BM-KJV and JE-Mormon 6
Annotation of Mormon 6 – preliminary
Mormon 6 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.
Purple are nonbiblical Book of Mormon words/phrases similar to Edwards.
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 (If unique to this instance, no footnote is given)
Red = nonbiblical BofM/D&C and JE
Purple = nonbiblical BofM/D&C similar to JE
Chapter 6
The Nephites gather to the land of Cumorah for the final battles—Mormon hides the sacred records in the hill Cumorah—The Lamanites are victorious, and the Nephite nation is destroyed—Hundreds of thousands are slain with the sword. About A.D. 385.
1 And now I finish my record concerning the destruction of my people, the Nephites. And it came to pass that we did march forth before the Lamanites.
2 And I, Mormon, wrote an epistle unto the king of the Lamanites, and desired of him that he would grant unto us that we might gather together[1] our people unto the land of Cumorah, by a hill which was called Cumorah, and there we could give them battle.
3 And it came to pass that the king of the Lamanites did grant unto me the thing which I desired.
4 And it came to pass that we did march forth to the land of Cumorah, and we did pitch our tents around about the hill Cumorah; and it was in a land of many waters[2], rivers, and fountains; and here we had hope to gain advantage[3] over the Lamanites.
5 And when three hundred and eighty and four years had passed away, we had gathered in[4] all the remainder[5] of our people unto the land of Cumorah.
6 And it came to pass that when we had gathered in all our people in one to the land of Cumorah, behold I, Mormon, began to be old; and knowing it to be the last struggle[6] of my people, and having been commanded[7] of the Lord that I should not suffer the records which had been handed down by our fathers, which were sacred, to fall into the hands of the Lamanites, (for the Lamanites would destroy them) therefore I made this record out of the plates of Nephi, and hid up in the hill Cumorah all the records which had been entrusted[8] to me by the hand of the Lord, save it were these few plates which I gave unto my son Moroni.
7 And it came to pass that my people, with their wives and their children, did now behold the armies of the Lamanites marching towards them; and with that awful fear[9] of death[10] which fills the breasts of all the wicked[11], did they await to receive them.
8 And it came to pass that they came to battle against us, and every soul was filled with terror[12] because of the greatness of their numbers.
9 And it came to pass that they did fall upon my people with the sword, and with the bow, and with the arrow, and with the ax, and with all manner of weapons of war[13].
10 And it came to pass that my men were hewn down[14], yea, even my ten thousand who were with me, and I fell wounded in the midst[15]; and they passed by me that they did not put an end[16] to my life.
11 And when they had gone through and hewn down all my people save it were twenty and four of us, (among whom was my son Moroni) and we having survived the dead of our people, did behold on the morrow[17], when the Lamanites had returned unto their camps, from the top of the hill Cumorah, the ten thousand of my people who were hewn down, being led in the front by me.
12 And we also beheld the ten thousand of my people who were led by my son Moroni.
13 And behold, the ten thousand of Gidgiddonah had fallen, and he also in the midst.
14 And Lamah had fallen with his ten thousand; and Gilgal had fallen with his ten thousand; and Limhah had fallen with his ten thousand; and Jeneum had fallen with his ten thousand; and Cumenihah, and Moronihah, and Antionum, and Shiblom, and Shem, and Josh, had fallen with their ten thousand each.
15 And it came to pass that there were ten more who did fall by the sword, with their ten thousand each; yea, even all my people, save it were those twenty and four who were with me, and also a few who had escaped into the south countries, and a few who had deserted over[18] unto the Lamanites, had fallen; and their flesh, and bones, and blood lay upon the face of the earth, being left by the hands of those who slew them to molder[19] upon the land, and to crumble[20] and to return to their mother earth[21].
16 And my soul was rent with anguish[22], because of the slain of my people, and I cried:
17 O ye fair ones[23], how could ye have departed from[24] the ways of the Lord[25]! O ye fair ones, how could ye have rejected that Jesus, who stood with open arms[26] to receive you!
18 Behold, if ye had not done this, ye would not have fallen. But behold, ye are fallen, and I mourn your loss[27].
19 O ye fair sons and daughters[28], ye fathers and mothers, ye husbands and wives, ye fair ones, how is it that ye could have fallen!
20 But behold, ye are gone, and my sorrows[29] cannot bring your return.
21 And the day soon cometh that your mortal must put on immortality[30], and these bodies which are now moldering[31] in corruption must soon become incorruptible[32] bodies; and then ye must stand before[33] the judgment-seat of Christ, to be judged according to your works[34]; and if it so be that ye are righteous, then are ye blessed with your fathers who have gone before you.
22 O that ye had repented before this great destruction[35] had come upon you. But behold, ye are gone, and the Father, yea, the Eternal Father of heaven[36], knoweth your state[37]; and he doeth with you according to his justice and mercy[38].
(Mormon 6–6:22)
[1] OT (11) NT (4) BM (20) DC (14) PGP (1) JE (52)
[2] OT (10) NT (4) BM (12) DC (3) PGP (1)JE (50)
[3] BM (3)
[4] OT (4) BM (10) DC (3) JE (61)
[5] BM (9) DC (1) JE (3)
[6] BM (1) JE (2) JE: “the last struggle of all false religions with their united strength”
[7] BM (3)
[8] BM (5) DC (8) JE (35)
[9] BM (2)
[10] “fear of death” NT (1) BM (2) JE (25)
[11] OT (5) BM (1) DC (1) JE (35)
[12] BM (1) JE (1)
[13] OT (9) BM (46) JE (21)
[14] OT (2) NT (3) BM (21) DC (2) JE (17)
[15] OT (218) NT (38) BM (32) DC (20) PGP (13) JE (800+)
[16] BM (11) JE (169)
[17] OT (28) NT (11) BM (38) JE (7)
[18] BM (2)
[19] BM (1) JE (1) JE: “Your being itself is but a house of clay, which will quickly molder , and tumble down. And you shall have no other habitation here in this world but the grave.”
[20] BM (2)
[21] BM (3) JE (6) JE: “We are all born of the same mother earth.”
[22] BM (2)
[23] BM (3)
[24] OT (58) NT (21) BM (8) PGP (2) JE (150)
[25] OT (5) NT (1) BM (17) JE (15)
[26] BM (1) JE (1) JE: “They unexpectedly find him with open arms to embrace them”
[27] BM (1) JE (15) JE: “you mourn for your [ ] Loss”
[28] BM (6)
[29] OT (2) BM (1) JE (4)
[30] NT (1) BM (1) JE (1)
[31] BM (2) JE (1)
[32] NT (4) BM (2) JE (107)
[33] BM (2) JE (10)
[34] NT (1) BM (2) JE (3)
[35] OT (6) BM (14) JE (34)
[36] BM (3)
[37] NT (2) BM (1) JE (36)
[38] BM (2) JE (12)