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Extant Text of the Original Manuscript of the Book of Mormon

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Extant Text of the Original Manuscript of the Book of Mormon

Robert M. Bowman Jr.
Post date: 
October 7, 2024

The original manuscript of the Book of Mormon was penned mainly by Oliver Cowdery taking dictation by Joseph Smith from April to June of 1829. Once that manuscript was complete, Joseph had Oliver produce a second handwritten manuscript by copying the dictation manuscript. These two manuscripts of the Book of Mormon have become known as the Original (O) and the Printer’s (P) manuscripts. Due to severe water damage, only 28 percent of O (including most of 1 Nephi, much of Alma, and little else) is now extant, while P has survived essentially intact. According to LDS scholars, about one–sixth of the first printed edition of the Book of Mormon actually followed O rather than P.

The chart below provides a convenient overview of the extant portions of O, based on Royal Skousen’s published version.1 The most substantial sections of the Book of Mormon that are extant in O are highlighted in yellow.

Current LDS Edition
Skousen
O Pages
Condition
1 Nephi 1:0–2:1
 
1–2
Lost
1 Nephi 2:2–13:35
62–121
3–22
Excellent
1 Nephi 13:36–14:10
 
23–24
Lost
1 Nephi 14:11–16, 23–29; 15:5–22:31 (end); 2 Nephi 1:1–30
122–71
25–48
Good
2 Nephi 1:31–4:31
 
49–54
Lost
2 Nephi 4:32–35; 5:12–16
172–73
55–56
Good/Fair
2 Nephi 5:22–6:0
174–75
57
Poor
2 Nephi 6:6–12
176–77
58
Very poor
2 Nephi 6:18–7:9; 8:16–17
178–81
59–60
Poor
2 Nephi 9:1–2, 12–13, 25–26, 41–42
182–85
61–64
Near–total loss
2 Nephi 9:43–22:6
 
65–76
Lost
2 Nephi 23:0–7; 23:22–24:4; 24:21–27
186–88
77–79
Poor
2 Nephi 25:5–8, 16–18, 24–28
189–91
80–82
Poor
2 Nephi 25:29–33:3
 
83–94
Lost
2 Nephi 33:4–9
192
95
Very poor
Jacob 1:3–7; 1:18–2:2; 2:11–15
193–95
96–98
Very poor
Jacob 2:25–27; 3:5; 4:3–5, 13–14
196–99
99–102
Near–total loss
Jacob 4:15–5:45
 
103–106
Lost
Jacob 5:46–48, 57–61, 69–70; 5:77–6:0
200–203
107–110
Near–total loss
Jacob 6:11–7:6; 7:11–18
204–207
111–12
Poor
Jacob 7:24–Enos 1:1; 1:9–14
208–211
113–14
Poor
Enos 1:15–Alma 10:30
 
115–224*
Lost
Alma 10:31–11:4; 11:13–23, 26–39, 42–46
212–19
225*–28
Very poor
Alma 12:0–17
 
229–30
Lost
Alma 12:18–24, 26–32; 12:36–13:4, 7–16
220–27
231–34
Very poor
Alma 12:17–19:2
 
235–50
Lost
Alma 19:3–11, 13–19, 21–25, 29–36; 20:5–8, 19–22
228–37
251–56
Very poor
Alma 20:23–22:21
 
257–60
Lost
Alma 22:22–60:22 (missing 60:3–4, 14)
238–475
261–356
Poor to good
Alma 60:23–61:9
 
357–58
Lost
Alma 61:10–13; 62:3–5, 17–18, 30–31
476–79
359–62
Near–total loss
Alma 62:36–Helaman 3:21
480–500
363–70
Fair to poor
Helaman 3:22–13:35
 
371–96
Lost
Helaman 13:36–14:9, 14–23, 29–15:6, 9–16:1, 4–16
501–510
397–401
Near–total loss
Helaman 16:20–3 Nephi 1:2; 1:10–17, 24–29
511–16
402–404
Near–total loss
3 Nephi 2:10–12; 3:3–7, 17–19; 4:1–2
517–20
405–408
Near–total loss
3 Nephi 4:3–19:24
 
409–28
Lost
3 Nephi 19:25–28; 20:15–17, 37–39; 21:10–11
521–24
429–32
Near–total loss
3 Nephi 21:12–26:2
 
433–34
Lost
3 Nephi 26:3–6; 27:3–7
525–26
435–36
Poor
3 Nephi 27:8–Ether 3:8
 
437–56
Lost
Ether 3:9–10; 4:4–5; 5:0–6:3, 18–27; 7:18–24; 8:13–19; 9:3–11
527–35
457–63
Very poor
Ether 9:26–10:7; 10:30–11:6; 11:20–12:7, 21–29
536–45
464–68
Near–total loss
Ether 12:41–13:8; 13:20–14:1, 15–27; 15:8–17
546–53
469–72
Near–total loss
Ether 15:18–Moroni 10:34
 
473–84
Lost
*Page numbers are approximate beginning with page 225.

 

1. Royal Skousen, ed., The Original Manuscript of the Book of Mormon: Typographical Facsimile of the Extant Text (Provo: Foundation for Ancient Research and Mormon Studies, Brigham Young University, 2001).

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