Why Should Readers Pay Attention to the Book of Mormon’s Editorial Promises?

Post contributed by Scripture Central

April 11, 2019

KnoWhy #510

Words of Mormon by Normandy Poulter and the BYU Virtual Scriptures Group. Used with permission.

“And I will show unto you hereafter that this record is true.”

3 Nephi 18:37

The Know

In several ways, the authors and editors of the Book of Mormon offered commentary to help readers anticipate what will come next in its pages. Its writers informed readers about the content and structure of what would follow, testified to the truthfulness of impending narratives, and occasionally explained that further information would be provided about topics that had only been briefly discussed. These types of editorial promises—or, in other words, commitments to discuss or revisit certain topics—are plentifully scattered throughout the Book of Mormon. Impressively, these promises are also consistently and accurately fulfilled, even when their fulfillments are separated from the promises by large amounts of text.

Book and Chapter Headings

Some of the Book of Mormon’s editorial promises can be found in book headings. The book of 1 Nephi, for example, begins with a lengthy summary of what will follow, including statements like “Nephi’s brethren rebel against him. He confoundeth them, and buildeth a ship. They call the name of the place Bountiful. They cross the large waters into the promised land, and so forth” (1 Nephi 1).1 These details help readers know in advance what main events will take place in Nephi’s book. Similar summary headings can be found at the beginning of various chapters throughout the Book of Mormon.2 These ancient book and chapter headings (often referred to as colophons)3 were in the original text that Joseph Smith dictated to his scribes4 and should not be confused with the italicized chapter summaries that were produced in modern times by the Scriptures Committee of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.5

The ancient and modern headings of 1 Nephi. Image by Book of Mormon Central.

Editorial Transitions

Anita Wells explained, “From its creation to its translation and publication, the Book of Mormon is profoundly and essentially a book that discusses its own authorship and editing at length.”6 Naturally, much of its self-discussion can be found either before or after its various transitions. The Book of Mormon editors often provided commentary that, like seams which join separate pieces of fabric, helps stitch together separate literary units at their transition points. These transitions typically occur as a narrator shifts between storylines, clarifies an intended audience, weaves in and out of various source texts, or digresses into spiritual or explanatory commentary. In order to guide readers through these otherwise jarring shifts, the ancient narrators often pointed out what had just taken place or what was about to take place. Thus, editorial transitions are a very good place to look for editorial promises.

Passing Comments

Although most editorial promises can be found in headings and near transitions, they are sometimes just given in passing. One example can be found in Mosiah 28:9. After relating that King Mosiah would give his sons permission to preach to the Lamanites, Mormon committed to readers that he would “give an account of their proceedings hereafter.” Then, without further ado, he promptly returned back to the normal flow of the narrative.

Immediate, Sustained, and Intermittent Fulfillments

While many of the Book of Mormon’s editorial promises begin to be fulfilled immediately, some of them receive sustained or recurring attention before being fully realized. In 2 Nephi 11:2, for instance, Nephi declared, “And now I, Nephi, write more of the words of Isaiah, for my soul delighteth in his words.” Although Nephi’s promise began to be fulfilled seven verses later in 2 Nephi 12:1, it is sustained for 13 full chapters before being completely fulfilled (2 Nephi 12–24). Then, immediately afterward, Nephi began to fulfill his promise to “liken [Isaiah’s] words unto my people,” which was also given back in 2 Nephi 11:2 and which is also sustained for multiple chapters (2 Nephi 25–30). To further complicate things, near the beginning of these chapters (2 Nephi 25–30), Nephi delivered and then began to fulfill yet other promises, such as

showing his people how the judgments of God will come upon all nations (2 Nephi 25:3),
delivering his own prophecies in plainness (2 Nephi 25:4),
addressing those who doubt the worth of his words (2 Nephi 25:8),
and confining his words to his own people (2 Nephi 25:8).

While some of these promises are immediately fulfilled and then sustained throughout 2 Nephi 25–30, others are only intermittently fulfilled throughout the same span of chapters (see appendix). Most readers probably don’t realize how many overlapping editorial commitments with varying types of fulfillments that Book of Mormon authors sometimes juggled at a time.

Delayed Fulfillments

Perhaps even more impressive, many editorial promises are separated from their fulfillments by entire chapters and even books. For example, after reporting that King Mosiah translated the Jaredite record, Mormon declared that “this account shall be written hereafter” (Mosiah 28:19). Apparently, Mormon himself didn’t have time to include the Jaredite record before he was killed by the Lamanites (Mormon 8:3). Yet Moroni, who finished out his father’s record, made good on his father’s promise when he abridged the book of Ether.

