Alma 10:32

Brant Gardner

There is no chapter break at this point in the 1830 edition. Orson Pratt created a new chapter here because what follows in our Chapter 11 is a discussion of weights and measures that doesn’t seem to fit the sermon as laid out in Chapter 10. Pratt was correct that the discussion of weights and measures doesn’t really belong. It is Mormon’s insertion into Alma’s text, and as noted in the comments on the previous verses, is probably entered because Mormon had just given his readers the name Zeezrom, which required some explanation that Mormon understood that his audience would need.

The interruption is bracketed by repetitive resumption. Verse 32 is the opening bracket. The repetition of this information comes in the next chapter, Alma 11:20. That verse, as well as the repeated text in Alma 11:20 are Mormon’s text, then he will return to copying from Alma’s personal record.

Book of Mormon Minute

References