Digital Commons Network^™

The Little And Gardner Hymnal, 1844: A Study Of Its Origin And Contribution To The Lds Musical Canon, Marilyn J. Crandall

BYU Studies

The purpose of this study is to research the hymnal A Collection of Sacred Hymns for the Use of the Latter-day Saints, the first LDS hymnal that included musical notation along with the text. Published in 1844 by Blake and Bailey of Bellows Falls, Vermont (now part of Rockingham, Vermont), it was compiled by Jesse Carter Little and George Bryant Gardner, both of whom were living in Peterborough, New Hampshire, and both of whom converted to The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. To date, I have been unable to find a single contemporaneous reference to the hymnal. …

The Psalm 22:16 Controversy: New Evidence From The Dead Sea Scrolls, Shon Hopkin

BYU Studies

Few verses in the Bible have produced as much debate and commentary as Psalm 22:16: “For dogs have compassed me: the assembly of the wicked have inclosed me: they pierced my hands and my feet.” The discussions center on the last character (reading right to left) of the Hebrew כארו‎ (“pierced/dug”), assumed to be the word from which the Septuagint Greek ὤρυξαν (“they have pierced”) was translated—assumed because the original Hebrew texts from which the Septuagint was translated are no longer extant. If the last character of the Hebrew word was a waw (ו), as the Greek seems to indicate, …

A Superlative Image: An Original Daguerreotype Of Brigham Young, Richard Neitzel Holzapfel, Thomas R. Wells

BYU Studies

In July 2005, the Deseret Morning News in Salt Lake City published a story with the punning headline "Old Young Photo donated to BYU." Even though Mark and Suzanne Richards had donated the rare 1850s daguerreotype of Brigham Young to BYU in December 2004, the donation did not draw media attention until just days before the July 24 pioneer holiday in Utah. For historians, especially photographic historians, the story was compelling—one of those rare moments when something thought to have vanished suddenly reappears. It was known that this particular precious daguerreotype had been created because a later photographic copy of …

The Israelite Background Of Moses Typology In The Book Of Mormon, Noel B. Reynolds

BYU Studies

Nephi tells the story of the founding events of the Nephite people in such a way that his readers will see him as a second Moses. Although Nephi's use of the Moses typology has been previously noted, what has not been noticed before is that his father, Lehi, also employs this same typology in his farewell address in 2 Nephi 1-4 in order to persuade his descendants of his own divine calling and of their new covenant relationship to the same God who had given the promised land to ancient Israel. The fact that Nephi and Lehi both saw themselves …

Behold I, Kent P. Jackson

BYU Studies

On two occasions while he worked on his New Translation of Genesis in 1830, the Prophet Joseph Smith dictated to his scribe Oliver Cowdery a word combination that in English is awkward and ungrammatical, though in the Hebrew it is not: "Behold I." The first occurrence reads, "Behold I I am the Lord God Almighty." The second reads, "Behold I send me." Both passages are in the Book of Moses in the Pear of Great Price, but "Behold I" is not found in either of those passages today because, after the time of Joseph Smith, each was edited out of …

Desert Patriarchy: Mormon And Mennonite Communities In The Chihuahua Valley By Janet Bennion, Mark Metzler Sawin

BYU Studies

Janet Bennion. Desert Patriarchy: Mormon and Mennonite Communities in the Chihuahua Valley. Tucson: University of Arizona Press, 2004.

No Man Knows My Psychology: Fawn Brodie, Joseph Smith, And Psychoanalysis, Charles L. Cohen

BYU Studies

Anyone (like me) approaching the study of Mormon history wet behind the ears soon confronts Fawn McKay Brodie's famous (or, in certain LDS circles, infamous) biography of Joseph Smith. Quickly fulfilling Herbert Brayer's prophecy that it "will probably of be one of the most highly praised as well as highly condemned historical works of 1945," No Man Knows My History elicited both wholesale acclaim ("the best book about the Mormons so far published," Bernard De Voto enthused; a "definitive treatment," seconded her friend Dale Morgan) and whole-hearted condemnation ("the statement made by Joseph Smith that "no man knows my history," …

Book Notices, Eric A. Eliason, John W. Welch

BYU Studies

No abstract provided.

The Curse Of Ham: Race And Slavery In Early Judaism, Christianity, And Islam By David M. Goldenberg And Noah's Curse: The Biblical Justification Of American Slavery By Stephen R. Haynes, Stirling Adams

BYU Studies

David M. Goldenbert. The Curse of Ham: Race and Slavery in Early Judaism, Christianity, and Islam. Princeton: Princeton University Press, 2003.

Stephen R. Haynes. Noah's Curse: The Biblical Justification of American Slavery. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2002.