In another instance, Mormon promised in Alma 35:13 to give an account of the wars between the Nephites and Lamanites that began in the eighteenth year of the reign of the judges. True to his word, Mormon notified readers eight chapters later that he would now to “return to an account of the wars between the Nephites and the Lamanites, in the eighteenth year of the reign of the judges” (Alma 43:3). Throughout the Book of Mormon, dozens of editorial promises are similarly separated from their fulfillments by a least a chapter or more of text (see appendix).7

The Why

El guardian by Jorge Cocco

Paying attention to editorial promises can help readers keep track of the organizational structure and flow of the Book of Mormon’s various literary units. These promises also help reveal what the book’s ancient authors and editors thought was important. For example, at the beginning of his record, Nephi declared that he would show readers “that the tender mercies of the Lord are over all those whom he hath chosen, because of their faith, to make them mighty even unto the power of deliverance” (1 Nephi 1:20). With this thesis statement so openly declared, readers might ask themselves relevant questions about the rest of Nephi’s book, such as: How does a particular story demonstrate the Lord’s power of deliverance? What does it mean to be chosen? And what happens to those in Nephi’s record who fail to exercise faith?8 Noticing editorial promises can launch readers into an investigation of details and themes that were clearly a priority to the Book of Mormon’s prophetic writers.

At the same time, the scores of fulfilled editorial promises scattered throughout the Book of Mormon provide evidence of its complexity and sophistication.9 As John A. Tvedtnes explained, “An author may promise in the course of writing to return to a subject later to supply further details. Actually keeping such a promise can prove difficult. Even with modern writing aids, memory can betray a person into failing to tuck in the corners of plot or information.”10

Yet Joseph Smith didn’t have modern writing aids, such as a computer with a search engine, when he translated the Book of Mormon. In fact, he didn’t have any writing aids, period. When asked, in an interview in 1879, if Joseph Smith had a manuscript to read from while dictating the Book of Mormon, his wife Emma declared, “He had neither manuscript nor book to read from.” She further insisted, “If he had had anything of the kind he could not have concealed it from me.”11 Similarly, in an interview with the Chicago Times in 1881, it was reported that David Whitmer “emphatically asserts as did [Martin] Harris and [Oliver] Cowdery, that while [Joseph] Smith was dictating the translation he had no manuscript notes or other means of knowledge.”12

Thus, the primary witnesses to the translation insisted that Joseph Smith was not using notes or an outline to help him keep track of the Book of Mormon’s numerous details, which include over 170 editorial promises and their various fulfillments (see appendix). All Joseph had were divinely prepared translation instruments and scribes to record his dictation.13

Keeping track of such promises under these circumstances would have been further complicated by the breakneck speed of the translation, which, from start to finish, was most likely completed between April 7 and June 30, 1829.14 John W. Welch has concluded that, with various interruptions accounted for, “not many more than the equivalent of about 60 actual working days” would have been available during these months.15 That works out to about eight pages of translated text a day, a rate which Welch described as “blistering.”16 In light of this situation, Tvedtnes concluded,

If following through on editorial promises to return to a subject is difficult in writing, it is even harder done in haste with no written record to serve as a reminder of the promises made. In 1829 Joseph Smith dictated to Oliver Cowdery most of the scripture attributed to Mormon within the period of a few weeks, and without proofreading or revising. Under these circumstances, if Joseph were the original author, then leaving no gaps in the promised materials would have been a remarkable achievement.17

Indeed, even a marvelous achievement (see 2 Nephi 27:26).

The Book of Mormon’s numerous editorial promises can reasonably be explained if they were created by various ancient authors and editors who most likely had access to notes and outlines and many more than 60 working days to accomplish their task. In contrast, it is hard to believe that this complex array of promises and fulfillments could have been produced through essentially unedited rapid dictation by a frontier farmer like Joseph Smith, whose limited education and lack of literary training was glaringly obvious to those who knew him at the time.18

The Book of Mormon’s editorial promises therefore provide remarkable evidence of its miraculous origins and divine authenticity. At the same time, they help prove that the Lord “hath all power unto the fulfilling of all his words” (1 Nephi 9:6). The Lord promised the Book of Mormon’s ancient authors that He would bring forth their words in the latter days,19 and that promise, like so many other promises scattered throughout the book’s pages, has been miraculously and accurately fulfilled.20

