Charting the Book of Mormon, © 1999 Welch, Welch, FARMS Book of Mormon Plates and Records
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Section 2 The Structure of the Book of Mormon Charts 13–25 Structure Chart 13 Book of Mormon Plates and Records Key Scripture Words of Mormon 1:3–11 Explanation Many ancient documents such as King Benjamin’s speech or the plates of brass were quoted or abridged by the ancient authors who compiled the books found on the small and large plates of Nephi. The abridgments, quotations, and original writings of those Book of Mormon historians are displayed on the left-hand and middle columns of this chart and are then shown in relation to the new set of plates produced by Mormon and Moroni that was delivered to Joseph Smith by the angel Moroni. Joseph dictated the original manuscript of the Book of Mormon from the plates of Mormon. Copying that original manuscript, parts of which survive today, Oliver Cowdery prepared a printer’s manuscript (owned by the RLDS Church). The first edition of the Book of Mormon was typeset from that printer’s manuscript. Source Grant R. Hardy and Robert E. Parsons, “Book of Mormon Plates and Records,” in Daniel H. Ludlow, ed., Encyclopedia of Mormonism, 5 vols. (1992), 1:196. Charting the Book of Mormon, © 1999 Welch, Welch, FARMS Book of Mormon Plates and Records Quotation Abridgment Record of Lehi Small Plates of Nephi Plates 1 & 2 Nephi, Jacob, of Brass Enos, Jarom, Omni Benjamin’s Words of Speech Mormon Book of Lehi Record (lost 116 pages) of Zeniff Large Plates of Nephi Records Lehi, Mosiah, Alma, of Alma Helaman, 3 & 4 Nephi Plates of Records of Sons Mormon Mormon of Mosiah Sealed Plates Epistles of (not translated) Helaman, Pahoran, Moroni Ether Records of Nephi3 Records of Moroni the Jaredites Documents Title Page from Mormon The Book Printer’s Original of Mormon Manuscript Manuscript 1830 1829–30 1829 Charting the Book of Mormon, © 1999 Welch, Welch, FARMS Chart 13 Structure Chart 14 Contents of the Plates of Brass Key Scripture 1 Nephi 5:11–14 Explanation The plates of brass contained a copy of the Law (five books of Moses), a history of the Jews, Lehi’s genealogy, and the writings of many prophets. Some of these records were comparable to cer- tain books now found in the Old Testament, but others did not find their way into the Bible. Nephi’s summary of these contents, found in 1 Nephi 5:11–14, is graphically displayed here, along with sample references illustrating the profound influence of these records elsewhere in the Book of Mormon. Source Expanded from the work of Paul Bankhead, student of John W. Welch, Book of Mormon 121H, Brigham Young University, fall 1997. Charting the Book of Mormon, © 1999 Welch, Welch, FARMS Contents of the Plates of Brass Listed in 1 Nephi 5:11–14 1 Nephi 5:11 Five Books of Moses creation of the world 2 Nephi 2:15 account of Adam and Eve 2 Nephi 2:18–19 law of Moses 2 Nephi 5:10 1 Nephi 5:12 A Record of the Jews to Jacob 2:23 the Reign of Zedekiah 1 Nephi 5:13 Prophecies of the Holy Prophets Isaiah coming of Christ 2 Nephi 19:1–8 scattering of Israel 2 Nephi 19:11–21 day of the Gentiles 1 Nephi 20 victory of God 1 Nephi 21 Zenos burial of Christ 1 Nephi 19:10 allegory of the olive tree Jacob 5 hymn on prayer Alma 33:4–11 Zenock crucifixion of Christ 1 Nephi 19:10 Neum crucifixion of Christ 1 Nephi 19:10 Joseph concerning his posterity 2 Nephi 4:2 Jeremiah many prophecies Helaman 8:20 1 Nephi 5:14 Genealogy of Alma 10:3 Lehi’s Fathers Charting the Book of Mormon, © 1999 Welch, Welch, FARMS Chart 14 Structure Chart 15 Sources behind the Book of Ether Key Scripture Ether 1:1–5 Explanation What we now know as the book of Ether originated from early Jaredite records and Ether’s writings, which Ether combined to produce his twenty-four gold plates near the end of the Jaredite civilization. The people of Limhi later found these plates while searching for the city of Zarahemla, and King Mosiah translated them around 120 B.C. Moroni later abridged the translated plates and, together with his commentary, included them in his record, thus producing the final form of the book of Ether. The seams between the insertions of Moroni’s comments into the final text of this book are clearly discernible, with the underlying text resuming