The
Words of Mormon
Mormon abridges their
history onto the plates of Mormon—He inserts the plates of Nephi into the
abridgement—King Benjamin establishes peace in the land. About A.D. 385
1 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.
2 And it is many
hundred years after the coming of Christ *that I deliver these
records into the hands of my son; and it supposeth me that he will witness the
entire destruction of my people. But may
God grant that he may survive them, that he may write somewhat concerning them,
and somewhat concerning Christ, that perhaps some day it may profit them.
3 And now, I speak
somewhat concerning that which I have written; for after I had made an abridgment
from the plates of Nephi, down to the reign of this king Benjamin, of whom
Amaleki spake, I searched among the records which had been delivered into my
hands, and I 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.
4 And the things which
are upon these plates pleasing me, because of the prophecies of the coming of
Christ; and my fathers knowing that many of them have been fulfilled; yea, and
I also know that as many things as have been prophesied concerning us down to
this day have been fulfilled, and as many as go beyond this day must surely
come to pass—
5 Wherefore, I chose these
things [IE the things pleasing to him, mentioned in v. 4] to finish my record
upon them, which remainder of my record I shall take from the plates of Nephi;
and I cannot write the hundredth part of the things of my people.
Words of Mormon 1:1-5
At the end of the small plates of Nephi, Joseph Smith found
an addition. It was written by Mormon, giving
an explanation about the small plates.
Here is our first introduction to Mormon. He was getting ready to deliver the record
to his son, Moroni. He tells us the
vision Nephi received showing the destruction of his seed was occurring. It is
estimated that some 385 years have passed since Christ’s visit to the
Nephites.
Mormon implies he will not live to see the destruction of
the Nephites, but he expects Moroni will.
When we first encounter Mormon, in
the Words of Mormon following the books from the Small Plates of Nephi, we
learn a great deal about his narrative approach. He begins at the end of the
Nephite drama: "I have witnessed almost all the destruction of my people,"
he says, and he supposes his son Moroni "will witness the entire
destruction of my people" (Words of Mormon 1:1–2).[1]
Mormon explains to us that he had been abridging the plates
of Nephi and had arrived at the point where Amaleki tells us the records were
given to King Benjamin. He searched and
found the small plates of Nephi. Nephi
had written about two sets of plates.
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.
1 Nephi 1:16-17
He referred to the plates as containing a “small account of the prophets from Jacob
down to the reign of this king Benjamin, and also many of the words of Nephi.” Why did Mormon search for the plates?
Mormon discovered the small plates
as he was recording events from the life of King Benjamin (Words of Mormon 1:3).
Perhaps it was Benjamin's use of the opening verses of 1 Nephi that prompted
Mormon to search among the Nephite records to find the earlier account. While
the kings kept the large plates of Nephi, the small plates were passed along in
the family of Nephi's brother Jacob until Amaleki turned them over to King
Benjamin (Omni 1:25). It is significant that Benjamin's use of Nephi's opening
words are found at the point in the record where the king would have recently
received the small plates.[2]
Mormon includes these plates because they “[please] me, because of the prophecies of
the coming of Christ … knowing that many of them have been fulfilled.” His reasoning echoes Nephi’s purpose in
writing the small plates.
3
And it mattereth not to me that I am particular to give a full account of all
the things of my father, for they cannot be written upon these plates, for I
desire the room that I may write of the things of God.
4
For the fulness of mine intent is that I may persuade men to come unto the God
of Abraham, and the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob, and be saved.
5
Wherefore, the things which are pleasing unto the world I do not write, but the
things which are pleasing unto God and unto those who are not of the world.
6
Wherefore, I shall give commandment unto my seed, that they shall not occupy
these plates with things which are not of worth unto the children of men.
1 Nephi 6:3-6
Mormon chose what to use to finish his record, taken from
the plates of Nephi. Remember, there
were two plates of Nephi. “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” (1 Nephi 9:2).
In fact, Mormon intends to model his record on Nephi’s
records.
14
And it hath become expedient that I, according to the will of God, that the
prayers of those who have gone hence, who were the holy ones, should be
fulfilled according to their faith, should make a record of these things which
have been done—
15
Yea, a small record of that which hath taken place from the time that Lehi left
Jerusalem, even down until the present time.
16
Therefore I do make my record from the accounts which have been given by those
who were before me, until the commencement of my day;
17
And then I do make a record of the things which I have seen with mine own eyes.
18
And I know the record which I make to be a just and a true record; nevertheless
there are many things which, according to our language, we are not able to write.
3 Nephi 5:14-18
Nephi repeatedly testifies that
that he writes nothing on plates except that which is sacred. One thousand
years later, Mormon testifies that he intends to model his abridgment on
Nephi's writings (Words of Mormon 1:4–5). By implication, everything about the
Book of Mormon—language, contents, literary structures, manner of transmission
and preservation, and latter-day mission—is to be considered sacred.[3]
Mormon addresses a common problem. He cannot include “the hundredth part of the things of my people.” The record we have, while containing
essential and sacred principles of the gospel, Mormon still had to be selective
in what he included in his record.
[1] "To
Show unto the Remnant of the House of Israel" Narrators and Narratives,
Maxwell Institute, accessed June 14, 2014.
[2] Insights
22/11 (2002) – A Note on Benjamin and Lehi, Maxwell Institute, accessed June
14, 2014.
[3] Memory
and Identity in the Book of Mormon, Steven Olsen, Maxwell Institute,
accessed June 14, 2014.
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