Full Bibliography by Title

The Gospel of Philip, a Valentinian tractate found in the Nag Hammadi library, has sparked the interest of some Latter-day Saints because of its numerous references to a bridal chamber associated with the holy of holies in the temple (Gospel of Philip 69.14-70.4), such as to a \"mirrored bridal chamber\" (Gospel of Philip 65.12) and a sacred kiss (Gospel of Philip 59.1-5). The purpose of this paper is to examine the bridal chamber references within their Valentinian context. While there may be some interesting parallels with LDS teachings about eternal marriage, it is imporant to understand that the Valentinians understood these references in substantially different ways.

Elder Klebingat teaches about how to be a valiant disciple of Christ.

We cannot afford to have our testimonies of the Father and the Son become confused and complicated by stumbling blocks.

Based upon scriptural and historical sources, this fictional narrative of the life and mission of the angel Moroni links the prophet Moroni with the legends surrounding the “pale one” of Indian legend.

Retells the story of the 2,000 stripling warriors. The Lord helped with military strategy. Helaman was a leader during times of war and peace. President Benson counsels the young men of the Aaronic Priesthood to liken themselves spiritually to the Sons of Helaman.

Discusses the men who are the Three Witnesses to the Book of Mormon, their continued testimony after leaving the Church, and the reconversion of Oliver Cowdery and Martin Harris.

“In this essay I will examine the published testimonies of the witnesses, as well as other related historical sources, to try to determine more accurately the nature of their experiences. Hence, I will not explore the question of the witnesses’ honesty and trustworthiness; this has been exploited at great length by those whose intent has been to present a false dichotomy: either the witnesses told the truth about their experiences, and therefore Joseph Smith’s claims about the plates are true, or they lied and the plates never existed. This either/or reduction misrepresents the situation facing those who wish to examine the historical nature of these events.” [From author’s introduction]

This article is a fictional story of Lehi’s family and the Exodus as seen from the eyes of Lemuel’s wife.

Abstract: As the Church expands among the many nations, peoples, and tongues of the earth, new challenges arise that require the organization and the members of the Church to better meet the needs of the peoples in various nations and to cope with the specific challenges that may exist there. In this article I review a valuable book that can help in that expanding effort.
Review of Reid L. Neilson and Wayne D. Crosby, eds., Lengthening Our Stride: Globalization of the Church (Provo and Salt Lake City, UT: Religious Studies Center, Brigham Young University, and Deseret Book, 2018), 400 pp. $27.99.

Abstract: Latter-day Saints are often aware that the Apocrypha contains valuable sacred material along with some “interpolations of men,” but few know how to approach those ancient texts and what they could learn from them. A new book by Jared W. Ludlow provides a helpful tool to guide LDS readers in appreciating the Apocrypha and exploring the material in these highly diverse sacred documents.
Review of Jared W. Ludlow, Exploring the Apocrypha from a Latter-day Saint Perspective (Springville, Utah: CFI, 2018). 234 pp. $16.99. Never repeat a conversation, and you will lose nothing at all. With friend or foe do not report it, and unless it would be a sin for you, do not reveal it; for someone may have heard you and watched you, and in time will hate you. Have you heard something? Let it die with you. Be brave, it will not make you burst! Having heard something, the fool suffers birth pangs like a woman in labor with a child. Like an arrow stuck in a person’s thigh, so is gossip inside a fool.
— Ecclesiasticus, aka The Wisdom of Jesus Ben Sira,
aka Sirach 19:7–12. .

By the end of this year, “Nineteenth-Century Publications about the Book of Mormon (1829–1844)” will be made available as one of the Harold B. Lee Library’s digital collections. Building on the work of previous generations of researchers, Matthew Roper, research scholar with the Neal A. Maxwell Institute for Religious Scholarship, has collected digital facsimiles and electronic transcriptions of as many of these early publications as could be found.

Authentication and elucidation of the Book of Mormon is the purpose for Book of Mormon archaeology. It is as important as biblical archaeology or archaeology in the Aegean that sheds light on Homer’s Iliad and Odyssey as important historical documents.

Authentication and elucidation of the Book of Mormon is the purpose for Book of Mormon archaeology. It is as important as biblical archaeology or archaeology in the Aegean that sheds light on Homer’s Iliad and Odyssey as important historical documents.

We can frequently savor the sweet whisperings of the Holy Ghost verifying the truth of our spiritual worth.

