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Trust Us, We’Re Lawyers: Lucas And Neville On The Translation Of The Book Of Mormon, Brant A. Gardner
Trust Us, We’Re Lawyers: Lucas And Neville On The Translation Of The Book Of Mormon, Brant A. Gardner
Interpreter: A Journal of Latter-day Saint Faith and Scholarship
In their book, James Lucas and Jonathan Neville present two major theses relative to translation of the Book of Mormon. The first is that the translation was always done by means of the interpreters that were delivered with the plates. The second is that Joseph Smith was an active participant in the translation process. A theory is laid out for how that might happen. Although this reviewer can agree that Joseph was an active participant in the translation, neither the first thesis nor their explanation of the second thesis can be accepted by those familiar with the historical record.
Through A Glass Darkly: Restoring Translation To The Restoration?, Jeff Lindsay
Through A Glass Darkly: Restoring Translation To The Restoration?, Jeff Lindsay
Interpreter: A Journal of Latter-day Saint Faith and Scholarship
In By Means of the Urim & Thummim, James Lucas and Jonathan Neville valiantly seek to defend Joseph Smith’s role as the divinely inspired translator, a role that they argue is incompatible with using any tool other than the Nephite “intepreters,” later called the Urim and Thummim. They offer a unique theory to account for the statements of witnesses about Joseph using a seer stone in a hat, arguing that it was a fake demonstration using memorized passages to satisfy onlooker curiosity about the translation process. They propose a translation model in which Joseph did more than just get …
Chapter 4: Ancient Culture, Matthew Roper
Chapter 4: Ancient Culture, Matthew Roper
Interpreter: A Journal of Latter-day Saint Faith and Scholarship
No abstract provided.
Chapter 5: Book Of Mormon Names, Matthew Roper
Chapter 5: Book Of Mormon Names, Matthew Roper
Interpreter: A Journal of Latter-day Saint Faith and Scholarship
No abstract provided.
Chapter 6: Old World Journeys By Land And Sea, Matthew Roper
Chapter 6: Old World Journeys By Land And Sea, Matthew Roper
Interpreter: A Journal of Latter-day Saint Faith and Scholarship
No abstract provided.
The Flimsiest Show On Earth, Blake T. Ostler
The Flimsiest Show On Earth, Blake T. Ostler
Interpreter: A Journal of Latter-day Saint Faith and Scholarship
Every so often an anti-Mormon book comes along that lowers the bar for attacks on the faith. How the Book of Mormon Came to Pass is one such work. It relies on speculation, conjecture, and tenuous connections to render, out of whole cloth, a hypothesis for the Book of Mormon’s creation that is almost laughable.
A Fitting Tribute To The Prophet Of The Restoration, Steven L. Olsen
A Fitting Tribute To The Prophet Of The Restoration, Steven L. Olsen
Interpreter: A Journal of Latter-day Saint Faith and Scholarship
Joseph Smith: A Life Lived in Crescendo is one of the most extensive and ambitious scholarly works on the founder of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Its twenty-one essays address various issues relating to the culmination of the Prophet’s ministry. They provide diverse and profound insights worthy of examination by serious students of the latter-day Restoration.
