The Book of Mormon is incredible. Its plot interweaves multiple stories simultaneously, yet remains seamless and consistent in its narration. During the flow of its narration, the book will comment about a person, an event, a location, or a doctrine, then in 10, 50, or 100 pages later make another reference to that antecedent, often offering up further clarification.
The following are examples I have noted in my studies:
1 Nephi 12:4-5 (592 BC, page 22) and Helaman 14:21-27 (6 BC, page 402) foretell the mists of darkness, weather conditions, and destruction of cities when Jesus Christ would die.
3 Nephi 8:5-23 (33 AD, pages 422-423) confirms in detail what had been foretold.
1 Nephi 12:6 (592 BC, page 22) foretells that Jesus Christ will descend from heaven and show himself to Nephi’s descendants.
3 Nephi 11:8-15 (34 AD, pages 428-429) describes Jesus Christ descending from heaven to the Nephites and showing himself to them.
2 Nephi 26:3 (559 BC, pages 100-101) foretells the signs of Jesus Christ’s birth, death, including how unbelievers would stone and kill the prophets.
Helaman 14:3-5 (6 BC, page 401) tells of the signs of Christ’s birth taking place.
Helaman 14:20-27 (6 BC, page 402) foretells of the upcoming signs of Christ’s death.
3 Nephi 8:25 (33 AD, pages 423-424) tells how unbelievers did stone and kill the prophets. This is also referenced in 3 Nephi 10:12 (34 AD, page 426).
Omni 1:27-28 (323 BC, pages 142-143) talks of how some Nephites wanted to go back to the land of their inheritance.
Mosiah 9:1-4 (200 BC, page 164) expands on how that happened.
Mosiah 3:17 (124 BC, page 152): King Benjamin tells his sons that salvation can only come through the name of Christ.
Helaman 5:9 (about 30 BC, page 378) refers to the words King Benjamin said to his sons.
Mosiah 7:6-13 (121 BC, page 160) tells how Ammon, Amaleki, Helem, and Hem encounter King Limhi and his “guards without the gate.”
Mosiah 21:22-24 (121 BC, page 188) mentions the same encounter.
Mosiah 8:9 (121 BC, page 163) talks of the 24 gold plates that King Limhi’s people found.
Alma 37:21 (74 BC, pages 301-302): Alma commands his son Helaman to keep the 24 gold plates.
Ether 1:1-2 (date unknown, page 487) begins by saying that it is the story of the Jaredites, taken from the 24 plates that Limhi’s people found.
Mosiah 11:12 (160 BC, page 168) talks about the tower that King Noah had built near the temple.
Mosiah 19:5 (145 BC, page 183) mentions that King Noah fled to that same same tower.
Mosiah 12-16 (148 BC, pages 170-179) tells of Abinadi’s prophecies and death.
Mormon 1:19 (326 AD, page 470) confirms how some of Abinadi’s prophecies were fulfilled.
Mosiah 21:35 (122 BC, page 189): The narrator tells the reader that he will give an account of the baptism of the people of Limhi later on.
Mosiah 25:17-18 (120 BC, pages 195-196) tells of their baptism.
Mosiah 28:9 (92 BC, page 203): The narrator tells the reader that he will give an account of the preachings of Alma and the sons of Mosiah among the Lamanites.
Alma 17-26 (90 BC, pages 250-275) tells of their preachings.
Mosiah 28:19 (92 BC, page 203): The narrator tells the reader that an account of the Jaredites will be given later.
The Book of Ether (pages 487-518) gives that account.
Mosiah 29:46-47 (92 BC, page 207) talks about King Mosiah dying 509 years after Lehi left Jerusalem.
3 Nephi 2:5-6 (AD 5, page 409) refers to the death of King Mosiah 100 years before, and that it has now been 609 years since Lehi left Jerusalem.
Mosiah 29:27 (92 BC, page 206): King Mosiah teaches that if the voice of the people chooses iniquity, the judgments of God will come upon them.
Alma 10:19 (82 BC, page 233): Amulek mentions King Mosiah’s teaching from 10 years before.
Mosiah 29:27 (92-91 BC, page 206) contains Mosiah’s warning about the destruction awaiting the people if they chose iniquity;
Alma 1:1 (91-88 BC, page 208) refers to the laws Mosiah had established; and
Alma 5 (83 BC, pages 217-223) contains prophecies about the coming of Christ and the spiritual decay of the people.
