975), p. 9.

lx. Ibid., p. 90.

lxi. Agrinier, Mounds 9 and 10, pp. 99-100.

lxii. Kent V. Flannery, "Contextual Analysis of Ritual Paraphernalia from Formative Oaxaca." In Flannery, ed., The Early Mesoamerican Village (New York: Academic Press, 1976), pp. 338-40.

lxiii. Lisa Bolin Hawkins and Gordon Thomasson, "I Only Am Escaped Alone to Tell Thee: Survivor Witnesses in the Book of Mormon" (Provo, Utah: FARMS, 1984).

lxiv. See also 1 Enoch 9:9, in James H. Charlesworth, ed., The Old Testament Pseudepigrapha 1:17; Jubilees 7:20-25, in OTP 2:69-70; Lewis 1978:126-30; Hugh Nibley, The Collected Works of Hugh Nibley 2:178-93.

lxv. Epistle to Diognetus, 7.

lxvi. Covarrubias, Mexico South, p. 27.

lxvii. See John A. Tvedtnes review of In Search of Cumorah: New Evidences for the Book of Mormon from Ancient Mexico, by David A. Palmer, Newsletter and Proceedings of the Society for Early Historic Archaeology, No. 149 (June 1982): 9.

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individuals involved in the story. The following is a list of those direct quotations which apparently were part of the original source material used to make up the large plates of Nephi and left intact during the abridgment process. The scriptural reference to the cited record will be enclosed in parenthesis ( ), while the actual direct quotation verses will be enclosed in brackets [ ]. For the sake of order, I will assume the same number and the same names for the book divisions contained in Mormon's abridgment.xcvii

A. Record (Book) of Lehi (1 Ne 19:1-4) B. Record (Book) of Nephi (1 Ne 19:1) (Jacob 1:9-11) (Omni 1:11)(Jarom 1:14)C. Record (Book) of Mosiah

1. Record of Mosiah1 (Omni 1:11,12,14) (W. of M. 1:10) 2. Record of Benjamin (Mos 1:15-16)

a. King Benjamin's teachings to his sons concerning the records. (Mos 1:3,8) [Mos 1:3-7]b. King Benjamin's asks Mosiah to make an official proclamation. (Mos 1:9-10) [Mos 1:10-14] c. King Benjamin's final address. (Mos 2:8-9) [Mos 2:9-41; 3:1-27; 4:2,4-30; 5:2-15]

lxviii. Smith, personal communication.

lxix. One suggestion was that this would give a meaning of "priestcraft," rather than "priesthood" to the name Cumorah were it to derive from komer. But note that 2 Nephi 10:5 indicates that it would be "because of priestcrafts . . . at Jerusalem" that Christ would be rejected. The "chief priests" who opposed Christ were descendants of Levi and were designated by the term kohen. See the definition of "priestcraft" in 2 Nephi 26:29.

lxx. 2 Nephi 5:26; Jacob 1:18; Mosiah 6:3; 18:18, 24, 26, 28; 23:17; 25:19, 21; 26:7; 27:1, 5, 22; Alma 1:3, 26; 4:7; 6:1: 15:13; 16:18; 23:4, 16; 30:31; 45:22-23.

lxxi. The Aztecs labeled the vast, boggy region Chalchihuecan, Place of Lady-Jade-Skirts, the goddess of still waters. Ibid., p. 11.

lxxii. O. Pratt, "The Hill Cumorah; or the Sacred Depository of Wisdom and Understanding," Millennial Star 28 (1866):417.

lxxiii. See Parley P. Pratt, The Angel of the Prairies (Salt Lake City: Deseret News, 1880), 20-21. I am indebted to Matthew B. Brown for bringing to my attention the information about the Pratt brothers.

lxxiv. Mexico a Traves de los Siglos, 1:201.

lxxv. Ethelbert W. Bullinger, Number in Scripture: Its Supernatural Design and Spiritual Influence (London: Eyre and Spottiswoode, 1894; reprinted Grand Rapids, Michigan: Kregel, 1967), 264)

lxxvi. Hunter and Ferguson, Ancient America, p. 385.

lxxvii. Northrop Frye, The Great Code: The Bible and Literature (New York: Harcourt Brace Jovanovich, 1981). 68.

lxxx. On the other hand, if one uses an "absolute" interpretation to support a post-Cumorah scenario, then they are faced with another "absolute" interpretation problem. After the final battles at Cumorah, Mormon states that only 24 of "my people" survived. (Mormon 6:11) with the exception of a few who escaped into the south countries (Mormon 6:15). If all of Mormon's previous preaching were to be considered absolutely "in vain," and if there were NO righteous Nephites and there were NO disciples to lead a church, and NO gifts of the Holy Ghost, then how could Mormon even hope to preach the sermon recorded in Moroni 7 to his "beloved brethren"? And why would Moroni need to write an epistle to Mormon concerning infant baptism? And why would Moroni even be called to the ministry?

lxxxi. Raymond C. Treat, "Understanding Our Covenant," in Recent Book of Mormon Developments--Articles from the Zarahemla Record, Vol. 2, Independence: Zarahemla Research Foundation, 1992, pp. 34-35.

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3. Record of Mosiah2, son of Benjamin (Mosiah2 was the last of the Nephite kings) (Mos 1:10,16)4. Record of Zeniffxcviii. (Mos 8:5)(Mos 9 Subtitle)(Mos 22:14)(Mos 25:5)

a. Writings of Zeniff [Mos 9:1-19; 10:1-22]b. Prophecies & Story of Abinadi [Mos 11:20-25, 27-28; 12:1-16, 18, 20-37; 13:1-4, 6-35; 14:1-12;

15:1-31; 16:1-15; 17:7-20] c. Account of Gideon's Insurrection [Mos 19:7] d. Limhi meets wounded Lamanite king (Mos 20:12-13) [Mos 20:13-24] e. Official meeting of King Limhi, Ammon, Amaleki, Helem, and Hem. (Mos 7:8) [Mos 7:9-15] f. Limhi rehearses history to his people (Mos 7:18) [Mos 7:18-33]

1. How they came to be in bondage (Mos 7:21) [Mos 7:18-25] 2. Abinadi and transgressions (Mos 7:26-28) [Mos 7:26-33]

g. Limhi to Ammon on 43 man expedition & 24 gold plates. (Mos 8:6-7) [Mos 8:7-21] lxxxii. Hugh W. Nibley, Teachings of the Book of Mormon, Semester 2, Provo: F.A.R.M.S., 1993, pp. 432-433.

