Moroni's Premise

Chapter 9 is material to help explain the Lost 116 pages.   Chapter 10 begins to abuse the words of Isaiah to promote an anachronistic understanding of a Christian idae of Jesus. CHAPTER 9   A ND all these things did my father see, and hear, and speak, as he dwelt in a tent, in the valley of Lemuel, and also a great many more things, which cannot be written upon these plates. 2 And now, as I have spoken concerning these plates, behold they are not the plates upon which I make a full account of the history of my people; for the plates upon which I make a full account of my people I have given the name of Nephi; wherefore, they are called the plates of Nephi, after mine own name; and these plates also are called the plates of Nephi. 3 Nevertheless, I have received a commandment of the L ORD that I should make these plates, for the special purpose that there should be an account engraven of the ministry of my people. 4 Upon the other plates should be engraven an accou

Chapter 8 is distinctive in that it contains a lot of manuscript variants compared to previous Chapters, but none of the changes in this Chapter strike me as being particularly important. A ND it came to pass that we had gathered together all manner of seeds of every kind, both of grain of every kind, and also of the seeds of fruit of every kind. This is a bit of a detour, but, many have talked about how people get to the American continent.  This verse, however, makes me wonder if part of the explanatory power of the Book of Mormon was an attempt to answer how plants, fruits and vegetables made it to the "New World."  I wonder at what point Joseph Smith ultimately reached the conclusion that the Garden of Eden had been on the American continent?  I'm guessing he didn't have that idea yet at this point.  Brigham would later go so far as to say that Adam and Eve brought the seeds and animals from their former planet with them when they bega

In Chapter 7, the sons of Lehi return to Jeruslaem in order to get wives. The family of Ishmael joins them. The rift deepens between the less righteous brothers, Lamen and Lemuel, and the more righteous brothers, Nephi and Sam.  I have nothing further to add to this chapter at this time.  A ND now I would that ye might know, that after my father, Lehi, had made an end of prophesying concerning his seed, it came to pass that the L ORD spake unto him again, saying that it was not meet for him, Lehi, that he should take his family into the wilderness alone; but that his sons should take daughters to wife, that they might raise up seed unto the L ORD in the land of promise. 2 And it came to pass that the L ORD commanded him that I, Nephi, and my brethren, should again return unto the land of Jerusalem, and bring down Ishmael and his family into the wilderness. 3 And it came to pass that I, Nephi, did again, with my brethren, go forth into the wild

Chapter 5 establishes roughly what books were in the Nephite canon of scripture. I only have a few thoughts about Chapters 5 and 6, but as a rule, I am going to keep posting all of the text so that I can edit these posts and add more commentary in the future. CHAPTER 5 A ND it came to pass that after we had come down into the wilderness unto our father, behold, he was filled with joy, and also my mother, Sariah, was exceedingly glad, for she truly had mourned because of us. 2 For she had supposed that we had perished in the wilderness; and she also had complained against my father, telling him that he was a visionary man; saying: Behold thou hast led us forth from the land of our inheritance, and my sons are no more, and we perish in the wilderness. I like to consider whether this attitude of Sariah reflects the feelings of Lucy Mack Smith with respect to her husband's views and the spiritual status of her children, including Joseph Jr.

Perhaps the most serious ethical dilemma presented in the Book of Mormon. Its similarities with Masonic Degrees are also examined.  CHAPTER 4 A ND it came to pass that I spake unto my brethren, saying: Let us go up again unto Jerusalem, and let us be faithful in keeping the commandments of the L ORD ; for behold he is mightier than all the earth, then why not mightier than Laban and his fifty, yea, or even than his tens of thousands? 2 Therefore let us go up; let us be strong like unto Moses; for he truly spake unto the waters of the Red Sea and they divided hither and thither, and our fathers came through, out of captivity, on dry ground, and the armies of Pharaoh did follow and were drowned in the waters of the Red Sea. The similarity being drawn between Nephi and Moses, which was subtext in the previous Chapter, is now explicitly pointed out in the text. 3 Now behold ye know that this is true; and ye also know