flawlessly after each interruption. Source John W. Welch, “Sources behind the Book of Ether” (Provo, Utah: FARMS, 1986). Charting the Book of Mormon, © 1999 Welch, Welch, FARMS Sources behind the Book of Ether Early Jaredite Records records “brought 1:3; 8:9 Jaredite king list 1:6–33 across the deep” 1:33–3:16; records of the Jaredite royal 6:2–8:18; 3:21–28 brother of Jared history 9:1–12:1 Ether’s 24 Ether’s Writings gold plates Ether’s account 12:2–5; prophecies 13:13–15:34 of the Jaredite of Ether 13:2–12 destruction Moroni’s Mosiah’s abridgment translation Moroni’s Commentary on his abridg- on faith of the 3:17–20 ment of the 1:1–6 brother of Jared book of Ether on sealed on secret Moroni’s 4:1–6:1 records coming 8:18–26 combinations to light book of Ether on faith 12:6–41 Charting the Book of Mormon, © 1999 Welch, Welch, FARMS Chart 15 Structure Chart 16 Who Kept the Records in the Book of Mormon? (Overview) Key Scripture Mormon 9:30–37 Explanation Genealogical, historical, legal, and prophetic records of the Nephites were handed down in sacred trust, usually from father to son. Only four Nephite families kept the plates: Lehi’s posterity mainly through Jacob, Mosiah’s family, Alma and his long line of descendants, and Mormon and his son Moroni. As anthropologist John L. Sorenson has pointed out, the Book of Mormon is struc- tured as a “lineage history.” Charting the Book of Mormon, © 1999 Welch, Welch, FARMS Who Kept the Records in the Book of Mormon? Lehi Authors Authors with books Nephi1 Jacob named after them Genealogy Enos Path of records Jarom Omni Amaron Chemish Abinadom Mosiah1 Amaleki Benjamin Alma1 Mosiah2 Alma2 Helaman2 Shiblon Helaman3 Nephi2 Nephi3 Nephi4 Amos1 Mormon2 Ammaron Amos2 Moroni2 Charting the Book of Mormon, © 1999 Welch, Welch, FARMS Chart 16 Structure Chart 17 Who Kept the Records in the Book of Mormon? (By Lineages) Key Scripture Mormon 9:30–37 Explanation The four families of Nephite record keepers of the Book of Mormon are listed chronologically here, along with their approximate dates of birth and other important information. If a date is not found in or tied directly to a specific verse, then the information has been de- duced from general historical information. This list is similar to chart 16 and can be used to document and explain the relationships between keepers of the plates of Nephi. Source John W. Welch, “Longevity of Book of Mormon People and the ‘Age of Man,’” Journal of Collegium Aesculapium 3 (1985): 34–45. Charting the Book of Mormon, © 1999 Welch, Welch, FARMS Who Kept the Records in the Book of Mormon? Lineage of Lehi Record Keeper Dates* Comments Reference Nephi1 615 B.C. born in Jerusalem 1 Nephi 1:4 600 B.C. begins record when about 15 years old 1 Nephi 1:1 540 B.C. dies about 75 years old Jacob 592 B.C. born son of Lehi, brother of Nephi1 1 Nephi 18:7 544 B.C. becomes record keeper Jacob 1:1 495 B.C. dies about 97 years old Jacob 7:27 Enos 515 B.C. born son of Jacob Jacob 7:27 420 B.C. about to die Enos 1:25 417 B.C. dies about 98 years old Jarom 440 B.C. born son of Enos Jarom 1:1 420 B.C. becomes record keeper Jarom 1:1 361 B.C. gives plates to Omni Jarom 1:15 355 B.C. dies about 85 years old Omni 390 B.C. born son of Jarom Omni 1:1 361 B.C. becomes record keeper Jarom 1:15 317 B.C. writes 3 verses on plates in 44 years Omni 1:1–3 315 B.C. dies about 75 years old Omni 1:3 Amaron 350 B.C. born son of Omni Omni 1:4 317 B.C. becomes record keeper Omni 1:4 277 B.C. dies about 73 years old Omni 1:8 Chemish 330 B.C. born son of Omni, brother of Amaron Omni 1:9 279 B.C. becomes record keeper Omni 1:9 250 B.C. dies about 80 years old Omni 1:9 Abinadom 270 B.C. born son of Chemish Omni 1:10 180 B.C. dies about 90 years old Omni 1:10 Amaleki 210 B.C. born son of Abinadom Omni 1:12 150 B.C. Nephites move to Zarahemla Omni 1:13 138 B.C. dies about 72 years old Omni 1:30 * dates are approximate Charting the Book of Mormon, © 1999 Welch, Welch, FARMS Chart 17 Benjamin and Mosiah Benjamin 190 B.C. born son of Mosiah1 Omni 1:23 140 B.C. becomes record keeper Omni 1:25 121 B.C. dies 69 years old Mosiah 6:5 Mosiah2 154 B.C. born son of Benjamin Mosiah 6:4 91 B.C. dies about 63 years old Mosiah 29:46 Lineage of Alma1 Alma1 174 B.C. born a descendant of Nephi Mosiah 17:2 149 B.C.