Text: “Wherefore” is a transition from Nephi’s introduction (vv. 1–3) to what I see as sermons given on two different days, recorded in chapters 31 and 32. Although he does not identify the rest of the material in chapter 31 as a sermon, it is clearly addressed to an audience, and that audience appears to be present rather than the future audience Nephi has recently addressed. In this verse, for instance, Nephi says: “I would that ye should remember that I have spoken unto you.… ” Not only do we have the verb “spoken,” but also the indication that the audience should remember that Nephi has addressed this topic before. There is no reference in Nephi’s writings to the mission of John the Baptist save that in 1 Nephi 10:7–10, which Nephi explicitly indicates is Lehi’s teaching, rather than his own. If Nephi is writing one of his sermons, then it seems logical to leave in this reference to an earlier sermon that is faithful to the text of that sermon. As a reference to Nephi’s written text, however, it would be very unusual.
Furthermore, chapters 31 and 32 are obviously closely related, yet there is a chapter break. I hypothesize that the break between chapters reflects a temporal break for a sermon delivered over two time periods, most logically over two days. Why would Nephi present a sermon in two pieces? Perhaps for the same reason I have conjectured about Jacob’s discourse: that he spoke in a gathering that lasted for two days. (See commentary accompanying 2 Nephi 9:54.)