lxxxiii. Louis Midgley, "Prophetic Messages or Dogmatic Theology? Commenting on the Book of Mormon: A Review Essay," in Review of Books on the Book of Mormon, Vol. 1, F.A.R.M.S., 1989, pp. 98-99.

lxxxiv. A number of these ideas were brought forward and elaborated on by Camille Fronk in her article, "Show Forth Good Examples in Me" in Studies in Scripture: Book of Mormon, edited by Kent P. Jackson, Salt Lake City: Deseret Book Company, 1987, pp. 321-334.

lxxxv. Although one still can not rule out possibility "b." In my previous article six years ago, I postulated that Moroni was born between the years A.D. 332 and 347. This would have meant that if his calling to the "ministry" was somewhere between the age of 15 and 30, then we are dealing with a time "soon after" the period of years between 337 and 377. However, it is not unreasonable to argue that Mormon was somewhat older at the time of Moroni's birth. This would of course have necessitated that Moroni would have been somewhat younger at the beginning of his ministry. Thus Moroni could have been born during the years of the ten-year period of peace (350-360; see Mormon 3:1-2). The time span I allowed in my previous article would accomodate for this. Whatever the choice, "b" or "c," the fact that Moroni was unsure concerning the question of infant baptism and had to defer to his father might seem to argue for a younger, more inexperienced Moroni at the beginning of his ministry.

lxxxvi. It is interesting that these actions and this wording correlates very well with Mormon's words in Moroni 9:4 concerning his labors among the Nephite nation. He states: "I am laboring with them continually; and when I speak the word of God with sharpness they tremble and anger against me; and when I use no sharpness they harden their hearts against it; wherefore, I fear lest the Spirit of the Lord hath ceased striving with them."

lxxxvii. According to the text of the Book of Mormon:And when Alma had done this he departed out of the land of Zarahemla, as if to go into the

land of Melek. And it came to pass that he was never heard of more; as to his death or burial we know not of.

Behold, this we know, that he was a righteous man; and the saying went abroad in the church that he was taken up by the Spirit, or buried by the hand of the Lord, even as Moses. But behold, the scriptures saith the Lord took Moses unto himself; and we suppose that he has also received Alma in the spirit, unto himself; therefore, for this cause we know nothing concerning his death and burial. (Alma 45:18-19)

I might note that our present Bible says that Moses "died there in the land of Moab, according to the word of the Lord. And he buried him in a valley in the land of Moab, over against Bethpeor: but no man knoweth of his sepulchre unto this day" (Deuteronomy 34:5-6). This is another instance which clearly demonstrates that Joseph Smith was not simply plagiarizing the Bible. Moreover, a purpose of the Book of Mormon is to establish the truth of the Bible.

Bruce R. McConkie says of the text in Deuteronomy: "the Old Testament account that Moses died and was buried by the hand of the Lord in an unknown grave is an error." . . . "It should be remembered that the

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h. Escape plan presented by Ammon to Limhi (Mos 22:3) [Mos 22:3-8] 5. Record of Alma1 (17:4) (Mos 23 Subtitle) (Mos 25:6)

a. Record of 1st baptisms [Mos 18:8-13] b. Alma's discourse in the land of Helam on kingship [Mos 23:7-14] c. Account of deliverance of Alma & followers from Amulon [Mos 24:13-14, 16-17, 23]

6. Account of Alma1 and unbelievers (Mos 26:1-7, 14, 33) [Mos 26:11-32] 7. Account of Alma the younger's conversion (Mos 27:8) [Mos 27:13-16, 24-31] 8. King Mosiah's written words on kingcraft (Mos 29:4,33) [Mos 29:4-32]

D. The Book of Alma, the Son of Alma 1. Record of Alma2, son of Alma1 (Mos 29:42) (Alma 37:1-2)

A. Court proceedings of Alma2 and Nehor (Alma 1:10) [Alma 1:12-14] B. War with Amlicites--Words of Nephi quoted (Alma 3:14) [Alma 3:14-17] From Large or Small

Nephites had the Brass Plates, and that they were the "scriptures" which gave the account of Moses being taken by way of translation." . . . "Moses and Elijah were translated so that they could come with bodies of flesh and bones to confer keys upon Peter, James, and John on the mount of transfiguration, an event destined to occur prior to the beginning of the resurrection. (Matthew 17:1-6; Teachings, p. 158; Doctrines of Salvation, Vol. 2, pp. 107-111). The reason for the translation of Alma has not been revealed. [Bruce R. McConkie, Mormon Doctrine., pp. 805-806]

John Tvedtnes notes that the account of Alma's departure in the Book of Mormon is much closer to the account of Moses' departure given in Josephus (see Josephus, Antiquities of the Jews IV, 8, 48) than to the account in Deuteronomy, in that the Josephus account refers to the translation of Moses. [John Tvedtnes, Book Review in Review of Books on the Book of Mormon, Vol. 4 1992, p. 224]

I have often pondered whether Alma's translation happened because of the desires of his heart to be an "angel" (Alma 29:1) and his desire to magnify his priesthood in the same manner as Enoch and Melchizedek (see Alma 12-13), who also had been translated (Joseph Smith Translation, Genesis 14:32-34). I have also wondered about the eventual spiritual status (translated beings?) of at least some of the people of Ammon. The symbolism of the text seems to portray them in a light similar to the city of Enoch.

