Book of Mormon Bibliography
Alphabetical by Title

The Book of Mormon prophet and writer Moroni prophesied that he would come forth “triumphant through the air” at a future date (Moroni 10:34). Wight sees a quite literal fulfillment in this prophecy in the statues of Moroni on the top of the Salt Lake Temple and the Hill Cumorah, saying that Moroni now stands triumphant in the air.

Each of our [Christlike] deeds may share only a pinpoint of light, but added together they begin to make a significant difference.

A story of a young man who took Moroni’s challenge (Moroni 10:3-5). After he prayed, the Spirit manifested the truth of the Book of Mormon to him.

A story of a young man who took Moroni’s challenge (Moroni 10:3-5). After he prayed, the Spirit manifested the truth of the Book of Mormon to him.

Defends Book of Mormon statements that some truths have been lost from the Bible through the process of translation. Affirms that the Book of Mormon was translated by the power of God. Cites Nephi’s testimony concerning the Bible beginning in 1 Nephi 3.

Tells of Martin Harris’s visit with Charles Anthon and Dr. Mitchell in New York City in February 1828. Presents a historical profile on Anthon and Mitchell. Answers why Martin Harris went to these men instead of any others and how valid their testimony was respecting the characters shown to them.

Tells of Martin Harris’s visit with Charles Anthon and Dr. Mitchell in New York City in February 1828. Presents a historical profile on Anthon and Mitchell. Answers why Martin Harris went to these men instead of any others and how valid their testimony was respecting the characters shown to them.

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.

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.

A story of a boy who enjoyed reading the Book of Mormon with his family and how it made him a better person.

At the beginning of the Book of Mormon, Nephi writes, “The fulness of mine intent is that I may persuade men to come unto the God of Abraham, and the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob, and be saved” (1 Nephi 6:4; emphasis added). He later writes, “I glory in my Jesus, for he hath redeemed my soul from hell” (2 Nephi 33:6). The pinnacle of the Book of Mormon occurred in 3 Nephi when Jesus Christ personally ministered to the Nephites and Lamanites. Clearly the central purpose of those writing on the plates was to invite and persuade each of us to come unto Jesus Christ, helping us understand his redeeming role. Jesus Christ is the central figure in the Book of Mormon. Ancient prophets in the western hemisphere consistently pointed to His life and atoning sacrifice. For example, Nephi wrote, “I glory in my Jesus, for he hath redeemed my soul from hell” (2 Nephi 33:6). After His Resurrection, Jesus Christ personally ministered to the Nephites and taught them. This volume shares important reminders about how to focus on Jesus Christ in the Book of Mormon.

A conversion story of a young woman who was given a Book of Mormon and after reading it was converted to the Church.

Ludlow analyzes Moroni’s promise in Moroni 10 and includes verses 1-5 that seem to indicate that it is necessary to study more than just the Book of Mormon. Biblical study is required, then ponder and pray with sincerity and faith, which makes one capable of recognizing the truths and promptings as the Holy Ghost manifests them.

Doxey explains, citing many scriptures, how the Book of Mormon “does indeed teach that God the Father, his Son Jesus Christ, and the Holy Ghost are three separate beings and that the Father and the Son are not personages of spirit”

Three evidences for the Book of Mormon are available—external, internal, and spiritual. Offers “seven key concepts” for identifying various internal evidences that “carry within them a spirit of authenticity”

Points out that there are two hells identified in the Book of Mormon writings: one is the intermediate existence between death and the resurrection and the other is the never-ending state of the wicked. [D.M.]

Citing Joseph Smith’s own description of the physical appearance of the plates as well as several contemporary accounts of persons who were permitted to lift them, the author provides an approximate weight of the gold plates.

Answers allegations that the words “adieu,” “bible,” and “baptize” in the Book of Mormon are anachronisms.

The Book of Mormon definition of the gospel of Christ is revealed in 3 Nephi 27:13-22: the Atonement, faith in Jesus Christ, repentance, baptism, and the gift of the Holy Ghost. None of the four compilers intended to include all of the teachings and ordinances of Christ. Important doctrines are restored when the church membership is ready to accept them.

Asserts that the golden plates were never made available for public view for two reasons: (1) the Lord did not want the plates—with their impressive monetary value—to be used for personal or commercial gain, and (2) to test the faith of those who receive the record.

Abstract: The Book of Enos constitutes a brief literary masterpiece. A close reading of Enos’s autobiography reveals textual dependency not only on 1 Nephi 1:1-2 and Genesis 32–33, but also on earlier parts of the Jacob Esau cycle in Genesis 25, 27. Enos’s autobiographical allusions to hunting and hungering serve as narrative inversions of Esau’s biography. The narrative of Genesis 27 exploits the name “Esau” in terms of the Hebrew verb ʿśh/ʿśy (“make,” “do”). Enos (“man”) himself incorporates paronomastic allusions to the name “Esau” in terms of ʿśh/ʿśy in surprising and subtle ways in order to illustrate his own transformation through the Atonement of Jesus Christ. These wordplays reflect the convergence (in the Genesis narratives) of the figure of Esau before whom Jacob bows and whom he embraces in reconciliation with the figure of the divine “man” with whom Jacob wrestles. Finally, Enos anticipates his own resurrection, divine transformation, and final at-one-ment with the Lord in terms of a clothing metaphor reminiscent of Jacob’s “putting on” Esau’s identity in Genesis 27.

The author testifies of the truthfulness of the Book of Mormon. His testimony has come from the spirit and through scholarly study. Presents evidence that the Nephites obeyed the Law of Moses and there were elephants as far south as South America.

President Benson taught that missionaries should daily read the Book of Mormon to increase their own faith and spirituality and “should use the Book of Mormon as the heart of their proselyting work and as the great converter”

A novel dealing with the life and ministry of Nephi, the first author of the Book of Mormon.

