“My”

Alan C. Miner

From 2 Nephi 6 through 2 Nephi 33, we have sermons preached by both Jacob and Nephi, with multiple chapters sandwiched in the middle quoting from the writings of the prophet Isaiah. Discounting the words of Isaiah, there are only about 29 pages of words which we can attribute directly to either Nephi or Jacob. Yet, in those twenty-nine pages, we find about 30 occurrences of the phrase "beloved brethren." This amounts to about one-third of all the occurrences of the term "beloved" in the whole Book of Mormon. That is to say, in 6% of the pages, we find 33% of the occurrences of the term "beloved."

It is interesting to note that in the verses from Isaiah quoted by Jacob and Nephi, we find the Lord, for the first time in the Book of Mormon, being referred to as "My Beloved," "My Well-Beloved" (2 Nephi 15:1). Additionally, Nephi used the term "My Beloved Son" (2 Nephi 31:11). [Alan C. Miner, Personal Notes]

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

References