John Sorenson proposes a plausible chronology for the Jaredites based on what is known of ancient American cultures through archaeology.

Economic systems are distinguished by their emphasis on equity and efficiency. Market controls are justified because of the need for equity. Free markets are justified because of the need for private incentives and efficiency. Most countries of the world today have adopted a combination of controls and free-market incentives. The Book of Mormon teaches that only through caring can equity and efficiency be simultaneously achieved.

Ancient texts are too often approached using modern assumptions. Among those assumptions obstructing an understanding of ancient texts is the modern emphasis on originality and on writing as intellectual property. Ancient writers relished repetition—stories that were repeated in succeeding generations—over originality. The Bible is full of repeated or allusive stories, and the Book of Mormon often reinscribes this biblical emphasis on repetition. One such biblical reverberation in the Book of Mormon is Nephi’s ocean voyage, which evokes biblical stories of origination: creation, deluge, and exodus. These three stories of beginnings are carefully alluded to in Nephi’s own foundational story, exactly as we would expect to find in an ancient Hebraic text.

Dean Jessee presents and supplements Joseph Knight’s firsthand account of early church history events involving Joseph Smith and others.

Hugh Nibley has gathered a collection of statements from Church Fathers and modern scholars that acknowledge that views concerning God changed. The early church was based on the Hebrew Bible but churchmen were later influenced by the arguments of different philosophers.

This packet consists of a collection of translated statements by ancient Greek philosophers concerning their perceptions of divinity. It quotes Thales, Anaximander, Heraclitus, Pythagoras, and others on such abstract concepts as Absolute, causes, the One, the Nous (mind), and the uncreated.

No abstract available.

Hugh Nibley places the Word of Wisdom in perspective: it is not given to the Saints by eternal covenant because it involves a strictly temporal matter. In other words, living the Word of Wisdom is not an issue in the world to come. The significant point is the word wisdom; the Word of Wisdom is a wise code to guide our consumption.

This presentation contains suggestions for interpreting various features found in the Pearl of Great Price facsimiles. Hugh Nibley notes that variations within stereotyped images, such as a person about to be sacrificed on the lion couch, can have widely divergent interpretations, thus leaving room for Joseph Smith’s interpretation of Abraham on the altar. Facsimile 2 can be compared to apocryphal books about Abraham that describe a cosmic journey with elements resembling certain features in the book of Abraham. The coronation scene in Facsimile 3 also shows authentic elements.

No abstract available.

Hugh Nibley addresses issues that cause people to question the historicity of the Book of Mormon. He gives evidence to support the claim that people inhabited the American continent for centuries before the arrival of the Nephites, that the Hill Cumorah was not too far away for Moroni to reach, and that the “fulness of iniquity” described in the Book of Mormon has much evidence in extant art from that time.

The creation of the earth was repetitiously celebrated in rituals in civilizations of the ancient Near East—Babylon, Assyria, Persia, and Israel. Sources suggest that in Israel, perhaps as early as the Second Temple period, laymen recited the Genesis creation story while priests were offering sacrifices. The laymen were expected to recite the account in towns far away from Jerusalem for the benefit of those who could not go to the holy city. Hearing about the creation enabled listeners to experience a renewal of creation in their own setting.

John Sorenson offers a survey and interpretation of the evidence that the wheel was known in the New World before the arrival of European explorers in the early sixteenth century. He discusses Mesoamerican and Old World wheeled figurines, wheels and movement in Mesoamerican belief, and the similarities between figurines in the New World and the Old.

Blake Ostler examines what relationship exists between the papyri of the ancient Egyptian Book of Breathings possessed by Joseph Smith and the Book of Abraham. Ostler finds that Joseph Smith, in associating vignettes of the Book of the Dead to explain Abraham’s experiences, was actually duplicating an ancient practice about which he could not have known from secular sources available in his day.

Few passages in the Book of Mormon have inspired more criticism and moral outrage than the account of Nephi slaying the unconscious figure of Laban. Many point to this episode as evidence against the Book of Mormon being an inspired document. In this study we will attempt to examine the legal as well as the extra-legal ramifications of this incident. Since the law of ancient Israel was inexorably tied to the religious and moral code of the Israelites, any attempt to divorce the two would be patently artificial. Therefore, while this study will emphasize what we know about the operation of justice, that, by necessity implies a discussion of Israel’s relationship to her lawgiver, Yahweh. In analyzing this slaying, a determination must be made of which Hebrew law codes would most likely have applied during Nephi’s time. The Book of Mormon places the slaying between 592 and 598 B.C.1 The primary sources for Hebrew law of that time are the law codes of the Old Testament. They are three in number: the Code of the Covenant (Exodus 21-23:33), the Deuteronomic Code (which includes Deuteronomy 19), and the Priestly Code (which includes Numbers 35). Although there is some difference of opinion among scholars about the compilation dates of these various codes, the general consensus is that the Code of the Covenant was compiled before 800 B.C., the Deuteronomic Code around 700 B.C., and the Priestly Code in about 350 B.C.5 Comparing these dates to the date of slaying, it can be seen that the Code of the Covenant and the Deuteronomic Code were in existence before the time of the slaying and date in roughly the same time period as the slaying. The Priestly Code, however, was compiled after the exile in Babylon and almost 250 years after the slaying.

Roy Johnson examines the rituals and formulas of oaths, types of oaths, and the use of oaths in both the Old Testament and the Book of Mormon. Johnson compares the use of oaths, curses, and covenants in the Old Testament and the Book of Mormon to show that the relationship among those three acts is the same in both books.

A cave southwest of Jerusalem caught the attention of several Latter-day Saint observers in the early 1960s. Graffiti in the cave seemed to portray themes or scenes related to the Book of Mormon, and some thought that the cave might have been the place described in the Book of Mormon as “the cavity of rock.” LaMar Berrett points out problems that weaken the likelihood that this is the case. Two scholarly articles on the cave are included.

The Book of Mormon chronicles the wars and other relations between the two major nations of Ancient America. This paper identifies certain principles evident in the relations between these nations and compares the principles found in the Book of Mormon with international practice of Ancient Israel in the old world. This paper is not want to be a study of the law of nations of the ancient Near East; rather, our purpose is to identify, if possible, principles of the law of nations in the Book of Mormon. Ccmparisons to the culture of the ancient Near East are not meant to function as proof (or disproof) of the old-world origin of the Book of Mormon culture. They should be taken as interesting illuminations of the principles of international relations which appear in the history of the ancient American nations.

No abstract available.

Submitting oneself to an ordeal was viewed in several ancient legal systems as a means of seeking a divine dispensation of judgment. The idea that justice will prevail in a contest between good and evil survives in the spontaneous schoolyard ordeal: “Cheaters never prosper” chant the children who win the replay after a dispute over whether the original ball was fair or foul. Piaget found that young children often believe that natural events are punishment for moral transgressions, while teenagers discard the idea of immanent justice in favor of mechanical chance.

Nearly every society has, at some time in its development, made formal use of the ordeal to test guilt and innocence, and nearly every society has used water as one of the mediums to reveal the truth--God’s judgment. This study examines the common elements of water ordeals in secular and scriptural contexts. An overview of trials by water is followed by specific analysis of water ordeals in the Near East generally, which in turn serves as background for detailing the literal and metaphorical water ordeals in the Old Testament, New Testament and Book of Mormon.

Sidney Sperry discusses whether the Cumorah in New York is the only one or whether there is another Cumorah somewhere in Central America. He looks at evidence in the books of Ether, Mormon, Mosiah, and Omni, as well as various scholarly opinions about the matter. There is no explanation of how the Hill Cumorah in New York came to be called Cumorah or how, if there are indeed two Cumorahs, the plates were transported from one to the other.

Hugh Nibley assembles statements by non-LDS scholars on the identity of Jesus, the rediscovery of the church, eschatology (the study of last things), authority, revelation, Israel, liturgy, the survival of the church, and the Vatican excavations.

This is a collection of statements by scientists on the following topics: how scientists have become impatient with religion, how science has all the answers, how difficult it is to truly understand the past, the question of whether science is a cause or a pretext, the assertion that science is not based on purely inductive reasoning, and the illusion of already knowing as the greatest enemy to serious research.

This prayer given by Hugh Nibley at a devotional assembly is a plea for the Father’s spirit and a humble recognition of the great limits of human knowledge, judgment, and faith.

These lecture notes discuss the history of humanism from the Sophists to Homer, Dante, and Shakespeare. Hugh Nibley emphasizes the fallacies of such a philosophy. Humanism is a substitute for religion when religion goes sour, and as such, humanism is dogmatic, careerist, and intolerant.

This is a very rough transcript of Nibley’s contributions to a panel discussion about ancient writing, scientific methodology, and testing of the Book of Mormon.

Hugh Nibley answers a series of questions about what became of church authority and doctrine in the centuries following the ministry of Jesus Christ. He compares scriptural prediction with historical fulfillment to answer questions like “What became of general authority in the church?” and “Would God allow his church to be destroyed?”

David Palmer discusses the persistent military conflict during Nephite times, exploring the economic, political, and religious causes of ancient warfare. He also examines the role of the war captain, battle tactics, and how archaeological remains in Mesoamerica support the existence of a military class and fortifications. Details from the Book of Mormon accounts appear to weave in very well with information archaeologists have found on the role of warfare in Mesoamerican society.

It is very important for Latter-day Saints to keep pace, more or Less, with the fast-moving developments in the fields of Bible and related studies. By failing to do this we run the risk of laboring to accommodate our religion to scientific and scholarly teachings that have long since been superceded, altered, or completely discarded.

Many scattered and disconnected statements (mostly proffered etymologies) have been made about the proper names in the Book of Mormon. Because of the mixed quality of these statements this paper proposes an apposite methodology. First a few words need to be said about the relevance of name studies to our understanding.

During 1921 and 1922 B. H. Roberts wrote three papers that listed parallels between the Book of Mormon and the second edition (1825) of Ethan Smith’s View of the Hebrews and constructed the possible argument that the Book of Mormon relied upon the latter. Welch responds to that claim by listing over eighty discrepancies between the two works, and Palmer and Knecht rebut Roberts’s theory by using statistics to show that the passages of Isaiah quoted in both works do not lead to conclusions of plagiarism.

Pages 35-38 revised as of June 30, 1986

John Welch discusses Nephi’s commandment to his son Jacob that a record be kept on the small plates. Welch delineates the obligations entailed in Nephi’s commandment and suggests that descendants of Jacob—Enos, Jarom, Omni, Amaron, Chemish, Abinadom, and Amaleki—felt a strong sense of duty to see that it was fulfilled.

