“We Have Entered into Their Houses and Taught Them”

Brant Gardner

These verses give us two types of information. The latter section continues with a description of their suffering, but the first part identifies locales where they preached. This categorization fits with the general social distribution of peoples that the sons of Mosiah would have found in a typical Mesoamerican community.

Ammon notes that they taught in their houses. Mesoamerican cities had house units attached to public buildings in the central city; of course, there were also houses in the more rural areas. It seems likely that the house-to-house preaching occurred in the city where the houses would be closer together, especially since the next comments are about the cities. They also teach in the streets, temples, and synagogues, all of which are urban locations.

Yet they also preached in rural settings, “upon their hills.” Like Jesus in Galilee, they would have attracted the local farmers to certain locations to hear the preaching.

Second Witness: Analytical & Contextual Commentary on the Book of Mormon, Vol. 4

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