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Nibley Fellows, 2011–2012

Insights: The Newsletter of the Neal A. Maxwell Institute for Religious Scholarship

Each year the Maxwell Institute awards Nibley Fellowships to LDS students pursuing graduate degrees (usually PhDs) in fields of study directly related to the work of the Institute—primarily work on the Bible, the Book of Mormon, early Christianity, and the ancient Near East.

What’S In A Name? Sebus, Paul Y. Hoskisson

Insights: The Newsletter of the Neal A. Maxwell Institute for Religious Scholarship

When I first began studying Book of Mormon proper names more than 30 years ago, the name Sebus appeared to present a Gordian knot. Hebrew words, like other Semitic words in gen- eral, are most often built on a structure of three different consonants. This language feature emphasizes the consonants and their sequence and order. The problem with Sebus is that its first and third consonants, /s/ and /s/, are the same— something that is extremely rare in any Semitic language. That being the case, for a long time I shelved any attempt to etymologize Sebus.

Books To Build Faith, Daniel C. Peterson

Insights: The Newsletter of the Neal A. Maxwell Institute for Religious Scholarship

I am sometimes contacted by people who are expe- riencing doubts about the claims of Mormonism or whose spouse or father or daughter has lost faith. I always ask what the specific issues might be, and I then try to address those or to locate colleagues or printed resources that might help resolve their concerns.

The Mission, John C. Lyden

Journal of Religion & Film

This is a film review of The Mission (2022), directed by Tania Anderson.

Mormon Women And Polygamy: Creating A Better Future With The Past, Mia Seegmiller

AWE (A Woman’s Experience)

No abstract provided.

Review: Michael Hubbard Mackay, Mark Ashurst-Mcgee, And Brian M. Hauglid, Eds. Producing Ancient Scripture: Joseph Smith’S Translation Projects In The Development Of Mormon Christianity. Salt Lake City: University Of Utah Press, 2020., Sonia Hazard

Mormon Studies Review

Joseph Smith was, among much else, a translator. One of the most distinctive qualities of early Mormonism is that saving knowledge came not only from revelations—though Smith received plenty of those— but also through texts from the ancient past. In order to be useable as scripture, those texts required translation, and Smith tackled the office of translator with relish. What did translation mean for Smith and early Saints?

The editors of Producing Ancient Scripture—Michael Hubbard MacKay, Mark Ashurst-McGee, and Brian M. Hauglid—set out to answer that question with a comprehensive treatment of Smith’s translations, and they delivered. Among the seventeen …

Review: Miles Harvey. The King Of Confidence: A Tale Of Utopian Dreamers, Frontier Schemers, True Believers, False Prophets, And The Murder Of An American Monarch. New York: Little, Brown And Company, 2020., Amy Derogatis

Mormon Studies Review

A little over a year ago I was in the Clarke Historical Library in Mt. Pleasant, Michigan, sifting through documents with librarian John T. Fierst to answer a nagging question regarding the provenance of a remarkable daguerreotype. As we were musing about the limits of what could be known about this material object, he happened to mention that another person who was finishing a book about James Jesse Strang had recently visited and looked at the photograph. Like any other academic hearing about scholarly competition, my heart froze, and out of my dry mouth I managed to croak, “Oh, really, …

Review: Matthew L. Harris. Watchman On The Tower: Ezra Taft Benson And The Making Of The Mormon Right. Salt Lake City: University Of Utah Press, 2020., Carmen Celestini

Mormon Studies Review

Ezra Taft Benson, to those of us who study the joint impact of overlapping belief systems of religion and conspiracy theories on politics, personifies the implications of these beliefs not only within his lifetime but within contemporary times as well. In Watchman on the Tower, Matthew L. Harris provides insight into Benson and his thinking. Using Benson’s personal correspondence, speeches, and public writings, Harris creates an image of a man significantly influenced by his faith and his life experiences.

Full Issue

Mormon Studies Review

No abstract provided.

Front Matter

Mormon Studies Review

No abstract provided.

