“And Thus Ended the Thirty and Ninth Year of the Reign of the Judges”

Brant Gardner

The phrase “the people of Moronihah” is the same structured phrase that has always designated the people inhabiting a city. There in no city named Moronihah, and this verse quickly corrects the possible erroneous understanding by noting that what is meant is really the army of Moronihah, who is the son of Moroni, and the man to whom the generalship of the army had been passed (Alma 62:43). It is interesting to note, in passing, that even the leadership of the army is a lineally-defined position.

Alma 63:16

16  And thus ended the thirty and ninth year of the reign of the judges over the people of Nephi.

Alma 63:17

17  And thus ended the account of Alma, and Helaman his son, and also Shiblon, who was his son.

Textual: This ends the account of Shiblon. It is also the end of the book of Alma, a book covering the times of Alma, Helaman the son of Alma, and Shiblon, Helaman’s brother. While the end of this book indicates the entrusting of the plates to Helaman the son of Helaman, this book is not his record. That record begins in the next section, and the information that allows us to understand the reason that he does not simply continue the book of Alma as his father had done is given in that next book, and will be examined at that time.

Multidimensional Commentary on the Book of Mormon

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