Rick: I agree, these are fascinating to chase down and may even provide fossil evidence of stages in American English (I have a vague sense in your reference to Skouzen that you see these as evidence of modern origins for BoM; while I’m sympathetic to those who believe either ancient or modern origins, it’s worth remembering that these linguistic artifacts only date the creation of the English text (which is know from other sources), rather than characterize the nature of the creation (was it Smithian translation, or was it primary authorship?)).

I have found the same phenomenon in the Book of Mormon. Consider, for example, confusing the fiery serpents which bit the children of Israel (Numbers 21:6-9; Deuteronomy 8:15) with the unrelated fiery flying serpents of Isaiah 14:29 and 30:6. This error was common enough in the early nineteenth century, and it crept into the Book of Mormon’s 1 Nephi 17:41 (discussed in my Mormon List Twenty-Two [Ithaca, New York: Rick Grunder – Books, January 1987], entry 63, now developed into my Mormon Parallels entry 145. See Royal Skousen’s hopeful explanation in Analysis of Textual Variants of the Book of Mormon . . . I:369).

Another example is the expression in Ether 4:15, “hardness of heart and blindness of mind,” a Protestant expression I have found in two texts (1818 and 1832), but not in the Bible (for hardness of heart alone, see Mark 16:14 or Matthew 19:8; Mark 3:5, 10:5). Even further removed from ancient text, yet frequently encountered in religious rhetoric of Joseph Smith’s world was the non-biblical expression of singing redeeming love, or singing the song of redeeming love (Alma 5:9; see also v. 26 and 26:13). Or the Protestant expression “Blessed Jesus” so common in Joseph’s time: not in the Bible, but vivid in Alma 19:29.

Having fun with words is indeed treacherous as Sam points out, and we must proceed methodically. But the quest can certainly be exhilarating.

Eye of the beholder, Randall.

The same is true with Mormon history. If Joseph Smith was a Mason who participated in Masonic temple practice before introducing his own ceremonies, the overlap between the rites is most easily explained by Joseph Smith co-opting and improving upon the Masonic practices. Fertile ground beautified through inspiration.

Puritan, evangelical, and Victorian preachers frequently quote the Bible without explicitly referencing the passage, because they assumed their audiences would understand the context. More, they often borrow phrases which are laden with Biblical association and imagery that today’s reader may just not catch…

More than Puritan, evangelical, and Victorian preachers—certainly Joseph Smith did, to an amazing degree. A few years ago Deseret Book published a volume called Scriptural Teachings of the Prophet Joseph Smith, which took the familiar editing of JFS and added footnotes (by Richard C. Galbraith) for all the scriptural quotations and allusions in JS’s speaking and writing. A very interesting and valuable volume that, like all interesting Deseret Book products, was in print for about 20 minutes.

But take, for example, the items in Sam’s post. From the NIV, we have:

“The words of the wise are like goads, their collected sayings like firmly embedded nails—given by one Shepherd.”

and

“I will drive him like a peg into a firm place; he will be a seat of honour for the house of his father. All the glory of his family will hang on him: its offspring and offshoots—all its lesser vessels, from the bowls to all the jars. ‘In that day,’ declares the LORD Almighty, ‘the peg driven into the firm place will give way; it will be sheared off and will fall, and the load hanging on it will be cut down.’ The LORD has spoken.”

Now, sure enough, I imagine that many Latter-day Saints probably would not be aware of the KJV versions of these verses. But being aware of the verses in another translation doesn’t necessarily mean awareness of the biblical allusion.