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Articles 61 - 90 of 326
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“In The Cause … Of Their God”: Clarifying Some Issues Regarding The Book Of Mormon And A Gospel View Of War, Duane Boyce
“In The Cause … Of Their God”: Clarifying Some Issues Regarding The Book Of Mormon And A Gospel View Of War, Duane Boyce
Interpreter: A Journal of Latter-day Saint Faith and Scholarship
A recent effort to think about war concludes that the Book of Mormon displays two righteous approaches to conflict: a violent approach that is justified and therefore “blessed;” and a nonviolent approach that is higher than this and therefore “more blessed” (an approach that is also said to be effective in ending conflict). This effort, however, turns out to be unsuccessful for multiple reasons. Attending to these reasons can be valuable, since doing so can help clarify several important issues about the Book of Mormon and a gospel view of war.
Full Issue
Interpreter: A Journal of Latter-day Saint Faith and Scholarship
No abstract provided.
“Behold, He Was A Man Like Unto Ammon”: Mormon’S Use Of ʾMn-Related Terminology In Praise Of Moroni In Alma 48, Matthew L. Bowen
“Behold, He Was A Man Like Unto Ammon”: Mormon’S Use Of ʾMn-Related Terminology In Praise Of Moroni In Alma 48, Matthew L. Bowen
Interpreter: A Journal of Latter-day Saint Faith and Scholarship
This article examines Mormon’s comparison of Moroni, the Nephite military leader, to Ammon, the son of Mosiah, in Alma 48:18 and how Mormon’s use and repetition of ʾmn-related terminology (“faithful,” “firm,” “faith,” “verily [surely]”) in Alma 48:7–17 lays a foundation for this comparison. Ammon’s name, phonologically and perhaps etymologically, suggests the meaning “faithful.” Mormon goes to extraordinary lengths in the Lamanite conversion narratives to show that Ammon is not only worthy of this name, but that his faithfulness is the catalyst for the transition of many Lamanites from unbelief to covenant faithfulness. Thus, in comparing Moroni directly to Ammon, Mormon …
Withstanding Satan’S Siege Through Christ’S Iron Rod: The Vision Of The Tree Of Life In Context Of Ancient Siege Warfare, Jared Marcum
Withstanding Satan’S Siege Through Christ’S Iron Rod: The Vision Of The Tree Of Life In Context Of Ancient Siege Warfare, Jared Marcum
Interpreter: A Journal of Latter-day Saint Faith and Scholarship
Nothing was more terrifying in the ancient world than a siege. Besiegers disregarded normal conventions of war and either utterly slaughtered or enslaved a city’s residents. Nephi used siege warfare imagery — including fire arrows, blinding, and being led away into captivity — to teach his brothers the importance of holding fast to Christ’s iron rod (see 1 Nephi 15:24). By analyzing this scripture and the vision of the Tree of Life in context of ancient siege warfare, we learn how Satan besieges God’s people, cuts off their access to the Tree of Life, draws them away through scorn, blinds …
“Upon The Wings Of His Spirit”: A Note On Hebrew Rûaḥ And 2 Nephi 4:25, Matthew L. Bowen
“Upon The Wings Of His Spirit”: A Note On Hebrew Rûaḥ And 2 Nephi 4:25, Matthew L. Bowen
Interpreter: A Journal of Latter-day Saint Faith and Scholarship
Nephi, in composing his psalm (2 Nephi 4:15–35), incorporates a poetic idiom from Psalm 18:10 (2 Samuel 22:11) and Psalm 104:3 to describe his participation in a form of divine travel. This experience constituted a part of the vision in which he saw “the things which [his] father saw” in the latter’s dream of the tree of life (see 1 Nephi 11:1–3; 14:29– 30). Nephi’s use of this idiom becomes readily apparent when the range of meaning for the Hebrew word rûaḥ is considered. Nephi’s experience helps our understanding of other scriptural scenes where similar divine travel is described.
