Book of Mormon Bibliography
Alphabetical by Title

Despite the establishment of Christ’s church in the New World by the Book of Mormon prophet Nephi, many dissenters during its thousand-year history attempted to thwart the church and preach alternative theologies. This article first discusses the doctrine that Nephi taught to his people concerning Jesus Christ. Historical context then provides further understanding of the society in which Nephi and his descendants lived. Having come from Jerusalem in the Old World, the Nephites were still accustomed to the law of Moses, which certainly would have influenced their view of a Messiah. This, along with the political circumstances of the Nephite people, facilitated the dissension of many. The experiences of the Anti-Christ Sherem, the priests of Noah, and the Zarahemla dissidents demonstrate these points. Lastly, those who altered Nephi’s teachings appeared to do so for five specific reasons, which are discussed in this article, thus showing how the dissenters erased the doctrine of a Redeemer from their theologies.

“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.

This article provides information regarding a number of recent paleontological discoveries that shed light on Book of Mormon statements regarding oxen, sheep, and other animals, and the smelting of iron.

Argues that the Book of Mormon lands were located in Honduras and Guatemala, extending “no further northward than southern parts of Mexico” Three maps are included.

A news note regarding a rare copy of the Palmyra first edition of the Book of Mormon that was donated to the Chicago Historical Society.

Treats the Book of Mormon as a piece of literature written by Joseph Smith. Gives a summary of works supposed to be the basis of Joseph’s writings—View of the Hebrews, The Star in the West, and other publications reflecting thought that was prevalent in the 1820-1830 period regarding the origins of the American Indians.

The Book of Mormon is a reflection of the views and values of Puritan America that nevertheless shifted in essence from a framework that emphasized “community, hierarchy, and an agrarian economy” to an interest in “individualism, democracy, and competitive market capitalism” In effect, the Book of Mormon is a product of Jacksonian America in general and the burned-over district of Western New York in particular.

A collection of papers relating archaeology to the scriptures, many of which are relevant to Book of Mormon subjects: Joseph Smith’s knowledge of archaeology, Mulek’s migration, pyramid architecture, metals in the New World, etc.

Reports the Atlantic crossing by Thor Heyerdahl in his papyrus boat Ra 2. This achievement is seen as important support for Book of Mormon accounts that the Nephites, Jaredites, and Mulekites crossed the oceans on their way to the Americas.

Abstract: A discussion is presented on the Parable of the Prodigal Son, including the departure of the young man into a faraway land, his return, and the welcome he received from his father. To better understand the cultural significance of this story, a Middle Eastern scholar (Kenneth Bailey) is referenced. The prodigal son breaks his father’s heart when he leaves home, but at the same time his older brother fails in his duty to his family. The father in the parable represents Christ, who is seen to take upon himself the shame of his returning boy and later of his older brother. The reinstatement of the prodigal son is confirmed by the actions of the father, who embraces him, dresses him in a robe, puts shoes on his feet, has a ring placed on his finger, brings him into his house, and kills the fatted calf for him. These actions have deep gospel and cultural significance. The older son’s failure to come into the feast for his brother is a public insult to his father, and his words to his father in the courtyard are a second public insult. The Parable of the Prodigal Son is shown to be similar to other stories from the scriptures, including Jesus’s meal with Simon the Pharisee (Luke 7:36–43), the Parable of the Man and His Great Supper (Luke 14:16–24), the Parable of the King and His Son’s Wedding (Matthew 22:2–14), and Lehi’s dream in 1 Nephi 8. Consistent elements across these stories include a feast/meal, a male authority figure who initiates or invites others to the feast, well-to-do guests who refuse the invitation, their criticism of the host of the feast and their fellowman, an application of grace, and the presence of the less favored individuals at the feast at the end of the stories. It is shown that the prodigal son represents the publicans and sinners of Jesus’s day, while the older son represents the scribes and Pharisees. Emphasis is placed on the remarkable countercultural and benevolent role played by the father/patriarch in these stories.

Evangelical pamphlet containing a parable relating to the hidden treasure of eternal life. Explains that the Book of Mormon and the Bible are both maps to follow to gain this treasure.

Discourse by Elder Wilford Woodruff, delivered in the New Tabernacle, Salt Lake City, Sunday Afternoon, Sept. 12, 1875. Reported By: David W. Evans.

Discourse by Apostle Franklin D. Richards, delivered in the New Stake Tabernacle, Provo, Sunday Afternoon, Aug. 30, 1885. Reported By: John Irvine.

Review of Warfare in the Book of Mormon (1990), edited by Stephen D. Ricks and William J. Hamblin.

Review of New Approaches to the Book of Mormon: Explorations in Critical Methodology (1993), edited by Brent Lee Metcalfe.

In the 130 years since the word “folklore” was coined, folklorists have been trying unsuccessfully to decide what the word means. I shall not solve the problem here. Yet if we are to do business with each other, we must come to some common understanding of terms. Briefly, I consider folklore to be the unofficial part of our culture. When a Sunday School teacher reads to his class from an approved lesson manual, he is giving them what the Correlation Committee at least would call official religion; but when he illustrates the lesson with an account of the Three Nephites which he learned from his mother, he is giving them unofficial religion. Folklore, then, is that part of our culture that is passed through time and space by the process of oral transmission(by hearing and repeating) rather than by institutionalized means of learning or by the mass media.

presented in “A Book of Mormon Study” (1922).

Suggests ways in which incidents and historical situations in the Book of Mormon are similar to those of the present era. Twelve parallels may be drawn between the Book of Mormon society and modern American society that may predict future events in America. Both nations had similar origins and crossed the ocean as a result of difference of religion and philosophy. Both degenerated in morality. This work is reviewed in P.289. [J.W.M.]

Donald Parry lists more than six hundred Book of Mormon parallelisms by type of parallelism.

Notes that the Book of Mormon was not the first document published in America that proposed the Jewish connection with the American Indians. Supplies several of B. H. Roberts’s parallel column comparisons of the Book of Mormon with Ethan Smith’s View of the Hebrews.

Ethan Smith’s book View of the Hebrews provided Joseph Smith with the basic format for the Book of Mormon. Hougey lists forty-one parallels between the Book of Mormon and the 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,

A series that discusses the Babylonian and Israelite people who established Book of Mormon civilizations. Suggests that the Jaredites were Semites. The ancient ruins left in America have distinct Babylonian and Assyrian influence. The Nephite- Israelite people of the Book of Mormon have also left their mark upon civilization.

Five hundred copies of the Book of Mormon in fifteen languages were distributed from the LDS church’s booth at the 1993 Parliament of the World’s Religions.

Herald Heritage, [R]1971. As evidence that the Book of Mormon is a true document, the author quotes early works on the antiquities of America and gives Book of Mormon references that compare with the findings of early American explorers.

“Since Cumorah: New Voices from the Dust” looks at the changing attitudes of biblical scholars toward basic questions about scripture allow room for claims made by the Book of Mormon. Discusses external evidences, the primitive church, Lehi, Zenos, the olive tree, and the Dead Sea Scrolls.
The purpose of the somewhat labored pages that follow is to lead up to better things by giving the reader some idea of what we are dealing with, of the scope and nature of the writings that are now being read with wonder and amazement by students of religion, and of the strange doctrine and baffling problems they present.

