Book of Mormon Bibliography
Alphabetical by Title

Discourse by President George A. Smith, delivered in the Old Tabernacle, Salt Lake City, Nov. 15, 1868. Reported By: David W. Evans.

Biblical prophecies fulfilled by the Book of Mormon and the lives and testimonies of the witnesses of the golden plates are reported and shown to support the authenticity of the Book of Mormon. The physical attributes, theological contents, and prophecies of the golden plates (Book of Mormon) are also discussed.

When an Indian’s house burned down and only the Book of Mormon was spared, she bears testimony of the Book of Mormon. “This book has gone through fire for me…Now I am willing to go through fire for it”

A polemical article against Mormonism wherein the writer views Mormon beliefs as being somewhat antiquated. It is asserted that few Mormons have ever read the Book of Mormon. [M. R.]

Briefly discusses the Book of Mormon and its history in a chapter entitled “Post-biblical Sacred Books in America” The author doubts the authenticity of the Book of Mormon and charges that “there is not the slightest shred of [anthropological] evidence” to support the Book of Mormon.

Well-meaning people may honestly disagree with my interpretation of how the universe is put together. Agency allows and requires this possibility. But for me, as I noted above, science is faith affirming because I choose to believe, and everything else follows.

Uses historical, linguistic, and archaeological evidence to prove the truthfulness of the Book of Mormon. Basing his facts on research done by noted linguists and archaeologists of the time, the author writes concerning the god Quetzalcoatl, religious customs and ruins of advanced civilizations, comparisons between the Hebrew and Mayan languages, and the Egyptian hieroglyphic writings. Shreeve also tells of similarities in biblical beliefs between early people of both the western and eastern hemispheres and explains why Joseph Smith was incapable of writing the Book of Mormon without divine aid.

Refers to the discovery of “sacred stones” upon which are inscribed Hebrew characters, one of which reads “may the Lord have mercy upon me a Nephite” Scholars wonder where these people who spoke Hebrew came from, and the Book of Mormon provides the answers. The Nephites landed in Chile near the city of Valparaiso. Later Hagoth and others sailed to North America (Alma 63:4-12 and Helaman 3:3-16). The Nephites knew Hebrew and Egyptian and wrote in reformed Egyptian.

The sanctuaries and religious rituals of the Mayas and Quiche are investigated. The question of where and when Freemasonry originated is examined. Religious symbols of the New World are compared with symbolic representations of old Egypt, Greece, Rome, and elsewhere in the Old World.

The Reorganized Church will receive the remainder of the golden plates, and the “Utah Church” will not. When the Reorganized Church begins to receive these records, members in the “Utah Church” will start joining the Reorganized Church.

Explains sacred scripture found in various cultures with regard to the Book of Mormon. The Book of Mormon can be divided into four divisions: the plates of Nephi, Mormon, Ether, and the brass plates of Laban. Archaeological research supports the Book of Mormon.

Calls the Book of Mormon “the Stick of Joseph” and the Bible “the Stick of Judah” Examines Ezekiel 37 and Isaiah 29, finding that the Book of Mormon fits the descriptions found therein. The Urim and Thummim were a necessary part of the translation process due to the complex nature of the written text and the ignorance of the translator.

Contains a brief description of a trip that the author took to Central America to visit possible Book of Mormon locations. The author concluded that the Pi disks (circular jade disks found in a tomb at Monte Alban) and doughnut shaped objects represented the 16 Jaredite stones used for lighting the barges.

“The Two Bibles” refers to the discovery of “sacred stones of Ohio,” upon which were inscribed Hebrew phrases (Millennial Star 28/41:641-43). This article analyzes the inscriptions further, showing that the decalogue was poorly written. It suggests the tribes of Dan, Reuben, Zebulun, or Joseph could have wandered to America and deposited the stones in Ohio.

Contains excerpts from sacred texts and scriptures of many of the world’s religions. The editors quote 3 Nephi 21 from the Book of Mormon as a representative scriptural text from Mormonism and state that it represents “the charter for Joseph’s foundation of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and the vision which drew the faithful in their drive to create a new society in the American West”

Sacred trees, representing the power of life to grow from the underworld realm of the dead, are a common motif in the art and literature of the ancient Maya of Mesoamerica. Such trees are similar in concept to the tree of life described in the Book of Mormon, as well as to the mythic traditions of many other contemporary world cultures. Hieroglyphic inscriptions and sixteenth-century highland Maya texts describe a great world tree that was erected at the dawn of the present age to stand as the axis point of the cosmos. In its fruit-laden form, it personified the god of creation who fathered the progenitors of the Maya royal dynasty.

Significant evidence reveals that bronze and other metals were historically used for writing sacred texts. This article uses that information to demonstrate the plausibility that the Book of Mormon prophet Lehi would have followed the same practice.

One chapter of this work is dedicated to the sacred writings of Mormonism. Provides a brief history of the discovery and translation of the Book of Mormon, followed by a brief synopsis of each individual book. Reprints scriptural passages from the Book of Mormon.