Review: Terryl Givens. Mormonism (Or The Church Of Jesus Christ Of Latter-Day Saints): What Everyone Needs To Know. New York: Oxford University Press, 2020., Jill Peterfeso

Mormon Studies Review

Terryl Givens’s new book Mormonism (Or the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints): What Everyone Needs to Know is a resource guide that seeks to explain the LDS Church’s history, beliefs, and practices, and in so doing clarifies items of confusion and controversy. The book is organized into topic-driven chapters (such as “History,” “Polygamy,” “Organization,” and “Conflicts and Challenges”), which unfold in a question-and-answer format. The questions Givens tackles range from predictable (“Why did the Latter-day Saints practice polygamy?” “What is the church’s relationship to Christianity?”) to unexpected (“What do Latter-day Saint scriptures teach about peace and war?” “Does …

Review: David Walker. Railroading Religion: Mormons, Tourists, And The Corporate Spirit Of The West. Chapel Hill: University Of North Carolina Press, 2019., Emily Ogden

Mormon Studies Review

David Walker’s Railroading Religion: Mormons, Tourists, and the Corporate Spirit of the West tells the riveting story of how the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints won the battle not only to define what the railroad would mean in Utah but also to locate the junction and stations that would have a definitive impact on development near the Great Salt Lake. Through well-executed bureaucratic maneuvers, Brigham Young and other church leaders secured the construction of a railroad infrastructure that they calculated would best serve church interests.

Mormon-Ish: Negotiating Religious Ambivalence Online, Kristen Tobey

2022 Faculty Bibliography

Reporting on responses from a survey of disaffected Mormons who utilize internet resources to manage feelings of distance from the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, this article explores the production of religious ambivalence online, arguing that ambivalence is not a default position for those too passive or afraid to leave, nor is it a failure of decisiveness or commitment. Rather, it is a produced religious mode that depends on robust socialization mechanisms to result in a strong sense of personal and collective identity. The online context enables, and indeed requires, an operationalization of religious ambivalence as both a …

Why Abraham Was Not Wrong To Lie, Duane Boyce

BYU Studies

The book of Genesis contains two well-known accounts of Abraham lying about his wife, Sarah (Gen. 12:10–20; 20:1–18).1 In each of them, Abraham reports that Sarah is his sister, 2 Sarah is then taken from Abraham, trouble ensues for those who have taken her, and Sarah is then returned to Abraham. The account in Genesis 20 also explicitly tells us that the Lord protected Sarah from being “touched” in the circumstances (v. 6), and the account in Genesis 12, too, tells us that the Lord intervened, presumably for the same purpose (v. 17).

What Egyptian Papyri Did Joseph Smith Possess?, Stephen O. Smoot, John Gee, Kerry Muhlestein, John S. Thompson

BYU Studies

In early July 1835, Joseph Smith acquired some Egyptian papyri from which he claimed to translate the Book of Abraham. From historical evidence and the papyrus fragments that were returned to The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in November 1967, we can piece together a profile of what papyri the Prophet is known to have possessed.

The "Kirtland Egyptian Papers" And The Book Of Abraham, Stephen O. Smoot, John Gee, Kerry Muhlestein, John S. Thompson

BYU Studies

Associated with the translation of the Book of Abraham is a collection of documents commonly known today as the “Kirtland Egyptian Papers.” This name was coined by Hugh Nibley in the early 1970s to describe a corpus of manuscripts that can be classified into, broadly, two categories: Book of Abraham manuscripts and Egyptian-language manuscripts (or manuscripts that “focus on alphabet and grammar material that the authors connected to the ancient Egyptian language”). Because some of these documents postdate the Kirtland period of Latter-day Saint history, and because the name coined by Nibley to describe this corpus is somewhat vague, the …

The Plain Of Olishem, Stephen O. Smoot, John Gee, Kerry Muhlestein, John S. Thompson

BYU Studies

The opening chapter of the Book of Abraham mentions a location called “the plain of Olishem” (Abr. 1:10). It isn’t clear from the text whether the plain itself was Olishem, or whether Olishem was some city or region in the area to which the plain was adjacent, or whether the plain takes its name from a major city on the plain. In any case, this “plain of Olishem” was near Abraham’s homeland of Ur of the Chaldees, according to the text.

