Significant Words of the Book of Mormon
English Words Verify Hebrew Authenticity of The Book of Mormon
Plain, Plainness
The Book of Mormon's Amazing Declaration of 'Plainness.'
Rabbi's divide Hebrew scripture on four levels:'
1. Sod (סוֹד ), the deepest, perhaps hardest to understand. The word means "Secret" ("mystery") this scripture may come as inspiration or revelation with deep, harder to understand meanings.
2. Derash (דְּרַשׁ ) – from Hebrew darash, means to "inquire" ("seek"). Derash is thoughtful, deep scripture, (the homiletical interpretation)but with meaning not shrouded in mystery.
3. Remez (רֶמֶז ) – "hints", this scripture is allegorical, giving hints of meaning through easier to understand symbols.
and finally,
4. Peshat (פְּשָׁט ) --'plain sense' literal or straight forward. The word literally meant 'to flatten out.' Scripture taught in Peshat is taught in 'plainness' and leaves little room for misunderstanding or error in interpretation.
(Many websites discuss Peshat or Plainness of Hebrew scripture, click here to learn more).
Why is this important..
The Book of Mormon writers state repeatedly they are speaking 'in plainness' so that we 'cannot err,' so we cannot misunderstand their words. The word Peshat literally means 'plainness of understanding' and incredibly, this is the self description Book of Mormon writers give to their own explainations. But not only do they speak in plainnes, Book of Mormon writers literally use the words 'plain' and 'plainness' to describe their words. They speak 'Peshat' so we might understandExamples:
2 Nephi 11:7 For behold, my soul delighteth in plainness unto my people, that they may learn;
2 Nephi 11:11 But behold, I proceed with mine own prophecy, according to my plainness,
in the which I know that no man can err.
2 Nephi 13:3 Wherefore, the things which I have written sufficeth me, save it be a few words which I must speak concerning the doctrine of Christ;
Wherefore, I shall speak unto you plainly,
according to the plainness of my prophesying,
Alma 3:72 For behold, I have spoken unto you plain that ye cannot err,
or have spoken according to the commandments of God,
The Book of Mormon states the original Bible, as spoken by Jesus disciples was written in 'plainness.' But mans corruption of the word lead to stumbling in understanding when the cannon of the Bible reached Gentile nations.
which were plain unto the understanding of the children of men
according to the plainness which is in the Lamb of God
In a fascinating parallelism (the hallmark of Hebrew scripture), 'plainness' is contrasted with 'secret works' of darkness (secret also the meaning of 'Sod' the opposite of 'Peshat' or plain). Writers state that God doesn't work in secrecy but does things plain for our understanding.
Helaman 3:36 And those judges were angry with him because he spake plain unto them concerning their secret works of darkness;
(Both Hebrew meanings contrasted here “Peshat=Plain” “Sod=Secret”)
God's intent is to make all things plain unto us.
Mosiah 5:79 And by them
shall all things be revealed, or rather,
shall secret things be made manifest
and hidden things shall come to light,
And things which are not known
shall be made known
by them;
Jacob 3:22 But behold, the Jews were a stiff-necked people, And they despised the words of plainness and killed the prophets and sought for things that they could not understand;
Jacob 3:24 For God hath taken away His plainness from them and delivered unto them many things which they cannot understand, because they desired it;
The Book of Mormon explains 'deep' scripture of Isaiah, stating that it is not 'plain' to all, but Nephite writers understood and made Isaiah's words 'plain' for us.
2 Nephi 11:5-8 Wherefore, hearken O my people which are of the house of Israel and give ear to my words!
For because that the words of Isaiah are not plain unto you, Nevertheless, they are plain unto all they that are filled with the spirit of prophecy;
6 But I give unto you a prophecy according to the Spirit which is in me; Wherefore, I shall prophesy according to the plainness which hath been with me from the time that I came out from Jerusalem with my father.
7 For behold, my soul delighteth in plainness unto my people, that they may learn;
8 Yea, and my soul delighteth in the words of Isaiah, For I came out from Jerusalem and mine eyes hath beheld the things of the Jews; And I know that the Jews do understand the things of the prophets, And there is none other people that understand the things of the prophets which were spoken unto the Jews, like unto them, Save it be that they are taught after the manner of the things of the Jews.
The Book of Mormon was given to Gentiles (before its return to the House of Israel) so we Gentiles could understand the true message of Jesus and salvation in 'plainness.'
1 Nephi 3:179 Neither will the Lord God suffer that the Gentiles shall forever remain in that state of awful woundedness, which thou beholdest that they are in because of the plain and most precious parts of the gospel of the Lamb which hath been kept back by that abominable church, whose formation thou hast seen;
1 Nephi 3:183 And after that the Gentiles do stumble exceedingly because of the most plain and most precious parts of the gospel of the Lamb which hath been kept back by that abominable church which is the mother of harlots, ' saith the Lamb, 'Wherefore, I will be merciful unto the Gentiles in that day, ' saith the Lamb, 'Insomuch that I will bring forth unto them in Mine own power much of My gospel, which shall be plain and most precious, ' saith the Lamb.
2 Nephi 11:34-37 For there is save one Messiah spoken of by the prophets,
And that Messiah is He which should be rejected of the Jews,
35 For according to the words of the prophets,
the Messiah cometh in six hundred years from the time that my father left Jerusalem;
36 And according to the words of the prophets, and also the word of the angel of God,
His name should be Jesus Christ, the Son of God.
And now my brethren, I have spoken plain that ye cannot err;
The Book of Mormon clearly speaks in Plainness, an amazing and correct English word in light of Hebrew meaning of 'Peshat' scripture, or 'plain words.' The Book of Mormon is the plainest scripture on earth. Counterfeit scripture might attempt complex writing shrouded in mystery. But no, the Book of Mormon is opposite: it is given to us in plainness, even as plain as word can be.
Once again, simple inclusions of words like 'plain' and 'plainness' within the the Book of Mormon verify its authenticity.