The essays in this volume, including four on today’s world, were selected by a panel of Hugh Nibley’s colleagues. They are singular in their penetration, their originality, and their vitality. Reaching from the apocalyptic visions of original “treasures in heaven” down to the climax of history, they are more than mind-stretching. The delight of Nibley’s brilliant and sometimes biting prose style imparts a sense of the agelessness of what he calls the “three-act play” of human existence. Written specially for this book, the author’s own “intellectual autobiography,” together with his introductory paragraphs for the various chapters, complete the work of making the book a fitting and permanent record of one of the past outstanding historians
When I was in high school, everybody was being very smart and emancipated, and we always cheered the news that some scholar had discovered the original story of Samson or the Flood or the Garden of Eden in some ancient nonbiblical writing or tradition. It never occurred to anybody that these parallels might confirm rather than confound the scripture. For us the explanation was always perfectly obvious: the Bible was just a clumsy compilation of old borrowed superstitions. As comparative studies broke into the open field, parallels began piling up until they positively became an embarrassment. Everywhere one looked, there were literary and mythological parallels. Trying to laugh them off as “parallelomania” left altogether too much unexplained. In the 1930s, English scholars started spreading out an overall pattern that would fit almost all ancient religions. Finally, men like Graves and Santillana confront us with huge agglomerations of somehow connected matter that sticks together in one loose, gooey mass, compacted of countless resemblances that are hard to explain but equally hard to deny. Where is this taking us? Will the sheer weight and charge of the stuff finally cause it to collapse on itself in a black hole, leaving us none the wiser? We could forego the obligation of explaining it and content ourselves with contemplating and admiring the awesome phenomenon for its own sake were it not for one thing: Joseph Smith spoils everything. A century of bound periodicals in the stacks will tell the enquiring student when scholars first became aware of the various elements that make up the superpattern, but Joseph Smith knew about them all, and before the search ever began, he showed how they are interrelated. In the documents he has left us, you will find the central position of the Coronation, the tension between matriarchy and patriarchy, the arcane discipline for transmitting holy books through the ages, the pattern of cycles and dispensations, the nature of the mysteries, the great tradition of the Rekhabites or sectaries of the desert, the fertility rites and sacrifices of the New Year with the humiliation of the kind and the role of substitute, and so forth. Where did he get the stuff? It would have been convenient for some mysterious rabbi to drop in on the penniless young farmer when he needs some high-class research, but George Foote Moore informs us that “so far as evidence goes, apocalyptic things of that sort were without countenance from the exponents of what we may call normal Judaism.” Take, for example, the tradition that the sacrifice of Isaac merely followed the scenario of an earlier sacrifice of Abraham himself. Nobody has heard of that today until you tell them about it, when, of course, they shrug their shoulders and tell you that they knew about it all along. Which prompts me to recommend a simple rule for the ingenuous investigator: always ask the expert to tell you the story first. I have never found anyone who could tell me the Joseph Smith Abraham story, and the apocrypha records which report it have all been published since his day. Today the story of Abraham casts a new light on the story of Isaac. Here is some of it.

I want it absolutely clear when I stand before the judgment bar of God that I declared to the world … that the Book of Mormon is true.

An attempt to explain Joseph Smith and the Three Witnesses on the basis of current pop psychology. Links Smith’s reputed early practices to the coming forth of the Book of Mormon. “The Book of Mormon reads like a mixture of Old Testament, Arabian Nights and Gulliver’s Travels, with a literary quality decidedly inferior to any of these” Suggests that the Three Witnesses suffered a hallucination.

This volume is a compilation of inspirational stories shared by Latter-day Saints who served on the front lines in several recent military conflicts. These stories detail their trials, challenges, setbacks, faith, courage, and numerous victories in overcoming extraordinary circumstances. This book is filled with remarkable first-person accounts from Latter-day Saint soldiers, sailors, Marines, airmen, and civilians who served in the Gulf War, the War in Afghanistan, and the Iraq War. Their amazing stories—published together for the first time—chronicle the sacrifice, dedication, and humor of day-to-day life in modern combat zones. This book also shares the story of how fully functioning districts of the Church were organized and operated in the war-torn countries of Afghanistan and Iraq to meet the spiritual needs of the Church members there. Richly illustrated with photographs from the participants, this book will introduce you to a new generation of Latter-day Saint heroes. ISBN 978-1-9443-9487-5

Members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints were among US soldiers in World War II who endured the atrocities of the Bataan Death March in the Philippines and the brutality of Japanese POW camps. This is the story, largely told through their personal accounts, of a group of twenty-nine Latter-day Saint POWs in the Philippines, the events that brought them together to form an informal branch of the Church in an infamous POW camp, a remarkable event in the history of the Church, and the events that would later pull them apart—twelve to their liberation and seventeen to their death. ISBN 978-1-9503-0413-4

Ezra Taft Benson gave a speech saying that every member of the Church should make studying the Book of Mormon a lifetime pursuit.

An imaginary dialogue between two individuals. Tells the story of the coming forth of the Book of Mormon, gives a brief description of the book’s contents, and names the languages into which the book has been translated.

For three days, April 11-13, 2002, Brigham Young University hosted a unique conference titled “Salvation in Christ: Christian Perspectives.” Scholars, theologians, and interested laypersons came together to celebrate the redemptive act of our Lord Jesus Christ and to explain their understandings of salvation in Christ from the viewpoints of their respective Christian denominational backgrounds. A broad spectrum of Christian approaches were represented, as was the range of issues needing to be addressed with the monumental topic of “Salvation in Christ” as the theme for the gathering. The purpose of the conference was for participants to speak, listen, and learn from one another--to become better acquainted with various faith traditions, particularly different perspectives on the major doctrines associated with Christian salvation. ISBN 0-8425-2606-4

Writes that salvation through Christ does not concern only the after-life reward but salvation from worldly evils during mortality.

