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An investigative historical summary of each of the Three Witnesses, Oliver Cowdery, David Whitmer, Martin Harris, and the Eight Witnesses. Provides a rebuttal to various arguments against the personal character of the witnesses. This work is reviewed in L.131, R.496, and in S.142.
Amos, Moses, Isaiah, Jeremiah, and Elijah
Bennion’s response to Melodie Moench Charles’s “The Mormon Christianizing of the Old Testament, which appeared in Sunstone.
Pages 577-82 deal with the Book of Mormon. Author discredits the Book of Mormon story by providing statements by J. B. Buck, Isaac Hale, and others concerning Mormons and the Book of Mormon, and considers Joseph Smith to be a “madman”
Reviews various theories held between the 16th and 19th centuries regarding the descent of the American Indian from biblical peoples, including theories regarding Cain, Ham, Magog, the Hebrews, and others. Believes that the idea of a Hebrew origin for the American Indian was readily accessible to Joseph Smith, and thus favors an environmentalist explanation for the Book of Mormon’s origin.
Lists scriptural passages from the Book of Mormon and other standard works under a comprehensive list of gospel topics.
Articles
Even among those of us who are convinced of the divinity of the Book of Mormon’s source and the primacy of its message, there is a tendency to find “the most perfect book ever written” prolix. However, when compared with the King James Version of the Bible the Book of Mormon offers some very important additions. Take, for example, the Book of Mormon Beatitudes—3 Nephi 12:3–11, which parallels Matthew 5:3–11. Though the ands and alls and yea and again of the Nephi version are clearly superfluous, at least a third of the eighteen percent additional words used by Nephi enrich the passage; they are no more redundant than the “and thirst” in “hunger and thirst after righteousness.” “Blessed are the poor in spirit who come unto me, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven,” while using more words than the original, makes it clear that the Sermon was directed to those who had come unto the Savior in the waters of baptism. And verse 6—”Blessed are they which do hunger and thirst after righteousness: for they shall be filled”—is made specific with the addition of “with the Holy Ghost.” Verse 10’s alteration of “righteousness’ sake” to “my name’s sake” serves a similar focusing function, distinguishing between suffering for any good cause and enduring persecution specifically for devotion to Christ.
A significant collection of research papers on the Spaulding manuscript. 188 similarities between the Book of Mormon and the Spaulding Manuscript are noted in detail. Also contains a transcript of the Spaulding manuscript and a collection of statements about the manuscript made by some of Spaulding’s neighbors.
Articles
Criticism of the way Mormons interpret the Old Testament to support their views
A photograph of a page of the original manuscript translation of the Book of Mormon showing 1 Nephi 2:2 to 1 Nephi 3:18.
Articles
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.
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.
An anti-Mormon pamphlet designed to encourage members of the LDS church to leave their religion. The Book of Mormon adds to God’s word in the Bible.
An extensive discussion of the book of Omni. Examines the personalities, geography, and plates of Omni, and presents charts and illustrations.
An outline listing a number of Book of Mormon archaeological evidences, with an accompanying bibliography. Evidences include: Beit Lehi inscriptions, chaismus, transoceanic influences, Mayan and Egyptian calendar parallels, Zuggurats, horses.
This book was in many ways a first: first to provide a full collection of Joseph Smith’s Nauvoo discourses in the mature and climatic years of his life; first to reproduce them in exact fidelity to their original written sources in diaries and journals; first to cross-reference them to earlier sayings and discourses of Joseph Smith; first to index all the biblical and other scriptural verses discussed or alluded to; first to provide contextual settings for each discourse in proper chronological sequence; first to footnote the discourses in terms of their historical and doctrinal kinships; and first to interlace all these discourses with other fundamental teachings of this rich and formative period of Church history. ISBN 0-8849-4419-0
Articles
RSC Topics > L — P > Priesthood
RSC Topics > Q — S > Sacrifice
RSC Topics > L — P > Ordinances
RSC Topics > G — K > Heaven
RSC Topics > G — K > Holy Ghost
RSC Topics > Q — S > Repentance
RSC Topics > D — F > Eternal Life
RSC Topics > G — K > Holy Ghost
RSC Topics > Q — S > Sin
Cites reasons why one should not accept Mormonism; reprints the Smithsonian statement regarding the Book of Mormon, compares Quetzalcoatl or Viracocha and Jesus Christ, and concludes that they are different characters; sees Ethan Smith’s View of the Hebrews as the source of the Book of Mormon.
A general overview of the main characters and events in the Book of Mormon, illustrated in color and probably intended for youth.
A fictional book about the sons of Helaman based upon the Book of Mormon (Alma 24, 53, 56, 57, 62, and 63).
Book of Mormon Scriptures > Helaman
Takes issue with the Tanners’ approaches against the Book of Mormon in such areas as the Smithsonian statement, the Anthon transcript, the Kinderhook plates, the “Bat Creek” stone, the Stela 5, and other archaeological interests.
Challenges the competence of the Tanner’s views on general Book of Mormon issues.
Provides personal accounts of the Prophet Joseph Smith from several sources (Pearl of Great Price, Times and Seasons, and History of the Church) concerning the plates and the coming forth of the Book of Mormon. Questions the validity of the unsupported story.
A critical work on the Book of Mormon that attempts to determine various environmental factors that may have influenced Joseph Smith to write the book. Among these are free-masonry, Ethan Smith’s book View of the Hebrews, and the deistic views of Thomas Paine. The Book of Mormon is seen as a sincere attempt to combat naturalistic views of Joseph Smith’s time and an attempt to win souls back to God. This work is reviewed in G.089.
A collection of poems based on passages of the Book of Mormon.
Large map of Central America showing the migration routes of the Book of Mormon peoples. Uses double arrows to indicate a northward direction as well as a true north to accommodate directions used in the Book of Mormon. Identifies the “Narrow Neck” with the Isthmus of Tehuantepec.
Both the Apostasy and the Restoration are prophesied of in the Book of Mormon. The book is an important part of the Restoration. This work discusses Old World apostasy, then retells the history of the coming forth of the book, its story, the testimony of the witnesses, and a brief analysis of its teachings.
Noting that the Book of Mormon came from the ancestors of the Lamanites, the author admonishes Church members to take more seriously the mandate to inform the Lamanites of their book and their great role in the latter days.
Discusses the origin and history of the American Indians (Lamanites), mistreatment of Indians, God’s directing hand in their affairs, and the latter-day responsibility of the Church to take the gospel to them.
Old Testament Topics > Restoration and Joseph Smith
A small tract that presents perceived contradictions between Joseph Smith’s teachings and those found in the Book of Mormon.
A polemical letter written against LDS doctrines and teachings. The Book of Mormon is supposed to contain the fullness of the gospel yet does not discuss proxy baptism or celestial marriage. The Book of Mormon condemns the doctrine of a second chance, thereby vitiating the need for baptism for the dead.
Three samples from the Book of Mormon and one sample from the Doctrine and Covenants are compared stylistically through three categories. These categories included the use of pronouns, the use of the names of deity, and the number of total words as compared to the number of different words in each sample. The differences that substantiate the claim of multiple authorship are then discussed. [Author’s abstract]
Reprinted in Old Testament and Related Studies, The Collected Works of Hugh Nibley 1. 87–114.
An address given at the BYU Women’s Conference, 1 February 1980.
Old Testament Topics > Marriage
Old Testament Topics > Women in the Old Testament
Hugh W. Nibley Topics > Pearl of Great Price > Book of Abraham > Characters > Abraham, Sarah, Abram, Sarai
Hugh W. Nibley Topics > Pearl of Great Price > Book of Moses > Characters > Adam, Eve
Hugh W. Nibley Topics > Zion, Babylon > Patriarchy, Matriarchy
Hugh Nibley notes that variations within stereotyped images, such as a person about to be sacrificed on the lion couch, can have widely divergent interpretations, thus leaving room for Joseph Smith’s interpretation of Abraham on the altar.
This presentation contains suggestions for interpreting various features found in the Pearl of Great Price facsimiles.
Contains a new comprehensive index by Gary P. Gillum.
“Lehi in the Desert” (1950)
“The World of the Jaredites” (1951)
Lehi in the Desert and the World of the Jaredites (1952)
Lehi in the Desert and the World of the Jaredites. An unedited reprinting of the original version (1987)
Lehi in the Desert; The World of the Jaredites; There Were Jaredites (1988)
Hugh W. Nibley Topics > Book of Mormon > Ancient Near East
This presentation contains suggestions for interpreting various features found in the Pearl of Great Price facsimiles. Hugh Nibley notes that variations within stereotyped images, such as a person about to be sacrificed on the lion couch, can have widely divergent interpretations, thus leaving room for Joseph Smith’s interpretation of Abraham on the altar. Facsimile 2 can be compared to apocryphal books about Abraham that describe a cosmic journey with elements resembling certain features in the book of Abraham. The coronation scene in Facsimile 3 also shows authentic elements.
A tract in which the author believes the Book of Mormon is a deception and represents a plagiarism. Provides examples in which the book borrows from the Bible and other writings.
Old Testament Topics > Old Testament: Overviews and Manuals
Reproduction of parts of B. H. Roberts’s 1922 typescript work “A Book of Mormon Study” It is heavily edited to focus on Roberts’s questions and concerns about the Book of Mormon, not his answers nor his testimony.
An evangelical/polemical work written for the intent of dealing with the “cults” The author discusses alleged misinterpretations of Bible prophecy by the Mormons, which supposedly support the Book of Mormon. He considers praying about the Book of Mormon unnecessary and suggests that Joseph may have drawn upon both Spaulding and View of the Hebrews
A polemical tract that claims that Ezekiel 37:15-19 has nothing to do with the Book of Mormon.
Retells the story of Martin Harris’s visit to Anthon with the Book of Mormon characters. Also contains some primary sources and letters dealing with the characters.
No abstract available.
A polemical booklet attempting to show how the 1980 discovery of the Anthon Transcript casts doubt upon the truthfulness of the Book of Mormon. (Editor’s note: this transcript has since been shown to be a forgery.)
A duplication of B. H. Roberts’s personal “A Book of Mormon Study” (two copies) and “A Parallel,” which compared the Book of Mormon with Ethan Smith’s View of the Hebrews, using double columns.
Reproduction of parts of B. H. Roberts’s 1922 typescript work “A Book of Mormon Study” It is heavily edited to focus on Roberts’s questions and concerns about the Book of Mormon, not his answers nor his testimony.
Asserting that B. H. Roberts introduced the idea that Joseph Smith wrote the Book of Mormon himself, this article points out that the Book of Mormon is in conflict with scientific findings. Linguistically there is no link between Old and New World languages; all American races could not be from one family. Looking at the Book of Mormon carefully gives internal evidence that the origin of the book lies in the undeveloped mind of Joseph Smith.
Articles
Articles
A student minister read the Book of Mormon to denounce it, but after reading it he took the lessons from missionaries and was baptized. Another man read it when he had nothing else to do and is now a full-time missionary. Even with the missionaries and discussions, the Book of Mormon is still the greatest converter.
The Book of Mormon’s publishing history from the first edition in English in 1830 to the present day is outlined including the dates of the different language translations of the Book of Mormon.
Articles
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.
An illustrated children’s story of the Book of Mormon; includes one picture per book.
Two BYU professors used a technique called word print on the Book of Mormon. It was found that the book has at least 24 authors and that none of them could be Joseph Smith, Soloman Spaulding, or any of their associates.
Examines the method of the translation of the Book of Mormon and provides second-hand statements made after the book’s publication describing the method by which Joseph Smith accomplished the translation. Concludes that the translation was conceptual, not literal word for word.
Celebrates the 150th anniversary of the first printing of the Book of Mormon. Also tells how Joseph Smith stopped a local newspaper from printing parts of the Book of Mormon by using his copyrights that he had secured.
Articles
Old Testament Topics > Bible: LDS Interpretation
Old Testament Scriptures > Isaiah
Old Testament Topics > Book of Mormon and the Old Testament
Old Testament Topics > Problems in the Old Testament
Recounts the circumstances leading to Martin Harris’s willingness to finance the publication of the Book of Mormon.
The story of the translation of the Book of Mormon into Japanese.
I would like to visit with those of you who have become discouraged in your personal prayers, the ones you say when no one else is listening. I’d like to talk to those of you who have stopped praying or who do not pray as frequently or as fervently as you once did.
Troubles we all have, but the “germ” of discouragement, to use Fitzgerald’s word, is not in the trouble, it is in us.
Our testimonies can be strengthened and fortified and our lives given greater purpose every time we read and reread our patriarchal blessings.
Articles
Talks
Elder Gordon B. Hinckley of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles speaks in behalf of the First Presidency and the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles, to read this proclamation to the world.
An illustrated children’s story of Joseph Smith receiving the golden plates.