Easter As Threshold: Trauma, Transformation, And God’S Presence In Liminal Spaces, Joseph W. Green
Easter As Threshold: Trauma, Transformation, And God’S Presence In Liminal Spaces, Joseph W. Green
Interpreter: A Journal of Latter-day Saint Faith and Scholarship
Using the context of Easter, this personal essay explores perceptions of God’s presence and absence during human suffering. There is a theological thread that ties Christ’s suffering for our griefs and sorrows during his Atonement directly to his ability to succor us as we enter into despair due to our own trauma. Our suffering occurs during moments of transition and vulnerability known as “liminal spaces.” It is in these moments that the Savior meets us at the threshold, helping us move through trauma toward transformation in Christ. Our ability to move forward openly in liminal spaces will help us to …
Through A Glass Darkly: Was There A Twentieth-Century Corruption Of 1 Corinthians 13:12?, Charles Dike
Through A Glass Darkly: Was There A Twentieth-Century Corruption Of 1 Corinthians 13:12?, Charles Dike
Interpreter: A Journal of Latter-day Saint Faith and Scholarship
This paper considers the well-known account of Paul having been struck blind on the road to Damascus and his equally well-known statement that “for now we see through a glass darkly.” Both are examined in light of a solar eclipse that occurred across the Mediterranean in AD 49. It is possible that Paul could have been referring to an experience of viewing the solar eclipse through a filter. The article provides an exploration of potential astronomical aids that may have been available to first-century viewers of the eclipse. Views of solar phenomenon are shown and then Jewish and Christian thoughts …
“Get Thou Up Into The Temple”: Receiving Revelation And Becoming Holy In The House Of The Lord, Matthew L. Bowen
“Get Thou Up Into The Temple”: Receiving Revelation And Becoming Holy In The House Of The Lord, Matthew L. Bowen
Interpreter: A Journal of Latter-day Saint Faith and Scholarship
Psalms 15:1–5, 24:2–3, and 48:1 [MT 2], as temple hymns of the Jerusalem Temple, are consistent with other texts such as Isaiah 2:2–3 and Genesis 22:14, which envision the holy temple as the “mountain of the Lord” into which one must ritually ascend. The examples of Moses, Nephi, Jacob, and others who ascended into this “mountain” demonstrate that this ascent facilitates the reception of divine revelation necessary in our mortal journey to become holy through the Atonement of Jesus Christ. This sacred ascent is necessary for our eventual, individual, and collective “perfection” in Christ, and it is one that he …
The Lamb Of God: A Note On The Significance Of Meir Bar-Ilan’S Paper For Latter-Day Saints, Jeff Lindsay
The Lamb Of God: A Note On The Significance Of Meir Bar-Ilan’S Paper For Latter-Day Saints, Jeff Lindsay
Interpreter: A Journal of Latter-day Saint Faith and Scholarship
Dr. Meir Bar-Ilan’s paper, “The Heavenly Lamb, Sacrifices on the Heavenly Altar, and the Song of the Lamb,” appearing concurrently in Interpreter, is a welcome contribution from a noted Jewish scholar. Bar-Ilan has called the world’s attention to a remarkable Hebrew manuscript with origins in antiquity, Words of Gad the Seer. Those interested in the relationship between Jewish texts and Latter-day Saint scriptures may also wish to compare the findings in Bar-Ilan’s paper with treatments of the Lamb of God in the Book of Mormon and the Book of Moses.
The Covenant Path Of The Ancient Temple In 2 Nephi 31:19–20, Jeffrey M. Bradshaw
The Covenant Path Of The Ancient Temple In 2 Nephi 31:19–20, Jeffrey M. Bradshaw
Interpreter: A Journal of Latter-day Saint Faith and Scholarship
In this article, I discuss how the ancient analogue to what President Nelson has called “the covenant path” might be seen in the Book of Mormon and elsewhere in scripture not so much as a journey of covenant-keeping that takes us to the temple but as a journey that takes us through the temple. Throughout the Book of Mormon, observant readers will find not only the general outline of the doctrine of Christ but also corresponding details about the covenant path as represented in temple layout and furnishings. Nowhere is this truth better illustrated than in 2 Nephi 31:19–20 where …
The “Allegory” Of Ruth As A Prophecy Of Latter-Day Gathering, Jan Francisco
The “Allegory” Of Ruth As A Prophecy Of Latter-Day Gathering, Jan Francisco
Interpreter: A Journal of Latter-day Saint Faith and Scholarship
n the historical context of the late fifth century BC, the book of Ruth was a powerful story of hope and redemption for the eventual gathering and restoration of Israel’s covenants. Connecting their golden period of unity under King David to this idyllic tale with a beautiful happy ending may be more than a family story. It could also be read allegorically to prophesy the promised gathering of Israel by the Gentiles in the Latter-days. The key to understanding the symbolic layer of this story lies in deciphering the Hebrew meanings of the characters’ names, with Naomi representing the Israelites, …
“Behold, I Went To Hunt Beasts In The Forest”: An Addendum On Enos, Esau, And The Symbolic Geography Of Seir, Matthew L. Bowen
“Behold, I Went To Hunt Beasts In The Forest”: An Addendum On Enos, Esau, And The Symbolic Geography Of Seir, Matthew L. Bowen
Interpreter: A Journal of Latter-day Saint Faith and Scholarship
Enos’s use of the onomastic wordplay in the Jacob and Esau cycle enables him to meaningfully allude to the symbolic geography of those stories and incorporate it into his New World setting (e.g., allusions to the river Jabbok and Peniel/Penuel, the site of Jacob’s “wrestle” with the divine “man”). A third instance of this type of allusion occurs with Enos’s recollection that he “went to hunt beasts in the forest[s]” (Enos 1:3), which appears to subtly allude to Mount Seir, the forested hill country in the land of Edom inhabited by Esau and his descendants.
