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Filter: Missing Writings Trope, or Glorified Omission Trope

Total chapters: 24

JS Jr. appears to have gotten this idea from John. In Jn. 20:30–31 John writes that “Many other signs ... are not written in this book. But these are written,” and Jn. 21:25 where he writes, “And there are also many other things which Jesus did, the which, if they should be written every one, I suppose that even the world itself could not contain the books that should be written.”

1 Nephi 1

Missing Writings Trope, or Glorified Omission Trope

 Nephi omits some of Lehi's prophecies: “I, Nephi, do not make a full account of the things which my father hath written, for he hath written many things which he saw in visions and in dreams; and he also hath written many things which he prophesied and spake unto his children, of which I shall not make a full account. ... Behold, I make an abridgment of the record of my father, upon plates which I have made with mine own hands; wherefore, after I have abridged the record of my father then will I make an account of mine own life.”

1 Nephi 14

Missing Writings Trope, or Glorified Omission Trope

 Nephi sees things that are written by others, sealed up, to come forth ... some day: “And behold, I, Nephi, am forbidden that I should write the remainder of the things which I saw and heard; wherefore the things which I have written sufficeth me; and I have written but a small part of the things which I saw. ... and if all the things which I saw are not written, the things which I have written are true.”

2 Nephi 27

Missing Writings Trope, or Glorified Omission Trope

 “Touch not the things which are sealed, for I will bring them forth in mine own due time.”

2 Nephi 32

Missing Writings Trope, or Glorified Omission Trope

 “And now I, Nephi, cannot say more; the Spirit stoppeth mine utterance, and I am left to mourn because of the unbelief, and the wickedness, and the ignorance, and the stiffneckedness of men.” See—it's not JS Jr.'s fault we can't read this, it's those dang skeptical readers.

2 Nephi 33

Missing Writings Trope, or Glorified Omission Trope

 “And now I, Nephi, cannot write all the things which were taught among my people.”

Alma 8

Missing Writings Trope, or Glorified Omission Trope

 Alma taught the people of Gideon many things that cannot be written

Helaman 3

Missing Writings Trope, or Glorified Omission Trope

 Mormon mentions that he is only telling a hundredth part of the story despite all the many books and many records kept of every kind.

Helaman 5

Missing Writings Trope, or Glorified Omission Trope

 More missing teachings are mentioned but written and not written down, and only some are transmitted by Mormon and thus to the reader.

Helaman 14

Missing Writings Trope, or Glorified Omission Trope

 More missing things that cannot be written.

3 Nephi 7

Missing Writings Trope, or Glorified Omission Trope

 We are told that Nephi did minister many things unto them; and all of them cannot be written, and a part of them would not suffice, therefore they are not written in this book. And Nephi did minister with power and with great authority. ... for it were not possible that they could disbelieve his words. But we are not told what these super convincing words were. Or maybe the unbelievers saw angels that ministered unto him daily, and that made it impossible to disbelieve? Where is that kind of evidence today, alongside the wickedness and unbelief we clearly see today? None of this makes any sense outside of a storybook.

3 Nephi 17

Missing Writings Trope, or Glorified Omission Trope

 More missing amazing things that cannot be written about, they are so great. What a fun trope, to avoid having to dictate or write something actually amazing, you just say that the translator can't write something amazing and thus leave it to the reader's imagination. Amazing! And there were 2,500 witnesses (“And they did consist of men, women, and children.” Mark Twain: ch. 16, Roughing It “And what else would they be likely to consist of?”), but we can't get their accounts, just this one account that combines them. Which I guess is better than nothing? Except when it is only barely better than nothing, and it doesn't really go above and beyond anything in the gospels anyway?

3 Nephi 26

Missing Writings Trope, or Glorified Omission Trope

 Jesus says things to the people that Mormon and hence JS Jr. cannot write. Good stuff, but the Lord will try his people, so JS Jr. doesn't have to deliver the goods. But trust me, it was some good stuff.

3 Nephi 27

Missing Writings Trope, or Glorified Omission Trope

 Jesus says to write stuff, but not the good stuff. That stuff is too good.

3 Nephi 28

Missing Writings Trope, or Glorified Omission Trope

 “And behold, the heavens were opened, and they were caught up into heaven, and saw and heard unspeakable things. And it was forbidden them that they should utter; neither was it given unto them power that they could utter the things which they saw and heard.”

4 Nephi 1

Missing Writings Trope, or Glorified Omission Trope

 If this lasting centuries-long peace actually happened, it would be wonderful to hear a lot more details about this actual utopia, so we could perhaps know what goes in to such a peaceful society, instead of just a few paragraphs mentioning vague, warm fuzzy things like “the love of God which did dwell in the hearts of the people.” It's a nice sentiment, but doesn't sound very informative or actionable.

Mormon 2

Missing Writings Trope, or Glorified Omission Trope

 Mormon forbears relating “a continual scene of wickedness and abominations has been before mine eyes ever since I have been sufficient to behold the ways of man.”

Mormon 4

Missing Writings Trope, or Glorified Omission Trope

 “And it is impossible for the tongue to describe, or for man to write a perfect description of the horrible scene of the blood and carnage which was among the people, both of the Nephites and of the Lamanites; and every heart was hardened, so that they delighted in the shedding of blood continually.”

Mormon 5

Missing Writings Trope, or Glorified Omission Trope

 More writing about not writing things, Mormon spares us carnage too great to write about and instead writes a small abridgement, and what is written, is written to the remnant of the house of Jacob (i.e. Lamanites, i.e. Native Americans), as well as to the unbelieving of the Jews that they may be persuaded that Jesus is the Christ, in case the New Testament failed to accomplish that after more than a thousand years.

Ether 1

Missing Writings Trope, or Glorified Omission Trope

 More about what was written somewhere else on plates but not written here in English for the reader to read.

Ether 3

Missing Writings Trope, or Glorified Omission Trope

 More sealed up material, writing about writing instead of just writing stuff. Very cagey and mysterious.

Ether 4

Missing Writings Trope, or Glorified Omission Trope

 The Lord instructs the brother of Jared to write down and seal up an account of the most amazing dang vision in the universe. However, Moroni chastizes the Gentile readers, so this amazing dang record is only readable by the brother of Jared, Ether, and Moroni. Problably not even JS Jr. was able to read about these amazing vague things; certainly not the reader. In fact, the unbelieving reader brings so much skepticism that even the believing readers who call on the Lord unceasingly like unto the brother of Jared, are also left in the dark. Oops. Y'all missed out on some dang amazing stuff, the most amazing dang stuff. Sealed because of unbelief.

Ether 13

Missing Writings Trope, or Glorified Omission Trope

 Moroni: “I was about to write more, but I am forbidden.”

Ether 15

Missing Writings Trope, or Glorified Omission Trope

 Also, Moroni threatens us with a good time: one hundred times the material of the Book of Ether, which Moroni had to abridge to get this sprawling chloroform in print. (Credit to Mark Twain for that one.) Also, Ether is another example of the Mysterious Disappearing Prophet trope.

Moroni 9

Missing Writings Trope, or Glorified Omission Trope

 Was JS Jr. better at writing about horrible things than amazing and beautiful things (see over a dozen references to Glorified Omissions Trope)? I hope I have made my point. Why not use the rhetorical device of saying that it was so awful it could not be written?
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