Beware of the Experts—They Often Have an Axe to Grind Part V

Continuing with Sorenson’s presentation to students at Brigham Young University at the Second Biennial Willes Center Book of Mormon Lecture, Sept 8, 2011, in the BYU Hinckley Center Assembly Hall, Sorenson’s statements follow his name, and our comments follow “Response."

Sorenson:  “The Jaredite writing system was better."

Response:  We do not know that, and we don’t really know in what language they wrote…but it would appear they wrote in their own language and not a different language like the Nephites writing in Reformed Egyptian. All this means is that they were more familiar with their own language than the Nephites were with the Reformed Egyptian, thus, it would appear there would be less imperfections in the Jaredite record. Still, we have no way of knowing if the “Jaredite writing system was better."

According to Moroni, who said, “And thou hast made us that we could write but little, because of the awkwardness of our hands” (Ether 12:24), he may not have been talking about writing ability, but the dexterity of writing. Obviously, when comparing their ability to speak against their ability to write, the latter was lacking—which is not uncommon among many who can speak well, but write poorly. Besides, when Moroni said this, he was comparing the Nephite writing not to the Jaredites, but only to that of the Brother of Jared—“Behold, thou hast not made us mighty in writing like unto the brother of Jared, for thou madest him that the things which he wrote were mighty even as thou art, unto the overpowering of man to read them” (Ether 12:24). It would seem that Moroni was very impressed with the Brother of Jared's writing (which he interpreted) and his manner of explaining his visit with the Lord on the mount. And since we do not know exactly what the Brother of Jared actually wrote, we can make no comparison and certainly not claim the overall “Jaredite writing system was better."

Moroni also said, “Thou hast also made our words powerful and great, even that we cannot write them; wherefore, when we write we behold our weakness, and stumble because of the placing of our words” (Ether 12:25). Prophets of antiquity have always had difficulty trying to put into words what the Lord had shown them in vision, and Moroni is no different. He was also well aware of the speaking ability within his experience—mostly, no doubt, because of the speech of his father and other Nephite leaders during his lifetime.

Sorenson: “The Script system was part of the problem."

Response:  It is difficult to claim here that a writing system, i.e., type of language, characters, words, etc., were what Moroni was talking about. He was clearly referring to the difference between speaking ability and writing ability and, no doubt, the ability to write what was felt when speaking by the spirit.

However, in dealing with Sorenson’s comment. Hieratic is a script system of the Egyptian and other ancient hieroglyphics. The Reformed Egyptian was evidently a type of short-hand, or briefer symbols used for the writing. Whether this was the problem causing the imperfections, or whether the imperfections were caused simply by writing in a different language from which the writers spoke, is not known. But it is clear that Moroni’s explanation was not about characters or language, but ability to speak and write.

Sorenson: “Some things they couldn't write at all because they were not using the Hebrew script."

Response:  Again, we do not know that—only mention is about imperfections. 

Sorenson:  “This ambiguity led to “problem of our placing of words” spoken of by Mormon."

Response:  Moroni, not Mormon, said: “Thou hast also made our words powerful and great, even that we cannot write them; wherefore, when we write we behold our weakness, and stumble because of the placing of our words” (Ether 12:25). This does not suggest an ambiguity, but tells us that the Nephites were far better speakers than they were writers, which is not uncommon among many groups of people. Often, the man who can speak with great enthusiasm and spirit falls far short when trying to place that enthusiasm into words on paper.

Sorenson:  “The Brass Plates were hard for Nephites to understand."

Response:  Scripture does not say that. Nephi wrote: “Isaiah spake many things which were hard for many of my people to understand; for they know not concerning the manner of prophesying among the Jews. For I, Nephi, have not taught them many things concerning the manner of the Jews; for their works were works of darkness, and their doings were doings of abominations. Wherefore, I write unto my people, unto all those that shall receive hereafter these things which I write, that they may know the judgments of God, that they come upon all nations, according to the word which he hath spoken” (2 Nephi 25::1-3), and “Yea, and my soul delighteth in the words of Isaiah, for I came out from Jerusalem, and mine eyes hath beheld the things of the Jews, and I know that the Jews do understand the things of the prophets, and there is none other people that understand the things which were spoken unto the Jews like unto them, save it be that they are taught after the manner of the things of the Jews. But behold, I, Nephi, have not taught my children after the manner of the Jews; but behold, I, of myself, have dwelt at Jerusalem, wherefore I know concerning the regions round about; and I have made mention unto my children concerning the judgments of God, which hath come to pass among the Jews, unto my children, according to all that which Isaiah hath spoken, and I do not write them" (2 Nephi 25:5-6). 

 

Sorenson: “Only the rich could learn the system because of leisure time."

Response:  Any such problem had nothing to do with the rich, but those who had a need to read or write in the records written in Reformed Egyptian—after all, Hebrew was the spoken and written language of the Nephites. Since only the prophets, those who wrote the sacred records, wrote and read Reformed Egyptian, it was not a matter of being rich, but a matter of being responsible to keep  the records.

(See the next post, “Beware of the Experts—They Often Have an Axe to Grind Part VI" for more of Sorenson’s statements during the Second Biennial Willes Center Book of Mormon Lecture, Sept 8, 2011, in the BYU Hinckley Center Assembly Hall)