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Why does the Book of Mormon use the Hebraism “and also”?

John A. Tvedtnes explains one use of conjunctions which we would expect in Hebrew but not English:

Another Hebrew-like use of the conjunction in the Book of Mormon is the expression and also. In Hebrew, it is used to emphasize the close links between two things, as in this biblical passage: “Both drink thou, and I will also draw for thy camels” (Genesis 24:44). Here are some examples from the Book of Mormon that seem to reflect the Hebrew usage:

“They . . . worshiped the Father in his name, and also we worship the Father in his name” (Jacob 4:5).

“The Lord hath heard the prayers of his people, and also the prayers of his servant, Alma” (Mosiah 27:14).

” . . . What the Lord had done for his son, and also for those that were with him . . . ” (Mosiah 27:21).

“Now the sons of Mosiah were numbered among the unbelievers; and also one of the sons of Alma was numbered among them” (Mosiah 27:8).

John A. Tvedtnes – The Hebrew Background of the Book of Mormon

Wouldn’t this kind of language be unnatural to Joseph Smith? How could he remember to use this unnatural phrase if he also needed to concentrate on making a coherent storyline?

See:



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