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Question: In what context are chariots mentioned in the Book of Mormon?
Question: In what context are chariots mentioned in the Book of Mormon?
Book of Mormon Central, KnoWhy #126: What is the Nature and Use of Chariots in the Book of Mormon? (Video)
The Book of Mormon mentions "chariots," which one assumes to be a wheeled vehicle. It is also claimed that no draft animals existed in the New World to pull such chariots. It should be remembered that chariots do not play a major role in the Book of Mormon. They are mentioned in the following contexts:
Quotations from Old World scriptures
- 2 Nephi 12꞉7 - citation from Isaiah
- 2 Nephi 15꞉28 - citation from Isaiah
Apocalyptic teachings in Old World style
- 3 Nephi 21꞉14 - Jesus speaks of "horses and chariots" in a symbolic and apocalyptic address
Used in conjunction with horses
- Alma 18꞉9 - Ammon feeds the Lamanite king's horses, which are associated with his "chariots."
- Alma 20꞉6 - Lamanite king uses horses and chariot for visit to neighboring kingdom
- 3 Nephi 3꞉22 - Nephites "had taken their horses, and their chariots" to a central fortified area for protection against robbers
(It should be noted that we are not told if these chariots served a purpose in riding, or if they were for transport of goods, or if they had a ceremonial function. One assumes some sort of practicality or ritual importance in war, since they brought chariots to the siege.)
Conspicuously absent is any role of the chariot in the many journeys recorded in the Book of Mormon. Nor do horses or chariots play any role in the many Nephite wars; this is in stark contrast to the Biblical account, in which the chariots of Egypt, Babylon, and the Philistines are feared super-weapons upon the plains of Israel.
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