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The Book of Mormon mentions synagogues in twenty-five passages. An important resource that may help us understand what the Book of Mormon means by the word synagogue is the body of research on biblical synagogues. This is especially true of research related to the years prior to the Babylonian captivity of the Jews, which began in 586 BC, since this is the time period when Lehi left Jerusalem. We would expect, therefore, that the nature of biblical synagogues before the captivity would have greatly influenced the concept of the synagogue that Lehi and his family took with them to the New World. In this article, William J. Adams Jr. details the historical development, nature, and cultural function of synagogues of the biblical era and relates them to the history, form, and religious function of synagogues in the New World.
Review of “Scripture” (1988), by Norman L. Geisler
Review of “Scripture” (1988), by Norman L. Geisler
Review of “A Word to Our Mormon Friends” (1998)
Joseph Smith spent Sunday afternoon, April 7, 1844, in a grove behind the Nauvoo Temple. There he gave a funeral sermon, which lasted for over two hours, dedicated to a loyal friend named King Follett, who had been crushed by a bucket of rocks while repairing a well.1 Known today as the King Follett Discourse and widely believed to be the Prophet’s greatest sermon,2 this address was Joseph’s most cogent and forceful presentation of his Nauvoo doctrine on the nature of God, including the ideas of a plurality of Gods and the potential of man to become as God.3 Several times in the first part of the discourse, Joseph expressed his intention to “go back to the beginning” in searching out the nature of God, and a little before midway through the sermon, he undertook a commentary on the first few words of the Hebrew Bible in support of the speech’s doctrinal positions.
Review of Hidden Wisdom: Esoteric Traditions and the Roots of Christian Mysticism (1996), by Guy G. Stroumsa
Review of “Christ” (1998), by Ron Rhodes
This essay analyzes examples of poetry in the Hebrew Bible and the Book of Mormon that do not conform to the standards to which prose is typically confined. Each of these poems contains a syntactic device that scholars have come to identify by the term enallage (Greek for “interchange”). Rather than being a case of textual corruption or blatant error, the grammatical variance attested in these passages provides a poetic articulation of a progression from distance to proximity.
Articles
Unlike the Old and New Testaments, where a variety of Hebrew and Greek texts exist to aid us, for the Book of Mormon we have only the King James English translation produced by Joseph Smith. The languages of the Book of Mormon were hardly the same throughout the original composition. Chadwick continues the onomastic discussion of the names Lehi and Sariah by suggesting that the Book of Mormon name Lehi matches the spelling in the King James Bible in the place-name Ramath-lehi; therefore the two must necessarily represent the same Hebrew term. He agrees with one of Hoskisson’s meanings for Lehi’s name— “jaw”— and indicates this may be a nickname rather than a proper name. Sariah is attested as a female name in a Near Eastern document. Although not found as a female name in the Bible, it is well documented as a male name in ancient Israel. In this light, the name means “Jehovah is Prince,” meaning Jehovah is the son of a king.
Articles
Old Testament Topics > Customs, Culture, and Ritual
The Book of Abraham, one of the canonized works of Latter-day Saint scripture brought forth by the Prophet Joseph Smith, has been attacked by critics since its publication in 1842. In Abraham in Egypt, LDS scholar Hugh Nibley draws on his erudition in ancient languages, literature, and history to defend the book on historical and doctrinal grounds. Nibley examines the Book of Abraham’s striking connections with ancient texts and Egyptian religion and culture. He discusses the book’s many nonbiblical themes that are found in apocryphal literature not known or available in Smith’s day. In opening up many other lines of inquiry, Nibley lays an essential foundation for further research on the biblical patriarch Abraham. This enlarged, second edition of Nibley’s classic 1981 work of the same title updates the endnotes, includes many illustrations, and adds several chapters taken from a series of articles in the Improvement Era entitled “A Look at the Pearl of Great Price,” which Nibley wrote between 1968 and 1970.
Hugh W. Nibley Topics > Hugh Nibley > Scholarship, Footnotes, Collected Works of Hugh Nibley, CWHN, Editing > Pearl of Great Price > Book of Abraham
RSC Topics > T — Z > Teaching the Gospel
A church member who has loved the Book of Mormon since childhood and who takes it for granted that the Book of Mormon is central to LDS class instruction, general conference addresses, and missionary discussions is likely to be surprised that we have only six Book of Mormon hymns in our 1985 hymnbook. Early hymn writers turned to the Book of Mormon itself for their texts. Twelve Book of Mormon hymns were introduced into Mormon hymnody by Emma Smith’s first hymnal, but the Book of Mormon as a theme almost disappeared from later hymnals. Only one hymn relating to the Book of Mormon was among the forty-nine new hymns added to the 1985 hymnal. In this article, Book of Mormon hymns are listed, discussed, and categorized. Most of the Book of Mormon hymns that have been written are narrative, rather than devotional. Each new hymnbook must meet the needs of its age. Devotional hymns are likely to be more forthcoming as literary appreciation of the Book of Mormon continues to grow.
Review of Forgotten Kingdom: The Mormon Theocracy in the American West, 1875-1896 (1998), by David L. Bigler
Review of The Lives and Travels of Mormon and Moroni (2000), by Jerry L. Ainsworth
Book of Mormon Scriptures > Moroni
Review of As One Crying from the Dust: Book of Mormon Messages for Today (1999), by Brent L. Top
Articles
Review of Translating the Anthon Transcript (1999), by Stan and Polly Johnson
Review of “God” (1998), by Francis J. Beckwith
Review of An Epistle from the New Testament Apostles (1999), by John W. Welch
Review of Searching the Scriptures: Bringing Power to Your Personal and Family Study (1997), by Gene R. Cook; Treasure Up the Word (1997), by Jay E. Jensen; and Scripture Study: Tools and Suggestions (1999), by James E. Faulconer
Review of “Salvation” (1998), by Phil Roberts
Review of Mormonism (1957); The Maze of Mormonism (1962); and The Kingdom of the Cults (1997), by Walter Martin
Review of God the Mother and Other Theological Essays (1997), by Janice Allred
Review of Zion in the Courts: A Legal History of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, 1830-1900 (1988), by Edwin B. Firmage and Richard C. Mangrum
Introduction to the current issue, including editor’s picks. Peterson discusses Peter Elias, Amasa Lyman, and the techniques of contemporary anti-Mormonism.
Review of The Name of God: From Sinai to the American Southwest. A Script and Language of Ancient Palestine Also Found in the Ancient American Southwest (1998), by James R. Harris, assisted by Dann W. Hone
Review of “Terminology” (1998), by Jerald and Sandra Tanner
Review of Images of Ancient America: Visualizing Book of Mormon Life (1998), by John L. Sorenson
Review of Cultures in Conflict: A Documentary History of the Mormon War in Illinois (1995), edited by John E. Hallwas and Roger D. Launuis
Review of The Sword of Laban: Joseph Smith Jr. and the Dissociated Mind (1998), by William D. Morain
Review of Fair Gods and Feathered Serpents; A Search for the Early Americas' Bearded White God (1997), by T. J. O'Brien
Articles
Review of Restoring the Ancient Church: Joseph Smith and Early Christianity (1999), by Barry R. Bickmore
Review of Early Mormonism and the Magic World View (1998), by D. Michael Quinn
Review of Digging in Cumorah: Reclaiming Book of Mormon Narratives (1999), by Mark D. Thomas
Review of Mormons, Scriptures, and the Ancient World: Studies in Honor of John L. Sorenson (1998), edited by Davis Bitton
Review of Early Mormonism and the Magic World View (1998), by D. Michael Quinn
Review of Digging in Cumorah: Relcaiming Book of Mormon Narratives (1999), by Mark D. Thomas
Review of The Book of Mormon: Restored Covenant Edition (1999), by Zarahemla Research Foundation
Review of Early Mormonism and the Magic World View (1998), by D. Michael Quinn
Review of The Book of Mormon: Restored Covenant Edition (1999), by Zarahemla Research Foundation
Review of New Evidences of Christ in Ancient America (1999), by Blaine M. Yorgason, Bruce W. Warren, and Harold Brown
Review of See the Gods Fall: Four Rivals to Christianity (1997), by Francis J. Beckwith and Stephen E. Parrish
Introduction to the current issue, include editor's picks. Latter-day Saints appear to approach theology and history in ways that fit remarkably well into the Hebrew thought-world from which Christianity emerged rather than from the Hellenization that eventually emerged.
Review of From Jerusalem to Zarahemla: Literary and Historical Studies of the Book of Mormon (1998), by S. Kent Brown
Review of The House of the Lord: A Study of Holy Sanctuaries: A special Reprint of the 1912 First Edition (1998), by James E. Talmage.
Review of The Dead Sea Scrolls: Questions and Responses for Latter-day Saints (2000), by Donald W. Parry and Stephen D. Ricks
Review of Book of Mormon Authorship Revisited: The Evidence for Ancient Origins (1997), edited by Noel B. Reynolds
Review of “Dr. Shades' Review of FARMS Review of Books: How the Foundation for Ancient Research and Mormon Studies deceives their fellow Latter-day Saints by creating the false impression that all is well in Zion.”
Review of Restoring the Ancient Church: Joseph Smith and Early Christianity (1999), by Barry R. Bickmore
The Journal of the Book of Mormon and Other Restoration Scripture is a peer-reviewed journal dedicated to promoting understanding of the history, meaning, and significance of the scriptures and other sacred texts revealed through the Prophet Joseph Smith.
Articles
Over two hundred proper names of peoples or places appear in the Book of Mormon text. Although some of those names appear in the Bible, a large majority of them are unique to the Book of Mormon. Paul Y. Hoskisson leads the Onomasticon Project, which seeks to identify and interpret Book of Mormon names using standard principles and methods. This article introduces five subsequent articles that demonstrate to nonspecialists how this type of research can and should be applied to the Book of Mormon. Prepared scholars—Hoskisson, Jeffrey R. Chadwick, Dana M. Pike, John A. Tvedtnes—display the type of interchange that is required to clarify and settle the issues surrounding Book of Mormon proper names. This article also introduces two additional articles that complement the onomastic discussion.
This article details three topics. First, Oliver Huntington was an early LDS pioneer who wrote or dictated numerous reminiscences, including on his association with Joseph Smith. On 16 February 1895, he wrote the names of the three Nephites who “do not sleep.” Historians find that some of what he recorded does not square with other reports. Without corroborating statements from other sources, we cannot know if he is correct. Second, Monument 6 near Palenque, Mexico, prophesies the descent of the god Bolon Yokte K’u. This monument allows confidence that the practice of prophesying future happenings was going on within a few centuries after the end of the Book of Mormon period. Third, two landmark publications raised the profile of the long-debated question about transoceanic contact. The article also briefly mentions a report about research that uncovers evidence of an Atlantic crossing.
Recent genetic studies indicate that Polynesians were connected to ancient America. Careful reading of native sources led European scholar Michel Graulich to conclude that pre-Columbian Americans held beliefs that may arise out of the Christian tradition. Whether he or those he opposes are correct, the caution to allow more than one interpretative stance remains appropriate. Interpretations of scriptural history are possibly “contingent upon the theoretical inclinations” of the investigators. The historical process of the Anufo people of the Ivory Coast territory suggests how “robbers” or “secret societies” could have grown to be players on the sociopolitical scene in Mesoamerica.
Recent genetic studies indicate that Polynesians were connected to ancient America. Careful reading of native sources led European scholar Michel Graulich to conclude that pre-Columbian Americans held beliefs that may arise out of the Christian tradition. Whether he or those he opposes are correct, the caution to allow more than one interpretative stance remains appropriate. Interpretations of scriptural history are possibly “contingent upon the theoretical inclinations” of the investigators. The historical process of the Anufo people of the Ivory Coast territory suggests how “robbers” or “secret societies” could have grown to be players on the sociopolitical scene in Mesoamerica.
Paul Henning was born in Germany in 1872 and passed away in 1923. He was the first Latter-day Saint to become a professional archaeologist and Mesoamerican scholar. He was also the first to bring his professional knowledge to bear on how to correlate the Book of Mormon record with the physical remains and history of the area now widely considered among church members as the core Book of Mormon location. While his ideas on these matters were never published, he deserves to be saluted as a pioneer of Book of Mormon studies. This biographical article includes information about his association with Benjamin C. Cluff Jr., president of Brigham Young University, and his contribution to the university.
Hoskisson begins the onomastic discussion with the names Lehi and Sariah. These are two Book of Mormon names that are close in time and space to ancient Jerusalem. Hoskisson suggests etymologies for these two names. He introduces his explanation of their names with a discussion of ancient names in general. He suggests that Sariah’s name is composed of common Hebrew and Semitic elements and probably means “Jehovah is my prince.” Lehi’s name has a few possible meanings, evidence that it is not yet possible to come to a firm conclusion about some names. Ambiguity reminds scholars that the study of onomastica does not always yield clear results, that conclusions cannot be dogmatic, that previous suggestions should always be reevaluated, and that new suggestions are welcome.
Hoskisson responds to and elaborates on the comments about the names Lehi and Sariah that Chadwick, Pike, and Tvedtnes provided in this onomastic discussion. Where Hoskisson disagrees with their conclusions, he uses examples to defend his position. He acknowledges the contribution this discussion has provided to the study of Book of Mormon proper names. He welcomes further examples on the points suggested by these scholars
One approach to reconstructing the Prophet Joseph Smith’s pronunciation of the proper names in the Book of Mormon is to determine how his close associates in the early days of the church later pronounced the names. In the Deseret Alphabet we have a record of the pronunciation in vogue in 1869. It is plausible that pronunciation of the names did not change much between 1830, when the scripture first appeared in English, and the publication of the Deseret Alphabet Book of Mormon in 1869. This article includes a table of pronunciation of eighteen names from the Book of Mormon according to the phonetic Deseret Alphabet characters compared with the sounds recommended in the “Pronouncing Guide,” which appears in all English-language editions today.
In this article Pike responds to Hoskisson’s conclusions about the etymology of the names Lehi and Sariah. He agrees with Hoskisson that Sariah is a theophoric name, which was common in ancient Israel and means “My prince is Jehovah.” However he suggests that the name should be grammatically distinguished from the masculine biblical personal name Seraiah. Although he offers an additional possibility for the meaning of the name Lehi, he agrees with Hoskisson’s suggestion that the name means “cheek.” The remainder of the article discusses the challenge of doing onomastic analysis on ancient non-English names when only an English form is available and further mentions the frequency of giving newborns in ancient Israel names of a religious nature.
Martin Raish suggests that although there are only two dictionaries of Mesoamerican archaeology and culture, both are quite good and can be augmented with some excellent travel guides and wall maps. Together they help readers better understand the terminology of art history and archaeology, become more conversant with the names of sites and cultures, and feel more confident about the general outlines of history in likely Book of Mormon lands. The author specifically recommends two dictionaries, a volume on Mesoamerican religions, an atlas, some traveler’s guides, and some National Geographic Society maps.
Introduction to the current issue.
In memory of John L. Hilton and his contribution to Book of Mormon word-print studies.
Tvedtnes adds to the onomastic discussion of the names of Lehi and Sariah in this article. He suggests that scholars should not be dissuaded by the fact that the name Sariah is found only for men. He discusses the difference between etymology and attestation of names. In the first article of this discussion, Hoskisson concluded that personal names containing parts of the body are rare in all the ancient Semitic languages. Tvedtnes, on the other hand, finds numerous examples of personal names derived from body parts. He concludes with his analysis that Sariah means “Jehovah is (my/a) prince” and that Lehi means “cheek, jawbone.”
In recent years, a large number of ancient writings have been found in and around Israel. While many of these include names found in the Bible and other ancient texts, others were previously unattested in written sources. Some of these previously unattested names, though unknown in the Bible, are found in the Book of Mormon. The discovery of these Hebrew names in ancient inscriptions provides remarkable evidence for the authenticity of the Book of Mormon and provides clear refutation of those critics who would place its origin in nineteenth-century America. This article explores several Book of Mormon proper names that are attested from Hebrew inscriptions. Names included are Sariah, Alma, Abish, Aha, Ammonihah, Chemish, Hagoth, Himni, Isabel, Jarom, Josh, Luram, Mathoni, Mathonihah, Muloki, and Sam—none of which appear in English Bibles.
Book of Mormon Scriptures > Alma
Nobody in the early days of the church attempted to define in print how the proper names appearing in the Book of Mormon—but not the Bible—were to be pronounced. Joseph Smith spelled out unfamiliar proper names to his scribes during the translation process, and he never formally recorded his pronunciations. Throughout the twentieth century, several church committees attempted to standardize the pronunciation and provided a printed guide for English-speaking church members. In studying the pronunciation guide’s evolution for English-speaking church members, one thing becomes clear: church members will probably never pronounce Book of Mormon proper names correctly until either the ancients themselves tell us how they said their names or the Lord reveals the proper pronunciations.
The Journal of the Book of Mormon and Other Restoration Scripture is a peer-reviewed journal dedicated to promoting understanding of the history, meaning, and significance of the scriptures and other sacred texts revealed through the Prophet Joseph Smith.
Articles
Archaeological discoveries that challenge previously accepted theories of the history of civilization are found all over the world.
Though the name Nephi conforms in some ways to common Semitic patterns, none of the possible consonantal roots that appear in Hebrew can be applied to the name. Other possible sources such as Ugaritic or Egyptian may be considered.
Insights can be gained by considering the eight-year wilderness sojourn of Lehi’s company through the eyes of the women who were there. Leaving the comforts of civilization for the difficulties of the desert would have been very challenging. While the record in 1 Nephi mentions nine women, Sariah was the only one identified by name. Nephi records Sariah’s struggles as well as her testimony. The record of the women in 1 Nephi communicates much about the need to seek and receive one’s own witness of truth.
Asherah was the chief goddess of the Canaanites. She was El’s wife and the mother and wet nurse of the other gods. At least some Israelites worshipped her over a period from the conquest of Canaan in the second millennium before Christ to the fall of Jerusalem in 586 BC (the time of Lehi’s departure with his family). Asherah was associated with trees—sacred trees. The rabbinic authors of the Jewish Mishna (second–third century ad) explain the asherah as a tree that was worshipped. In 1 Nephi 11, Nephi considers the meaning of the tree of life as he sees it in vision. In answer, he receives a vision of “a virgin, . . . the mother of the Son of God, after the manner of the flesh.” The answer to his question about the meaning of the tree lies in the virgin mother with her child. The virgin is the tree in some sense and Nephi accepted this as an answer to his question. As an Israelite living at the end of the seventh century and during the early sixth century before Christ, he recognized an answer to his question about a marvelous tree in the otherwise unexplained image of a virginal mother and her divine child—not that what he saw and how he interpreted those things were perfectly obvious. What he “read” from the symbolic vision was culturally colored. Nephi’s vision reflects a meaning of the “sacred tree” that is unique to the ancient Near East. Asherah is also associated with biblical wisdom literature. Wisdom, a female, appears as the wife of God and represents life.
For three weeks in February 2000, a team of BYU geologists worked in coastal Dhofar, focusing on geological formations that could have produced the metals needed by Nephi for making tools to build a ship. This article discusses the ores and processes that Nephi would have employed and considers the possibility that the coast of Dhofar may be a candidate for the location of Nephi’s shipbuilding.
Although Nephi’s tools were most likely made of iron or steel, bronze remains a possibility. The making of brass or bronze requires the creation of a copper alloy, and examples of such alloys are found in both the Old World and the New World. The nature of the alloys differed depending on the minerals available.
Lehi and his people understood their own times in terms of types and shadows from the past. God’s leading the family out of Jerusalem and reinstituting his covenant with Lehi in a new promised land can be understood only by comparison with the exodus and the roles of Lehi and Nephi in terms of Moses. This article identifies fourteen Mosiac themes and circumstances that Lehi invoked in his sermon recorded in 2 Nephi 1 and illustrates close parallels with these themes in Deuteronomy. Lehi may have compared himself to Moses as a rhetorical device to help his children see the divine direction behind his actions. In his final words to his children, Lehi invokes Moses’ farewell address to the Israelites. In so doing, Lehi casts himself in a role similar to that of Moses. Nephi portrays himself in similar terms on the small plates, apparently following the pattern set by his father.
Old Testament Topics > Moses
Old Testament Topics > Types and Symbols
The introduction to this issue is a discussion of the emphasis of the Journal of Book of Mormon Studies as defined by the editors.
Warfare is a constant theme in the Book of Mormon. Conflicts with varying motivations erupted between the Nephites and Lamanites from the beginning of their sojourn in the New World. Ultimately, the Nephites as a sociopolitical group were exterminated in one climactic battle when hundreds of thousands died in a single day. Have Mesoamerican archaeologists detected an intensity and scale of warfare great enough to account for the extermination of a people like the Nephites? Yes, there is now good reason to believe that the period when the Nephites were being destroyed by their enemies was characterized in southern Mexico and Guatemala by widespread disruption rather than an orderly evolution in the Classic era that once was the standard claim of archaeologists. The process of the complete destruction of the Nephites and their culture agrees with a recurrent pattern in Mesoamerican history.
In an interview with John L. Sorenson, linguist Brian Stubbs discusses the evidence he has used to establish that at least one language family in Mesoamerica is related to Semitic languages. Stubbs explains how his studies of Near Eastern languages, coupled with his studies of Uto-Aztecan, helped him find related word pairs in the two language families. The evidence for a link between Uto-Aztecan and Semitic languages, or even Egyptian or Arabic, is still tentative, although the evidence includes all the standard requirements of comparative or historical linguistic research: sound correspondences or consistent sound shifts, morphological correspondences, and a substantial lexicon consisting of as many as 1,000 words that exemplify those correspondences.
