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Corporeal Resurrection: The Pure Doctrine Restored Through The Prophet Joseph Smith, J. Peter Hansen

Theses and Dissertations

During Jesus' earthly ministry He taught the pure doctrine of corporeal resurrection to His disciples. Some of them became special witnesses to the literal bodily resurrection of Jesus after His death. Over time, men's philosophies perverted the true doctrine of the resurrection. Those teachings became the orthodoxy of the early Christian church and were handed down to modern Christianity. The pure doctrine of corporeal resurrection was weakened, and in some sects, was lost.

The Lord restored the gospel through Joseph Smith. Part of the Restoration qualified him as a special witness of the Resurrection of Jesus Christ. Through him pure …

A History Of The Concepts Of Zion And New Jerusalem In America From Early Colonialism To 1835 With A Comparison To The Teachings Of The Prophet Joseph Smith, Ryan S. Gardner

Theses and Dissertations

This thesis discusses the role that the idea of Zion has played in the first three centuries of American religion. Millenarian themes, such as building New Jerusalem, were common religious themes in seventeenth- to nineteenth-century America. Understanding the doctrine of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints regarding this vital subject will be helpful for historians, scholars, and teachers.

When the Puritan colonists came to the New World in the early seventeenth century, they sought not only a land of religious liberty, but also a land of ultimate religious achievement: the establishment of Zion and/or New Jerusalem. Many of …

The Isaiah Passages In The Book Of Mormon: A Non-Aligned Text, Carol F. Ellertson

Theses and Dissertations

Since the advent of the Dead Sea Scrolls, four biblical textual scholars have emerged at the forefront of the dialogue concerning textual evolution. They are: Frank Moore Cross, Emanuel Tov, Shemaryahu Talmon and Eugene Ulrich. Though there is some overlap in their hypotheses, each scholar has put forth a framework of biblical textual development in light of these new discoveries.

If a new biblical text were discovered today, how would each scholar approach it? This thesis evaluates each scholars' views and concludes that Emanuel Tov's criteria for judging a newly discovered text is the most thorough and explanatory. Tov's views …

Brief Notices, Gary P. Gillum, Andrew Hall

BYU Studies

No abstract provided.

Brief Notices, David R. Seely, Robert L. Maxwell, Constance K. Lundberg

BYU Studies

No abstract provided.

Reading The Old Testament In Light Of The Restoration: A Comprehensive Bibliography Of Lds Writings On The Old Testament (1830-1997), David Rolph Seely

BYU Studies

The Prophet Joseph Smith described the Restoration as a bringing forth of treasures of "things new and old," and indeed modern revelation has shed great light on ancient truths. From Oliver Cowdery's commentary on Zephaniah published in The Evening and the Morning Star in 1833 to the present outpouring of publications in preparation for the Sunday School course of study on the Old Testament in 1998, Latter-day Saints have generated a wealth of writings on the Old Testament which examine anew this ancient book of scripture in light of the Restoration. Through the spectacles of the Restoration we are able …

The Masada Fragments, The Qumran Scrolls, And The New Testament, David Rolph Seely

BYU Studies

During the last fifty years, the Judean Desert on the western shore of the Dead Sea has yielded a wealth of textual material from many locations, evidence that has illuminated our understanding of the history of Israel and Judaism in the two centuries preceding and the two centuries following Christ. All of these manuscripts are properly referred to as the Dead Sea Scrolls.

The Fruit Of The Vine: Wine At Masada And In The New Testament, Jo Ann H. Seely

BYU Studies

Blessed art Thou, O Lord, our God, King of the Universe

who created sweet wine, good must from grapevines,

that is pleasing to a person and good for man,

that gladdens the heart and makes the face shine.

It is consolation to mourners, and those of bitter spirit forget their misery.

It is medicine to all who drink it. (to him who drinks it sensibly).

It is heart's joy, gladness, and great delight to its drinkers.

He, our God, created it of old for pleasure,

among the works established from the beginning,

so that all who drink it shall bless …

The Noncanonical Sayings Of Jesus, Stephen E. Robinson

BYU Studies

Of the hundreds of sayings attributed to the mortal Jesus but not found in the New Testament, relatively few that may be genuine offer fresh insight. None are authenticated with certainty.

In Search Of A Transcendental Film Style: The Cinematic Art Form And The Mormon Motion Picture, Thomas J. Lefler

Theses and Dissertations

This project is an effort to establish a paradigm for reading and tracing transcendence in film art and film propaganda. It addresses the intersection of aesthetic and spiritual planes which is supported by a long and complex tradition of art within religious worship. The study selects a single film as a microcosm of larger issues of cinematic representation and spirituality, in particular the theology of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (Mormons). It makes a formalistic comparison of structural and and stylistic elements between a Mormon long-form narrative, Legacy (1994) with the classic Hollywood narrative on the one …

The Allegory Of The Olive Tree: The Olive, The Bible, And Jacob 5 Edited By Stephen D. Ricks And John W. Welch, David B. Honey

BYU Studies

Stephen D. Ricks and John W. Welch, eds. The Allegory of the Olive Tree: The Olive, the Bible, and Jacob 5. Salt Lake City: Deseret Book; Provo, Utah: F.A.R.M.S., 1994. xiv; 624 pp. Illustrations, appendix, 2 indexes. $28.95.