An Analysis Of Mormon’S Narrative Strategies Employed On The Zeniffite Narrative And Their Effect On Limhi, Nathan J. Arp
An Analysis Of Mormon’S Narrative Strategies Employed On The Zeniffite Narrative And Their Effect On Limhi, Nathan J. Arp
Interpreter: A Journal of Latter-day Saint Faith and Scholarship
The prophet Mormon’s editorial skill brings the narrative of the Zeniffites alive with a complex tumble of viewpoints, commentary, and timelines. Mormon seems to apply similar narrative strategies as those used in the Bible in his approach to abridging the history of his people. A comparative reading of the various accounts in the Zeniffite story provides the close reader with a deep picture of Limhi, the tragic grandson of the founding king, Zeniff, and the son of the iniquitous King Noah. Noah’s wicked rule brought his people into bondage. His conflicted son Limhi’s efforts to free the people, although well …
The Hamites: The Pre-Restoration Monotheism Of The Children Of Ham In The Book Of Abraham, Adam Stokes
The Hamites: The Pre-Restoration Monotheism Of The Children Of Ham In The Book Of Abraham, Adam Stokes
Interpreter: A Journal of Latter-day Saint Faith and Scholarship
This article examines the treatment of several personages identified as Hamites in the Book of Abraham. It proposes that, in contrast to traditional readings of the text, Hamites are featured positively in the Book of Abraham. This is particularly true of the daughters of Onitah and of Pharaoh himself, both of whom are presented as righteous people practicing an early form of monotheism. While I do not claim that the Book of Abraham is completely free of elements possibly deemed to be racially problematic, until now, the positive depiction of the Hamites in the text has largely been overlooked.
“Encircled About Eternally In The Arms Of His Love”: The Divine Embrace As A Thematic Symbol Of Jesus Christ And His Atonement In The Book Of Mormon, Matthew L. Bowen
“Encircled About Eternally In The Arms Of His Love”: The Divine Embrace As A Thematic Symbol Of Jesus Christ And His Atonement In The Book Of Mormon, Matthew L. Bowen
Interpreter: A Journal of Latter-day Saint Faith and Scholarship
This study builds upon Hugh Nibley’s insightful observation that several Book of Mormon passages reflect “the ritual embrace that consummates the final escape from death in the Egyptian funerary texts and reliefs” as expressing the meaning of Christ’s Atonement. This study further extends Nibley’s observations on Jacob’s “wrestle” as a divine “embrace” to show that Lehi’s, Nephi’s, and their successors’ understanding of the divine embrace is informed by their ancestor’s “wrestle” with a “man” (Genesis 32:24–30) and reconciliation with his brother (Genesis 33:4–10). Examples of the divine embrace language and imagery throughout the Book of Mormon go well beyond what …
Joseph Smith’S Education And Intellect As Described In Documentary Sources, Brian C. Hales
Joseph Smith’S Education And Intellect As Described In Documentary Sources, Brian C. Hales
Interpreter: A Journal of Latter-day Saint Faith and Scholarship
Although Joseph Smith has been credited with “approximately seven full school years” of district schooling, further research supports that his education consisted of basic instruction in “reading, writing and the ground rules of arithmetic” comprising “less than two years of formal schooling.” The actual number of terms he experienced in common schools in upstate New York is probably less critical since the curricula in district schools did not then teach creative writing, composition, or extemporaneous speaking. If Joseph Smith learned how to compose and dictate a book, extracurricular activities would likely have been the training source. Six of those can …
Exploring The Complex Book Of Mormon, Brant A. Gardner
Exploring The Complex Book Of Mormon, Brant A. Gardner
Interpreter: A Journal of Latter-day Saint Faith and Scholarship
This volume collects papers published in multiple venues over a wide time span. A diligent researcher might find all of them, but that difficult search has been done. The included papers represent multiple ways of approaching the Book of Mormon and therefore provide the reader with a rounded perspective on how and why a careful reading should be done.
The Holy Ghost In The Book Of Moroni: Possessed Of Charity, Newell D. Wright, Val Larsen
The Holy Ghost In The Book Of Moroni: Possessed Of Charity, Newell D. Wright, Val Larsen
Interpreter: A Journal of Latter-day Saint Faith and Scholarship
The role played by the Holy Ghost is an especially important connecting thread that runs through the Book of Moroni. The book illuminates the various ways in which the Holy Ghost transforms fallen human beings into redeemed members of the kingdom of God. Three phrases — “cleave unto charity,” “possessed of it,” and “that ye may be filled with this love” — are particularly revelatory of the role the Holy Ghost plays in our exaltation. But the positive process illuminated by these phrases has an obverse. Those who reject the Holy Ghost cleave to and are possessed of Satan. They …
Moving Beyond The Historicity Question, Or A Manifesto For Future Book Of Mormon Research, Newell D. Wright
Moving Beyond The Historicity Question, Or A Manifesto For Future Book Of Mormon Research, Newell D. Wright
Interpreter: A Journal of Latter-day Saint Faith and Scholarship
Book of Mormon Studies: An Introduction and Guide by four Brigham Young University religion professors reviews the field of Book of Mormon studies from the late nineteenth century to the current day. After the historical review of the field, the authors lay out a research agenda for the twenty-first century that, by and large, moves on from the Book of Mormon historicity question that so engaged twentieth-century scholars. T his review examines the authors’ claims and demonstrates that the scope of the book is not as broad as it could or should be. Absent perspectives, blind spots, incomplete twenty-first–century research …
Full Issue
Interpreter: A Journal of Latter-day Saint Faith and Scholarship
No abstract provided.