From 1921 to 1922 B. H. Roberts wrote three papers that listed parallels between the Book of Mormon and the second edition (1825) of Ethan Smith’s View of the Hebrews. Roberts constructed the possible argument that the Book of Mormon relied upon Ethan Smith’s book. John Welch responds to that claim by addressing the issues Roberts raised and by listing over eighty differences between the two works.

Stephen Ricks discusses what Joseph Smith and his companions said about translating the Book of Mormon. They document the intense period of activity from April to June 1829, during which nearly all the translation took place.

John Welch and Tim Rathbone discuss what Joseph Smith and his companions said about translating the Book of Mormon. They document the intense period of activity from April to June 1829, during which nearly all the translation took place.

The research of John Welch and David Whittaker identifies several historical, theological, and institutional reasons why the open canon of Mormon Christianity has not become a Pandora’s box. This article discusses the Apocrypha, the Latter-day Saint concept of scripture in light of modern canonical criticism, and the process of scriptural standardization.

Editor’s Introductory Note: The following letter and accompanying critique of the stylometric studies of Ernest Taves have been sent to F.A.R.M.S. by John L. Hilton. Hilton and his colleagues, who have been actively involved in stylometric analyses of the Book of Mormon for several years, plan in the near future to complete their own extensive and thorough stylometric study of Book of Mormon texts. The following general review of Taves’ book serves to introduce John Hilton’s more detailed remarks.

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

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

This bibliography lists most of the books and articles I am aware of dealing with or utilizing chiasmus. These entries come primarily, but not exclusively from the field of biblical studies. This list has been supplemented by the research of Don Parry, and has been prepared through the clerical assistance of DeeAnn Hofer.

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

Originally published as an article in BYU Studies in 1978.

Draws upon a host of sources and shows certain parallels between an early Christian form of prayer and that of the Latter-day Saint prayer circle.

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

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

Serious study of extra-canonical Jewish writings from the four centuries between 200 B.c. and A.D. 200 is sometimes hampered by difficulty in locating texts, since editions and translations of these works are scattered through a wide range of books and journals. It is the purpose of this selected bibliography to guide the student to these texts.

Brian Stubbs offers findings that point to Hebrew as an ancestor language of the Uto-Aztecan language family. He discusses orthography and pronunciation, pre-Masoretic vowelings, sound correspondences, verb morphologies, and pronouns. He indicates that while there are similarities between the two languages, much non-Semitic morphology suggests that creolization is part of the history of most Uto-Aztecan languages.

Frederick G. Williams, a counselor to Joseph Smith, wrote that Lehi and his family landed in Chile. The author of this paper, a great-great-grandson of the original Williams, assesses the likelihood of the accuracy of this proposition. He addresses the question of whether this statement was a revelation, discusses the nature of the original document on which the statement was written, and compares other early documents on the subject.

Kent Brown and John Tvedtnes examine the question of when Christ appeared to the Nephites in Bountiful, offering different interpretations of 3 Nephi 10:18. Brown asserts that Jesus appeared near the end of the thirty-fourth year after Christ’s birth, almost a full year after the crucifixion. Tvedtnes proposes an earlier date, possibly as early as the same day of or the day following Jesus’ resurrection in Jerusalem.

Mark Morrise defines the “simile curse” and discusses its existence in ancient Near Eastern texts, the Old Testament, and the Book of Mormon. In the Book of Mormon simile curses were associated with treaties, religious covenants, and prophecies. Morrise analyzes the common characteristics of simile curses in the Book of Mormon, as well as the similarities between such curses in ancient Near Eastern, Old Testament, and Book of Mormon texts.

John Welch argues that all possible chiasms are not equal. It is necessary for commentators on the Bible and other texts to recognize that degrees of chiasticity exist from one text to the next. To further that end, Welch proposes fifteen criteria for appraising examples of chiasmus in literature.

There is good evidence that most legal systems in the ancient Near East distinguished between crimes of theft and robbery. A thief was a local person who stole from his neighbor and was dealt with judicially, whereas robbers were outsiders who attacked in open force and were dealt with militarily. John Welch explores the extent to which similar legal and cultural perceptions of thieves and robbers are evidenced in the Book of Mormon.

No abstract available.

John Welch displays the overall chiastic structure of Alma 36, suggests a detailed analysis of the text, traces the strands of repetition that weave paired sections tightly together, assesses the chapter’s degree of chiasticity, and compares the words and phrases of Alma 36 with the two other firsthand Book of Mormon accounts of Alma’s conversion. He suggests that there are many spiritual and intellectual implications to this study.

President Ezra Taft Benson's call to emphasize the Book of Mormon is reflected in the effort of the Foundation for Ancient Research and Mormon Studies to promote the study of this book of scripture. The Review is founded on the deeply held belief that the Book of Mormon has immense value to both the Church and the world. The reviewers look at publications, both positive and negative, that deal with the Book of Mormon.

Review of A Witness and a Warning: A Modern-Day Prophet Testifies of the Book of Mormon (1988), by Ezra Taft Benson.

Review of Finding Christ through the Book of Mormon (1987), by Susan Easton Black.

Review of The God-Inspired Language of the Book of Mormon: Structuring and Commentary (1988), by Wade Brown.

Review of the God-Inspired Language of the Book of Mormon: Structuring and Commentary (1988), by Wade Brown.

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

Review of Deciphering the Geography of the Book of Mormon (1988), by F. Richard Hauck. The first question in dealing with Book of Mormon geography should be whether the geography fits the facts of the Book of Mormon. Clark reconstructs an elemental geography and examines internal clues for distances between locations and the surrounding terrain. To evaluate geographies, Clark summarizes ten simple points having to do with the narrow neck of land, the coastlines, the wildernesses, the valleys, the rivers, a lake, and the relative locations of Zarahemla, Bountiful, Nephi, and Cumorah. Using these criteria, he evaluates the Sorenson and Hauck proposed geographies.

Review of Deciphering the Geography of the Book of Mormon (1988), by F. Richard Hauck

Review of Deciphering the Geography of the Book of Mormon (1988), by F. Richard Hauck.

Review of Book of Mormon Authorship: A Closer Look (1983), by Vernal Holley.

Review of Studies in Scripture: 1 Nephi to Alma 29 (1987); and Studies in Scripture: Alma 30 to Moroni (1988), edited by Kent P. Jackson.

Review of Doctrinal Commentary on the Book of Mormon, Volume I: First and Second Nephi (1987), and Volume II: Jacob through Mosiah (1988), by Joseph Fielding McConkie and Robert L. Millet. The faith of the Nephites and the language of the Book of Mormon tends to be harmonized with certain contemporary statements about Mormon beliefs. The Book of Mormon should be more than a resource for theology. Rather than seeking confirmation for what we already know, we should search for the meaning and message of the text.

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 Lehi in the Desert, The World of the Jaredites, There Were Jaredites; An Approach to the Book of Mormon; and Since Cumorah, Collected Works of Hugh Nibley vols. 5, 6, and 7, respectively.

Review of Mapping the Action Found in the Book of Mormon (1987), by Harold K. Nielsen.

Review of An Ensign to All People: The Sacred Message and Mission of the Book of Mormon (1987), by Monte S. Nyman.

Review of The Book of Mormon: First Nephi, The Doctrinal Foundation (1988), edited by Monte S. Nyman and Charles D. Tate Jr.

Review of Two Pahute Indian Legends: “Why the Grand Canyon Was Made” and “The Three Days of Darkness” (1987), by William Rees Palmer.

Review of The Messiah in Ancient America (1987), by Bruce W. Warren and Thomas Stuart Ferguson.

Bibliography of Publications on the Book of Mormon in 1988.

In a lecture given to the BYU religion faculty, Robert Matthews emphasizes the points of doctrine in the Book of Mormon and other standard works that elucidate the fall and atonement. He analyzes concepts in several different scriptural chapters and shows how they have points in common as well as areas of particular emphasis and clarification. He contrasts the classical Christian views of how Adam’s transgression affects humankind with the teachings of ancient and modem revelation. He explains how the divine sonship of Jesus Christ enabled him to effect the atonement. Matthews notes that Christ’s mission is intended to save us from both kinds of death (physical and spiritual); there is no viable replacement for the Savior’s atonement.

“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.

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

John Sorenson analyzes the extent and significance of the discrepancy between two reports of the same event in the Book of Mormon and explores how the two versions may have arisen. He looks at the scope of the problem and the fallibility of the historical record before analyzing the problem and offering a resolution. He also provides a reconciled chronology of the years in question and discusses some lessons we can learn from the discrepancy.

Rust, in the third annual FARMS Book of Mormon lecture delivered on 27 February 1990, examin3ed literary aspects of the book that develop the primary purposes set out on the title page. He discussed the elements characteristic of an epic that will allow modern-day Lamanites to trust in the Lord's deliverance and detailed literary (especially poetic) presentations of the covenants in the Book of Mormon. Literary elements combine with the influence of the Spirit to testify of the purposes of the Book of Mormon.

Peterson discusses the growth of the Mormon religion and scholarly indifference toward that growth. He discusses the power of presuppositions and the variance of opinions, using the Qur’an as a case study. The originality, literary merit, and intrinsic merit of the Book of Mormon increase our appreciation for that book.

Review of Book of Mormon Companion: Dictionary & More.

Review of A Sure Foundation: Answers to Difficult Gospel Questions.

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

Review of The Folk of the Fringe (1989); Seventh Son (1987); The Red Prophet (1988); and Prentice Alvin (1989), by Orson Scott Card.

Review of Christ's Answer to the Atheist, to the Jew: Who Wrote It? (1987), by Earl W. Carlsen.

Review of The Keystone of Mormonism: Early Visions of the Prophet Joseph Smith (1988), by Paul R. Cheesman.

Review of The Land of the Nephites (1988), by Delbert W. Curtis.

Review of Converted to Christ through the Book of Mormon (1989), edited by Eugene England.

Review of A Book of Mormon Guide: A Simple Way to Teach a Friend (1988), by Wilford A. Fischer and Norma J. Fischer.

Review of “A Hemeneutic of Sacred Texts: Historicism, Revisionism, Postitiveism, and the Bible and Book of Mormon” (1989), by Alan Goff.

Review of Tennis Shoes among the Nephites: A Novel (1989), by Chris Heimerdinger.

Review of Christianity in America before Columbus? (1988), by Donald W. Hemingway.

