“Two Hundred and Thirty and Eight Years Had Passed Away”

Brant Gardner

Chronology: Jarom gives a date of 238 years after the departure from Jerusalem, corresponding to approximately 355 B.C. Presumably Jarom is now approaching death. His mention of years does not date the specific events he mentions, for he says only that they occurred in the thirty-eight years since his last entry. Jarom has apparently been in charge of the plates for fifty-nine years. Assuming that he was at least ten when he received them from Enos, he was at least sixty-nine and probably older. His longevity thus resembles the long lives of Jacob and Enos.

Second Witness: Analytical & Contextual Commentary on the Book of Mormon, Vol. 3

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