“Many Died in the Wilderness”

Brant Gardner

Text: The 1830 edition does not have a chapter break at this point. Although this is the end of the Lamanite/Amlicite army, it really is not the end of the story from Mormon’s point of view. Textually, the next verses at the beginning of Chapter 3, discussing the war’s aftermath from the Nephite perspective, also belong to this narrative unit. The larger unit that Mormon constructs begins with the Nephites at peace, then at war, then a return to peace. Ending a chapter here obscures Mormon’s intended conclusion.

Second Witness: Analytical & Contextual Commentary on the Book of Mormon, Vol. 4

References