Over the last century, new techniques of scientific analysis have been developed that have been applied with the intent to clarify the course of human history. Immediately after World War II, blood group data seemed to provide a magic key to open up the history of the world’s populations, but by the 1960s such studies were shown to be unrealistic and misleading. The new tool in human biology and anthropology is DNA analysis. Despite cautions from the best scientists about the limits the new findings have for interpreting human history, some enthusiasts continue to claim too much for DNA study.
It has been 100 years since George Reynolds published his massive work, A Complete Concordance of the Book of Mormon. Reynolds worked on this project, begun while serving a prison sentence for polygamy, over 21 years of his life. He tabulated virtually every word used in the Book of Mormon except a few of the most common words, and gave a portion of the sentence in which each cited word appeared. He himself paid all the printing costs.
Since the rediscovery of the Joseph Smith Papyri in 1967, the papyri have been the center of conflicting, and often confusing, claims. This full-color, reader-friendly guide contains an overview of the basic facts and major theories about the papyri, along with helpful maps, illustrations, charts, and glossaries of terms and names.
Written by Egyptologist John Gee, this guide reflects not only the latest Egyptological research but also the most recent Latter-day Saint thought about the papyri. It deals with the nature of the papyri, their contents, their provenance, their relationship to the Book of Abraham and the Book of Breathings, current views of believers and detractors, and more.
The Book of Abraham, one of the canonized works of Latter-day Saint scripture brought forth by the Prophet Joseph Smith, has been attacked by critics since its publication in 1842. In Abraham in Egypt, LDS scholar Hugh Nibley draws on his erudition in ancient languages, literature, and history to defend the book on historical and doctrinal grounds. Nibley examines the Book of Abraham’s striking connections with ancient texts and Egyptian religion and culture. He discusses the book’s many nonbiblical themes that are found in apocryphal literature not known or available in Smith’s day. In opening up many other lines of inquiry, Nibley lays an essential foundation for further research on the biblical patriarch Abraham. This enlarged, second edition of Nibley’s classic 1981 work of the same title updates the endnotes, includes many illustrations, and adds several chapters taken from a series of articles in the Improvement Era entitled “A Look at the Pearl of Great Price,” which Nibley wrote between 1968 and 1970.
Hugh W. Nibley Topics > Pearl of Great Price > Book of Abraham > Characters > Abraham, Sarah, Abram, Sarai
Book of Moses Topics > Selection of Ancient Sources > General Collections and Key Texts
The focus of this project is to bring together all the known paintings and photographic images of Brigham from his lifetime. Additionally, a representative sample of the numerous graphic images of Brigham appearing in newspapers, magazines, and books from the same period are reproduced. Illustrations of the Mormon leader in these publications sometimes closely reflect the photographic record because they are based on original photographs or because they were made from personal observations by a trained artist. In many cases, artists met Brigham face-to-face and then worked from photographic images to finish their work. Other illustrations, however, range from the ridiculously funny to the blatantly vicious, like many political cartoons of the day. ISBN 1-5700-8625-7
RSC Topics > G — K > Jesus Christ
RSC Topics > T — Z > Testimony
RSC Topics > T — Z > Zion
This new selection of materials from the incomparable Encyclopedia of Mormonism includes 151 Book of Mormon articles by 115 scholars and articulate authors.
Within this compilation, readers will find: 45 illustrative photographs, maps, and charts, bibliographies, a unique list of entries by category, and a full index of passages.
Old Testament Topics > Restoration and Joseph Smith
RSC Topics > T — Z > Testimony
RSC Topics > T — Z > Youth
Considered by many to be a classic in LDS literature, this new edition of Abraham in Egypt [published in association with the Foundation for Ancient Research and Mormon Studies (FARMS)] contains all the material from the first edition as well as additions from Nibley’s 1968–70 Improvement Era series “A New Look at the Pearl of Great Price.”
In 1968–70, Hugh Nibley wrote a series of articles for the Improvement Era titled “A New Look at the Pearl of Great Price.” Brother Nibley asked that some of these articles be made into chapters to be added to Abraham in Egypt. These new chapters are what constitutes the new edition; no changes were made to the original chapters. For the articles, Nibley drew from many Jewish and rabbinical sources, while his work in the first edition was based on Egyptian material.
Hugh W. Nibley Topics > Bible > Old Testament > Characters > Abraham, Sarah, Abram, Sarai
Old Testament Topics > Symposia and Collections of Essays
Hugh W. Nibley Topics > The Collected Works of Hugh Nibley (CWHN)
Hugh W. Nibley Topics > Pearl of Great Price > Book of Abraham > Characters > Abraham, Sarah, Abram, Sarai
Chapters
The Book of Abraham, one of the canonized works of Latter-day Saint scripture brought forth by the Prophet Joseph Smith, has been attacked by critics since its publication in 1842. In Abraham in Egypt, LDS scholar Hugh Nibley draws on his erudition in ancient languages, literature, and history to defend the book on historical and doctrinal grounds. Nibley examines the Book of Abraham’s striking connections with ancient texts and Egyptian religion and culture. He discusses the book’s many nonbiblical themes that are found in apocryphal literature not known or available in Smith’s day. In opening up many other lines of inquiry, Nibley lays an essential foundation for further research on the biblical patriarch Abraham. This enlarged, second edition of Nibley’s classic 1981 work of the same title updates the endnotes, includes many illustrations, and adds several chapters taken from a series of articles in the Improvement Era entitled “A Look at the Pearl of Great Price,” which Nibley wrote between 1968 and 1970.
Hugh W. Nibley Topics > Pearl of Great Price > Book of Abraham
Hugh W. Nibley Topics > Pearl of Great Price > Book of Abraham > Characters > Abraham, Sarah, Abram, Sarai
The Book of Abraham, one of the canonized works of Latter-day Saint scripture brought forth by the Prophet Joseph Smith, has been attacked by critics since its publication in 1842. In Abraham in Egypt, LDS scholar Hugh Nibley draws on his erudition in ancient languages, literature, and history to defend the book on historical and doctrinal grounds. Nibley examines the Book of Abraham’s striking connections with ancient texts and Egyptian religion and culture. He discusses the book’s many nonbiblical themes that are found in apocryphal literature not known or available in Smith’s day. In opening up many other lines of inquiry, Nibley lays an essential foundation for further research on the biblical patriarch Abraham. This enlarged, second edition of Nibley’s classic 1981 work of the same title updates the endnotes, includes many illustrations, and adds several chapters taken from a series of articles in the Improvement Era entitled “A Look at the Pearl of Great Price,” which Nibley wrote between 1968 and 1970.
A stimulating comparison and analysis of the Apocalypse of Abraham and the Testament of Abraham, presenting the two traditions and offering others that have specif relevance to the Book of Abraham.
Old Testament Topics > Apocrypha and Pseudepigrapha [including intertestamental books and the Dead Sea Scrolls]
Hugh W. Nibley Topics > Pearl of Great Price > Book of Abraham > Joseph Smith Papyri, Book of Breathings, Book of the Dead, Facsimiles, Egyptology, Hypocephalus
The Book of Abraham, one of the canonized works of Latter-day Saint scripture brought forth by the Prophet Joseph Smith, has been attacked by critics since its publication in 1842. In Abraham in Egypt, LDS scholar Hugh Nibley draws on his erudition in ancient languages, literature, and history to defend the book on historical and doctrinal grounds. Nibley examines the Book of Abraham’s striking connections with ancient texts and Egyptian religion and culture. He discusses the book’s many nonbiblical themes that are found in apocryphal literature not known or available in Smith’s day. In opening up many other lines of inquiry, Nibley lays an essential foundation for further research on the biblical patriarch Abraham. This enlarged, second edition of Nibley’s classic 1981 work of the same title updates the endnotes, includes many illustrations, and adds several chapters taken from a series of articles in the Improvement Era entitled “A Look at the Pearl of Great Price,” which Nibley wrote between 1968 and 1970.
The Book of Abraham, one of the canonized works of Latter-day Saint scripture brought forth by the Prophet Joseph Smith, has been attacked by critics since its publication in 1842. In Abraham in Egypt, LDS scholar Hugh Nibley draws on his erudition in ancient languages, literature, and history to defend the book on historical and doctrinal grounds. Nibley examines the Book of Abraham’s striking connections with ancient texts and Egyptian religion and culture. He discusses the book’s many nonbiblical themes that are found in apocryphal literature not known or available in Smith’s day. In opening up many other lines of inquiry, Nibley lays an essential foundation for further research on the biblical patriarch Abraham. This enlarged, second edition of Nibley’s classic 1981 work of the same title updates the endnotes, includes many illustrations, and adds several chapters taken from a series of articles in the Improvement Era entitled “A Look at the Pearl of Great Price,” which Nibley wrote between 1968 and 1970.
The Book of Abraham, one of the canonized works of Latter-day Saint scripture brought forth by the Prophet Joseph Smith, has been attacked by critics since its publication in 1842. In Abraham in Egypt, LDS scholar Hugh Nibley draws on his erudition in ancient languages, literature, and history to defend the book on historical and doctrinal grounds. Nibley examines the Book of Abraham’s striking connections with ancient texts and Egyptian religion and culture. He discusses the book’s many nonbiblical themes that are found in apocryphal literature not known or available in Smith’s day. In opening up many other lines of inquiry, Nibley lays an essential foundation for further research on the biblical patriarch Abraham. This enlarged, second edition of Nibley’s classic 1981 work of the same title updates the endnotes, includes many illustrations, and adds several chapters taken from a series of articles in the Improvement Era entitled “A Look at the Pearl of Great Price,” which Nibley wrote between 1968 and 1970.
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
The Book of Abraham, one of the canonized works of Latter-day Saint scripture brought forth by the Prophet Joseph Smith, has been attacked by critics since its publication in 1842. In Abraham in Egypt, LDS scholar Hugh Nibley draws on his erudition in ancient languages, literature, and history to defend the book on historical and doctrinal grounds. Nibley examines the Book of Abraham’s striking connections with ancient texts and Egyptian religion and culture. He discusses the book’s many nonbiblical themes that are found in apocryphal literature not known or available in Smith’s day. In opening up many other lines of inquiry, Nibley lays an essential foundation for further research on the biblical patriarch Abraham. This enlarged, second edition of Nibley’s classic 1981 work of the same title updates the endnotes, includes many illustrations, and adds several chapters taken from a series of articles in the Improvement Era entitled “A Look at the Pearl of Great Price,” which Nibley wrote between 1968 and 1970.
Hugh W. Nibley Topics > Pearl of Great Price > Book of Abraham > Characters > Abraham, Sarah, Abram, Sarai
The Book of Abraham, one of the canonized works of Latter-day Saint scripture brought forth by the Prophet Joseph Smith, has been attacked by critics since its publication in 1842. In Abraham in Egypt, LDS scholar Hugh Nibley draws on his erudition in ancient languages, literature, and history to defend the book on historical and doctrinal grounds. Nibley examines the Book of Abraham’s striking connections with ancient texts and Egyptian religion and culture. He discusses the book’s many nonbiblical themes that are found in apocryphal literature not known or available in Smith’s day. In opening up many other lines of inquiry, Nibley lays an essential foundation for further research on the biblical patriarch Abraham. This enlarged, second edition of Nibley’s classic 1981 work of the same title updates the endnotes, includes many illustrations, and adds several chapters taken from a series of articles in the Improvement Era entitled “A Look at the Pearl of Great Price,” which Nibley wrote between 1968 and 1970.
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
The Book of Abraham, one of the canonized works of Latter-day Saint scripture brought forth by the Prophet Joseph Smith, has been attacked by critics since its publication in 1842. In Abraham in Egypt, LDS scholar Hugh Nibley draws on his erudition in ancient languages, literature, and history to defend the book on historical and doctrinal grounds. Nibley examines the Book of Abraham’s striking connections with ancient texts and Egyptian religion and culture. He discusses the book’s many nonbiblical themes that are found in apocryphal literature not known or available in Smith’s day. In opening up many other lines of inquiry, Nibley lays an essential foundation for further research on the biblical patriarch Abraham. This enlarged, second edition of Nibley’s classic 1981 work of the same title updates the endnotes, includes many illustrations, and adds several chapters taken from a series of articles in the Improvement Era entitled “A Look at the Pearl of Great Price,” which Nibley wrote between 1968 and 1970.
Hugh W. Nibley Topics > Pearl of Great Price > Book of Abraham > Characters > Abraham, Sarah, Abram, Sarai
The Book of Abraham, one of the canonized works of Latter-day Saint scripture brought forth by the Prophet Joseph Smith, has been attacked by critics since its publication in 1842. In Abraham in Egypt, LDS scholar Hugh Nibley draws on his erudition in ancient languages, literature, and history to defend the book on historical and doctrinal grounds. Nibley examines the Book of Abraham’s striking connections with ancient texts and Egyptian religion and culture. He discusses the book’s many nonbiblical themes that are found in apocryphal literature not known or available in Smith’s day. In opening up many other lines of inquiry, Nibley lays an essential foundation for further research on the biblical patriarch Abraham. This enlarged, second edition of Nibley’s classic 1981 work of the same title updates the endnotes, includes many illustrations, and adds several chapters taken from a series of articles in the Improvement Era entitled “A Look at the Pearl of Great Price,” which Nibley wrote between 1968 and 1970.
A study of the story of how Sarah ended up at the royal palace
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
The Book of Abraham, one of the canonized works of Latter-day Saint scripture brought forth by the Prophet Joseph Smith, has been attacked by critics since its publication in 1842. In Abraham in Egypt, LDS scholar Hugh Nibley draws on his erudition in ancient languages, literature, and history to defend the book on historical and doctrinal grounds. Nibley examines the Book of Abraham’s striking connections with ancient texts and Egyptian religion and culture. He discusses the book’s many nonbiblical themes that are found in apocryphal literature not known or available in Smith’s day. In opening up many other lines of inquiry, Nibley lays an essential foundation for further research on the biblical patriarch Abraham. This enlarged, second edition of Nibley’s classic 1981 work of the same title updates the endnotes, includes many illustrations, and adds several chapters taken from a series of articles in the Improvement Era entitled “A Look at the Pearl of Great Price,” which Nibley wrote between 1968 and 1970.
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 Abraham > Joseph Smith Papyri, Book of Breathings, Book of the Dead, Facsimiles, Egyptology, Hypocephalus
The Book of Abraham, one of the canonized works of Latter-day Saint scripture brought forth by the Prophet Joseph Smith, has been attacked by critics since its publication in 1842. In Abraham in Egypt, LDS scholar Hugh Nibley draws on his erudition in ancient languages, literature, and history to defend the book on historical and doctrinal grounds. Nibley examines the Book of Abraham’s striking connections with ancient texts and Egyptian religion and culture. He discusses the book’s many nonbiblical themes that are found in apocryphal literature not known or available in Smith’s day. In opening up many other lines of inquiry, Nibley lays an essential foundation for further research on the biblical patriarch Abraham. This enlarged, second edition of Nibley’s classic 1981 work of the same title updates the endnotes, includes many illustrations, and adds several chapters taken from a series of articles in the Improvement Era entitled “A Look at the Pearl of Great Price,” which Nibley wrote between 1968 and 1970.
Hugh W. Nibley Topics > Pearl of Great Price > Book of Abraham > Characters > Abraham, Sarah, Abram, Sarai
The Book of Abraham, one of the canonized works of Latter-day Saint scripture brought forth by the Prophet Joseph Smith, has been attacked by critics since its publication in 1842. In Abraham in Egypt, LDS scholar Hugh Nibley draws on his erudition in ancient languages, literature, and history to defend the book on historical and doctrinal grounds. Nibley examines the Book of Abraham’s striking connections with ancient texts and Egyptian religion and culture. He discusses the book’s many nonbiblical themes that are found in apocryphal literature not known or available in Smith’s day. In opening up many other lines of inquiry, Nibley lays an essential foundation for further research on the biblical patriarch Abraham. This enlarged, second edition of Nibley’s classic 1981 work of the same title updates the endnotes, includes many illustrations, and adds several chapters taken from a series of articles in the Improvement Era entitled “A Look at the Pearl of Great Price,” which Nibley wrote between 1968 and 1970.
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 > Noah, Ham, Shem, Japheth
The Book of Abraham, one of the canonized works of Latter-day Saint scripture brought forth by the Prophet Joseph Smith, has been attacked by critics since its publication in 1842. In Abraham in Egypt, LDS scholar Hugh Nibley draws on his erudition in ancient languages, literature, and history to defend the book on historical and doctrinal grounds. Nibley examines the Book of Abraham’s striking connections with ancient texts and Egyptian religion and culture. He discusses the book’s many nonbiblical themes that are found in apocryphal literature not known or available in Smith’s day. In opening up many other lines of inquiry, Nibley lays an essential foundation for further research on the biblical patriarch Abraham. This enlarged, second edition of Nibley’s classic 1981 work of the same title updates the endnotes, includes many illustrations, and adds several chapters taken from a series of articles in the Improvement Era entitled “A Look at the Pearl of Great Price,” which Nibley wrote between 1968 and 1970.
The Book of Abraham, one of the canonized works of Latter-day Saint scripture brought forth by the Prophet Joseph Smith, has been attacked by critics since its publication in 1842. In Abraham in Egypt, LDS scholar Hugh Nibley draws on his erudition in ancient languages, literature, and history to defend the book on historical and doctrinal grounds. Nibley examines the Book of Abraham’s striking connections with ancient texts and Egyptian religion and culture. He discusses the book’s many nonbiblical themes that are found in apocryphal literature not known or available in Smith’s day. In opening up many other lines of inquiry, Nibley lays an essential foundation for further research on the biblical patriarch Abraham. This enlarged, second edition of Nibley’s classic 1981 work of the same title updates the endnotes, includes many illustrations, and adds several chapters taken from a series of articles in the Improvement Era entitled “A Look at the Pearl of Great Price,” which Nibley wrote between 1968 and 1970.
Hugh W. Nibley Topics > Pearl of Great Price > Book of Abraham
Hugh W. Nibley Topics > Pearl of Great Price > Book of Abraham > Characters > Abraham, Sarah, Abram, Sarai
Reprinted in Eloquent Witness: Nibley on Himself, Others, and the Temple, Collected Works of Hugh Nibley vol. 17, 196–227.
Hugh Nibley discusses the last days based on his own thoughts and actively avoiding quotes from others (unless they pop up from memory).
Hugh W. Nibley Topics > History > Christian History, Apostasy > Eschatology, Last Days
Norman’s study of Athanasian soteriology was written as a dissertation for Duke University in 1980 and was previously available only through University Microfilms International or private photocopies. In this study, Norman examines St. Athanasius’s views of deification, or the doctrine that “God became man in order that man might become God.” Many scholars have dismissed this doctrine as a euphemism for humanity’s im mortality and fleshly incorruptibility in the resurrection. Norman argues, however, that Athanasius’s idea of deification was that individuals could become like God in every way.
Since their initial discovery in 1947, the ancient scrolls found in caves near the Dead Sea have stirred public curiosity. For Latter-day Saints, whose scriptural tradition speaks of sacred records to come forth in the last days, the Dead Sea Scrolls naturally give rise to questions such as:
— Are there references to Christ or Christianity in the scrolls?
— Do the scrolls contain scripture missing from the Bible?
— Is the plan of salvation attested in the scrolls?
— Do the scrolls refer to Joseph Smith or other latter-day figures?
The Dead Sea Scrolls: Questions and Responses for Latter-day Saints succinctly deals with these and other questions on topics of particular interest to LDS readers. These topics are based on actual questions that Latter-day Saints have asked the authors as they have taught classes at Brigham Young University, shared their research at professional symposia, and spoken in other settings.
In Provo, Utah, there exists the Foundation for Ancient Research and Mormon Studies (FARMS) renowned as a Mormon think-tank, FARMS is owned and operated by Brigham Young University (BYU) and the Mormon Church. Their mission seeks to repudiate the opposition, applaud its supporters, and justify many peculiar Mormon doctrines. This book demonstrates that FARMS often twists the truths to justify Mormon doctrines. To justify their position they often will utilize inane accusations, misquotes and equivocation. This collection of deceit from Mormon scholarship is what Matt Paulson has identified as the ¿breaking of the Mormon Code.¿
RSC Topics > A — C > Church History 1946–Present
RSC Topics > G — K > Gratitude
RSC Topics > T — Z > Teaching the Gospel
Richard Lloyd Anderson is a scholars’ scholar. Among Latter-day Saints, he is dean and master of two separate fields of academic study: the New Testament and early LDS Church history. His passion for history has profoundly influenced his scholarly career; his passion for order and system has shaped his missionary work and directed him into studying law; and his love for Brigham Young University and loyalty to its mission and destiny have guided his academic path. This volume, as you can see from the table of contents, contains essays written by outstanding LDS scholars on Book of Mormon Studies, Old Testament Studies and Ancient History, and New Testament Studies and Early Christian History.
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Richard Lloyd Anderson is a scholars’ scholar. Among Latter-day Saints, he is dean and master of two separate fields of academic study: the New Testament and early LDS Church history.
His passion for history has profoundly influenced his scholarly career; his passion for order and system has shaped his missionary work and directed him into studying law; and his love for Brigham Young University and loyalty to its mission and destiny have guided his academic path.
This volume, as you can see from the table of contents, contains essays written by outstanding LDS scholars on Book of Mormon Studies, Old Testament Studies and Ancient History, and New Testament Studies and Early Christian History.
