Applying Grammar to the Scriptures

Understanding grammar can support our understanding of scripture as we study God's word. Scriptures, such as the Book of Mormon, use archaic, complex English that can be difficult for readers to understand; however, applying a grammatical lens to our personal study can help us identify the meanings we easily miss when we skim. One example of this can be found in the Book of Mormon in Mosiah 4:11-16:

11 And again I say unto you as I have said before, that as ye have come to the knowledge of the glory of God, or if ye have known of his goodness and have tasted of his love, and have received a remission of your sins, which causeth such exceedingly great joy in your souls, even so I would that ye should remember, and always retain in remembrance, the greatness of God, and your own nothingness, and his goodness and long-suffering towards you, unworthy creatures, and humble yourselves even in the depths of humility, calling on the name of the Lord daily, and standing steadfastly in the faith of that which is to come, which was spoken by the mouth of the angel.

12 And behold, I say unto you that if ye do this ye shall always rejoice, and be filled with the love of God, and always retain a remission of your sins; and ye shall grow in the knowledge of the glory of him that created you, or in the knowledge of that which is just and true.

13 And ye will not have a mind to injure one another, but to live peaceably, and to render to every man according to that which is his due.

14 And ye will not suffer your children that they go hungry, or naked; neither will ye suffer that they transgress the laws of God, and fight and quarrel one with another, and serve the devil, who is the master of sin, or who is the evil spirit which hath been spoken of by our fathers, he being an enemy to all righteousness.

15 But ye will teach them to walk in the ways of truth and soberness; ye will teach them to love one another, and to serve one another.

16 And also, ye yourselves will succor those that stand in need of your succor; ye will administer of your substance unto him that standeth in need; and ye will not suffer that the beggar putteth up his petition to you in vain, and turn him out to perish.

Two things become more evident to me as I apply a grammatical lens to this passage of scripture: (1) what is included in the if/then clause across these six verses, and (2) what isn't included.

Conditional Clauses

A conditional clause is an adverbial clause that sets the "if" of a conditional sentence. The "then" clause depends on the "if" clause to happen. In other words, if the adverbial clause doesn't happen, then the dependent clause won't either. I have annotated the scriptural passage to highlight the "if" part of the conditional clause (underlined above) and the "then" part of the if/then clause (highlighted in green above). Understanding the grammar behind conditional clauses and the definition of "even so" helps us realize that the following section in verse 11 isn't included in the if/then clause:

[. . .] even so I would that ye should remember, and always retain in remembrance, the greatness of God, and your own nothingness, and his goodness and long-suffering towards you, unworthy creatures, and humble yourselves even in the depths of humility, calling on the name of the Lord daily, and standing steadfastly in the faith of that which is to come, which was spoken by the mouth of the angel.

Rather, this clause is a side comment inserted in the middle of the if/then clause. When we remove this side comment, we can better understand what King Benjamin's message teaches. King Benjamin explains that if "ye have known of his goodness and have tasted of his love, and have received a remission of your sins, which causeth such exceedingly great joy in your souls," then you will

• "always rejoice"

• "be filled with the love of God"

• "always retain a remission of your sins"

• "grow in the knowledge of the glory of him that created you, or in the knowledge of that which is just and true"

• "not have a mind to injure one another"

• "live peaceably"

• "render to every man according to that which is his due"

• "not suffer your children that they go hungry, or naked"

• "[not] suffer that [your children] transgress the laws of God, and fight and quarrel one with another, and serve the devil"

• "teach [your children] to walk in the ways of truth and soberness"

• "teach [your children] to love one another, and to serve one another"

• "succor those that stand in need of your succor"

• "administer of your substance unto him that standeth in need"

• and "not suffer that the beggar putteth up his petition to you in vain, and turn him out to perish."

  
  

Breaking down the conditional clause across these verses allows us to take a greater, more focused understanding of what King Benjamin promises and suggests in this passage. Without breaking the grammar down, a reader can easily miss just how many blessings and changes take place in our lives if we come to know God better. I encourage all scripture readers to take the time to slow down and analyze what the scriptures are teaching; this will transform scripture study into a more meaningful experience.