Appendix

Editorial Promises

* Promises separated from their fulfillment by more than five verses

** Promises separated from their fulfillment by large amounts of text (typically a chapter or more)

Topic	Promise	Fulfillment
An Account of Lehi and His Family Will Be Given	1 Nephi 1 Introduction	1 Nephi 1–22
**The Lord Will Warn Lehi to Leave Jerusalem	1 Nephi 1 Introduction	1 Nephi 2:2
*Lehi Will Prophesy unto the People Concerning Their Iniquity	1 Nephi 1 Introduction	1 Nephi 1:18
*The People Will Seek to Kill Lehi	1 Nephi 1 Introduction	1 Nephi 1:20
**A Three Day Journey Will Be Discussed	1 Nephi 1 Introduction	1 Nephi 2:6
**Lehi’s Sons Will Return to Jerusalem for the Brass Plates	1 Nephi 1 Introduction	1 Nephi 3–4
**An Account of Suffering Will Be Given	1 Nephi 1 Introduction	1 Nephi 3:13–14, 26–29
**Lehi’s Sons Will Take Wives	1 Nephi 1 Introduction	1 Nephi 7:1 1 Nephi 16:7
**Lehi’s Family Will Depart into the Wilderness	1 Nephi 1 Introduction	1 Nephi 16:12
**An Account of Suffering and Afflictions in the Wilderness Will Be Given	1 Nephi 1 Introduction	1 Nephi 16:19–20, 35 1 Nephi 17:6, 20–21
**The Course of Lehi’s Travels Will Be Given	1 Nephi 1 Introduction	1 Nephi 16–17
**Lehi’s Group Will Come to Large Waters	1 Nephi 1 Introduction	1 Nephi 17:5
**Nephi’s Brothers Will Rebel against Him	1 Nephi 1 Introduction	1 Nephi 17:17–22, 48 2 Nephi 1:2
**Nephi Will Confound His Brothers	1 Nephi 1 Introduction	1 Nephi 17:52
**Nephi Will Build a Ship	1 Nephi 1 Introduction	1 Nephi 18:4
**A Location Will Be Called Bountiful	1 Nephi 1 Introduction	1 Nephi 17:5–6
**Lehi’s Group Will Cross Large Waters and Arrive in a Promised Land	1 Nephi 1 Introduction	1 Nephi 18:23
**Nephi Will Give an Abbreviated Account of His Father’s record21	1 Nephi 1:16	1 Nephi 6:3 1 Nephi 8:29 1 Nephi 9:1
**Nephi Will First Abridge Lehi’s Record, Then Make His Own22	1 Nephi 1:17	1 Nephi 10:1
*Nephi Will Show That the Lord Chooses (Favors) the Righteous and Faithful	1 Nephi 1:20	1 Nephi 2:16–24 1 Nephi 3:6 1 Nephi 3:29 1 Nephi 4:13 1 Nephi 15:8–11 1 Nephi 17:33–35
**Nephi Will Show the Lord’s Power of Deliverance	1 Nephi 1:20	1 Nephi 3:29 1 Nephi 4:3, 11–12, 17 1 Nephi 5:8 1 Nephi 7:17 1 Nephi 16:30–33 1 Nephi 16:39 1 Nephi 17:1–3 1 Nephi 17:48–55 1 Nephi 18:20–22 2 Nephi 5:1–7
No Genealogy Will Be Given	1 Nephi 6:1	1 Nephi 6:2–2 Nephi 33:15
**Nephi Commands Posterity to Not Occupy Plates with Things of No Worth23	1 Nephi 6:6 Jacob 1:1–4	Jacob–Omni
**Nephi’s Plates Will Be Handed Down from One Prophet to Another	1 Nephi 19:4	Jacob 1:3 Jarom 1:1, 15 Omni 1:1, 3, 9
**An Account of Making Plates Will Be Given Hereafter	1 Nephi 19:5	2 Nephi 5:30–32
**Nephi Will Proceed to Give a Spiritual Account after He Gives an Account of Making His Small Plates	1 Nephi 19:5	2 Nephi 6–33
Nephi Will Read the Words of Isaiah	1 Nephi 19:23	1 Nephi 20–21
**Nephi Will Liken the Scriptures unto His People	1 Nephi 19:23	1 Nephi 22
**An Account of Lehi’s Death Will Be Given	2 Nephi 1 Introduction	2 Nephi 4:12
**Nephi’s Brothers Will Rebel	2 Nephi 1 Introduction	2 Nephi 5:1–3
**The Lord Will Warn Nephi to Depart into the Wilderness	2 Nephi 1 Introduction	2 Nephi 5:5
**Nephi’s Journey in the Wilderness Will Be Given	2 Nephi 1 Introduction	2 Nephi 5:6–7
Lehi Will Speak to the People	2 Nephi 1:1	2 Nephi 1–2 Nephi 4:12
