The news media often characterizes some detractors of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints as “Mormon intellectuals” and presents them to the public as the thinking Mormons who know the inside story of the church. In this rush to produce controversial news, an obvious truth has been overlooked—that the LDS intellectual and academic communities are composed of strong believers in the Prophet Joseph Smith’s revelations and solid supporters of LDS Church leadership. Only at the fringes is there noticeable dissent.

Readers of Expressions of Faith will discover a marvelous, uncoached unity in these testimonies of LDS scholars. Although most of the 24 contributors are persons of substantial learning, none base their beliefs in scholarly insights. Rather, all point to an inner conviction that has come through life experience and God’s gift. As they explain, these testimonies enlighten their entire lives, including their scholarly endeavors. None feel conflict between the canons of scholarship and religious belief, but rather find the two mutually reinforcing and even necessary.

This unique book aims to strengthen people’s faith by precept and example as they pursue their own efforts to know the Lord and to understand his love and dealings with humankind.

By Miles Gerald Bradford, Published on 01/01/97

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.

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.

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.

The book of Romans can be difficult to understand, and it is used more than any other biblical book to challenge LDS doctrine. “When we understand Romans, it is obvious that not only need we not fear having others discuss Paul’s teachings, but we can use those very teachings to teach the truthfulness of the gospel understood through latter-day revelation.”

In commenting on Romans 1 verse by verse, author James E. Faulconer touches on such topics as faith, holiness, obedience, service to Christ, personal conversion and repentance, and becoming true saints. Romans 1: Notes and Reflections can be a valuable tool for those who are studying the book of Romans or looking for new ways to study other scripture.

Cultivate your love for the scriptures and deepen your knowledge with the help of a scripture study process compiled by James E. Faulconer. Rich scripture study is facilitated by tools and techniques that help us focus on what the scriptures can teach us. This study aid offers pointers and suggestions that will familiarize beginning students of the scriptures with the many resources available to them, as well as help more experienced students improve the overall effectiveness of their scripture study.

In this fascinating book, Faulconer discusses a helpful method and the purpose of outlining, an in-depth method of cross-referencing, how to ask cogent and thought-provoking questions about the scriptures, the benefits of using dictionaries and concordances, the relation between words and ideas apparent through rhetorical studies, and using the valuable reference tools in the LDS edition of the scriptures. He then provides sample notes developed using the study tools he describes to show how research and pondering can make scripture study even more meaningful.

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.

“People may well ask: Why study warfare in the Book of Mormon? There are so many answers, among which are these: to understand better the events in the Book of Mormon, to develop a perspective against which to understand its teachings and messages, to enjoy the interesting lives of a remarkable people, and to aid in assaying the historicity of the book, ” writes John W. Welch at the beginning of Warfare in the Book of Mormon.

Includes three papers: \"Who Controls the Water? Yahweh vs. Baal\" (Fred E. Woods), \"Justice and Mercy in the Book of Deuteronomy (Is There Mercy in the Old Testament?)\" (Jared W. Ludlow) and \"Garment of Joseph: An Update\" (Brian M. Hauglid).

By John W. Welch and Daniel B. McKinlay, Published on 01/01/99

By Donald W. Parry, Jeanette W. Miller, and Sandra A. Thorne, Published on 01/01/96

With the rapid and visible growth of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, it was inevitable that doctrinal differences would arise between the Latter-day Saints and people of other faiths. Members of the LDS Church profess to be Christians, yet others doubt or do not understand this claim.

The contributors to Latter-day Christianity hope that the 10 essays contained in this full-color, illustrated book will help Latter-day Saints who want to explain their beliefs and will be useful to people outside the LDS Church who want a simple and clear statement of those beliefs. The essays address such topics as whether Latter-day Saints are Christian and what they believe about God, the Bible, personal revelation, human deification, salvation, and proselytization.

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.

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.

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.

The essays in this book, written by some of the finest LDS scholars, take a variety of approaches to help readers make the most of the Isaiah passages in the Book of Mormon. These scholars use the prophets of the Book of Mormon as knowledgeable guides, examining how and why those ancient writers used and interpreted Isaiah in order to clarify for modern readers what the Isaiah sections in the Book of Mormon are all about.

The distinguished career of Truman G. Madsen has earned him wide respect in and outside of LDS circles as an outstanding teacher, scholar, researcher, speaker, university administrator, church leader, and religious ambassador. With the publication of Revelation, Reason, and Faith: Essays in Honor of Truman G. Madsen, the Institute pays tribute to this remarkable man whose many accomplishments include helping to advance Book of Mormon scholarship and related interests of the Institute.

Edited by Donald W. Parry, Daniel C. Peterson, and Stephen D. Ricks (each of whom also author a chapter), the 800-plus-page volume contains contributions by 31 scholars, 10 of who are not Latter-day Saints, reflecting the wide appeal of Madsen’s academic work and influence. The book is organized into five sections: “Philosophy and Theology,” “LDS Scripture and Theology,” “Joseph Smith and LDS Church History,” “Judaism,” and “The Temple.”