Women's Rights In Old Testament Times By James R. Baker, Camille S. Williams

BYU Studies

No abstract provided.

Seals And Sealing Among Ancient And Latter-Day Israelites, Dana M. Pike

Faculty Publications

When a Latter-day Saint encounters the terms seal and sealing, thoughts of temples and eternal marriage come immediately to mind. In a more secular context, we may look for the "Good Housekeeping Seal of Approval" when purchasing certain products, and we obtain a notary's seal on important documents. What we may not realize is that our use of secular seals and our religious concepts of sealing have a history that can be traced back several thousands of years to the ancient Near East. Knowledge of the history of seals and sealing helps us to understand the figurative use of these …

Nephite Uses And Interpretations Of Zenos, Noel B. Reynolds

Faculty Publications

The allegory of the olive tree attributed to the ancient prophet Zenos and copied from the plates of brass into the small plates by Jacob was a source used by several Book of Mormon prophets. Lehi, Nephi, Jacob, and Alma seemed to be relying on the allegory at several points in the elaboration of their own visions, prophecies, and teachings. This paper provides a systematic documentation of this phenomenon, including passages that have not previously been linked to Zenos. It also demonstrates how the interpretations of the allegory by the earliest Nephite prophets advanced distinctive concepts and language that also …

Byu Studies: Into The 1990s, John W. Welch

BYU Studies

No abstract provided.

Preservation Of The Writing Approaches Of The Four Gospel Writers In The Joseph Smith Translation Of The Bible, Donald Joseph Miles

Theses and Dissertations

This thesis analyzes additions to the gospels in the Joseph Smith Translation of the Bible. To assess the appropriateness of the JST additions, the thesis examines Joseph Smith's additions to verify whether they parallel the approaches of the original gospel writers to their audiences. There is strong indication that material added to the King James Version by the Joseph Smith Translation is consistent with the approaches of the original gospels to their audiences. Chapter one shows that the JST Matthew, like the KJV Matthew, is concerned with showing that Jesus fulfills Old Testament prophecy. Chapter two finds that JST Mark …

The Brass Plates Version Of Genesis, Noel B. Reynolds

Faculty Publications

Phraseology occurring in Joseph Smith's "Book of Moses" matches Book of Mormon passages, but not the Bible. Given that the Book of Mormon claims a different source, the brass plates, this finding would be consistent with the conclusion that the Book of Moses and the brass plates versions of Genesis are more similar to each other than to the modern biblical version.

A Hermeneutic Of Sacred Texts: Historicism, Revisionism, Positivism, And The Bible And Book Of Mormon, Alan Goff

Theses and Dissertations

As methods by which texts are to be understood, positivism and historicism have a long tradition and continue to exert wide influence in all academic disciplines. Other approaches to textual concerns have recently emerged to challenge the dominance of these two approaches. Foremost among these new approaches are hermeneutics and deconstruction. Both of the latter approaches recognize that interpretation is inescapable. The latter challenges even the possibility of determinate meaning. A theoretical discussion of historicism and positivism uncovers questionable and troublesome difficulties. Hermeneutics in its conservative or radical variations overcomes the difficulties of interpretation that positivism and historicism can't explain. …

Pronouns Of Address In The Book Of Mormon, Lyle L. Fletcher

Theses and Dissertations

The first section of this thesis is a diachronic examination of second person pronouns in English with special focus on variations in usage such as pronominal shifting between thou (and related forms) and ye (and related forms), as well as an examination of the second person pronoun usage in the English Bible (especially the King James Version) with a similar focus. From the thirteenth century on variations in usage have been common.

The second section is a synchronic examination of second person pronouns as used by Joseph Smith and some of his contemporaries, followed by an analysis of these pronouns …

The Apocalypse Of Adam, Stephen E. Robinson

BYU Studies

No abstract provided.

Melchizedek, The Man And The Tradition, Ann Nicholls Madsen

Theses and Dissertations

The common elements which emerge from this study are: Melchizedek was a priest-king, ruling a small city-state and presiding over the cult. He lived among a people far advanced from the primitive. There is no consensus among scholars concerning the meaning of his name but "Sedeq (a name for God) is my King" is a possible translation. Melchizedek's city-state was named Salem and of the four plausible geographical locations postulated, the Salem-Shechem theory leaves fewer problems. Abraham and Melchizedek worshiped the same God who was known by several names, among which were 'El 'elyon, God Most High and Yahweh. All …