When you know that Jesus is the Christ, that the gospel is true and you’re willing to sacrifice your life for it, then you have had a revelation of the Lord through the Holy Ghost, and it will guide you to all truth.

Remarks by President Brigham Young, delivered in the New Tabernacle, Salt Lake City, Aug. 16, 1868. Reported By: David W. Evans.

Takes issue with the Tanners’ approaches against the Book of Mormon in such areas as the Smithsonian statement, the Anthon transcript, the Kinderhook plates, the “Bat Creek” stone, the Stela 5, and other archaeological interests.

Remarks by Apostle John H. Smith, delivered in the Tabernacle, Salt Lake City, Sunday, July 27, 1885. Reported By: Geo. F. Gibbs.

Discusses the Priesthood. Also explains how the Three Witnesses conform to five criteria for determining the soundness of a testimony.

Story of a first edition Book of Mormon given to President Spencer W. Kimball.

In … Church meetings around the world, we come together seeking companionship—the good company of brothers and sisters in the gospel and the comfort of sweet communion with the Spirit of God.

Sorenson reminisces about his experiences with Davis Bitton, telling of Bitton’s love for truth, God, family, and friends.

Review of Sidney Rigdon: A Portrait of Religious Excess (1994), by Richard S. Van Wagoner

A review of Mason, Patrick Q. The Mormon Menace: Violence and Anti-Mormonism in the Postbellum South. New York: Oxford University Press, 2011. pp. 252 + xi, including notes and index. $31.95.
Abstract: Patrick Mason has offered a fascinating look at the history of nineteenth century anti-Mormonism in the American South with his 2011 volume The Mormon Menace: Violence and Anti-Mormonism in the Postbellum South. Situating nineteenth century Southern anti-Mormonism in its historical context, Mason narrates a vivid account of how Mormons at times faced violent opposition that stemmed from deep cultural, religious, and political differences with mainstream American Protestants. Mason’s volume is an excellent resource for those interested in Mormon history. .

Abstract: Some critics of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints have noted that the different accounts of Joseph Smith’s first vision, though written by the prophet himself, vary in some details. They see this as evidence that the event did not take place and was merely invented to establish divine authority for his work. They fail to realize that the versions of Paul’s vision on the road to Damascus, in which the risen Christ appeared to him, also differ from one another. Indeed, they vary more than Joseph Smith’s accounts of his experience. This article examines those variants.

Much has been written about changes between the 1830 edition of the Book of Mormon (the first) and modern editions. But knowledge is less widespread about the variations that exist between different copies of the 1830 edition itself. We are now aware of 41 such changes, and there are certainly others that have not yet been discovered. Three-fourths of the 41 changes were picked up when Alfred Bush of Princeton University Library,using a Hinman collator, compared the 1830 edition copy in the Scheide Library with a copy from Brigham Young University and one from the Historical Department of the Church. Using this list of changes as a base, and adding other changes discovered by other people, 70 different copies of the 1830 edition of the Book of Mormon have since been compared.

Remarks by President Brigham Young, made in the Tabernacle, Great Salt Lake City, February 17, 1861. Reported By: G. D. Watt.

Abstract: This paper examines the testimonies of the witnesses of the Book of Mormon— not only the Three Witnesses and the Eight Witnesses, but many others who experienced and testified of the reality of the Book of Mormon plates. Together, these testimonies offer impressive support for the claims of Joseph Smith regarding the Book of Mormon and, thus, the Restoration. The variety and complexity of their collective testimony makes finding a single, alternative, non-divine explanation for the witness experiences challenging, indeed.
[Editor’s Note: A very similar version of this essay was delivered as an address at the annual FairMormon Conference in August 2020.].

Remarks by Elder George A. Smith, made in the Tabernacle, Great Salt Lake City, May 11, 1862. Reported By: J. V. Long.

Copies of the Book of Mormon are being made available free of charge to non-members through advertising in newspapers and television, distribution by missionaries.

The editions of the Book of Mormon include the original manuscript, the first edition, the Liverpool editions, the editions of the Reorganized Church, the Salt Lake editions, the Chicago and Independence editions, and translations into Welsh, French, German, Dutch, Danish, Swedish, Spanish, Italian, Hawaiian, Tahitian, and Japanese.

The Atonement is intensely individual, reaching to every single soul, and it is universal, reaching to all creation. In both of these aspects, planetary and personal, the Atonement overcomes separation of every kind.

