Abridging The Book Of Mormon -- Why?

[Doug the Hutt]

Hi Folks,

 

The title page of the Book of Mormon indicates that it is an "...an abridgment of the record of the people of Nephi, and also of the Lamanites" and "An abridgment taken from the Book of Ether also, which is a record of the people of Jared...".

https://www.lds.org/scriptures/bofm/bofm-title

 

Why did Mormon abridge the Nephite records?  Abridging documents eliminates some nuances and details.  I think we would have been better off to just have the various originals instead of Mormon's interpretation of those records.  Thoughts?  Thanks.

 

 

Doug the Hutt

[Duncan]

I like Jacob 1:2

 

 And he gave me, Jacob, a commandment that I should write upon these plates a few of the things which I considered to be most precious; that I should not touch, save it were lightly, concerning the history of this people which are called the people of Nephi.

 

So, to at least Jacob he wanted only the most precious material

[Uncle Dale]

Hi Folks,

 

The title page of the Book of Mormon indicates that it is an "...an abridgment of the record of the people of Nephi, and also of the Lamanites" and "An abridgment taken from the Book of Ether also, which is a record of the people of Jared...".

https://www.lds.org/scriptures/bofm/bofm-title

 

Why did Mormon abridge the Nephite records?  Abridging documents eliminates some nuances and details.  I think we would have been better off to just have the various originals instead of Mormon's interpretation of those records.  Thoughts?  Thanks.

 

 

Doug the Hutt

 

 

Why does the missionary edition left at my door last year

have so many fewer "came to pass" clauses, than does

our family heirloom 1830 Palmyra volume?

 

Maybe the "abridging" is still going on, in modern times.

 

The "fulness of the everlasting gospel" thus made "fuller"

by continuing reduction-by-abridgement, due to latter-day

continuing revelation?

 

Was it Mark Twain who said, if all the repetition were

edited out, the book would end up being just a pamphlet?

 

UD

Edited January 1, 2015 by Uncle Dale

[Duncan]

Why does the missionary edition left at my door last year

have so many fewer "came to pass" clauses, than does

our family heirloom 1830 Palmyra volume?

 

Maybe the "abridging" is still going on, in modern times.

 

The "fulness of the everlasting gospel" thus made "fuller"

by continuing reduction-by-abridgement, due to latter-day

continuing revelation?

 

Was it Mark Twain who said, if all the repetition were

edited out, the book would end up being just a pamphlet?

 

UD

 

 

well, I don't think "and it came to pass" has a thing to do with the gospel,  maybe the 'good news' is is that they took it out! tee hee

Edited January 1, 2015 by Duncan

[Buzzard]

We have trouble enough getting investigators and members to read a book that is 450 pages long, give or take.  If Mormon hadn't given us the Readers Digest version, we might be dealing with a five volume set at 1000 pages per volume. Try covering all that in one year of Seminary. 

[why me]

Why does the missionary edition left at my door last year

have so many fewer "came to pass" clauses, than does

our family heirloom 1830 Palmyra volume?

 

Maybe the "abridging" is still going on, in modern times.

 

The "fulness of the everlasting gospel" thus made "fuller"

by continuing reduction-by-abridgement, due to latter-day

continuing revelation?

 

Was it Mark Twain who said, if all the repetition were

edited out, the book would end up being just a pamphlet?

 

UD

I don't see this as being very important. I think what is important is just how the book of mormon came to be. I certainly know your theories from yesteryear on this board. But so far, I see no slam dunk to the original story of the gold plates. If sidney or Joseph wrote it, I would see them as attempting to make the story as short as possible and yet, believeable. Not a 500 or so page book.

[Uncle Dale]

...make the story as short as possible and yet, believeable....

 

 

Well, perhaps you've raised a good point there, brother.

 

Rigdon's 1824 pseudo-scripture (The Third Epistle of Peter)

was fairly short. Whether it was "believeable" or not, is

another question. Rev. Alex Campbell seems to have thought

the text worthy of reproduction in his own newspaper. And

the Rev. Elias Smith also found the "Third Epistle" interesting

enough to make use of.

 

Recent "word-printing" analysis attributes the text to Elder Rigdon;

while the larger publication in which it first appeared has a "word-print"

strongly correlated with the known writings of Elder Walter Scott

(Rigdon's co-founder of the 1820s Pittsburgh "Church of Christ").

 

But, then again, all of this word-print mumbo-jumbo may be totally

worthless, and one day we'll discover evidence proving that Rigdon

composed the periodical, while Elder Scott was the true author of

the micraculously discovered ancient sacred writings.

 

Too bad that the 1820s pseudo-Peter text was so much abridged -- I'd

like to read more about the wickedness of Gentile hireling-priests, the

saintliness of communal sharing, and the words of prophets & apostles.