Verbal Punctuation In The Book Of Mormon Iii—Behold, John Gee
Verbal Punctuation In The Book Of Mormon Iii—Behold, John Gee
Interpreter: A Journal of Latter-day Saint Faith and Scholarship
As an ancient book, the Book of Mormon employed verbal punctuation rather than typographical punctuation. An example of this verbal punctuation is the word behold, which is used in the Book of Mormon to point things out, to highlight unexpected effects of situations, and to modify a previously expressed proposition. This corresponds to ancient Hebrew usage. Joseph Smith’s usage from the time the Book of Mormon was produced, however, differs in both its frequency and how it was used, even when Joseph Smith was consciously trying to imitate the Book of Mormon.
Perspectives On The Soteriological Problem Of Evil: Nuancing The “Universalist” Theologies Of Henri De Lubac And Joseph Smith, Timothy Gervais
Perspectives On The Soteriological Problem Of Evil: Nuancing The “Universalist” Theologies Of Henri De Lubac And Joseph Smith, Timothy Gervais
Interpreter: A Journal of Latter-day Saint Faith and Scholarship
Since the discovery of the new world by Christian European explorers during the age of discovery, the increasingly global community of the modern age has confronted Christian theologians with difficult soteriological questions. These questions have caused many Christian adherents to abandon conceptions of a uniquely Christian salvation in favor of theological positions of religious pluralism. Other Christian theologians have confronted these issues through creative inclusivist theological constructs that expand the offer of salvation to those who may not have professed Christianity in their mortal life. These inclusivist theologies are uniquely suited to address modern concerns about the salvation of non-believers …
A Closer Look At Transliterations In Divine Translations, Spencer Kraus
A Closer Look At Transliterations In Divine Translations, Spencer Kraus
Interpreter: A Journal of Latter-day Saint Faith and Scholarship
The Book of Mormon contains many words left untranslated by Joseph Smith, such as cureloms, cumoms, senine, and ziff. While some might wonder why these words are left untranslated, a closer examination of the kinds of words that are simply transliterated as well as the frequency at which these phenomena occur provide evidence that Joseph Smith actually had an ancient record that he was translating into English. In this paper, I examine why some words have been transliterated in historical translations of the Bible or other ancient texts and compare these explanations to the Book of …
Looking Again At The Anthon Transcript(S), John S. Thompson
Looking Again At The Anthon Transcript(S), John S. Thompson
Interpreter: A Journal of Latter-day Saint Faith and Scholarship
The official account of Martin Harris’s visit to Charles Anthon, canonized in the Pearl of Great Price, suggests that Anthon may have been shown more than one transcript by Harris. The differing responses of Anthon to each of these transcripts may shed light on the kinds of characters he was shown and provide additional perspectives that can help clarify a little more what is happening in the historical sources.
