BM-KJV and JE-Alma 41

Annotation of Alma 41 – preliminary

Alma 41 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.

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 41

In the Resurrection men come forth to a state of endless happiness or endless misery—Wickedness never was happiness—Carnal men are without God in the world—Every person receives again in the Restoration the characteristics and attributes acquired in mortality. About 74 B.C.

1 And now, my son, I have somewhat to say[1] concerning the restoration[2] of which has been spoken; for behold, some have wrested[3] the scriptures[4], and have gone far astray because of this thing. And I perceive[5] that thy mind has been worried[6] also concerning this thing[7]. But behold, I will explain it[8] unto thee.

2 I say unto thee, my son, that the plan of restoration is requisite[9] with the justice of God[10]; for it is requisite that all things should be restored[11] to their proper order[12]. Behold, it is requisite and just, according to the power[13] and resurrection of Christ[14], that the soul of man[15] should be restored to its body, and that every part of the body[16] should be restored to itself.

3 And it is requisite with the justice of God that men should be judged[17] according to their works[18]; and if their works were good in this life[19], and the desires of their hearts[20] were good, that they should also, at the last day[21], be restored unto that which is good.

4 And if their works are evil[22] they shall be restored unto them for evil. Therefore, all things shall be restored to their proper order, every thing to its natural frame[23]—mortality[24] raised[25] to immortality, corruption to incorruption[26]—raised to endless happiness[27] to inherit the kingdom of God[28], or to endless misery[29] to inherit the kingdom of the devil[30], the one on one hand[31], the other on the other[32]—

5 The one raised to[33] happiness[34] according to[35] his desires[36][37] of happiness[38], or good according to his desires of good[39]; and the other to evil according to his desires of evil; for as he has desired to do evil[40] all the day long[41] even so shall he have his reward of evil [42]when the night cometh[43].

6 And so it is[44] on the other hand[45]. If he hath repented of his sins, and desired righteousness[46] until the end of his days[47], even so he shall be rewarded unto righteousness[48].

7 These are they that are redeemed of the Lord[49]; yea, these are they that are taken out[50], that are delivered from[51] that endless night[52] of darkness[53]; and thus they stand or fall[54]; for behold, they are their own judges[55], whether to do good or do evil[56].

8 Now, the decrees[57] of God[58] are unalterable[59]; therefore, the way is prepared[60] that whosoever will[61] may walk therein and be saved.

9 And now behold, my son, do not[62] risk[63] one more offense[64] against your God[65] upon those points of doctrine[66], which ye have hitherto risked[67] to commit sin[68].

10 Do not suppose[69], because it has been spoken concerning[70] restoration[71], that ye shall be restored[72] from sin to happiness[73]. Behold, I say unto you, wickedness never[74] was happiness[75].

11 And now, my son, all men that are in a state of nature[76], or I would say, in a carnal state[77], are in the gall of bitterness[78] and in the bonds of iniquity[79]; they are without God in the world[80], and they have gone contrary[81] to the[82] nature of God[83]; therefore, they are in a state contrary[84] to the nature of happiness[85].

12 And now behold, is the meaning of the word[86] restoration to take a thing of a natural state[87] and place it in[88] an unnatural state[89], or to place it[90] in a state opposite[91] to its nature[92]?

13 O, my son, this is not the case[93]; but the meaning of the word restoration is to bring back again[94] evil for evil[95], or carnal for carnal[96], or devilish for devilish[97]—good for that which[98] is good; righteous for that which is righteous; just for that which is just; merciful for that which is merciful.

14 Therefore, my son, see that you are[99] merciful unto your brethren; deal justly[100], judge righteously[101], and do good continually[102]; and if ye do all these things[103] then shall ye receive your reward[104]; yea, ye shall have mercy restored unto[105] you again; ye shall have justice restored unto you again; ye shall have a righteous judgment[106] restored unto you again; and ye shall have good rewarded[107] unto you again.

15 For that which ye do send out[108] shall return unto you again[109], and be restored; therefore, the word restoration more fully[110] condemneth the sinner, and justifieth him not at all[111].

