Two honest questions for Bible scholars...

[Chapel-Hill-Coug]

Originally Posted by tooblue

You speak very definatively about the subject, almost in absolutes. However it doesn't change the fact the overall work that is the Book of Mormon is an abridgment by a prophet hundreds of years removed from Nephi.

In what order and over what time frame did Nephi restate in his own writing what he had read and seen in visions, that was in turn abridged? How many small plates involving dealings with God and the Nephite nation verses larger 'a peoples history' plates did Mormon have to study and draw from for his abridgment?

Furthermore the more and more I read this section it is not always clear to me at what point Nephi is no longer speaking and in fact Jacob is speaking, in addition to the author of the abridgment? Perhaps it's due mostly to my poor reading comprehension?

I am not stretching, or looking for a silver bullet explaination. The Book of Mormon is a whole work of abridgment, note merely a complilation. I feel there is a very clear distinction to be made.

I'm not speaking in absolutes. I'm telling you what the BOM text says. Read it for yourself. Nephi says, here I'm quoting from Isaiah, stuff I found in the brass plates. You're off on a completely unrelated tangent.