As a sidenote, it is my opinion that in view of the concepts preached by Alma (the fulness of the priesthood of Enoch and Melchizedek), chapter 45 of the book of Alma should have more fittingly ended after those verses describing the translation of Alma (Alma 45:19).

lxxxviii. It is interesting to note that in a number of different ways, Mormon also links his own circumstances with some of the other main characters from his abridgment: Nephi1 --Mormon 1:5; Abinadi--Mormon 1:19; Samuel the Lamanite--Mormon 1:19, 2:10; Chief commander Moroni--Mormon 2:1-2, Mormon 6:6.

xci. This record is always scripturally referred to as being engraven on the "plates of brass," and never on "brass plates." For an excellent article comparing the teachings from the Plates of Brass cited in the Book of Mormon with the teachings from the Book of Moses (Pearl of Great Price) later revealed to Joseph Smith, and how these contrasted with the Book of Abraham, see Noel B. Reynolds, "The Brass Plates Version of Genesis," in John M. Lundquist and Stephen D. Ricks, eds., By Study And Also By Faith, Vol. 2, (Salt Lake City, Deseret Book Company and Foundation for Ancient Research and Mormon Studies, 1990), 136-173.

xcii. There are 27 occurrences of the phrase "plates of brass" in our current Book of Mormon: 1 Ne 3:3,12,24; 4:16,24,38; 5:10,14,18,19; 13:23; 19:21,22; 22:1,30; 2 Ne 4:2,15; 5:12; Omni 1:14; Mosiah 1:3,16; 10:16; 28:11,20; Alma 37:3; 3 Ne 1:2; 10:17

xciii. See Monte S. Nyman, "The Restoration of Plain and Precious Parts: The Book of Helaman," in Monte S. Nyman and Charles D. Tate, Jr., eds, Helaman Through 3 Nephi 8, According To Thy Word (Salt Lake City: Bookcraft and Religious Studies Center Brigham Young University, 1992), 147-61

xciv. According to 1 Nephi 9:2, what we have come to refer to as the "Large" plates and the "Small" plates were both known as the "plates of Nephi." The term "small" might come from a verse in Jarom (v. 14) in which he says, "And I, Jarom, do not write more, for the plates are small." It also might have come from Words of Mormon 1:3 where Mormon says that he "found these plates, which contained this small account of the prophets, from Jacob down to the reign of this king Benjamin, and also many of the words of Nephi."

Within the record of the Small Plates (1 Nephi 1- Omni), besides 1 Nephi 9:2, the only two verses that

176

plates? C. Alma's Missionary Journal (Alma 5 subtitle, 7 subtitle, 9 subtitle)

1. Alma's call to repentance in city of Zarahemla (Alma 5:1) [Alma 5:3-62] 2. Alma's testimony of Redeemer to people of Gideon [Alma 7:1-27] 3. Alma & people of Ammonihah (Alma 8:8) [Alma 8:11-12, 15-17, 19-20, 23-26, 29] 4. Words of Alma & Amulek to Ammonihah (Alma 9 subtitle) [Alma ch. 9-14]

a. Alma to people [Alma 9]

refer to the "plates of Nephi" (Jacob 7:26; Jarom 1:14) expand the phrase to say "other plates of Nephi" and thus refer to the Large plates.

From Words of Mormon forward through Mormon's abridgment of the Large plates, the phrase "plates of Nephi" always refers to the Large plates. (Mosiah 1:6,16; 28:11; Alma 37:2; 44:24; 3 Nephi 26:7,11; 4 Ne 1:19,21; Morm 1:4; 2:17,18). There is one key partial exception. In Mormon 6:6 Mormon says that "I made this record out of the plates of Nephi." For reasons covered in part-1 of this paper, we understand this statement to not only mean the large plates, but to also connote the small plates of Nephi.

xcv. Within the record of the Small Plates (1 Nephi 1- Omni) the Small plates of Nephi are always referred to as "these plates" (1 Ne 6:1,3,6; 9:1,2,3,4,5; 10:1; 19:2,3,4,5; 2 Ne 5:4,31,32; Jacob 1:2,3,4; 3:13; 7:27; Jarom 1:2,15; Omni 1:1,3,18,25). The reader should be aware of the references in Words of Mormon (v. 3,4,6,10) which ALSO refer to "these plates." It is partly for this reason that we can say that the Words of Mormon was written on the Small Plates.

xcvi. See part three of this three-part paper

xcvii. See part three of this three-part paper

xcviii. The reader should notice that Mormon considers the Record of Zeniff to span from "the time they left the land of Zarahemla until the time that they were delivered out of the hands of the Lamanites." (Subtitle Mosiah 9, Mosiah 25:5). However, the record of Zeniff was apparently kept during the reigns of three different kings: Zeniff, Noah, and Limhi. How it was kept or by whom it was kept after Zeniff is unknown because the account shifts from the "first person" quotation of Zeniff himself to a "third person" abridgment by Mormon. However, it seems to be tied to the official duties of the king. For an excellent article, see John Gee, "Limhi in the Library, in Stephen D. Ricks ed., Journal of Book of Mormon Studies, Vol. 1, Num. 1, (Provo: F.A.R.M.S., 1992), 54-66.

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b. Part of Amulek's words to people (Alma 9:34) [Alma 10:1-29] c. Zeezrom & Amulek (Alma 11:21) [Alma 11:21-45] d. Alma to Zeezrom & multitude (Alma 12:2; 13:31) [Alma 12:3-6, 9-37; 13:1-30] e. Alma & Amulek on deaths of converts (Alma 14:10) [Alma 14:10-15, 19-21, 24,

26] 5. Alma, Amulek, & Zeezrom in Sidom (Alma 15:5) [Alma 15:6-10]

D. Account of Sons of Mosiah (Alma 17 subtitle)1. Ammon & king Lamoni (Alma 18:1) [Alma 18:2-4, 10-11, 13-41] 2. Ammon, queen, & people [Alma 19:4-5, 8-10, 12-13, 19-21, 29] 3. Ammon & Lamoni journey to Middoni [Alma 20:2-5, 7, 9-10, 13, 15, 17-19, 22-27] 4. Aaron in synagogue (Alma 21:5) [Alma 21: 5-8] 5. Aaron & king of land of Nephi (Alma 22:1) [Alma 22:2-11, 15-16, 18, 20, 22] 6. Official command concerning Anti-Nephi-Lehi matter (Alma 24:6) [Alma 24:7-19] 7. Ammon recounts blessings-Aaron rebukes him (Alma 26:1) [Alma 26:1-37] 8. Official voice of Nephites concerning people of Ammon [Alma 27:22-24]

E. Alma's desire to cry repentance [Alma 29:1-17] F. Account of anti-Christ Korihor (Alma 30:12)

1. Manner of preaching [Alma 30:13-16] 2. Korihor & High Priest of Gideon [Alma 30:22-28] 3. Korihor & Alma (30:30) [Alma 30:32-49, 51-53, 55]

