Day 4: Book of Mormon – Enos, Jarom, Omni, Words of Mormon
The shortest books in the Book of Mormon present some interesting sketches of prophets. Enos is a classic story of spiritual growth and discipline. It is through the power of prayer that Enos is given insight and direction in life. I enjoyed the story as brief as it was. I could see people relating to Enos in their own spiritual discernment. This story is what it’s all about in many religions, right? The power of believing in something larger than yourself and the discipline to use that belief for both your growth and the good of the world.
Jarom takes a sudden turn and makes it clear these brief words are for the benefit of the Lamanites. I was left wondering what the benefit was, though there are brief mentions of the ways of righteousness and keeping the Law of Moses. Perhaps that is the purpose. It does offer a compassionate and reconciling tone to the Lamanites, which Enos didn’t.
Omni is a whirlwind of prophets, many of whom don’t have much to say at all. We hear from Omni, Chemish, Abinadom, and Amaleki. Then comes along Mosiah who discovers another former tribe of Israel living in the promised land. This is the first time we hear about King Benjamin, who is being set up as a wise and good king. I’m sure Benjamin will play a large part somewhere in the rest of this text. Omni felt like a bridge…a means to get the reader from the time of Jacob to the time of Benjamin.
And then there’s the Words of Mormon. All those questions about why there were certain plates for certain writings, why they were abridged, who abridged them, and so on are answered here in this brief book. A man named Mormon took it upon himself to write down what he thought was the best of the best from the plates. He was the great abridger! It leaves the question, though: Why abridge at all? For what is likely the official reason, you can always check out this story.
Someone might chime in here and go: Well, that’s because this is a made up book and the original writings were stolen and burned and Joseph Smith had to fill in the blanks somehow. Okay, that’s one explanation. That’s fine if you take the stance of “Is it true or not?” I’m curious, instead, about how the shape of this text gives shape to the life of Latter-day Saints. I’m not going to win a debate with someone who deeply believes in their faith about whether or not it’s true. I do want to hear about how the expression of scripture (in this case: an abridged text) molds attitudes toward religion in general. Latter-day Saints are notoriously cheerful when they hear about someone else’s deeply held beliefs.Does their attitude about scripture shape this response? If prophets freely abridge, are they assuming the truth (in their words: the gospel) is present in many texts and peoples and religions? It’s a thought I’m left with and will continue to hold.
Things I Noticed in the Text
- Enos 20,21 Those Filthy Lamanites! The contrast between the Nephites and Lamanites continues. If the story of the Lamanites wasn’t wrapped up in racialized commentary, I’d find it amusing. Instead, I cringe.
- Jarom 2, But Let’s Help the Lamanites! Here’s a shift. Jarom makes it clear that his writing is only for the benefit and salvation of the Lamanites. Okay, there’s a little hope.
- Omni 14, Another Tribe. This is fascinating. The Nephites discover a tribe that goes by the name of Zarahemla. They also left Israel during the reign of Zedekiah. However, they had forgotten their language and were nearly impossible to understand. The Nephites educated the people of Zarahemla so they could communicate. It’s interesting to note that the Book of Mormon continues the story of Israelites landing in the promised land (America).
- Words of Mormon 5, Abridging the Plates. We both get an explanation for why the plates were abridged and why it’s called the “Book of Mormon.” Mormon edited it. There we go.
This post is part of a larger series where I read the entirety of Latter-day Saint scripture in 15 days. Take a look at the original post for more info, as well as links to other reflections on this journey.