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Full-Text Articles in Religious Education
Warfare Research Group Organized
Warfare Research Group Organized
Insights: The Newsletter of the Neal A. Maxwell Institute for Religious Scholarship
A research group working on warfare in the Book of Mormon has been formed. Anyone interested in any aspect of warfare in the Bible, the ancient Near East, Mesoamerica, or Book of Mormon is invited to contact Stephen Ricks, 4076 JKHB, BYU, (801) 378-5428, or 378-3295, or Bill Hamblin, 802 Pineview Dr., Hattiesburg, Mississippi 39401 .
Fortifications In The Book Of Mormon And In Mesoamerica
Fortifications In The Book Of Mormon And In Mesoamerica
Insights: The Newsletter of the Neal A. Maxwell Institute for Religious Scholarship
Archaeologists have consistently denied that ancient Mesoamerican peoples systematically practiced warfare. The Book of Mormon, however, reports a great deal of warfare and fortifications. Only in the last 15 years has a small set of experts begun to see warfare playing an important role in this area, although of course it has been common everywhere else in the world.
Zelph
Insights: The Newsletter of the Neal A. Maxwell Institute for Religious Scholarship
In recent years, discussions of Book of Mormon geography have concentrated on limited areas in Mesoamerica. The story of "Zelph, the white Lamanite," is frequently cited as evidence that the Nephites occupied the entire North American continent and fought some of their final battles near the Illinois River. Who was Zelph, and are his bones relevant to the Book of Mormon? Researcher Kenneth Godfrey shows why one should be cautious in drawing specific geographical conclusions from this incident.
Metals In Ancient Mesoamerica
Insights: The Newsletter of the Neal A. Maxwell Institute for Religious Scholarship
Metals are mentioned frequently in the Book of Mormon. Gold, silver, iron and copper were important parts of the material culture during both Jaredite and Nephite times (Eth . 10:23, Hel. 6:9). There have been few metal artifacts, though, recovered archaeologically from Mesoamerican sites. This has led some specialists to insist that metallurgy was unknown in the region before late classic (A.D. 700 to 900) times.
Warfare Volume Sheds Light On Large Sections Of The Nephite Record
Warfare Volume Sheds Light On Large Sections Of The Nephite Record
Insights: The Newsletter of the Neal A. Maxwell Institute for Religious Scholarship
Published only days ago, Warfare in the Book of Mormon is the first of its kind: 534 pages exclusively dedicated to the study of warfare in the Book of Mormon, its ancient Near Eastern backgrounds, and its Mesoamerican settings.
New Discoveries In Mexico On The Jaredite Period, John L. Sorenson
New Discoveries In Mexico On The Jaredite Period, John L. Sorenson
Insights: The Newsletter of the Neal A. Maxwell Institute for Religious Scholarship
The fact that data on early civilization in Mesoamerica has been skimpy has held back attempts to shed light on the period of the Jaredites. Newly reported research confirms that the roots of better-known, later cultures like the Maya go back a very long time and thus that much of what is known about the later peoples applies to their predecessors also. The more such connections that are found, the more we will know about the Jaredite period.
Books Focus On Ancient Mesoamerican Civilizations
Books Focus On Ancient Mesoamerican Civilizations
Insights: The Newsletter of the Neal A. Maxwell Institute for Religious Scholarship
New editions of two books, available at a discount from F.A.R.M.S., provide a scholarly yet readable introduction to civilization in the area where most of the events of the Book of Mormon probably took place. Both books were written by Michael D. Coe, Professor of Anthropology at Yale University. Although not written from an LDS perspective, these books provide the serious student of the Book of Mormon some very valuable background information. Both books also contain a large number of excellent photographs, maps, and line drawings, which make them not only informative to read but a pleasure to browse.
Challenging Conventional Views Of Metal Use In Mesoamerica, John L. Sorenson
Challenging Conventional Views Of Metal Use In Mesoamerica, John L. Sorenson
Insights: The Newsletter of the Neal A. Maxwell Institute for Religious Scholarship
Orthodox archaeologists have for many years supposed that metals were not used in Mesoamerica, the probable area where Book of Mormon events took place, until nearly 500 years after the scripture says the Nephites were destroyed. Of course the Book of Mormon briefly mentions the use of metal among the Nephites (although by the time of its last mention, in Mosiah 11:8, it was "precious"). Previous attempts to refute the prevailing view have had little effect. Renewed research by John Sorenson has revealed a substantial body of data on the subject that was previously ignored.
Evidence For Tents In The Book Of Mormon, John L. Sorenson
Evidence For Tents In The Book Of Mormon, John L. Sorenson
Insights: The Newsletter of the Neal A. Maxwell Institute for Religious Scholarship
One of the minor points made in recent criticisms of the Book of Mormon is the claim that there is no evidence of a tent-making or tent-using tradition in Mesoamerica and no available material for making the tents that the Book of Mormon mentions. Actually, Mesoamericanist literature makes it clear that tents were in regular use by Aztec armies at the time of the Spanish conquest, and there is good reason to suppose that they were used by other peoples and in earlier times (including Nephite times) in Mesoamerica.
Old World People In The New? (Part 2), John L. Sorenson
Old World People In The New? (Part 2), John L. Sorenson
Insights: The Newsletter of the Neal A. Maxwell Institute for Religious Scholarship
The Quiche Indian tradition of "Toltec" migrants from the Near East reaching Mesoamerica (see Insights, April 1995) may be of interest in relation to new linguistic research reported by a senior linguist at one of this country's most prestigious universities. Copies of two papers outlining her findings have become available; however she insists that their contents not be attributed to her until they have been formally published.
Reprints
Insights: The Newsletter of the Neal A. Maxwell Institute for Religious Scholarship
The Reprint Series consists of papers previously published (or of publishable quality) that make a significant contribution to our understanding of antiquity, the scriptures, or other concepts related to Mormonism. Authors of papers in the Reprint Series retain copyright. See last page for order blank.
Images Of Ancient America Connects Mesoamerican Peoples And Lands To The Book Of Mormon
Images Of Ancient America Connects Mesoamerican Peoples And Lands To The Book Of Mormon
Insights: The Newsletter of the Neal A. Maxwell Institute for Religious Scholarship
Images of Ancient America: Visualizing Book of Mormon Life, by John L. Sorenson, richly portrays the daily lives of the ancient peoples of Mesoamerica and their likely connections to the record known as the Book of Mormon. This fullcolor, large-format volume, the newest release from FARMS, contains careful research and over five hundred high-quality illustrations and photographs that shape vague ghosts from the past into fleshand- blood people.