Choosing to focus on the timeline and setting compromising pages 554-568 in The Book of Mormon: A Readers Edition its easy to feel like details are missing. Because Mormon keeps the detail of his historical history at a distance I will keep this analysis from a distance as well. In a matter of 14 pages we cover 64 years of history. It's impressive that by only giving a surface level of detail and insight to the 64 years of trial, wars and heartache as a reader I still feel so involved.
The timeframe covered from one page carried but, let me provide you with the length of time between each page. Begging at page 554 we have 5 years, 1 year, 4 years, 2, year, 4 years,10 years, 2, years, 1 year, 8 years, 4 years, and then 4 years from page 563-564. And often times these years take place from one sentence to another.
It is not until the last 4-5 pages that you are brought into detail of Mormon and his account of the last battles that are being prepared for between the Nephites and the Lamanites. Over the course of the rest of the reading however you are just given a sample of information as to why there is conflict between the two parties. Without the clear mention of the time laps it would be very easy to combine all the events into a much shorter period such as a few months or even just a year or two. You could easily miss the fact this was a slow process of war and contention taking 64 years of time.
Impressive amongst the time laps that quickly occurs is the flow and continuity with which the author has complied the information.
The way you started, saying it felt like details were missing...to going on to mention that you felt so involved was a cool transition. I especially liked, and found helpful, that you took such careful notes of the years and the gaps between them. I find as I read I often look past the years, but paying close attention to them puts the stories and events in such a different perspective.
ReplyDeleteThat is a really interesting insight because I think it's something that many members of the church don't even realize. I know that when I'm reading I don't look specifically for dates to place the events with. It is really beneficial to look at that though and put all the stories you are reading into context.
ReplyDeleteIt is very interesting to notice how well all the stories flow together so well without consideration of the wide range in time.