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Articles 31 - 60 of 114
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The Crown Of Creation, David Rolph, Jo Ann H. Seely
The Crown Of Creation, David Rolph, Jo Ann H. Seely
Interpreter: A Journal of Latter-day Saint Faith and Scholarship
The Seelys discuss the well-known concept of the universe as a temple, and link the creation story to the temple drama. They explore how God, in creating the universe, had the same roles the temple drama gives to Adam and Eve as archetypes of each man and woman (that of king, priest, and artisan), and how man, by participating in the temple drama, is raised to be the image of God, thus becoming the real crown of creation, participating in God’s creation by procreation.
Abraham’S Amen And Believing In Christ: Possible Applications In The Book Of Mormon Text, Loren Spendlove
Abraham’S Amen And Believing In Christ: Possible Applications In The Book Of Mormon Text, Loren Spendlove
Interpreter: A Journal of Latter-day Saint Faith and Scholarship
Following the discovery of delocutive verbs and their likely usage in the Hebrew Bible, Meredith Kline proposed that the verb האמין (he’emin) in Genesis 15:6 — traditionally interpreted as a denominative verb meaning “he believed” — should be understood as a delocutive verb meaning “he declared ‘amen.’” Rather than reading Genesis 15:6 as a passive statement — Abraham believed in Yahweh — Kline argued that we should interpret this verse in the active sense, that Abraham vocally declared his amen in Yahweh’s covenantal promise. In this light, I have analyzed various passages in the Book of Mormon that utilize similar …
The Ark And The Tent: Temple Symbolism In The Story Of Noah, Jeffrey M. Bradshaw
The Ark And The Tent: Temple Symbolism In The Story Of Noah, Jeffrey M. Bradshaw
Interpreter: A Journal of Latter-day Saint Faith and Scholarship
Jeffrey M. Bradshaw compares Moses’ tabernacle and Noah’s ark, and then identifies the story of Noah as a temple related drama, drawing of temple mysticism and symbols. After examining structural similarities between ark and tabernacle and bringing into the discussion further information about the Mesopotamian flood story, he shows how Noah’s ark is a beginning of a new creation, pointing out the central point of Day One in the Noah story. When Noah leaves the ark, they find themselves in a garden, not unlike the Garden of Eden in the way the Bible speaks about it. A covenant is established …
“All Can Partake, Freely”, Daniel C. Peterson
“All Can Partake, Freely”, Daniel C. Peterson
Interpreter: A Journal of Latter-day Saint Faith and Scholarship
The Interpreter Foundation welcomes faithful ideas, insights, and manuscripts from people of all backgrounds. In this brief essay, I share some that were recently shared with me regarding Lehi’s vision of the tree of life, as recorded in 1 Nephi 8. Among other things, Lehi seems to have been shown that the divine offer of salvation extends far beyond a small elite. As Peter exclaims in the King James rendering of Acts 10:34, “God is no respecter of persons.” Other translations render the same words as saying that he doesn’t “play favorites” or “show partiality.” The passage in James 1:5 …
Poesy And Prosody In The Book Of Mormon, Robert F. Smith
Poesy And Prosody In The Book Of Mormon, Robert F. Smith
Interpreter: A Journal of Latter-day Saint Faith and Scholarship
Robert Smith makes the case that “poetic art in the Book of Mormon is highly developed” — you just need to have the eye to recognize it. Though many readers are aware of the stunning examples of chiasmus in the Book of Mormon, thanks to the pioneering work by John W. Welch, fewer are acquainted with the other important forms of parallelism that pervade the text, often placed strategically to highlight the importance of a particular passage. Smith also shows why apocalpytic texts, sometimes thought to originate at a later period, can be found, for example, in the first chapter …
The Origin And Purpose Of The Book Of Mormon Phrase “If Ye Keep My Commandments Ye Shall Prosper In The Land”, Taylor Halverson
The Origin And Purpose Of The Book Of Mormon Phrase “If Ye Keep My Commandments Ye Shall Prosper In The Land”, Taylor Halverson
Interpreter: A Journal of Latter-day Saint Faith and Scholarship
We are told in the Title Page of the Book of Mormon that the Book of Mormon was revealed in our day “to show unto the remnant of the house of Israel what great things the Lord hath done for their fathers; and that they may know the covenants of the Lord, that they are not cast off forever.” Hence, the covenantal context, structure, and logic of the Book of Mormon demand further consideration, exploration, and elucidation. A prosperous starting point is the phrase “If ye keep my commandments ye shall prosper in the land.” This covenantal phrase is used …
Full Issue
Interpreter: A Journal of Latter-day Saint Faith and Scholarship
No abstract provided.
