Brigham Young University BYU ScholarsArchive Theses and Dissertations 1988 Pronouns of Address in the Book of Mormon Lyle L. Fletcher Brigham Young University - Provo Follow this and additional works at: https://scholarsarchive.byu.edu/etd Part of the Biblical Studies Commons, Linguistics Commons, and the Mormon Studies Commons BYU ScholarsArchive Citation Fletcher, Lyle L., "Pronouns of Address in the Book of Mormon" (1988). Theses and Dissertations. 4689. https://scholarsarchive.byu.edu/etd/4689 This Thesis is brought to you for free and open access by BYU ScholarsArchive. It has been accepted for inclusion in Theses and Dissertations by an authorized administrator of BYU ScholarsArchive. For more information, please contact [email protected], [email protected]. N 2qio2 F 535 pronouns of address in the book of mormon A thesis presented to the department of english brigham young university in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree master of arts by lyielyleL fletcher april 1988 this thesis by lyielyleL fletcher is accepted in its present form by the department of english of brigham young university as satisfying the thesis requirement for the degree of master of arts el grant M Boswellboswelllboswell7osx4e 7 committeecommi tbbabb chairman 1.1 rayalrdyalrcfyal J askousenkak6usen committee member L s obertrobert fi Mitmatthewsthews committee member an datefn S ewa C witlerwdtler graduate coordinator ii acknowledgments I1 wish first of all to thank my father in heaven for sustaining me throughout my work on this thesis secondly I1 wish to thank my parents for bringing me up 11 in the nurture and admonition of the lordandlord and blessed be the name of my god fforor it enos 111 1 I1 also wish to thank my bifwifwifee for her tender love and faithful support special appreciation is due those in the historical department of the church of jesus christ of latterlatterdayday saints for allowing me access to the original manuscript of the book of mormon and fforor giving me permission to quote therefrom appreciation also is due those in special collections of the harold B lee library of brigham young university for allowing me access to the microfilm of the printers manuscript I1 also wish to thank the many professors and associates who have contributed in meaningful ways to this thesis special thanks go to grant M boswell royal J skousen robert J matthews paul R thomas larry C porter richard G ellsworth steven C walker and edward A geary for going the extra mile in my behalf iii TABLE OF CONTENTS chapter 1 definition of the research problem 0 0 0 1 chapter 2 language use and variation 0 9 0 0 0 0 0 9 28 chapter 3 second person pronoun usage in english through the fifteenth century 0 16 0 0 1 0 8 a 41 chapter 4 second person pronoun usage in english after the fifteenth century 0 9 9 0 0 0 10 85 chapter 5 second person pronoun usage in the english bible 0 0 0 0 0 0 166 chapter 6 second person pronoun usage in joseph smiths day 0 0 0 0 0 0 D 194 chapter 7 A brief history of the book of mormon with regard to texts and editions 0 0 0 233 chapter 8 second person pronoun usage in the book of mormon 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 263 works cited 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 306 appendix 1 examples of pronominal shifting in the book of mormon excluding 1 nephi 323 iv CHAPTER ONE definition OF THE RESEARCH PROBLEM I1 introduction moroni exhorts those who read the book of mormon behold I1 would exhort you that when ye shall read these things if it be wisdom in god that ye should read them that ye would remember how merciful the lord hath been unto the children of men from the creation of adam even down until the time that ye shall receive these things and ponder it in your hearts moro 103 all book of mormon citations are from the 1981 edition unless otherwise noted one purpose of the book of mormon is to show unto the remnant of the house of israel how great things the lord hath done for their fathers and that they may know the covenants of the lord title page 1830 ed emphasis added this is one way in which the promises made to the fathers can be planted in the hearts of the children dacd&c 22 JSHJS H 139 the great things the lord hath done 1 ne 711 alma 6250 ether 663030 727f727 102 are another evidence that the eternal purposes of the lord shall roll on morm 822 and that his covenant with abraham is sure 1 ne 1518 2 ne 2914 3 ne 2025272025 27 of the book of 2 mormon it can truly be said and behold it is the hand of the lord which hath done it morm 88 the magnalia christchristichristlamericana or the great works of christ in america is not only the title of cotton mathers history of colonial america it could also be another title for the book of mormon thlthithisI1 s is the LORDs doing it is