Religion Commons^™

Sheol, Hades, Gehenna, And Hell: Concepts Of The Afterlife In The Bible, Félix H. Cortez, Keldie Paroschi

Faculty Publications

No abstract provided.

The Sticks Of Judah And Joseph: Reflections On Defending The Kingdom, Joseph M. Spencer

Faculty Publications

I wish to pursue two tasks simultaneously in this essay. First, in line with its title, I will address a very old matter of interpretation. I aim to explain as definitively as possible how to make sense of the relationship between Ezekiel 37:15–19, with its talk of the sticks of Judah and Joseph, and the claims of the Restoration, which include somehow connecting the stick of Joseph to the Book of Mormon. Second, in line with the subtitle of this essay, I wish to draw a crucial lesson from the history of how Latter-day Saints have dealt with this issue …

Recovering The World Of The Bible, Dana M. Pike

Faculty Publications

The pillar of light that fell upon Joseph Smith in the woods near Palmyra, New York, in the spring of 1820 ushered in a new dispensation of the gospel.1 But that light, which shone “above the brightness of the sun” (Joseph Smith–History 1:16), did not just enlighten the world as far as religion is concerned. The light emanating from the pillar in which the Father and Son stood symbolically represents the latter-day, divine illumination of many aspects of life on this earth—past, present, and future.

“My Heart Falters, Fear Makes Me Tremble” (Isaiah 21:4 Niv): Emotions And Prophetic Writings In The Bible, Gerald A. Klingbeil, Chantal J. Klingbeil

Faculty Publications

"Emotions are an intricate part of what it means to be human. They are part of complex coping mechanisms installed by a Creator God whose own emotions are reflected in humanity’s creation in the imago Dei, the “image of God” (Gen. 1:27).¹ Joy, exuberance, anticipation, pleasure, delight, and happiness, must have all been part of God’s original make-up of humanity, for they characterize our existence today. We also experience, however, anger, sadness, sorrow, fear, depression, dejection, misery, and fury—emotions that became part of our emotive repertoire following the Fall in Genesis 3.²

Unfortunately, we have traditionally …

The Life And Witness Of Peter, Denis Fortin

Faculty Publications

No abstract provided.

Androgyny/Hermaphroditism: Hebrew Bible, Jennifer J. Williams

Faculty Publications

The Hebrew Bible lacks a term for androgyny or hermaphroditism. The term tumtumim, which identifies persons of indeterminate or “hidden” sex, appears later in rabbinic texts. Nevertheless, sexual fluidity, ambiguity, intersexed persons, and persons with a combination of masculine and feminine characteristics appear in the Genesis creation stories and prophetic texts. While gender transgression is relevant to the general discussion, this entry from The Oxford Encyclopedia of the Bible and Gender Studies: Oxford Biblical Studies Online focuses primarily on ancient understandings, namely those presented in the Hebrew Bible, of those of “both sexes.”

The “Spirit” That Returns To God In Ecclesiastes 12:7, Dana M. Pike

Faculty Publications

Influenced by the Restoration doctrine of premortality, some Latter-day Saints have employed the KJV translation “the spirit” in Ecclesiastes 12:7 to support the doctrine that spirit personages leave their mortal bodies at death. Furthermore, Latter-day Saints have sometimes asserted, again citing Ecclesiastes 12:7, that a premortal spirit being can only “return” to God because it previously came from him. This verse has thus become one of several in the Old Testament that some Latter-day Saints have employed as support for premortal existence, a doctrine that is so important in the broader plan of salvation.

Develando Una Perspectiva Bíblica De La Sabiduría, Gustavo Gregorutti

Faculty Publications

This essay looks for ways to understand some of the characteristics of the biblical paradigm of wisdom. Being wise implies that the person who possesses it, to a greater or lesser degree, is able to handle circumstances to achieve the welfare of others and of one’s self. Developing wisdom does not seem to be related to personal characteristics. It is actually a series of identification processes with the biblical worldview that conditions daily behavior. To illustrate these concepts, this study makes a comparison using the cases of Daniel and Samson as a continuum that goes from more toward less wisdom. …

Old Testament Costume Resource Guide, Rory R. Scanlon

Faculty Publications

This report offers visual costume research support for artists working on Old Testament Bible projects, with an historical overview of Mesopotamia and how to understand its historical clothing pieces, an annotated listing of the best research sources, a list of garment and fabric terms for the 4000 BC to 0 AD period, and sample sketches from historical artifacts to suggest how to interpret the original research images the artist will encounter.

Peter And Paul In Antioch, Gaye Strathearn

Faculty Publications

When Peter was come to Antioch, I withstood him to the face, because he was to be blamed. For before that certain came from James, he did eat with the Gentiles: but when they were come, he withdrew and separated himself, fearing them which were of the circumcision” (Galatians 2:11–12). So wrote the Apostle Paul to the Galatian Saints. This passage is a difficult one. Just as ancient Saints were not comfortable with the public tension between Christianity’s most prominent leaders, neither are modern Saints today.

