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Question: Could the Book of Mormon been influenced by the Late War in its use of lions in similes?
Revision as of 15:16, 28 August 2019 by SpencerMarsh (talk | contribs) (→Responding to the last comment on this)
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Question: Could the Book of Mormon been influenced by the Late War in its use of lions in similes?
Author’s Comparison
The Bible contains similar uses of lions in similes
The Bible is full of such uses of lions in similes. Psalm 17:11-12 states:
- 11 They have now compassed us in our steps: they have set their eyes bowing down to the earth
- 12 Like as a lion that is greedy of his prey, and as it were a young lion lurking in secret places
Similar uses of lions in similes have been found in 1 Chronicles 12:8; Psalm 7:2; Psalm 22:13; Isiaah 5:29; Isaiah 11:7; Isaiah 31: 4; Jeremiah 49:19; Jeremiah 50:44; Daniel 7:4; Hosea 11:10; and Hosea 13:8.
Responding to the last comment on this
“Mary” notes that:
That they both use 'lion' isn't particularly strange since the bible is full of figurative language around the subject.What strikes me about this is that there were actually no lions in the Americas at any time during the Book of Mormon period.
So for Joseph to have used lions figuratively is anachronistic in my opinion. It makes no sense for him to have used them, it makes no sense for Jesus to have spoken to the Nephites about Lions, since they wouldn't have been familiar with them, and it makes no sense for Mormon to have used them since he wouldn't have known about them either. (Or am I wrong?)
See our material on the supposed anachronistic status of lions.
It does make sense if Joseph was being influenced by the Bible and The Late War. Interestingly, Joseph doesn't use 'eagle' (as does Hunt and the Bible) which wouldn't have been anachronistic in a Book of Mormon setting.
It makes sense if Nephi quoted Isaiah who uses lions in similes or if Mosiah is alluding to a Psalm 17:11-12. It does not have to be that Joseph is “influenced” by both the Bible and the Late War. It could be that his wording in translation was imitating the Bible’s and the Late War is also imitating the language of the Bible with no connection to the Book of Mormon. The claim here is purely circular.
Notes