“His Son Amos Kept It in His Stead”

The four historians who wrote during the period covered by the book of 4th Nephi are:

(1) Nephi (the son of the Nephi who was a disciple of Jesus Christ) (see the subtitle of the book of 4th Nephi and 4 Nephi 1:18-19)

(2) Amos (the son of the historian Nephi mentioned above) (4 Nephi 1:19-24),

(3) Amos (the son of Amos listed above) (4 Nephi 1:21, 47),

(4) Ammaron (the brother of Amos mentioned in 3, above) (4 Nephi 1:47-49; Mormon 1:3).

According to Daniel Ludlow, apparently the first historian kept the record for 77 years, the second for 84 years, and the third for 112 years! Thus, life expectancy was quite long during this period. [Daniel H. Ludlow, A Companion to Your Study of the Book of Mormon, p. 167]

This long of a life span has not been acceptable to some scholars, in particular the life of Amos. According to Verneil Simmons, with the death of Amos₁, the records passed to a son called Amos₂. According to Mormon’s account, the records next passed from Amos₂ to his brother, Ammoron, in the year 305. No other custodian is indicated between A.D. 194 and 305, but it seems rather evident that there must have been one. The second Amos, if born in the year 194 (his father had to have been in his nineties), would have been 111 years old in the year 305. It appears more logical that Amos₂ passed the records to a son, who might well have been named Amos, and that this Amos passed them on to his younger brother Ammoron in 305. An extra person added to the prophets’ line between 194 and 305 makes the chronology much more logical. [Verneil Simmons, Peoples, Places and Prophecies, pp. 220-221]

Note* Perhaps another approach to this situation of longevity relates to just how old these recordkeepers were when they were encharged with keeping the records verses how old they were when they actually took possession of the records (see 4 Nephi 1:48-49; Mormon 1:2-3). [Alan C. Miner, Personal Notes] [See Appendix A -- Chronology]

4 Nephi 1:21 Amos died … and his son Amos kept the record in his stead (Nephite Record Keepers) [[Illustration] Nephite Record Keepers. Adapted from [Church Educational System, Book of Mormon Student Manual: Religion 121 and 122, 1989, p. 155]

4 Nephi 1:21, 47 Amos died also (and it was an hundred and ninety and four years from the coming of Christ) and his son Amos kept the record … after three hundred and five years had passed away … Amos died; and his brother, Ammaron, did keep the record (Illustration): Chart: “Life Span‘s of Alma’s Lineage.” [John W. & J. Gregory Welch, Charting the Book of Mormon: Visual Aids for Personal Study and Teaching, F.A.R.M.S., Chart #28]

Geographical Theory Map: 4 Nephi 1:23 They Began to Be Divided into Classes (201 A.S.-- 231 A.S.)