“Since Cumorah: New Voices from the Dust” looks at the changing attitudes of biblical scholars toward basic questions about scripture allow room for claims made by the Book of Mormon. Discusses external evidences, the primitive church, Lehi, Zenos, the olive tree, and the Dead Sea Scrolls.
Studies the Dead Sea Scrolls related to wording found in the New Testament previously thought to be peculiar to that book alone.

“Since Cumorah: New Voices from the Dust” looks at the changing attitudes of biblical scholars toward basic questions about scripture allow room for claims made by the Book of Mormon. Discusses external evidences, the primitive church, Lehi, Zenos, the olive tree, and the Dead Sea Scrolls.
A discussion of the Christian Apocrypha as compared with the Jewish Apocrypha.

“Since Cumorah: New Voices from the Dust” looks at the changing attitudes of biblical scholars toward basic questions about scripture allow room for claims made by the Book of Mormon. Discusses external evidences, the primitive church, Lehi, Zenos, the olive tree, and the Dead Sea Scrolls.
Studies the Logia and compares it with other early religious writings.

Draws the conclusion that Lehi took the shortest and safest route through the desert during his journeys in the Book of Mormon.

The Improvement Era was an official magazine of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints between 1897 and 1970.
A study of new discoveries that answer questions critics of the Book of Mormon had been using to disprove its authenticity.

The Improvement Era was an official magazine of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints between 1897 and 1970.
Tests the story of Lehi against various markers certain Egyptologists use to test the authenticity of other Egyptian stories.

“Since Cumorah: New Voices from the Dust” looks at the changing attitudes of biblical scholars toward basic questions about scripture allow room for claims made by the Book of Mormon. Discusses external evidences, the primitive church, Lehi, Zenos, the olive tree, and the Dead Sea Scrolls.
Discusses the history of keeping secrets within religions and within scriptures.

“Since Cumorah: New Voices from the Dust” looks at the changing attitudes of biblical scholars toward basic questions about scripture allow room for claims made by the Book of Mormon. Discusses external evidences, the primitive church, Lehi, Zenos, the olive tree, and the Dead Sea Scrolls.
Continues the discussion from the previous installment.

The Improvement Era was an official magazine of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints between 1897 and 1970.
Discusses forgery throughout religious history and how we might test whether or not Joseph Smith forged the Book of Mormon.

“Since Cumorah: New Voices from the Dust” looks at the changing attitudes of biblical scholars toward basic questions about scripture allow room for claims made by the Book of Mormon. Discusses external evidences, the primitive church, Lehi, Zenos, the olive tree, and the Dead Sea Scrolls.
A discussion of original Christian writings versus ones that replaced those when they were lost and what students of such literature might learn from looking at both.

“Since Cumorah: New Voices from the Dust” looks at the changing attitudes of biblical scholars toward basic questions about scripture allow room for claims made by the Book of Mormon. Discusses external evidences, the primitive church, Lehi, Zenos, the olive tree, and the Dead Sea Scrolls.
Looks at how quickly people changed Christianity after the apostles’ deaths, especially in regards to the secret teaching God had given to the apostles while they were alive.

“Since Cumorah: New Voices from the Dust” looks at the changing attitudes of biblical scholars toward basic questions about scripture allow room for claims made by the Book of Mormon. Discusses external evidences, the primitive church, Lehi, Zenos, the olive tree, and the Dead Sea Scrolls.
The conclusion to the three part article about the secrecy in the primitive church and how that influenced it during its time and after it was lost.

The Improvement Era was an official magazine of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints between 1897 and 1970.
Discusses the distinction that Lehi dwelt in a tent as showing him of a different class as those who dwelt in sturdier houses.

The Improvement Era was an official magazine of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints between 1897 and 1970.
Looks at circumstancial evidence attending the production of the Book of Mormon and how it suggests that the Book of Mormon is true.

The Improvement Era was an official magazine of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints between 1897 and 1970.
A discussion on whether parts of Fascimile No. 1 should have a hand or part of a wing from a bird to provide commentary on previous scholars’ opinions on the piece.

The Improvement Era was an official magazine of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints between 1897 and 1970.
States that Lehi’s family did not run into any important contacts throughout their eight years of wandering the desert because they didn’t light fires. It discusses this being a common practice even today so as to not attract the attention of prowling raiding parties.

The Improvement Era was an official magazine of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints between 1897 and 1970.
Studies the Jaredite practice of “drawing off” followers to an army to builds its forces and bides its time to show that this was a normal practice at the time.

The Improvement Era was an official magazine of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints between 1897 and 1970.
Suggests that the author of the Book of Mormon merely wanted people to believe in it and studies what the author might have gained from that.

The Improvement Era was an official magazine of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints between 1897 and 1970.
Discusses Middle Eastern traditions of naming a place you have discovered after you and how that relates to the names of places within the Book of Mormon.

The Improvement Era was an official magazine of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints between 1897 and 1970.
Addresses the idea that the Book of Mormon may include as many or more Egyptianisms as Hebraisms and suggests that the translation of the Book of Mormon had to have been done by revelation in order for people to believe in its verity.

The Improvement Era was an official magazine of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints between 1897 and 1970.
States that the actions of Lehi’s sons when they go back for the brass plates are typical of people from that time and even from today in the Middle East.

Addresses the dangers of oversimplifying the scriptures and attempts to look at the Book of Mormon without such oversimplification.

Addresses the dangers of oversimplifying the scriptures and attempts to look at the Book of Mormon without such oversimplification.

Offering a simple analogy to motivate individuals to read the Book of Mormon, the author compares piano practice to scripture study. “Just as I have to learn new piano techniques, I must review the Book of Mormon and learn eternal techniques.”

This article covers how Martin Harris, one of the Three Witnesses to the Book of Mormon, was persuaded to move from Kirtland, Ohio, to Utah in 1870. A prominent part of the article is devoted to Harris’s tenacious adherence to his testimony of the Book of Mormon.

Abstract: Later in his life, former Palmyra resident Fayette Lapham recounted with sharp detail an 1830 interview he conducted with Joseph Smith Sr. about the coming forth of the Book of Mormon. Among the details he reports that Lehi’s exodus from Jerusalem occurred during a “great feast.” This detail, not found in the published Book of Mormon, may reveal some of what Joseph Sr. knew from the lost 116 pages. By examining the small plates account of this narrative in 1 Nephi 1−5, we see not only that such a feast was possible, but that Lehi’s exodus and Nephi’s quest for the brass plates occurred at Passover. This Passover setting helps explain why Nephi killed Laban and other distinctive features of Lehi’s exodus. Read in its Passover context, the story of Lehi is not just the story of one man’s deliverance, but of the deliverance of humankind by the Lamb of God. The Passover setting in which it begins illuminates the meaning of the Book of Mormon as a whole.
[Editor’s Note: This article is an excerpt from Chapter 7 of the author’s new book, The Lost 116 Pages: Reconstructing the Book of Mormon’s Lost Stories (Salt Lake City: Kofford Books, 2019).].

