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Gives seventeen reasons listed by Lord Kingsborough why the Indians are Israelites.
Latter-day Saints are not unique in their belief that the Indians have Hebrew origins. Quotes The History of the American Indian by James Adair (1775) to support this claim.
A series of communications between A. T. Schroeder and D. H. Bays that appeared in the Christian Evangelist, 9 Aug. 1899—2 Nov. 1899, discussing the possibility that the Spaulding manuscript was the basis of the Book of Mormon.
Old Indian and Spanish histories that are preserved in Mexican libraries and museums provide evidence of the divine authenticity of the Book of Mormon.
A reprint of an article written in the Register and Leader by E. H. Robb who finds that America has been inhabited from a very early period of time, which recalls the statements of the Book of Mormon concerning the Nephites and Jaredites.
Analyzes 2 Nephi 3 and finds that a choice seer will be a blessing to the descendants of Lehi. The choice seer may be Jesus Christ, whose work was the Book of Mormon.
The mission of the Book of Mormon and the work of this dispensation is to save souls, to gather Israel, to teach the covenants of God, and to build Zion.
Building upon the foundation of Jesus Christ is essential to our happiness.
May we recalculate our route if need be and look forward with great hope and faith. May we “stand up inside” by being valiant and “all in.”.
Student Review once managed to interview Hugh Nibley; one of his students performed the interview for us in his office some Saturday. The guy came up with all sorts of questions, and Hugh answered them all. We all listened to the tape several times over; it was cool stuff. We ran it as “An (Almost) Uncensored Interview with Hugh Nibley,” from which my favorite line was a comment he made when asked about the BYU administration (as it existed circa 1994): “Lawyers! Lawyers everywhere! Nothing but lawyers!” Also, he called Supreme Court Justice Scalia “just plain stupid.” (from a comment at TimesandSeasons.org)
Additional Authors: Ronald W. Walker, James B. Allen, and Richard O. Cowan
Letters to the editor defend or condemn the advertising of a historical time chart containing biblical and Book of Mormon events. Some maintain that the events of the Book of Mormon do not represent a historical reality, while others believe that the events do represent reality.
RSC Topics > Q — S > Second Coming
RSC Topics > T — Z > Zion
Review of Spencer W. McBride, Joseph Smith for President: The Prophet, the Assassins, and the Fight for American Religious Freedom (New York: Oxford University Press, 2021). 269 pages, $29.95 (hardcover). Abstract: Spencer McBride’s book is the deepest look yet into Joseph Smith’s 1844 campaign for president of the United States. In smooth-paced and readable detail, McBride’s work expertly demonstrates the unique Latter-day Saint genesis for the campaign and how it fit into the wider American social-political environment. Its message regarding religious liberty is as applicable today as it was nearly two centuries ago. [Editor’s Note: This review first appeared in The Civil War Book Review 24, no. 1 (2022). It is reprinted here with permission. Slight editorial changes have been made.]
This volume uncovers the significant but previously unknown contributions of the electioneers who advocated for Joseph Smith’s 1844 presidential campaign. The focus is the cadre of more than six hundred political missionaries—who they were before the campaign, their activities and experiences as electioneers, and who they became following the campaign’s untimely collapse. This book recounts their important and even crucial contributions they made in the succession crisis, the exodus from the United States, and the building of Zion in the Great Basin. Importantly, this narrative describes how their campaigning with the Quorum of Twelve Apostles using theodemocratic themes, coupled with the shock of Joseph Smith’s assassination, steeled and subsequently spurred many of them into effective religious, political, social, and economic leaders—leaders who shaped Latter-day Saint history. ISBN 978-1-9443-9492-9
The Book of Mormon’s claim that it is a record of God’s people in America cannot be sustained by archaeological evidence. Members of the LDS church approach archaeology only in an amateur way.
Author considers it his duty to warn humanity of the dangers of the Church and its false prophet. Joseph Smith was given power to translate the Book of Mormon by God and no other gift was given to him.
Review of William E. Evenson and Duane E. Jeffery. Mormonism and Evolution: The Authoritative LDS Statements.
The Creation from a scriptural and a scientific viewpoint
Old Testament Topics > Creation
Review of Trent D. Stephens, D. Jeffrey Meldrum, with Forrest B. Peterson. Evolution and Mormonism: A Quest for Understanding.
“This social justice commentary of the Book of Mormon empowers readers to understand the text as a book that speaks to issues of racism, sexism, immigration, refugees, and socioeconomic inequality. The Book of Mormon : For the Least of These offers an unflinching examination of some of the difficult and troubling sections of the Book of Mormon, while also advocating for a compassionate reading of holy text. As a verse-by-verse close reading, this book examines new layers of interpretation and meaning, giving even those deeply familiar with scripture innovative tools for engaging powerfully with the Book of Mormon.” [Amazon summary]
Dialogue: A Journal of Mormon Thought is an independent quarterly established to express Mormon culture and to examine the relevance of religion to secular life.
This article looks at some of the ways parallels have been used by Nibley in the exposition of latter-day scripture, the types of parallels employed, and some of the problems that arise from this comparative exercise.
In this four part song, written in the key of D flat Major, Salter uses the words of Moroni 10:4-5 exhorting the listener to ask God if the Book of Mormon is true.
This song, written in the key of F Major for a soprano voice, uses the text of 3 Nephi 15:21-24, which states that the Nephites are the other sheep of whom Jesus spoke in John 10:16.
An examination of the Lord’s prayer in the Book of Mormon. Believes that Joseph Smith did not copy the Bible in translating the Book of Mormon. [A.C.W.] ook of Mormon. Believes that Joseph Smith did not copy the Bible in translating the Book of Mormon. [A.C.W.] ”
Presents a history, description, and photographs of the original manuscript of the Book of Mormon.
Presents notes concerning the origin of the Book of Mormon. The nature of the book is sacred history as well as profane history, it teaches morality and spiritual truths, and it presents a perfect philosophy of life. Its primary purposes are to witness of the divinity of Jesus Christ and to combat the controversies that exist between the Bible and the modern philosophies of men.
Presents notes concerning the origin of the Book of Mormon. The nature of the book is sacred history as well as profane history, it teaches morality and spiritual truths, and it presents a perfect philosophy of life. Its primary purposes are to witness of the divinity of Jesus Christ and to combat the controversies that exist between the Bible and the modern philosophies of men.
A rather common fallacy accepted in society is that with graduation, one has finished her or his education. That is a serious misunderstanding if we are considering a truly educated person, particularly one with the lofty goal of achieving eternal life and eventually perfection.
My counsel to you…is to be clear in your priorities, in your understanding, in your faith, and in all your endeavors.
We believe with great confidence and conviction that you are optimally prepared for long lives of continued learning and substantial service in all that you do. We are proud of you and your accomplishments.
Whatever your circumstance, it will work out well eventually if you do your best to cause it to happen. Sometimes these trials are blessings in disguise, and what the Lord may have in store for you later could be dramatically better than your current conception of optimal achievement.
One area of confusion not rare among us is the notion that worthiness is synonymous with perfection. It is not! One can be fully worthy in a gospel sense and yet still be growing while dealing with personal imperfections.
A hallmark of BYU has always been that we have attempted to do all that we do with absolute integrity.
My question is: Who are the unsung heroes here at BYU who deserve our recognition and acclaim? I don’t know that we have many Congressional Medal of Honor recipients among us or serving largely behind the scenes at BYU. I do know that in this extraordinary community of students, staff, faculty, and administrators there are many who deserve our respect, admiration, and appreciation.
The doctrine of continuing and even continuous revelation is a fundamental and distinctive tenet of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. In it we find the seeds of the Restoration and also the basis for our understanding concerning the importance of learning. In fact, in the face of obvious differences between revelation from heaven and the kind of learning more common to our university experiences, we also find some significant commonalities of which we should be constantly aware.
All of you have a story and are part of a grand legacy that will bless not only you and those with you today but will reach on through the generations and over space to bless many others for years to come.
How do you view the changing world? I hope it is with optimism and encouragement rather than with the disappointment or dismay that we find in some circles.
I hope in our time together this morning we can think carefully and seriously about what we really are and, more important, what we desire and need to become. I am satisfied that this aim of a BYU education—to build character—cannot be neglected or diminished because all of the aims and the mission of this great university are so intimately related to one another.
One of the blessings of your BYU experience is that you should be familiar with the promise of the Lord that “I will tell you in your mind and in your heart, by the Holy Ghost, which shall come upon you and which shall dwell in your heart.”
…my hope is that we can as colleagues across campus think faithfully and diligently together about how we can make inquiry, creativity, and research a more effective part of how we not only transmit known information but, more important, how we enhance teaching by participating personally in the process of discovery and the creation of new knowledge.
I believe being acceptable to God and having the approval of the right kind of men and women are the ultimate accreditation that we should each personally seek. And the basic standard by which we will be measured is whether or not we serve Christ.
“God gave them knowledge and skill in all learning and wisdom.” You have knowledge and skill and know how to learn so that you may acquire wisdom.
Personal growth comes from being stretched, and you will likely find yourselves challenged in ways you have never previously experienced or expected.
The Lord’s hand is on BYU and that the work of BYU is a vital part of the Lord’s work. We are thus entitled to seek His blessings and are also entitled to be guided and protected.
RSC Topics > G — K > Gifts of the Spirit
RSC Topics > G — K > Holy Ghost
My list could go on, but the central point is that your BYU education has been much, much more than the mastery of academic subjects or preparation for further education or employment in the workplace, as important as these are. You have been given the extraordinary and unique opportunity to prepare for devoted discipleship and competent leadership to assist you in your families, communities, and professions as well as in your primary quest to obtain eternal life.
We promise we will never forget you and expect that you will not forget BYU. You will demonstrate your great love for this institution and all that it represents by the way you live your life. You will live in such a way that objective observers will be able to tell that you are different—in a very positive way. They will usually not know exactly how or why, but they will appreciate the goodness and example of your life.
We are here not only to “save” ourselves—meaning to advance our careers, accomplish our personal and academic goals, and increase our individual spirituality—but we are also here to do the same for all of our students, however it is and in whatever ways they hear us.
May the Lord continue to guide us and bless us as we do our very best to move Brigham Young University forward in its ordained charge to bless Heavenly Father’s children here and throughout the world.
One of the key ways that we learn—not only here at BYU but throughout life—is by asking questions.
We “enter to learn [and] go forth to serve.” While we are here learning, we also gain much by serving. As we go forth to serve, we strive to continue to learn.
In retrospect, our time, like yours, passed quickly while being fully immersed in what transpires in this very special place. What does not pass quickly, and perhaps is even permanently enduring, is the influence for good that emanates from BYU.
This university has the protection and guidance of heaven, and we individually do as well—when we act as we should. Let my advice to you be that which I received from my trusted mentor: “Above all else, you need to protect your integrity.”
Joyful living in the here and now is an important antecedent to the complete joy that we know can be ours in the eternities, which is made possible by the presence with us of our families in the company of the Father and the Son.
We hope and expect that you have grown in your understanding of the knowledge of the world and also in your convictions concerning the truthfulness of the revelations from heaven. Most important, we pray with confidence that the skills you have acquired and the talents you have magnified will allow and assist you to continue to learn throughout your lives “by study and also by faith.”
For you to remain as relevant at the end of your career as you are now or when you finally finish your formal academic preparations, you will be required to know how to keep on learning and hopefully contribute to the continued learning of others.
I would like to spend our precious moments this morning in continuing to reflect on the legacy of learning that we enjoy, largely influenced by the example and efforts of living prophets from Joseph Smith to Gordon B. Hinckley.
It has been said that one of the purposes of education is to learn to avoid mistakes. While this is true, it is also important to understand that we can learn very significant lessons from mistakes.
I am grateful that I can bear a solemn but happy witness that these men, and all others who have held this highest office in the Lord’s Church, are true servants of our living Heavenly Father and His Beloved Son.
The help we need is provided by our loving Heavenly Father and His Son, our Savior, through other people who have been prompted to help, guide, and rescue us in times of need or consequential decision making.
While the reputation and standing of this remarkable institution are measured and evaluated in a number of different ways, ultimately the real value of its contribution is reflected in the graduates that it produces.
If I had been more meek, more patient, more understanding of the challenges or problems facing others…it is quite possible that my judgment would have been improved and I might have been more open to being taught by the Spirit in my actions.
The seeds of faith and light are planted, cultivated, nurtured, and grow bathed in the glow of His tender care—the behavioral and verbal testimony examples of Latter-day Saint BYU students and graduates on campus and around the world.
We know who we are. We know that we have made the commitment to do our parts in advancing scholarly excellence while lifting and strengthening the faith and testimonies of our students. Without apology, we affirm the supremacy of Deity, the reality of the Restoration unfolded through the Prophet Joseph, and our allegiance to today’s presiding high priests who are also the officers of our board of trustees.
As this group all appreciates, BYU is absolutely unique in the universe of American higher education. Not everyone—individuals or institutions—understands or appreciates who and what we are. Because we are different, aspiring for greatness in both our religious and academic missions, it is absolutely essential that we represent ourselves in the very best and most accurate light.
President Samuelson’s Neal A. Maxwell Lecture, delivered 23 March 2007, highlights the life and scholarship of Elder Neal A. Maxwell, a member of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and the man for whom the Neal A. Maxwell Institute for Religious Scholarship was named.
Hopefully we are clear that the confidence and blessings bestowed upon us as the result of our BYU experience raises much more than a suggestion that we will “go forth to serve” with commitment, effectiveness, and appreciation.
Holding the priesthood and doing your duty to God is not only a very serious responsibility but also a remarkable privilege.
While the notion of BYU becoming the best it can be has a number of dimensions, part of “becoming” and “being” the best BYU can be is to live with integrity; that is, to say what we mean and mean what we say.
May we take heed of ourselves in the light of our doctrine and the counsel of our leaders with the confidence that we—and others—will be blessed through our devoted and thoughtful expressions of who we really are and who we wish to be.
How grateful I am, in these perilous times, for the protection and guidance given to us by the sacred assurance that Jesus Christ lives today.
An important part of being self-aware is to understand how we influence for good or ill others around us by how we act, speak, and respond.
True loyalty (or those who stand by him): Some, and I hope this includes you, have a testimony of the Prophet Joseph Smith and his unique and special mission. It is to you that I frame my question: What does it mean to “stand by my servant Joseph”?
BYU and its graduates—you—excel in almost every category and consideration. I am convinced that we will never forget our significant debt and will ever recognize the privilege it is to be part of this grand and heaven-blessed institution.
While love and trust are often linked and even intertwined, there are some very significant differences. We hold unconditional love to be a very high virtue. Trust, on the other hand, is conditional in that it must be earned and can be very easily and quickly forfeited.
The fundamentals of gaining and retaining a testimony of the gospel of Jesus Christ are straightforward, clear, and within the capacity of every person.
RSC Topics > Q — S > Resurrection
RSC Topics > T — Z > Testimony
RSC Topics > Q — S > Resurrection
RSC Topics > T — Z > Testimony
I hope we will commit ourselves today and continue this commitment throughout our lives to contribute in every way that we can to building the kingdom of God on earth and also in supporting our alma mater.
God does live and loves us as the Eternal Father He is. Jesus Christ is our Savior and Redeemer, and His effectuation of the Atonement makes all things possible for those who fully take upon themselves His name, make and keep sacred covenants, and do their very best to keep and obey the commandments.
We know how things in the big picture will turn out and have great confidence that you also in your individual lives and careers will turn out as you wish and as heaven intends.
We should reflect on and glory in the successes, accomplishments, and growth that have occurred while you studied here. Your progress and contributions have been truly remarkable. We should also now be focusing on where we are going in the future, what we will next accomplish, and how we will best continue to learn and grow.
I have much to learn, and I am sure that I continue to learn. This is one of the joys of being at Brigham Young University. And, I might add, one of the major reasons for you to be here—not only to learn while you are on campus but to learn how to continue to learn throughout your lives.
The Honor Code is not primarily a law of health or blind conformity. It is a principle of obedience. It is an outward manifestation of our inner appreciation for and understanding of the privilege of being at BYU.
We have all learned much at BYU, but none of us knows everything. Thus it behooves us to listen to and trust the Spirit of the Lord, which will guide and help us in our quest to keep the commandments, to do all that our great blessings require that we do, and to faithfully endure to the end.
As a university dedicated to education for eternity, we do believe in intensive learning, in stimulating inquiry, in commitment to excellence, and in pursuing the full realization of human potential.
Our BYU mission is chartered in the great opportunity and challenge to be learning and teaching all the time in a world of change while remaining true and firm in our values and moral compass, which do not change.
What we do say will be almost in shorthand form, but hopefully it will reflect our appreciation and gratitude for what has shaped and is influencing the lives of those who are able to have a BYU experience. We believe BYU helps us all be better people, but we must always remember that does not mean that anyone here is better than anyone else not directly connected to this unique university.
BYU is a great institution established by the Lord’s prophets to fulfill sacred purposes. It is prospered under the hand of heaven. We can never adequately express our appreciation for being associated with BYU and hope you sense the same feeling.
Sometimes the wisdom of God comes directly, as with the experience of young Joseph Smith in the Sacred Grove or as with the teaching of the Holy Ghost that can come to us when we are spiritually prepared. Sometimes wisdom comes in less direct but unmistakable ways.
We hope you will study seriously and with great effort both the Constitution and your other course work. More important, in all that you expect of yourselves, be sure that you do not neglect your private and personal prayers, your scripture study, or your appropriate acts of anonymous service as well as the public manifestations you make of your devotion to God and country.
There is significant truth in the notion that much of what happens to us is unexpected and not in our control. However—and this is most vital and critical to understand—the things of greatest ultimate importance to us are largely in our control and are within the scope of our agency.
Throughout your life you will have opportunities each day to be reminded of the admonition that was followed by a prophet of the Lord: “Whate’er thou art, act well thy part.”
Our reason for being a university is to encourage and prepare young men and women to rise to their full spiritual potential as sons and daughters of God.
The paths your lives take today have areas that could be marked by the phrase “Here Be Dragons” as a warning that you should and must avoid them. A firm testimony of the truth of the gospel of Jesus Christ is so necessary to maintain the proper perspectives and withstand the buffetings of the adversary that can and often will bombard you from all directions.
Each one of us here is writing the book of his or her life, and reading, learning, loving, serving, and worshipping are integral parts of the process.
You have loved ones in your past who created pathways and bridges to connect you to them and thus enable you to benefit from their dreams, experiences, sacrifices, and teachings—necessary components of bridge building.
I do have a testimony that you can stand up to worldly influences that would draw you away from your beliefs and say, in mighty voices, “Even if all, not I.” Those who see and hear you can know of your testimonies of the Savior and our Father in Heaven.
There is another name by which we should all be known besides the one we received from our earthly fathers. That is the name of our Lord Jesus Christ.
All of you are sons and daughters of our Heavenly Father. He loves you and has given you many blessings to help you build a testimony of Him and His teachings. Find your gifts and talents, acknowledge them in the spirit of thankfulness, develop them, and use them to serve others as well as His kingdom.
In order to live with God once again, you cannot deviate from the strait and narrow path or lose your firm grip on the iron rod or you will be as those who were lost in Lehi’s vision.
Each one of you has the light of Jesus Christ within you. How wonderful that is for you as you strive to discern what is truly of great worth in your life.
The help we need is provided by our loving Heavenly Father and His Son, our Savior, through other people who have been prompted to help, guide, and rescue us in times of need or consequential decision making.
Our eternal worth is given to us by God. We do not have to let it be determined by others—only by God and ourselves. We can lose sight of our self-worth if we do not keep the commandments and consequently disregard the divinity within us.
As you take the sacrament each Sunday, you do it in remembrance of the Savior and the covenants you made at your baptism. You are recommitting to serve as His witness to the world. It is a time for you to remember your baptismal covenants and let them guide your lives each day so that you do not forget as John did.
Sometimes life’s circumstances may seem to be in turmoil, and you may have so much on your so-called “plate” that you don’t know where to begin or what to do. This is when I believe humor and the ability to be optimistic can enhance the quality of your life.
The Holy Ghost can communicate with you if you but seek this communication and are worthy to receive it. Revelation from the Holy Ghost is often described as a “still small voice” and most often comes as words you feel more than hear.
I have a testimony that assisting our Father in Heaven in teaching children to love and serve the Lord is one of the most important blessings and responsibilities He has given us. The Savior loved and taught the little children, and we are to follow His example.
I still can vividly recall the time I realized that I should savor and treasure each day and be thankful for and appreciate life. I somehow realized that each day is a gift from a loving Heavenly Father and that if I did not view each day as such, I would be ungrateful.
We are blessed to know that the Lord has established a means of communication with His children through His ordained prophets. Our prophet’s voice and the message it shares can be trusted to teach and guide us in the will of the Lord.
What we do say will be almost in shorthand form, but hopefully it will reflect our appreciation and gratitude for what has shaped and is influencing the lives of those who are able to have a BYU experience. We believe BYU helps us all be better people, but we must always remember that does not mean that anyone here is better than anyone else not directly connected to this unique university.
BYU is a great institution established by the Lord’s prophets to fulfill sacred purposes. It is prospered under the hand of heaven. We can never adequately express our appreciation for being associated with BYU and hope you sense the same feeling.
We hope you will study seriously and with great effort both the Constitution and your other course work. More important, in all that you expect of yourselves, be sure that you do not neglect your private and personal prayers, your scripture study, or your appropriate acts of anonymous service as well as the public manifestations you make of your devotion to God and country.
Contains essays on the Book of Mormon including José Sánchez, “Las Traducciones y Ediciones del Libro de Mormón al Espa–ol”; José Sánchez, “MuŽstrenme a un ‘Lamanita’ “; José Sánchez, “Bibliograf’a Selecta del Libro de Mormón”; José Sánchez, “El Libro de Mormón y Yo”; Mark L. Grover, “Bibliograf’a de la Iglesia Mormona en LatinoamŽrica”; and a small “Encuesta S—bre el art’culo MuŽstrenme a un ‘Lamanita,’ ” compiled by Sánchez.
Healing is much more than “getting better” or “having our problems go away.” Healing is growth, development, and maturation. In a word, healing is change. It takes time and energy and struggle, but healing teaches us.
I know that Jesus Christ is the light that makes forgiveness possible and that as we forgive each other and ourselves, we will feel His love and experience His light in this life and even more fully in the eternal world to come.
RSC Topics > D — F > Faith
RSC Topics > G — K > Grace
RSC Topics > G — K > Hell
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.
There is much evidence of an ancient civilization in Arizona. According to the author, the legends that surround these people closely resembled the story of the Nephites chronicled in the Book of Mormon.
There is much evidence of an ancient civilization in Arizona. The legends that surround these people closely resemble the story of the Nephites chronicled in the Book of Mormon.
A poem about Moroni and the Title of Liberty.
A poem about Moroni and the Title of Liberty.
A poem about Moroni and the Title of Liberty.
Each one of us has the opportunity to join a winning team by being full of integrity, following the promptings of the Holy Ghost, and persevering through the rough waters of life. I am grateful for the Savior and testify that He lives!
Old Testament Scriptures > Exodus
Old Testament Topics > Jerusalem
RSC Topics > A — C > Book of Mormon
RSC Topics > D — F > Death
RSC Topics > D — F > Doctrine
RSC Topics > D — F > Fall of Adam and Eve
RSC Topics > L — P > New Testament
RSC Topics > L — P > Plan of Salvation
RSC Topics > Q — S > Resurrection
RSC Topics > Q — S > Sacrifice
RSC Topics > Q — S > Salvation
Book of Mormon Scriptures > Moroni
RSC Topics > D — F > Eternal Life
RSC Topics > G — K > Grace
RSC Topics > G — K > Holy Ghost
RSC Topics > L — P > Mercy
RSC Topics > Q — S > Spiritual Gifts
RSC Topics > T — Z > Zion
By following the directions to which simple ideas and simple discoveries lead, one can be swept off into all sorts of adventures.
We can plan to give service—and I think that is excellent—but I believe the Savior taught and exemplified a better way. Christ most often blessed others when He was on His way to do something else.
Diseases and health issues
This chapter examines the importance of written text in the Book of Mormon and the way in which its writers transcend time, communicating directly with readers in the present day. It argues that the Latter-day Saint community is influenced largely by voices from the past, and that similarly, America’s national culture formed due to the societal connections created by print culture.
A polemical work against Mormonism. The writer notes what he perceives to be several anachronisms in the Book of Mormon, asserting that there is not a “scrap of evidence” in support of the antiquity of Book of Mormon names. The Book of Mormon is merely the “production of an over-imaginative mind”
A detailed polemic against the Book of Mormon that claims that the Spaulding manuscript was the primary source of the Book of Mormon. Includes background historical material, a brief bibliography, and eight appendices. Attempts to demonstrate a connection between Sidney Rigdon and Solomon Spaulding.
Despite deep popular interest in Mormon culture, scholars have not given significant attention to the religion’s central scripture. The Book of Mormon is relevant to literary studies at a moment when the turn to religion and debates over the secularization thesis have captured scholarly attention. Until recently, scholarship on The Book of Mormon was largely polemical and divided between apologists and skeptics. The rise of the new Mormon history beginning in the 1960s helped bring studies of Mormonism tentatively into the mainstream academy. Historians and scholars of religious studies have examined the reception of The Book of Mormon, the rise of the religion in early American culture, and the story of its founder, Joseph Smith. By studying the long-neglected internal workings of the text, literary critics have the opportunity to bring new scholarly techniques to bear on this highly influential American scripture. [Article’s abstract]
“The Book of Mormon is the story of how ancient Israelites established a civilization in the Americas, but it is also the story of the book itself : how the records were acquired, composed, labored over, protected, lost, abridged, preserved for a thousand years, and finally buried so that the plates could, as prophesied, be discovered by Joseph Smith centuries later. The prominence of the reader and writer is not just an incidental feature of this scripture, but is essential to the Mormon understanding of the relationship between human and divine. This essay identifies three key narrative features of The Book of Mormon : the centrality of readers and witnesses to the creation of scripture, the primacy of the act of writing in revelation and prophecy, and the mediation that allows a single person to inhabit multiple narrative categories. Biblical prophets, especially “writing prophets” like Jeremiah and Ezekiel, share some features with the prophets of The Book of Mormon , such as first-person narration and dialogue with God. Yet there is little biblical precedent for The Book of Mormon’s intense focus on its own textuality and its own narrative practices or for the ways in which prophets transcend their passive, anointed roles and become authors of scripture in their own right. Its insistent textuality does, however, link The Book of Mormon to other scriptural and prophetic forms that arose in the antebellum United States. While the Mormon prophets vary in their literary style, narrative techniques, and personal presence, the centrality of reading, writing, and the system of scripture-craft is persistent.” [Author]
The costume design for the Hill Cumorah Pageant reflects a strong understanding of the physical and artistic needs of the production as well as a good grasp of the historical setting of the Book of Mormon. Through a rich blending of theatrical techniques, the pageant dramatically re-creates scriptural episodes to underscore the wisdom of human agency based on moral choice—a message made poignantly relevant by the historical realism conveyed in large part by authentic costuming. This article explores the physical challenges of creating costumes for an outdoor drama and the historical research that influences the costume construction while staying true to the message of the script.
We may not fully understand why our own polis demands certain looks. Yet, as Lord Chesterfield observed, “Dress is a very foolish thing, and yet it is a very foolish thing for a man not to be well dressed, according to his rank and way of life.” Perhaps we should be more conscious of the outer symbols we wear and why we wear them, for these symbols strongly comment on our internal beliefs.
RSC Topics > L — P > Love
RSC Topics > L — P > Marriage
RSC Topics > T — Z > Women
Over the last twenty years, various objective author-attribution techniques have been applied to the English Book of Mormon in order to shed light on the question of multiple authorship of Book of Mormon texts. Two methods, one based on rates of use of noncontextual words and one based on word-pattern ratios, measure patterns consistent with multiple authorship in the Book of Mormon. Another method, based on vocabulary-richness measures, suggests that only one author is involved. These apparently contradictory results are reconciled by showing that for texts of known authorship, the method based on vocabulary-richness measures is not as powerful in discerning differences among authors as are the other methods, especially for works translated into English by a single translator.
Review of Fingerprints of God: Evidences from Near-Death Studies, Scientific Research on Creation, and Mormon Theology (1999), by Arvin S. Gibson
The abundance of skeptical theories about who wrote the Book of Mormon has led many scholars to seek scientific data to discover the answer. One technique is stylometry. Having first been developed in the 1850s, stylometry seeks to find the ” wordprint” of a text. Although these stylistic studies are not as accurate as a human’s fingerprint, they can give researchers a good idea either of differences in style between authors or of who might have written a text from a list of possible authors. Beginning in the 1960s individuals have completed four major stylometric studies on the Book of Mormon, studies that varied in both findings and quality of research. In addition to these four studies, this article presents a fifth study—using extended nearest shrunken centroid (ENSC) classification—that incorporates and improves on the earlier research.
The Book of Moses is canonized scripture spanning the epochs of Creation, Adam and Eve, Enoch, and Noah. Its content was revealed anciently by God to Moses and re-revealed to the Prophet Joseph Smith in modern times. This book explores the origins and development of the Book of Moses, its ancient nuances, the linguistic features of its revelations, and how its sweeping visions and rich doctrines inspired and guided Joseph Smith and the early members of what would become The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in their pursuit of Zion.
For some, the Old Testament is a difficult volume to read, much less understand. The language, symbolism, and history depicted within it can be challenging and at times frustrating. Modern biblical research and the methodologies used in that research have opened up this book of scripture to greater understanding. So too have the restoration of the priesthood and continuing revelation, which have revealed that the Old Testament patriarchs are not simply literary examples of righteous behavior in the past but living beings who have engaged with the Saints in this dispensation. This volume incorporates both academic insights and restoration revelation, thus demonstrating the way in which both can be used to gain greater insight into these pivotal narratives. ISBN 978-1-9503-0419-6
Old Testament Scriptures > Twelve Minor Prophets
RSC Topics > L — P > Old Testament
RSC Topics > Q — S > Restoration of the Gospel
The 46th Annual Brigham Young University Sidney B. Sperry Symposium This book explains Old Testament prophecies in their original linguistic, historical, and theological contexts, helping us more fully understand the Old Testament and its relevance. Prophetic books such as Amos, Micah, Jonah, Daniel, Jeremiah, and Obadiah are contextualized. Topics include rhetorical questions and prophetic voice, imagery of salvation, and symbolic naming. The volume additionally concentrates on topics such as Daniel’s apocalyptic visions, social domains and dimensions of foreign soil, sacred land and divine communication, gathering outcasts and remnant theology, the everlasting covenant and redemption, and the period of the exile. A section of the volume is also devoted to situating the Old Testament within other books of scripture. Chapters include topics such as Isaiah 7 and the fulfillment of prophecy in Matthew 1–2, the use of the Old Testament in the New Testament and Doctrine and Covenants, as well as the influence Old Testament prophets and prophecies had on the development of the Restoration. ISBN 978-1-9443-9422-6
RSC Topics > A — C > Covenant
RSC Topics > D — F > Discipleship
RSC Topics > D — F > Eternal Life
RSC Topics > G — K > Holy Ghost
RSC Topics > L — P > Ordinances
RSC Topics > T — Z > Testimony
Old Testament Topics > New Testament and the Old Testament
Additional authors: Tad R. Callister, John Gee, Joel A. Flake, and Gerald N. Lund.
It is audacious to believe that God is our Father—really our Father—and that we are His children—really His children. We have every reason to be fearless and bold, confident and courageous in our audacious faith.
I testify that charity—Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ’s pure love for us—is real. I pray that we may be blessed with a more abundant measure of charity in accordance with the work of our hands and the desires of our hearts.
While on assignment from the LDS prophet Joseph Smith to visit Jerusalem in 1840, Elder Orson Hyde of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles suggested opening a mission in Germany and translating the Book of Mormon into German. By April 1852, the new prophet, Brigham Young, had sent Daniel Carn to Germany to be the mission president and to help with the translation, and by May of the same year, Das Buch Mormon had been published. However, when East Germany was created and placed behind the “Iron Curtain,” matters grew worse for the Latter-day Saints. Because they were unable to print anything themselves, they relied on missionaries and members of the church in West Germany to smuggle copies of Das Buch Mormon into East Germany so they could have the scripture that was so central to their beliefs. Members still had to burn all manuals and church material that had been published after 1920 to avoid arrest, but since Das Buch Mormon had been published in 1852, the Saints were able to keep their copies of that scripture.
Responds to charges made against Mormonism in the book The God Makers
Itzamna the Dew of Heaven, the blonde, blue-eyed god of the ancient Mayan civilization, has qualities that recall the life and mission of Jesus Christ.
Includes numerous photographs and maps, demonstrating that the archaeological ruins of Latin America have an affinity with Egyptian culture, and correlate with the Book of Mormon.
