BOM Alma 9

Last updated on: April 21, 2016 at 10:18 pm by Dan Peterson

BOM Alma 9 2016-04-21T22:18:50-06:00 Dan Peterson

LOGO Patheos Explore the world's faith through different perspectives on religion and spirituality! Patheos has the views of the prevalent religions and spiritualities of the world.

The reconstructed Peter Whitmer home near Fayette, New York, where a large part of the Book of Mormon was translated. (Wikimedia Commons)

Two quick notes on today’s reading:

When, in verse 6, the people of Ammonihah proudly demand “Who is God, that sendeth no more authority than one man among this people?” they unwittingly repeat the question of King Noah (see Mosiah 11:27), who unwittingly repeated the words of Pharaoh (see Exodus 5:2). In the two prior cases, human arrogance led to humiliation, death, and destruction. Unsurprisingly, the city and people of Ammonihah will meet a similar fate.

In verse thirteen, Alma cites the words of Lehi: “Inasmuch as ye shall keep my commandments, ye shall prosper in the land.” Also, “Inasmuch as ye will not keep my commandments ye shall be cut off from the presence of the Lord.” Those words are originally given at 2 Nephi 1:20, fully 174 pages prior to Alma 9:13 in the current English printed edition.

Now, it’s not completely impossible that Joseph Smith could have done this by purely natural means. But the fact that he was dictating roughly 8.5 to 11 pages daily, supposedly off the top of his head and with no smuggled-in, pre-existing manuscript on which to rely, makes it rather hard for me to believe that he could remember the earlier text in such detail as to reproduce it this way. And the problem is made all the more challenging when we consider the consensus of many scholars today that Joseph Smith dictated the first portion of today’s printed editions (1 Nephi through Words of Mormon) after the later portion (Mosiah through Moroni). In other words, Joseph was quoting from a text that he supposedly hadn’t made up yet, and he had to retain Alma 9:13 in his head and make sure that he inserted it when he dictated the earlier part of his invented yarn.

I dunno. That seems a bit difficult to me.

Uncategorized

Previous Post

April 21, 2016

"Bamboozled by the CES Letter"

Next Post

April 21, 2016 On the Devil in Islam

Browse Our Archives

Select a Category Uncategorized

Select a Month November 2026 October 2026 September 2026 August 2026 July 2026 June 2026 May 2026 April 2026 March 2026 February 2026 January 2026 December 2025 November 2025 October 2025 September 2025 August 2025 July 2025 June 2025 May 2025 April 2025 March 2025 February 2025 January 2025 December 2024 November 2024 October 2024 September 2024 August 2024 July 2024 June 2024 May 2024 April 2024 March 2024 February 2024 January 2024 December 2023 November 2023 October 2023 September 2023 August 2023 July 2023 June 2023 May 2023 April 2023 March 2023 February 2023 January 2023 December 2022 November 2022 October 2022 September 2022 August 2022 July 2022 June 2022 May 2022 April 2022 March 2022 February 2022 January 2022 December 2021 November 2021 October 2021 September 2021 August 2021 July 2021 June 2021 May 2021 April 2021 March 2021 February 2021 January 2021 December 2020 November 2020 October 2020 September 2020 August 2020 July 2020 June 2020 May 2020 April 2020 March 2020 February 2020 January 2020 December 2019 November 2019 October 2019 September 2019 August 2019 July 2019 June 2019 May 2019 April 2019 March 2019 February 2019 January 2019 December 2018 November 2018 October 2018 September 2018 August 2018 July 2018 June 2018 May 2018 April 2018 March 2018 February 2018 January 2018 December 2017 November 2017 October 2017 September 2017 August 2017 July 2017 June 2017 May 2017 April 2017 March 2017 February 2017 January 2017 December 2016 November 2016 October 2016 September 2016 August 2016 July 2016 June 2016 May 2016 April 2016 March 2016 February 2016 January 2016 December 2015 November 2015 October 2015 September 2015 August 2015 July 2015 June 2015 May 2015 April 2015 March 2015 February 2015 January 2015 December 2014 November 2014 March 2014 August 2013 February 2012

TAKE THE

Religious Wisdom Quiz

Which branch of Christianity believes in the doctrine of transubstantiation?

Select your answer to see how you score.

Evangelicals Orthodox Catholics Protestants