Abraham's Converts In Haran, Stephen O. Smoot, John Gee, Kerry Muhlestein, John S. Thompson

BYU Studies

In the Genesis account of Abraham’s sojourning, the text indicates that at the outset of his journey the patriarch “took Sarai his wife, and Lot his brother’s son, and all their substance that they had gathered, and the souls that they had gotten in Haran; and they went forth to go into the land of Canaan; and into the land of Canaan they came” (Gen. 12:5). This passage is paralleled in the Book of Abraham, with one small but important difference. It reads, “And I took Sarai, whom I took to wife when I was in Ur, in Chaldea, and …

The Plains Of Moreh, Stephen O. Smoot, John Gee, Kerry Muhlestein, John S. Thompson

BYU Studies

The second chapter of the Book of Abraham parallels content found in Genesis 12. Both texts narrate the patriarch’s flight into Canaan and provide specific geographic details about the route he and his family took as they fled Haran (Abr. 2:14–18; Gen. 12:4–9). The Book of Abraham describes Abraham as “journey[ing] from Haran by the way of Jershon, to come to the land of Canaan” (Abr. 2:16).1 Thereafter, Abraham and his party “passed from Jershon through the land unto the place of Sechem” (Abr. 2:18).2 This Sechem, the text says, “was situated in the plains of Moreh,” which themselves were …

Did Abraham Lie About His Wife, Sarai?, Stephen O. Smoot, John Gee, Kerry Muhlestein, John S. Thompson

BYU Studies

Before he journeyed into Egypt, Abraham was instructed by God: “Behold, Sarai [later Sarah], thy wife, is a very fair woman to look upon; therefore it shall come to pass, when the Egyptians shall see her, they will say—she is his wife; and they will kill you, but they will save her alive; therefore see that ye do on this wise: Let her say unto the Egyptians, she is thy sister, and thy soul shall live” (Abr. 2:22–23).

By His Own Hand Upon Papyrus, Stephen O. Smoot, John Gee, Kerry Muhlestein, John S. Thompson

BYU Studies

In the current (2013) edition of the Pearl of Great Price, the Book of Abraham is prefaced with this explanatory head: “A Translation of some ancient Records that have fallen into our hands from the catacombs of Egypt. The writings of Abraham while he was in Egypt, called the Book of Abraham, written by his own hand, upon papyrus.” This title is based on the March 1, 1842, printing of the Book of Abraham in the Times and Seasons, with some alteration. As first published, the statement read, “A TRANSLATION Of some ancient Records that have fallen into our hands, …

Appendix, Stephen O. Smoot, John Gee, Kerry Muhlestein, John S. Thompson

BYU Studies

The following bibliography on the Book of Abraham has been modified and expanded from that found at www.pearlofgreatprice cen tral .org. The purpose of this bibliography is to assemble a variety of works on the Book of Abraham written primarily by or for Latter-day Saints. This bibliography is not exhaustive and does not include more specialized academic literature. Instead, it has been curated with the intent of highlighting works that are more readily accessible to average Latter-day Saint readers. Most of these items can be accessed online by following the hyperlinks collected at Pearl of Great Price Central for the …

The Inspired Author’S Intent Building Our Scholarship To Learn By Study And Also By Faith, Shad Anderson

Religious Educator: Perspectives on the Restored Gospel

In our devotional teaching, we are fairly successful in helping students ask questions about what the scriptures they are studying mean to them. Students asking these types of questions may produce thoughtful insights. But does seeking what a scripture means to a student, devoid of a real understanding of what the ancient author originally intended, do enough to help our students truly engage with and fully access the power of the scriptures in their lives? My purpose with this paper is to make the case that it generally does not. When our students understand the scripture author’s original intent, I …

God Is Not Fragile Coping With The Intensity Of Hosea’S Imagery And Life’S Most Severe Challenges, Seth N. Hord

Religious Educator: Perspectives on the Restored Gospel

The book of Hosea is not for the faint of heart. Like many of the writings of ancient Israelite prophets, it is complex and intense and deserves a focused, serious study to fully appreciate the intensity of Hosea’s message. Anything less may leave the reader somewhat confused or even scarred by what Hosea says about God. But Hosea’s message is particularly powerful in helping us deal with life’s most intense and troubling circumstances. This paper attempts to address some of the striking images of Hosea in a way that will assist religious educators with helping students navigate some of the …

