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Articles 31 - 60 of 326
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Premortal Life And Mortal Life: A Fearful Symmetry, Jeffrey M. Bradshaw
Premortal Life And Mortal Life: A Fearful Symmetry, Jeffrey M. Bradshaw
Interpreter: A Journal of Latter-day Saint Faith and Scholarship
Bodily weakness, along with the varied circumstances into which we were born, provide the essential initial and ongoing conditions that shape the challenges and opportunities of our mortal probation. In life, we are not expected merely to preserve our innocence in defiance of worldly tendencies, nor are we compelled to cede to cynicism in the face of disheartening earthly experience. Rather, we are meant to follow the Savior in uniting the state of innocence with that of experience, thus joyfully fulfilling the unique mission that has been generously given to each of us.
An Important Addition To The Library, Kevin Christensen
An Important Addition To The Library, Kevin Christensen
Interpreter: A Journal of Latter-day Saint Faith and Scholarship
Oxford University Press has published an annotated edition of the Book of Mormon. This represents a significant event and provides a useful study resource. At the same time, the author’s determination to follow the conclusions of mainstream biblical scholars inevitably generates tensions on issues where the Book of Mormon conflicts with those conclusions. The author also assures readers that the commentary follows “the plain meaning of the text,” which ought to acknowledge Joseph Smith’s foundational observation that different teachers of religion may understand the same passages very differently, depending on their framing context. In this review, I introduce the content …
Heavenly Ascent In Jacob’S Writings In Second Nephi: Addressing The Question Of What The Plan Of Salvation Is In The Book Of Mormon, Skyler Smith
Interpreter: A Journal of Latter-day Saint Faith and Scholarship
Heavenly ascent describes the process of an individual (or community) returning to the presence of God. Though various elements exist within heavenly ascent literature, general patterns can be discerned. This project uses one such pattern as a hermeneutical tool to examine what can be learned about how Book of Mormon prophets may have understood the plan of salvation. Specifically, Jacob’s understanding of the plan of salvation will be analyzed by examining his writings in 2 Nephi 9–10. The evidence from this study suggests that some Book of Mormon prophets (at least Jacob and Nephi) viewed the plan of salvation through …
Review Of Two New Theories About The Lamanite Mark Recently Presented In Two Different Forums, Clifford P. Jones
Review Of Two New Theories About The Lamanite Mark Recently Presented In Two Different Forums, Clifford P. Jones
Interpreter: A Journal of Latter-day Saint Faith and Scholarship
T. J. Uriona has offered two new theories about the meaning of Nephi’s term “skin of blackness” in 2 Nephi 5:21. He suggests that Nephi’s term may indicate impending death and/or it may be a literal reference to diseased or deathly skin. Both theories are based on a motif in an ancient Neo-Assyrian treaty that curses people to have skin as black as pitch and crude oil. I submit that these two theories are inconsistent with the larger context in the Book of Mormon.
“Armed With Righteousness And With The Power Of God”: Allusions To Priestly Clothing, Priesthood, And Temple In 1 Nephi 14:14, Matthew L. Bowen
“Armed With Righteousness And With The Power Of God”: Allusions To Priestly Clothing, Priesthood, And Temple In 1 Nephi 14:14, Matthew L. Bowen
Interpreter: A Journal of Latter-day Saint Faith and Scholarship
Nephi saw in vision that in the latter-days “the saints of the church of the Lamb” and “covenant people of the Lord” who, though scattered across the earth, “were armed with righteousness and with the power of God in great glory” (1 Nephi 14:14). Nephi’s prophetic statement is loaded with meaning. This study explores how “armed with righteousness” means “clothed with righteousness” (Psalm 132:9) not merely in a martial, but also in a priestly sense (compare 1 Samuel 17:5; Isaiah 59:17). This concept relates to the latter-day temple and its ordinances, which enable the Lord’s people to “go forth” from …
The Seven Women Seeking The Bridegroom: Isaiah 4:1 As Transition Point In A Redemption Allegory, Jared T. Marcum