Reprinted in Old Testament and Related Studies, Collected Works of Hugh Nibley vol. 1.
A controversial examination of evolution and the Latter-day Saint view on creation and the various roles of Adam.
Old Testament Topics > Adam and Eve [see also Fall]
Old Testament Topics > Creation
Old Testament Topics > Science and Religion
Hugh W. Nibley Topics > Science > Evolution, Origin of Humankind
Lists Book of Mormon passages that tell of scriptural writings that would come forth in a future day. Also includes a Three Nephite story.
Describes the experiences that led her to write: she believed in two Hill Cumorahs and believed the “narrow neck” to be the “Isthmus of Tehuantepec in southern Mexico”
Contains a map, restoration drawing, cross section and artist’s reconstruction of the walls of Becan. This city, located in Guatemala, is perhaps one of the cities fortified by general Moroni as it has trenches dug outside the walls that correspond to the information found in the book of Alma.
A replication of the first edition of the Book of Mormon was presented on March 26, 1980 to the First Presidency, exactly 150 years after it was first produced. The reproduction is as close to the original as is possible with today’s equipment.
Points out that the reformed Egyptian language in which the Book of Mormon was written was not new but was following a tradition. The Egyptian language of the brass plates was changed according to the manner of speech prevalent in the days of Nephi. Contains a comparison between the Anthon transcript and Micmac Indian script.
Articles
Relates Quetzalcoatl to the Yucatan statue of Choc Mool.
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.
Claims that Joseph Smith’s teachings regarding the Godhead contradict the teachings of the Book of Mormon of one god.
An evangelical approach to the Book of Mormon criticizing the work for various alleged anachronisms found in it.
Articles
Old Testament Topics > Temple and Tabernacle
Old Testament Topics > Types and Symbols
It is incumbent upon us to believe the truth. We have the obligation to find out what is truth, and then we have the obligation to walk in the light and to apply the truths that we have learned to ourselves and to influence others to do likewise.
Articles
Book review.
Reports the find of a document “thought to be the original Anthon transcript” (Editor’s note: this document has since been shown to be a forgery.)
Contains maps and photographs of Chichen Itza, a summary of the archaeological work, and “site description and culture history,” as well as Book of Mormon correlations suggesting that this possibly was a Lamanite city.
The author testifies of the truthfulness of the Book of Mormon. His testimony has come from the spirit and through scholarly study. Presents evidence that the Nephites obeyed the Law of Moses and there were elephants as far south as South America.
Hugh Nibley addresses issues that cause people to question the historicity of the Book of Mormon. He gives evidence to support the claim that people inhabited the American continent for centuries before the arrival of the Nephites, that the Hill Cumorah was not too far away for Moroni to reach, and that the “fulness of iniquity” described in the Book of Mormon has much evidence in extant art from that time.
Lecture notes regarding Mesoamerican ruins, pre-Columbian, American races, Cumorah, and the disappearance of ancient cultures. Lecture on Mesoamerican ruins and pre-Columbian peoples, with two maps. See the note provided by the editor to Nibley’s “Freemen and King-men in the Book of Mormon,” in The Prophetic Book of Mormon, Collected Works of Hugh Nibley 8:378 n. 4.
Articles
Reprinted in Eloquent Witness: Nibley on Himself, Others, and the Temple, Collected Works of Hugh Nibley vol. 17, 73–79.
An interview in which cosmological issues are discussed.
Hugh W. Nibley Topics > Hugh Nibley > Scholarship, Footnotes, Collected Works of Hugh Nibley, CWHN, Editing > Science, Evolution
The creation of man
Old Testament Topics > Joseph and Asenath
Old Testament Topics > Problems in the Old Testament
Old Testament Topics > History
Articles
Old Testament Topics > Melchizedek
Old Testament Topics > Abraham and Sarah [see also Covenant]
Old Testament Topics > Temple and Tabernacle
Old Testament Topics > Types and Symbols
Old Testament Scriptures > Leviticus
A family that is studying the Book of Mormon together describes the children’s reactions and the knowledge they received from reading it.
Many early critics of the Book of Mormon ridiculed the story of the gold plates. Now archaeologists are saying that many ancient records were made from valuable metals. Norsemen also wrote on metal plates.
Missionary work in Iceland and Icelandic members are described, mentioning that they are anxious to receive the Icelandic translation of the Book of Mormon.
Articles
Old Testament Topics > Jesus Christ, the God of the Old and the New Testament
Talks
Book review.
Perhaps Mormon included so much information about geography in the Book of Mormon for the following reasons: to aid the gentiles in locating the remnant, to locate the Hill Cumorah, to provide a historical base similar to the Bible, and to enrich the understanding of the reader.
Reprinted in Eloquent Witness, The Collected Works of Hugh Nibley 17. 80–82.
Johnston, a staff reporter for the Deseret News, conducted a series of interviews concerning the reading habits of prominent Utahns. This was the eighth in the series. Nibley listed, as his favorite books, the following: (1) Shakespeare, Complete Works; (2) Book of Mormon; (3) Homer, Odyssey; (4) Goethe, Faust; (5) Gaius Petronius, Satyricon; (6) Jean Froissart, Chronicles. Nibley also said that by age thirteen, he knew Macbeth by heart and tried to learn Hamlet but found it too long.
Articles
Old Testament Topics > Adam and Eve [see also Fall]
The Sunday School Supplement on the Mosaic Hypothesis of authorship
It should be obvious to us all that the ultimate future of BYU is partially hidden from our immediate view. Until we have climbed the hills just ahead, we cannot glimpse what lies beyond. And the hills ahead are higher than we think.
We are indebted to the Lord, and I trust that as we approach Thanksgiving Day, we will make it more than a day of recreation and pleasure by reflecting on what we owe the Lord for the blessings that are ours.
“The two most important decisions you will make in this life are the kind of person you choose for a mate and the kind of person you choose to be as a mate.”
Articles
The story of the translation of the Book of Mormon into Spanish.
Presents a brief discussion regarding the translation of the Book of Mormon in chapter seven. Although LDS church authorities argue for the correctness of the translation, Anderson points out 25 changes made in the Book of Mormon text since its original publication in 1830.
RSC Topics > Q — S > Revelation
A response to Jerald and Sandra Tanner, who oppose the teachings of the Book of Mormon. Pages 4-11 discuss issues relating to the translation of the Book of Mormon and describe how it relates to the language of the text.
Letter to the editor that criticizes Melodie Moench Charles’s article “The Mormon Christianizing of the Old Testament, which appeared in Sunstone.
Selections from this book can be found in Sunstone 6 (May–June 1981): 56–58
Time line
Articles
A significant collection of data on the Spaulding manuscript. Asserts that there are many resemblances between the Spaulding manuscript and the Book of Mormon. Gives a history of the Spaulding manuscript itself, and a useful bibliography of sources dealing with this theory of Book of Mormon origins.
In outline form, this work discusses a number of aspects dealing with the Book of Mormon, including its purpose, coming forth, publication, story, characters, and message. Includes corresponding references to the Book of Mormon and Church history.
Articles
Old Testament Topics > Types and Symbols
Lessons for young people in Sunday School, based on Book of Mormon characters, events, and doctrine.
Old Testament Topics > Teaching the Old Testament
Old Testament Topics > Teaching the Old Testament
A correspondence between a Mormon and a Baptist regarding Mormon beliefs. Common criticisms against the Book of Mormon are raised and discussed, such as the Book of Mormon’s condemnation of polygamy, alleged contradictions with the Bible, lack of archaeological evidence, witnesses to the Book of Mormon, and others.
The author claims that “the Book of Mormon record is in agreement with population theory” Selected passages from the Book of Mormon are used to show its relationship to a population growth model. Charts and graphs are included.
Story of Lehi designed for children in cartoon form.
All manuscripts cited are in the Harold B. Lee Library, Brigham Young University, Provo, Utah.
Short, selected bibliography at the end of the book.
LDS Scholars respond to a number of objections to the Book of Mormon, i.e., Jesus was born “at Jerusalem,” Book of Mormon parallels with the work entitled View of the Hebrews, the alleged Shakespearean quotation in the Book of Mormon, and the allegation that there are no external evidences in favor of the Book of Mormon. Also compares the Itzas and the Nephites.
A polemical work against the Book of Mormon, declaring that the Book of Mormon is a wicked book that has deceived millions. Raises many issues, including inconsistencies of the Book of Mormon, the killing of Laban by Nephi, and “Book of Mormon fairy tales” and compares the lives of Paul and Alma.
Each of the four volumes features a cassette tape and a coloring book based upon Book of Mormon stories. Vol. 1, Lehi leaves Jerusalem; Vol. 2, Lehi with the Liahona; Vol. 3, Alma Baptizes at Waters of Mormon; Vol. 4, The Savior blesses the children.
A report and discussion of ancient stone anchors (approx. 2000-3000 years old) discovered off the California coastline and their possible connection to China. Argues for a Jaredite cultural influence in China and pre-Columbian oceanic crossings.
Narrative poems about Book of Mormon characters and situations. Topics include Lehi, Sam, Jacob, the tree of life vision, the waters of Mormon, and King Noah. The poet empathizes, for example, with Sam confessing his love for the family home in Jerusalem. Yet when the vision came, he never looked back.
RSC Topics > A — C > Creation
At the foundation of great religions lie holy books. Not all religious books have the sacredness of scripture, but few religions survive and thrive without creating a literature of belief. This book contains proceedings from an RSC symposium on such books. Seldom has the dialogue between the language of scholarship and the language of faith been so intense or sensitive. These proceedings reflect both the devotion believers feel for their scriptures and a rare respect that should mark each encounter with another’s sacred literature. ISBN 0-8849-4409-3
Chapters
Old Testament Topics > Types and Symbols
RSC Topics > L — P > Old Testament
RSC Topics > Q — S > Sacrifice
RSC Topics > Q — S > Sin
RSC Topics > D — F > Faith
RSC Topics > A — C > Crucifixion
A brief background and answers to commonly asked questions about each book
A polemical work against Mormonism, which responds to various questions often asked by Mormons dealing with the Bible and Mormon scripture.
Simile curses, a combination of the literary feature called “simile” and an oath of malediction, are common elements in ancient Near Eastern texts, including the Old Testament and Book of Mormon. Simile curses occur most often in three contexts—treaties, religious covenants, and prophecies. A Book of Mormon example of a simile curses is found in Alma 44:1-4 where the simile “even as this scalp has fallen to the earth” is followed by the curse, “so shall ye fall to the earth” A ritualistic act or visual action often accompanies the curse, such as rending garments, felling a tree, or breaking a weapon, making the symbolism of the curse more effective. The attestation of simile curses in the Book of Mormon may suggest a historical connection between the new world scripture and the ancient records of the old world.
In a work designed for youth the author looks at several theories regarding who first discovered America. Considers Columbus, Huishen, St. Brendan, Leif Ericsson, John Cabot, Norsemen, the Nephites—but does not provide a conclusion.
Reprinted in Eloquent Witness: Nibley on Himself, Others, and the Temple, Collected Works of Hugh Nibley vol. 17.
Republished in 2000 in a second edition with new materials and illustrations as Abraham in Egypt, The Collected Works of Hugh Nibley vol. 14.
Nibley examines the Book of Abraham’s striking connections with ancient texts and Egyptian religion and culture.
Hugh W. Nibley Topics > Bible > Old Testament > Characters > Abraham, Sarah, Abram, Sarai
Hugh W. Nibley Topics > Pearl of Great Price > Book of Abraham > Characters > Abraham, Sarah, Abram, Sarai
Reprinted in a revised and expanded format, with updated references as Of All Things! Classic Quotations from Hugh Nibley, 2nd ed., Salt Lake City: Deseret Book and FARMS, 1993.
Presents evidence regarding various geographical and archaeological aspects of the Book of Mormon. Points out similarities between the culture and history of the Jaredites, Mulekites, Nephites, and the Mesoamericans. Believes that Cerro Vigia was Mormon’s Hill Cumorah. This work is reviewed in R.008, and in T.336. [C. W.]
Old Testament Topics > Joseph and Asenath
Poor LDS scholarship has damaged Book of Mormon credibility. Raish points out several types of errors: reliance on archaeologists to lend credibility, faulty footnotes, the use of pictures not related to scriptures with which they are associated, and publishing unauthenticated artifacts that sometimes turn out to be fraudulent.
The creation of the earth was repetitiously celebrated in rituals in civilizations of the ancient Near East—Babylon, Assyria, Persia, and Israel. Sources suggest that in Israel, perhaps as early as the Second Temple period, laymen recited the Genesis creation story while priests were offering sacrifices. The laymen were expected to recite the account in towns far away from Jerusalem for the benefit of those who could not go to the holy city. Hearing about the creation enabled listeners to experience a renewal of creation in their own setting.
