Complexity of Content

The complexity of creating accurate structure and timelines, also called periodization, is one of the more difficult aspects of successful authorship. Some contemporary authors are masterful at it; one of my personal favorites is Brandon Sanderson.  But even his complex works, as is the case with most authors, are the result of numerous rewrites and edits. This luxury was not available to Joseph Smith, and such complexity of structure in writing was almost unheard of in 1830. These elements seen in The Book of Mormon, as described in the introduction, are further structural evidence of the book’s truth and validity.

  The Plates of Nephi, which were of two kinds: the small plates and the large plates. The former were more particularly devoted to spiritual matters and the ministry and teachings of the prophets, while the latter were occupied mostly by a secular history of the peoples concerned.. From the time of Mosiah, however, the large plates also included items of major spiritual importance.
  The Plates of Mormon, which consist of an abridgment by Mormon from the large plates of Nephi, with many commentaries. These plates also contained a continuation of the history by Mormon and additions by his son Moroni.
  The Plates of Ether, which present a history of the Jaredites. This record was abridged by Moroni, who inserted comments of his own and incorporated the record with the general history under the title “Book of Ether.”
  The Plates of Brass brought by the people of Lehi from Jerusalem in 600 B.C. These contained “the five books of Moses, … and also a record of the Jews from the beginning…
  The Book of Mormon comprises fifteen main parts or divisions, known, with one exception, as books, usually designated by the name of their principal author. The first portion (the first six books, ending with Omni) is a translation from the small plates of Nephi. Between the books of Omni and Mosiah is an insert called the Words of Mormon. This insert connects the record engraved on the small plates with Mormon’s abridgment of the large plates.
  The longest portion, from Mosiah through Mormon chapter 7, is a translation of Mormon’s abridgment of the large plates of Nephi. The concluding portion, from Mormon chapter 8 to the end of the volume, was engraved by Mormon’s son Moroni, who, after finishing the record of his father’s life, made an abridgment of the Jaredite record (as the book of Ether) and later added the parts known as the book of Moroni.

LESSON LEARNED: Complex structure and timelines were rare in the writings of the early 19th century. Such details seen in The Book of Mormon add to the structural testimony of its validity.

FEEDBACK: HAVE YOU CONSIDERED THE COMPLEXITY OF STRUCTURE OF THE BOOK OF MORMON IN YOUR READING OF IT?