BM-KJV and JE-Helaman 15

Annotation of Helaman 15

Helaman 15 is a good example because it shows that a high percentage of Book of Mormon 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 Book of Mormon 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 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 Book of Mormon wording that are also found in Edwards' works.

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.

Bold = KJV 

Blue = nonbiblical BofM/D&C w/o JE 

Red = nonbiblical BofM/D&C and JE 

Chapter 15

The Lord chastened the Nephites because He loved them—Converted Lamanites are firm and steadfast in the faith—The Lord will be merciful unto the Lamanites in the latter days. About 6 B.C.

1 And now, my beloved brethren[1], behold, I declare unto you[2] that except ye shall repent[3] your houses[4] shall be left unto you desolate[5].

2 Yea, except ye repent[6], your women shall have great[7] cause to mourn[8] in the day that they shall give suck[9]; for ye shall attempt to flee[10] and there shall be no place for refuge[11]; yea, and wo unto them which are with child[12], for they shall be heavy and cannot flee[13]; therefore, they shall be trodden down[14] and shall be left to perish[15].

3 Yea, wo unto this people who are called the people of Nephi except they[16] shall repent, when they shall see all these signs and wonders[17] which shall be showed[18] unto them; for behold, they have been a chosen people[19] of the Lord; yea, the people of Nephi hath he loved, and also hath he chastened them[20]; yea, in the days of their iniquities[21] hath he chastened them because he loveth them[22].

4 But behold my brethren, the Lamanites hath he hated because[23] their deeds have been evil continually[24], and this because of the iniquity[25] of the tradition of their fathers[26]. But behold, salvation hath come unto them through the preaching[27] of the Nephites; and for this intent[28] hath the Lord prolonged[29] their days[30].

5 And I would that[31] ye should behold that the more part[32] of them are in the path of their duty[33], and they do walk circumspectly[34] before God, and they do observe to keep[35] his commandments and his statutes and his judgments[36] according to the law of Moses[37].

6 Yea, I say unto you, that the more part of them are doing this, and they are striving[38] with unwearied[39] diligence[40] that they may bring the remainder of[41] their brethren to the knowledge of the truth[42]; therefore there are many who do add to their numbers daily[43].

7 And behold, ye do know of yourselves[44], for ye have witnessed it, that as many of them as are brought to the knowledge[45] of the truth, and to know of the wicked and abominable[46] traditions of their fathers[47], and are led to believe[48] the holy scriptures[49], yea, the prophecies of the[50] holy prophets[51], which are written, which leadeth them to faith on the Lord[52], and unto repentance, which faith and repentance[53] bringeth a change of heart[54] unto them—

8 Therefore, as many as have come to this[55], ye know of yourselves are firm and[56] steadfast in the faith[57], and in the thing wherewith[58] they have been made free[59].

9 And ye know also that they have buried their[60] weapons of war[61], and they fear to take them up[62] lest by any means[63] they should sin[64]; yea, ye can see that they fear to sin[65]—for behold they will suffer themselves[66] that they be trodden down[67] and slain[68] by their enemies[69], and will not lift their swords[70] against them, and this because of[71] their faith in Christ[72].

10 And now, because of their steadfastness[73] when they do believe[74] in that thing which they do believe, for because of their firmness[75] when they are once enlightened[76], behold, the Lord shall bless them[77] and prolong their days, notwithstanding their iniquity[78]—

11 Yea, even if they should dwindle[79] in unbelief[80] the Lord shall prolong their days, until the time shall come[81] which hath been spoken of by[82] our fathers, and also by the prophet Zenos, and many other prophets[83], concerning the restoration[84] of our brethren, the Lamanites, again to the knowledge of the truth—

12 Yea, I say unto you, that in the latter times[85] the promises of the Lord[86] have been extended to[87] our brethren, the Lamanites; and notwithstanding the many afflictions[88] which they shall have, and notwithstanding they shall be driven to and fro[89] upon the face of the earth[90], and be hunted[91], and shall be smitten and[92] scattered abroad[93], having no place for refuge, the Lord shall be merciful[94] unto them.

13 And this is according to the prophecy[95], that they shall again be brought to the true knowledge[96], which is the knowledge of their Redeemer[97], and their great and true shepherd[98], and be numbered among his sheep[99].

14 Therefore I say unto you, it shall be better for them[100] than for you[101] except ye repent.

15 For behold, had the mighty works[102] been shown unto them[103] which have been shown unto you[104], yea, unto them who have dwindled[105] in unbelief because of the traditions of their fathers, ye can see of yourselves[106] that they never would again have dwindled in unbelief.

16 Therefore, saith the Lord: I will not utterly destroy[107] them, but I will cause that[108] in the day of my wisdom[109] they shall[110] return again[111] unto me, saith the Lord.

17 And now behold, saith the Lord, concerning the people of the Nephites: If they will not repent[112], and observe to do[113] my will, I will utterly destroy them, saith the Lord, because of their unbelief[114] notwithstanding the many mighty works[115] which I have done among them; and as surely as the Lord liveth[116] shall these things be[117], saith the Lord.

