Nephi, Not Moroni, You Idiot

[_Kishkumen]

The Book of Mormon states that every Nephite king after Nephi will be called a "Nephi", like Pharaoh. Moroni bore that name.

So you would say that this is one of those "both and" situations in which Moroni identified himself as Nephi to Joseph Smith because he was the heir to the kingship?

[_I have a question]

The Book of Mormon states that every Nephite king after Nephi will be called a "Nephi", like Pharaoh. Moroni bore that name.

I might be wrong, but wasn't the last Nephite King, Mosiah 2.
Meaning Moroni wasn't a Nephite King and therefore wasn't referred to as a "Nephi"?

[_DoubtingThomas]

It was Joseph Smith, Jr., who said the angel was Nephi. Repeatedly. And he never changed his mind about that

I am not too sure about that, the 1835 edition of the Doctrine and Covenants “and with Moroni, whom I have sent unto you to reveal the Book of Mormon, containing the fulness of my everlasting gospel"
http://www.josephsmithpapers.org/paper- ... transcript

[Guest]

It was Joseph Smith, Jr., who said the angel was Nephi. Repeatedly. And he never changed his mind about that

I am not too sure about that, the 1835 edition of the Doctrine and Covenants “and with Moroni, whom I have sent unto you to reveal the Book of Mormon, containing the fulness of my everlasting gospel"
http://www.josephsmithpapers.org/paper- ... transcript

I don't know that this means he changed his mind about it, DT. After all, he did continue to use the name Nephi for the messenger after 1835. That is, however, very interesting and it needs to be considered.

ETA:

OK. Now I think I see what you are saying. It could be that he first used the name Moroni and then later switched to Nephi. Ah!

[_Kishkumen]

So a convenient source for the early sources that identify the messenger as Moroni are to be found at Mormon Think:

http://www.mormonthink.com/nephiweb.htm

Here is a sample:

In 1835, Oliver Cowdery identified the angel:

"... and I believe that the angel Moroni, whose words I have been rehearsing, who communicated the knowledge of the records of the Nephites, in this age ..." (Oliver Cowdery, Letter 6, Messenger and Advocate 1:112, April, 1835)

The 1835 edition of the Doctrine and Covenants also identifies the angel:

"Behold this is wisdom in me: wherefore marvel not for the hour cometh that I will drink of the fruit of the vine with you on the earth, and with Moroni, whom I have sent unto you to reveal the Book of Mormon ..." (Doctrine and Covenants, 1835 edition, Section 50:2 (Section 27:5 in current edition))

Prior to the writing of the 1839 History, Joseph Smith himself identified the angel in print:

"How, and where did you obtain the Book of Mormon?

Answer. Moroni, the person who deposited the plates, from whence the Book of Mormon was translated, in a hill in Manchester, Ontario County, New York, being dead, and raised again therefrom, appeared unto me and told me where they were and gave me directions how to obtain them. I obtained them and the Urim and Thummim with them, by the means of which I translated the plates and thus came the Book of Mormon." (Elders Journal, 1, pp. 42-3, July 1838).

So, yes, it appears that there was some confusion. And it could be that DoubtingThomas is correct in thinking that the identity went Moroni>Nephi>Moroni.

The name Moroni even appears in the anti-Mormon Mormonism Unveiled from 1831!

The Lord told [Joseph] that the man he saw was MORONI, with the plates, and if he had given him the five coppers, he might have gotten the plates again.

[_Dr Exiled]

Liars can't keep their stories straight. This is the obvious implication to yet another historical contoversy involving joseph smith. Too bad he didn't live long enough to be seriously questioned about the attempt on Gov. Boggs life. I would not be surprised if the conspiracy rumours turned out to be true.

[_Yahoo Bot]

The Book of Mormon states that every Nephite king after Nephi will be called a "Nephi", like Pharaoh. Moroni bore that name.

I might be wrong, but wasn't the last Nephite King, Mosiah 2.
Meaning Moroni wasn't a Nephite King and therefore wasn't referred to as a "Nephi"?

The problem with that analysis is that the Book of Mormon comment about this naming convention would have been an editor's comment; i.e., Mormon's. He wouldn't have made the comment the way he did if the last king was Mosiah 2.

Similarly, there is name confusion in the printer's manuscript between "King Mosiah" (modern) and "King Benjamin" (printer's). Benjamin was the son of Mosiah(1) and the naming conventions of the Zedekiah period would have been to call Mosiah by the name of Ben-Benjamin. Or is it Ben-Mosiah. I can't keep it straight. Like a Tolstoy novel with names alternating between the patronymic and the Christian.

Or they could have been simple transcription errors.

[_Kishkumen]

So, Bot, has anyone done a study of the Nephi dynasty?

[_Yahoo Bot]

So, Bot, has anyone done a study of the Nephi dynasty?

http://www.legrandlbaker.org/2014/04/01 ... as-mormon/

This guy says that Mormon and Moroni were heirs to the royal dynasty.

I don't necessarily agree with this kind of tsxtual criticism.

[_Kishkumen]

http://www.legrandlbaker.org/2014/04/01 ... as-mormon/

This guy says that Mormon and Moroni were heirs to the royal dynasty.

I don't necessarily agree with this kind of tsxtual criticism.

That was very helpful. Thank you, Bot!