Mosiah 18:26-30

From Feast upon the Word (http://feastupontheword.org). Copyright, Feast upon the Word.

Questions

[edit]

Verse 26

What does it mean to "receive the grace of God" for [our] labor?

[edit]

Lexical notes

[edit]

Verse 30

This verse appears to employ different literary styles than is consistent with the rest of the account.

First there is the excessive location explanation: "done in Mormon, ...waters of Mormon, ....Mormon; ... the place of Mormon, ...the waters of Mormon, the forest of Mormon,"
Second, there is a very prosaic passage almost out of the blue: "how beautiful are they to the eyes of them ... for they shall sing to his praise forever."

It is hard to know whether this is Mormon, as abridger, emphasizing the geography that bears his name or Alma's original record. It is very difficult to jump to an unusual geographic orientation and then quickly to an aesthetic style in the middle of doing a narration by a more sedate method. (This is perhaps evidence of abridgement work in that Joseph Smith would not have thought to change styles so abruptly mid-narration if he were the author.)

[edit]