The forms of these comparisons follow the form established in the model text, but Mormon expands on the examples. He is faithful to the literary phrasing, but invents the specifics of the images. Specifically, Mormon is going to turn his discourse in a slightly different direction by focusing on the concept of evil. It begins with the cited scripture that speaks of “evil” men knowing how to give good gifts. This original connotation of “evil” is simply an opposition to the nature of the goodness of God. It is the same as the natural man.
Mormon subtly shifts this simple opposition of the nature of man and god to a qualitative difference. The introduction of the devil shifts the connotation from evil-as-natural-man to evil-as-opposite-of-good.