Compared to other books of scripture, the Book of Mormon has an extraordinarily rich and strong usage of the term “language.” Indeed, I see at least three major meanings of “language” as the term is used in the Book of Mormon. It shares with intuition the idea of language as a system of communication, sometimes including the idea of a writing system and including what, in linguistics, we call “syntax” (the structure of the language, including grammar) and probably vocabulary and pronunciation. A second meaning in the Book of Mormon seems to align with pragmatics: the actual usage and function of language in a social context. Finally, and most interestingly to me, is the idea of language as a body of narratives: to some degree, the education and heritage of a culture or people. Let’s take a look at each of these.
1 Language/Tongue ≃ Syntax, Vocabulary, Phonetics
From beginning to end we find usages of “language” that are probably indicating the meaning we today expect from the term, concerning vocabulary (linguistically, “register”) and grammar (syntax). The term “tongue[s]” is often used for this meaning.
Mosiah 8:6 Now, as soon as Ammon had read the record, the king inquired of him to know if he could interpret languages, and Ammon told him that he could not.
3 Nephi 5:18 And I know the record which I make to be a just and a true record; nevertheless there are many things which, according to our language, we are not able to write.
Mormon 9:34 But the Lord knoweth the things which we have written, and also that none other people knoweth our language; and because that none other people knoweth our language, therefore he hath prepared means for the interpretation thereof.
In the 3 Nephi verse Mormon laments limitations of their language. In all likelihood this is referring to the writing system of the people; in pictographic languages like Chinese and, presumably, the Nephites’ Reformed Egyptian, writers may feel bound by a strict established vocabulary and adding new words is not always as simple as swapping sounds and affixes as we do when we invent words in alphabetically-written languages (e.g. “blog”, “snuck”, “resurrect”).
Mosiah 24:4 And he appointed teachers of the brethren of Amulon in every land which was possessed by his people; and thus the language of Nephi began to be taught among all the people of the Lamanites.
What is it that Amulon is teaching the people here? We learn in context that he is NOT teaching the history or religion of the Nephites; presumably he’s imparting their writing system, which the primitive Lamanites may have been without.
1 Nephi 1:2 Yea, I make a record in the language of my father, which consists of the learning of the Jews and the language of the Egyptians.
Only the second verse in the Book of Mormon, this is one of the most interesting on the idea of language; the word is used twice here, but with different meanings: the “language of [his] father” includes both “learning” and the other definition of “language” (understood to be the Reformed Egyptian writing system). I will discuss that first use of the term under definition 3.
2 [Manner of] Language (praise, flattery, murmuring) ≃ Pragmatics, Discourse
The idea of language as discourse and pragmatics appears throughout the Book of Mormon, and is often marked as “manner of language.” Skill with this sort of language is used to mark both the praise of prophets, the murmuring of malcontents, and the persuasiveness of anti-Christs. It is also used here to mean, “in the specific words of,” as with quotations from angels and scriptures. This is the linguistic idea of discourse, which is closely related to pragmatics.
1 Nephi 1:15 And after this manner was the language of my father in the praising of his God; for his soul did rejoice, and his whole heart was filled, because of the things which he had seen, yea, which the Lord had shown unto him.
1 Nephi 3:21 And it came to pass that after this manner of language did I persuade my brethren, that they might be faithful in keeping the commandments of God.
1 Nephi 5:3 And after this manner of language had my mother complained against my father.
Jacob 7:4 And he was learned, that he had a perfect knowledge of the language of the people; wherefore, he could use much flattery, and much power of speech, according to the power of the devil.
Alma 5:61 And now I, Alma, do command you in the language of him who hath commanded me, that ye observe to do the words which I have spoken unto you.
3 Language [of Fathers] ≃ Narrative Heritage
Most interesting is language meaning narratives, education, heritage, and testimony; this is the form of language that most deeply effects nations. It is often marked in the Book of Mormon when referring to the “language of fathers.”
1 Nephi 3:19 And behold, it is wisdom in God that we should obtain these records, that we may preserve unto our children the language of our fathers;
One of the first major stories of the Book of Mormon is that of Nephi and his brothers risking their lives and all their wealth to recover the brass plates from Laban. Here it is not only a writing system that needs to be maintained (“the language of the Egyptians”), but something greater: “the language of our fathers.” This may be in contrast to another phrase repeated in the Book of Mormon, “foolish traditions of the fathers.” By preserving the language of the fathers they hope to keep the education, wisdom, and spiritual knowledge alive in their posterity.
2 Nephi 31:3 For my soul delighteth in plainness; for after this manner doth the Lord God work among the children of men. For the Lord God giveth light unto the understanding; for he speaketh unto men according to their language, unto their understanding.
God speaks to men according to their language and, crucially, their understanding. I read this as now referring to individuals, understanding that each individual has their own language influenced by all their life, including the language of their fathers. God, who knows every hair on the head, knows and loves perfectly and uniquely each individual and is therefore able to speak to them “according to their language.”
Enos 1:1 Behold, it came to pass that I, Enos, knowing my father that he was a just man–for he taught me in his language, and also in the nurture and admonition of the Lord.
Enos was taught in his father’s language, which is apparently not what he calls “my language” and not the tongue he intuitively would have learned as a child. As seems to be the case when speaking of the language of fathers, it includes the wisdom and narrative heritage that is passed down from generation to generation.
Omni 1:17 And at the time that Mosiah discovered them, they had become exceedingly numerous. Nevertheless, they had had many wars and serious contentions, and had fallen by the sword from time to time; and their language had become corrupted; and they had brought no records with them; and they denied the being of their Creator; and Mosiah, nor the people of Mosiah, could understand them.
Here we see the negative results that would have arisen had Nephi failed to retrieve the brass plates at the beginning of the Book of Mormon, visible in the circumstances of this other nation. Importantly, their “corrupt language” seems not only related to difficulty communicating with them, but to their denial of the being of their Creator. This notion of language, then, includes the crucial stories that make up religion and heritage.
4 Language in other scripture
Note that in the Old Testament “language” seems to mean only the primary (1st) meaning, and the word “tongues” is often used with similar meaning. In the New Testament it is used only in the passage on the Pentecost, with the gift of tongues. These point to the exceptional emphasis placed on “language” in the Book of Mormon.