Review of By Grace Are We Saved (1989), by Robert L. Millet.

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

Review of A Reading Guide to the Book of Mormon (1989), by David H. Mulholland.

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.

Review of An Approach to the Book of Mormon (1988), by Hugh Nibley.

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 Lehi in the Desert, The World of the Jaredites, There Were Jaredites, Collected Works of Hugh Nibley vol. 5.

Also available for free at BYU ScholarsArchive.

A review of Lehi in the Desert, The World of the Jaredites, There Were Jaredites, Collected Works of Hugh Nibley vol. 5.

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 The Prophetic Book of Mormon, Collected Works of Hugh Nibley vol. 6.

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 Since Cumorah, Collected Works of Hugh Nibley vol. 7.

Review of The Book of Mormon: Second Nephi, The Doctrinal Structure (1989), edited by Monte S. Nyman and Charles D. Tate Jr.

Review of Joseph Smith and the Origins of the Book of Mormon (1985), by David Persuitte.

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

Review of Book of Mormon: Wide-Margin Edition (1987), by Eldin Ricks.

Review of Are the Mormon Scriptures Reliable? (1987), by Harry L. Ropp, with revisions from Wesley P. Walters.

Review of Origins and the Book of Mormon (1986), by Dan Vogel.

Review of Little Known Evidences of the Book of Mormon (1989), by Brenton G. Yorgason.

Review of Little Known Evidences of the Book of Mormon (1989), by Brenton G. Yorgason.

Bibliography of publications on the Book of Mormon in 1989.

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.

The Book of Mormon prophets were intentionally plain in their language even when using figurative language; they generally avoided using obscure figures with hidden meanings. In this paper, Kelly Ogden lists metaphors used in the Book of Mormon along with the plain definitions the prophets gave to explain the figurative language they used. Ogden notes that when teaching doctrine the prophets would often repeat concepts using different words so the people could not misunderstand.

Daniel Peterson examines the book of Mosiah as an initial step in determining the overall doctrine of priesthood in the Book of Mormon. He attempts to account for every verse in the book of Mosiah that deals, either directly or indirectly, with questions of priesthood and authority. He discusses the priesthood in the small plates, the roles of priests, whether early Nephite priests were ordained, and the church in the days of Mosiah2.

A summary of the scriptural and historical evidences concerning the Arabian Bountiful, with an evaluation of all possible coastal locations on the Arabian peninsula based upon exploratory fieldwork by the authors in the Sultanate of Oman and the Republic of Yemen from 1984 to 1990. The study concludes that an objective and precise identification of Bountiful with a present-day location is now feasible and introduces data on physical traces revealing very early human involvement at the site.

An early version of this paper was presented October 17, 1986, at the 35th Annual Symposium on the Archaeology of the Scriptures, sponsored by the Society of Early Historic Archaeology at Brigham Young University in Provo, Utah. Based upon field research by the authors in the Republic of Yemen 1984 - 1990, it was revised January 1991.

This is a compilation of biblical Greek words of interest to Latter-day Saints. John Welch suggests the various nuances of meaning they conveyed to the Saints in the meridian of time and, by extension, the richness of their potential meaning for us today. The translated words in English include evangelist, restoration, peculiar, testament, mansions, endow, perfect, strai[gh]t, seal, firstborn, unchangeable, and amen.

Roger Keller explores what it means to keep the commandments of God. He looks to the Book of Mormon and analyzes passages related to laws and commandments and concludes that there are significant differences in the ways words like law and command are used by various authors of the Book of Mormon. Keller suggests that all laws and commandments given by God to his people lead to one commandment: “Come unto Christ.”

No abstract available.

Christenson, in the annual FARMS lecture delivered on 27 February 1991, examined the Maya New Year’s harvest festival, perhaps the most important public festival of the year. The festival coincided with the main corn harvest in mid-November and served as the New Year’s Day of the solar calendar, when kingship was renewed. Christenson gave particular attention to the symbolic treatments of the evil god Mam; the ritual descent of the king, as representative of the god of life and resurrection, into the underworld; the king’s ritual conflict with and defeat of the lords of the underworld (and of death); and the king’s triumphant return or resurrection. The Maya used the image of the tree of life in connection with the atonement and resurrection.

Introduction to the current issue.

Review of Exploring the Lands of the Book of Mormon (1989), by Joseph L. Allen.

Review of Joseph Smith's New York Reputation Reexamined (1990), by Rodger I. Anderson.

Review of Fun for Family Night: Book of Mormon Edition (1990), by Allan K. Burgess and Max H. Molgard.

Review of How to Hiss Forth with the Book of Mormon (1989), by Robert E. and Sandra L. Hales.

Review of Keys to Successful Scripture Study (1989), by George A. Horton, Jr.

Review of Lehi's Isle of Promise: A Scriptural Account with Word Definitions and a Commentary.

Review of Parallel Histories: The Nephites and the Americans (1989), by Anthony E. Larson.

Review of A Most Convincing Witness: Reasons Why the Book of Mormon Is the True Word of God (1990), by Randall K. Mehew.

Review of The Book of Mormon: Jacob through Words of Mormon, To Learn with Joy (1990), edited by Monte S. Nyman and Charles D. Tate Jr.

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

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

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

Review of The Geography of the Book of Mormon Events: A Source Book (1990), by John L. Sorenson.

Review of Covering Up the Black Hole in the Book of Mormon (1990), by Jerald and Sandra Tanner.

Review of Covering Up the Black Hole in the Book of Mormon (1990), by Jerald and Sandra Tanner.

Review of Covering Up the Black Hole in the Book of Mormon (1990), by Jerald and Sandra Tanner.

Review of The Best Kept Secrets in the Book of Mormon (1988), by Loftes Tryk.

Review of The Word of God: Essays on Mormon Scripture (1990), edited by Dan Vogel.

Review of The Word of God: Essays on Mormon Scripture (1990), edited by Dan Vogel.

Review of The Sermon at the Temple and the Sermon on the Mount (1990), by John W. Welch.

Bibliography of publications on the Book of Mormon in 1990.

Review of Heroes from the Book of Mormon (1995), by Deseret Book

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.

Recognizing that individual languages use certain conventions or codes to communicate messages, Chauncey Riddle looks at language used in the Book of Mormon to illuminate what might be hidden meanings. The code language of the Book of Mormon points toward Jesus Christ. His calling and his attributes can be found in the names used in scripture, in words used in ordinances, and in words of worship and blessing. All of this was done so that the trace of the true Savior would not become lost among the children of Israel, try as they might to avoid it.

This annotated bibliography compiled by John Sorenson makes accessible a range of information about animals in the Book of Mormon. It also includes an appendix of animal references in the Book of Mormon.

The text of the Book of Mormon refers many times to metals, ores, and metal processing. John Sorenson provides an annotated bibliography of sources on archaeological finds of Old World and Mesoamerican metallurgy and metal specimens. He includes a summary of statements in the Book of Mormon text about metals, ores, and metal processing, with notes on Hebrew usage of metal-related terms.

In this essay William Eggington suggests that Lehi and his descendants functioned in a society that exhibited strong characteristics of an oral society, one that had access to print but retained many features of a nonprint culture. He concludes that readers of the Book of Momon today need more effective study strategies. Readers who understand the different discourse structures, cohesive devices, rhetorical patterns, and world views used by the authors better understand the authors’ intent.

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.

Peterson relates his understanding of a dispute between FARMS and Signature Books about matters of free inquiry and intellectual (dis)honesty.

Review of Mormons and the Bible: The Place of Latter-day Saints in American Religion (1991), by Philip L. Barlow.

Review of On the Barricades: Religion and Free Inquiry in Conflict (1989), edited by Robert Basil, Mary Beth Gehrman, and Tim Madigan.

Review of Stories from the Early Saints: Converted by the Book of Mormon (1992), edited by Susan Easton Black

Review of Living the Book of Mormon: A Guide to Understanding and Applying Its Principles in Today's World (1991), by Allen K. Burgess.

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

Review of Fathers and Sons in the Book of Mormon (1991), by E. Douglas Clark and Robert S. Clark.

Review of Fathers and Sons in the Book of Mormon (1991), by E. Douglas Clark and Robert S. Clark.

Review of The Book of Isaiah: A New Translation with Interpretive Keys from the Book of Mormon (1998), by Avraham Gileadi

Review of The Book of Isaiah: A New Translation with Interpretive Keys from the Book of Mormon (1998), by Avraham Gileadi

Review of A Standard unto My People (1990), by Robert E. Hales and Sandra L. Hales.

Review of Southwestern American Indian Rock Art and the Book of Mormon (1991), by James R. Harris Sr.

Review of Gadiantons and the Silver Sword: A Novel (1991), by Chris Heimerdinger.

Review of The Truth about Mormonism: A Former Adherent Analyzes the LDS Faith (1991), by Weldon Langfield.

Review of . . . By His Own Hand upon Papyrus: A New Look at the Joseph Smith Papyri (1992), by Charles M. Larson.

Review of . . . By His Own Hand upon Papyrus: A New Look at the Joseph Smith Papyri (1992), by Charles M. Larson.

Review of By Study and Also by Faith, vol. 2 (1990), edited by John M. Lundquist and Stephen D. Ricks.

Review of Doctrinal Commentary on the Book of Mormon, vol. 3, Alma through Helaman (1991), by Joseph Fielding McConkie and Robert L. Millet.

Review of Doctrinal Commentary on the Book of Mormon, vol. 3, Alma through Helaman (1991), by Joseph Fielding McConkie and Robert L. Millet.

Review of Dominions of the Gadiantons (1991), by Robert Marcum.

Review of The Most Correct Book: Why the Book of Mormon Is the Keystone Scripture (1991), by Monte S. Nyman.

Review of The Book of Mormon: Mosiah, Salvation Only through Christ (1991), edited by Monte S. Nyman and Charles D. Tate Jr.

Review of Isaiah Made Easier (1991), by David J. Ridges.

Review of Rediscovering the Book of Mormon (1991), edited by John L. Sorenson and Melvin J. Thorne.

Review of Mormonism: Shadow or Reality? (1987), by Jerald Tanner and Sandra Tanner

Review of Out of Darkness (1991), by Keith C. Terry (with Maurice R. Tanner).

Review of The Use of the Old Testament in the Book of Mormon (1990), by Wesley P. Walters.

Review of The Use of the Old Testament in the Book of Mormon (1990), by Wesley P. Walters.

Review of Fantastic Archaeology: The Wild Side of North American Prehistory (1991), by Stephen Williams.