(Alma 41–41:15)

[1] OT (1) NT (1) BM (4)

[2] BM (19) DC (8) DC (1) JE (200)

[3] BM (1) JE (10)  JE: “The Scripture is no more wrested from its more obvious and natural sense on our side than on theirs, nor in any measure so much. There are requisite no more, and no more subtle, distinctions and farfetched criticisms to bring the Scripture to speak our meaning than theirs.” “to save their veracity words must be wrested & sentences must be wrested to a meaning quite beside their natural & Established signification” “'Tis strange how the words of this Apostle have been twisted, wrested and wreaked”

[4] NT (21) BM (41) DC (29) PGP (1) JE (200+)

[5] OT (11) NT (14) BM (17) DC (1) JE (300)

[6] BM (3) JE (7 JE: “they have worried themselves…”)

[7] OT (3) BM (6) JE (2)

[8] BM (1) JE (20) JE: “if I was to explain it to one who had never seen anything move…” “In clearing this doctrine, I would I. Briefly explain it . II. Give some proof of it”

[9] BM (6) JE (200+) JE: “Seeing therefore 'tis requisite that sin should be punished, as punishment is deserved and just, therefore the justice of God obliges him to punish sin: for it belongs to God as the supreme Rector of the universality of things, to maintain order and decorum in his kingdom

[10] BM (12) DC (1) JE (100+)

[11] OT (22) NT (5) BM (40) DC (4) JE (200+)

[12] BM (3) JE (3) JE: “Ezra is supposed to have collected all the books of which the holy Scriptures did then consist, and disposed them in their proper order.”

[13] NT (3) BM (14) DC (1) JE (5)

[14] NT (1) BM (9) JE (60) JE: “is begotten again to a living hope by the resurrection of Christ from the dead, and is made partaker of the life and power of his resurrection”

[15] NT (1) BM (1) DC (1) JE (100+) JE: « Man's soul was ruined by the fall, the image of God was ruined man's nature corrupted and destroyed, and man became dead in sin. The design was to restore the soul of man in conversion and to restore life to it”

[16] BM (1) JE (30)

[17] OT (33) NT (30) BM (56) DC (10) PGP (1) JE (200+) JE: “when the cause and controversy between these two is judged, 'tis requisite that both parties should appear together before the judgment seat.”

[18] NT (3) BM (13) DC (5) JE (40)

[19] OT (3) NT (1) BM (4) DC (3) PGP (1) JE (200+)

[20] BM (1) JE (1) JE: “Many are continually working wickedness and contracting guilt by the inward meditations and desires of their hearts.”

[21] NT (5) BM (49) DC (8) JE (100)

[22] BM (1)

[23] BM (2) JE (1)

[24] NT (1) BM (4) DC (1) JE (130)

[25] “mortality raised” BM (1)

[26] NT (4) BM (6) JE (20) NT: “So also is the resurrection of the dead. It is sown in corruption; it is raised in incorruption” (1 Corinthians 15:42) JE: “Mortal beings ben't apt for a cohabitation with immortal, nor terrestrial with celestial, nor corruption with incorruption”

[27] BM (2) JE (1) JE: “he that will allow exquisite and endless happiness to be but the possible consequences of a good life here, and the contrary state the possible reward of a bad one…”

[28] NT (4) BM (8) PGP (1) JE (20); “inherit the kingdom of” NT (4) BM (13) DC (2) PGP (1) JE (20) “inherit the kingdom of heaven” BM (4) DC (2) JE (1)

[29] BM (3) JE (5) JE: “has offered you his own dear Son to save you from this endless misery you had deserved, and not only so, but to make you happy eternally in the enjoyment of himself”

[30] BM (5) DC (1) JE (10)

[31] BM (2) JE (8) JE: “a probability or possibility of eternal happiness on one hand and misery on the other” “Here is a remarkable concurrence of persecution, on one hand , and of punishment by civil contentions and bloodshed, on the other”

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

[33] NT (1) BM (7) JE (60)

[34] “raised to happiness” BM (1) cf JE: “As the faculties of the souls of both saints and sinners will be greatly enlarged, and to no other end but to be capable of enjoying more happiness and receiving more misery, so, since the bodies of each are to be raised to the same ends, viz. in their manner to be the subjects of happiness and misery.”

[35] OT (608) NT (117) BM (509) DC (182) PGP (19) JE (4,000)

[36] “his desires” BM (10) JE (20) JE : « A man never, in any instance, wills anything contrary to his desires , or desires anything contrary to his will.”

[37] “according to his desires” BM (8)

[38] “desires of happiness” BM (1) JE (5) JE: “And godly men's desires of happiness are no less large than others. Godliness regulates men's desires of happiness, and directs them to right objects”

[39] BM (1) JE (4) JE: “we have all the same nature, like faculties, like dispositions, like desires of good “

[40] BM (2)

[41] OT (12) NT (1) BM (12) DC (1) JE (8)

[42] BM (1)

[43] BM (1) DC (1)

[44] OT (2) NT (4) BM (4) DC (1) JE (20)

[45] BM (9) PGP (1) JE (200+)

[46] BM (1)

[47] BM (1) JE (2) JE: “he was devoted to and pursued with the greatest earnestness and diligence to the end of his days ,”

[48] BM (1)

[49] OT (3) BM (3) JE (8)

[50] OT (9) NT (2) BM (4) DC (2) JE (100)

[51] OT (5) NT (5) BM (5) DC (5) PGP (1) JE (200+)

[52] BM (1)

[53] “night of darkness” BM (2) JE (20)

[54] BM (1) JE (10) JE: “Experiences of Christians are to be brought to the touchstone of the infallible bar, and to stand or fall by it” “as though they were fit to be the lords and judges of their fellow servants, as if it were fit that they should stand or fall at their sentence”

[55] BM (1) JE (7) JE: “if one party is allowed to choose all his own judges , there can be no defense against error.”

