The Language of the Book of Mormon

Title

The Language of the Book of Mormon

Magazine

Improvement Era

Publication Type

Magazine Article

Year of Publication

1960

Authors

Pagination

388–389, 444, 446, 450–454

Date Published

June 1960

Volume

63

Issue Number

6

Abstract

This article states that English, the language of translation employed by Joseph Smith, retains the original thought, personal writing styles, distinctive patterns, and unique phraseology belonging to each of the ancient writers and prophets of the Book of Mormon. Barker also discusses the language of the gold plates, which has been described as being a combination of the “learning of the Jews and the language of the Egyptians” (1 Nephi 12), and as “reformed Egyptian” (Mormon 9:32). Too little is known about the characters of reformed Egyptian, which had been “altered” by the Nephites (Mormon 9:32).

Subject Keywords

Gold Plates
Language - Reformed Egyptian
Writing System
Book of Mormon Translation
Characters

Bibliographic Citation

Terms of use

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