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Notes the ill treatment and antagonistic attitude of the white people toward the Indians. According to the Book of Mormon the Indians have a glorious destiny and the LDS are urged to treat them with consideration.
Notes the ill treatment and antagonistic attitude of the white people toward the Indians. According to the Book of Mormon the Indians have a glorious destiny and the LDS are urged to treat them with consideration.
“Patience is a constant companion of self-discipline.”
Part of this address was filmed in Nauvoo, Illinois, and presented as part of the Relief Society Sesquicentennial Satellite Broadcast.
Brothers and sisters, I salute you for the many small charitable acts you do that mean so much to others. I hope this Relief Society sesquicentennial year will be the time when you decide your life will be something extraordinary.
“At times when I feel overwhelmed or alone, unsure or defeated, I remember that I have a Savior who understands and loves me. His atonement was personal; it was for me. He knows. He understands.”
“Shortcuts only deflect us from the narrow trail. Travel light, be kind to everyone, hear with your heart when someone needs you.”
I’m concerned that so often the Saints inadvertently label others in our ward families as “them,” somehow not like “us.”
An increasing number of psychotherapists reject traditional psychology’s marginalization of religion. As in the original Turning Freud Upside Down, this second volume looks to Christ’s gospel for direction. With a gospel perspective, the authors have questioned some of psychotherapy’s standard assumptions and have proposed features that should be found in gospel-compatible psychotherapy. “As I read these chapters, I was grateful for the thoughtful contributions of each of the authors. There was a genuine respect for the complexity inherent in trying to view therapy through a gospel lens. If you, like me, find yourself feeling inspired, uplifted, strengthened, and more committed to being true to gospel truths in the context of the relationships we engage in as therapists, then you have experienced the invitation to dialogue about significant issues in helping the clients that come to us. I offer deep appreciation for this opportunity to recalibrate my thinking and actions as a therapist. I wholeheartedly endorse this book in the spirit living the gospel and practicing it with others.” Vaughn E. Worthen, PhD Clinical Professor of Counseling Psychology at Brigham Young University Turning Freud Upside Down is not child’s play. However, I recommend any serious believer who is trained to heal troubled minds to examine this volume. It ably strives to seal clinical psychological thoughts with principles available to us as Saints of the latter days. Unchanging eternal gospel principles fit very nicely into this new examination of old theories. Turning Freud Upside Down really is Turning Truth Right Side Up.” Joseph Cramer, MD Pediatrician for over thirty-five years, past president of the Utah Medical Association
Latter-day Saints often worry about psychotherapy negatively affecting their souls-for good reason. Even religious therapists may promote anti-gospel principles. This hazard is particularly extreme when therapists are unaware of their practicing assumptions. Now counselors-and their clients-can go to Turning Freud Upside Down for a gospel corrective to that problem. No mere Freud basher; this book indicts basic concepts riddling much of traditional psychotherapy. If you want to think about psychotherapy in dramatically new ways, read Turning Freud Upside Down. As its title suggests, this book upends traditional psychological dogma. Far more important it also advances alternative, gospel-based views of human behavior and personality. Latter-day Saint and other Christian clinicians who feel lost in the trenches will find this book an indispensable map for moving further away from secular assumptions and techniques to a more spiritual base. I eagerly await the forthcoming volumes in this series. —Godfrey J. Ellis, PhD Director of the Master’s Program in Counseling Psychology St. martin’s University
Old Testament Topics > Jesus Christ, the God of the Old and the New Testament
Book of Moses Topics > Basic Resources > Doctrines and Teachings
Book of Moses Topics > Joseph Smith Translation (JST) > Secondary Manuscripts and Published Editions
Old Testament Topics > Covenant [see also Ephraim, Israel, Jews, Joseph]
Book of Moses Topics > Basic Resources > Doctrines and Teachings
Old Testament Topics > Old Testament: Overviews and Manuals
Book of Moses Topics > Chapters of the Book of Moses > Moses 6:13–7 — Enoch
RSC Topics > L — P > Old Testament
The Old Testament as a witness of Christ
Review of “Is Mormonism Christian?” (2002), by Craig L. Blomberg
Old Testament Topics > Restoration and Joseph Smith
RSC Topics > L — P > New Testament
Arguments supporting the theory of a single author of the book of Isaiah
Old Testament Topics > Biblical Criticism
RSC Topics > T — Z > Testimony
On two occasions while he worked on his New Translation of Genesis in 1830, the Prophet Joseph Smith dictated to his scribe Oliver Cowdery a word combination that in English is awkward and umgrammatical, though in the Hebrew it is not: “Behold I.” The first occurrence reads, “Behold I am the Lord God Almighty.” The second reads, “Behold I send me.” Both passages are in the Book of Moses in the Pearl of Great Price, but “Behold I” is not found in either of those passages today because, after the time of Joseph Smith, each was edited out of the text . .
In his introduction to Bible Culture and Authority in the Early United States, author Seth Perry of Princeton University writes of “a shared set of symbols, types, behaviors, and vocabulary” that derive from or were influenced by the King James Bible (2). The book discusses the interaction of this shared set with early American society, asserting that the Bible and biblical language were resources that individuals in the nineteenth century used to create legitimacy—that is, authority in their relationships with others. Scripturalization is the term Perry employs to describe how people, language, rhetoric, and other aspects of society obtained this authority by drawing from the stories and texts of the Bible. That the Bible played a major role in the early history of the United States is well known. Margaret Hills documented over fourteen hundred editions of the Bible that were printed in the United States between 1776 and 1850, the vast majority of which were Protestant editions. Perry sees the proliferation of Bibles not only as a reflection of America’s unique culture but also, rightly, as a contributor to that culture.
