A. Modern Words

There are a multitude of modern words found in the Book of Mormon.

The first word that will probably attract the attention of ordinary reader at the beginning of the book (page 4), is the name of Lehi's third son, Sam.

Here is a boy six hundred years before Christ who has the unmistakable Yankee nickname for Samuel. There is certainly nothing Hebraistic about the name, or does it sound like any Egyptian name we ever heard; possibly, however, by putting the Hebrew and the Egyptian languages together or by adding to the Egyptian "the learning of the Jews," "this name," "Sam," might be manufactured. This is not, of course, offered as conclusive evidence of the modern origin of the book. The writer, however, confesses that it started in his own mind a very grace suspicion in that direction.

But there are many words used in the book that have a Greek or Latin origin later than six hundred years before Christ, and many others wholly modern. The following are only a few:

"Faculties," "Popular," "Priestcraft," "State of drama," "Synagogue," "Bible," "Jews," "Gentiles," "Church," "Baptize," "Barges," "Immortal," and others.

of course it is easy enough to say that "the angel who translated those ancient plates for Joseph Smith would be apt to use words with which Joseph Smith was familiar; he would clothe the ancient thought in a modern dress, and use such simple modern expressions as Joseph Smith who was an unlettered man, could readily understand."

But some of the above words will not allow of such an explanation. For instance, the word "faculties." "Arouse the faculties of your souls," page 120 (N. Ed., 134). "I myself have labored with all the power of faculties which I have possessed," page 206 (N. Ed., 230)

This use of the word is wholly modern. The ancients knew nothing of such a division of the mind or soul into faculties. And, hence there would have been no word found upon those ancient plates that conveyed any such meaning.