Book of Moses Topics > Selection of Ancient Sources > General Collections and Key Texts
Kitsch in the Visual Arts [an interview in Lori Schlinker’s “Kitsch in the Visual Arts” (BYU, August 1971), 60–64; augmented by the inclusion of some miscellaneous comments made by Nibley in a panel discussion on the arts in Letters to Smoother, Etc. . . . Proceedings of the 1980 Brigham Young University Symposium on the Humanities, ed. Joy C. Ross and Steven C. Walker (Provo, UT: BYU Press, 1982), 102–4; 111–12]
The writer’s reason for making this study is a felt lack of taste and a general misunderstanding and misuse of the visual arts in the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints. She is convinced that art, generally considered as a matter of personal taste, is actually a matter of professional judgement. A characteristic of our time is the “do-it-yourself“ trend and to make up ones own mind about everything without any consultation of authorities and also a loss of feeling for integrity in productions of the human mind and hand which broke down the fences against kitsch and opened up the way, not only into man’s environment, but also into his thinking. May the reader find in this study a help towards a better understanding and a greater awareness of the problem of kitsch.
Hugh W. Nibley Topics > Hugh Nibley > Interviews
Hugh W. Nibley Topics > Hugh Nibley > Scholarship, Footnotes, Collected Works of Hugh Nibley, CWHN, Editing > Arts, Music, Theatre, Shakespeare
RSC Topics > D — F > Doctrine
RSC Topics > G — K > Heaven
RSC Topics > G — K > Hope
RSC Topics > Q — S > Sacrament
Through prayer, scripture study, and action, we can unlock the blessings of heaven and become better followers of the Savior Jesus Christ.
Teachings about grace in the Book of Mormon are more at home in the worlds of the Bible and the ancient Mediterranean than in the modern understanding that grace is a free, unearned gift. The Book of Mormon teaches that grace is part of a covenant that places requirements on the receiver. Grace manifests God’s goodness to humankind and is closely aligned with mercy and Christ’s Atonement to meet the demands of justice and make salvation possible. It parallels the meanings of hesed (mercy) from the Old Testament and the concept that all gifts give rise to reciprocal obligations, which prevailed in the ancient world.
Faith is a precious doctrine of the gospel of Jesus Christ. Ancient prophets and apostles clearly taught that faith is relational: faith is trust, loyalty, obedience, and devotion to God and his Son, and it encompasses God’s blessings to us. In the language and culture of ancient Greece, pistis (faith) meant faithfulness and trust, and when New Testament writers taught about faith, their ancient readers understood its relational nuances. An apostasy regarding the meaning and doctrine of faith occurred, and the word faith came to have many varied meanings. Some theologians have taught that faith is a passive belief in a creed or a statement of belief in God that would guarantee one’s salvation. Theologians such as Augustine, Aquinas, Wyclif, Hus, Luther, Calvin, and Bultmann went off course in their understanding of faith. The restoration of the gospel that came through Joseph Smith and living prophets has revived the correct understanding of faith as a reciprocal relationship between people and God. For Latter-day Saints, faith is a principle of action, knowledge, understanding, trust, obedience, and faithfulness. Faith once again motivates disciples to trust in Jesus Christ, repent, and follow his straight and narrow covenant path leading to salvation and exaltation. Review of Relational Faith by Jeff Lindsay at his website “Arise from the Dust”
In ancient Greece and Rome, charis was a system in which one person gave something of value to another, and the receiver gave service, thanks, and lesser value back to the giver. It was the word used to describe familial gifts, gifts between friends, gifts between kings and servants, and gifts to and from the gods. In Rome, these reciprocal transactions became the patron-client system. Orderly gift exchange is a key building block in the development of societies. Charis (grace) is the word New Testament authors, especially Paul, sometimes used to explain Christ’s gift to people. But what is the nature of the gift? Since the fifth century, a number of Christian scholars have taught that grace is something bestowed by God freely, with little or nothing required in return. This book sets out to show that “free grace” is not what Paul and others intended. The practice in the ancient world of people granting and receiving favors and gifts came with clear obligations. Charis served New Testament authors as a model for God’s mercy through the atonement of Jesus Christ, which also comes with covenantal obligations. LDS scriptures make it clear that being saved comes through grace accompanied by forsaking sin and making and keeping covenants. For Latter-day Saints, being saved by grace means coming to Christ, being baptized and joining the community of saints, and continually living with thanks and praise for God’s gift. All of these expressions of grace are found both in the Greek and Pauline use of the word. Knowing what charis means helps us understand what God expects us to do once we have accepted his grace.
While most modern Christian theologians have concluded that grace is an unconditional pass guaranteeing salvation or a mystical abstraction, few know that the principle of grace (hen: Hebrew or charis: Greek=a gift) was relational in antiquity. Unfortunately, the active, relational, covenantal nuances of grace (hen and charis) were lost during the apostasy but were remarkably restored in the Book of Mormon. Grace (hen/charis)was an obliging, reciprocal and relational gift in its original, Mediterranean context. Ancient, archaic Greek and Hebrew writers in 600 BC conventionally expected to form a relationship with others by gift-giving and thereby expected to create a binding relationship of future gift-giving in return. Archaic gift-giving forged alliances and covenants and inspired later rounds of gift-giving in the Near East that gradually empowered both the giver and the recipient. However, in late-antiquity and during the Reformation, Christian intellectuals transformed this covenant-inspiring gift of grace into an emotional, one-directional freebie that allegedly provided immediate salvation. In contrast, the Book of Mormon clarifies that God’s grace encourages action, invites, obliges, enables and empowers disciples to restore broken covenant relationships and thereby become like Heavenly Father because of His Son’s obliging, atoning gift.
Elder Schmitt teaches us that learning about the many names of Jesus can inspire us to become more like Him. My earnest desire is that you will come to know Jesus by His many names and that you will become like Him.
This article can now be found in the Deseret News archives.
Hugh Nibley’s daughter reflects on Bro. Nibley’s early life and the beginning of his scholarly endeavors.
As we exercise our faith in the Savior, He will lift us up and carry us through all of our trials and, ultimately, save us in the celestial kingdom.
When we have built our houses on the foundation of a covenantal relationship with Christ, we are trusting the doctrine of Christ.
Notes briefly some problems he sees with the Book of Mormon and archaeology: the horse did not exist in Mesoamerica contemporaneously with the Nephites; natives with white skin and beards migrated in the Paleo- Mesolithic period; there are no remains of the Middle-Eastern seeds the Nephites planted (1 Nephi 18:25); many aspects of Nephite culture are not evidenced by archaeology.
Cartoon message for children. A nine-year-old boy presents a book report on the Book of Mormon in his school, impressing his teacher to the point that she desires to read it.
The law of obedience and sacrifice today
Old Testament Scriptures > Leviticus
Old Testament Scriptures > Numbers
Old Testament Scriptures > Deuteronomy
Old Testament Topics > Law of Moses
Students of Brigham Young University walk from Jerusalem to the Red Sea to relive “Lehi’s Trek”
Reprint of article in American Journal of Psychology 30 (1919): 66-72, wherein Schroeder replies to Walter F. Prince, who conducted rigorous psychological tests of the Book of Mormon and the Spaulding manuscript and concluded that it is doubtful that the two works had any connection. Schroeder disagrees with the conclusions of Prince, and reaffirms his position that the Book of Mormon was produced in collaboration with Sidney Rigdon, Parley P. Pratt, Oliver Cowdery, and perhaps Emma Smith, Hyrum Smith, and Joseph Smith.
Pamphlet. Provides a brief history of Solomon Spaulding and proposes that a second, re-written, Spaulding manuscript formed the basis for the Book of Mormon.
Desires to demonstrate the Spaulding origin of the Book of Mormon. In spite of the rediscovery of Spaulding’s manuscript by President Fairchild, Schroeder proposes that there was a “second” Spaulding manuscript from which Joseph Smith plagiarized in writing the Book of Mormon.
Attempts to explain the Book of Mormon on the basis of Spaulding’s Manuscript Found. Does not discuss the 1884 discovery of the manuscript.
To be in tune with our Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ, we have to find a way to see the truth we share and work toward peace and unity.
A review of W. F. Prince’s psychological aspects of the Book of Mormon. Debunks the idea that the Book of Mormon grew out of the anti-Masonic movement, but thinks that it was the Spaulding manuscript, revised by Sidney Rigdon, and finished with a group of people, including Parley P. Pratt, whom the prophet had not yet met.
The doctrine of the gathering of Israel
“Faith obedience” is a matter of trust. The question is simple: Do we trust our Heavenly Father? Do we trust our prophets?
Game theory has been applied to a number of disciplines, including economics, law, politics, sociology, and Bible studies, but this article is the first serious attempt to apply it to the Book of Mormon narrative. One particularly important model in game theory is known as the Prisoner’s Dilemma, which emphasizes the possibility and benefits of cooperation in the face of conflict. The Book of Mormon account is an almost constant narrative based on conflict, first within the family of Lehi and then between two warring factions that arise from a split in that original Book of Mormon family. These conflicts tend to fit the Prisoner’s Dilemma model extremely well. In a final estimation, the Prisoner’s Dilemma and its application in the Book of Mormon provide another way of looking at the Book of Mormon’s core messages of atonement, redemption, and the gospel of Jesus Christ.
Schwarz’s biography of Arnold Friberg includes a history of Friberg’s artistic work on the Book of Mormon and reproduces many of his paintings, including the brother of Jared, discovery of the Liahona, Abinadi in Noah’s court, and Christ’s appearance to the Nephites.
Good judgment is needed not only in understanding people but also in facing decisions that often lead us to or away from our Heavenly Father.
A comparison made between Egyptian hieratic phonetics found in the Book of the Dead and the Book of Mormon characters found in the Anthon transcript shows amazing similarities.
Discusses how certain Latin American artifacts confirm the Book of Mormon. Contains several pictures.
Tells about baptismal fonts that existed among the QuichŽ Mayas in Guatamala and another font is identified in Peru.
Reports on the increasing number of archaeological finds that do not conflict with the Book of Mormon, and that in some cases support the historical accuracy of the book. The remains of horses and wheels have been discovered.
An update on the translation and publication of the Book of Mormon into various languages, and the mention of certain scriptures that pose translation problems (e.g., 1 Nephi 16:10, 2 Nephi 1:22, 1 Nephi 5:16, Jacob 7:5).
Book of Mormon Scriptures > 2 Nephi
Book of Mormon Scriptures > Jacob
Update on the publishing history of the Book of Mormon, missionary tracts, and LDS magazines. Includes a chronology of Book of Mormon printings.
Points out two different findings in Mexico that show how archaeology converges with the Book of Mormon. The two excavations uncovered a Maya Codex in a city close to San Salvador and a lost fort found in Guatemala.
A large engraved stone with hieroglyphics and a picture of a fully clothed man was discovered in the Acula River, southeast of Veracruz, Mexico in 1986. Many scholars believe the hieroglyphics represent an earlier version of the Maya language, probably Olmec.
RLDS activity book designed for teaching the Book of Mormon to children.
Old Testament Topics > Symposia and Collections of Essays
Old Testament Topics > Ten Commandments
Old Testament Topics > Ten Commandments
An account of why the author left the Mormon church. A chapter on the Book of Mormon explains why it is not a divine work and the manner in which it contains errors made by Joseph Smith. Scott uses archaeological, historical, and linguistic evidence and the Bible to demonstrate the errors of the Book of Mormon.
Contradictions shown in two letters written by Professor Charles Anthon about his dealings with Martin Harris including whether or not he gave Harris a written opinion on the authenticity of the characters shown to him.
Book of Mormon Scriptures > Ether
“While there is much of value to be learned, there is only one arena of study where we may learn absolute truth—and that is centered in the gospel of Jesus Christ.”
Establish a set of guiding principles for your life, and never compromise them. Make no exception to them. Difficulties in life begin when small deviations from true standards are made to justify a quick move to a greater accomplishment.
True, enduring happiness, with the accompanying strength, courage, and capacity to overcome the greatest difficulties, will come as you center your life in Jesus Christ.
Do what is right and others will follow your example. Every time you make the right choice in the face of potential criticism, you build strength that makes it easier the next time.
The temple sealing has greater meaning as life unfolds. It will help you draw ever closer together and find greater joy and fulfillment.
Do the best you can while on earth to have an ideal family. To help you do that, ponder and apply the principles in the proclamation on the family.
One of the greatest blessings we can offer to the world is the power of a Christ-centered home where the gospel is taught, covenants are kept, and love abounds.
As an Apostle of the Lord Jesus Christ I invoke a blessing upon each one of you, conditioned on your obedience and faith, that the Lord will guide you through the Holy Ghost to make the correct choices in important decisions you now face and that you will feel that guidance in your life as you seek it.
RSC Topics > L — P > Love
RSC Topics > L — P > Prayer
RSC Topics > T — Z > Teaching the Gospel
RSC Topics > T — Z > Youth
RSC Topics > L — P > Love
RSC Topics > Q — S > Scriptures
RSC Topics > T — Z > Youth
Yours is a future without limit because you have decided to be unwavering in obedience to the Lord.
Your happiness now and forever is conditioned on your degree of conversion and the transformation that it brings to your life.
Do not play games with the Lord. When you trust Him fully, He is able to bless you richly.
He [Jesus Christ] has given His life that even in our weakness, we may overcome our mistakes through repentance and obedience to His gospel.
Our understanding of and faith in the Atonement of Jesus Christ will provide strength and capacity needed for a successful life.
The perfect role model for use of the holy priesthood is our Savior, Jesus Christ. He ministered with love, compassion, and charity.
As you continue to center your mind and heart in [the Lord], He will help you have a rich and full life no matter what happens in the world around you.
Why does the Lord want us to pray to Him and to ask? Because that is how revelation is received.
The greatest example who ever walked the earth is our Savior, Jesus Christ. … He invites us to follow His perfect example.
The Redeemer loves you and will help you do the essential things that bring happiness now and forever.
“He shall plant in the hearts of the children the promises made to the fathers, and the hearts of the children shall turn to their fathers.”
Resolve that each moment of your life will reflect your determination to humbly be an example of righteousness, integrity, and conviction. With such a life you will succeed in the purpose for which you came to earth.
Despite all of the negative challenges we have in life, we must take time to actively exercise our faith.
Resolve that each moment of your life will reflect your determination to humbly be an example of righteousness, integrity, and conviction.
Exciting fields of labor the world over allow the inspiration of the Lord to call young men and women and devoted couples to challenging assignments.
Are you taking full advantage of the redeeming power of repentance in your life so that you can have greater peace and joy?
For many, relief and happiness can come by understanding the relationship between peace of conscience and peace of mind.
Through the Atonement of Jesus Christ, each of us can become clean and the burden of our rebellion will be lifted.
Your personal security and happiness depend upon the strength of your testimony, for it will guide your actions in times of trial or uncertainty.
I encourage you to find out how this extraordinary resource can help in your missionary efforts.
Scriptures are like packets of light that illuminate our minds and give place to guidance and inspiration from on high.
With all my capacity I encourage you to discover who you really are. … I urge you to discern through the Spirit your divinely given capacities.
It is a place of peace, solitude, and inspiration. Regular attendance will enrich your life with greater purpose.
Appreciation for ethnic, cultural, or national heritage can be very wholesome and beneficial, but it can also perpetuate patterns of life that should be set aside by a devoted Latter-day Saint.
Each of us absolutely must help each daughter of God we can to realize what sacred characteristics Father in Heaven has given her.
Faith in God and in His guidance through the Holy Spirit will sustain you in an increasingly more challenging world.
When we keep the temple covenants we have made and when we live righteously … , we have no reason to worry or to feel despondent.
You can learn vitally important things by what you hear and see and, especially, by what you feel, as prompted by the Holy Ghost.
By careful practice, through the application of correct principles, and by being sensitive to the feelings that come, you will gain spiritual guidance.
You must trust that the Savior has given His life so that you can make the required changes in your life, changes that will bring peace.
I energetically encourage you to establish a personal plan to better understand and appreciate the incomparable, eternal, infinite consequences of the perfect fulfillment by Jesus Christ of His divinely appointed calling as our Savior and Redeemer. Profound personal pondering of the scriptures accompanied by searching, heartfelt prayer will fortify your understanding of and appreciation for the Atonement.
I have found that the best way to live life is to seek to know the will of the Lord as guided by the Holy Spirit. He knows what is best for you.
The power of healing is inherent in the Atonement of Jesus Christ.
You can learn vitally important things by what you hear and see and, even more, by what you feel, as prompted by the Holy Ghost.
God has given you the capacity to exercise faith so that you may find peace, joy, and purpose in life. However, to employ its power, that faith must be rooted in something secure. There is no more solid foundation than faith in the love Heavenly Father has for you, faith in His plan of happiness, and faith in the willingness and power of Jesus Christ to fulfill all of His promises.
Once in my life, I had the feelings of being left out. I now share the companionship of incomparable brotherhood and sisterhood, a feeling of belonging, of being useful, and I recognize that it comes only from sincere striving to live the commandments of the Lord.
A consistent righteous life produces an inner power and strength that can be permanently resistant to the eroding influence of sin and transgression.
The Father’s plan of salvation and happiness … will help you overcome every challenge in life.
A knowledge of truth is of little value unless we apply it in making correct decisions.
Prayer is a supernal gift of our Father in Heaven to every soul.
How seriously have you personally taken the Lord’s charge to share His gospel? It is a lifelong responsibility … to be addressed differently according to the various seasons of your life.
Many things mentioned in the Book of Mormon have been questioned in times past, but modern scientists are finding evidence that substantiates the Book of Mormon: archaeologists have found that the Wady Rumen flows into the Red Sea and is about three day’s journey down the Arabian shore of the Red Sea, answering objections to the route of Lehi from Jerusalem; archaeologists have verified that brass was used as a medium upon which records were kept; links have been found between New World and Old World cultures in modes of worship, architecture, and skeletal structure of ancient inhabitants.
Seeking a testimony with real intent and counseling with the Lord allows a testimony of the Book of Mormon to grow.
Inaction carries intense inertia, and it is often difficult to do more than simply study and comment on the problems that surround us.
The mission of BYU “is to assist individuals in their quest for perfection and eternal life.” This mission does not end today at graduation. Your learning doesn’t end, your quest doesn’t end, and our relationship doesn’t end.
Go forth and prosper, both spiritually and professionally. We applaud you and will always hold you close to our hearts.
It has always amazed me that by combining the powers of heaven and the power of personal responsibility, all things are possible—even going down stairs one step at a time.
Well, we believe in you, my dear brothers and sisters, and so does our Heavenly Father. I pray that you will follow His counsel for you throughout the eternities because He sees in you the power to become perfect and to dwell with Him eternally.
Review of Neylan McBaine, Pioneering the Vote: The Untold Story of Suffragists in Utah and the West (Salt Lake City: Shadow Mountain, 2020). 240 pages. $19.99 (hardback).
Abstract: Pioneering the Vote by Neylan McBaine provides a cogent and concise history of the role of Latter-day Saint women in the suffrage movement. McBaine interweaves a fictionalized narrative centered on Emmeline Wells with primary source excerpts and summaries of particular events. The book brings to life the women described and succeeds in explicating many of the important barriers that Latter-day Saint women faced while trying to participate in the suffrage movement — namely, polygamy. McBaine accurately portrays the aversion to polygamy, but she could have spent more time describing why and how Latter-day Saint women found polygamy empowering. While the book succeeds in recounting history and begins to analyze Latter-day Saint women’s role in this movement, more interaction with Latter-day Saint theology as a way of showing why women would feel passionately about obtaining suffrage while still maintaining polygamous relationships would create a more complete picture. Nevertheless, McBaine’s historic contribution to this field of study acts as a milestone from which we can advance to more nuanced discussions about the way polygamy empowered women.
A booklet containing commentary and scriptural quotes from the Bible, Book of Mormon, and Doctrine and Covenants that pertain to prophecies of the second coming, the new Jerusalem, judgment, and the degrees of glory.
In general conference, President Russell M. Nelson spoke about poverty and other humanitarian concerns, declaring, “As members of the Church, we feel a kinship to those who suffer in any way. . . . We heed an Old Testament admonition: ‘Thou shalt open thine hand wide unto thy brother, to thy poor, and to thy needy’ (Deuteronomy 15:11).” President Nelson’s linking of Old Testament law with modern social concerns highlights the continued relevancy of the Old Testament for confronting modern challenges, including poverty, ethnocentrism, and the world’s growing refugee crisis. ISBN 978-1-9503-0414-1
RSC Topics > A — C > Baptism
RSC Topics > A — C > Covenant
RSC Topics > L — P > Ordinances
RSC Topics > Q — S > Sin
Abstract: A recent review of Joseph M. Spencer’s book The Vision of All: Twenty-Five Lectures on Isaiah in Nephi’s Record made the case that the book contains several challenges and problems, in particular that it advocates a theologically deficient interpretation of Isaiah that denies Isaiah’s witness of Jesus Christ. This response provides an alternative reading of Spencer’s work and suggests these assertions are often based on misunderstanding. At stake in this conversation is the question of whether or not there is more than one valid way to read Isaiah that draws upon a faithful, Restoration perspective. While Spencer may interpret and frame some things differently than some other Latter-day Saint scholars, the prophecies of Isaiah provide enough richness and possibility to accommodate a chorus of faithful approaches.
Old Testament Scriptures > Isaiah
Book of Mormon Topics > Criticisms and Apologetics > Book Reviews
RSC Topics > Q — S > Scriptures
To ignore or violate the principle of faith will hamper our own progression and diminish our spiritual influence on others. The mastering of faith gives us joy as we become more effective instruments in doing the Lord’s work.
This volume aims to assist in the personal and family study of the history and teachings of the Old Testament. The book gathers some of the clearest writings on the Old Testament that have been published by the Religious Studies Center at Brigham Young University. The Old Testament is not only foundational to our understanding of the birth, life, atonement, crucifixion, and resurrection of the Savior, as found in the New Testament, the Book of Mormon, and other scripture, but it also teaches us about God, our faith history, and the spiritual heritage of the house of Israel. ISBN 978-1-9503-0420-2
The 42nd Annual Brigham Young University Sidney B. Sperry Symposium The Psalmist asks, “Who shall ascend into the hill of the Lord?” This year’s Sperry Symposium discusses ascending into the Lord’s mountain within the context of theophany, ancient temple worship, sacred space, sacrifice, offerings, and hymns and songs in the text of the Old Testament and the Book of Mormon. The scriptures contain a rich treasury of information of how ancient Israelites and the people in the Book of Mormon worshipped God and expressed themselves through ritual and devotions as found in the Psalms. These explorations of ancient temple worship help us to better understand and appreciate latter-day temple and worship traditions. ISBN 978-1-60907-581-1
Review of The Literary Message of Isaiah (1994), by Avraham Gileadi.
RSC Topics > L — P > New Testament
RSC Topics > L — P > Old Testament
RSC Topics > L — P > New Testament
RSC Topics > L — P > Old Testament
The eternal and enduring masterpieces that we produce in our lives are not works of art or music or scholarly books or articles—they are the people around us. As we help the Master with His masterpieces, we are engaged in His work and His glory: “the immortality and eternal life of man.”
Abstract: The Seelys discuss the well-known concept of the universe as a temple, and link the creation story to the temple drama. They explore how God, in creating the universe, had the same roles the temple drama gives to Adam and Eve as archetypes of each man and woman (that of king, priest, and artisan), and how man, by participating in the temple drama, is raised to be the image of God, thus becoming the real crown of creation, participating in God’s creation by procreation.
[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 David Rolph and Jo Ann H. Seely, “The Crown of Creation,” in Temple Insights: Proceedings of the Interpreter Matthew B. Brown Memorial Conference, “The Temple on Mount Zion,” 22 September 2012, ed. William J. Hamblin and David Rolph Seely (Orem, UT: The Interpreter Foundation; Salt Lake City: Eborn Books, 2014), 11–24. Further information at https://interpreterfoundation.org/books/temple-insights/.]
Review of The House of the Lord: A Study of Holy Sanctuaries: A special Reprint of the 1912 First Edition (1998), by James E. Talmage.
Review of Avraham Gileadi. Isaiah Decoded: Ascending the Ladder to Heaven.
“The Foundation for Ancient Research and Mormon Studies (FARMS) was founded by John W. (Jack) Welch in 1979 as a private nonprofit educational organization dedicated primarily to the study of the Book of Mormon but eventually branching out into many other issues related to Latter-day Saint scripture. Welch founded FARMS in California and brought it with him (with permission of Associate Vice President Robert K. Thomas and Law School Dean Rex E. Lee) when he was hired at the Brigham Young University (BYU) Law School in 1980. FARMS became officially affiliated with BYU in 1997 and was eventually subsumed by the formation of the Neal A. Maxwell Institute for Religious Scholarship in 2006. After the formation of the Maxwell Institute, the FARMS initiatives were gradually phased out, and with the dissolution of the FARMS Review in 2012, virtually all vestiges of FARMS, except the Journal of Book of Mormon Studies, disappeared from the Maxwell Institute. FARMS originally defined its research interests to include ’ancient history, language, literature, culture, geography, politics and law,’ all related primarily or comparatively to the Book of Mormon. Indeed, a review of FARMS publications throughout the years demonstrates that its research is found in all of these areas. FARMS aimed to produce peer-reviewed scholarship that would be reputable to scholars, and also to present their scholarship to a general (Latter-day Saint) audience. The organization developed a host of venues for creating and disseminating its works on the Book of Mormon. The number of publications is remarkable, in addition to their breadth and significance. This short paper will attempt to review and evaluate the contribution of FARMS to Book of Mormon studies and scholarship during the period from 1979 to 2011.” [Author]
Old Testament Topics > Restoration and Joseph Smith
Old Testament Topics > Symposia and Collections of Essays
RSC Topics > D — F > Eternal Life
RSC Topics > G — K > Grace
RSC Topics > G — K > Jesus Christ
RSC Topics > G — K > Justice
RSC Topics > L — P > Mercy
RSC Topics > Q — S > Repentance
RSC Topics > Q — S > Salvation
RSC Topics > Q — S > Sin
RSC Topics > T — Z > Tithing
Old Testament Topics > Jerusalem
Available for free at BYU ScholarsArchive.
A review of Teachings of the Book of Mormon: Sememster 3 (1992), by Hugh W. Nibley.
The image of the hand of God in both the Old Testament and the Book of Mormon stands for the Lord’s power to intervene in the affairs of men and the events of history. Comparison between the ways this image is used in the two scriptures supports what the Book of Mormon claims about its own origin.
Old Testament Scriptures > Jeremiah/Lamentations
Review of Reexploring the Book of Mormon: The F.A.R.M.S. Updates (1992), edited by John W. Welch
Old Testament prophet Jeremiah and Book of Mormon prophet Lehi were contemporaries, and both preached repentance to the people of Jerusalem. Despite their common love for the truth, these men led very different lives because the first was commanded to remain in Jerusalem and the latter was commanded to leave. This article examines the lives and teachings of Jeremiah and Lehi and compares them to each other, suggesting that Jeremiah’s life symbolizes God’s justice and that Lehi’s life symbolizes God’s mercy.
After the Book of Mormon prophet Lehi left Jerusalem with his family, he built an altar in the wilderness and offered a sacrifice to God. This practice appears to contradict biblical law as outlined in Deuteronomy 12, which states that sacrifices should be made only on an altar within a temple. However, David Rolph Seely provides three possible explanations as to why Lehi was not breaking the law of Moses.
Old Testament Scriptures > Isaiah
Old Testament Topics > Book of Mormon and the Old Testament
Contents:
Preface / Paul H. Peterson, David F. Boone, David R. Seely
A Tribute to Sidney B. Sperry / Ellis T. Rasmussen
Rending the Veil of Unbelief / Jeffrey R. Holland
The Destiny of the House of Israel / Daniel H. Ludlow
The Power and the Purpose of the Written Record / Robert J. Matthews
The Regeneration of Fallen Man / Robert L. Millet
The Power of Evidence in the Nurturing of Faith / John W. Welch
Review of From Jerusalem to Zarahemla: Literary and Historical Studies of the Book of Mormon (1998), by S. Kent Brown
This is a continuation of the comprehensive bibliography of LDS writings on the Old Testament published in BYU Studies 37, no. 2 (1997–98), available at byustudies.byu.edu. This bibliography includes publications from 1997 to the end of 2005 as well as a few older publications that were not included in the first bibliography. Since that bibliography, there has been a Sperry Symposium dedicated to the Old Testament; all of those printed proceedings (Covenants, Prophecies, and Hymns of the Old Testament) are included in this bibliography. Published in 2005 is the volume Sperry Symposium Classics, a collection of papers from previous symposia; since many of those articles were revised for the 2005 volume, they are included here. Also relevant to the Old Testament is a volume published by FARMS entitled Glimpses of Lehi’s Jerusalem. Of note but not included in this bibliography because of space considerations are the many Old Testament topics discussed in encyclopedic form in The Book of Mormon Reference Companion, edited by Dennis Largely (Deseret Book, 2003).
Abstract: David Seely provides a wide-ranging survey of interpretations of the prophecy in Deuteronomy 18:15–18 concerning “a prophet like unto Moses.” He examines relevant passages in the Book of Mormon, the Bible, and the Dead Sea Scrolls and shows how the prophecy has been fulfilled by Jesus Christ and others, continuing with Joseph Smith’s role in the Restoration and onward to the present day.
[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 David R. Seely, ““A Prophet Like Moses” (Deuteronomy 18:15–18) in the Book of Mormon, the Bible, and the Dead Sea Scrolls,” 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), 359–74. Further information at https://interpreterfoundation.org/books/to-seek-the-law-of-the-lord-essays-in-honor-of-john-w-welch-2/.].
Book of Mormon Topics > General Topics > Prophets and Prophecy
The Prophet Joseph Smith described the Restoration as a bringing forth of treasures of “things new and old,”1 and indeed modern revelation has shed great light on ancient truths. From Oliver Cowdery’s commentary on Zephaniah published in The Evening and the Morning Star in 1833 to the present outpouring of publications in preparation for the Sunday School course of study on the Old Testament in 1998, Latter-day Saints have generated a wealth of writings on the Old Testament which examine anew this ancient book of scripture in light of the Restoration. Through the spectacles of the Restoration we are able to remember the patriarchs Adam, Noah, Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, and Joseph, and the great things the Lord has done for our fathers. We are able to understand the covenants the Lord has made in past dispensations and in the latter days. We are also able to better comprehend the writings of ancient prophets such as Moses, Isaiah, Jeremiah, and Ezekiel and to discern from them the timeless message of repentance, the themes of scattering and gathering, and the prophecies concerning the coming of the Messiah—first in the flesh to atone for the sins of the world and again at the end of time. Just as the Old Testament provides a foundation for reading the rest of the scriptures, the light of the Restoration can reveal hidden treasures in the Old Testament. This bibliography is an attempt to guide readers to this treasury of “things new and old.” Criteria for Inclusion. This bibliography is meant to be a comprehensive listing of books and articles written by Latter-day Saints to Latter-day Saints about the Old Testament from 1830 through 1997. To be included, a book or an article must be primarily on an Old Testament topic. Consequently we have not included New Testament, Book of Mormon, or Pearl of Great Price topics unless they are specifically related to the Old Testament.2 Nor have we included writings on apocryphal or pseudepigraphical books unless they are relevant to the Old Testament. We have included general conference addresses published in the Ensign (1971–), but we have not included conference talks before this time. We have included a few articles by non-Latter-day Saints aimed at an LDS audience, but have not included biblical studies presented by LDS scholars in non-LDS settings. The Old Testament has been the course of study in Sunday School from September 1972 to August 1974 and September 1980 to August 1982, and from January to December in 1986, 1990, 1994, and 1998. Numerous Old Testament items have been published in those years. The articles that appear weekly in the Church News and coordinate with Sunday School lessons have not been included in this bibliography. The following periodical or recurring sources were surveyed for this bibliography: BYU Studies (1959–); Church Educational System symposia and manuals; The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints manuals; Contributor (1879–1896); Dialogue (1966–); Encyclopedia of Mormonism; Ensign (1971–); The Evening and the Morning Star (1832–34); Improvement Era (1897–1970); Millennial Star (1840–1970); New Era (1971–); Sperry Symposia; Sunstone (1981–); theses and dissertations at BYU; and Young Woman’s Journal (1889–1929). Three Lists. The entries are organized in three overlapping lists. First, all entries are listed by author’s names with complete bibliographic information and a very short abstract in cases where the contents of the publications are not adequately described by their titles. This is followed by a list of the entries organized by canonical books of the Old Testament. A third listing is divided into subject categories. All the entries are found in the author list and are found again listed either in the canonical or the subject categories. Many entries are found both in the canonical listing as well as in one or more subject listings. Gaining Access. Most, if not all, of the entries in this bibliography are available at the Harold B. Lee Library at BYU. Many of them are readily available on the shelves, but some are kept in Special Collections. The bibliography itself can be accessed electronically at http://humanities.byu.edu/BYU Studies/homepage.htm. Acknowledgments. This bibliography began with a work by Dane Robertson entitled Index of Mormon Literature on the Old Testament, compiled for the History and Religion Library at BYU, which included entries up through 1981. Originally we intended to simply update that index, but in the course of our work we adopted somewhat different criteria for collecting and organizing the entries, and we ended up surveying the corpus of LDS writings again. We remain indebted to this earlier work. Many have worked in various capacities on the bibliography over the last several years: Eryn Johnson Gibson, Brian Jones, Jennifer Hammond Merrill, Becky Schulthies, and Luke Todd have worked through Religious Education on compiling, typing, abstracting, and checking the entries. Daniel B. McKinlay helped with the compilation. Jennifer Hurlbut, David Allred, and the interns and staff at BYU Studies rechecked and formatted the entries. We invite corrections and additions. A master list is kept in electronic form and can readily be expanded and reorganized. Hopefully, a supplement can someday be issued including future publications and additions to this bibliography. This work is one of collection and description. We have not attempted to evaluate the entries in terms of scholarly accuracy or doctrinal correctness.