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

[57] OT (1) NT (2) BM (5) DC (1) JE (400) JE: “

[58] “decrees of God” BM (3) JE (20) JE: “all the decrees of God do some way or other belong to that eternal covenant of redemption that was between the Father and the Son before the foundation of the world”

[59] BM (2) PGP (1) JE (100)

[60] BM (4) JE (4)

[61] OT (2) NT (11) BM (13) DC (4) JE (35)

[62] “do not risk” BM (1)

[63] BM (1) JE (15)

[64] BM (1)

[65] BM (1)

[66] BM (3) JE (2)  

[67] BM (1) JE (1)

[68] NT (2) BM (8) DC (1) JE (70)

[69] BM (3) JE (6) JE: “I say, I do not suppose that after this anyone will say…”

[70] OT (7) BM (18) JE (10)

[71] “concerning restoration” BM (1)

[72] OT (3) NT (1) BM (22) DC (2) JE (70)

[73] BM (1)

[74] BM (1) JE (2) JE: “yet wickedness never more prevailed than then”

[75] BM (30) DC (1) PGP (1) JE (200+)

[76] BM (1) JE (30) JE: “anything that a natural man may experience, while in a state of nature” “compassion to others that looked upon themselves as in a state of nature”

[77] BM (3) JE (6)

[78] NT (1) BM (5) JE (15)

[79] BM (5)

[80] NT (1) BM (2) JE (15)

[81] Bm (1) JE (3) JE: “You have Gone Contrary to Gods Revealed will”

[82] “contrary to the nature of God” BM (1) JE (7)

[83] BM (1) JE (70) JE: “it was a thing infinitely contrary to the holy nature of God” “to receive anything properly from the creature is not only contrary to the nature of God”

[84] BM (1)

[85] BM (1) JE (3) JE: “they may receive the goodness of God, that is, that they may be happy. It appears also from the nature of happiness , which is the perception of excellency” 

[86] BM (2) JE (50) JE: “It must be observed, that in what has been explained, as signified by the name of "moral necessity," the word "necessity" is not used according to the original design and meaning of the word “ “The resurrection of the wicked is seldom mentioned in the New Testament, and rarely included in the meaning of the word”

[87] BM (1) JE (100) JE: “the restitution of all things (as having completed his design), that God henceforth may be all in all according to the most natural state of things”

[88] BM (2) JE (4) JE: “to have the heart principally set upon that, is to place it in the room of God”

[89] BM (1) JE (2) JE: “A state of separation is an unnatural state to human souls.”

[90] BM (2) JE (5) JE: “But to seek after affection directly and chiefly, to have the heart principally set upon that, is to place it in the room of God and his glory.”

[91] BM (1) “state opposite”

[92] BM (1) JE (1) JE: “The unclean soul hates to be purified. It is opposite to its nature.”

[93] BM (1) JE (60) “there is reason to think, this is not the case; the things of another world, being unseen things, appear to men as things of a very doubtful nature”

[94] BM (1)

[95] NT (3) BM (1) JE (20)

[96] BM (1)

[97] BM (1)

[98] OT (8) NT (8) BM (16) DC (7) JE (150)

[99] BM (1) DC (1) JE (10) JE: “You must seek to see that you are in a wilderness, that you are thus remote from blessedness”

[100] BM (2) JE (5) JE: “God will deal justly with everyone, will do with all according to their works, and they that do most work for sin will have a reward accordingly, and a proportionable retribution”

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

[102] BM (5) JE (1) JE: “our Redeemer who went about doing Good Continually”

[103] OT (2) BM (5) DC (1) JE (8)

[104] BM (1)

[105] OT (1) BM (13) DC (2) JE (1)

[106] NT (3) BM (3) JE (30)

[107] BM (1)

[108] OT (2) BM (2) JE (6)

[109] BM (1)

[110] “more fully” BM (5) DC (1) JE (300+) JE: “common grace only assists the faculties of the soul to do that more fully , which they do by nature; as man's natural conscience will by mere nature render him in a degree sensible of guilt. It will accuse a man and condemn him when he has done amiss”

[111] OT (6) NT (4) BM (2) DC (1) JE (400)