The Tradition Of Isaiah In The Book Of Mormon, Gary L. Bishop

Theses and Dissertations

This study presents a textual and grammatical analysis of 52 passages of Isaiah as they are found in Cave IV of the Dead Sea Scrolls, the Masoretic Text, the Septuagint, the King James version, and the Book of Mormon. The objective was to determine the relationship, if any, of those verses in the Book of Mormon with the other textual traditions. Based on the differences between the Book of Mormon text and the King James version, and upon the confirmation of those Book of Mormon differences by the other traditions, it was concluded that The Book of Mormon follows its …

Textual Parallels To The Doctrine And Covenants (Sections 65 To 133) As Found In The Bible, Lois Jean Smutz

Theses and Dissertations

This study has shown that there is a textual relationship between the Doctrine and Covenants and the King James Version of the Bible in that out of 1240 of the 1999 verses examined in Sections 65-133 of the Doctrine and Covenants there were found two paralleled Biblical phrases or clauses. Varying in subject matter, these clauses and phrases were either similar or verbatim parallels in vocabulary, syntax or meanings (denotations and connotations) and, many times, in concept.

In analyzing the location of the sources of the textual parallels, it was found that the New Testament is much more similar in …

A Comparison Of Passages From Isaiah And Other Old Testament Prophets In Ethan Smith's View Of The Hebrews And The Book Of Mormon, William L. Riley

Theses and Dissertations

The Book of Mormon, having long been a work of great interest to me, became a natural area of study for my Master's program. I was directed by Roy W. Doxey and Paul R. Chessman who brought to my attention several areas of the Book of Mormon which needed to be investigated for clarification and deeper understanding. The area which was settled on centered around a book which was written seven years prior to the publishing of the Book of Mormon. The controversy which surrounds the View of the Hebrews by Ethan Smith is similar to the "Spalding Manuscript" controversy …

The Book Of Mormon As An Instrument In Teaching The Historicity Of The New Testament Events Of Christ's Life, David R. Mangelson

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study is to determine and present the Book of Mormon's contributions as a witness to the authenticity of the New Testament account of certain events of Christ's life, in order that teachers may have an effective instrument in teaching the historicity of the New Testament account of Christ's life.
This study reveals 177 passages in the Book of Mormon that refer to the life of Jesus. These passages corroborated the New Testament account of Christ's life. There are 61 Book of Mormon passages that refer to the pre-existence of Jesus Christ and His anticipated coming. There …

The Book Of Mormon As An Instrument In Teaching The Historicity Of Old Testament Events And Characters, Jerome C. Hainsworth

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study is to determine and present as completely as possible the Book of Mormon's contribution to the historicity of the Old Testament's events and characters in order that teachers may have another instrument for the effective direction of learning in Old Testament history. Therefore, it is the purpose of this study to determine and point out to the teacher the areas in which the Book of Mormon complements the Old Testament, and sustans its truthfulness as a historically accurate record.

It is the hypothesis of this study that the Book of Mormon has much to contribute …

The Origin And Original Meaning Of Sacrificial Blood Offerings As Revealed In The Bible And Modern Scriptures, Theo Emory Mckean

Theses and Dissertations

This study is concerned with the origin and original meaning of sacrificial blood offerings as practiced by the ancient Israelite people and their progenitors. "Modern" scriptural sources including the Pearl of Great Price, the Book of Mormon, and the Doctrine and Covenants are used along with the Bible as the basic reference material.
The lack of explicit information in the Bible as to the inception and meaning of sacrifice has resulted in the development of many theories which suggest that this rite had a human beginning. These theories imply that by natural expression man began to seek favor from his …

An Analysis Of Old Testament Chronology In The Light Of Modern Scripture And Scientific Research, Dale Alder Mcallister

Theses and Dissertations

The first objective of this thesis was to examine the Old Testament chronology carefully to see how it is computed. The second objective was to examine the modern scriptures to see what contributions they make in establishing a more accurate, reliable chronology. The third objective was to examine certain hypotheses in archaeology, carbon dating processes, and geology that seem to conflict with the Old Testament chronology with the purpose in mind of learning how accurate their findings are and what possibilities exist for a closer harmony between these sciences and the Old Testament scriptural chronology.

Defence In A Rehearsal Of My Grounds For Separating Myself From The Latter Day Saints, Oliver Cowdery

Stone-Campbell Books

No abstract provided.

A Textual Comparison Of The Isaiah Passages In The Book Of Mormon With The Same Passages In The St. Mark's Isaiah Scroll Of The Dead Sea Community, Wayne Ham

Theses and Dissertations

The Book of Mormon contains twenty-one chapters of the Book of Isaiah: two through fourteen, twenty-nine, and forty-eight through fifty-four. The language is primarily that of the King James Version with some variations. The King James Version itself has been translated from the Massoretic Hebrew Text. It is a fair assumption that the variations in the Book of Mormon represent an older, more accurate text than the Massoretic Text.

Textual critics are anxious to find ancient texts and versions of the scriptures in the hope that some of these texts may contain readings closer to the original than does the …