Significant Words of the Book of Mormon
English Words Verify Hebrew Authenticity of The Book of Mormon
Willfulness.
The words 'Willfull, Willfully, Willfullness' only occur in the Book of Mormon. The words imply when sin is done with willful intent, from a conscious desire to do that which was contrary to God.
For I know that they must perish, except they repent and return unto Him;
And if they perish, it will be like unto the Jaredites, because of the willfulness of their hearts, seeking for blood and revenge;
The words ‘willfulness, willfull, willfully’ do not exist in King James English translation, but they do appear within Hebrew/Jewish bibles, and are used in the appropriate context as the Book of Mormon, describing a state of sin where hearts became so hardened, sin is willful.
The word 'willfullness' is a Hebrew word שְׁרִר֥וּת (šə·ri·rūṯ), translated by Strong and others as ‘stubbornness.’ The word 'stubbornness' appears through out the King James.
BibleHub.com shares the following translations of Jeremiah 18:12
New International Version
But they will reply, 'It's no use. We will continue with our own plans; we will all follow the stubbornness of our evil hearts.'"
New Living Translation
But the people replied, “Don’t waste your breath. We will continue to live as we want to, stubbornly following our own evil desires.”
English Standard Version
“But they say, ‘That is in vain! We will follow our own plans, and will every one act according to the stubbornness of his evil heart.’
Berean Study Bible
But they will reply, ‘It is hopeless. We will follow our own plans, and each of us will act according to the stubbornness of his evil heart.’ ”
New American Standard Bible
"But they will say, 'It's hopeless! For we are going to follow our own plans, and each of us will act according to the stubbornness of his evil heart.'
New King James Version
And they said, “That is hopeless! So we will walk according to our own plans, and we will every one obey the dictates of his evil heart.”
King James Bible
And they said, There is no hope: but we will walk after our own devices, and we will every one do the imagination of his evil heart.
Christian Standard Bible
But they will say, 'It's hopeless. We will continue to follow our plans, and each of us will continue to act according to the stubbornness of his evil heart.'"
Contemporary English Version
But I know you won't listen. You might as well answer, "We don't care what you say. We have made plans to sin, and we are going to be stubborn and do as we please!"
Good News Translation
They will answer, 'No, why should we? We will all be just as stubborn and evil as we want to be.'"
But stubbornness misses the important nuance of the will.
Israel's downfall came when their sin became willfull. Israels' sins were committed will full knowledge of right and wrong. That is willfulness.
One can sin in stubborn ignorance, but willful sin is the more serious crime—willfull transgression was Israel’s transgression. It wasn’t that Israel sinned in stubborn ignorance; their hearts setout to sin willfully.
Although the King James bible does not include the word 'willfull' the Book of Mormon includes 'willfull, willfullness, willfully' exactly as the Hebrew Bibles, and in proper context:
Yea, even all those that have perished in their sins ever since the world began, that have willfully rebelled against God,
that have known the commandments of God and would not keep them;
These are they that have no part in the first resurrection.
Now they did not sin ignorantly,
for they knew the will of God concerning them,
for it had been taught unto them;
Therefore, they did willfully rebel against God.
And it came to pass that they which rejected the gospel were called Lamanites and Lemuelites and Ishmaelites,
And they did not dwindle in unbelief,
but they did willfully rebel against the gospel of Christ;
And I did endeavor to preach unto this people,
But my mouth was shut and I was forbidden that I should preach unto them;
For behold, they had willfully rebelled against their God,
And the beloved disciples were taken away out of the land because of their iniquity.
Notice the Book of Mormon not only includes willfull as a word, but 3 Nephi 20 defines it in perfect context, as not ignorantly sinning, but knowing God's will and sinning in perfect knowledge against it.:
Now they did not sin ignorantly,
for they knew the will of God concerning them,
for it had been taught unto them;
Therefore, they did willfully rebel against God.
Also compare the absence of 'willfull' in the King James bible with its presence in (The Jewish/English bible) 'The Israel Bible' throughout Jeremiah. Modern Jewish/Hebrew scholars chooses instead 'willfulness' just as does the Book of Mormon.
Here are several examples of the word willfullness from the modern Jewish-English translation 'The Israel Bible.' These verses translated to Enlglish with understanding of Hebrew not available when the Book of Mormon was published:
At that time, they shall call Yerushalayim “Throne of Hashem,” and all nations shall assemble there, in the name of Hashem, at Yerushalayim. They shall no longer follow the willfulness of their evil hearts.
Yet they did not listen or give ear; they followed their own counsels, the willfulness of their evil hearts. They have gone backward, not forward,
But they would not listen or give ear; they all followed the willfulness of their evil hearts. So I have brought upon them all the terms of this covenant, because they did not do what I commanded them to do.”
This wicked people who refuse to heed My bidding, who follow the willfulness of their own hearts, who follow other gods and serve them and worship them, shall become like that loincloth, which is not good for anything.
And you have acted worse than your fathers, every one of you following the willfulness of his evil heart and paying no heed to Me.
But they will say,'It is no use. We will keep on following our own plans; each of us will act in the willfulness of his evil heart.'
(All quotes from Jewish/Hebrew 'The Israel Bible' )