BM-KJV and JE-1 Nephi 1

Annotation of 1 Nephi 1 – preliminary

1 Nephi 1 is a good example because it shows that a high percentage of Joseph Smith’s language is also KJV language. Few of the KJV words/phrases are not also found in Edwards, including the so-called "blended" passages.

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The blue words/phrases in the annotation are nonbiblical and also not found in Edwards. In some cases noted below, the nonbiblical language is close to Edwards (e.g., plural instead of singular). There are several examples in the Book of Mormon and D&C of paraphrased or misquoted passages from the KJV that are identical to paraphrased or misquoted KJV passages in Edwards' works.

The red words/phrases are nonbiblical wording that are also found in Edwards' works.

Purple are biblical or nonbiblical words/phrases similar to Edwards.

Naturally, Edwards is not the only person who ever used this nonbiblical Book of Mormon terminology. English is a common language or we couldn't understand one another. But the ready availability of Edwards' works in Palmyra during Joseph's youth indicates that Edwards was a possible source for Joseph's vocabulary that he used when translating the plates and receiving revelations. Passages with the Lord’s personal pronouns obviously are not usually found in Edwards.

Bold = KJV 

Blue = nonbiblical BofM/D&C w/o JE (If unique to this instance, no footnote is given)

Red = nonbiblical BofM/D&C and JE 

Purple = biblical/nonbiblical BofM/D&C similar to JE

Chapter 1

Nephi begins the record of his people—Lehi sees in vision a pillar of fire and reads from a book of prophecy—He praises God, foretells the coming of the Messiah, and prophesies the destruction of Jerusalem—He is persecuted by the Jews. About 600 B.C.

1 I, Nephi, having been born[1] of goodly[2] parents[3], therefore I was taught[4] somewhat[5] in all the learning[6] of my father; and having seen[7] many afflictions[8] in the course of my[9] days[10], nevertheless, having been highly favored[11] of the Lord[12] in all my days[13]; yea, having had a great knowledge[14] of the goodness[15] and the mysteries of God[16], therefore I make a record[17] of my proceedings[18] in my days[19].

2 Yea, I make a record in the language of[20] my father, which consists of[21] the learning of the Jews[22] and the language of the Egyptians.

3 And I know that the record which I make is true; and I make it with mine own hand[23]; and I make it according to my knowledge.

4 For it came to pass in the commencement[24] of the first year of the reign of Zedekiah, king of Judah, (my father, Lehi, having dwelt[25] at Jerusalem in all his days[26]); and in that same year[27] there came[28] many prophets[29], prophesying unto the people[30] that they must repent[31], or the great city[32] Jerusalem must be destroyed[33].

5 Wherefore it came to pass that my father, Lehi, as he went forth[34] prayed unto the Lord[35], yea, even with all his heart[36], in behalf of[37] his people.

6 And it came to pass as he prayed unto the Lord, there came a pillar of fire[38] and dwelt upon a rock[39] before him; and he saw and heard[40] much; and because of the things[41] which he saw and heard he did quake and tremble[42] exceedingly.

7 And it came to pass that he returned to his own house[43] at Jerusalem; and he cast himself[44] upon his bed, being overcome[45] with the Spirit[46] and the things which he had seen.

8 And being thus overcome with the Spirit[47], he was carried away[48] in a vision[49], even that he saw the heavens open[50], and he thought he saw God[51] sitting upon his throne[52], surrounded with[53] numberless concourses[54] of angels in the attitude[55] of singing and praising[56] their God.

9 And it came to pass that he saw One descending out of the midst of heaven[57], and he beheld that his luster[58] was above that of[59] the sun[60] at noon-day[61].

10 And he also saw twelve others[62] following him, and their brightness did exceed[63] that of the stars in the firmament[64].

11 And they came down and went forth upon the face of the earth[65]; and the first came and stood before[66] my father, and gave unto him a book, and bade him[67] that he should read.

12 And it came to pass that as he read, he was filled[68] with the Spirit of the Lord[69].

13 And he read, saying: Wo, wo, unto Jerusalem, for I have seen thine abominations[70]! Yea, and many things did[71] my father read concerning Jerusalem[72]—that it should be destroyed[73], and the inhabitants thereof[74]; many should perish by the sword[75], and many should be carried away captive[76] into Babylon.

