The term “wherefore” is used frequently in the books of 1 Nephi and 2 Nephi in the Book of Mormon. Its usage in these books is consistent with the usage of the term in the King James Version (KJV) of the Bible.
In Early Modern English, which the language of the King James Version and the Book of Mormon mimic, “wherefore” essentially means “why” or “for what reason.” However, in some instances, it is used more like “therefore,” meaning “as a result” or “consequently.”
Here are a couple of examples from 1 Nephi and 2 Nephi:
1. **As a question (meaning “why”)**:
1 Nephi 15:8 – “And I said unto them: Have ye inquired of the Lord? And they said unto me: We have not; for the Lord maketh no such thing known unto us. Behold, I said unto them: How is it that ye do not keep the commandments of the Lord? How is it that ye will perish, because of the hardness of your hearts? Do ye not remember the things which the Lord hath said?—If ye will not harden your hearts, and ask me in faith, believing that ye shall receive, with diligence in keeping my commandments, surely these things shall be made known unto you. Wherefore, have ye not inquired of the Lord?”
Here, “wherefore” is essentially asking “why have you not inquired of the Lord?”
2. **As a consequence (meaning “therefore” or “for this reason”)**:
2 Nephi 1:20 – “And he hath said that: Inasmuch as ye shall keep my commandments ye shall prosper in the land; but inasmuch as ye will not keep my commandments ye shall be cut off from my presence. And now that my soul might have joy in you, and that my heart might leave this world with gladness because of you, that I might not be brought down with grief and sorrow to the grave, arise from the dust, my sons, and be men, and be determined in one mind and in one heart, united in all things, that ye may not come down into captivity; That ye may not be cursed with a sore cursing; and also, that ye may not incur the displeasure of a just God upon you, unto the destruction, yea, the eternal destruction of both soul and body. Awake, my sons; put on the armor of righteousness. Shake off the chains with which ye are bound, and come forth out of obscurity, and arise from the dust. Rebel no more against your brother, whose views have been glorious, and who hath kept the commandments from the time that we left Jerusalem; and who hath been an instrument in the hands of God, in bringing us forth into the land of promise; for were it not for him, we must have perished with hunger in the wilderness; nevertheless, ye sought to take away his life; yea, and he hath suffered much sorrow because of you. And I exceedingly fear and tremble because of you, lest he shall suffer again; for behold, ye have accused him that he sought power and authority over you; but I know that he hath not sought for power nor authority over you, but he hath sought the glory of God, and your own eternal welfare. And ye have murmured because he hath been plain unto you. Ye say that he hath used sharpness; ye say that he hath been angry with you; but behold, his sharpness was the very thing which saved you. And now, my sons, remember, remember that it is upon the rock of our Redeemer, .who is Christ, the Son of God, that ye must build your foundation; that when the devil shall send forth his mighty winds, yea, his shafts in the whirlwind, yea, when all his hail and his mighty storm shall beat upon you, it shall have no power over you to drag you down to the gulf of misery and endless wo, because of the rock upon which ye are built, which is a sure foundation, a foundation whereon if men build they cannot fall.”
In this passage, “wherefore” implies a cause-effect relationship between their actions and their outcomes. In essence, if they follow the commandments, they will prosper, but if they do not, they will be cut off from God’s presence.
The term “wherefore” is not only used in questions and as a consequence in 1 Nephi and 2 Nephi, but it’s also used to draw conclusions or state implications. Here are a couple more examples:
3. **In stating implications or logical consequences (meaning “therefore” or “for this reason”)**:
1 Nephi 2:20 – “And inasmuch as ye shall keep my commandments, ye shall prosper, and shall be led to a land of promise; yea, even a land which I have prepared for you; yea, a land which is choice above all other lands. And inasmuch as thy brethren shall rebel against thee, they shall be cut off from the presence of the Lord. And inasmuch as thou shalt keep my commandments, thou shalt be made a ruler and a teacher over thy brethren. For behold, in that day that they shall rebel against me, I will curse them even with a sore curse, and they shall have no power over thy seed except they shall rebel against me also. And if it so be that they rebel against me, they shall be a scourge unto thy seed, to stir them up in the ways of remembrance.”
Here, the use of “wherefore” is tied to the future actions of Nephi’s brethren. If they choose to rebel against God’s commandments, they will be cut off from His presence. The word “wherefore” essentially introduces the consequences of their choices.
2. **In drawing conclusions**:
2 Nephi 9:28-29 – “O that cunning plan of the evil one! O the vainness, and the frailties, and the foolishness of men! When they are learned they think they are wise, and they hearken not unto the counsel of God, for they set it aside, supposing they know of themselves, wherefore, their wisdom is foolishness and it profiteth them not. And they shall perish. But to be learned is good if they hearken unto the counsels of God.”
In this passage, the word “wherefore” is used to introduce the conclusion that the wisdom of those who do not heed God’s counsel is foolishness and it profits them nothing.
By using “wherefore” in these ways, the authors of 1 Nephi and 2 Nephi (generally believed by LDS members to be Nephi himself) effectively link actions and their consequences, questions and answers, and observations and conclusions, providing readers with clear understanding of the moral and spiritual principles they sought to convey.
These examples highlight the dual usage of “wherefore” in these books, following the conventions of Early Modern English. Understanding the nuances of such language can help modern readers better comprehend the messages and lessons within these ancient texts.