“It is hoped that the investigations here help not only to clarify something of the past of a rapidly growing field as directly as possible, but also to provoke further studies of past Book of Mormon scholarship with a host of questions about its ongoing import. The field for which the Journal of Book of Mormon Studies aims to provide a kind of center stands to learn much as it continues to reflect on how it has arrived at the place it now occupies. The present grows directly out of the past, and the shape of the future will very much depend on how the past has been understood.” [Author]

Review of Norman the Nephite's and Larry the Lamanite's Book of Mormon Time Line (1995), by Pat Bagley

A travel guidebook to Middle America that links several Book of Mormon sites with present day locations.

A tour guide intended for the novice LDS audience. Maps, photographs, and directions are provided. Also included are the author’s interpretations of how certain Mesoamerican sites and ruins correspond to the Book of Mormon.

Historian Richard L. Bush-man, responding to accusations that the Book of Mormon contains “evidence of nineteenth-century American political culture,” concluded that in fact “most of the principles tradition-ally associated with the American Constitution are slighted or disregarded altogether” in the book. “So many of the powerful intellectual influences operating on Joseph Smith failed to touch the Book of Mormon.”

Mankind cannot follow what uninspired men teach because their perception of truth always changes, but the gospel truths, as outlined in the Book of Mormon, remain the same.

Conversion is the key to salvation. Conversion can be gained, in part, by reading the Book of Mormon and reliving its many conversion experiences. Harris identifies six patterns in these conversion experiences and suggests ways to implement them in daily life. Includes a chart of typical conversion events and a graph of steps in sanctification.

“There will be adequate opportunities for unavoidable error and disappointment; we need not reach out affirmatively to create them.”

A response to a letter by C. Sumter Logan of the Trinity Presbyterian Church in Ogden.

Notes that a declaration by Thomas Stuart Ferguson that the discovery of Central American cities helps to prove the truthfulness of the Book of Mormon contradicts statements and opinions of other LDS archaeologists.

Review of “American Book of Mormon Map” (1988), by Paul D. Proctor.

Paul Henning was born in Germany in 1872 and passed away in 1923. He was the first Latter-day Saint to become a professional archaeologist and Mesoamerican scholar. He was also the first to bring his professional knowledge to bear on how to correlate the Book of Mormon record with the physical remains and history of the area now widely considered among church members as the core Book of Mormon location. While his ideas on these matters were never published, he deserves to be saluted as a pioneer of Book of Mormon studies. This biographical article includes information about his association with Benjamin C. Cluff Jr., president of Brigham Young University, and his contribution to the university.

Review of The Book of Mormon: The Keystone Scripture (1988), edited by Paul R. Cheesman and assisted by S. Kent Brown and Charles D. Tate Jr.

Review of Ancient American Indians: Their Origins, Civilizations, and Old World Connections (1991), by Paul R. Cheesman and Millie F. Cheesman.

The Indian legend concerning the peace pipe is one of great significance to the Book of Mormon. The pipe was a symbol of Jesus, the Prince of Peace. The account of Jesus’ visit to the Americas might help to explain this legend more fully.

A children’s story of the translation of the Book of Mormon.

A polemical work against Mormonism. The author enumerates various criticisms of the Book of Mormon related to domesticated animals, the Spaulding theory, contradictions with the Bible, King James English, the Hebrew/Egyptian background, and the testimony of Book of Mormon witness.

A polemical work against Mormonism. Pages 30-36 discuss the Book of Mormon. Argues against the Book of Mormon’s claim of multiple authorship, claims the book resembles the Spaulding manuscript, plagiarizes the Bible, and anachronistically mentions the horse and the ass.

“In this monograph, Pentecostal New Testament scholar John Christopher Thomas offers a constructive, critical reading of the Book of Mormon that focuses on a variety of issues often under-represented in the literature currently available. Utilizing narrative analysis, Thomas begins with an investigation of the book’s overall structure detected by means of literary markers in the text. He next presents an extended reading of the narrative contents of the book focusing on its literary and theological dimensions. This close reading enables the construction of a ’Theology of the Book of Mormon’ that explores the major theological emphases that emerge from the narrative analysis of the book. The study next traces the book’s reception amongst followers and opponents alike, as well as its impact in the areas of music, art, and disastrous interpretations of the book. The Book of Mormon and Pentecostalism are then placed into dialogue through historical analyses of early Pentecostal thought on the book and the movements it spawned, before a comparison of the theological heart of Pentecostalism and the book is given. Finally, issues of origins are discussed by an examination of the earliest story of the book’s origins, the major complications of this story, and the proposal of a taxonomy of various reading strategies offered in the light of these complications.” [Abstract]

A series of pictures for children illustrating the repentance of the people of Ammon.

Abstract: Moses 7 is one of the most famous passages in all of Restoration scripture. It is also one of the most problematic in regard to its description of the people of Canaan as black (v. 8) and as a people who were not preached to by the patriarch Enoch (v. 12). Later there is also a mention of “the seed of Cain,” who also are said to be black (v. 22). This article examines the history of interpretation of Moses 7 and proposes an alternative understanding based on a close reading of the text. In contrast to traditional views, it argues that the reason for Enoch’s not preaching to the people of Canaan stems not from any sins the people had committed or from divine disfavor but from the racial prejudice of the other sons of Adam, the “residue of the people” (vv. 20, 22) who ironically are the only ones mentioned as “cursed” in the text (v. 20). In looking at the implications of this passage for the present-day Restoration, this article notes parallels between Enoch’s hesitancy and various attitudes toward black priesthood ordination throughout the Restoration traditions, including the Community of Christ where the same type of hesitancy existed. This article argues that, rather than being indicative of divine disfavor toward persons of African descent, this tendency is a response to the racist attitudes of particular eras, whether the period of the Old Testament patriarchs or the post-bellum American South. Nevertheless, God can be seen as working through and within particular contexts and cultures to spread the gospel to all of Adam’s children irrespective of race.

[Editor’s Note: We are pleased to publish this article from an author outside The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, but from a related Restoration faith tradition. Adam Stokes was formerly with the Community of Christ and currently is an ordained Apostle and Elder in The Church of Jesus Christ with the Elijah Message—The Assured Way [Page 160]of the Lord. Adam notes that “while the Book of Moses is not officially part of my church’s canon, my own personal beliefs still accept the Joseph Smith translation/Inspired Version as inspired and sacred scripture and I read it often.” We are grateful for the faithful insights Elder Stokes kindly provides for the Book of Moses.]

Advertisement for a musical drama with actors Bryce Chamberlain and Francis Urry starring as Nephi and Lehi, respectively.

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.