Old Testament Topics > Temple and Tabernacle
A guide for teaching children the Book of Mormon by using pictures and illustrations.
Extensive bibliography
An illustrated storybook for children. Features an account of Abinadi, his preaching, and eventual martyrdom.
Reprints the title page, lists (in order) the books of the Book of Mormon, and gives the account of Moroni’s visit that is also found in the Pearl of Great Price. Contains many excerpts from the book itself, with writings from Nephi, Isaiah, Jacob, King Benjamin, King Mosiah, Alma, Helaman, Captain Moroni, Pahoran, Mormon, and Moroni.
Book of Mormon Scriptures > Mosiah
Book of Mormon Scriptures > Alma
Book of Mormon Scriptures > Helaman
The author recounts the events that brought forth the Book of Mormon, and the effects that the book had on the people and history. The Book of Mormon cannot be “the most correct” book as at least 3,913 changes have been made since the 1830 edition, and the current edition disagrees with the earlier edition. The Book of Mormon originated from the Manuscript Found, “The Wonders of Nature and Providence Displayed,” or Joseph Smith received his visions “under the influence of demonic powers” The concept of God in Mormon theology is contradicted by the Book of Mormon.
Reports the finding by Mark Hofmann of the original Anthon Transcript. (Editor’s note: this transcript has since been shown to be a forgery.)
Discusses a possible “wise purpose” for the small plates. Since Nephi and Lehi experienced Jerusalem and the Old World their writings have a more distinct Jewish flavor to them. This is essential for a witness to Jews that Jesus is the Messiah and that the Book of Mormon is true.
A pamphlet consisting of selected reproductions from the “Independence edition” of the Book of Mormon, with the intention of demonstrating changes and deletions in footnotes in a later edition, though no comparisons are shown.
An apologetic work attempting to demonstrate evidence supporting Mormon beliefs. The authors provide a review of some of the evidence tending to support the Book of Mormon’s complexity and authenticity. Among the topics discussed pertaining to the Book of Mormon are the Eleven Witnesses, archaeology, linguistic complexities, proper names, the allegory in Jacob 5, the Nephite monetary system, modern philosophies predicted by Book of Mormon writers, and others.
A twenty-one page booklet designed to assist the missionary in becoming skilled in “using the Book of Mormon in every aspect of his proselytizing activities” Missionaries are told of the importance of reading the Book of Mormon with investigators and committing investigators to read the Book of Mormon.
Adam, Moses, Abraham, and Noah in apocryphal writings and traditions
The Book of Mormon incorrectly mingles Old and New Testament teachings and ideas. Walters attempts to show how the Old Testament provided models for the proper names and events of the Book of Mormon. He shows anachronistic uses of Old Testament passages in the Book of Mormon, including Isaiah variants. Joseph Smith incorrectly applied modern eschatological themes, such as those borrowed from Ethan Smith’s View of the Hebrews, to Book of Mormon peoples living before the time of Christ. This work is reviewed in R.259, and in T.340.
A team of scholars analyze chiasmus in Akkadian, Ugaritic, Hebrew, Aramaic, Greek, Latin, and the Book of Mormon. Includes extensive bibliography and register of chiastic passages in many literatures.
A study of texts from biblical, classical, and other literatures
Volume one investigates external evidences of the Book of Mormon: agriculture, archaeology, architecture, astronomy, and Indian traditions. Volume two deals with Christ’s visit to America and the evidence found to substantiate the Christian influence in America. Volume three explores the Mayan Calendar, Indian legends, evolution vs. divine creation, word origin, and hierogryphs. Volume four continues with metallurgy, migrations, mythology, and symbolism.
Also, in Spanish, Juicio del Palo de Jose: Testigos Personales. Peru: n.p., 1967. A three-part lecture that recounts the events surrounding a mock trial of the Book of Mormon. Analyzes the testimonies of witnesses who claimed to have seen the gold plates, and discusses internal and external evidences of the Book of Mormon. This work is reviewed in S.518.
Articles
Because by far the greatest portion of the Book of Mormon is narrative—though admittedly in several different ways—other literary modes embedded in the narrative flow are less obvious and consequently less easily identified and read in terms of their own unique generic conventions. One such passage occurs in the fourth chapter of 2 Nephi, verses 16 though 35, a passage that is often referred to as the “Psalm of Nephi,” at least since Sidney Sperry provided this formulation in his commentary on the Book of Mormon. The question to be discussed with reference to these verses is not whether they are a psalm in the biblical sense of the term but rather the nature and extent of their poetic qualities and some of the most central interpretive implications inextricably connected with their lyricism.
Book of Mormon Scriptures > Ether
Edwin and Elsie Dharmaraju presented President Spencer W. Kimball a 700-page manuscript containing the translation of the Book of Mormon into Telugu. It was translated by the 82-year-old father of Elsie Dharmaraju.
Articles
One million copies of the Book of Mormon have been donated to the personalized family-to-family Book of Mormon project since the project began in 1966.
Reprinted in The Prophetic Book of Mormon, Collected Works of Hugh Nibley vol. 8.
Captain Moroni was a man of peace. This talk analyzes war, government, management, the political tactics and strategies of Amalickiah, and the constant struggle between those who follow the ways of righteousness and those who promote wicked political agendas. Includes notes about similar political problems in ancient Mesoamerican societies.
Hugh W. Nibley Topics > Book of Mormon > Books > Alma
Articles
Old Testament Topics > Priesthood
God grant that we may all believe and know and understand the great eternal verities by which salvation comes and that, believing and knowing and understanding, we may so live as to gain eternal life.
Articles
Old Testament Scriptures > Twelve Minor Prophets
Old Testament Topics > Tithing
An examination of Larsen, Rencher, and Layton’s article “Who wrote the Book of Mormon? An Analysis of Wordprints” Croft states that the “conclusions of its authors may be premature and that several areas of the study seem vulnerable to criticism” Immediately following Croft’s article is a response by Larsen and Rencher.
In a recent article appearing in BYU Studies, Wayne Larsen, Alvin Rencher, and Tim Layton, specialists in statistics at Brigham Young University, used some highly sophisticated, computerized statistical techniques to examine wordprints of authors in the Book of Mormon. The term “wordprint” was coined by the Larsen group to represent patterns of word usage which authors unconsciously repeat in their writings or speeches- sentence length or frequency of certain common words, for example. [From the text]
A two-page full-color cartoon depiction that recalls Nephi building the ship to carry the family to the promised land (1 Nephi 17-18).
A reaction to an article by D. James Croft (Sunstone, March-April 1981) who challenges the methodology of an earlier article by Larsen and Rencher (BYU Studies, Spring 1980). Larsen and Rencher claim that different word styles of each Book of Mormon author can be reasonably maintained though they recognize that their studies have limitations.
The Sunday School Supplement on the Rod of Aaron, an apocryphal account of Adam and the origin of sacrifice, cultural borrowing, and the Levitical Endowment
Joseph Smith’s study of Hebrew is related to the translation of the Book of Abraham
Book review.
Tells of Wang Chun Chang’s conversion to the RLDS church and his efforts to translate the Book of Mormon into Chinese.
Articles
Talks
Examines work done by C. H. Kang who has shown biblical influence in the make-up of Chinese characters. The author suggests that there is evidence of the “Jaredite Pattern” in the characters.
1980 was a Jubilee year according to Jewish tradition. It was also a special year for the Book of Mormon. Three important events were “(1) the discovery of the original Anthon Transcript, (2) the presentation of a portion of the Book of Mormon in Hebrew to some Jews in Israel, and (3) the publication of Ralph Lesh’s map of Book of Mormon geography”
Articles
Tabs as inexpensive aids to scripture study
Old Testament Topics > Scripture Study
Discusses studies completed by B. H. Roberts on the Book of Mormon in which Roberts examined alleged textual problems and anachronisms in the Book of Mormon and also compared certain features of the Book of Mormon with Ethan Smith’s work View of the Hebrews.
Discusses the theory that Joseph Smith gleaned ideas for the Book of Mormon from Ethan Smith’s View of the Hebrews. The writer reviews responses to this theory made by B. H. Roberts and Hugh Nibley, and concludes that the two books do contain some common features.
An advertisement insert in a popular magazine intended as a missionary vehicle. Explains what the Book of Mormon has done in a positive way for some people, and what it can do for the reader.
I know of nothing worthwhile in life that comes easy. However, nothing in life is as valuable as a strong marriage and a secure family. I am speaking to all who want their future marriages to succeed.
Articles
Old Testament Topics > Law of Moses
Catalan, a Spanish dialect of Northeastern Spain, is the thirty-second complete translation of the Book of Mormon.
Articles
For children, cartoon story of the animosity that Laman and Lemuel felt toward Nephi, and Nephi’s need to leave and find a new home after Lehi’s death. Depicts the way the records were kept by Lehi, Nephi, Jacob, and Enos.
Book of Mormon Scriptures > Enos
Contains ” ‘evidences’ that the Jaredites went across Asia through China”—shows parallels between the Chinese dragon and Quetzalcoatl, and between a lighted stone in Chinese tradition and the stones used in the Jaredite barges. The real name of the brother of Jared was never given, a practice that is still a tradition in China.
Examines the archaeological finds from the Pre-Classic period (2000 B.C.—A.D. 100), and Classic (A.D. 100—900) in Mesoamerica. The author relates these finds to the Jaredite, Mulekite, Lamanite, and Nephite civilizations. Parallels are drawn between the Olmecs and the Jaredites as well as the Nephites/Lamanites and the Maya.
Suggests a six step approach using the Book of Mormon to develop spiritual power—study, fast, pray, humility, faith in Christ, joy and consultation, yielding to God, sanctification, purification, spiritual power. Follow these steps to prepare to receive the remaining portions of the Book of Mormon and to bring forth Zion.
Lists verses where mistakes were made by the engraver of gold plates and the way in which the engraver corrected them. These include 1 Nephi 2:41, 1 Nephi 3:245, and Alma 14:112 (RLDS versification).
Book of Mormon Scriptures > Alma
I think we should understand that individuals must shoulder the responsibility for their own preparedness and for their own acquisition of knowledge and of skills and service.
Articles
Old Testament Scriptures > Deuteronomy
Old Testament Topics > Law of Moses
Old Testament Topics > Elijah
John Sorenson offers a survey and interpretation of the evidence that the wheel was known in the New World before the arrival of European explorers in the early sixteenth century. He discusses Mesoamerican and Old World wheeled figurines, wheels and movement in Mesoamerican belief, and the similarities between figurines in the New World and the Old.
Those brave souls left us a legacy and a rich heritage. No amount of money could purchase what they freely gave. It cost life and limb. It cost great suffering and the most severe kind of heartache imaginable. Theirs was the noblest gift—that of love.
Articles
Old Testament Topics > Book of Mormon and the Old Testament
A letter to the editor agreeing with Melodie Moench Charles’s article “The Mormon Christianizing of the Old Testament,” which also appeared in Sunstone.
Blake Ostler examines what relationship exists between the papyri of the ancient Egyptian Book of Breathings possessed by Joseph Smith and the Book of Abraham. Ostler finds that Joseph Smith, in associating vignettes of the Book of the Dead to explain Abraham’s experiences, was actually duplicating an ancient practice about which he could not have known from secular sources available in his day.
Reprinted in Seventh East Press.
This material is not the same as that included in Since Cumorah under the same title. This appeared in the Seventh East Press, 27 March 1982. 6–8, 16–17, and was published in The Prophetic Book of Mormon, The Collected Works of Hugh Nibley 8. 435–69.
The newly published triple combination contains about 200 changes, most of which are minute and reflect the original wording of the 1840 edition of the Book of Mormon, and a new footnoting system.
I know that God lives and that revelation to his children is a reality. I pray that we will be worthy and willing, and that he will bless us to grow in this principle of revelation.
Articles
Talks
Cartoon pages for children telling the story of how Enos went into the wilderness to pray.
A Book of Mormon left in the author’s mailbox lay unread for several years. Prayer seemed to be the way to find the truthfulness of the book and dispel fearful and doubtful feelings. Assurance and conversion followed a simple prayer.
Compares New World examples of the tree of life symbol with examples from Assyria and finds that the basic elements are similar, if not identical. Points out that the Book of Mormon, as the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints claims, was written by early inhabitants of America. There is unmistakable evidence of trans-oceanic crossings prior to Columbus.
Articles
A chart based on world and religio-historical events. Includes events and prophets from the Book of Mormon and the Pearl of Great Price.
Since 1979 the Book of Mormon has been translated into several new languages. They include Croatian, Greek, Hungarian, Bulgarian, Navajo, Arabic, Czech, Vietnamese, Fijian, Catalan, Russian, Icelandic, Niuean, and four Central and South American Indian languages.