Review of Hugh Nibley Observed, edited by Jeffrey M. Bradshaw, Shirley Ricks, and Stephen Whitlock (Orem, UT: Interpreter Foundation, 2021). 820 pages. $45.00 (hardback), $35.00 (paperback).
Abstract: Those who knew Brother Nibley best knew he was a remarkable man of both depth and breadth. This new volume plumbs both that depth and breadth in the recounting of personal stories and colorful history. This volume is a welcome addition to any library.
This is a tribute written by a former student.
“Those who knew Brother Nibley best knew he was a remarkable man of both depth and breadth. This new volume plumbs both that depth and breadth in the recounting of personal stories and colorful history. This
volume is a welcome addition to any library.“
Hugh W. Nibley Topics > Hugh Nibley > Scholarship, Footnotes, Collected Works of Hugh Nibley, CWHN, Editing
Old Testament Topics > Restoration and Joseph Smith
RSC Topics > A — C > Covenant
Old Testament Topics > Restoration and Joseph Smith
RSC Topics > L — P > Old Testament
RSC Topics > Q — S > Restoration of the Gospel
RSC Topics > Q — S > Scriptures
Old Testament Topics > History
RSC Topics > Q — S > Sacrifice
RSC Topics > T — Z > Worship
Old Testament Topics > Book of Mormon and the Old Testament
Old Testament Topics > Ten Commandments
Old Testament Topics > Book of Mormon and the Old Testament
Old Testament Topics > Ten Commandments
Old Testament Topics > Ten Commandments
Volume I:
Keynote Overviews
Inspired Origins and Historical Contexts
Volume II
Literary Explorations
Moses 1: Temple Echoes in the Heavenly Ascent of Moses
Moses 6–7: Enoch’s Divine Ministry
“Tracing Ancient Threads in the Book of Moses 2020 Conference” (2020)
“Tracing Ancient Threads in the Book of Moses 2021 Conference” (2021)
Tracing Ancient Threads in the Book of Moses: Inspired Origins, Temple Contexts, and Literary Qualities. Volume 2 (2021)
Volume I:
Keynote Overviews
Inspired Origins and Historical Contexts
Volume II
Literary Explorations
Moses 1: Temple Echoes in the Heavenly Ascent of Moses
Moses 6–7: Enoch’s Divine Ministry
“Tracing Ancient Threads in the Book of Moses 2020 Conference” (2020)
“Tracing Ancient Threads in the Book of Moses 2021 Conference” (2021)
Tracing Ancient Threads in the Book of Moses: Inspired Origins, Temple Contexts, and Literary Qualities. Volume 1 (2021)
Some Latter-day Saint commentators deem a phrase that appears in 2 Nephi 12:16 but not in the parallel passage in Isaiah 2:16—“and upon all ships of the sea”—as evidence that the Book of Mormon preserves a version of this verse from the brass plates that is more complete than the Hebrew or King James readings. One scholar’s conclusions in this regard are reviewed and then critiqued for ignoring the complexities of the ancient Hebrew and Greek versions of the Bible. The authors examine Isaiah 2:16 in its broader literary context, noting that the 2 Nephi reading alters a pattern of synonymous couplets; analyze the Greek and Hebrew texts of the verse; and relate their findings to the Book of Mormon reading. They discuss the inherent limitations of textual criticism in this kind of study and conclude that LDS and non-LDS scholars are open to different interpretive possibilities owing to the role that faith plays in one’s approach to and interpretation of textual evidence.
Old Testament Scriptures > Isaiah
This study presents the basic Latter-day Saint beliefs about the Bible and documents the relationship between these beliefs and the approach and results of historical biblical criticism. Latter-day Saints believe the Bible is the word of God but do not believe it is inerrant or sufficient and thus is supplemented by other revealed ancient texts—most notably the Book of Mormon. Latter-day Saints believe in the pursuit of truth through “study and faith” and are thus not opposed to intellectual examination of scripture. In fact LDS scholars selectively use biblical critical methods in defending of their scripture. At the same time Mormons are defensive about the historicity of the Bible and the Book of Mormon—and thus find themselves with a tradition of conflict with the results of modern biblical criticism that challenge these assumptions. A growing number of LDS scholars in the church who are trained in the historical critical approach to scripture has resulted in renewed discussions and studies about the relationship between faith and scholarship. These discussions are enhanced by a greater openness in the church regarding the critical study of its history, and the results of this approach have also generated biblical and Book of Mormon studies relating to historical critical issues.
Book of Moses Topics > Source Criticism and the Documentary Hypothesis
In 1842 Joseph Smith published the basics of Latter-day Saint (LDS) belief in thirteen articles of faith. In Article of Faith 8 he succinctly set forth their belief about the Bible: “We believe the Bible to be the word of God.” While there is no evidence that Smith was familiar with Maimonides or his writings, in a strange coincidence Maimonides, in the twelfth century, also set forth thirteen principles of Jewish belief, and number 8 in his list also dealt with the Bible: “I believe with perfect faith that the entire Torah that is now in our possession is the same that was given to Moses our teacher, peace be upon him.”
Old Testament Topics > Adam and Eve [see also Fall]
Old Testament Topics > Women in the Old Testament
RSC Topics > A — C > Bible
RSC Topics > L — P > Mercy
RSC Topics > Q — S > Sacrifice
RSC Topics > A — C > Bible
Old Testament Topics > Bible: Origin, Formation, and Translation
Cites the teachings and prophecies of Zenos included in the Book of Mormon to demonstrate his importance as a prophet.
The chronology of the use of plant imagery
Old Testament Scriptures > Psalms/Proverbs/Ecclesiastes/Song of Solomon
Old Testament Scriptures > Isaiah
Old Testament Topics > Book of Mormon and the Old Testament
Old Testament Topics > Types and Symbols
Old Testament Topics > Jerusalem
Abstract: The Seelys discuss the well-known concept of the universe as a temple, and link the creation story to the temple drama. They explore how God, in creating the universe, had the same roles the temple drama gives to Adam and Eve as archetypes of each man and woman (that of king, priest, and artisan), and how man, by participating in the temple drama, is raised to be the image of God, thus becoming the real crown of creation, participating in God’s creation by procreation.
[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 David Rolph and Jo Ann H. Seely, “The Crown of Creation,” in Temple Insights: Proceedings of the Interpreter Matthew B. Brown Memorial Conference, “The Temple on Mount Zion,” 22 September 2012, ed. William J. Hamblin and David Rolph Seely (Orem, UT: The Interpreter Foundation; Salt Lake City: Eborn Books, 2014), 11–24. Further information at https://interpreterfoundation.org/books/temple-insights/.]
Review of The Book of Mormon Text Reformatted according to Parallelistic Patterns (1992), by Donald W. Parry
Old Testament Topics > Symposia and Collections of Essays
RSC Topics > D — F > Eternal Life
RSC Topics > G — K > Grace
RSC Topics > G — K > Jesus Christ
RSC Topics > G — K > Justice
RSC Topics > L — P > Mercy
RSC Topics > Q — S > Repentance
RSC Topics > Q — S > Salvation
RSC Topics > Q — S > Sin
RSC Topics > T — Z > Tithing
Old Testament prophet Jeremiah and Book of Mormon prophet Lehi were contemporaries, and both preached repentance to the people of Jerusalem. Despite their common love for the truth, these men led very different lives because the first was commanded to remain in Jerusalem and the latter was commanded to leave. This article examines the lives and teachings of Jeremiah and Lehi and compares them to each other, suggesting that Jeremiah’s life symbolizes God’s justice and that Lehi’s life symbolizes God’s mercy.
Our experiences at BYU have helped us to better understand that we are in similitude of the Savior and belong to the great family encompassing all of the people of the earth.
Archaeological evidence incorrectly used as proof of scriptural accounts
Old Testament Topics > Old Testament: Overviews and Manuals
Old Testament Topics > Scripture Study
Knowing the language and culture of the scriptures
Old Testament Topics > Scripture Study
Old Testament Topics > Teaching the Old Testament
RSC Topics > L — P > Missionary Work
Book review.
A polemical work against Mormonism. The author discusses what he considers to be various anachronisms and absurdities in the Book of Mormon.
RSC Topics > A — C > Covenant
RSC Topics > D — F > First Vision
RSC Topics > D — F > Forgiveness
RSC Topics > T — Z > Zion
A historical work that discusses Joseph Smith and Mormonism on pages 1-23. The author considers the Book of Mormon to be “crude in style and inane in contents” He accepts the Spaulding Theory regarding its origin.
Old Testament Topics > Marriage
Book review.
Additional Authors: Ronald W. Walker, James B. Allen, and Richard O. Cowan
In this article, the South African Mission celebrates the anniversary of Moroni’s visit by organizing a campaign to sell and distribute copies of the Book of Mormon.
In this article, the South African Mission celebrates the anniversary of Moroni’s visit by organizing a campaign to sell and distribute copies of the Book of Mormon.
Two polemic lectures. Considers Joseph Smith to be an impostor. Tells about the origin of the Book of Mormon and comments on its feasibility or lack thereof.
This chapter examines the Book of Mormon in light of the popular pseudo-biblical genre of the time period in which it was published. It hypothesizes that the Book of Mormon could not have gained the traction it did if not for the existence of contemporary texts written in biblical style.
This article illustrates the Nephite notions of priesthood and church in order to show that the Book of Mormon conception of priesthood is based on Judahite notions of kingly priesthood and ideas firmly rooted in the biblical law of Moses and the Sinai Covenant. This is the underlying idea behind Alma2’s discussion of Melchizedek in Alma 13. In this article, I first look at “priest” in the biblical record and tradition. I follow this with a discussion of Book of Mormon “priesthood” notions up to Alma1 and Alma2 (including the interaction with Nehor). Finally, I examine the conflict between Alma2 and the Nehorite people of Ammonihah, where Alma2 draws on a narrative expansion of the Melchizedek tradition in Genesis 14 to make his point about his priesthood order and its superiority to the order of Nehor.
RSC Topics > L — P > Old Testament
RSC Topics > T — Z > Temples
In general conference, President Russell M. Nelson spoke about poverty and other humanitarian concerns, declaring, “As members of the Church, we feel a kinship to those who suffer in any way. . . . We heed an Old Testament admonition: ‘Thou shalt open thine hand wide unto thy brother, to thy poor, and to thy needy’ (Deuteronomy 15:11).” President Nelson’s linking of Old Testament law with modern social concerns highlights the continued relevancy of the Old Testament for confronting modern challenges, including poverty, ethnocentrism, and the world’s growing refugee crisis. ISBN 978-1-9503-0414-1
This volume represents some of the more compelling articles on the Book of Mormon that have appeared in Religious Studies Center publications. Each has advanced the field of Book of Mormon studies in unique and innovative ways and has provided insights into the doctrine, history, and message of the Book of Mormon.
Book of Mormon Scriptures > Alma
RSC Topics > A — C > Book of Mormon
RSC Topics > A — C > Covenant
RSC Topics > D — F > Fall of Adam and Eve
RSC Topics > G — K > Judgment
RSC Topics > G — K > Justice
RSC Topics > L — P > Law of Moses
RSC Topics > L — P > Mercy
RSC Topics > L — P > Old Testament
RSC Topics > Q — S > Restoration of the Gospel
RSC Topics > Q — S > Sin
One of the intriguing things about religious texts is how long of a life and how long of an afterlife they have. Once a text becomes a part of a “canon,” once it becomes in a way fixed, it becomes open to further discussion and elaboration. Different groups and religious traditions create different genres of interpretation to work with and understand their scriptures according to the needs of their traditions. One form of interpretation involves reopening the Bible and expanding on the narrative of the already canonized text, such as is found in the rabbinic genre of midrash and in Joseph Smith’s New Translation (JST) of the Bible.
Book of Moses Topics > Joseph Smith Translation (JST) > Translation
Book of Moses Topics > Source Criticism and the Documentary Hypothesis
RSC Topics > A — C > Baptism
RSC Topics > A — C > Covenant
RSC Topics > L — P > Ordinances
“In this essay I have presented three concrete examples that I believe illustrate what is needed in the future from comparative and historical approaches to the Book of Mormon. There is value in pointing out parallels, but the future of these approaches in Book of Mormon studies must not stop there. It must use gathered data to aid in more sophisticated readings of the Book of Mormon, increasing understanding of both what the book is presenting and how it is presenting it. For me, this is one of the most important elements for the future of Book of Mormon studies--the recognition that finding parallels with the biblical text or other ancient cultures is not, in and of itself, sufficient as a point of scholarly interest. It is an excellent starting point, but the future of Book of Mormon studies will move on from that point. Future scholarship naturally builds on what has gone before, but standing on the shoulders of giants will allow future Book of Mormon scholars to see even further than before.” [Author]
An alphabetical listing of nearly every word occurring in the Book of Mormon, Doctrine and Covenants, and Pearl of Great Price with context entries. Words found in the title page and the thirty original chapter headings of the Book of Mormon are also included.
Book of Mormon Scriptures > Alma
RSC Topics > D — F > Death
RSC Topics > D — F > Fall of Adam and Eve
RSC Topics > G — K > Justice
RSC Topics > L — P > Mercy
RSC Topics > Q — S > Repentance
RSC Topics > Q — S > Restoration of the Gospel
In response to the accusations of three traveling Methodist preachers, the author attempts to prove through archaeology the existence in pre-Columbian Central America of horses, cement, and jewelry—things mentioned in the Book of Mormon.
Discusses several archetypal patterns that occur in the Book of Mormon. These include the archetypal night journey, the Cain-Abel archetype, the Oedipal statement, the Great Mother archetype, and the resulting masculinity of the book. She provides several examples of each archetype, and relates them to the scriptural context.
Sharp tells the history of the coming forth of the Book of Mormon, the early Church and persecution of the Saints, Joseph Smith’s martyrdom, and the pioneer journey, as well as Nephi’s story as told in the Book of Mormon, in an epic poem format.
RSC Topics > D — F > Doctrine and Covenants
RSC Topics > Q — S > Revelation
Old Testament Scriptures > Isaiah
Abstract: The word Gentiles appears 141 times in the Book of Mormon (the singular Gentile appears only five times.) It appears more frequently than key words such as baptize, resurrection, Zion, and truth. The word Gentiles does not appear with equal frequency throughout the Book of Mormon; in fact, it appears in only five of its fifteen books: 1 Nephi, 2 Nephi, 3 Nephi, Mormon, and Ether. Additionally, Book of Mormon speakers did not say Gentiles evenly. Some speakers said the word much less often than we might expect while others used it much more. Nephi1 used Gentiles the most (43 times), and Christ Himself used it 38 times. In addition to analyzing which speakers used the word, this study shows distinctive ways in which Book of Mormon speakers used this word.
Book of Mormon Scriptures > 2 Nephi
Book of Mormon Scriptures > 3 Nephi
Book of Mormon Scriptures > Ether
RSC Topics > G — K > Grace
Quotes Revelation 14:6-8 and explains that Moroni was the angel who held the keys of the gospel and came to earth in the latter days to commit them to Joseph Smith. Gives a biographical outline of Moroni’s mortal life and discusses his latter-day work in bringing the Book of Mormon to light.
Discusses the wickedness of the American nation as related to the prophecies of Samuel the Lamanite. He includes numerous quotes from the Book of Mormon and information about early explorers of America, and promotes the idea that the earth is a live animal.
Quotes Revelation 14:6-8 and explains that Moroni was the angel who held the keys of the gospel and came to earth in the latter days to commit them to Joseph Smith. Gives a biographical outline of Moroni’s mortal life and discusses his latter-day work in bringing the Book of Mormon to light.
Quotes Revelation 14:6-8 and explains that Moroni was the angel who held the keys of the gospel and came to earth in the latter days to commit them to Joseph Smith. Gives a biographical outline of Moroni’s mortal life and discusses his latter-day work in bringing the Book of Mormon to light.
A visit to the public library led Joseph Palozzolo to read the Book of Mormon, which eventually led to his conversion.
This article discusses newly discovered fossils of elephants that were found on an island off the coast of California. This discovery may indicate that the Book of Mormon contains the truth.
Your path of discipleship involves embracing your imperfect story and sharing who you are in a way that meets the world’s great needs.
A nine-stanza poem dedicated to the Book of Mormon. The ninth stanza summarizes the entire poem: “Now I behold thee, open to my gaze, The Stick of Ephraim sent in these last days, To warn the nations, gather Israel in, Bring Christ to earth, and make an end of sin”
Archaeological and historical concepts associated with the Americas and parallels between the Old and New Worlds (i.e., Hebrew and Egyptian languages and customs found among the Indians) are discussed in light of many claims made in the Book of Mormon.
Explains how the Book of Mormon contains the fullness of the gospel.
“In Book of Mormon, Book of Lies, authors Meredith Ray Sheets and Kendal M. Sheets expose The Book of Mormon and the story surrounding its creation as one of the greatest deceptions in the history of America, if not the entire world. The result of twenty-five years of research, Book of Mormon, Book of Lies will alter the course of global religion, finance, and politics. Book of Lies proves that Smith’s manuscript, which he published in 1830, is nothing more than cleverly disguised plagiarism of The Travels of Marco Polo, the voyage of Christopher Columbus to the New World as recorded by his son, histories of the Spanish conquest of Mexico, and travel journals… all readily available to Smith.” [Abstract]
“In Book of Mormon, Book of Lies, authors Meredith Ray Sheets and Kendal M. Sheets expose The Book of Mormon and the story surrounding its creation as one of the greatest deceptions in the history of America, if not the entire world. The result of twenty-five years of research, Book of Mormon, Book of Lies will alter the course of global religion, finance, and politics. Book of Lies proves that Smith’s manuscript, which he published in 1830, is nothing more than cleverly disguised plagiarism of The Travels of Marco Polo, the voyage of Christopher Columbus to the New World as recorded by his son, histories of the Spanish conquest of Mexico, and travel journals… all readily available to Smith.” [Abstract]
Old Testament Scriptures > Ezekiel
Old Testament Topics > Book of Mormon and the Old Testament
A polemical work against Mormonism and the Book of Mormon. The author notes several examples of what he terms anachronisms and absurdities in the book, such as the use of a compass, animals, pre-Christian knowledge of New Testament events, modern terms and phrases, lack of archaeological evidence, and Jaredite barges. The author considers it ridiculous that the Book of Mormon does not agree with the prevalent belief of biblical scholars that certain passages of Isaiah belong to the post-exilic period.
Writes concerning the gift of seership, the Urim and Thummim, and the Book of Mormon’s warning against centralized power.
An eight- part instructional aid to study of the Book of Mormon that includes lesson outlines and questions arranged in the same chronological order as the events in the Book of Mormon.
A polemic against Mormon scriptures. The Book of Mormon contradicts the Bible and is full of gross anachronisms and absurdities.
The Book of Mormon conflicts with itself and with the Bible and contains internal proof of its fallacy. One hundred such fallacies are listed, i.e., the Book of Mormon date of the death of Christ disagrees with the Bible, the date of the birth of Christ does not coincide with world history.
Book review.
Review of Blake T. Ostler. Exploring Mormon Thought: The Attributes of God. and Blake T. Ostler. Exploring Mormon Thought: The Problems of Theism and the Love of God.
The theory of intelligent design is an explanation for the origin and evolution of life on earth. Latter-day Saints should be sympathetic toward intelligent design.
Book review.
Book review.
The most significant pilgrimage that you will experience in your life will be the one that moves you to seek truth, to exercise faith, and to gain a firm testimony that Jesus is the Messiah, the Son of God, and the Savior and Redeemer of the world.
Old Testament Topics > Bible: Joseph Smith Translation (JST)
A study of different renditions of the JST
Old Testament Topics > Bibliography
Old Testament Topics > Bibliography
The more we are acquainted with the life and ministry of the Prophet Joseph Smith, the more evident it becomes that Elder John Taylor did not overstate reality when he said that “Joseph Smith, the Prophet and Seer of the Lord, has done more, save Jesus only, for the salvation of men in this world, than any other man that ever lived in it” (D&C 135:3). This passage goes on to specify that it was the abundance of revelation and scripture given Joseph Smith that particularly qualified him for such a lofty epithet.
RSC Topics > A — C > Bible
RSC Topics > Q — S > Scriptures
RSC Topics > Q — S > Scriptures
RSC Topics > A — C > Creation
RSC Topics > G — K > God the Father
RSC Topics > G — K > Jesus Christ
RSC Topics > D — F > Doctrine
RSC Topics > L — P > Plan of Salvation
Explores themes found in 1 Nephi: the Nephite sojourn in the wilderness, the tree of life, Nephi’s vision, the olive tree, and the Liahona.
Studies in 3 Nephi: the birth of Christ, Jesus Christ, the son of God, Jesus visits the Nephites, the Sermon on the Mount, other sheep.
“Steve Shields presents the argument of Eritrean-born Embaye Melekin that the Book of Mormon conforms more closely to the geography, culture, and lore of Africa than to the Americas.” [Publisher]
Presents a document written by Lucy Mack Smith to her sister-in-law, Mary Pierce, dated January 23, 1829, which mentions the process of translation. (Editor’s note: this document has since been shown to be a forgery.)
A study guide with scriptural paraphrases, questions, and activities designed to aid the reader in understanding the book of Alma.
A study guide with scriptural paraphrases, questions, and activities designed to aid the reader in understanding the book of Helaman.
It is imperative that Jews, Christians, and Muslims learn how to share their common spiritual roots and their common futuristic hopes without prejudice in order to avoid discrimination and religious and racial hatred so that they all can raise their children in peace and security on the basis of “Ethics of Sharing.”
Review of Robert V. Remini. Joseph Smith.
The first two chapters of this book describe the history of the Mormon church until the publication of the Book of Mormon. The author stresses the importance of the Book of Mormon in converting people to Joseph Smith’s cause. Only later did the First Vision begin to take prominence. This work is reviewed in A.026.
Letters praising the Journal of the Book of Mormon and Other Restoration Scripture and responding to articles published therein.
RSC Topics > L — P > Parenting
RSC Topics > Q — S > Service
RSC Topics > T — Z > War
“Iron we need and iron we must have”—so said Brigham Young in 1855. Utah’s pioneers depended on it for survival. Necessities, such as nails, stoves, plows and sawmill bearings, required iron, which had to be shipped from St. Louis at great expense. Brigham Young envisioned a regional iron works that would fill the territory’s need for iron and help make it economically self-sufficient. In April 1850, Church leaders established an Iron Mission in southern Utah, where iron ore, coal and timber were plentiful. Among these first Iron County settlers were experienced iron workers from the British Isles. Between 1851 and 1858, this colony of hard-working Saints tried many smelting techniques, yielding objects such as pots, crank shafts and bells. Despite sustained, even heroic, efforts, the iron missionaries did not succeed. Nature itself worked against them. Droughts, floods and inferior raw materials challenged them at every turn. When the iron works closed its books in 1858, some of the colonists moved away. Yet the pioneers’ legacy is still visible in Parowan and Cedar City—Iron Mission townships that have survived for over 150 years. A Trial Furnace chronicles the lives of people who transcended the practical, finding in their wilderness crucible an inner strength and resilience more durable than the iron they came south to find.
Review of Letters to a Mormon Elder: Eye-Opening Information for Mormons and the Christians Who Talk with Them (1993), by James R. White
Review of “Terminology” (1998), by Jerald and Sandra Tanner
“Iron we need and iron we must have”—so said Brigham Young in 1855. Utah’s pioneers depended on it for survival. Necessities, such as nails, stoves, plows and sawmill bearings, required iron, which had to be shipped from St. Louis at great expense. Brigham Young envisioned a regional iron works that would fill the territory’s need for iron and help make it economically self-sufficient. In April 1850, Church leaders established an Iron Mission in southern Utah, where iron ore, coal and timber were plentiful. Among these first Iron County settlers were experienced iron workers from the British Isles. Between 1851 and 1858, this colony of hard-working Saints tried many smelting techniques, yielding objects such as pots, crank shafts and bells. Despite sustained, even heroic, efforts, the iron missionaries did not succeed. Nature itself worked against them. Droughts, floods and inferior raw materials challenged them at every turn. When the iron works closed its books in 1858, some of the colonists moved away. Yet the pioneers’ legacy is still visible in Parowan and Cedar City—Iron Mission townships that have survived for over 150 years. A Trial Furnace chronicles the lives of people who transcended the practical, finding in their wilderness crucible an inner strength and resilience more durable than the iron they came south to find.
A polemical tract against the Book of Mormon attempting to demonstrate that many of its claims are false and unsupported by archaeological evidence. Author asserts that there is no evidence for the Hebrew origin of the American Indian, pre-columbian iron and steel, transoceanic migration, and Egyptian language in American white Indians. Other alleged anachronisms are noted.
An attempted refutation of the Book of Mormon’s historical claims. Author accepts the Spaulding theory for its origin; he asserts that there is no archaeological evidence that supports the Book of Mormon’s claims; he contests the claim that American Indians were once white, that they were of Hebrew descent, or that they had a knowledge of the Egyptian language. Numerous “anachronisms” are noted.
A polemical work attempting to discredit the Book of Mormon and show that it was derived from an unpublished manuscript written by Solomon Spaulding. The writer attempts to show that some Book of Mormon witnesses such as Oliver Cowdery denied their Book of Mormon testimony.
An examination of the North Americans of antiquity, from the aspects of archaeology, linguistics, geography, science, calendars, and religion. The Book of Mormon theory regarding the origin of the early North Americans is mentioned “only on the ground of its romantic character, and not on the supposition for a moment that it contains a grain of truth”
Uses historical, linguistic, and archaeological evidence to prove the truthfulness of the Book of Mormon. Basing his facts on research done by noted linguists and archaeologists of the time, the author writes concerning the god Quetzalcoatl, religious customs and ruins of advanced civilizations, comparisons between the Hebrew and Mayan languages, and the Egyptian hieroglyphic writings. Shreeve also tells of similarities in biblical beliefs between early people of both the western and eastern hemispheres and explains why Joseph Smith was incapable of writing the Book of Mormon without divine aid.
An address encouraging Book of Mormon study. Tells of the finding of Egyptian characters by Augustus LePlongeon among the Mayans and traditions of Christ’s ministration among the American Indians.
An address encouraging Book of Mormon study. Tells of the finding of Egyptian characters by Augustus LePlongeon among the Mayans and traditions of Christ’s ministration among the American Indians.
This chapter describes secularization among the Nephites. It claims that the Book of Mormon attempts to solve problems of secularity faced by Joseph Smith in early 19th-century America.
RSC Topics > T — Z > Tolerance
RSC Topics > T — Z > Welfare
RSC Topics > G — K > Humility
I pray that the . . . the power of the Atonement in Lazarus, Sonya, Raskolnikov, Theany Reath, and Kats Kajiyama and millions of others will give us courage to “stand forth” and to allow our graveclothes to be removed; and that we might also be both the healers and the healed, the unbinders and the unbound.
Our life’s journey is intended to be difficult, challenging, and ultimately refining. Otherwise we would not be pure enough to return and live with our Father in Heaven and receive His eternal blessings.
The question that I would like to present to all of us today is “How can we keep our spiritual lifeblood flowing so that we will have the strength and the ability to continue our journey to return again to be with the Savior and our Heavenly Father?”
In a society where marriage is often shunned, parenthood avoided, and families degraded, we have the responsibility to honor our marriages, nurture our children, and fortify our families.
The focus of this project is to bring together all the known paintings and photographic images of Brigham from his lifetime. Additionally, a representative sample of the numerous graphic images of Brigham appearing in newspapers, magazines, and books from the same period are reproduced. Illustrations of the Mormon leader in these publications sometimes closely reflect the photographic record because they are based on original photographs or because they were made from personal observations by a trained artist. In many cases, artists met Brigham face-to-face and then worked from photographic images to finish their work. Other illustrations, however, range from the ridiculously funny to the blatantly vicious, like many political cartoons of the day. ISBN 1-5700-8625-7
Debate concerning editorial changes to the Book of Mormon. Shute desires a complete revision with special attention to punctuation; Christianson refutes Shute’s proposed revision saying that changing even a comma changes the book’s meaning; Adams points out that language is constantly changing and future editions would be needed to stay current.
A literary analysis in rebuttal to allegations that the Book of Mormon was poor literature. It is found that it is a very complex document, a historical narrative, and a theological book with a purpose. It is the work of multiple writers, two abridgers, and a translator, all of whom influenced the work with their own style and idioms, yet its clarity never fails. It is “self-consistent” and the “literary style is admirably adapted to the role the book was intended for”
Christ’s visit to the American Continent is well supported by histories and native traditions. The author finds that 3 Nephi 4-13 are compatible with many of these histories and traditions.
Editorials concerning whether or not changes should be made to the Book of Mormon. Lipsit warns against tampering with Divine will; Clark argues that the book’s imperfections show that Joseph Smith was not the author; Winslow supports correction of punctuation and grammatical errors; Wardle gives a history of various Book of Mormon editions, saying that a corrected edition is needed; Christenson argues for a modern English version of the Book of Mormon; Shute, whose original proposal for another edition of the Book of Mormon aroused the controversy, urges the RLDS church to work on foreign language translations of the Book of Mormon and to set up a committee to produce a “good English” translation of the Book of Mormon.
A collection of written materials concerning horses in pre-Columbian America from the fifty years preceding 1933.
Examining the life of Professor Anthon proved him to be an impostor. He knew French well enough to translate a Frenchman’s work, and he published it without giving credit where it was due. Perhaps he was “bluffing” concerning his knowledge of Egyptian.
RSC Topics > L — P > Prophets
An ambitious epic poem on the Book of Mormon.
The early church was unable to continue once the apostles had departed. Bishops were only local officials and could not speak for the entire church. Beginning with the later second century, philosophy plays an increasingly important role in the church—this appears to be an effect rather than a cause of the apostasy.
It is highly unlikely that an object found in Lake Michigan could be a Jaredite barge. Lee Siegel reports about an archaeological dig at Piedras Negras, Guatemala, conceived and run by Brigham Young University’s Dr. Stephen Houston. A bronze sword discovered in Texas may be an Old World artifact. A linguist documents convincingly that the Ket language in western Siberia shares cognates with the Na-Dene language family of North America, thus showing possible transcontinental linguistic links.
“Sequential order” is a simple, natural, and effective way for the Lord to teach us, as His children, important principles.
We may not be able to walk where Jesus walked, but of greater worth is that we can think what Jesus thought. The Book of Mormon reveals the thoughts of Christ. Heroes of the Book of Mormon are worthy of emulation. Sill highlights Mormon, who possessed a celestial mind.
Sterling W. Sill - I am presently in possession of the world’s most valuable information. I know that God lives, that we were created in his image, and that by obeying the principles of the gospel of Jesus Christ, the offspring of God may eventually hope to become like their eternal parents.
Briefly discusses some of the characteristics of Jacob, son of Lehi. Jacob is portrayed as a man to whom others look for an example of spiritual living.
Sterlling W. Sill - Because of our birthright, our intelligence, our covenants, and our assignments, we are all special witnesses for God and have some very important things that we should do.
Old Testament Topics > Ten Commandments
Old Testament Topics > Ten Commandments
Elder Silva describes his conversion experience and encourages young men and young women to serve missions. Once we learn the truth, the Lord gives us the opportunity to do what He would do if He were here today.
Abstract: Christmas is more than a time for celebrations and traditions — it is an occasion to remember the blessings and miracles in our lives. From the joy of friends and family to the peace inspired by devotion and dedication Christmas offers us a time to marvel at the mercies of God; let us remember the holier anthems of the season.
Review of Images of Ancient America: Visualizing Book of Mormon Life (1998), by John L. Sorenson
Review of Rediscovering the Book of Mormon (1991), edited by John L. Sorenson and Melvin J. Thorne.
Review of Terryl L. Givens. People of Paradox: A History of Mormon Culture.
New Scholarship on Latter-day Saint Women in the Twentieth Century opens dialogue on women’s past experiences and analyzes developments for Mormon women from the Progressive Era through civil rights reforms to the emerging women’s movement. This volume of proceedings covers essays by new and seasoned scholars presented at Women’s History Initiative seminars held in 2003 and 2004.
A filmstrip (94 frames, 16 1/2 minutes) based on a journey to the Arabian Peninsula. Arabia “portrays the geography and cultural conditions that could have existed in Lehi’s day and gives the viewer a better feeling for and understanding of the journey that Lehi and his family experienced in traveling from Jerusalem to the land Bountiful”
Book review.
Book of Moses Topics > Selection of Ancient Sources > Noah
Nephi, son of Helaman, confronts the wicked judges (Helaman 6-9).
Book review.
Reports the find of a document “thought to be the original Anthon transcript” (Editor’s note: this document has since been shown to be a forgery.)
