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1 I, Nephi, having been born of goodly parents, therefore I was taught somewhat in all the learning of my father; and having seen many afflictions in the course of my days, nevertheless, having been highly favored of the Lord in all my days; yea, having had a great knowledge of the goodness and the mysteries of God, therefore I make a record of my proceedings in my days. 1 Nephi 1:2 2 Yea, I make a record in the language of my father, which consists of the learning of the Jews and the language of the Egyptians. 1 Nephi 1:3 3 And I know that the record which I make is true; and I make it with mine own hand; and I make it according to my knowledge.
The hallmark of the colophon is the personal introduction of the material by the writer. While Nephi's introduction is clearly the most formal, the introduction to the written text by the writer continues for most of the material from Nephi to the end of Omni (Jacobs personal introduction is perhaps the least formal, and the furthest from the structures of a colophon). Once the Book of Mormon picks up with Mosiah, however, the personal introductions cease, and are replaced by a typically chronological introduction (Alma 1:1 "Now it came to pass that in the first year of the reign of the judges...."; Helaman 1:1"And now behold, it comae to pass in the commencement of the fortieth year of the reign of the judges..."; 4 Nephi 1:1 "And it came to pass that the thirty and fourth year passed away,..."). None of these qualifies as examples of colophons, and even the personal introductions lack the formulaic precision of Nephi's introduction. The first clear division can be made between the personalized introductions of the 1 Nephi through Omni material, and all books which follow. This division is precisely that between the small plate material and the large plate material. The small plates were written in the first person, and the large plates were abridged. More will be said later about the structure and content of these different sources, but for now it is sufficient that the introductory material for the books in each section is clearly different, and follows a different literary imperative. Socio-cultural information: Language in the Book of Mormon: The problem of language in the Book of Mormon begins in the second verse of the text: 1 Nephi 1:2:"2 Yea, I make a record in the language of my father, which consists of the learning of the Jews and the language of the Egyptians." Nephi states that the record is in the "language of his father" and that the "language" has two elements, "the learning of the Jews" and "the language of the Egyptians". John L. Sorenson considers the "learning of the Jews" to mean the cultural contexts, and would be inclusive of the language itself (Sorenson, 1985, An Ancient American Setting for the Book of Mormon, p. 74.). He then follows with an analysis of "language of the Egyptians". This is based heavily on the following text from Mormon. Mormon 9:32 "32 And now, behold, we have written this record according to our knowledge, in the characters which are called among us the reformed Egyptian, being handed down and altered by us, according to our manner of speech." According to Sorenson, this could mean that Mormon used Egyptian signs to depict Hebrew (Sorenson 1985, p. 76). This might be bolstered by the next text: Mormon 9:33 "33 And if our plates had been sufficiently large we should have written in Hebrew; but the Hebrew hath been altered by us also; and if we could have written in Hebrew, behold, ye would have had no imperfection in our record." These texts create a temporal bridge between the first known Book of Mormon text (that of Nephi), and Mormon, the next to the last writer of the text as we have it. The salient points are that we have a population which begins with a spoken (and assumed written) knowledge of Hebrew, and some relationship to whatever is meant by "language of the Egyptians". For whatever reason, it appears that the reformed part of the description of "Egyptian" does not appear until later in the Book of Mormon text, perhaps referring to changes which were made in that manner of writing. In the holographic small plates of Nephi there is another very specific reference to Egyptian writing. Mosiah 1:4 "4 For it were not possible that our father, Lehi, could have remembered all these things, to have taught them to his children, except it were for the help of these plates; for he having been taught in the language of the Egyptians therefore he could read these engravings, and teach them to his children, ... " However, this refers to the plates of brass! Lehi's knowledge of the "language of the Egyptians" was apparently a requirement to read/understand the brass plates. Dr. William Hamblin has written a treatise on reformed Egyptian which includes a number of suggestions for what it might have meant. One of those is: "The earliest known example of mixing a Semitic language with modified Egyptian hieroglyphic characters is the Byblos Syllabic inscriptions (eighteenth century B.C.), from the city of Byblos on the Phoenician coast. This script is described as a "syllabary [that] is clearly inspired by the Egyptian hieroglyphic system, and in fact is the most important link known between the hieroglyphs and the Canaanite alphabet." Interestingly enough, most Byblos Syllabic texts were written on copper plates. Thus, it would not be unreasonable to describe the Byblos Syllabic texts as a Semitic language written on metal plates in "reformed Egyptian characters," which is precisely what the Book of Mormon describes." (Hamblin, "Reformed Egyptian" ). Another important consideration in the discussion of the language of the Book of Mormon is that "language of the Egyptians" does not necessarily need to refer to a written or spoken language. There are several texts in the Book of Mormon which talk about "Language" where it appears to mean learning, and not language specifically.