Nephi’s older brother Sam was a holy and just man who experienced and witnessed many events in early Nephite history.

Shows how God is the same yesterday, today, and forever through his personal appearances, the manner of his manifestations, and the fact that he is no respecter of persons.

A translation of “Evidences of Bible and Book of Mormon” English in Journal of Discourses

The English translation of this work is found under Orson Pratt, “Evidences of Bible and Book of Mormon” English in Journal of Discourses

This third volume by the Book of Mormon Academy at Brigham Young University is a study of the sermon of Samuel the Lamanite by means of four analytical lenses. The first, a prophetic lens, discusses the roles of prophets, the prophetic promise of “prolonged days,” and Samuel’s prophecies. The second lens is pedagogical, providing readers with a greater understanding of how to teach the sermon. Readers who take advantage of the third lens, which is cultural-theological, will discover a useful framework for comprehending the ethics of wealth in the sermon, witness how Samuel stands up to Nephite discrimination, and benefit from a detailed reading of the sermon that will enable them to grasp how spiritual death divides both Christ and human beings. Lastly, the fourth set of lenses, literary in nature, assists the reader in recognizing a newly identified type-scene, traces possible sources Samuel may have relied on, explores sources Mormon may have turned to as he abridged the work, and studies parallels between the ancient sermon and a form of early American speech known as the “jeremiad.” ISBN 978-1-9503-0410-3

We do not know a lot about Samuel’s background. We do know that he was courageous and fearless. He told the Nephites what the signs of the Savior’s coming and mission would be and they rejected him and his prophecies. The signs of the coming of Jesus and the signs of his death bear record of Christ. Johnson discusses the Lord’s respective attitudes toward the Nephites and Lamanites, and suggests ways to have the Spirit in our lives.

Abstract: During Christ’s mortal ministry at Jerusalem, his teachings often drew upon the writings of Isaiah, Moses, and other prophets with whom his audience was familiar. On the other hand, Christ never seems to quote Nephi, Mosiah, or other Book of Mormon prophets to the Jews and their surrounding neighbors, despite being the ultimate source for their inspired writings. It is because of this apparent confinement to Old Testament sources that intertextual parallels between the words of Christ in Matthew 23–24 and the words of Samuel the Lamanite in Helaman 13–15 jump out as intriguing. This paper explores the intertextual relationship between these chapters in Helaman and Matthew and suggests that the parallels between these texts can be attributed to a common source available to both Samuel and Christ, the writings of the prophet Zenos.

A children’s story of Samuel the Lamanite.

Recreates the drama of Samuel the Lamanite’s mission to the Nephites. Continues with discussions about Jesus’ appearance to the Lehites.

Agrees with archaeologist Michael D. Coe that there are no direct archaeological evidences of the Book of Mormon. Proposes that the Olmec civilization corresponds to the Jaredite nation and that the present San Lorenzo is located at the site of the Jaredite city Lib.

A vigorous doctrinal discussion on sanctification and justification, clarifying the terms by examining their Semitic and Greek roots. Explains practical application, arguing that the terms are not abstruse but easily understandable.

The Book of Mormon speaks of sanctification by the Holy Ghost and by the blood of Christ. Alma teaches no one can be saved except his garments are cleansed from sin by the blood of Christ. The author lists 14 steps of sanctification given by Nephi and 27 teachings in Alma 5 that lead to sanctification. Alma concludes when we can not look on sin save it is with abhorrence, the process of sanctification is working. We must practice faith, repentance, develop humility, and yield our hearts unto God. [N. K. Y.]

A fictional book based upon the exodus of Lehi’s family from Jerusalem and their journey to the promised land, written from the perspective of Lehi’s wife, Sariah.

The Book of Mormon name Sariah does not appear as a female name in the Bible but has now been identified in a reconstructed form in an Aramaic papyrus. A Jewish woman living at Elephantine in Upper Egypt during the fifth century BC was identified as Sariah daughter of Hoshea.

In opposition to the Lord’s great work of saving the souls of mankind, Satan has sought to destroy the same. Joseph Smith was cautioned that temptations would arise concerning the gold plates. The loss of the manuscript was not a frustration to God’s work, it was an important lesson.

Third Nephi testifies to the fulfillment of Jesus’s eschatological prophecies, even though Mormon, the prophet-historian who records the remarkable events, was unaware of the content of Jesus’s mortal teachings. He nevertheless recognizes Christ’s postresurrection visit as both the fulfillment of Nephite prophecy and the reenactment of particular episodes of their sacred history by incorporating numerous scriptural allusions into his account. Mormon’s independent witness in which he recounts a day of divine judgment, the coming of the Lord, and the inauguration of the kingdom of God within the timeframe Jesus had prescribed validates Jesus’s prophecies in Galilee and Judea. Despite the ironic incongruity between what was expected and how it was fulfilled, Mormon’s narrative confirms the New Testament’s proclamation and thus serves to save the credibility of Christianity that has long been challenged by the problem of the delayed parousia—that is, that Jesus’s prophecies of an imminent theocratic kingdom seem to have failed.

Only Jesus can save us. The clearest expression of this is given by King Benjamin in the Book of Mormon: “There shall be no other name given nor any other way nor means whereby salvation can come unto the children of men, only in and through the name of Christ.”

Discourse by Elder Orson Pratt, delivered at the New Tabernacle, Salt Lake City, Friday, October 5, 1877. Reported By: Geo. F. Gibbs.

