Complex finite causative constructions
with two pronouns and subjunctive, modal should
Syntax: “
aa5811
and did cause us that we should hope for our deliverance in him.
aa6017
causing them that they should suffer all manner of afflictions—
hn1620
to cause us that we should believe in some great and marvelous thing
3n0203
tempting them and causing them that they should do great wickedness in the land.
I found only six elsewhere, between 1550 and 1700:
1550,
I thoughte it mete to declare here againe, what reasons adduced and caused | me, that I shoulde wyssh and desyre sych a matter to be broughte to pas,
1550,
Their workes and dedes, do not cause hym, that he shuld performe that, which he hath promysed.
1602,
loue mooued thee to giue me thy goods, and mercy caused thee that thou shouldest take vpon thee all my euilles:
1613,
God forbid it, for to doubt and stand in a manmering, would cause you that you should never truely loue God, but ever serue him of a servile feare,
1626,
For how is it meere mercy, if any good in vs foreseene, first caused it, that it should offer a Sauiour to vs?
1700,
who made Israel to sin, in causing them to worship his Golden Calves, to cause them that they should not go up to Jerusalem,
Using
No other text besides the Book of Mormon is known to have more than one instance of complex finite cause syntax with two pronouns and subjunctive should. The few texts that have this syntax are from the early modern period.
Datasets like this one tend to disprove the theory that Joseph Smith used his native expression to produce Book of Mormon English. Instead, he received a text that was mostly early modern in character. That is why his 1829 dictation ended up with an unsurpassed number of various archaic syntactic structures.
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