Textual; Mormon’s Missing Introduction: Our first introduction in the text of the Book of Mormon to the man for whom the Book is named comes in the first verse of Words of Mormon:
“Words of Mormon 1:1 And now I, Mormon, being about to deliver up the record which I have been making into the hands of my son Moroni, behold I have witnessed almost all the destruction of my people, the Nephites.”
Mormon’s name does not appear in the text from 1 Nephi to Omni because those records are not abridged. They are entered into the record without any abridgment. Prior to this statement in Mormon’s abridgment we have the mention of Mormon in the Title Page, but that text is best analyzed as being written wholly by Moroni rather than Mormon. This means that when we come to the initial introduction to the main editor of the record in Words of Mormon, we begin with some very interesting assumptions on Mormon’s part.
First, Mormon simply declares who he is, and when he is writing. This is essential since the text is intercalated into a much earlier time period. He must make a significant break in order to let the reader understand the transition from the historical text of the small plates to the abridgment he has made of the large plates. Nevertheless, it is a very brief introduction with no more introduction to who he is than to simply indicated his name.
Second, Mormon assumes that we know something about his editorial process. He is writing a shorter history from the longer history that is contained on what is termed the “plates of Nephi.” When he references his major source, he is extremely brief and spends his time explaining the small plates - his alternate material:
"Words of Mormon 1:3 And now, I speak somewhat concerning that which I have written; for after I had made an abridgment from the plates of Nephi, down to the reign of this king Benjamin, of whom Amaleki spake, I searched among the records which had been delivered into my hands, and I found these plates, which contained this small account of the prophets, from Jacob down to the reign of this king Benjamin, and also many of the words of Nephi.
Mormon explains how he found this alternate source, and simply mentions that it occurred “after I had made an abridgment from the plates of Nephi.” Mormon simply assumes that we both know who he is, and what he is doing. That assumption continues in his editorial asides in his abridged text. In most cases, he even presumes that we know who he is without any reference to his name at all:
“Mosiah 8:1 And it came to pass that after king Limhi had made an end of speaking to his people, for he spake many things unto them and only a few of them have I written in this book, he told his people all the things concerning their brethren who were in the land of Zarahemla.”
Mormon’s linkage text here includes both the first person insertion, and the information that the “I” has “written in this book.” Both of these pieces of information must be related to Mormon and his editorial work, but Mormon inserts the first person “I” without any designation of the name of the person “I” refers to. When he indicates that he is writing in the book, he makes no description at all of the editorial process. He assumes that we understand that already. Similarly:
Mosiah 28:18-20
"18 Now this account did cause the people of Mosiah to mourn exceedingly, yea, they were filled with sorrow; nevertheless it gave them much knowledge, in the which they did rejoice.
19 And this account shall be written hereafter; for behold, it is expedient that all people should know the things which are written in this account.
20 And now, as I said unto you, that after king Mosiah had done these things, he took the plates of brass, and all the things which he had kept, and conferred them upon Alma, who was the son of Alma; yea, all the records, and also the interpreters, and conferred them upon him, and commanded him that he should keep and preserve them, and also keep a record of the people, handing them down from one generation to another, even as they had been handed down from the time that Lehi left Jerusalem."
Mormon’s editorial insertion here indicates a foreknowledge of what will come later in the book without specifically noting that Mormon is the one who will choose to record it. In verse 20 we have the editor’s “I” without specific reference to his name. The vast majority of the times that Mormon inserts his editorial “I” he leaves off the identification of who he is (see Alma 3:17-19, Alma 6:2-3, Alma 6:5, Alma 23:6, Alma 48:19-21, Alma 49:2-3, Alma 53:10, Hel. 2:13-14, Hel. 3:16-17, Hel. 12:25 (whole chapter is an intercalation), 3 Ne. 7:3, Ne. 7:23-24, 3 Ne. 28:36-37, and 3 Ne. 30:1).
There are two exceptions to this. The first comes at the end of 4 Nephi where Mormon is in transition from the abridgment to his own holographic record: “4 Ne. 1:23 And now I, Mormon, would that ye should know that the people had multiplied, insomuch that they were spread upon all the face of the land, and that they had become exceedingly rich, because of their prosperity in Christ.”