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Dialogue: A Journal of Mormon Thought is an independent quarterly established to express Mormon culture and to examine the relevance of religion to secular life.
This article looks at some of the ways parallels have been used by Nibley in the exposition of latter-day scripture, the types of parallels employed, and some of the problems that arise from this comparative exercise.
RSC Topics > L — P > Old Testament
As the ancient prophet Mormon edited the scriptural texts that would become the Book of Mormon, he must have had a map in his mind of the places and physical features that comprised the setting for the events described in that book.
Mormon’s Map is Book of Mormon scholar John Sorenson’s reconstruction of that mental map solely from information gleaned from the text after years of intensive study. He describes his method; establishes the overall shape of Book of Mormon lands; sorts out details of topography, distance, direction, climate, and civilization; and treats issues of historical geography.
The resultant map will facilitate analysis of geography-related issues in the Book of Mormon narrative and also be of help in evaluating theories about where in the real world the Nephite lands were located.
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If it existed in only one ancient copy, says John Tvedtnes, the Book of Mormon may have been unique. But in virtually every other way it resembles many ancient books. In this present volume, Tvedtnes shows perhaps fifty things about ancient records that must have been hilarious in 1830 but make perfect sense today: the ubiquity of intentionally hiding books in all kinds of ingenious containers made of many materials, including stone boxes and ceramic jars; books incised on obdurate surfaces, like metals, bones, and ivory; inked papyri and parchments treated with swaddling cloths soaked in cedar and citrus oils to prevent decay; many sealed and open records; waterproofing sealants like bitumen and white lime mortar; caves serving as repositories of treasures buried in many sacred mountains; the ancient perception of permanence and eternalism associated with the preservative functions of writing; and numerous ancient traditions of angels as writers and guardians of written records. Many twentieth-century discoveries of ancient documents have made all of this visible.
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RSC Topics > L — P > New Testament
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When a group of LDS scholars collaborated in 1994 under the auspices of the Foundation for Ancient Research and Mormon Studies to publish a book on the allegory of the olive tree in Jacob 5, few substantial works on olive production in the ancient world existed. Now, two new archaeological books add a wealth of information to our understanding of the importance of the olive in ancient life. The first mention of the olive in the Book of Mormon is found in Lehi’s prediction of the Babylonian captivity and the coming of the Lamb of God. Lehi compared the house of Israel to an olive tree whose branches would be broken off and scattered upon all the face of the earth (1 Ne. 10:12). After being scattered,the house of Israel would be gathered and the natural branches of the olive tree, or the remnants of the house of Israel, would be grafted in, or come to a knowledge of the true Messiah (1 Ne. 10:14). In this passage, Lehi probably drew upon Zenos’s allegory, found on the plates of brass. In incredible horticultural detail, that allegory compares the house of Israel to an olive tree. Yet that Old World information was apparently lost among Lehi’s descendants in the New World. After the fifth chapter of Jacob, the olive is not mentioned again in the Book of Mormon.
Book of Mormon Scriptures > Jacob
Book of Mormon Scriptures > Enos
Old Testament Topics > Flora and Fauna
Old Testament Topics > Olive Oil
I am convinced that we can find, know, and experience the tender, unconditional love of Jesus of Nazareth as we serve Him by serving our fellowmen.
If we continue earnestly with faith and hope in Christ to seek the gift of charity, it will be granted to us. We will be filled with a love of God and of all people.
It is clear that the Lord is preparing the earth for His second coming. May we appreciate the day in which we live.
Today, as one of the Lord’s apostles, I charge you to prepare spiritually and in every other way to be prepared for the important work ahead for you to do.
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Let us then be clear in our vision as we pursue and proclaim truth.
I challenge each of us to remember we are part of our Father in Heaven’s earthly family, and we should love each other as our Father in Heaven and Jesus Christ love us.
Christlike staying power in romance and marriage requires more than any of us really have. It requires something more, an endowment from heaven.
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In the final analysis, then, the greatest testimony we can ever give to others is an exemplary life devoted to service.
The Lord needs faithful, articulate, committed men and women who are undaunted by what lies ahead and who are willing to stand up for what is right again and again.
The Daily Universe is an educational lab tied to the curriculum of the journalism sequence in the BYU School of Communications and is committed to the mission of BYU and its sponsoring institution, The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.
An overview of Hugh Nibley’s accomplishments as tribute for his ninetieth birthday.
The Holy Ghost has the power to bring light and understanding to our lives, but we must pay the price to seek and win His companionship.
The most important thing every one of us can do is to examine our own commitment and devotion to the Lord Jesus Christ.
Priesthood isn’t something we take off during the week and put on for Sunday. It is a 24-7 privilege and blessing—that is, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.
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I have learned from the scriptures and the living prophets that this life is the time to prepare ourselves to meet God and one day enjoy eternal life with Him.
We declare that the great restoration that the ancient prophets spoke of began in 1820 when the Lord called a young man named Joseph Smith to reestablish the Church.
A father succeeds when he steps forward and accepts his commitment as a father, always loving, praying for and doing what he can for his family, and never giving up.
The Savior will let you feel the love He feels for those you serve. The call is an invitation to become like Him.
Never before in the history of the world has the need for faith in God been greater.
Self-mastery … is the ultimate test of our character.
I promise you dear young sisters that if you live the standards of personal worthiness contained in the Young Women program, great will be your happiness and endless will be your joy.
I hope that we have grateful hearts for the knowledge that we have and the testimonies we have and for the feelings we have.
I pray that you young people will develop a reverence for sacred things, a respect for your elders, and a willingness to keep the commandments. I pray that you will learn to know of the Savior.
In this great hall … the voices of prophets will go out to all the world in testimony of the Redeemer of mankind.
Stake presidents have been called under the same inspiration under which the General Authorities were called. I pray for these, my beloved brethren, that the Spirit of the Lord will rest upon them.
Of all the things for which I feel grateful … , one stands out preeminently. That is a living testimony of Jesus Christ.
Let us take a little time to meditate, to think of what we can do to improve our lives and to become better examples of what a Latter-day Saint should be.
May we do as much with the blessings we have been given as [our ancestors] did out of the deprivations so many of them faced. In such abundance may we never “forget the Lord.”
If we can help people first understand the plan, they will find a deeper and more permanent motivation to keep the commandments.
I know that your Heavenly Father has a special plan for you and your family to return to live with Him. Let’s go home.
What does it mean to stand as a witness of God? It means we will not bow down or give in or be persuaded to do anything contrary to God’s will.
Life’s necessary defining moments come within our allotments. … Our responses are what matter. Sufficient unto each life are the tests thereof!
The Savior, Jesus Christ, showed us the way to happiness and told us everything we need to do to be happy.
Let us consider our callings, let us reflect on our responsibilities, let us determine our duty, and let us follow Jesus Christ our Lord.
In a very real sense, we are builders of eternal houses. We are apprentices to the trade—not skilled craftsmen. We need divine help if we are to build successfully.
You have all you need to stand strong and firm and true because you have the Lord on your side.
Grand as it is, planet Earth is part of something even grander—that great plan of God. Simply summarized, the earth was created that families might be.
Old Testament Topics > Creation
Resurrection is much more than merely reuniting a spirit to a body. … The resurrection is a restoration that brings back “carnal for carnal” and “good for that which is good” (Alma 41:13).
It has been inspiring to see the Lord’s hand in bringing the forces together which will lead to an inevitable victory. There will be a temple in West Africa.
In every language, the Spirit of God—the Holy Ghost—guides, or can guide, every member of the Church.
The continued expansion of technology will only bring the messages to us. … [But it is] the challenge of each individual and family … to internalize the messages of the gospel.
Each of us absolutely must help each daughter of God we can to realize what sacred characteristics Father in Heaven has given her.
Create homes filled with love and serenity. Relieve suffering. Create enduring testimonies of eternal truths in ourselves and others.
Integrity makes you whole and complete.
The Lord loves widows. … [We] should care for and assist the widows within our family, home, ward, and neighborhood.
In our own storms in life the Savior is our solace and our sanctuary. If we seek peace, we must come unto Him.
A tribute to Hugh Nibley around his 90th birthday.
I bear solemn testimony that the restored gospel of Jesus Christ is rolling forth under His direction and in preparation for His second coming.
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Old Testament Topics > Creation
I now view creation not as something that occurred long ago but as a process that continues today in which we are given the sacred privilege to participate.
We will have trials, but let’s accept them as part of this earthly experience. Let’s recognize that our lives are a miracle, a miracle of love and of innumerable blessings.
It is my view that athletics can and must foster the building of character, create and develop faith, and build men and women imbued with spiritual strength and courage.
As caring adults we have a responsibility to love, to reach out to, and to teach them as our Father in Heaven instructs us to do.
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It is possible, because of Him, to have peace deep within our souls when all about there is confusion, tumult, and temptation.
Let us establish clearly our priorities in life. Let us go to the sacrament table repenting of our sins and renewing our covenants on a weekly basis. Let us serve others. Let us fast from critical talk and worldly behavior. Let us feast upon the Word.
Because he was willing to ask God directly, the Prophet Joseph—and each of us through him—learned eternal truths about the nature of God and the current status of God’s kingdom on earth.
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When we remember that the war may extend beyond mortality and the rewards may be far greater than the short-term recognition, income, or influence we may have sought, we will not lose the eternal perspective we need to keep.
A letter of protest about the South Campus Area Master Plan signed by Hugh and Phyllis Nibley and other individuals.
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Where is the right place? Who is the right person? When is the right time? Fortunately, President Hinckley and others have given us inspired counsel concerning these questions, and more than 60 years of research in the social sciences adds another witness to their counsel.
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If we do not … willingly teach others of the Restoration of the gospel of Jesus Christ through the Prophet Joseph Smith, who will?
We … become alive as we take, knowingly, full responsibility for our own life and as we stop blaming circumstances.
As we become more conversant with the Holy Spirit, our lives become refined. The sordid and base have no attraction.
By identifying our ancestors and performing for them the saving ordinances they could not themselves perform, we are testifying of the infinite reach of the Atonement of Jesus Christ.
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King Benjamin taught three basic principles that can help us retain a remission of our sins: first, to remain humble; second, to call upon the Lord daily; and third, to stand steadfast in the faith.
No woman is a more vibrant instrument in the hands of the Lord than a woman of God who is thrilled to be who she is.
I know that God our Father is in this work in great congregations such as this, and in the smallest branch and the smallest congregation God is in this work.
Will we listen to Satan, the author of all lies … ? Or are we going to believe a loving Heavenly Father, who is the source of all truth and happiness?
Prayer can provide the shield of protection the parent will want so much for [a child] to have.
Each of us needs to train ourselves to be bold, disciplined, and loyal men of the priesthood who are prepared with the proper weapons to fight against evil and to win.
As I look back over my life, I recognize one source of singular strength and blessing. It is my testimony and knowledge that Jesus is the Christ.
The Latter-day Saints must lead out in sanctifying this appointed day each week.
As my eyesight dims somewhat, I think my vision improves—my vision of the long road, my vision of what lies ahead.
Our Baptism and confirmation is the gateway into His kingdom. When we enter, we covenant to be of His kingdom—forever!
Uplifting traditions … that promote love for Deity and unity in families and among people are especially important.
We speak words of testimony concerning God our Eternal Father and His Beloved Son.
In terms of your happiness, in terms of the matters that make you proud or sad, nothing—I repeat, nothing—will have so profound an effect on you as the way your children turn out.
This work is possessed of a vitality which has never been evidenced before to such a degree.
If we have drawn nearer to the Savior, with a more firm resolution to follow His teachings and His example, then this conference will have been a wonderful success.
I know of no better answer to [the] foul practices that confront our young people than the teachings of a mother, given in love with an unmistakable warning.
The call in every age—and especially our age—is Joshua’s call: “Sanctify yourselves: for to morrow the Lord will do wonders among you.”
The light of Jesus Christ is stronger than any darkness we face in this life, if we have faith in Him, seek after Him, and obey Him.
The actions of righteous women ripple on and on through time and space and even generations.
Many individuals preoccupied by the cares of the world are not necessarily in transgression. But they certainly are in diversion and thus waste “the days of [their] probation” (2 Ne. 9:27).
I revere the priesthood of Almighty God. I have witnessed its power. I have seen its strength. I have marveled at the miracles it has wrought.
As an expression of our love for the Lord, could we not rededicate our lives and our homes in a like manner?
Come seeking to know Him, and I promise you will find Him and see Him in His true character as the risen, redeeming Savior of the world.
Daughters of God know that it is the nurturing nature of women that can bring everlasting blessings, and they live to cultivate this divine attribute.
We all need guidance through life. We obtain it best from the standard works and teachings of the prophets of God.
There is an expanding gulf between the standards of the world and those of the gospel and kingdom of God, and … living prophets will always teach the standards of God.
In contrast to the institutions of the world, which teach us to know something, the gospel of Jesus Christ challenges us to become something.
Given the importance of the message, the help offered by the Spirit, the number of the missionaries and the size of the field that is ready to harvest, 300,000 new converts per year is not nearly enough.
Your body really is the instrument of your mind and the foundation of your character.
We must create … ongoing and continual processes that draw us closer to the Lord our Savior so that we can be numbered among His disciples.
Embrace the Savior’s warm invitation to come unto Him, one by one, and be perfected in Him.
Are you taking full advantage of the redeeming power of repentance in your life so that you can have greater peace and joy?
We don’t need a new program to spur us on—we need only incorporate the desire to share the gospel and reach out to new members and those who are less active.
As a special witness of the name of Jesus Christ in all the world, I promise you that if you seek the Lord, you will find Him. Ask, and you shall receive.
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Old Testament Topics > Covenant [see also Ephraim, Israel, Jews, Joseph]
Old Testament Topics > Moses
Book of Moses Topics > Selection of Ancient Sources > Adam and Eve — Secondary Sources
Review of The Book of Mormon and Other Hidden Books: “Out of the Darkness unto Light” (2000), by John A. Tvedtnes
Review of Manifestations Mysteries Revealed: An Account of Bible Truth and the Book of Mormon Prophecies (2000), by Embaya Melekin
Ancient altars in Yemen bear the inscription Nihm, a variant of the word Nahom. According to the Book of Mormon, one of the travelers in Lehi’s group, Ishmael, was buried at a place called Nahom. Because the altar has been dated to about the sixth or seventh century BC (the time of Lehi’s journey), it is plausible that the Nihm referred to on the altar could be the same place written about in the Book of Mormon. This article discusses the discovery site, the appearance of the altars, and the process of dating the altars, as well as the place-name Nahom in its Book of Mormon setting.
RSC Topics > G — K > Jesus Christ
RSC Topics > L — P > Love
Is the New Testament doctrinally complete? Does God condone anger as the book of Matthew seems to suggest? What does the book of Mormon teach us about the concept of hell as compared to the Bible and the teachings of other Christian faiths? What is the meaning of the word gospel? In this volume, fourteen Latter-day Saint scholars answer these and other questions with a collection of thought-provoking essays. These essays show that the Book of Mormon confirms the truth of the New Testament while offering a more complete understanding of the plan of salvation. ISBN 1-5734-5836-8
Articles
RSC Topics > A — C > Book of Mormon
RSC Topics > A — C > Creation
RSC Topics > D — F > Death
RSC Topics > D — F > Fall of Adam and Eve
RSC Topics > G — K > Jesus Christ
RSC Topics > G — K > Justice
RSC Topics > L — P > Mercy
RSC Topics > Q — S > Repentance
RSC Topics > Q — S > Resurrection
RSC Topics > Q — S > Sacrifice
RSC Topics > Q — S > Salvation
RSC Topics > Q — S > Sin
RSC Topics > A — C > Conversion
RSC Topics > G — K > Holy Ghost
RSC Topics > L — P > Love
RSC Topics > Q — S > Sin
RSC Topics > D — F > Doctrine
RSC Topics > Q — S > Resurrection
RSC Topics > G — K > Judgment
RSC Topics > D — F > Foreordination
RSC Topics > G — K > Jesus Christ
RSC Topics > L — P > Law of Moses
RSC Topics > L — P > Melchizedek Priesthood
RSC Topics > L — P > Priesthood
RSC Topics > Q — S > Sacrament
RSC Topics > A — C > Baptism
RSC Topics > G — K > Holy Ghost
RSC Topics > G — K > Jesus Christ
RSC Topics > Q — S > Repentance
RSC Topics > G — K > Jesus Christ
RSC Topics > G — K > Judgment
RSC Topics > G — K > Justice
RSC Topics > L — P > Love
RSC Topics > D — F > Devil
RSC Topics > G — K > Hell
RSC Topics > G — K > Judgment
RSC Topics > Q — S > Resurrection
RSC Topics > G — K > Jesus Christ
RSC Topics > Q — S > Second Coming
RSC Topics > A — C > Book of Mormon
RSC Topics > D — F > Death
RSC Topics > D — F > Doctrine
RSC Topics > D — F > Fall of Adam and Eve
RSC Topics > L — P > New Testament
RSC Topics > L — P > Plan of Salvation
RSC Topics > Q — S > Resurrection
RSC Topics > Q — S > Sacrifice
RSC Topics > Q — S > Salvation
RSC Topics > L — P > Prayer
RSC Topics > Q — S > Sacrament
RSC Topics > A — C > Book of Mormon
RSC Topics > A — C > Covenant
RSC Topics > D — F > Doctrine
RSC Topics > G — K > Holy Ghost
RSC Topics > G — K > Jesus Christ
RSC Topics > Q — S > Repentance
Review of The Book of Mormon and Other Hidden Books: “Out of Darkness unto Light” (2000), by John A. Tvedtnes
RSC Topics > D — F > Doctrine and Covenants
RSC Topics > Q — S > Resurrection
RSC Topics > T — Z > War
Review of Pope Fictions: Answers to 30 Myths and Misconceptions about the Papacy (1999), by Patrick Madrid
Review of When Mormons Call: Answering Mormon Missionaries at Your Door (1999), and Inside Mormonism: What Mormons Really Believe (1999), by Isaiah Bennett
Review of “Anti-Intellectualism in Mormon History” (1966), by Davis Bitton
RSC Topics > L — P > Miracles
RSC Topics > L — P > Prophets
Republished as “The BYU Folklore of Hugh W. Nibley“ in Hugh Nibley Observed.
How Hugh Nibley became a household name and a legend at Brigham Young University.
Articles
This book is about finding God and strengthening faith. Though some stories are about joining the LDS church, this is not a book of conversion stories. This three-year effort began as a search for interesting stories about how BYU intertwined with people’s lives and how it affected their faith. The compilers were pleased to discover experiences that were much richer in thought and detail, and far more complex than the anticipated recitations of meaningful classroom interactions and the introduction of religious values in an intellectual environment. In this thoughtful, inspriring, and sometimes humorous book, you’ll read the stories of more than twenty people and their personal interactions with BYU. You’ll read the account of Patricia Holland, who as a young teenager was deeply touched by her first contact with the University. Rabbi David Rosen shares his poignant account of traveling to Salt Lake City to meet with Church leaders about the BYU Jerusalem Center. And you’ll read about Earl Kauffman, then a non-LDS athlete who visited BYU on a recruiting visit and immediately fell in love with the University and found God in his daily interaction with teammates, students, and faculty, and later joined the Church. These essays, each a significant part of the contributors’ life histories, also serve to enrich our lives, as well as our perspectives on Finding God at BYU. ISBN 9781577349297
Articles
RSC Topics > L — P > Prayer
RSC Topics > G — K > Humility
RSC Topics > T — Z > Testimony
RSC Topics > Q — S > Service
Review of Mormonism and the Nature of God: A Theological Revolution, 1830-1915 (2000), by Kurt Widmer
Some years ago I bought Margaret Barker’s The Great Angel on the last day of an annual meeting of the Society of Biblical Literature. (On the last day of each conference, hundreds of booksellers—Cambridge and Brill being notable exceptions—sell their display copies at a fifty-percent discount, creating the Bookanalia, a book-buying frenzy among otherwise staid and boring academics that is a wonder to behold.) As I began reading through the book on the flight home, I would come across passages that made me stop and ask, “Could Barker be a Mormon?” Reading further I would conclude she probably wasn’t. But a few pages later I would again be forced to wonder, “Well, maybe she really is a Mormon.” Every Latter-day Saint I’ve talked to about Barker’s research has had a similar reaction. The truth is, however, Barker is a Methodist preacher and a past president of the Society for Old Testament Study, who has had no extensive contact with Latter-day Saints. I have long believed that Barker’s books deserved to be more widely known and read by Latter-day Saints. Kevin Christensen’s “Paradigms Regained,” the second in the ongoing series of FARMS Occasional Papers, is an excellent introduction to Barker’s works and their possible implications for Latter-day Saints.
Articles
Old Testament Topics > Music
This volume is really a sequel to the work Ron Dennis has done on the Welsh periodical The Prophet of the Jubilee. The press played an important role in the rapid growth of Mormonism in Wales from 1845 through 1848. Although the appearance of Captain Dan Jones’s first pamphlet in April of 1845 did not have an immediate effect, the publication of David Williams’s caustic response to it in December of that same year touched off a war of words between the Welsh Mormons and their many critics that lasted for well over a decade. This book is designed to preserve the appearance and flavor of the original Welsh. For more information, click here. ISBN 1-57345-928-3
Articles
RSC Topics > L — P > Priesthood
RSC Topics > Q — S > Spiritual Gifts
RSC Topics > L — P > Miracles
Old Testament Topics > Covenant [see also Ephraim, Israel, Jews, Joseph]
Old Testament Topics > Justification
An essay published posthumously in which England wrestles with what he believed to be a disturbing trend in Mormonism away from what he saw as Joseph Smith’s and Brigham Young’s doctrine of God as a personal being engaged with us in a tragic universe not of his own making and toward a more absolutistic God similar to the teachings about deity held by Evangelical Christianity.
