“Agree with Thine Adversary Quickly”

Brant Gardner

Welch may be correct for the Old World; but in the New World, many of these common things become less common. It is not clear that the New World would have understood (or at least in the same way) such terms as “poor,” “bread,” “pigs,” “barns,” “knock,” “lamp,” “pearls,” or “debts.”

The passage about avoiding anger is an expansion of the concept of approaching the temple (or the Savior). Those with unresolved quarrels (or angry feelings) must resolve them before approaching the sacred. In secular terms, they should settle their differences between themselves before involving a judge who may not know them. Thus, this basic instruction is the same as in the previous verses, except that the context is secular instead of religious.

Second Witness: Analytical & Contextual Commentary on the Book of Mormon, Vol. 5

References