Men accomplish marvelous things by trusting in the Lord and keeping His commandments—by exercising faith even when they don’t know how the Lord is shaping them.
Just as Jesus’ anxious Apostles were given peace by “another Comforter,” so today can all men and women receive the same marvelous blessing each day of their lives.
RSC Topics > Q — S > Salvation
Suggests that Christ appeared to the Nephites on Rosh Hashanah (near September 22). The institution of the sacrament among the Nephites is compared to the last supper. Warns against the changing of ordinances.
Upon arriving in Mesoamerica the Spanish destroyed the books of the Mayan people because they considered them evil. An unknown Mayan man rewrote his people’s history in the 1550s, and it later resurfaced in 1700 and has come to be known as Popol Vuh, the Book of the people. This and other archaeological finds have many things in common with the Book of Mormon.
The gentile members of the Church must remember that the Book of Mormon was written for the Lamanites also. Emphasizes the need to find where and who these people are by using Book of Mormon geographical passages. Finds that the Isthmus of Tehuantepec most clearly fits the description. The Hill Cumorah was the location of the final battles.
Examines research into Maya glyphs and states that this research has produced two finds important to Book of Mormon believers: the glyphs are partly phonetic, and the glyphs deal mainly with history. Based upon findings from glyphs, the author proposes Yaxchilan to be Zarahemla and Palenque to be Bountiful.
A discussion of three groups—Jaredites, Nephites, and Mulekites—who traveled from the Old World to the New World. Geographical, historical, and archaeological evidences are cited with the intent to prove the veracity of the Book of Mormon. Author cites the Popul Vuh, the Dead Sea Scrolls, the Bible, and other sources.
Describes the experiences that led her to write: she believed in two Hill Cumorahs and believed the “narrow neck” to be the “Isthmus of Tehuantepec in southern Mexico”
Old Testament Topics > Book of Mormon and the Old Testament
This work contains statements by prophets from Joseph Smith to Spencer W. Kimball concerning the Lamanites. Topics treated include: “Nephites Found in New Mexico,” “Lamanites a Shield to Us,” “Blessings Promised to Lamanites,” and “Zelph—White Lamanite”
Discusses the origin and history of the American Indians (Lamanites), mistreatment of Indians, God’s directing hand in their affairs, and the latter-day responsibility of the Church to take the gospel to them.
Having the Book of Mormon with a whole new set of prophets declaring the same truths of the Old and New Testaments is one of the main keys to LDS strength in the religious world today.
Simpson as a youth gave a Book of Mormon, complete with testimony, to a friend. The friend showed him an encyclopedia that claimed Joseph Smith and the Book of Mormon to be counterfeit. Devastation turned into testimony three days later in a quorum meeting.
Simpson as a youth gave a Book of Mormon, complete with testimony, to a friend. The friend showed him an encyclopedia that claimed Joseph Smith and the Book of Mormon to be counterfeit. Devastation turned into testimony three days later in a quorum meeting.
Robert L. Simpson - A recurring theme during the life of the Savior as he taught the people was that each man is his brother’s keeper.
An encyclopedia of church terminology.
Explains various parts of the temples from temple worship, to the history of temples, to how members worship in the temples.
An evangelical/polemical tract against Mormonism. The Book of Mormon plagiarizes much from the New Testament and the book of Isaiah. The 1834 Anthon denial is cited. The testimonies of Book of Mormon witnesses are discredited, contradictions between the Book of Mormon and the Bible are listed. Author accepts the Spaulding theory of the Book of Mormon’s origin.
The Book of Mormon states that “whatsoever nation shall possess [America] shall serve God, or they shall be swept off” This promise to America, the “promised land,” was fulfilled in the days of the Jaredites who allowed secret combinations to flourish. Those who remain faithful to Jesus Christ will enjoy the ministration of angels, fellowship with prophets, communion with saints, the gift of the Holy Ghost, and possession of the land of promise.
An evangelical/polemical work written for the intent of dealing with the “cults” The author discusses alleged misinterpretations of Bible prophecy by the Mormons, which supposedly support the Book of Mormon. He considers praying about the Book of Mormon unnecessary and suggests that Joseph may have drawn upon both Spaulding and View of the Hebrews
A photocopied anthology of texts and commentaries on 3 Nephi 1-10, taken from 4 major sources, including volume 7 of Commentary on the Book of Mormon,
Joseph W. Sitati teaches about our roles in the plan of salvation and how fulfilling those roles will help us become like God.
God’s children on the earth today have the opportunity to understand His plan of happiness for them more fully than at any other time.
Elder Sitati teaches how we can develop attributes that help us become better disciples of Christ. Learning about Christ and His ways leads us to know and to love Him.
This article attempts to link the name “America” with a cognate form of the name Mulek, a pre-Christian traveler to the western hemisphere. The author rejects the concept that America was named in honor of Amerigo Vespucci, as has been often assumed.
This article refers to the record-keeping habits of the inhabitants of the Americas as discovered by European observers. An English translation of several records is given, and a kinship shown between traditions among the American pre-European peoples and the milieu from which the Book of Mormon emerged.
Temples in the Near East and America
Several crosses with Latin inscriptions, a spear, and sword that were excavated near Tucson, Arizona, are discussed as possible evidence for pre-Columbian contact between the Americas and Europe. The author speculates that a reference to a “mountain” in the inscriptions may be connected to the Hill Cumorah mentioned in the Book of Mormon.
Takes the position that contemporary archaeology corroborates the claim that Book of Mormon peoples had Middle Eastern roots.
The conclusions of modern research of the mound builders coincides with the Book of Mormon account of the Jaredite people. Modern archaeologists conclude that the Indians are of one race, that their migrations were from south to north, and that the original inhabitants of America bear an unmistakable relationship to the Semitic branches of eastern culture and Egypt.
A combined reprint of four articles that appeared in the Millennial Star from 29 July to 19 August 1915. Here, the author wishes to convince the reader that the Book of Mormon is authentic by using historical, linguistic, and archaeological evidence, plus the testimonies of the Three and Eight Witnesses alongside examples of biblical scriptures that have been fulfilled through the Book of Mormon. The Book of Mormon is a “good book” that leads people to improve themselves and their lives.
Refutes scholarly claims that the Bible was written during the 7th century b.c. by examining the contents of the brass plates that Lehi took to the New World. Since the brass plates contained the Pentateuch, chronicles, and prophecies until the reign of Zedekiah, the Book of Mormon offers evidence that the Bible was written at an earlier date.
This article refutes claims made by Rev. F. S. Spalding that the Book of Mormon was not an authentic book because the Book of Abraham was translated incorrectly and that surely means that Joseph Smith was not a translator. Sjodahl points out that the Book of Mormon was translated by the gift and power of God, whereas the book of Abraham required seven years of laborious study coupled with inspiration. One cannot be judged on the merits of the other.
This defense of the Book of Mormon concludes that archaeological and anthropological data about the pre-Columbian Americas do not contradict the Book of Mormon and often coincide with it.
This article discusses the Anthon transcript and declares that the letter written by Anthon concerning the figures on the paper presented by Martin Harris provides an opinion that is without value. Anthon’s brief examination and his finding do not correlate with the characters as preserved.
Illustrates similarities between the ancient Nephite and Toltec civilizations. The history of the Toltec peoples and their destruction by the Aztecs lends evidence to the historicity and truth of the Book of Mormon.
Quotes one source that mentions the discovery of horse bones in America, and another source that describes the discovery of a petroglyph in Arizona which represents dinosaurs and four-toed horses.
Recent scientific research is used to establish facts mentioned in the Book of Mormon. The use of steel in the Book of Mormon is supported by recent findings of hardened tools and steel implements in anceitn American ruins.
A collection of various facts that attempt to portray the Book of Mormon as an ancient record as well as a prophetic book: World War I and the giving of Palestine to the Jews are shown to be foretold, the mentioning of steel and iron are defended, and the possible origin of the name America is discussed as coming from Book of Mormon people.
It is difficult to identify the geography of the Book of Mormon, as there is little effort made by the writers to describe physical features. The speculation of Reynolds and Sjodahl follow in five parts, considering all of the geographical entries of the Book of Mormon. Each city is considered according to the description contained within the Book of Mormon.
Janne Sjodahl discusses how the Book of Mormon would have taken up less space on the plates than in its current translated and printed form. Because the plates were written in a language comparable to Hebrew, Sjodahl had fourteen pages of the English Book of Mormon translated into Hebrew and written out. This Hebrew text covered only one page. According to this finding, the Book of Mormon could be written using as few as twenty-one plates (or even forty-eight if written in larger characters). Sjodahl presents estimates of the size and weight of the plates.
This multivolume work contains verse-by-verse commentary on the Book of Mormon. The text of the Book of Mormon is included. Also includes discussions of the history and missions of major personalities of the book, treatment of word meanings and usages including comparisons with biblical terms, comments and testimonies of Church leaders, discussion of doctrine, and each volume outlines the chronology of the scriptures included in its scope.
The Book of Mormon teaches of ancient connections between Asia and America. The article quotes G. Elliot Smith, who theorizes that a cultural migration took place from Egypt to ancient America, c. 900 b.c., citing archaeological evidence.
The author of this article defends the reliability of both the Three and the Eight Witnesses to the Book of Mormon. The witnesses consistently adhered to their testimony and each had an unassailable reputation.
Eight part series. The Book of Mormon records that the faithful of the American Continent were visited by the Jesus and were told they were the “other sheep” that he had spoken of in John 10. There are three groups of people the Savior refers to when he talks of “other sheep”
The author proposes that not all the Jaredites perished in the final Jaredite cataclysm. He speculates that some of them fled and joined the people of Mulek.
This article relates names from sagas and American geography to Book of Mormon names such as “Laman” and “Lamoni,” which the author suggests refers to “white.” This is seen as a Book of Mormon evidence.
Argues that the Indians of North and South America are making spiritual and “material progress” and becoming “white and delightsome,” thus fulfilling a prophecy of the Book of Mormon.
This little volume owes its existence chiefly to the desire of the author to add his testimony, at this time, to that of numerous others, bearing the holy Priesthood, of the truths revealed in the Book of Mormon for the salvation of man. But the responsibility is not entirely the author’s. Some of the contents of the book has appeared in the Improvement Era and other Church publications during the last ten years, and friends have been good enough to say, repeatedly, that they would be glad to have those contributions in some form more convenient for reference. Acting on their suggestion, I have collected some papers previously published and others that now appear for the first time, and respectfully submit them in this form to the public. In doing so, it is my sincere prayer that the testimony here offered may be of benefit to the reader, and especially to honest seekers after truth.
This article is an analysis of the geographical statements given in the Book of Ether and possible North American correlations.
This article is an analysis of the language of “white Indians” found by an American explorer in the mountains of Darien, in Panama. It reveals a vast number of words related to old world words in both form and meaning and claims some Hebrew words are found in this Indian language.
Bancroft (Native Races, vol. 1, 628) describes the warfare found among the Mexican people when the Spaniards arrived in the New World. The description is similar to descriptions found in the Book of Mormon concerning the final battle between the Nephites and the Lamanites. [J.W.M.] ”
This article quotes Joseph Smith’s statement that “Mormon” means “more good,” or, in other words, “better.” The first syllable is English, the second is Egyptian. The “good” in the name is related to the gospel as good news. Several native American languages have superlatives that translate “more good.”
This article argues that the appellation “Moroni” shows up in Asia, the Americas, and even in Paul’s exclamation “maranatha” (1 Cor. 16:22).
Explores geographical/historical/archaeological implications of Lehi’s journey out of Jerusalem. Says hostile Arabs prevented a journey through inhabited areas.
Explanations of bread in Ecclesiastes 11:1, Proverbs 23:7, and Malachi 3:8
Old Testament Scriptures > Judges
Old Testament Scriptures > Psalms/Proverbs/Ecclesiastes/Song of Solomon
Old Testament Scriptures > Twelve Minor Prophets
A look at the giants in Genesis 6:4
Old Testament Scriptures > Judges
Old Testament Scriptures > Psalms/Proverbs/Ecclesiastes/Song of Solomon
Old Testament Scriptures > Twelve Minor Prophets
An exposition on Judges 11 and human sacrifice in the Old Testament
Old Testament Scriptures > Judges
Old Testament Scriptures > Psalms/Proverbs/Ecclesiastes/Song of Solomon
Old Testament Scriptures > Twelve Minor Prophets
This series discusses the gold plates, the burial of the plates at the Hill Cumorah, the Urim and Thummim, the characters on the plates, Joseph Smith’s preparation for translation, the scribes, and manuscripts. The first part discusses the physical characteristics of the plates.
This series discusses the gold plates, the burial of the plates at the Hill Cumorah, the Urim and Thummim, the characters on the plates, Joseph Smith’s preparation for translation, the scribes, and manuscripts. The second part covers the Hill Cumorah, the burial of the plates, and the Urim and Thummim.
This series discusses the gold plates, the burial of the plates at the Hill Cumorah, the Urim and Thummim, the characters on the plates, Joseph Smith’s preparation for translation, the scribes, and manuscripts. The third part covers the characters on the gold plates.
This series discusses the gold plates, the burial of the plates at the Hill Cumorah, the Urim and Thummim, the characters on the plates, Joseph Smith’s preparation for translation, the scribes, and manuscripts. The fourth part covers Joseph Smith’s translation of the plates.
External evidence of the Book of Mormon substantiates its validity. Scientists have tried to prove it a forgery, but after one hundred years they have not succeeded and it has stood the test of time and close examination.
In this series, internal evidences of the Book of Mormon’s authenticity are argued using analysis of words and names used in the book that reflect ancient Hebrew customs, and parallels between the Book of Mormon and American Indian languages. The first part covers the language of the Book of Mormon and its names, as well as “in the language of my father,” “seer,” “the earth,” “a narrow pass,” “crossing the deep,” and “shining stones.”
In this series, internal evidences of the Book of Mormon’s authenticity are argued using analysis of words and names used in the book that reflect ancient Hebrew customs, and parallels between the Book of Mormon and American Indian languages. The continuation of the first part covers “oppressive taxation,” “corpses thrown into the river,” “drinking blood,” and the Bible.
In this series, internal evidences of the Book of Mormon’s authenticity are argued using analysis of words and names used in the book that reflect ancient Hebrew customs, and parallels between the Book of Mormon and American Indian languages. The second part covers Columbus and “the east wind.”
In this series, internal evidences of the Book of Mormon’s authenticity are argued using analysis of words and names used in the book that reflect ancient Hebrew customs, and parallels between the Book of Mormon and American Indian languages. The third part covers the phrase “fiery flying serpents.”
In this series, internal evidences of the Book of Mormon’s authenticity are argued using analysis of words and names used in the book that reflect ancient Hebrew customs, and parallels between the Book of Mormon and American Indian languages. The fourth part covers the names “Laban” and “Laman.”
In this series, internal evidences of the Book of Mormon’s authenticity are argued using analysis of words and names used in the book that reflect ancient Hebrew customs, and parallels between the Book of Mormon and American Indian languages. The fifth part covers the name “Nephi.”
The author surveys theories on Book of Mormon geography, and offers his own speculation. He concludes that Lehi landed in South America just south of the Isthmus and that he died in Peru. Nephi went on to Ecuador and then Colombia. Zarahemla was located on the Atlantic side of Central America.
A large map of the North and South American continents marked with names of cities, rivers, and locations that are found in the Book of Mormon text.
This article speculates that the Lamanite culture may have established the Egyptian practice of sun-worship in America, accounting for the appearance of this practice among certain Indian groups.
Discusses the determination of the people of Ammon not to defend themselves against the Lamanite attack. Some Indian traditions reflect this peaceful approach to war. The united order was practiced among the Nephites after the Savior’s visit. Indian traditions hold to many of the principles of the united order. [J.W.M.] ”
RSC Topics > L — P > Old Testament
RSC Topics > Q — S > Resurrection
Over the course of his forty-year career, S. Kent Brown, professor of religious studies, has taught and inspired thousands of students at Brigham Young University and has produced over one hundred publications and several films in the fields of early Christian, Near Eastern, and Mormon studies. Twenty-four scholars, including Leslie S. B. MacCoull, Robert Millett, and Jacob Neusner, have contributed articles to this volume in honor of Brown. Essay topics include archaeology, biblical studies, Coptic studies, early Christian studies, Islamic studies, Jewish studies, Mormon studies, and Quran studies. In addition to these pieces, the book includes a bibliography of works by Brown himself, a citation index, and a subject index. A wonderful testament to Brown’s legacy as a scholar and teacher, Bountiful Harvest provides a variety of perspectives on a broad range of subjects.
Old Testament Topics > Moses
The Dead Sea Scrolls constitute a seminal resource for understanding the context of the early Christian community and several New Testament texts. Soon after their discovery, some very sensational claims were made about the Qumran community and its literature (the scrolls) in terms of their connection to Jesus and his followers. While these have largely been dismissed, and serious and persistent scholarship over the years has shown that there were differences between the Qumran community and early Christianity, significant similarities do exist. These similarities line up largely according to the following categories: common scripture and its interpretation, theological ideas, vocabulary and practices, importance of the temple, eschatological and apocalyptic orientation, and the centrality of messianic expectations. This essay attempts to highlight some of the most significant of these parallels to show that both the New Testament and the Dead Sea Scrolls are products of the same roots, that we should expect to find certain commonalities, and that to fully understand one corpus of writings, we have to know something about the other.
RSC Topics > L — P > Love
RSC Topics > Q — S > Sacrifice
RSC Topics > G — K > God the Father
Old Testament Topics > New Testament and the Old Testament
RSC Topics > D — F > Dispensations
RSC Topics > L — P > Ordinances
RSC Topics > L — P > Prophets
Abraham’s test
Old Testament Topics > Abraham and Sarah [see also Covenant]
RSC Topics > L — P > New Testament
RSC Topics > L — P > Prayer
RSC Topics > Q — S > Restoration of the Priesthood
RSC Topics > G — K > Jesus Christ
RSC Topics > G — K > Judgment
RSC Topics > Q — S > Resurrection
RSC Topics > Q — S > Sin
Old Testament Topics > Temple and Tabernacle
This essay simply recounts the visits and messages of Moroni to the Prophet Joseph.
Covenant making and personal revelation
Old Testament Topics > Covenant [see also Ephraim, Israel, Jews, Joseph]
Old Testament Topics > Covenant [see also Ephraim, Israel, Jews, Joseph]
RSC Topics > A — C > Covenant
RSC Topics > G — K > Heaven
Old Testament Topics > Jerusalem
Additional authors: Tad R. Callister, John Gee, Joel A. Flake, and Gerald N. Lund.
RSC Topics > Q — S > Sacrifice
RSC Topics > T — Z > Testimony
Old Testament Topics > Apocrypha and Pseudepigrapha [including intertestamental books and the Dead Sea Scrolls]
Book of Moses Topics > Chapters of the Book of Moses > Moses 6:13–7 — Enoch
Old Testament Topics > Moses
Old Testament Topics > Apocrypha and Pseudepigrapha [including intertestamental books and the Dead Sea Scrolls]
Old Testament Topics > Moses
Explore the life and mission of Joseph Smith in this six-episode DVD and the companion book of essays. Thirty-three respected scholars — including Richard E Turley Jr., Andrew C. Skinner, Larry C. Porter, Milton V. Backman and Robert J. Matthews — examine a variety of topics about the Prophet. This volume and DVD teach us about Joseph Smith while nourishing our testimonies that he was indeed the Lord\'s anointed prophet, called to bring forth the truths of the gospel of Jesus Christ. Latter-day Saints will treasure them both!
RSC Topics > D — F > Death
RSC Topics > L — P > Miracles
RSC Topics > Q — S > Resurrection
RSC Topics > Q — S > Sacrifice
Abstract: The view of Hebrew as a language of magic, for which precedents can be discerned in the Bible and in rabbinic tradition, spilled over into early and medieval Christianity. Andrew Skinner adroitly explores the material and theological history of this trajectory, showing how this contributed to the emergence of Christian Kabbalah in the sixteenth century.
[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 Andrew C. Skinner, “Medieval Christian Views of Hebrew as the Language of Magic,” 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), 375–412. Further information at https://interpreterfoundation.org/books/to-seek-the-law-of-the-lord-essays-in-honor-of-john-w-welch-2/.].
We may rest assured that our Father knows all things and He does all that He does out of love. And He does what is best for us from an eternal perspective.
Old Testament Scriptures > Isaiah
Old Testament Topics > Book of Mormon and the Old Testament
RSC Topics > D — F > Devil
RSC Topics > Q — S > Quorum
Old Testament Topics > New Testament and the Old Testament
Old Testament Topics > Types and Symbols
RSC Topics > G — K > Holy Ghost
RSC Topics > G — K > Jesus Christ
RSC Topics > Q — S > Resurrection
RSC Topics > D — F > Devil
RSC Topics > G — K > Heaven
RSC Topics > L — P > Peace
RSC Topics > G — K > Jesus Christ
RSC Topics > L — P > Missionary Work
RSC Topics > Q — S > Spirit World
The serpent is often used to represent one of two things: Christ or Satan. This article synthesizes evidence from Egypt, Mesopotamia, Phoenicia, Greece, and Jerusalem to explain the reason for this duality. Many scholars suggest that the symbol of the serpent was used anciently to represent Jesus Christ but that Satan distorted the symbol, thereby creating this paradox. The dual nature of the serpent is incorporated into the Old Testament, the New Testament, and the Book of Mormon.
If the Book of Mormon is considered the keystone of our religion, then perhaps Third Nephi could be considered the pinnacle of the Book of Mormon. Third Nephi provides a glimpse into those glorious moments when the Savior ministered to a group of Nephite people who trusted in his prophesied appearance. This collection of essays is compiled from lectures given during a two-day symposium on the book of Third Nephi held at BYU in 2008. The chapters investigate a variety of topics from both academic and doctrinal perspectives. The articles include discussions on what Jesus taught and did, as well as how Third Nephi fits into the larger purposes that are outlined in the Book of Mormon s title page: to show Israel what great things the Lord has done for their fathers that they may know the covenants of the Lord, and to convince both Jew and Gentile that Jesus is the Christ.
RSC Topics > G — K > Heaven
RSC Topics > G — K > Jesus Christ
RSC Topics > G — K > Judgment
RSC Topics > G — K > Justice
RSC Topics > L — P > Ordinances
RSC Topics > Q — S > Salvation
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
RSC Topics > D — F > Devil
RSC Topics > T — Z > Unity
RSC Topics > T — Z > Zion
The version available here online at Interpreter: A Journal of Mormon Scripture is a reproduction of the printed version of ATV, published in 2004–2009 by the Foundation for Ancient Research and Mormon Studies, now a part of the Neal A. Maxwell Institute for Religious Scholarship at Brigham Young University. No textual adjustments to the printed version have been made. ATV appears in six books and gives a complete analysis of all the important cases of textual variation (or potential variation) in the history of the Book of Mormon. It starts out with the title page of the Book of Mormon and the two witness statements, then turns to 1 Nephi and continues through the Book of Mormon to the end of Moroni.
Book of Mormon Scriptures > Moroni
The version available here online at Interpreter: A Journal of Mormon Scripture is a reproduction of the printed version of ATV, published in 2004–2009 by the Foundation for Ancient Research and Mormon Studies, now a part of the Neal A. Maxwell Institute for Religious Scholarship at Brigham Young University. No textual adjustments to the printed version have been made.
Book of Mormon Scriptures > 3 Nephi
The version available here online at Interpreter: A Journal of Mormon Scripture is a reproduction of the printed version of ATV, published in 2004–2009 by the Foundation for Ancient Research and Mormon Studies, now a part of the Neal A. Maxwell Institute for Religious Scholarship at Brigham Young University. No textual adjustments to the printed version have been made.
The version available here online at Interpreter: A Journal of Mormon Scripture is a reproduction of the printed version of ATV, published in 2004–2009 by the Foundation for Ancient Research and Mormon Studies, now a part of the Neal A. Maxwell Institute for Religious Scholarship at Brigham Young University. No textual adjustments to the printed version have been made. ATV appears in six books and gives a complete analysis of all the important cases of textual variation (or potential variation) in the history of the Book of Mormon. It starts out with the title page of the Book of Mormon and the two witness statements, then turns to 1 Nephi and continues through the Book of Mormon to the end of Moroni.
Book of Mormon Scriptures > 2 Nephi
Book of Mormon Scriptures > Moroni
The version available here online at Interpreter: A Journal of Mormon Scripture is a reproduction of the printed version of ATV, published in 2004–2009 by the Foundation for Ancient Research and Mormon Studies, now a part of the Neal A. Maxwell Institute for Religious Scholarship at Brigham Young University. No textual adjustments to the printed version have been made. ATV appears in six books and gives a complete analysis of all the important cases of textual variation (or potential variation) in the history of the Book of Mormon. It starts out with the title page of the Book of Mormon and the two witness statements, then turns to 1 Nephi and continues through the Book of Mormon to the end of Moroni.
Book of Mormon Scriptures > 3 Nephi
Book of Mormon Scriptures > 4 Nephi
Book of Mormon Scriptures > Ether
Book of Mormon Scriptures > Moroni
The version available here online at Interpreter: A Journal of Mormon Scripture is a reproduction of the printed version of ATV, published in 2004–2009 by the Foundation for Ancient Research and Mormon Studies, now a part of the Neal A. Maxwell Institute for Religious Scholarship at Brigham Young University. No textual adjustments to the printed version have been made. ATV appears in six books and gives a complete analysis of all the important cases of textual variation (or potential variation) in the history of the Book of Mormon. It starts out with the title page of the Book of Mormon and the two witness statements, then turns to 1 Nephi and continues through the Book of Mormon to the end of Moroni.
Book of Mormon Scriptures > Mosiah
Book of Mormon Scriptures > Alma
Book of Mormon Scriptures > Moroni
The version available here online at Interpreter: A Journal of Mormon Scripture is a reproduction of the printed version of ATV, published in 2004–2009 by the Foundation for Ancient Research and Mormon Studies, now a part of the Neal A. Maxwell Institute for Religious Scholarship at Brigham Young University. No textual adjustments to the printed version have been made. ATV appears in six books and gives a complete analysis of all the important cases of textual variation (or potential variation) in the history of the Book of Mormon. It starts out with the title page of the Book of Mormon and the two witness statements, then turns to 1 Nephi and continues through the Book of Mormon to the end of Moroni.
Book of Mormon Scriptures > 2 Nephi
Book of Mormon Scriptures > Jacob
Book of Mormon Scriptures > Enos
Book of Mormon Scriptures > Jarom
Book of Mormon Scriptures > Omni
Book of Mormon Scriptures > Words of Mormon
Book of Mormon Scriptures > Mosiah
Book of Mormon Scriptures > Moroni
Carl T. Cox has graciously provided me with a new account of Moroni showing the Book of Mormon plates to Mary Whitmer (1778-1856), wife of Peter Whitmer Senior. Mary was the mother of five sons who were witnesses to the golden plates: David Whitmer, one of the three witnesses; and Christian Whitmer, Jacob Whitmer, John Whitmer, and Peter Whitmer Junior, four of the eight witnesses.
For a long time we have known that Mary Whitmer was also shown the plates. These accounts are familiar and derive from David Whitmer and John C. Whitmer (the son of John Whitmer). For comparison’s sake, I provide here two versions of their accounts (in each case, I have added some paragraphing).
Witnesses of the Book of Mormon > The Other Witnesses
Book of Mormon Scriptures > Moroni
In my work as editor of the Book of Mormon Critical Text Project (which began in 1988), I was initially interested in discovering the original English-language text of the book. But I soon came to the conclusion that it would be impossible to fully recover the original text by scholarly means, in large part because only 28 percent of the original manuscript is extant. In addition, there are obvious errors in the original manuscript itself that require conjectural emendation. As I have worked on the text of the Book of Mormon, I have come to some surprising conclusions regarding the nature of the original text itself, conclusions that I had not at all expected when I started my work transcribing the original and printer’s manuscripts of the Book of Mormon.
Review of The Bible II (1991). This book is in actuality the Book of Mormon with some differences.
A stray ink drop and a quirk of nineteenth-century script make the difference between retain that wrong and repair that wrong. More than a decade of meticulous research revealed such insights as Royal Skousen prepared transcripts of the original and printer’s manuscripts of the Book of Mormon for publication.
These newest books in The Book of Mormon Critical Text Project analyze every basic type of editorial change or grammatical variation in the Book of Mormon, beginning with the handwritten manuscripts and considering every major printed edition. Each of the sixty-eight grammatical sections in these books describes the usage in the original text and shows how it has been altered, either consciously or accidentally, over time. Each section also compares Book of Mormon usage with biblical usage.
The Nature of the Original Language (NOL) continues the analysis of the Book of Mormon text that was begun in Grammatical Variation (GV), parts 1 and 2 of volume 3 of the critical text, published in 2016. In that first work, Royal Skousen (with the collaboration of Stanford Carmack), discussed all the editing that the Book of Mormon has undergone, in its manuscript transmission and in the printed editions from 1830 up to the current edition.
In this part 5 of volume 3 of the critical text, we identify one more use of Early Modern English – in fact, a very specific one – in the original text of the Book of Mormon, namely, quotations from the King James Bible.
For part 6 of volume 3 of the Book of Mormon critical text project, we take up what may seem like a mundane subject, namely, misspellings in the manuscripts and in the printed editions. This brief summary of the book will introduce the reader to three important questions regarding scribal misspellings in the manuscripts: First, did the 1830 typesetter adopt Oliver Cowdery’s misspellings in the manuscript when he set the text for the 1830 edition of the Book of Mormon? Second, just how good were the Book of Mormon scribes in doing their copywork? And third, can the misspellings tell us anything important about the Book of Mormon text, or are they just innocuous errors? The answers to all three of these questions turn out to be crucial in doing critical text work on the Book of Mormon.
Note: This is the first edition of this book set. The second edition is available here. Parts 1-6 are offered as a six-book set from BYU Studies while supplies last. Analysis of Textual Variants of the Book of Mormon gives readers detailed access to the central task of Professor Royal Skousen’s Book of Mormon Critical Text Project, the most comprehensive effort ever undertaken to recover the original English-language text of the Book of Mormon. The books in this set consider every significant textual change that has occurred in the English Book of Mormon over the 187 years since Joseph Smith first dictated it to his scribes; it also considers a number of conjectural emendations for specific words or passages. These six large books total 4,060 pages.
We are pleased to announce the publication of the second edition of volume 4 of Royal Skousen’s Book of Mormon Critical Text Project. This six-book set, entitled Analysis of Textual Variants of the Book of Mormon (ATV), fulfills the central task of the critical text project, to restore the original text of the Book of Mormon to the extent possible using scholarly means. In the six books of ATV, Skousen discusses every substantive change to words or phrases in the text as well as changes in the spelling for about a dozen Book of Mormon names. ATV also includes a brief discussion of every type of grammatical change that the text has undergone over the years. (A complete discussion that lists every individual grammatical change was published last year in the two-volume set Grammatical Variation, also available from BYU Studies.) The changes in the second edition (ATV2) include: 37 new write-ups (34 of these involve suggested changes to the text, nearly all of which have come from independent readers). 8 additional substantive changes to the Book of Mormon text, besides the 606 substantive changes first published in 2009 by Yale University Press in The Book of Mormon: The Earliest Text. 60 earlier write-ups in ATV1 now thoroughly revised for ATV2. 101 addenda items in ATV1 now in their appropriate place in ATV2, so that everything reads correctly in a single sequence (there is no longer a need to consult any addenda for later corrections or revisions to previous analyses). This second edition is truly a limited edition: only 250 copies of the six-book set have been printed.
I begin this brief historical account of alternative work on the critical text of the Book of Mormon by including material that I wrote in an original, longer review of John S. Dinger’s Significant Textual Changes in the Book of Mormon (Smith-Pettit Foundation: Salt Lake City, Utah, 2013). The final, shorter review appears in BYU Studies 53:1 (2014). The Interpreter recently published Robert F. Smith’s review of Dinger. In these additional comments, I especially concentrate on work done in the 1970s by Stan Larson on the text of the Book of Mormon. In the latter part of this account, I discuss the more recent work of Shirley Heater in producing The Book of Mormon: Restored Covenant Edition.
As I have been working on the Book of Mormon Critical Text Project, people have occasionally written or talked to me about passages in the Book of Mormon that seem strange or difficult. A good many have made specific suggestions about emendations (or revisions to the text). Surprisingly, a large percentage of these have ended up being correct or have led me to come up with an appropriate emendation.
Author’s preface: I originally gave this presentation in August 2002 at the LDS FAIR conference held in Orem, Utah. A transcript of this paper, based on the 2002 version, appears online at www.fairmormon.org. Since then I have published updated versions of the first half of that original presentation. The most recent history of the Book of Mormon critical text project can be found in my article “The Original Text of the Book of Mormon and its Publication by Yale University Press”, published in 2013 in Interpreter: A Journal of Mormon Scripture, volume 7, pages 57-96. Until now, I have not published a printed version of the second half of my original presentation, “Changes in the Book of Mormon”.