Lehi Will Speak to Jacob	2 Nephi 2:1	2 Nephi 2
Lehi Will Speak to Joseph	2 Nephi 3:1	2 Nephi 3
Nephi Will Speak of the Prophecies of Joseph Who Was Carried into Egypt	2 Nephi 4:1	2 Nephi 4:2
Lehi Will Speak to Laman’s Posterity	2 Nephi 4:3	2 Nephi 4:3–7
Lehi Will Speak to Lemuel’s Posterity	2 Nephi 4:8	2 Nephi 4:9
Jacob’s Words Will Be Given	2 Nephi 6:1	Jacob 6–10
Jacob Will Read Words from Isaiah	2 Nephi 6:4	Jacob 6–8
Jacob Will Declare the Rest of His Words on the Morrow	2 Nephi 9:54	2 Nephi 10
Jacob Will Speak of a Righteous Branch	2 Nephi 10:1	2 Nephi 10:2–22
*Nephi Will Write More of Isaiah’s Words	2 Nephi 11:2 2 Nephi 11:8	2 Nephi 12–24
**Nephi Will Liken Isaiah’s Words to His People	2 Nephi 11:2	2 Nephi 25–30
Nephi Will Comment upon Isaiah’s Words Which He Had Written	2 Nephi 25:1	2 Nephi 25–30
*Nephi Will Show His People That the Judgements of God Come upon All Nations	2 Nephi 25:3	2 Nephi 25:22 2 Nephi 27:1–3 2 Nephi 27:9–14
Nephi Will Proceed with His Own Prophecy According to His Plainness	2 Nephi 25:4	2 Nephi 25–30 2 Nephi 25:10 2 Nephi 26:14 2 Nephi 30:3
*Nephi Will Particularly Speak to Those Who Doubt the Worth of His Words	2 Nephi 25:8	2 Nephi 25:28 2 Nephi 28–29
*Nephi Will Confine His Words to His Own People	2 Nephi 25:8	2 Nephi 25:20 2 Nephi 26:1, 23 2 Nephi 28:1 2 Nephi 30:1, 18
Nephi Will Show His Posterity That They Aren’t More Righteous Than the Gentiles	2 Nephi 30:1	2 Nephi 30:1–8
Nephi Will Prophesy More Concerning the Jews and Gentiles	2 Nephi 30:3	2 Nephi 30:3–7
Nephi Will Make an End of His Prophesying	2 Nephi 31:1	2 Nephi 31–33
Nephi Will Speak Plainly Concerning the Doctrine of Christ	2 Nephi 31:2	2 Nephi 31:2–21
Jacob’s Preaching Will Be Recorded	Jacob 1 Introduction	Jacob 1–6
**Jacob Will Confound A Man Who Contends against the Doctrine of Christ	Jacob 1 Introduction	Jacob 7:8
*Jacob Will Give Some Words Concerning the History of His People	Jacob 1 Introduction	Jacob 1:9–19
**Jacob Will Group Lehi’s Seven Tribes as Either Nephites or Lamanites	Jacob 1:14	Jacob 2:35 Jacob 3:3, 5 Jacob 7:24
*Jacob Will Tell the People Concerning the Wickedness of Their Thoughts and Actions	Jacob 2:5–6	Jacob 2:13, 16, 20 Jacob 2:22–23
Jacob Will Show How the Jews Will Be Redeemed after Rejecting Their Redeemer	Jacob 4:18	Jacob 5–6 Jacob 6:8
Jacob Will Confound Sherem	Jacob 7:8	Jacob 7:9–14
Enos Will Tell about His Wrestle with the Lord	Enos 1:2	Enos 1:4
Enos Will Tell about His Remission of Sins	Enos 1:2	Enos 1:5–6
Jarom Won’t Write about His Prophecies or Revelations	Jarom 1:2	Jarom 1:3–15
**Mormon Will Deliver Plates to Moroni	Words of Mormon 1:1	Mormon 6:6
**Moroni May Write Concerning the Destruction of His People	Words of Mormon 1:2	Mormon 8:1–8
**Moroni May Write Concerning Christ	Words of Mormon 1:2	Mormon 9:37 Ether 12:41 Moroni 10
**Mormon Will Include Nephi’s Small Plates at the End of His Record24	Words of Mormon 1:5–6	1 Nephi–Words of Mormon
**King Benjamin Will Declare That Mosiah Will Be King	Mosiah 1:10	Mosiah 2:30
**King Benjamin Will Give His People a Name	Mosiah 1:11–12	Mosiah 5:7–12
King Limhi Will Cause His People to Rejoice on the Morrow	Mosiah 7:14	Mosiah 7:17
