Mormon's Wish to Be an Angel

Book of Mormon Notes - Tuesday, September 19, 2023, Alma 29

Mormon moves again from his abridgment and commentary into direct quotation. McConkie’s heading informs us that Mormon quotes Alma directly in this chapter. But I don’t see any immediate indication that Mormon is quoting Alma.

Mormon has just given us two “thus we see” lessons from his abridgment of the record of Alma, and particularly his abridgment of the record of the missionary labors of Alma and the sons of Mosiah. But he doesn’t introduce this next portion of the record with any introduction. I’ve always assumed (and for good reason) that Alma 29 is Mormon’s direct quotation of Alma the Younger. But is it just Mormon himself?

I ask this question because there is no clear transition from Mormon’s “thus we see” lessons and commentary and the beginning of this hymn of praise. Mormon’s “thus we see” lessons are followed immediately by the exclamation “O that I were an angel”. Almost everywhere else in the Book of Mormon, as far as I can tell or remember, Mormon only inserts direct quotations of speeches or praise after a brief introduction to the context and the speaker. There is no introduction here.

Mormon has just finished his own reflections on the inequality of man and the importance of missionary work. The original Book of Mormon - and the original translation of the Book of Mormon - did not have the chapters and the verses, or the chapter summaries that we have today. The transition from the “thus we see” lessons into “O that I were an angel” seems like a natural transition from Mormon’s sober reflections to his own declaration of his own desire to cry repentance, does it not? Why should we assume that it is Alma the Younger?

Of course Mormon often quotes Alma the Younger, and many other people, directly. But why would Mormon fail to introduce a direct quotation when he gives introductions almost everywhere else? This is the text from the original manuscript of the Book of Mormon:

& thus we see how great the unequality of man is becau[se of sin & tra]nsgression & the Power of the Devil which comes by the cunning of plan[s which he] hath devised to ensnare the hearts of men & thus we see the great call [of the diligen]ce of man <​men​> men to labour in the vineyards of the Lord & thus we s[ee the great reason] of sorrow & also of rejoiceing sorrow because of death & destruct[ion among men] & joy because of the light of Christ unto life O that I were an [Angel & could have] the wish of mine heart that I might go forth & speak with the t[rump of God] with a voice to shake the earth repe[n]t[an]ce unto every People yea [I would declare] unto every soul as with the voice of [thunder re]pentance

And this is a screenshot of the original translation of this portion of the Book of Mormon:

That big hole in the paper is just after the transition from Mormon’s “thus we see” lessons to the “O that I were an angel” hymn. (This has also been set to music, by the way - see here, here, here, for example).

As you can see, there is no clear transition from Mormon’s “thus we see” lessons and the “O that I were an angel” exclamation. Is it not Mormon who records his own exclamation? It makes sense to me.

At least in the beginning. It could be that Mormon simply inserted Alma the Younger’s exclamation without any introduction and almost as if it were his own exclamation. Let me read it that way first, and then consider why it is that we assume that this is a direct quotation of Alma the Younger.

I can read this whole chapter without assuming that Alma the Younger wrote it, but there are several things that may easily lead us to think that it was Alma the Younger who wrote it, and not Mormon. Even the great Book of Mormon scholar John W. Welch assumes that the original text was composed by Alma the Younger. But are we all assuming this based on McConkie’s chapter heading? Why did McConkie assume that Alma the Younger wrote this hymn? I don’t know.

It does sound like Alma though because of Alma’s original experience with the angel and because of later testimonies that Alma shares with his sons and with others. When Alma and the sons of Mosiah met again after many years of missionary work, Alma recounted the story of his conversion to the people of Ammon. But remember that Mormon abridges Alma’s record and is deeply immersed in the story and the message. Isn’t it possible that while studying, reading, abridging, and commenting upon these great records of missionary joy that Mormon himself was filled with such great joy that he erupted into “O that I were an angel”?

Listen again to the way that Mormon summarizes this great missionary record:

And ^athis is the account of Ammon and his brethren, their journeyings in the land of Nephi, their sufferings in the land, their sorrows, and their afflictions, and their ^bincomprehensible joy, and the reception and safety of the brethren in the land of Jershon. And now may the Lord, the Redeemer of all men, bless their souls forever. (Alma 28:8)

Joy is certainly a major theme in this portion of the Book of Alma in the Book of Mormon, and in spite of his troubling circumstances, I’m sure that Mormon was filled with joy as he abridged, summarized, and commented upon the joy of Alma, Ammon, Aaron, Omner, Himni and their missionary friends and others.

And wouldn’t it make sense that Mormon, who believed that he sinned in his wish to be an angel, and who is now an angel, would have his righteous wish fulfilled in the person of his son Moroni, who was the actual angel who appeared to the Prophet Joseph Smith? It makes all the sense in the world to me.

It seems to me that the assumption that this is Alma the Younger begins around verse 10, especially because the Lamanites and the Nephites in Mormon’s time had degenerated into such gross wickedness. Perhaps Mormon didn’t enjoy the company of many truly penitent people. There is also mention of the Lord’s mercy and answers to prayers that may indicate that it is Alma the Younger… but wasn’t the Lord also merciful to Mormon? And verse 13 lends even more evidence that it is Alma the Younger speaking, but did not the Lord give success to Mormon as well?

I read the chapter once again, and I still think that Mormon wrote it without quoting Alma the Younger.