 

Some say "why me;" while others say "who knows?"

 

UD

[Ahab]

The "Words of Mormon" section in the Book of Mormon tell us that Mormon wrote as he was directed by God through the whisperings of the Spirit while he admitted that he couldn't write the 100th part of what the original writers had written. So if he hadn't felt inspired to write his abridgment then Joseph or someone else would have had to write one in our day or we would have had to pay more to print the first 5000 copies while trying to get people to read at least 100 times more than most are usually willing to read. The Lord knew what he was doing.

[Freedom]

The records, as seen in visions, filled a tavern. We are talking about 1000 years of recorded history. If we had all the writings of the new testament apostles, it too would be a very large volume. God wanted it abridged and it is abridged. 

[ERayR]

The records, as seen in visions, filled a tavern. We are talking about 1000 years of recorded history. If we had all the writings of the new testament apostles, it too would be a very large volume. God wanted it abridged and it is abridged. 

 

I think that was a cavern not a tavern. 

[strappinglad]

Personally, I like the 'asterix' version of the BoM ." And it came to pass" was probably just a single symbol in reformed Egyptian anyway. My question is, why all the detail on wars if what was to be preserved was to be the precious parts ? I could have used a few more pages on the 200 good years after Christ. Maybe it's like the newspaper business, ' if it bleeds, it leads '.

[ERayR]

Personally, I like the 'asterix' version of the BoM ." And it came to pass" was probably just a single symbol in reformed Egyptian anyway. My question is, why all the detail on wars if what was to be preserved was to be the precious parts ? I could have used a few more pages on the 200 good years after Christ. Maybe it's like the newspaper business, ' if it bleeds, it leads '.

 

The BoM was written to give us help through the things of our times.  Do you not think that war has been a major theme of this time?

[Calm]

I think that was a cavern not a tavern.

The other would have been more fun...pull up a barstool, get something nice and cold and reach over onto the shelf and pull off Samuel's latest for evening reading.

Hopefully they are all metal and no bark codices just in case of spills.

Edited January 2, 2015 by calmoriah

[Sevenbak]

I could have used a few more pages on the 200 good years after Christ. Maybe it's like the newspaper business, ' if it bleeds, it leads '.

 

I believe Mormon answers that pretty well in 3 Nephi 26.  

 

 

6 And now there cannot be written in this book even a hundredthpart of the things which Jesus did truly teach unto the people;

 7 But behold the plates of Nephi do contain the more part of the things which he taught the people.

 8 And these things have I written, which are a lesser part of the things which he taught the people; and I have written them to the intent that they may be brought again unto this people, from the Gentiles, according to the words which Jesus hath spoken.

 9 And when they shall have received this, which is expedient that they should have first, to try their faith, and if it shall so be that they shall believe these things then shall the greater things be made manifest unto them.

 10 And if it so be that they will not believe these things, then shall the greater things be withheld from them, unto their condemnation.

 

 11 Behold, I was about to write them, all which were engraven upon the plates of Nephi, but the Lord forbade it, saying: I will try the faith of my people.

 

I rather imagine is was much like His 40 days of post-ressurection teaching among His disciples in Jerusalem.  Sacred and esoteric teachings not meant for all.

[strappinglad]

Just read through an enlightening essay and comments from the times and seasons blog. I recommend the comments section there. Lots of insight into the reasons for the war chapters. My only point was that it would have been nice to have some concrete examples of how the Nephites built and maintained a Zion society for about 200 years.

http://timesandseasons.org/index.php/2008/08/the-war-chapters/

Edited January 2, 2015 by strappinglad

[Uncle Dale]

The other would have been more fun...pull up a barstool, get something nice and cold and reach over onto the shelf and pull off Samuel's latest for evening reading....

 

Samuel...

Lemuel...

Colesville...

Harpersville...

hotel...

Tavern...

(half a dozen of one and six of the other)

 

"I learned that Jo claimed to be translating the plates in Badger's Tavern, in Colesville"

(1886 William Riley Hine account)

"The trial of Smith for blasphemy was held at the hotel of Samuel Badger in Harpersville."

(1904 Amasa M. Badger account)

http://www.olivercowdery.com/smithhome/1900s/1900mag1.htm#comments

 

UD

[Gervin]

The BoM was written to give us help through the things of our times.  Do you not think that war has been a major theme of this time?

Bravo for the BoM for helping us through these times of war: win.

[pogi]

Bravo for the BoM for helping us through these times of war: win.

 

It certainly helps me to cope with the results of war (both physical and spiritual war). 

[Freedom]

Personally, I like the 'asterix' version of the BoM ." And it came to pass" was probably just a single symbol in reformed Egyptian anyway. My question is, why all the detail on wars if what was to be preserved was to be the precious parts ? I could have used a few more pages on the 200 good years after Christ. Maybe it's like the newspaper business, ' if it bleeds, it leads '.