The Temple in Time and Eternity, edited by Donald W. Parry and Stephen D. Ricks, is the second volume in the series Temples Through The Ages. The importance of the temple to a religious community of the Ancient Near East and Mediterranean world can scarcely be exaggerated. The eleven articles in this volume are divided topically into three sections: “Temple in Ritual,” “Temples in the Israelite Tradition,” and “Temples in the Non-Israelite Tradition.”

The “Temple in Ritual” section features Hugh Nibley’s discussion on “Abraham’s Temple Drama,” which identifies elements of the creation drama that appear in the book of Abraham and elsewhere in the ancient world. An article by Ricks discusses oaths and oath taking in the Old Testament. John A. Tvedtnes shows that baptizing for the dead was known in various parts of the Mediterranean world and in Egypt. In a second article, Tvedtnes enlightens our understanding of the form and purposes of the temple prayer in ancient times.

Richard R. Cowan, in the section “Temples in the Israelite Tradition,” traces the development of temples to modern times. Richard D. Draper and Parry make intriguing comparisons of temple symbolism between Genesis 2–3 and Revelation 2–3, focusing particularly on promises and blessings. Alan K. Parrish shares with us insights into modern temple worship throughout the eyes of John A. Widtsoe, and Thomas R. Valletta examines priesthood and temple issues by contrasting “the holy order of the Son of God and its spurious counterpart, the order of Nehor.”

The concluding chapters of the book, grouped into the section “Temples in the Non-Israelite Tradition,” include John Gee’s discussion of getting past the gatekeeper (gleaned from various Egyptian literary corpora), a fascinating study by Gaye Strathearn and Brian M. Hauglid of the Great Mosque and its Ka’ba in light of John Lundquist’s typology of ancient Near Eastern temples, and E. Jan Wilson’s enlightening treatment of the features of a Sumerian temple.

Three essays by Hugh Nibley, plus papers presented at the 1993 FARMS symposium, other important papers on the temple, a keynote address by Elder Marion D. Hanks (former president of the Salt Lake Temple), striking illustrations by Michael Lyon (who illustrated Nibley’s Temple and Cosmos)—these features and more make Temples of the Ancient World: Ritual and Symbolism one of the most significant volumes ever published on the temple. Twenty-four essays in this 1994 publication focus on the temple in the Hebrew Bible and ancient Near East, the New Testament, Jewish writings, and the Book of Mormon and ancient America.

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.

In the last few years, the topic of how DNA research fits in with the text of the Book of Mormon has become increasingly divisive. Now, for the first time in one volume, respected DNA scientists, geneticists, and Book of Mormon scholars provide their views on DNA and the Book of Mormon.

One important and fruitful area of Book of Mormon studies has focused on ancient Hebrew literary forms present in the text. After years of studying these fascinating forms, Hugh W. Pinnock offers his perspective on their beauty, function, and background. By design this book offers a basic working knowledge of only some of the ancient literary forms identified in the Book of Mormon. Together they represent a significant percentage of the types of ancient forms drawn upon by the Nephite prophets.

The author explains that knowledge of ancient Hebrew writing forms and Jewish poetry is incomplete even today, and much less so in the Prophet Joseph Smith’s day. The book aims to deepen faith in the authenticity of the Book of Mormon by calling attention to its ancient character and affirming that it was translated—not written, or even capable of being written—in early 19th-century America.

The speech of King Benjamin in the Book of Mormon is a masterpiece of Christian literature. These inspired words influenced later Book of Mormon prophets for generations, and they continue to reach across time to stir countless people today. King Benjamin’s Speech Made Simple is a popular abridgment of the expansive volume King Benjamin’s Speech: “That Ye May Learn Wisdom.” Prepared with the general reader in mind, this streamlined version presents the essential contents of the original book. Eleven studies examine the classic speech from many angles, viewing it as a manual for Christian discipleship, a coronation and covenant-renewal text, an ancient farewell address, a key part of a religious celebration, a prophetic lawsuit, a masterful oration of stunning structural complexity, and much more. It acquaints readers with a great religious leader whose wisdom, inspired teachings, and parting testimony invite studious attention and lasting admiration. This book is a rich resource, spotlighting and making simple the profound meanings and intriguing complexities of Benjamin’s carefully wrought words.

For readers of the Book of Mormon, King Benjamin’s speech is a treasure trove of inspiration, wisdom, eloquence, and spiritual insight. King Benjamin’s Speech: “That Ye May Learn Wisdom” is the most substantial collection of studies ever to focus exclusively on this landmark address.

The contributors examine this speech in the multifaceted contexts in which it was delivered: as a classic speech of a departing leader near the time of his death, as the focus of an annual festival season mandated anciently under the law of Moses, as part of a covenant renewal ceremony delivered within the sacred precinct of the Nephite temple in Zarahemla, and as preparation for the coronation of a new king.