None of these passages make sense if we assume that they are to be taken with a literal meaning to "language". It is surely not unusual that a child learns the "language" of the father. In these cases, "language" seems to follow the concept Nephi used when he was taught in the "learning of the Jews". It may or may not have any relevance on the meaning of "language of the Egyptians". Personal application: role of "goodly parents": Although it is a phrase used in an introductory formula, we can still assume that there is validity in Nephi's assertion that he was born of "goodly parents". The most significant part of the passage for modern parents isn't the "goodly", but rather the "therefore". In that second clause Nephi defines some of the reasons which created the title of "goodly parents". For Nephi, the goodliness of his parents was directly related to their instruction. Just as Lehi and Sariah, we are required to instruct our children in the not only the bare necessities of life, but symbolically in all of the learning of our fathers and whatever we might construe as the language of the Egyptians. Certainly there is something pragmatic in this learning, but I suspect that it included a sufficiently wide range of topics which could forge the mind and soul of a young man who eventually became the Nephi we recognize in the pages of scripture.
4 For it came to pass in the commencement of the first year of the reign of Zedekiah, king of Judah, (my father, Lehi, having dwelt at Jerusalem in all his days); and in that same year there came many prophets, prophesying unto the people that they must repent, or the great city Jerusalem must be destroyed.
"Egypt immediately claimed Judah as a dependency and put Jehoiakim on the throne as vassal. Subsequently, when Neo-Babylonia drove Egypt out of Canaan, Jehoiakim shifted his allegiance to Nebuchadnezzar II, but then revolted at the first opportunity. In a retaliatory campaign, Nebuchadnezzar captured Jerusalem and deported his son Jehoiachin (perhaps after his father's assassination?), along with a sizable group of government officials. Zedekiah was installed as a vassal regent, Jehoiachin retaining the status of king in the eyes of the Neo-Babylonians and most Judahites. After more anti-Babylonian machination, relying on promised Egyptian support that fizzled, another revolt by Judah was crushed - this time with the baleful result of the destruction of Jerusalem and its temple, further deportations of leaders, and the cessation of the independent Kingdom of Judah." (Norman K. Gottwald The Hebrew Bible . Fortress Press 1985:372). As most Book of Mormon chronology centers around this date (the only other externally fixed date being the birth/death of Christ) it is important to understand that all other dates in the Book of Mormon are educated reconstructions based on those two fixed points. An excellent discussion of Book of Mormon dating is Randall P. Spackman's "Introduction to Book of Mormon Chronology" (FARMS 1993). It is important, however, to remember that all other dating is only approximate, even though models can be built which give the general outline of Book of Mormon chronology. Religious significance: From the standpoint of LDS understanding of the scriptures, the second part of the verse is interesting. Many prophets entered Jerusalem to prophesy of the impending destruction of Jerusalem, which did eventually occur. The modern LDS term "Prophet" stands for a particular position in the church, and carries with it the stated injunction that there will only be one Prophet for the church at any given time. Many of us learn that so well that we forget that the twelve are also prophets. In like manner, ancient Israel had prophets with revelatory functions, but not necessarily leadership roles. It would be highly unlikely if any of the prophets prophesying at that time in Jerusalem had actually been part of the officially recognized religions governing bodies. Lehi's call to a be a prophet followed in that tradition. He was not unique in his calling as a prophet - he was one of many. In fact, Jeremiah would have been one of his contemporaries.
5 Wherefore it came to pass that my father, Lehi, as he went forth prayed unto the Lord, yea, even with all his heart, in behalf of his people.
6 And it came to pass as he prayed unto the Lord, there came a pillar of fire and dwelt upon a rock before him; and he saw and heard much; and because of the things which he saw and heard he did quake and tremble exceedingly. 1 Nephi 1:7 7 And it came to pass that he returned to his own house at Jerusalem; and he cast himself upon his bed, being overcome with the Spirit and the things which he had seen.