marcellousmarvellousmarvellous in our eyes Ps 11823 the book of mormon itself is a marvelous work and a wonder 2 ne 2517182517 18 2726 see also 1 ne 147 speaking of the book of mormontmormon joseph smith testified that he translated the record by the gift and power of god fhistoryujigtgryfHistory of the church 674 4537 comprehensive history of the church 1127 oliver cowdery david whitmer and martin harris testified and we also know that they ie the gold plates which they saw have been translated by the gift and power of god for his voice hath declared it unto us wherefore we know of a surety that the work is true the testimony of three witnesses the lord himself declared and joseph smith has translated the book of mormon even that part which I1 have commanded him and as your lord and your god liveth it is true dacd&c 176 and we are accountable for these testimonies dacd&c 552055 20 moroni tells us that by the power of the holy ghost we may know the truth of all things moro 105 therefore what greater witness can we have than from god dacd&c 623 the vision of all things isa 2911 as isaiah 3 prophesied has been delivered unto a man 2 ne 279 and behold the book shall be sealed and in the book shall be a revelation from god from the beginning of the world to the ending thereof 2 neme 277 the words in this book reveal all things from the foundation of the world unto the end thereof 2 ne 2710 but the things which are sealed shall not be delivered in the day of the wickedness and abominations of the people 2 ne 278 for the book shall be sealed by the power of god and the revelation which was sealed shall be kept in the book until the own due time of the lord 2 ne 227107 10 mormon the compiler of this record tells us that only a lesser part of christs words have been translated and sent forth unto this generation to try their faith 3 ne 26811268 11 however the learned and wise will not receive even this lesser portion of gods words As the lord said therefore I1 will proceed to do a marvelous work and a wonder for the wisdom of their wise and learned shall perish and the understanding of their prudent shall be hid 2 ne 2726 in this day when men make a man an offender for a word the lord says concerning the book of mormon and the words thereof the learned shall not read them for they have rejected them and I1 am able to do mine own work 2 ne 2719292719 29 32 thus the wise and the learned and they that are rich who are puffed up because of their learning and their wisdom and their riches yea 4 they are they whom he desdespisethpiseth and save they shall cast these things away and consider themselves fools before god and come down in the depths of humility he will not open unto them 2 neme 942 truly the lord has worked through his weak simple and unlearned servant joseph smith jr to accomplish his great and marvelous work 1 cor 12527125 27 2 ne 2714202714 20 dac ilg119f119 23f23 616 1 he also has worked through many other prophets such as moroni and nephi who acknowledge their weakness in writing 2 ne 3314331 4 11 ether 1223371223 37 the things the lord has reserved to come forth in this generation were entrusted to joseph smith and the lord said to him this generation shall have my word through you dacd&c 510 thus the lord is willing to give men commandments to his servants in their weakness after the manner of their language that they might come to understanding dacd&c 1241241 see also 2 ne 313 alma 298 dacd&c 9011 the book 0off mormon may not be a literary masterpiece according to the worldworlds s standards but it is the word of god couched in the language of joseph smith fools mock but they shall mourn morm 820 for as isaiah says wo unto the wisevise in their own eyes and prudent in their own sight therefore as the irelrefiref devourethdevoureth the stubble and the flame consumethconsumeth the chaff their root shall be rottenness and their 5 blossoms shall go up as dust because they have cast away the law of the lord of hosts and despised the word of the holy one of israel 2 ne 1521 24 though the word of god which has come through joseph smith is perhaps not without its inconsistencies in terms of spelling punctuation and grammar these are not the important things these are merely conventions of language which change from time to time moroni cautions us condemn me not because of mine imperfection but rather give thanks unto god that he hath made manifest unto you our imperfections that ye may learn to be more wise than we have been morm 931 the lesson to be learned from this is that the lord can work his marvelous work and a wonder even through the weak the simple and the unlearned though human weakness and error are evident in the book of mormon the title page itself proclaims and now if there be fault it be the mistake of men wherefore condemn not