The Record of Zeniff’s People Will Be Given	Mosiah 9 Introduction	Mosiah 9–22
Abinadi Will Read the Remainder of the Commandments	Mosiah 13:11	Mosiah 13:12–24
An Account of Alma and His People Will Be Given	Mosiah 23 Introduction	Mosiah 23–24
**An Account of Baptism Will Be Given	Mosiah 21:35	Mosiah 25:17–18
Mormon Will Show Readers That the Nephites Were Put into Bondage	Mosiah 23:23	Mosiah 23:37
*Mormon Will Show Readers That Only the Lord Could Deliver the Nephites	Mosiah 23:23	Mosiah 24:17–25 Mosiah 25:10, 16
**An Account of the Sons of Mosiah Will Be Given	Mosiah 28:9	Alma 17–27
**An Account of the Jaredites Will Be Given	Mosiah 28:17–19	Ether 1:1–2
Mosiah’s Written Words Will Be Given	Mosiah 29:4	Mosiah 29:5–36
An Account of Alma, the Son of Alma Will Be Given	Alma 1:1 Introduction	Alma 1–4
Alma Is the Chief Judge25	Alma 1:1 Introduction	Alma 1–4
An Account of the Reign of the Judges Will Be Given	Alma 1:1 Introduction	Alma 1–63
**An Account of Contention and Wars among the People (Nephites) Will Be Given	Alma 1:1 Introduction	Alma 2
**An Account of War between the Nephites and Lamanites Will Be Given	Alma 1:1 Introduction	Alma 2:24–38 Alma 3:20–23
Return to Account of Amlicites	Alma 3:13	Alma 3:13–23
An Account Will Be Given of Alma’s Words Delivered in Cities and Villages	Alma 5 Introduction	Alma 5–8
Alma’s Words to the People in Gideon Will Be Given	Alma 7 Introduction Alma 6:8	Alma 8:1
**Alma and Amulek Will Be Given Special Divine Power	Alma 8:31	Alma 14:10 Alma 14:28
**Alma and Amulek Will Not Be Confined in Dungeons	Alma 8:31	Alma 14:28
**It Won’t Be Possible for Men to Slay Alma and Amulek	Alma 8:31	Alma 14:13 Alma 14:28
**Alma and Amulek Won’t Exercise Power until Bound and Cast into Prison	Alma 8:31	Alma 14:26
The Words of Alma Will Be Given	Alma 9 Introduction	Alma 9:1–33 Alma 12–13
*The Words of Amulek Will Also Be Given	Alma 9 Introduction	Alma 9:34 Alma 10:1–27 Alma 11:22–46
**Alma and Amulek Will Be Cast into Prison	Alma 9 Introduction	Alma 14:18
**Alma and Amulek Will Be Delivered by Divine Power	Alma 9 Introduction	Alma 14:28
**Lawyers Plan to Remember Alma and Amulek’s Words Against Them	Alma 10:30	Alma 12:3–4, 7
Alma Will Explain the Fall	Alma 12:22	Alma 12:22–37
An Account of the Sons of Mosiah Will Be Given	Alma 17 Introduction	Alma 17–27
*An Account of the Sufferings of the Sons of Mosiah Will Be Given	Alma 17 Introduction	Alma 20:29–30 Alma 21:13–14 Alma 26:28–30
**An Account of the Deliverance of the Sons of Mosiah Will Be Given	Alma 17 Introduction	Alma 21:14 Alma 26:29
Ammon Will Show His Power So Others Will Believe His Words	Alma 17:29	Alma 17:29–Alma 19
An Account Will Be Given of the Preaching of Aaron, Muloki, and Their Brethren	Alma 21 Introduction	Alma 21–25
Return to Account of Aaron and His brethren	Alma 22:1	Alma 21–25
Return to the Account of the Sons of Mosiah	Alma 22:35	Alma 23–28
Alma Will Inquire of the Lord	Alma 27:7	Alma 27:11