Abstract: Omni greatly revered his ancestors and their personal accounts on the small plates of Nephi. A close examination of Omni’s brief autobiography (Omni 1:1–3) evidences borrowing from all four of his predecessors’ writings. Moreover, his self-description, “I of myself am a wicked man,” constitutes far more than a confession of religious dereliction. That self-assessment alludes to Nephi’s autobiographical wordplay on his name in terms “good” and “having been born of goodly parents” and his grandfather Enos’s similarly self-referential wordplay in describing his own father Jacob as a “just man.” Omni’s name most likely represents a hypocoristic form of a longer theophoric name, *ʾomnîyyāhû (from the root *ʾmn), meaning “Yahweh is [the object of] my faith” or “Yahweh is my guardian [or, nursing father],” but could also be heard or understood as a gentilic, “faithful one” or “trustworthy one.” These observations have implications for Omni’s stated defense of his people the Nephites (traditionally, the “good” or “fair ones”) against the Lamanites, those who had dwindled in “unbelief” (cf. Hebrew lōʾ-ʾēmun). In the end, Omni’s description of himself as “a wicked man” should be viewed in the context of his reverence for “goodly” and “just” ancestors and brought into balance with those sacred trusts in which he did prove faithful: preserving his people, his genealogy, and the small plates themselves.

Compares survivor witnesses in the Book of Mormon with other survivor witnesses that are described in Des Pres, “Survivors and the Will to Bear Witness” Social Research 40 (1973): 668-69.

This polemical treatise on Mormonism ventures into several issues, including the reported methods by which the Book of Mormon was translated, the changes that have been made in the book since 1830, and the King James language found in the book. The author sees a connection between the Book of Mormon and Ethan Smith’s View of the Hebrews.

Review of Ronald V. Huggins. “From Captain Kidd’s Treasure Ghost to the Angel Moroni: Changing Dramatis Personae in Early Mormonism.” Dialogue 36/4 (2003): 17–42.

A children’s picture book in which the reader looks for a fictitious Nephite character, Norman, in several different scenes that deal with the Book of Mormon or Latter-day Saints. A Mormon’s version of Where’s Waldo.

Vessels tells of his experiences reading the Book of Mormon and lists five ways to become a Book of Mormon missionary.

Caywood, a Baptist minister, was offered a Book of Mormon to read while visiting the home of his brother. Doubt was replaced with intense interest and conversion came through reading the book.

At the time Jacob gave his speech in 2 Nephi 6–10, the Nephites had already been driven from two lands of inheritance and felt an ongoing concern of being cut off from God’s promises. Belnap illustrates that Jacob’s speech answers these concerns through emphasizing and expounding on the covenantal relationship made possible by God acting as the Divine Warrior. Jacob quotes Isaiah passages in his discourse and in some instances makes his own additions to emphasize important aspects. He illustrates how the Divine Warrior provides the hardships, knowledge, and power for an individual to become a divine warrior, and he discusses the Divine Warrior’s defeat over the monster of Death. The promises made by the Divine Warrior can provide hope and assurance to all.

Abstract: Three times in his narrative Mormon recounts the Lord’s oracle (revelation) to Mosiah II regarding his sons undertaking a mission among the Lamanites (Mosiah 28:7, Alma 17:35, and Alma 19:23). In all three instances, the Lord’s promises of deliverance revolve around the meaning of the name Mosiah (“Yahweh is Deliverer” or “Yahweh is Savior”), emphasizing that the Lord (Hebrew yhwh) himself would act in his covenant role as môšîaʿ in delivering Mosiah’s sons, and sparing Ammon in particular. In two of the iterations of the oracle, Mosiah 28:7 and Alma 19:23, we find additional wordplay on the name Ammon (“faithful”) in terms of “many shall believe” (Hebrew yaʾămînû) in the first instance and ʾĕmûnâ (“faith,” “faithfulness”) in the latter. In Alma 19:23 the Lord also employs an additional wordplay on his own name, Yahweh (Jehovah), to emphasize his ability to bring to pass his promises to Mosiah regarding Ammon.

In response to his calling as a member of the First Presidency, Tanner quotes Nephi who said “I will go and do the things which the Lord hath commanded” (1 Nephi 3:7).

A poster for children with a reading schedule for the Book of Mormon.

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.

This article discusses how, although being born of “goodly parents” (1 Nephi 1:1) is an ideal situation, not all children have this opportunity and privilege. However, everyone may become “goodly parents” to their own children in ways that the Book of Mormon teaches.

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.

Missionary work in Iceland and Icelandic members are described, mentioning that they are anxious to receive the Icelandic translation of the Book of Mormon.

As an increasing number of youth were not reading the Book of Mormon, the leader of the congregation challenged them to read it. Forty youth completed the book.

This article contains a map of the proposed geography of the Book of Mormon but does not super-impose this geography over a present-day map. The author makes an analysis of the geographical descriptions in the Book of Mormon text.

A quiz to identify characters from the Book of Mormon and the Bible.

Scholars have presented and defended different viewpoints concerning the Lehite journey and the location of Nephi’s Bountiful. Aston explains that some of these arguments contain factual errors, such as claims regarding fertility and timber for Nephi’s ship and a lack of accounting for all possibilities. Discrepancies in theories and differences in opinion do not lessen the worth of all that has been found in Arabia and the supported theories, but acknowledging the sometimes contrary data will aid the search for the best candidate for Nephi’s Bountiful.

Abstract: From the very beginning, Joseph’s story about the origins of the Book of Mormon seemed wild and unbelievable. Today, however, Joseph’s account enjoys a high degree of corroboration from (1) eyewitness accounts confirming Joseph’s possession of actual metal plates and other artifacts, with some even corroborating the involvement of an angel in providing access to the record; (2) eyewitness reports on the process of producing the text; and (3) evidence from the original manuscript. This evidence is reviewed here, and the implications it has for the Book of Mormon’s origin are considered. .

Abstract: In 2
Nephi, it is suggested that the Lord answers prayers but that requests made in prayer should not violate some kind of standard that would make them “amiss.” This undefined standard most likely excludes many prayers requesting immunity from those conditions of mortality which all mortals accepted and embraced with great enthusiasm in the great Council in Heaven. However, except for limited latter-day explanations of that great conference, our eager acceptance of all details of the conditions of mortality did not carry over into mortal memory. Consequently, when we request exemption from those conditions joyfully endorsed in premortal time, perhaps many qualify for the “prayers amiss” category. Exceptions from mortal conditions are granted only for divine and sometimes incomprehensible purposes.

