The Book of Mormon, first published in 1830, is a foundational text for the Latter-day Saint tradition. As with any significant religious text, its language and structure are critical in shaping its themes, message, and reception. Linguists and literary analysts often turn to the study of frequency distributions—the analysis of how often specific words, phrases, or linguistic structures occur in a text—as a powerful tool to uncover deeper insights into its composition. These distributions not only reveal patterns that shape meaning but also shed light on the text’s cultural, thematic, and theological underpinnings.
This analysis focuses on the frequency distributions of unigrams (single words), bigrams (two-word sequences), and trigrams (three-word sequences) in the 1830 Printer’s Manuscript of the Book of Mormon. By studying these distributions, we can gain critical insights into the narrative techniques, thematic emphases, and stylistic choices that define the text. To ensure clarity and focus on meaningful content, stop words—common function words like “the,” “and,” and “is” that carry little semantic weight—have been removed. However, exceptions like “unto” are retained because of their contextual significance in religious and archaic texts.
Unigrams: Insights into Core Themes and Style
A unigram analysis examines the frequency of individual words, offering a direct window into the dominant themes and focal points of the text. For instance, in the Book of Mormon, frequent words such as “lord,” “god,” and “people” emphasize the text’s spiritual and communal focus. These terms underscore recurring themes of divine authority, human agency, and their interplay. Words like “came” and “pass” point to formulaic expressions that structure the narrative and mark significant events, reflecting a deliberate stylistic choice.
Beyond themes, unigram analysis also illuminates stylistic patterns. While function words like “and” or “of” are essential for grammatical cohesion, their high frequency highlights the formal and structured nature of the text’s language. By focusing on content-rich words, unigram analysis brings the thematic and theological priorities of the Book of Mormon into sharper focus, revealing the text’s intricate blend of divinity, prophecy, and ritualized expression.
Bigrams: Insights into Relationships and Meaning
Bigram analysis explores pairs of consecutive words, unveiling structural and thematic relationships within the text. Repeated bigrams such as “came to,” “to pass,” and “lord god” reflect the text’s reliance on formulaic phrasing to emphasize divine action and authority. These word pairs often function as markers for significant events or prophetic declarations, reinforcing the sacred tone of the narrative.
In addition, bigram analysis highlights key thematic connections. Phrases like “word of” and “son of” underscore themes of revelation, lineage, and divine communication, while expressions like “plates of” draw attention to the physical and symbolic artifacts central to the narrative. By focusing on bigrams, we can better understand how linguistic patterns encode meaning and convey reverence, structure, and the theological weight that pervades the manuscript.
Trigrams: Insights into Narrative Flow and Thematic Depth
Trigram analysis examines sequences of three consecutive words, offering a more detailed look at the language structure and thematic elements within the text. Despite the removal of standard stop words in the analysis, some phrases in religious texts like the Book of Mormon—including terms such as “unto” or “came to pass”—carry significant meaning and have been intentionally retained due to their contextual importance.
The graph highlights the most frequent trigrams in the 1830 Printer’s Manuscript of the Book of Mormon. Phrases like “came to pass”, “behold say unto”, and “year reign judges” dominate, reflecting the highly formulaic and ritualized language of the text. These repeated trigrams are integral to the narrative structure, as they often mark critical events, transitions, or divine actions. For example:
- “Came pass did” is used as a narrative device to indicate the sequence of events, emphasizing the unfolding of divine plans or historical accounts.
- “Behold say unto” introduces prophetic declarations or important communications, reinforcing the authoritative and spiritual tone of the manuscript.
Other prominent trigrams, such as “year reign judges” and “unto children men”, reveal the text’s focus on governance, lineage, and divine covenants with humanity. These sequences also underscore the socio-religious context of the narrative, connecting human actions and divine interventions.
Trigrams as Structural and Thematic Markers
The recurrence of specific trigrams reflects the structural and thematic priorities of the Book of Mormon. For instance:
- Ritualized Language: Trigrams like “came pass did” and “verily say unto” exemplify the use of repetitive, formulaic phrasing that evokes a sense of reverence and consistency.
- Thematic Anchors: Phrases such as “the lord god” or “spake unto saying” highlight the centrality of divine authority and revelation in the text.
- Cultural Context: Trigrams like “judges people nephites” and “land came pass” provide insights into societal structures, geography, and the relationships between divine governance and human communities.
Significance of Trigram Analysis
By identifying and analyzing these trigrams, we gain a clearer understanding of how the Book of Mormon constructs its narrative and conveys its central messages. The frequent repetition of certain phrases serves as a unifying thread, reinforcing key themes such as divine authority, prophecy, and historical continuity. Furthermore, this type of analysis highlights the linguistic and cultural distinctiveness of the manuscript, offering a richer perspective on its role as a sacred text.
Significance of Frequency Distributions
Analyzing the frequency distributions of unigrams, bigrams, and trigrams in the Book of Mormon provides a detailed understanding of the text’s thematic focus, stylistic features, and narrative strategies. This approach offers valuable insights into how the author communicates with the audience and structures the narrative to convey meaning effectively.
For example, the trigram analysis highlights the high frequency of variations of the phrase “came to pass.” While often viewed as a sequence marker—a signal that a series of events is about to unfold—this phrase also functions as a discourse marker, serving multiple purposes within the text. Discourse markers like this play a critical role in guiding the reader, as they often:
- Signal transitions: Indicate shifts in topic or narrative direction, helping the reader navigate the flow of ideas.
- Indicate relationships: Show logical connections, such as cause and effect, contrast, or elaboration. For instance, “came to pass” may imply causality or introduce a significant event, bridging one idea to the next.
- Structure discourse: Organize the text into meaningful sections, creating a sense of order and coherence in the narrative.
- Express attitudes: Reflect the author’s stance or intention, such as emphasizing the importance of an event or framing it within a divine or prophetic context.
These uses of discourse markers, including “came to pass,” reveal how the text employs language to emphasize divine actions, establish authority, and maintain a formal, reverent tone. By analyzing these linguistic patterns, we can better understand how the Book of Mormon creates connections, organizes its themes, and conveys the author’s intentions. This foundational analysis sets the stage for deeper exploration of the manuscript’s linguistic and thematic intricacies.
Future Directions for Analysis
While this simplistic analysis offers valuable insights, there is much more to uncover. Future work will aim to:
- Isolate Distinctive Linguistic Features: By removing passages that overlap with the Bible, we can focus on the unique linguistic characteristics of the Book of Mormon.
- Granular Analysis of Individual Books: Examining the language of each book within the manuscript will highlight thematic and stylistic variations across different sections.
- Advanced Techniques: Employing sentiment analysis and advanced syntactic parsing will provide a deeper understanding of the text’s emotional tone and structural complexities.
These future analyses will enhance our understanding of the Book of Mormon’s language, offering richer insights into its significance as a religious and literary work.