When Christ was with the Nephites, the Savior felt it was important to take the time to call children around him, bless each of them one by one, and pray to the Father for them. Christ’s actions provide an example of loving, blessing, and instructing children. We must not overlook the children among us. The children that the Savior blessed were to become the second generation of the Zion people that he was forming; as such, their preparation was vital.

An Easter message that includes an extensive quotation from 3 Nephi concerning the appearance of Jesus Christ in America.

Jesus Christ declared to the ancient Nephites that his Church must meet two requirements: It must bear his name (3 Nephi 27:8), and it must be built upon his gospel (3 Nephi 27:9-10).

When the angel Moroni first appeared to the young Prophet Joseph Smith, he told young Joseph that God had a work for him to do, and further, that the work would begin the preparatory work for the second coming of the Messiah. He was further told that the gospel would be preached unto all nations, that a people might be prepared for the millennial reign. The book that Moroni delivered to Joseph, and the other revelations of the Restoration, make it very clear, that one of the greatest responsibilities incumbent upon this dispensation is to prepare a people for the Savior’s second coming.

As we come unto Him, God will come to our rescue, whether to heal us or to give us the strength to face any situation.

Abstract: The Deseret Alphabet represents a bold but failed attempt by 19th century LDS Church leaders to revolutionize English language orthography. As 21st century members of the LDS Church, we can benefit from this less than successful experiment by studying the 1869 Deseret Alphabet Book of Mormon and learning how early church members most likely pronounced Book of Mormon names.

Abstract: The fear that Moroni’s soldier’s speech (Alma 44:14) aroused in the Lamanite soldiers and the intensity of Zerahemnah’s subsequently redoubled anger are best explained by the polysemy (i.e., multiple meanings within a lexeme’s range of meaning) of a single word translated “chief” in Alma 44:14 and “heads” in Alma 44:18. As editor of a sacred history, Mormon was interested in showing the fulfilment of prophecy when such fulfilment occurred. Mormon’s description of the Lamanites “fall[ing] exceedingly fast” because of the exposure of the Lamanites’ “bare heads” to the Nephites’ swords and their being “smitten” in Alma 44:18 — just as “the scalp of their chief” was smitten and thus fell (Alma 44:12–14) — pointedly demonstrates the fulfilment of the soldier’s prophecy. In particular, the phrase “bare heads” constitutes a polysemic wordplay on “chief,” since words translated “head” can alternatively be translated “chief,” as in Alma 44:14. A similar wordplay on “top” and “leader” in 3 Nephi 4:28–29, probably again represented by a single word, also partly explains the force of the simile curse described there.

Scholarly critics of the Book of Mormon, found in large numbers on college campuses, try to discredit the divine origin of the Book of Mormon.

Daniel Peterson discusses recent research that supports a spiritual witness for the Book of Mormon, including the following: Joseph Smith’s lack of schooling, his supposed misnaming of Jesus’ birthplace, the translation process, studies of chiasmus, possible locations for Book of Mormon events, and ancient manuscripts that are consistent with Book of Mormon accounts about document practices and beliefs of past civilizations.

The Laura F. Willes Center for Book of Mormon Studies hosted a two-day conference on 3 Nephi at the end of September 2008. Entitled “Third Nephi: New Perspectives on an Incomparable Scripture,” the conference consisted of a plenary session with an introductory address by John W. Welch, subsequent presentations by 21 distinguished scholars covering six themes, and a concluding session featuring a panel discussion.

Scholars from BYU spoke at the recent FAIR (Foundation for Apologetic Information and Research) LDS Apologetics Conference held in August at Utah Valley State College, in Orem, Utah. FAIR, which is not affiliated with BYU or the Institute, is an organization dedicated to defending LDS beliefs and practices with sound scholarship. The theme of the conference was “Turning Stumbling Blocks to Stepping Stones: Responding to Challenging Issues in Mormonism.”

Although scientific research may substantiate items discussed in the Book of Mormon, there is no need for a scientific explanation for the book.

Analysis of the use of the Book of Mormon in modern scholarship and how it is viewed from a historical stand point.

The Book of Mormon has features common to any literary work. It has historical background, literary forms, symbols, and grammar. Mormon scholars should use textual criticism, historical criticism, and literary criticism to interpret the Book of Mormon as scholars of other literary works have used. This method is invaluable to expose the message.

Until now, nearly all commentaries on the Book of Mormon have focused mainly on issues of doctrine rather than beginning with the text itself. Royal Skousen’s critical text project does the opposite by treating the text itself on the word and phrase level. Skousen weighs nearly all possible evidence to deduce the events that may have led to the variations seen in the texts and to draw conclusions about which readings are most likely original. Some conclusions may surprise readers, but Skousen is more interested in candidly documenting what the texts reveal than in interpreting all the implications. Several lengthy excerpts from Skousen’s work show the scholarly depth and rigor of his analysis. In the end, Skousen may have produced the seminal work of Book of Mormon textual criticism that scholars and students will still be using hundreds of years from now.

Joseph Smith wasn’t merely the Book of Mormon’s prophetic translator - he was also a student of the sacred record. Schooling the Prophet offers evidence that the Latter-day Saint prophet was quietly influenced by one of the most important sources of religious thought and sacred protocol that he knew - the Book of Mormon - on issues such as the nature of God, priesthood, and the temple.

