The Book of Moroni Chapter 1 Critique
Setting: Moroni writes for the benefit of the Lamanites—The Nephites who will not deny Christ are put to death. About A.D. 401–421.
Verse 1: Now I, Moroni, after
having made an end of abridging the account of the people of Jared, I
had supposed not to have written more, but I have not as yet perished;
and I make not myself known to the Lamanites lest they should destroy
me.
Note: Pre-Columbian writing systems used glyphs not letters.
Mesoamerican scripts deciphered to date are a combination of
logographic and syllabic values. They are often called hieroglyphs due
to the iconic shapes of many of the glyphs, a pattern superficially
similar to Egyptian hieroglyphs. Wikipedia Encyclopedia.
Verses 2-3: For behold, their
wars are exceedingly fierce among themselves; and because of their
hatred they put to death every Nephite that will not deny the Christ.
And I, Moroni, will not deny the Christ; wherefore, I wander
whithersoever I can for the safety of mine own life.
Note: Jesus Christ was unknown in Pre-Columbian pagan America.
Sacrifice was a religious activity in Maya culture, involving either
the killing of animals or the bloodletting by members of the community,
in rituals superintended by priests. Sacrifice has been a feature of
almost all pre-modern societies at some stage of their development and
for broadly the same reason: to propitiate or fulfill a perceived
obligation towards the gods. Wikipedia Encyclopedia.
Verse 4: Wherefore, I write a
few more things, contrary to that which I had supposed; for I had
supposed not to have written any more; but I write a few more things,
that perhaps they may be of worth unto my brethren, the Lamanites, in
some future day, according to the will of the Lord.
Note: Pre-Columbian writing systems used glyphs not letters.
The Maya writing system is a logosyllabic writing system, combining a
syllabary of phonetic signs representing syllables with logogram
representing entire words. Among the writing systems of the
Pre-Columbian New World, Maya script most closely represents the spoken
language. At any one time, no more than around 500 glyphs were in use,
some 200 of which (including variations) were phonetic. Wikipedia
Encyclopedia.
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