Since the advent of the Dead Sea Scrolls, four biblical textual scholars have emerged at the forefront of the dialogue concerning textual evolution. They are: Frank Moore Cross, Emanuel Tov, Shemaryahu Talmon and Eugene Ulrich. Though there is some overlap in their hypotheses, each scholar has put forth a framework of biblical textural development in light of these new discoveries. If a new biblical text were discovered today, how would each scholar approach it? This thesis evaluates each scholars’ views and concludes that Emanuel Tov’s criteria for judging a newly discovered text is the most thorough and explanatory. Tov’s views provide for texts that appear to have evolved away from other known biblical texts. His descriptive categories for discovered texts recognize the possibility that a discovered text could be unaligned with any text known thus far to the scholarly world. He terms this category “non-aligned.” The other scholars do not provide for such a category. They assume that all texts are closely related in “families,” or “literary editions” and that all texts evolved in relative close proximity to one other with either occasional or frequent contact. Book of Mormon Isaiah was removed from the biblical textual evolutionary process that was taking place in Palestine ca. 600 B.C. Where does it fit into this process as put forth by scholars? Is it a text closely related to any of the families described by these four scholars? This thesis evaluates the textual variants between Book of Mormon Isaiah and Isaiah in the Septuagint, the Masoretic Text, and Qumran’s Isaiah scrolls. Of the 433 verses of Isaiah in the Book of Mormon. 216 (50%) contain 370 variants. 119 of these are related to italicized words in the King James Version. 76 variants appear to agree with the Septuagint, 28 agree with Isaiah at Qumran, 52 are supported by the Masoretic text, and 150 variants are non-aligned. These facts are accurately predicted and explained by Emanuel Tov’s theories. Of the four, he is the only scholar that conceives of the idea of a text non closely aligned with any other extant text. Book of Mormon Isaiah contains approximately 1/3 of the chapters in the Masoretic text. Using Tov’s theories, when 433 verses contain 370 variants, this fits the criteria of an “independent” or “non-aligned text.” Book of Mormon Isaiah is a proof text for his theories.
This book presents the scholar, historian, lawyer, and general student of the Bible with a highly readable and useful handbook. First published in Jerusalem in 1964, this concise yet knowledgeable treatise remains illuminating. Its skillful organization makes it the most accessible of all introductions to biblical law. Falk’s research is grounded in historical, sociological, linguistic, and comparative data. His work yields interesting insights about technical legal terminology, vital social information behind the Israelite legal system, and broad perspectives on law among Israel’s neighbors, the Babylonians, Assyrians, and Egyptians. Alongside its discussions of homicide, torts, property, contracts, slavery, and divorce, this book includes sections on law and religion, divine judgment, collective responsibility, blasphemy, and religious elements in biblical family law. These studies make it clear that Hebrew law in biblical times cannot be understood except as an integrated system of social institutions and religious values.
Review of “Poetic Language in Nineteenth Century Mormonism: A Study of Semiotic Phenomenology in Communication and Culture” (1990), by Michiko Takayama
RSC Topics > L — P > Plan of Salvation
RSC Topics > Q — S > Scriptures
One of the greatest blessings the Lord has showered upon Latter-day Saints is the guidance and noble example of modern-day apostles and prophets—men whose lives and words inspire, bless, and uplift. This volume brings together engaging biographies of these men—all 109 members of the First Presidency and Quorum of the Twelve Apostles called since the Restoration began. Featuring memorable stories and facts from the lives of those whom the Lord has called to lead His latter-day kingdom, this volume unfolds the panorama of latter-day Church history. ISBN 1-5734-5797-3
Chapters
RSC Topics > Q — S > Quorum of the Twelve Apostles
RSC Topics > Q — S > Quorum of the Twelve Apostles
RSC Topics > Q — S > Quorum of the Twelve Apostles
Articles
Review of “A Hard Day for Professor Midgley: An Essay for Fawn McKay Brodie” (1999), by Glen J. Hettinger
Review of Fingerprints of God: Evidences from Near-Death Studies, Scientific Research on Creation, and Mormon Theology (1999), by Arvin S. Gibson
Review of Fingerprints of God: Evidences from Near-Death Studies, Scientific Research on Creation, and Mormon Theology (1999), by Arvin S. Gibson
Review of Fawn McKay Brodie: A Biographer's Life (1999), by Newell G. Bringhurst
Review of Is the Mormon My Brother? (1997), by James R. White
Introduction to the current issue, including editor’s picks. Peterson surmises what the assumptions of the forthcoming book American Apocrypha will be. The statements of the Book of Mormon witnesses must be taken seriously, and the work of Royal Skousen reveals a stunningly consistent, systematic, and complex book. Keith Norman’s dissertation on deification and Jordan Vajda’s master’s thesis on divinization note parallels with early doctrines of theosis. Joseph Smith’s mission consisted of making clear that which was formerly hidden.
Review of Fingerprints of God: Evidences from Near-Death Studies, Scientific Research on Creation, and Mormon Theology (1999), by Arvin S. Gibson
Articles
Review of Nephite culture and Society: Selected Papers (1997), by John L. Sorenson
Review of “The Question of the Validity of Baptism Conferred in the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints” (unpublished), by Luis Ladaria
Review of “Parallelomania and the Study of Latter-day Saint Scripture: Confirmation, Coincidence, or the Collective Unconscious?” (2000), by Douglas F. Salmon
Review of Charting the Book of Mormon (1999), by John W. Welch and J. Gregory Welch
Since 1989, the Review of Books on the Book of Mormon has published review essays to help serious readers make informed choices and judgments about books and other publications on topics related to the Latter-day Saint religious tradition. It has also published substantial freestanding essays that made further contributions to the field of Mormon studies. In 1996, the journal changed its name to the FARMS Review with Volume 8, No 1. In 2011, the journal was renamed Mormon Studies Review.
A review of A Guide to the Joseph Smtih Papyri (2000) by John Gee.
Introduction to the current issue, including editor's picks. Peterson poses and answers fourteen “questions not asked” for readers of the FARMS Review of Books. Louis Midgley and George L. Mitton have been appointed as associate editors for the FARMS Review.
Review of Come unto Christ: The Conversion of Alma the Younger (1999), by Merrill Jenson, with text compiled by Betsy Jenson
Review of The Temple in Time and Eternity (1999), edited by Donald W. Parry and Stephen D. Ricks; and The Gates of Heaven: Insights on the Doctrines and Symbols of the Temple (1999), by Matthew B. Brown
Review of Mormon America: The Power and the Promise (1999), by Richard N. Ostling and Joan K. Ostling
Review of Following the Ark of the Covenant (2000), by Kerry Ross Boren and Lisa Lee Boren
Review of Gospel of the Savior: A New Ancient Gospel (1999), by Charles W. Hedrick and Paul A. Mirecki
Articles
Contrary to what some may assume, the plates were most likely made not of pure gold but rather of an alloy termed tumbaga by the Spanish.
Richardson Benedict Gill’s book The Great Maya Droughts: Water, Life, and Death provides substantial evidence of the natural physical events that occurred in Mesoamerica. These events are comparable to events recorded in the Book of Mormon.
Evidence suggests that ancient Mesoamericans may have had horses. Excavations have produced horse bones that archaeologists believe date to before the Spanish Conquest. The article also mentions an artifact found in Bolivia that may have characters in a Semitic script. Locals have asked for assistance in examining the piece, but it is not yet clear whether it is relevant to the Book of Mormon.
Having studied Janne Sjodahl’s work on the number of plates required for the original Book of Mormon text, John Gee examines the potential drawbacks of Sjodahl’s experiment. He concludes that the size of Miller’s script suffices for Sjodahl’s test.
This article explains the benefits of studying specific words in the context of the Book of Mormon. Focusing on the origin of a word provides additional meaning and insight to a particular verse of scripture and helps the reader better understand the intended meaning of the author.
This article contains descriptions of the gold plates quoted directly from individuals who were closely associated with Joseph Smith Jr. Among those quoted are Martin Harris, Orson Pratt, and Emma Smith. The compiler also comments on the material of the plates.
Witnesses of the Book of Mormon > The Translation of the Book of Mormon
When the Book of Mormon was first published in 1830, there were 5,000 copies printed. It is unclear how many of those copies still exist today, but each was worth approximately $5,000 in the 1980s. One such copy, after being passed from one person to another for over a century, finally fell into the hands of Gerald E. Jones. Using a note left on the inside cover by a former owner, Jones was able to track the journey of the book and discover who many of its owners were.
When the prophet Abinadi preached repentance to the Nephites, the people were upset and turned him over to King Noah. While in the king’s presence, Abinadi explained to the king and to the priests the meaning of Isaiah’s messianic prophecies. Although they did not heed Abinadi’s teaching, modern readers of the Book of Mormon are now able to better understand the life of Jesus Christ and the key principles of the atonement through Abinadi’s teachings.
Old Testament Topics > Book of Mormon and the Old Testament
Many critics of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints believe that there cannot be any scripture added to the Bible, thus making the Book of Mormon blasphemous. However, many scriptures refer to other books of scriptures, including the Book of Mormon and other records that are not currently available to the world. Monte S. Nyman discusses here the plausibility of receiving modern revelation and scripture from God. He also suggests that by studying the Book of Mormon and other scriptures in conjunction with the Bible, Latter-day Saints can better prepare for the day when lost records are restored.
This article lists and discusses multiple texts that comment on the Book of Mormon and recommends them as supplements to Book of Mormon study.
After the Book of Mormon prophet Lehi left Jerusalem with his family, he built an altar in the wilderness and offered a sacrifice to God. This practice appears to contradict biblical law as outlined in Deuteronomy 12, which states that sacrifices should be made only on an altar within a temple. However, David Rolph Seely provides three possible explanations as to why Lehi was not breaking the law of Moses.
Janne Sjodahl discusses how the Book of Mormon would have taken up less space on the plates than in its current translated and printed form. Because the plates were written in a language comparable to Hebrew, Sjodahl had fourteen pages of the English Book of Mormon translated into Hebrew and written out. This Hebrew text covered only one page. According to this finding, the Book of Mormon could be written using as few as twenty-one plates (or even forty-eight if written in larger characters). Sjodahl presents estimates of the size and weight of the plates.
Introduction to the current issue.
This article discusses the evolution of book collecting, particularly by Latter-day Saints. Although the circle of book collectors used to be small, it has since expanded, probably because of the spread of the Internet. Latter-day Saints throughout the world are now able to locate and purchase old and rare books within minutes. While this innovation can be productive and beneficial, the easy access can be risky. Because people are so anxious to buy these types of books, they have the potential to be deceived by those who create fraudulent products, and unlike the older, more experienced buyers, newcomers often do not inspect books closely for authenticity and condition before purchasing them. Because of these potential mistakes, it is essential that book collectors be more aware of the risks and take the necessary precautions to avoid them.
Arnold Friberg is arguably the most influential artist on Latter-day Saint scriptural art. His depictions of the people and the landscape of the Book of Mormon are well known to Latter-day Saints. This article explains the genesis and completion of Friberg’s series of twelve Book of Mormon paintings and gives the author’s own observations on each painting.
The Journal of the Book of Mormon and Other Restoration Scripture is a peer-reviewed journal dedicated to promoting understanding of the history, meaning, and significance of the scriptures and other sacred texts revealed through the Prophet Joseph Smith.
Articles
The timing of volcanic eruptions in the Veracruz area, where many scholars suggest the Book of Mormon may have taken place, is contemporary with events recorded in the Book of Mormon, thus providing further evidence of the authenticity of that book.
Reports of an underwater city off the island of Cuba have caused many Latter-day Saints to believe that the city is a remnant of a Book of Mormon city. However, archaeologists have not found any reason to support that idea.
This article has been adapted from the author’s book By the Hand of Mormon: The American Scripture That Launched a New World Religion. The author discusses three common understandings of the term revelation: (1) revelation as doctrine, (2) revelation as history, and (3) revelation as inner experience. He suggests that the Book of Mormon introduces a fourth type: revelation as dialogue. This form of revelation allows individuals to have direct contact with God, rather than only through the scriptures, and can be applied to our lives just as it was to the lives of those living in Book of Mormon times.
The use of the word judge in the scriptures can cause confusion. By researching the etymologies and scriptural uses of the words judge and righteous, Cynthia Hallen observes that there is a difference between judging and judging righteously.
Brigham Young studied the text of the Book of Mormon for approximately two years before he decided to be baptized. This article discusses how his family life prepared him to receive the teachings of the Book of Mormon and the influence his testimony had on him throughout his life, as second president of the church, and as the first governor of the state of Utah. Despite his conversion to the Book of Mormon, Brigham did not often refer to its teachings in his sermons. This seemingly strange practice was likely a result of the cultural dependence on the Bible at that time and of Brigham’s careful attention to the prophet Joseph Smith Jr.’s teaching style, which did not include a large number of Book of Mormon references. Even though Brigham did not incorporate direct references in his teachings, he was greatly influenced by the principles taught in the Book of Mormon.
The two spellings strait and straight are often considered synonymous; however, they come from different Middle English words and have different meanings. Strait means “narrow” or “tight,” whereas straight means “not crooked.” The difference in these meanings affects the interpretation of the scriptural phrase “strait/straight and narrow path” and others like it. Reynolds and Skousen explore possible meanings that the original Book of Mormon authors may have intended in their use of the two words.
The serpent is often used to represent one of two things: Christ or Satan. This article synthesizes evidence from Egypt, Mesopotamia, Phoenicia, Greece, and Jerusalem to explain the reason for this duality. Many scholars suggest that the symbol of the serpent was used anciently to represent Jesus Christ but that Satan distorted the symbol, thereby creating this paradox. The dual nature of the serpent is incorporated into the Old Testament, the New Testament, and the Book of Mormon.
Introduction to the current issue and the new editorial team.
The first line of Nephi’s Psalm (found in 2 Nephi 4:16– 35) matches perfectly the iambic pentameter of Jean Sibelius’s Finlandia, more commonly known among Latter-day Saints as the hymn Be Still, My Soul. Because of this coincidence, John S. Tanner decided to write lyrics based on Nephi’s Psalm, called I Love the Lord, after which he solicited the help of Ronald J. Staheli in composing a musical arrangement based on Finlandia. Tanner later wrote another adaptation of Nephi’s Psalm, called Sometimes My Soul, using the tune of an American folk song. He explains the process of writing these two songs and the accompanying challenges.
The title page of the Book of Mormon was most likely written by Moroni, but in recent years scholars have suggested that Mormon, Moroni’s father, may have written the first six lines of the title page, with Moroni writing the rest. However, a more in-depth analysis of the text on that page and the specific language that is used provides evidence supporting the notion that the title page was, in fact, written solely by Moroni.
Old Testament Topics > Temple and Tabernacle
Since the beginnings of the Church, those who participated in the Restoration were commanded to keep a history. Latter-day Saints have an abiding interest in the history of God’s dealings with this earth. Similarly, we reverence the history in scripture because our faith is grounded in events that have taken place in the time and space of this earth. Historicity is the study of the authenticity of recorded past events. This significant compilation addresses the issue of historicity as it relates to the scriptures that Latter-day Saints accept as the word of God. With articles from Elder Dallin H. Oaks, Robert J. Matthews, Robert L. Millet, and more, this book provides an inspiring and more complete picture of the necessity for the historical nature of the Latter-day Saint canon.
Chapters
Key historical events in the scriptures require historicity to give substance to our faith. Since the Enlightenment, however, some scholars have proclaimed that the scriptures lack historicity. In the face of these doubts, some have argued that historicity is not necessary for belief. Latter-day Saints should be wary of the misleading arguments of critics and of simplistic solutions to those arguments.
RSC Topics > T — Z > Testimony
Traditional Christianity struggled for many years to define its canon, to determine which of its writings were sacred, inspired, and authoritative. The Latter-day Saint concept of canon differs from that of other Christians. In addition to the Bible, the Latter-day Saint canon includes the Book of Mormon, the Doctrine and Covenants, and the Pearl of Great Price. These “standard works” provide a measuring rod by which we can judge other texts and statements. But while we have a canon, we nevertheless believe that God continues to make known His will through the First Presidency and the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles—men we sustain as prophets, seers, and revelators. Inspired by the Holy Ghost, their decisions are to be made in unity (D&C 107:27). We as Church members also need the Holy Ghost in order to recognize scriptural power in their words, and we can be comforted in the Lord’s promise that the President of the Church will never lead us astray.
RSC Topics > Q — S > Scriptures
The issue of the historicity of the Book of Mormon highlights the difference between those who rely solely on scholarship and those who rely on revelation, faith, and scholarship. Those who rely solely on scholarship reject revelation and focus on a limited number of issues. But they can neither prove nor disprove the authenticity of the Book of Mormon through their secular evidence and methods. On the other hand, those who rely on a combination of revelation, faith, and scholarship can see and understand all of the complex issues of the Book of Mormon record, and it is only through that combination that the question of the historicity of the Book of Mormon can be answered.
Some believe that historicity and inerrancy in scripture are the same. By this argument, when a portion of scripture is found to have errors, the entire record is considered neither historical nor accurate. However, nothing in this imperfect world is inerrant, and although the authors of the scriptural records were prophets and called of God to write their portion of the scriptures, they were not perfect—no one is. So although the authors were not inerrant, their writings are nonetheless historical. By academic standards the scriptures fulfill all the criteria for historically accurate records. With the human errors accounted for, the scriptures are reliable historically and accurate in their testimony of the doctrines of the gospel and the mission of Jesus Christ.
RSC Topics > Q — S > Scriptures
Scriptures are by nature preserved in words. Words alone, however, cannot contain the full reality of the worlds they represent. As sacred texts, our scriptures are overwhelmingly historical, presenting factual accounts of things that happened in time and space. But because they are written, scriptures are also inherently textual, possessing literary qualities that contribute to their witness. The aim of the writing of sacred history is different from that of history writing in general, because scripture seeks to bear testimony while it seeks to preserve events. To read the record without feeling the testimony is to misread. To be understood properly, scripture requires both the companionship of the Holy Ghost and a keen sensitivity to the inspired objectives of the author. Often those objectives are not seen fully without reading the scripture as sacred literature as well as history.
Book of Moses Topics > Literary and Textual Studies of the Book of Moses
RSC Topics > Q — S > Scriptures
Old Testament Topics > Jesus Christ, the God of the Old and the New Testament
In 1828, the H. and E. Phinney Company in Cooperstown, New York, published a quarto-size edition of the King James Bible. This is the version that Joseph Smith, founder of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, used in his work when he created a new translation of the Bible. Here the author examines Joseph Smith’s marked-up copy of the Phinney Bible as an artifact important to Mormonism’some of Smith’s corrections and additions appear in footnotes of the Bible that Mormons use today. The author notes that the Phinney Bible’s updated language is more modern than the version of the Bible Latter-day Saints officially use (the King James), and the modernization may or may not have influenced Joseph Smith’s word choice in creating his translation. The author also gives biographical information on the Phinneys, describes how their Bible may have made its way into Joseph Smith’s hands, briefly traces the history of the English Bible in America, and describes the printing process employed by the Phinneys.
Old Testament Topics > Bible: King James Version
Book of Moses Topics > Joseph Smith Translation (JST) > History
Book of Moses Topics > Basic Resources > Doctrines and Teachings
Old Testament Topics > Restoration and Joseph Smith
Chapters
Covenant and chosenness resonate deeply in both Mormon and Jewish traditions. For both of these communities, covenant and chosenness represent enduring interpretations of scriptural texts and promises, ever-present in themes of divine worship and liturgy. The chapters of this volume written by leading scholars of both communities, debate scriptural foundations, the signs of the covenant, the development of theological ideas about covenant, and issues of inclusivity and exclusivity implied by chosenness.
Articles
Old Testament Topics > Temple and Tabernacle
Old Testament Topics > Covenant [see also Ephraim, Israel, Jews, Joseph]
Old Testament Topics > Jesus Christ, the God of the Old and the New Testament
Old Testament Topics > Law of Moses
While some may argue that gospel truth is separate from historical truth, the gospel cannot be true unless it is also historical. This means that events such as the Creation, Fall, Atonement, and Restoration all truly took place in an identifiable time and place, even if that time and place are not known to us. If these or any gospel events were not historically true, God could not render a righteous judgment on any person.
RSC Topics > L — P > Love
These essays were originally published together in the 1970 Deseret Book publication by the same title and are all included in Mormonism and Early Christianity, The Collected Works of Hugh Nibley 4. 10–44, 168–208, 391–434.
Three of Nibley’s important essays on the fate of the primitive Christian church and its institutions and beliefs previously available only in academic journals in 1959-60, 1961, and 1966 are reprinted and indexed for the Mormon audience.
Hugh W. Nibley Topics > History > Christian History, Apostasy
Hugh W. Nibley Topics > Jesus Christ > Forty-Day Ministry
Hugh W. Nibley Topics > Temples > Ancient Temples
Visualizing Isaiah is a full- color book filled with beautiful photographs, maps, and charts that illuminate the words of the prophet Isaiah. Author Donald W. Parry, an expert on Isaiah and Old Testament texts, complements the book’s gorgeous graphic elements with insight into Isaiah’s world.
