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Matthew,
Thanks for the informative article. And thanks for the excellent body of work you are producing that so greatly contributes to our understanding of and respect for the Book of Mormon. I especially liked the Cain article. I drew on it heavily in teaching the Book of Helaman in my institute class. I will also use this article repeatedly in the class. Taken together with Kieth Thompson’s work on Sherem which you cite, this article underscores the importance of Zoram and his legacy for the unfolding of Book of Mormon history. I independently reached the conclusion that we can’t adequately understand political and religious conflicts in the Book of Mormon without understanding who Zoram was and what he believed. I am in the middle of writing an article that comes to many of the same conclusions you do drawing on different supporting facts in the text. Perhaps we can achieve an emerging consensus on who Zoram was and how he influenced Nephite history and theology if we collectively read the text with attention to often overlooked details and their implications.
Thank you, Val! I appreciate your feedback. 🙂 I am glad the Cain article has been useful and hope that this one will be as well. Also, I look forward to your forthcoming article. When Nephi mentions Zoram in his record, he consistently employs language with potential political implications. This has to be significant.
Matthew Bowen’s essay is both interesting and significant.
Thank you, Lou! 🙂