Old Testament Topics > Restoration and Joseph Smith
The stricture of George Q. Cannon in 1890 against concern for Book of Mormon geography studies was appropriate because comparative secular knowledge was not then available. Now it is. If archaeology is to be considered at all in connection with the Book of Mormon then both geography and chronology of the scriptures must be speciied then compared systematically with external information. Argues briefly that “the Tehuantepec correlation” of geography has come to be widely accepted among LDS students of the subject, as against “the Panama correlation” The SEHA should lead out in such geography study.
Articles
Old Testament Topics > Old Testament: Overviews and Manuals
Old Testament Topics > Temple and Tabernacle
Old Testament Scriptures > Jeremiah/Lamentations
Old Testament Topics > Book of Mormon and the Old Testament
Old Testament Topics > History
Old Testament Topics > Old Testament: Overviews and Manuals
Old Testament Topics > Ten Commandments
Reprinted as “The Lachish Letters,” in The Prophetic Book of Mormon, The Collected Works of Hugh Nibley 8. 380–406.
Suggests connections between the Lachish letters written at the time Jerusalem was destroyed by the Babylonians and events associated with Lehi’s departure. Includes political pressures on prophets, types of proper names, and a possible identification of Mulek.
Old Testament Scriptures > 1 & 2 Kings/1 & 2 Chronicles
Old Testament Scriptures > Jeremiah/Lamentations
Old Testament Topics > Book of Mormon and the Old Testament
Old Testament Topics > History
Hugh W. Nibley Topics > Book of Mormon > Ancient Near East
Tonight, I have come to testify in behalf of Jesus Christ. How you accept him and how valiant you are in your testimony of him will have an enormous compounding impact upon the Church.
RSC Topics > L — P > Prayer
RSC Topics > T — Z > Testimony
Those who reject the Book of Mormon will be brought into captivity, spiritually and temporally. The early Latter-day Saints left the inhabited areas of America because of the rejection of the Book of Mormon and of Christ by the American people.
A cave southwest of Jerusalem caught the attention of several Latter-day Saint observers in the early 1960s. Graffiti in the cave seemed to portray themes or scenes related to the Book of Mormon, and some thought that the cave might have been the place described in the Book of Mormon as “the cavity of rock.” LaMar Berrett points out problems that weaken the likelihood that this is the case. Two scholarly articles on the cave are included.
An polemical tract designed to encourage Mormons to question their belief in the Book of Mormon.
Articles
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.
Contents:
America’s Decision About Christ / Reid E. Bankhead
A Testimony / Janice White Clemmer
An Appreciation for the Book of Mormon / Robert J. Matthews
Sanctification and Justification are Just and True / Gerald N. Lund
Becoming Perfect in Christ / Robert E. Parsons
The Condescension of the Father and the Son / N. Gaylon Hopkins
The Plates that Mormon Found and the Manuscript that Joseph Smith Lost / Eldin Ricks
Remnants of Israel: Who? When Gathered? / Paul E. Felt
A Man May Know for Himself / Hal L. Taylor
The Nephites and the Law of Moses / H. Donl Peterson
The Same God, Yesterday, Today, and Forever / Monte S. Nyman
Articles
A testimonial wherein the author states that knowledge of the Old and New Testaments prepared her for the Book of Mormon. The Book of Mormon explained her American Indian heritage and gave her dignity.
The Book of Mormon identifies the remnants of Israel and clarifies their destiny.
The Book of Mormon reveals the paternity of Jesus Christ, his divinity as Creator, and his condescension, or his subjection into the hands of mortal men. The book also reveals the temptations that the Savior had to endure.
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.
Speaks about themes covered in the Book of Mormon: the mission of Christ, the Fall and the Atonement, salvation only through Christ, the nature of God, the devil, spiritual gifts, the ministry of angels, and the philosophies of men. Includes a table listing the names of Christ in the Book of Mormon.
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.
Contents:
The Pearl of Great Price as Scripture / A. Theodore Tuttle
The New Edition of the Scriptures / Robert J. Matthews
Historical Background of the Pearl of Great Price: How the Book Came to Be / James P. Mitchell
Moses One: The Divine Prelude to the Holy Bible / H. Donl Peterson
To Prepare a People / William O. Nelson
Eschatology in the Pearl of Great Price / Rodney Turner
The Duel of the Kings / Richard D. Draper
Understanding Facsimile 2 of the Book of Abraham / James Roy Harris
Astronomy and the Book of Abraham / Fred Holmstrom
Articles
Pre-Adamites, the location and return of the Ten Tribes, and the forbidden fruit
Major themes from the book of Isaiah and a computer study of the authorship of Isaiah
A booklet containing ninety-four multiple choice questions about the Book of Mormon. The booklet does not provide the answers. Designed for high school students.
Articles
A missionary tract explaining the coming forth and background of the Book of Mormon. Contains photographs of ancient ruins in Central and South America as evidence for the Book of Mormon.
Old Testament Topics > Teaching the Old Testament
The Book of Mormon chronicles the wars and other relations between the two major nations of Ancient America. This paper identifies certain principles evident in the relations between these nations and compares the principles found in the Book of Mormon with international practice of Ancient Israel in the old world. This paper is not want to be a study of the law of nations of the ancient Near East; rather, our purpose is to identify, if possible, principles of the law of nations in the Book of Mormon. Ccmparisons to the culture of the ancient Near East are not meant to function as proof (or disproof) of the old-world origin of the Book of Mormon culture. They should be taken as interesting illuminations of the principles of international relations which appear in the history of the ancient American nations.
A slender polemical tract. Notes that several “plain and precious things” taught in the LDS church are not found in the Book of Mormon, and that both the Bible and the Book of Mormon oppose doctrines taught in the Church.
Few passages in the Book of Mormon have inspired more criticism and moral outrage than the account of Nephi slaying the unconscious figure of Laban. Many point to this episode as evidence against the Book of Mormon being an inspired document. In this study we will attempt to examine the legal as well as the extra-legal ramifications of this incident. Since the law of ancient Israel was inexorably tied to the religious and moral code of the Israelites, any attempt to divorce the two would be patently artificial. Therefore, while this study will emphasize what we know about the operation of justice, that, by necessity implies a discussion of Israel’s relationship to her lawgiver, Yahweh. In analyzing this slaying, a determination must be made of which Hebrew law codes would most likely have applied during Nephi’s time. The Book of Mormon places the slaying between 592 and 598 B.C.1 The primary sources for Hebrew law of that time are the law codes of the Old Testament. They are three in number: the Code of the Covenant (Exodus 21-23:33), the Deuteronomic Code (which includes Deuteronomy 19), and the Priestly Code (which includes Numbers 35). Although there is some difference of opinion among scholars about the compilation dates of these various codes, the general consensus is that the Code of the Covenant was compiled before 800 B.C., the Deuteronomic Code around 700 B.C., and the Priestly Code in about 350 B.C.5 Comparing these dates to the date of slaying, it can be seen that the Code of the Covenant and the Deuteronomic Code were in existence before the time of the slaying and date in roughly the same time period as the slaying. The Priestly Code, however, was compiled after the exile in Babylon and almost 250 years after the slaying.
A detailed examination of the legal ramilications of Nephi’s execution of Laban.
King Benjamin’s address is recalled in cartoon form for children.
The preliminary work for this annotated bibliography.
Challenges the theories of the so-called “environmentalists” who declare that the Book of Mormon was a product of Joseph Smith’s nineteenth-century environment. The Book of Mormon cannot accurately be compared to contemporary writings or incidents for it is an ancient text. “The challenge of the Book of Mormon lies elsewhere. It claims to be an ancient book, and it must be examined and criticized in terms of this claim” If the book is indeed an ancient book with Near Eastern origins, it will contain an adequate portrayal of Near Eastern society, law, religion, literary forms, and so on. In light of this Griggs speaks of gold plates and the tree of life.
RSC Topics > G — K > Gold Plates
Book of Mormon oriented exercises designed for children. Includes mazes, scrambled words, and fill in the blanks.
Computer analysis of the personal words of Jesus Christ as found in the New Testament and in the revelations of Joseph Smith shows them to be similar, suggesting that Jesus Christ is the author of both of the works mentioned. Hamson also points out that the wordstyles of Christ are different than the writings of Matthew, Mark, Luke, John, and Joseph Smith (who have their own unique writing styles), allowing a positive identification of authorship in a given text. The Book of Mormon is examined and the results showed multiple authorship and that the Book of Mormon wordprints were nowhere near that of Joseph Smith or his contemporaries.
A polemical attempt to link the unpublished Spaulding manuscript with the Book of Mormon. The author presents similarities between the two documents and concludes that the Book of Mormon is largely dependent upon Spaulding.
Old Testament Topics > Oaths
Roy Johnson examines the rituals and formulas of oaths, types of oaths, and the use of oaths in both the Old Testament and the Book of Mormon. Johnson compares the use of oaths, curses, and covenants in the Old Testament and the Book of Mormon to show that the relationship among those three acts is the same in both books.
Tests the claim that the Book of Mormon was written by a number of ancient authors using an analysis called “wordprint” or the science of stylometry. Discusses potential non-Book of Mormon authors, Manova, cluster analysis, and classification analysis.
RSC Topics > G — K > Joseph Smith
Book review.
Chapter-by-chapter commentary
Author analyzes the book of Isaiah “in terms of historical context, literary style, scriptural context, and doctrinal application” Emphasis is placed upon Isaiah’s cultural and historical surroundings and his use of parallelism. LDS perspectives are employed where possible (e.g., wide use of the Book of Mormon Isaiah passages is made), yet passages are interpreted in an open-ended fashion, with the assumption that Isaiah’s pronouncements may typically refer to more than one event. Isaiah is affirmed as the sole author of the text. [A.L. & P.H.]
In this article Madsen introduces B. H. Roberts and presents a synopsis of his rigorous life-time study of the Book of Mormon. Roberts approached the Book of Mormon from many different perspectives, all adding to his conviction that it was authentic scripture. The article explores these perspectives and suggests that B. H. Roberts\'s five- decade probing of the book was “shrewd,” “ground-breaking,” and faith-promoting. Through Roberts the modern reader can come to understand the kind of challenge the Book of Mormon poses for an honest inquirer and how one can try to deal with that challenge.
An polemical tract that discusses contradictions and errors in the Book of Mormon. The Bible is the sole word of God.
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.
An polemical tract designed to lead individuals away from the Book of Mormon and the Doctrine and Covenants.
Hugh W. Nibley Topics > Zion, Babylon > Devil’s Dilemma
Miscellaneous comments in a panel discussion on the arts. With Eliot Butler, Robert Rees, Dennis Smith, and Eugene England (arbitrator), “BYU Faculty Panel.”
Reprinted as “Christ among the Ruins,” in The Prophetic Book of Mormon, The Collected Works of Hugh Nibley 8. 380–434.
Presents information about the names used and the political and the social conditions of Lehi’s Jerusalem based on contemporaneous messages written on pottery found at Lachish.
Hugh W. Nibley Topics > Book of Mormon > Books > 1 Nephi
Hugh W. Nibley Topics > Book of Mormon > Books > 3 Nephi
RSC Topics > G — K > Hell
RSC Topics > Q — S > Resurrection
Hugh W. Nibley Topics > Jesus Christ > Forty-Day Ministry
Reprinted in An Approach to the Book of Abraham, Collected Works of Hugh Nibley vol. 18.
This essay contains Nibley’s views on the Book of Abraham presented in the form of questions and answers.
An in-depth review of Hugh Nibley’s book Abraham in Egypt.
Hugh W. Nibley Topics > Pearl of Great Price > Book of Abraham > Characters > Abraham, Sarah, Abram, Sarai
Includes Noah’s ministry as the angel Gabriel
Old Testament Topics > Flood
Book review.
Gives an historical account of the coming forth of the Book of Mormon with color illustrations for children. B. Keith Christensen, illustrator
In this volume, nine Latter-day Saint scholars each address the question of Book of Mormon authorship from a different approach. The tests of authenticity they employ rely on analytical techniques borrowed from such diverse disciplines as history, literature, statistics, and ancient Near Eastern studies. For both layman and scholar, this book makes exciting reading. While ultimate acceptance of the Book of Mormon as the word of God is and will remain a spiritual matter, the reasoned analyses, comparisons, and examinations contained in these pages add to the swelling volume of evidence that supports Joseph Smith’s account of the authorship of that book. ISBN 0-8849-4469-7
Chapters
The Book of Mormon’s claim that it is a record of God’s people in America cannot be sustained by archaeological evidence. Members of the LDS church approach archaeology only in an amateur way.
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”
In answer to a question concerning Doctrine and Covenants 10, the author answers that the small plates of Nephi were not translated before June 1829, after the 116 pages were lost.
No abstract available.
Delineates the parts of the Book of Mormon worked on by Mormon. Discusses the lost 116 pages. Refers to the “types” or “situation symbols” from the Old World carried through the Book of Mormon. Points out relevant passages for today’s world.