Review of Fantastic Archaeology: The Wild Side of North American Prehistory (1991), by Stephen Williams.

Review of To Mothers & Fathers from the Book of Mormon (1991), by Blaine Yorgason and Brenton Yorgason.

Bibliography of publications on the Book of Mormon in 1991.

Introduction to the first issue of the Journal of Book of Mormon Studies.

A number of statements in the Book of Mormon text indicate the presence in Lehi’s promised land of peoples other than those descended from Lehi’s party. Reasons the topic is not addressed more explicitly in the record include a focus on the Nephites (and not on other people), a generic treatment of Lamanites, an a desire not to waste space on something obvious or insignificant. Clear evidence for the presence of others in substantial populations is present in the Book of Mormon. The demographic or cultural history of Lehi’s literal descendants must take into account these other groups.

Analysis of comparative data and historical background indicates that the quotations in Mosiah 7–22 are historically accurate. Further examination of the quotations of Limhi shows that they depend heavily on other sources. This implies some things about the character of Limhi and provides as well attendant lessons for our own day.

Nephite kings were expected to fulfill the same roles that kings played in other ancient civilizations— commander of the military forces, chief judicial official, and leader of the national religion. A king’s success depended not only on the extent to which he performed each role, but also on the motives behind his service. Selfless rule by Benjamin-type kings commanded the respect and praise of the people, while King Noah’s quest for personal gain roused Old World disdain for the monarch. The Nephite experiment with kingship confirms that between “kings and tyrants there’s this difference known; kings seek their subject’s good; tyrants their own” (Robert Herrick, 1591–1674).

This article marshals ancient legal evidence to show that Nephi’s slaying of Laban should be understood as a protected manslaughter rather than a criminal homicide. The biblical law of murder demanded a higher level of premeditation and hostility than Nephi exhibited or modern law requires. The terms of Exodus 21:13, it is argued, protected more than accidental slayings or unconscious acts, particularly where God was seen as having delivered the victim into the slayer’s hand. Various rationales for Nephi’s killing of Laban include ancient views on surrendering one person for the benefit of a whole community. Other factors within the Book of Mormon as well as in Moses’ killing of the Egyptian in Exodus 2 corroborate the conclusion that Nephi did not commit the equivalent of a first-degree murder under the laws of his day.

We construct a detailed geographical model of the Nephite homeland areas of Manti, Zarahemla, and the river Sidon using the Book of Mormon text of around 80 BC. This model assumes that these areas are located in Mesoamerica, that the names of their surrounding seas do not necessarily correspond to local compass directions, and that the directions stated in the text are to be understood in the nontechnical normal English sense. We then describe the southern end of the Grijalva river basin, located across the southern part of the Mexico–Guatemala border. We nominate this area as a possible candidate for the ancient Nephite homeland because it corresponds to the text’s topography from the most general to the most detailed parts of the description. Furthermore, significant geographical and climatic changes in this area over the last 2,000 years are unlikely. The number and detail of the topological matches encourage further careful study.

The wide-ranging sermon of Samuel the Lamanite, spoken from the top of the city wall of Zarahemla, exhibits poetic features in a censuring passage—features that bear similarities to laments found in the Bible, most notably in the Psalms. Like the laments in the Bible, those in Samuel’s speech show contacts with worship. In distinction to the biblical laments, but like the Thanksgiving Hymns of the Dead Sea Scrolls, the poetic pieces in Samuel’s sermon reveal a set of prophecies that find fulfillment in later periods, including the days of Mormon, the compiler and editor of the Book of Mormon.

The prophetic language in the writings of Samuel the Lamanite includes the messenger formula, proclamation formula, oath formula, woe oracle, announcement formula, and revelations formula.

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

The name Nephi is attested as a Syro-Palestinian Semitic form of an Egyptian man’s name dating from the Late Period in Egypt.

Introduction to the current issue.

The M?ori people read and understood the Book of Mormon from their own cultural perspective. Rather than examining particular verses for doctrinal content, the M?ori viewed the Book of Mormon as a moral story of a people with failings and strengths. They likened the stories to themselves, feeling they lacked the spiritual strength to stay on a righteous path for long. They saw a tragic story of families in conflict and subtribes and tribes quarreling with each other and bent on revenge for personal insults and factional quarrels. The kinship ties seemed particularly relevant to them. The Book of Mormon can be read in multiple ways and will be interpreted according to the cultural background of those reading it.

Excerpts from a letter written in 1962 reveal how Jakeman’s interpretation of Stela 5 quickly stimulated a body of folklore among some Latter-day Saints.

Roper examines the use of the terms sword and cimeter in a Mesoamerican setting as well as in the Book of Mormon text. The macuahuitl was a fearsome weapon consisting of a long, flat piece of hardwood with grooves along the side into which sharp fragments of flint or obsidian were set and glued. Our knowledge of this weapon comes more from written accounts than actual artifacts because few specimens have survived. The Book of Mormon sword of Laban was used as a model for making swords, but they were not necessarily made of the same material. The discussion in Alma 24:12 having to do with stained swords would make particular sense with wooden swords. Cimeters, or scimitars, differ from swords in having curved blades. Several kinds of swords and cimeters that were in use in ancient Mesoamerica are plausible candidates for Book of Mormon weapons.

Parallels between sickle swords and two-bladed knives in ancient Mesoamerica and the Near East may strengthen the possibility of some historical link between the areas. Similarities in weapons terminology may also lead to fruitful research.

Ammon, a Nephite missionary who chose to serve a Lamanite king as his servant, gained fame by cutting off the arms of the king’s enemies. The practice of smiting off arms of enemies as trophies fits a cultural pattern known among the later Aztecs and Maya in pre-Spanish Mesoamerica.

The author serendipitously discovered a stream east of the Gulf of Aqaba that seems to share the physical features of Lehi’s “river of water” that “emptied into the Red Sea” and was “continually running.” The river Laman ran through the valley of Lemuel, described as “firm, steadfast, and immovable.” The stream and the canyon seem to fulfill the conditions of the river of Laman and the valley of Lemuel.

Berrett discusses point by point reasons why an ancient burial complex at Khirbet Beit Lei, sometimes called “Lehi’s cave,” is unlikely to have Book of Mormon connections. Brown describes a carved altar inscribed to the tribe Nihm discovered in the southwest Arabian peninsula (Yemen)—this location may be the place Nahom where Nephi’s father-in-law, Ishmael, was buried, according to the Book of Mormon record. The characters on the Anthon transcript reportedly taken by Martin Harris to New York to show to Professor Charles Anthon bear resemblance to characters on two Mexican seals made of baked clay. Szink identifies another possible Semitic source for the name Alma in the tablets of Ebla uncovered in Syria.

Responses to the following questions appear here: “Did the Nephites have authority to sacrifice?” and “Did the Nephites sacrifice first-born animals contrary to the law of Moses?”

It is highly unlikely that an object found in Lake Michigan could be a Jaredite barge. Lee Siegel reports about an archaeological dig at Piedras Negras, Guatemala, conceived and run by Brigham Young University’s Dr. Stephen Houston. A bronze sword discovered in Texas may be an Old World artifact. A linguist documents convincingly that the Ket language in western Siberia shares cognates with the Na-Dene language family of North America, thus showing possible transcontinental linguistic links.

Introduction to the current issue.

Marian Robertson Wilson recounts her memories of her father, Leroy Robertson, and of the creation of his masterpiece, the Oratorio from the Book of Mormon. The idea to compose an oratorio based on the Book of Mormon first came to Robertson when Elder Melvin J. Ballard of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles casually suggested it to him one day in 1919. After his conversation with Elder Ballard, Robertson dedicated much of his time to studying the Book of Mormon and choosing sections of scripture to use in his compilation. The piece eventually received attention from LDS church leadership and from the renowned Maurice Abravanel. It significantly impacted missionary work, as well as the work of other LDS composers.

After Joseph Smith received the gold plates from the angel Moroni, he had to take great measures to protect them from people who wanted to steal them for their monetary value. Although Joseph did not leave much documentation of such experiences, the people who were closely associated with him at the time did. Using what records still exist, Hedges pieces together some of the stories of Joseph’s challenges in obtaining and protecting the gold plates.

Old Testament prophet Jeremiah and Book of Mormon prophet Lehi were contemporaries, and both preached repentance to the people of Jerusalem. Despite their common love for the truth, these men led very different lives because the first was commanded to remain in Jerusalem and the latter was commanded to leave. This article examines the lives and teachings of Jeremiah and Lehi and compares them to each other, suggesting that Jeremiah’s life symbolizes God’s justice and that Lehi’s life symbolizes God’s mercy.

Ancient Mesoamericans used some systems of weights and measures; items in the market, though, were usually sold by volume. The Mesoamerican weights and measures may coincide with the weights and measures described in Alma 11 of the Book of Mormon, but more research is necessary in order to make conclusive claims.

Brigham Henry Roberts, a Book of Mormon scholar in the early twentieth century, was a pioneer in his field. He conducted research regarding the culture and the geography of the Book of Mormon peoples in an attempt to determine the setting of the Book of Mormon. His extensive work in this area has significantly influenced the progress of Book of Mormon research. Roberts also enthusiastically defended the book when others criticized it. He was able to do so effectively because of his study of and familiarity with the Book of Mormon. Roberts did, however, have a few limitations, the most detrimental being his unfounded assumption that “the narrow neck of land” in the Book of Mormon is the Isthmus of Panama. Yet, Roberts’s pioneering efforts remain today a crucial catalyst to modern analytical studies of the Book of Mormon.

This author requests help in compiling a list of useful reference books that readers can use when studying the Book of Mormon. Such a list would include dictionaries, encyclopedias, and atlases.

This article examines several interesting discoveries pertaining to the Book of Mormon.

Anthony W. Ivins suggests that the Jaredites may not have been completely extinct, that Coriantumr, the alleged last Jaredite, may have had children with Mulekite women after he discovered the people of Zarahemla.

A wooden vessel that was found in Lake Michigan turns out to be a prototype of a proposed “sea-going tow barge” developed in World War II for the Navy.

Arrowheads discovered in Israel show that steel was in use by about 1000 BC; the name Aha was engraved with steel on one arrowhead, thus giving a Hebrew-language source for this name found in the Book of Mormon.

Researchers have found similarities between the Anthon Transcript and Old South Arabian (Arabic).

Stephen Ricks briefly describes the major books found among the Dead Sea Scrolls, including biblical texts, commentaries, and lesser known documents. He addresses the question of scroll authorship and identifies two groups, the Sadducees and the Essenes, as the most likely candidates to have been the authors of these ancient documents.