This volume is written for readers of the Bible. It is intended to provide historical backgrounds concerning the peoples and lands of the Bible and is meant to supplement a study of the biblical narrative itself. Thus it is not a traditional history of the ancient Near East, because it does not address all periods and all societies but has its focus on those that enlighten the biblical text. It is also written with those Bible readers in mind who travel or study in Bible lands, with emphasis on places and artifacts that visitors frequently see today. This book is not a Religious Studies Center publication. It was produced by the RSC on behalf of the Jerusalem Center for Near Eastern Studies, Brigham Young University. ISBN 978-1-9443-9402-8
Book of Moses Topics > Joseph Smith Translation (JST) > History
This book is a study of the text of Selections from the Book of Moses, an excerpt of Genesis from the Joseph Smith Translation of the Bible. Commonly called the Book of Moses, it is the first section in the Pearl of Great Price, one of the standard works of scripture of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.
We now have access to the revealed text itself, which we did not have before, and we can examine the words as they were recorded when they first came from the inspired lips of the Prophet. We are in a new day, a day of closer access to one of the great fruits of the Restoration—an important branch of Joseph Smith’s calling, as he designated his inspired work on the Bible. With our ability now to examine the original documents closely, we can express our thanks to a loving God who has provided that “righteousness and truth.”
Old Testament Topics > Bible: Joseph Smith Translation (JST)
Old Testament Topics > Moses
By Study and by Faith is a collection of articles and essays from past issues of the Religious Educator, which provides informative and inspirational peer-reviewed articles, focused on the restored gospel of Jesus Christ. Since the first issue, hundreds of thoughtful, well-researched articles and essays have been published by dedicated scholars, teachers, and Church leaders, creating a remarkable library of historical, doctrinal, pedagogical, and devotional resources to inspire readers as they strive to understand and teach the things that matter most. Some of the articles included in By Study and By Faith have all been well received and might be considered some of the very best we have published—the ones that we go back to again and again because of their timeless message or the significant insights they provided when they were first published. Some of the notable authors include Elder D. Todd Christofferson, Elder Jay E. Jensen, Elder Neal A. Maxwell, Richard E. Bennett, Thomas A. Wayment, and several others. (Reprinted in 2012) ISBN 978-0-8425-2718-7
RSC Topics > T — Z > War
RSC Topics > L — P > New Testament
RSC Topics > L — P > Old Testament
RSC Topics > L — P > New Testament
RSC Topics > L — P > Old Testament
Old Testament Topics > Old Testament: Overviews and Manuals
The Lord’s warning of judgment, reminder to trust in him, and promise of reconciliation
Abstract: Those who follow world events are painfully aware that peace in the Middle East — and particularly in the Holy Land — seems eternally elusive. From a distance we watch events unfold which we are not able to fully comprehend because of that very distance. There are individuals who are burdened with the devastating reality of living with war and perpetual turmoil in the Holy Land. One of those is Sahar Qumsiyeh, a Palestinian Arab Latter-day Saint who grew up in the West Bank near Bethlehem. Her story of how she converted to Mormonism and learned how to find peace in a troubled world is recommended reading for every Latter-day Saint.
Review of Sahar Qumsiyeh, Peace for a Palestinian: One Woman’s Story of Faith Amidst War in the Holy Land (Salt Lake City: Deseret Book, 2018). 176 pp. $15.99.
The Old Testament prophecies that Moroni quoted to Joseph Smith
Old Testament Topics > Restoration and Joseph Smith
The following is a transcription of the Book of Moses, Genesis 1:1–6:13, from Old Testament Manuscript 2 (OT2), Joseph Smith’s final draft of his New Translation of Genesis. It is found on pages 1–27 of that manuscript. The Prophet first dictated this part of Genesis between June 1830 and February 1831. Oliver Cowdery, John Whitmer, Emma Smith, and Sidney Rigdon assisted him as scribes. In the original dictated manuscript, Old Testament Manuscript 1 (OT1), the Book of Moses material is found on pages 1–21. The present manuscript (OT2) is a copy of the original, made by John Whitmer in March 1831. With very few exceptions, OT2 was the document on which Joseph Smith continued to refine the translation. He added to it numerous insertions and corrections, dictating them primarily to his scribe Sidney Rigdon. The present transcription preserves carefully the words of the manuscript, including words inserted after the original writing. Unless otherwise noted, the handwriting is that of John Whitmer.
Selections from the Book of Moses in the Pearl of Great Price is the Joseph Smith Translation (JST) of Genesis 1:1–6:13, the beginning pages of the New Translation. The material in it was revealed between June 1830 and February 1831. In some ways, the Book of Moses can be considered the most significant part of the JST, because it has contributed more distinctive Latter-day Saint doctrine than any other part of that work. It has stood since the beginning of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints as one of the doctrinal cornerstones of the Restoration and as an enduring testimony to the divinely inspired work of Joseph Smith.
