PART I
2 Nephi 5:7 wrote:And we did take our tents and whatsoever things were possible for us, and did journey in the wilderness for the space of many days. And after we had journeyed for the space of many days we did pitch our tents.
Nephi indicates they collected everything they could carry and took off into the wilderness. The Nephites fled to assume a separate existence away from their enemies but Nephi does not account for the time traveled but merely says, “for the space of many days”. This makes it difficult to calculate distance in order to maintain a tactical strategy to protect themselves from their distant enemy. This simple omission seems to suggest that the story isn’t being told by a real person facing real circumstances -- to keep track of distance with regard to location and proximity of one’s enemies.
Compare this to another critical example earlier in the Book of Mormon when Lehi and his family fled Jerusalem and the number of days *was* recorded:
1 Nephi 2:6 wrote: And it came to pass that when he had traveled three days in the wilderness, he pitched his tent in a valley by the side of a river of water.
Another important journey documents the time spent traveling:
1 Nephi 16:13 wrote: And it came to pass that we traveled for the space of four days, nearly a south-southeast direction, and we did pitch our tents again; and we did call the name of the place Shazer.
Then, inconsistency settles in as if the characters were so tired that they lost track of all sense of time:
1 Nephi 16:15,17,33 wrote: And it came to pass that we did travel for the space of many days, slaying food by the way, with our bows and our arrows and our stones and our slings.
And after we had traveled for the space of many days, we did pitch our tents for the space of a time, that we might again rest ourselves and obtain food for our families.
And it came to pass that we did again take our journey, traveling nearly the same course as in the beginning; and after we had traveled for the space of many days we did pitch our tents again, that we might tarry for the space of a time.
Now it seems the writer is reminded that it’s best to be consistent with the stories and keep better track of time lest they get lost and grow unaware of their surroundings:
Mosiah 7:4,5 wrote: And now, they knew not the course they should travel in the wilderness to go up to the land of Lehi-Nephi; therefore they wandered many days in the wilderness, even forty days did they wander.
And when they had wandered forty days they came to a hill, which is north of the land of Shilom, and there they pitched their tents.
But now, the writer during a critical time returns to being inconsistent and loses track of time when lost in the wilderness:
Mosiah 8:8 wrote: And they were lost in the wilderness for the space of many days, yet they were diligent, and found not the land of Zarahemla but returned to this land, having traveled in a land among many waters, having discovered a land which was covered with bones of men, and of beasts, and was also covered with ruins of buildings of every kind, having discovered a land which had been peopled with a people who were as numerous as the hosts of Israel.
Mosiah 9:4 wrote: Nevertheless, after many days’ wandering in the wilderness we pitched our tents in the place where our brethren were slain, which was near to the land of our fathers.
Mosiah 22:13 wrote: And after being many days in the wilderness they arrived in the land of Zarahemla, and joined Mosiah’s people, and became his subjects.
Now the writer returns again to being consistent by keeping track of time:
Mosiah 22:16 wrote: And after they had pursued them two days, they could no longer follow their tracks; therefore they were lost in the wilderness.
Mosiah 23:3 wrote: And they fled eight days’ journey into the wilderness.
Mosiah 24:25 wrote: And after they had been in the wilderness twelve days they arrived in the land of Zarahemla; and king Mosiah did also receive them with joy.
Alma 8:6 wrote: So that when he had finished his work at Melek he departed thence, and traveled three days’ journey on the north of the land of Melek; and he came to a city which was called Ammonihah.
Only to be inconsistent yet again:
Alma 17:9 wrote: And it came to pass that they journeyed many days in the wilderness . . . .
The phrase “for the space of many days”, is mentioned a total of eleven times in the Book of Mormon, almost all of them during the early history. Nine utterances are given by Nephi, one by Nephi’s brother Jacob, and one several hundred years later by Ammon:
1 Nephi16:15,17,33 wrote: And it came to pass that we did travel for the space of many days, slaying food by the way, with our bows and our arrows and our stones and our slings.
And after we had traveled for the space of many days, we did pitch our tents for the space of a time, that we might again rest ourselves and obtain food for our families.
And it came to pass that we did again take our journey, traveling nearly the same course as in the beginning; and after we had traveled for the space of many days we did pitch our tents again, that we might tarry for the space of a time.
1 Nephi 17:7,52 wrote: And it came to pass that after I, Nephi, had been in the land of Bountiful for the space of many days, the voice of the Lord came unto me, saying: Arise, and get thee into the mountain.
And it came to pass that I, Nephi, said many things unto my brethren, insomuch that they were confounded and could not contend against me; neither durst they lay their hands upon me nor touch me with their fingers, even for the space of many days
1 Nephi18:9, 23 wrote: And after we had been driven forth before the wind for the space of many days
And it came to pass that after we had sailed for the space of many days we did arrive at the promised land; and we went forth upon the land, and did pitch our tents; and we did call it the promised land.
2 Nephi 5:7 wrote: And we did take our tents and whatsoever things were possible for us, and did journey in the wilderness for the space of many days. And after we had journeyed for the space of many days we did pitch our tents.
2 Nephi 7:15 wrote: And it came to pass that when I, Jacob, had spoken these words, the power of the Lord came upon him, insomuch that he fell to the earth. And it came to pass that he was nourished for the space of many days.
Mosiah 8:8 wrote: And they were lost in the wilderness for the space of many days
It could be argued that the most critical circumstances when the phrase “for the space of many days” should have given the *number* of days was when Nephi was gathering his people to flee into the wilderness and escape persecution from the Lamanites -- seeking their own autonomy. Time was of the essence and calculated decisions involving their journey away from their enemy was vital if they were to secure their personal safety. Nephi’s very life was threatened by his older brethren and the Lord warned him that he was to depart immediately and flee into the wilderness, and all those who would go with him. There was no time to waste but in their haste they left. It’s unthinkable that the story does not record the number of days in which Nephi journeyed in the wilderness to separate himself from his murderous brethren. This is the one time when it should have been recorded and it wasn’t!
The Book of Mormon narrative maintains an internal chronology making use of an annual calendar throughout the entire history. Therefore, accordingly, the number of days from the time Nephi departed the original land where Lehi died and then settling into the land of Nephi, had to have been counted in order to keep the chronology up to date. I can’t think of a single reason why Nephi didn’t record the number of days it took to set out, find, and establish the land of Nephi, and start anew. All we are told is that it was many days whereby they carried their tents and journeyed into the wilderness in search of a place they called the land of Nephi.
It makes me wonder if the number was in fact recorded in the missing 116 page Manuscript and Smith simply wasn’t able to recall the number of days in which the same story or similar thereto would have been recorded in the Martin Harris Manuscript. I propose that the original Manuscript penned by Harris contained a similar story and the number of days was recorded but Smith couldn’t remember the number when retranslating with Cowdery and was concerned that the people who had the missing Manuscript might alter the number to read differently than a new number in the second translation through Cowdery. Therefore, Smith did not provide a number for the event of this particular story!