Stephen Ricks briefly describes the major books found among the Dead Sea Scrolls, including biblical texts, commentaries, and lesser known documents. He addresses the question of scroll authorship and identifies two groups, the Sadducees and the Essenes, as the most likely candidates to have been the authors of these ancient documents.

This transcript is a brief commentary on Doctrine and Covenants 109, the dedicatory prayer of the Kirtland Temple. Hugh Nibley describes the temple as a meeting place that is set off from the world. It is a location where we are invited to have clear, receptive intellects and enjoy heightened spirituality. We experience an atmosphere of purity in contrast to the pollution of the world.

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.

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.

Introduction to the current volume.

Review of Everything You Ever Wanted to Know about the Book of Mormon (1992), by John Ankerberg and John Weldon.

Review of About the Three Nephites (1992), by C. Douglas Beardall and Jewel N. Beardall.

Review of The American Religion: The Emergence of the Post-Christian Nation (1992), by Harold Bloom.

Review of The Grand Design: America from Columbus to Zion (1992), by E. Douglas Clark.

Review of David Whitmer Interviews: A Restoration Witness (1991), edited by Lyndon W. Cook.

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

Review of The Encyclopedia of Mormonism (1992), edited by Daniel H. Ludlow

Review of Doctrinal Commentary on the Book of Mormon, vol. 4, Third Nephi through Moroni (1992), by Joseph Fielding McConkie, Robert L. Millet, and Brent L. Top

Available for free at BYU ScholarsArchive.

A review of Teachings of the Book of Mormon: Sememster 3 (1992), by Hugh W. Nibley.

Review of The Book of Mormon: Alma, The Testimony of the Word (1992), edited by Monte S. Numan and Charles D. Tate Jr.

Review of The Book of Mormon Text Reformatted according to Parallelistic Patterns (1992), by Donald W. Parry

Review of Using the Book of Mormon to Combat Falsehoods in Organic Evolution (1992), by Clark A. Peterson

Review of El Libro de Mormon ante la critica (1992), by Josué Sánchez

Review of Faithful History: Essays on Writing Mormon History (1992), edited by George D. Smith

Review of Archaeology and the Book of Mormon (1972), by Jerald Tanner and Sandra Tanner

Review of Covering Up the Black Hole in the Book of Mormon (1990), by Jerald and Sandra Tanner

Review of Doctrines of the Book of Mormon: The 1991 Sperry Symposium (1992), edited by Bruce A. Van Orden and Brent L. Top

Review of Reexploring the Book of Mormon: The F.A.R.M.S. Updates (1992), edited by John W. Welch

Review of Letters to a Mormon Elder (1990), by James R. White

Bibliography of publications on the Book of Mormon in 1992.

Summary of current issue.

This article suggests that contemporary near-death research casts light on several episodes in the Book of Mormon. Alma’s conversion while “nigh unto death” fits a common pattern of experience. Modern researchers have noticed distinctive aftereffects among those who have experienced a near-death experience (NDE). In the Book of Mormon, both Alma and the resurrected Christ demonstrate these aftereffects. Lehi’s dream invites comparison with the otherworld journey literature of many nations. Nephi’s interpretation of Lehi’s dream casts light on the tension between the literal and the symbolic elements of visionary experience. Finally, just as accurate out-of-body observations made by NDErs argued for the reality of their experiences, so the testable aspects of the Book of Mormon give Joseph Smith a significance apart from others who may have experienced similar visions.

This article discusses the significance of major scriptural personalities, contrasting the lessons we can learn from the positive and negative experiences of such individuals with the role models set for us in Christ and little children. Internal textual sources relate to the composition of the book of Mosiah within the context of a particular literary tradition and style. According to one argument, the text employs a “dialectical” style or stylistic device based on the “law of opposition in all things,” which juxtaposes individuals, such as righteous and wicked kings, to illuminate gospel principles. Several Old World and Book of Mormon perspectives give insight on royal treasures, symbolism, and iconography (including objects such as the Liahona and the sword of Laban). The article also contrasts views of religious freedom, taxation, and agency and responsibility, and compares duties of parents and kings.

Swords often symbolize divine authority and kingship. Numerous examples from the mythology, literature, and history of the world attest to distinct patterns. The sword of Laban from the Book of Mormon fits these patterns and can be compared to the sword of Goliath. The sword of Laban can also be traced as part of the royal regalia that provides authority throughout Nephite history and later as it appears in the restoration. The sword of Laban as associated with Joseph Smith came to be an additional witness of his authority and of the divine sanction for his work.

The sword of Laban plays a prominent role in the Book of Mormon narrative as a Nephite national treasure. Scholarly analysis of this regal heirloom has primarily concentrated upon its physical construction in relation to ancient Near Eastern metallurgical technology. However, when examined within the cultural milieu of the ancient world, along with data from church history, the scriptures, and Jewish tradition, the sword of Laban takes on new significance. Though the Book of Mormon reveals that the sword of Laban served as an ancestral and hereditary sword of the ancient Nephite prophets, evidence suggests that the weapon may have been the birthright sword of biblical tradition, a sacred heirloom that may have been wielded by the patriarchs up until the time of Joseph of Egypt. Laban, being a descendant of Joseph, inherited the birthright sword and the plates of brass, both treasures eventually coming into the possession of Nephi, who was both a prophet and a descendant of Joseph, as was Joseph Smith Jr.

The mortal Savior was not man, not human (Alma 34:10). Infinite and eternal, he received his physical life not from a son of Adam but from the Father of Adam, God. He took upon himself the image of man, but in truth he was the model, not the copy. Though mortal, he was still God, able to suffer and to redeem as only a god could. He was Son, because he received physical life from his Father, and Father, because he used his divine powers to give eternal life to others. Though not man, he experienced mortality, which allowed him to understand and love mortals.

Throughout history in many cultures, man has looked to the tree of life as a symbol of eternal life. The form of the tree of life varies according to a culture’s perception of the universe. Many early Christians saw the tree of life as a personification of Jesus Christ. It may be that the tree of life vision in the Book of Mormon was presented to introduce the Savior and his ministry. We may learn much about the Lord’s calling and personality by combining a study of various cultural ideas of the tree of life with the testimonies of the prophets contained in the scriptures.

Aspects of the three days of darkness following the three-hour period of intense destruction described principally in 3 Nephi include: (1) the strange absence of rain among the destructive mechanisms described; (2) the source of the intense lightning, which seems to be unaccompanied by rain; (3) a mechanism to account for the inundation of the cities of Onihah, Mocum, and Jerusalem, which were not among the cities which “sunk in the depths of the sea”; and (4) the absence in the histories of contemporary European and Asiatic civilizations of corresponding events, which are repeatedly characterized in 3 Nephi as affecting “the face of the whole earth.”

The simile curse is a type of curse that appears in ancient Near Eastern, Old Testament, and Book of Mormon texts. It consists of two parts: (1) an event (e.g., “Just as this wax is burned by fire”) and (2) an application of that event to the subject of the curse (e.g., “so shall Arpad be burned”). In ancient Near Eastern texts, simile curses appear in written treaties and were often part of a ritual acted out during a treaty ceremony. In the Old Testament, simile curses appear primarily in prophetic writings as literary devices. In the Book of Mormon, simile curses appear in the context of treaties, religious covenants, and prophecies, and in several instances were acted out. These curses were probably part of the oral tradition of ancient Near Eastern, Old Testament, and Book of Mormon peoples.

In the Book of Mormon, despised outcasts, such as the Lamanites or the poor, often have a special aptitude for spirituality, and the richer, civilized, and more overtly religious Nephites are often declining in righteousness. This phenomenon, with some characteristic specific themes, such as being excluded from a religious edifice, is found in ancient and contemporary cultures and religions. This theme points up the complexity of the Book of Mormon, which is not simple cowboys-and-Indians melodrama.

Anti-Mormon criticisms of the Book of Mormon are frequently based on a questionable set of assumptions concerning the nature of historical and archaeological evidence, the role of governing presuppositions, and the nature of historical proof. Using arguments found in a recent anti-Mormon critique by Luke Wilson as a foundation, this article analyzes difficulties of reconstructing ancient geographies, problems with the discontinuity of Mesoamerican toponyms, the historical development of the idea of a limited geography model, and challenges of textual and artifactual interpretation when trying to relate the Book of Mormon to archaeological remains.

Korihor makes use of language to cast doubt in the minds of his listeners and to tear down the power of God. Language is used for both good and ill.

Summary of current issue.

The historicity of the Book of Mormon record is crucial. We cannot exercise faith in that which is untrue, nor can “doctrinal fiction” have normative value in our lives. Too often the undergirding assumption of those who cast doubt on the historicity of the Book of Mormon, in whole or in part, is a denial of the supernatural and a refusal to admit of revelation and predictive prophecy. Great literature, even religious literature, cannot engage the human soul and transform the human personality like scripture. Only scripture—writings and events and descriptions from real people at a real point in time, people who were moved upon and directed by divine powers—can serve as a revelatory channel, enabling us to hear and feel the word of God.

Lehi’s dream of the tree of life is well known in Latter- day Saint circles. Its relationship to the vision of Nephi (1 Nephi 11–14), however, may not be so well known. This paper examines the proposition that Nephi’s vision was an expansive, prophetic interpretation of Lehi’s dream of the tree of life; gives an alternate interpretation of Lehi’s dream as a guide to the afterlife; and links Lehi’s dream, the Garden of Eden, and the temple.

In the text of the Old Testament Yahweh is described as the Redeemer of Israel. A redeemer in Israelite society was a close family member who was responsible to help his enslaved kinsmen by buying them out of bondage. A comparable family relationship is created between the Lord and individuals by the making of covenants and the giving of a new name. The adoptive covenant becomes the basis for the Lord’s acts of redemption. This pattern of adoptive redemption can be seen in both the Old Testament and the Book of Mormon. The Book of Mormon identifies Yahweh, the God and Redeemer of the Old Testament, with Jesus Christ. It further explains that redemption from spiritual bondage comes through the ransom price of his blood and is available to those who enter into adoptive covenants, which create a familial relationship and allow the Lord to act as their redeemer.

A certain combination of temperament and upbringing can lead to a sense of alienation from the scriptures’ meaning. This paper considers the role that types might play in overcoming that alienation as they mediate between scriptural understanding and human experience, permitting deeper insight into both. The difficulties and possibilities inherent in such an approach shed light on a typological analysis of the figures of Abinadi and the brother of Jared.