The Seven Women Seeking The Bridegroom: Isaiah 4:1 As Transition Point In A Redemption Allegory, Jared T. Marcum
Interpreter: A Journal of Latter-day Saint Faith and Scholarship
Nephi laboriously copied many of the words of Isaiah in hopes that his readers would rejoice in Christ. While Isaiah 4:1 (2 Nephi 14:1) is generally not viewed as Messianic, there may be an allegorical interpretation that would place this verse among Isaiah’s other Messianic writings. A pre-Nicene patristic writer, Victorinus of Poetovio, interpreted the seven women of Isaiah 4:1 as representing the seven churches of the Apocalypse and the one man as Christ. Victorinus’s Christ-centered interpretation of Isaiah 4:1 has received very little attention in modern scholarship. This paper uses textual analysis to determine if a Christ-centered allegorical interpretation …
Temple Themes In The Book Of Abraham, Stephen O. Smoot
Temple Themes In The Book Of Abraham, Stephen O. Smoot
Interpreter: A Journal of Latter-day Saint Faith and Scholarship
The Book of Abraham is replete with temple themes, although not all of them are readily obvious from a surface reading of the text. Temple themes in the book include Abraham seeking to become a high priest, the interplay between theophany and covenant, and Abraham building altars and dedicating sacred space as he sojourns into Canaan. In addition to these, the dramatic opening episode of the Book of Abraham unfolds in a cultic or ritual setting. This paper explores these and other temple elements in the Book of Abraham and discusses how they heighten appreciation for the text’s narrative and …
Full Issue
Interpreter: A Journal of Latter-day Saint Faith and Scholarship
No abstract provided.
“That They May Once Again Be A Delightsome People”: The Concept Of Again Becoming The Seed Of Joseph (Words Of Mormon 1:8 And Mormon 7:4–5), Matthew L. Bowen
“That They May Once Again Be A Delightsome People”: The Concept Of Again Becoming The Seed Of Joseph (Words Of Mormon 1:8 And Mormon 7:4–5), Matthew L. Bowen
Interpreter: A Journal of Latter-day Saint Faith and Scholarship
In Words of Mormon 1:8, Mormon declares, “And my prayer to God is concerning my brethren, that they may once again come to the knowledge of God, yea, the redemption of Christ; that they may once again be a delightsome people.” The expression “that they may once again” plausibly reflects the Hebrew idiom wayyôsipû or wayyôsipû ʿôd. Mormon’s apparent double-use of the wayyôsipû (ʿôd) idiom in Words of Mormon 1:8 (or some Nephite scribal equivalent), like 2 Nephi 5:2–3, recalls language in the Joseph story (Genesis 37:5, 8). The original Lamanite covenant, as an extension of the Abrahamic covenant, involved …
The Eucharist Of The Latter-Day Saints: The Sacrament In The Broader Christian Context, Robin Douglas
The Eucharist Of The Latter-Day Saints: The Sacrament In The Broader Christian Context, Robin Douglas
Interpreter: A Journal of Latter-day Saint Faith and Scholarship
This paper views the sacrament prayers and rituals of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in the broader context of Christian eucharistic worship, focusing on how the Latter-day Saint observances both resemble and differ from those of other Christian communities. It argues that, contrary to what is often supposed, the Church has a relatively “high” eucharistic theology.
The Literary Structure Of Alma 17–20: A 14-Unit Chiasm, Derek Squire
The Literary Structure Of Alma 17–20: A 14-Unit Chiasm, Derek Squire
Interpreter: A Journal of Latter-day Saint Faith and Scholarship
This article is an analysis of the literary structure of Alma 17–20. These four chapters in the current Book of Mormon were originally a single chapter in the first edition of the Book of Mormon (originally, chapter 12). The current article describes a process and rationale that was used to identify several major literary units whose structure is no longer obvious with the division into four chapters. The original literary structure appears to have been written as a 14-part chiasm in which the matching units share many strong links and parallels. According to this analysis, the central units of this …
Uncanonized Revelations, Kent P. Jackson
Uncanonized Revelations, Kent P. Jackson
Interpreter: A Journal of Latter-day Saint Faith and Scholarship
In an important new volume, we now have easy access to revelations received by the Prophet Joseph Smith that were not included in the Doctrine and Covenants.