(Helaman 15–15:17)

[1] NT (4) BM (60) JE (5)

[2] NT (2) BM (4) JE (2)

[3] BM (5) “shall repent” BM (13) DC (4) JE (2)

[4] “houses” BM (1) Note: NT and JE use “house”

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

[6] “except ye repent” NT (2) BM (19) JE (17)

[7] “your women shall have great” BM (1)

[8] BM (2) JE (2)

[9] OT (1) NT (3) BM (1) PGP (1) JE (2)

[10] BM (1)

[11] “no place for refuge” BM (2) “place for refuge” BM (2) JE (1)

[12] OT (18) NT (8) BM (3) PGP (1) JE (41)

[13] BM (1)

[14] OT (9) NT (2) BM (7) DC (1) JE (38)

[15] BM (1) JE (13)

[16] OT (2) NT (5) BM (32) DC (2) JE (51) Note: “except they should” BM (3) JE (1) paraphrasing Matt 18:3

[17] OT (5) NT (9) BM (8) DC (3) PGP (1) JE (19)

[18] BM (1)

[19] OT (1) BM (2) JE (24)

[20] BM (2) “chasten them” BM (1) DC (1)

[21] BM (1)

[22] BM (1) JE (1)

[23] BM (1)

[24] OT (1) BM (3) PGP (1) JE (5)

[25] BM (9) DC (1)

[26] BM (8) DC (1) JE (3)

[27] BM (2) JE (5)

[28] BM (6) DC (3)

[29] OT (9) BM (4) DC (1) JE (49)

[30] “prolonged their days” BM (1) Note: OT, JE “prolong his/your/thy days”

[31] NT (4) BM (62) DC (4) JE (8) Note: variation in syntax

[32] NT (2) BM (24)

[33] BM (1) Note: “path of duty” JE (13)

[34] NT (1) BM (1) JE (2)

[35] BM (8) DC (1)

[36] “keep his statutes, and his commandments, and his judgments” and other variations in word order in OT, BM and JE.

[37] OT (1) NT (1) BM (8) JE (6)

[38] NT (3) BM (6) JE (61)

[39] BM (1) JE (25) JE: “

[40] OT (1) NT (9) BM (33) DC (9) JE (457)

[41] OT (3) BM (44) DC (2) PGP (1) JE (239)

[42] NT (3) BM (15) DC (4) JE (38)

[43] BM (1)

[44] BM (2)

[45] BM (6) JE (4)

[46] BM (2) JE (1)

[47] BM (13) DC (1) JE (4)

[48] BM (1) JE (1)

[49] NT (2) BM (5) DC (4) JE (189)

[50] “prophecies of the holy prophets” BM (4)

[51] NT (4) BM (26) DC (5) JE (10)

[52] BM (11)

[53] BM (5) DC (1) JE (84)

[54] BM (2) JE (25)

[55] BM (1)

[56] “firm and steadfast” BM (3) JE: “few that Continue steadfast and firm in the faith”

[57] NT (1) BM (1) “firm in the faith” BM (2) JE (1)

[58] BM (1) JE (1)

[59] BM (1)

[60] “buried their weapons” BM (1)

[61] OT (9) BM (46) JE (21)

[62] BM (1) JE (3)

[63] NT (3) BM (7) JE (4)

[64] BM (1) JE (2) JE: “lest they should sin against God”

[65] BM (1)

[66] BM (2) JE (18)

[67] OT (9) NT (2) BM (7) DC (1) JE (38)

[68] “slain by their enemies” BM (2)

[69] BM (4) DC (2) JE (28)

[70] BM (1)

[71] “because of their faith in Christ” BM (1)

[72] BM (2) JE (10)

[73] NT (2) BM (4) DC (2) JE (104)

[74] BM (2) JE (7)

[75] BM (2)

[76] NT (1) BM (2) JE (13)

[77] BM (1)

[78] BM (1)

[79] BM (15) JE (6)

[80] NT (3) BM (26) DC (3) JE (54)

[81] NT (1) BM (7) DC (1) JE (3)

[82] NT (3) BM (9) DC (4) PGP (2) JE (100)

[83] BM (1)

[84] BM (4) DC (1) JE (1)

[85] NT (1) BM (1) JE (14)

[86] BM (9) DC (2)

[87] BM (4) JE (42)

[88] BM (8) DC (1) JE (7)

[89] OT (1) BM (3) JE (10)

[90] OT (12) BM (26) DC (3) PGP (2) JE (41)

[91] OT (1) BM (2)

[92] “smitten and scattered abroad” BM (1)

[93] OT (4) NT (7) BM (8) DC (5) JE (19)

[94] BM (1)

[95] BM (1) PGP (1) JE (4)

[96] BM (2) JE (10)

[97] BM (7) JE: “bring others of their brethren to the knowledge of that great and blessed Redeemer”

[98] BM (1)

[99] BM (1)

[100] NT (1) BM (2) DC (2) JE (63) “better for them than” BM (1) JE (7)

[101] “better for them than for you” BM (1)

[102] NT (10) BM (3) DC (6) JE (42)

[103] BM (2)

[104] BM (5)

[105] BM (11) DC (1) JE (17)

[106] BM (1)

[107] OT (12) BM (7) JE (22)

[108] BM (8) DC (2) JE (5) Note: some different contexts

[109] BM (1)

[110] “they shall return again” BM (2) DC (1)

[111] OT (4) NT (1) BM (12) DC (1) JE (74)

[112] BM (2) DC (1)

[113] OT (18) BM (6) DC (4) JE (8)

[114] NT (2) BM (5)

[115] NT (1) BM (2) DC (1) JE (1) “mighty works” NT (10) BM (3) DC (6) JE (42)

[116] BM (2)

[117] NT (3) BM (2) DC (1) PGP (1) JE (3)