Abstract: In that part of the original article (here presented with some minor editing), I first describe the different kinds of changes that have occurred in the Book of Mormon text over the years and provide a fairly accurate number for how many places the text shows textual variation. Then I turn to five changes in the text (“the five chestnuts”) that critics of the Book of Mormon continually refer to. At the conclusion of the original article, I provide some specific numbers for the different types of changes in the history of the Book of Mormon text, including the number of changes introduced in The Book of Mormon: The Earliest Text, the definitive scholarly edition of the Book of Mormon, published in 2009 by Yale University Press.
Royal Skousen explains what a critical text is and discusses his own critical text of the Book of Mormon.
Review of New Approaches to the Book of Mormon: Explorations in Critical Methodology (1993), edited by Brent Lee Metcalfe.
A critical edition of the Book of Mormon has two main objectives. The first is to determine the original text of the Book of Mormon to the extent that it can be determined. The second is to determine the history of the text, as it has changed over the many editions of that book that have been published. Royal Skousen describes the history of the early manuscripts and editions of the Book of Mormon in order to better understand this book of scripture.
Review of Scott H. Faulring, Kent P. Jackson, and Robert J. Matthews, eds. Joseph Smith's New Translation of the Bible: Original Manuscripts.
Royal Skausen gives information about the history, corrections, and the use of the printer’s manuscript of the Book of Mormon.
Royal Skousen details the history of the critical text project of the Book of Mormon. He describes that project, including his work with both the original manuscript and the printer’s manuscript of the Book of Mormon. After six years of pursuing this venture, Skousen was asked by the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints to temporarily resign as a professor at Brigham Young University and focus primarily on the project. Skousen agreed, and for the following seven years he continued his work on the Book of Mormon text, often collaborating with the Church Scriptures Committee. In this article, Skousen shares several discoveries that have surfaced because of his research and the meaning that those discoveries have had in his life.
Details of the translation process Joseph Smith used for translating the Book of Mormon from the plates can be adduced from statements of witnesses and from evidence in the original and printer’s manuscripts. According to witnesses, Joseph Smith often translated without the plates being present and used the interpreters to receive the revealed text. Evidence from the manuscripts themselves shows that the original manuscript was written from dictation, that Joseph Smith was working with at least twenty words at a time, that Joseph Smith could see the spelling of names, that the scribe repeated the text to Joseph Smith, and that the word chapter and the corresponding chapter numbers were not part of the revealed text. The manuscripts and text show that Joseph Smith apparently received the translation word for word and letter for letter, in what is known as “tight control.”
Review of The Dead Sea Scrolls: Questions and Responses for Latter-day Saints (2000), by Donald W. Parry and Stephen D. Ricks
[2016 Mormon Historical Association Winner for Best Documentary Editing] “Volume 3 of the Revelations and Translations series, published in 2015, presents the most complete early text of the Book of Mormon—the printer’s manuscript.” [Publisher]
During the thirty years Royal Skousen has been working on the Book of Mormon Critical Text Project, he has discovered certain words and phrases that appear on the surface to be either ungrammatical or stylistically unusual. Some critics have claimed that these phrases are Joseph Smith’s dialect mixed with a crude imitation of the language of the King James Bible. But many of these phrases can be tied to Early Modern English, in use from 1530 to 1730. Skousen also identifies phrases from the King James Bible that are skillfully woven into the Book of Mormon text in unexpected ways as well as numerous issues that Protestants argued over during the 1500s and 1600s, such as infant baptism. Although the Book of Mormon contains elements from Early Modern English, it is not an Early Modern English text. It is unique. This article summarizes examples and discussion found in parts three and four of volume three of the Critical Text publications, titled The Nature of the Original Language (NOL).
The original text of the Book of Mormon contains complex, Hebrew-like constructions that have been subsequently removed from the text because of their non-English character.
An earlier version of the following paper was presented 5 August 2010 at a conference sponsored by FAIR, the Foundation for Apologetic Information and Research (now FairMormon). The text of this paper is copyrighted by Royal Skousen. The photographs that appear in this paper are also protected by copyright. Photographs of the original manuscript are provided courtesy of David Hawkinson and Robert Espinosa and are reproduced here by permission of the Wilford Wood Foundation. Photographs of the printer’s manuscript are provided courtesy of Nevin Skousen and are reproduced here by permission of the Community of Christ. The text of the Yale edition of The Book of Mormon: The Earliest Text (2009) is copyrighted by Royal Skousen; Yale University Press holds the rights to reproduce this text.
Skousen reports on his work on a critical text of the Book of Mormon, notably his work with the Wilford Wood original manuscript fragments, which in 1937 Wood purchased from Lewis Bidamon’s son, Charles. The project has illuminated Hebrew-like expressions in the original text, some errors of transmission between the original and the printer’s manuscripts, and more information concerning the translation process.
Near the end of his life, the prophet Nephi referred to the day of judgment and declared that we, the readers of the Book of Mormon, will stand face to face with him before the bar of Christ (2 Nephi 33:11). Similarly, the prophets Jacob and Moroni referred to meeting us when we appear before “the pleasing bar” of God to be judged.
Book of Mormon Scriptures > Jacob
Book of Mormon Scriptures > Moroni
Abstract: Royal Skousen’s essay shed light on enigmatic references in Jacob 6:13 and Moroni 10:34 to “the pleasing bar of God.” After establishing that the term “pleading bar” is an appropriate legal term, he cites both internal evidence and the likelihood of scribal errors as explanations for why “pleasing bar,” instead of the more likely “pleading bar,” appears in current editions of the Book of Mormon.
[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 Royal Skousen, “The Pleading Bar of God,” 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), 413–28. Further information at https://interpreterfoundation.org/books/to-seek-the-law-of-the-lord-essays-in-honor-of-john-w-welch-2/.]
.
Witnesses of the Book of Mormon > The Translation of the Book of Mormon
Book of Mormon Scriptures > Moroni
The version available here online at Interpreter: A Journal of Mormon Scripture is a reproduction of the printed version of ATV, published in 2004–2009 by the Foundation for Ancient Research and Mormon Studies, now a part of the Neal A. Maxwell Institute for Religious Scholarship at Brigham Young University. No textual adjustments to the printed version have been made. ATV appears in six books and gives a complete analysis of all the important cases of textual variation (or potential variation) in the history of the Book of Mormon. It starts out with the title page of the Book of Mormon and the two witness statements, then turns to 1 Nephi and continues through the Book of Mormon to the end of Moroni.
Book of Mormon Scriptures > Moroni
Abstract: The Book of Mormon Critical Text Project, under the editorship of Royal Skousen, began in 1988 and is now nearing completion. In 2001, facsimile transcripts of the two Book of Mormon manuscripts (volumes 1 and 2 of the critical text) were published by the Foundation for Ancient Research and Mormon Studies (FARMS). From 2004 to 2009 the six books of volume 4 of the critical text, Analysis of Textual Variants of the Book of Mormon, were published, also by FARMS. Parts 1 and 2 of volume 3 of the critical text, The History of the Text of the Book of Mormon, will be published in early 2015. These two parts will describe all the grammatical editing that the Book of Mormon text has undergone, from 1829 up to the present. When all six parts of volume 3 of the critical text have been published, volume 5 of the critical text, A Complete Electronic Collation of the Book of Mormon, will be released. Within the next couple years, the Joseph Smith Papers will publish photographs of the two Book of Mormon manuscripts, along with transcriptions based on volumes 1 and 2 of the critical text. Nearly all of the work of the project has involved the knowledge and periodic involvement of the Scriptures Committee of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. The project itself, however, remains independent of the Church, and none of its findings have involved any ecclesiastical approval or endorsement.
Very often in my work on the critical text of the Book of Mormon, I have discovered cases where the text reads inappropriately. Book of Mormon researchers have typically attempted to find some circumstance or interpretation to explain a difficult reading, but in many cases I have found that difficult readings are actually the result of simple scribal errors.
Royal Skousen has been working on the critical text project of the Book of Mormon since 1988. He has concluded that there are three important findings resulting from the critical text project of the Book of Mormon. The first is that Joseph Smith received an English-language text word for word, which he read off to his scribe. The second is that the original English-language text itself was very precisely constructed; where textual error has occurred in its transmission, the earliest reading is usually the superior reading. The third is the identification of 256 changes in the text that make a difference in meaning or in the spelling of a name, changes that would show up in any translation of the book. This article presents thirty of the most significant of these 256 changes. All of the thirty changes discussed in this paper make a difference in meaning. Nearly all of them would show up when translating the text into a foreign language. The author has grouped the changes according to various types of change. In each case, he provides a brief summary of the evidence for the change and why it is significant for serious study of the text.
Royal Skousen explains in detail the internal consistency of the original text of the Book of Mormon. He references several verses of the Book of Mormon to discuss five main points: consistency in meaning; systematic phraseology; variation in the text; conjectural emendation; and revising the text. By examining these five aspects, Skousen shows that neither the message nor the doctrine of the Book of Mormon loses credibility as a result of textual changes. Skousen also mentions that the consistency in the manuscripts suggests that Joseph Smith did not receive the text as a concept but rather received it word for word.
Old Testament Topics > Book of Mormon and the Old Testament
The purpose of this paper is not only to review the FARMS Book of Mormon Critical Text, but also to discuss some of the general problems that arise when trying to establish a critical text of the Book of Mormon. In this review article I will discuss the need for a critical edition of the Book of Mormon, consider the issue of Joseph Smith’s“bad grammar,” review the FARMS Book of Mormon Critical Text, and propose an alternative critical edition for the Book of Mormon.
In 1526 William Tyndale’s English-language The New Testament started showing up in England, printed in the Low Lands and smuggled into England because it was an illegal book. It represented an unapproved translation of the scriptures into the English language. In theory, a translation would have been allowed if the Church had approved it in advance. In reality, the Church was not interested in any translation of the scriptures since that would allow lay readers to interpret the scriptures on their own and to come to different conclusions regarding Church practices and doctrine. Moreover, scripture formed a fundamental role in the rise of the Protestant Reformation and, in particular, Lutheranism, which King Henry VIII had officially opposed, in the governing of his realm and in his own writings in defense of the Catholic Church (for which the Church had honored him with the title of Defender of the Faith).
The version available here online at Interpreter: A Journal of Mormon Scripture is a reproduction of the printed version of ATV, published in 2004–2009 by the Foundation for Ancient Research and Mormon Studies, now a part of the Neal A. Maxwell Institute for Religious Scholarship at Brigham Young University. No textual adjustments to the printed version have been made. ATV appears in six books and gives a complete analysis of all the important cases of textual variation (or potential variation) in the history of the Book of Mormon. It starts out with the title page of the Book of Mormon and the two witness statements, then turns to 1 Nephi and continues through the Book of Mormon to the end of Moroni.
Book of Mormon Scriptures > Moroni
The two spellings strait and straight are often considered synonymous; however, they come from different Middle English words and have different meanings. Strait means “narrow” or “tight,” whereas straight means “not crooked.” The difference in these meanings affects the interpretation of the scriptural phrase “strait/straight and narrow path” and others like it. Reynolds and Skousen explore possible meanings that the original Book of Mormon authors may have intended in their use of the two words.
Abstract: Evidence from the manuscripts of the Book of Mormon (as well as internal evidence within the Book of Mormon itself) shows that for one sixth of the text, from Helaman 13:17 to the end of Mormon, the 1830 edition of the Book of Mormon was set from the original (dictated) manuscript rather than from the printer’s manuscript. For five-sixths of the text, the 1830 edition was set from the printer’s manuscript, the copy prepared specifically for the 1830 typesetter to use as his copytext. In 1990, when the use of the original manuscript as copytext was first discovered, it was assumed that the scribes for the printer’s manuscript had fallen behind in their copywork, which had then forced them to take in the original manuscript to the 1830 typesetter. Historical evidence now argues, to the contrary, that the reason for the switch was the need to take the printer’s manuscript to Canada in February 1830 in order to secure the copyright of the Book of Mormon within the British realm. During the month or so that Oliver Cowdery and others were on their trip to nearby Canada with the printer’s manuscript, the 1830 typesetter used the original manuscript to set the type, although he himself was unaware that there had been a temporary switch in the manuscripts.
Book of Mormon Scriptures > Helaman
In 1892, when John Gilbert was 90 years old, he made a statement about the process of setting the type for the Book of Mormon at the Grandin Print Shop. John was the compositor (or typesetter) for the 1830 edition of the book. He makes claims about the number of manuscript pages, the number of copies and the price, the number of ems (a measure of type width) per printed page, a comparison of manuscript versus printed pages, a description of the font, the process of receiving the pages to typeset, proofreading the title page, the decision not to correct grammatical errors, scribes for the printer’s manuscript, paragraphing and punctuation, capitalization in the manuscript, Gilbert’s taking work home to punctuate, and details about the signatures. In every aspect, Gilbert’s recollections are either precisely correct or easily explained.
The Book of Mormon is given to test the faith of mankind. It is a companion to the Bible and answers vital questions more now than when it was first published. The writings of ancient American prophets are found in the book and many of their prophecies pertain to this time when they are just now being fulfilled. The land of America is a land of importance to God and man. Those who are righteous will be blessed. A warning against pride and secret societies permeates the book. The most significant part of the book is Christ’s visit, organizing his church and establishing his ordinances.
Old Testament Topics > History
Old Testament Topics > Old Testament: Overviews and Manuals
Old Testament Scriptures > 1 & 2 Kings/1 & 2 Chronicles
Old Testament Scriptures > Ezra/Nehemiah
Old Testament Topics > History
Old Testament Topics > Old Testament: Overviews and Manuals
A four-volume work designed as an instructional aid to Book of Mormon study. The workbook format proceeds verse by verse, with accompanying commentaries, maps, drawings, fill-in-the- blank questions, charts, and topics of discussion.
The prophecies of Isaiah by topic and verse by verse
Old Testament Scriptures > Exodus
Old Testament Scriptures > Leviticus
Old Testament Scriptures > Numbers
Old Testament Scriptures > Deuteronomy
Old Testament Scriptures > Joshua
Old Testament Scriptures > Judges
Old Testament Scriptures > Ruth
Old Testament Scriptures > 1 & 2 Samuel
Old Testament Topics > History
Old Testament Topics > Old Testament: Overviews and Manuals
Teaching techniques
An ambitious epic poem on the Book of Mormon.
As important as choices are—such as what to major in, what career path to take, where to live, and where to send the kids to school—the choices you make regarding the type of person you want to be are, in my opinion, more important and will help you make those very important decisions regarding the direction you choose for your life and your family.
Many Latter-day Saints are intrigued to learn that the Book of Mormon has changed over time. How We Got the Book of Mormon recounts the fascinating history of this work of scripture, from the golden plates to the present edition, explaining the changes that occurred with each major version. It is not a commentary or a traditional history book. With beautiful full-color visuals and remarkable photographs it tells the story of the history of this sacred text. This book will appeal to adult Latter-day Saints, as well as Sunday School, institute, and seminary students. The only book of its kind, How We Got the Book of Mormon will inspire readers to a deeper appreciation for the Book of Mormon.
The Book of Mormon, told by a variety of narrators over a period of hundreds of years, is deeply concerned with remembrance and the written production of memory. As each narrator grows old and finishes his time recording the events of his people, he hands down the plates to a son or other trusted, younger male companion to continue writing the history and preserving the memories of their people. In this paper, I’d like to argue that nineteenth-century visual art becomes a continuation of the concern for and production of memory so present in The Book of Mormon itself. The book’s proclamation of itself as Bible-“And because my words shall hiss forth-many of the Gentiles shall say: A Bible! A Bible! We have got a Bible, and there cannot be any more Bible”-establishes its reliance on its own participation in the production of memory and highlights its own limited ability (given its status as a completed text) to continue the process of memory generation. I will first examine how The Book of Mormon presents the recording of memory and then turn to C. C. A. Christensen as a case study on how visual art entered the Mormon religious sphere in the nineteenth century as a way of re-recording the stories.
Uses biblical scriptures to prove the truthfulness of the Book of Mormon, gives summary of 1 Nephi, discusses plates (who wrote them, what language was used, their size and description). Explains how Joseph Smith found the plates in the Hill Cumorah, and gives a history of the founding of the LDS church.
A book that desires to convince the reader to repent and come to Christ. Sletten holds that the Bible and the Book of Mormon are the words of God and China and Russia are manifestations of Satan. Author does not believe that churches bring one to God, but the scriptures are instrumental in this objective.
As I interface the sacred and the secular, I am struck by how little my experience of this love is explainable in conventional psychological terms, or, indeed, in any secular terms.
This high school student desired to know more about the Book of Mormon than anyone in his school, a pursuit that brought feelings of self worth and spiritual security.
This high school student desired to know more about the Book of Mormon than anyone in his school, a pursuit that brought feelings of self worth and spiritual security.
Prophesying of the coming forth of the Book of Mormon, Nephi foretold that an unlearned man would be asked by God to read the words of a book after a learned man had failed to do so. The unlearned man was initially unwilling, claiming, “I am not learned” (2 Nephi 27:19). One interpretation of Nephi’s account is that Joseph Smith could not translate the Book of Mormon before the meeting of Martin Harris and Charles Anthon. Early historical accounts are consistent with this interpretation. However, according to Joseph Smith—History 1:64, Harris did take a translation to Anthon. Although this translation has not been found, evidence exists of similarities between this document and documents produced during the preliminary stages of the translation of the Book of Abraham. These similarities suggest that the document taken to Anthon was a preliminary and unsuccessful attempt to translate the Book of Mormon, during which Joseph Smith studied the translation problem out in his own mind as he qualified himself to receive the revealed translation from God.
Witnesses of the Book of Mormon > Martin Harris
Joseph Smith and the Book of Mormon consistently use such phrases as “Book of Lehi,” “plates of Lehi,” and “account of Nephi” in distinct ways.
One of the principal themes of Nephi’s writings on the small plates is his desire to convince others of Christ. A second, related theme is his desire to write plain and precious things on those plates. Some of the most plain and precious writings of Nephi are those instances in which he used the name Christ in chiasmus or other forms of poetry. Perhaps more than any other portion of his words, Nephi intended these plain and precious writings to convince both Jew and Gentile that Jesus is the Christ, the one true Messiah.
The Bible’s influence on language, law, and hope in the Lord
RSC Topics > D — F > Education
RSC Topics > L — P > Learning
Contains excerpts from sacred texts and scriptures of many of the world’s religions. The editors quote 3 Nephi 21 from the Book of Mormon as a representative scriptural text from Mormonism and state that it represents “the charter for Joseph’s foundation of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and the vision which drew the faithful in their drive to create a new society in the American West”
RSC Topics > A — C > Church History 1820–1844
RSC Topics > G — K > Joseph Smith
RSC Topics > Q — S > Scriptures
Old Testament Scriptures > Exodus
Old Testament Scriptures > Numbers
Old Testament Scriptures > Esther
Book of Moses Topics > Selection of Ancient Sources > General Collections and Key Texts
RSC Topics > D — F > Doctrine
RSC Topics > L — P > Love
RSC Topics > Q — S > Sin
RSC Topics > L — P > Learning
RSC Topics > T — Z > Teaching the Gospel
Walter Benjamin famously claimed that “only a redeemed mankind is granted the fullness of its past-which is to say, only for a redeemed mankind has its past become citable in all its moments. Each moment it has lived becomes a citation a l’ordre du jour. And that day is Judgment Day.” The Book of Mormon (1830) posits a pathway to redemption for believers and organizes all time around the coming of Christ. I aim to use Benjamin’s model of messianic time to interpret the complicated formal and narrative temporalities in The Book of Mormon and to offer a possible answer to the question, “Why did The Book of Mormon materialize when and where it did?” The Book of Mormon anticipates its own appearance in the nineteenth century. This temporal peculiarity authorizes my reading of the sacred text in its economic and historical context. I will argue that Joseph Smith’s discovery and translation of the plates he unearthed on a hillside in Palmyra, New York, presented a challenge to the capitalist perception of time that threatened to further disenfranchise Smith and others in the Burned-over District.
Uses the teachings of the Book of Mormon to show the importance of Christian service by members of the Church.
Abstract: The new edited volume Abinadi: He Came Among Them in Disguise, from the Book of Mormon Academy, is a valuable contribution to Book of Mormon studies. It should find a wide audience and stimulate greater and deeper thinking about the pivotal contributions of Abinadi to the Book of Mormon. It should, however, not be considered the end of the conversation. This review discusses the volume’s importance within Book of Mormon scholarship generally. It also highlights certain valuable contributions from each of the authors, and points out places where more can be said and deeper analysis is needed.
Review of Shon D. Hopkin, ed. Abinadi: He Came Among Them in Disguise (Provo and Salt Lake City, UT: Religious Studies Center, Brigham Young University, and Deseret Book, 2018), 404 pp. $27.99.
Deflected agreement is a grammatical phenomenon found in Semitic languages—it is ubiquitous in Arabic and found occasionally in Classical Hebrew. Deflected agreement is a plausible explanation for certain grammatical incongruities present, in translation, within the original and printer’s manuscripts and printed editions in the Book of Mormon in the grammatical areas of verbal, pronominal, and demonstrative agreement. This finding gives greater credence to the plausibility of the authenticity and historicity of the Book of Mormon. Additionally, the implications of this finding on Book of Mormon scholarship are discussed.
Abstract: LDS discourse vis-à-vis Hagar has changed through the years since the foundation of the Church. Her story has been considered and utilized in a number of ways, the most prominent being as a defense of plural marriage. This paper traces the LDS usages of Hagar’s story as well as proposing a new allegorical interpretation of her place within the Abrahamic drama through literary connections in the Hebrew Bible combined with Restoration scripture.
RSC Topics > T — Z > Worship
“America is the great ongoing dream of democracy. America deserves the commitment of our lives to maintain this dream.”
Barbara B. Smith, first counselor Janath R. Cannon, second counselor Marian R. Boyer, and secretary-treasurer Mayola R. Miltenberger discuss the new million-member Relief Society—its records, monument, visiting teaching, resource center, music, recreation, homemaking …
The author proposes “first to explore the antecedents and development of the notion of Hebrew descent; next to examine this view vis- a-vis contending views in the early years of the American Republic—both in the dialogue of the learned men of the day and the popular view espoused from the pulpit and published in written form; and lastly to touch upon the relationship between the issue of Indian Origins and the ascription of Indian ancestry offered in the Book of Mormon”
RSC Topics > L — P > Priesthood
RSC Topics > L — P > Prophets
The Book of Mormon is “Another Testament of Jesus Christ” Presents a brief history regarding the publication of the work, and an overview of its contents.
Men and women who turn their lives over to God will discover that He can make a lot more out of their lives than they can. He will deepen their joys, expand their vision, quicken their minds, strengthen their muscles, lift their spirits, multiply their blessings, increase their opportunities, comfort their souls, raise up friends, and pour out peace.
A brief biographical treatise of Prof. Samuel Latham Mitchill who, in addition to Charles Anthon, was approached by Martin Harris to confirm the legitimacy of the Book of Mormon characters.
This article discusses the distinction between official and folk culture, specifically concerning Book of Mormon archaeology. It describes the expeditions and claimed findings of people such as Jose Davila, Jesus Padilla, and John Brewer, citing them as folk practitioners who used a combination of scientific and spiritual methods to produce and verify their findings. Their work, however, had no place in official church channels. “The spiritual archaeologists’… experiences present a case study of religious revitalization and the sect-church process by which new religious movements spin off from older traditions. As the official Latter-day Saint culture pushed charismatic archaeologists—and their charismatic artifacts—to its margins, an array of Mormon revitalizers and splinter groups laid claim to them. Though repulsive to the gatekeepers of official culture, folk practitioners’ stories appealed to some rank-and-file Latter-day Saints who longed for a more literal and charismatic faith.” [Author]
Testimony of a convert who discovered and joined the Church via the Book of Mormon; he found scriptural prophets such as Nephi and Moroni to be “the best missionaries”
RSC Topics > L — P > Outreach
I have sometimes thought of the experience of changing my name in relation to my baptism—an ordinance in which I took upon myself the name of Jesus Christ.
RSC Topics > A — C > Consecration
RSC Topics > G — K > Jesus Christ
RSC Topics > Q — S > Sacrifice
Argues that some names on the Mayan Calendar are similar enough to Book of Mormon names to clearly confirm the authenticity of the Book of Mormon. God permitted the ecclesiastics in A.D. 1561 to destroy the ancient records of the Indians so that when the Book of Mormon was published there would be no information on the Indians from which Joseph Smith could have been accused of borrowing ideas.
Tells of American Indian traditions that support the Book of Mormon since they are similar to traditions of the Nephite and Lamanite people.
Gives a brief background of the Aztecs’ Calendar Stone and of the disappearance of the Mayas between the time a.d. 400 and 500. These evidences support the Book of Mormon.
Gives a brief history of the translation process of the Book of Mormon and cites cases of ancient peoples like the Nephites who also kept records.
Since Columbus, the world has tried to find out the origin of the American Indian. The author gives several examples of different theories written on this subject. The members of the LDS church have a true history of the American Indian and that history is the Book of Mormon.
Quotes from archaeologists and historians to demonstrate the veracity of the Book of Mormon. Includes a discussion of cement, iron, and steel; shows a comparison of Indian traditions and myths with similar stories from the Bible, including Indian belief in communion, baptism, the creation and flood, and the Great White God.
The record translated and published in 1830 as the Book of Mormon was composed by Mormon and other authors in some sequence. Here at last we can read the text in its sequence of composition. The result is an utterly original reading of the Book of Mormon. This reading reveals surprises within the text itself. The biography of Mormon composed over three decades shapes the historical narrative; an original introduction to the earliest (and lost) abridgment is recovered from what is now called 3 Nephi; and a groundbreaking revision of the received tradition regarding the Small and Large Plates of Nephi is brought forward. Additional essays by the editor introduce evidence for an order of composition by Mormon, Moroni, and others. Material is presented that 1 Nephi was added in June 1829, and compiled from additional plates recovered from Cumorah. Other essays give new insights into the role of lineage in the transmission of records, speculate on an alternate history of the “lost leaves” of 1828, and introduce a theory of translation essential for scholarly study of the Book of Mormon. And happily, the text has been freed from the constraints of column and verse, and oriented to the epic and historic genres more appropriate for its wingspan and tragic grandeur, for appreciating the complexity of its composition. [Publisher]
Book of Mormon Scriptures > 3 Nephi
Book of Mormon Scriptures > Moroni
This first volume of a cultural history of the Book of Mormon focuses on the earliest years of the text. In a new reading of Mormon history informed by the author’s expertise in anthropology and text analysis, the role of Restorationists in locating the Book of Mormon inside the cultural world of the Bible comes to the forefront. The notion of “metatext” is developed in order to explain how texts about the Book of Mormon informed the earliest readings of it, rendering it “scripture” in the genre familiar to Christians, and also shaped it to fit the tradition of Restoration widespread on the American frontier. As a group of Campbellites in late 1830 saw in the book their hoped-for restoration of the power of miracles, the Book of Mormon became the engine of a movement: the power had been restored. In this movement, Alexander Campbell’s Ohio group suffered a schism, and his remaining followers called the break off sect “Mormonites” in derision. This cultural history of the Book of Mormon presents a dramatically new way to understand that text and how it has been read and misread from the 1830s onward, as Restorationists took up the text--not for what it said--as a sign of miracles being restored to the true New Testament Church. This first volume is the sort of book you’ll either love or hate.
Explores the Great Apostasy and the possible ways of recovering of the Church of Jesus Christ—reform or restoration. The gospel restoration began when Moroni visited Joseph Smith, bringing the original Christian teachings—the Book of Mormon.
Responds to an article by the same name written by Rev. Bishop F. S. Spaulding, who attempts to discredit the Book of Mormon by attacking the translation of the book of Abraham. The position of the RLDS church is that Spaulding was not able to discredit the Book of Mormon completely, and it is impossible and unfair to judge the Book of Mormon except upon its own merits.
This pamphlet recounts the first vision and then gives a reprint of the Church History account of Moroni’s visit to Joseph Smith. Contains historical data concerning the organization of the Church and Church history.
Bruce Kinney concluded that there must have been a second Spaulding manuscript since the first one was found and was shown to have had no relationship to the Book of Mormon. This “new theory” suggests that Spaulding found the second manuscript in a cave and translated it—a theory which should be dismissed as was the original theory.
Pamphlet of statements resembling the Articles of Faith (written by Joseph Smith in the Wentworth Letter). Includes a statement condemning plural marriage; states that the Book of Mormon declares that a man should have but one wife.
Discusses the importance of the Bible, Doctrine and Covenants, and the Book of Mormon. Together they constitute the doctrine of the Church. The Book of Mormon is a valuable testament of Christ from cover to cover.
Old Testament Topics > Adam and Eve [see also Fall]
Old Testament Topics > Adam and Eve [see also Fall]
This article discusses how Oliver Cowdery and Joseph Smith learned that one of the concepts of the Gospel is to ask, seek, and knock. The process of translation was more than just looking into the Urim and Thummim. Revelation does not come without effort.
Eldred G. Smith - Free agency requires that there must be a choice. There must be an opposing force. There is no growth, no movement, no accomplishment or progress without overcoming an opposing force.
Old Testament Topics > Priesthood
Includes a description of patriarchal blessings
Old Testament Topics > Priesthood
Remarks by Elder Elias Smith, Delivered in the Bowery, Great Salt Lake City, Sunday Morning, August 2, 1857. Reported By: J. V. Long.
RSC Topics > G — K > Heaven
RSC Topics > L — P > Peace
RSC Topics > Q — S > Sacrifice
RSC Topics > T — Z > Temples
RSC Topics > T — Z > War
RSC Topics > T — Z > Women
RSC Topics > T — Z > Worship
View of the Hebrews (1965)
View of the Hebrews: 1825 2nd Edition (1996)
View of the Hebrews (1965)
View of the Hebrews: 1825 2nd Edition (1996)
View of the Hebrews (1825)
View of the Hebrews: 1825 2nd Edition (1996)
Since the Book of Mormon was first published in 1830, its critics have endeavored to find explanations for it other than the one given by Joseph Smith. Some have suggested that the source for much of the history and theology in the Book of Mormon was an early nineteenth-century book entitled View of the Hebrews, by Ethan Smith. This book is a faithful and accurate reproduction of the 1825 second edition of View of the Hebrews. The intent in publishing it has been to make it available to all interested readers—whether critics, believers in the Book of Mormon, or scholars of early American religious history. This printing reproduces not only the original spelling and punctuation but also, as much as possible, the original layout, typefaces, and type sizes. Readers may find topics of some interest for Latter-day Saint history, but it is clear that they will need to look elsewhere to find the origin of the Book of Mormon. ISBN 1-5700-8247-2
Many see this work as the impetus for Joseph Smith’s writing the Book of Mormon. However, this work is theoretical, where the Book of Mormon is sacred narrative. This work theorizes that the ten tribes of Israel traversed the Bering Straits. Smith calls upon native American tradition and language to sustain his theory that they are descendants of the Hebrews.
A debate between H. Bays and Heman C. Smith. The debaters discuss the Bible, the Book of Mormon, the Three Witnesses.
Reprint of an article from Inter-Ocean (23 September 1900), which tells of a discovery of nearly 2,000 human skeletons in Galveston, Texas. Scientists were of the opinion that the city was destroyed by a giant tidal wave. The Saints’ Herald article proposes that this occurred during the destruction at the time of Shiz and Coriantumr.
Report and commentary on an article from the Denver Republican (9 June 1900), which told of a trip that E. S. Compston of Harvard University made to Central America. Compston reported that he saw many similarities to the Book of Mormon but believed that Joseph Smith learned about these ruins from a traveler; yet many of the places Compston visited had never been viewed before.
The Book of Mormon teachings concerning the resurrection appear in the books of Mosiah and Alma. These teachings are harmonious with biblical teachings.
Book of Mormon Scriptures > Alma
The Book of Mormon is of great historical worth to the American Indians and to those who seek to understand a history of religion. It is a record of the Lord’s dealings with his people and gives an account of his doctrine.
RSC Topics > T — Z > Youth
RSC Topics > T — Z > Youth
The body of the work is \"a narrative of the prophet Joseph Smith\"; most of the text was written by scribes rather than by Smith. The parts of the work attributed to Smith were either dictated by Smith to a scribe or consist of a secretary or historian independently outlining Smith\'s activities and statements for a given time period. Much of the writing occurred after Smith\'s death in 1844. From handwriting analysis, scholars have identified the following men as the primary scribal authors of the work during the time periods indicated: Oliver Cowdery (1829–38) John Whitmer (1829–38) Sidney Rigdon (1830–38) Frederick G. Williams (1832–39) Orson Hyde (1833–36) W. W. Phelps (1831?–44) Warren Parrish (1835–37) Sylvester Smith (1834–36) Warren A. Cowdery (1836–38) George W. Robinson (1836–40) James Mulholland (1838–39) Robert B. Thompson (1839–41) Howard Coray (1840–41) James Sloan (1840–43) Willard Richards (1841–54) William Clayton (1842–44) Thomas Bullock (1843?–56) Robert Lang Campbell (1845–50, 1854–56) Leo Hawkins (1853–56) Jonathan Grimshaw (1853–56) Although Smith died in 1844, the compilation of his actions and words was not completed until 1856. Apostle Willard Richards was the chief editor of the work from 1841 until 1854. Apostle George A. Smith was the chief editor from 1854 until its completion in 1856. After Smith\'s death, apostle Wilford Woodruff allowed his extensive journal entries to be used to coordinate dates and clarify statements made by Smith. The completed work was read by and revised by church president Brigham Young and was published in 1858 by the LDS Church under the title History of Joseph Smith. Most of the material that resulted in History of Joseph Smith had been originally published in serial form over a 25-year period in the Times and Seasons, the Deseret News, or the Millennial Star.