“I Shall Gather In”: The Name Joseph, Iterative Divine Action, And The Latter-Day Harvest Ingathering Of Israel As Themes In 3 Nephi, Matthew L. Bowen
“I Shall Gather In”: The Name Joseph, Iterative Divine Action, And The Latter-Day Harvest Ingathering Of Israel As Themes In 3 Nephi, Matthew L. Bowen
Interpreter: A Journal of Latter-day Saint Faith and Scholarship
The identity of “the people of Nephi who were spared, and also those who had been called Lamanites, who had been spared” (3 Nephi 10:18) as “a remnant of the seed of Joseph” (3 Nephi 5:23; 10:17; compare Alma 46:23–27; Ether 13:6–10) or “a remnant of the house of Joseph” (3 Nephi 15:12) is key to understanding Jesus’s Isaiah-based teaching at the temple in Bountiful in 3 Nephi. That teaching emphasizes iterative divine action (implied in the name Joseph [yôsēp], compare yôsîp) to restore and gather Israel and Judah. Like Mormon’s prophecies in 3 Nephi 5:23–26 and 26:8, Jesus’s sermon …
Nameless: Mormon’S Dramatic Use Of Omission In Helaman 2, Nathan J. Arp
Nameless: Mormon’S Dramatic Use Of Omission In Helaman 2, Nathan J. Arp
Interpreter: A Journal of Latter-day Saint Faith and Scholarship
There are many reasons why a narrator may choose to provide or withhold the names of various characters. This article hypothesizes that Mormon intentionally omitted the name of a key character from the book of Helaman related to the origin of the Gaddianton robbers. While it is not possible to know exactly what information Mormon and other Nephite recordkeepers had or preserved, it is at least plausible that Mormon might have intentionally omitted the name of a clandestine operative in the first two chapters of Helaman as a specific strategy to emphasize this operative’s secrecy and allow the reader to …
Did Korihor Usurp The Words Of Zeniff?, Elliott Jolley
Did Korihor Usurp The Words Of Zeniff?, Elliott Jolley
Interpreter: A Journal of Latter-day Saint Faith and Scholarship
The Book of Mormon contains several instances where a speaker or author in the Book of Mormon quotes a previous one. This article presents one such example: It appears that Korihor usurped the words of Zeniff, quoting some of them for his own purposes. The context of this reference to Zeniff’s words lies in Korihor’s claims that the Nephites were in bondage to the priests, just as the Lamanites wanted to bring Zeniff’s people into bondage. The connections between these two passages cross multiple generations and narrative events internally, and multiple pages of translated, dictated manuscript by Joseph Smith. It …
Insights Into The Story Of Korihor Based On Intertextual Comparisons, Noel Hudson
Insights Into The Story Of Korihor Based On Intertextual Comparisons, Noel Hudson
Interpreter: A Journal of Latter-day Saint Faith and Scholarship
A brief outline of the saga of Korihor, the Anti-Christ, is provided along with a discussion of his affinities with other Book of Mormon anti-Christs, including those in the order of Nehors. Literary allusions suggesting Korihor as a foil to the king of the Lamanites are examined. Evidence of a schism among the order of Nehors leading to violence is discussed. Korihor’s unusual death is examined within the context of the theme of crushing the serpent from the stories of Adam, Eve, and Cain.