Moroni’s concern over scriptural faults or errors was due to the fact that the Book of Mormon plates were written in reformed Egyptian rather than modified Hebrew. Mistakes in the Book of Mormon were corrected using the corrective form of the appositive or followed by the corrective phrase. This appears 69 times in the Book of Mormon but only once in the Doctrine and Covenants and only once in the Bible.

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.

Abstract: The Semitic/Hebrew name Samuel (šĕmûʾēl) most likely means “his name is El” — i.e., “his name [the name that he calls upon in worship] is El” — although it was also associated with “hearing” (šāmaʿ) God (e.g., 1 Samuel 3:9–11). In the ancient Near East, the parental hope for one thus named is that the son (and “his name”) would glorify El (a name later understood in ancient Israel to refer to God); or, like the biblical prophet Samuel, the child would hear El/God (“El is heard”). The name šĕmûʾēl thus constituted an appropriate symbol of the mission of the Son of God who “glorified the name of the Father” (Ether 12:8), was perfectly obedient to the Father in all things, and was the Prophet like Moses par excellence, whom Israel was to “hear” or “hearken” in all things (Deuteronomy 18:15; 1 Nephi 22:20; 3 Nephi 20:32). Jesus may have referred to this in a wordplay on the name Samuel when he said: “I commanded my servant Samuel, the Lamanite, that he should testify unto this people, that at the day that the Father should glorify his name in me that there were many saints who should arise from the dead” (3 Nephi 23:9). Samuel the Lamanite had particularly emphasized “believ[ing] on the name” of God’s Son in the second part of his speech (see Helaman 14:2, 12–13) in advance of the latter’s coming. Samuel thus seems to use a recurrent or thematic rhetorical wordplay on his own name as an entry point to calling the Nephites to repent and return to living the doctrine of Christ, which activates the blessings of the atonement of Jesus Christ. Mormon took great care to show that all of the signs and prophecies that Samuel gave the Nephites of Zarahemla were fulfilled at the time of Jesus’s birth, death, and resurrection as Jesus glorified the Father’s name in every particular, and found further fulfillment in some particulars during Mormon’s own life and times.

Abstract: Nephi’s preservation of the conditional “first blessing” that Lehi bestowed upon his elder sons (Laman, Lemuel, and Sam) and the sons of Ishmael, contains a dramatic wordplay on the name Ishmael in 2 Nephi 1:28–29. The name Ishmael — “May El hear [him],” “May El hearken,” or “El Has Hearkened” — derives from the Semitic (and later Hebrew) verb šāmaʿ (to “hear,” “hearken,” or “obey”). Lehi’s rhetorical wordplay juxtaposes the name Ishmael with a clustering of the verbs “obey” and “hearken,” both usually represented in Hebrew by the verb šāmaʿ. Lehi’s blessing is predicated on his sons’ and the sons of Ishmael’s “hearkening” to Nephi (“if ye will hearken”). Conversely, failure to “hearken” (“but if ye will not hearken”) would precipitate withdrawal of the “first blessing.” Accordingly, when Nephi was forced to flee from Laman, Lemuel, and the sons of Ishmael, Lehi’s “first blessing” was activated for Nephi and all those who “hearkened” to his spiritual leadership, including members of Ishmael’s family (2 Nephi 5:6), while it was withdrawn from Laman, Lemuel, the sons of Ishmael, and those who sympathized with them, “inasmuch as they [would] not hearken” unto Nephi (2 Nephi 5:20). Centuries later, when Ammon and his brothers convert many Lamanites to the truth, Mormon revisits Lehi’s conditional blessing and the issue of “hearkening” in terms of Ishmael and the receptivity of the Ishmaelites. Many Ishmaelite-Lamanites “hear” or “hearken” to Ammon et al., activating Lehi’s “first blessing,” while many others — including the ex-Nephite Amalekites/Amlicites — do not, thus activating (or reactivating) Lehi’s curse.

“The field of Book of Mormon reception history is ready to be built. Though the label of ’reception history’ may be most known among literary scholars, the field of biblical reception history grew considerably in the second half of the twentieth century. Even though the academic label may not be familiar to all, building the foundation of Book of Mormon reception history has in turn already begun. It is a fruitful field ready to expand. To begin to understand the possibilities of the field, we must begin with definitions—defining first ’reception’ and then ’the history of reception.’ In this article, I will consider why this is important to the field of Book of Mormon studies, summarize what work has already been done, offer some potential correctives, and survey possibilities for the history of Book of Mormon reception.” [Author]

May your positive memories of BYU stay with you throughout your life. May your BYU connections continue to be a strong influence in all that you do. May you know that you will always be welcome here on campus on this consecrated ground.

An imaginative children’s activity book designed for boys, suggesting possible Nephite culture from a modern American point of view.

An entertaining children’s activity book geared to LDS girls, showing what life may have been like for their Nephite counterparts. Contains mazes, word games, and various puzzles.

In the year 1850, Elder Lorenzo Snow of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles arrived in Italy as a missionary. He and his companions spent much of their time with a Waldensian community. Elder Snow soon began sending missionaries to Switzerland to preach the gospel to French speakers there and began publishing church materials into French. The new materials caused a lot of opposition from Swiss Protestants and Italian Catholics. Elder Snow then went to England, where he solicited the help of an anonymous translator, and together they completed the translation of the Book of Mormon into Italian. Elder Snow returned to Italy soon after, bringing copies of Il Libro di Mormon with him, but he and the other missionaries did not find much success. Because of the influence of the Catholic Church on the government, the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints was not given much freedom in their preaching. Il Libro di Mormon similarly did not significantly help the missionary work. Almost all the Italian converts to the church were French-speaking Waldensians. Because of the lack of progress, the Italian mission was closed in 1867 and not reopened until a century later, in 1966.

The Iliad features some battle clothing, battle tactics, reasons for fighting, and smiting off arms of enemies similar to those in the Book of Mormon, thus strengthening the links to an Old World culture.