14 And it came to pass that when my father had read and seen[77] many great and marvelous things[78], he did exclaim[79] many things unto the Lord; such as: Great and marvelous[80] are thy works, O Lord God Almighty[81]! Thy throne is high in the heavens[82], and thy power, and goodness[83], and mercy are over all the inhabitants[84] of the earth; and, because thou art merciful, thou wilt not suffer[85] those who come unto thee that they shall perish[86]!

15 And after this manner[87] was the language of my father in the praising[88] of his God; for his soul did rejoice[89], and his whole heart[90] was filled[91], because of the things which he had seen, yea, which the Lord had shown unto him.

16 And now I, Nephi, do not make a full account[92] of the things which my father hath written, for he hath written many things[93] which he saw in visions[94] and in dreams[95]; and he also hath written many things which he prophesied and spake unto his children, of which I shall not make a full account.

17 But I shall make an account[96] of my proceedings in my days. Behold, I make an abridgment[97] of the record of my father, upon plates[98] which I have made with mine own hands[99]; wherefore, after I have abridged[100] the record of my father then will I make an account of mine own life.

18 Therefore, I would that[101] ye should know, that after the Lord had shown so many marvelous things[102] unto my father, Lehi, yea, concerning the destruction of Jerusalem[103], behold he went forth among[104] the people, and began to prophesy[105] and to declare unto them concerning the things[106] which he had both seen and heard[107].

19 And it came to pass that the Jews did mock him[108] because of the things which he testified of them[109]; for he truly testified[110] of their wickedness[111] and their abominations[112]; and he testified that the things which he saw and heard, and also the things which he read in the book, manifested plainly[113] of the coming of a Messiah[114], and also the redemption of the world[115].

20 And when the Jews heard these things[116] they were angry with him[117]; yea, even as with the prophets of old[118], whom they had cast out[119], and stoned, and slain; and they also sought his life[120], that they might take it away[121]. But behold, I, Nephi, will show unto you that the tender mercies[122] of the Lord are over all those[123] whom he hath chosen, because of their faith[124], to make them mighty[125] even unto the power of deliverance[126].

(1 Nephi 1–1:20)

[1] BM (1) JE (3) JE : « gives him great reason to lament his having been born” Cf “have been born” BM (1) DC (1) JE (20)

[2] OT (29) NT (4) BM (2) DC (4) JE (50)

[3] “goodly parents” BM (1) “godly parents” JE (30) JE: “Is it because you have been born of godly parents that you are so secure?” K-63200 “Some flatter themselves, because they are born of godly parents, who are dear to God, who have often and earnestly prayed for them, they hope that their prayers will be heard;” K-63124

[4] Taught somewhat » BM (1) JE (1) JE: “they should be taught somewhat relating to the chronology of events”

[5] OT (15) NT (10) BM (43) PGP (1) JE (200+)

[6] OT (1) BM (4) JE (20)

[7] NT (2) BM (5) JE (20)

[8] “many afflictions” BM (8) DC (1) JE (7) “afflictions” OT (2) NT (11) BM (78) DC 99) PGP (1) JE (200+)

[9] BM (2) JE (3) JE: “the course of my ministry” K-2177 Brainerd: “the general course of my present weakness”

[10] “course of my days” BM (2)

[11] NT (1) “highly favoured” JE (10) “highly favored” BM (7) JE (14)

[12] BM (3) JE (3) JE: “an evidence of being highly favored by the Lord, etc. and I was exceeding glad” “David was a man highly favored of God”

[13] BM (3) JE (2)

[14] BM (6) PGP (1) JE (25)

[15] OT (12) NT (2) BM (12) JE (200+)

[16] NT (1) BM (8) DC (3) “mysteries of” NT (3) BM (9) DC (12) JE (70)

[17] BM (7) DC (1) J: “The words in the original that are translated, "he hath made to be remembered," are עָשָׂהזֵכֶר, "he hath made a record ." The word signifies "memorial" or "record." “

[18] BM (10) DC (2) PGP (1) JE (200) JE : « I have formerly been of his opinion, which I imbibed from his books, even from my childhood, and have in my proceedings conformed to his practice”

[19] OT (2) BM (3) JE (1)

[20] PGP (2) JE (100+)

[21] BM (1) JE (50+) “consists” BM (1) DC (2)

[22] BM (1) JE (1) JE: “Paul… was not only skilled in the learning of the Jews, but also of the philosophers,”

[23] OT (3) NT (4) BM (4) PGP (1) JE (30) OT : « Mine own hand hath saved me” (Judges 7:2)

