1. The
Sealed Portion of the Book of Mormon and the Pure Adamic Language
LDS scripture maintains that Adam and Eve had a language
that was pure and undefiled, a language both spoken and written (Moses 6:5, 6).
This was the one and only language until the time of the Tower of Babel
(Genesis 11:1-9; Mosiah 28:17, Journal of Discourses 3: 100 (Orson Pratt)).
You’ll recall that the Jaredites (Book of Mormon people
whose history comprises the Book of Ether) descended from people who were
present at the tower of Babel Mosiah 28:17, Ether 1:33). You’ll further recall
that the central event of the story of the Tower of Babel is that God made
everybody forget their (Adamic) language, “counfounded” their languages, and
scattered the people (Genesis 11: 7-9; Ether 1:33).
Jared somehow had foreknowledge of what God was about to do, so asked his brother to ask God to spare them and their friends (Ether 1: 33-37). God listened and agreed. Consequently, the language that the Jaredites carried to the new world was the Adamic language—unreadable to the Nephites who discovered the 24 gold Jaredite plates (the as yet unnamed Book of Ether) and Urim and Thummim amongst the ruins of the final Jaredite battle (Mosiah 8: 8-11).[i]