A Model For Looking Deeply And Deeply Looking, Godfrey J. Ellis
A Model For Looking Deeply And Deeply Looking, Godfrey J. Ellis
Interpreter: A Journal of Latter-day Saint Faith and Scholarship
Peter Williams, an independent biblical scholar, has written an analysis of the parable of the prodigal son in a fascinating attempt to demonstrate two truths. The first is that one of the most overlooked attributes of the Savior is his brilliant and analytical mind. In the process, Williams reveals many intricacies hidden in the parable. He also reminds readers of the role of the Old Testament in the understanding and appreciation of the teachings of Jesus. These contributions, by themselves, demonstrate the value of the book. The second truth is that Jesus, himself, and not the gospel writers or the …
More Evidence For Alma As A Semitic Name, Neal Rappleye, Allen Hansen
More Evidence For Alma As A Semitic Name, Neal Rappleye, Allen Hansen
Interpreter: A Journal of Latter-day Saint Faith and Scholarship
Beginning with Hugh Nibley, several Latter-day Saint scholars have highlighted a deed found among the Bar Kokhba documents as evidence of the name Alma as a Jewish male name in antiquity. Here we highlight a second attestation of the same name used for a Jewish male from a slightly earlier period, as well as other evidence from Hebrew toponymy that helps corroborate not only that Alma is a Hebrew name, but also supports the etymology proposed by Latter-day Saint scholars and is suggestive of wordplays previously identified in the Book of Mormon text. Past critics have mocked the name Alma …
Nurture And Harvest: A Continued Conversation With The Annotated Book Of Mormon, Kevin Christensen
Nurture And Harvest: A Continued Conversation With The Annotated Book Of Mormon, Kevin Christensen
Interpreter: A Journal of Latter-day Saint Faith and Scholarship
Because Grant Hardy’s important book deliberately contextualizes the Book of Mormon in light of “the generally agreed upon findings of modern biblical scholars and historians,” it invites further discussion on points in which the Book of Mormon and other significant biblical scholars and historians challenge those findings. Hardy also declares that his commentary “is consistently focused on the plain meaning of the text,” which is understandably appealing, but which is in tension with Joseph Smith’s foundational observation that “the different teachers of the religion understood the same passages of scripture so differently as to destroy all confidence in settling the …
Restoring Melchizedek Priesthood, John S. Thompson
Restoring Melchizedek Priesthood, John S. Thompson
Interpreter: A Journal of Latter-day Saint Faith and Scholarship
Church historical sources make four differing claims as to when, how, and by whom Melchizedek priesthood was restored. These seemingly conflicting sources have led to many theories about what happened, including the idea that Joseph Smith changed his narrative and rewrote history as his ideas of priesthood evolved. A closer look at the sources, more carefully defining the terminology, and being more aware of ancient patterns provide a better solution for understanding the purpose and relationship of these four narratives and thus the nature of the Melchizedek priesthood Joseph Smith restored.
Full Issue
Interpreter: A Journal of Latter-day Saint Faith and Scholarship
No abstract provided.
The Man With No Name: The Story Of The Brother Of Jared As An Anti-Babel Polemic, Walker Wright
The Man With No Name: The Story Of The Brother Of Jared As An Anti-Babel Polemic, Walker Wright
Interpreter: A Journal of Latter-day Saint Faith and Scholarship
Within the text of the Book of Mormon, the name of Jared’s brother is never revealed. Various reasons have been offered for the lack of a name, but nothing conclusive has been offered. Taking a cue from the polemical nature of Old Testament theology, this paper argues that the opening of the book of Ether is a polemic against Babel, with the brother of Jared being contrasted against the people and ruler of Babel. Led by the mighty hunter Nimrod, the people of Babel refused God’s command to multiply and fill the earth. Instead, they gathered together, built a tower …
The Pathophysiology Of The Death Of Jesus The Christ, C. Thomas Black
The Pathophysiology Of The Death Of Jesus The 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. Over the past century, the Savior’s tribulations between the Last Supper and his death on the cross have been scrupulously examined from a medical viewpoint. In this article I review many of these studies and, using current medical acumen, propose additional inferences and explanations based on scriptural, medical, and historical accounts. The evidence suggests that at some point between Gethsemane and his last moments on the cross, the Lord’s body was pushed beyond the limit that a normal mortal could endure. The Lord did, however, endure and completed …
Doctrine And Covenants 21: Metanarrative Of The Restoration, Steve L. Olsen
Doctrine And Covenants 21: Metanarrative Of The Restoration, Steve L. Olsen
Interpreter: A Journal of Latter-day Saint Faith and Scholarship
Joseph Smith dictated Doctrine and Covenants 21 at the inaugural meeting of the Church of Jesus Christ on April 6, 1830. The present study examines the literary craftsmanship of the revelation to plumb the depths of its role in the restoration of the gospel of Jesus Christ. The analysis explores the meaning of patterns of usage in the text from the most specific (diction, syntax, figures of speech) to the most general (tone, rhetoric, and structural logic). The hypothesis of this study is that Doctrine and Covenants 21 provides a metanarrative of the Restoration — that is, a set of …
Verbal Punctuation In The Book Of Mormon Ii — Nevertheless, John Gee
Verbal Punctuation In The Book Of Mormon Ii — Nevertheless, John Gee
Interpreter: A Journal of Latter-day Saint Faith and Scholarship
One example of verbal punctuation that has a very clear pattern of usage in the Book of Mormon is the term nevertheless. It is used to draw a marked contrast between what the previous text would lead one to expect and what follows it. It is not clear what the ancient antecedent to the term might be and the English term and usage might be an artefact of the translation process. The frequency and usage of nevertheless in the Book of Mormon contrasts with the way that Joseph Smith’s writings use it.
