When modern readers first open the Book of Mormon, one of the first things they may notice is its similarity to the language of the King James Version of the Bible. Words such as “hath,” “brethren,” and “delighteth” can make the text sound unfamiliar today. But there is an important distinction: the Book of Mormon is not actually written in Old English.
It Isn’t Actually Old English
Old English, sometimes called Anglo-Saxon, was the language spoken in England many centuries ago and is largely unintelligible to modern English speakers. The language of the Book of Mormon is better described as Early Modern English, the same broad linguistic style associated with the King James Version of the Bible.
This distinction matters because the Book of Mormon’s language was not simply an attempt to reproduce ancient English. Its wording reflects a deliberate stylistic choice that connects it with a familiar biblical tradition.
Why Does It Sound Like the King James Bible?
The Book of Mormon was published in 1830, when the King James Bible was one of the most familiar and influential books among English-speaking Christians.
Using biblical-sounding language would therefore have immediately communicated a sense of sacredness and familiarity to its original audience. Readers were accustomed to phrases such as “hath,” “saith,” and other grammatical forms that now sound archaic.
There was another important reason for this connection: the Book of Mormon presents itself as another witness of Jesus Christ alongside the Bible. Its biblical style makes connections between the two texts especially noticeable.
Translation Isn’t Always Word-for-Word
Understanding translation can help explain the issue further.
Consider a simple statement such as “I am hungry.” The same idea could be expressed in many ways:
- “I want food.”
- “I need food.”
- “I hunger.”
- “I want to eat.”
- “I’m ready for dinner.”
The words are different, but the basic idea remains the same.
Translators generally have to make decisions about whether to preserve the wording and structure of the source closely or communicate the underlying meaning in language that feels natural to the intended audience.
One way of describing this is that a translation can either move the reader toward the author by preserving more of the original context and language, or move the author toward the reader by expressing the ideas in language familiar to the audience.
Why Would a Translator Use Biblical Language?
If the Book of Mormon’s English reflects a thought-for-thought approach combined with a biblical linguistic style, an obvious question follows: why choose that particular style?
The historical context of 1830 provides one possible explanation. Biblical language was familiar to the people who first encountered the Book of Mormon. It could signal that the text belonged within a sacred, biblical tradition rather than sounding like an ordinary modern book.
It also created a natural connection between the Book of Mormon and the Bible. The Book of Mormon contains extensive material drawn from Isaiah and parallels several biblical teachings, including the Ten Commandments.
The familiar language therefore helped readers recognize those connections.
Why the Style Matters Today
What once sounded natural can sound strange to modern readers. English has changed significantly since the Book of Mormon was first published, just as it has changed since the King James Bible was translated in the early seventeenth century.
For today’s readers, phrases such as “hath,” “knoweth,” and “delighteth” can make the text feel older than it actually is. The language can sometimes become a barrier to understanding, particularly for someone encountering the book for the first time.
This raises an interesting question about whether a future edition might communicate the Book of Mormon’s ideas in contemporary English while preserving its meaning.
Was the Language Choice Inspired?
For believers, there is also a theological question. One possibility is that the decision to use language resembling the King James Bible was simply a practical translation choice. Another is that the stylistic choice was itself inspired by God.
That question ultimately moves beyond what can be established simply by examining the English text. Faith, historical evidence, and personal spiritual conviction can all play a role in how someone understands the origin and translation of the Book of Mormon.
The Bigger Picture
The Book of Mormon does not use “Old English” in the technical sense. Its English is much closer to the Early Modern English associated with the King James Bible.
The biblical style appears to serve several purposes: it connected the Book of Mormon with a familiar sacred text, reinforced its relationship with the Bible, and made its message feel authoritative and recognizable to its original nineteenth-century audience.
For modern readers, the challenge is that the same style that once created familiarity can now create distance. Understanding the historical and linguistic context can make the text feel less mysterious and help readers focus more clearly on the message it is trying to communicate.