G. Alma's Mission to the Zoramites (Alma 31:5-6) 1. Worship of Zoramites (Alma 31:14) [Alma 31:15-18] 2. Prayer of Alma (Alma 31:26) [Alma 31:26-35] 3. Poor people & Alma on hill Onidah (Alma 32:5) [Alma 32:5, 8-43; 33:2-23] 4. Amulek's testimony on hill Onidah (Alma 34:1) [Alma 34:2-41]

H. The commandments of Alma to his son Helaman (Alma 36 subtitle) [Alma ch. 36, 37] I. The commandments of Alma to his son Shiblon (Alma 38 subtitle) [Alma 38] J. The Commandments of Alma to his son Corianton (Alma 39 subtitle) [Alma ch. 39-42]

2. Record of Helaman1, son of Alma2 (Alma 37:1-2) A. Alma to Helaman - prophecies (Alma 45:2) [Alma 45:2-14, 16] B. Moroni's official military account (Alma 43:16-17)

1. Moroni & Zerahemna (Alma 44:1) [Alma 44:1-11, 14] 2. Moroni's Title of Liberty (Alma 46:12) [Alma 46:12, 18, 20, 23-27] 3. Moroni quotes from Brass Plates-Joseph's coat [Alma 46:24-26] 4. Epistle of Moroni to Ammoron (Alma 54:4) [Alma 54:5-14] 5. 2nd Epistle of Ammoron to Moroni (Alma 54:15) [Alma 54:16-24] 6. Moroni's words [Alma 55:2-3] 7. Laman's account of freeing prisoners from city of Gid [Alma 55:8-12] 8. Helaman's epistle to Moroni (Alma 56:1-2) [Alma 56:2-57, ch 57, 58] 9. Official report of Gid (Alma 57:29-30) [Alma 57:30-35] 10. 2nd epistle from Moroni to Pahoran (Alma 60:1) [Alma 60:1-36] 11. Epistle of Pahoran to Moroni (Alma 61:1) [Alma 61:2-21]

3. Record of Shiblon, son of Alma2 (Alma 63:1) (Alma 37:1-2) E. The Book of Helaman

1. Record of Helaman2, son of Helaman1 (Alma 63:11) 2. Record of Nephi2, son of Helaman2 (Hel 3:37) (3 Ne 1:2) (3 Ne 2:9)

a. Teachings of Helaman to Nephi & Lehi (Hel 5:5, 13) {Hel 5:6-12] b. Account of Nephi & Lehi in prison (Hel 5:26) [Hel 5:26, 29, 32, 38-41, 47] c. Garden tower prophecy of Nephi (Hel 7 subtitle) (Hel 7:6) [Hel 7:6-9, 13-29; 8:1-2, 5-9, 11-28; 9:12, 16-17, 20-36; 10:4-11, 14]d. Nephi to the Lord about famine (Hel 11:3,9) [Hel 11:4, 10-16] e. Account of Samuel the Lamanite (Hel 13 subtitle)(Hel 14:1) [Hel 13:5-39; 14:2-31; 15:1-17]

F. The Book of Nephi, the Son of Nephi, which was the Son of Helaman (First Edition) (3 Ne 1:2) (3 Ne 2:9) 1. Record of Nephi3 son of Nephi2 (3 Ne 1:2) (3 Ne 2:9) (4 Nephi title)

178

a. Epistle of Giddianhi to Lachoneus (3 Ne 3:1) [3 Ne 3:2-10]

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A Comprehensive List of Records Mentioned in the Book of Mormon (Continued)

b. Words & prophecies of Lachoneus to people (3 Ne 3:15, 16) [3 Ne 3:15] c. Account of Zemnarihah [3 Ne 4:29-30, 32] d. Account of destruction at Christ's crucifixion (3 Ne 9:1) [3 Ne 9:2-22; 10:4-7] e. Account of Christ's visit & part of his teachings (3 Ne 11 subtitle)(3 Ne 26:7,11) (3 Ne 26:6)

[3 Ne 11:7, 10-11, 14, 17, 21-41; ch 12, 13, 14; 15:1, 3-24; ch 16; 17:1-4, 6-8, 14, 16-17,20,23; 18:5-7, 10-16, 17-25, 27-35; 19:20-23, 26, 28-29, 35-36; 20:8, 10-46; ch 21, 22; 3:1-7, 9-11; 26:2-11; 27:2-33; 28:1-11] 1. Christ recites and has recorded the record of Malachi (3 Ne 24:1) [3 Ne 24:1-18; 25:1-6]

G. The Book of Nephi, which is the Son of Nephi, One of the Disciples of Jesus Christ (First Edition) a. Record of Nephi4, son of Nephi3 b. Record of Amos1, son of Nephi4 (4 Ne 1:19-21) c. Record of Amos2, son of Amos1 (4 Ne 1:21) (4 Ne 1:47) d. Record of Ammaron, brother of Amos2 (4 Ne 1:47)

H. Book of Mormon (First Edition)a. Record of Mormon2, son of Mormon1 (Mormon 1:1-5) (Mormon 2:18)

I. Record of Moroni ??? , son of Mormon (Mmn 6:6; 8:1) (Eth 5:1) - Answer = NO! (Mormon 8:5)xcix (Moroni 1:1-4)

5. Record of the "People of Zarahemla" (the Mulekites) (Omni 1:18)

6. Mosiah's interpretation of the large stone (account of Coriantumr) (Omni 1:20-22)

7. 24 gold plates-- Book of Ether (Ether's abridgement?)c (Mosiah 8:9) (Ether 1:2)A. "The creation of the world, and also of Adam, and an account from that time even to the great tower and whatsoever things

transpired among the children of men until that time" (Ether 1:3)B. "From the tower down until they were destroyed" (Ether 1:5) C. The vision of the brother of Jared (Ether 3:27) D. Miscellaneous additional records

1. There were "many prophets in the days of Com who prophesied" (Ether 11:1)2. "An account concerning them of old, that they by their secret plans did obtain kingdoms" (Eth 8:9-22)