This is a new volume from the Book of Mormon Academy at Brigham Young University. This volume explores the relationship between the Nephite and the Jaredite records culturally, politically, literarily, and theologically. The first approach is a cultural-historical lens, in which elements of Jaredite culture are discussed, including the impact of a Jaredite subculture on Nephite politics during the reign of the judges, and a Mesopotamia perspective as seership and divination, and the brother of Jared’s experience as a spiritual transition. The second grouping looks at the book of Ether through a narratological lens, all three papers exploring different aspects of Moroni’s construction of the book of Ether. The third grouping explores the book of Ether’s depiction of women, as it contains one of the most descriptive, yet ambivalent females in the Book of Mormon, both historically and in our contemporary era. Finally, the book of Ether is reviewed via a teaching lens. In Alma 37, Alma the Younger explained the teaching value of the Jaredite records. These last two studies examine ways in which the book of Ether in particular can be taught to a modern audience. ISBN 978-1-9443-9497-4

Understanding the Sermon on the Mount (meaning both texts in their shared, collective meaning) as a temple text reveals that it has far more power and unity than a mere collection of miscellaneous sayings of Jesus. John W. Welch examines the teachings and commandments of the Sermon on the Mount in its Book of Mormon setting—at the Nephite temple, in connection with sacred ordinances of covenant making. This context opens new insights into the meaning and significance of the Sermon whereby readers never again see the Sermon the same.
Illuminating the Sermon at the Temple & Sermon on the Mount adapts and expands Welch’s earlier work to offer a thorough Latter-day Saint interpretation of the Savior’s greatest sermon, drawing on insights from Jesus’s Sermon at the Temple in 3 Nephi to shed light on his Sermon on the Mount in the Gospel of Matthew. This edition includes substantial additions based on insights gleaned throughout a decade of continuing research.

A hundred years ago, the Book of Mormon was regarded by the scholarly world as an odd text that simply did not fit their understanding of the ancient world. Since that time, however, numerous ancient records have come to light, including the Dead Sea Scrolls and the Nag Hammadi texts. These discoveries have forced scholars to change their views of history, and they place the Book of Mormon in a new light as well. That is why respected Latter-day Saint scholar Hugh Nibley wrote Since Cumorah, a brilliant literary, theological, and historical evaluation of the Book of Mormon as an ancient book.

Report on Deseret Book’s illustrated edition of the Book of Mormon, with a brief review of the book’s publishing history. New edition includes Arnold Friberg paintings and other pictures of archaeological findings related to the Book of Mormon.

This is a sixteen-volume work for young readers. Major events are narrated and illustrated.

Gives an historical account of the coming forth of the Book of Mormon with color illustrations for children. B. Keith Christensen, illustrator

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.

Raises questions, based on DNA, about the Book of Mormon and ancestry of American Indians.

Although the Book of Mormon had a humble beginning, there have now been printed over 35 million copies in 80 languages. President Benson’s admonition to read the Book of Mormon over and over has increased people’s testimonies.

Specific plans to preach the restored gospel in the west matured during the second conference after Church organization, held late September, 1830. The missionary theme was prominent during the three-day duration of this conference. The official minutes summarize what was probably the first missionary farewell in LDS history: “Singing and prayer in behalf of Brother Oliver Cowdery and Peter Whitmer, Jr., who were previously appointed to go to the Lamanites.” The Ohio labors of Oliver Cowdery, Parley P. Pratt, and their companions doubled the membership of the Church and created a solid nucleus for rapid growth and a secure, if temporary, gathering location. One must assess the impact of these four men in four weeks with a certain awe.

A major theme in the Book of Mormon is the depiction of Native Americans as descendants of ancient Hebrews. Other prominent ideas are the restoration of pure Christianity to an apostate world, the visit of Jesus to the western hemisphere, and recurring cycles of ruin and renewal. All of this raises the question: “Is all of this true?” Wunderli has made an avocation of examining this and related questions by digging deeply into the Book of Mormon and surveying the large body of research generated by scholars of various disciplines. He succinctly summarizes his own findings and this mass of often conflicting information, then adds his own trenchant analysis to the mix. Fascinating reading due to how Wunderli has structured the book as his own personal quest for answers, An Imperfect Book is an accessible but thorough overview of major controversies involving authorship, use of idiom, anachronisms, contrived names, borrowed passages, and prophecies made and fulfilled within the book’s own narrative frame. Wunderli includes a discussion of dozens of curiosities such as the relative absense of polygamists in a culture where one would expect it and sons named after their fathers (Alma junior), which one would not expect among ancient Israelites. Wunderli has examined the arguments and reduced the data to a collection of informative observations and reasoned arguments in an altogether readable work.

Abstract: In the middle of the 16th century there was a short-lived surge in the use of the auxiliary did to express the affirmative past tense in English, as in Moroni «did arrive» with his army to the land of Bountiful (Alma 52:18). The 1829 Book of Mormon contains nearly 2,000 instances of this particular syntax, using it 27% of the time in past-tense contexts. The 1611 King James Bible — which borrowed heavily from Tyndale’s biblical translations of the 1520s and ’30s — employs this syntax less than 2% of the time. While the Book of Mormon’s rate is significantly higher than the Bible’s, it is close to what is found in other English-language texts written mainly in the mid- to late 1500s. And the usage died out in the 1700s. So the Book of Mormon is unique for its time — this is especially apparent when features of adjacency, inversion, and intervening adverbial use are considered. Textual evidence and syntactic analysis argue strongly against both 19th-century composition and an imitative effort based on King James English. Book of Mormon past-tense syntax could have been achieved only by following the use of largely inaccessible 16th-century writings. But mimicry of lost syntax is difficult if not impossible, and so later writers who consciously sought to imitate biblical style failed to match its did-usage at a deep, systematic level. This includes Ethan Smith who in 1823 wrote View of the Hebrews, a text very different from both the Bible and the Book of Mormon in this respect. The same may be said about Hunt’s The Late War and Snowden’s The American Revolution.
Editor’s note: Because of the complex typesetting of this article, it has not been reproduced on this webpage. The reader is referred to the PDF version to view the article.

Review of Raphael Lataster, Questioning the Historicity of Jesus: Why a Philosophical Analysis Elucidates the Historical Discourse (Leiden, Netherlands: E. J. Brill, 2019). 508 pages. Hardback, $210.
Abstract: In a recent book, Raphael Lataster correctly argues that the acceptance of the general premises of New Testament scholarship, exemplified in the writings of Bart Ehrman, brings into question whether Jesus ever existed. Latter-day Saints who are serious about their witness of Jesus Christ need to be aware that acceptance of these presuppositions undermines their witness of the reality of Jesus Christ and his atonement and makes their faith vain. Why Should We Bother?.

