While dictating to Oliver Cowdery, Joseph Smith, Jr. occasionally lost his place in the narrative—an understandable lapse, given that he likely memorized large portions of text beforehand. His intense concentration, aided by placing his face in a hat to block out distractions, generally kept the flow consistent.
However, from time to time, a lapse in focus would become apparent, resulting in brief repetition. One such instance occurs in the following consecutive verses …
“And we did come to the land which we called Bountiful, because of its much fruit…and we called the place Bountiful, because of its much fruit.”
1 Nephi 17:5-6, Book of Mormon (Salt Lake City, UT: The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, 2018), 36-37.