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]

In 1830, Joseph Smith Jr. published The Book of Mormon and subsequently founded a new American religion. According to Smith, The Book of Mormon represented the English translation of an authentic record, written in “Reformed Egyptian,” concerning ancient Israelites who migrated to the Americas in approximately 600 B.C.E. Smith’s purported translation of this sacred history, however, did not occur by traditional means. Rather than directly consulting the record and providing an English rendition, Smith employed a method of divination by placing a “seer stone” into the bottom of his hat, holding the hat to his face to shut out all light, and then he proceeded to dictate the entire text of The Book of Mormon in an extended oral performance, without the aid of notes or manuscripts. By his side, Smith’s scribes wrote down the entire text verbatim in the moment Smith uttered them. As a result, at over 500 printed pages, The Book of Mormon stands as one of the longest recorded oral performances in the history of the United States. This dissertation aims to uncover some of the primary techniques of oral performance that Smith used in the construction of his work. Oratorical skill constituted a critical mode of public and private discourse in the culture of the early American nation; and, as I will argue, the text of The Book of Mormon reveals key characteristics of Smith’s techniques in oral performance that, in turn, reflect the oratorical training of the age. Drawing on Smith’s exposure to a kaleidoscope of cultural institutions that inculcated oratorical skills--focusing specifically on formal and informal education, Sunday school training and revivalism, folk magic practices, semi-extemporaneous Methodist preaching and exhorting, and the fireside storytelling culture of early America--this dissertation will demonstrate how these related cultural streams of oral performance converged in Smith’s production of The Book of Mormon, providing him with the necessary skills and techniques to produce and recite his massive Christian epic through the medium of the spoken word.

Review of Gerald E. Smith, Schooling the Prophet: How the Book of Mormon Influenced Joseph Smith and the Early Restoration (Provo, UT: Neal A. Maxwell Institute for Religious Scholarship, 2015). pp 305. $19.95.
Abstract: Schooling the Prophet provides a good survey of many early Latter-day Saint doctrines. It suggests that there is a causal link between the Book of Mormon and those doctrines. Sometimes it makes the case; many times it is close but doesn’t quite support the thesis of the book.

A missionary tract that recalls the coming forth of the Book of Mormon and summarily sets forth its contents.

A ready reference booklet dealing with Book of Mormon topics.

Describes the personal appearance of the Nephites as being “white and delightsome people,” perhaps “well proportioned, ruddy of countenance, auburn hair and light eyed”

Describes the personal appearance of the Nephites as being “white and delightsome people,” perhaps “well proportioned, ruddy of countenance, auburn hair and light eyed.”

Abstract: This study compares personal relative pronoun usage in the earliest text of the Book of Mormon with 11 specimens of Joseph Smith’s early writings, 25 pseudo-archaic texts, the King James Bible, and more than 200,000 early modern (1473–1700) and late modern (1701–1800+) texts. The linguistic pattern of the Book of Mormon in this domain — a pattern difficult to consciously manipulate in a sustained manner — uniquely points to a less-common early modern pattern. Because there is no matching of the Book of Mormon’s pattern except with a small percentage of early modern texts, the indications are that Joseph Smith was neither the author nor the English-language translator of this pervasive element of the dictation language of the Book of Mormon. Cross-verification by means of large database comparisons and matching with one of the finest pseudo-archaic texts confirm these findings.

Explains that the Nephites had a personal relationship with God. This close relationship accounts for their noble ideas and modes of conduct. We can learn from Nephite views on riches, pride, power, inequality, authority, and the vain things of the world.

Contains primary source material from Joseph Smith’s writings and includes references to the coming forth of the Book of Mormon, as indicated in the index. Spelling in the original documents is retained.

Many families are joining the family-to-family program to distribute copies of the Book of Mormon containing personal testimonies. The book is the best missionary tool of the Church.

Explains the family-to-family Book of Mormon placement program. Families attach their picture and their written testimony to a copy of the Book of Mormon and send the Book of Mormon into the mission field. The program has been very successful and has accounted for many baptisms.

The perspective of history can be sobering, even humbling. Not so recently, two men from the same faith tradition but different perspectives joined in a debate about whether and how a man whom they both acknowledged as a prophet could have seen what he said he saw and be who he claimed to be. As it unfolded, their discussion touched upon many aspects of what it means to have faith in such a person and in his revelations. The role of reason in relation to revelation, the relevance of history to faith, and the connection of language to perception were all explored. The power of poetry and other idioms of popular culture in establishing the credibility of one’s chosen narrative were on display. Their debate was not an isolated event; it was just one of many in an ongoing phenomenon of cultural and spiritual contestation and negotiation. And although the two men in this case lived eleven hundred years ago, that same process of debate that they engaged in is still under way in our own times and is very much a part of our cultural climate today.

Proposes two possible routes for the transoceanic Mulekite journey: (1) The Mediterranean/North Atlantic route, or (2) the African/South Atlantic route. The irst choice is seen as the more likely.

Explains the motives and psychological structure of anti-Mormon communications. Offers advice to those who are troubled by faith-destroying rhetoric.

Review of Mormonism: The Prophet, The Book and the Cult (1989), by Peter Bartley. Bartley attacks Mormonism and its sacred book, the Book of Mormon, which is not surprising when one notes the anti-Mormon sources he cosulted. Rigorous and well-grounded arguments are lacking, and sweepingly dogmatic assertions dominate. He faults the Book of Mormon on various claims as well as on stylistic grounds--he asserts that it appears to be written entirely by one person. This publication represents just one more anti-Mormon book.

Review of Isaiah and the Book of Mormon: A Study Guide for Understanding the Writings of Isaiah in the Book of Mormon (1990), by Philip J. Schlesinger.

Suggests that Mulek escaped with the aid of Phoenician mariners. “Sidon was the principal metropolis of the Phoenician homeland, the Mulekites and Nephites were unable to understand each others’ language, and Phoenician inscriptions have been found in America” Responds to questions and gives topics for further investigation relating to his theory.

Originally presented as a paper at the 22nd annual Symposium on the Archaeology of the Scriptures & Allied Fields, the article analyzes the sound system of the Nephite and Jaredite languages, using transliterations of names from these languages found in the English Book of Mormon. The author concludes that the Nephite names reflect the phonology of the Hebrew language, while the Jaredite names have a different origin.

A guide for teaching children the Book of Mormon by using pictures and illustrations.

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.

We Latter-day Saints are temple-centered people. So were the Nephites. But what do we know about their temple worship, how it worked and what it was for? How was it even possible for the Nephites to observe the Mosaic rituals without the Levitical priesthood, the Aaronite high priest, and the Ark of the Covenant? And given that our temple worship today isn’t about animal sacrifice, what, if anything, does their temple worship have to do with ours? Critics, and even friendlier outside observers like Harold Bloom, have sometimes come away from reading the Book of Mormon—in Bloom’s case not reading it very much—but they’ve sometimes come away thinking that there isn’t much “Mormon-ism” in the book. Let’s see whether our exploration of temple themes in the Nephite narratives contradicts this or bears it out.

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.

Discusses relations between the Jaredites and Polynesians, the story of Hagoth, and the route of Lehi out of Jerusalem.

An early draft of the authors’ two books, A Doctrinal Approach to the Book of Mormon, and Teaching with the Book of Mormon. This version is shorter and lacks the study questions.

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.
A comparison between the Israelites many exoduses and the pioneers of The Church of Jesus-Christ of Latter-day Saints.

We belong to the greatest cause on earth. We are the pioneers of the future. Let us go forth like the armies of Helaman and build the kingdom of God.