The 35th Annual Brigham Young University Sidney B. Sperry Symposium This newest addition to the Sperry Symposium series celebrates the writing of the New Testament and the faithful service of those who brought that book of sacred scripture into existence. The chapters of this volume, presented on the Brigham Young University campus on October 27–28, 2006, explore the New Testament’s origin and examine ancient scriptural evidence on a variety of topics, ranging from the earliest ancient manuscripts to the contributions of Joseph Smith to our understanding of the New Testament. A great deal of interest has been generated lately in the origin, early history, and reliability of the documents that make up the New Testament. Books and motion pictures have exposed us to many new ideas relating to New Testament studies. This volume, although not responding directly to any of those works, puts into print the research of faithful Latter-day Saint scholars who have explored the earliest evidence for the New Testament and have asked hard questions concerning it. Indeed, the New Testament presents us with many questions. We do not know, for example, when and under what circumstances many of the documents were written. We do know that “plain and precious things” were removed from the scriptural text (1 Nephi 13:28), but because the original manuscripts do not exist, how can we find out what those things were and when they were lost? What can we say about the traditional attributions of the Gospels to Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John? What can we say about how those and other books were collected to form the New Testament? Do the ancient manuscripts provide answers? What does modern revelation teach us? How the New Testament Came to Be deals with these and other questions as it explores the writing and compilation of the New Testament. The authors, though they may not always interpret the evidence in the same way, have in common a strong commitment to the centrality of the sacred mission of Jesus Christ and a belief that modern revelation is an indispensable guide for reading and understanding the New Testament. ISBN 9-7815-9038-6279
The book of Moses is an extract from Joseph Smith’s New Translation of the Bible. It was revealed to the Prophet in 1830 and in early 1831, not long after the organization of the Church. This article is a brief introduction to the origin of the book of Moses and the Bible translation from which it derives.
RSC Topics > L — P > Old Testament
RSC Topics > L — P > Pearl of Great Price
Book of Moses Topics > Basic Resources > Doctrines and Teachings
The book of Moses, Noah and the covenant, Melchizedek, tokens and priesthood ordinances, Lot in Sodom, Jacob’s prophecies of Joseph, and Moses and Joseph Smith
Old Testament Topics > Bible: Joseph Smith Translation (JST)
RSC Topics > T — Z > Testimony
Book of Moses Topics > Joseph Smith Translation (JST) > Secondary Manuscripts and Published Editions
The future of scholarship concerning the Prophet and Seer Joseph Smith has never appeared brighter. Amid the publication of the Joseph Smith Papers, this book adds poignant context to his writings and revelations. Drawing from a lecture series held at Brigham Young University entitled “Joseph Smith’s Prophetic Ministry,” the leading scholars and educators on Joseph Smith shared their wealth of knowledge on his life and history. Dividing the years of his prolific life into chapters, the authors create a compelling chronological view of the Prophet’s ministry and teachings, as well as the historical perspective necessary to capture the depth of his influence. Emerging from this material is a clearer picture of Joseph’s remarkable, complex, and passionate personality, shedding light on his divine mission to restore the Lord’s kingdom on the earth. Recent research has not diminished him in the least but shows him standing taller than ever as the prophet of the Restoration, the great seer who set in place the Lord’s kingdom for the latter days. British author Charles Mackay published a small work in 1851, claiming that it was the first public history of “this new religion” founded in America by Joseph Smith, “one of the most remarkable persons who has appeared on the stage of the world in modern times.” Although Mackay was not the first to write a history of the Latter-day Saints, he was right in asserting that Joseph Smith was a most remarkable person. Like those New Testament Apostles who left their personal lives and ambitions to follow Jesus, Joseph Smith was a true disciple of Jesus Christ. Since the beginning of the Restoration, many individuals have collected the Prophet’s teachings and attempted to tell his story. Yet the task of reconstructing the life of Joseph Smith is fraught with difficulties, as it is with telling the story of anyone who lived in the past. This book includes presentations from the foremost educators and scholars on Joseph Smith and his life. These messages provide current and faithful perspectives and will give helpful context for the study of Joseph Smith’s teachings. Each presenter is either on the Religious Education faculty at BYU or is part of the team preparing the landmark Joseph Smith Papers series. These scholars look at Joseph Smith with fresh eyes, mining both old evidence and new discoveries to show who the Prophet was, what he accomplished, and why his life matters. As a result of these efforts, in some ways we may know more about the Prophet than did those who lived during his lifetime, given the intimate look we have into his personal diaries and letters. Two introductory chapters focus on his early life, 1805-19, and the early years of the Restoration, 1820-29. Each chapter thereafter focuses on a specific year of his ministry from 1830-1844, providing an overview of the major events in Church history and discussing a major doctrinal or historical topic related to that period. This exciting and thorough treatment will lift people’s understanding of the Prophet Joseph and the gospel to new heights. Contributors in this book include Richard Neitzel Holzapfel, Richard E. Bennett, Kent P. Jackson, Robert J. Woodford, Grant Underwood, Alexander L. Baugh, J. Spencer Fluhman, Steven C. Harper, Ronald K. Esplin, William G. Hartley, Ronald O. Barney, Andrew H. Hedges, and Robert L. Millet. ISBN 978-0-8425-2753-8
Bibliographical references and excerpts from Joseph Smith’s discourses on the Bible
Old Testament Topics > Restoration and Joseph Smith
In 1828, the H. and E. Phinney Company in Cooperstown, New York, published a quarto-size edition of the King James Bible. This is the version that Joseph Smith, founder of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, used in his work when he created a new translation of the Bible. Here the author examines Joseph Smith’s marked-up copy of the Phinney Bible as an artifact important to Mormonism’some of Smith’s corrections and additions appear in footnotes of the Bible that Mormons use today. The author notes that the Phinney Bible’s updated language is more modern than the version of the Bible Latter-day Saints officially use (the King James), and the modernization may or may not have influenced Joseph Smith’s word choice in creating his translation. The author also gives biographical information on the Phinneys, describes how their Bible may have made its way into Joseph Smith’s hands, briefly traces the history of the English Bible in America, and describes the printing process employed by the Phinneys.