A response to A. Theodore Schroeder’s claim that the Book of Mormon was written by Joseph Smith as a “practical joke”

The Nephite civilization began with highly intelligent and learned leaders who were well acquainted with geography and astronomy. They had access to unpolluted scriptures, including the otherwise unknown writings of Zenos, Zenock, Neum, and Ezias. They may have been familiar with the books of Abraham and Joseph.

The Nephite civilization began with highly intelligent and learned leaders who were well acquainted with geography and astronomy. They had access to unpolluted scriptures, including the otherwise unknown writings of Zenos, Zenock, Neum, and Ezias. They may have been familiar with the books of Abraham and Joseph.

This compilation of groundbreaking Book of Mormon articles is selected from over fifty years of LDS scholarship published by BYU Studies. This volume features articles on how the El Niño weather pattern may have made Lehi’s voyage to the Americas possible, geological insights into the destruction chronicled in 3 Nephi, and information about olives in antiquity. Contents “Lehi and El Niño: A Method of Migration” David L. Clark “In the Thirty and Fourth Year: A Geologist’s View of the Great Destruction in 3 Nephi” Bart J. Kowallis “‘Many Great and Notable Cities Were Sunk’: Liquefaction in the Book of Mormon” Benjamin R. Jordan “Recent Notes about Olives in Antiquity” Wilford M. Hess

A reference manual for the youth. Sperry talks of the migration of the Jaredites and Nephites, suggesting also some possible landing sites. He gives archaeological evidence that relics found in ancient China resemble those found in the ancient Americas. Many Indian legends tell of a sacred book that was taken away that would return to the earth, and Sperry compares this legend with the Book of Mormon.

A lesson manual. Cultural/religious parallels between the Book of Mormon people and the American Indians are discussed. Cites evidence linking American aborigines to Hebrew origins.

The supernatural claims of the Book of Mormon cannot be tested, nor can the remains of the culture claimed by the book to have existed be found. Many of the agricultural and metallurgical claims of the book cannot be supported by archaeology.

Review of Wade E. Miller, Science and the Book of Mormon: Cureloms, Cumoms, Horses & More (Laguna Niguel, California: KCT & Associates, 2010). 106 pages + viii, including two appendices and references cited, no index.
Abstract: Anachronisms, or out of place items, have long been a subject of controversy with the Book of Mormon. Several Latter-day Saints over the years have attempted to examine them. Dr. Wade E. Miller, as a paleontologist and geologist, offers a some new insights on this old question, especially regarding animals mentioned in the Book of Mormon, including a report on some preliminary research which might completely change the pre-Columbian picture for horses in America. Overall, this is an indispensable resource on Book of Mormon anachronisms.

Review of Light from the Dust: A Photographic Exploration into the Ancient World of the Book of Mormon (1993), by Scot Facer Proctor and Maurine Jensen Proctor.

Very often in my work on the critical text of the Book of Mormon, I have discovered cases where the text reads inappropriately. Book of Mormon researchers have typically attempted to find some circumstance or interpretation to explain a difficult reading, but in many cases I have found that difficult readings are actually the result of simple scribal errors.

Two-volume compilation includes tracts and articles of varying authorship. Both volumes contain early missionary tracts, instructions to missionaries as to their conduct in the mission field, doctrinal statements from Joseph Smith and other Church leaders, and statements about Mormonism from people both in and out of the Church. Includes a list of prophecies made by Joseph Smith. Includes an analysis of the Book of Mormon and discusses doctrines taught within the book.

Ben E. Rich compiles literature by authors such as Parley P. Pratt, Joseph Smith, Orson F. Whitney, and others. Subjects treated include the afterlife, vicarious ordinances for deceased persons, latter-day prophets, and the Book of Mormon.

Review of Digging in Cumorah: Reclaiming Book of Mormon Narratives (1999), by Mark D. Thomas

This article gives an in-depth review of sources regarding Oliver Cowdery’s testimony of the Book of Mormon. Gives details of the translation of the Book of Mormon and the disaffection and rebaptism of Cowdery.

Contemporary Mormon interpretive literature emphasizes atrocities found in scripture, with little attention as to whether they are morally defensible (e.g., the near sacrifice of Isaac, the execution by fire of Alma and Amulek’s converts, and the conquest of Caanan). Notes a strain in Mormonism that argues for a God who, in order to strengthen humanity, arranges events that infiict great pain and suffering, especially on the faithful. He then outlines a set of core ethical paradigms. [R.H.B.]

A Sunday School instructional aid comprising sixty lessons beginning with the Jaredites and concluding with the book of Moroni. Each lesson includes a retelling of a portion of the Book of Mormon and questions.

Reprinted in The Prophetic Book of Mormon, The Collected Works of Hugh Nibley 8. 470–97. Reprinted in Social and Political Studies about the Book of Mormon: Articles from BYU Studies. Salt Lake City: Deseret Book.
Hugh Nibley provides insights from Latter-day Saint scripture about the last days. In the Little Apocalypse of Matthew 24 and Joseph Smith—Matthew, Jesus prophesies of the events that will precede the end of the world and emphasizes that his Second Coming will be a complete surprise. People are not supposed to prepare for that day; rather, they should live every day as if the Lord were coming on that day. The only preparation is to avoid taking advantage of others, oppressing the poor, and living in luxury. The difference between the righteous and the wicked is that the righteous are the ones who are repenting. Strictly speaking, there are no “good guys”; everyone needs to repent. Numerous stories in the Book of Mormon illustrate distinctions between righteous and wicked behavior. These scripture stories were intended for our day so that we may learn how to properly prepare for the last days.

