Monday, December 5, 2011

Mosiah 1

1. 1:1 people who "belonged to King Benjamin" is a very feudal, pre-modern formulation.  Sounds like a reference to the multiple ethnicities that make up the kingdom of Zarahemla.

2. 1:2-4 confirms that this is a different line of Lehi's family.  I guess Nephi gave his small plates to Jacob, and the "man" anointed by Nephi to be Nephi II in Jacob 1:9 was some other family member.

3. 1:3 tantalizes with its reference to the "mysteries".  Literally, it seems to say that the brass plates enabled Lehi to preserve temple ritual among his people.  As a prolog to Benjamin's great temple address-farewell sermon, this makes great sense.  This puts a different nuance on Nephi's internal debate over killing Laban in 1 Nephi 4:12-18.

4. 1:5 hits the "mystery" bell again, and seems to say that's specifically the thing the Lamanites have lost.

5. Typo!  My copy has an asterisk in 1:10, with no footnote.  That's what I get for reading closely.  Ha!

6. 1:10ff sounds like court ceremony.  I think it's likely everyone was already gathered for the fall festivals, and this summons (Benjamin "had Mosiah brought before him") was a bit of theater that was part of the prelude to making Mosiah co-king with Benjamin (1:15ff).

2 comments:

  1. I have to laugh at myself for #5 now. It indicates the modern editors' analysis of the date, at the foot. Duh. Ha! Man is fallible, Dave is a man, ego ignore #5.

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