1 Nephi 2:18; 14:7. Hardness of Heart
The words “hardness of their hearts” in 1 Nephi 2:18; 14:7 were borrowed from Mark 3:5; 10:5, which, being in the New Testament, was unavailable to the Nephites, who left Jerusalem six centuries before Christ’s birth. Indeed, the phrase “being grieved because of the hardness of their hearts” (1 Nephi 2:18) is nearly identical to that found in Mark 3:5.
The concept of hard-heartedness is common in the Old Testament, and the story of Pharaoh and Moses comes readily to mind. The verbiage in 1 Nephi 2:18 and Mark 3:5 evidently relies on Psalm 95:10, which refers to the Israelites Moses delivered from Egypt: “Forty years long was I grieved with this generation, and said, It is a people that do err in their heart” (also quoted in Hebrews 3:10).