Old Testament Topics > Bible: King James Version
Book of Moses Topics > Joseph Smith Translation (JST) > History
Book of Moses Topics > Joseph Smith Translation (JST) > History
RSC Topics > A — C > Church History 1820–1844
The latter-day restoration of the gospel included the restoration of much significant truth to the Bible. It brought about the restoration of biblical history that had been lost and the restoration of biblical texts that had been changed or omitted or were in need of clarification. More important, it included the restoration of biblical doctrine that had been either removed, distorted, or simply misinterpreted by a world that did not enjoy the fulness of the gospel.
Shortly after the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saint was organized, the Prophet Joseph Smith was instructed by the Lord to undertake a careful reading of the Bible to revise and make corrections in accordance with the inspiration that he would receive. The result was a work of profound significance for the Church that included the revelation of many important truths and the restoration of many of the “precious things” that the Book of Mormon prophet Nephi had foretold would be taken from the Bible (1 Ne. 13:23–29). In June 1830 the first revealed addition to the Bible was set to writing. Over the next three years, the Prophet made changes, additions, and corrections as were given him by divine inspiration while he filled his calling to provide a more correct translation for the Church. Collectively, these are called the Joseph Smith Translation (JST), a name first applied in the 1970s, or the New Translation, as Joseph Smith and others in his day referred to it.
Book of Moses Topics > Basic Resources > Joseph Smith Translation (JST), Primary Manuscripts and Parallel Editions
Old Testament Topics > Bible: Joseph Smith Translation (JST)
The complete text of the Bible revision made by Joseph Smith, the Latter-day Saint prophet and founder of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, presented with modern punctuation and spelling and with the original chapter and verse divisions created by Joseph Smith and his scribes. The Prophet labored on the Bible project from June 1830 until July 1833. In his lifetime, he and his contemporaries referred to this work as the New Translation. Since the late 1970s it has most often been called the Joseph Smith Translation. The New Translation makes significant contributions to Latter-day Saint beliefs, particularly in the early chapters of Genesis. Key topics in which the Old and New Testament revisions are the source of significant Latter-day Saint beliefs include the nature of God, the universal impact of God’s work, the plan of salvation, the character and motives of Satan, the fall of Adam and Eve, the antiquity of Christianity, the creation of an ideal community called Zion, the purpose of the law of Moses, and the Second Coming of Jesus Christ. This volume is published in parallel columns with the corresponding verses of the King James Bible. ISBN 978-1-9503-0421-9
Book of Moses Topics > Joseph Smith Translation (JST) > Translation
RSC Topics > G — K > Joseph Smith
The King James translation of the Bible celebrated its four hundredth anniversary in 2011. This historic text, the product of many hands and many years, has had a greater impact on the world than any other book in the English language. It is still in print today, four centuries since it first came off the London presses. This is not a book solely about the history of the King James Bible and its contributions to the world in general. Its primary goal is to shed light on the intersection of the King James translation and Mormonism—hence the title, The King James Bible and the Restoration. In important ways, the King James Bible was one of the contributors to the founding of the Latter-day Saint faith, and it has continued to play a significant role in its history to the present time, even in lands where English is not the spoken language. ISBN 978-0-8425-2802-3
RSC Topics > L — P > New Testament
Old Testament Topics > Law of Moses
Review of Martha Beck. Leaving the Saints: How I Lost the Mormons and Found My Faith.
RSC Topics > Q — S > Scriptures
The marriage of Hosea and Gomer illuminates the covenant relationship of Jehovah and Israel
RSC Topics > A — C > Covenant
Old Testament Topics > Women in the Old Testament
RSC Topics > L — P > Marriage
RSC Topics > L — P > Old Testament
Nebuchadnezzar’s dream
This personal narrative of missionary Adolf Haag is a compelling story of one missionary who sacrificed everything to travel to a foreign land and faithfully share his beliefs with others. In January 1890, Haag, a German immigrant living in the small community of Payson, Utah, was called to be a missionary in Switzerland and Germany. This book contains the journals Haag kept during his mission, letters he sent in preparation for it, and all the known letters he sent home while he was serving. These documents chronicle the willingness of a young man to accept a call to serve the cause of a religion he fervently believed in. They record the challenges he faced leaving behind his home, his business, and his wife and two young children. His letters in response to problems at home may show him at his missionary best. They read, in large part, like sermons, extolling the virtues of trusting in God, exercising patience and forbearance, and staying true to the faith. See additional information: rsc.byu.edu/adolf-haag ISBN 978-0-8425-2959-4
Old Testament Topics > Restoration and Joseph Smith
RSC Topics > L — P > Pearl of Great Price
RSC Topics > L — P > Pearl of Great Price
RSC Topics > L — P > Pearl of Great Price
RSC Topics > L — P > Pearl of Great Price
RSC Topics > L — P > Pearl of Great Price
RSC Topics > G — K > Heaven
RSC Topics > L — P > Pearl of Great Price
RSC Topics > L — P > Pearl of Great Price
RSC Topics > L — P > Pearl of Great Price
The 2010 and 2011 BYU Easter Conferences This volume brings together talks from two Brigham Young University Easter Conferences. Presentations address the Savior, his life, his mission, the Atonement, and his influence in our lives today. The contributors include Elder John H. Groberg, Elder Gerald N. Lund, Robert L. Millet, and others. The topics range from the infinite sweep of the Atonement to its personal reach in perfecting individuals. “It is always a challenge to talk or write about the Atonement of Jesus Christ,” notes Elder Lund. “First of all, it is infinite in its scope. It is the most profound and pivotal event in all of eternity. And we are so totally and utterly finite. We can but glimpse its importance and come only to a small understanding of its full meaning for us.” ISBN 978-0-8425-2784-2
Old Testament Scriptures > Isaiah
Old Testament Topics > Book of Mormon and the Old Testament
In November 2004 the Religious Studies Center at Brigham Young University published a facsimile transcription of all the original manuscripts of the Joseph Smith Translation of the Bible. [1] I was privileged to be one of the editors of the project and worked with those manuscripts in preparing the publication. A facsimile transcription seeks to reproduce in print—as much as is humanly and typographically possible—the writing found on a handwritten document. Thus the transcription includes the writers’ original spelling, grammar, punctuation, line endings, omissions, errors, insertions, and deletions. The purpose of the publication is to provide scholars and lay readers with an accurate reproduction of the text as found on Joseph Smith’s original manuscripts. Its importance is in the fact that those documents had never been made public before but were stored in archives that were only available for study to a limited number of researchers.
