Complexity

1. Measuring from when the people left Jerusalem (ex. 3 Nephi 2:6 etc.)

2. Measuring according to rulers/judges amongst their people (ex. Hel. 11:1 etc.)

3. Measuring since sign of the coming of Christ (ex. Moroni 10:1 etc.)

• The Book of Mormon covers periods between 587 BC and 421 AD which is 1008 years of history, people and events. In addition to that primary 1008 year period, the Book of Mormon also contains the history of the people of the brother of Jared in the Book of Ether which events took place during the time of the Tower of Babel (approx. 1750 BC)

DIFFICULT COMMANDMENTS: The Book of Mormon contains various instances where God gave difficult commands to various individuals. Ultimately, all of God's commands have purpose (ex. sometimes merely to test our obedience), but these are additional examples of some of the deep complexity that is found in the Book of Mormon.

• • In 1 Nephi 3:1-2 After the a family has already left the city of Jerusalem at the command of the Lord, the Lord then commands some of the brothers to return to the city from whence they just came in order to obtain a record of scripture.

• In 1 Nephi 4:1-18 The Spirit of God commands Nephi to kill the wicked man Laban who Nephi finds unconscious from intoxication on the ground before him.

DISTINCT WRITING STYLES, PERSONALITIES, FOCUSES

• NEPHI: Nephi had a unique love for the words of Isaiah. Not only did he quote two chapters from the Book of Isaiah (Isaiah 48 & 49), but he specifically asked his brother Jacob to continue preaching from Isaiah's words after Nephi would pass away. Per Nephi's request, Jacob went on to quote from 17 chapters of Isaiah. Click on the link "Isaiah Chapters" on the left for a detailed analysis on the quoted Isaiah chapters.

• JACOB: Jacob has two reoccurring elements: 1. Condemning the breaking of the law of chastity (especially the having of multiple wives and concubines during times when the Lord has forbidden such practices), and 2. Showing the readers that he and his people knew about Christ. The only direct preaching on the topic of plural wives and concubines is right here in the Book of Jacob, and it was given repeatedly. Clearly this was a uniquely important issue to him.

• JAREM: The Book of Mormon writer Jarem had soma unique writing style, using various phrases are used by no other writer in the Book of Mormon:

INTERNAL CROSS-REFERENCES:

• • • ABINADI REFERENCED BEFOREHAND: Mosiah 7:26-28 (written 121 BC) briefly references an unnamed prophet that was burned to death for prophesying of Christ and repentance. It is not until chapters later (Mosiah 11-17) that we hear the full story of that prophet whose name, we learn, was Abinadi.

    • THREE RIGHTEOUS GENERATIONS: 3 Nephi 27:31-32 describes three generations that pass away in righteousness after the appearance of the resurrected Jesus amongst them. That even is referenced and prophecied of about 600 years earlier in a vision given to the prophet Nephi : "And I looked, and beheld three generations pass away in righteousness; and their garments were white even like unto the Lamb of God. And the angel said unto me: These are made white in the blood of the Lamb, because of their faith in him", 1 Nephi 12:12

    • PLATES OF BROTHER OF JARED: The Book of Ether (which is one of the last books in the Book of Mormon) gives the account of "the brother of Jared" who travels to the New World with his family during the time of the Tower of Babel (around 1750 BC). That story is recorded on 24 metal plates and is recorded towards the end of the Book of Mormon. However, brief mentions of that record and story is found here and there throughout the Book of Mormon before the story is given in full in Ether. Those references include Omni:1:21, Mosiah 8, Mosiah 21:25-28 and Alma 37:21-

ISAIAH CHAPTERS

The revelations of Isaiah are some of the most complex, symbolic and difficult revelations in the Bible to understand, yet those were some of the chapters that the writers of the Book of Mormon chose in include in their record. A chapter for chapter and word for word comparison between the words of Isaiah as found in the Bible and the Book of Mormon shows all kinds of insight, wisdom, complexity, logic and, I believe, inspiration. See the page "Isaiah Chapters" on the side bar of this site for that detailed comparison

LEGAL DETAILS /TRIALS:

• Alma 10:!4 Men... who were lawyers, who were hired or appointed by the people to administer the law at their times of trials, or at the trials of the crimes of the people before the judges.

• Alma 51:19 And it came to pass that there were four thousand of those dissenters who were hewn down by the sword; and those of their leaders who were not slain in battle were taken and cast into prison, for there was no time for their trials at this period.

• Alma 62:8-10 And behold, Pachus was slain and his men were taken prisoners, and Pahoran was restored to his judgment-seat. 9 And the men of Pachus received their trial, according to the law, and also those king-men who had been taken and cast into prison; and they were executed according to the law; yea, those men of Pachus and those king-men, whosoever would not take up arms in the defence of their country, but would fight against it, were put to death. 10 And thus it became expedient that this law should be strictly observed for the safety of their country; yea, and whosoever was found denying their freedom was speedily executed according to the law.

• Mosiah 12:9 And it came to pass that they were angry with him; and they took him and carried him bound before the king, and said unto the king...

METAPHORS & ALLEGORIES:

• Jacob 5 contains an allegory called "Allegory of the Olive Trees". The allegory is 76 verses long and includes great detail of the back and forth movement of branches amongst different types of trees at different times which produce different types of quality of fruit, all of which symbolizes different aspects or phases of the gathering of Israel and the destruction of the wicked. See the link "Olive Tree Allegory" for more details.

  • Alma 32:28-35 uses the metaphor of a seed growing in the ground to how the Spirit testifies of the truthfulness of God's word in our hearts, saying: "Now, we will compare the word unto a seed. Now, if ye give place that a seed may be planted in your heart, behold, if it be a true seed, or a good seed, if ye do not cast it out by your unbelief, that ye will resist the Spirit of the Lord, behold, it will begin to swell within your breasts; and when you feel these swelling motions, ye will begin to say within yourselves—It must needs be that this is a good seed, or that the word is good, for it beginneth to enlarge my soul; yea, it beginneth to enlighten my understanding, yea, it beginneth to be delicious to me. Now behold, would not this increase your faith? I say unto you, Yea; nevertheless it hath not grown up to a perfect knowledge. But behold, as the seed swelleth, and sprouteth, and beginneth to grow, then you must needs say that the seed is good; for behold it swelleth, and sprouteth, and beginneth to grow. And now, behold, will not this strengthen your faith? Yea, it will strengthen your faith: for ye will say I know that this is a good seed; for behold it sprouteth and beginneth to grow. And now, behold, are ye sure that this is a good seed? I say unto you, Yea; for every seed bringeth forth unto its own likeness.2 Therefore, if a seed groweth it is good, but if it groweth not, behold it is not good, therefore it is cast away. And now, behold, because ye have tried the experiment, and planted the seed, and it swelleth and sprouteth, and beginneth to grow, ye must needs know that the seed is good. And now, behold, is your knowledge perfect? Yea, your knowledge is perfect in that thing, and your faith is dormant; and this because you know, for ye know that the word hath swelled your souls, and ye also know that it hath sprouted up, that your understanding doth begin to be enlightened, and your mind doth begin to expand. O then, is not this real? I say unto you, Yea, because it is light; and whatsoever is light, is good, because it is discernible, therefore ye must know that it is good.

NUMBER OF LOCATIONS:

The Book of Mormon names 167 distinct locations (cities, lands etc.) Here below is a map that shows just some of those locations.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_Book_of_Mormon_places