Historical and linguistic tools and information are employed in these essays to help the reader to better grasp the speech’s historical setting, its doctrinal implications, its literary qualities, its influence then and now, and its overall brilliance. This book contains the complete text of the speech along with detailed notes, cross-references, textual commentary, and a select bibliography.

Though the King James Version of the Bible has long been admired for the elegance and beauty of its language, its companion volume, the Book of Mormon, has only recently begun to be truly appreciated for its own literary merits.

In Feasting on the Word, Richard Rust shows the Book of Mormon to be not only a bounteous doctrinal storehouse but also a treasury of literary riches, bidding us to taste, touch, see, and hear in order to experience things of the Spirit. Rust explains that the text was planned purposefully and shaped artistically so that form and content are totally integrated, as they are in great works of literature.

Literary elements used by the book’s prophetic writers to invite the reader to come unto Christ include form and imagery, poetry and narrative, repetition and chiasm. Several such elements are of ancient Hebrew and Middle Eastern origin, and their presence in the Book of Mormon testifies of its conscious literary craftsmanship.

With its doctrinal content so plain and precious, the Book of Mormon fulfills both our spiritual and our artistic longings; it speaks to us intellectually, emotionally, and spiritually. This interconnection of truth and goodness is explored with sensitivity and intelligence and will enhance the reader’s awareness and appreciation of the truth and beauty of the Book of Mormon.

By John L. Sorenson, Published on 01/01/90

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.

This book shares the exciting results of scholarly research on the Book of Mormon undertaken during the 1980s. As an ancient religious text and cultural artifact, the Book of Mormon rewards close analysis along many lines of inquiry. Twenty-three essays by prominent LDS scholars cover such topics as warfare, repentance, Exodus motifs, Hebraisms, kingship, politics, Isaiah, Mormon as editor, chiasmus, covenant renewal, and poetry.

These studies aim to demonstrate that the Book of Mormon contains complex patterns not previously recognized—that is, subtle patterns of style, ideas, history, and actions that, once made visible, shed much light on the power and beauty of the book and stimulate greater appreciation and respect for it.

This book presents the FARMS Research Updates of the 1990s, plus some similar short notes from the Journal of Book of Mormon Studies, in a new collection edited by John W. Welch and Melvin J. Thorne. Aimed at a general audience, these updates are brief, easy-to-read reports of new research on the Book of Mormon. Each contributor offers intriguing ideas and developments that have emerged from exploring the Book of Mormon from many perspectives. Pressing Forward will interest all people who want to know what’s new in Book of Mormon research.

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.

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.

This book is a collection of more than 175 visual aids that promote deeper understanding and appreciation of the Book of Mormon. Designed for multiple use as study guides, handouts, and masters for creating projectable images, the charts convey a wealth of information that will enrich personal study and teaching.

Arranged in 15 sections, these charts consist of tables, diagrams, chronologies, flowcharts, bar graphs, pie charts, maps, and other effective schematics that represent Book of Mormon data in new and thought-provoking ways. General topics range from the history, doctrine, structure, and chronology of the Book of Mormon to its literary, cultural, and geographical features. Many charts highlight evidences for the authenticity of the record. Each chart is explained in a manner that will facilitate personal study and guide a teacher in what might be said when displaying the chart for group instruction or discussion.

Understanding the Sermon on the Mount (meaning both texts in their shared, collective meaning) as a temple text reveals that it has far more power and unity than a mere collection of miscellaneous sayings of Jesus. John W. Welch examines the teachings and commandments of the Sermon on the Mount in its Book of Mormon setting—at the Nephite temple, in connection with sacred ordinances of covenant making. This context opens new insights into the meaning and significance of the Sermon whereby readers never again see the Sermon the same.

Illuminating the Sermon at the Temple & Sermon on the Mount adapts and expands Welch’s earlier work to offer a thorough Latter-day Saint interpretation of the Savior’s greatest sermon, drawing on insights from Jesus’s Sermon at the Temple in 3 Nephi to shed light on his Sermon on the Mount in the Gospel of Matthew. This edition includes substantial additions based on insights gleaned throughout a decade of continuing research.

The Book of Mormon invites exploration and reexploration. After more than 150 years of careful reading, we are still learning to appreciate its fullness, understand its origins, and comprehend its messages. Reexploring the Book of Mormon yields a wealth of new insights. More than ever before, patient and skillful research during the past decade has led from one discovery to another. Since 1981, the Foundation for Ancient Research and Mormon Studies (F.A.R.M.S.) has issued articles and updates—brief, readable reports on current discoveries about the origins and contents of the Book of Mormon. Eighty-five of these findings published through 1991 have been collected in this volume. This type of research does more than gather circumstantial evidence for the Book of Mormon. It explores many avenues of the record’s internal complexity. It helps define the rich literary, anthropological, historical, and spiritual settings in which this scripture was written and translated.