From 1830 to the present those who find it difficult to accept “angelic visitations in the age of railroads” have searched Joseph Smith’s nineteenth-century environment for sources of the subject matter of the Book of Mormon. For example, in 1990 Susan Curtis explains the economic subthemes of the book as Joseph Smith’s commentary on “market capitalism.” But the economic conditions of Joseph Smith’s time and place are not reflected in the Book of Mormon. Its economic descriptions are consistent with our vast knowledge of the economic conditions of the ancient Middle East and not inconsistent with the little known of the economics of Mesoamerica of the relevant time period. Those more comfortable with Joseph Smith as universal commentator on the issues of his day would be well advised to ignore economics or limit that topic to the Doctrine and Covenants. Those who accept him as translator of ancient scriptural documents can gain additional reassurance from the economics of the Book of Mormon.

The Book of Mormon contains various colophons and source indicators that signal documents or authors that Mormon and the writers of the small plates used, quoted, paraphrased, or summarized in composing the final text. Some of these headers have been italicized and separated out by the printer; others form an integral part of the text but could as well have been separated and italicized. Mormon’s extensive notation of sources is another set of evidence for the intricate and complex nature of the text and, simultaneously, of the magnitude of Mormon’s work as an ancient editor and historian.

Joseph Smith received the golden plates on the Israelite Day of Remembrance (or Rosh ha-Shanah). Biblical references and interpretation by Jewish sages through the centuries set this day as the day God would remember his covenants with Israel to bring them back from exile. Also called the Feast of Trumpets, this day features ritual trumpet blasts to signify the issuance of revelation and a call for Israel to gather for God’s word of redemption. The day, which is set at the time of Israel’s final agricultural harvest, also symbolizes the Lord’s final harvest of souls. Furthermore, it initiates the completion of the Lord’s time periods, the Days of Awe, and signifies the last time to prepare for final judgment and the Messianic Age. The coming forth of the Book of Mormon is literally fulfilling such prophecies of the day.

This paper shows that the account of Moses’ brazen serpent as taught by the Nephite leaders parallels the symbol and name of the Mesoamerican god Quetzalcoatl. It further shows that the term flying, used in the Nephite but not in the biblical account of the fiery serpent, has parallels in the Old and New Worlds.

Beginning in the 1960s, the Reorganized Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints (RLDS) has modified its understanding of the Book of Mormon and Joseph Smith’s prophetic charisms. Where the RLDS were earlier permitted to do this, they are now encouraged by their leaders to read the Book of Mormon as nineteenth-century fiction, though they are still permitted to find in it, if they wish, some inspiring passages. These changes have been resisted by a conservative minority that has lost the battle for control of the Reorganization and now tends to worship outside RLDS congregations. A few Latter-day Saints have also begun to read the Book of Mormon as fiction. Their efforts to turn the Book of Mormon into nineteenth-century fiction have been opposed by competent Latter-day Saint scholarship, though not without resistance from those who control “independent” and “liberal” publishing ventures.

Critics of the Book of Mormon frequently claim that some of the Book of Mormon witnesses later doubted or denied their testimony of the Book of Mormon. They also claim that the activities of the Three Witnesses while out of the church cast doubt upon the reliability of their earlier written testimony. I review evidence for these claims and also discuss the issue of what may constitute a witness of the Book of Mormon and whether the witnesses ever doubted or denied their testimony of the Book of Mormon. Evidence for later disbelief in the Book of Mormon by the witnesses is unpersuasive. I detail several miscellaneous issues relating to Jerald and Sandra Tanner’s criticisms of the Book of Mormon.

A three-foot sword excavated at Vered Jericho, likely dating to 620 BC, lends credence to the description of the sword of Laban in the Book of Mormon.

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

The process used by Joseph Smith to translate the Book of Mormon from the plates involved both human effort and divine assistance through the seerstone and interpreters.

Revisions of Nephite chronology in the Book of Mormon occur as scholarship on various issues improves.

Elder Dallin H. Oaks addresses the arguments of those who term themselves believing Latter-day Saints yet advocate that Latter-day Saints should “abandon claims that [the Book of Mormon] is a historical record of the ancient peoples of the Americas.” The argument that it makes no difference whether the Book of Mormon is fact or fable is surely a sibling to the argument that it makes no difference whether Jesus Christ ever lived.

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.

Robert Millet shows that Christ’s atonement is central to the Book of Mormon, particularly as it pertains to the fall. He illuminates the nature of the “good news” of the gospel—the hope of redemption through Christ. Without the atonement all other facets of our religion are bereft of ultimate power, and we remain in our sins. He explains that the atonement is infinite in several ways and that the Book of Mormon both extends an invitation to come unto Christ and teaches how to do so. Grace and works each play an important role in our salvation.

In this lecture, Robert Millet discusses spiritual rebirth and how the passage into new life is connected to baptism and the reception of the Holy Ghost, as well as to spiritual experience. In the process of conversion we become new creatures and lose our disposition to sin. Those who are born again are part of a new family relationship as they become children of Christ. The ultimate goal is to become joint heirs with Christ.

The anticipation of redemption is meaningless without an understanding of the seriousness of the fall. In this transcript, Robert Millet discusses what the Book of Mormon and the book of Moses teach about the doctrine of the fall, emphasizing its consequences for, and effects on, humanity. While refuting the notion of original sin, Millet notes the reality of our fallen nature and our vulnerability while living in a fallen environment. He takes due account of the tendencies of the natural man and witnesses that worldly impulses may be countered by a conscious yielding to God.

The Book of Mormon is a book about God. It provides one of the most powerful treatments of the nature of God of any other book in Latter-day Saint scripture. Robert Millet puts forth arguments to show that the Book of Mormon does not depict only one God. Jesus Christ is the central character, but the fact that there is a God separate from Christ comes through early on.

A dictionary will tell you that history is a systematic written account of a man or a nation. Monte Nyman suggests that we are able to understand more of what the Book of Mormon has to say if we consider it to be a spiritual history. The book contains a light touch of history, but the majority of the pages contain sacred preaching, great revelation, or prophecy. Readers of the Book of Mormon should read it to see how its teachings can be applied in their lives.

Donald Parry notes that nearly one-third of Isaiah is quoted in the Book of Mormon, and he lists twelve reasons given in the Book of Mormon for studying Isaiah. The Isaiah texts in the Book of Mormon are valuable for purposes of textual criticism because they come from the plates of brass, our oldest manuscript. Parry makes a few textual comparisons of Isaiah in the Book of Mormon and the Bible, demonstrating the greater clarity of the Book of Mormon Isaiah. Nephi’s people had difficulty understanding Isaiah because they did not understand the manner of prophesying among the Jews. Parry discusses individual symbols from Isaiah and from Erwin Goodenough’s model of vertical and horizontal Judaism.

Referring to passages in the Book of Mormon (which is the great converter), Ed Pinegar, former president of the Missionary Training Center, emphasizes the commission that all members of the church have to bring souls to Christ. Missionaries are expected to exemplify the virtues that they teach to potential converts, such as repentance-induced purity, charity, obedience, fasting and prayer, faith, knowledge, and commitment.

The Book of Mormon and other LDS scriptures define the term gospel quite precisely as the way, or means, by which an individual can come back to Christ. Noel Reynolds lists six items that add up to what the Book of Mormon presents as the gospel of Jesus Christ.

Richard Anderson gives an overview of the secular and divine functions of witnesses and refers to the anticipation surrounding the revelatory calling of witnesses to view the plates. He describes the circumstances of their calling, details aspects of their lives, comments on their character traits, and answers several typical questions of skeptics. Anderson emphasizes that these witnesses were true to their testimonies.

Stephen Ricks discusses and gives sources for what Joseph Smith himself thought and said about the translation of the Book of Mormon. Further understanding comes from what was said by colleagues and co-workers who knew him at that period of time.

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

A critical edition of the Book of Mormon has two main objectives. The first is to determine the original text of the Book of Mormon to the extent that it can be determined. The second is to determine the history of the text, as it has changed over the many editions of that book that have been published. Royal Skousen describes the history of the early manuscripts and editions of the Book of Mormon in order to better understand this book of scripture.

James Smith lists the population numbers given in the text of the Book of Mormon, and discusses what the possible population growth might have been. Comments in the Book of Mormon about multiplying exceedingly and filling the land are indicative that Nephite fertility was indeed high. He discusses the possibility that other peoples were assimilated into the Nephite and Lamanite groups.

Susan Easton Black discusses insights into the nature and mission of Jesus Christ that can be gained by examining the 101 names the Book of Mormon uses to describe him, such as Lord, Messiah, and Eternal Judge. She describes the book’s focus on the atonement and bears powerful testimony of its effects in her life and in the lives of others.

Catherine Thomas emphasizes that a condition of peace is necessary in order for us to experience the companionship of the Spirit. We are prone to experience troubled relationships, but we can by our own volition elect to develop a satisfying sense of at-one-ment with our associates. The Book of Mormon describes dysfunctional families, including Lehi’s. Nephi explains in his psalm (2 Nephi 4) that how we are judged will not be based on what others do to us, but on how we react to them.

A Hebraism is an English representation of something that originally was Hebrew. John Tvedtnes argues that Joseph Smith did a good job of rendering, as closely as he could in English, an ancient text. He discusses instances where the English language used in the Book of Mormon reflects a Hebraic source.

Research into literary forms in ancient scriptures led John Welch to the original discovery in 1967 of chiasmus in the Book of Mormon. In this lecture, he discusses chiasmus, a poetic form in which the first stanzas descend to a crucial midpoint and the rest of the passage parallels the first part in a mirror-like fashion. This artistic convention, although found in Greek, Latin, and English writings, was more highly developed in Semitic or Hebrew literary works. It was largely undetected until about the middle of the nineteenth century. Welch explains that for the trained eye the Book of Mormon abounds in chiasms ranging from simple to quite complex.

John Welch proposes that the mission of Christ and the significance of temples intersect in the Book of Mormon. The Book of Mormon teaches the surpassing importance of the temple. There are twenty-seven explicit references to the temple in the Book of Mormon, as well as allusions to the temple found in words and phrases. Temple themes in the Book of Mormon can be better appreciated through an understanding of the law of Moses, including festivals and ritual observances.

One of the most important functions of the Book of Mormon is to convey to the modem world powerful testimonies of the divine mission and essential attributes of Jesus Christ. Many Book of Mormon prophets knew Jesus personally; therefore, their teachings and testimonies about him are based on firsthand knowledge and acquaintance. John Welch discusses ten of the prophets who testified of Christ.