Reading The Gospel Of Philip As A Temple Text, Gaye Strathearn

Faculty Publications

For many Latter-day Saints, their introduction to studies on Latter-day Saint ritual was in reading the works of Hugh Nibley, who specifically focused on the rites of the temple. Nibley was the first to point out the parallels between the religious behavior of earlier cultures, especially the ritual experiences of early Christianity, and our own. In this paper, Gaye continues this tradition as she introduces us to the Gnostic text the Gospel of Philip and points out intriguing similarities between this text and our own temple experience

Who Uses The Word "Resurrection" In The Book Of Mormon And How Is It Used?, John Hilton Iii, Jana Johnson

Faculty Publications

While there are only a handful of primary speakers in the Book of Mormon, many voices are heard within its pages. The fact that multiple people speak in the text provides the opportunity to investigate whether these people have varying patterns of speech. The purpose of this study is to report on the word resurrection, which has unusual usage patterns by individual speakers in the Book of Mormon. For example, there are curious patterns in terms of who in the Book of Mormon employs (or does not employ) resurrection, how individuals in the Book of Mormon use this word, and …

Teaching The Four Gospels: Five Considerations, Gaye Strathearn

Faculty Publications

Speaking of the Bible, the Prophet Joseph Smith declared, “He who reads it oftenest will like it best.”1 One of the challenges any teacher of the New Testament faces is being able to engender in his or her students a desire to read the Bible often enough that they will come to appreciate its rich doctrinal teachings and its powerful testimony of Jesus Christ. The four New Testament Gospels, in particular, are a treasure trove of information about his life, ministry, teachings, Atonement, and Resurrection, much of which is not available anywhere else in scripture. The purpose of this paper …

The Bible, The Book Of Mormon, And The Concept Of Scripture, Dan Belnap, Daniel L. Belnap

Faculty Publications

For nonbelievers, the relationship Latter-day Saints have with the Bible can be difficult to discern, especially when one considers the crucial role the Book of Mormon plays in LDS worship. This paper explores three questions a sincere critic may have concerning the relationship between the Bible and the Book of Mormon: (1) the presence of direct biblical passages and King James Version (KJV) terminology in the Book of Mormon, (2) what the Book of Mormon has to say about the Bible, and (3) the Book of Mormon’s understanding of the concept of scripture.

Modern English Bible Translations, Gaye Strathearn

Faculty Publications

The work of translation from one language to another is always fraught with difficulties—philological, contextual, and even procedural difficulties. If a word has numerous meanings, as most do, how does the translator decide which one to use? Should the translation reflect a wordfor- word translation (i.e., formal equivalence), or should it reflect the idiomatic language of the receptor language (i.e., functional/dynamic equivalence)? The major benefit of a formal-equivalence approach is that the translation maintains a feel for the language and format of the original text. The construction of Hebrew and Greek words and sentences is maintained, as much as possible, …

Biblical Naming Reports With, Dana M. Pike

Faculty Publications

This study reviews the naming reports in the MT r that contain the phrase [Hebrew text] () in order to analyze the current practice of regularly rendering the subjects of these reports as indefinite. Though this is understandable in some cases, I contend that many of these subjects can just as well be understood as definite. Whereas the difference may seem insignificant in some passages, rendering the subject as definite is productive in others. A complete examination of all biblical naming reports is a large and complex undertaking, well beyond the limitations of the present study. This review of the …

Christ's Interpretation Of Isaiah's 52'S "My Servant" In 3 Nephi, Gaye Strathearn, Jacob Moody

Faculty Publications

When the Savior appeared to the “more righteous” of the Nephites and Lamanites, he used many teachings that modern readers readily recognize from the Old and New Testaments. Some critics have suggested that Joseph Smith merely lifted these teachings from his copy of the Bible.1 While some of these quotations are very similar to the accounts in the King James Bible, there are some significant differences that strongly suggest that the process was more complex and nuanced than these critics allow.

Understanding The Purpose Of Creation Accounts, Terry Ball

Faculty Publications

Jeopardy is a popular and longrunning TV game show in the United States. It is somewhat unusual in the world of game shows. In typical game shows, contestants are asked questions and then awarded money for providing correct answers. But, in Jeopardy that process is reversed: the contestants are given the answers and then receive money for correctly providing the questions. For example, contestants might be given the answer "a biblical measurement of volume approximately equivalent to eight gallons." The contestant who first correctly asks the question "What is an ephah?" would then be awarded money. Unlike much of what …

Matthew As An Editor Of The Life And Teachings Of Jesus, Gaye Strathearn

Faculty Publications

The Gospel According to Matthew, or, as the Joseph Smith Translation notes, the Testimony of St. Matthew, is the first of the four Gospels in our New Testament.1 This Gospel was very influential among early Christians.2 Tertullian, one of the early Church Fathers (c. AD 155–230), described Matthew as the “most faithful chronicler of the Gospel.”3 In this dispensation, the Prophet Joseph often used the first Gospel in his sermons.4 Although modern scholars have debated the authorship of this Gospel, ancient Christian writings are unanimous in ascribing it to the tax collector named Matthew in Matthew 9:9.

From Clay Tablets To Canon: The Story Of The Formation Of Scripture, Kerry M. Muhlestein

Faculty Publications

Presented at the 35th Sperry Symposium. The Sidney B. Sperry Symposium is sponsored by Brigham Young University Religious Education and the Church Educational System. It is difficult for us, in the age of information, to appreciate the impact of both the sweeping movements and technical advances that allowed for the creation of the canonized book we call the Bible. We live in a time when we regularly turn to written documents for the "final word", and we take for granted an astounding volume of written works and easy access to them. Indeed, it has been argued that U.S. culture has …

“It Has Seemed Good To The Holy Spirit And To Us”: Mission And Ecumenism In The Power Of The Holy Spirit, Lois E. Malcolm

Faculty Publications

No abstract provided.

Biblical Narratives And Christian Decision, Miroslav Kis

Faculty Publications

No abstract provided.

General Principles Of Interpretation, Gerhard F, Hasel

Faculty Publications

No abstract provided.

Love And Sexuality Part 3, Charles E. Wittschiebe

Faculty Publications

No abstract provided.

Love And Sexuality Part 2, Charles E. Wittschiebe

Faculty Publications

No abstract provided.

Love And Sexuality Part 1, Charles E. Wittschiebe

Faculty Publications

No abstract provided.