3. Divides the land. “They built a great city by the narrow neck of land, by the place where the sea divides the land” (Ether 10:20). When something divides the land, that “something” is generally a small and narrow piece of land connected at both ends like a large inlet or bay; or it could cut the major land into and two separate parts that are no longer connected.
So what divides that land?
A high mountain can separate or divide a flatter land into two parts, requiring someone to travel far to get around the division of the mountains that fills with the sea; a raging river too wide or too deep to cross can divide the land; a canyon can divide a land and filling with the sea, can cut the land in two for as long or far as the canyon runs;
When a bay cuts into the land, it can be said the “sea is divides the land”
In addition, s sea lake, bay, inlet or large body of water can divide a land into two parts, thus when the “sea divides the land,” it is a body of water large enough to force movement around it to stay upon the land.
By definition, “divide” means to cause to be separate; to keep apart by a partition or by an imaginary line or limit; to part. On the other hand, “separate” means to remove; to disconnect; to disunite; no longer be connected.
Thus we see that in the case of the “sea divides the land,” we are talking about an inlet, gulf, bay or passage of the sea or a portion of it separating land that is otherwise connected.
4. The use of Nephi’s name in the beginning of his record is most interesting. As he wrote it: “I, Nephi, having been born of goodly parents, therefore I was taught somewhat in all the learning of my father” (1 Nephi 1:1). First of all, he makes it clear in the following verse that his father’s language in which he was taught was “the learning of the Jews and the language of the Egyptians” (1 Nephi 1:2). Now, the name Nephi is most likely derived from an Egyptian name NFR which means: “Good” “Goodly” “Fine” or “Fair” and pronounced something like “NAY-fee,” or “NEH-fee.” Thus it could be rendered “I, Nephi, (Good or Goodly) having been born of goodly parents.
Some have called this using a pun—making a joke exploiting the different possible meanings of a word—by Nephi as he introduces himself with this allusive or oblique remark or hint, typically a suggestive approach to the use of his name in such a manner.
In any event, Nephi is most likely pronounced “NAY-fee,” or “NEH-fee.”
5. Emma Smith acted as scribe in helping her husband Joseph in writing down his words in the first part of the translation of the Book of Mormon. It has long been understood that Emma Hale Smith was the first scribe for the translation. Using details she gave in interviews, it has been identified which part of the text she recorded. Emma says that when she scribed for Joseph, he could not pronounce the name “Sariah” and was shocked to find that Jerusalem had walls (Edmund C. Briggs, "A Visit to Nauvoo in 1856," Journal of History vol.9, October 1916).
6. A ship unlike any man had ever built. “We did work timbers of curious workmanship. And the Lord did show me from time to time after what manner I should work the timbers of the ship. Now I, Nephi, did not work the timbers after the manner which was learned by men, neither did I build the ship after the manner of men; but I did build it after the manner which the Lord had shown unto me; wherefore, it was not after the manner of men. And I, Nephi, did go into the mount oft, and I did pray oft unto the Lord; wherefore the Lord showed unto me great things“ (1 Nephi 18:1-2); thus, Nephi built a ship unlike any ship previously built by man to that time (1 Nephi 18:1-2).
An early angel Moroni atop a temple
7. The Angel Moroni statue on top of the temples lend to some interesting facts: 1) The Nauvoo Temple’s angel Moroni statue is one of only a handful of temples with an Angel Moroni statue facing west instead of east (Due to lot orientation and spire placement, the Seattle Washington, Manila Philippines, Taipei Taiwan, Spokane Washington, and Nauvoo Illinois temples have a west-facing angel Moroni; 2) Moroni was not commonly put on temples until the late 1970s (Early angel Moroni statues were too heavy to be put on most temples’ spires). The first statues weighed more than a ton each. Current statues only weigh about 350 pounds; 3) The Monticello Utah temple originally had a white angel Moroni (Because it was hard to see, the white statue was taken down and redone in gold leaf); 4) The original angel Moroni statue was inspired by Reveation 14 (Cyrus E. Dallin, who designed this original angel Moroni, suggested the upright design we see today based on his study of Revelation 14 and other Latter-day Saint literature; 5) Only 10 temples have Morohi holding something in his left hand (a plate-carrying item in his left hand on the Los Angeles California, Washington D.C., Seattle Washington, Jordan River Utah, and Mexico City Mexico Temples. Or you can look for a scroll-carrying version of the Moroni statue on the Achorage Alaska, Bismarck North Dakota, Columbus Ohio, Kona Hawaii, and Caracas Venezuela Temples; 6) Most Moroni statues are made of lightweight fiberglass and leafed in gold f—Early angel Moroni statues, however, were made from bronze, copper, or aluminum (but still leafed in gold).
8. Of great height. “there shall be many places which are now called valleys which shall become mountains, whose height is great” (Helaman 14:23). Height, of course, means their elevation, and while that can be measured today, we are talking about a time when such things were not measured, but viewed. And in viewing mountains, it is important to be able to single out a mountain or a range that sticks its head up above the surrounding terrain in a very noticeable manner. In addition, since it was going to be a sign, it would have been noticeable to everyone in the land, both in the Land Northward and in the Land Southward.
Thus, a sign seen by all: “To the intent that they might believe that these signs and these wonders should come to pass upon all the face of this land, to the intent that there should be no cause for unbelief among the children of men” (Helaman 4:28, emphasis added). Obviously, for this to take place the mountains would have to be the highest in all the land and originally established in such a manner as there could be no question as to their formation.
This could not be accomplished with a few mountain peaks, but entire mountain ranges that filled the entire land so that no one would not understand it was the working of the Lord that brought it about. When valleys are turning into mountains that rise upward to a great height within three hours, it should be understood that the Lord was involved.
(See the next post to continue with these facts about the Book of Mormon).
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