*The Nephites Will Give the Land of Jershon to the People of Ammon	Alma 27:22–24	Alma 28:1, 8 Alma 30:1, 19 Alma 35:8, 13
**An Account of War in the 18^th Year Will Be Given	Alma 35:13	Alma 43:3
The Commandments of Alma to His Son Helaman	Alma 36 Introduction	Alma 36–37
Alma Will Speak of the Jaredite Record	Alma 37:21	Alma 37:21–32
The Commandments of Alma to His Son Shiblon	Alma 38 Introduction	Alma 38
The Commandments of Alma to His Son Corianton	Alma 39 Introduction	Alma 39–42
Alma Will Discuss the Coming of Christ	Alma 39:15	Alma 39:15–19
Alma Will Explain the Meaning of Restoration	Alma 41:1	Alma 41:1–15
Alma Will Explain the Justice of God	Alma 42:1	Alma 42:2–31
No More Will Be Said about the Ministry of Alma and His Sons	Alma 43:2	Alma 43–63
Return to War Account	Alma 43:3	Alma 43–63
An Account Will Be given of Wars and Dissensions in the Days of Helaman	Alma 45 Introduction	Alma 45–62
Return to the Account of Amalickiah and Those Who Fled with Him	Alma 47:1	Alma 47:1–Alma 48:7
*Readers Will See That Amalickiah’s Promise Was Rash	Alma 51:10	Alma 51:34
Helaman Will Show That They Accomplished Their Desire to Obtain the City Cumeni	Alma 57:8	Alma 57:9–23
An Account of Wars and Contentions Will Be Given	Helaman 1 Introduction	Helaman 1 Helaman 4
*The Account Is According to the Record of Helaman and His Sons	Helaman 1 Introduction	Helaman 2:2 Helaman 3:37
**An Account Will Be Given of the Conversion of Many Lamanites	Helaman 1 Introduction	Helaman 5:18–52
**An Account of the Righteousness of the Lamanites Will Be Given	Helaman 1 Introduction	Helaman 6:1–4
**An Account and Abominations of the Nephites Will Be Given	Helaman 1 Introduction	Helaman 6:2–3 Helaman 6:17–41
**Gadianton Will Be Spoken of Hereafter	Helaman 2:12	Helaman 3:23 Helaman 6:18, 24, 26, 29, 37 Helaman 7:4, 25 Helaman 8:1, 28 Helaman 11:10, 26 3 Nephi 1:27, 29 3 Nephi 2:11–12, 18 3 Nephi 3:9, 15 4 Nephi 1:42, 46 Mormon 1:18 Mormon 2:27–28
**In the End of Nephi’s Book, Readers Will See How Gadianton Caused the Destruction of Nearly the Entire Nephite Nation	Helaman 2:13–14	Mormon 1:18–19
Nephi Will Give Prophecies	Helaman 7 Introduction	Helaman 7–12
*God Will Threaten the People with Utter Destruction	Helaman 7 Introduction	Helaman 7:24
**God Will Smite the People with Pestilence	Helaman 7 Introduction	Helaman 10:6 Helaman 11:14–15
**The People Will Repent and Turn to God	Helaman 7 Introduction	Helaman 11:7–15
**Samuel the Lamanite Will Prophesy unto the Nephites	Helaman 7 Introduction	Helaman 13–16
The Prophecy of Samuel the Lamanite Will Be Given	Helaman 13 Introduction	Helaman 13–16
**Mormon’s Writings Will Record Events up until His Day	3 Nephi 5:14–16	4 Nephi 1:49
**Mormon Will Make a Record of Things He Personally Witnessed	3 Nephi 5:17	Mormon 1:1
Mormon Will Show That the People Didn’t Establish a King26	3 Nephi 7:1	3 Nephi 7:1–8
**Mormon Will Show Readers That the Spared Nephites and Lamanites Will Have Great Favors Shown unto Them	3 Nephi 10:18–19	4 Nephi 1:2
*The Lamanites Will No Longer Be Called Lamanites	3 Nephi 10:18–19	4 Nephi 1:17
*Soon after His Ascension, Christ Will Manifest Himself to the People	3 Nephi 10:18–19	3 Nephi 11:8–10