Helaman 4:21-22 (38-30 BC, page 376) refers back to the prophecies of Alma, the words of Mosiah, and the law Mosiah had established.
Alma 31:5-38 (74 BC, page 285) tells about Alma, Amulek, and Zeezrom preaching to the Zoramites.
In Helaman 5:41 (30 BC, page 380), Aminadab refers to the teachings of Alma, Amulek, and Zeezrom.
Alma 16:9 (81 BC, page 248) tells that the people of Ammonihah were destroyed.
Alma 49:3 (72 BC, page 330) mentions how the Nephites rebuilt Ammonihah because it had previously been destroyed.
Alma 18:24-39 (90 BC, page 255): Ammon implements a missionary teaching approach with King Lamoni, beginning with the question about a belief in God, then proceeding to teach about the creation, the fall of man, and redemption by way of Jesus Christ’s atonement.
Alma 22:7-14 (90 BC, page 264): Aaron implements a similar teaching approach with the father of King Lamoni.
Alma 30:37 (74 BC, page 283) is another example of a missionary approach asking about a belief in God.
Alma 31:3 (74 BC, page 285) talks of Antionum being the land of the Zoramites.
Alma 43:5 (74 BC, page 314) restates that Antionum is the land of the Zoramites.
Alma 43:35-54 (74 BC, page 316-318) tells of a Lehi leading in a battle between the Nephites and the Lamanites at the river Sidon.
Alma 49:16 (72 BC, page 331) refers to that same Lehi who was a leader in the battle at the river Sidon.
Alma 11:34 (about 82 BC, page 236): Amulek talks about how the Son of God cannot save his people in their sins.
Helaman 5:10 (about 30 BC, page 378) refers back to Amulek’s teaching, confirming that the Lord will not redeem his people in their sins, but from their sins.
Mosiah 7:6-7 (121 BC, page 160) and Mosiah 21:23 (122-121 BC, page 188) talk of Ammon and his brethren being thrown into prison by Limhi’s guard.
Helaman 5:21 (30 BC, page 378): Nephi and Lehi were thrown into that same prison, over 90 years later.
Helaman 13:12-13 (6 BC, page 398): The Lord tells Samuel that He would burn the city of Zarahemla if it were not for the righteous people there.
3 Nephi 8:8 (33 AD, page 422): the city of Zarahemla begins to burn.
3 Nephi 9:3 (34 AD, page 424): the Lord explains that he burned the city of Zarahemla.
3 Nephi 18:37 (34 AD, page 444) assures the reader that he will tell more about how Jesus gave the disciples power to confer the Holy Ghost.
In Moroni 2:1-3 (401 AD, page 519), the narrator tells how Jesus conferred the Holy Ghost upon His Nephite disciples.
3 Nephi 28:9 (34-35 AD, page 461): Jesus assures three of His Nephite disciples that they will not sorrow except for the sins of the world.
4 Nephi 1:44 (35-421 AD, page 468) tells how the three Nephite disciples began to sorrow for the sins of the world.
Mormon 2:9 (327-350 AD, page 471): Aaron is a king of the Lamanites who has an army.
Moroni 9:17 (401 AD, page 528) talks of Aaron’s same army.
Ether 12:13-17 (date unknown, pages 509-510) refers to four different events in four different places in the Book of Mormon:
- Verse 13 talks of Ammon and Amulek in the prison that fell down (Alma 14:26-29 (82-81 BC, page 246)).
- Verse 14 talks of Lehi and Nephi among the Lamanites (Helaman 5:50-52 (30 BC, page 380)).
- Verse 15 talks of Ammon’s miracles among the Lamanites (Alma 17-20 (91-77 BC, pages 250-261)).
- Verse 17 talks of the three Nephite disciples not having to taste of death (3 Nephi 28:7 (34-35 AD, page 461)).
Side notes:
Alma 11:3-19 talks about weights and measures that the Nephites used for their economy. John Welch wrote an interesting article about the intricacies of it.
2 Nephi 12:16 says, “And upon all the ships of the sea, and upon all the ships of Tarshish, and upon all pleasant pictures.”
The footnote reads: The Greek (Septuagint) has “ships of the sea.” The Hebrew has “ships of Tarshish.” The Book of Mormon has both, showing that the brass plates had lost neither phrase.
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