[24] BM (28) JE (1) “commencement” BM (32) DC (2) PGP (1) JE (100+) JE : « the gospel was promulgated in the world; and will be more fully delivered at the commencement of the glorious day we are speaking of;” K 23971

[25] BM (2) JE (1) JE: ‘God is represented as having dwelt in heaven before he dwelt in those places “

[26] OT (10) BM (18) PGP (2) JE (30)

[27] BM (7)

[28] « there came many prophets » BM (2)

[29] NT (2) BM (6) JE (25) JE : « they had many prophets sent to them, to warn them before their destruction” “How many Prophets have we account of of whom we are either implicitly or expressly taught that they were masters or heads of the schools of the Prophets”

[30] BM (1)

[31] BM (94) JE (1) JE : « 

[32] OT (7) NT )10) BM (23) DC (1) JE (40)

[33] BM (3) JE ()

[34] OT (1) BM (4)

[35] OT (13) BM (6) DC (1) PGP (1) JE (1)

[36] OT (9) BM (1) DC (1) JE (50)

[37] BM (6) DC (4) JE (30) JE: “when he came to speak to God in behalf of the people”

[38] OT (6) BM (3) DC (1) JE (10)

[39] BM (1)

[40] BM (14) DC (1) JE (10) JE: “Judas, without doubt, thought Jesus to be the Messiah, from the things which he saw and heard”

[41] BM (8) DC (1) “because of the thing” BM (3) DC (1)

[42] BM (3) JE: “all the people that were in the camp trembled, and Moses himself though so intimate a friend of God, yet said, I exceedingly fear and quake”

[43] OT (34) NT (10) BM (9) JE (30)

[44] OT (1) NT (1) BM (2) JE (4)

[45] OT (1) BM (1) JE (10)

[46] OT (3) NT (6) BM (8) DC (1) JE (50)

[47] BM (2)

[48] OT (59) NT (4) BM (23) JE (80)

[49] OT (6) NT (3) BM (5) JE (20)

[50] BM (7) PGP (1) JE (1)

[51] BM (1) PGP (1) JE (3) JE: “as much as if he saw God smiling on him, giving to him, and conversing with him”

[52] OT (1) BM (2) PGP (2) JE (1) But JE : « we shall find satan sitting upon his Throne”

[53] BM (3) JE (40) JE: “ The Mosaic account suggests to us, that till Adam sinned, he was in happy circumstances, surrounded with testimonies and fruits of God's favor.”

[54] BM (3) “concourse” OT (1) NT (1) JE (15) JE : « 17 other gentlemen of liberal education, and a great concourse of people” “learned men of Athens in Mars Hill, a place of concourse of the judges and learned men of Athens”

[55] BM (4)

[56] BM (3) JE (1)

[57] OT (2) NT (3) BM (1) DC (4) JE (15) JE : « before Babylon falls the gospel will be powerfully preached and propagated in the world ["And I saw another angel fly in the midst of heaven “

[58] BM (2) JE (35) JE: “from the sun that surrounding objects receive all their luster , beauty and brightness. 'Tis by this that all nature is quickened and receives life, comfort and joy. Light is abundantly used in Scripture to represent and signify these three things, knowledge, holiness and happiness.”

[59] BM (2) JE (10) JE: “as the light of the sun is above that of the stars”

[60] “above that of the sun” BM (1)

[61] BM (1) DC (1)  “noonday” OT (9) PGP (1) JE (15) OT: “they shall drive out Ashdod at the noon day” (Zephaniah 2:4) JE: “See Psalms 24:5. "Thy righteousness as the light, and thy judgment as the noon day”

[62] BM (3)

[63] BM (6)

[64] BM (2)

[65] OT (28) NT (1) BM (49) DC (6) PGP (5) JE (150+)

[66] OT (39) NT (8) BM (14) DC (2) PGP (2) JE (30)

[67] OT (1) NT (1) BM (2) JE (3)

[68] OT (1) BM (4) JE (3)

[69] OT (26) NT (5) BM (40) DC (2) PGP (1) JE (80)

[70] OT (74) NT (2) BM (76) DC (10) PGP (3) JE (100)

[71] BM (3) JE (1)

[72] OT (2) BM (1) DC (1) JE (1)

[73] OT (1) NT (1) BM (15) PGP (1) JE (30) JE : « it has been often most expressly and absolutely foretold that Jerusalem should be destroyed by the Chaldeans”