“They Shall Be Scattered Again”: Some Notes On Jst Genesis 50:24–25, 33–35, Matthew L. Bowen
“They Shall Be Scattered Again”: Some Notes On Jst Genesis 50:24–25, 33–35, Matthew L. Bowen
Interpreter: A Journal of Latter-day Saint Faith and Scholarship
This article examines the extension of the etiological wordplay on the name Joseph (in terms of the Hebrew verbs ʾāsap and yāsap), recurrent in the canonical text of Genesis, into the JST Genesis 50 text, where Joseph learns about and prophesies of a future “Joseph” who would help gather Israel after they had been “scattered again” by the Lord. This article also analyzes the pairing of the prophetic and seeric roles of Moses and the latter-day “Joseph” at the beginning and ending of JST Genesis and explores the significance of this framing. The importance of Moses and Joseph Smith writing …
In New Zealand: Even More Faithful Latter-Day Saints, Louis Midgley
In New Zealand: Even More Faithful Latter-Day Saints, Louis Midgley
Interpreter: A Journal of Latter-day Saint Faith and Scholarship
his is a review of the third in the series of books of essays on what Selwyn Kātene again calls “Mormon Leaders in New Zealand.” This volume as at least as excellent, if not even better, than the other two volumes, which received very favorable reviews. Every effort must be made to preserve and publish an accurate history of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter day Saints in New Zealand/Aotearoa. Such effort is to be praised, especially when it is set out in such a handsome and exceptionally well-edited and published version as one finds in this entire valuable …
Understanding The Lamanite Mark, Clifford P. Jones
Understanding The Lamanite Mark, Clifford P. Jones
Interpreter: A Journal of Latter-day Saint Faith and Scholarship
The Book of Mormon describes a dark mark on the skin that distinguished people who rebelled against God and his laws from those who obeyed God. The Old Testament refers to a mark that fits this description and has nothing to do with natural skin color. The law of Moses prohibited the Lord’s covenant people from cutting sacrilegious marks (ancient tattoos) into their skin. The Bible simply calls these prohibited tattoos “marks” (Leviticus 19:28). This biblical meaning of the word mark, together with biblical meanings of other related words, helps us understand all Book of Mormon passages associated with the …
Centered On Christ: The Book Of Enos Possibly Structured Chiastically, Stephen Kent Ehat
Centered On Christ: The Book Of Enos Possibly Structured Chiastically, Stephen Kent Ehat
Interpreter: A Journal of Latter-day Saint Faith and Scholarship
The book of Enos is considered to be a short, one-chapter treatise on prayer, yet it is more. Close examination of its text reveals it to be a text structurally centered on Christ and the divine covenant. Enos seeks and obtains from Him a covenant to preserve the records of the Nephites for the salvation of the Lamanites. Enos prays not only for his own remission of sins but also for the salvation both of his own people, the Nephites, and also of the Lamanites. He yearns in faith that the Lord will preserve the records of his people for …
The Goodness Of The Cross And Good Friday: Lessons From Bavaria, John W. Welch
The Goodness Of The Cross And Good Friday: Lessons From Bavaria, John W. Welch
Interpreter: A Journal of Latter-day Saint Faith and Scholarship
It is natural to wonder how the day on which Jesus was crucified could come to be known as Good Friday. In this exploration of the topic, John Welch examines the many events which occurred on that fateful day and the meaning they have for us today.