8. Record of Zeniff (Mosiah 9 subtitle) (Mosiah 25:5)

9. Record of Alma I (Mosiah 23 subtitle) (Mosiah 25:6)

10. Record of Sons of Mosiah (Alma 17 subtitle)

11. Mosiah's translation of the 24 gold plates (Mosiah 28:11-17) A. "The creation of the world, and also of Adam, and an account from that time even to the great tower and whatsoever things

transpired among the children of men until that time" (Ether 1:3)B. "From the tower down until they were destroyed" (Ether 1:5) C. The vision of the brother of Jared (Ether 3:27) (Ether 4:1-2)D. Miscellaneous additional records

xcix. The reader should notice that Moroni's wish in Mormon 8:5 was that "my father hath made this record, and he hath written the intent thereof. And behold, I would write it also if I had room upon the plates, but I have not; and ore I have none, for I am alone." This raises the possibility that if Moroni had had more plates he might have written his own story. Did Moroni mean that he wanted to make a record on the Large Plates in the same way as his father, and then abridge that record onto the abridgment of Mormon? (Mormon 2:18). Moroni tends to discount this idea with his own words in after finishing the book of Ether, saying "I supposed not to have written more" (Moroni 1:1-4). In addition, at the end of the Book of Moroni, he says "And now I bid unto all farewell. I soon go to rest in the paradise of God (Moroni 10:34)." Thus, Moroni probably didn't have the time or circumstances to make any addition to the large plates. Besides, the large plates were kept by the kings (Omni 1:11) or prominent leaders (Jarom 1:14) of the Nephite nation. There was no more Nephite nation.

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1. There were "many prophets in the days of Com who prophesied" (Ether 11:1)2. "An account concerning them of old, that they by their secret plans did obtain kingdoms" (Eth 8:9-22)

12. Records of the "Land Northward" (Helaman 3:13-16)

13. The Set of Plates (Plates of Mormon & Moroni) compiled by Mormon & Moroni and given to Joseph Smith:

A. Mormon and Moroni's Title Pageci (History of the Church 1:71)

B. Mormon's Abridgement of the Large Plates of Nephi (3 Ne 5:9-20) (Mormon 2:18) (See #4 "Large Plates of Nephi") (Lost 116 Pages of the Original Manuscript) -- "Plates of Lehi"

ci. See part three of this three-part paper.

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A Comprehensive List of Records Mentioned in the Book of Mormon (Continued)

1. Book Of Lehicii a. Nephi "engraves" Record of Lehi (1 Ne 19:1-4)

2. Book Of Nephiciii

a. Prophecies of Nephi1 (1 Ne 19:1)b. Record of Kings --(Nephi II ---> Nephi XI ? (Jacob 1:9-11 -- See Chronologyciv) (Omni 1:11)(Jarom

1:14)3a. Book Of Mosiah (Title & subscript, part of Chapter 1)cv

a. Record of Mosiah1 (Omni 1:11,12,14) (W. of M. 1:10)

(Remainder of the Original Manuscript)3b. Book Of Mosiah [Mosiah ch 1-29]

a. (Chapter 1, Chapter 2 were translated but not published) (D&C 10:41)cvi

cii. The following is found in the Preface to the 1830 edition of the Book of Mormon:"As many false reports have been circulated respecting the following work, and also many unlawful

measures taken by evil designing persons to destroy me, and also the work, I would inform you that I translated by the gift and power of God, and caused to be written, one hundred and sixteen pages, the which I took from the Book of Lehi, which was an account abridged from the plates of Lehi, by the hand of Mormon; which said account, some person or persons have stolen and kept from me, notwithstanding my utmost exertions to recover it again--"

ciii. See part three of this three-part paper.

civ. Chronology of Nephite Kings: All the subsequent kings after Nephi were named Nephi II, Nephi III, etc. (Jacob 1:9-11). If we assume that Lehi & Nephi (age 16) left Jerusalem in 600 BC, and if we assume that the average age of the father king was 38 when the son king was born, and if we assume that the average son king began his reign at the age of 30 which would make the father kings live to an age of 68, then there were 11 kings named Nephi who were caretakers of the large plates of Nephi, which Abinadom referred to as the record "engraven upon plates which is had by the kings, according to the generations" (Omni 1:11).

584 BC Nephi made king of Nephi at age 32 (2 Nephi 5:18)545 BC Nephi anoints another king --Nephi II (Jacob 1:9-11) [Nephi is 71 and Nephi II is 30]507 BC Nephi II (68) anoints Nephi III (30)469 BC Nephi III (68) anoints Nephi IV (30)431 BC Nephi IV (68) anoints Nephi V (30)393 BC Nephi V (68) anoints Nephi VI (30)355 BC Nephi VI (68) anoints Nephi VII (30)317 BC Nephi VII (68) anoints Nephi VIII (30)279 BC Nephi VIII (68) anoints Nephi IX (30)241 BC Nephi IX (68) anoints Nephi X (30)204 BC Nephi X (67) anoints Nephi XI (30)234 BC Mosiah I is born204 BC Mosiah I becomes of age to become King (Mosiah I corresponds to Nephi XI)200 BC Mosiah I leads people from Nephi to Zarahemla (Omni 1:12)-takes Liahona, Large Plates,

Brass Plates, Sword of Laban (2 Ne 5:12,14) (Omni 1:11,25)

cv. According to John Tvedtnes, Review of Books on the Book of Mormon , Volume 3, 1991, pp. 201-202: "The [Printer's] manuscript, as originally copied, does not show a title for the book of Mosiah, presumably because that title appeared on one of the 116 lost pages. Even more important is the fact that there is, on the manuscript, no original indication of a separation between Words of Mormon and Mosiah. Rather, Mosiah begins with the notation "Chapter III," as if it were a continuation from Words of Mormon.

Nevertheless, in the writer's view, the Printer's Manuscript is not the equivalent of the Original Manuscript. Thus, we don't know why Oliver Cowdery made up his Printer's Manuscript in such a manner.