"Knocking On People's Computers" Missionary Work In The Digital Age, Scott L. Howell, Liberty Howell, Camellia Hill

Religious Educator: Perspectives on the Restored Gospel

The missionary purpose of bringing souls unto Christ will never change, but the methods of sharing it will. Over fifty years ago, President Harold B. Lee taught that “the principles of the gospel of Jesus Christ are divine. Nobody changes the principles and [doctrine] of the Church except the Lord by revelation. But methods change as the inspired direction comes to those who preside at a given time.”[1] In a recent Church News podcast, Elder Brent H. Nielson of the Presidency of the Seventy reminded us that “no matter the method we use to do missionary work: Whether it’s a …

Review: Sondra G. Jones. Being And Becoming Ute: The Story Of An American Indian People. Salt Lake City: University Of Utah Press, 2019., Elise Boxer

Mormon Studies Review

Sondra G. Jones’s Being and Becoming Ute: The Story of an American Indian People is the first comprehensive history of the Núu-ci, or “The People” (8). It is a cultural biography and history of the Núu-ci people that begins with their creation story and moves through hundreds of years of Núu-ci history. Jones highlights the resiliency and adaptation of a people from contact and into the twenty-first century. Ute survivance in the twenty-first century is the result of their ability to respond and adapt to external forces that advocated for their removal and erasure. Being and Becoming Ute spans over …

Pedro And Pita Built Peter Priesthood’S Mansion And Now They Work The Grounds: Whose Masc Does “The Lamanite” Wear?, Arcia Tecun

Mormon Studies Review

The 2001 film The Other Side of Heaven is a dramatization based on John H. Groberg’s book In the Eye of the Storm, featuring his time as a missionary for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (the LDS Church) in the Kingdom of Tonga, where he was renamed Kolipoki.1 Kolipoki is a White missionary from the United States who is initially assigned to work together with a Brown Indigenous companion Feki Pōuha. Feki cares for and protects his pālangi (foreign) companion by teaching him the language as well as serving as his guide into local culture and customs. …

Review: Benjamin E. Park. Kingdom Of Nauvoo: The Rise And Fall Of A Religious Empire On The American Frontier. New York: Liveright, 2020., Christopher Childers

Mormon Studies Review

Benjamin E. Park’s Kingdom of Nauvoo integrates social, cultural, and political history to explain how the Mormon movement sought to build a community of believers on the western frontier and how the experiment at Nauvoo ultimately failed. This experiment, a radical reinvention of Christianity based on the revelations of a charismatic religious figure—Joseph Smith—and the building of a community of like-minded believers, reveals much about the history of the early American republic. Kingdom of Nauvoo shows how Smith’s church evolved in the context of early nineteenth-century America and how the structure of early American society struggled to deal with movements …

Review: William L. Davis. Visions In A Seer Stone: Joseph Smith And The Making Of The Book Of Mormon. Chapel Hill: University Of North Carolina Press, 2020., Carolyn Eastman

Mormon Studies Review

William L. Davis has published an astoundingly good book, one of the best works of religious and intellectual history I have read in years. Visions in a Seer Stone engages a range of academic fields, historical methods, and exegetical close readings in examining the development of the Book of Mormon, and above all helps his readers understand the dynamics of American religious culture during Joseph Smith’s lifetime. In the end, he develops an argument impressive for both its conceptual rigor and its sweeping breadth: that the Book of Mormon is less a conventional text than an oral performance, and that …

Review: Gordon Shepherd And Gary Shepherd. Jan Shipps: A Social And Intellectual Portrait. Salt Lake City: Kofford Books, 2019., Amy Hoyt

Mormon Studies Review

As a young graduate student at Claremont, I was excited to meet Jan Shipps when she came to deliver a public lecture on Mormonism on campus. A few of us graduate students were asked to bring her to the event from her hotel room on the evening of the lecture. My overall impression of her was that she was down to earth, funny, and quick. And perhaps a little intimidating. I noticed that she was able to talk to anyone about anything and, at the same time, command the room when needed. After reading the biography of Jan Shipps by …