Quotes relevant passages from the Doctrine and Covenants showing the importance of the Book of Mormon. Ends with a charge to study the Book of Mormon, and a testimony of its truthfulness.

The Book of Mormon begins and ends with the concept of covenant. It is found in the opening and closing verses. This article encourages Book of Mormon readers to study the covenants found in the Book of Mormon in order to gain understanding and to be “used by God to assist” in his work.

The whole earth should hear the important message of the Book of Mormon. In it God warns of future events, reveals eternal truths, and promises lasting benefits to those who comply with its precepts. Its principal concepts are faith, repentance, baptism by immersion, and remission of sins through the Holy Ghost.

Discourse by President Wilford Woodruff, delivered at Nephi, Saturday Afternoon, January 27, 1883. Reported By: Geo. F. Gibbs.

Discusses a number of facts and theories that indicate that the Polynesians are descendants of the American aborigines and that the ancestors of the native Americans were Israelites.

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.

Winner of the Geraldine McBride Woodward Award for Best Publication in International Mormon History (Mormon History Association). Today we are mostly unfamiliar with the conditions the German Saints faced during World War II. They did not have ready access to the many conveniences American Saints took for granted—including their local Church leaders, clean places to meet, cars, and temples. In fact, German Saints could only experience the temple by crossing the Atlantic Ocean and most of the North American continent. Germany was one of the war fronts where homes were destroyed and friends and families were killed. Unlike American soldiers returning to their homes, nearly half of the German Saints had no home to which to return. In Harm’s Way contains compelling accounts of thousands of members of the Church in East Germany who found themselves in a precarious situation during World War II. They were compelled to live under the tyranny of Nazi Germany and participate in offensive and defensive military actions. The story of how they lived and died under those conditions has never before been told. This volume brings together the accounts of hundreds of Church members who survived the war—preserved in hundreds of personal interviews, journals, letters, and photographs. Their stories of joy and suffering are presented in this book against the background of the rise and collapse of the Third Reich. Readers will be amazed at the faith and dedication demonstrated by these Saints, young and old, military and civilian. A photo of a soldier with a swastika on his uniform evokes strong emotions. Reading this book opens our eyes to the possibility that the soldier may be caught in the turmoil of a political landscape, between duty to God and loyalty to country. Perhaps he is a priest in the Aaronic Priesthood or a branch president, a father of six or a former missionary. ISBN 978-0-8425-2746-0

Oh, how we adore Jesus for his atonement! For his free gift of immortality to all!

Abstract: Mormon is a historian with a literary sensibility and considerable literary skill. Though his core message is readily apparent to any competent reader, his history nevertheless rewards close reading. Its great scope means that much that is said must be said by implication. And its witness of Christ is sometimes expressed through subtle narrative parallels or through historical allegory. This article focuses on parallel narratives that feature Ammon₁ and Ammon₂, with special attention to the allegorical account of Ammon₂ at the waters of Sebus. To fully comprehend the power of the testimony of Christ that Mormon communicates in his Ammon narratives, readers must glean from textual details an understanding of the social and political context in which the narratives unfold. ((Peter Eubanks, Brant Gardner, Grant Hardy, and two reviewers at Interpreter read and helpfully commented on an a previous draft of this article.)).

We follow a perfect leader—not just one who tells us to do what he thinks we should do, but the only one who can say that we should be as He is in everything. In the Book of Mormon, the Lord asked the question, “What manner of men ought ye to be?” And then He answered by saying, “Verily I say unto you, even as I am.”

Recent genetic studies indicate that Polynesians were connected to ancient America. Careful reading of native sources led European scholar Michel Graulich to conclude that pre-Columbian Americans held beliefs that may arise out of the Christian tradition. Whether he or those he opposes are correct, the caution to allow more than one interpretative stance remains appropriate. Interpretations of scriptural history are possibly “contingent upon the theoretical inclinations” of the investigators. The historical process of the Anufo people of the Ivory Coast territory suggests how “robbers” or “secret societies” could have grown to be players on the sociopolitical scene in Mesoamerica.

In memory of John L. Hilton and his contribution to Book of Mormon word-print studies.

Elder Soares teaches that as women and men work together in true and equal marriage partnerships, they will enjoy the unity taught by the Savior. The restored gospel of Jesus Christ proclaims the principle of full partnership between woman and man, both in mortal life and in the eternities.

“The most notable literary products of Joseph Smith’s relatively short life were his ancient scriptures: the Book of Mormon, his revision of the Bible (JSR; portions of which are in the Pearl of Great Price), and the Book of Abraham.1 These were put forward as records of ancient peoples, restoring or revealing ideas, histories, covenants, and ordinances lost to humanity or “hidden up” to come forth in the last days. Mormon tradition at the beginning accepted these works as ancient, and today great reservation is shown in traditional circles to suggestions otherwise. Nevertheless, some studies in recent years have been making it clearer that these works are not ancient but recent compositions set pseudonymously or pseudepigraphically in the past.2 In [p.166] my view these studies are on the right track, and in what follows I would like to add to the evidence for this view. Specifically I will show that Alma chapters 12-13, traditionally dated to about 82 B.C., depend in part on the New Testament epistle to the Hebrews, dated by critical scholars to the last third of the first century C.E. The dependence of Alma 12-13 on Hebrews thus constitutes an anachronism and indicates that the chapters are a composition of Joseph Smith.” [From Author]

Outlines numerous native American myths associated with the visit of a “white God” and his impact on societies of the New World.

Jesus is the great Mediator. Through omnipotent and omniscient, all-powerful and all-knowing, He is our friend.

Presents evidence regarding various geographical and archaeological aspects of the Book of Mormon. Points out similarities between the culture and history of the Jaredites, Mulekites, Nephites, and the Mesoamericans. Believes that Cerro Vigia was Mormon’s Hill Cumorah. This work is reviewed in R.008, and in T.336. [C. W.]