The Book of Mormon is a prophetic book. It was written by prophets and about prophets. It was foreseen by prophets and foresees our day. It was brought forth by prophetic gifts for prophetic purposes. It speaks in a clarion voice of warning to those who would survive the last days. The articles in this volume, brought together under one cover for the first time, approach the Book of Mormon through a variety of prophetic themes. They speak out incisively on such topics as the prophecy of Ezekiel 37, internal and external evidences of the divine origin of the Book of Mormon, literary style in the Book of Mormon, ancient temples and the Book of Mormon, and the Book of Mormon’s teachings for the last days.
Hugh Nibley provides insights from Latter-day Saint scripture about the last days. In the Little Apocalypse of Matthew 24 and Joseph Smith—Matthew, Jesus prophesies of the events that will precede the end of the world and emphasizes that his Second Coming will be a complete surprise. People are not supposed to prepare for that day; rather, they should live every day as if the Lord were coming on that day. The only preparation is to avoid taking advantage of others, oppressing the poor, and living in luxury. The difference between the righteous and the wicked is that the righteous are the ones who are repenting. Strictly speaking, there are no “good guys”; everyone needs to repent. Numerous stories in the Book of Mormon illustrate distinctions between righteous and wicked behavior. These scripture stories were intended for our day so that we may learn how to properly prepare for the last days.

Lists and discusses the qualiications for holding the priesthood as given in the Book of Mormon.

Today the modernist view of history in which texts only represent events is so predominant that most Latter-day Saints automatically apply it to the question of scriptural historicity. Unfortunately, historical scholarship rarely lines up with our understanding of scripture as well as we would like. Problems arise when we use modernist tools to examine scripture written by premoderns, who considered their writing not as mere representation but as incarnation—an embodiment of the symbolic ordering of the world. The premodernist reading of the scriptures more accurately reflects Latter-day Saint beliefs: whereas modernism would use reason to understand history (and thus the Divine in history, i.e., scripture), premodernism uses divinely revealed scripture as well as ritual, ritual objects, and ritual language to give order to history. Instead of examining scripture as just another element of history, premoderns consider scripture to be the defining element in history.
The historicity of scripture is important to most Christians and especially to Latter-day Saints. [1] Christians disagree among themselves about how to understand scriptural history, but few deny that, in some important sense, Christian scripture is historical. However, given the challenges to scriptural history, challenges that are especially strong for Latter-day Saints who take the Book of Mormon to be historical, what are we to make of the claim that scriptures are history? Given those challenges, is it possible to understand scripture as literal history? The answer to that question—positive, I will argue—lies in answering the question of what we mean by history.

A scripture study program. Contains ifty-two post-on-the-wall scriptural thoughts (one for each week of the year) designed to inspire, teach, and motivate students of the Book of Mormon.

“This index lists scriptures used in FARMS papers up to early 1987. It is organized according to the subject categories in the FARMS catalog” as follows: (1) The Book of Mormon and the Ancient Near East, (2) The Book of Mormon and Ancient Mesoamerica, (3) The Book of Mormon—commentary, (4) other scriptural studies and materials.

Gives a list of Book of Mormon scriptures and their location as quoted and used in the writings of Hugh Nibley.

An evangelical/polemical work written for the intent of dealing with the “cults” The author discusses alleged misinterpretations of Bible prophecy by the Mormons, which supposedly support the Book of Mormon. He considers praying about the Book of Mormon unnecessary and suggests that Joseph may have drawn upon both Spaulding and View of the Hebrews

In recent years several scholars have drawn the attention of Latter-day Saints to the phenomenon popularly known as “El Niño.”1 In 1990 David L. Clark highlighted the fact that a mechanism was now known to science that would permit, periodically, easterly sea travel across the Pacific, the direction Lehi’s party is understood to have traveled.2 ENSO, the more formal acronym for this phenomenon, comes from El Niño (the Christ child) and Southern Oscillation, referring to the fact that the changes commence in the southern Pacific Ocean. The intermittent ENSO effect creates an easterly equatorial current running counter to the prevailing westerly direction of Pacific currents and winds. The winds can even blow in reverse, thus not only allowing but encouraging sea travel to the western coast of the Americas.

One of the complaints leveled against Lehi by his rebellious sons Laman and Lemuel and his wife, Sariah, was that he was a “visionary man” (1 Nephi 2:11; 5:2). Although this term does not appear in the King James translation of the Bible, it accurately reflects the Hebrew word hazon, meaning divine vision.1 Although this Hebrew term appears in connection with true prophets of God, it is also sometimes written with a negative connotation, describing false prophets, especially in the writings of Lehi’s contemporary Jeremiah (Jeremiah 14:14; 23:16).

Primary children participated in making a video of stories in the Book of Mormon to help them remember the stories better.

Review of Thomas R. Valletta, gen. ed. The Book of Mormon for Latter-day Saint Families. Review of Thomas R. Valletta, gen. ed. The New Testament for Latter-day Saint Families.

Three Book of Mormon articles treated in this volume deal with Moroni, the allegory of the Olive Tree, and external evidences of scriptures.