Larry Dahl explores some of the teachings of the Book of Mormon concerning faith, hope, and charity. He discusses the meanings of these words, their relationships to each other, how they are acquired, and what their fruits are. Faith, hope, and charity must be centered in Christ. The first principle of the gospel is not just faith, it is faith in the Lord Jesus Christ. We must obtain not just hope, but a hope in Christ. Likewise, charity is not just love, it is the pure love of Christ.

Este texto de la presentation en video fue preparado por la facultad del Instituto de Religion de Portland.

Victor Ludlow shows that covenants are prominent in the scriptures. He distinguishes between horizontal covenants, which take place between individuals, and vertical covenants, which take place between God and mortals. He discusses what it means to “cut a covenant” and its various applications. He notes how covenants entail requirements that find expression in obedience or disobedience with the consequences of blessings or punishments. He comments on how in 3 Nephi the Savior devotes significant time to speaking about covenants directly or dealing with subjects that are rooted in covenants, such as the teachings found in the Sermon at the Temple, which corresponds to the Sermon on the Mount. Charts and graphs are included.

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.

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.

Introduction to the items reviewed and main issues discussed in this issue.

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

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

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

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

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

Review of “Book of Mormon Chrstology” (1993), by Melodie Moench Charles

Review of “The Word of God Is Enough: The Book of Mormon as Nineteenth-Century Scripture” (1993), by Anthony A. Hutchison.

Review of “Multiply Exceedingly: Book of Mormon Populations Sizes” (1993), by John C. Kunich

Review of “Does the Shoe Fit? A Critique of the Limited Tehuantepec Geography” (1993), by Deanne G. Matheny.

Review of “The Priority of Mosiah: A Prelude to Book of Mormon Exegesis” (1993), by Brent Lee Metcalf.

Review of “A Rhetorical Approach to the Book of Mormon: Rediscovering Nephite Sacramental Language” (1993), by Mark D. Thomas.

Review of “Anti-Universalist Rhetoric in the Book of Mormon” (1993) by Dan Vogel.

Review of “Apologetic and Critical Assumptions about Book of Mormon Historicity” (1993), by Brent Lee Metcalfe.

Brent Lee Metcalfe's New Approaches to the Book of Mormon: Explorations in Critical Methodology was well received by those not favorable to the traditional truth claims of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. No articles indicating an ancient origin for the Book of Mormon were included. The book basically supports the assumption that the Book of Mormon isn't historical. Historians always bring their own perspective (including biases and agendas) into their histories.

Bibliography of publications on the Book of Mormon in 1993.

Peterson and others defend the Church and the Book of Mormon against critics although they would prefer to write affirmatively about “the endlessly fascinating, rich, profound, and glorious” gospel.

Review of The Bible II (1991). This book is in actuality the Book of Mormon with some differences.

Review of The Refiner's Fire: The Making of Mormon Cosmology (1994), by John L. Brooke.

Review of Homecoming (5 vols., 1992-95); A Storyteller in Zion: Essays and Speeches (1993); and “An Open Letter to those who are concerned about 'plagiarism' in The Memory of Earth” (1993), by Orson Scott Card.

Review of Christ in North America (1993), by Delbert W. Curtis. Clark examines the scholarship and logic involved in assuming a one-Cumorah theory for Book of Mormon geography.

Review of Refuting the Critics: Evidences of the Book of Mormon's Authenticity (1993), by Michael T. Griffiths

Review of Daniel and Nephi (1993), by Chris Heimerdinger: and Samuel: Moroni's Young Warrior (1993), by Clair Poulson.

Review of Inventing Mormonism: Tradition and the Historical Record (1994), by H. Michael Marquardt and Wesley P. Walters.

Review of The Book of Mormon: 3 Nephi 9-30, This Is My Gospel (1993), edited by Monte S. Nyman and Charles D. Tate Jr.

Review of The Lands of Zarahemla (1993), by E. L. Peay.

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

Review of Written by the Finger of God (1993), by Joe Sampson.

Review of Answering Mormon Scholars: A Response to Criticism of the Book “Coving Up the Black Hole in the Book of Mormon” (1994), by Jerald and Sandra Tanner.

Review of Answering Mormon Scholars: A Response to Criticism of the Book “Coving Up the Black Hole in the Book of Mormon” (1994), by Jerald and Sandra Tanner.

Review of Strangers in Paradox: Explorations in Mormon Theology (1990), by Margaret and Paul Toscano.

Review of Mormon Neo-Orthodoxoy: A Crisis Theology (1987), by O. Kendal White Jr.

Introduction to the current issue.

Anthropological perspectives lend insight on names and on the social and literary function of names in principle and in the Book of Mormon. A discussion of the general function of names in kinship; secret names; and names, ritual, and rites of passage precedes a Latter-day Saint perspective. Names and metonymy are used symbolically. Examples include biblical and Book of Mormon metonymic naming, nomenclature, and taxonomy. Biblical laws of purity form the foundation for a pattern of metonymic associations with the name Lamanite, where the dichotomy of clean/unclean is used to give name to social alienation and pollution.

The original text of the Book of Mormon contains complex, Hebrew-like constructions that have been subsequently removed from the text because of their non-English character.

Repetition appears purposefully within Book of Mormon narratives as a principle of reinforcement and confirmation. It seems that every important action, event, or character is repeated in the Book of Mormon. These repetitions emphasize the law of witnesses at work within the book (e.g., “in the mouth of three witnesses shall these things be established”; Ether 5:4). Further, they underscore the relevance of one character or action to people living in a different time, and they link narratives together with what Robert Alter calls “type-scenes.” Analyzed in detail as particularly striking are threefold repetitions in Nephi’s task to retrieve the brass plates and repetition of the word “power” in the missionary endeavor of the sons of Mosiah. Larger repeated narratives treat escape and travel to a promised land; repentance; and the nature, rise, and effect of secret combinations.

Most scriptural references to dissent are in the Book of Mormon. The Book of Mormon teaches that dissension is a cause of evil, suffering, and destruction; some dissenters undergo a hardening, while others may be reclaimed; preaching the gospel is the best way to reclaim dissenters; after patient endurance, compulsion may be necessary to stop dissenters from causing severe harm to the innocent, but compulsion should be avoided when possible; both spiritual and civic responses may be used to quell dissent; responding to dissent is not the task of leaders only; dissent is inevitable in our society and the church; and the Lord blesses the faithful who endure the trials and temptations of dissent.

In an article criticizing the historicity of the Book of Mormon, David Wright described critical scholarship and traditionalist modes as contrasting paradigms used to approach the scriptures. This article explores the nature of paradigm debate in general, in that context points out weaknesses in Wright’s critical approach, and discerns crucial flaws in his definition of believing paradigms.

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

The application of some techniques of literary analysis to the Jaredite exodus narrative in Ether 1–3 and 6 reveals that it is more than just a historical account. The author or editor of the narrative uses imagery and dialogue to help the reader look beyond the historical facts and see elements of the creation, Christ, and temples, among other things.

Thomas W. Brookbank long ago suggested that enallage, meaning the substitution of the singular for the plural or vice versa for rhetorical effect, is present in the Book of Mormon. Enallage does appear to exist as a prominent, meaningful rhetorical figure in the Bible, but its presence in the Book of Mormon is more difficult to demonstrate given the pronominal variation found in the Book of Mormon, a factor that Brookbank did not account for in his study. Nevertheless, a careful reading of contextual and verbal clues reveals that enallage does indeed appear to exist in some passages in the Book of Mormon. An awareness of this usage is important for a full understanding of such passages.

According to the Book of Mormon, men must obey the commandments of God in order to gain eternal life. And yet men are incapable of yielding full obedience to God because of the carnal nature they inherit from the fallen Adam and Eve. To overcome this carnal nature, God has provided a way, through the atonement of his Son, whereby men may be redeemed from the carnal state to a spiritual state. If men are to be redeemed, they must call upon the Lord in the spirit of true humility, faith, and repentance. If they do so, God will redeem them by the power of the Holy Ghost. A covenant of obedience is frequently associated with the redemption process.

To the nonbeliever, the wide variety of destructive forces unleashed in the New World at the time of Christ’s crucifixion seems preposterous or, at the very least, unscientific. The account in 3 Nephi 8–9 mentions the simultaneous occurrence of earthquake, fire, strong winds, extensive flooding, the complete burial of cities, and thick darkness. An examination of known great natural disasters in historical times reveals that the Book of Mormon in no way exaggerates. All of the destructive forces mentioned in 3 Nephi 8–9 can be readily explained in terms of the tectonic forces that result from the encounter of the plates on which the continents and the oceans lie. The complex variety of destructive forces that we normally consider to be separate phenomena of nature is, in reality, strong evidence for the historicity of the Book of Mormon account.

Lehi’s exodus to the promised land is only the first of a series of exoduses occurring throughout the Book of Mormon. Indeed, Lehi’s exodus becomes mere precedent for later flights into the wilderness by Nephi, Mosiah, Alma1, Limhi, and the Anti-Nephi-Lehies. For the Nephites, continuing exodus is not merely historical fact. Understanding the biblical exodus as a type and shadow, the Nephites come to see their wandering as a metaphor of their spiritual condition. Thus, even centuries after Lehi’s arrival in the promised land, Nephite prophets recognize their status as “wanderers in a strange land” (Alma 13:23). As did Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, the Nephites also looked beyond their temporal land of promise “for a city which hath foundations, whose builder and maker is God” (Hebrews 11:10).

The discovery in Jerusalem of two inscribed silver strips, dating from the seventh century BC, support the Book of Mormon claim of writing on metal plates.

Lehi may have viewed Jacob (“my first-born in the wilderness”) and Joseph as replacement sons for the disobedient Laman and Lemuel. Scriptural parallels include Manasseh and Ephraim as replacements for Reuben and Simeon, and Seth for Abel.

The Liahona was given by the Lord as a communicationsdevice for Lehi to determine the appropriate direction of travel. This device contained two pointers, only one of which was necessary to provide directional information. But the Liahona was more than just a simple compass in function, for it additionally required faith for correct operation. Since a single pointer always "points" in some direction, the additional pointer was necessary to indicate whether or not the first pointer could be relied upon. This proposed purpose for the second pointer conforms to a well-established engineering principle used in modern fault-tolerant computer systems called "voting," in which two identical process states are compared and declared correct if they are the same, and incorrect if they are different. Hence the second pointer, when coincident with the first, would indicate proper operation, and when orthogonal, would indicate nonoperation.

