The domination of patriarchal thought in Nephite society is underscored in verse 40’s address to three groups: “all ye old men, and also ye young men, and you little children.” Perhaps we might imagine girls among the children, but it is clear that the address is to males, and is made explicit to be males of different ages. That should not be read to exclude women from the benefits of the covenant, but, instead, that Nephite society was a continuation of the old Hebrew system of patriarchy.
In such a system, the men were responsible for the women, not just that they were caretakers, but that they were at fault if the women did not follow the covenant. Thus, the whole discourse implicitly included the women, although modern readers would wish more recognition and understanding of the more unique roles that the women played.
The important aspect here is not that the women are invisible in the language, but rather that they are to be considered implicit and completely present in the language. When the blessed and happy state of those who keep the commandments is declared, that blessing applies to both men and women, even if the women are not mentioned.
Although these verses end our Chapter 2, there was no chapter division at this point in the 1830 edition. Orson Pratt made a division here because there is a thematic change, but the discourse continued uninterrupted. The conclusion to this particular theme is that the witness of the holy prophets in the scriptures and as recorded in Nephite tradition is true. There is a covenant with God, and that covenant provides blessings as the covenant is kept, and curses when it is broken.