Abstract: Embarking roughly six months after the organization of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, the 1830–1831 “mission to the Lamanites” faced challenges that we pampered moderns can scarcely imagine. Oliver Cowdery, Peter Whitmer Jr., Parley P. Pratt, Ziba Peterson, and, eventually, Frederick G. Williams demonstrated beyond reasonable dispute the depth of their commitment to the Restoration and to the promises extended by the Book of Mormon to the surviving children of Lehi. Given that Cowdery and Whitmer were witnesses of the golden plates, this demonstration of their genuine belief seems significant.

Discourse by Elder John Taylor, delivered in the Tabernacle, Great Salt Lake City, May 18, 1862. Reported By: J. V. Long.

Abstract: In this essay, I examine a letter written by Elder Vaughn J. Featherstone in 1983 and deposited in the cornerstone of the Atlanta Georgia Temple. The letter is addressed to twenty-first century members of the Church and is written with the expectation that these future Saints will have been alive for the Second Coming of Jesus Christ. I consider the claims made about this letter from a recent viral video entitled “7 Year Tribulation in the SEVENTH Seal TIMELINE.”.

I pray that we keep our gaze elevated so that we can see our trials through the lens of their purpose, so that we can become more Christlike and gain the eternal win. As we do so, our hearts will be filled with peace rather than fear.

A condemnation of Mormonism and the Book of Mormon. The Book of Mormon has many errors in grammar, which have been changed in more recent editions. The book appears to have been based upon the work of Solomon Spaulding. Mormonism is comparable with Islam.

Abstract: The Book of Mormon, being an ancient book, was originally written without typographic punctuation and employs verbal punctuation instead. This article looks at the use of “and now” as verbal punctuation in the Book of Mormon. The phrase is used to mark major breaks in the text, not only for chapters but also within chapters of the text. The Book of Mormon usage is borrowed from Classical Biblical Hebrew (the Hebrew used before the exile) and follows the pattern set by pre-exilic Hebrew scribes. While this usage dropped in the Old World after the Babylonian exile as Aramaic replaced Hebrew as the major language spoken, the Book of Mormon preserved the usage until the end of Nephite civilization.

Abstract: One example of verbal punctuation that has a very clear pattern of usage in the Book of Mormon is the term nevertheless. It is used to draw a marked contrast between what the previous text would lead one to expect and what follows it. It is not clear what the ancient antecedent to the term might be and the English term and usage might be an artefact of the translation process. The frequency and usage of nevertheless in the Book of Mormon contrasts with the way that Joseph Smith’s writings use it.

[Editor’s Note: This article is an updated and extended version of a presentation given at the Third Interpreter Matthew B. Brown Memorial Conference: The Temple on Mount Zion, November 5, 2016, at Brigham Young University in Provo, Utah. For a video version of the presentation, see https://interpreterfoundation.org/conferences/2016-temple-on-mount-zion-conference/2016-temple-on-mount-zion-conference-videos/]
Abstract: In chapter 3 of the Gospel of John, Jesus described spiritual rebirth as consisting of two parts: being “born of water and of the spirit.”
To this requirement of being “born again into the kingdom of heaven, of water, and of the Spirit,” Moses 6:59–60 adds that one must “be cleansed by blood, even the blood of mine Only Begotten; … For … by the blood ye are sanctified.”
In this article, we will discuss the symbolism of water, spirit, and blood in scripture as they are actualized in the process of spiritual rebirth. We will highlight in particular the symbolic, salvific, interrelated, additive, retrospective, and anticipatory nature of these ordinances within the allusive and sometimes enigmatic descriptions of John 3 and Moses 6. Moses 6:51–68, with its dense infusion of temple themes, was revealed to the Prophet in December 1830, when the Church was in its infancy and more than a decade before the fulness of priesthood ordinances was made available to the Saints in Nauvoo. Our study of these chapters informs our closing perspective on the meaning of the sacrament, which is consistent with the recent re-emphasis of Church leaders that the “sacrament is a beautiful time to not just renew our baptismal covenants, but to commit to Him to renew all our covenants.”
We discuss the relationship of the sacrament to the shewbread of Israelite temples, and its anticipation of the heavenly feast that will be enjoyed by those who have been sanctified by the blood of Jesus Christ.