Book of Moses Topics > Joseph Smith Translation (JST) > History
RSC Topics > D — F > Easter
RSC Topics > L — P > Old Testament
Since 1996, researchers from Brigham Young University—with the assistance of new photographs, scanned images, and much hands-on examination of the documents—have been engaged in a careful study of the text written on the original manuscripts of the Joseph Smith Translation of the Bible. The work has yielded the publication of a large facsimile transcription of all the original manuscript pages and much new information about how Joseph Smith prepared the text. Among the many new discoveries resulting from this research is an enhanced understanding of the sequence and chronology of the Prophet’s work.
This chapter details the printing process of the first five thousand copies of the Book of Mormon by E.B. Grandin for three thousand dollars.
Learning how to receive is an antidote to pride. King Benjamin asked, “Are we not all beggars?” The answer is yes. He continued, “Do we not all depend upon the same Being, even God, for all the substance which we have?” Again the answer is yes.
Book of Moses Topics > Basic Resources > Doctrines and Teachings
Old Testament Topics > Restoration and Joseph Smith
RSC Topics > Q — S > Restoration of the Gospel
RSC Topics > Q — S > Scriptures
Abstract: Authors of two recent articles believe they have found evidence that Joseph Smith, in preparing his revision of the Bible, drew ideas from a contemporary Bible commentary by British scholar Adam Clarke. The evidence, however, does not bear out this claim. I believe that none of the examples they provide can be traced to Clarke’s commentary, and almost all of them can be explained easily by other means. The authors do not look at their examples within the broader context of the revisions Joseph Smith made to the Bible, and thus they misinterpret them. Some of the revisions they attribute to Clarke are ones that Joseph Smith had made repeatedly before he arrived at the passages where they believe he got ideas from Clarke. In addition, there is a mountain of material in Clarke that is not reflected in the Joseph Smith Translation, and there is a mountain of material in the Joseph Smith Translation that cannot be explained by reference to Clarke. The few overlaps that do exist are vague, superficial, and coincidental.
An collection of essays on themes from the first half of the Book of Mormon. This work is reviewed in R.258.
Book of Mormon Scriptures > Alma
A collection of essays on themes found in the second half of the Book of Mormon.
Book of Moses Topics > Joseph Smith Translation (JST) > History
The 2008 and 2009 BYU Easter Conferences Easter is a good time to recall Jesus’ mission to the least, the last, and the lost, for he said, “The Son of man is come to save that which was lost.” Not surprisingly, we discover that he sent his disciples to the “lost sheep,” and thus their mission of finding the lost is a natural extension of his mission. Some of Jesus’ most memorable teaching moments have to do with finding the lost. This volume contains the papers delivered at the 2008 and 2009 Brigham Young University Easter Conferences, which is a celebration of the life and atoning mission of Jesus Christ. We are honored to include articles from Elder Merrill J. Bateman, emeritus member of the Seventy, and Bonnie D. Parkin, former general Relief Society president. ISBN 978-0-8425-2728-6
This book examines what the New Translation is (today most Latter-day Saints refer to it as the Joseph Smith Translation), what it contains, what it teaches, and how Joseph Smith arrived at its text. The author has written it with the intent to make the information accessible to scholars and general audiences alike and its chapters not only informative but also readable. Jackson is a believer in the prophetic mission of Joseph Smith and considers the New Translation and its story to be evidence of his divine calling. More importantly, however, is the message that is clear throughout the New Translation’s pages—that Jesus is the Christ, the Savior of the world. For the most part we have good enough evidence to reconstruct the mechanical process by which Joseph Smith created his Bible revision, that is, the way he dictated the text and the way his scribes wrote it to create what is written on the existing manuscript pages. But behind the physical artifact, what were the means by which he came to the words that would become the New Translation? Did they come from his own experience, from assumptions he made while reading the Bible, or from other sources? Or did some or all the text come through revelation, as he and his followers believed? What were the instincts that guided his work, and how did he translate those instincts into words? This book cannot answer the theological questions, but it can assess the evidence in the primary documents in an effort to understand how the New Translation came to be. ISBN 978-1-9503-0415-8
Book of Moses Topics > Chapters of the Book of Moses > Moses 1 — Visions of Moses
Abstract: This contribution focuses on the earliest and one of the most significant chapters of the Book of Moses: Moses 1, sometimes called the “Visions of Moses.” Kent Jackson summarizes the sources available relating to the production of this chapter, illuminating obscure corners of its often misunderstood background with his extensive knowledge of the history, manuscripts, and significance of the Joseph Smith Translation. [Editor’s Note: Part of our book chapter reprint series, this article is reprinted here as a service to the LDS community. Original pagination and page numbers have necessarily changed, otherwise the reprint has the same content as the original.See Kent P. Jackson, “The Visions of Moses and Joseph Smith’s Bible Translation,” in “To Seek the Law of the Lord”: Essays in Honor of John W. Welch, ed. Paul Y. Hoskisson and Daniel C. Peterson (Orem, UT: The Interpreter Foundation, 2017), 161–70. Further information at https://interpreterfoundation.org/books/to-seek-the-law-of-the-lord-essays-in-honor-of-john-w-welch-2/.].