Nephi’S Gethsemane: Seventeen Comparisons From The Literary Record, Taylor Halverson
Nephi’S Gethsemane: Seventeen Comparisons From The Literary Record, Taylor Halverson
Interpreter: A Journal of Latter-day Saint Faith and Scholarship
This note explores a literary comparison between Nephi’s confronting of Laban and shrinking from the act of shedding blood, to Jesus’s experience in the Garden of Gethsemane of shrinking from the act of shedding blood. Comparing these two stories suggests that we can profitably read Nephi’s experience with Laban as Nephi’s personal Gethsemane.
Types Of Repetition And Shadows Of History In Hebraic Narrative, Alan Goff
Types Of Repetition And Shadows Of History In Hebraic Narrative, Alan Goff
Interpreter: A Journal of Latter-day Saint Faith and Scholarship
Modern readers too often misunderstand ancient narrative. Typical of this incomprehension has been the inclination of modern biblical critics to view repetitions as narrative failures. Whether you call such repetitions types, narrative analogies, type scenes, midrashic recurrences, or numerous other names, this view of repeated elements has dominated modern readings of Hebraic narratives for at least 200 years. Robert Alter, who introduced a new yet antique understanding of repetitions in the Hebrew Bible in the 1980s, began to reverse this trend. Such repeated elements aren’t failures or shortcomings but are themselves artistic clues to narrative meaning that call readers to …
Joseph Smith As A Book Of Mormon Storyteller, Brian C. Hales
Joseph Smith As A Book Of Mormon Storyteller, Brian C. Hales
Interpreter: A Journal of Latter-day Saint Faith and Scholarship
For nearly 200 years, skeptics have promoted different naturalistic explanations to describe how Joseph Smith generated all the words of the Book of Mormon. The more popular theories include plagiarism (e.g. of the Solomon Spaulding manuscript), collaboration (with Oliver Cowdery, Sidney Rigdon, etc.), mental illness (bipolar, dissociative, or narcissistic personality disorders) and automatic writing, also called “spirit writing, “trance writing,” or “channeling.” A fifth and currently the most popular theory posits that Joseph Smith possessed all the intellectual abilities needed to complete the task. A variation on this last explanation proposes that he used the methods of professional storytellers. For …
Full Issue
Interpreter: A Journal of Latter-day Saint Faith and Scholarship
No abstract provided.
Adam, Eve, The Book Of Moses, And The Temple: The Story Of Receiving Christ’S Atonement, Bruce C. Hafen, Marie K. Hafen
Adam, Eve, The Book Of Moses, And The Temple: The Story Of Receiving Christ’S Atonement, Bruce C. Hafen, Marie K. Hafen
Interpreter: A Journal of Latter-day Saint Faith and Scholarship
The authors begin by the highlighting the importance of Book of Moses research that has discovered plausible findings for its historicity, rendering it at least reasonable to give the benefit of the doubt to sacred premises — even if, ultimately, the choice of premises is just that, a choice. Emphasizing the relevance of the Book of Moses to the temple, they note that the Book of Moses is not only an ancient temple text, but also the ideal scriptural context for a modern temple preparation course. Going further, the authors address an important question raised by some who have asked: …
Full Issue
Interpreter: A Journal of Latter-day Saint Faith and Scholarship
No abstract provided.
Be Ye Therefore Loyal, Even As Your Father Which Is In Heaven Is Loyal, Taylor Halverson
Be Ye Therefore Loyal, Even As Your Father Which Is In Heaven Is Loyal, Taylor Halverson
Interpreter: A Journal of Latter-day Saint Faith and Scholarship
The scriptures are saturated with covenantal words and terms. Any serious or close reading of the scriptures that misses or ignores the covenantal words, phrases, and literary structure of scripture runs the risk of missing the full purpose of why God preserved the scriptures for us. This is especially true for the Old Testament and the Book of Mormon, which emerged out of an Old Testament cultural context. Research during the past century on ancient Near Eastern covenants has brought clarity to the covenantal meaning and context of a variety of words and literary structures in the Old Testament and …
Full Issue
Interpreter: A Journal of Latter-day Saint Faith and Scholarship
No abstract provided.
