KnoWhy #224 - Why Did Mormon End Third Nephi with Such Serious Woes? (3 Nephi 29:5)

At the conclusion of the record of Christ’s visit to the Book of Mormon lands, Mormon added a short message directed to the Gentile future readers. Mormon pronounced a series of “woes” against those Gentiles who would reject his words and deny the plans and promises of Christ contained therein. BYU Professor Donald W. Parry has noted that these “Woe unto…” statements are an example of a recognized genre of prophetic pronouncement known as the “woe oracle,” found in many of the prophetic books of the Bible. Parry explained that it is “often part of a judgment speech … used to pronounce anguish and distress upon a person or group of people.”