Establishes the criteria for religious writings that would be placed in a world Library of Sacred Writings—they must have survival quality, an applicable conception of man, usability in ceremonies, devotions, and memorial occasions, quotability, elasticity and expandability (symbolic and igurative language), and a functional conception of divinity. The Book of Mormon meets the criteria to belong in such a library. It is a Hebrew collection of scriptures that supplements and supports the Bible and contributes much to the modern world. The history and story of the Book of Mormon is included.

The Book of Mormon and other scriptures are presented to Queen Elizabeth and the Prime Minister of England.

President Ezra Taft Benson said that every Latter-day Saint should make the study of the Book of Mormon a lifetime pursuit. The Book of Mormon brings individuals to Christ in two ways: “First it tells in a plain manner of Christ and His Gospel,” and second “the Book of Mormon exposes the enemies of Christ” Members are to read it carefully and prayerfully, pondering it as they read, and asking at the conclusion for a testimony of its truth.

Excerpts from address given by President Benson emphasizing need to study the Book of Mormon throughout one’s life. The Book of Mormon brings men to Christ and confounds/exposes the enemies of Christ. The only issue to be resolved in gaining a testimony is whether or not the Book of Mormon is true, since all else hinges on that knowledge.

On pages 477-83 of this work the author provides a brief history of the Book of Mormon and discusses Joseph Smith’s translation methods. He mentions the lack of credibility of the Eight Witnesses and the possible influence of the Spaulding Manuscript.

Summarizes the Book of Mormon and the story of its coming forth, and explains that much of the opposition to the book was due to Joseph’s claim that he had been visited by an angel and received divine help in its translation. This claim was an affront to the dogma that miracles had ceased.

Presents the Book of Mormon as a scripture that originated on the American continent and gives a summary of its contents.

Designed for youth, comprises many illustrated stories from the Bible and the Book of Mormon, including escape of Limhi’s people, and the stories of Ammon and Nephi.

“This report describes the results of a qualitative study on a reading remediation program used to teach missionaries for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints (LDS) who struggled with reading. The purpose of this study was to research the interactions among the missionaries, their tutors and the instructional strategies and materials used including the Book of Mormon; thus providing a body of information allowing others to replicate the programs’ successful reading components. Three researchers actually tutored six missionaries, observed 17 missionaries over a four-month period, and gathered posttest reading scores on 17 missionaries. Results from this study show that (a) missionaries have had previous negative reading experiences; (b) missionaries enter the MTC with poor reading habits that deter good reading; (c) tutors adapt procedures, materials and methods to address what they feel are the needs of the student without knowing if those adaptations produced better outcomes; (d) the current reading program has changed significantly from the 1993 program; (e) missionaries in the current reading program experience far less reading skill development than missionaries in the 1993 program; and (f) the Book of Mormon works well as a remediation text.” [Author’s abstract]

The Book of Mormon is the stick of Joseph identified in Ezekiel 37:15-20. Lehi is a descendant of Joseph through Manasseh and Ishmael is the descendant of Ephraim, thus completing the house of Joseph.

Are the scriptures delicious to us—as precious as gold and sweeter than honey? Do we feast on them, delight in them, and ponder them as Nephi taught?

In this controversial article, Chandler posits that Joseph Smith employed his knowledge and use of magic in obtaining the gold plates and translating the Book of Mormon. He presents three theories in an effort to understand the many complexities known about Joseph’s translating the plates. These theories, linking magic with the creation of the Book of Mormon, run the gamut from pious deceiver to true believer and mystic. In Chandler’s view, ’magic opened a door for Joseph Smith into the world of religious mysticism and, as a tool for producing the Book of Mormon, may have set him on the path to becoming a prophet.’

Author believes that the sealed book identiied in the book of Revelation and Isaiah 29:9 has reference to the Book of Mormon. Joseph Smith was the “unlearned man to whom the book was delivered by the power of God.

This is not an essay in the usual sense. Instead, it is a close reading of Moroni 10, looking verse by verse at what Mornoi might be teaching us. The overarching question is, to what does Moroni exhort us as he seals his book and writes his final words? Examining each of Morni’s eight exhortations, Faulconer shows one way to study scriptures and perhaps to think about them afresh. In addition to the importantadmonition to pray about the truth of the Book of Mormon, he sees in this chapter a message of God’s mercy and of our need for charity.

“A culture’s level of scientific understanding significantly influences how its religious texts are interpreted. The interplay between scientific discovery and scriptural understanding has been controversial throughout history. For example, the Catholic church’s response to scholars who disproved the geocentric understanding of the universe is well known. The studies of geology, astronomy, and organic evolution have all caused numerous problems with literal interpretations of the Biblical account of creation. Similarly, the Book of Mormon, a sacred text for a number of American religions, has been subject to reinterpretation in light of new scientific understanding. Its particular account of the history of the American continent has been intensely examined since its introduction by Joseph Smith, Jr., in the mid-nineteenth century.” [Author]

Children’s activity to enhance knowledge of Book of Mormon by arranging the books in the correct order.

Suggests following the directive of Jesus to take the writings of Isaiah seriously. To accomplish this assignment one must learn the manner of the Jews.

The lands of Guatemala and Honduras were anciently inhabited by two peoples. Archaeological evidence substantiates the Book of Mormon.

Review of Joseph L. Allen. Sacred Sites: Searching for Book of Mormon Lands and Review of James Warr. A New Model for Book of Mormon Geography.