Civilizations fall due to complex pressures, but the Book of Mormon points to one sin which assisted if not drove the demise of both the Nephite and Jaredite peoples. This sin was pride. This essay ties pride to the Old World concepts of hubris and at? as a means of revealing the dynamic nature of this sin and exploring its deadly character. It shows that pride leads to hubris, the attempt by individuals and nations to become a law unto themselves, and that the consequence of hubris is at?, a spiritual blindness that impels the individual or society toward its doom. The paper warns the Latter-day Saint about this vice.

Lehi, though unable to convince his older sons to follow the Lord, was very successful with both Nephi and Jacob. The speeches and writings of Jacob clearly show that he remembered the admonitions given to him by his dying father and that he shared Lehi’s teachings—including some of his verbiage—with other members of the family. Jacob’s life and his teachings found in the Book of Mormon stand as a memorial to his father’s faith and parental love.

Some authors have claimed that Lehi’s teachings on the fall of Adam are so similar to teachings prevalent in nineteenth-century America that they must be the source for 2 Nephi 2. However, this paper demonstrates that the bulk of well-recognized scholarly authority attributes teachings very similar to those in 2 Nephi 2 to preexilic and exilic biblical writers such as Hosea and Ezekiel. Thus, Lehi’s teachings are more consistent with a preexilic/exilic Israelite context than with a nineteenth-century American context.

During his visit to the Nephites, the Savior instructed Nephi to add to their records a missing scripture concerning the resurrection of many of the dead immediately following his own resurrection, as well as their appearance to many people. Good evidence suggests that it was Samuel the Lamanite’s prophecy of this resurrection that was missing. Aspects of the manner of recording, abridgment, and translation of the text of the Book of Mormon are elucidated through this missing scripture as it appears in the English text.

Although chapters 8 and 9 of the book of Moroni (Mormon’s epistles to Moroni) were placed with Mormon and Moroni’s abridgment by Moroni sometime between the years ad 401 and 421, these chapters were not written at that time. The insertion into the text of these epistles was done for doctrinal reasons; however, mixed in with the doctrinal message are certain facts and phrases that deal with their historical-chronological setting. By analyzing the specific chronological clues contained within Mormon’s epistles and comparing them with his abridged record of the final years of the Nephite nation, we can create a set of chronological time frames which then can be compared to construct a reasonable historical setting of ad 375 to 376.

Alma’s definition of faith as “hope for things which are not seen, which are true” (Alma 32:21) serves as a pattern for the juxtaposition of faith and truth throughout the scriptures. Faith in the atoning power of Jesus is the truth that will save us.

The reading schedule of the Law and the Prophets in the Jewish synagogue at the time of the Feast of Dedication relates Old Testament prophesies in Ezekiel 37 to the coming forth of the Book of Mormon.

Two additional parallels to the exodus pattern include death and burial in the desert and the transfiguration of Nephi and Moses.

Emanuel Tov focuses on biblical texts found in Qumran. He discusses which texts were found, the significance of such a find, what the scrolls look like and are made of, scribal errors, and how the ancient texts relate to the texts we have today. Also included is a question-and-answer section that addresses such topics as the Teacher of Righteousness, copper plates, and the Temple Scroll.

Elder Jeffrey Holland bears testimony of the Book of Mormon as the keystone of Mormonism. The Book of Mormon is either what it says it is, and Joseph Smith’s account of its origin is true, or it and the Prophet are simply discredited. Three great witnesses of Christ in the Book of Mormon are Nephi, Jacob, and Isaiah.

Robert Millet discusses the evils of pride and the power of humility. The experiences related in the Book of Mormon depict the consequences of pride. Those scriptures also teach that if we trust in and rely upon the Lord, and if we are willing to acknowledge that he can make more of us than we could ever make of ourselves, we will be able us to avoid the perils of pride.

Robert Millet defines the terms Israel, Jew, and gentile and recommends avoiding a narrow definition of these terms when reading about Israel and the gentiles in the Book of Mormon. He explains that the Jews are the descendants of those who lived in the kingdom of Judah, and that the remnant of Jacob spoken of in the Book of Mormon is not limited to the Lamanites. Millet further relates that the Book of Mormon plays a role in the gathering of Israel, and that the scattering and gathering of Israel typify the fall and the atonement.

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

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

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

Daniel Peterson discusses the sermon on faith given by Alma the Younger in Alma 32. Faith is not merely intellectual assent but trust or confidence, and it is expressed actively rather than passively. Peterson argues that the dichotomy between faith and works is artificial, since the root word for faith implies behavior. Alma invites us to experiment on the quality of faith, and Peterson suggests that scientific approaches to experimentation are applicable. He recommends testing or trying faith with the aid of prayer. He proposes that faith can have a spiral effect and that confidence can increase with continued experience.

This paper is part of a series of F.A.R.M.S. papers intended to give clear, concise answers to criticisms that have been raised against the Book of Mormon. As can be seen in the footnotes, much is owed to previous researchers who have addressed these criticisms. The foundation wishes to thank Matthew Roper for his help in gathering and summarizing large portions of the raw material for this series of papers. The authors wish to thank Robert Durocher for his help with this paper.

The Book of Mormon teaches faith in Christ, a message relevant for our time or any time. Believers progress from knowing the Savior, to loving and being obedient to him, and ultimately desiring to share the message about him. Our commitment to the gospel is reflected in our ability to be obedient.

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

Anti-Mormons frequently refer to a long-standing form letter sent by the Smithsonian Institution in response to inquiries about the Book of Mormon. In this paper, John Sorenson makes note of serious flaws in this Smithsonian statement, pointing out that parts of the form letter are based on unsubstantiated assumptions by the Smithsonian staff who are unqualified to make such generalizations. Also included in this paper is a more responsible letter recently issued by the Smithsonian Institution on this matter.

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

Lehi’s dream of the tree of life, recorded in 1 Nephi 8, was a familial dream as father Lehi was primarily concerned for the eternal salvation of his posterity. Susan Easton Black discusses Lehi’s role as patriarch in his family—his counsel and leadership, his love for his family, and his heartache for Laman and Lemuel who chose not to partake of the fruit—and compares his life with that of Joseph Smith Sr.

In this informal lecture, Hugh Nibley proposes that exploring the explanations of the facsimiles was not timely in Joseph Smith’s day, but the 1960s opened avenues for serious investigation. He reviews some of the mythical details in the Egyptian account of the premortal council. He also cites examples of Egyptian truisms that relate to Hebrew wisdom literature.

Clark Johnson examines sermons given by Jacob, Benjamin, and the Savior to Nephites gathered at their respective temples. He analyzes some of the high points to see how they taught “the doctrine of the temple,” giving particular attention to the teachings of the atonement and the contingent covenants covered in the ordinances taught by King Benjamin. Johnson also discusses Christ’s beatitudes in succession.

In this article William Hamblin responds to critics of the Book of Mormon who claim that there is no language known as reformed Egyptian, a term found in Mormon 9:32. Hamblin reminds readers that reformed Egyptian is a modern term for an ancient language and lists examples of other ancient records written in languages that could also be considered reformed Egyptian.

William Hamblin considers concepts related to the temple that are found in Jesus’ prayer recorded in John 17. For example, the word for glorify recalls the glory of the Lord that filled the tabernacle and temple. The word for given in John 17:2 can have the implication of endow, in the sense of giving a gift. To know God implies being familiar with his glory. The name of the Father is known by a few but is not revealed to the many.

Dale LeBaron counsels us to draw on the power of the Book of Mormon and the words of Christ’s representatives to discover the Lord’s pattern for preparing for the second coming. This preparation entails knowing the signs of the second coming, knowing the patterns of destruction, believing that despite persecution righteousness will prevail, heeding the counsels of the prophets, and studying the ministry of Christ and the teachings about his return.

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

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.

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.

Introduction to the current issue, including editor’s picks. Peterson discusses brief items having to do with the appearance of the phrase and it came to pass in books of scripture and with the “newspaper” handed out at the dedication of the Bountiful Temple that discusses doctrines Mormons must believe if they are to be deemed Christian.

In this statement, the First Presidency requests that the Book of Mormon not be rewritten into familiar or modern English because of “risks that this process may introduce doctrinal errors or obscure evidence of its ancient origin.”

Review of The Easy-to-Read Book of Mormon: A Learning Companion (1995), by Lynn Matthews Anderson; and Mormon\'s Story: An Adaptation Based on the Book of Mormon (1993), by Timothy B. Wilson.

Review of The Easy-to-Read Book of Mormon: A Learning Companion (1995), by Lynn Matthews Anderson.

Review of “The Use of Egyptian Magical Papyri to Authenticate the Book of Abraham: A Critical Review” (1993), by Edward H. Ashment.

Review of In the Footsteps of Lehi: New Evidence for Lehi’s Journey across Arabia to Bountiful (1994), by Warren P. Aston and Michaela Knoth Aston.

Review of “Book of Mormon Christology” (1993), by Melodie Moench Charles.

Review of Explorers of Pre-Columbian America? The Diffusionist-Inventionist Controversy (1994), by Eugene R. Fingerhut; and Legend and Lore of the Americas before 1492: An Encyclopedia of Visitors, Explorers, and Immigrants (1993), by Ronald H. Fritze.

Review of The Legacy of the Brass Plates of Laban: A Comparison of Biblical and Book of Mormon Isaiah Texts (1994), by H. Clay Gorton.

Review of The Legacy of the Brass Plates of Laban: A Comparison of Biblical and Book of Mormon Isaiah Texts (1994), by H. Clay Gorton.

Review of Joseph Smith's Response to Skepticism (1992), by Robert N. Hullinger.

Review of Questions to Ask Your Mormon Friend: Effective Ways to Challenge a Mormon's Arguments without Being Offensive (1994), by Bill McKeever and Eric Johnson.

Review of ?Apologetic and Critical Assumptions about Book of Mormon Historicity? (1993), by Brent Lee Metcalfe.

Review of The Book of Mormon: Helaman through 3 Nephi 8, According to Thy Word (1992), edited by Monte S. Nyman and Charles D. Tate Jr.

Review of Written by the Finger of God: A Testimony of Joseph Smith's Translations (1993), by Joe Sampson.

Review of Religion, Feminism, and Freedom of Conscience: A Mormon/Humanist Dialogue (1994), edited by George D. Smith.

Review of The Sanctity of Dissent (1994), by Paul Toscano.