Brother of Jared

[Guest]

Why in the BoM is Mahonri Moriancumr always referred to as "the brother of Jared" instead of by name?

[pam]

This is why.  

 

[Traveler]

Why in the BoM is Mahonri Moriancumr always referred to as "the brother of Jared" instead of by name?

 

I am going to guess with mostly speculation.  Egyptian is a symbolic and phonetic text script.  A crude example would be those mixed pictures and text with a message you use to see in children’s fun time pages – where an eyeball would represent the word “I” and a honey bee preceded by the number 2 represent the words, “to” “be”.   The Golden Plates were written in what is called “reformed Egyptian” to save room; which is what I believe to be a modification necessary for the Hebrew used by the Nehpits.  I am thinking that the proper name of Mahonri Moriancumr was without phonetic symbols in the reformed Egyptian use by the Nephits and writing out all the characters for the name was overly difficult, used a lot of precious space on the plates and next to impossible to translate correctly.

[Palerider]

This is why.  

 

I get it....it's easier. Lol

[tubaloth]

I am thinking that the proper name of Mahonri Moriancumr was without phonetic symbols in the reformed Egyptian use by the Nephits and writing out all the characters for the name was overly difficult, used a lot of precious space on the plates and next to impossible to translate correctly.

 

Thats a good point.  It very well could have been written out on the first set of plates,  but when Moroni was copying it over to the Golden plates (where he was already running out of room) it made more sense to shorten it (to him).     Even though Moroni still was able to put part of the name (at least once)

13 And now I proceed with my record; for behold, it came to pass that the Lord did bring Jared and his brethren forth even to that great sea which divideth the lands. And as they came to the sea they pitched their tents; and they called the name of the placeMoriancumer; and they dwelt in tents, and dwelt in tents upon the seashore for the space of four years.

[skalenfehl]

Moroni did lament his weakness in writing, the placement of words and awkwardness of his hands and thought about being the subject of mockery by the Gentiles, to which God informed him that He gives men weaknesses for a reason. He further comforted Moroni by saying, "fools mock, but they shall mourn." It seems to me that Moroni had little education and probably rivaled that of Joseph Smith, who also had little education of his own early on. How interesting the connection between the two and the things they had in common, including one ultimately being a teacher of the other. Incidentally, today (6/27) is the day Joseph Smith and Hyrum were killed 170 years ago.