RSC Topics > L — P > Love
RSC Topics > L — P > Peace
RSC Topics > T — Z > War
This first of two volumes of essays honoring Hugh Nibley includes scholarly papers based on what the contributors have learned from Dr. Nibley. Nearly every major subject that he has encompassed in his vast learning and scholarly production is represented here by at least one article. Topics include the influence of Nibley, Copts and the Bible, the Seventy in scripture, the great apostasy, the book of Daniel in early Mormon thought, an early Christian initiation ritual, John’s Apocalypse, ancient Jewish seafaring, Native American rites of passage, Sinai as sanctuary and mountain of God, the Qurʾan and creation ex nihilo, and the sacred handclasp and embrace.
In this paper the apostasy will be discussed on two fronts. First, Jackson examines statements of Jesus and his apostles that foretell the passing of the early church. Then, he considers the evidence in the New Testament that shows apostasy taking place as the New Testament documents were being written
FOR MORE THAN HALF A CENTURY, Robert J. Matthews has mentored students and colleagues alike at Brigham Young University and in the Church Educational System of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. He has filled many roles in the discharge of his professional responsibilities—classroom teacher, scholar, curriculum editor, professor, administrator, and friend—all to the end of building the kingdom of God. And he has done so possessing an attitude of selflessness. Because he has influenced generations of students, teachers, and fellow scholars, it is appropriate that a collection of scholarly essays has been commissioned in his honor. His colleagues have contributed to this volume as a tribute to him and to honor him on his eightieth birthday. A pivotal moment in his life occurred in July 1944 when he first heard Elder Joseph Fielding Smith refer to the Prophet Joseph Smith’s inspired translation of the Bible during a KSL radio broadcast. He felt the promptings of the Lord’s Spirit to look into the subject more, to acquire a copy of the Inspired Version, and to begin a lifelong study of the work. The wide-ranging essays in this book are, in a way, a reflection of the varied interests and academic loves of Robert Matthews. They encompass an interesting and impressive orbit of topics, from ancient languages to LDS history, from Greek word studies that inform our understanding of the Atonement of Christ to questions about religious tolerance in view of the Lord’s words uttered during the First Vision. ISBN 978-0-8425-2676-0
Letters responding to C. L. Sainsbury’s letter (July/August issue) seeking inclusion of Nephite history on an international timeline. Contributors contend that no archaeological evidence exists for the Book of Mormon, point out the book’s similarity to the Bible, and enclose the Smithsonian Institution’s statement concerning the Book of Mormon.
Mapping Mormonism brings together contributions from sixty experts in the fields of geography, history, Mormon history, and economics to produce the most monumental work of its kind. More than an atlas, this book also includes hundreds of timelines and charts, along with carefully researched descriptions, that track the Mormon movement from its humble beginnings to its worldwide expansion. A work of this magnitude rarely comes along. Mapping Mormonism’s first edition proved to be a landmark reference work in Mormon studies; now it is further improved and updated with the latest information in this second edition. This work covers the early Restoration, the settlement of the West, and the expanding Church, giving particular emphasis to recent developments in the modern Church throughout all regions of the world. Of all the books on Church history, Mapping Mormonism may be the single most effective work to date at giving an expansive vision of the rise of the LDS Churcha vision as vibrant as those who have led the way in building Zion. In 2012, Mapping Mormonism won the Mormon History Association Best Book Award and the Cartography and Geographic Information Society Best Atlas Award.
Volume 13 in the Occasional Papers Series Hundreds of sketches and blueprints unfold Church history from an architect’s point of view. This volume takes readers on a visual journey from the Peter Whitmer log home, where the Church was organized, to the Kirtland and Nauvoo temples, moving on to pioneer-era meetinghouses and tabernacles, and then featuring our modern stake and ward buildings. Hundreds of sketches trace the progression in meetinghouse design from the infancy of the Church to its transformation into a major world religion. ISBN 1-5915-6390-9
Quotes exclusively from Dewey Farnsworth’s The Americas before Columbus and the scriptures (Genesis 49:22-26, John 10:16) to show that American Indians are descended form the House of Israel and were acquainted with biblical stories (e.g., House of Noah, Abraham, Jacob) prior to contact with Europeans.
This article shows examples of how the missionaries are carrying the gospel to the Indian, Mexican, and Spanish-American people. The Book of Mormon is a great converter because it tells of their ancestry and the beginning of their race.
A manual for young LDS students that contains twenty-nine lessons taken from selected texts in the Book of Mormon. Contains lesson ideas, study devices, projects, poems, and illustrations.
RSC Topics > L — P > Missionary Work
An alphabetical listing of translations of the Book of Mormon, including editions from both the LDS and RLDS churches. Also includes an example of the script of the language and photocopies of the cover and/or title page.
Monthly Book of Mormon lessons for adult women (Relief Society). Each month a verse of Book of Mormon scripture is presented with accompanying quotes from General Authorities and writers of the Church.
Review of Questions to Ask Your Mormon Friend: Effective Ways to Challenge a Mormon's Arguments without Being Offensive (1994), by Bill McKeever and Eric Johnson.
Review of Ashamed of Joseph: Mormon Foundations Crumble (1993), by Charles Crane and Steven Crane.
Will you try to live tomorrow a perfect day? And if you fail to do so, then try again the next day. Then we truly make progress in carrying out one aspect of the mission of the Church, which is the mission of every individual member of the Church, namely, “to perfect the Saints.”