In an attempt to discredit the idea that Joseph Smith could not have written the Book of Mormon himself, this article features a reproduction of a letter supposedly written by Lucy Smith, the mother of Joseph Smith. The letter has since been proven to be a Hofmann forgery.
A polemic leaflet to show that the burning feeling one experiences when reading the Book of Mormon is not evidence of the book’s truthfulness, since it fails the test of comparison with the Bible. Joseph Smith contradicted his own words and the Book of Mormon has been changed time and again.
Papers presented at the sixth annual symposium on the Book of Mormon. Articles by Church educators, including Susan Easton Black, Charles Beckert, Robert Christensen, and numerous others.
A polemical tract attempting to discredit the testimony of Joseph Smith and each of the Three Witnesses.
A polemical tract that avers that “Mormon theology is not contained in, but rather contradicted by the Book of Mormon” Lists several points in the Book of Mormon perceived to be harmonious with orthodox Christianity, such as the oneness of God, two possible destinations after death, and salvation by the Atonement. Names six areas wherein the Book of Mormon is out of harmony with the Bible. The Book of Mormon is a fictitious work.
Charging that Book of Mormon archaeologists and LDS church members do not possess adequate or credible qualifications, the author finds there is no archaeological evidence to prove that the Book of Mormon is the record of ancient American inhabitants. Known artifacts do not bear Nephite inscriptions and Book of Mormon cities have not be located as have biblical cities and texts.
Responds to an earlier article by Edward Ashment (“The Book of Mormon—A Literal Translation?” Sunstone 5 (March-April 1980): 10-14). The writer cites early statements by Mormons and others regarding the literal word-for-word process of translating the Book of Mormon through the seer stone. The author rejects Ashment’s assertion that the translation was conceptual in nature.
Selected passages from the Book of Mormon are arranged along with illustrations to provide a “comic book” style of narrative. [J. T.]
Articles
Articles
Members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints have become increasingly aware that the restoration of the gospel did not occur in a vacuum inhabited only by Joseph Smith. Numerous individuals were involved, both as forerunners and as disseminators of newly restored or revealed principles. And not all of those involved were members of the Church. It is not necessary, however, to rely exclusively on the “great minds,” the strongest voices (like Wordsworth or Milton), to find elements in strong parallel with LDS doctrine. Other poets, often less well known, less widely accepted critically, were equally convinced of such doctrinal points as a preexistence and of an apostasy and the need for a restoration. One of the most fascinating is the “minor” poet Henry Vaughan.
In 1875, a few days before the first missionaries to Mexico were to depart, Brigham Young changed his mind: rather than have them travel to California where they would take a steamer down the coast and then go by foot or horseback inland to Mexico City, Brigham asked if they would mind making the trip by horseback, going neither to California nor Mexico City, but through Arizona to the northern Mexican state of Sonora—a round trip of 3,000 miles! He instructed them to look along the way for places to settle and to determine whether the Lamanites were ready to receive the gospel. But Brigham Young had other things in mind: the Saints might need another place of refuge, and advanced exploration was a logical course to pursue, should that need ever arise. The most promising site for such a refuge lay to the south, perhaps Mexico.
This article demonstrates certain similarities existing between texts in 1 Nephi in the Book of Mormon and a little-known document entitled “The Narrative of Zosimus.” The Narrative’s core material was written originally in Hebrew and appears to be at least as old as the time of Christ, and perhaps much older. There is no evidence that any knowledge about the Narrative of Zosimus existed in any English-speaking land prior to the publication of the Book of Mormon.
Articles
I add my testimony to that of Nephi. I know that God lives and that Jesus is the Christ and that this is the way.
Articles
Reprinted in Approaching Zion, Collected Works of Hugh Nibley vol. 9.
Social commentary on reminding the Saints of the good things God has blessed them with and the law which must govern the use of such gifts; several addresses of this nature were given in 1982 and thereafter.
If your prayers don’t always seem answered, take heart. One greater than you cried, “My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me?” If for a while the harder you try, the harder it gets, take heart. So it has been with the best people who ever lived.
The chain held by Satan is referred to in the scriptures as “the chains of hell” (Alma 12:11) … They start as flaxen threads and encumber a person habit by habit, sin by sin, and strand by strand.
Articles
Relates the events of her conversion through reading the Book of Mormon, and shares a personal experience and testimony regarding the coming of Christ to the Americas as recorded in 3 Nephi.
Cartoon for children presenting the story of Abinadi.
Reprinted in Approaching Zion, Collected Works of Hugh Nibley vol. 9, 178–201.
An examination of the blessing and cursing formulas found in the Deuteronomic materials in the Old Testament, with applications for our day.
True and saving worship is found only among those who know the truth about God and the Godhead and who understand the true relationship men should have with each member of that Eternal Presidency.
A news update concerning the Book of Mormon’s translation into Polish, Hebrew, Kuna, and Bolivia Quecha.
At times I wonder if we know how to think, if we are developing a creative mind, because that is where all good works and all important accomplishments begin.
Reprinted in The Prophetic Book of Mormon, The Collected Works of Hugh Nibley 8. 435–69.
A talk given at the BYU Alumni House on 23 September 1981, originally a manuscript of 17 pp., d.s.
Delayed blessings will build your faith in God to work, and wait, for him. The scriptures aren’t demeaning when they command, “Wait upon the Lord.” That means both service and patience. And that will build your faith.
Articles
Old Testament Topics > History
Talks
D. Arthur Haycock reads President Spencer W. Kimball’s message
“This article discusses two ancient volcanic eruptions in El Salvador and their significance to the Book of Mormon” The eruptions were ca. A.D. 600 and ca. A.C.W. 260. The author predicts that further digs in these areas will uncover tremendous finds relating to the Book of Mormon.
A condensed version of this talk was published under the same title in BYU Today, November 1982, 8–12. The full text was reprinted in Approaching Zion, The Collected Works of Hugh Nibley 9. 202–51.
An address about whether we must work for all we have or whether it is a gift from God. In the address, he posits that we must work but that we haven’t earned anything; it is a gift from God.
Hugh W. Nibley Topics > Zion, Babylon > Wealth, Law of Consecration
A story of how a missionary found and bought a first edition of the Book of Mormon.
Articles
Eleven cartoon drawings for children depicting the escape of Limhi’s people.
Inasmuch as the 1981 edition of the Book of Mormon changes the phrase “white and delightsome” (2 Nephi 30:6) to read “pure and delightsome” (having reference to the Lamanites), the Book of Mormon is not to be trusted.
Articles
Old Testament Topics > Creation
Old Testament Topics > Jesus Christ, the God of the Old and the New Testament
Book review.
Recounts how the peoples of the Book of Mormon worked with wood and stone. The ancient ruins in South America are remnants of the peoples in the Book of Mormon. The conclusion is drawn that the inhabitants of ancient America were just as advanced as the peoples of Palestine.
Critics claim that Joseph Smith wrote the Book of Mormon after reading the works of nineteenth-century explorers. However, the explorers wrote about ancient America after the Book of Mormon was published.
Articles
Quotes several biblical scholars in support of Joseph Smith’s translation of the Lord’s prayer (3 Nephi 13:12), which differs slightly from Matthew’s account (Matthew 6:14).
The story of Captain Moroni is retold for children.
Contains a recently found letter by Martin Harris wherein he gives his testimony regarding the contents of the Book of Mormon. (Editor’s note: this letter has since been proven to be a forgery.)
Witnesses of the Book of Mormon > The Other Witnesses
A brief review of an ancient literary form known as chiasmus. The material presented offers insight into the structure and history of chiasmus and its occurrence in the Book of Mormon as additional evidence to the book’s historical authenticity.
At several different symposiums on the Book of Mormon, General Authorities stressed the purpose of the Book of Mormon as a co-witness with the Bible. The Book of Mormon is the “Church’s greatest missionary tool”
Articles
Old Testament Topics > Israel, Scattering and Gathering
The names “Shiblon” and “Corianton” relate to the lion cub. In ancient America the jaguar, which is in the same family as the lion, was prominent, as found in several artifacts. These relationships may go back to the Jaredites.
Once in my life, I had the feelings of being left out. I now share the companionship of incomparable brotherhood and sisterhood, a feeling of belonging, of being useful, and I recognize that it comes only from sincere striving to live the commandments of the Lord.
Talk given at the services for Donald M. Decker on 11 August 1982.
A series of haunting reflections on the stages of life and the meaning of the experiences that each affords an individual as they pass from one stage to another, including death.
Hugh W. Nibley Topics > Doctrines, Principles > First Principles > Repentance
The Book of Mormon is translated into three Indian languages—Hindi, Telugu, and Tamil—making it available to over three hundred million people of India.
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.
Reviews the changes made in the 1981 edition of the triple combination. Book of Mormon changes are provided on pages B-1 and B-2.
Tells of a newly discovered letter written by Lucy Mack Smith that contains new information about the lost 116 pages of Joseph Smith’s translation of the gold plates. (Editor’s note: this letter has since been shown to be a forgery.)
Brent F. Ashworth claimed that he had acquired a letter written by Lucy Mack Smith to her sister-in-law, Mary Pierce. It is claimed to be the earliest known document concerning the Book of Mormon. (Editor’s note: this letter has been proven to be a forgery.)
Old Testament Topics > Bible: King James Version
Articles
In an effort to make “serious inquiry” and “revise our assertions” about the historical account in the Book of Mormon, this RLDS writer asserts that Mormons must be honest and open-minded in their investigations. Two problems in the Book of Mormon examined in this article are: Do the ideas of Lehi and Nephi harmonize with the ideas of Israel at the time of their exodus in 600 b.c.? And there is an improbability that the Savior would have delivered the same sermon to both the Old and New World such as the Sermon on the Mount.
Furthermore, whether you realize it or not, you are a generation drenched in destiny.
Articles
Old Testament Topics > History
Talks
A sympathetic appraisal of Mormon inspiration and scripture, written by a non-Mormon and member of the Baha’i faith.
Tells the story of Nephi2 (prophet during the time of Christ). For children.
Presents a document written by Lucy Mack Smith to her sister-in-law, Mary Pierce, dated January 23, 1829, which mentions the process of translation. (Editor’s note: this document has since been shown to be a forgery.)
This polemic literature reviews several Book of Mormon passages, pointing out weaknesses in sentence construction and questions the doctrine according to biblical passages.
Brent F. Ashworth announces that he has acquired a 110-year-old letter written by Martin Harris concerning his testimony of the Book of Mormon. The complete text is contained in the article. (Editor’s note: this letter has since been shown to be a forgery.)
News article about a recently-discovered letter, written to a Walter Conrad and dated January 13, 1873, in which Martin Harris testifies that as he was praying to see the “ancient record” an angel appeared behind a table on which were the spectacles called the Urim and Thummim and the engraved plates. (Editor’s note: this has since been shown to be a forgery by Mark Hofmann.)
A report on the addition of the subtitle to the Book of Mormon—”Another Testament of Jesus Christ” Discusses several aspects of the LDS church’s ten-year scripture project, including the creation of a topical guide and cross-references.
Egbert Bratt Grandin, with whom Joseph Smith contracted to publish the Book of Mormon, was the owner of the Grandin Printing Building. A brief description of the present condition and history of the Grandin Building is given along with a history of the printing and publication of the 5,000 copies of the first edition of the Book of Mormon.
Reader is asked to match a scriptural reference in Mosiah with nine different hypothetical situations. An activity for youth.
Reader is asked to match a scriptural reference in Mosiah with nine different hypothetical situations. An activity for youth.
Articles
An explanation of the three degress of righteousness using Old Testament stories, specifically Adamic stories to show them.
Hugh W. Nibley Topics > Zion, Babylon > Wealth, Law of Consecration
Book review.
Expresses disdain that LDS church leaders added the subtitle “Another Testament of Jesus Christ” to the Book of Mormon. Contends that the Book of Mormon contradicts LDS doctrines.
A news item relating that leaders of the LDS church have added the subtitle “Another Testament of Jesus Christ” to the Book of Mormon.
Articles
A detailed defense of Wells Jakeman’s interpretation of the Stela 5 carving as it relates to Lehi’s vision of the tree of life.
A review of Avraham Gileadi’s The Apocalyptic Book of Isaiah, A New Translation and Interpretative Key (Provo, UT: Hebraeus Press, 1982).