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b. Record of Benjamin (Mos 1:15-16)cvii c. Record of Mosiah2, son of Benjamin (Mosiah2 was the last of the Nephite kings) (Mos 1:10,16)d. Miscellaneous additional records not written by Mosiah1, Benjamin, or Mosiah2, but incorporated into their

records on the Large plates and/or Mormon's abridgement of the LargePlates: 1. Record of Zeniff (Mosiah 9 subtitle)

a. Zeniff (Mos 9:1)b. Noah (Mos 10:22; 11:1)

1. Prophecies of Abinadi? [Mos 12-16]cviii c. Limhi (Mos 19:26)

2. Record of Alma1 (Mosiah 23) a. Prophecies of Abinadi (Mos 17:4) [Mosiah 12-16]

4. The Book of Alma, the Son of Alma (First Edition) [Alma ch 1 - 63]a. Record of Alma2, son of Alma1 (Mos 29:42) (Alma 37:1-2)

1. Miscellaneous additional records not written by Alma2 but incorporated into the record ofAlma2 on the Large plates and/or Mormon's abridgement of the Large Plates: a. Amulek's personal record of his conversion [Alma 10:1-11]b. Record of the Sons of Mosiah [Alma 17-27]

1. Record of Ammon (Alma 17:1) [Alma 17-20]2. Record of Aaron, and Muloki and their brethren [Alma 21-26]

b. Record of Helaman1, son of Alma2 (Alma 37:1-2) 1. Miscellaneous additional records not written by Helaman1 but incorporated into the record

of Helaman1 on the Large plates and/or Mormon's abridgement of the Large Plates: a. The first epistle of Ammaron to captain Moroni (Alma 54: 1) b. The epistle of captain Moroni to Ammoron [Alma 54:4-14] (Alma 54:4) c. The 2nd epistle of Ammaron to Moroni (Alma 54:15) [Alma 54:15-24]d. The epistle of Helaman to Moroni [Alma 56-58] (Alma 56:1) e. The 1st epistle of Moroni to Pahoran (Alma 59:3) f. The 2nd epistle of captain Moroni to Pahoran [Alma 60] (Alma 60:1) g. The epistle of Pahoran to captain Moroni [Alma 61] (Alma 61:1)

c. Record of Shiblon, son of Alma2 (Alma 63:1) (Alma 37:1-2) 5. The Book of Helaman (See subtitle) [Helaman ch 1-16]

a. Record of Helaman2, son of Helaman1 (Alma 63:11) 1. Miscellaneous additional records not written by Helaman2, but referred to or incorporated

into the record of Helaman2 on the Large plates and/or Mormon's abridgement ofthe Large Plates: a. The records of the Nephites up to the time of Helaman (Alma 63:12)cix

b. records of the "Land Northward" (Helaman 3:13-16)c. The prophecies of Samuel the Lamanite (3 Ne 23:9-13) [Helaman 13-15]

b. Record of Nephi2, son of Helaman2 (Hel 3:37) (3 Ne 1:2) (3 Ne 2:9) 6. The Book of Nephi, the Son of Nephi, which was the Son of Helaman (First Edition)cx [3 Nephi ch 1-30]

a. Record of Nephi3, son of Nephi2 (3 Ne 1:2) (3 Ne 2:9) (Subtitle of 4th Nephi) (4 Ne 1:18-19) 1. Miscellaneous additional records not written by Nephi3, but referred to or incorporated into

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A Comprehensive List of Records Mentioned in the Book of Mormon (Continued)

the record of Nephi3 on the Large plates and/or Mormon's abridgement of the LargePlates: a. The epistle of Giddianhi to Lachoneus [3 Ne 3:2-10]; b. A "true" record of Christ's visit and teachings (3 Ne 5:8-9) [3 Ne 11-26]

7. The Book of Nephi, which is the Son of Nephi, One of the Disciples of Jesus Christ (First Edition)cxi 4 Nephi 1]a. Record of Nephi4, son of Nephi3cxii b. Record of Amos1, son of Nephi4 (4 Ne 1:19-21) c. Record of Amos2,cxiii son of Amos1 (4 Ne 1:21) (4 Ne 1:47) d. Record of Ammaron, brother of Amos3 (4 Ne 1:47)

8. Book of Mormon (First Edition) [Mormon ch 1 - 9]cxiv

a. Record of Mormon2, son of Mormon1 (Mormon 1:1-5) (Mormon 2:18) 1. Miscellaneous additional records not written by Mormon but incorporated into the record of

Mormon on the Large plates and/or Mormon's abridgement of the Large Plates: a. The epistles of the Lamanite king(s) to Mormon (Mormon 3:4) (Mormon 6:2-3)

C. Writings of Moroni: Moroni included these writings:1. Mormon 8-9; Moroni finishes father's record

cxi. Ibid, 252.

cxii. Although there is no specific mention of a transfer of records from Nephi3 to Nephi4, there is a Nephi4

listed in the 1989 Book of Mormon Student Manual for Religion 121 and 122 in the chart of Nephite Record Keepers on page 155. A problem arises: If Nephi3 was given "charge" of the plates in 1 BC and "was the eldest son" (3 Nephi 1:2) and "did keep the records" (3 Ne 1:3), then Nephi3 would have probably been between 20-30 years of age at that time. When the scriptures say that the plates were finally given over to Amos by Nephi (4 Ne 1:19) the year was A.D. 111 (4 Ne 1:18), which would mean that Nephi3 would have had to live to the age of 131 or 141. The solution to this problem is found in the title of 4th Nephi, "The Book of Nephi, Who is the Son of Nephi, One of the Disciples of Jesus Christ (First Edition). According to 3 Nephi 11:18-21 and 3 Nephi 5:13, it was Nephi3 who was made a disciple of Christ.

cxiii. Although there is no specific mention of an "Amos 3," according to Verla Birrell, The Book of Mormon Guidebook,(Salt Lake City: Verla Birrell, 1948), 52: "Notice that Amos II was historian from 194 A.D. until 305 A.D. or for 111 years. This is out of keeping with the rest of the record and may be explained, therefore, by supposing that there existed an Amos III." On the other hand, according to Daniel Ludlow, A Companion to Your Study of the Book of Mormon, (Salt Lake City: Deseret Book Company, 1976), 295: "The life expectancy of the [historians] was quite long during this period; [Nephi4] kept the record for 77 years, [Amos1] for 84 years, and [Amos2] for 112 years! Of course, their age when they obtained the record would have to be added to the figures listed above to determine their age at the time of death."

c. In Ether 15:33 the comment is made, "and [Ether] finished his record; (and the hundredth part I have not written) and he hid them in a manner that the people of Limhi did find them." The question then becomes, Did Limhi's party find and carry back over 100 times the 32 pages in our present edition? (pp. 487-518) This would mean that the 24 gold plates would have had to contain over 3200 pages. If the "24 gold plates" represented only an abridgement of the Jaredite history by Ether, then Mormon might have been comparing Ether's writings to the entire Jaredite record collection. Ether would have probably had access to all the Jaredite records in order to make his abridgement, and most probably made some comments relative to the amount of records there were. An interesting, though unproven thought here is that if the prophet Ether finished his record as he viewed the final battles of his people from a cave (Ether 13:13-14); roughly 1000 years later, there were two points of geography that Mormon distinctly correlated between the Jaredite history and the Nephite history: the hill Shim (Ether 9:3) (Mormon 1:3; 4:23) and the hill Ramah/Cumorah (Ether 15:11) (Mormon 6:2-22). If there were many Jaredite records besides the record of Ether, they would have had to have been deposited somewhere, and it is my opinion that Mormon's(& Moroni's) correlation went beyond geography. I feel that the detailed requirements of such a correlation might have had to do with the location of Jaredite records.