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

Do you want to expand and deepen your study of the Book of Mormon? If so, you will find what you’re looking for in this commentary written by gospel scholars D. Kelly Ogden and Andrew C. Skinner. This volume is the first of a two-volume, reader-friendly exploration of the book of scripture that is the keystone of our religion. It incorporates sound doctrinal commentary with quotations from General Authorities and explanations of difficult passages—all sprinkled generously with the authors’ own experiences to illustrate great lessons and personal applications. Interspersed with the commentary are feature articles that offer new glimpses into such topics as angels who have come to earth, names and titles of God, Israel and Zion in Latter-day Saint usage, the Isaiah chapters of First and Second Nephi, the allegory of the olive tree, and prophecies of Christ. Highly informative and easy to read, this commentary on the Book of Mormon provides stimulating views that complement the scriptures. It will be treasured by anyone who wishes to understand more fully the teachings of those whom the Lord called in the land of promise to testify of him.

Do you want to expand and deepen your study of the Book of Mormon? If so, you will find what you’re looking for in this commentary written by gospel scholars D. Kelly Ogden and Andrew C. Skinner. This volume is the second of a two-volume, reader-friendly exploration of the book of scripture that is the keystone of our religion. It incorporates sound doctrinal commentary with quotations from General Authorities and explanations of difficult passages — all sprinkled generously with the authors’ own experiences to illustrate great lessons and personal applications. Interspersed with the commentary are feature articles that offer new glimpses into such topics as the importance of record keeping, the purpose of a covenant people, teachings regarding war, the sealing power, God as a God of miracles still today, the Americas as the promised land, and the love of God for all his children. Highly informative and easy to read, this commentary on the Book of Mormon provides stimulating views that complement the scriptures. It will be treasured by anyone who wishes to understand more fully the teachings of those whom the Lord called in the land of promise to testify of him.

30 pamphlets, weekly radio addresses from 7 March to 17 October.

Discourse by President Brigham Young, delivered at Logan, Cache Valley, Sunday, Aug. 15, 1876. Reported By: Geo. F. Gibbs.

THE BooK OF MORMON presented itself as a history of previously unidentified New World civilizations with origins in the ancient Near East. To defend its claims of historicity, believers pointed to the work’s correspondence with the Bible and their own spiritual witnesses. They also insisted that, independent of their supernatural access to this ancient world, archaeological discoveries had authenticated and would continue to authenticate the book’s historical claims. This article documents the all-but-forgotten Latter-day Saint use of Codex Boturini-a sixteenth-century Mesoamerican codex depicting the Mexica (i.e., Aztec) migration from their mythical homeland Atzlan to Tenochtitlan, the seat of the empire’s government-as physical evidence for Book of Mormon history. In the perspective of these Saints, the pictorial manuscript was an independent record of the Book of Mormon. For decades, Mormons published images from Codex Boturini (or described them) alongside commentary that translated the pictographs through a Mormon lens.

When we come to have some sense of what Christ has done for us—and, in particular, what He has suffered for us—our natural reaction as children of God is to want to show our gratitude and love by giving our lives to Him, by obeying Him.

Announces the number of languages into which the Book of Mormon has been translated, summarizes the book’s contents, and discusses its prophecies concerning the United States.

And so we look forward to the coming year with optimism, knowing that as we become a vibrant and dedicated community of learners and lifters, we will truly assist individuals in their quest for perfection and eternal life.

The personal account of a woman preacher’s experiences while preaching in America. Pages 137-46 discuss her encounter with the Book of Mormon and the Mormons in Kirtland. Appalled by the pretensions of such a book, she dismisses it as a deceitful fraud.

A study of the rhetoric of the second Sophistic movement and its influence on politics and culture generally, with obvious significance for our own time because of remarkable parallel developments in the current world of business.

One important key to understanding modern civilization is a familiarity with its ancient background. Many modern principles and practices—social, political, and even economic—have clear parallels in antiquity. A careful study of these forerunners of our traditions, particularly as they contributed to the downfall of earlier civilizations, may help us avoid some of the mistakes of our predecessors. The Ancient State, by Hugh Nibley, is a thought-provoking examination of assorted aspects of ancient culture, from the use of marked arrows to the surprisingly universal conception of kinship, from arguments of various schools of philosophy to the rise of rhetoric. Author Hugh Nibley brings his usual meticulous research and scholarship to bear in this enlightening collection of essays and lectures. It has been said that only by learning the lessons of history can we hope to avoid repeating them. For scholar and novice alike, The Ancient State is a valuable source of such learning.
A study of the rhetoric of the second Sophistic movement and its influence on politics and culture generally, with obvious significance for our own time because of remarkable parallel developments in the current world of business.