An endeavor to discover Lehi’s trail in the Middle East. The authors attempt to identify such places as the Frankincense Trail, Lehi’s route from Jerusalem, the Valley of Lemuel, the place of the broken bow, and the land Bountiful.

Thirty years after publishing In Search of Lehi’s Trail, Lynn M. Hilton looks back at the progress of research on the journey of Lehi and his family from Jerusalem to Bountiful. Hilton starts by briefly reviewing the known aspects of the party’s travel, such as the location of Jerusalem and their initial “south-southeast direction.” Following their trail, he gives an overview of the discoveries that have helped identify and describe potential sites for several key locales mentioned in Nephi’s narrative of the journey: the Valley of Lemuel, Nahom, and Bountiful. In the past thirty years, many important discoveries have expanded our understanding of the real-life setting of Lehi’s travel through the Arabian Peninsula.

LDS explorer and researcher, Warren Aston, details some of his expeditions into Central America.

LDS explorer and researcher, Warren Aston, details some of his expeditions into Central America.

Analyzes the journals of Mormon converts who wrote during the early years of the Church, both those who remained faithful and those who apostatized. The author concludes that those who converted to the Church had suffered reversals and conflicts that were answered by the Book of Mormon. Even to those who rejected it, the Book of Mormon seemed to give clarification to and fulfillment of the Bible.

“In this study, it is argued that the Book of Mormon, Joseph Smith’s first testament to the world and Mormonism’s keystone scripture, consistently contradicted the Northern Evangelical platform--plank by plank. It is argued that the Book of Mormon was a religious fiction. Religious or moralistic fiction was a genre many Evangelicals objected to on the grounds that it was basically dishonest and thus not a suitable medium for moral uplift. It is clear that early Mormons were influenced by such thinking, for they assumed that the Book of Mormon was an historical document. They had to do so, in effect, to read it in good conscience. Hence, Mormonism began as a result of a literary constructive misunderstanding of sorts. The definition of Evangelicalism used in this study is only applicable to the Evangelicalisms and Revivalisms of the northern United States around 1830. A number of scholars seem to agree that most northern Evangelicals were Whigs, that they abhorred slavery and were proponents of racial equality (in principle), that Revivalism advanced the cause of women’s rights and thus loathed universalism and other male-dominated societies (especially Freemasonry), and that most Evangelicals and Revivalists were postmillennialists. Whereas the Book of Mormon was critical of Jacksonian America, it was, in fact, a defense of the Jeffersonian and Jacksonian Republican (or Democratic) ideal. Most Evangelicals were Whigs and thus enemies of Jacksonianism. The Book of Mormon propounded a highly racist theory for the origin of non-whites, red and black, which militated against racial equality and justified slavery. A dark skin was not said to be the consequence of mere environmental factors, as Evangelical missionaries to the Indians and other philanthropists argued, but the result of a curse from God. It is argued that the Book of Mormon was a defense of the beleaguered patriarchal institution of Freemasonry, but a primitive or “apostolic” type. Indeed, the Book of Mormon defended the rights of males and all things male, castigating the evangelical woman and womanhood (not motherhood per se) in the process. Not unlike Universalist teaching, it defined Hell as a state of mind rather than a place of literal fire and brimstone, and spoke favourably of a universal resurrection, the salvation of all children who died without baptism and, most important, of purgatory. The Book of Mormon also propounded a proto-dispensationalist eschatology at odds with the Postmillennialism of the Edwardsians and the Revivalists and the Premillenialism of conservative divines. The Book of Mormon, it is argued, was a “comprehensive primitivist vision” that was “fully Northern” in the broad cultural sense. This neither wholly supports nor wholly rejects the argument that Mormons were outsiders and thus America’s insiders. As pugnacious and opportunistic it was idealistic, it was a remarkable product of popular consciousness because it had something important to say “in favor of” popular America and “against” the Evangelical “righteous empire.” (Abstract shortened by UMI.)

Abstract: A recent effort to think about war concludes that the Book of Mormon displays two righteous approaches to conflict: a violent approach that is justified and therefore “blessed;” and a nonviolent approach that is higher than this and therefore “more blessed” (an approach that is also said to be effective in ending conflict). This effort, however, turns out to be unsuccessful for multiple reasons. Attending to these reasons can be valuable, since doing so can help clarify several important issues about the Book of Mormon and a gospel view of war.

Argues that Quetzalcoatl, a major deity of pre-Columbian Mexico and Central America, may have been Christ. Presents a pictorial tour of archaeological sites—including the Toltec ruins at Tlaxcala, the ruins at Mitla, and the Temple of Quetzalcoatl at Tula, in which this deity, also known as the Feathered Serpent, is represented.

Refers to mourning rituals enacted by Jews upon the death of a loved one and demonstrates how the rituals apply directly to the pattern given in Alma 30:2, where fasting, mourning, and prayer are mentioned.

“But charity is the pure love of Christ, and it endureth forever; and whoso is found possessed of it at the last day, it shall be well with him.” [Moroni 7:47]

Abstract: For ancient Israelites, the temple was a place where sacrifice and theophany (i.e., seeing God or other heavenly beings) converged. The account of Abraham’s “arrested” sacrifice of Isaac (Genesis 22) and the account of the arrested slaughter of Jerusalem following David’s unauthorized census of Israel (2 Samuel 24; 1 Chronicles 21) served as etiological narratives—explanations of “cause” or “origin”—for the location of the Jerusalem temple and its sacrifices. Wordplay on the verb rāʾâ (to “see”) in these narratives creates an etiological link between the place-names “Jehovah-jireh,” “Moriah” and the threshing floor of Araunah/Ornan, pointing to the future location of the Jerusalem temple as the place of theophany and sacrifice par excellence. Isaac’s arrested sacrifice and the vicarious animal sacrifices of the temple anticipated Jesus’s later “un-arrested” sacrifice since, as Jesus himself stated, “Abraham rejoiced to see my day” (John 8:56). Sacrifice itself was a kind of theophany in which one’s own redemption could be “seen” and the scriptures of the Restoration confirm that Abraham and many others, even “a great many thousand years before” the coming of Christ, “saw” Jesus’s sacrifice and “rejoiced.” Additionally, theophany and sacrifice converge in the canonized revelations regarding the building of the latter-day temple. These temple revelations begin with a promise of theophany, and mandate sacrifice from the Latter-day Saints. In essence, the temple itself was, and is, Christ’s atonement having its intended effect on humanity. .