What you need to look at is the type of wars that were included, and how the battles played out. Avraham Gileadi has some interesting things to say about it. 

[Uncle Dale]

What you need to look at is the type of wars that were included, and how the battles played out. Avraham Gileadi has some interesting things to say about it. 

 

 

I always thought that General Washington, in winter quarters

at Valley Forge, and struggling for assistance from the Continental

Congress, could have benefitted a little by reading the recorded

correspondence in the latter part of Alma -- of course those military

exchanges had not yet been published when Washington lived.

 

As for a modern day scenario of thermo-nuclear war, or massive

cyber-attacks by a hostile foreign power -- I doubt that Moroni,

Teancum and Helaman would be of much useful counsel.

 

Seems to me that the "Nephite Record" was more useful to early

19th century inquiring Christians, troubled over infant baptism

or proper advice on faith vs belief, enduring unto the end, etc.

 

What the literal gathering of the House of Israel upon the American

continent, the return of Enoch's city, and the discovery of the ten

lost tribes in the frozen north could possibly have to do with my life

here in the Isles of the Sea in 2015, I know naught...

 

UD

Edited January 3, 2015 by Uncle Dale

[Kenngo1969]

In addition to Sevenbak's citation of 3 Nephi 26, above, consider this:

 

1 Nephi 14 (see also 2 Nephi 4:25)

 

24 And behold, the things which this apostle of the Lamb shall write are many things which thou hast seen; and behold, the remainder shalt thou see.

 

25 But the things which thou shalt see hereafter thou shalt not write; for the Lord God hath ordained the apostle of the Lamb of God that he should write them.

 

26 And also others who have been, to them hath he shown all things, and they have written them; and they are sealed up to come forth in their purity, according to the truth which is in the Lamb, in the own due time of the Lord, unto the house of Israel.

 

27 And I, Nephi, heard and bear record, that the name of the apostle of the Lamb was John, according to the word of the angel.

 

28 And behold, I, Nephi, am forbidden that I should write the remainder of the things which I saw and heard; wherefore the things which I have written sufficeth me; and I have written but a small part of the things which I saw.

 

29 And I bear record that I saw the things which my father saw, and the angel of the Lord did make them known unto me.

 

30 And now I make an end of speaking concerning the things which I saw while I was carried away in the Spirit; and if all the things which I saw are not written, the things which I have written are true. And thus it is. Amen.

 

[Sevenbak]

 

...could possibly have to do with my life

here in the Isles of the Sea in 2015, I know naught...

 

UD

 

Well, as Nephi said... 

 

"Great are the promises of the Lord unto them who are upon the isles of the sea."

 

 

[Kaleb Webb]

The abridged plates were already 200 pounds, and Moroni was lugging them around for 20 years. I imagine lugging around a room full of plates didn't seem very appealing to him.

[Sevenbak]

The abridged plates were already 200 pounds, and Moroni was lugging them around for 20 years. I imagine lugging around a room full of plates didn't seem very appealing to him.

 

I sometimes chuckle when I read the last verse of Mormon 4, in which Mormon takes up all the records buried in the hill Shim, only to read the very next verse, in Mormon 5, when he breaks his oath and leads the Nephite army again.

 

He may have been a prophet/historian/warrior, but I also believe he was smart and used the army to move 1000 years of his civilization's records.

[Brant Gardner]

I couldn't even guess what the word meant that has been translated as "abridgement." What I can tell you is what we can discern about what Mormon did from the evidence of what he wrote. One important thing the war chapters tell us is that when Nephi told us that the large plates were more secular history and dealt with wars and contentions, that it must really have been true. We get the feeling, from what we have in the Book of Mormon, that the large plates were some repository of religious documents with some other stuff toss in. That is highly unlikely. Mormon was not doing a Reader's Digest version of the large plates, but was creating a new work that selected material from a much larger library to make a particular point (to show that Jesus is the Christ, the Eternal God). 

 

When Mormon extracted information from his sources, he appears to have selected important sermons and copied them directly. Historical threads he summarized in his own words. That means that the history we see is Mormon's version of history (from Zarahemla on, we have lost Mormon's view of the earlier material). We don't really know a lot about how the historical material was presented on those plates, precisely because Mormon doesn't quote them for history. We can surmise that the events were there, and we can see some structural evidence that the records were kept in annals format (that is, collecting information by years "in this year, these things happened").

 

So, why an abridgement? Of course scholars would love to have the originals Mormon worked with. If we did, however, it wouldn't easily look like the Book of Mormon. Mormon created his book from those sources. The large plates were the library where he did research, not a larger book that he digested into fewer words.