Describes many mistakes that Joseph Smith could have made if he were a fraud who wrote the Book of Mormon. For instance, Joseph Smith did not incorporate modern geographical names, punctuation, chapter and verse markings, modern terms for clothing, alcoholic beverages, military terms, days of the week, names of months, nor titles such as mister or doctor.

Abstract: Google’s Ngram Viewer often gives a distorted view of the popularity of cultural/religious phrases during the early 19th century and before. Other larger textual sources can provide a truer picture of relevant usage patterns of various content-rich phrases that occur in the Book of Mormon. Such an approach suggests that almost all of its phraseology fits comfortably within its syntactic framework, which is mostly early modern in character.

Abstract: The name Heshlon, attested once (in Ether 13:28), as a toponym in the Book of Mormon most plausibly denotes “place of crushing.” The meaning of Heshlon thus becomes very significant in the context of Ether 13:25–31, which describes the crushing or enfeebling of Coriantumr’s armies and royal power. This meaning is also significant in the wider context of Moroni’s narrative of the Jaredites’ destruction. Fittingly, the name Heshlon itself serves as a literary turning point in a chiastic structure which describes the fateful reversal of Coriantumr’s individual fortunes and the worsening of the Jaredites’ collective fortunes. Perhaps Moroni, who witnessed the gradual crushing and destruction of the Nephites, mentioned this name in his abridgement of the Book of Ether on account of the high irony of its meaning in view of the Jaredite war of attrition which served as precursor to the destruction of the Nephites.

“Brown describes a carved altar inscribed to the tribe Nihm discovered in the southwest Arabian peninsula (Yemen)-this location may be the place Nahom where Nephi’s father-in-law, Ishmael, was buried, according to the Book of Mormon record.” [abstract provided]

Make a commitment today that you will not leave this great university without having read the Book of Mormon at least once.

Nephi’s prophecies focused on people and principles, as he viewed the “sweep of history and God’s plan” Almost half of Nephi’s discourse about his vision was related to the influence of a book of scripture.

The purpose of the Book of Mormon is to support the Bible in bearing witness of Christ. Though it is a highly complex instructional book in its plot, structure, and symbolism, its greatest value lies in its spiritual message. The purpose of scriptures is to remove stumbling blocks, to elevate our minds, hearts, and standards, and to deepen our trust by revealing the purposes of God.

This article by Rebecca A. Roesler discusses the significance of Nephi’s small plates in the Book of Mormon. Roesler examines the text of the Book of Mormon in order to “establish that scriptural texts can…exhibit variation in spiritual understanding” and that such variation can be insightful. She does not comment on the historicity or divinity of the text, but seeks to present “a literary case that, sometime in the generations before Alma, the small plates of Nephi and the teachings thereon are lost or obscured from view.” [quotes from author]

A Sunday School manual for the Church of Christ. Provides a historical sketch of the book’s coming forth and some of its teachings on faith, repentance, baptism, laying on of hands, resurrections, eternal judgment, and priesthood authority.

Five page booklet attempts to depict the exact geographical location of Book of Mormon lands and cities. Emphasis is placed on “Bountiful and four-sea regions”

A lecture demonstrating that the Book of Mormon contradicts the Bible. Sees problem with Lehi’s teaching that without the Fall there would have been no posterity. Argues that water baptism by immersion is not necessary for salvation.

Rebuttal to Rev. Bush’s publication “Plain Facts, Showing the Falsehood and Folly of The Mormonites or Latter-day Saints” Pratt confirms the Church’s belief in the Bible as the word of God, but stresses that God is a God of continuous revelation. He denies that Emma Smith had signed a document stating that the Book of Mormon was false. The doctrines in the Book of Mormon are pure and holy. Whatever the medium upon which the scriptures are written or by what man of God they are recorded, their principles are the same.

Relief Society lessons. Part two outlines a course of study from the Book of Mormon.

A booklet formatted to allow readers of the Book of Mormon to plan daily scripture study.

Combines Book of Mormon passages with others from the standard works of the Church to outline the plan of salvation. Many Book of Mormon passages foretell future conditions.

In February 1998, five Brigham Young University professors spent more than a week together in southern Oman to collect data for future research projects in the area, which seems to correspond to the end of Lehi’s trail in the Old World. Future research must be performed in a professional manner and seek to reconstruct that part of the world in 600 BC. Botanical, archaeological, chronological, mineralogical, geological, and inscriptional studies in the area would depend on acquiring sponsors in Oman and on the availability of resources.

Reviews the historical events dealing with the reception and translation of the gold plates by Joseph Smith. Joseph Smith was given great assistance from God to perform his prophetic work.

Features a chart and explanation of the different sets of plates identiied in the Book of Mormon, including the brass plates, the twenty-four gold plates, the small and large plates of Nephi, Mormon’s abridgment of Nephi’s large plates, and Moroni’s abridgment of Jaredite record.

Graphic illustration of the development of the Book of Mormon in modern and ancient times. Chart shows relationships among the several sets of plates used by Mormon to compose the Book of Mormon.

The Book of Mormon speaks of twenty- two plates or records that are no longer available, as well as seven other records promised to come forth at a later date.

A youth oriented defense of the Book of Mormon and a justification for the drama referred to in the title.

Review of Ann Taves, Revelatory Events: Three Case Studies in the Emergence of New Spiritual Paths Princeton University Press, Princeton, 2016, 366 pages with notes and index $29.93 (paperback).
Abstract: Ann Taves’s book offers a comparative look at the origins of three groups, among them Mormonism. While she does not address the issue of competing explanations by each group about their origins or how to best navigate among them in terms that are not self-referential, that crucial circumstance is modeled by Thomas Kuhn in The Structure of Scientific Revolutions. So I, too, have a pattern that applies to my arguments just as much it does to those offered by Professor Taves. Where her book attempts to solve the puzzle of Joseph Smith, my review offers a test of her rules for puzzle solving. This includes comparisons with the standard approach to document testing cited by Hugh Nibley, looking at key aspects of her argument and treatment of sources, and by considering Richard L. Anderson’s crucially relevant study of imitation gospels compared to the Book of Mormon. My own response should be tested not just as secular or religious, but against standards that are dependent on neither secular nor religious grounds. That is, to be valid, my response should argue “Why us?” in comparison to her case, rather than just declare that what she offers is “Not us.” We can decide situationally whether to define key concepts such as religion, spirituality, theology, and ministry or sit back and track how others are defining them. Either stance has its strengths and liabilities. Each allows us to see some things while obscuring others. The key is to figure out what we want to see under any given circumstances.
The current paradigm is going toward a non-faith-based study, which has no future. By this I do not mean simply that the study is not faith-based; it is based on non-faith, so criticism does not mean close study; it so often means destructive study. New paradigms emerge from those aware of the crisis, who recognize the situation is not likely to be remedied by the methods that caused it.

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Review of “Meeting the Book of Mormon Challenge in Chile” (1990), by Dean Maurice Helland.

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.

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/.]
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Personal story. Author tells of the Book of Mormon’s influence in her son’s life. He lay at life’s edge, pale as the pillowcase beneath him, and spoke in the faintest whisper: “What are you reading?”