The Book of Mormon is a witness of Christ. In accordance with the ancient biblical law of witnesses, the Book of Mormon complements the Old and New Testaments with its teachings and truths.

The Lord has always used witnesses in the establishment of his word. In the latter days he raised Joseph Smith, Oliver Cowdery, and Sidney Rigdon to testify of him. In addition to these witnesses he sent the Book of Mormon to testify of him.

The writer finds Mormon claims to revelation and visions “in the age of railways” somewhat absurd. He notes the similarity in language between the Book of Mormon and the Old Testament and appears to accept the Spaulding theory of its origin.

Cannon’s examination of news articles and stories concerning the publication of the Book of Mormon helps provide a greater understanding of its initial reception. Most news coverage first appeared in Palmyra and the surrounding areas, but articles on the Book of Mormon appeared as far west as Missouri and Arkansas and from Maine to Georgia. Even with this seemingly wide range of coverage, the overall quantity of news articles on the topic reveals how few people knew about the book and the early LDS Church as a whole. Although the majority of the news articles concerning the Book of Mormon were negative, some assumed a neutral stance and a relatively small number were positive about the book and its publication.

Uses the teachings of the Book of Mormon to show the importance of Christian service by members of the Church.

Harold B. Lee compares the present time to Lehi’s dream. “If there is any one thing we need in this time of tumult and frustration, it is the ‘iron rod’ of the gospel”

Review of Earl M. Wunderli, An Imperfect Book: What the Book of Mormon Tells Us about Itself (Salt Lake City: Signature Books, 2013), 328pp + Appendices, Maps, and Index.
Earl Wunderli, an attorney who has made a lifelong study of the Book of Mormon, concludes that the book is a product of Joseph Smith’s mind and imagination. In doing so, Wunderli marshals evidence and presents his argument as if he were an attorney defending a client in court. Unfortunately, Wunderli’s case suffers from the same weaknesses and limitations of other naturalist criticism in that it exaggerates Joseph Smith’s intellectual and cultural background and compositional skills while ignoring the Book of Mormon’s deep structure, narrative complexity, and often intricate rhetorical patterns.

An expert in Mesoamerican art relates his conversion to the teachings of the Book of Mormon. “The Book of Mormon opened up our past to me just like it was a movie”

Summary of an unpublished, lengthy paper that emphasizes certain parallels in ideas and practices between the ancient Near East and Mesoamerica.

Summary of an unpublished, lengthy paper that emphasizes certain parallels in ideas and practices between the ancient Near East and Mesoamerica.

Goheen examines the rhetorical performance of the Tree of Life narrative in the First Book of Nephi in the Book of Mormon. She contextualizes his analysis within the 19th century world of Joseph Smith, Jr. and compares the Tree of Life narrative to a dream that Joseph Smith, Sr. reportedly had.

Abstract: Attitudes of superiority lead to societal conflict. The racial interpretation of a few Book of Mormon verses has contributed to these attitudes and conflicts, yet hundreds of inclusive messages are found in more than half of the book’s verses. God’s message, love, mercy, and justice are for all people. Righteous people did not think themselves above others, nor did they persecute others or start wars. War is tragic and is caused by wickedness. Conspiracies are a great evil. Righteous people were kind in their attitudes and actions, regardless of others’ social status or ethnicity. Some Book of Mormon people even gave their lives or put their lives at risk to act kindly, and some of these went from hating others to giving up their lives on behalf of others. The inclusive messages in the Book of Mormon are consistent with the position advocated by current Latter-day Saint leaders condemning all racism and disavowing racist hypotheses such as those derived from a few Book of Mormon verses (i.e., that skin color is related to righteousness). The inclusive messages also are consistent with the view that skin color in the Book of Mormon is not literal but is metaphorical. The Book of Mormon instructs us that the right way to interact is with love and respect, through examples of people respecting and reaching out to others, promises to all people, condemnation of unkindness and anti-Semitism, calls to all people to repent, and emphasizing the flaws of one’s own group and not those of others.

Relates his conversion relative to the Book of Mormon and explains how he applied the instructions to Oliver Cowdery to himself (D&C 8-9) when he was commissioned to translate the Book of Mormon into Japanese.

This article argues that the existence of Indian artifacts help to form the conclusion that two separate cultures existed in ancient Northwestern America.

A typewritten paraphrase of 1 and 2 Nephi geared especially for the American Indian. Divided into 300 verses. Emphasizes Indians as the audience to whom the messages are addressed. Refers to God and Christ as “the Great Spirit”

Writes about encounters with Indians in the Southwest and Mexico. The author was told that the Apaches would possess the land again, as the Book of Mormon describes. A tradition among the Pueblos listed three great events: the white race would conquer the Indians (fulfilled by Cortez), the Indians would rise up and regain their independence, and another group of white people would come with truth.

The legends of Indians who dwelt in North, Central, or South America are compiled. The legends concern the Indians’ origin, migrations, wars, cosmogonic stories, recitals of a universal flood, the building of a great tower, and visitations of a god and white prophets. Religious beliefs of the Indians are listed. One section juxtaposes selected passages in the Book of Mormon with analogous Indian legends.

Refers to a rare work by Reverend William O’Brien, entitled A Narrative of Travels in the United States of America, in which he describes ruins and Indian mounds in Ohio and quotes a “civilized Indian” who claims that biblical beliefs were once understood by his ancestors.

The recent progress of the American Indian fulfills Book of Mormon prophecy. Interest in the Indian by the U.S. government is making this fulfillment possible.

Claims that archaeological finds of a Dr. Van Patten verify the Book of Mormon.

Claims that archaeological finds of a Dr. Van Patten verify the Book of Mormon.

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.

In this article, a number of ancient religious Indian traditions are rehearsed, including accounts of the creation, the great deluge, a large tower, the scattering of nations, ancient writings, sacred stones, transoceanic crossings, good brothers against evil brothers, darkness and destruction on the American continent, and the visit of a “great white spirit.” The author suggests that a “core of truth” is preserved within these traditions.