Hugh Nibley’s correspondence reveals a lifelong fascination with the Book of Mormon. This is significant for two reasons: First, Nibley has taken the book seriously longer than we have as a church, and second, the private Hugh Nibley is as devoted to the Book of Mormon as is the public man.
Nibley’s interest in the book is threefold: he recognizes the striking similarities it shares with other ancient Near Eastern texts; acknowledges its witness to Joseph Smith’s divine calling; and, most importantly, perceives the relevance and accuracy of the book’s prophetic warnings. In his letters, Nibley also addresses criticism raised against his methodology. “The potential power” of the Book of Mormon, writes Nibley, “is something to move mountains; it will only take effect when everything is pretty far gone, but then it will be dynamite. That leaves room for optimism.” Hugh Nibley’s words make that optimism contagious.
“Something to Move Mountains: The Book of Mormon in Hugh Nibley’s Correspondences” (1997)
“Something to Move Mountains: Hugh Nibley and the Book of Mormon” (2002)
Old Testament Topics > Music
RSC Topics > L — P > Obedience
RSC Topics > Q — S > Revelation
RSC Topics > T — Z > Word of Wisdom
Old Testament Topics > Teaching the Old Testament
Old Testament Topics > Types and Symbols
Old Testament Topics > Teaching the Old Testament
Old Testament Scriptures > Jeremiah/Lamentations
Old Testament Topics > Book of Mormon and the Old Testament
A stray ink drop and a quirk of nineteenth-century script make the difference between retain that wrong and repair that wrong. More than a decade of meticulous research revealed such insights as Royal Skousen prepared transcripts of the original and printer’s manuscripts of the Book of Mormon for publication.
Talks
Old Testament Topics > New Testament and the Old Testament
Old Testament Topics > New Testament and the Old Testament
RSC Topics > A — C > Conversion
RSC Topics > L — P > Living the Gospel
RSC Topics > T — Z > Testimony
Old Testament Scriptures > Genesis
“This paper will demonstrate that simple Hebraic-type chiasmus does not exist in the Book of Mormon except in rare instances, but that there is a natural explanation for these occurrences. This paper will also examine longer, more complex chiasms.”
RSC Topics > A — C > Chastity
RSC Topics > L — P > Plan of Salvation
RSC Topics > Q — S > Repentance
RSC Topics > Q — S > Sin
RSC Topics > G — K > Holy Ghost
RSC Topics > L — P > Learning
RSC Topics > Q — S > Service
RSC Topics > T — Z > Testimony
Articles
RSC Topics > D — F > Doctrine
RSC Topics > T — Z > Teaching the Gospel
RSC Topics > G — K > Jesus Christ
RSC Topics > D — F > Doctrine
RSC Topics > Q — S > Salvation
RSC Topics > T — Z > Teaching the Gospel
RSC Topics > L — P > Prophets
RSC Topics > L — P > Learning
RSC Topics > T — Z > Youth
RSC Topics > T — Z > Teaching the Gospel
One of the strangest and most extensive archaeological hoaxes in American history was perpetrated around the turn of the twentieth century in Michigan. Hundreds of objects known as the Michigan Relics were made to appear as the remains of a lost civilization. The artifacts were produced, buried, “discovered,” and marketed by James O. Scotford and Daniel E. Soper. For three decades these artifacts were secretly planted in earthen mounds, publicly removed, and lauded as wonderful discoveries. Because the Michigan Relics allegedly evidence a Near Eastern presence in ancient America, they have drawn interest from The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints as well as the Reorganized Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints. This article traces the intriguing history of this elaborate affair and Mormonism’s encounter with it. At the center of this history lies the investigation of the artifacts by Latter-day Saint intellectual and scientist James E. Talmage.
Articles
Articles
Christ is the basis for all that we do. Without the Savior and His Atonement, there would be no good news to spread.
You can learn vitally important things by what you hear and see and, especially, by what you feel, as prompted by the Holy Ghost.
Articles
As we seek for values to stand by, especially in important or controversial matters, let us search the prophets and follow their inspired counsel.
Life will be hard but wonderful. You will be tested, but you will win. Enjoy the process of life. And in a lot of years you will look back and realize you have had a wonderful one.
Articles
A look into Hugh Nibley’s life.
Here is our foundation of truth. It is the doctrine and His revealed covenants we must take upon ourselves that will lead us back to His presence.
Art that is centered in Christ invites the Holy Ghost to be present during its creation and, again, as it is experienced by others in performance, exhibition, or publication.
We cannot fulfill our mission as a Church without the inspired insight and support of women. They matter to the Lord, and their value is infinite.
Receive the Lord’s servants. If we receive the Lord’s servants, we receive the Lord. Whenever we are obedient to the law upon which a blessing is based, it will be delivered.
Reprinted in Eloquent Witness:Nibley on Himself, Others, and the Temple, Collected Works of Hugh Nibley vol. 17.
Joel Erik Myres was married to Nibley’s granddaughter, Natalie Mincek.
It is no small thing, my brothers and sisters, to have a prophet of God in our midst. Great and wonderful are the blessings that come into our lives as we listen to the word of the Lord given to us through him.
Church members are unified in Christ through love and testimony. This dispensation’s pathway to our Savior is through Joseph and the Book of Mormon.
Given some exposure, our young brothers and young sisters come quite naturally … to a deep love for Jesus and for our prophets.
Articles
Talks
As you watch over His sheep, your love for Him will grow. And that will increase your confidence and your courage.
Honor four sacred principles in your lives: reverence for Deity; respecting and honoring family relationships; reverence for and obedience to the ordinances and covenants of the holy priesthood; respect for yourself as a son of God.
The full benefit of forgiveness of sin through the Savior’s Atonement begins with repentance and baptism and then expands upon receiving the Holy Ghost.
While the power of the priesthood is unlimited, our individual power in the priesthood is limited by our degree of righteousness or purity.
May you have a burning feeling in your heart. May you feel as I do on this day that this work is true and that it is meant for us to help bring about the eternal plan of salvation and exaltation.
It is proper for a mature sister or couple to let their priesthood leaders know that they are willing and able to serve a mission. I urge you to do so.
Let us be good people. Let us be friendly people. Let us be neighborly people. Let us be what members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints ought to be.
Where there is widespread poverty among our people, we must do all we can to help them to lift themselves, to establish their lives upon a foundation of self-reliance that can come of training. Education is the key to opportunity.
Faith is the basis of testimony. Faith underlies loyalty to the Church. Faith represents sacrifice, gladly given in moving forward the work of the Lord.
These conferences are held … to strengthen our testimonies of this work, to fortify us against temptation and sin, to lift our sights, to receive instruction.
You are daughters of the Almighty. Limitless is your potential. Magnificent is your future, if you will take control of it.
For those who find it difficult to initiate missionary conversations—and many do—the Church’s newly produced pass-along cards are a lovely, effortless way to let others know some of your basic beliefs and how they may learn more.
True humility will inevitably lead us to say to God, “Thy will be done.”
There is a difference in just attending the temple and having a rich spiritual experience.
When you pray often and seek to know the Lord’s will like Nephi did, the Lord will show you the way.
By utilizing the Atonement, we access the gifts of the Holy Ghost, which “filleth with hope and perfect love” (Moro. 8:26).
Just being a member of this Church is not enough. Nor is merely going through the motions of membership sufficient.
We have no way of knowing when our privilege to extend a helping hand will unfold before us.
Brethren, the world is in need of your help. There are feet to steady, hands to grasp, minds to encourage, hearts to inspire, and souls to save.
By the gift and power of the Holy Ghost, you can be guided in your trip through life.
Those who enter the temple are also to bear the attribute of holiness. … We can acquire holiness only by enduring and persistent personal effort.
Available information wisely used is far more valuable than multiplied information allowed to lie fallow.
We all make mistakes. … It is then in our nature to feel guilt and humiliation and suffering, which we alone cannot cure. That is when the healing power of the Atonement will help.
In any community of Saints, we all work to serve each other in the best way we know how. Our work has a higher purpose because it is work to bless others and to build the kingdom of God.
From its earliest days, the Lord’s Church has been built up by ordinary people who magnified their callings in humility and devotion.
A spiritual witness of the Nephite scripture will always bring the certainty of the Savior’s existence.
I believe that all of us can bear witness to these small miracles.
Do the best you can while on earth to have an ideal family. To help you do that, ponder and apply the principles in the proclamation on the family.
Pornography, though billed by Satan as entertainment, is a deeply poisonous, deceptive snake that lies coiled up in magazines, the Internet, and the television.
Sacrifice is an amazing principle. … It can develop within us a profound love for each other and our Savior, Jesus Christ.
Spirituality is learning how to listen to the Spirit and then letting it govern our lives.
Fasting, coupled with mighty prayer, is powerful. It can fill our minds with the revelations of the Spirit. It can strengthen us against times of temptation.
Part of “redemption’s mystery” is our paradoxical—and yet ultimately not paradoxical—obligation to respect and love and protect the rights of others not of our faith.
As members of the Church, we must seek truth in all areas, be it spiritual, educational, scientific, or in the social and moral settings of society.
Articles
Technology provides the means for communicating the good news of the gospel and its theology to the inhabitants of the world and improving the efficiency and effectiveness of the operation of the Church.
To recognize sin we must not rely on the world but rely on our living prophet, President Hinckley; the scriptures; and our ecclesiastical leaders to show us the way.
Choosing the Lord is both a daily and a lifelong task. In mortality we simply never arrive. We must diligently endure to the end every day.
Articles
The knowledge of most worth comes first as we learn to place all learning in the context of the gospel of Jesus Christ and seek the gifts of the Spirit as we learn.
The Christlike qualities of selflessness, patience, honesty, and integrity are the most valuable assets we can acquire that will bless the lives of others as well as our own and should be demonstrated in all of our associations and endeavors.
Daily prayer, daily scripture study, and daily service are three important spiritual antioxidants that help guarantee we will retain our spiritual vision and have the Spirit to guide us in our day-to-day activities.
Articles
I propose that in striving to achieve the aims of a BYU education, you will simultaneously be advancing in your quest for perfection and eternal life—a quest that we must always remember is made possible only through the love and the Atonement of the Savior.
Remember Jesus’ own words on the night He was betrayed: “In the world ye shall have tribulation: but be of good cheer; I have overcome the world” (John 16:33).
Coming to know the Savior, learning to hear His voice, and allowing Him to be our Shepherd also requires commitment. This kind of commitment requires all that we have and are.
Articles
Armed with the Spirit, we will do as the missionary does: strive to become an instrument of the Lord to do His work.
The university and the Church have added light to your being, but none has received the fullness that lies ahead.
Your diligence and perseverance and patience in arriving here today will serve you well as this graduating class goes to many parts of this world where your intellect, energy, experience, and values are so critically needed.
That is what we need: leaders with integrity, energy, inspiration, wisdom, and courage… I believe that if you heed the Lord’s call to be the light of the world, you will be those leaders.
You will be able to do and accomplish so much that I will only add to the other advice you have received: live the principles of the gospel.
Besides appreciating the divine worth of others because of their inheritances from God, it is vital that we see this same value within ourselves. We are children of God.
The blessing conferred upon you in company with your degree is simply this: I bless you through the authority of the priesthood as a servant of the Lord that you will live the gospel and that in consequence of that you will be happy.
Thus I can testify that the fifteen men who lead this Church have been called, sustained, and anointed witnesses of the Lord Jesus Christ to all the world.
Brigham Young died with the name Joseph upon his lips. He spoke of him and his work in these words: “I honor and revere the name of Joseph Smith. I delight to hear it; I love it.
A strong trunk is essential if the branches and secondary roots are to receive quality nourishment. The parent trunk in Provo must be extraordinary both spiritually and secularly if the reach is to be infinite.
His plan of redemption has always required men and women to consecrate all they have and all they are to the service of God. They covenant to do that.
Articles
In this paper, I want to make some tentative observations about the way in which the Book of Mormon has contributed to the fashioning of a particular religious vocabulary, or to be more specific, the disclosure of a particular religious epistemology. I am not arguing that this epistemology necessarily signaled a radical break from Protestantism, or that it conditions a religious vocabulary wholly lacking in Protestant equivalents. Rather, I hope to suggest that the role of the Book of Mormon in framing the concept of prayer and revelation in particular is connected to subtle shades of differences and distinctions which are worth examining. [From the text]
Even when death comes to those we love, we know what lies ahead. We know they are fine. It is those of us who are left behind who are sad. We know we will see them again, and we know we will be with them.
Family relationships are sacred. The bonds within families have spiritual roots. We know that we lived as brothers and sisters before coming to earth.
If we are truly disciples of the Lord Jesus Christ, we will reach out with love and understanding to all of our neighbors at all times.
Jesus Christ is our perfect example of one who always stood tall. He is the one who personifies integrity, strength, and courage.
Articles
Talks
We promote the process of strengthening our faith when we do what is right—increased faith always follows.
No marriage or family, no ward or stake is likely to reach its full potential until husbands and wives, mothers and fathers, men and women work together in unity of purpose.
Motherhood is more than bearing children. … It is the essence of who we are as women.
Our mortal life is the time for men to meet God by building a bridge of faith, opening the door into immortality and eternal life.
With … faith, we will be able to pray for what we want and appreciate whatever we get. Only with that faith will we pray with the diligence God requires.
Our salvation depends on believing in and accepting the Atonement. Such acceptance requires a continual effort to understand it more fully.
May we all be faithful in doing the day-to-day, ordinary things that prove our worthiness, for they will lead us to and qualify us for great things.
[Our Heavenly] Father’s desire is to provide all of us with the opportunity to receive a fulness of joy, even the fulness that He possesses.
Knowledge alone is not enough. We must take time to apply the principles in our lives.
What we need is the faith of Brigham Young and the faith of Gordon B. Hinckley and the faith of people who are our prophets and leaders.
I promise you that your achievement of the Duty to God Award will provide you with a living testimony that will sustain you throughout your life.
When we serve righteously … , we are strengthening our priesthood link and connecting it ever more securely to those who have preceded and who will follow us.
Let us open our hearts, let us reach down and lift up, let us open our purses, let us show a greater love for our fellowmen.
Our safety lies in repentance. Our strength comes of obedience to the commandments of God.
Our safety lies in the virtue of our lives. Our strength lies in our righteousness. God has made it clear that if we will not forsake Him, He will not forsake us.
We should pay [tithes and offerings] as a personal expression of love to a generous and merciful Father in Heaven.
Let us never forget that we are building a foundation for and with our family upon the rock of our Redeemer.
We are not alone in this sacred trust of parenting, loving, and leading. There is no greater joy. It is worth every sacrifice.
The keeping of the seventh commandment is such a vital shield! By lowering or losing that shield, the much-needed blessings of heaven are lost.
All of us have a solemn duty to honor the priesthood and labor to bring many precious souls unto the Lord.
May we live so that when that final summons is heard, we may have no serious regrets, no unfinished business.
Fill your mind with truth; fill your heart with love; fill your life with service.
Our family is the focus of our greatest work and joy in this life; so will it be throughout all eternity.
The most effective missionaries, member and full-time, always act out of love. … If we lack this love for others, we should pray for it.
The Book of Mormon: Another Testament of Jesus Christ has the nourishing power to heal starving spirits of the world.
What we need is a royal army of returned missionaries reenlisted into service.
In most encounters we can determine the kind of experience we are going to have by how we respond.
Holding the priesthood and doing your duty to God is not only a very serious responsibility but also a remarkable privilege.
Your personal security and happiness depend upon the strength of your testimony, for it will guide your actions in times of trial or uncertainty.
We cannot abandon our faith when challenges comes our way. We will not turn away; we will not retreat; we will not become discouraged.
Gratitude may be increased by constantly reflecting on our blessings and giving thanks for them in our daily prayers.
We don’t have to be perfect today. We don’t have to be better than someone else. All we have to do is to be the very best we can.
Obedience is essential to realize the blessings of the Lord.
May we be an instrument in God’s hands to make the burdens of others last for “but a small moment.” Let us lift up the hands of those whose hang down, that they may “endure it well.”
If we are constantly seeking to know the breadth and depth of His atoning love and how very personal it really is, our seeking will not be in vain.
As you and I come to understand and employ the enabling power of the Atonement in our personal lives, we will pray and seek for strength to change our circumstances rather than praying for our circumstances to be changed.
Articles
Let us strive to give of ourselves through service to others. We cannot remain aloof from the needs and sufferings of others. No matter what circumstances we find ourselves in, there is always an opportunity for us to serve.
One of the key ways that we learn—not only here at BYU but throughout life—is by asking questions.
Articles
Let us follow Him: Learn the truth, make promises to live the truth, and do all in our power to keep those promises.
Old Testament Topics > Teaching the Old Testament
The FARMS Review of Books has a long tradition of providing its readers with insightful and substantive reviews of books on the Book of Mormon, Mormon studies, and Christian studies, as well as those books that attack the beliefs of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. The latest issue does not disappoint. It contains reviews and responses to 18 books or articles on diverse topics, such as ancient Nephite culture, the conversion of Alma, hidden ancient records, the temple, the LDS concept of the nature of God, and the ark of the covenant.
Each semester the Institute sponsors an average of six brown bag presentations (so named because they are informal lectures delivered during the noon hour). Held on the BYU campus, these events are conducted largely for the benefit of scholars and other specialists who are invited to report on research projects they are pursuing and papers they are writing. At the conclusion of their presentations, the speakers respond to questions and constructive comments from the audience. These events enable researchers to test and explore the ideas and insights they are developing on a host of topics related to the work of the Institute. In order to ensure a maximum amount of give-and-take between the presenters and the audience, attendance is limited to invited BYU faculty and staff as well as Institute personnel. Insights later reports on most of these presentations. Three such reports follow.
The Hôr Book of Breathings: A Translation and Commentary, by Michael D. Rhodes, treats the fragments of the Joseph Smith Papyri associated with Facsimiles 1 and 3 of the Book of Abraham. Available in March 2002.
The Book of Mormon culture is found to be strikingly similar to that of the Middle East. An Arab Latter-day Saint tells his experience with the Book of Mormon and how he is able to relate to the stories within its pages because of his cultural origins. Among the congruities discussed are the structure of the family, the concept of taking oaths, the behavior of women, and the danger of the desert. Together, these points demonstrate the worth of the Book of Mormon and show how each reader is able to draw from his or her own cultural background in order to infer different messages.
RSC Topics > T — Z > Zion
In the Book of Mormon, two records (a large engraved stone and twenty-four gold plates) contain the story of an ancient civilization known as the Jaredites. There appears to be evidence of an unpublished third record that provides more information on this people and on the history of the world. When the brother of Jared received a vision of Jesus Christ, he was taught many things but was instructed not to share them with the world until the time of his death. The author proposes that the brother of Jared did, in fact, write those things down shortly before his death and then buried them, along with the interpreting stones, to be revealed to the world according to the timing of the Lord.
RSC Topics > T — Z > Worship
Review of Latter-day Commentary on the Book of Mormon: Insights from Prophets, Church Leaders, and Scholars (1999), by K. Douglas Bassett
RSC Topics > G — K > Joseph Smith
RSC Topics > Q — S > Restoration of the Priesthood
RSC Topics > G — K > Jesus Christ
RSC Topics > L — P > Old Testament
RSC Topics > L — P > Peace
RSC Topics > L — P > Prophets
RSC Topics > Q — S > Sacrifice
RSC Topics > T — Z > Trials
RSC Topics > D — F > Doctrine
RSC Topics > G — K > Jesus Christ
RSC Topics > Q — S > Restoration of the Gospel
RSC Topics > D — F > Death
RSC Topics > L — P > Peace
RSC Topics > T — Z > War
RSC Topics > G — K > Godhead
RSC Topics > G — K > Gospel of Jesus Christ
Review of Life of Joseph Smith the Prophet (1888; 1986), by George Q. Cannon
Introduction to the book.
This colorful, informative book features reports on the multi-pronged effort to determine as far as possible the original English-language translation of the Book of Mormon. Royal Skousen, the editor and principal investigator of the original and printer’s manuscripts of the Book of Mormon, details the project’s history and some of the more significant findings. Robert Espinosa reviews his team’s painstaking work of preserving and identifying remaining fragments of the original manuscript. Ron Romig narrates the investigation into the printer’s manuscript, and Larry Draper explains how the press sheets for the 1830 edition reveal overlooked details of the printing process. In an insightful response, Daniel C. Peterson interpolates evidence from Skousen’s research to show the divine manner in which the Book of Mormon came forth.
Articles
RSC Topics > L — P > Love
RSC Topics > L — P > Marriage
RSC Topics > Q — S > Salvation
Summary of current issue.
Introduction to the following four articles on early translations of the Book of Mormon into French, German, Italian, and French.