Personal story. Author tells of the Book of Mormon’s influence in her son’s life.

A topical reference work containing a list of the books from the Book of Mormon and the Bible with their corresponding contents by chapter and verse. Topics include falling away, Restoration, baptism, and laying on of hands.

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/.]

Hebrew poetry is based on various patterns of parallelism. Parallel lines are in turn created by the use of parallel words, that is, pairs of words bearing generally synonymous or antithetic meanings. Since the 1930s, scholars have come to realize that many of these “word pairs” were used repeatedly in a formulaic fashion as the basic building blocks of different parallel lines. The Book of Mormon reflects numerous parallel structures, including synonymous parallelism, antithetic parallelism, and chiasmus. As word pairs are a function of parallelism, the presence of such parallel structures in the Book of Mormon suggests the possible presence of word pairs within those structures. This article catalogs the use of forty word pairs that occur in parallel collocations both in the Book of Mormon and in Hebrew poetry.

Making an analysis of the Book of Abraham and the Book of Mormon, this dissertation concludes that Joseph Smith was a poet, who produced his scriptures not through plagiarism nor the gift of God, but through a “poetic phenomenon” as defined by Julia Kristeva and Jacques Derrida.

“Poetic Parallelisms in the Book of Mormon : The Complete Text Reformatted comprises the entire text of the Book of Mormon formatted into (1) historical narrative or (2) parallelistic forms, consisting of a number of parallel and repetitious types. The narrative portions, representing the majority of the Book of Mormon, are formatted into regular blocked style. Parallelistic forms, however, are formatted into various patterns designed to aid the reader in visualizing the forms. A number of mechanical techniques have been employed in creating the patterns, including bold characters, underlining, indentations, italics, parentheses, spacing, adding letters of the alphabet, and others. On occasion, ancient poetic texts belonging to the Dead Sea Scrolls were also formatted in certain arrangements.” [Author]

Donald Parry defines poetic parallelism in general and specific parallel forms. He gives several examples of each form from the Book of Mormon.

Reprints selected Book of Mormon passages in a form that makes them appear more poetic, including 1 Nephi 1:1-2, 1 Nephi 3:27- 37, 2 Nephi 1:25-39, and Jacob 2:34-43. (Verses are numbered according to RLDS.)

In the Book of Mormon, God speaks to us in the most powerful, effective way possible by interconnecting truth, goodness, and beauty. A good deal of what the Book of Mormon says is in how it is said. Richard Rust offers examples of how the choice words and their structure help convey the testimony of the Book of Mormon.

“Poetry in and poetry influenced by the Book of Mormon both demonstrate the rich religious materials and heritage found in the Latter-day Saint religious movement. This review of literature highlights the scholarly conversation surrounding the tradition’s greatest poetic works, both inside the text—what I am calling Book of Mormon poetry—and those adapted from it—what I call poetry influenced by the Book of Mormon.” [Author]

Adam fell that men might be; and men are, that they might have joy. Arranging this memorable thought from the Book of Mormon into two lines reveals its poetic character. Arranged in four lines, its neat structure is even more apparent. In this case, understanding the structure enhances our understanding of the meaning: the fall of Adam allows mankind to exist, and the potential destiny of mankind can bring ultimate joy. Rather than being an isolated example, this brief piece is just one of numerous poetic passages throughout the Book of Mormon, which are usually unrecognized as poetry because they are printed as prose. When arranged as verse, however, the poetic parts of the Book of Mormon are unveiled as having great beauty and power.

There are twenty-seven poets represented in this bilingual anthology and over 130 poems; these range from the sixteenth century to the present but with the bulk coming from the twentieth century. There is also a broad range of topics and political points of view, as well as a diversity of racial and cultural ethnicity represented among the poets. But whether they were native African, Portuguese-born, or mestizo, the principle guiding criterion for their inclusion is their poems’ inherent literary value.

Review of the Nephite Chronicles (1984-1989), by Robert H. Moss.

The history of any people has a political dimension. If there is any structure of authority in a society, people will want to control that authority to promote their own interests. Politics is that realm in which this struggle takes place. Nephite and Lamanite politics and wars revolved around the issue of which of Lehi’s sons was the legitimate heir to the paternal right to rule.

Noel Reynolds explains how Nephi’s writings can be read in part as a political tract that documents the legitimacy of Nephi’s rule. He discusses the traditions of the Lamanites and Nephites, the events chronicled in the small plates of Nephi, the typologies of Moses and Joseph in Nephi’s writings, and he gives a chiastic analysis of 1 Nephi 3-5.

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 investigation into the peculiar social organization of Jerusalem and the social and political struggles that racked the city just before its fall.

WilliamA. Cole studied Polynesian traditions, legends, and ancestry. He found that Polynesians are direct descendants of the Nephites and gives several Polynesian legends of the migrations that took place, one of which is of the Nephite shipbuilder, Hagoth.

Reviews the claims of the scientists and Mormon leaders regarding the origin of the Polynesians. The debate continues among scientists, some favoring American origins, while most tend to Asian origins. Mormon leaders have consistently held that the Polynesians came from the American continent.

The great faith of the Polynesian people indicates that they are of the blood of Israel. Evidence that they are descendants of Lehi lies in the structure of their temples, baptismal fonts, stone roadways, and the plant life with origins in North America. The first white men in these islands were greeted with great reverence because of the traditions of the people concerning their white god whose teachings resembled those of Jesus Christ.

Provides numerous quotes by LDS prophets suggesting that Polynesian peoples may be descended from Lehi, a Book of Mormon prophet.

Despite the emphasis that the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints places on scriptures, particularly the Book of Mormon, some members find it difficult to truly love the scriptures. This article claims that by pondering the scriptures often, members can better understand and appreciate the prophetic words. In order to find a deeper love for the scriptures, readers should consider the following details while reading: the setting of a passage; the meaning of various words and phrases; the author’s attitude when he wrote the passage; the possible comparisons between passages; the possible implied messages of the authors; the possible reasons for the inclusion of a specific passage; the organization of the scriptures; the repetition of ideas, words, and sounds; and the emphasis of certain words. By pondering each of these aspects, readers can gain a greater love for and appreciation of the scriptures.

A discussion of the sacred Popul Vuh, or “book of the People,” written in Maya-Quiché by a learned Quiché in the 16th century. The Popul Vuh deals with the history of the world and of the Quiché people. It has etiologic similarities with the Book of Mormon and points of contact with the Bible and the Pearl of Great Price. By way of example, the Quiché people trace their ethnic beginnings to four wandering brothers who were joined with two other families.

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.
A study of Laban as an authentic man and what happened to the Jews at Jerusalem.

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.