Remarks by President George A. Smith, delivered in the New Tabernacle, Salt Like City, Sunday Afternoon, June 22, 1873. Reported By: David W. Evans.
A Sermon by Elder George A. Smith, Delivered in the Tabernacle, Great Salt Lake City, June 24, 1855. Reported By: G. D. Watt.
Remarks by President George A. Smith, delivered in the Tabernacle, Salt Lake City, Sunday, April 24, 1870. Reported By: David W. Evans.
Discourse by Elder George A. Smith, made in the Tabernacle, Great Salt Lake City, February 6, 1862. Reported By: G. D. Watt.
Discourse by President George A. Smith, delivered at the Adjourned General Conference, held in the New Tabernacle, Salt Lake City, Sunday Afternoon, May 9, 1874. Reported By: David W. Evans.
This article reports that fragments of an original Book of Mormon manuscript were given to the Church by Charles C. Richards.
Speech by Elder G. A. Smith, Delivered in the Bowery, Great Salt Lake City, July 4, 1855. Reported By: G. D. Watt.
An Address by Elder George A. Smith, Delivered in the Tabernacle, Great Salt Lake City, July 4, 1854. Reported By: Unknown.
An Address delivered by Honorable George A. Smith, in Great Salt Lake City, July 4, 1861. Reported By: Unknown.
Remarks by President George A. Smith, delivered in the New Tabernacle, Salt Lake City, October 8, 1869. Reported By: John Grimshaw.
Remarks by Elder George A. Smith, delivered in the Tabernacle, Salt Lake City, October 7, 1867. Reported By: David W. Evans.
Remarks by President George A. Smith, delivered in the New Tabernacle, Salt Lake City, April 6, 1869. Reported By: David W. Evans.
Remarks by Elder George A. Smith, made in the Tabernacle, Great Salt Lake City, April 8, 1862. Reported By: G. D. Watt.
Remarks by Elder George A. Smith, made in the Tabernacle, Great Salt Lake City, April 7, 1862. Reported By: J. V. Long.
Discourse by Elder George A. Smith, delivered in the Bowery, Great Salt Lake City, October 20, 1861. Reported By: J. V. Long.
Discourse by Elder George A. Smith, delivered at Logan, Cache County, September 10, 1861. Reported By: G. D. Watt.
An Address by Elder George A. Smith, Delivered in the Tabernacle, Great Salt Lake City, at the General Conference, Oct. 7, 1853. Reported By: G. D. Watt.
Remarks by Elder George A. Smith, Delivered in the Tabernacle, Great Salt Lake City, January 10, 1858. Reported By: G. D. Watt.
Discourse by President George A. Smith, delivered at the Adjourned General Conference, held in the New Tabernacle, Salt Lake City, Sunday Afternoon, May 10, 1874. Reported By: David W. Evans.
Remarks by Elder George A. Smith, delivered in the Tabernacle, Salt Lake City, October 9, 1867. Reported By: David W. Evans.
Discourse by President George A. Smith, delivered at the Semi-Annual Conference, in the New Tabernacle, Salt Lake City, Sunday Morning, October 11, 1874. Reported By: David W. Evans.
Remarks by Elder George A. Smith, made in the Tabernacle, Great Salt Lake City, Sunday, Jan. 22, 1865. Reported By: E. L. Sloan.
A Sermon by Elder George A. Smith, Delivered in the Tabernacle, Great Salt Lake City, March 18, 1855. Reported By: G. D. Watt.
Discourse by President George A. Smith, delivered in the New Tabernacle, Salt Lake City, Sunday Afternoon, May 24, 1874. Reported By: David W. Evans.
By President George A. Smith, delivered in the New Tabernacle, Salt Lake City, October 8 and 9, 1868. Reported By: David W. Evans.
Delivered by Elder George A. Smith, in the Tabernacle, Ogden City, on Tuesday, November 15, 1864. Reported By: G. D. Watt.
By President George A. Smith, delivered in the New Tabernacle, Salt Lake City, June 20, 1869. Reported By: David W. Evans.
A Discourse by Elder George A. Smith, Delivered in the Bowery, Great Salt Lake City, September 23, 1855. Reported By: G. D. Watt.
Remarks by President George A. Smith, delivered in the New Tabernacle, Salt Lake City, May 6, 1870. Reported By: David W. Evans.
Discourse by Elder George A. Smith, delivered in the New Tabernacle, Salt Lake City, April 6, 1868. Reported By: David W. Evans.
Remarks by Elder George A. Smith, made in the Tabernacle, Great Salt Lake City, October 8, 1862. Reported By: J. V. Long.
Remarks by President George A. Smith, delivered at the Semi-Annual Conference of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints, in the New Tabernacle, Salt Lake City, Tuesday Morning, October 6, 1874. Reported By: David W. Evans.
A Discourse by Elder George A. Smith, Delivered in the Bowery, Great Salt Lake City, Sunday Afternoon, August 2, 1857. Reported By: G. D. Watt, J. V. Long.
Remarks by Elder George A. Smith, delivered in the Tabernacle, Great Salt Lake City, June 2, 1867. Reported By: David W. Evans.
A Discourse by Elder George A. Smith, Delivered in the Tabernacle, Great Salt Lake City, November 29, 1857. Reported By: J. V. Long.
A Discourse by Elder George A. Smith, Delivered in the Bowery, Great Salt Lake City, April 6, 1856. Reported By: G. D. Watt.
An Oration by Hon. George A. Smith, Delivered in the Tabernacle, Great Salt Lake Valley, July 24, 1852. Reported By: G. D. Watt.
Discourse by President George A. Smith, delivered in the New Tabernacle, Salt Lake City, Sunday, August 13, 1871. Reported By: David W. Evans.
Discourse by President George A. Smith, delivered in the New Tabernacle, Salt Lake City, at the Semi-Annual Conference, October 8, 1873. Reported By: David W. Evans.
Remarks by Elder George A. Smith, made in the Bowery, Great Salt Lake City, April 6, 1863. Reported By: G. D. Watt.
A Speech by Mr. George A. Smith, Delivered in the Tabernacle, Great Salt Lake City, on the Anniversary of the Fourth of July, 1852. Reported By: G. D. Watt.
Discourse by President George A. Smith, delivered in the New Tabernacle, Salt Lake City, June 21, 1868. Reported By: David W. Evans.
Discourse by Elder George A. Smith, delivered in the Tabernacle, Great Salt Lake City, April 7, 1862. Reported By: J. V. Long.
Discourse by President George A. Smith, delivered in the Bowery, Logan City, Friday Morning, June 27, 1873. Reported By: David W. Evans.
An Address by Elder George A. Smith, Delivered in the Bowery, Great Salt Lake City, August 5, 1855. Reported By: G. D. Watt.
Remarks by Elder George A. Smith, Made in the Tabernacle, Great Salt Lake City, Sunday Morning, November 15, 1857. Reported By: J. V. Long.
A Discourse by Elder George A. Smith, Delivered in the Bowery, Great Salt Lake City, April 8, 1855. Reported By: G. D. Watt.
Remarks by President George A. Smith, delivered in the New Tabernacle, Salt Lake City, May 5, 1870. Reported By: David W. Evans.
Remarks by President George A. Smith, delivered in the New Tabernacle, Salt Lake City, Monday Morning, April 8, 1872. Reported By: David W. Evans.
Discourse by President George A. Smith, delivered in the New Tabernacle, Salt Lake City, Sunday, May 19, 1872. Reported By: David W. Evans.
An Address by Elder George A. Smith, Delivered in the Tabernacle, Great Salt Lake City, October 6, 1854. Reported By: Unknown.
Remarks by President George A. Smith, delivered in the New Tabernacle, Salt Lake City, Sunday Morning, April 7, 1872. Reported By: David W. Evans.
Remarks by President George A. Smith, delivered in the New Tabernacle, Salt Lake City, Saturday Morning, April 6, 1872. Reported By: David W. Evans.
Before the Hon. Z. Snow, Judge of the First Judicial District Court of the United States for the Territory of Utah. Reported By: G. D. Watt.
Remarks by President George A. Smith, delivered at the Semi-Annual Conference of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints, in the New Tabernacle, Salt Lake City, Sunday Afternoon, October 11, 1874. Reported By: David W. Evans.
An Address by Elder George A. Smith, Delivered in the Bowery, Great Salt Lake, City, Aug. 12, 1855. Reported By: G. D. Watt.
Discourse by Elder George A. Smith, delivered by Elder George A. Smith, September 4, 1859 Reported By: G. D. Watt.
Remarks by Elder George A. Smith, delivered in the Old Tabernacle, Salt Lake City, December 29, 1867. Reported By: David W. Evans.
Remarks by Elder George A. Smith, delivered in the Tabernacle, Great Salt Lake City, May 19, 1867. Reported By: David W. Evans.
Remarks made by Elder George A. Smith, in the Bowery, General Conference, Great Salt Lake City, Oct. 7, 1865. Reported By: G. D. Watt.
Discourse by Elder George A. Smith, made in the Tabernacle, Great Salt Lake City, March 10, 1861. Reported By: J. V. Long.
Discourse by Elder George A. Smith, delivered in the Tabernacle, Great Salt Lake City, April 7, 1867. Reported By: David W. Evans.
A Discourse by Elder George A. Smith, Delivered in the Tabernacle, Great Salt Lake City, November 1, 1857. Reported By: G. D. Watt, J. V. Long.
An Address by Elder George A. Smith, Delivered to the Children who formed the Procession at the Anniversary of the Entrance of the Pioneers into Great Salt Lake Valley, Delivered in the Tabernacle, Great Salt Lake City, July 24, 1854 Reported By: G. D. Watt.
Remarks by Elder George A. Smith, Delivered in the Bowery, Great Salt Lake City, Sunday Afternoon, September 13, 1857. Reported By: G. D. Watt, J. V. Long.
Remarks by Elder George A. Smith, Delivered at a Special Conference held in the Tabernacle, Great Salt Lake City, August 28, 1852. Reported By: G. D. Watt.
Remarks by Elder George A. Smith, Delivered in the Bowery, Great Salt Lake City, May 31, 1857. Reported By: G. D. Watt.
Remarks by President George A. Smith, delivered in the New Tabernacle, Salt Lake City, Sunday, July 7, 1872. Reported By: David W. Evans.
Remarks by Elder George A. Smith, Delivered in the Bowery, Great Salt Lake City, Sunday Afternoon, May 31, 1857. Reported By: G. D. Watt, J. V. Long.
Discourse by President George A. Smith, delivered in the Old Tabernacle, Salt Lake City, Nov. 15, 1868. Reported By: David W. Evans.
Remarks by Elder George A. Smith, made in the Tabernacle, Great Salt Lake City, April 6, 1861. Reported By: G. D. Watt.
By Elder George A. Smith, delivered in the Bowery, Great Salt Lake City, General Conference, Oct. 8, 1865. Reported By: G. D. Watt.
Remarks by Elder George A. Smith, made in the Tabernacle, October 6, 1860. Reported By: G. D. Watt.
Remarks by Elder George A. Smith, Delivered in the Tabernacle, Great Salt Lake City, January 3, 1858. Reported By: G. D. Watt.
The duty of sustaining- home industries and home institutions.—Incidents of the journey to Vermont and return —Remarkable interest and kindness manifest to President Smith and party. Providential help in overcoming obstacles in erection of monument.—The finished structure a credit to the Church and to Junius P. Wells.
Remarks by Elder George A. Smith, made in the Tabernacle, Great Salt Lake City, May 11, 1862. Reported By: J. V. Long.
Remarks by President George A. Smith, delivered in the New Tabernacle, Salt Lake City, Sunday Afternoon, Sept. 7, 1873. Reported By: David W. Evans.
Remarks by Elder George A. Smith, Delivered in the Bowery, Great Salt Lake City, Sunday Morning, July 26, 1857. Reported By: G. D. Watt, J. V. Long.
Remarks by President George A. Smith, delivered in the New Tabernacle, Salt Lake City, at the Semi-Annual Conference, October 6, 1873. Reported By: David W. Evans.
Discourse by President George A. Smith, delivered in the New Tabernacle, Salt Lake City, at the Semi-Annual Conference, October 7, 1873. Reported By: David W. Evans.
Remarks by President George A. Smith, delivered in the Tabernacle, Salt Lake City, Nov. 20, 1870. Reported By: David W. Evans.
Discourse by President George A. Smith, delivered at the Adjourned General Conference, held in the New Tabernacle, Salt Lake City, May 7, 1874. Reported By: David W. Evans.
“Brigham Henry Roberts developed the primary apologetic arguments used to define the antiquity of the Book of Mormon, a book most Latter-day Saints believe narrates the story of the ancestors of the American Indian. While speaking to the Church as a general authority, Roberts addressed the book as an ancient record; privately, however, he voiced doubts. In the last twelve years of his life, he encountered questions about Book of Mormon language, archeology, and geography that he could not answer. As he reexamined his earlier writings on the subject, he turned to his colleagues with two critical treatises that asked whether the prophet had created a ’wonder tale’ which, ’I sorrowfully submit, points to Joseph Smith’ as its author. He expressed his public faith and private doubts to the end of his life.” [From author’s introduction]
Discusses studies completed by B. H. Roberts on the Book of Mormon in which Roberts examined alleged textual problems and anachronisms in the Book of Mormon and also compared certain features of the Book of Mormon with Ethan Smith’s work View of the Hebrews.
Discusses studies on the Book of Mormon conducted by B. H. Roberts that focus upon alleged problems of the Book of Mormon that critics might raise in the future, compares the Book of Mormon and Ethan Smith’s book View of the Hebrews, and examines other elements of Joseph Smith’s 19th-century environment.
Isaiah’s prophecies reviewed in their historical context and compared with the later meanings attached by Christians and Mormons
Asserts that the Book of Mormon appealed to people of Joseph Smith’s day because it reflected popular ideas of the time, and that it is merely a product of 19th-century concepts and events such as anti-Masonry, revivalism, and magical practices. Author also holds that the Book of Mormon uses biblical material anachronistically and borrows from concepts regarding the Hebrew origin of the Indians.
Book review.
Abstract: Joseph Smith made various refining changes to the Book of Mormon text, most of them minor and grammatical in nature. However, one type of textual change has been virtually unstudied in Book of Mormon scholarship: extemporaneous change that was present the moment Smith dictated the original text to his scribes. This type of change appears to have been improvisational, a fix or repair made in the middle of a thought or expression. I study these improvisations in depth — where they might appear historically, their purpose, and their authorship — in two articles. The evidence points to ancient authors and editor-engravers whose extemporaneous changes appeared during the early layers of the Book of Mormon’s construction. In this paper, Article One, we study the improvisations found in the quoted ancient texts of ancient prophets, then in the embedded texts of authors who improvise, and finally in the improvisational narratives of the major editor-engravers — Mormon, Nephi, and Moroni. The findings tell us much about the Book of Mormon as scripture, and about the construction and compilation of scripture by ancient editors and authors.
Abstract: Joseph Smith made various refining changes to the Book of Mormon text, most of them minor grammatical in nature. However, one type of textual change has been virtually unstudied in Book of Mormon scholarship: extemporaneous change that was present the moment Smith dictated the original text to his scribes. This type of change appears to have been improvisational, a fix or repair made in the middle of a thought or expression. I study these improvisations in depth — when they appeared historically, their purpose, and their authorship. The evidence of Article One points to ancient authors and editor-engravers whose extemporaneous changes appeared during the early layers of the Book of Mormon’s construction. But how were these improvisations affected by later contributors? In this paper, Part 2, we study the improvisational work of Moroni as compiler, finishing-editor, and conservator, and of Joseph Smith as modern translator. The findings tell us much about the Book of Mormon as scripture, and about the construction and compilation of scripture by ancient editors and authors.
Joseph Smith wasn’t merely the Book of Mormon’s prophetic translator - he was also a student of the sacred record. Schooling the Prophet offers evidence that the Latter-day Saint prophet was quietly influenced by one of the most important sources of religious thought and sacred protocol that he knew - the Book of Mormon - on issues such as the nature of God, priesthood, and the temple.
Abstract: The Book of Mormon has been explained by some as a product of Joseph Smith’s 19th century environment. Advocates of this thesis have argued that the phrase secret combinations is a reference to Freemasonry, and reflects Joseph’s preoccupation with this fraternity during the Book of Mormon’s composition in 1828–29. It is claimed that this phrase is rarely, if ever, used in a non-Masonic context during 1828–29, and that a type of “semantic narrowing” occurred which restricted the term to Freemasonry. Past studies have found a few counter-examples, which are reviewed, but none from during the precise years of interest. This study describes many newly-identified counterexamples, including: anti-Masonic authors who use the term to refer to non-Masonic groups, books translated in the United States, legislature bills, grand jury instructions, and works which so characterize slave rebellions, various historical groups and movements, Biblical figures, and religious groups. These examples are found before, during, and after the critical 1828–29 period. Examples from 1832 onward likewise demonstrate that no semantic shift occurred which restricted secret combination to Masonry. This element of the environmental hypothesis has now been robustly disproven.
Review of Sam Harris. The End of Faith: Religion, Terror, and the Future of Reason.
Review of: Michael Dowd. Thank God for Evolution. New York: W. W. Norton, 2004. 336 pp., with index. $13.95. Karl W. Giberson. Saving Darwin: How to be a Christian and Believe in Evolution. New York: HarperCollins, 2008. 239 pp., with index. $9.98. Daniel J. Fairbanks. Relics of Eden: The Powerful Evidence of Evolution in Human DNA. Amherst, NY: Prometheus Books, 2007. 281 pp., with index. $15.86. Howard C. Stutz. “Let the Earth Bring Forth”, Evolution and Scripture. Draper, UT: Greg Kofford Books, 2010. 130 pp., with index. $15.95 David C. Stove. Darwinian Fairytales: Selfish Genes, Errors of Heredity, and Other Fables of Evolution. New York: Encounter Books, 1995. 345 pp., with index. $18.95 William A. Dembski. The End of Christianity: Finding a Good God in an Evil World. Nashville, TN: B&H Publishing Group, 2009. 229 pp., with index. $22.99 The position of the Church on the origin of man was published by the First Presidency in 1909 and stated again by a different First Presidency in 1925:
The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, basing its belief on divine revelation, ancient and modern, declares man to be the direct and lineal offspring of Deity…. Man is the child of God, formed in the divine image and endowed with divine attributes…
The scriptures tell why man was created, but they do not tell how, though the Lord has promised that he will tell that when he comes again (D&C 101:32–33). In 1931, when there was intense discussion on the issue of organic evolution, the First Presidency of the Church, then consisting of Presidents Heber J. Grant, Anthony W. Ivins, and Charles W. Nibley, addressed all of the General Authorities of the Church on the matter and concluded,Upon the fundamental doctrines of the Church we are all agreed. Our mission is to bear the message of the restored gospel to the world. Leave geology, biology, archaeology, and anthropology, no one of which has to do with the salvation of the souls of mankind, to scientific research, while we magnify our calling in the realm of the Church.… Upon one thing we should all be able to agree, namely, that Presidents Joseph F. Smith, John R. Winder, and Anthon H. Lund were right when they said: “Adam is the primal parent of our race.”
—First Presidency Minutes, April 7, 1931 ((Cited in William E. Evenson, “Evolution,” Encyclopedia of Mormonism, Vol. 1, (Macmillan Publishing Company, 1992), 478.)).
Review of Taylor G. Petrey, Tabernacles of Clay: Sexuality and Gender in Modern Mormonism (Chapel Hill, NC The University of North Carolina Press, 2020). 288 pages. $29.95 (paperback).
Abstract: Tabernacles of Clay examines the discourse of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints through a “queer theory” lens. This review examines its first two chapters’ use of sources regarding Church teachings about eternal biological sex and homosexual behavior. These chapters claim that the Church treated homosexual sin leniently and said little about such acts until the more “homophobic” 1950s. There are, in fact, many examples of homosexual behavior being condemned by Church leaders in the nineteenth and early twentieth centuries. Tabernacles further claims that in the 1950s–1970s, some in the Church saw biological sex as “created and contingent” — rather than eternal and unchanging — thus permitting a view of theological “gender fluidity.” The authors used to support these claims have been misrepresented and important information omitted. Tabernacles also fails to properly contextualize the sources and language of the 1950–1970s, and it thereby misrepresents Church discourse on homosexual sin. A thorough review of the Church’s official documents from this period reveals an almost exclusive focus on homosexual behavior, not homosexual temptation or identity. Aspects of present-day Church teaching or policy which are said to be novel are shown to be otherwise. The above errors lead to mischaracterization of Spencer W. Kimball’s book, The Miracle of Forgiveness. Tabernacles has not adequately or fairly characterized its sources, rendering its conclusions suspect.
Abstract: Jonathan Neville, an advocate of the “Heartland” geography setting for the Book of Mormon, claims to have identified a novel chiastic structure that begins in Alma 22:27. Neville argues that this chiasmus allows the reconstruction of a geography that stretches south to the Gulf of Mexico in the continental United States. One expert, Donald W. Parry, doubts the existence of a fine-tuned chiasmus in this verse. An analysis which assumes the presence of the chiasmus demonstrates that multiple internal difficulties result from such a reading. Neville’s reading requires two different “sea west” bodies of water: one “sea west” placed at the extreme north of the map and a second sea to the west of Lamanite lands, but neither is to the west of the Nephites’ land of Zarahemla. Neville’s own ideas also fail to meet the standards he demands of those who differ with him. These problems, when combined with other Book of Mormon textual evidence, make the geography based upon Neville’s reading of the putative chiasmus unviable.
Review of George D. Smith. Nauvoo Polygamy: &ldquo. . . But we called it celestial marriage.”
Abstract: Some have seen evidence of anti-Masonic rhetoric in the Book of Mormon and cite 2 Nephi 26:22 in support of this theory, since Satan leads sinners “by the neck with a flaxen cord.” It is claimed that this is a reference to Masonic initiation rituals, which feature a thick noose called a cable-tow or tow-rope. Examining the broader rhetorical context of 2 Nephi demonstrates that the “flaxen cord” more likely refers to something slight and almost undetectable. To test this hypothesis, I undertake a survey of the use of the phrase flaxen cord in 19th century publications. I also examine analogous phrases from the Bible. I examine fifty examples, seven of which are excluded because they do not contain enough information to support either claim. Of the remaining 43 examples, a full two-thirds (67%) describe a cord that is trivial or easily snapped. Only 7% denote a thick, strong rope, and 17% describe a thin rope that is strong. Given (1) the rhetorical context of 2 Nephi, (2) an expression that usually refers to a cord of trivial thickness and strength, and (3) virtually all poetic, scriptural, or allegorical uses imply fragility, the evidence overwhelmingly contradicts the anti-Masonic thesis.
Review of Rod L. Meldrum. Rediscovering the Book of Mormon Remnant through DNA.
Review of Denver C. Snuffer, Jr., Passing the Heavenly Gift, Salt Lake City: Mill Creek Press, 2011. 510 pp., no index. $25.97.
Review of Denver C. Snuffer, Jr., Passing the Heavenly Gift, Salt Lake City: Mill Creek Press, 2011. 510 pp., no index. $25.97.
Abstract: Grant H. Palmer, former LDS seminary instructor turned critic, has recently posted an essay, “Sexual Allegations against Joseph Smith and the Beginnings of Polygamy in Nauvoo,” on MormonThink.com. In it, Palmer isolates ten interactions between women and Joseph Smith that Palmer alleges were inappropriate and, “have at least some plausibility of being true.” In this paper, Palmer’s analysis of these ten interactions is reviewed, revealing how poorly Palmer has represented the historical data by advancing factual inaccuracies, quoting sources without establishing their credibility, ignoring contradictory evidences, and manifesting superficial research techniques that fail to account for the latest scholarship on the topics he is discussing. Other accusations put forth by Palmer are also evaluated for correctness, showing, once again, his propensity for inadequate scholarship.
This book features the personal perspectives of prominent LDS scientists addressing the theme of “Cosmos, Earth, and Man.” Many of these were drawn from the first Interpreter Symposium on Science and Mormonism, held in Provo, Utah on 9 November 2013. In the pages of this book, readers will appreciate the concise and colorful summaries of the state-of-the-art in scientific research relating to these topics and will gain a deeper appreciation of the unique contributions of LDS doctrine to the ongoing conversation.
President Boyd K. Packer's October 2010 general conference address met with criticism from people opposed to the stance of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints on same-sex marriage and homosexual acts. Critics portrayed President Packer's printed clarification of his words as backing down under pressure. Six of his past addresses are reviewed here demonstrating that the clarification matches his past teachings. Critics' claims about President Packer's views are also shown to be inconsistent with his published views over many years. The reaction of Mormons for Marriage (M4M), a group of Latter-day Saints dedicated to opposing the church's stance on California Proposition 8, is examined. Despite promising to avoid any criticism of the church and its leaders, M4M is shown to indulge in both. M4M also recommends materials hostile to the church, its leaders, and its standards of morality. Examples of M4M's scriptural and doctronal justifications of its stance are also examined. The critics' arguments in favor of altering Latter-day Saint teaching regarding homosexual acts are critiqued.
Review of Brian C. Hales and Laura H. Hales, Joseph Smith’s Polygamy: Toward a Better Understanding. Salt Lake City: Greg Kofford Books, 2015, 198 pages + index.
Abstract: Some sources have described Mormonism as the faith most friendly to the intellectual movement known as Transhumanism. This paper reviews an introductory paper by the past President of the Mormon Transhumanist Association. A syllogism that purports to show that Mormonism is compatible with — or even requires — Transhumanism is analyzed. The syllogism’s premises are shown to misunderstand or misrepresent LDS scripture and doctrine. The proffered Transhumanist conception of “human nature” and the perspective offered by LDS scripture are compared and found to be incompatible. Additional discrepancies between the Transhumanist article’s representation of LDS doctrine and the actual teachings of LDS scripture and leaders on doctrinal matters (the Premortal Council in Heaven, the relationship between substance dualism and LDS thought, and the possibility of engineering or controlling spiritual experiences) are examined. The article does not accurately reflect LDS teachings, and thus has not demonstrated that Transhumanism is congenial to LDS scripture or doctrine.
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Archaeological discoveries in Mexico and Central America demonstrate the abundance and frequent use of gold. Spanish conquistadors describe plates and slabs of gold that match Joseph Smith’s description of the gold plates.
The 48th Annual Brigham Young University Sidney B. Sperry Symposium Alma’s deeply personal writings to his sons contain some of the most informative doctrinal discussions in scripture. Originating out of the love and concern of a parent, these chapters present salient teachings on key gospel principles, proper behaviors, and correct theology. Here the pure doctrines of God’s merciful plan of redemption through his Son, Jesus Christ, are laid plain. This volume compiles essays given at a BYU Sidney B. Sperry Symposium. Drawing on both academic training and dedicated study of the scriptures, the authors in this volume provide valuable new contexts to understand Alma’s doctrinal expositions. Tad R. Callister, former Sunday School General President, was the keynote speaker. The diversity of scholarship from this book’s contributors provides this book with valuable new contexts to help readers understand Alma’s doctrinal expositions. The range of topics covered, and the contrasting perspectives will appeal to a broad audience and speak to many different people at different levels. ISBN 978-1-9443-9484-4
RSC Topics > D — F > Easter
RSC Topics > G — K > Hope
RSC Topics > Q — S > Resurrection
RSC Topics > G — K > Honesty
In Old Testament times, widows and the fatherless were particularly vulnerable to poverty and distress. Perhaps because women generally had no right to inherit their deceased husband’s property, the Code of the Covenant specifically protected widows (and therefore their minor children) to ensure their subsistence. This paper examines how these provisions may illuminate our understanding of passages in the Book of Mormon that relate to the treatment of widows and the fatherless by asking the following questions: Why did widows and the fatherless need special protection under Hebrew law, and what legal protections existed? What legal protections existed in Book of Mormon times for widows and the fatherless, and what were the penalties for violating the law? Which accounts in the Book of Mormon demonstrate violations of the commandment to protect widows and the fatherless, and which accounts demonstrate obedience? The answers to these questions illustrate the special status of widows and the fatherless in biblical law and in the Book of Mormon.
Smith, as a sixteen- year-old Methodist boy, came into contact with a man reading a book. He was invited to attend the man’s church. While there he was prompted to quote wonderful scriptures that he did not recognize. He was amazed to find that these scriptures were from the Book of Mormon.
Lessons from the Book of Mormon written in story form. Includes questions for study and discussion, problems to solve, and projects.
This work examines the reasons behind Oliver Cowdery’s and David Whitmer’s estrangement from the Church.
Tells the story of the reception of the gold plates from the hands of Moroni. Joseph Smith was not to rely wholly upon divine power to protect the plates; he had to be diligent and watchful. Also reported is the story of Sidney Rigdon’s visit to Professor Anthon and the lost 116 pages.
Contains a series of letters between A. T. Schroeder of Salt Lake City and C. H. Bays of Battle Creek, Michigan, wherein Schroeder defends the Spaulding manuscript theory for the source for the Book of Mormon and D. H. Bays argues against the theory.
An apologetic work, written by a former Church Historian of the Reorganized church, responding to criticisms raised by Bays in his work, Doctrines and Dogmas of Mormonism
Contains an account of David Whitmer’s conversion, excommunication, and ownership of a Book of Mormon manuscript.
A biography that relates the story of Martin Harris’s loss of the 116 manuscript pages of the Book of Mormon and his experience of seeing the gold plates and signing the testimony of the Three Witnesses. Includes a letter by Martin Harris wherein he states that he never denied the truth of the Book of Mormon.
The author describes the Hill Cumorah, saying that it is adorned by trees and a large sign containing Book of Mormon passages.
Tells of the discovery of a sunken city off the coast of Peru and suggests that this might be one of the sunken cities described in the Book of Mormon.
Reprint of article from 5 July 1965 El Paso Times entitled “Chiapas Find of Relevance to Document” Discusses archaeological evidence for the Book of Mormon, specifically a carving of six people in “near east clothing” discussing the tree of life: the three name glyphs have been translated as “Lehi,” “Soriah,” and “Nephi”
Cites archaeological evidence of native pleistocene horses in America, refuting previous ideas that horses were introduced by the Spaniards and supporting the Book of Mormon mention of the animal.
Discusses recent discoveries that provide evidence that ancient people did write on metal plates, including the finding of gold plates found in Pyrgi, Italy, that bear ancient inscriptions.
Announcing the first publication of the Chinese Book of Mormon, with background information on its translation and publication.
The moral precepts of the Book of Mormon are faultless and the book presents its own evidence of its divine origin. The purpose of the Book is to teach of Christ and it supports the claims of the Bible.
Contains a collection of previously published items, “Book of Mormon Lectures” by H. A. Stebbins, “Book of Mormon Talks” by Orion (Hyrum O. Smith), “Book of Mormon Vindicated” by I. M. Smith, and “The Book of Mormon Evaluated” by Hyrum O. Smith.
A series that discusses internal evidences of the Book of Mormon. The most important way to “prove” either the Bible or the Book of Mormon is to read it, study its teachings, and put them into practice. The Book of Mormon is not a fraud because a fraudulent book could not be so filled with the flawless moral teachings of Christ. It supports the Bible and is a second witness for God.
Written in the form of a discussion between a father and his four children. Answers criticisms of the Book of Mormon. The Book of Mormon is complimentary to the Bible.
A dialogue between two friends wherein one discusses the reasons he has joined the RLDS church. His main reason is the authenticity of the Book of Mormon. As proof of this, he discusses the restoration of the Jews to Israel and the power of the United States of America, both as prophesied in the Book of Mormon. He also uses historical evidence from South American Indian traditions.
A comparison of the building of Solomon’s temple with the Saints’ building of the Salt Lake Temple
Old Testament Scriptures > 1 & 2 Kings/1 & 2 Chronicles
A defense of the Book of Mormon and brief summary of its contents. The Book of Mormon is a supplement to the Bible, not a replacement. Satan is active in attempting to discredit the Book of Mormon. The Book of Mormon is the fulfillment of biblical prophecies.
Reprinted as Mormonism II: Pro-Mormon Writings of the Twentieth Century, edited by Gary L. Ward, 1-119. New York: Garland, 1990. “A simple statement of facts as to what the Book of Mormon really is, and a plain presentation of the scriptural evidences in favor of its divine origin” Defines the mission of the Book of Mormon, tells of its coming forth and significance to the tribes of Israel, and of the prophecies it contains and fulfills.
A full investigation of the Bible and the Book of Mormon shows no contradiction between the two works.
Focuses on the Book of Mormon’s grammatical structure, language, and absence of anachronisms. Suggests the Book of Mormon as an antidote to latter-day secularism, then proceeds to give evidence of its Hebrew origin.
A discussion of the Rosetta Stone and Egyptian hieroglyphics and how these finds relate to the Book of Mormon and the story of the Anthon transcript. Includes a facsimile of the Anthon transcript and photographs of Egyptian works and transcript characters.
