“Thus the Language of Nephi Began to Be Taught Among All the People of the Lamanites”

Alan C. Miner

In Mosiah 24:4 we are informed that "the language of Nephi began to be taught among all the people of the Lamanites." What does this mean? Had the Lamanites so quickly forgotten the language of Lehi? Does this mean that many native American people were included under Lamanite control? According to John Sorenson, the "language of Nephi" was a writing system, not a tongue as such, which verse six makes clear. Whether speakers of "other" languages were present or involved we simply cannot say on the basis of the brief record. [John Sorenson, "When Lehi's Party Arrived, Did They Find Others in the Land?," in Journal of Book of Mormon Studies , Fall 1992, F.A.R.M.S. p. 32]

Step by Step Through the Book of Mormon: A Cultural Commentary

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