Review of Brent Lee Metcalfe. “The Priority of Mosiah: A Prelude to Book of Mormon Exegesis.” In New Approaches to the Book of Mormon: Explorations in Critical Methodology, and Review of Edwin Firmage Jr. “Historical Criticism and the Book of Mormon: A Personal Encounter.” In American Apocrypha: Essays on the Book of Mormon, and Review of Susan Staker. “Secret Things, Hidden Things: The Seer Story in the Imaginative Economy of Joseph Smith.” In American Apocrypha: Essays on the Book of Mormon

Abstract: The toponym Shilom likely derives from the Semitic/Hebrew root š-l-m, whence also the similar-sounding word šālôm, “peace,” derives. The first mention of the toponym Shilom in Zeniff’s record — an older account than the surrounding material and an autobiography — occurs in Mosiah 9:6 in parallel with Zeniff’s mention of his intention to “possess the land in peace” (Mosiah 9:5). The language and text structure of Mosiah 9:5‒6 thus suggest a deliberate wordplay on Shilom in terms of šālôm. Zeniff uses the name Shilom as a point of irony throughout his brief royal record to emphasize a tenuous and often absent peace between his people and the Lamanites.

Abstract: Janus parallelism, a tool evident in ancient Hebrew poetry, is documented at some length by Scott B. Noegel in Janus Parallelism in the Book of Job, which I recently reviewed. Since the authorship of Job predates the removal of the Lehites from Jerusalem, this tool may have been available to writers in the Book of Mormon. While we do not have the original text to analyze wordplays in the original language, it may be possible to apply some of the cases considered by Noegel to find remnants of related “polysensuous” wordplays that might have been present in the original text or to consider other previously proposed wordplays that may include a Janus-like aspect.

Short illustrated update on the author’s Minjui project in Dhofar, presenting the multiple commonalities between the squared towers at al Hauta (standing) and at Khor Kharfot (collapsed) that make a link plausible.

“This thesis has been a study of possible lexical Hebraisms occurring in the Book of Mormon in the sections entitled ’The Words of Mormon’ through ’Moroni.’ A Hebraism was defined as any word of phrase which appeared to be a literal rendering of a Hebrew lexicographic mode of speech, in that the English had a usage or connotation which was not normal; whereas, if translated literally into Hebrew it would represent standard usage. Nearly two hundred such items were found, some one hundred twenty of which were discussed in the body of the thesis. Of these, nouns contributed over sixty examples, verbs more than thirty and the remainder were distributed among the rest of the parts of speech. This accumulation of Hebraisms could be evidence either of Joseph Smith’s exceptional ability to recall biblical wording while under the influence of the Holy Spirit or evidence of Hebraic wording in the original coming through in Joseph Smith’s translation.” [Author]

Gives many examples of idioms used in the Book of Mormon that translate naturally back into Hebrew. Covers Words of Mormon through Moroni, continuing a similar study by E. Craig Bramwell. Includes a table of Book of Mormon verses that contain wording similar to biblical passages.

No abstract available.

Christianity, like other world religions, surprisingly acknowledges the existence of a plurality of human messiahs. In this comparative work, philosopher Jad Hatem examines Mormonism’s Three Nephites, Buddhism’s Bodhisattva, and Islam’s Mahdi—distinctive messianic figures who postpone Heaven, sacrificially prolonging their lives for the benefit of humankind. Originally published in French, this translation includes two additional papers written by Jad Hatem dealing with aspects of Latter-day Saint belief and a new interview between Hatem and Latter-day Saint philosopher James E. Faulconer.

The message of Christ in the Book of Mormon will help to solve the ills of the world that cannot be solved by the remedies proposed by mankind.

Tells the story of Nephi₂ (prophet during the time of Christ). For children.

Address delivered at BYU: applies “proof of truth” to the Book of Mormon, which requires that (1) the event appeal to the physical senses, (2) it have witnesses, (3) their reliability be tested, (4) a memorial remain, and (5) the memorial/monument date back to the original event. Based on these prerequisites, McKay concludes with a testimony of the truthfulness of the Book of Mormon.

Concentrates on the work of salvation for the dead as introduced when Moroni quoted Malachi to Joseph Smith.

In keeping with the Lord’s promises in the Book of Mormon that the land of America should be free from monarchical forms of government and slavery, the U.S. government has adopted many policies to protect America and fulill the prophecy that it would be a “choice land above all others” (1 Nephi 13:30). Two inspired measures that assist in the preservation of America are the Constitution and the Monroe Doctrine.

I implore each of us to prayerfully study and ponder the Book of Mormon each day.

The Book of Mormon provides spiritual nutrition, prescribes a plan of action, and connects us with the Holy Spirit.

Notes that the phrase “state of awful woundedness” (1 Nephi 13:32) in the original and printer’s manuscripts was replaced in the 1837 edition of the Book of Mormon with the phrase “state of awful blindness” Then Heater references Alma 32 and writes concerning the power of the word.

Writes concerning the doctrine of repentance. Helaman 13-15 (see especially Helaman 13:38) indicates that as individuals choose evil, their power to choose is taken away until destruction is made sure. As individuals choose righteousness, their power to choose increases. The concepts of freedom and free agency are directly related.

States that the Book of Mormon is a powerful tool for missionaries and also “a powerful convincer” for individuals and families. Gives examples and stories of how the Book of Mormon has changed people’s lives.

A historical work that also gives a brief discussion of Joseph Smith and Mormonism. He appeals to the Spaulding theory to account for the book’s origin.

As parents we can hold life together … with love and faith, passed on to the next generation, one child at a time.

More than 5,600 literature items in many languages are listed covering pro- and anti- positions, theory, and methodology. Detailed bibliographical data and annotations, some very detailed, are provided for most items, reporting how they relate to the topic. This work is reviewed in H.036.

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.

Evaluates forty reports of Greco-Roman and Hebrew coins found on the American Continent, and then concludes that no single report of a classical-period coin in America can be used as evidence of pre- Columbian transatlantic contact.

A series of brief comments in which the author presents archaeological findings, architectural notes, and myths and legends that deal indirectly with the Book of Mormon. Dibble discusses the wheel, ancient irrigation methods, metals, Mexican and Mayan codices, Quetzalcoatl, ancient buildings, and numerous other related items. The twenty-second part covers pre-Columbian irrigation methods.

Remarks by Elder Wilford Woodruff, made in the Bowery at Provo, July 15, 1855. Reported By: J. V. Long.

This article shows that Nephi once taught of the unfortunate condition of mankind when they cease to trust in God and to rely on “the precepts of men and denieth the power of God, and the gift of the Holy Ghost” (2 Nephi 28:26). One of the evil doctrines of our education system is sex education in our schools. The “new morality” fails to make the distinction between right and wrong. Personal agency is in jeopardy.

Twelve essays based on Book of Mormon teachings that establish the concepts and principles of the Bible. Jesus Christ is the mediator; the pure in heart will come unto Christ; it is required that we forgive one another because of Christ’s Atonement; Alma speaks of the Fall of Adam, the birth of Christ, and the law of Moses; Samuel the Lamanite testifies of Christ; Christ teaches in the land Bountiful; Mormon reveals the God of miracles; Ether teaches of faith; Moroni teaches the way to judge good and evil and exhorts all to come unto Christ.

Points out apparent exceptions in the professional literature to the assumption that metal use in Mesoamerica was only late. [J.L.S.]”

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.

Discourse by President George Q. Cannon, delivered in the Tabernacle, Salt Lake City (to the General Conference assembly), Sunday Morning, April 6, 1884. Reported By: John Irvine.

