Hello guys. I was reading the Book of Mormon today and I had a couple of questions and I thought what a better place than this site to come and ask.
My first question is what was exactly the purpose of the writings of Omni? He wrote so little and told us he was "a wicked man, and I have not kept the statutes and the commandments of the Lord as I ought to have done." Why do we have the writings of a wicked man in the Book of Mormon? Or is it that he was just harsh to himself?
The second question is concerning Jarom who says "And I, Jarom, do not write more, for the plates are small." (Also Omni makes a similar statement). Why were the plates small? I know it was very hard at that time to engrave what they wanted to write on the plates but I would like to know why were the plates small and how come they did not choose to add more pages since others within the BOM wrote a lot more?
I think Omni was probably feeling kind of unworthy to write on the plates but because he was commanded to do so he did you know what am I saying?. About the plates being small, no idea I suppose they were given a certain amount of space to write.
I think the common thought on the matter is that these men, along with a few more, were worldly and "inactive". However, their fathers had told them to keep the plates and write in them, so they did.
As for the size of the plates, lets imagine a big man, a hunter. His hands are used to doing big things, like pulling a bowstring, handling a spear or sword, skinning animals, etc. When he picks up a small instrument used to engrave on the plates, his fingers tend to break it, and when he attempts to engrave on the plates it looks to him like trying to skin a mouse with a Bowie knife. Compared to the types of things he has done all his life, they are small. And making the little, tiny marks required to engrave on the plates is just completely beyond his capability.
Of course, this is speculation. But I think it describes one of many possible reasons he wrote what he did.
Just goes to show you that sometimes you have the chance to influence millions and you turn it down for something worth far less. Remember Esau? That's a lesson in itself.