Reprinted from “A ‘Sealed’ Book” Saints’ Herald
Discusses the testimonies of the Three and Eight Witnesses, Moroni’s angelic ministrations to Joseph Smith, and the purpose of the Book of Mormon as stated by Joseph Smith, the Book of Mormon itself, and other scripture. Concludes with an explanation of how the Book of Mormon has been preserved and invites the audience to examine the original manuscript kept by the RLDS church.
Contains outlines of sermons by RLDS church dignitaries, including I. A. Smith, D. O. Chesworth, W. Wallace Smith, Maurice L. Draper, H. E. Velt, and R. A. Cheville. Topics include Book of Mormon history and doctrine.
Based on the findings of a Jewish archaeologist, Isadore Lhevinne, who affirms that Jews discovered America, this article claims that evidence shows that Jews reached Mexican shores on more than one occasion hundreds of years before Columbus.
A polemical tract that claims that Ezekiel 37:15-19 has nothing to do with the Book of Mormon.
Review of “Multiply Exceedingly: Book of Mormon Populations Sizes” (1993), by John C. Kunich
James Smith lists the population numbers given in the text of the Book of Mormon, and discusses what the possible population growth might have been. Comments in the Book of Mormon about multiplying exceedingly and filling the land are indicative that Nephite fertility was indeed high. He discusses the possibility that other peoples were assimilated into the Nephite and Lamanite groups.
Remarks by Apostle John H. Smith, delivered at the General Conference, in the Tabernacle, Salt Lake City, Saturday Morning, October 8, 1881. Reported By: John Irvine.
Discourse by Apostle John Henry Smith, delivered at the Annual Conference, held in the Tabernacle, Logan, Cache County, Monday Morning, April 6, 1885. Reported By: John Irvine.
Isaiah 29 prophesies future events concerning the Book of Mormon. The history of the Church proves that the Mormon church is a marvelous work and a wonder. Most of the persecution against the Church stems from the Book of Mormon.
Evaluates the Three Witnesses’ lives in respect to Paul’s words on the unpardonable sin (Hebrews 6:4-6). Smith declares that the Three Witnesses did not commit the unpardonable sin as described by Paul. He maintains that “it surely was the purpose of God that they should go the road they had traveled”
Remarks by Apostle John H. Smith, delivered in the Tabernacle, Salt Lake City, Sunday, July 27, 1885. Reported By: Geo. F. Gibbs.
Discusses Ezra Taft Benson’s claim that the Book of Mormon is the most correct book on earth to show that Mormonism is not a Christian denomination.
In the beginning Joseph Smith patterned Mormonism after six groups: Roman Catholicism, Campbell’s teachings, the Pharisees, Masonry, Islam, and Rosicrucianism. Smith’s claims to have translated the Book of Mormon by the power of God have no foundation. LDS doctrines and practices have changed.
Written to show Mormon missionaries, by the use of their own written material, the fallacy of their claims. The Book of Mormon itself is evidence of its fallacy. Shows the title page of the 1830 edition that proclaims Joseph Smith as its author. The Book of Mormon condemns polygamy and the book admits its own imperfection.
Questions the validity of visits by Moroni to Joseph Smith, the existence of the plates, and the veracity of the First Vision. Casts doubts on the characters of the Three Witnesses.
A brief polemical pamphlet attempting to discredit the Book of Mormon. The critic enumerates various anachronisms in the Book of Mormon such as poor grammar, repetitive expressions such as “and it came to pass,” the method of translating, and plagiarisms from the Bible.
A polemical tract against Mormonism attempting to explain why Mormonism is a cult. Numerous textual changes in the various editions of the Book of Mormon are noted. The description in 3 Nephi of the destruction of the wicked at the time of Christ’s death is incompatible with the concept of a merciful God.
An evangelical work for those attempting to win over Mormons. This is accomplished by pointing out “Protestant” doctrines within the Book of Mormon and doctrinal contradictions with the Bible, and through other means.
This article announces the completion of George Reynolds’s Book of Mormon concordance and advertises its sale.
This article announces the completion of the Japanese translation of the Book of Mormon and lauds the beautiful work done and the effort spent in the project.
Argument as to when man was created, reconciling the apparent discrepancies in Genesis 1 and 2 and the Pearl of Great Price
Old Testament Topics > Creation
This article quotes the Eighth Article of Faith declaring that Latter-day Saints believe both the Bible and the Book of Mormon to be the words of God. Nephi taught that the Hebrew scriptures had “plain and precious parts” removed. For this reason Joseph Smith was called on to revise the Bible and produce an “inspired translation.
This three-part essay describes in detail the experience of the author in obtaining Solomon Spaulding’s manuscript, purported to be similar to the Book of Mormon, while in Honolulu. The third part disproves the testimonies of the witnesses included in part II.
This three-part essay describes in detail the experience of the author in obtaining Solomon Spaulding’s manuscript, purported to be similar to the Book of Mormon, while in Honolulu. The first part deals with the origin of and initial reactions to the Spaulding Manuscript and its relationship to the Book of Mormon.
This three-part essay describes in detail the experience of the author in obtaining Solomon Spaulding’s manuscript, purported to be similar to the Book of Mormon, while in Honolulu. The second part refutes the idea that the Book of Mormon is based on or similar to the Spaulding Manuscript and contains a number of interviews with the involved parties.
The anthropomorphism of God and origin of man
Old Testament Topics > Creation
This article refutes a claim made in an article printed in the St. Louis Republic concerning the whereabouts of the original manuscript of the Book of Mormon by arguing that the manuscript was placed in the southwest corner of the Nauvoo house. They alleged that David Whitmer had possession of the original manuscript of the Book of Mormon, and that elders from the Church visiting him in Richmond, Missouri, offered him $100,000 for it.
In rebuttal to “shameless falsehoods” that accuse the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints of trying to buy the original manuscript of the Book of Mormon for purposes of trying to alter the text in favor of polygamy, this article states that these allegations are not true. Includes facts concerning the publication of the Book of Mormon and the location of the original manuscript.
This article gives an account about the possibility that David Whitmer or the Whitmer family possessed the original manuscripts of the Book of Mormon.
A review of the new (1905-06) Book of Mormon manual. Expounds on B. H. Roberts’s views of the importance of the Book of Mormon. External and internal evidence supports Book of Mormon’s claim to truth. The manual refutes objections to the Book of Mormon, such as the Spaulding and Rigdon theories.
A short paragraph answering the question: “Into what languages has the Book of Mormon been translated and printed?”
Abraham’s obedience
Old Testament Topics > Abraham and Sarah [see also Covenant]
Refutes a claim made in an article printed in the St. Louis Republic concerning the whereabouts of the original manuscript of the Book of Mormon by arguing that the manuscript was placed in the southwest corner of the Nauvoo house.
This article discusses the location and disposition of the original manuscript of the Book of Mormon. It remained in the hands of Joseph Smith who put the pages in the cornerstone of the Nauvoo house. These were nearly destroyed by water and time. The only remnants are now in the possession of the Church.
Old Testament Topics > Adam and Eve [see also Fall]
The purposes for the Fall of Adam
Old Testament Topics > Adam and Eve [see also Fall]
Funeral Services Preached by Elder Joseph F. Smith, Over the Remains of Emma, Daughter of Elder Daniel H. and Emmeline Wells, on Thursday Morning, April 11, 1878. Reported By: Geo. F. Gibbs.
Discourse by Elder Joseph F. Smith, delivered in the New Tabernacle, Salt Lake City, Sunday Afternoon, Sept. 30, 1877. Reported By: Geo. F. Gibbs.
Discourse by Elder Joseph F. Smith, delivered in the Tabernacle, at St. George, Sunday, April 2, 1877. Reported By: Geo. F. Gibbs.
Old Testament Topics > Ephraim
Joseph Fielding Smith - It is by the power and authority of the priesthood that the gospel is preached, and what greater blessing can come into the life of anyone than to receive the gospel?
This article is a plea to the members of the Church to study the Book of Mormon. Critics of the Book of Mormon visit the homes of members pointing out the changes in the Book of Mormon and discrepancies with the Bible.
Takes issue with the view that the Hill Cumorah is located in Mexico or Central America and argues that the hill was located in upstate New York near Palmyra.
This article is a plea to study the Book of Mormon again and again, with the promise that the Lord has “greater things” to manifest if members of the Church will esteem the Book of Mormon.
Discourse by President Joseph F. Smith, delivered at the Funeral Services of the late James Urie, in the Sixteenth Ward, Salt Lake City, February 2, 1883. Reported By: Unknown.
This article discusses how Jacob (2 Nephi 9) taught concerning the Atonement and mission of Jesus Christ, and our debt to him. Out of love members of the Church should show deep gratitude by obedience and in humble prayer.
Book of Mormon Scriptures > Jacob
Discourse by President Joseph F. Smith, delivered at Ogden, Sunday Morning, June 21, 1883. Reported By: Geo. F. Gibbs.
Discourse by President Joseph F. Smith, delivered in the Assembly Hall, Salt Lake City, Sunday Afternoon, February 17, 1884. Reported By: John Irvine.
This article asserts that the Nephites did indeed have a church organization before the days of Alma, and that Lehi, King Benjamin, and King Mosiah each had a church organization. Whenever and wherever there were gospel ordinances administered by a minister there was a church organization.
Book of Mormon Scriptures > Alma
An explanation of differences in lineages of patriarchal blessings in the same family
Remarks by President Joseph F. Smith, delivered at the General Conference, on Sunday Morning, April 6, 1884. Reported By: Geo. F. Gibbs.
Discourse by Elder Joseph F. Smith, delivered at the General Conference, held in the Tabernacle, Salt Lake City, April 8, 1879. Reported By: Geo. F. Gibbs.
Old Testament Topics > Elijah
Discourse by Elder Joseph F. Smith, delivered in the Tabernacle, Great Salt Lake City, Feb. 17, 1867. Reported By: Unknown.
Contains a historical account of the coming forth of the Book of Mormon—the visit of the angel Moroni, the translation, the lost manuscript, the witnesses and their testimonies.
Discourse by President Joseph F. Smith, delivered in the 14th Ward Assembly Rooms, at the Funeral Services of Sister Elizabeth H. Cannon, on Sunday, Jan. 29, 1882. Reported By: Unknown.
Discourse by Elder Joseph F. Smith, delivered at the Forty-Sixth Semi-Annual Conference of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints, in the New Tabernacle, Salt Lake City, on Wednesday, Oct. 6, 1875. Reported By: David W. Evans.
Discourse by Elder Joseph F. Smith, delivered in the Tabernacle, Ogden City, Nov. 12, 1870. Reported By: David W. Evans.
Old Testament Topics > Adam and Eve [see also Fall]
Discourse by Elder Joseph F. Smith, delivered at the Forty-Sixth Annual Conference of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints, in the New Tabernacle, Salt Lake City, Saturday Afternoon, April 8, 1876. Reported By: Geo. F. Gibbs.
Discourse by President Joseph F. Smith, delivered in the Assembly Hall, Salt Lake City, Sunday Afternoon, October 29, 1882. Reported By: John Irvine.
Discourse by President Joseph F. Smith, delivered in Paris, Idaho, Sunday Morning, August 19, 1883. Reported By: John Irvine.
Written for the dedication of the monument of Moroni that stands on the Hill Cumorah. Retells the story of Mormon’s and Moroni’s abridging the Book of Mormon, Moroni’s appearances to Joseph Smith, and Joseph Smith’s receiving the plates from Moroni at the Hill Cumorah.
Old Testament Topics > Covenant [see also Ephraim, Israel, Jews, Joseph]
This article discusses Matthew 12:39 to show that there are no contradictions between 1 Nephi 3:7 and D&C 84:4. The author concludes that the injunction of the Lord to build a temple was hampered by such opposition that the plan of the Lord was merely postponed—”the purposes of the Lord will prevail.”
How one can be a full-blooded non-Israelite and still be a literal descendant of one of the twelve tribes
This article discusses how Lehi and the Nephites are referred to as “Jews” in several Book of Mormon and Doctrine and Covenants passages (2 Nephi 30:4; D&C 19:27; D&C 57:4), even though they were literal descendants of Ephraim and Manasseh (Alma 10:3). They were Jews not so much by actual descent as by citizenship, having lived in Jerusalem in the kingdom of Judah, or through intermarriage.
Book of Mormon Scriptures > Alma
Joseph Fielding Smith - Our Savior, Jesus Christ, is the great Exemplar. Our mission is to pattern our lives after him and do the things he wants us to do.
Discourse by Elder Joseph F. Smith, delivered in the New Tabernacle, Salt Lake City, at the Semi-Annual Conference, October 7, 1873. Reported By: David W. Evans.
Discourse by President Joseph F. Smith, delivered in the Tabernacle, Provo City, Sunday Afternoon, December 3, 1882. Reported By: John Irvine.
There is no contradiction. Joseph Smith and all of his associates knew perfectly well that Bethlehem was where Jesus was born. The expression used in Alma 7:10 was not that Jesus was born in Jerusalem, but at Jerusalem. This is a Hebrew expression and simply refers to a geographical area—Jerusalem and environs, including Bethlehem.
In answer to the title, this article states that there is no contradiction, arguing that Joseph Smith and all of his associates knew perfectly well that Bethlehem was where Jesus was born. The expression used in Alma 7:10 was not that Jesus was born in Jerusalem, but at Jerusalem. This is a Hebrew expression and simply refers to a geographical area—Jerusalem and environs, including Bethlehem.
This article says that there is great need throughout the world for repentance and purification through the atoning sacrifice of Jesus Christ. For the good of mankind Satan was cast down to the earth that there might be an opposition in all things and punishments affixed. Those who profit from the experiences of others and are willing to look to God and live will be spared from the calamities that will plague the earth in these last days.
This article states that Church members (and those in the world if they only knew) should be grateful that the Lord has given further and clearer light of revelation in the Book of Mormon and other modern scriptures.
Old Testament Topics > Adam and Eve [see also Fall]
Discourse by Elder Joseph F. Smith, delivered at the Funeral Services Over the Remains of Elder William Clayton, Held in the 17th Ward Meetinghouse, Salt Lake City, Dec. 7, 1879. Reported By: Unknown.
The gospel of Jesus Christ, above all else, should be taught. And every student in this institution should go forth from it with an abiding testimony in Jesus Christ and likewise in the mission of the Prophet Joseph Smith.
Discourse by President Joseph F. Smith, delivered at the General Conference, on Sunday, April 9, 1882. Reported By: Geo. F. Gibbs.
Joseph Fielding Smith - It is my prayer that we may ever be one, even as Jesus said that he and the Father and the Holy Ghost are one.
Discourse by President Joseph F. Smith, delivered in the Tabernacle, Salt Lake City, Saturday Afternoon (in General Conference), October 7, 1882. Reported By: John Irvine.
Discourse by President Joseph F. Smith, delivered in the Tabernacle, Salt Lake City, Sunday, June 18, 1882. Reported By: Geo. F. Gibbs.
Old Testament Topics > Creation
Old Testament Topics > Abraham and Sarah [see also Covenant]
Old Testament Topics > Marriage
Old Testament Topics > Plural Marriage
Old Testament Topics > Priesthood
Old Testament Topics > Women in the Old Testament
An explanation of the Hebrew root behind “replenish” in Genesis 1:28
Old Testament Topics > Adam and Eve [see also Fall]
This article discusses how the gift of the Holy Ghost may not be received without the laying on of hands. Book of Mormon prophets had the authority to bestow that gift. The Lord did not overlook any necessary ordinances for the Nephites when he visited with them following his resurrection.
Refutes claim of one thousand changes in Book of Mormon since its first publication. Exhortation to read the Book of Mormon and gain a testimony of its truthfulness. Members of the LDS church are on probation and, if proven worthy, will receive the fullness of the sealed portion of the plates.
Discourse by Elder Joseph F. Smith, delivered in the Tabernacle, Salt Lake City, September 3, 1871. Reported By: David W. Evans.
Discourse by Joseph F. Smith, delivered in the Ogden Tabernacle, Saturday Afternoon, July 18, 1884, being the Quarterly Conference of the Weber Stake of Zion. Reported By: John Irvine.
This article discusses how the First Vision answered many questions prevalent in the 19th century. The account of that vision agrees with the doctrine of the Church and the Book of Mormon. Those who read the Book of Mormon will know of its truthfulness and authenticity.
Joseph Fielding Smith - We are ambassadors of the Lord Jesus Christ. Our commission is to represent him. We are directed to preach his gospel, to perform the ordinances of salvation, to bless mankind, to heal the sick and perhaps perform miracles, to do what he would do if he were personally present—and all this because we hold the holy priesthood.
Joseph Fielding Smith - There is no need for anyone to remain in darkness; the light of the everlasting gospel is here; and every sincere investigator on earth can gain a personal witness from the Holy Spirit of the truth and divine nature of the Lord’s work.
Discourse by President Joseph F. Smith, delivered at Logan, Feb. 6, 1881 Reported By: Geo. F. Gibbs.
Discourse by Elder Joseph F. Smith, delivered in the Tabernacle, Salt Lake City, Sunday Morning, July 7, 1878. Reported By: Geo. F. Gibbs.
This article discusses Bible predictions that have been associated with the Book of Mormon—the prophetic blessings that Jacob gave Joseph and his two sons, the oracles in Micah and Isaiah, parts of Isaiah 29, Ezekiel 37, and John 10.
In this work the Book of Mormon is seen in a new perspective; we see it in a world setting, not in a mere local one. It takes its place naturally alongside the Bible and other great works of antiquity and becomes one of them.
An introduction to the first edition of An Approach to the Book of Mormon by Hugh Nibley.
Exhorts members of the LDS faith to read the Book of Mormon. Discusses prophecy concerning Christ’s birth in the land of Jerusalem and the covenant of Mosiah 5:7. Concludes with testimony, and points out the effectiveness of testimony and knowledge against those critical of the Book of Mormon.
This article discusses whEther or not the Nephites had the Aaronic priesthood, concluding that the Nephites operated under the Melchizedek priesthood from the time of Lehi to the coming of Christ.
The divine law of witnesses is fixed and definite. More than one witness is required, and had good records been kept through the ages one would probably find this to be so from the beginning. Three witnesses were called to testify of the Book of Mormon; they never denied this testimony, though two were excommunicated.
In rebuttal to the theory of evolution, this article points out that the first man on earth was intelligent, kept records, and knew the gospel. Then the children of men rebelled and fell into a degenerate state. Ancient America and the Book of Mormon are good examples of progression and retrogression.
Discourse by President Joseph F. Smith, delivered at the General Conference, Salt Lake City, Sunday, a.m., April 8, 1883. Reported By: Unknown.
Quotes Samuel H. Smith’s story of the coming forth of the Book of Mormon; praises the title page and the promise therein. Gives historical facts concerning the publication and sales of the book.
Since the day of publication of the Book of Mormon, the flood of opposition towards it has increased. The Book of Mormon answers the critics successfully, fulfills biblical prophecy, and is a testimony against the world. Since not all believe, special witnesses had to be chosen. The Three Witnesses of the Book of Mormon remained true to their testimonies.
Discourse by Elder Joseph F. Smith, delivered in the 13th Ward Assembly Rooms, Salt Lake City, Sunday Afternoon, Feb. 9, 1873. Reported By: David W. Evans.
Remarks by Elder Joseph F. Smith, delivered in the Tabernacle, Salt Lake City, Jan. 10, 1869. Reported By: David W. Evans.
An explanation of Genesis 6:1–2
This article sets forth the Lord’s law of witnesses as recorded in the scriptures. The provision for witnesses to testify regarding the reality of the gold plates perfectly fits the scriptural pattern and the Book of Mormon itself predicted that there would be such witnesses. The Book of Mormon witnesses remained true to their testimonies all of their lives.
Discourse by Joseph F. Smith, delivered in the New Tabernacle, Salt Lake City, Nov. 25, 1868. Reported By: David W. Evans.
This article testifies that the Lord has always had witnesses to bear testimony of his truths—the coming forth of the Book of Mormon follows suit. All who read the Book of Mormon may read the testimony of the Three Witnesses.
Luke 23:44 states that at Christ’s crucifixion there was a period of darkness over all the earth until the ninth hour. The Book of Mormon, however, states that it was a three-day darkness on the American Continent. Both accounts are correct. The God of miracles who caused a three-hour darkness on one continent also caused a three-day darkness on the other. The greater period of darkness came because of the extreme wickedness of those in America.
Luke 23:44 states that at Christ’s crucifixion there was a period of darkness over all the earth until the ninth hour. The Book of Mormon, however, states that it was a three-day darkness on the American continent. Both accounts are correct. The God of miracles who caused a three-hour darkness on one continent also caused a three-day darkness on the other. The greater period of darkness came because of the extreme wickedness of those in America.
The Three Witnesses remained faithful to their testimonies of having seen the plates. While all three fell away from the Church, Oliver Cowdery and Martin Harris returned and died faithful members. David Whitmer never returned but reaffirmed his testimony to his dying day.
Old Testament Topics > Tithing
This article surveys the events leading to the publication of the Book of Mormon and discusses the length of translation time, the roles of Martin Harris, Oliver Cowdery, and the Three Witnesses, the obtaining of the copyright, and the preparation for publication.
The translation of the Book of Mormon commenced about April 7, 1829, and the copyright is dated June 11, 1829. In this short period of just under two months the translation was completed.
Old Testament Topics > Israel, Scattering and Gathering
The difference between the two sets of stone tablets
Old Testament Topics > Law of Moses
This article presents a brief historical sketch of what is known about the Urim and Thummim, from the brother of Jared, Abraham, Moses, Mosiah, and Joseph Smith.
Old Testament Topics > Adam and Eve [see also Fall]
Old Testament Topics > Creation
Old Testament Topics > Witchcraft, Magic, and Astrology
Old Testament Topics > Women in the Old Testament
Discourse by Elder Joseph F. Smith, delivered at the Forty-Sixth Semi-Annual Conference of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints, in the New Tabernacle, Salt Lake City, on Sunday Morning, Oct. 10, 1875. Reported By: David W. Evans.
This article argues that the appearance of Christ in America occurred shortly after his ascension from the Mount of Olives into heaven.
This article explains that, since there were no members of the tribe of Levi among the Nephites, the Nephites officiated by virtue of the Melchizedek Priesthood rather than the Aaronic. It concludes that Alma received the priesthood before Noah became king and remained righteous enough to retain this authority, although he immersed himself while baptizing Helam as part of the repentance process.
Old Testament Topics > Geography
The Hill Cumorah was the same as the Jaredite hill Ramah. It seems that the Hill Cumorah of New York is the exact hill spoken of in the Book of Mormon.
Many say they would believe the Book of Mormon if the plates were on display. Smith explains that the Lord works by faith (2 Nephi 27:22-23). There are, however, the testimonies of the Three Witnesses and the Eight Witnesses who testify that the plates existed.
This article states that there have been many intelligent, honest men who never heard the gospel and will not be held accountable for their sins, for their acts were done in faith and obedience to what they had been taught.
A handicapped boy in Bountiful, Utah, cannot go on a mission so he donates money to the Book of Mormon fund.
This interview conducted by Emma Smith’s son in part concerns the Book of Mormon, its translation and publication. The question and answer format of the article declares that the prophet Joseph had not met Sidney Rigdon until after the publication of the book. Emma assisted in the translation, handled the cloth-wrapped plates, and verifies the book’s divine authenticity.
Reprint of an article from Inter-Ocean (23 September 1900), which tells of a discovery of nearly 2,000 human skeletons in Galveston, Texas. Scientists were of the opinion that the city was destroyed by a giant tidal wave. The Saints’ Herald article proposes that this occurred during the destruction at the time of Shiz and Coriantumr.
Report and commentary on an article from the Denver Republican (9 June 1900), which told of a trip that E. S. Compston of Harvard University made to Central America. Compston reported that he saw many similarities to the Book of Mormon but believed that Joseph Smith learned about these ruins from a traveler; yet many of the places Compston visited had never been viewed before.
A Discourse by President Joseph Smith, Delivered at the Conference held near the Temple, in Nauvoo, April 6, 1844. Reported By: W. Richards, W. Woodruff, and W. Clayton.
An Address by President Joseph Smith, Delivered on the evening of his arrival from Dixon, June 30, 1843, in the Grove, near the Temple, Nauvoo; about eight thousand people having hastily assembled, under the most intense excitement, in consequence of the attempt of Sheriff Reynolds, of Jackson County, Missouri, to kidnap him to Missouri, by preventing him from obtaining a writ of Habeas Corpus. Reported By: Dr. Willard Richards and Elder Wilford Woodruff.
A letter to the editor written by Joseph Smith in rebuttal to the allegation that the word “Mormon” was translated from a Greek word. Joseph interprets the word “Mormon” to mean “more good” He attests that the language from which the plates were translated was Reformed Egyptian. He reaffirms the divine intervention of God in the translation process.
The Elders’ Journal, which published two issues in Kirtland, Ohio, in 1837 before the church’s printing office was destroyed, was reestablished in Far West, Missouri, in 1838, after JS and most other church leaders migrated from Kirtland to Far West. Thomas B. Marsh was the proprietor of the newspaper, and JS was the editor, though the amount and nature of JS’s involvement and editorial oversight is unclear.1 By May 1838, JS and Sidney Rigdon began working on material for the first Far West issue, dated July 1838.2 Ultimately, two issues were published in Missouri, dated July 1838 and August 1838. The July issue included letters to and from church elders serving proselytizing missions, as well as articles, minutes of meetings, and other items.3 The August issue contained similar material, including an editorial by JS and a letter that the First Presidency commissioned George W. Robinson to write to Latter-day Saints who had not yet gathered to Missouri. The August issue also included an obituary for Ethan Barrows Jr., who died in mid-August 1838,4 indicating that the issue was published sometime in the second half of the month or later.
In November 1837, the second issue of the church’s new periodical, Elders’ Journal of the Church of Latter Day Saints, was published in Kirtland, Ohio. The paper was first published in October 1837 as an instrument for the elders of the church to “communicate to others, all things pertaining to their mission, and calling as servants of the living God, and messengers of righteousness to the nations among whom they are sent.” As editor of the Elders’ Journal, JS was ultimately responsible for its content, including editorial selections in the November issue that introduced conference minutes, prefaced a letter from Orson Hyde in England, articulated an editorial philosophy, and implored subscribers to remit payment for their subscriptions. Though JS authored an account of his trip to Missouri and an attending list of questions, the extent of his involvement in writing the other editorial pieces is unclear.2 Given that he did not return to Kirtland from Far West, Missouri, until 10 December 1837, the November issue was likely not published until after that date.
A reprint of articles from the Times and Seasons
Synopsis of an Address by President Joseph Smith, Delivered in Commerce, Illinois, Tuesday, June 2, 1839. Reported By: Unknown.
An account of Joseph Smith’s history, written in 1838. A further history is added by an unknown author and includes a description of the organization of the Church, the Kirtland Temple dedication, the Saints’ persecution in Missouri, the trek to Illinois, the martyrdom of Joseph and Hyrum, and the move westward.
Reprint of an article from Inter-Ocean (30 January 1888) concerning two copper plates that Joseph Smith allegedly claimed to be genuine and relating to the Mormon faith. Smith put on his “magical spectacles” and translated the plates into the Second Book of Mormon. Included is a rebuttal to this article from the Times and Seasons (1 May 1843) that states the plates, known as the Kinderhook Plates, were shown to Smith, but then taken away before he could make a translation.
Provides the historical details of Joseph Smith’s First Vision and of the coming forth of the Book of Mormon. It states the testimonies of the Eleven Witnesses, and then proceeds to give archaeological evidence of the divine authenticity of the Book of Mormon. This evidence is comprised of Hebrew inscriptions found by the mounds built near Newark, Ohio.
Rehearses the Joseph Smith story. It contains a description of the Hill Cumorah and the visit of the angel Moroni. It gives an account of the Book of Mormon. Recounts the discovery of artifacts that had Hebrew inscriptions upon them. The testimonies of the Three Witnesses were substantiated by later affirmation.
The term Christology refers to the presentation of the life and nature of Jesus Christ. The purpose of this essay is to explore King Benjamin’s Christology (see Mosiah 3), to consider its similarities to that found in the Gospel of Mark, and to explore some implications of Benjamin’s Christology. Christology is often described as being on a continuum from low (which emphasizes the human nature of Jesus) to high (which emphasizes his divine nature). It is definitely the case that Benjamin’s description of Jesus contains elements of a high Christology since he begins by describing Jesus as “the Lord Omnipotent who reigneth, who was, and is from all eternity to all eternity” (Mosiah 3:5). Yet the very next line describes Jesus as “dwell[ing] in a tabernacle of clay” (Mosiah 3:5), which reflects a decidedly low Christology. This emphasis on the mortal nature of Jesus continues as Benjamin relates at length Jesus’s physical suffering (see Mosiah 3:7).
Book of Mormon Scriptures > Mosiah
The Book of Revelation has perplexed and fascinated readers for centuries. In particular, its final two chapters—which contain the only extended description of heaven in the canon—beg for close examination and careful consideration. In this collection of essays, six scholars theologically examine Revelation 21–22. With approaches ranging from textual criticism to intertextual readings to conceptual analysis, this book sheds new light on a most enigmatic text.
RSC Topics > T — Z > Temples
RSC Topics > D — F > Discipleship
RSC Topics > L — P > New Testament
The New Rendition of the Gospel of Mark provides a modern English translation of Mark’s earliest known Greek texts. It is excerpted from The Gospel according to Mark by Julie M. Smith. There is no such thing as perfect translation, even theoretically. This Rendition reflects Julie Smith’s deliberate choice to translate as literally as possible in order to aid the reader in appreciating the literary features of Mark’s text. These include purposeful repetitions, awkward constructions, intentional word choices, and similar features. One exception to the principle of strictly literal translation is that the Greek idioms in Mark are translated with comparable English idioms. A second exception is for culturally specific expressions. For example, “the fourth watch” is translated as “when night was ending,” and “over three hundred denarii” is rendered as “over a year’s wages.” But aside from these two exceptions, the quest for authentic literalism is the overriding concern—even at the cost of smoothness and elegance. There is no doubt that this Rendition will strike the reader as infelicitous at first. But hewing closely to the source text outweighs, in this context, the benefits of attempting to improve the source. This New Rendition will sound a little foreign to LDS readers accustomed to the distinctive register of the King James Version—which strikes the modern reader as elegant, formal, and magisterial. But because the New Rendition more closely reflects the original tone of Mark’s text, readers soon experience this dynamic Gospel more as it would have sounded to a first-century audience: not antiquated, lofty, or reverent but rather common, plain, and impressive. This Rendition is part of the BYU New Testament Commentary series. This scholarly project aims to create a faithful modern English translation together with a full, in-depth, carefully researched commentary for each book on the New Testament. More of the New Rendition and commentary volumes will be added in coming months and years. As of 2019, volumes have been published on Mark, Luke, First Corinthians, and Revelation.
The Gospel of Mark is an undiscovered gem, hiding in plain sight. Mark’s story—at least from the vantage point of a twenty-first-century audience—is virtually unknown. Following broader trends in Christian history, Latter-day Saints have focused on the other Gospels. Mark’s Gospel gets very little attention and, when it does, it is usually read through the lenses of the other Gospels, with the result that Mark’s distinctive voice is muted. But the Jesus presented in Mark’s Gospel is worthy of study: He is a man of action and few words. He is witty, warm, and wise. He’s also the Son of God. He has power which leaves people in awe, and he uses that power to help the people most people don’t like. He hugs little kids. He listens to and learns from women. He banishes demons and reminds parents to feed their children. He doesn’t know everything, but he does know how to end chaos. His disciples usually misunderstand him, but he teaches them continually and patiently. This Jesus is betrayed and abandoned and alone and humiliated, but he still chooses God’s will over his own—even though he didn’t want to. Mark tells an amazing story. The overriding goal of this commentary is to recover Mark’s unique voice. Special attention is given to five areas: An examination of the differences in ancient texts of Mark is used to make conjectures about how the text read in its earliest versions. Basic cultural knowledge is supplied to help the modern reader bridge the gap to the ancient world. Biblical allusions in Mark’s text are explored and explained. Literary structures, both large and small, are considered. The traditional neglect of women’s stories is corrected. The result is a commentary that answers the question, “What would Mark’s story of Jesus have meant to its first audiences?” in a way that informs and inspires Mark’s readers twenty centuries later. No other biblical commentary directed specifically to members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints eclipses the quality of Julie Smith’s accomplishment with the Gospel of Mark. It is informed, gracefully composed, accessible, and, most importantly, trustworthy. It opens a range of possible interpretations of key and challenging passages but is not guilty of imposing extraneous meaning on the text. The volume’s preoccupation—“What would this story have meant to Mark’s earliest audiences?”—is judiciously chosen and frees Smith from distractions and diverse thickets. A superb example of what light may emerge from scripture in the company of a competent, faithful, and honest guide. — Philip L. Barlow, Leonard Arrington Professor of Mormon History & Culture, Utah State University Julie Smith’s new commentary on the Gospel of Mark represents an important addition to Latter-day Saint scholarship on the New Testament. Mark is a book that has been somewhat neglected by Latter-day Saints, and Smith’s commentary goes a long way towards correcting that neglect. With its numerous explanatory notes, this commentary takes the Gospel of Mark seriously, both as scripture and as a witness of the mission of Jesus. Where this commentary is especially welcome is in Smith’s thoughtful and thought-provoking treatment of women’s issues in the Gospel and in the scriptures generally. — Avram R. Shannon, Assistant Professor of Ancient Scripture, Brigham Young University Among Latter-day Saints, the Gospel of Mark has often been overshadowed by the other Gospels. This volume aims to restore Mark’s distinct voice so that latter-day audiences can better understand and appreciate his unique testimony of Jesus Christ. By focusing on issues of translation, cultural knowledge, biblical allusions, literary interpretation, and the significance of women’s stories and concerns, this volume impressively narrows the gap between the expectations of modern readers and Mark’s ancient, yet vibrant, testimony of Jesus. — Jacob Rennaker, John A. Widtsoe Fellow of Latter-day Saint Scholarship and Life, Chapman University
Chiasmus, or inverted parallelism, is well-known to most students of Mormon studies; this note explores one instance of it in Abraham 3:22-23.