The 31st Annual Sidney B. Sperry Symposium The messages of the New Testament Apostles—most notably Peter, James, John, and Paul—are some of the most important and powerful teachings in all of scripture. In this volume, scholars illuminate these teachings and help us understand their influence in the church of the New Testament. Many insights and teachings in this book help us understand the value and the power of the messages of the New Testament Apostles, not only for the primitive church, but for us in the latter days. ISBN 1-5700-8896-9
Articles
RSC Topics > T — Z > Worship
RSC Topics > D — F > Doctrine
RSC Topics > Q — S > Resurrection
RSC Topics > A — C > Charity
RSC Topics > L — P > Love
RSC Topics > T — Z > Unity
RSC Topics > L — P > Obedience
RSC Topics > D — F > Devil
RSC Topics > G — K > Jesus Christ
RSC Topics > T — Z > Trials
RSC Topics > L — P > Mercy
RSC Topics > D — F > Eternal Life
RSC Topics > G — K > Jesus Christ
RSC Topics > L — P > Love
RSC Topics > Q — S > Sin
RSC Topics > T — Z > Testimony
RSC Topics > L — P > Obedience
RSC Topics > Q — S > Sin
RSC Topics > Q — S > Resurrection
RSC Topics > T — Z > Testimony
RSC Topics > L — P > Marriage
RSC Topics > L — P > Prophets
RSC Topics > Q — S > Revelation
RSC Topics > D — F > Devil
RSC Topics > Q — S > Quorum
RSC Topics > L — P > Law of Moses
RSC Topics > L — P > Obedience
RSC Topics > A — C > Articles of Faith
RSC Topics > A — C > Bishop
RSC Topics > L — P > New Testament
RSC Topics > L — P > Prophets
RSC Topics > G — K > Hope
RSC Topics > L — P > Obedience
RSC Topics > Q — S > Revelation
RSC Topics > G — K > Gospel of Jesus Christ
RSC Topics > Q — S > Spiritual Gifts
RSC Topics > D — F > Doctrine
RSC Topics > D — F > Fall of Adam and Eve
RSC Topics > T — Z > Welfare
RSC Topics > T — Z > Women
Review of “Monotheism, Mormonism, and the New Testament Witness” (2002), by Paul Owen
This work is the first of its kind on women in the Book of Mormon. It (1) is an exhaustive treatment of the book’s female characters, (2) analyzes how women function in the text, and (3) delineates the text’s female-inclusive language. This thesis contains a complete list and discussion of the identifiable women in the Book of Mormon (Chapter 1); provides a compilation and treatment of the book’s gender-inclusive language—comprising over 200 words and more than 5,000 references to them—and its bearing on the doctrines and depictions of women in the narrative (Chapter 2); and illustrates the significant influence individual women had on the Nephite-Lamanite-Jaredite civilization (Chapter 3). This study concludes with a chapter that attempts to account for the scarcity of women’s stories in the narrative and the minimal knowledge we are provided about them compared to men. Readers will find overwhelming evidence from this thesis that women figure more prominently in the narrative than we often realize. This work offers a compelling argument for the pervasive and powerful presence of women in the Book of Mormon.
Articles
Old Testament Topics > Scripture Study
Old Testament Topics > Teaching the Old Testament
Old Testament Topics > Women in the Old Testament
Review of Return to Cumorah: Piecing Together the Puzzle Where the Nephites Lived (1998), by Duane R. Aston; The Land of Lehi: Further Evidence for the Book of Mormon (1999), by Paul Hedengren: and The Lost Lands of the Book of Mormon (2000), by Phyllis Carol Olive
Despite the establishment of Christ’s church in the New World by the Book of Mormon prophet Nephi, many dissenters during its thousand-year history attempted to thwart the church and preach alternative theologies. This article first discusses the doctrine that Nephi taught to his people concerning Jesus Christ. Historical context then provides further understanding of the society in which Nephi and his descendants lived. Having come from Jerusalem in the Old World, the Nephites were still accustomed to the law of Moses, which certainly would have influenced their view of a Messiah. This, along with the political circumstances of the Nephite people, facilitated the dissension of many. The experiences of the Anti-Christ Sherem, the priests of Noah, and the Zarahemla dissidents demonstrate these points. Lastly, those who altered Nephi’s teachings appeared to do so for five specific reasons, which are discussed in this article, thus showing how the dissenters erased the doctrine of a Redeemer from their theologies.
The story of the Nauvoo Temple is one fraught with adversity, struggle, persecution, and heartbreak. Latter-day Saints freely sacrificed their time, their money, their talents–and some even gave their lives–to build a holy place of covenant and worship—only to be forced to abandon their sacred temple, leaving it to be desecrated and destroyed by unbelievers. Yet, it is also a story of faith, triumph, and unwavering dedication to the holy work of the Lord. The construction of the Nauvoo Temple proved to be a spiritual blessing to the people who built it, and it continues to be an inspiration to millions of Church members today. This volume combines newspaper accounts, historic writings, private journals, letters, photos, and original architectural drawing and other illustrations. ISBN 1-5915-6014-4
Chapters
RSC Topics > T — Z > Tithing
RSC Topics > D — F > Endowment
RSC Topics > L — P > Marriage
RSC Topics > L — P > Ordinances
RSC Topics > L — P > Ordinances
Review of Cultures in Conflict: A Documentary History of the Mormon War in Illinois (1995), edited by John E. Hallwas and Roger D. Launius
In 1840, the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints established its first branch in Wales. The branch had been organized and converts baptized without the help of Welsh translations of the Book of Mormon and other church materials. In this specific area in Wales, English was widely spoken; thus translating the Book of Mormon into Welsh had not been a priority. However, after being sent to a different area of Wales by Elder Lorenzo Snow of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles, William Henshaw quickly realized that such a translation was imperative to the spreading of the gospel throughout the rest of Wales. In 1845, Captain Dan Jones arrived in Wales as a new missionary. Elder Jones used a press belonging to his brother, a Welsh clergyman, to print church pamphlets that he had translated into Welsh. One of the employees who worked at the press, John S. Davis, eventually was baptized. In 1850, Davis translated the Doctrine and Covenants into Welsh. The next year, he asked the Welsh Saints to subscribe to the official Mormon periodical, which would publish a part of the Book of Mormon each week. The subscriptions would provide the funds necessary to do so. The Saints responded enthusiastically, and as a result, the Welsh translation of the Book of Mormon was eventually all published.
Larry Draper describes his role in providing Royal Skousen with copies of various early editions of the Book of Mormon for use in the critical text project. Draper also describes the printing process of the Book of Mormon, which process was made clearer because of Skousen’s project. Draper explains the stereotyping method of printing that was used for the 1840 Cincinnati/Nauvoo edition and the 1852 Liverpool edition of the Book of Mormon.
RSC Topics > A — C > Book of Mormon
RSC Topics > D — F > Eternal Life
RSC Topics > G — K > Jesus Christ
RSC Topics > L — P > Mercy
RSC Topics > Q — S > Resurrection
RSC Topics > T — Z > Trials
Review of Pressing Forward with the Book of Mormon: The FARMS Updates of the 1990s (1999), edited by John W. Welch and Melvin J. Thorne
“In this essay, automatic writing refers to the ability to write or dictate text in a relatively rapid, seemingly effortless and fluent manner with no sense of control over the content. A consideration of this phenomenon is important for Mormons since a number of authors have asserted that this was the method through which Joseph Smith produced the Book of Mormon. Such a claim, if correct, can have important implications for the way Latter-day Saints approach their scriptures.” [pp.18-19]
RSC Topics > L — P > Melchizedek Priesthood
RSC Topics > L — P > Priesthood
An essay published posthumously in which England wrestles with what he believed to be a disturbing trend in Mormonism away from what he saw as Joseph Smith’s and Brigham Young’s doctrine of God as a personal being engaged withus in a tragic universe not of his own making and toward a more absolutistic God similar to the teachings about deity held by Evangelical Christianity.
Robert Espinosa was approached by Royal Skousen in 1991 with a request for him to join Skousen on the critical text project of the Book of Mormon. Espinosa shares his experience working with Skousen and the developments that they were able to make. After meeting with the owners of some fragments of the original manuscript of the Book of Mormon, Espinosa and Skousen were able to conserve, examine, and photograph the fragments. They also carefully analyzed the physical characteristics of the printer’s manuscript.
RSC Topics > L — P > Prophets
RSC Topics > Q — S > Sin
Faulconer discusses the evolution of his testimony of the Book of Mormon; years passed before he recognized the importance of that book to his life as a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. After reading an article explaining the tree of life that is written about in 1 Nephi, he gained a deeper understanding of the purpose of the Book of Mormon—that the book prepares members of the church to enter into covenants with God in the temple and explains what those covenants are. In addition to that objective, the book testifies of and brings people to Jesus Christ.
“The remaining pages of this essay will present a few of what, for me in 1984, were discoveries of some importance. These do not by any means constitute a comprehensive explanation of the Book of Mormon. Nor are they offered as proofs of my thesis that the book is modern, but as examples of how the assumption that it is modern resolves otherwise significant difficulties.” [From author’s introduction]
Articles
Review of The Lord's University: Freedom and Authority at BYU (1998), by Bryan Waterman and Brian Kagel
Review of Sidney Rigdon: A Portrait of Religious Excess (1994), by Richard S. Van Wagoner
Review of “Is Mormonism Christian?” (2002), by Craig L. Blomberg
Review of “Is Mormonism Christian?” (2002), by Craig L. Blomberg
Review of Inside the Mind of Joseph Smith: Psychobiography and the Book of Mormon (1999), by Robert D. Anderson
Review of The Mormon Defenders: How Latter-day Saint Apologists Misinterpret the Bible (2001), by James Patrick Holding
Review of “And the Saints Go Marching On” (2002), by Carl Mosser; and Mormon America: The Power and the Promise (1999), by Richard N. Ostling and Joan K. Ostling
Review of The New Mormon Challenge: Responding to the Latest Defenses of a Fast-Growing Movement (2002), edited by Francis J. Beckwith, Carl Mosser, and Paul Owens
Introduction to the current issue, including editor’s picks. Peterson publishes his remarks given at a debate organized under the auspices of the Society of Evangelical Philosophers. Basically, he believes that the very choice of “theology” as a focus of the debate grants an importance to that particular area of intellectual activity that Latter-day Saints and early Christians do not share with more sophisticated critics. Organizations attempting a “ministry of reconciliation” instead appear to attack.
Review of Biblical Mormonism: Responding to Evangelical Criticism of LDS Theology (1994), by Richard R. Hopkins
Review of Finding Biblical Hebrew and Other Ancient Literary Forms in the Book of Mormon (1999), by Hugh W. Pinnock
Review of Words of Christ Restored for the Last Days (1999), by Kenneth Lutes and Lyndell Lutes
Articles
The verb to seal occurs some 34 times in the Book of Mormon. In most of these instances the verb takes (is followed by) a direct object referring to such things as the law, a book, records, words, an account, an epistle, an interpretation, revelation, the truth, and the stone interpreters. Twice, however, the verb to seal takes a person as a direct object that is qualified by a possessive pronoun: Therefore, I would that ye should be steadfast and immovable, always abounding in good works, that Christ, the Lord God Omnipotent, may seal you his, that you may be brought to heaven, that ye may have everlasting salvation and eternal life, through the wisdom, and power, and justice, and mercy of him who created all things, in heaven and in earth, who is God above all. (Mosiah 5:15; emphasis added)
Book of Mormon Scriptures > Mosiah
In Alma 24 we read of the courage of the people of Anti- Nephi-Lehi, Lamanites who had converted to the Lord. Their king pleaded with them, “Let us stain our swords no more with the blood of our brethren” (Alma 24:12). So great was their faith that they covenanted never to take up arms again and buried their weapons of war. When the unconverted Lamanites came against them, the Anti-Nephi- Lehies, rather than resist their attackers, prostrated themselves on the ground to pray and allowed their brethren to slay them.
The Journal of the Book of Mormon and Other Restoration Scripture is a peer-reviewed journal dedicated to promoting understanding of the history, meaning, and significance of the scriptures and other sacred texts revealed through the Prophet Joseph Smith.
Articles
Editors of the Journal of Book of Mormon Studies interview renowned Book of Mormon scholar John L. Sorenson to discuss his experience in doing Book of Mormon research for more than fifty years. Sorensen tells of becoming interested in the Book of Mormon and in Mesoamerican anthropology and archaeology. He also articulates how to be a faithful member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints while conducting objective and scholarly research on the Book of Mormon. Sorenson explains how this approach has helped people throughout the world better understand the Book of Mormon and how it will continue to help.
The Book of Mormon prophet Lehi received a vision commonly referred to as the tree of life. Within that vision, he observes a building that he describes as “strange.” A possible reason Lehi labels it this way is that the architecture of the building was dissimilar to the architecture popular in Jerusalem at the time. The building in Lehi’s dream was plausibly structured similar to the buildings found in south Arabia during Lehi’s time. By studying the architectural styles of Jerusalem and south Arabia, one can better evaluate and understand the vision of the tree of life.
A recently discovered ossuary with the inscription “James, son of Joseph, brother of Jesus” may be the resting place of the bones of James the Just, the brother of the Lord, from the New Testament. Analyses of the carving, the language, and the history of Israeli ossuaries are being undertaken in an attempt to unveil further information on this ossuary. If this ossuary is authentic and corresponds to the correct time period, it can be more strongly proposed that the bones that used to rest inside the ossuary did, in fact, belong to James, the brother of Jesus of Nazareth.
The word tender is used repeatedly throughout the Book of Mormon, but the modern connotations of the term may skew readers’ understanding of what Book of Mormon authors intended to convey when employing it in their writing. By examining the etymology of tender and the etymologies of similar words, readers can better comprehend the intended meaning of the ancient Book of Mormon authors.
In the year 1850, Elder Lorenzo Snow of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles arrived in Italy as a missionary. He and his companions spent much of their time with a Waldensian community. Elder Snow soon began sending missionaries to Switzerland to preach the gospel to French speakers there and began publishing church materials into French. The new materials caused a lot of opposition from Swiss Protestants and Italian Catholics. Elder Snow then went to England, where he solicited the help of an anonymous translator, and together they completed the translation of the Book of Mormon into Italian. Elder Snow returned to Italy soon after, bringing copies of Il Libro di Mormon with him, but he and the other missionaries did not find much success. Because of the influence of the Catholic Church on the government, the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints was not given much freedom in their preaching. Il Libro di Mormon similarly did not significantly help the missionary work. Almost all the Italian converts to the church were French-speaking Waldensians. Because of the lack of progress, the Italian mission was closed in 1867 and not reopened until a century later, in 1966.
The Book of Mormon was written in a language that was grounded in Hebrew and Egyptian; the people of the Book of Mormon most likely spoke this same language. It is interesting, then, that the Book of Mormon authors periodically included definitions for certain terms that they used in their writing, as if their audience did not understand them. This technique, known as a gloss, suggests that those terms may not have been a part of that ancient language. In an attempt to uncover the true origin of such words, this article dissects the Book of Mormon term Irreantum and delves into its linguistic characteristics to determine whether the term could have originated from Hebrew, Egyptian, ancient South Semitic, or another language.
When the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints was first organized in the year 1830, the Book of Mormon had been published in only one language: English. But the church was growing quickly and spreading to other parts of the world. One of the first publications of the Book of Mormon in another language was in French. This article gives an account of the French translation from 1850 to 1852, when Elder John Taylor, a member of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles, presided over a newly opened mission in France. Elder Taylor oversaw the translation process, which was done primarily by recent French converts Mr. Wilhelm and Louis Bertrand and one of Elder Taylor’s counselors, Elder Curtis E. Bolton. While these men were translating, Paris was in the midst of political unrest and was wary of unfamiliar social, political, and religious organizations. In fact, both Elder Taylor and Brother Bertrand had to hide from government officials. Despite all the complications that came about during this process, the work was ultimately a success.
Two critics evaluate the book By the Hand of Mormon: The American Scripture That Launched a New World Religion. Raish opines that Givens’s book effectively explains why a person might accept the Book of Mormon and facilitates a reader’s desire to better understand the Book of Mormon. Bennett adds that Givens approaches his discussion of the Book of Mormon as a scholar, resulting in a more accepting readership. Givens also studies the Book of Mormon with respect to its role in promoting the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints as a worldwide religion.
While on assignment from the LDS prophet Joseph Smith to visit Jerusalem in 1840, Elder Orson Hyde of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles suggested opening a mission in Germany and translating the Book of Mormon into German. By April 1852, the new prophet, Brigham Young, had sent Daniel Carn to Germany to be the mission president and to help with the translation, and by May of the same year, Das Buch Mormon had been published. However, when East Germany was created and placed behind the “Iron Curtain,” matters grew worse for the Latter-day Saints. Because they were unable to print anything themselves, they relied on missionaries and members of the church in West Germany to smuggle copies of Das Buch Mormon into East Germany so they could have the scripture that was so central to their beliefs. Members still had to burn all manuals and church material that had been published after 1920 to avoid arrest, but since Das Buch Mormon had been published in 1852, the Saints were able to keep their copies of that scripture.
Feminist readers, particularly, have argued that biblical writing is sexist because the majority of the text was written by men who seem to place little significance on the role of women. This observation has become a serious concern among some because it calls into question the nature of God: does this supposedly perfect being love men and women equally? This study delves into the text of the Book of Mormon and its female characters to suggest that women were not considered lower than men in Book of Mormon times; likewise, women are not considered lower than men in the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints today.
Many scholars suggest that Quetzalcoatl of Mesoamerica (also known as the Feathered Serpent), the Maya Maize God, and Jesus Christ could all be the same being. By looking at ancient Mayan writings such as the Popol Vuh, this theory is further explored and developed. These ancient writings include several stories that coincide with the stories of Jesus Christ in the Bible, such as the creation and the resurrection. The role that both Quetzalcoatl and the Maize God played in bringing maize to humankind is comparable to Christ’s role in bringing the bread of life to humankind. Furthermore, Quetzalcoatl is said to have descended to the Underworld to perform a sacrifice strikingly similar to the atonement of Jesus Christ. These congruencies and others like them suggest that these three gods are, in fact, three representations of the same being.
Articles
According to the traditional account, when Joseph Smith translated the gold plates into what is now known as the Book of Mormon, he did not create the text himself or copy the text from another existing manuscript. Rather, he translated the text through an interpreting device, which only worked when Joseph was spiritually and emotionally prepared. The article supports this claim by including several stories of the translation process as told by eyewitnesses.
Ronald Romig, archivist for the RLDS Church (now renamed the Community of Christ), played a significant role in Royal Skousen’s critical text project. Romig was responsible for overseeing the handling of the printer’s manuscript of the Book of Mormon, which was made available on two different occasions for Skousen to examine for his research. Skousen also examined over twenty copies of the first edition of the Book of Mormon belonging to the Community of Christ. Romig explains his responsibilities and the process of assisting Skousen in the project and also mentions how Skousen’s work has improved the relationship between the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter- day Saints and the Community of Christ.
Royal Skousen details the history of the critical text project of the Book of Mormon. He describes that project, including his work with both the original manuscript and the printer’s manuscript of the Book of Mormon. After six years of pursuing this venture, Skousen was asked by the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints to temporarily resign as a professor at Brigham Young University and focus primarily on the project. Skousen agreed, and for the following seven years he continued his work on the Book of Mormon text, often collaborating with the Church Scriptures Committee. In this article, Skousen shares several discoveries that have surfaced because of his research and the meaning that those discoveries have had in his life.
Royal Skausen gives information about the history, corrections, and the use of the printer’s manuscript of the Book of Mormon.
Royal Skousen explains in detail the internal consistency of the original text of the Book of Mormon. He references several verses of the Book of Mormon to discuss five main points: consistency in meaning; systematic phraseology; variation in the text; conjectural emendation; and revising the text. By examining these five aspects, Skousen shows that neither the message nor the doctrine of the Book of Mormon loses credibility as a result of textual changes. Skousen also mentions that the consistency in the manuscripts suggests that Joseph Smith did not receive the text as a concept but rather received it word for word.
RSC Topics > T — Z > Testimony
Gunderson argues that “within a significantly brief span of time, Joseph Smith Jr. first produced, proclaimed, and then effectively dismissed the Book of Mormon as the source of authoritative religious doctrine.” He never denied the Book of Mormon, but “he simply stopped using it.” He contends that Joseph Smith “rightly discerned that the Book of Mormon was brought forth by the gift and power of God.” However in his later career, Joseph sometimes tried to press this gift of prophecy “into the service of his own agenda.” When he did that he “became increasingly fallible and Joseph was increasingly left to his own devices and imagination.”
RSC Topics > L — P > Ordinances
This report describes the design, development, and evaluation of a computer-based diglot reader of the Book of Mormon Stories of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Di means two and glot means language, thus a diglot reader combines two languages into one reader in order to teach a person to read in a new language. The program, which runs on both Macintosh and Windows computer platforms, contains fifteen chapters of the Book of Mormon Stories and introduces about four hundred Spanish words. This report includes a literature review on the diglot method and related materials, a description of the program and its features, and an evaluation of the program including eight one-to-one evaluations and a small-group evaluation. The small-group evaluation volunteers completed a pretest, studied the reader, completed a posttest, and filled out a questionnaire for their evaluation of the product. Finally, the report examines the strengths and weaknesses of the program and suggests some general guidelines for future diglot reader computer programs in general.
The book of Moses is an extract from Joseph Smith’s New Translation of the Bible. It was revealed to the Prophet in 1830 and in early 1831, not long after the organization of the Church. This article is a brief introduction to the origin of the book of Moses and the Bible translation from which it derives.