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2. Moroni's abridgement of the Record of Ether [Ether 1-4, 6-15]cxv a. Creation --> Tower (Not included) (Ether 1:3)b. Tower --> Vision of Brother of Jared (Ether 1:5) [Ether 1:1-3:28]

(SEALED) c. Moroni's Translation?/Abridgement?/Copying? of the experiences of the Brother of Jared while withI Christ on the mount) (Ether 3:27-4:1)(Ether 4:4-7) I 1. Experiences beyond the veil (Ether 3:19-21)

(SEALED) 2. "The unfolding of all my (Christ's) revelations" (Ether 4:7)cxvi

d. End of Moroni's writings of Brother of Jared --> Destruction of Jaredites [Ether 4-15] 1. The Lord commands Moroni to seal words of the brother of Jared & seal interpreters(?)

[Ether 4:5-19] 2. Moroni to future translator. [Ether 5]3. Ether's Predictions [Ether 13:2-12]

On the other hand, if the "24 gold plates" did indeed contain 3200 pages worth of material, then I would have to rethink the definition of "plates." Each of the 24 "plates" might have been equivalent to the "plates of Nephi." Thus, the 24 gold plates might have been equivalent to 24 volumes. But then again, it would have been quite difficult for Mosiah (to say nothing of Moroni) to translate 24 volumes, .

Finally, the comment by Mormon might have been just a paraphrase of a comment he came across by Ether in Mosiah's translation. Thus, Ether might have been describing the fact that he was making an abridgment of the history of the Jaredites which only represented the hundredth part of that which had already been written.

cvi. According to an article by Royal Skousen in Review of Books on the Book of Mormon 6/1 (F.A.R.M.S., 1994), 135-139, there is a "III" crossed out and replaced by a "I" at the beginning of the Book of Mosiah in the Printer's Manuscript. There is also no subscripts to the Book of Mosiah. This might mean that the first two chapters of Mosiah were lost with the 116 pages of manuscript. How much these chapters contain is not known. D&C 10:41 says that Joseph Smith had translated "to the reign of king Benjamin," but it is still uncertain as to how much of the beginning chapters of Mosiah were devoted to the reign of king Benjamin or how long those chapters were. In addition, we do not know whether these chapters were part of the 116 pages lost or whether they were part of the manuscript that was "translated and retained." (D&C 10)

cvii. The large plates were originally supposed to contain "a greater account of the wars and contentions and destructions of my people"(1 Ne 19:4), while the small plates contained "the ministry and the prophecies" (1 Ne 19:3); however, it is interesting to note that once the small plates were finished and handed to king Benjamin by Amaleki (W of M 1:3,10), we find many spiritual parts inserted into Mormon's abridgment of the large plates, which means that the content and purpose of the large plates had changed.

cviii. If Alma1 wrote down the prophecies of Abinadi (Mos 17:4) how did they get into the record of Zeniff (Noah)? especially if Noah was a wicked king? Some possibilities are that (1) the prophesies were written down because it was an official trial, or (2) the prophecies were possibly written by Alma and distributed by the converts of Alma among the people of Noah (Mos 18:33), (3) these prophesies were originally contained in the Record of Alma, however they were mixed in with the story of Noah during the recording of the writings of Mosiah II and incorporated that way into the abridgement of Mormon, or (4) Both Alma and the scribes of Noah could have written accounts (Note* Limhi referred to Abinadi while Alma was gone-(Mosiah 7:26-27).

cix. According to Alma 63:12, "all those engravings which were in the possession of Helaman were written and sent forth among the children of men throughout all the land, save it were those parts which had been commanded by Alma should not go forth (Alma 37:27-32)

cx. According to Daniel Ludlow, A Companion to Your Study of the Book of Mormon, (Salt Lake City: Deseret Book Company, 1976), 252: In the first edition of the Book of Mormon, the book that is now known by the title of "Third Nephi" was known only as "The Book of Nephi the son of Nephi, who was the son of Helaman." This original title was used until the edition of 1879 when, at the recommendation of Orson Pratt, the heading "Third Nephi" was added before the title of this book and the words "Fourth Nephi" were added before the title of the book that follows."

185

4. Moroni forbidden to write more (Ether 13:13)3. Moroni will write "a few things contrary to that which I had supposed" (Moroni 1)

a. Teachings related to ordinances enacted at Christ's visit and recorded by Nephi (Moroni 2-6)b. Mormon's teachings on faith, hope, charity [Moroni 7]c. Mormon's previous epistles to Moroni [Moroni 8-9]d. Moroni's farewell [Moroni 10]

D. The Small Plates of Nephicxvii (W. of M. 1:3-7) [1 Nephi 1 - Omni 1]

E. Words of Mormon [W of M. 1] 1. Mormon seems to give the explanatory basis for putting the small plates with his record (W.ofM. 1:3-7)2. Mormon connects the message on the small plates with the history of the reign of king Benjamin (W.ofM. 1:9

18)

Measures Used to Preserve the Records

1. The records were engraven on metal plates. (1 Ne 19:1) (Jacob 4:1) (Mormon 8:5) 2. The records were kept by kings. (Jarom 1:14) (Omni 1:11) (W. of M. 1:10)3. The records were kept by covenant. (1 Ne 19:1-4) (Enos 1:16-18) (3 Ne 5:14) (3 Ne 5:20) 4. The records were kept away from the Lamanites or dissenters who sought to destroy them. (2 Ne 26:17) (Enos 1:14) (Alma

14:8) (Mormon 6:6) 5. The records were hidden in the ground. (Mormon 1:3) (Mormon 4:23) (Mormon 6:6) (Mormon 8:4) (Ether 15:11)

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A Comprehensive List of Records Mentioned in the Book of Mormon (Continued)

