In spite of the vacant years that Mormon notes in verse 7, he recognizes in verse 8 that “many things transpired which, in the eyes of some, would be great and marvelous.” Mormon clearly indicates that he is making selections, and making selections according to the criteria that he is using to dictate his overall purpose. In this case, it is not that these years pass with nothing of note occurring, but that those things that did occur are not part of what interests Mormon. He is rushing into the most important part of his story, and he is not to be sidetracked by mere history.
Textual: Verses 9 and 10 tell us the provenance of the information in this account. Nephi is among the political rulers at this time, and he is maintaining his record “on the plates which were called the plates of Nephi.” As noted earlier, Nephi’s father, Nephi the elder, would have taken these sacred records with him when he was ousted from leadership by the Gadiantons. His son continues to write on those plates, but under a new book required by the change in political status.
In spite of this, records were kept, and no doubt they were official records of the ruling parties. Mormon has access to that parallel tradition, but he elects to follow the plate of Nephi tradition. This is no doubt occasioned by the more spiritual nature of the events recorded by Nephi the son of Nephi. The “many things transpired which, in the eyes of some, would be great and marvelous,” were most likely more secular in nature, and therefore not of the same interest to Mormon’s narrative.