Mormon 1:17
~AD 321–326
1830 Edition
But I did remain among them, but I were forbidden that I should preach unto them, because of the hardness of their hearts; and because of the hardness of their hearts, the land was cursed for their sake.
Influences
Mark 3:5 (KJV)
And when he had looked round about on them with anger, being grieved for the hardness of their hearts, he saith unto the man, Stretch forth thine hand. And he stretched it out: and his hand was restored whole as the other.
Changes
But I did remain among them, but I wereas forbidden that I should preach unto them, because of the hardness of their hearts; and because of the hardness of their hearts, the land was cursed for their sake.
Simple English
I stayed among them. But I was not allowed to preach to them because their hearts were hard. Because their hearts were hard, the land was cursed.
Paraphrase
I stayed among them, but I couldn’t preach to them. Their hearts were too hard. And because their hearts were hard, the land itself was cursed because of them.