B

BAB'Y-LON

The B. of the Bible, into which the Jews were carried. It occurs in 2 Ne. x in quotations from Isaiah; Nephi foretells its destruction, 2 Ne. xi:24-29; spoken of in connection with the captiv-ity, 1 Ne; i:11, 12; iii:2, 3.

Ball

See Liahona.

Baptism

The B. of M. is rarely unequivocal on the mode, object and subjects, candidates, of water b. In 3 Ne. v:26 it says ye shall "immerse them in the water." In Al. v:25 and Moro. ix:29 b. is said to be for the remission of sins. In Moro. viii:11 says "little children need no repentance, neither b." In v. 12 it says b. is "unto the remission of sins."

Barges

The term by which the eight boats built by the Jaredites and in which they crossed the Atlantic are designated. Ether says they were "of the length of a tree" - that "the ends were peaked" - that thy were "tight like unto a dish," save that they had "a hole in the top and a hole in the bottom." The hole in the top was to admit air. Every ship has one or many holes in the bottom, both for the intake of water and for the discharge of waste matter. A hole of any diameter enclosed above the waterline of the ship would not let water into the ship even with the top left open. Out of this, water could be dipped with a pail and into it refuse and garbage could be dumped. They were eight in number - the b. The reader will notice as he reads Eth. i:28-51 that part of the b. were built at a point northward from the "tower" and were used in their voyage from such eastern location to the Atlantic coast. See Jaredites.

Barley, grain

It was produced by the Nephite growers along with wheat, corn, etc., and is said to balance in value a measure of it for either a senine of silver or a senum of gold; or a half a measure of b. was equal to a shiblon. Mos. vi:12; Al. viii:52-63. See senine, etc.

BA'SHAN

A place in Canaan, mentioned in 2 Nephi in quotation from Isa. ii.

Bath

Bible B. See Ephah.

Beasts

See Animals.

Bees

See Deseret.

BEN'JA-MIN

King and prophet in the land of Zarahemla, over the Nephites. He was son of Mosiah I and father of Mosiah II. He held the sacred records, having received them from Amaleki; he bestowed them upon his son Mosiah, who succeeded him in the kingship three years before his death (B. C. 121). Neither the date or place of his birth are given. However, considering the age to which the righteous attained in those days and that B. "waxed old" (Mos. i:14-21), together with the fact that it was in the days of his father that the Nephites came from the land of Nephi into the land of Zarahemla, it is probable that he was born in the land of Nephi. The fore part of his reign was disquieted with contentions among his own people and an invasion by the Lamanites. The latter were defeated and driven out of the Nephite possessions; and the preachers and teachers who were false were silenced by commensurate punishment.

Ere the conferment of the kingly incumbency on Mosiah as his successor, he had him summon the people of the country together at the temple where King B. addressed them verbally and in writing. In this very effective address or proclamation, the king enjoined faithfulness, announced the successorship of his son, and taught them of Christ by whose name he desired them all to covenant to be distinguished from that time forth. His audience fell to the earth in their deep sensation of their unworthiness, Mos. ii:l-12. Afterward they unanimously "entered into the covenant, and had taken upon them the name of Christ," Mos. iv:l-4. See Mos. i:79 to Mos. iv:8.

BETH-AB'A-RA

Lehi prophesied that John the Baptist would baptize "in B., beyond Jordan." 1 Ne. iii: 11, 12; Jno. i:28; I. T. 1:34.

BIBLE

In 2 Ne. xii Nephi prophecies of the coming forth of the B. of M. He describes the spiritual destitution of the Gentile churches at that time. When the B. of M. would make its appearance they were to exclaim: "A bible, a bible, we have got a bible and there can not he any more bible." The Nephites believed in and were loyal to the portion of the B. which they brought with them and they looked forward to the time when the two hemspheric witnesses would "grow together unto the confounding of false doctrines" - 2 Ne. ii:19-23.

Nephi, yet in Arabia, overseas, sees in vision that the B. would be changed.

Birds

The B. of M. names the fowl, chicken, hen, vulture, owl, bittern and dove.

Black-ness

Nephi, while yet near the Red Sea and before the crossing, envisioned the decadence of the seed of his brothers and the darkness that would overcast them. 1 Ne. iii:134. Only a few years later, about 570 B. C., witnessed the fulfillment of this when "the Lord God did cause a skin of b. to come upon them." - 2 Ne. iv:35. Hundreds of years later, about 86 B. C., we read that "the Lamanites were dark, according to the mark which was set upon their fathers, which was a curse upon them because of their transgression" etc. Al. i: 104 ff. Furthermore, "this was done that their seed might be distinguished" and "that they (Neph-ites) might not mix and believe in incorrect traditions." Ibid. Descending about 466 years, into the Christian period, we find that the Nephites are definitely in line to "become a dark, a filthy and a loathsome people, beyond the description of that which ever hath been amongst us; yea, even that which hath been among the Lamanites." Morm. ii:44 ff. In 13 A. D. black Lamanites, converted to Christianity, became white. 3 Ne. i:52.

BO'AZ

A city which was evidently northward of the city Desolation. The Nephites being defeated at the latter place fled to the former, in that great war which terminated up at Cumorah. The Nephites were victorious at the first battle of B., but on the second coming of the Lamanites they were "slaughtered with an exceeding great slaughter" about 375 A. D. Morm. ii:22.

BOUN'TI-FUL

Land of. In Arabia. On the coast of the Indian Ocean, in the Asiatic continent. It is here Lehi and family dwelt while Nephi constructed the ship with which they crossed the ocean. They called it B. because of its much fruit and wild honey. 1 Ne. v:55-69.

BOUN'TI-FUL

City of. Situated at the "narrow neck of land." It was evidently the most important city in the land B. It was the headquarters of General Teancum (Nephite) for a time and while he awaited reinforcements from Moroni, commander-in-chief (B. C. 64.) After their defeat of the Laman-ites (B. C. 63) they repaired to the city of B. with the host of prisoners taken, the prisoners being put to work in the fortification of the city. "The city became an exceeding stronghold ever after." Al. xxiv:19, 20, 53-58. (See land B.)

BOUN'TI-FUL

Land of. See Al. xiii:73 ff. We find that the land B. was bounded on the north by the land of Desolation and that it was a day and a half's journey from sea to sea on the line dividing Desolation and B. In the reference given it is spoken of as at that time (B. C. 90-77) a "wilderness which is filled with all manner of wild animals of every kind, a part of which had come from the land northward for food." In order to prevent the Lamanites from gaining access to and possession of the land northward (of the narrow pass) the Nephites took possession of the land B. from sea to sea. It is said that there was a "small neck of land between the land northward and the land southward." Moroni (B. C. 65) issued orders to his officers that they should "fortify the land B., and secure the narrow pass which led into the land northward" (of B.) With these considerations as to the geographical aspect of the case I resign that aspect into the hands of the student to decide as to the definite boundaries and as to how far the land B. extended into the narrow neck. Suffice to say that as it extended some distance into the narrow neck, it may have also included a portion of country immediately fronting it. See also Hel. ii:36-4l

It was in the land B. where Jesus made his appearance (34 A. D.) 3 Ne. v:l-3.

We read of the land of B. again in 3 Ne. ii: 29-38 in connection with military maneuvering.

BRASS

is a metal - not a mineral. It is an alloy and is made - not mined. It was known, manufactured and used by the ancient Americans. 2 Ne. iv:21; Jar. 19; Mos. vii:11. Cf Plates.

Brass Plates

See Plates.

Brother of Jared

See Jared.