“Upon Thy Belly Shalt Thou Go”: The Garden Of Eden Serpent Symbology Based On The Concept Of Seraphim, Noel Hudson
“Upon Thy Belly Shalt Thou Go”: The Garden Of Eden Serpent Symbology Based On The Concept Of Seraphim, Noel Hudson
Interpreter: A Journal of Latter-day Saint Faith and Scholarship
The concept of the serpentine seraphim from biblical iconography is discussed in the context of biblical serpent symbology. The association of the seraphim with Ancient Near Eastern kings, deities, and temples is noted. The concept of the seraphim as members of the Council of God is explored, and the possibility of the seraph as a symbol of Christ is discussed. These concepts are applied to the story of the snake in the Garden of Eden, and the additional explanatory power of the seraph symbol in connection with the snake is explored. Specific serpentine attributes are discussed in the context of …
“When Ye Shall Rend That Veil Of Unbelief”: A Typological Reading Of Ether 3 And 4, Matthew Scott Stenson
“When Ye Shall Rend That Veil Of Unbelief”: A Typological Reading Of Ether 3 And 4, Matthew Scott Stenson
Interpreter: A Journal of Latter-day Saint Faith and Scholarship
In the book of Ether, the prophet Moroni “Christianizes” the Jaredite story, inserting extensive Christian elements into an original text that predates the house of Israel, the Nephite nation, and the Christian era. In this paper, a typological and intertextual method is used to show how Moroni uses the words of Christ in Ether 3 and 4 to exhort his Gentile readers to embrace the Nephite record when it is manifest to them that they might receive even greater things (divine truths). Specifically, Moroni uses the brief account of the brother of Jared atop Mount Shelem to illustrate how Gentiles …
Joseph Smith Jr. As A Translator: The Book Of Abraham As A Case Study, Stephen O. Smoot
Joseph Smith Jr. As A Translator: The Book Of Abraham As A Case Study, Stephen O. Smoot
Interpreter: A Journal of Latter-day Saint Faith and Scholarship
This paper examines Joseph Smith’s approach to translation, using the Book of Abraham as a case study to explore the interplay between divine revelation and human participation in scriptural production. While the Book of Abraham incorporates both ancient and modern elements, its unique synthesis resists simple categorization as either an unblemished Abrahamic autograph or a purely nineteenth-century pseudepigraphon. Drawing on historical evidence and textual analysis, this paper aims to illuminate Joseph Smith’s role as both translator and revelator, offering insights into how Latter-day Saints might understand the complex process of producing sacred texts.
Full Issue
Interpreter: A Journal of Latter-day Saint Faith and Scholarship
No abstract provided.
Seeing With A Hat: How Joseph Smith Used A Hat In Translating The Book Of Mormon, Stan Spencer
Seeing With A Hat: How Joseph Smith Used A Hat In Translating The Book Of Mormon, Stan Spencer
Interpreter: A Journal of Latter-day Saint Faith and Scholarship
Joseph Smith’s use of a seer stone and hat in producing the Book of Mormon has been a point of confusion, dismay, and even embarrassment among some believers. These feelings may reflect a lack of understanding of the functions of these objects in enabling Joseph to receive divine revelation. As the term was used in the Bible and commonly used in Joseph Smith’s day, a seer was a “seer” of visions. Accordingly, a seer stone was a stone used for seeing visions. Joseph was reported to have used seer stones to receive the translation of the Book of Mormon in …
Spiritual Implications Of The Timing Of The Death Of Jesus Christ, C. Thomas Black
Spiritual Implications Of The Timing Of The Death Of Jesus Christ, C. Thomas Black
Interpreter: A Journal of Latter-day Saint Faith and Scholarship
Centuries-long speculation continues regarding the circumstances surrounding the death of the Savior. Whether he died sooner than would have been expected, as some scholars believe, or lived longer than expected, statements from the scriptures and modern-day prophets indicate that the Lord died at the exact moment of his choice. According to the Gospels and historical accounts, that moment coincided with the sacrifice of the later of the two daily tamid sacrifices. The tamid had been instituted by Jehovah and symbolized the future atoning sacrifice of the Savior. Each of the other offerings throughout the sacrificial day between the two tamid …
What Can Artificial Intelligence Tell Us About The Literary Skills Needed To Dictate A Text Like The Book Of Mormon?, Brian C. Hales
What Can Artificial Intelligence Tell Us About The Literary Skills Needed To Dictate A Text Like The Book Of Mormon?, Brian C. Hales
Interpreter: A Journal of Latter-day Saint Faith and Scholarship
The first oral draft of the Book of Mormon dictated by Joseph Smith reflected remarkable literary refinement and complexity. Such observations demonstrate that he exhibited highly developed composition and oratory skills. To date, no scholar has attempted to describe the specific skills Joseph manifested while dictating. This essay addresses whether Artificial Intelligence (AI) could generate an accurate list of the skills necessary. It begins by identifying and informally testing eleven chatbots to see if they can accurately predict the skills needed to perform a task. Seeing success, they are next asked a long question about the skills needed to dictate …
An Exceptional Example Of The Richness Of Church History, Susan Easton Black
An Exceptional Example Of The Richness Of Church History, Susan Easton Black
Interpreter: A Journal of Latter-day Saint Faith and Scholarship
Jeffrey Bradshaw has, in a single well-researched volume, provided a gift to those interested in the lives of early Church members. In Emer Harris & Dennison Lott Harris, Bradshaw brings out of obscurity the remarkable life of one of Martin Harris’s brothers and illustrates the contribution of that life to the initial decades of the Restoration.