Fate of the Records

There are multiple prophecies contained in the Book of Mormon which tell of the coming forth of all the records to the world. The following is a list of scriptures which deal with the promises concerning the fate of the records:

1. Title Page: The record of Mormon & Moroni is "to come forth in due time by way of the Gentile."2. 1 Nephi 14:26: The things that the Lord showed Nephi were the same as those written by John and are "to come forth in their

purity" and "in the own due time of the Lord."3. Alma 37:1-7: The plates of brass will "go forth unto every nation, kindred, tongue, and people, that they shall know of the

mysteries contained thereon."4. 3 Nephi 26:6-10: The teachings of the Savior to the Nephites were partially written by Mormon "to the intent that they may be

brought again unto this people, from the Gentiles, according to the words which Jesus hath spoken." 5. 3 Nephi 27:23-26: The Savior makes the command "to write the works of this people," because "out of the books which have

been written, and which shall be written, shall this people be judged."6. 4 Nephi 1:48-49: Ammaron hid up all the sacred records "that they might come again unto the remnant of the house of Jacob

according to the prophecies and the promises of the Lord."7. Mormon 5:8-14: Mormon writes these things "unto the remnant of the house of Jacob; and they are written after this manner,

because it is known of God that wickedness will not bring them forth unto them; and they are to be hid up unto the Lord that they may come forth in his own due time."

8. Ether 1:3,4: Moroni writes concerning the Book of Ether and the 24 plates, "I do not write those things which transpired from the days of Adam until that time; but they are had upon the plates; and whoso findeth them, the same will have power that he may get the full account.

9. Ether 4:5,6,7: Moroni writes concerning the "very things which the brother of Jared saw" and which "I have written upon these plates": "For the Lord said unto me: They shall not go forth unto the Gentiles until the day that they shall repent of their iniquity, and become clean before the Lord. And in that day that they shall exercise faith in me, saith the Lord, even as the brother of Jared did, that they may become sanctified in me, then will I manifest unto them the things which the brother of Jared saw, even to the unfolding unto them all my revelations, saith Jesus Christ."

187

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____

Additional Commentary (Vol. 6)

S. Kent Brown, Jesus among the Nephites: When Did It Happen?", F.A.R.M.S., Critical Text. FARMS, p. 1082Olsen, Steven L. "Why is 4 Nephi So Short?," Unpublished Manuscript. Enders, Donald L., Sr. "Mormon's Greatest Work Came after Cumorah," Unpublished Manuscript. Brigham Young, Journal of Discourses, 19:38Heber C. Kimball, Journal of Discourses, 4:104Washburn, J. N. Book of Mormon Lands and Times.

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AUTHOR INDEX

195

196

SUBJECT INDEX

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ADDITIONAL COMMENTARY (UPDATES)

Additional commentary updates and corrections will be published periodically after this volume has gone to print, and will be added to this section until such time as the entire volume is revised.

Note* All updated material as of December 8, 2000 has been incorporated into the main text, but the material below needs to be intergrated..

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NOTES

cxiv. Chapter's 8 & 9 of the Book of Mormon were written by Moroni.

cxv. It is not known on the Book of Ether whether Moroni used Mosiah's translation (Mosiah 28:1-20) or whether he translated directly from the 24 gold plates. Ether 1:2 might imply the latter) (Ether 1:3-5; 4:1-2 might imply an abridgment of the former). It is the opinion of the writer that Moroni made an abridgment of Mosiah's translation of the 24 gold plates not only because of the verses noted, but because otherwise he would have had to translate AND abridge over a hundred times (Ether 15:33) what he wrote.

cxvi. Ether 4:1-7 tells us that Moroni recorded this record upon the same plates that he made his abridgement of the Book of Ether, but he sealed it up, to come forth in the latter days. Orson Pratt maintained that the sealed portion comprised 2/3 of the plates, whereas George Q. Cannon believed it was 1/3. Joseph Smith simply said,"a part".) The exact quotation comes from Daniel Ludlow, A Companion to Your Study of the Book Of Mormon, (Salt Lake City: Deseret Book, 1976), 320, and is as follows:

"Moroni wrote his account of the vision of the brother of Jared on the plates of Mormon, but he was commanded by the Lord to "seal up" this account. (Ether 4:4-5) Joseph Smith was commanded not to translate this sealed portion. It is not absolutely clear what portion of the plates of Mormon was sealed. Joseph Smith simply said: "The volume was something near six inches in thickness, a part of which was sealed." (History of the Church, 4:537) George Q. Cannon said that "about one-third" was sealed (Young Peoples' History of Joseph Smith, p. 25), whereas Orson Pratt maintained that the sealed portion comprised "about two-thirds" of the plates. (Journal of Discourses, 3:347) Neither of these two brethren indicate where they obtained their information.

cxvii. According to Eldin Ricks, "The Small Plates of Nephi and the Words of Mormon," in Monte S. Nyman and Charles D. Tate, Jr. eds, The Book of Mormon: Jacob Through Words of Mormon, To Learn With Joy, (Provo, Religious Studies Center Brigham Young University, 1988), 209-219:

"Notwithstanding the fact that Amaleki, the last writer of the small plates of Nephi closed the volume with the words, ". . . and these plates are full. And I make an end of my speaking" (Omni 1:30), we are still obliged to conclude that Mormon, more than five centuries later, actually added the Words of Mormon to the small plates of Nephi. Whether he did so on a kind of cover sheet, which may have been employed to protect the sacred engravings from getting scratched or damaged, or whether he simply inserted an extra leaf, or found and utilized a little unused space at the end of the record, there can be little question but that he added the Words of Mormon to the original small plates of Nephi. This interpretation seems to be confirmed by his statement, "Wherefore, I chose these things (the small plates of Nephi) to finish my record upon them . . ." (WofM 1:5) (Thus in the Words of Mormon) the opening verse identifies the late period of his writing: "And now I Mormon, being about to deliver up the record which I have been making into the hands of my son Moroni, behold I have witnessed almost all the destruction of my people, the Nephites"(v1). Quite clearly the months or years of careful composing and engraving were at an end when he inscribed these lines. Interestingly enough, after explaining how he found the small plates of Nephi during an early period of his abridgment work (v 3), why he treasured them (v 4), and how he felt impressed to include them with his own metal book (vv6-7),