RSC Topics > L — P > Old Testament
RSC Topics > L — P > Pearl of Great Price
RSC Topics > Q — S > Scriptures
RSC Topics > T — Z > Teaching the Gospel
RSC Topics > D — F > Death
RSC Topics > L — P > Miracles
RSC Topics > L — P > Personal Revelation
RSC Topics > Q — S > Revelation
RSC Topics > D — F > Fall of Adam and Eve
RSC Topics > G — K > Justice
RSC Topics > L — P > Mercy
RSC Topics > L — P > Plan of Salvation
RSC Topics > Q — S > Spirit World
RSC Topics > G — K > Grace
RSC Topics > G — K > Jesus Christ
RSC Topics > Q — S > Resurrection
RSC Topics > Q — S > Sacrifice
RSC Topics > Q — S > Sin
RSC Topics > T — Z > Worship
RSC Topics > D — F > Doctrine
RSC Topics > G — K > Joseph Smith
RSC Topics > L — P > Ordinances
RSC Topics > G — K > Hope
RSC Topics > T — Z > Teaching the Gospel
RSC Topics > Q — S > Resurrection
RSC Topics > G — K > Jesus Christ
RSC Topics > Q — S > Sacrifice
RSC Topics > Q — S > Resurrection
RSC Topics > T — Z > Testimony
A historical study of the Book of Mormon based on the literary context and elements found within the book.
“This essay outlines two insights into the geography and history of human genes and their implications for Mormon thought. If the embrace of DNA research has an impact on Mormon views, it will likely propel new approaches to scripture and history already underway in intellectual circles. First, genalogical data inscribed in genes suggest to current researchers that humans and chimpanzees share a common ancestor that lived in Africa between 5 and 7 million years ago. This adds to an abundance of archaeological and other data pointing to the same conclusion and adds to the challenges one encounters in trying to uphold scriptural literalism. Second, new genetic clues are being discovered that confirm scientific views about ancient migration patterns. Ancestors of Native Americans seem to have separated from their Asian neighbors about 40,000-50,000 years ago and from each other in what may have been three or more separate waves of migration 7,000-15,000 years ago. No link between American Indians and ancient Israelites is evident in the data.” [From author’s introduction]
A discussion of evidence of the Book of Mormon’s authenticity.
RSC Topics > Q — S > Service
ISBN 1-59156-023-3
Articles
RSC Topics > T — Z > Unity
The amazing achievements of the last hundred years in technology and science are paralleled by significant strides in Book of Mormon studies. Echoes and Evidences of the Book of Mormon takes inventory of some of the most fascinating ancient elements of the Book of Mormon. For many years now, Latter-day Saint scholars have called attention to significant parallels in the Book of Mormon with the ancient world that in many cases were unknowable in the world of Joseph Smith. The sheer number of these “bull’s-eyes” alone is impressive. In this volume, scholars trained in biblical studies, archaeology, classics, history, law, linguistics, anthropology, political science, philosophy, Near East studies, literature, and other relevant fields present some of their favorite evidences that support the Book of Mormon’s claim to ancient origins. Their findings illuminate points present in ancient sources, details that are not obvious, intricate patterns, unusual or distinctive features, and information that was little or not known in the 1820s.
Articles
RSC Topics > D — F > First Presidency
RSC Topics > L — P > Priesthood
RSC Topics > Q — S > Quorums of the Seventy
Hugh Nibley’s correspondence reveals a lifelong fascination with the Book of Mormon. This is significant for two reasons: First, Nibley has taken the book seriously longer than we have as a church, and second, the private Hugh Nibley is as devoted to the Book of Mormon as is the public man.
Nibley’s interest in the book is threefold: he recognizes the striking similarities it shares with other ancient Near Eastern texts; acknowledges its witness to Joseph Smith’s divine calling; and, most importantly, perceives the relevance and accuracy of the book’s prophetic warnings. In his letters, Nibley also addresses criticism raised against his methodology. “The potential power” of the Book of Mormon, writes Nibley, “is something to move mountains; it will only take effect when everything is pretty far gone, but then it will be dynamite. That leaves room for optimism.” Hugh Nibley’s words make that optimism contagious.
“Something to Move Mountains: The Book of Mormon in Hugh Nibley’s Correspondences” (1997)
“Something to Move Mountains: Hugh Nibley’s Devotion to the Book of Mormon” (2001)
As one of the LDS Church’s most widely recognized scholars, Hugh Nibley is both an icon and an enigma. Through complete access to Nibley’s correspondence, journals, notes and papers, Petersen has painted a portrait that reveals the man behind the legend.Starting with a foreword written by Zina Nibley Peterson (the author’s wife and Nibley’s daughter) and finishing with appendixes that include some of the best of Nibley’s personal correspondence, the biography reveals aspects of the tapestry of the life of one who has truly consecrated his life to the service of the Lord.
an excerpt from Hugh Nibley: a Consecrated Life Greg Kofford Books, January 2003.
Did Hugh Nibley really tether a goat to his front lawn so he wouldn’t have to mow it? Did Hugh and his friend scribble Book of Mormon passages in Egyptian in one of Utah’s red rock canyons? Would he walk home from work, forgetting he had driven that day? This article looks at what truths lurk behind these and other stories.
Hugh W. Nibley Topics > Hugh Nibley > Folklore
General Authorities and religious educators provide thoughtful answers to intriguing gospel questions as they share their testimonies of the Savior. This collection of papers presented at a Brigham Young University symposium on the Savior invites us to learn more about the Being we worship. It sounds a clarion call of testimony—offered with clarity, vigor, and gratitude—in witness of the divine calling of our Lord and Redeemer, Jesus of Nazareth. ISBN 1-57008-856-X
Articles
RSC Topics > A — C > Atonement of Jesus Christ
RSC Topics > D — F > Death
RSC Topics > D — F > Fall of Adam and Eve
RSC Topics > D — F > Eternal Life
RSC Topics > G — K > Grace
RSC Topics > G — K > Jesus Christ
RSC Topics > G — K > Justice
RSC Topics > L — P > Mercy
RSC Topics > Q — S > Repentance
RSC Topics > Q — S > Salvation
RSC Topics > Q — S > Sin
RSC Topics > T — Z > Tithing
RSC Topics > A — C > Creation
RSC Topics > G — K > God the Father
RSC Topics > G — K > Jesus Christ
RSC Topics > Q — S > Sabbath
RSC Topics > L — P > Priesthood
Old Testament Topics > Teaching the Old Testament
“The trembling hands of young Joseph Smith uncovered the buried golden plates of Mormon and Moroni, lost chapters of an undreamed-of history of Israelite tribes and the Christian Savior in the New World. As the depraved Lamanite had purused the Nephite Mormon and his son to death, so did young Smith feel besieged by the competing claims of rival evangelists and revivalists in his ’Burned-Over District.’ It was no surprise that the analogous tale told in the plates struck a note deep within him. And as the Nephites had long survived as a parallel branch of biblical Israel in the western hemisphere, so would the Church of the Latter-day Saints make its lonely but triumphant way through the generations as a parallel version of the Christian religion shared, at arm’s length, by most other Americans.”
“Of all of Dad’s credentials, the most important is this, Dad loved the scriptures. His passion was the Book of Mormon. He was a lifetime student of the scriptures. He devoted his life to teaching others to love - and to a greater understanding of - the scriptures. As a young missionary in the 1930s, he began compiling the Combination Reference as a scripture reference tool for other missionaries. In 1945, as a chaplain in the U.S. Army, his missionary zeal led him to present a copy of the Book of Mormon to Pope Pius XII. After the war, in 1949, he joined the religion faculty at BYU, where he was instrumental in making the Book of Mormon a required class. This Book of Mormon Study Guide was developed at BYU as a personal study aid for all students of the Book of Mormon. He hoped that this book would aid you in your personal scripture study. And, like Nephi of old, may ’your soul also delight in the scriptures.’”
Old Testament Topics > Creation
RSC Topics > Q — S > Revelation
Old Testament Topics > Scripture Study
Old Testament Topics > Teaching the Old Testament
Old Testament Topics > Restoration and Joseph Smith
Old Testament Topics > Apocrypha and Pseudepigrapha [including intertestamental books and the Dead Sea Scrolls]
Book of Moses Topics > Chapters of the Book of Moses > Moses 6:13–7 — Enoch
Old Testament Topics > Moses
Old Testament Topics > Apocrypha and Pseudepigrapha [including intertestamental books and the Dead Sea Scrolls]
Old Testament Topics > Moses
“Brigham Henry Roberts developed the primary apologetic arguments used to define the antiquity of the Book of Mormon, a book most Latter-day Saints believe narrates the story of the ancestors of the American Indian. While speaking to the Church as a general authority, Roberts addressed the book as an ancient record; privately, however, he voiced doubts. In the last twelve years of his life, he encountered questions about Book of Mormon language, archeology, and geography that he could not answer. As he reexamined his earlier writings on the subject, he turned to his colleagues with two critical treatises that asked whether the prophet had created a ’wonder tale’ which, ’I sorrowfully submit, points to Joseph Smith’ as its author. He expressed his public faith and private doubts to the end of his life.” [From author’s introduction]
“Those who associated with Joseph Smith during the spring and summer of 1829 remembered that he used a ’seer stone’ to dictate both the Book of Mormon and his early revelations. This fact orients Joseph Smith’s biography in crucial and important ways, pointing not only backward to his youthful career as glass-looker and treasure seer but forward as well to his emerging work as translator, prophet, seer, and Moses-like leader of a community of believers. This continuity was important for early believers, coming as they did from a world similar to Smith’s where the line between magic and religion was fluid and inspiring, not dangerous or degrading.
In 1998 Jordan Vajda wrote a remarkable master’s thesis at the Dominican School of Philosophy and Theology in Berkeley, California, entitled “‘Partakers of the Divine Nature’: A Comparative Analysis of Patristic and Mormon Doctrines of Divinization.” The thesis is remarkable both for what it has to say and, perhaps even more strikingly, for who is saying it: Jordan Vajda is a Dominican Catholic priest.
“In recent years Mormon apologists have begun to challenge what many researchers, myself included, long regarded as obvious: the Book of Mormon’s reflection of the cultural milieu of early nineteenth-century America, particularly the anti-Masonic controversy that pervaded westen New York during the late 1820s. If the similarities between Masonry and the secret societies described in the book are not apparent to some modern readers, they were to its first readers, Mormon and non-Mormon, who almost immediately associated its warnings of latter-day ’secret combinations’ with the dreaded Masons. Despite the book’s use of the term ’secret combinations’--a favorite anti-Masonic epithet--several scholars now, for various reasons, object to the connection and, in some instances, offer alternative interpretations. In particular, I will examine and respond to the arguments put forth by Richard L. Bushman, Blake T. Ostler, D. Michael Quinn, and Daniel C. Peterson.” [From author’s introduction]
“A fine line divides scripture from non-scripture, writes Robert M. Price in American Apocrypha. There are books that are not in the Bible that are as powerful and authoritative as anything in the canon. At the same time, much of the Bible was written centuries after the events it narrates by scribes using fictitious names. Clearly, the hallmark of scripture is not historical accuracy but rather its spiritual impact on individuals; exclusion from the canon is not reason to dismiss a book as heretical. Consider the Book of Mormon, first published in 1830. The nature of this volume—in particular its claim to antiquity—is the theme of nine ground-breaking essays in American Apocrypha. Thomas W. Murphy discusses the Book of Mormon’s view that American Indians are descendants of ancient Hebrews. In recent DNA tests, Native Americans have proven to be of Siberian ancestry and not of ancient Jewish or Middle Eastern descent. Nor is the Book of Mormon a traditional translation from an ancient document, writes David P. Wright, as indicated by the underlying Hebrew in the book’s Isaiah passages. Other contributors to American Apocrypha explore the evolution of ideas in the Book of Mormon during the course of its dictation.” [Publisher]
Articles
“In this essay I will examine the published testimonies of the witnesses, as well as other related historical sources, to try to determine more accurately the nature of their experiences. Hence, I will not explore the question of the witnesses’ honesty and trustworthiness; this has been exploited at great length by those whose intent has been to present a false dichotomy: either the witnesses told the truth about their experiences, and therefore Joseph Smith’s claims about the plates are true, or they lied and the plates never existed. This either/or reduction misrepresents the situation facing those who wish to examine the historical nature of these events.” [From author’s introduction]
“A major question in Book of Mormon scholarship is whether the several chapters or passages of Isaiah cited and paraphrased in the book derive from an ancient text or whether they have been copied with some revision from the King James Version of the Bible. The BoM narrative would have us believe the former, that its citations of Isaiah come directly or ultimately from the brass plates of Laban or from Jesus’ recitation where, according to the BoM, he visited the New World peoples shortly after his death. Closer study shows that despite the intent of the story, the Isaiah of the BoM is a revision of the KJV and not a translation of an ancient document. This essay seeks to review and enlarge upon the evidence of this conclusion. It focuses on internal textual evidence where the BoM’s Isaiah appears to reflect or respond to the peculiarities and idiom of the KJV text. This analysis demonstrates how intricately and fully the BoM Isaiah is tied to the KJV. The last section reviews and shows the weakness of arguments that the BoM has parallels with ancient manuscripts and translations or that its variants reflect elements of Hebrew style and language.” [From author’s introduction]
Published by BYU Studies and the Religious Studies Center, Brigham Young University, Provo, Utah Copyright © 2002 by Brigham Young University All rights reserved. Any uses of this material beyond those allowed by the exemptions in U.S. copyright law, such as section 107, “Fair Use,” and section 108, “Library Copying,” requires the written permission of the publisher, Religious Studies Center, 167 HGB, Brigham Young University, Provo, Utah 84602. The views expressed herein are the responsibility of the author and do not necessarily represent the position of Brigham Young University, BYU Studies, or the Religious Studies Center. ISBN 0–8425–2529–7
Articles
RSC Topics > G — K > Godhead
RSC Topics > G — K > Holy Ghost
William Wordsworth wrote: The world is too much with us; late and soon, Getting and spending, we lay waste our powers. Yet life does not have to be that way. In this thought-provoking book, H. Curtis Wright, professor emeritus of ancient Greek and modern library education, presents four messages on “things of redeeming worth”—eternal things that penetrate and transcend human temporal experience. ISBN 1-57008-745-8
Chapters
RSC Topics > G — K > Jesus Christ
RSC Topics > G — K > Judgment
RSC Topics > D — F > Doctrine and Covenants
RSC Topics > G — K > Joseph Smith
RSC Topics > Q — S > Sin
RSC Topics > T — Z > Zion
RSC Topics > D — F > Fall of Adam and Eve
RSC Topics > D — F > Faith
RSC Topics > D — F > Forgiveness
RSC Topics > L — P > Mercy
RSC Topics > Q — S > Repentance
RSC Topics > Q — S > Sin
A FARMS symposium at BYU on Saturday, 26 January, highlighted findings from a years-long effort to collect, translate, and publish ancient accounts of the early life of the patriarch Abraham. Titled “Traditions about the Early Life of Abraham,” the free public event featured presentations by John Tvedtnes, Brian Hauglid, and John Gee, compilers and editors of a new book of the same title published by the Institute under the FARMS imprint.
RSC Topics > D — F > Doctrine and Covenants
RSC Topics > Q — S > Second Coming
RSC Topics > Q — S > Scriptures
RSC Topics > A — C > Baptism for the Dead
RSC Topics > T — Z > Vicarious Work
In defense of the historicity—the historical actuality—of scriptures embraced by Latter-day Saints, several BYU and Institute scholars have contributed to a collection of essays published recently by BYU’s Religious Studies Center. Edited by Paul Y. Hoskisson, Historicity and the Latter-day Saint Scriptures contains 11 essays that explore this topic.
Few literary genres from the ancient world stand out so prominently as the Near Eastern vassal treaty. Scholars have shown that these political contracts formed between vassal kings and suzerain provided the conceptual background for the book of Deuteronomy. “The assumption is that Israel conceived of its relation to Yahweh as that of subject peoples to a world king and that they expressed this relationship in the concepts and formulas of the suzerainty treaty.”
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Old Testament Topics > Literary Aspects
RSC Topics > G — K > Grace
RSC Topics > L — P > Obedience
RSC Topics > L — P > Prayer
RSC Topics > D — F > Doctrine and Covenants
RSC Topics > T — Z > Zion
RSC Topics > A — C > Church History 1845–1877
RSC Topics > L — P > Miracles
RSC Topics > L — P > Missionary Work
RSC Topics > D — F > Doctrine and Covenants
RSC Topics > T — Z > Trials
RSC Topics > G — K > Jesus Christ
RSC Topics > Q — S > Restoration of the Gospel
RSC Topics > T — Z > Worship
RSC Topics > A — C > Church History 1845–1877
RSC Topics > G — K > Gospel of Jesus Christ
RSC Topics > D — F > Doctrine and Covenants
RSC Topics > T — Z > Zion
RSC Topics > L — P > Priesthood
RSC Topics > Q — S > Revelation
A new volume published under the Institute’s Research Press imprint is A Thematic Bibliography of Ancient Maya Writing, by Stephen D. Houston and Zachary Nelson. “Many people don’t know about the quantity of research on ancient Maya writing,” says Houston, a BYU professor of anthropology who is an authority on Maya writing. “In fact, the literature is overwhelmingly large. This bibliography provides a roadmap through that literature.”
A new publication from the Institute highlights the biblical research of a prominent British scholar. Kevin Christensen’s “Paradigms Regained: A Survey of Margaret Barker’s Scholarship and Its Significance for Mormon Studies,” the second issue of the FARMS Occasional Papers, compares the works of Margaret Barker with the writings of many Latter-day Saint researchers, including Hugh W. Nibley, Daniel C. Peterson, and John W. Welch.
RSC Topics > L — P > Prophets
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Katherine Smith Salisbury, the last surviving member of the Joseph Sr. and Lucy Mack Smith family was frequently sought out by converts, missionaries, and reporters for her recollections of those early events of the Restoration. Such visitors reported that she was a willing and able conversationalist on matters pertaining to her family and was quick to share her testimony of the truth of the work they helped to establish. Her early connection with Mormonism and her willingness to speak and write about her experiences make Katharine’s recollections an important source for the study of early Latter-day Saint history.One such recollection, published by a newspaper in 1895, appears at the end of this article.
Book of Mormon Scriptures > Moroni
RSC Topics > A — C > Church History 1946–Present
RSC Topics > D — F > Education
RSC Topics > D — F > Education
RSC Topics > T — Z > Teaching the Gospel
RSC Topics > L — P > Obedience
RSC Topics > T — Z > Temptation
RSC Topics > L — P > Obedience
RSC Topics > Q — S > Repentance
Very often in my work on the critical text of the Book of Mormon, I have discovered cases where the text reads inappropriately. Book of Mormon researchers have typically attempted to find some circumstance or interpretation to explain a difficult reading, but in many cases I have found that difficult readings are actually the result of simple scribal errors.
RSC Topics > L — P > Prophets
RSC Topics > L — P > Learning
RSC Topics > T — Z > Teaching the Gospel
RSC Topics > L — P > Learning
RSC Topics > T — Z > Teaching the Gospel
Continuing a series of conferences on the Book of Abraham, the Institute sponsored “The World of Abraham,” a free public event at Brigham Young University on 23 March featuring new research that further illuminates the geographical and cultural horizons of the Book of Abraham. Institute executive director Daniel Oswald greeted a crowd of 350 people in the Tanner Building auditorium and dozens more in an overflow room. Many others viewed the event via delayed Web transmission a few hours later.
Each semester the Institute sponsors a series of brown bag presentations. These lectures give researchers the opportunity to present their latest findings to their peers in related fields and to receive constructive comment. Reports of four recent lectures follow.
Understanding Islam: An LDS Perspective, a new audiotape from Covenant Recordings in which Daniel C. Peterson, a BYU scholar of Islam and Arabic, provides a fascinating look at the history and beliefs of a religion of more than 1.4 billion adherents. See the order form.
The Hor Book of Breathings: A Translation and Commentary, by Michael D. Rhodes, treats the fragments of the Joseph Smith Papyri associated with Facsimiles 1 and 3 of the Book of Abraham.
Poetry. No abstract available.
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In touring southern Guatemala, many FARMS patrons traveled west of the capital city to visit Lake Atitlán, one of the most photogenic spots in Central America. Tour guides have told thousands that the beautiful “waters of Mormon” beloved by Alma and his people (see Mosiah 18:30) might well be Lake Atitlán. The Nephite record also tells us that a city called Jerusalem, which was constructed by Lamanites led by Nephite dissenters, was located “away joining the borders of Mormon” (Alma 21:1–2).
Book of Mormon Scriptures > Alma
Each year at about this time we remind graduate students about the Nibley Fellowship Program. Those interested in applying for the first time or who wish to renew their fellowships for the 2002/ 2003 academic year must do so by 30 June 2002.
In lieu of this year’s first issue of the Journal of Book of Mormon Studies, a special report of the 20 October 2001 FARMS symposium on the Book of Mormon Critical Text Project will be mailed to FARMS subscribers with the next issue of the Insights newsletter.
The Hor Book of Breathings: A Translation and Commentary, by Michael D. Rhodes, treats the fragments of the Joseph Smith Papyri associated with Facsimiles 1 and 3 of the Book of Abraham. The book features hieroglyphs that were custom designed for this project. Available in June 2002.
Latter-day Saint scholar Terryl L. Givens has recently made two extraordinary contributions to Mormon studies. The first, Viper on the Hearth: Mormons,Myths, and the Construction of Heresy, was published by the prestigious Oxford University Press in 1997 and received virtually uniformly glowing reviews. If one wishes to understand the complex of interests and motivations—pecuniary, personal, and ideological—that fuel both sectarian and secular anti-Mormonism, Viper is the book to consult. The editors at Oxford appreciated the merits of this well-written, informative book and invited Givens to publish again with them. The result is By the Hand of Mormon: The American Scripture That Launched a New World Religion, published this year.