A gentle video montage of women around the world engaging in varied circumstances of service, challenge, and connection.

A video presentation shown during the 192nd Annual General Conference of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints on April 2-3, 2022. This video includes teachings about women from President Nelson and President Kimball.

Found in the “Faith” section of the journal.
An explanation of what questions Hugh Nibley would ask and what types of things he would look for in his studies.

Examines the claim that Joseph Smith used Ethan Smith’s book View of the Hebrews to write the Book of Mormon. After comparing the two books the author concludes that “for any person to suggest that the Book of Mormon thesis was adopted from ideas found in the View of the Hebrews suggests that a proper comparison was not attempted”

Since the Book of Mormon was first published in 1830, its critics have endeavored to find explanations for it other than the one given by Joseph Smith. Some have suggested that the source for much of the history and theology in the Book of Mormon was an early nineteenth-century book entitled View of the Hebrews, by Ethan Smith. This book is a faithful and accurate reproduction of the 1825 second edition of View of the Hebrews. The intent in publishing it has been to make it available to all interested readers—whether critics, believers in the Book of Mormon, or scholars of early American religious history. This printing reproduces not only the original spelling and punctuation but also, as much as possible, the original layout, typefaces, and type sizes. Readers may find topics of some interest for Latter-day Saint history, but it is clear that they will need to look elsewhere to find the origin of the Book of Mormon. ISBN 1-5700-8247-2

Fawn Brodie’s statement in her book No Man Knows My History that “it may in fact have been [Ethan Smith’s] View of the Hebrews that gave Joseph Smith the idea of the Book of Mormon” is not based upon sound reasoning nor is it a historical fact.

Many see this work as the impetus for Joseph Smith’s writing the Book of Mormon. However, this work is theoretical, where the Book of Mormon is sacred narrative. This work theorizes that the ten tribes of Israel traversed the Bering Straits. Smith calls upon native American tradition and language to sustain his theory that they are descendants of the Hebrews.

Review of Jennifer Ann Mackley, Wilford Woodruff’s Witness: The Development of Temple Doctrine (Seattle, WA: High Desert Publishing, 2014). 441 pp., appendices, selected bibliography, index. $26.95.

A novel set in Mexico, detailing the main character’s discovery of the Book of Mormon.

For an introduction, see Benjamin L. McGuire, “Josiah’s Reform: An Introduction.”
For a counterpoint, see Kevin Christensen, “Prophets and Kings in Lehi’s Jerusalem and Margaret Barker’s Temple Theology”
Abstract: Margaret Barker has written a number of fascinating books on ancient Israelite and Christian temple theology. One of her main arguments is that the temple reforms of Josiah corrupted the pristine original Israelite temple theology. Josiah’s reforms were therefore, in some sense, an apostasy. According to Barker, early Christianity is based on the pristine, original pre-Josiah form of temple theology. This paper argues that Josiah’s reforms were a necessary correction to contemporary corruption of the Israelite temple rituals and theologies, and that the type of temple apostasy Barker describes is more likely associated with the Hasmoneans.

A Discourse by Elder Ezra T. Benson, Delivered in the Tabernacle, Great Salt Lake City, May 13, 1855. Reported By: G. D. Watt.

Kindness is the essence of a celestial life. Kindness is how a Christlike person treats others.

Elder Eddy invites us to “try the virtue of the word of God” and “drink deeply” from the scriptures. There is virtue in the words of ancient and modern prophets precisely because their words are the Lord’s words.

I encourage you to strengthen the virtues you have already acquired and resolve to develop many others.

Latter-day Saint discussion of chastity often include Moroni 9:9 because of its suggestion that “chastity and virtue” constitute “that which is most dear and precious above all things:’ The verse also says, however, that people can be “deprived” of chastity and virtue by the violence of rape. For the prophet Mormon, the Nephites’ actions in Moriantum exceed “this great abomination of the Lamanites;’ which involved “feed[ing] the women upon the flesh of their husbands, and the children upon the flesh of their fathers” (Moroni 9:8). Mormon’s strong language aims to condemn the rapists, not their victims. Using the verse to teach about chastity, though, invites interpretation from the perspective of the victims, which raises the question of what it means to understand chastity and virtue as something of which a person can be deprived, passively, by another. Such passive loss of virtue runs strongly contrary to LDS teaching about agency, including those rooted in Book of Mormon passages like 2 Nephi 2, with the consequence that victims of sexual abuse or assault can be made to feel guilty for sins that are not their own.