The effects of close interaction with the Spirit are frequently described as enervating (Joseph Smith-History 2:20, Moses 27:29, Acts 9:3-6). Joseph was drained after his experience in the Grove, and Lehi was drained after his experience with the pillar of fire. He returns to his home and ponders his experience (verse 7).
8 And being thus overcome with the Spirit, he was carried away in a vision, even that he saw the heavens open, and he thought he saw God sitting upon his throne, surrounded with numberless concourses of angels in the attitude of singing and praising their God.
Reynolds and Sjodahl (Book of Mormon Commentary. 1:8-9) compare Lehi's vision to that of Daniel (2 Samuel 24) as well as to Revelations. Welch's article, cited above, provides an excellent background and discussion of this section of 1 Nephi, and is recommended reading.
9 And it came to pass that he saw One descending out of the midst of heaven, and he beheld that his luster was above that of the sun at noon-day. 1 Nephi 1:10 10 And he also saw twelve others following him, and their brightness did exceed that of the stars in the firmament.
The brightness of the twelve (likely including the "One" in the description) is that their brightness exceeded that of the stars. Shining, whiteness, and brightness are typical descriptions of beings which appear in their glory. The comparison of that brightness to *stars* however, is fairly unusual, as the stars are fairly low on the brightness scale of the heavenly objects observable from the earth. This is either a ritualistic phrase, or the very idea of the stars is given more for the celestial correlation than the degree of brightness. The inclusion of the 12 in this vision - long before their calling, is indicative of the premortal foreordination of the 12, and the connections with the apostles and the tribes of Israel.
11 And they came down and went forth upon the face of the earth; and the first came and stood before my father, and gave unto him a book, and bade him that he should read.
The book as a symbol in the revelatory experience is not limited to the Book of Mormon and Revelations. Ezekiel is asked to eat a scroll (most parallel to the Revelations account, compare Ezekiel 2:9-10 and Revelation 10:8). Other examples are found in 1 Enoch and the Vision of Hermas ("The Book of Mormon and the Heavenly Book Motif" in Reexploring the Book of Mormon, ed. John W. Welch, Deseret Book Company 1992, pp. 26-28).
12 And it came to pass that as he read, he was filled with the Spirit of the Lord. 1 Nephi 1:13 13 And he read, saying: Wo, wo, unto Jerusalem, for I have seen thine abominations! Yea, and many things did my father read concerning Jerusalem--that it should be destroyed, and the inhabitants thereof; many should perish by the sword, and many should be carried away captive into Babylon.
14 And it came to pass that when my father had read and seen many great and marvelous things, he did exclaim many things unto the Lord; such as: Great and marvelous are thy works, O Lord God Almighty! Thy throne is high in the heavens, and thy power, and goodness, and mercy are over all the inhabitants of the earth, and, because thou art merciful, thou wilt not suffer those who come unto thee that they shall perish!
15 And after this manner was the language of my father in the praising of his God; for his soul did rejoice, and his whole heart was filled, because of the things which he had seen, yea, which the Lord had shown unto him.
16 And now I, Nephi, do not make a full account of the things which my father hath written, for he hath written many things which he saw in visions and in dreams; and he also hath written many things which he prophesied and spake unto his children, of which I shall not make a full account. 17 But I shall make an account of my proceedings in my days. Behold, I make an abridgment of the record of my father, upon plates which I have made with mine own hands; wherefore, after I have abridged the record of my father then will I make an account of mine own life.
For another discussion of Nephi's use of Lehi's material, see S. Kent Brown "Nephi's Use of Lehi's Record" in Rediscovering the Book of Mormon, ed. John L. Sorenson and Melvin J. Thorne. Deseret Book Company 1991: 3-14. Brown provides an interesting discussion of the probably material on which Lehi's record was made, and concludes that it likely was not metal, and therefore more likely to have been perishable (p. 5).
18 Therefore, I would that ye should know, that after the Lord had shown so many marvelous things unto my father, Lehi, yea, concerning the destruction of Jerusalem, behold he went forth among the people, and began to prophesy and to declare unto them concerning the things which he had both seen and heard.