The most interesting of the exceptions is 3 Nephi 3 Ne. 5:12-19:
"12 And behold, I am called Mormon, being called after the land of Mormon, the land in which Alma did establish the church among the people, yea, the first church which was established among them after their transgression.
13 Behold, I am a disciple of Jesus Christ, the Son of God. I have been called of him to declare his word among his people, that they might have everlasting life.
14 And it hath become expedient that I, according to the will of God, that the prayers of those who have gone hence, who were the holy ones, should be fulfilled according to their faith, should make a record of these things which have been done—
15 Yea, a small record of that which hath taken place from the time that Lehi left Jerusalem, even down until the present time.
16 Therefore I do make my record from the accounts which have been given by those who were before me, until the commencement of my day;
17 And then I do make a record of the things which I have seen with mine own eyes.
18 And I know the record which I make to be a just and a true record; nevertheless there are many things which, according to our language, we are not able to write.
19 And now I make an end of my saying, which is of myself, and proceed to give my account of the things which have been before me.
Until this point in his text, Mormon has simply assumed that we know who he is. In fact, although Words of Mormon does give some information, it is very likely that it was written after this statement in 3 Nephi (see Words of Mormon 1:1). Thus at this very late point in the abridgment, we have our most complete introduction to Mormon the editor. Here he tells us who he is, and describes somewhat of what he is doing with his source materials. We now have two issues; is this the first introduction, and if not, why is it here?
While it is necessarily an argument from silence, I suggest that this is not our first introduction to Mormon, simply the first that has been preserved. Since the early portions of Mormon’s abridgment proceed with the assumption that we know who he is and what he is doing, we must suppose that Mormon made this clear in some introductory statement which was lost with the 116 pages. Just as Nephi began his book with a personal statement, we must presume that Mormon would also have done so - with even greater need as Mormon’s role as an editor would have to be made clear so his readers could understand in the text that followed the presumption that we can sort out the editorial insertions without identification or explanation.
We may use as support of this hypothesis the chapter we know as Words of Mormon. When Mormon had a difficult transition, he attempted to smooth it out by providing linking text. There is no more abrupt transition that the beginning of a text, and so it would appear that he would also attempt to make that first transition from not-reading to reading as easy as possible. In the original 116 pages, we may also assume that Mormon would have begun with the same editorial style as we see later, and therefore that same presumption of understanding for the editorial insertions would have been interspersed in the text. Mormon could not have made that assumption unless he has previously introduced himself, his divine call to abridge the records he had received, and the purpose in so doing. Only after such an introduction may we be expected to understand the type of editorial insertions we see.
Of course the clearly aberrant text is the 3 Nephi 12:19. If Mormon had previously introduced himself, why does he do it again? I suggest that this is a special insertion because of the nature of the material Mormon is about to include. Mormon is on the verge of relating the appearance of the Savior to his people. In addition to what was certainly the most sacred of his tasks, Mormon adds a particularly important qualification: “3 Nephi 5:13 Behold, I am a disciple of Jesus Christ, the Son of God. I have been called of him to declare his word among his people, that they might have everlasting life.”
Mormon is an apostle - a called witness for the Savior. I suggest that it is in the declared capacity of apostle that he prefaces this section. This introduction is not to Mormon the editor, but to Mormon the apostle - the special witness. He declares his position as that witness prior to describing the events.
Redaction: The nature of the chapter is as a closing to (and explanation of) the small plates and a transition to the large plates that pick up afterward. Although the function of the chapter is clear, it is nevertheless problematic, because the information Mormon gives will make it difficult to understand both when Mormon wrote the chapter as well as where it was placed in the record he gave to Moroni.
These verses give us an important reference to time. Mormon says that he is about to give the plates to Moroni, and that Mormon has already seen the near destruction of his people. We know from the book of Mormon in the Book of Mormon, that this condition occurs soon before Mormon’s death. Since Mormon is about to give up the plates, and apparently does not have long to live, we understand that he will not be writing much more on the plates.
In and of itself, this is not problematic, but will become so with more information below.