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Difference between revisions of "Book of Mormon/Textual changes/"Benjamin" changed to "Mosiah""
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Ammon, while on his mission to convert the Lamanites, encountered the people of Limhi "not many days" after the plates were obtained. The 1830 Book of Mormon reports that "Limhi was again filled with joy, on learning from the mouth of Ammon that King Benjamin had a gift from God, whereby he could interpret such engravings; yea, and Ammon did also rejoice."{{ref|1830BOM.200}} However, a number of chapters prior to the description of this event, King Benjamin is reported to have died after turning over the kingship to his son Mosiah. | Ammon, while on his mission to convert the Lamanites, encountered the people of Limhi "not many days" after the plates were obtained. The 1830 Book of Mormon reports that "Limhi was again filled with joy, on learning from the mouth of Ammon that King Benjamin had a gift from God, whereby he could interpret such engravings; yea, and Ammon did also rejoice."{{ref|1830BOM.200}} However, a number of chapters prior to the description of this event, King Benjamin is reported to have died after turning over the kingship to his son Mosiah. | ||
| − | + | ===Possible reasons for the discrepancy=== | |
| + | Critics, of course, point to this discrepancy and the subsequent change from "Benjamin" to "Mosiah" to be an indication that Joseph Smith made a mistake during the production of the Book of Mormon. From a believer's perspective, however, there are several possible explanations for the discrepancy: | ||
| + | *Ammon may have left Zarahemla prior to King Benjamin's death. | ||
| + | *Mormon may have made an error and written the name "Benjamin" rather than "Mosiah" during his abridgment. | ||
==Conclusion== | ==Conclusion== | ||
Revision as of 09:48, 24 August 2008
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Contents
Criticism
In the text currently found in Mosiah 21:28 and Ether 4:1 of the Book of Mormon, the 1830 edition reads "Benjamin", while all subsequent editions read "Mosiah." Critics claim that "either God made a mistake when He inspired the record or Joseph made a mistake when he translated it."
Source(s) of the criticism
- John Ankerberg and John Weldon, Everything You Ever Wanted to Know About Mormonism (Eugene, Oregon: Harvest House, 1992), p. 310.
- Walter Martin, The Kingdom of the Cults (Minneapolis, Minnesota: Bethany House, 1985), p. 186.
- Jerald and Sandra Tanner, Mormonism-Shadow or Reality? (Salt Lake City: Modern Microfilm, 1972), p. 90.
- James White, Letters to a Mormon Elder (Southbridge, Massachusetts: Crowne, 1990), pp. 184-185.
Response
Background
The people of King Limhi were living under domination of the Lamanites, and had been separated for a number of years from the main body of the Nephites located in Zarahemla. Limhi's group sent out a "a small number of men" to search for the city of Zarahemla. These men became lost, but they did locate "a land which was covered with dry bones; yea, a land which had been peopled, and which had been destroyed." Amongst the ruins they located a record "engraven on plates of ore." Assuming this land to be the land of Zarahemla, the search party returned to report to Limhi, bringing the plates with them. Limhi did not have the ability to translate this record and was therefore unable to determine what was contained upon these plates.
Ammon, while on his mission to convert the Lamanites, encountered the people of Limhi "not many days" after the plates were obtained. The 1830 Book of Mormon reports that "Limhi was again filled with joy, on learning from the mouth of Ammon that King Benjamin had a gift from God, whereby he could interpret such engravings; yea, and Ammon did also rejoice."[1] However, a number of chapters prior to the description of this event, King Benjamin is reported to have died after turning over the kingship to his son Mosiah.
Possible reasons for the discrepancy
Critics, of course, point to this discrepancy and the subsequent change from "Benjamin" to "Mosiah" to be an indication that Joseph Smith made a mistake during the production of the Book of Mormon. From a believer's perspective, however, there are several possible explanations for the discrepancy:
- Ammon may have left Zarahemla prior to King Benjamin's death.
- Mormon may have made an error and written the name "Benjamin" rather than "Mosiah" during his abridgment.
Conclusion
Endnotes
- [note] Book of Mormon, 1830 edition, p. 200.
Further reading
FAIR wiki articles
FAIR web site
- L. Ara Norwood, Benjamin or Mosiah? Resolving an Anomaly in Mosiah 21:28