*An Account of Christ’s Ministry Will Be Given	3 Nephi 10:19	3 Nephi 11:10–3 Nephi 28
*Jesus Will Show Himself to Those Gathered at Bountiful	3 Nephi 11 Introduction	3 Nephi 11:8–10
**Mormon Will Show That Disciples Were Given Power to Give the Holy Ghost	3 Nephi 18:37	4 Nephi 1:1 Moroni 2
Christ Will Give a Sign	3 Nephi 21:1	3 Nephi 21:1–7
Christ Will Give the Words of Malachi	3 Nephi 24:1	3 Nephi 24–25
**After Giving the Words of Malachi, Christ Will Expound upon Them	3 Nephi 24:1	3 Nephi 26:1–3
Mormon Will Make a Record of Things He Has Seen and Heard	Mormon 1:1	Mormon 1–6
**Mormon Will Remember the Things Ammaron Commanded	Mormon 1:5	Mormon 4:23
**Mormon Won’t Make a Full Account of His People’s Wickedness	Mormon 2:18	Mormon 5:9
Lamanites Won’t Attack for Ten Years	Mormon 3:1	Mormon 3:4
The Nephites Will Lose Battles from This Time Forward	Mormon 4:18	Mormon 4:18–Mormon 6:22
Mormon Will Speak to a Remnant	Mormon 7:1	Mormon 7:2–10
Moroni Will Finish Mormon’s Record	Mormon 8:1	Mormon 8–9
Moroni Will Write Before Hiding up Records	Mormon 8:4	Mormon 8:4–9:37 Moroni 1:1, 4
Moroni Will Make an End of Speaking of His People	Mormon 8:13	Mormon 8:14–Mormon 9
Moroni Will Speak As If Future Readers Are Present27	Mormon 8:35	Mormon 8:35–Mormon 9
Moroni Will Speak to Those Who Don’t Believe in Christ	Mormon 9:1	Mormon 9:2–31
Moroni Will Show unto Readers a God of Miracles	Mormon 9:11	Mormon 9:12–26
The Record of the Jaredites Will be Given	Ether 1 Introduction	Ether 1–15
Moroni Will Give the Account of the Jaredites	Ether 1:1	Ether 1–15
*Moroni Will Give a Shortened Account from the Tower to the Jaredite Destruction	Ether 1:5	Ether 1:33–Ether 15 Ether 3:17
Moron Will Return to Jaredite Record	Ether 2:13	Ether 2:13–Ether 3:16
Moroni Will Give an Account of Jared and His Brother	Ether 6:1	Ether 6:2–29
Moroni Will Not Write about Wicked Oaths and Combinations	Ether 8:20	Ether 8:20–Ether 15
Moroni Will Proceed with the Jaredite Record	Ether 9:1	Ether 9:1–Ether 12:6
Moroni Will Discuss Faith	Ether 12:6	Ether 12:7–31
Moroni Will Finish the Jaredite Record	Ether 13:1	Ether 13:2–Ether 15
Moroni Won’t Write More of Ether’s Prophecies about the Last Days	Ether 13:13	Ether 13:13–Ether 15
Moroni Will Write a Few More Things	Moroni 1:4	Moroni 2–10
The Words of Christ to His 12 Disciples Will Be Given	Moroni 2:1	Moroni 2:2–3
The Manner of Priesthood Ordinations Will Be Given	Moroni 3:1	Moroni 3:2–4
The Manner of Administering the Sacrament Bread Will Be Given	Moroni 4:1	Moroni 4:2–3
The Manner of Administering the Sacrament Win Will Be Given	Moroni 5:1	Moroni 5:2
Moroni Will Speak of Baptism	Moroni 6:1	Moroni 6:1–4
Mormon’s Sermon on Faith, Hope, and Charity Will Be Given	Moroni 7:1	Mormon 7:2–48
An Epistle from Mormon to Moroni Will Be Given	Moroni 8:1	Moroni 8:2–30
A Second Epistle from Mormon to Moroni Will Be Given	Moroni 9 Introduction	Moroni 9
Moroni Will Speak to His Brethren the Lamanites	Moroni 10:1	Moroni 10:2–23
Moroni Will Speak Some Words of Exhortation Before He Seals Up the Record	Moroni 10:2	Moroni 10:3–33
Moroni Will Speak to All the Ends of the Earth	Moroni 10:24	Moroni 10:25–34

