The Jaredites and the Confounding of Languages at the Tower of Babel

In their poorly researched, poorly argued book, Reasoning from the Scriptures with the Mormons (1995), Ron Rhodes and Marian Bodine made this criticism against the Book of Mormon:

·         Would you please read aloud from Genesis 11:8-9?
·         Does this passage say that the language of most of the people was confounded, or does it say that the language of all the people of the earth was confounded?
·         Did you know that Joseph Smith’s Inspired Version says “all” the people were confounded in Genesis 11:8?
·         If the language of all the people was confounded, how can the Book of Mormon claim that God made an exception with the Jared and his brother?
·         Please explain. (P. 191)

A similar argument appeared in Bodine’s paper, “The Bible vs. the Book of Mormon (or common sense)”:

38. Ether 1:34-37, the language of the Jaredites not confounded at the Tower of Babel, contradicts Genesis 11:9.

LDS apologist, D. Charles Pyle in his review of Bodine’s paper, cogently answered this “criticism”:

Reply to Bodine's Thirty-eighth (38^th) Reason for Rejecting the Book of Mormon.

Again, there is no real contradiction when other considerations are examined. The purpose of the confounding of tongues at Babel, was to scatter the various peoples over the earth. The texts at Genesis 10:5, 10:20 and 10:31 seem to show that the linguistic lines followed family lineages and national groups. Also implied, is that there may have been, originally, three main language groups that later broke off into many branches within these linguistic families. The fact that there are three main language families (known as Indo-European, Semitic and Hamitic or African), from which all languages seem to derive, according to the Bible, gives support to the possibility that the confusion of tongues was only general.

Apparently, each family grouping had its particular language base. Jared, his brother and their families, being of the same family group, would have had the same language base. Further of interest, is that there are several ancient traditions that state that certain individuals did not have their language confounded.

However, all things considered, even if Jared, his brother, and their families and friends did not have a change occur in their language, it still makes no difference and produces no disparity between the two texts! If all other peoples had a change in their language, and one group still retained the original language with which they were familiar, all of the world would still be in a confounded state, for all others could no longer understand them, anyway!