The Book of Mormon – Alternate Chronology

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I have always been fascinated by the many stories and subplots within the narrative of The Book of Mormon, where there are often multiple scenes of action happening simultaneously. Learning this chronology when I was young turned out to be a major milestone towards understanding and appreciating the book.

Some years ago as I was reading through the Book of Mosiah I began to wonder what it would be like to follow the various subplots in a different order. For instance, what would it be like to follow Alma and his people from the land of Mormon to the land of Helam, and all the way to Zarahemla without pausing the tell the story of King Limhi in the middle? Or what would it be like to follow the sons of Mosiah on their mission to the Lamanites, and then come back later to learn what happened to Alma the Younger while they were gone?

After some pondering I decided to map out a reading chart for an alternate pathway through these substories, and I revised it a couple of times as I read through the book. Several people have asked me for a copy of the chart, so I decided to post it on my blog.

Studying The Book of Mormon through my youth was a good preparation for the years of academic work required for my professional training. Thinking through the complex narrative helped me develop the skills that I would later use to learn neuroanatomy and clinical localization. Perhaps my early fascination with the simultaneous subplots was a sign that I was just the sort of geek who was destined to become a neurologist someday.

The flawless and effortless flow of the Book of Mormon through its many story lines is circumstantial evidence that the book is true. Anyone who makes a serious study of the book will intuitively understand that it could not have been written by a poorly educated farm boy like Joseph Smith, and certainly not in the short amount of time and in the hurried circumstances in which it was produced. But the strongest evidence that the book is true comes through the Holy Spirit to the hearts of those who read it with an honest, inquisitive, and prayerful heart. I have felt that witness in my heart, and you can too if you are willing.

Related Posts

Reading Chart

Download a printable copy: BOM-alternate-update2020

Quoted Prophets	1 Nephi 20 1 Nephi 21 2 Nephi 3:6-21 2 Nephi 6:16-18 2 Nephi 7 2 Nephi 8 2 Nephi 12 2 Nephi 13 2 Nephi 14 2 Nephi 15 2 Nephi 16 2 Nephi 17 2 Nephi 18 2 Nephi 19 2 Nephi 20 2 Nephi 21 2 Nephi 22 2 Nephi 23 2 Nephi 24 2 Nephi 27 Jacob 5 Mosiah 14 Alma 33:4-11, 16 3 Nephi 22 3 Nephi 24 3 Nephi 25
The Jaredites	Ether 1 Ether 2 Ether 3 Ether 6 Ether 7 Ether 8 Ether 9 Ether 10 Ether 11 Ether 12:1-5 Ether 13 Ether 14 Ether 15
Lehi	1 Nephi 1 1 Nephi 2:1-15 1 Nephi 5 1 Nephi 8 1 Nephi 10:1-16 2 Nephi 1 2 Nephi 2 2 Nephi 3:1-5, 22-25 2 Nephi 4:1-12
Nephi – History	1 Nephi 2:16-24 1 Nephi 3 1 Nephi 4 1 Nephi 6 1 Nephi 7 1 Nephi 9 1 Nephi 16 1 Nephi 17 1 Nephi 18 2 Nephi 5
Nephi – Doctrine	1 Nephi 10:17-22 1 Nephi 11 1 Nephi 12 1 Nephi 13 1 Nephi 14 1 Nephi 15 1 Nephi 19 1 Nephi 22 2 Nephi 4:13-35 2 Nephi 11 2 Nephi 25 2 Nephi 26 2 Nephi 28 2 Nephi 29 2 Nephi 30 2 Nephi 31 2 Nephi 32 2 Nephi 33
Jacob to Amaleki	2 Nephi 6:1-15 2 Nephi 9 2 Nephi 10 Jacob 1 Jacob 2 Jacob 3 Jacob 7 Jacob 4 Jacob 6 Enos 1 Jarom 1 Omni 1
Zeniff to Noah	Mosiah 9 Mosiah 10 Mosiah 11 Mosiah 12 Mosiah 13 Mosiah 15 Mosiah 16 Mosiah 17
Alma the Elder	Mosiah 18 Mosiah 23 Mosiah 24
Limhi	Mosiah 19 Mosiah 20 Mosiah 21:1-22 Mosiah 7 Mosiah 8 Mosiah 21:23-36 Mosiah 22
Amaleki to Mosiah	Words of Mormon 1:12-18 Mosiah 1 Mosiah 2 Mosiah 3 Mosiah 4 Mosiah 5 Mosiah 6
Zarahemla to Sons of Mosiah	Mosiah 25 Mosiah 26 Mosiah 27 Mosiah 28:1-9
Mission of the Sons of Mosiah	Alma 17 Alma 18 Alma 19 Alma 20 Alma 21 Alma 22 Alma 23 Alma 24 Alma 25 Alma 26 Alma 27 Alma 28
Mosiah to Alma the Younger	Mosiah 28:10-20 Mosiah 29 Alma 1 Alma 2 Alma 3 Alma 4 Alma 5 Alma 6 Alma 7 Alma 8 Alma 9 Alma 10 Alma 11 Alma 12 Alma 13 Alma 14 Alma 15 Alma 16 Alma 29 Alma 30 Alma 31 Alma 32 Alma 33:1-3, 12-15, 17-23 Alma 34 Alma 35 Alma 43 Alma 44
Alma Counsels His Sons	Alma 36 Alma 37 Alma 38 Alma 39 Alma 40 Alma 41 Alma 42 Alma 45
Amalickiah and Captain Moroni	Alma 46 Alma 47 Alma 48 Alma 49 Alma 50 Alma 51 Alma 52 Alma 53:1-9
Helaman and the Stripling Warriors	Alma 53:10-23 Alma 56 Alma 57 Alma 58
End of the War	Alma 54 Alma 55 Alma 59 Alma 60 Alma 61 Alma 62 Alma 63
Helaman to Nephi	Helaman 1 Helaman 2 Helaman 3 Helaman 4 Helaman 5 Helaman 6 Helaman 7 Helaman 8 Helaman 9 Helaman 10 Helaman 11 Helaman 13 Helaman 14 Helaman 15 Helaman 16 3 Nephi 1 3 Nephi 2 3 Nephi 3 3 Nephi 4 3 Nephi 5:1-7 3 Nephi 6 3 Nephi 7
Visit of Christ	3 Nephi 8 3 Nephi 9 3 Nephi 10 3 Nephi 11 3 Nephi 12 3 Nephi 13 3 Nephi 14 3 Nephi 15 3 Nephi 16 3 Nephi 17 3 Nephi 18 Moroni 2 3 Nephi 19 3 Nephi 20 3 Nephi 21 3 Nephi 23 3 Nephi 26 3 Nephi 27 3 Nephi 28
Early Church to Apostacy	Moroni 3 Moroni 4 Moroni 5 Moroni 6 4 Nephi
Writings of Mormon	Mormon 1 Mormon 2 Mormon 3 Mormon 4 Mormon 5 Mormon 6:1-6 Words of Mormon 1:1-11 Helaman 12 3 Nephi 5:8-26 3 Nephi 29 3 Nephi 30 Moroni 7 Moroni 8 Moroni 9 Mormon 6:7-22 Mormon 7
Writings of Moroni	Mormon 8 Mormon 9 Ether 4 Ether 5 Ether 12:6-41 Moroni 1 Moroni 10

NOTE: I have updated this post to include links to the chapters and verses on https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/scriptures/. I have corrected a few errors in the chart. Please use the Contact Page to report broken links or other problems.

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Alan B. Sanderson, MD is a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and is a practicing neurologist.