Analyzes American anthropology, and concludes that recent findings correspond with Book of Mormon descriptions.
Ancient art objects in the Americas correspond to Book of Mormon symbols, i.e., the brazen serpent and the tree of life.
The Book of Mormon records that there are records “of every kind” written (Helaman 3:15). Ancient Maya hieroglyphs are found on stelae, codices, vases, and on walls and steps of temples. The Mayan calendar found to be more accurate than its European counterpart dates to pre-Book of Mormon times. It is difficult to correlate it with the European calendar.
The Book of Mormon records that there are records “of every kind” written (Helaman 3:15). Ancient Maya hieroglyphs are found on stelae, codices, vases, and on walls and steps of temples. The Mayan calendar found to be more accurate than its European counterpart dates to pre-Book of Mormon times. It is difficult to correlate it with the European calendar.
Evidence shows that in middle America the calendar was first developed in the Lehite- Mulekite period. Calendars duplicate the ancient Israelite system. There is evidence of a final migration from Central America into Mexico that corresponds with the final migration of the Nephites in A.D. 327. The birth of the Christ-like god took place on April 6, A.D. 2, in correspondence with Joseph Smith’s revelation (D&C 20:1).
Excerpts from a letter written in 1962 reveal how Jakeman’s interpretation of Stela 5 quickly stimulated a body of folklore among some Latter-day Saints. [Author’s abstract]
An abstract of lectures given June 21-24. Before applying the “comparative archaeological test to the Book of Mormon,” one must first be sure to deal with the correct area and period. The Tehuantepec area in Mesoamerica is by far the likely area. A sketch of the history of Mesoamerican archaeology establishes that only in recent years has material of the correct (Pre-Classic) era been available for analysis. Definite correspondences (not detailed) with the Book of Mormon account are evident.
Defends the thesis that Bountiful was located in the “northernmost part of Central America, including the Isthmus of Tehuantepec”
A booklet containing an analysis of the tree of life and other figures and depictions on Izapa Stela 5. Illustrations are provided. This work is reviewed in G.031.
Guide for the beginning archaeology student. The Book of Mormon stands in confiict with popular explanations of the origins of the American people. Archaeology has confirmed the value of Homer’s writings as well as the Bible. It has similar value for the Book of Mormon. Cultures found by archaeologists seem to fit Nephite cultures.
This article describes an archaeological expedition in January and February, 1948, to the Xicalongo Gulf Coast area of a district of western Campeche. The author provides descriptions of the area’s flora and fauna, the hardships of the expedition, and findings of relatively new early “pre-classic” civilizations.
An anonymous Los Angeles physician inquires as to the historicity of the Book of Mormon. Jakeman replies that archaeological evidences of Mexico and Central America do not “disprove the Book of Mormon history” but appear “to establish it, to a high degree of probability” Jakeman admits that his findings are preliminary.
During the Solomonic period and after, Israel enjoyed international trade alliances with the Phoenicians. The Phoenician infiuence is found in the architecture of Israel as well as religious symbols. The authors conclude that Mulek, the son of King Zedekiah, fied Israel with Phoenicians to the New World. There are several artifacts in the New World of Phoenician origin.
Summarizes “extensive evidence, both literary and archaeological, of long and close . . . relations between ancient Israel and Phoenicia,” resulting in a “partial ‘Phoenicianization’ ” of the Israelites. Thus Book of Mormon Israelites in the New World must have had many Phoenician traits in their culture. Moreover it is likely that a Phoenician ship carried Mulek and his group to America.
A representation of the “tree of life” was found in a carving on a large stone monument in Southern Mexico at the ruin site of Izapa. It was the fifth of carved stone slabs located in the temple courts. The art style is pre-Mayan. It appears to represent two cherubim or Near Eastern-type figures, six figures that surround the tree, and a river of water. Two name glyphs were discovered and translated into the names Lehi and Nephi.
Finding vast numbers of remains of both cultural and skeletal materials at archaeological sites is the main challenge to Book of Mormon archaeology. Further, these materials must match with Book of Mormon accounts in dating period, geographical area, and description. Excavations in Mexico and Central America have been made since 1830 that actually date according to the Book of Mormon period.
There are eighteen different aspects of Yahweh or Jehovah that are duplicated by the Life and Rain gods, Itzamna-Chac of Mayan culture and Quetzalcoatl-Tloloc of Central Mexico. There are too many similarities for this to be an accident. There is much evidence to show that pagan practices developed among the Lamanites in a late period. Idolatrous gods were added that are identifiable with Near Eastern gods.
Non-Mormon archaeologists do not use the Book of Mormon as an archaeological guide, as some well-meaning Mormons have claimed. The Book of Mormon does not claim that all Indians are Lamanites.
Presents the trends, theories, and accomplishments of ancient American researchers and how their research on the American Indians compares with the Book of Mormon story.
There are many possible sites for the Book of Mormon city Bountiful and its temple. One possible site is Aguacatal, which in many respects is similar to the descriptions of Bountiful in the Book of Mormon.
Archaeological information about Book of Mormon lands has come to light largely since 1830. Since 1910 excavations have revealed the existence of two pre-classic periods in Mexico and Central America: “Early pre- classic” or “lower archaic” and “late pre-classic” or “upper archaic” Correspondences in these sites have been found in the Book of Mormon in areas, time or period, number and order, and characteristics.
Book review.
A star of David, a relic of the Mayan civilization during the late classic period (650-950 C. E.), has been located at Uxmal in Yucatan. While the star “is not [a] direct evidence of an Old World origin of the ancient American civilizations, it does add to the evidence of occasional transoceanic voyages to the New World before Columbus”
Response to a critic who attempts to discredit Jakeman’s study proposing that the Stela 5 is a depiction of Lehi’s vision of the tree of life. Points out that the critic is unaware of the technical intricacies of Mesoamerican archaeology.