Hugh W. Nibley Topics > Bible > Old Testament > Characters > Isaiah
Hugh W. Nibley Topics > Reviews and Forewords of Others’ Works > Avraham Gileadi
RSC Topics > G — K > Judgment
RSC Topics > G — K > Justice
RSC Topics > L — P > Prophets
RSC Topics > Q — S > Revelation
RSC Topics > T — Z > Worship
How faith gives strength to avoid the natural fight or flight syndrome
Old Testament Topics > Temple and Tabernacle
RSC Topics > L — P > Love
RSC Topics > T — Z > World Religions
A narrative of the first vision, the coming forth of the Book of Mormon, visits of Moroni and other heavenly messengers assigned to instruct Joseph during the period 1823-1827 are presented using Joseph Smith’s four written histories in conjunction with other accounts written by Lucy Smith, Orson Pratt, Oliver Cowdery, and others. Also provides observations and recollections concerning Joseph Smith during the period of the translation and publication of the Book of Mormon. This work is reviewed in P.301.
Old Testament Topics > Science and Religion
Old Testament Topics > Judah and the Jews
Old Testament Topics > Ephraim
RSC Topics > T — Z > Women
Consistency of gospel truths in all standard works
Consistency of gospel truths in all standard works
Articles
Ancient world civilizations believed that the perceived order of territorial environment, in its “natural” and built-up features, revealed the structure of a sacred universe. The epitome of this symbolic order was a capital city or ceremonial center. “In those religions which held that human order was brought into being at the creation of the world there was a pervasive tendency to dramatize the cosmogony by constructing on earth a reduced version of the cosmos, usually in the form of a state capital.” Characteristic of complex societies throughout the ancient world, this phenomenon is referred to as cosmic urban symbolism. The principles of cosmic urban symbolism account for many ideas and events in the Book of Mormon which are otherwise unexplained within a nineteenth-century American context.
Contains crossword puzzles, matching games, and other activities for children.
Old Testament Topics > Covenant [see also Ephraim, Israel, Jews, Joseph]
Genesis 10 and 46 as a basis for the office
Contents:
Our Faith is Centered in the Living Christ / David B. Haight
Misleading Translations of Paul / Richard L. Anderson
From Tanach to Talmud: The Emerging Rabbinic Judaism Which Jesus Knew / Albert W. Hoffman
The Four Gospels as Testimonies / S. Kent Brown
Spiritual Death, Temporal Death, and the Atonement of Christ / LaMar E. Garrard
The Necessity of the Book of Mormon in Teaching the New Testament / Monte S. Nyman
Fasting in the Perspective of Ancient Israel and the New Testament / Stephen D. Ricks
A Parable of Parables / Robert C. Patch
Paul: Apostle of Grace / Rodney Turner
The Parable of the Two Sons: A Revelation about God / Jay E. Jensen
Let Us Go On Unto Perfection: Paul’s Message in the Book of Hebrews / Leland H. Gentry
New Testament Prophecies of Apostasy / Kent P. Jackson
The Price of Redemption / Robert J. Matthews
Articles
Outlines for adult Sunday school lessons on the Book of Mormon. Includes quotations and statements of doctrine from Church leaders, thought provoking questions, and discussion suggestions.
Articles
Old Testament Topics > Teaching the Old Testament
Using the Book of Mormon as a bridge between the Old Testament and us
A polemical, evangelical booklet exposing the errors of Mormon scriptures and doctrine. Pages 15-35 deal speciically with the Book of Mormon. While archaeology has proven the accuracy of the Bible, no such evidence exists for the Book of Mormon. It mentions the use of steel and coins long before they were ever in use. Various other anachronisms are discussed. The proper names found in the book are taken from the Bible or are “the product of the writers own fertile imagination” The author favors the Spaulding theory of Book of Mormon origins.
An in-depth study of Joseph Smith’s prophecies and their fulillment, many of which apply to the Book of Mormon. Includes a history of Joseph Smith from Moroni’s visit to the completion of the book’s translation and publication.
Book review.
The story of Saul as a literary work of tragedy
A challenge to Anthony Hutchinson’s article “LDS Approaches to the Holy Bible,” published in Dialogue.
A PRODUCTION USING 35 MM SLIDES WITH A CASSETTE SOUNDTRACK (ALSO AVAILABLE ON VHS OR BETA VIDEO CASSETTE) TO PORTRAY THE LANDS AND PLACES ASSOCIATED WITH THE BOOK OF MORMON AS FAR AS THEY CAN BE REASONABLY IDENTIFIED AT THIS TIME.
Integrity as evidenced in the lives of Old Testament people
RSC Topics > L — P > Prophets
RSC Topics > T — Z > World Religions
Old Testament Topics > Teaching the Old Testament
A novel based on the 25th to 31st years of the judges. Includes a table showing where specific allusions to the Book of Mormon are found.
The Book of Mormon theme “Inasmuch as ye shall keep my commandments ye shall prosper in the land” evidenced in the Bible
The story of Job is an example for those wanting to know the Lord’s will
Old Testament Topics > Teaching the Old Testament
RSC Topics > T — Z > World Religions
In this article the author explores the process by which the Book of Mormon was translated through the lens of first-hand accounts of the early witnesses, allowing us to ”…place a broader interpretation on the nature of the Book of Mormon record itself.”
Old Testament Topics > Melchizedek
Old Testament Topics > Ten Commandments
Some of the Andean Indians also have versions of the Flood story
Old Testament Topics > Flood
North, Central, and South American Indians all “preserved the story of the flood” Their deluge accounts share with the Bible three main themes: “(1) mankind becomes wicked and offends the Gods, (2) a worldwide flood destroys sinners and purifies the earth, and (3) one righteous family or group is spared to begin a new, improved human race” Samples of the writings of early American explorers relating to Indian traditions about the flood are given.
This pamphlet cross references the LDS 1981 edition with the RLDS 1908 and 1966 editions of the Book of Mormon.
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.
Contains a thumbnail sketch of several important personalities in the Book of Mormon. Provides Book of Mormon maps, tables, and materials dealing with chronology.
The reality of prophecy is disputed by scholars but is ultimately a matter of faith
Submitting oneself to an ordeal was viewed in several ancient legal systems as a means of seeking a divine dispensation of judgment. The idea that justice will prevail in a contest between good and evil survives in the spontaneous schoolyard ordeal: “Cheaters never prosper” chant the children who win the replay after a dispute over whether the original ball was fair or foul. Piaget found that young children often believe that natural events are punishment for moral transgressions, while teenagers discard the idea of immanent justice in favor of mechanical chance.
Nearly every society has, at some time in its development, made formal use of the ordeal to test guilt and innocence, and nearly every society has used water as one of the mediums to reveal the truth--God’s judgment. This study examines the common elements of water ordeals in secular and scriptural contexts. An overview of trials by water is followed by specific analysis of water ordeals in the Near East generally, which in turn serves as background for detailing the literal and metaphorical water ordeals in the Old Testament, New Testament and Book of Mormon.
Included as part of the foreword to The Prophetic Book of Mormon, The Collected Works of Hugh Nibley vol. 8.
Hugh Nibley read a paper with the title “Acclamatio” at the annual meeting of the Southwest Archaeological Foundation in San Diego, California, in 1941.
In this essay, Nibley draws on materials he collected at the beginning of his career on the politics of ancient mobs and draws parallels with contemporary events, including anti-Mormon sentiments.
Reprinted in Personal Voices: A Celebration of Dialogue and Brother Brigham Challenges the Saints, Collected Works of Hugh Nibley vol. 13.
The editors, while correcting an inaccurate citation, did not allow Nibley’s own translation—“Choke on a gnat and gulp down a camel”—to stand.
“Leaders to Managers: The Fatal Shift” (1987)
“Leaders to Managers: The Fatal Shift” (1994)
Hugh W. Nibley Topics > Zion, Babylon > Leaders and Managers
Old Testament Topics > Restoration and Joseph Smith
Book review.
Islam, the faith of the Muslims, is a major world religion. Its believers are found on all of the inhabited continents. Nearly one out of every six people on earth today is Muslim. In common with Christians generally, Mormons as a whole know little of Islam and its adherents. Yet the two religions have many interesting similarities and parallels. Examples include a firm belief in a living God and obedience to him; emphasis on the family; assistance to the poor and other social concerns; a sense of man’s obligation to testify of God; belief in a physical resurrection and a life thereafter; and a total commitment to values and lifestyle rather than a mere creedal recitation. Islam is considered a “biblical faith” in part because Muhammad, the Arabian prophet of the Muslim world, revered the teachings of Abraham and Moses and other Bible prophets. To this common ground between Muslims and Mormons is added the fact that both Muhammad and Joseph Smith are regarded by their respective adherents as instruments in the hand of God in revealing new scriptures, the Qur’an and the Book of Mormon—in each case under angelic direction. In bringing together papers from a symposium held at Brigham Young University in October 1981, this book on Mormons and Muslims presents some of the finest and ablest exponents and interpreters of the Muslim faith. As well as relationships between that faith and Christianity generally, the book offers a new dimension in that much of the focus centers for the first time on parallels, similarities, and contrasts with the religion of the Latter-day Saints. This can be both explicit and implicit, as in chapters on pre-Islamic and Arabian prophets, the idea of redemption in Christianity and Islam, the Muhammad-Joseph Smith comparison, and religious practices of women in Islamic countries. Many spontaneously arising questions about analogies between Mormonism and Islam find here an informed forum for discussion, especially by the Mormon participants who have lived among Muslims and studied their cultures and life-styles. As prophetic figures, how do Joseph Smith and Muhammad compare? What is the role of women in the Muslim faith? Could Hud, the Qur’an prophet, actually be the Book of Mormon Lehi? Is there really a relationship between Jesus Christ and the Mahdi, the redemptive figure in Islam? Not all the answers are here, but the concepts, experiences, and suggested conclusions will certainly inform and stimulate each reader’s thinking. For both critic and believer, for both scholar and general reader, for both Mormon and Muslim, as well as for all serious students of comparative religion, here is an intriguing and authentic exchange leading to a deepening understanding of “spiritual foundations and modern manifestations.” ISBN 0884944832
Chapters
RSC Topics > T — Z > Unity
Old Testament Topics > Adam and Eve [see also Fall]
Old Testament Topics > Teaching the Old Testament
Emphasis on temples and sealing keys
Writes of archaeological and historical evidence of “the Great White God” of ancient America. The coming of a tall, blue- eyed, bearded man from heaven was documented in several different groups of Indians and Polynesians. Petersen proposes that this great white god was Jesus. This can be documented in the Book of Mormon.
Contains narration and commentary on Book of Mormon passages about Alma and Abinadi. Chapters include: “Abinadi the Martyr,” “Alma’s Ministry,” “Alma the Younger,” “Amlici’s Rebellion,” and “The Zoramite Apostasy”
Uses Moroni’s example to teach “(1) the resurrection is a reality, (2) the state of a celestial being is truly glorious, (3) there is opportunity for continued service in the kingdom of God beyond the veil, (4) the knowledge and intelligence one attains in mortality does rise with that person in the resurrection, and (5) this dispensation has great destiny to fulfill”
Literary authorship analysis using stylometry and wordprints. Several contributors to the Book of Mormon were examined Mormon, Nephi, Alma the Younger, Moroni, Jesus Christ, Jacob, and Isaiah. The 1830 edition was used. The conclusion is that the “results give every indication that there are multiple authors in the Book of Mormon”
Book of Mormon Scriptures > Alma
Book of Moses Topics > Selection of Ancient Sources > Apocalypse of Abraham — Primary Sources
The writer notes what he feels are several anachronisms in the Book of Mormon, including Christian theology, pre- exilic Israel, the remarkable precision with which Book of Mormon prophets predict New Testament events, and uniquely American ideas and concerns. While the Book of Mormon may be inspired, it contains no ancient history.
The law of obedience and sacrifice today
Old Testament Scriptures > Leviticus
Old Testament Scriptures > Numbers
Old Testament Scriptures > Deuteronomy
Old Testament Topics > Law of Moses
Examines research into Maya glyphs and states that this research has produced two finds important to Book of Mormon believers: the glyphs are partly phonetic, and the glyphs deal mainly with history. Based upon findings from glyphs, the author proposes Yaxchilan to be Zarahemla and Palenque to be Bountiful.
A 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,
Asserts that the Book of Mormon appealed to people of Joseph Smith’s day because it reflected popular ideas of the time, and that it is merely a product of 19th-century concepts and events such as anti-Masonry, revivalism, and magical practices. Author also holds that the Book of Mormon uses biblical material anachronistically and borrows from concepts regarding the Hebrew origin of the Indians.
Isaiah’s prophecies reviewed in their historical context and compared with the later meanings attached by Christians and Mormons
Old Testament Topics > Teaching the Old Testament
Insights from the Old Testament that can help today’s children
Old Testament Topics > Teaching the Old Testament
The “familiar spirit” of which the Book of Mormon speaks is used in the Bible to refer to evil spirits. The authors discuss the Masonic Enoch legend of a gold plate and draw comparisons with Mormon accounts.
Old Testament Topics > Women in the Old Testament
Contains photographs, maps, drawings, site description, and archaeological notes of the temples at Palenque and proposes that Palenque is the city Bountiful.