An interesting phenomenon concerning 1 and 2 Nephi is that parts of the latter book draw on the tree of life vision that Nephi and his father shared, as recorded in 1 Nephi 8, 11–15. In an earlier FARMS Update, John A. Tvedtnes demonstrated that Nephi drew on this vision when composing the psalm in 2 Nephi 4. Further study suggests the likelihood that Nephi’s exhortation in 2 Nephi 31 was similarly informed by that sublime vision.
Book of Mormon Scriptures > 2 Nephi
BYU and Institute personnel recently traveled to Naples, Italy, to mark the completion of an Institute team’s work of digitally imaging 1,600 papyrus scrolls from the ancient city of Herculaneum. On 4 June the Institute’s Steve Booras, who supervised the team, and M. Gerald Bradford, associate executive director of the Institute, joined BYU professor Roger T. Macfarlane, the principal investigator of the Herculaneum papyri project, in presenting the final set of CDs containing the digitized images to Mauro Giancaspro, director of the library in Naples (the Biblioteca Nazionale di Napoli) where the Herculaneum papyri are housed. They also presented a plaque commemorating the completion of the imaging.
FARMS has released volumes 3, 4, and 5 of an ongoing audiotape collection of essays titled Preparing for the Millennium, by renowned Latter-day Saint scholar Hugh W. Nibley. Read by Lloyd D. Newell, the audiotapes feature four essays from Nibley’s Approaching Zion and three essays from another volume in his collected works, The Prophetic Book of Mormon.
For a limited time, FARMS subscribers can obtain at special discount the first two volumes of the Book of Mormon critical text: The Original Manuscript of the Book of Mormon: Typographical Facsimile of the Extant Text and The Printer’s Manuscript of the Book of Mormon: Typographical Facsimile of the Entire Text in Two Parts, published by FARMS in 2001 (see the order form). For a full report on these essential resources for serious study of the Book of Mormon text, see the lead article in INSIGHTS 21/5 (2002).
A recent issue of a popular journal on ancient Egypt discusses a number of sheets of gold foil incised with Egyptian writing. These artifacts provide some interesting parallels to the Book of Mormon.
In 1998 Jordan Vajda wrote a remarkable master’s thesis at the Dominican School of Philosophy and Theology in Berkeley, California, entitled “‘Partakers of the Divine Nature’: A Comparative Analysis of Patristic and Mormon Doctrines of Divinization.” The thesis is remarkable both for what it has to say and, perhaps even more strikingly, for who is saying it: Jordan Vajda is a Dominican Catholic priest. At the present time, he serves in the Catholic campus ministry at the Newman Center adjacent to the University of Washington in Seattle.
A new book from FARMS offers a world of information about the New Testament and its background. Charting the New Testament contains scores of charts, tables, and graphs, each with helpful explanatory and reference materials in a reader-friendly format. Covering a wide array of topics-from the ancient Jewish setting of the New Testament and the world of the Greeks and Romans in which the activities of Jesus and his apostles took place to detailed analysis of the scriptural text itself-the book offers an extensive overview of matters doctrinal, literary, and historical. A companion volume to Charting the Book of Mormon, this handy resource is designed with both the student and the teacher in mind.
The Hor Book of Breathings: A Translation and Commentary, by Michael D. Rhodes, was recently published by FARJv1S. This landmark volume is a full publication of the Hor Book of Breathings ( the extant portions of the roll from which Facsimiles 1 and 3 of the Book of Abraham also derive) and includes a transliteration, translation, and philological commentary; a complete glossary of all Egyptian words in the surviving text; and both color and grayscale digital images of the papyri.
If God is good, why does he permit evil to exist? People through the ages have wrestled with this philosophical question, often called simply “the problem of evil.” The Bible contains one of the earliest works to address it-the book of Job.
The Institute’s Middle Eastern Texts Initiative has published the first two volumes in its Graeco-Arabic Sciences and Philosophy series: Moses Maimonides’ On Asthma and Averroes’ Middle Commentary on Aristotle’s De anima.
Scholars from BYU spoke at the recent FAIR (Foundation for Apologetic Information and Research) LDS Apologetics Conference held in August at Utah Valley State College, in Orem, Utah. FAIR, which is not affiliated with BYU or the Institute, is an organization dedicated to defending LDS beliefs and practices with sound scholarship. The theme of the conference was “Turning Stumbling Blocks to Stepping Stones: Responding to Challenging Issues in Mormonism.”
Can you sense the blessings that await if you drink deeply of Christ’s living water? Will you set aside a few minutes each day to read from the scriptures and then ponder the meaning of the verses read?
The Second Conference of Abbot Serenus 21, written about A.D. 426 by the Christian scholar John Cassian, sheds light on statements made in the Book of Mormon and the Book of Moses about Cain, who slew his brother Abel.
Resolve that each moment of your life will reflect your determination to humbly be an example of righteousness, integrity, and conviction.
The Lord has sent you comfort—many sources of comfort and inspiration—not the least of which are witnesses in stars and stones that He lives, that He loves you, and that He has set in place a plan by which all that He has created can be yours if you will have faith and endure.
The first principle of the gospel is faith in the Lord Jesus Christ. Faith means trust—trust in God’s will, trust in His way of doing things, and trust in His timetable. We should not try to impose our timetable on His.
Old Testament Topics > Moses
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I believe that each of us can be renewed in mind and spirit as we sincerely seek for those things that money cannot buy.
I know [God] knows us. He hears and answers our prayers. He has not left us alone on our earthly journey.
Having light is evidence that Jesus Christ is part of our life. His light—His spirit, His truth, His power—inspires, motivates, comforts, capacitates, and protects.
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Old Testament Topics > Moses
The Lord has given us specific doctrines and principles that show us how to clothe ourselves in the armor of God so that we can stand against the powers of evil.
We cannot be slackers in our commitment to the Lord . . . Our faith in the Lord Jesus Christ and our gratitude for His sacrifice for us compels us to serve by bearing testimony of Him, even Jesus Christ, the Son of the living God.
Make a commitment today that you will not leave this great university without having read the Book of Mormon at least once.
I pray that the . . . the power of the Atonement in Lazarus, Sonya, Raskolnikov, Theany Reath, and Kats Kajiyama and millions of others will give us courage to “stand forth” and to allow our graveclothes to be removed; and that we might also be both the healers and the healed, the unbinders and the unbound.
Conversion is a personal and spiritual process. Every individual must examine these principles for himself.
Peace—real peace, whole-souled to the very core of your being—comes only in and through faith in the Lord Jesus Christ.
As you stay on the right path, the reward at the end of life’s journey is well worth the moments of adversity you experience along the way.
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Every child needs regular reports affirming, “You are known. You are valued. You have potential. You are good.”
I pray that you wonderful young men will not only be worthy to receive ministering angels, but that you … will become a ministering angel in the lives of others.
As we increasingly think and act like Him, the attributes of the natural man will slip away to be replaced by the heart and the mind of Christ.
Out of our adversity we might seek our greatest triumphs, and the day may well come that from our challenges we will understand the familiar words “for thy good.”
All of us will be tested. And all of us need true friends to love us, to listen to us, to show us the way, and to testify of truth to us.
Your future may not hold fame or fortune, but it can be something far more lasting and fulfilling. Remember that what we do in life echoes in eternity.
Each of us has problems that we cannot solve and weaknesses that we cannot conquer without reaching out through prayer to a higher source of strength.
The emblems of the Savior’s Atonement remind us that we need not stumble in darkness. We can have His light with us always.
No other church to come out of the soil of America has grown so fast nor spread so widely. … It is a phenomenon without precedent.
Our behavior in public must be above reproach. Our behavior in private is even more important. It must clear the standard set by the Lord.
We reach toward the unknown, but faith lights the way. If we will cultivate that faith, we shall never walk in darkness.
Like the polar star in the heavens, … there stands the Redeemer of the world, the Son of God, certain and sure as the anchor of our immortal lives.
No one of us is less treasured or cherished of God than another. I testify that He loves each of us—insecurities, anxieties, self-image, and all.
Standing in holy places is all about being in good company, whether you are alone or with others.
I know how deeply He loves us and how perfectly compelling His love is for us.
To know the Lord Jesus Christ, we and all mankind must receive Him. And to receive Him, we must receive His servants.
In pondering and pursuing consecration, understandably we tremble inwardly at what may be required. Yet the Lord has said consolingly, “My grace is sufficient for you” (Du0026C 17:8).
Let’s not pass to future generations the grievances, the anger of our time. Let’s remove any hidden wedges that can do nothing but destroy.
Let us, as a mighty body of priesthood, be doers of the word, and not hearers only. Let us pray, then let us go and do.
Exemplify in your lives four tested, specific virtues: an attitude of gratitude, a longing for learning, a devotion to discipline, and a willingness to work.
Develop the divinity that is within you. Don’t dull the brightness of the spirit you came with from heaven. The Lord needs your goodness and your influence in this world.
The foundation of one’s individual faith, if anchored firmly to eternal truth, allows each of us to reach upward with an eternal perspective.
He has given us His Atonement, His gospel, and His Church, a sacred combination that gives us the assurance of immortality and the opportunity for eternal life.
There is in what we believe, there is in what we teach, counsel, commandments, even warnings that we are to protect, to love, to care for, and to “teach [children] to walk in the ways of truth.”
If I could have one thing happen for every woman in this Church, it would be that they would feel the love of the Lord in their lives.
The Lord is bound by solemn covenant to bless our lives according to our faithfulness. Only He can turn us into men in whom the Spirit of God, namely the Holy Ghost, is.
“Faith obedience” is a matter of trust. The question is simple: Do we trust our Heavenly Father? Do we trust our prophets?
Your happiness now and forever is conditioned on your degree of conversion and the transformation that it brings to your life.
How do you and I become so converted to the truth, so full of faith, so dependent on God that we are able to meet trials and even be strengthened by them?
By being teachable, we activate the full force and blessings of the Atonement in our lives.
Three principles that will help you strengthen your home and family are nurturing, sacrifice, and prayer.
The Lord has established the law of tithing as the law of revenue of His Church. … It is also a law by which we show our loyalty to the Lord.
I love Him. I want to do all that I can to serve as He would have me serve.
Those who, in faith, leave their nets and follow the Savior will experience happiness beyond their ability to comprehend.
“But charity is the pure love of Christ, and it endureth forever; and whoso is found possessed of it at the last day, it shall be well with him.” [Moroni 7:47]
You may not be asked to face death in the service He requires of you, but you will be asked to love and to sacrifice for a lifetime. And you will be blessed by your faithful and loving Master beyond what you would have asked of Him. And, above all, you will, as the faithful servant, become His friend.
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My young friends, remember that marriage is essential to eternal life and that a good marriage and family life is crafted, not found.
As we try to do Heavenly Father’s will, . . . I believe we open ourselves, day by day, to the sanctifying power of the Atonement.
I believe that if we will approach all our meetings with a desire to become one with the Holy Spirit, our feelings of the Spirit will dictate our actions, and without prior thought or instruction we will act and speak accordingly.
Old Testament Topics > History
Old Testament Topics > Old Testament: Overviews and Manuals
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Old Testament Topics > New Testament and the Old Testament
President Hinckley is encouraging us to be prepared, both spiritually and temporally, so that we might receive all the blessings Heavenly Father has in store for His children.
To avoid money’s corrupting influence, we must love only God and our fellowman and embrace only virtue as the defining and motivating force in our lives.
What do we have that we can offer in return for all the good gifts of our Father in Heaven and His Son Jesus Christ? We can offer our hearts and our free will—our obedience. We can sacrifice a broken heart and a contrite spirit.
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Old Testament Topics > Elijah
Old Testament Topics > New Testament and the Old Testament
Through the Atonement of Jesus Christ we can be liberated from sin on condition of repentance. There is no greater liberation.
We have within our own sphere of influence [a] sacred . . . duty to seek and speak the truth in love and courage and to submit in meekness to inspired counsel.
Empathy is an essential ingredient for all positive interpersonal relationships. If we couldn’t at least imagine what it feels like to be in someone else’s shoes or skin, we wouldn’t be able to connect; we would live our lives in isolation.
Old Testament Topics > Prophets and Prophecy
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Old Testament Topics > Restoration and Joseph Smith
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Old Testament Topics > Biblical Criticism
I am a literary critic who has spent a professional lifetime reading, teaching, and writing about literary texts. Much of my interest in and approach to the Book of Mormon lies with the text—though not just as a field for scholarly exploration.
Thomas employs form criticism to identify the original historic core of Joseph Smith’s 1823 vision of the angel Moroni. To do this, he examines some details of the vision including Moroni’s citation of Malachi 3 and 4. He also examined some historical traditions preceding the 1823 vision including magic/money digging, 19th-century visionaries, a tradition of buried books, etc. He determined that ’no historical anachronisms exist in the original core narratives.’ He reasons that Joseph Smith ’very likely had an actual vision on the night of 21-22 September 1823.’ He then discusses what it meant in the 19th century to have a vision. From this analysis he concludes the essay with a description of the core elements of what can rationally be presumed to have happened during Joseph Smith’s 1823 vision.
During the past few decades, a number of LDS scholars have developed various “limited geography” models of where the events of the Book of Mormon occurred. These models contrast with the traditional western hemisphere model, which is still the most familiar to Book of Mormon readers. [From the text]
We call upon you, our young brethren of the Aaronic Priesthood, to rise up, to measure up, and to be fully prepared to serve the Lord.
Old Testament Topics > Faith
We will not be one with God and Christ until we make Their will and interest our greatest desire.
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We can feel happiness every day in our lives through little things we do, and we are fully happy as we keep the commandments of a loving God.
If we are caring, if we are charitable, if we are obedient to God and follow His prophets, our sacrifices will bring forth the blessings of heaven.
The Lord will guide you by revelation just as He called you. You must ask in faith for revelation to know what you are to do.
Taking up one’s cross and following the Savior means overcoming selfishness; it is a commitment to serve others.
While we are not all equal in experience, aptitude, and strength, … we will all be accountable for the use of the gifts and opportunities given to us.
Your role as sisters is special and unique in the Lord’s work. You are the nurturers and the caregivers.
If we’re ever going to show gratitude properly to our Heavenly Father, we should do it with all of our heart, might, mind, and strength.
Pay your tithing. Unlock the windows of heaven. You will be abundantly blessed for your obedience and faithfulness to the Lord’s laws and commandments.
Do your sons ever wonder if you are asleep when it comes to the things that are most important to them?
I urge you … to utilize the temples of the Church. Go there and carry forward the great and marvelous work which the God of heaven has outlined for us.
You men who hold this precious priesthood, bind it to your very souls. Be worthy of it at all times and in all circumstances.
God be thanked for His marvelous bestowal of testimony, authority, and doctrine associated with this, the restored Church of Jesus Christ.
There is room for improvement in every life. … Regardless of our circumstances, we can improve ourselves and while so doing have an effect on the lives of those about us.
To raise our families and serve faithfully in the Church, all without running faster than we have strength, require wisdom, judgment, divine help—and inevitably some sacrifice.
If we keep our covenants, the promises we receive in return are great.
Stirrings within us originate from a divine source and, when followed, will help to keep us on course, thus protecting us from harmful influences and dangerous detours.
Perplexing things will still happen, but, like Nephi, we can still know that God loves us, a … fact which can and will sustain us through so much!
Principles of love, work, self-reliance, and consecration are God given. Those who embrace them and govern themselves accordingly become pure in heart.
This is our charge, this is our opportunity, to diligently teach and testify to our children of the truthfulness of the gospel of Jesus Christ.
His words in holy writ are sufficient: “Be still, and know that I am God.”
All of us living in the world today need points of reference—even models to follow.
A woman of faith trusts God. … She knows of His interest in her life. She knows that He knows her. She loves His words and drinks deeply of that living water.
Peace is a prime priority that pleads for our pursuit.
The full measure of [our] conversion to men and women of God happens best through our labors in His vineyard.
The Lord has a special interest in the patriarch, who holds a unique position in the Church.
Every time we reach out with love, patience, kindness, generosity, we honor our covenants by saying, “Here am I; send me.”
We have been given the great power of the priesthood. It blesses us individually and provides blessings for our family.
As covenant women, … we can alter the face of the earth one family and one home at a time through charity, our small and simple acts of pure love.
You must trust that the Savior has given His life so that you can make the required changes in your life, changes that will bring peace.
Let us listen to the prophets of our days as they help us to focus on the things that are central to the Creator’s plan.
Mortality’s supreme test is to face the “why” and then let it go, trusting humbly in the Lord’s promise that “all things must come to pass in their time.”
Only when our faith is aligned with the will of our Heavenly Father will we be empowered to receive the blessings we seek.
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Jesus descended below all things in order to rise above all things. He expects us to follow His example. Yoked with Him, we can rise above all challenges, no matter how difficult they may be.
Several BYU and Institute scholars attended the joint annual meetings of the American Academy of Religion and the Society of Biblical Literature held in Toronto, Ontario, last November. In recent years this scholarly venue has enabled BYU entities specializing in religious scholarship to join ranks in the interest of promoting their recent publications while cultivating professional contacts, staying abreast of developments in the field, and presenting their research findings at conference sessions.
On 30 October John L. Clark, emeritus instructor in the Church Educational System, spoke on the topic “Painting Out the Messiah: Theologies of the Dissidents.” Clark began by showing that Lehi, Nephi, and Jacob all taught specifically about the Messiah but that dissidents like Sherem and Nehor opposed their teachings with “theologies” that denied Christ’s redemptive role and godhood, thereby causing many believers to lose faith. Clark then examined the arguments of the dissidents in the Book of Mormon to show what the prophets were teaching and what the objections to those teachings were. He discusses this topic at length in an article in the current issue of the Journal of Book of Mormon Studies, mailed along with this newsletter.
As announced in the last issue of Insights, the Institute invites interested persons to submit papers for possible presentation at an upcoming conference on Latter-day Saint views on the sacrifice of Isaac. The conference will be held at BYU on 11 October 2003.
Review of Grant H. Palmer. An Insider’s View of Mormon Origins.
Review of “Does the Book of Mormon Reflect an Ancient Near Eastern Background?” (2002), by Thomas J. Finley, and “Rendering Fiction: Translation, Pseudotranslation, and the Book of Mormon” (2002), by David J. Shepherd.
Review of Donald W. Parry. Harmonizing Isaiah: Combining Ancient Sources.
Review of Paul Owen. “Monotheism, Mormonism, and the New Testament Witness.” In The New Mormon Challenge: Responding to the Latest Defenses of a Fast-Growing Movement.
Review of Grant H. Palmer. An Insider’s View of Mormon Origins.
**Only a selection of these chapters are available for online reading. An introduction to several key literary, cultural, linguistic, and religious connections between the Book of Mormon and the Old Testament. Since 1830, millions of people have read the Book of Mormon and studied its claims for ties with the ancient world. The Book of Mormon begins with references to Jerusalem and the Hebrew Bible. Readers often wonder to what extent the Book of Mormon reflects the literary, cultural, and religious world of ancient Israel. In the book Testaments, these and other issues are carefully addressed in a reader-friendly style. The authors, David E. Bokovoy and John A. Tvedtnes illustrate that the Book of Mormon shares much in common with the Old Testament. These exciting links provide clear evidence that the Book of Mormon and the Hebrew Bible serve as related testaments of the Savior Jesus Christ and his restored gospel.
RSC Topics > T — Z > War
RSC Topics > D — F > First Presidency
RSC Topics > L — P > Prayer
RSC Topics > T — Z > Temples
This review enthusiastically endorses Boyd Petersen’s biography of his father-in-law, Hugh Nibley. Petersen intersperses narrative chapters with thematic ones in Hugh Nibley: A Consecrated Life.
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RSC Topics > L — P > Prophets
RSC Topics > T — Z > War
Introduction to the current issue.
Editor’s introduction to a four-part series on the relationship of DNA studies to Book of Mormon origins.
The account of the journey of Lehi’s family through the wilderness mentions one local name, Nahom, where Ishmael was buried. The discovery of the tribal name NHM on three altars from the seventh and sixth centuries BC provides a likely location for that stopping point on their trip. This site is located at the bend of the incense trail that went in the opposite direction of Lehi’s group—westward to NHM and then turning northward.
Introduction to the current issue.
Book of Mormon Scriptures > Alma
RSC Topics > A — C > Conversion
RSC Topics > G — K > Hell
RSC Topics > G — K > Humility
The Book of Mormon does not give sufficient information about the background of Ishmael’s wife, the wives of Ishmael’s sons, and Nephi’s sisters to test the mitochondrial DNA of the group. Other problems for critics’ assertions include the uncertainty of Lehi’s possession of an Abrahamic Y chromosome and the complete disregard for the entire Jaredite population (remnants of which may have survived their final battle). Confident scientific conclusions are difficult to attain and cannot replace a spiritual witness of the truthfulness of the Book of Mormon.
The 32nd Annual Sidney B. Sperry Symposium The first publication of the Book of Mormon was completed only a few days before the Church was organized. The Lord revealed that it “contains a record of a fallen people, and the fulness of the gospel of Jesus Christ. Before the revelation was received on the organization of priesthood quorums, before the vision of the three degrees of glory, before knowledge of vicarious work for the dead, and before Joseph Smith was instructed to begin an inspired translation of the Bible, the Book of Mormon was received as scripture for all members of the Church. As the “keystone” containing a “fulness of the gospel,” the Book of Mormon connects, enhances, and clarifies the other standard works. This volume was published to encourage all who read it to discover and rediscover for themselves that the Book of Mormon does indeed contain the fulness of the gospel.