“They Have All Manner of Swine”

Alan C. Miner

According to John Sorenson, it is interesting that "swine" and "sow" are mentioned in the Nephite portion of the Book of Mormon with a tone of disgust (3 Nephi 7:8; 14:6). That's what we would expect among people who even nominally followed the constraints of the law of Moses on eating pork. But the non-Israelite Jaredites reveal no sensitivity about using "swine" as food (Ether 9:18). The peccary or wild pig was abundantly present throughout most of Mesoamerica, being valued both for its flesh and because it kills snakes in the wild. [John L. Sorenson, An Ancient American Setting for the Book of Mormon, p. 297]

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

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