Contains maps, a topographical drawing, site description, and photographs of Yaxhilan and suggests that Yaxxchilan was Zarahemla.
The Book of Mormon is important and relevant today. The article outlines several different methods of Book of Mormon study and the merits of each: “the straight through method,” “reading the research of others,” “the topical method,” examining definitions and synonyms, and pondering.
A biographical treatise of Martin Harris that includes a discussion of his willingness to sacrifice much of his own property and personal life, in spite of his own doubts and apprehensions, to assist with the publication of the Book of Mormon.
Gospel Doctrine Sunday School manual published in Tahitian. Contains 46 lessons. Lessons begin with 1 Nephi and continue through Moroni.
Contains twenty-three reprints of articles previously published in the Ensign.
Early LDS interpretations of the Bible
Simplified for young people, this dictionary booklet provides definitions and illustrations of Book of Mormon words.
A description of the Abrahamic covenant and who its heirs are
Similarities between LDS doctrines and the Dead Sea Scrolls do not prove that Qumran had the gospel
Articles
Articles
A brief note in the History of the Church under the date of Sunday, 3 April 1836, records the appearance of the Lord, Moses, Elias, and Elijah to Joseph Smith and Oliver Cowdery in the Kirtland Temple. Subsequent writers have noted that this date corresponds to the Jewish Passover, during which the arrival of Elijah is traditionally awaited. A parenthetical note in the Missionary Training Manual: For Use in the Jewish Proselyting Program states the correlation of the two events emphatically. There we are informed that Elijah appeared in the Kirtland Temple “at about the same hour that the Jewish families in that time zone would have been preparing to begin their feast of the Passover.” These statements, although correct in their identification of the Jewish Passover with the ritual expectation of Elijah and in their connecting the time of the appearance of Elijah in the Kirtland Temple with the Passover season, warrant further elucidation and modest chronological correction.
Old Testament Topics > Elijah
Old Testament Topics > Moses
Perhaps you will not see the full meaning of your effort in your own lifetime. But your children will, or your children’s children will, until finally you, with all of them, can give the Hosanna shout.
Articles
Articles
An introductory report on scriptural poetics directed toward the teenage audience. Identified are the principal types of parallelisms, i.e., synonymous, synthetic, antithetical, and staircase parallelisms.
An introductory report on scriptural poetics directed toward the teenage audience. Identified are the principal types of parallelisms, i.e., synonymous, synthetic, antithetical, and staircase parallelisms.
A textual and etymological study of evidence that the tomb was, in the ancient Near East, considered to be like the mother’s womb. One of the words examined is the Hebrew maqôm, normally rendered “place” in English. Author cites examples of the use of the word in the Bible and Phoenician texts that mean “tomb” Examples from the Book of Mormon of the English word “place” are similarly used.
Articles
Talks
Members of the Baha’i faith do not believe that Joseph Smith was a prophet nor do they consider the Book of Mormon divinely inspired scripture. In spite of the book’s inadequacies, it is acknowledged as a book illed with “powerful, eternal, spiritual meaning that is capable of changing and guiding the lives of men”
Articles
Shows certain similarities between activities and language in the Book of Mormon and those found in religious revivals of the early nineteenth century. Includes some interesting comparisons, such as being saved from our sins, not in them.
Articles
Mormons “reject anti- Semitism as an intrinsically distasteful ideology” This is based on the Mormon interpretation of Ezekiel 37:16-17, which explains that the Book of Mormon is the stick of Joseph and the Bible is the stick of Judah. The Book of Mormon teaches that the “New Jerusalem” will be established on the American continent by Israelites. Descendants of Judah will reestablish Old Jerusalem. The LDS church, according to the Book of Mormon, will concern itself with building the “New Jerusalem” on the American continent.
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 brief report on the possible origins and meaning of select Book of Mormon proper names—i.e., Mormon, Cumorah, Shiblon, and Mosiah
Book of Mormon Scriptures > Alma
A brief report on the possible origins and meaning of select Book of Mormon proper names—i.e., Mormon, Cumorah, Shiblon, and Mosiah.
Articles
A children’s version of Enos and his prayer.
Part 2 of “Souvenirs from Lehi’s Jerusalem,” which was submitted to the Ensign. Subtitled, “A Comparison of the Old World Early Christian ‘Forty-day Ministry’ Story with the New World 3 Nephi Accounts.”
This is a version of the material published as the second part of “Two Shots in the Dark: 1. Dark Days in Jerusalem; 2. Christ among the Ruins,” in Book of Mormon Authorship: New Light on Ancient Origins, ed. Noel B. Reynolds (Provo, UT: RSC, 1982), 103–41. A version of this essay has been reprinted in The Prophetic Book of Mormon, Collected Works of Hugh Nibley 8:407–34.
A comparison of the Old World early Christian “forty-day ministry” story with the New World 3 Nephi accounts.
Hugh W. Nibley Topics > Book of Mormon > Characters > Jesus Christ
Hugh W. Nibley Topics > Jesus Christ > Forty-Day Ministry
Discusses Lehi’s dream from the Book of Mormon, and reviews symbols and types of Liahonas and iron rods in Mormonism.
Book review.
Suggests that some of the legends of the Popol Vuh have affinities with the book of Ether. Notes the meaning of “Shiblon” (lion cub) and a possible connection with Ixbalan (little jaguar).
Doubtless much more is available to all of us than any of us is presently enjoying.
Articles
Old Testament Topics > Bible: King James Version
Old Testament Topics > Biblical Criticism
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.”
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”
As you read Joseph Smith’s teachings and Paul’s letters note the total commitment of each. Both were men consumed with a mission, which continues the question of what is really important in your world and your life.
True leaders are inspiring because they are inspired, caught up in a higher purpose, devoid of personal ambition, idealistic, and incorruptible.
“Twenty-three years ago on this same occasion, I gave the opening prayer, in which I said: ‘We have met here today clothed in the black robes of a false priesthood.’ Many have asked me since whether I really said such a shocking thing, but nobody has ever asked what I meant by it. Why not? Well, some knew the answer already, and as for the rest, we do not question things at the BYU. But for my own relief, I welcome this opportunity to explain: a ‘false priesthood’?”
Hugh W. Nibley Topics > Education, Learning > Brigham Young University (BYU)
Hugh W. Nibley Topics > Zion, Babylon > Leaders and Managers
Tells history of the original Book of Mormon manuscript and explains that Brent Ashworth obtained two pages of the manuscript. (Editor’s note: these have since been shown to be forgeries.)
A brief biographical treatise of Prof. Samuel Latham Mitchill who, in addition to Charles Anthon, was approached by Martin Harris to confirm the legitimacy of the Book of Mormon characters.
Articles
Old Testament Topics > Jesus Christ, the God of the Old and the New Testament
Old Testament Topics > Types and Symbols
Testimony stating that the gold plate story is true and that Moroni did visit Joseph Smith.
Articles
Talks
Asserts that Kaminaljuyu, ancient ruins located within the present city of Guatemala, is the city of Nephi. Archaeologists and scholars have found evidence “that meets all the criteria with respect to geography and topography which the Book of Mormon gives for the city of Nephi”
According to a scientific report, barley has been excavated from an ancient Indian site in Arizona. Such a discovery appears to be significant evidence of the authenticity of the Book of Mormon.
Contains a brief review of Book of Mormon Authorship published by the Brigham Young University Religious Studies Center. The article contains a description of Manovia, Cluster Analysis, and Discriminant Analysis. These studies support the Book of Mormon claim that it was written by a number of ancient authors.
This is a continuation of “Approaches to Studying the Book of Mormon” (Zarahemla Record 19-21). Studying chiasmus, charting scriptures, defining words and phrases, identifying types, pondering and topical study, are all suggested as methods for understanding the Book of Mormon. The author gives examples of each.
Brief account of an individual named Morely Jones, who uses all the money he earns to purchase copies of the Book of Mormon for use by missionaries.
I testify to you that there is no greater, more thrilling, and more soul-ennobling challenge than to try to learn of Christ and walk in His steps.
Articles
For children. Describes the account of the liahona.
A youth oriented challenge to read the Book of Mormon. Youth relate testimonial experiences they had while reading the Book of Mormon.
A youth oriented challenge to read the Book of Mormon. Youth relate testimonial experiences they had while reading the Book of Mormon.
Interview by Lin Ostler Strack.
The heritage of prayer in this church teaches us that, whether or not we settle the question of foreknowledge, there is a point in reaching up to that Person, not a thing, who is himself free and has used his freedom to forbid to himself the use of force.
Chart synchronizing Book of Mormon events with biblical and secular history, beginning with the Jaredites and continuing until the Nephite destruction.
Articles
A chart that synchronizes historical events (from A.D. 1 to A.D. 421) of the Book of Mormon with contemporary events of the biblical and secular world.
Most scholars who reject the one-man authorship of Isaiah do so because they reject prophecy
Old Testament Topics > Biblical Criticism
RSC Topics > L — P > Old Testament
The outstanding spiritual qualities of Nephi are noted, including his resolve to keep the commandments, and his great faith in the Lord. Nephi was a leader, statesman, and teacher.
Articles
A rebuttal and refutation of the claims made by the authors of Who Really Wrote the Book of Mormon? Shows that the authors apparently falsified statements made by handwriting analysts. Also shows why most today reject the Spaulding origin for the Book of Mormon.
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.
Prominent scholars of diverse backgrounds participated in a March 1980 symposium, “Scriptures in the Sesquicentennial,” and brought to it their unique insights into the world of records. This book, a compilation of the addresses, explores some of those records that evidence both the antiquity and the restoration of the gospel of Jesus Christ. ISBN 0-8849-4538-3
Articles
RSC Topics > Q — S > Revelation
RSC Topics > Q — S > Scriptures
RSC Topics > Q — S > Restoration of the Gospel
Three Book of Mormon articles treated in this volume deal with Moroni, the allegory of the Olive Tree, and external evidences of scriptures.
Articles
Old Testament Topics > Teaching the Old Testament
A lesson guide for teachers of students who are non- readers or beginning readers. There are various games and activities that are Book of Mormon related.
Symbolic connections between the sacred mountain and the temple in ancient Israel
Old Testament Topics > Temple and Tabernacle
RSC Topics > T — Z > Temples
RSC Topics > T — Z > Zion
RSC Topics > L — P > Prayer
RSC Topics > Q — S > Sacrifice
RSC Topics > T — Z > Temples
Archaeology and textual evidence
Old Testament Topics > Temple and Tabernacle
Early Semitic temple and religious practices one thousand years before Israel entered Canaan
RSC Topics > T — Z > Temples
RSC Topics > L — P > New Testament
RSC Topics > Q — S > Resurrection
A sensationalistic exposé of Mormonism. Pages 99-115 discuss the Book of Mormon. Among the numerous “problems” discussed by the authors are the Kinderhook plates, the credulity of the Book of Mormon witnesses, possible Satanic connections, textual changes, Bible plagiarism, King James English, and possible dependence upon the View of the Hebrews.
RLDS professor at Graceland College defends the authenticity of the Book of Mormon by showing examples of chiasmus.
Eleven pictures for children depicting events of the Book of Mormon.
RSC Topics > A — C > Covenant
RSC Topics > L — P > Old Testament
RSC Topics > L — P > Prophets
RSC Topics > T — Z > Zion
Gives a list of Book of Mormon scriptures and their location as quoted and used in the writings of Hugh Nibley.
A challenge to George D. Smith Jr.’s “Isaiah Updated,” which appeared in Dialogue.
Compares survivor witnesses in the Book of Mormon with other survivor witnesses that are described in Des Pres, “Survivors and the Will to Bear Witness” Social Research 40 (1973): 668-69.
A pamphlet that points out that pre-Christian Chinese ships recall the form of the Jaredite barges. Also, the recent “discovery of ancient stone anchors from Asia on the shores of the New World” suggests an early contact that may point to Jaredite migration.
Discusses Lehi’s eight year journey in Saudi Arabia and the possibility that he preached to and converted a group of people who later named themselves the “Lihyanites”
A travel guidebook to Middle America that links several Book of Mormon sites with present day locations.
Hutchinson defends his article “LDS Approaches to the Holy Bible,” (also in Dialogue) from a challenge by James E. Faulconer
Nebuchadnezzar’s dream
The marriage of Hosea and Gomer illuminates the covenant relationship of Jehovah and Israel
RSC Topics > A — C > Covenant
Old Testament Topics > Women in the Old Testament
RSC Topics > L — P > Marriage
RSC Topics > L — P > Old Testament
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.
Book review.