[74] OT (20) BM (17) DC (8) PGP (5) JE (25)

[75] OT (1) BM (3) JE (3)

[76] OT (24) BM (7) JE (10)

[77] BM (1)

[78] BM (9)

[79] BM (4) JE (10) JE : ‘'tis not unlikely, that some will still exclaim against my principles”

[80] BM (25) DC (6) JE (3) ; NT (2) JE (2) (marvellous)

[81] NT (5) BM (4) DC (2) PGP (1) JE (10)

[82] BM (3) JE (1) JE: “ the earth would be over my head, and very high in the heavens above me”

[83] BM (1) JE (7) JE: “God's infinite goodness and mercy, and hear of the great works of God's wisdom, power and goodness”

[84] OT (2) BM (1) JE (1)

[85] BM (1)

[86] OT (33) NT (3) BM (29) DC (3) PGP (1) JE (100)

[87] O)T (11) NT (5) BM (34) DC (2) JE (120)

[88] BM (1)

[89] BM (1)

[90] OT (13) BM (1) JE (100)

[91] “Heart was filled” BM (1)

[92] BM (11) JE (5) JE: “Now a full account could not be given of this affair without relating much of the history of Israel preceding of it” “These events are commonly mentioned after such a manner as plainly supposes that a full account of them was already in being”

[93] BM (2)

[94] BM (1) JE (15) JE: “Christ spoke these things to them with great plainness of speech that were revealed of old in visions”

[95] BM (1) JE (4) JE: “It was a very common thing then for the Spirit of God to communicate himself in dreams and visions,”

[96] BM (2) JE (1)

[97] BM (5) DC (1) JE (1 in 1808, plus more) JE: “ The facts of this history are very often rehearsed, just in the same order and manner as they are in the history of the Pentateuch; and in many places there is a rehearsal of the facts of very great parts, and sometimes a kind of abridgment of the bigger part of the history, as Joshua 24, Psalms 78, Psalms 105, and Psalms 106, and Psalms 136, Ezekiel 20:5–23. “

[98] OT (5) BM (140) DC (9) PGP (20) JE (10) “they did beat the gold into thin plates.” (Exodus 39:3) JE: “He was drawn in a chariot adorned with ivory and plates of gold”

[99] OT (7) NT (5) BM (14) DC (8) PGP (2) JE (100)

[100] BM (1) JE (1)

[101] NT (4) BM (62) DC (4) JE (5) JE: « as I would that he should have dealt with me”

[102] OT (5) “marvellous” BM (12) JE (8)

[103] BM (4) DC (1) PGP (1) JE (150+) “I proceed to take notice of something remarkable concerning the destruction of Jerusalem”

[104] OT (1) BM (8)

[105] BM (5) PGP (2)

[106] NT (1) BM (11) DC (1) JE (10)

[107] NT (5) BM (8) DC (2) PGP (1) JE (15)

[108] OT (1) NT (2) BM (2) JE (15)

[109] BM (1) JE (1)

[110] BM (3) DC (1) “truly testify” BM (2)

[111] OT (13) NT (1) BM (43) DC (3) PGP (1) JE (200)

[112] OT (18) BM (14) DC (3) JE (10)

[113] BM (1) “plainly manifested” JE (5) JE: “I thought I had very plainly manifested that what I meant by being in darkness was a being in spiritual blindness”

[114] BM (1)

[115] BM (2) DC (2) JE (4) JE: “Light first appeared at creation, and Christ the Light of the World inaugurated the redemption of the world”

[116] BM (1)

[117] BM (11) DC (1) JE (15) JE: “To do that to another which we should be angry with him for doing to us”

[118] BM (4) DC (1) JE (12) JE: “the word was commonly used by the prophets of old”

[119] OT (2) BM (1) JE (2)

[120] OT (1) BM (1) PGP (1) JE (20) JE: « supposing a man in distress pursued by his enemies that sought his life”

[121] OT (3) NT (1) BM (1) DC (1) JE (8)

[122] OT (11) BM (3) JE (15) JE: “Thus the church of Christ, through the tender mercies of her Father and Redeemer, in some respects, anticipates her deliverance from her sorrows and sackcloth”

[123] BM (1) JE (2) JE: “ Would it not be a great thing, to be accomplished in one half century, that religion, in the power and purity of it, should so prevail, as to gain the conquest over all those many things that stand in opposition to it”

[124] BM (10)

[125] BM (3)

[126] BM (2)