Book of Mormon Grammar and Translation

Authors

Stanford Carmack

Keywords

Book of Mormon studies, grammar, translation of religious texts

Abstract

This paper discusses some of the Book of Mormon’s nonstandard grammar, showing how in many cases it was not the kind of grammar that Joseph Smith would have been expected to produce, since it was neither his native usage nor a presumed biblically influenced English. In these contexts, if he had been in control of the wording of the text, it is highly likely that he would have expressed things differently. Quite a few examples are provided in support of this claim, along with additional matching examples found in early modern texts.

Recommended Citation

Carmack, Stanford (2024) "Book of Mormon Grammar and Translation," BYU Studies Quarterly: Vol. 63: Iss. 3, Article 4.
Available at: https://scholarsarchive.byu.edu/byusq/vol63/iss3/4