In recent years, the study of Leviticus has been galvanized by anthropologist Mary Douglas. Douglas’s central insight was that Leviticus relies on analogical thinking, which means that each part of the law cannot be understood on its own but only by comparing it with other parts of the law of Moses. This paper uses an analogical approach to Leviticus in order to explore what the law of Moses teaches about Jesus Christ. Details of the various offerings; laws regarding food, contact, and illness; and holy days are examined analogically in order to show what ancient prophets in the New and Old Worlds already knew: that the law of Moses can \"[point] our souls to Christ.\"
In what is surely one of the saddest tales in the Bible, Jephthah vows that if granted success in battle, he will sacrifice the first person to cross the threshold of his home upon his return. Tragically, it is his only child, a daughter, who hurries out to meet him (Judges 11:29-34). New Testament scholar Mary Ann Beavis shows that this harrowing text has many similarities to the story of Jairus and his daughter in the Gospel of Mark (5:21-24 and 35-43). Mark’s story, however, has a joyous outcome: Jairus intercedes for his daughter, and Jesus raises her from the dead. Beavis calls this a motif inversion, meaning the text in Mark establishes similarities to Jephthah’s story to encourage the audience to compare the events, only to reverse course and have the story end on a very different note. In other words, Mark suggests correspondences but then shows how, when the story plays out in Jesus’ life, it has a dramatically dissimilar ending. Beavis also discusses another widely recognized example of motif inversion in Mark: in the story of the calming of the sea (Mark 4:35-41), there are many echoes of the story of Jonah (1-4). Jesus, like Jonah, is asleep in a boat and is awakened by questions when a terrifying storm threatens. But Jesus, of course, is no Jonah. The motif is inverted as Jesus, who initially parallels Jonah, takes on the role of God, and, being the only one who can, calms the storm.
RSC Topics > Q — S > Resurrection
RSC Topics > T — Z > Women
In silence, an unnamed woman approaches Jesus and pours ointment on his head. Responding to criticism from his disciples, Jesus not only defends the woman’s actions but states that wherever the gospel is preached, her story will be told as a memorial of her (Mark 14:9). This enigmatic story has, surprisingly, received very little comment from biblical scholars over the centuries. Yet it is a veritable treasure trove of insight into the person of Jesus and his ministry: (1) anointing was, as Jesus himself explains, a preparation for his burial. Both Jesus and the woman who anoints him understand that he will soon die; (2) anointing was also, in the biblical tradition, part of the coronation ritual for kinds (see example, 1 Samuel 10:1)--both Jesus and the woman who anoints him understand that he is the King of Kings; (3) a point where the disciples seem to understand only the glorious aspect or the suffering aspect of Jesus’s mission, the anointing woman’s actions show that she understands that both aspects must be integrated in the atoning mission of Jesus Christ; and (4) the Joseph Smith Translation of Mark 14:8 on first reading does not appear to add much to the story but on closer examination reveals a chiasmus that strengthens and nuances Jesus’s praise of the woman.
Deals with the historical relations between the Mormons and the Indians, and gives a brief overview of the Book of Mormon, explaining how that and biblical prophecies have influenced relations between the Latter-day Saints and the American Indians.
Review of First Nephi: Study Book of Mormon (1998), by Zarahemla Research Foundation.
Review of LDS Collectors Edition CD-ROM (1994, 1995), by Infobases.
Review of Overview of the Book of Mormon (1991), by Zarahemla Research Foundation.
2nd edition, Plano, IL: RLDS Church, 1880. Deals with events in the lives of the author’s family members. She discusses her son Joseph and the coming forth of the Book of Mormon, and gives in detail historical facts about the origin and early days of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter- day Saints, including the events surrounding the translation of the Book of Mormon and the 116 pages of lost manuscript.
Lucy Mack Smith relates the conversion of Mrs. and Rev. John P. Greene, Phineas Young, Brigham Young, Mrs. Murray, and the wife of Heber C. Kimball through a single copy of the Book of Mormon left with Rev. Greene.
These chapters of Lucy Smith’s history record that Joseph brought home the breast plate, the translation began, Mrs. Harris was opposed to the work, Martin Harris lost the 116-page manuscript, the Urim and Thummim was taken from Joseph Smith, and Oliver Cowdery wrote for Joseph as a scribe.
Hoffman forgery. A transcript of the letter was printed in Church News 52 (28 August 1982): 3.
Reprinted from Joseph Smith the Prophet and His Progenitors. Historical narrative concerning Joseph Smith’s meetings with E. B. Grandin, Oliver Cowdery’s manuscript transcriptions, securing the copyright, and other details associated with the printing of the Book of Mormon.
Points out two different findings in Mexico that show how archaeology converges with the Book of Mormon. The two excavations uncovered a Maya Codex in a city close to San Salvador and a lost fort found in Guatemala.
Chiasmus is a Hebrew literary style that renders words, phrases, or ideas in an intentional order then immediately repeats them. It is prevalent in the Book of Mormon. Includes examples.
Reports an expedition to Lake Peten Itza where manmade mounds lay at the bottom of the lake, in keeping with the Book of Mormon, which reports that cities sank at the crucifixion of Christ.
A large engraved stone with hieroglyphics and a picture of a fully clothed man was discovered in the Acula River, southeast of Veracruz, Mexico in 1986. Many scholars believe the hieroglyphics represent an earlier version of the Maya language, probably Olmec.
Finds parallels between Maya hieroglyphs and themes in the Book of Mormon to demonstrate the validity of Mesoamerica as the setting for Book of Mormon events.
Chiasmus is used so profusely in the Book of Mormon that this author examines the mirror image of chiasmus in other forms such as art and architecture. The article contains figures and photographs as examples.
“The Tablet of 96 Glyphs from Palenque provides a strong witness that the Maya knew about and utilized the same literary practices as Hebrew writers” The writers point out literary practices that appear in the Book of Mormon: the phrase “it came to pass,” chiasmus, and paired opposites.
Michael Coe has noted that the books of Mayan writing were reportedly very similar in appearance to Egyptian, thus vindicating the Book of Mormon.
Examines archaeological and religious history of the city of Teotihuac‡n between 100 b.c. and a.d. 400 to discover correlations with Book of Mormon cultural history.
Letters to the editor defend or condemn the advertising of a historical time chart containing biblical and Book of Mormon events. Some maintain that the events of the Book of Mormon do not represent a historical reality, while others believe that the events do represent reality.
This article discusses how the Hill Cumorah pageant, “America’s Witness for Christ,” was prepared from the Book of Mormon by H. Wayne Driggs. It depicts scenes from the Book of Mormon, which proclaims a solemn message of Christ.
RSC Topics > D — F > Doctrine
RSC Topics > D — F > Faith
RSC Topics > L — P > Mercy
RSC Topics > Q — S > Repentance
RSC Topics > Q — S > Salvation
The 32nd Annual Sidney B. Sperry Symposium The first publication of the Book of Mormon was completed only a few days before the Church was organized. The Lord revealed that it “contains a record of a fallen people, and the fulness of the gospel of Jesus Christ. Before the revelation was received on the organization of priesthood quorums, before the vision of the three degrees of glory, before knowledge of vicarious work for the dead, and before Joseph Smith was instructed to begin an inspired translation of the Bible, the Book of Mormon was received as scripture for all members of the Church. As the “keystone” containing a “fulness of the gospel,” the Book of Mormon connects, enhances, and clarifies the other standard works. This volume was published to encourage all who read it to discover and rediscover for themselves that the Book of Mormon does indeed contain the fulness of the gospel. ISBN 9781590381885
The 31st Annual Sidney B. Sperry Symposium The messages of the New Testament Apostles—most notably Peter, James, John, and Paul—are some of the most important and powerful teachings in all of scripture. In this volume, scholars illuminate these teachings and help us understand their influence in the church of the New Testament. Many insights and teachings in this book help us understand the value and the power of the messages of the New Testament Apostles, not only for the primitive church, but for us in the latter days. ISBN 1-5700-8896-9
The 33rd Annual Sidney B. Sperry Symposium Before Joseph Smith was born, religious scholars such as William Tyndale and Martin Luther put their lives in jeopardy to spread the word of God to their followers, blazing doctrinal trails so that a restoration of the gospel could occur. This volume highlights these influential men and other important Reformers who helped pave the way for the Restoration. ISBN 1-5903-8329-X
Retells the story of Martin Harris’s visit to Anthon with the Book of Mormon characters. Also contains some primary sources and letters dealing with the characters.
Three months before his death, Joseph Smith established the Council of Fifty, a confidential group that he believed would protect the Latter-day Saints in their political rights and one day serve as the government of the kingdom of God. The Council of Fifty operated under the leadership of Joseph Smith and then Brigham Young. The council’s minutes had never been available until they were published by the Joseph Smith Papers Project in September 2016. This book is a compilation of essays that will give an initial appraisal of how the council’s minutes enhance our understanding of Mormon history during the critical era of the last months of Smith’s life to the trek west. Some fifteen leading Mormon scholars—including Richard Bushman, Richard Bennett, Paul Reeve, and Patrick Mason—narrate and analyze the contributions of the records of the council to key questions. ISBN 978-1-9443-9421-9
Old Testament Topics > Book of Mormon and the Old Testament
Infers that albino Indians are a genetic reminder of an earlier lighter-skinned ancestry.
Recounts missionary labors among the Pueblo and Zuni Indians, who recognized the message in the Book of Mormon as belonging to their ancestors.
Recounts missionary labors among the Pueblo and Zuni Indians, who recognized the message in the Book of Mormon as belonging to their ancestors.
This article provides a scholarly analysis of the monetary system of the Nephites used around 82 b.c. and described in Alma 11. The Nephite system was a slight modification of a binary system, where each unit would have twice the value of the next smaller one. The author also shows parallels with similar systems in Egypt and Macedonia.
Review of Adam S. Miller (Collin College, McKinney, TX). Rube Goldberg Machines: Essays in Mormon Theology. Foreword by Richard Lyman Bushman. Draper, UT: Greg Kofford Books, 2012. 162 pp., with bibliography and indexes. $18.95. Paperback and e-book formats.
The attitude held by certain sectors of the anti-Mormon crowd has changed over the years, even to the point where some no longer deny the literary merit and beauty of the Book of Mormon. Although an assessment of the impact of Jack Welch’s work and writing on chiasmus may be premature, it is clear that his work on the subject incited the expansion of other literary analyses of the Book of Mormon and encouraged the publication of their results. Welch’s work influenced studies and analyses on chiasmus in Classic Mayan texts, and his publications have contributed much to the discipline of chiastic analyses.
Good for an overall view of the textual development of the Book of Mormon, but cannot be fully relied upon in specific instances. Its text is derived from a computerized 1830 edition, with changes based on visual examination of hard-to-read microfilms of the original and printer’s manuscripts. The apparatus lists a good many textual variants (but not all), again based on a visual examination of most of the significant editions of the Book of Mormon. The apparatus also contains biblical and other ancient parallels and commentary. The appendices provide a number of valuable but preliminary lists of archaisms, names, textual errors, and page headings, as well as a manuscript register and a chronology.
Good for an overall view of the textual development of the Book of Mormon, but cannot be fully relied upon in specific instances. Its text is derived from a computerized 1830 edition, with changes based on visual examination of hard-to-read microfilms of the original and printer’s manuscripts. The apparatus lists a good many textual variants (but not all), again based on a visual examination of most of the significant editions of the Book of Mormon. The apparatus also contains biblical and other ancient parallels and commentary. The appendices provide a number of valuable but preliminary lists of archaisms, names, textual errors, and page headings, as well as a manuscript register and a chronology.
The Book of Mormon annals open in an ancient Near Eastern context. The archaeological-historical context is carefully outlined here within a systematic chronology that is tied to fixed, absolute dates of recorded astronomical events—particularly those from cuneiform eponym calendars. The resultant matrix allows those early Book of Mormon events to be understood in a rational, familiar, and meaningful way—that is, in a biblical context. In addition, an excursus is devoted to understanding the Arabia of the Book of Mormon as the Lehite exiles must have known it. Throughout it is clear that the world depicted by the Book of Mormon dovetails remarkably well with what we know of the ancient Near East.
Robert Smith works out a detailed chronology of events in Palestine and the surrounding area from 793-445 B.c. to show what was happening in the years prior to Lehi’s departure from Jerusalem and journey to and settlement of the New World. He also describes the topographical and climatic conditions of the land through which Lehi and his colony may well have traveled on their way to the Americas.
Three studies of the Book of Mormon: (1) Detailed analysis of the Egyptian characteristics of the Book of Mormon, (2) editorial markers in the Book of Mormon, and (3) a broad look at the realia of the Book of Mormon as evidences of historical authenticity.
The claim that a personal letter in the Book of Mormon mimics a form indicative of modern rather than ancient composition is critiqued. The majority of letters in the Book of Mormon follow the ancient Hittite-Syrian, Neo-Assyrian, Amarna, and Hebrew epistolary format in which the correspondent of superior rank is always listed first. Other clues to ancient composition are noted.
Book of Mormon Scriptures > Moroni
The early and persistent claim that Joseph Smith quoted Shakespeare in the Book of Mormon fails to take into account the broader context of sources. Much closer parallels than Shakespeare are available in the Bible as well as in ancient Near Eastern literature. Indeed, the constellation of ideas about death expressed in 2 Nephi 1:13–15 fits that ancient Near Eastern context in several powerful ways—ways that belie the claim that Joseph Smith plagiarized Shakespeare.
Review of John S. Dinger, ed., Significant Textual Changes in the Book of Mormon: The First Printed Edition Compared to the Manuscripts and to the Subsequent Major LDS English Printed Editions (Salt Lake City: Smith-Pettit Foundation/Signature Books, 2013); with foreword by Stan Larson; 418pp+ xxxvi; hardbound edition limited to 501 copies; ISBN 978-1-56085-233-9.
No abstract available.
This book explores the literate and advanced cultures of two very separate groups in the Book of Mormon, (1) the Jaredites described in the book of Ether, and (2) the members of tribal Manasseh who dominate the remainder of the Book of Mormon. The first group flourished during the millennia before the arrival of the second group in a nearby area, and became extinct as a civilization not long after the arrival of that second group. Within the New World, only one complex culture arose which was literate, built great cities, and had a large population, namely the Olmec of southern Mexico -- the \"mother culture\" of the five subsequent advanced cultures of Mesoamerica. This book demonstrates how the Mesopotamian Jaredites brought with them a Sumero-Akkadian culture to the New World. The linguistics of Sumero-Akkadian are not only found systematically within the Jaredite onomasticon, but a comparison of Sumero-Akkadian with reconstructed ancient Olmec (Proto-Mixe-Zoque) strongly suggests the ultimate origin of that people in Mesopotamia at least 5 thousand years ago. In the second section of the book, an offshoot of tribal Manasseh (Clan Lehi) demonstrates its pervasive influence through an onomasticon almost exclusively showing derivation from Manassite names known from the Bible and archeology, and which are collocated geographically with each other and with a set of names known biblically to be associated with transjordanian tribes and southern areas, such as Midian (where Clan Lehi first goes to make good its escape from Judah).
Abstract: Robert Smith makes the case that “poetic art in the Book of Mormon is highly developed” — you just need to have the eye to recognize it. Though many readers are aware of the stunning examples of chiasmus in the Book of Mormon, thanks to the pioneering work by John W. Welch, fewer are acquainted with the other important forms of parallelism that pervade the text, often placed strategically to highlight the importance of a particular passage. Smith also shows why apocalpytic texts, sometimes thought to originate at a later period, can be found, for example, in the first chapter of the Book of Mormon.
[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 Robert F. Smith, “Poesy and Prosody in the Book of Mormon,” 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), 429–67. Further information at https://interpreterfoundation.org/books/to-seek-the-law-of-the-lord-essays-in-honor-of-john-w-welch-2/.]
This table compares Nephite weights and measures with Egyptian values and gives possible equivalents in grams and ounces.
Presents a paper and wood model of the gold plates.
This booklet calls attention to the wonder of the Great Pyramid of Egypt and points out that ancient Americans show archaeological similarities to the ancient Egyptians. Smith discusses astronomy and geometry as related to the construction of these ancient structures and explores how Mayan ruins and the legend of Quetzalcoatl relate to the Book of Mormon.
Using characters from the Book of Mormon, the author produces a fictitious story of the time surrounding Jesus’ visit to the people of ancient America.
Contains ” ‘evidences’ that the Jaredites went across Asia through China”—shows parallels between the Chinese dragon and Quetzalcoatl, and between a lighted stone in Chinese tradition and the stones used in the Jaredite barges. The real name of the brother of Jared was never given, a practice that is still a tradition in China.
Examines the criteria for the substance of the 16 Jaredite stones. The author argues that jade fits each criteria of the substance that was used.
Contains a brief description of a trip that the author took to Central America to visit possible Book of Mormon locations. The author concluded that the Pi disks (circular jade disks found in a tomb at Monte Alban) and doughnut shaped objects represented the 16 Jaredite stones used for lighting the barges.
After viewing carvings that depicted women as victims of war in Cop‡n, Honduras, the author better understood passages in Mormon and Moroni concerning the final destruction of the Nephites.
Archaeologists consider the La Mojarra Stela, discovered in 1986, to be the most important key to understanding the spread of Mesoamerican writing and calendrical practices. Some Book of Mormon believers wonder if this is the stone of Coriantumr (Omni 1:35-40). Included are photographs of the stone.
“The Tablet of 96 Glyphs from Palenque provides a strong witness that the Maya knew about and utilized the same literary practices as Hebrew writers” The writers point out literary practices that appear in the Book of Mormon: the phrase “it came to pass,” chiasmus, and paired opposites.
Our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ—our elder brother—is there to pick us up, dry our tears, and heal the wounds we have received while living in a fallen world. The point of my address today is simply this: a humbling duty we have as disciples of Christ is to be His hands in helping make this happen.
A polemical work against Mormonism. After giving a brief account of the Book of Mormon narrative, the author notes alleged anachronisms and absurdities in the book. Supports the Spaulding theory in order to account for its origin.
A polemical tract against the Book of Mormon. The author asserts that the idea that written records were ever kept on metal plates is improbable and absurd. He follows Riley’s explanation that Joseph may have been an epileptic. Most of the work is devoted to a criticism of the translation process. He further asserts that “the testimony of the spirit is never proof of material facts. To accept it as such is to abdicate reason, and enthrone credulity and superstition”
A polemical work against the Book of Mormon. The author notes problems with the accounts and testimonies of Book of Mormon witnesses, whose characters he asserts were unreliable and reprobate. He discusses the 1834 Anthon denial and problems with the translation of the Book of Mormon. He also describes what he feels are numerous anachronisms and absurdities in the Book of Mormon. He favors the Spaulding explanation of Book of Mormon origins.
Series of articles that offer “plain, simple and reasonable explanations” of difficult passages in the Book of Mormon. Most arguments deal with the events that occurred near the Hill Cumorah in New York state and the other events that transpired in Central America and attempt to explain these events in relation to the great distance between the two locations. Many evidences in the Book of Mormon sustain the fact that the United States was thickly inhabited by the Nephite people who had traveled northward both by land and in ships by sea.
In heartache I have cried out for Him. And I have felt the love of the Savior. I know of His grace. He is love. “The mercy of the Lord is from everlasting to everlasting.” Through His Atonement, we are healed. And when we are healed, He turns our hearts to others.
Hydrogeologist and geoarchaeologist Michael Hobby and geoarchaeologist Troy Smith recount experiences as they investigate the Panama region for possible evidence for the narrowest point in pre-Columbian times. This report includes maps and photographs.
In ancient America, one small band of Christians spent centuries on the brink of annihilation. This fascinating look at the geographical, political, and religious subcultures of the Book of Mormon shows how Nephite Christianity fared against the barbaric paganism that dominated that part of the world. Backed by scriptural evidence, this book will profoundly change the way you read the Book of Mormon.
RSC Topics > L — P > Missionary Work
RSC Topics > L — P > Prayer
A manual of lessons for the “Religio-Sunday School,” divided into six courses of study, each containing a lesson plan, with diagrams, lectures, and Book of Mormon and biblical references and questions. Its subjects cover the Book of Mormon and its books, geography, and institutions, and Mormon history and the Zion’s Religio-Literary Society.
History of the manuscript of the Book of Mormon written by the Church Historian of the Reorganized church. It includes historical accounts by Oliver Cowdery, the testimony of the Three Witnesses, the Eight Witnesses, the copyright, and the preface to the first and subsequent editions. Photographs of the original manuscript are also reproduced.
A study guide/lesson plan for the Reorganized church with five parts and twenty-one lessons. Lessons deal with the book’s authenticity, authors, chronology, groups of people, doctrines, and social relations among the different people.
This article argues that Book of Mormon accounts of Hagoth agree fully with Maori and Hawaiian traditions, legends, and genealogical records.
The epistles of Clement to the Corinthians are further proof that the Book of Mormon came from God. These two epistles were discarded from the Canon “because the legend of the ‘Phoenix Bird’ was used as an illustration,” and “because they taught the heresy that there were lands beyond the ocean”
Defends the Book of Mormon, drawing on proof texts found in Genesis 48-49, Psalm 85:11, and Ezekiel 37. Links truth and law with the descendants of Joseph, as found in the Book of Mormon.
Personal account of the organizations of the LDS & RLDS churches as well as the coming forth and translation of the Book of Mormon. He relates first-hand experiences from the family of Joseph Smith and gives his personal testimony of the veracity of the book.
I believe that each of us can be renewed in mind and spirit as we sincerely seek for those things that money cannot buy.
His arms are open to each of us. His truths are plain and clear, and His invitation is sure.
How do you and I become so converted to the truth, so full of faith, so dependent on God that we are able to meet trials and even be strengthened by them?
Our time has come. We must possess the spiritual strength to overcome our challenges, laying our faults on the altar and giving our lives to the Lord.
By strengthening each other spiritually, building faith and fellowship, we wear the shoes of pioneers.
Women throughout the world will be drawn to the Church as we perfect our lives and live essential truths to light the way for others to follow.
We cannot abandon our faith when challenges comes our way. We will not turn away; we will not retreat; we will not become discouraged.
Create homes filled with love and serenity. Relieve suffering. Create enduring testimonies of eternal truths in ourselves and others.
We don’t need a new program to spur us on—we need only incorporate the desire to share the gospel and reach out to new members and those who are less active.
RSC Topics > T — Z > Testimony
This article examines the early reception of the Book of Mormon and efforts by both believers and detractors to explain its origins. It specifically recounts the efforts of William W. Phelps, the pamphleteering of Parley and Orson Pratt, and the work of Stephens and Catherwood describing their explorations in Central America.
Abstract: The recently released Abinadi: He Came Among Them in Disguise, a new book from Brigham Young University’s Book of Mormon Academy, offers readers multidisciplinary approaches to Mosiah 11–17 that highlight the literary, historical, and doctrinal richness of the story of Abinadi. Students and scholars of the Book of Mormon are sure to benefit greatly from this new volume.
Review of Shon D. Hopkin, ed. Abinadi: He Came Among Them in Disguise (Provo and Salt Lake City: Religious Studies Center, Brigham Young University, and Deseret Book, 2018), 404 pp. $27.99.
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Abstract: Biblical “minimalists” have sought to undermine or de-emphasize the significance of the Tel Dan inscription attesting to the existence of the “house of David.” Similarly, those who might be called Book of Mormon “minimalists” such as Dan Vogel have marshaled evidence to try to make the nhm inscriptions from south Arabia, corresponding to the Book of Mormon Nahom, seem as irrelevant as possible. We show why the nhm inscriptions still stand as impressive evidence for the historicity of the Book of Mormon.
Review of Matthew J. Grow et al., eds., The Joseph Smith Papers: Administrative Records, Council of Fifty, Minutes, March 1844–January 1846 (Salt Lake City: The Church Historian’s Press, 2016). 525 pp. + introduction, appendixes, reference material, index, etc. $59.95.
Abstract: The publication of the Council of Fifty minutes is a momentous occasion in modern studies of Mormon history. The minutes are invaluable in helping historians understand the last days of Joseph Smith and his project to establish the Kingdom of God on the earth. They offer an important glimpse into the religious and political mindset of early Latter-day Saint leaders and shed much light on events once obscured by lack of access to the minutes. The Joseph Smith Papers Project has outdone itself in its presentation of the minutes in the latest volume of the series. The minutes are essential reading for anyone interested in early Mormon history.
The Book of Abraham in the Pearl of Great Price depicts the creation, including the motifs of the divine council, primeval chaos, and creation from preexisting matter. This depiction fits nicely in an ancient Near Eastern cultural background and has strong affinities with the depiction of the cosmos found in the Hebrew Bible and other ancient Near Eastern texts (especially Egyptian and Mesopotamian).
Abstract: The Book of Mormon purports to be a record that originates from the ancient Near East. The authors of the book claim an Israelite heritage, and throughout the pages of the text can be seen echoes of Israelite religious practice and ideology. An example of such can be seen in how the Book of Mormon depicts God’s divine council, a concept unmistakably found in the Hebrew Bible (the Christian Old Testament). Recognizing the divine council in both the Hebrew Bible and the Book of Mormon may help us appreciate a more nuanced understanding of such theological terms as “monotheism” as well as bolster confidence in the antiquity of the Nephite record.
“I saw the Lord sitting on his throne, with all the host of heaven standing beside him to the right and to the left of him” (1 Kings 22:19 NRSV).
“He saw God sitting upon his throne, surrounded with numberless concourses of angels in the attitude of singing and praising their God” (1 Nephi 1:8).
Book of Mormon Scriptures > 1 Nephi
Old Testament Scriptures > Deuteronomy
Book of Mormon Scriptures > Mosiah
Old Testament Scriptures > 1 & 2 Kings/1 & 2 Chronicles
Book of Mormon Scriptures > Helaman
Old Testament Scriptures > Isaiah
This lecture overviews and summarizes the recent work of Latter-day Saint scholars that creates an Egyptian context for the Book of Abraham. Drawing from the resources and material on the Pearl of Great Price Central website, it focuses on what is known about the ancient owners of the Joseph Smith Papyri, the texts preserved on the surviving papyri fragments, and few key ways in which the Book of Abraham can be situated in the ancient world.
Abstract: Some have come to insist that the Book of Mormon should be read as inspired fiction, which is to say that readers, including Latter-day Saints, should abandon any belief in the Book of Mormon as an authentic ancient text and instead should see it as an inspired frontier novel written by Joseph Smith that may act as scripture for those who follow his teachings. This paper provides reasoning to reject this proposition as not only logically incoherent but also theologically impotent.
It raises the objection that this position fundamentally undercuts the credibility of Joseph Smith. The Prophet’s direct claims concerning the coming forth of the Book of Mormon as well as how the Book of Mormon presents itself to the world do not easily permit any leeway for a “middle ground” on this matter.
The Book of Mormon must be read as an ancient,
not as a modern book. Its mission, as described by
the book itself, depends in great measure for
its efficacy on its genuine antiquity.
—Hugh Nibley.
Review of Michael R. Ash. Of Faith and Reason: 80 Evidences Supporting the Prophet Joseph Smith.
Abstract: The Neal A. Maxwell Institute for Religious Scholarship has recently published a new study edition of the Book of Mormon. Edited by Grant Hardy, the Maxwell Institute Study Edition (MISE) incorporates important advances in Book of Mormon scholarship from the past few decades while grounding the reader’s experience in the text of the Book of Mormon. The reformatted text presented in the MISE improves the readability of the Book of Mormon, while footnotes, charts, bibliographies, and short explanatory essays highlight the strides made in recent years related to Book of Mormon scholarship. The MISE is a phenomenal edition of the Book of Mormon that is representative of the sort of close attention and care Latter-day Saints should be giving the text.
Review of Grant Hardy, ed. The Book of Mormon: Another Testament of Jesus Christ, Maxwell Institute Study Edition (Provo, UT: Neal A. Maxwell Institute for Religious Scholarship, Religious Studies Center at Brigham Young University / Salt Lake City: Deseret Book, 2018). 648 pp. $35.00 (paperback).
Review of Dan Vogel, Book of Abraham Apologetics: A Review and Critique (Salt Lake City: Signature Books, 2021). 250 pp. $18.95 (softback).
Abstract: The Book of Abraham continues to undergo scrutiny in both academic and polemical publications. The latest offering of substance in the latter category, Dan Vogel’s Book of Abraham Apologetics: A Review and Critique, criticizes the work of those who argue for the antiquity and inspiration of the Book of Abraham and makes a sustained argument that the book is, instead, modern pseudepigrapha written by a pious fraud (Joseph Smith) in the nineteenth century. Book of Abraham Apologetics lays out a particular naturalistic approach to this text that works best only when certain metaphysical and methodological assumptions are taken for granted. This approach, however, as well as most of his arguments against the Book of Abraham’s historicity, are severely undermined both by Vogel’s inability to properly assess the evidence and his metaphysical or ideological commitments. This review critiques Vogel’s critique of Book of Abraham apologetics and offers an alternative to his questionable framing of the text and its interpretation.
Review of Adam S. Miller, Letters to a Young Mormon. Provo, Utah: Neal A. Maxwell Institute for Religious Scholarship, 2014. 78 pp. $9.95.
Joseph Smith maintained throughout his life that he translated the Book of Mormon from ancient golden plates by “the gift and power of God.” Exactly what kind of a translation the Book of Mormon is, however, and the precise method of its production has long been debated in both academic and polemical literature. One of the questions still debated is what terminology best describes a text like the Book of Mormon. Is the book best understood as a “translation,” or should it perhaps instead be called a “revelation” given the peculiar method of its production? This paper will discuss how early Latter-day Saints understood revelation and translation to be synonymous or nearly synonymous categories that fell under the broader umbrella of seership. It will situate the language used by early Saints to describe the Book of Mormon in its historical context in order to address the question posed in this abstract. It will also thereby correct those who erroneously claim that it is only a recent phenomenon among Latter-day Saints to sometimes refer to the Book of Mormon as a “revelation” rather than a “translation.”
Review of Deidre Nicole Green, Jacob: A Brief Theological Introduction (Provo, UT: The Neal A. Maxwell Institute for Religious Scholarship, 2020). 148 pages. $9.99 (paperback).Abstract: Deidre Nicole Green, a postdoctoral research fellow at the Neal A. Maxwell Institute for Religious Scholarship, offers an analysis of the theology of the book of Jacob with her new contribution to the Institute’s brief theological introduction series to the Book of Mormon. Green focuses on the theology of social justice in Jacob’s teachings, centering much of her book on how the Nephite prophet framed issues of atonement and salvation on both personal and societal levels. Her volume offers some intriguing new readings of otherwise familiar Book of Mormon passages.
Book of Mormon Topics > Criticisms and Apologetics > Book Reviews
“A KnoWhy is a short essay… about some brief historical, archaeological, cultural, linguistic, literary, legal, devotional, or prophetic insight in the Book of Mormon. Individually, these pieces are about very specific topics: knowing why Nephi wrote in Egyptian (chapter 5), knowing why Jacob talked about polygamy (chapter 64), knowing why Abinadi was ’scourged’ with faggots (chapter 93), or knowing why Alma would talk about Melchizedek (chapter 117). In many cases, we profess less-than-definitive answers, but rather offer some reasons for why these things might be as they are in the Book of Mormon. As a collective body, these KnoWhys provide more than possible answers to specific questions. Combined, they are about knowing why the Book of Mormon is amazing, knowing why it is beautiful, knowing why it speaks to our hearts and minds so powerfully, knowing why it is so uniquely inspiring, and ultimately knowing why the Book of Mormon is true in so many ways.” [Editors]
Book of Mormon Scriptures > Alma
Review of Terryl Givens and Philip L. Barlow. The Oxford Handbook of Mormonism (New York: Oxford University Press, 2015). 647 pp. + index. $150.00
Abstract: The Oxford Handbook of Mormonism is a welcomed addition to the current scholarly discussion surrounding the history, theology, and culture of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. It should be read and studied by all interested students of Mormonism and signals that the scriptures, theology, and history of the Latter-day Saints are all increasingly being taken seriously in mainstream academia.