RSC Topics > A — C > Covenant
RSC Topics > G — K > Judgment
Old Testament Topics > Temple and Tabernacle
Old Testament Topics > Types and Symbols
RSC Topics > L — P > Old Testament
RSC Topics > T — Z > Temples
RSC Topics > T — Z > Temples
RSC Topics > T — Z > Temples
The answer to “What is a temple?” is partially the answer to “What was the temple?” Here a distinguished array of scholars trests this theme. This collection of essays—which grew out of a BYU symposium of experts—presents recent findings on the temple in antiquity: historical, linguistic, and archaeological data which bear on the idea of the temple in Israelite, Jewish, and Christian traditions. The book includes an expansive introduction to temple traditions and a bibliography for further clarification and comparison. ISBN 0-8849-4518-9
Old Testament Topics > Temple and Tabernacle
RSC Topics > T — Z > Temples
RSC Topics > L — P > Prophets
Old Testament Scriptures > 1 & 2 Kings/1 & 2 Chronicles
Old Testament Topics > Temple and Tabernacle
RSC Topics > T — Z > Temples
RSC Topics > Q — S > Restoration of the Gospel
RSC Topics > T — Z > Temples
A novel dealing with the life and ministry of Nephi, the first author of the Book of Mormon.
Hugh Nibley assembles statements by non-LDS scholars on the identity of Jesus, the rediscovery of the church, eschatology (the study of last things), authority, revelation, Israel, liturgy, the survival of the church, and the Vatican excavations.
This is a collection of statements by scientists on the following topics: how scientists have become impatient with religion, how science has all the answers, how difficult it is to truly understand the past, the question of whether science is a cause or a pretext, the assertion that science is not based on purely inductive reasoning, and the illusion of already knowing as the greatest enemy to serious research.
This prayer given by Hugh Nibley at a devotional assembly is a plea for the Father’s spirit and a humble recognition of the great limits of human knowledge, judgment, and faith.
These lecture notes discuss the history of humanism from the Sophists to Homer, Dante, and Shakespeare. Hugh Nibley emphasizes the fallacies of such a philosophy. Humanism is a substitute for religion when religion goes sour, and as such, humanism is dogmatic, careerist, and intolerant.
This is a very rough transcript of Nibley’s contributions to a panel discussion about ancient writing, scientific methodology, and testing of the Book of Mormon.
A discussion about what Zion is and how it is related to everyone caring for one another.
Hugh W. Nibley Topics > Zion, Babylon > Wealth, Law of Consecration
Hugh Nibley answers a series of questions about what became of church authority and doctrine in the centuries following the ministry of Jesus Christ. He compares scriptural prediction with historical fulfillment to answer questions like “What became of general authority in the church?” and “Would God allow his church to be destroyed?”
Reprinted from “What Is a Temple?” (1963 and 1968). Also reprinted in Mormonism and Early Christianity, The Collected Works of Hugh Nibley 4. 355–70. This essay was first written in 1958 for the dedication of the London Temple. Those Church Fathers, especially of the fourth century, who proclaim the victory of Christianity over its rivals constantly speak of the Church as the competitor and supplanter of the Synagogue, and modern authorities are agreed that in ritual and liturgy the Christian Church grew up “in the shadow of the Synagogue.” This is a most significant fact. While the Temple stood, the Jews had both its ancient ordinances and the practices of the Synagogue, but they were not the same. The Temple was unique, and when it was destroyed, the Synagogue of the Jews did not take over its peculiarly sacred functions—they were in no wise authorized to do so.
This article makes clear that the sacred purposes of the Temple were understood and its ordinances practiced in dispensations before the great falling away which brought about the disappearance of these important truths.
“The Idea of the Temple in History” in Millennial Star (1958)
What Is a Temple? The Idea of the Temple in History (1963)
What Is a Temple? The Idea of the Temple in History (1968)
Mormonism and Early Christianity (1987)
RSC Topics > T — Z > Temples
Hugh W. Nibley Topics > Temples
Reprinted in Mormonism and Early Christianity, The Collected Works of Hugh Nibley 4. 370–90.
In his volume The Message of the Joseph Smith Papyri: An Egyptian Endowment, Nibley describes in great detail initiation and ritual and coronation procedures among the Egyptians. The appendix in this book includes temple-related lectures of Cyril of Jerusalem and other early documents. In the present essay, Nibley provides a context for this study and his many others, which, almost without his being aware of it, have formed the background of his temple preoccupation over three decades. He shows how incredibly mixed and diffuse and varied are traditions growing out of temple worship in the religions of the Far East, as with those of the Middle East. The power of the temple idea to invade the minutest detail of life is demonstrated. Inconclusive though many scholarly studies remain about a philosophy or matrix to make sense of all the data, Nibley believes there are connections and symmetries and correspondences which again point to one conclusion: historically, civilizations—indeed civilization itself—have revolved around the temple. This essay and his preceding one provide an omnibus introduction to the more specialized studies that follow.
Hugh W. Nibley Topics > Temples > Ancient Temples
Gleaning from the expertise of an eminent array of Latter-day Saint scholars, a Brigham Young University symposium entitled “Isaiah and the Prophets” has brought to light a diversity of thought-provoking ideas relative to the Old Testament. This book contains ten of the addresses given at that symposium. Isaiah and the Prophets is rich in its outpouring of details. The book probes concepts that are pertinent to understanding the Old Testament as the Lord’s prophetic word and the gospel in its fullness. ISBN 0-8849-4522-7
Old Testament Topics > Prophets and Prophecy
Old Testament Topics > Symposia and Collections of Essays
Articles
RSC Topics > L — P > Prophets
RSC Topics > L — P > Old Testament
RSC Topics > L — P > Prophets
Discusses the missionary activities of the sons of Mosiah in twenty chapters.
Explains the story of the Jaredites; includes biblical references and charts listing the Jaredite kings.
The Book of Mormon’s declarations concerning war dispense with the concepts of the war-like Jehovah of the Old Testament as well as the pacifistic Christ of the New Testament. Ear Latter-day Saints were ambivalent with respect to war until they were leaving the United States and the Mexica War developed. Although peaceful solutions were always sought, there was no opposition to the defense of liberty. A strong military stance was maintained in Utah for the sole purpose of defense.
Diseases and health issues
Book review.
Book review.
The prophecies of Isaiah by topic and verse by verse
The author proposes “first to explore the antecedents and development of the notion of Hebrew descent; next to examine this view vis- a-vis contending views in the early years of the American Republic—both in the dialogue of the learned men of the day and the popular view espoused from the pulpit and published in written form; and lastly to touch upon the relationship between the issue of Indian Origins and the ascription of Indian ancestry offered in the Book of Mormon”
A former Mormon gives a personal account of how he came to lose faith in Mormonism and the Book of Mormon and eventually reject Mormonism altogether.
Contents:
This Generation Shall Have My Word Through You / Bruce R. McConkie
The Living Canon / Richard O. Cowan
In Search of the Sensational / James R. Christianson
Proving the Holy Scriptures / Rex C. Reeve, Jr.
Voting Within the Restored Church of Christ / Wilson K. Andersen
The Joseph Smith Translation: A Primary Source for the Doctrine and Covenants / Robert J. Matthews
Clothed with Bonds of Charity: The Law of Consecration and Stewardship in Ohio, 1830-1838 / Milton V. Backman, Jr.
Six Visions of Eternity: Section 76 / Monte S. Nyman
Latter-day Visions of the Savior / Donald Q. Cannon
What is Man? / LaMar E. Garrard
Restoring the Doctrine and the Covenants / Joseph F. McConkie
Thomas B. Marsh as President of the First Quorum of the Twelve, 1835-1838 / Ronald K. Esplin
More Treasures than One: Section 111 / Kenneth W. Godfrey
Tithing in Ancient and Modern Israel / Stephen D. Ricks
Letters from Liberty Jail / Robert J. Woodford
Items of Instruction: Sections 130 and 131 / Bruce A. Van Orden
The Vision of the Redemption of the Dead / Robert L. Millet
The Doctrine and Covenants and the Conversion Process / James R. Moss
The Doctrine and Covenants and Modern Revelation / James E. Faust
Articles
Book of Mormon Scriptures > Words of Mormon
Sidney Sperry discusses whether the Cumorah in New York is the only one or whether there is another Cumorah somewhere in Central America. He looks at evidence in the books of Ether, Mormon, Mosiah, and Omni, as well as various scholarly opinions about the matter. There is no explanation of how the Hill Cumorah in New York came to be called Cumorah or how, if there are indeed two Cumorahs, the plates were transported from one to the other.
Book of Mormon Scriptures > Mosiah
Book of Mormon Scriptures > Ether
Discusses how the Book of Mormon was translated, and the phraseology in the book that identifies the everlasting covenant of salvation. The Book of Mormon uses different language than the Doctrine and Covenants and Bible with regard to the everlasting covenant.
A booklet that provides a concise historical summary of each of the fifteen books of the Book of Mormon.
A booklet briefly setting forth a number of topics dealing with the Book of Mormon, including the language, translation, title page, manuscripts, archaeology, geography, witnesses, composition of the plates, and other items.
Written as a discussion between three friends. It is proposed that the Jaredites were descendants of Naphtahim, son of Mizraim, grandson of Noah who left Egypt shortly after the confusion of tongues. They were black and had no priesthood, but were highly blessed of the Lord. It is thought that they were Olmecs who occupied Mexico.
A polemical work against Joseph Smith and the Book of Mormon. Among other things, the author attempts to use stylometry to establish the single authorship of the Book of Mormon by Joseph Smith. This work is reviewed in G.100, L.086, W.156, and in H.272.
An historical treatment of the possible effects of Freemasonry on Mormonism. The writer recounts the anti-Masonic hysteria during the late 1820’s following the death of William Morgan. He notes that since many people of the time referred to Freemasonry as a “combination” or “secret society,” the Book of Mormon’s Gadianton Robbers may reflect environmental influence.
According to some Book of Mormon scholars, Belize is the most likely location of the Jaredite civilization. Archaeologists have found evidence to validate Book of Mormon historical references there.
A tract designed to interest people in the Book of Mormon. Contains brief comments, pictures, and illustrations dealing with biblical and Book of Mormon scriptures.
A chronological chart of every man mentioned in the Book of Mormon and the offices held by each—i.e., prophet, king, military personality.
The apocryphal book Susanna.
Divides the Book of Mormon into elements of doctrine, narrative, geography, structure, and miscellany. Correlates Book of Mormon scriptures with biblical chronological events, divides the geography into four lands (maps are included), the way in which the book is presented, and miscellaneous items of poetry and chiasmus.
Four lesson manuals for youth. Prepared largely for secondary school students. Contains objectives, commentary, and questions.
Contains hundreds of topics with scriptural cross-references from the Book of Mormon, Doctrine and Covenants, and the Inspired Version of the Bible.
Articles
Book of Mormon Scriptures > Mosiah
Articles
The past year intensified the study of the Prophet’s early life because of the release of two “treasure letters” seeming to illuminate the pre-Book of Mormon period. The questionable letter of Joseph Smith to Josiah Stowell in 1825 has a “clever spirit” guarding a treasure hoard. The questionable 1830 letter from Martin Harris to William W. Phelps claims that Joseph spoke of a salamander and “old spirit” at the hill in 1827, though Joseph’s real experience could be obscured by such a singular secondhand report. Publicity on these documents has stimulated research and reevaluation, some of it asserting a lifelong interest of the Prophet in paranormal discovery of riches. This paper examines the basis of such claims after 1827 and finds them wanting. Editor’s Note: The online version of this article was revised after it became public knowledge that the 1830 Martin Harris letter referred to in the article was a Mark Hofmann forgery.
Articles
Jacob had great faith, saw a vision of the Messiah, presented powerful exhortations, and succeeded Nephi as leader of his people.
Without ever minimizing the seriousness of some of our mistakes, I want to give to you today the message that we can be washed and pronounced clean if we will but honor the Lamb of God.
“When Jesus called Peter to come to Him across the water, Peter, for one brief, glorious moment, forgot he did not know how and strode with ease across the sea. This is how we are meant to be.”
Articles
May we really cultivate that power to say to our Heavenly Father, “O Lord, thy will be done.”
Twelve selections and one full text of the Book of Mormon were translated during the year 1983. These include Mayan, Siuhala, Kekchi, Mam, Armenian, Turkish, Efik, China-P, Kisii, Demotiki, Hmong, Persian, and Haitian Creole. Contains a chart to show growth.
Describes the historical setting of the Nephites and Lamanites during the time of Enos, provides a brief summary of the book of Enos, and then focuses upon Enos, a man of great faith.
Gives a precis of scholarly work dealing with Stela 5 and Lehi’s tree of life dream.
Articles
The Salt Lake Cottonwood Stake initiated a ‘Super’ Book of Mormon Family-to-Family program, and 27,274 personalized books have been donated.
I gained an appreciation for my value as a human being by realizing what it cost him to purchase my salvation.
A brief note describing the lives and contributions of the final three Nephite kings, Mosiah, Benjamin and Mosiah II.