An Examination Of The 1829 “Articles Of The Church Of Christ” In Relation To Section 20 Of The Doctrine And Covenants, Scott H. Faulring

BYU Studies

The 1829 "Articles of the Church of Christ" is a little-known antecedent to section 20 of the Doctrine and Covenants. This article explores Joseph Smith's and Oliver Cowdery's involvement in bringing forth these two documents that were important in laying the foundation for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.

By The Hand Of Mormon: The American Scripture That Launched A World Religion By Terry L. Givens, Daniel C. Peterson

BYU Studies

Terryl L. Givens. By the Hand of Mormon: The American Scripture That Launched a World Religion. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2002.

Under The Banner Of Heaven: A Story Of Violent Faith By Jon Krakauer, Laurie F. Maffly-Kipp

BYU Studies

Jon Krakauer. Under the Banner of Heaven: A Story of Violent Faith. New York: Doubleday, 2003.

An Insider's View Of Mormon Origins By Grant H. Palmer, James B. Allen

BYU Studies

Grant H. Palmer, An Insider's View of Mormon Origins. Salt Lake City: Signature Books, 2002.

Salt Lake Tabernacle Interior Photograph: Sabbath School Union Jubilee, July 1875, Ronald W. Walker, Richard Neitzel Holzapfel, James S. Lambert

BYU Studies

Most early photographs of the Salt Lake Tabernacle depict a huge, architecturally curious building with relatively few adornments on its exterior or interior. Its oddity sparked the delight of many and the chagrin of many more, causing some travelers and observers to remark that it resembled a large turtle that had lost its way in the desert. However, any disagreement about the exterior of the tabernacle would be mediated by the view of the interior—Mormons and non-Mormons, residents and tourists alike agreed that in its first years the inside seemed gloomy and bare. One visitor described entering the Tabernacle as …

Pentecost Continued: A Contemporaneous Account Of The Kirtland Temple Dedication, Steven C. Harper

BYU Studies

The significance of what transpired at the dedication of the Kirtland Temple on March 27, 1836, is well established among Latter-day Saints. The historical record affirming an outpouring of divine manifestations is rich. Even so, precious few contemporaneous reports by observers are available. Recently, however, the richness of the historical record increased with the discovery of an eyewitness account of the miraculous Kirtland Pentecost penned by Benjamin Brown.

Book Notice, Karen Todd

BYU Studies

No abstract provided.

Christianity: A Global History David Chidester; A World History Of Christianity Adrian Hastings, Ed.; The Next Christendom: The Coming Of Global Christianity Philip Jenkins, Richard D. Ouellette

BYU Studies

David Chidester. Christianity: A Global History. San Francisco: HarperSanFrancisco, 2000.

Adrian Hastings, ed. A World History of Christianity. Grand Rapids, Mich.: Eerdmans, 1999.

Philip Jenkins. The Next Christendom: The Coming of Global Christianity. New York: Oxford University Press, 2002.

Photographs Of The First Mexico And Central America Area Conference, 1972, Richard Neitzel Holzapfel, James S. Lambert

BYU Studies

As Church membership grew to nearly three million in the early 1970s, the Church faced the challenges of extending contact between General Authorities in Utah and many members who lived far from Church headquarters. While some members in the western United States could tune in to radio or television broadcasts of general conference, hundreds of thousands of Church members worldwide did not have access to the broadcasts.

Jews And Mormons: Two Houses Of Israel Frank J. Johnson And Rabbi William J. Leffler, David E. Bokovoy

BYU Studies

Frank J. Johnson and Rabbi William J. Leffler. Jews and Mormons: Two Houses of Israel. Hoboken, New York: Ktav Publishing, 2000.

A Mysterious Image: Brigham Young With An Unknown Wife, Richard Neitzel Holzapfel, Robert F. Schwartz

BYU Studies

Of the hundreds of images of Brigham Young, until recently only two were known that show Brigham posing with one of his wives. While rumors of a third such images have existed for some time, no one could find a copy of it until this year. What we found was a photograph of the original daguerreotype (fig. 1); the original itself, printed on a small coper plate, is still missing. This rumored image was mysterious not only because it had disappeared but also because the wife's face on the daguerreotype had been completely obliterated. Unanswered questions regarding its damage make …

Which Are The Most Important Mormon Books?, Arnold K. Garr

BYU Studies

The very abundance of books in our days—a stupefying and terrifying abundance—has made it more important to know how to choose," observed historian James Bryce. "The first piece of advice I will venture to give you is this," he added. "Read only the best books.... Let not an hour... be wasted on third-rate or second-rate stuff if first-rate stuff can be had." This wise counsel is in harmony with the scriptural injunction "seek ye out of the best books words of wisdom" (D&C 88:118). This marvelous passage of scripture is exhilarating but leaves one to wonder, which are the best …

Latter-Day Saint Writings On Christ And The New Testament—2002 Supplement, Byu Studies

