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Book of Mormon Central / Archive / KnoWhy #476 - Why Does Nephi Begin by Saying “I, Nephi . . .”? (1 Nephi 1:1)

KnoWhy #476 - Why Does Nephi Begin by Saying “I, Nephi . . .”? (1 Nephi 1:1)

TitleKnoWhy #476 - Why Does Nephi Begin by Saying “I, Nephi . . .”? (1 Nephi 1:1)
Publication TypeKnoWhy
Year of Publication2018
Corporate AuthorsBook of Mormon Central Staff
PublisherBook of Mormon Central
Place PublishedSpringville, UT
KeywordsAncient Near East; Colophon; Nephi (Son of Lehi); Recordkeeping
Abstract

The best-known words in all of the Book of Mormon may very well be Nephi’s opening line: “I, Nephi, having been born of goodly parents…” (1 Nephi 1:1). While many Latter-day Saints know these words by heart, most people may not be aware that many ancient Near Eastern texts begin this way, and these texts help explain why Nephi would start his record the same way. These texts show how a deity helped a king triumph, despite difficult times. 1 Nephi shows how God helped Nephi, a king, triumph, despite his difficulties.
URLhttps://knowhy.bookofmormoncentral.org/content/why-does-nephi-begin-by-saying-i-nephi
Citation Key4831

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Scripture Reference

1 Nephi 1:1