When we look carefully at what the Book of Mormon says about war, we find that the many military activities reported did not take place just anytime during the calendar year. Rather, they occurred according to a definite pattern. Certain months were war months while others were not. The complete consistency of this pattern reminds us of how many details the writers of this scripture kept straight.

Reprint of an article from Inter-Ocean (30 January 1888) concerning two copper plates that Joseph Smith allegedly claimed to be genuine and relating to the Mormon faith. Smith put on his “magical spectacles” and translated the plates into the Second Book of Mormon. Included is a rebuttal to this article from the Times and Seasons (1 May 1843) that states the plates, known as the Kinderhook Plates, were shown to Smith, but then taken away before he could make a translation.

Provides a summary description of 2 Nephi in sections: Lehi’s admonitions and testament to his posterity before his death (1:1-4:11); Lehi pronounces blessings on all his children and Nephi writes a small historical segment (4:12-5:34); a sermon by Jacob (chapters 6-10), and a lengthy written discourse from Nephi (chapters 11-33) in which he quotes large portions of Isaiah.

A tract that emphasizes that America is a choice land and that those who possess it will be free from bondage if they serve Christ; otherwise they will be swept off the land. Quotes Isaiah 29 and John 10:16 to show that the Book of Mormon fulfills biblical prophecy.

This second of two volumes of essays honoring Hugh Nibley includes scholarly papers based on what the authors have learned from Nibley. Nearly every major subject that Dr. Nibley has encompassed in his vast learning and scholarly production is represented here by at least one article. Topics include the sacrament covenant in Third Nephi, the Lamanite view of Book of Mormon history, external evidences of the Book of Mormon, proper names in the Book of Mormon, the brass plates version of Genesis, the composition of Lehi’s family, ancient burials of metal documents in stone boxes, repentance as rethinking, Mormon history’s encounter with secular modernity, and Judaism in the 20th century.
Until recently, attempts to vindicate the central claim of the Book of Mormon about itself—that it is a divinely inspired book based on the history of an ancient culture—have focused mainly on external evidences. Such attempts examine parallels in the geographies, cultures, and literatures of the Middle East and ancient America (especially parallels to knowledge that have become available only since Joseph Smith’s time). These parallels are used to prove that the Book of Mormon is consistent with ancient knowledge and forms which Joseph Smith could have known only through an ancient manuscript and revelation. This essay takes a different approach, based essentially on internal evidence provided by the book itself. My reflections, stimulated by the work of Mormon scholars such as John Welch, Noel Reynolds, and Bruce Jorgensen, examine techniques developed by non-Mormon literary critics Northrop Frye and Rene Girard in their work on the Bible.

This article says that in addition to Oliver Cowdery’s testimony of the Book of Mormon, his testimony of the restoration of the two priesthoods is of great value. As newly-appointed editor of the Church newspaper he wrote an account in installments of the translation of the Book of Mormon. As a part of this series he told of John the Baptist’s visit to restore the Aaronic priesthood.

The author points out the existence of secret organizations in the United States: the Ku Klux Klan, the Loyal League, the Grand Army of the Republic and Fenianism. The Book of Mormon shows how secret societies brought destruction. Richards quotes all of Ether 8:13-26 and Helaman 6:22-30, and urges the Saints to “keep from all secret combinations and political associations”

Some critics of the Book of Mormon claim that Joseph Smith drew certain terminology from his nineteenth-century environment. In particular, they suggest that terms such as secret society and secret combination may reflect anti-Masonic rhetoric from the period or even that the term flaxen cord has Masonic overtones. This article traces many varied uses of secret combination in nineteenth-century writings that have nothing to do with the Masons. The appearance of these terms in the Book of Mormon does not weaken the historical claims of the Book of Mormon.

This chapter examines similarities between the warfare and war-related rituals of ancient Mesoamericans and of the Jaredites in the Book of Mormon. It draws comparisons between secret combinations and treatment of captive kings in both societies.

True secret combinations are alliances between the criminal underworld and corrupt government officials. They are designed to exploit, to plunder public treasures, and to promote vice.

This article addresses the belief that the account of secret combinations in the Book of Mormon is a satire on Masonry. Many scholars claim that the term secret combinations was exclusively used in the 1820s to refer to Masonry. However, Nathan Oman points out that this term was also used in legal situations to refer to criminal conspiracies.

The claim that the Gadianton robbers in the Book of Mormon are merely a reflection of nineteenth-century Masons, who were referred to in the late 1820s as “secret combinations,” is false since an 1826 use of the phrase establishes that those words were not used exclusively to describe Masons.

“Those who associated with Joseph Smith during the spring and summer of 1829 remembered that he used a ’seer stone’ to dictate both the Book of Mormon and his early revelations. This fact orients Joseph Smith’s biography in crucial and important ways, pointing not only backward to his youthful career as glass-looker and treasure seer but forward as well to his emerging work as translator, prophet, seer, and Moses-like leader of a community of believers. This continuity was important for early believers, coming as they did from a world similar to Smith’s where the line between magic and religion was fluid and inspiring, not dangerous or degrading.

Compares the Book of Mormon ocean crossing narratives with the Spaulding manuscript and finds twenty-four significant similarities. The author believes that Solomon Spaulding remains the leading candidate for Book of Mormon authorship.

The title page of the Book of Mormon acts as a historiographical introduction to the editorial guidelines followed by Mormon in his work of compilation and redaction. These guidelines defined what was important for Mormon to incorporate in his historical record and included the themes of genealogy, covenants, and the teaching and testifying of Christ.