Traditions of the Indians tell of “a book” that their forefathers once possessed. It was taken from them, buried, and promised that it would come forth at a later time. Accounts from letters and journals of early missionaries of the Church as well as scholars of ancient Indians tell of these traditions.

This article compares oral traditions of Native American tribes that correspond to Book of Mormon stories. It claims that two ancient Mayan writings, the Works of Ixtlilxochitl and the Popol Vuh, possess remarkable parallels with the Book of Mormon.

The American Indians are portrayed as remnants of Joseph. Quotations about them from the Book of Mormon are supplied.

Relates the Book of Mormon to American Indians and the gathering of Israel.

Believes that “all the Indians in North and South America, and the inhabitants of some of the islands in the Pacific Ocean, are descendants of [the Lehite] family, who came away from Jerusalem about 2,400 years” ago.

Believes that “all the Indians in North and South America, and the inhabitants of some of the islands in the Pacific Ocean, are descendants of [the Lehite] family, who came away from Jerusalem about 2,400 years” ago.

Believes that “all the Indians in North and South America, and the inhabitants of some of the islands in the Pacific Ocean, are descendants of [the Lehite] family, who came away from Jerusalem about 2,400 years” ago.

Believes that “all the Indians in North and South America, and the inhabitants of some of the islands in the Pacific Ocean, are descendants of [the Lehite] family, who came away from Jerusalem about 2,400 years” ago.

Believes that “all the Indians in North and South America, and the inhabitants of some of the islands in the Pacific Ocean, are descendants of [the Lehite] family, who came away from Jerusalem about 2,400 years” ago.

Believes that “all the Indians in North and South America, and the inhabitants of some of the islands in the Pacific Ocean, are descendants of [the Lehite] family, who came away from Jerusalem about 2,400 years” ago.

Believes that “all the Indians in North and South America, and the inhabitants of some of the islands in the Pacific Ocean, are descendants of [the Lehite] family, who came away from Jerusalem about 2,400 years” ago.

Believes that “all the Indians in North and South America, and the inhabitants of some of the islands in the Pacific Ocean, are descendants of [the Lehite] family, who came away from Jerusalem about 2,400 years” ago.

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.

Discusses different traditions and beliefs of the American Indians that correspond to those of the Nephites and the Lamanites. For example, he shows that the American Indians believe in a Great Spirit, an Indian Redeemer, and of once having a “white man’s book” among them that they had used.

Discusses the similarities and differences between native Americans and “mediterranean type people” Concludes that “for the person with an open mind there exists evidence which shows that mediterranean type people lived in the New World in the past and that their physical characteristics have been transmitted to today’s Indians” (p. 82).

Writes that the Jaredites may have had mongoloid type peoples among them. Remnants of the Jaredite culture with mongoloid characteristics may have intermarried with the Lamanites and this would explain how the Lamanites became dark skinned.

Recounts sundry aspects of the Book of Mormon, including an evaluation of the disposition of the Lamanites as opposed to the Nephites.

The first seriously documented challenge to the orthodox view that metals in Mesoamerica were only late. Cites a score of possible exceptions.

Reprinted in the Journal of Book of Mormon Studies (1997) and Hugh Nibley Observed (2021).
An analysis of Hugh Nibley’s contributions and influence on historians and scriptural scholars.

Lehi, though unable to convince his older sons to follow the Lord, was very successful with both Nephi and Jacob. The speeches and writings of Jacob clearly show that he remembered the admonitions given to him by his dying father and that he shared Lehi’s teachings—including some of his verbiage—with other members of the family. Jacob’s life and his teachings found in the Book of Mormon stand as a memorial to his father’s faith and parental love.

An historical thesis on Mormonism and the development of its doctrine. The author attempts to examine possible influences of Sidney Rigdon upon Mormon doctrines and scripture, saying that the Book of Mormon is a product of its times, with possible connections to the Spaulding manuscript.

Review of Mark A. Wrathall, Alma 30–63: A Brief Theological Introduction (Provo, UT: The Neal A. Maxwell Institute for Religious Scholarship, 2020). 176 pages. $9.95 (paperback).
Abstract: Mark A. Wrathall’s analytic treatment of Alma 30–42 is a sheer gift that inspires insight into the theological depth of Alma’s thought. His reading of Alma teases out insights not previously recognized and not easily discovered regarding belief and knowledge and their relation to faith and committed action. This extremely rewarding introduction provides a glimpse at the best any writer in the Latter-day Saint tradition has written on Alma’s thoughts and goals.

Author’s testimony is not based on archaeology or history, but on the “plainness, honesty, simplicity, directness, boldness, and unapologizing approach” of the Book of Mormon. The Book of Mormon is a commentary on the Bible and clariies its meaning.

The references in the Book of Mormon to “dark and loathsome” or “white and delightsome” are to lifestyles rather than to the color of skin. Many in the Church do not understand and thus impose a sinful heritage upon people with Jewish, African American, and Lamanite backgrounds.

An inscribed gold plate 2.2 centimeters in length has been uncovered in a third-century ad Jewish burial. The burial, that of a young child, is located in a Roman cemetery in Halbturn, Austria. The news was released by archaeologists at the University of Vienna’s Institute of Prehistory and Early History.

A polemical book on Mormonism, wherein the author claims that Joseph Smith used the Spaulding manuscript as a primary source for the Book of Mormon.

Author argues that Joseph Smith, knowingly and unknowingly, injected his own personality, conflicts and solutions into the Book of Mormon.

In his effort to correct and preserve the original text of the Book of the Mormon, Royal Skousen has also increased our understanding of and appreciation for this volume of sacred scripture. Skousen’s close examination of the use of words and phrases throughout the book highlights its intertextuality and demonstrates that Book of Mormon authors were aware of and influenced by the words of previous authors. Moreover, restoring the original text helps clarify some vague constructions and should also caution us against putting too much emphasis on the exact wording of the present Book of Mormon. Skousen’s analysis of how such changes occurred during a relatively modern transmission process can also further the understanding of more ancient textual transmission. Finally, Skousen’s work reveals that the original Book of Mormon may have been even more strikingly Semitic than the present text and that some characteristically Hebrew constructions have been edited out over the years, though many still remain.