Youth is a defining time in which you can develop patterns of virtue that will help you take necessary steps toward eternal life.

Related by Elder Amasa M. Lyman, Delivered in the Bowery, Great Salt Lake City, July 19, 1857. Reported By: G. D. Watt, J. V. Long.

The celestial kingdom, residence of God, our Eternal Father, is comprised of men and women who have complied with divine law and who were not deceived by the craftiness of men or the doctrines of devils.

A tract that compares a dream experienced by Joseph Smith, Sr., with Lehi’s vision of the tree of life.

[2016 Association for Mormon Letters Finalist for Religious Non-fiction] “In The Vision of All, Joseph Spencer draws on the best of biblical and Latter-day Saint scholarship to make sense of the so-called “Isaiah chapters” in the first two books of the Book of Mormon. Arguing that Isaiah lies at the very heart of Nephi’s project, Spencer insists on demystifying the writings of Isaiah while nonetheless refusing to pretend that Isaiah is in any way easy to grasp. Presented as a series of down-to-earth lectures, The Vision of All outlines a comprehensive answer to the question of why Nephi was interested in Isaiah in the first place. Along the way, the book presents both a general approach to reading Isaiah in the Book of Mormon and a set of specific tactics for making sense of Isaiah’s writings. For anyone interested in understanding what Isaiah is doing in the Book of Mormon, this is the place to start.” [Publisher]

The seventh chapter of the Book of Moses portrays Enoch’s vision of the history and future of the world within a specific literary framework. The text, coming from the Joseph Smith Translation of the Bible, outlines three periods of time: (1) the days of Noah, (2) the meridian of time, and (3) the last days. The portrayal of each of these time periods contains five similar characteristics. Szink also compares this text with accounts in the Bible and other nonbiblical sources to further understand the vision and the significance of its framework. By presenting the three periods in a literary art form, the author has created a complex beauty that reflects and reinforces the content of the vision.

Life, if lived properly, allows the Holy Ghost to bring the vision into our mind. The perfect description was given by a loving Heavenly Father when He said, “For behold, this is my work and my glory—to bring to pass the immortality and eternal life of man.”

This article enumerates some of the lessons that can be learned from the record of Lehi’s vision of the tree of life. Prayer and humility are important to learning the truth by the power of the Holy Ghost. Temptation may come in attractive attire that blurs perception and weakens sensibility.

Faith, family, and relief—these three simple words have come to express the vision of prophets for sisters in the Church.

I testify that the vision President Joseph F. Smith received is true. I bear witness that every person can come to know it is true.

Lehi’s visionary powers are manifest when he “dreamed a dream” or has “seen a vision.” This cognate accusative construction in which the verb is followed by a noun from the same root lends authenticity to the antiquity of the Book of Mormon.

This book examines Joseph Smith’s oral recitation of the Book of Mormon in the context of the prominance and importance of orality in nineteenth-century America. “The focus of this study is the oral per­for­mance techniques that Smith used to dictate the Book of Mormon, with specific attention to the methods of preaching in Smith’s contemporary sermon culture. Thus, the central issues revolve around the methods of oral composition, rather than narrative content.” [Author]

Provides the historical details of Joseph Smith’s First Vision and of the coming forth of the Book of Mormon. It states the testimonies of the Eleven Witnesses, and then proceeds to give archaeological evidence of the divine authenticity of the Book of Mormon. This evidence is comprised of Hebrew inscriptions found by the mounds built near Newark, Ohio.

Rehearses the Joseph Smith story. It contains a description of the Hill Cumorah and the visit of the angel Moroni. It gives an account of the Book of Mormon. Recounts the discovery of artifacts that had Hebrew inscriptions upon them. The testimonies of the Three Witnesses were substantiated by later affirmation.

An evangelical tract written by a former Jew supporting the Book of Mormon and its claims to antiquity. The author discusses evidence that he feels supports the Book of Mormon, such as the testimony of the witnesses, the Newark Stone, and similarities between native Americans and Hebrews.

