The Book of Mormon—Nephite Record Abridgment

The Book Of Mormon—Nephite Record Abridgment

By Elder Cecil E. McGavin

Author of “Cumorah's Gold Bible” and “Mormonism and Masonry” 

(Continued from Vol. 104, No. 32; Thursday August 6th, 1942.) 

ONE of the most indispensable characteristics of Hebrew abridgment are the words “And it came to pass.” More objections have been expressed respecting this monotonous feature than any other single characteristic in the book, yet it affords indisputable evidence that the book is an abridgment.

The brass plates which the Nephites brought with them to this land used this expression freely, as does our Old Testament in the sections with later editors have summarized from the records of the past. The Jewish historians certainly used this trite expression in their records, yet the Old Testament is likely not based upon nearly as many ancient sources as is the Book of Mormon.

Let us call attention to the fact that these words appear as often in the abridged sections of the Old Testament as they do in the Book of Mormon, not losing sight of the fact that the latter is far more of an abridgment than the former.

The words occur 110 times in the Pentateuch, 34 in Joshua, 23 in Judges, 36 in I Samuel, 28 in II Samuel, 42 in I Kings, 31 in II Kings, 9 in I Chronicles, 17 in II Chronicles, 11 in Nehemiah and 4 in Esther.

Yet when we get beyond the field of abridgment, the said term disappears almost immediately and completely. It is found but three times in the Book of Ruth and only once in Jonah, Zechariah, Obadiah and Amos. It is absent from Ezra, Job, Psalms, Proverbs, Ecclesiastes, Song of Solomon, Lamentations, Hosea, Joel, Micah, Nahum, Habakkuk, Zephaniah, Haggai and Malachi.

The Nephites were unacquainted with most of these later books, except as the resurrected Lord made brief mention of some of them. The books inscribed upon the brass plates were the ones in which this trite expression often appeared.

Between verses 5 and 19 of the 39th Chapter of Genesis, these words appear eight times, while in Exodus 12:41 they are found twice in one short verse. Its presence in the Book of Mormon is further evidence that the book is an abridgment from an ancient text closely resembling Hebrew.

The historian Moroni avoided the use of these words when he ceased his abridgment and began to narrate events with which he was familiar. The Book of Moroni is introduced with this sentence: “Now, I, Moroni, having made an end of abridging the account of the people of Jarad …” At this point these words disappear completely and immediately. In Moroni’s appendange of 7,000 words, comprising 13 printed pages, this trite term does not occur a single time.

Though Moroni used these words 117 times in 40 pages of Jaredite history, he does not use them once in his own book of 13 pages. These Hebrew traits, features, customs and characteristics were positively unknown by the unlearned farmer boy who was inspired to translate this fascinating book. The fitting use of this one trite Hebrew idiom is evidence that the Book of Mormon is based upon an ancient Hebrew text.

Furthermore, in the midst of the abridged material in the Book of Mormon these words are not used when a prophet chooses to preach to his generation and give them advice for their daily improvement. Though the short book of Jacob contains this expression 43 times, it.is not used at all in 11 pages in which he gives instructions to his people.

Likewise, when Nephi resorts to prophecy, he immediately ceases to use these words. In 16 pages of prophecy they do not appear a single time. Alma gives advice and commandments to his sons, wherein these words are to be found but three times in 18 pages. In every sermon this expression is absent except as the prophet pauses to review the history of the past.

It is a genuine Hebrew trait. Its use in the Book of Mormon is comparable to its use in the Bible, being restricted to a recapitulation or summary of past events, connecting present events with the past, epitomizing one’s own writings or abridging the writing of others.

The average use of this expression in the Book of Mormon is about twice to the page, whereas, from Genesis to Ezra it appears just half that often.

There are 16 of the later books in the Old Testament that do not contain these words at all. There are three that use it but once. This leaves but 20 books in which it appears 383 times. This expression occurs 80 times in the first five books of the New Testament, which is not comparable to the Book of Mormon as an abridged record.

Though this trite expression is to be found 1,362 times in the Book of Mormon, it is evidence that the Book is an abridgment and that it abounds in Hebrew traits, its translator being loath to depart from the ancient style recorded on the gold plates.

Because of the laborious task of abridging, the Nephite-historians frequently apologized for their weaknesses and begged their readers not to condemn them for their faults. In the midst of some abridged history that is found in the Douay version of the Bible we read: “Therefore, to us, that have taken upon us this painful labour of abridging, it was not easy, but a matter of sweat and watching. But to use brevity and avoid much labouring of the work, is to be granted to him that will make an abridgment.”—II Maccabees 2:23.