The following are the names of the Nephite historians, with the times during which they held the records:
- Nephi, from——to 546 B. C.
- Jacob, from 546 to——
- Enos, from——to 422.
- Jarom, from 422 to 362.
- Omni, from 362 to 318.
- Amaron, from 318 to 280.
- Chemish, from 280 to——
- Abinadom, from——to——
- Amaleki, from——to 200 (about).
- King Benjamin, from 200 to 125.
- King Mosiah, from 125 to 91.
- Alma (the younger), from 91 to 73.
- Helaman (the elder), from 73 to 57.
- Shiblon, from 57 to 53.
- Helaman (the younger), from 53 to 39.
- Nephi, from 39 to 1.
- Nephi (the disciple), from 1 to 34 A. C.
- Nephi, from 34 to 110.
- Amos, from 110 to 194.
- Amos (the younger), from 194 to 306.
- Ammaron, from 306 to 320.
- Mormon, from 320 to 385.
- Moroni, from 385 to 421.
In the above table, one thing will most certainly strike the attention of the observant reader. It is the lengthened period that some of the historians held the records. Jacob and his son Enos held them one hundred and twenty-four years. Jarom held them sixty. In this fact we find a very pleasing confirmation of the statement of Nephi that during the time he and his brethren were wandering in the wilderness, living on raw meat and suffering all kinds of hardships, fatigue and privations, the Lord so greatly blessed the women in the company that they were strong, yea, even like unto the men, having an abundance of milk to suckle the babes born unto them. Jacob was born at this time, and doubtless inherited an exceedingly strong constitution, which he transmitted to his posterity.
The second epoch during which the longevity of the custodians of the plates is remarkable is during that reign of universal righteousness which followed the ministry of the crucified Savior. By living unto the Lord in all things their lives were marvelously prolonged; especially were those of the children born during the continuance of this happy and holy period and before the effects of the after apostasy had begun to work on them. Thus Nephi, the son of Nephi the disciple, had charge of the records seventy-six years, his son Amos, eighty-four years, and Amos, the son of the last named, the wonderful period of one hundred and twelve years; or father, son and grandson, three generations, a total of two hundred and seventy-two years. What a powerful sermon this one fact preaches in favor of entire submission of body and soul to the perfect and perfecting law of God!
CHAPTER LIII.
THE WOMEN OF THE BOOK OF MORMON—THEIR CONDITION AND POSITION—ABISH—ISABEL—MARRIAGE—AMULEK—MORONI'S TITLE OF LIBERTY—THE MOTHERS OF THE AMMONITES—TWO EXTREMES.
IT IS somewhat noticeable how little prominence is given to womankind in the historical narrative of the Book of Mormon, and unfortunately when mention is made of them it too frequently grows out of man's sins and their misfortunes. Of all the descendants of Lehi and Sariah, but two women are mentioned by name; one, Abish, a converted waiting woman to a queen of the Lamanites; the other, Isabel, a harlot of the land of Sidon, whose meretricious charms seduced Corianton, the son of Alma, from the work of the ministry among the Zoramites.
Although we have but few individual characters standing out in relief from the historical background, yet from many incidental references as to the story of the Nephites is told we are led to the conclusion that women among that people enjoyed a much greater degree of liberty, and wielded a more powerful influence than they did among contemporary Gentile nations on the eastern hemisphere—say in Babylon, Persia or Greece. We deem this mainly attributable to two causes, first, the Israelitish origin of the race; and again, the power and grace with which the principles of the gospel were preached by a long succession of prophets, who almost uninterruptedly ministered to the seed of Nephi. That this latter cause had much to do with woman's pleasing condition among that people is evident, for we find from the historical narrative that whenever they turned from the Lord it was then that tribulation and oppression came upon their wives and daughters, and they suffered from the iniquities of their husbands and the fury of their enemies. With regard to the first named cause it is generally admitted that the Hebrew women of antiquity enjoyed greater liberty and possessed more privileges than did those of the surrounding nations of the same period. Let the Bible and the history of contemporary nations be compared and the difference is apparent.