Coming Down And Bringing Down: Pejorative Onomastic Allusions To The Jaredites In Helaman 6:25, 6:38, And Ether 2:11, Matthew L. Bowen
Coming Down And Bringing Down: Pejorative Onomastic Allusions To The Jaredites In Helaman 6:25, 6:38, And Ether 2:11, Matthew L. Bowen
Interpreter: A Journal of Latter-day Saint Faith and Scholarship
Mormon uses pejorative wordplay on the name Jaredites based on the meaning of the Hebrew verb yārad. The onomastic rhetoric involving the meaning of yārad first surfaces in Helaman 6 where Mormon also employs wordplay on the name Cain in terms of qānâ or “getting gain.” The first wordplay occurs in the negative purpose clause “lest they should be a means of bringing down [cf. lĕhôrîd] the people unto destruction” (Helaman 6:25) and the second in the prepositional phrase “until they had come down [cf. yārĕdû/yordû] to believe in their works” (Helaman 6:38). Mormon uses these pejorative wordplays as a …
Medieval Christian Views Of Hebrew As The Language Of Magic, Andrew C. Skinner
Medieval Christian Views Of Hebrew As The Language Of Magic, Andrew C. Skinner
Interpreter: A Journal of Latter-day Saint Faith and Scholarship
The view of Hebrew as a language of magic, for which precedents can be discerned in the Bible and in rabbinic tradition, spilled over into early and medieval Christianity. Andrew Skinner adroitly explores the material and theological history of this trajectory, showing how this contributed to the emergence of Christian Kabbalah in the sixteenth century.
John W. Welch: A Personal Reminiscence, Stephen E. Robinson
John W. Welch: A Personal Reminiscence, Stephen E. Robinson
Interpreter: A Journal of Latter-day Saint Faith and Scholarship
In these glimpses of the early private life of a very public figure, Stephen E. Robinson provides a portrait that will enable readers to see how the child became father to the man.
Moses 1 And The Apocalypse Of Abraham: Twin Sons Of Different Mothers?, Jeffrey M. Bradshaw, David J. Larsen, Stephen T. Whitlock
Moses 1 And The Apocalypse Of Abraham: Twin Sons Of Different Mothers?, Jeffrey M. Bradshaw, David J. Larsen, Stephen T. Whitlock
Interpreter: A Journal of Latter-day Saint Faith and Scholarship
This article highlights the striking resemblances between Moses 1 and a corresponding account from the Apocalypse of Abraham (ApAb), one of the earliest and most important Jewish texts describing heavenly ascent. Careful comparative analysis demonstrates a sustained sequence of detailed affinities in narrative structure that go beyond what Joseph Smith could have created out of whole cloth from his environment and his imagination. The article also highlights important implications for the study of the Book of Moses as a temple text. Previous studies have suggested that the story of Enoch found in the Pearl of Great Price might be understood …
The Importance Of Authorial Intention, Donald W. Parry
The Importance Of Authorial Intention, Donald W. Parry
Interpreter: A Journal of Latter-day Saint Faith and Scholarship
It is important when evaluating the words of others to consider the intention of their writing. It also does not hurt to consider what may go on behind the scenes before an article (or a book review) even reaches a particular readership.
“I Will Deliver Thy Sons”: An Onomastic Approach To Three Iterations Of An Oracle To Mosiah Ii (Mosiah 28:7; Alma 17:35, 19:23), Matthew L. Bowen
“I Will Deliver Thy Sons”: An Onomastic Approach To Three Iterations Of An Oracle To Mosiah Ii (Mosiah 28:7; Alma 17:35, 19:23), Matthew L. Bowen
Interpreter: A Journal of Latter-day Saint Faith and Scholarship
Three times in his narrative Mormon recounts the Lord’s oracle (revelation) to Mosiah II regarding his sons undertaking a mission among the Lamanites (Mosiah 28:7, Alma 17:35, and Alma 19:23). In all three instances, the Lord’s promises of deliverance revolve around the meaning of the name Mosiah (“Yahweh is Deliverer” or “Yahweh is Savior”), emphasizing that the Lord (Hebrew yhwh) himself would act in his covenant role as môšîaʿ in delivering Mosiah’s sons, and sparing Ammon in particular. In two of the iterations of the oracle, Mosiah 28:7 and Alma 19:23, we find additional wordplay on the name Ammon (“faithful”) …
“I Of Myself Am A Wicked Man”: Some Notes On Allusion And Textual Dependency In Omni 1:1-2, Matthew L. Bowen
“I Of Myself Am A Wicked Man”: Some Notes On Allusion And Textual Dependency In Omni 1:1-2, Matthew L. Bowen
Interpreter: A Journal of Latter-day Saint Faith and Scholarship
Omni greatly revered his ancestors and their personal accounts on the small plates of Nephi. A close examination of Omni’s brief autobiography (Omni 1:1–3) evidences borrowing from all four of his predecessors’ writings. Moreover, his self-description, “I of myself am a wicked man,” constitutes far more than a confession of religious dereliction. That self-assessment alludes to Nephi’s autobiographical wordplay on his name in terms “good” and “having been born of goodly parents” and his grandfather Enos’s similarly self-referential wordplay in describing his own father Jacob as a “just man.” Omni’s name most likely represents a hypocoristic form of a longer …
Chiastic Structuring Of Large Texts: Second Nephi As A Case Study1, Noel B. Reynolds
Chiastic Structuring Of Large Texts: Second Nephi As A Case Study1, Noel B. Reynolds
Interpreter: A Journal of Latter-day Saint Faith and Scholarship
In this important paper, Noel Reynolds extends his 1980 argument for the chiastic structure of 1 Nephi to demonstrate that 2 Nephi can be seen as a matching structure with a similar nature. Taken together, these findings demonstrate that chiasmus is not a phenomenon that confines itself to the details of words and phrases at the level of scriptural verses but can extend to much larger units of meaning, allowing the rhetorical beauty and emphasis of their overall messages to shine more brilliantly when they are considered as purposefully crafted wholes.