Abstract: This contribution focuses on the earliest and one of the most significant chapters of the Book of Moses: Moses 1, sometimes called the “Visions of Moses.” Kent Jackson summarizes the sources available relating to the production of this chapter, illuminating obscure corners of its often misunderstood background with his extensive knowledge of the history, manuscripts, and significance of the Joseph Smith Translation. [Editor’s Note: Part of our book chapter reprint series, this article is reprinted here as a service to the LDS community. Original pagination and page numbers have necessarily changed, otherwise the reprint has the same content as the original.See Kent P. Jackson, “The Visions of Moses and Joseph Smith’s Bible Translation,” in “To Seek the Law of the Lord”: Essays in Honor of John W. Welch, ed. Paul Y. Hoskisson and Daniel C. Peterson (Orem, UT: The Interpreter Foundation, 2017), 161–70. Further information at https://interpreterfoundation.org/books/to-seek-the-law-of-the-lord-essays-in-honor-of-john-w-welch-2/.].

“A Revelation given to Joseph the Revelator June 1830,” Visions of Moses, [Fayette Township, Seneca Co., NY, or Harmony Township, Susquehanna Co., PA (or possibly Colesville Township or Manchester Township, NY)], June 1830; handwriting of Oliver Cowdery; three pages; now in Old Testament Revision 1, CCLA. Images of this item © Community of Christ and licensed to the Joseph Smith Papers Project. Inquiries about high-resolution images of this item for scholarly use should be directed to the Community of Christ Library-Archives, Independence, Missouri.

Discourse by Elder Orson Pratt, delivered in the Tabernacle, Salt Lake City, Sunday Afternoon, July 18, 1880. Reported By: John Irvine.

Abstract: An article recently published in an online journal entitled “The Entheogenic Origins of Mormonism: A Working Hypothesis” posits that Joseph Smith used naturally occurring chemicals, called “entheogens,” to facilitate visionary experiences among his early followers. The entheogenic substances were reportedly derived from two mushrooms, a fungus, three plants (including one cactus), and the secretions from the parotid glands of the Sonoran Desert toad. Although it is an intriguing theory, the authors consistently fail to connect important dots regarding chemical and historical cause-and-effect issues. Documentation of entheogen acquisition and consumption by the early Saints is not provided, but consistently speculated. Equally, the visionary experiences recounted by early Latter-day Saints are highly dissimilar from the predictable psychedelic effects arising from entheogen ingestion. The likelihood that Joseph Smith would have condemned entheogenic influences as intoxication is unaddressed in the article.

Remarks by President George A. Smith, delivered in the New Tabernacle, Salt Lake City, Sunday Afternoon, Sept. 7, 1873. Reported By: David W. Evans.

Report of an inspection of an archaeological site in Arizona, which may corroborate the Book of Mormon.

Report of an inspection of an archaeological site in Arizona, which may corroborate the Book of Mormon.

Discourse by Apostle Brigham Young, delivered in the Tabernacle, Salt Lake City, Sunday Afternoon, June 22, 1884. Reported By: John Irvine.

Includes Weldon’s “archaeological observations” in Central and South America and how he relates them to the Book of Mormon. The Gentiles are expected to carry the Book of Mormon to the Lamanites.

David Whitmer, the final surviving witness for the Book of Mormon, bore an undimmed testimony of the Book of Mormon and told of the visit of one of the three Nephites.

David Whitmer, the final surviving witness for the Book of Mormon, bore an undimmed testimony of the Book of Mormon and told of the visit of one of the three Nephites.

David Whitmer, the final surviving witness for the Book of Mormon, bore an undimmed testimony of the Book of Mormon and told of the visit of one of the three Nephites.

Joseph Smith pretended to find gold plates and the Urim and Thummim in Miner’s Hill (Hill Cumorah). In reality he took the book from Spaulding’s manuscript and engaged Oliver Cowdery as an accomplice in his scheme. Martin Harris was a dupe who bore the expense of publication. Harris’s intelligent wife saw through the scheme and burned the manuscript.

Discourse by Elder George Q. Cannon, delivered in the New Tabernacle, Salt Lake City, Sunday Afternoon, Sept. 17, 1876. Reported By: Geo. F. Gibbs.

Remarks by Elder George A. Smith, Delivered in the Bowery, Great Salt Lake City, Sunday Morning, July 26, 1857. Reported By: G. D. Watt, J. V. Long.

After making a visit to the Hill Cumorah, located near Palmyra, the author presents a description of the hill, and considers the destruction of two Book of Mormon peoples at the site.