“One Drop Of Salvation From The House Of Majesty”: An Analysis Of The Revelation Of The Magi And Restoration Scripture, Spencer Kraus
“One Drop Of Salvation From The House Of Majesty”: An Analysis Of The Revelation Of The Magi And Restoration Scripture, Spencer Kraus
Interpreter: A Journal of Latter-day Saint Faith and Scholarship
An early Christian text called the Revelation of the Magi presents itself as a history of the Magi before and after the birth of Jesus Christ. This text offers important insights into how the early Christian world may have conceptualized how other nations outside of Israel similarly looked forward to the advent of the Messiah, how they worshiped God, and how they knew who their Savior would be. The Book of Mormon similarly presents itself as text written by early believers in Jesus Christ. It is centered primarily around two civilizations outside the land of Israel who knew who Jesus …
Further Evidence From The Book Of Mormon For A Book Of Moses-Like Text On The Brass Plates, Jeffrey D. Lindsay
Further Evidence From The Book Of Mormon For A Book Of Moses-Like Text On The Brass Plates, Jeffrey D. Lindsay
Interpreter: A Journal of Latter-day Saint Faith and Scholarship
Students of the Book of Mormon have long mined the Old Testament as a rich source of influence on Nephite writers. However, surprising recent finds suggest that an ancient text related to the Book of Moses may have been an especially significant influence as well. That possibility was raised in Noel Reynolds’s early analytical paper, “The Brass Plates Version of Genesis.” He found thirty-three proposed parallels between the Book of Moses and the Book of Mormon, some of which pointed to a one-way connection with the Book of Moses as the source. Our recent collaboration resulted in identifying a total …
Prophet Or Loss: Mosiah1/Zeniff, Benjamin/Noah, Mosiah2/Limhi And The Emergence Of The Almas, Val Larsen
Prophet Or Loss: Mosiah1/Zeniff, Benjamin/Noah, Mosiah2/Limhi And The Emergence Of The Almas, Val Larsen
Interpreter: A Journal of Latter-day Saint Faith and Scholarship
Mormon’s overwhelmingly dominant rhetorical purpose is to testify of Christ, which he and his protagonists often directly do. But he also communicates his testimony more subtly through carefully crafted historical narratives. His use of frame narratives is especially artful. In the Book of Mosiah, Mormon frames the dispiriting account of Zeniff and Noah’s rule with the story of its aftermath: the suffering of Limhi and his people, which is recounted both before and after the central Zeniff/Noah narrative and which underscores the folly in the narrative it frames. The Limhi story is, in turn, framed by a Mosiah family narrative …
“Our Great God Has In Goodness Sent These”: Notes On The Goodness Of God, The Didactic Good Of Nephi’S Small Plates, And Anti-Nephi-Lehi’S Renaming, Matthew L. Bowen, Pedro A. Olavarria
“Our Great God Has In Goodness Sent These”: Notes On The Goodness Of God, The Didactic Good Of Nephi’S Small Plates, And Anti-Nephi-Lehi’S Renaming, Matthew L. Bowen, Pedro A. Olavarria
Interpreter: A Journal of Latter-day Saint Faith and Scholarship
Anti-Nephi-Lehi’s speech (Alma 24:7–16) reveals multiple allusions to significant texts in Nephi’s small plates record. Thus, when he declares “I thank my God, my beloved people, that our great God has in goodness sent these our brethren, the Nephites, unto us to preach unto us,” he appears to allude to an inclusio that bookends the two books of Nephi’s small plates record which emphasizes the “goodness” of God as a theme. Anti-Nephi-Lehi’s description of his ancestors as “wicked fathers” appears to deliberately contrast Laman, Lemuel, and the sons of Ishmael with Nephi’s “goodly parents” in 1 Nephi 1:1. The name …