How Not To Read Isaiah, John Gee
How Not To Read Isaiah, John Gee
Interpreter: A Journal of Latter-day Saint Faith and Scholarship
In the Book of Mormon, Nephi draws upon his own knowledge of the Jewish people, their culture and language, and the surrounding area to add to his understanding of Isaiah’s words, and commends that approach to his reader. In his book The Vision of All, it is clear that Joseph Spencer lacks knowledge in these topics, and it negatively affects his interpretation of Isaiah. Specifically, this lack of knowledge causes him to misinterpret the role of the Messiah in Isaiah’s teachings, something that was clear to Isaiah’s ancient readers.
Ministering Across Fault Lines Of Belief And Community, Daniel Ellsworth
Ministering Across Fault Lines Of Belief And Community, Daniel Ellsworth
Interpreter: A Journal of Latter-day Saint Faith and Scholarship
David Ostler’s book Bridges: Ministering to Those Who Question addresses the daunting task of ministering to people who have grown disillusioned with the core doctrines and the community of believers they encounter in The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. This is perhaps the most challenging ministering effort a leader or member of the Church can undertake, and Bridges provides valuable insight into the process of disaffection as well as specific things that Church leaders and members can do to create a healthy environment for members to work through challenges to their faith. This review discusses those strengths of …
Full Issue
Interpreter: A Journal of Latter-day Saint Faith and Scholarship
No abstract provided.
The Role And Purpose Of Synagogues In The Days Of Jesus And Paul, Taylor Halverson
The Role And Purpose Of Synagogues In The Days Of Jesus And Paul, Taylor Halverson
Interpreter: A Journal of Latter-day Saint Faith and Scholarship
This article explores why Jesus so often healed in synagogues. By comparing the uses and purposes of Diaspora and Palestinian synagogues, this article argues that synagogues functioned as a hostel or community center of sorts in ancient Jewish society. That is, those needing healing would seek out such services and resources at the synagogue.
Rethinking Alma 36, Noel B. Reynolds
Rethinking Alma 36, Noel B. Reynolds
Interpreter: A Journal of Latter-day Saint Faith and Scholarship
While Alma 36 has long been one of the most admired examples of classical Hebrew chiasmus in the Book of Mormon, critiques in the last two decades have questioned whether, in fact, it really meets the requirements of classical biblical chiasms. The principal objections have pointed to the large sections of the chapter that are not easily included in the chiasm as outlined by John W. Welch and other proponents. Until now, this debate has not taken note of dramatic new developments in the analysis of Hebrew rhetoric over the last fifty years. The following essay turns to the discoveries …
Chapter 6: Mormon, Special Considerations, Brant Gardner
Chapter 6: Mormon, Special Considerations, Brant Gardner
Interpreter: A Journal of Latter-day Saint Faith and Scholarship
Mormon wrote a cohesive book that set out his arguments explaining the destruction of his people and his hope in Christ. Sadly, we have only part of that book. The sculpture known as Venus de Milo is still beautiful without arms, but it must have been even more beautiful before they were lost. So it is with Mormon’s book. It is a marvelous work and a wonder, but what wonder might it have been had we all that he wrote.
Bibliography, Brant Gardner
Bibliography, Brant Gardner
Interpreter: A Journal of Latter-day Saint Faith and Scholarship
No abstract provided.