1. Ancient Headings can be found at the beginning of the following books: 2 Nephi, Jacob, Alma, Helaman, 3 Nephi, 4 Nephi, and Ether.
2. While not every chapter in the Book of Mormon has an anciently supplied heading (in fact most chapters don’t have one), all of its ancient chapter headings correspond to chapter breaks in the original text, which often differ from the chapter divisions found in recent editions. Ancient chapter headings can be found in Mosiah 9; 23; Helaman 7; 13, Alma 5; 7; 9; 17; 21; 36; 38–39; 45; 3 Nephi 11, and Moroni 9. For a convenient chart of the Book of Mormon’s original chapter breaks compared to the 1981 edition (which, as far as chapter divisions go, is consistent with the 2013 edition), see John W. Welch and J. Gregory Welch, Charting the Book of Mormon: Visual Aids for Personal Study and Teaching (Provo, UT: FARMS, 1999), chart 170.
3. See Book of Mormon Central, “Why Did Book of Mormon Authors Use Colophons? (1 Nephi 1:3),” KnoWhy 443 (June 21, 2018).
4. For a discussion of the Book of Mormon’s various headers and source indicators, see Thomas W. Mackay, “Mormon as Editor: A Study in Colophons, Headers, and Source Indicators,” Journal of Book of Mormon Studies 2, no. 2 (1993): 90–109.
5. See “A Brief Explanation about the Book of Mormon” found in the introductory pages to the 2013 edition of the Book of Mormon. For a history of the publications of the Latter-day Saint scriptural canon, including discussions of when Book of Mormon chapter headings and other study aids were added and revised, see “History of LDS Scriptures,” online at lds.org.
6. Anita Wells, “Bare Record: The Nephite Archivist, The Record of Records, and the Book of Mormon Provenance,” Interpreter: A Journal of Mormon Scriptures 24 (2017): 99.
7. For a discussion of seven notable examples of delayed fulfillments, see John A. Tvedtnes, “Mormon’s Editorial Promises,” in Rediscovering the Book of Mormon: Insights You May Have Missed Before, ed. John L. Sorenson and Melvin J. Thorne (Salt Lake City and Provo, UT: Deseret Book and FARMS, 1991), 29–31.
8. See Book of Mormon Central, “How Can We Be Delivered through the Lord’s Tender Mercies? (1 Nephi 1:20),” KnoWhy (July 5, 2018).
9. See Book of Mormon Central, “Evidence of the Book of Mormon: Internal Complexity,” online at bookofmormoncentral.org; Melvin J. Thorne, “Complexity, Consistency, Ignorance, and Probabilities,” in Book of Mormon Authorship Revisited: The Evidence for Ancient Origins, ed. Noel B. Reynolds (Provo, UT: FARMS, 1997), 179–193; John W. Welch, “Textual Consistency,” in Reexploring the Book of Mormon: A Decade of New Research, ed. John W. Welch (Salt Lake City and Provo, UT: Deseret Book and FARMS, 1992), 21–23; Book of Mormon Central, “How Does Prophecy Shape the Book of Mormon’s Content and Structure? (Words of Mormon 1:4),” KnoWhy 498 (January 15, 2019).
10. Tvedtnes, “Mormon’s Editorial Promises,” 29.
11. John W. Welch, “The Miraculous Timing of the Translation of the Book of Mormon,” in Opening the Heavens: Accounts of Divine Manifestations, 1820–1844, ed. John W. Welch, 2nd edition (Salt Lake City and Provo, UT: Deseret Book and BYU Press, 2017), 143.
12. Welch, “The Miraculous Timing,” 168.
13. See Book of Mormon Central, “Why Was a Stone Used as an Aid in Translating the Book of Mormon? (Alma 37:23),” KnoWhy 145 (July 18, 2016); Book of Mormon Central, “Were Joseph Smith’s Translation Instruments Like the Israelite Urim and Thummim? (Alma 37:24),” KnoWhy (March 20, 2018); Book of Mormon Central, “Is There Evidence That Joseph Smith Possessed a Urim and Thummim and Breastplate? (Ether 4:5),” KnoWhy (February 20, 2018).
14. See Book of Mormon Central, “Why Is the Timing of the Book of Mormon’s Translation So ‘Marvelous’? (2 Nephi 27:26),” KnoWhy 506 (March 15, 2019).
15. John W. Welch, “Timing the Translation of the Book of Mormon: ‘Days [and Hours] Never to Be Forgotten’,” BYU Studies Quarterly 57, no. 4 (2018): 34.
16. John W. Welch, “The Miraculous Timing of the Translation of the Book of Mormon,” in Opening the Heavens: Accounts of Divine Manifestations, 1820–1844, 2nd edition, ed. John W. Welch (Salt Lake City and Provo, UT: Deseret Book and BYU Press, 2017), 119.
17. Tvedtnes, “Mormon’s Editorial Promises,” 31.
18. See Book of Mormon Central, “Why Would God Choose an Uneducated Man to Translate the Book of Mormon? (2 Nephi 27:9),” KnoWhy 397 (January 9, 2018).
19. See Enos 1:15–18; Doctrine and Covenants 10:46–52.
20. See Book of Mormon Central, “Why Did the Book of Mormon Come Forth as a Miracle? (2 Nephi 27:23),” KnoWhy 273 (February 10, 2017).
21. See S. Kent Brown, “Nephi’s Use of Lehi’s Record,” in Rediscovering the Book of Mormon: Insights You May Have Missed Before, ed. John L. Sorenson and Melvin J. Thorne (Salt Lake City and Provo, UT: Deseret Book and FARMS, 1991), 3–14; S. Kent Brown, “Recovering the Missing Record of Lehi,” in From Jerusalem to Zarahemla: Literary and Historical Studies of the Book of Mormon (Provo, UT: Religious Studies Center, Brigham Young University, 1998), 28–54.
22. See Book of Mormon Central, “Where Is the Narrative Transition in 1 Nephi? (1 Nephi 1:17),” KnoWhy 461 (August 23, 2018).
23. For very specific fulfillments of Nephi’s commandments, see Book of Mormon Central, “Why Do the Authors on the Small Plates Follow a Pattern? (Jacob 7:27),” KnoWhy 74 (April 8, 2016).
24. The fulfillment of Mormon’s statement is demonstrated by the order in which the books in the Book of Mormon were translated, rather than by the text itself. See Book of Mormon Central, “How Does the ‘Mosiah-First’ Translation Sequence Strengthen Faith? (Words of Mormon 1:5),” KnoWhy 503 (February 22, 2019).
25. Although Alma delivered up the judgment seat, he retained his position as high priest (see Alma 4:16–20).
26. Mormon mentioned that Jacob became a king (3 Nephi 7:9–10), but not a king of the people. Rather he was a king of the wicked band who separated themselves from the people (see 3 Nephi 7:11).
27. Moroni technically began speaking in this manner in Mormon 8:33, but his comment still signals to future readers that his following comments will be directed at them.