A detailed commentary on Stela 5, beginning with some comparisons of Near Eastern depictions of the tree of life and continuing with a long section identifying points of contact with the tree of life parable in 1 Nephi. Some illustrations are included.
This article claims that in the study of ancient civilizations in Mexico and Central America two facets should be considered—important geographical locations and the chronological factor. This article is interested in the latter concern, discussing the sequential relationship of civilizations in a given area, and the “absolute chronology” as measured by the Western calendar.
An early description of Stela 5 from Chiapas, Mexico, which depicts a tree of life motif. Compares features on the stone that correspond to similar artistic objects in Mesopotamia. Relates Stela 5 to the tree of life vision in 1 Nephi and concludes that Stela 5 was infiuenced by the Book of Mormon tree of life story.
Theorizes that the cataclysm in 3 Nephi resulted from a volcano (or several volcanoes) that are located near the central part of the narrow neck of land.
A response to Green’s 1969 attack (in Dialogue) on the “geographical-historical” approach to the Book of Mormon, which he attributed to Jakeman. Jakeman defends the logic and accomplishments of his approach (that he prefers to call “historic-archaeological”), taking umbrage at Green’s implications of intellectual dishonesty in his labor. Ends by emphasizing his aim “for a conclusive determination of the authenticity of the Book of Mormon,” which can only be done his way.
This article recounts some of the archaeological discoveries found in Central and South American sites that date before the advent of the Aztecs and the Mayas. Archaeological exploration and the Book of Mormon provide clues as to the origin of the Maya people.
Dr. Brent James examines the condition of health care in America while discussing what truly determines health. His findings may surprise you.
A novel based on the 25th to 31st years of the judges. Includes a table showing where specific allusions to the Book of Mormon are found.
Our service to God’s children is a visible sign of our love for Him. As we willingly serve others, we become a conduit through which His love flows to touch the lives of everyone around us.
Review of Same-Sex Dynamics among Nineteenth-Century Americans: A Mormon Example (1996), by D. Michael Quinn
Review of Early Mormonism and the Magic World View (1998), by D. Michael Quinn
Nephi was young, probably under twenty years old, when he became a “pioneer and leader of the family” He was obedient, he was courageous in confronting Laban, and he never questioned or complained.
The whole earth should hear the important message of the Book of Mormon. In it God warns of future events, reveals eternal truths, and promises lasting benefits to those who comply with its precepts. Its principal concepts are faith, repentance, baptism by immersion, and remission of sins through the Holy Ghost.
Review of The Geography of the Book of Mormon Events: A Source Book (1990), by John L. Sorenson.
An imaginary dialogue between two individuals. Tells the story of the coming forth of the Book of Mormon, gives a brief description of the book’s contents, and names the languages into which the book has been translated.
RSC Topics > D — F > Education
RSC Topics > L — P > Learning
Lucio Rivera of Peru tells of his conversion to Jesus through reading the Book of Mormon and prayerful consideration. The Book of Mormon contains a promise to the Lamanites that was fulfilled in the life of Lucio.
Archaeologist Cyrus H. Gordon discussed the two-way traffic between the Old and New World before the Christian era.
Presents recent Book of Mormon research and findings of Paul R. Cheesman. Includes photographs of ancient Latin American architecture.
The Book of Mormon has been translated and printed in 24 different languages. It has also been translated but not printed into nine others.
RSC Topics > Q — S > Service
RSC Topics > Q — S > Service
RSC Topics > D — F > Family
RSC Topics > L — P > Marriage
RSC Topics > L — P > Parenting
RSC Topics > T — Z > Youth
RSC Topics > D — F > Family
RSC Topics > L — P > Marriage
RSC Topics > L — P > Parenting
RSC Topics > T — Z > Youth
The realities of living in our limited, imperfect world mean that we have no choice but to make do with an approximation—to admit and accept imperfection.
A doctrinal treatise that attempts to show that the Japanese are descendants of the house of Israel, some of whom may be descended from Lehi, a Book of Mormon prophet.
Since 1996, researchers from Brigham Young University—with the assistance of new photographs, scanned images, and much hands-on examination of the documents—have been engaged in a careful study of the text written on the original manuscripts of the Joseph Smith Translation of the Bible. The work has yielded the publication of a large facsimile transcription of all the original manuscript pages and much new information about how Joseph Smith prepared the text. Among the many new discoveries resulting from this research is an enhanced understanding of the sequence and chronology of the Prophet’s work.
A clever activity book for children in three volumes. A Book of Mormon story is retold, then games and puzzles follow to reinforce the story.
Old Testament Topics > Flood
Old Testament Topics > Science and Religion
I believe that our Father in Heaven expects us to develop this unity and cultivate our diverse talents and abilities so that we can be counted among the “few” servants in the allegory of the olive trees charged with pruning and edifying His vineyard (Jacob 5:70). He has spared the vineyard, as well as all of us, for this sacred purpose.
As sons and daughters of God, each one of us has the ability and the obligation to testify and defend the work of the Lord. I beg you not to lean away or drop your voice in these situations.
Review of Charting the Book of Mormon (1999), by John W. Welch and J. Gregory Welch
RSC Topics > L — P > Peace
RSC Topics > T — Z > War
Discusses Columbus’s discovery of America, the origin of the American Indians as taught by the Book of Mormon, and the fulfillment of prophetic statements concerning America.
Book of Mormon stories, geared to small children, are written by several authors.