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Book of Mormon/Anachronisms/Chapter divisions
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Chapter divisions in the Book of Mormon
Question: Does the fact that the Book of Mormon has chapters demonstrate that it is a modern production?
The original Book of Mormon manuscript has no chapter headings or punctuation - they were added by the printer
It has been claimed that the fact that the Book of Mormon has chapters demonstrate that it is a modern production, since the "ignorant forger, in attempting to imitate the Bible, seems not to have known, that the division into chapters is a modern invention, and that the tables of contents are no part of the Bible, but are inserted or omitted at the option of the publisher of any edition."[1]
The table of contents and current chapters were modern additions; the original manuscript shows no evidence of them.
The table of contents was a modern insertion; it had no counter-part in the dictated text of the Book of Mormon. It was added just as it is in modern Bibles.
The original manuscript did contain chapters, although they were much longer than the modern chapters
The modern edition of the Book of Mormon was divided into chapters by Orson Pratt. However, the first edition of the Book of Mormon did contain chapters (though much longer than the modern chapters), and chapter markers were part of Joseph's dictated text.
To see citations to the critical sources for these claims, click here
Notes