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.

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 1964 edition naming the impacts of the manual up to that point.

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.

The Book of Mormon contains anachronisms, lacks the spirit of the Bible, and contains language from the “Westminster Confession” and the Methodist “Discipline”

Archaeologists have uncovered great civilizations in America. The scattering from the tower of Babel led people “everywhere” on the earth and the Book of Mormon bears witness of that fact. The book supports the Bible both in history and doctrine. It teaches of Christ and the historians have recorded that American natives had knowledge of Christianity before the Spanish came.

Tells about an excavation in Wayne County, Michigan that may have a bearing on Book of Mormon archaeology.

Unorthodox presentation of the Book of Mormon text (1 Nephi—Jarom) as a history of the Hebrews. Says nothing about Joseph Smith or the origin of the Book of Mormon. Places the ancient Nephites in the present day New England area of the United States. Numerous footnotes provide commentary.

Quoting a clipping from the Denver Post written by Doctor Baum who had conducted expeditions in the southwestern United States, the author wonders why the archaeologists do not read the Book of Mormon to find answers to their questions about ancient inhabitants of America.

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.

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.

John Welch considers what records were brought together to form the book of Ether and examines which parts of the book might have been composed by Moroni. He looks for paraphrases included in the book and seeks to discover what influenced Moroni’s rendition of the Jaredite story. He concludes that stating comprehensively who wrote the book of Ether is no simple matter.

The efforts begun by Warren and Michaela Aston to identify important sites along the Lehi trail eventually evolved into a FARMS project and exploration to Southern Oman’s Dhofar region in 1992. The remote area of Wadi Sayq on the western extremity of that region has been identified as a location that appears to meet all of the criteria one can infer from the text of the Book of Mormon for the coastal site named Bountiful by Lehi and his family, where they lived while building a ship for their ocean crossing. The text also states that while they lived at Bountiful, the Lord showed Nephi where to go to locate ore with which to make tools for their boatbuilding project. While it is known that greater Oman was a famous source of abundant and high-quality copper during Lehi’s time, commercial mining near Wadi Sayq is not documented. The ancient copper mines of Oman are hundreds of miles farther north and unlikely candidates for Nephi’s ore. Graciously responding to a FARMS request, Eugene Clark, former geologist for ESSO in Oman, has prepared a preliminary report of geological possibilities of mineral deposits in the Dhofar region, where Wadi Sayq is located. The report identifies a number of geological possibilities for copper or iron ore accessible to Wadi Sayq, based on published geological studies and surveys. An on-site survey is projected for later this year to explore the possibilities documented in this report. Most promising among the published studies are reports of specular hematite found in small, random deposits on the Mirbat plain east of Salalah. Specular hematite is the most readily available form of high-quality iron and would have been most attractive as a low-tech smelting source for Nephi’s tools. The report also notes that Dhofar irons would usually occur in mixtures with manganese and carbon, yielding higher-quality steel that would be superior for tools. This preliminary report documents the plausibility of the Nephite account of ore being smelted for shipbuilding tools. It also defines a range of possible ore sources in the Dhofar area that can be verified through on-site exploration.

Outlines a “rough summary of the basic information about Nephite wars and warfare in the Book of Mormon” Includes scriptural quotations that touch upon the subject of war and gives the corresponding date.

The following outline is a rough summary of the basic information about Nephite wars and warfare in the Book of Mormon. It is designed as a research tool, especially to aid in further studies of the conditions and circumstances of war and peace in the Book of Mormon which are now underway. This outline has been divided into sections generally corresponding with the main eras and campaigns in Nephite military history, and approximate dates have been supplied. Hopefully this data will facilitate and promote a closer examination of the text itself as further research progresses.

In 1827 an angel of the Lord appeared in fulfillment of the revelations provided in Daniel and Revelation. The Book of Mormon contains the fullness of Christ’s gospel, and the kingdom that was established upon the principles taught in the Book of Mormon has begun to roll forth from the tops of the mountains to establish the Lord’s Zion. It is through this book that the guests are being called to the Lord’s marriage feast.

The twelfth and thirteenth chapters of the Book of Mormon’s Alma contain a theologically rich and often misunderstood text—a brief discourse to the people of Ammonihah exploring the nature of redemption and the establishment of God’s holy order of priesthood. In this collection of essays, eight scholars examine Alma’s words from a broad range of disciplines and analytical approaches, from literary criticism to philosophy to comparative religious history. Their interpretive experiments open this text up to theological insights that inform devotion and prompt deep inquiry.

How important it is for fathers and sons to work together on the basics in preparing for a mission.

President Benson outlined basic gospel principles essential to the success of the mission presidents. One of the principles was that they should take time daily to read and study the Book of Mormon. Elder Perry told missionaries to use the Book of Mormon more to bring converts into the Church.

The Book of Mormon prophesies that the Lamanites will be no longer persecuted but nourished by the gentiles beginning in 1830 when the Book of Mormon was published. In fulfillment of that, the United States government has apportioned an area of gathering for all the Indians; the tribes were paid money and given provisions at the expense of the United States.

Participle adjuncts in the Book of Mormon are compared with those in the other writings of Joseph Smith and with English in general. Participle adjuncts include present participle phrases, e.g., “having gained the victory over death” (Mosiah 15:8); present participle clauses, e.g., “he having four sons” (Ether 6:20), and a double-subject adjunct construction, known as the coreferential subject construction, where both subjects refer to the same thing, as in “Alma, being the chief judge . . . of the people of Nephi, therefore he went up with the people” (Alma 2:16). The Book of Mormon is unique in the occurrences of extremely long compound adjunct phrases and coreferential subject constructions, indicating that Joseph Smith used a very literal translation style for the Book of Mormon.

The Book of Mormon discusses both the seer and priestcraft. Mosiah 5:79-80 presents the deinition of a seer. Priestcraft is confounded by both the written word and by the living prophet, seer, and revelator who holds powers from God.

Deines Book of Mormon archaeology as “that branch of general archaeology which studies the discoveries . . . [for] every fact which throws light upon the Book of Mormon” It can be expected both to elucidate the scripture and to conirm it. Using the study of the Bible through archaeology as a model, he lays out a logic and methods for doing so, notably by establishing “major” and “minor” correspondences. Major correspondences consist of geographical and chronological frameworks in the real (New) world that compare adequately with what the Book of Mormon says. Minor correspondences consider speciic cultural elements such as the use of iron, the wheel, the horse, etc. Ultimately it should be possible to test “the historical claims” of the Book of Mormon by archaeology. The status thus far is reviewed and the interim conclusion is reached that “in large part the Book of Mormon is vindicated by archaeological science; but many points still remain . . . to challenge us”

Presents the trends, theories, and accomplishments of ancient American researchers and how their research on the American Indians compares with the Book of Mormon story.

This article is a list of kings, presidents, and statesmen of the world to whom a Book of Mormon has been presented, with the date and name of the presenter.

BYU accepts the copyrights of Kirkham’s two new books, A New Witness for Christ in America. Kirkham describes his motives behind writing the books and his experience of publishing the work. He also discusses the coming forth of the Book of Mormon to the world.