BYU Studies

In the longstanding tradition of bibliographic publications generated by BYU Studies, the following bibliography lists the books and articles on the New Testament and early Christianity published by Latter-day Saint authors or in Latter-day Saint publications, mainly from 1994 to 2002. This compilation was assembled by Nicolas W. Thompson and Victoria F. Johnson under the mentoring of John W. Welch, assisted by Anastasia M. Sutherland, Aaron C. Cummings, Maurianne Dunn, and Kelli Skinner. This 2002 supplement follows guidelines similar to those set forth in the preface of the previous New Testament bibliography published by Welch and Daniel B. McKinlay …

Rescue For The Dead: The Posthumous Salvation Of Non-Christians In Early Christianity Jeffrey A. Trumbower, Hans A. Pohlsander

BYU Studies

Trumbower, Jeffrey A. Rescue for the Dead: The Posthumous Salvation of Non-Christians in Early Christianity. Oxford and New York: Oxford University Press, 2001.

“Strange Ramblings”: The Ideal And Practice Of Sermons In Early Mormonism, Davis Bitton

BYU Studies

People who attended meetings of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints during its first seventy years heard many sermons preached (fig. 1). But the sermons often seemed different from those heard in Protestant and Catholic congregations. For the Saints, this was further evidence that Mormonism was not tied to a professional clergy but, like primitive Christianity, allowed wide participation by parishioners. Outsiders, however, were often less than favorably impressed with Mormon sermons. According to one observer, most Mormon speakers he heard were guilty of "strange ramblings." Before examining in detail the peculiarities of preaching among the Latter-day Saints, …

Islam: An Introduction And Bibliography, James A. Toronto, Cynthia Finlayson

BYU Studies

Long before the events of September 11, 2001, BYU Studies began working on this special issue focusing on Islam. The authors and editors who worked on this issue have tried to capture the spirit of a religion that provides guidance to the lives of millions of people worldwide. The ever expanding influence of Islam extends to the prominent and often controversial role that Islam plays in contemporary politics. In addition, Muslim theology, scripture, art, science, and communal values have made significant contributions to world civilization. And in quiet yet significant ways, dialogue and contact between Latter-day Saints and Muslims have …

Mormonism And Islam: From Polemics To Mutual Respect And Cooperation, Arnold H. Green

BYU Studies

The world's fastest growing religion is either Islam (if considering annual growth in total numbers) or Mormonism (if considering annual growth in percentage terms). These two rapidly expanding global faiths are certain to increase interactions with each other. Already, in the minds of some clergymen, the two faiths have become associated in several ways, including Mormonism's being called "the Islam of America." While Muslim leaders have so far paid little attention to The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, the Church's General Authorities have expressed opinions about Islam. At first, they reacted negatively to being equated with it. Later, …

Many Voices, One Umma: Sociopolitical Debate In The Muslim Community, James A. Toronto

BYU Studies

As a religion expands beyond its original setting, it encounters new historical, economic, social, and geopolitical forces. The resulting clash between sacred truth and secular reality created ideological tensions within a religious community that lead its followers to engage in a process of dialogue, reform, and reconciliation. This process of dialectical exchange occurs both between members of the community and between the community and outside forces. Often it gives rise to traumatic, even violent, conflict and frequently leads to schisms and the establishment of break-away religious movements. The history of religion provides abundant evidence that the ability of a nascent …

Sojourner In The Promised Land: Forty Years Among The Mormons Jan Shipps, Leslee Thorne-Murphy

BYU Studies

Jan Shipps. Sojourner in the Promised Land: Forty Years among the Mormons. Urbana and Chicago: University of Illinois Press, 2000. xiii; 400 pp. Notes, index. $34.95.

Mormonism's Encounter With The Michigan Relics, Mark Ashurst-Mcgee

BYU Studies

One of the strangest and most extensive archaeological hoaxes in American history was perpetrated around the turn of the twentieth century in Michigan. Hundreds of objects known as the Michigan Relics were made to appear as the remains of a lost civilization. The artifacts were produced, buried, "discovered," and marketed by James O. Scotford and Daniel E. Soper. For three decades these artifacts were secretly planted in earthen mounds, publicly removed, and lauded as wonderful discoveries. Because the Michigan Relics allegedly evidence a Near Eastern presence in ancient America, they have drawn interest from The Church of Jesus Christ of …

A Joseph Smith For The Twenty-First Century, Richard Lyman Bushman

BYU Studies

Since Henry Caswall published The Prophet of the Nineteenth Century in 1843, a year before Joseph Smith's death, nineteen book-length biographies of the Prophet have appeared in print, more than half of them since 1940. They differ wildly in tone and perspective, as might be imagined. Several are still worth considering by serious students of Joseph Smith's life. Among the more notable, I. Woodbridge Riley's The Founder of Mormonism is severely critical but ingenious and original, the first biography to attempt a scientific explanation of Joseph Smith's revelations. Fawn Brodie's No Man Knows My History is a magnificent piece of …