19 And it came to pass that the Jews did mock him because of the things which he testified of them; for he truly testified of their wickedness and their abominations; and he testified that the things which he saw and heard, and also the things which he read in the book, manifested plainly of the coming of the Messiah, and also the redemption of the world. 1 Nephi 1:20 20 And when the Jews heard these things they were angry with him; yea, even as with the prophets of old, whom they had cast out, and stoned, and slain; and they also sought his life, that they might take it away. But behold, I, Nephi, will show unto you that the tender mercies of the Lord are over all those whom he hath chosen, because of their faith, to make them mighty even unto the power of deliverance.
The light of Christ is given to all men, and is the ultimate measure for truth. When the truth of what we hear reveals to us our separation from God, or our sinful state, the light of Christ witnesses to the correctness of the preaching. In those who are able to listen to the message of that spirit, this process can lead to repentance. The process of repentance always involves some form of moral or emotional pain (leading up to Godly sorrow). Our natural tendency is to find a way to remove the pain. For some repentance is the ultimate cleanser. For others, however, that pain of recognition that we are contrary to the will of God causes us to find ways to ignore the pain, or build up defenses against it. The ultimate defense against the pain caused by hearing the word of God is to deny and reject the word. By denying the validity of the message, we can cover the pain we feel when we hear it. This is the process of hardening the heart. We continually build defenses against feeling the pricks of the spirit. In the first instance the people of Jerusalem mocked Lehi. In this stage they exemplify the most normal stage of hardening of the heart. It is that phase where they deny the word that they hear. The process of hardening the heart can continue, however, and increase in the type of defense mechanism which is used. The ultimate is that the denial of the spirit is so great as to completely turn against it, and seek the life of the messenger. While taking a life is the ultimate denial, close to it are the very related tendencies to fight against the truth. Thus disaffected saints are often the most vocal in attacking the church to which they once belonged. This comes from a personal necessity to self-justify their action and to reinforce the wall built around the promptings of the spirit. Literary analysis: Already to this point at the end of the first chapter of Nephi the phrase "and it came to pass" has occurred six times. In the Book of Mormon it will occur a total of 999 times. It occurs in the Book of Mormon with a much greater frequency that in any other body of Christian scripture, although it is found in each. In the scriptural texts, the next highest number of occurrences is in the Old Testament, with 334 occurrences. [parenthetical note: these are the numbers on the computer search, Joseph L. Allen gives the numbers as 1,381 times in the Book of Mormon and 526 in the Old Testament (Exploring the Lands of the Book of Mormon, p. 31-32)] Why does it appear so often? So often, in fact, that Mark Twain once noted that the Book of Mormon would only be half it size were those words to be removed? "And it came to pass" is a conjunctive phrase used in historical contexts. It functions to link sequential data somewhat analogous to my daughter's "and then she goes....". It is entirely possible that the linguistic unit which served that function on the plates could have been a single word or character. With the stated difficulty of writing on the plates, a long phrase would likely not have been used unless it held particular meaning. With the formulaic and structural function of "and it came to pass" it is more likely that it was easy to represent, and therefore used frequently. One of the interesting points about the frequency of the phrase in the Book of Mormon is its comparison to the Old Testament, which is the next highest frequency of the phrase. One of the likely reasons for the numerical difference between the two is that the Old Testament contains a multiplicity to types of accounts, ranging from the poetic to the historical. As a phrase used to mark historical time and events, it would not be surprising to have it absent in poetic texts. It would be an interesting comparison to note the frequency of its occurrence in the Old Testament historical material. The suspicion is that the frequency would be higher, though even then perhaps not as high as the Book of Mormon. As a curiosity, one of the Maya glyphs has been glossed with a similar function to "and it came to pass" (see Allen, Exploring the Lands of the Book of Mormon, p. 32). In fact, that would not be a forced reading of the function of the glyph. By the nature of Maya phonetic glyphs, the glyph is composed of multiple parts represented as a single unit. While the forms from the monuments are always complex (and frequently quite artistic) the corresponding forms on the painted codices show a reduction in detail. The monumental glyphs are elaborate, and the painted ones quicker outlines. In this particular case, the "and it came to pass" used in Maya writing would function as hypothesized for the Book of Mormon term on the plates, a historical linker which can be represented with a single graphic/word. |
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| by Brant Gardner. Copyright 1998 |
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