Elias: Prophet Of The Restoration, Jan Francisco
Elias: Prophet Of The Restoration, Jan Francisco
Interpreter: A Journal of Latter-day Saint Faith and Scholarship
he Prophet Elias is a puzzle, with a handful of pieces scattered through the standard works and the teachings of Joseph Smith. Rather than proving a point conclusively, this paper will put the pieces together to show a new picture of this important figure. The interpretation in this article weaves together the scriptures regarding Elias into a cohesive narrative, with the prophet Noah at the center. The pieces of the puzzle investigated here are Elias’s role as the angel Gabriel in the New Testament, on the Mount of Transfiguration, the Kirtland Temple, in the Book of Revelation, and in D&C …
Joseph Smith At The Veil: Significant Ritual, Symbolism, And Temple Influence At Latter-Day Saint Beginnings, George L. Mitton
Joseph Smith At The Veil: Significant Ritual, Symbolism, And Temple Influence At Latter-Day Saint Beginnings, George L. Mitton
Interpreter: A Journal of Latter-day Saint Faith and Scholarship
The prophet Joseph Smith was paced through a life steeped in ritual and symbolism. Notable things Joseph did or experienced under angelic guidance may be seen as ritual procedures that may require careful consideration to discern their meaning, what they symbolize, their purpose, and their importance to the restoration of the fullness of the gospel of Jesus Christ. Failure to recognize the function of ritual has resulted in much misunderstanding and criticism of Joseph. Many of his early actions and procedures were closely related to the ancient temple. They amount to an anticipation and witness of the temple and its …
A Truly Remarkable Book, Louis Midgley
A Truly Remarkable Book, Louis Midgley
Interpreter: A Journal of Latter-day Saint Faith and Scholarship
Saving Faith is a truly excellent book, designed especially for families concerned about their children. It is also a book appropriate for those getting ready to serve as missionaries, or for newly married couples, young couples about to be married, or even for those about to bring children into this world to undergo their mortal probation.
The Nephite Metaphor Of Life As A Probation: Rethinking Nephi’S Portrayal Of Laman And Lemuel, Noel B. Reynolds
The Nephite Metaphor Of Life As A Probation: Rethinking Nephi’S Portrayal Of Laman And Lemuel, Noel B. Reynolds
Interpreter: A Journal of Latter-day Saint Faith and Scholarship
Commentaries on Nephi’s first book tend to interpret the fraternal struggles it reports as historical facts that are meant primarily to invite readers’ evaluative responses. While recognizing the historical character of the facts marshalled by Nephi, this paper will argue that the author transposes that history into an allegory meant to inspire his readers in all times and places to abandon prevailing metaphors of life that are focused on the attainment of worldly goods and pleasures. In their place, Nephi offers the revealed metaphor of life as a day of probation taught to him and his father in their great …
“The Lord God Will Proceed”: Nephi’S Wordplay In 1 Nephi 22:8–12 And The Abrahamic Covenant, Matthew L. Bowen
“The Lord God Will Proceed”: Nephi’S Wordplay In 1 Nephi 22:8–12 And The Abrahamic Covenant, Matthew L. Bowen
Interpreter: A Journal of Latter-day Saint Faith and Scholarship
Nephi quotes or alludes to four distinct Old Testament passages — Genesis 22:18; Isaiah 29:14; Isaiah 49:22–23; and Isaiah 52:10 — twice each in 1 Nephi 22:6, 8–12. These four texts form the basis of his description of how the Lord would bring to pass the complete fulfillment of the promises in the Abrahamic covenant for the salvation of the human family. These texts’ shared use of the Hebrew word gôyim (“nations” [> kindreds], “Gentiles”) provides the lexical basis for Nephi’s quotation and interpretation of these texts in light of each other. Nephi uses these texts to prophesy that the …
Honoring Joseph’S Theophany Two Centuries Later, Spencer Kraus
Honoring Joseph’S Theophany Two Centuries Later, Spencer Kraus
Interpreter: A Journal of Latter-day Saint Faith and Scholarship
In the year 2020, members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints celebrated the 200th anniversary of the First Vision of the Prophet Joseph Smith. As a part of honoring that seminal moment in the Church’s history, the Church History Symposium focused on the context, place, and meaning of the First Vision. Selected papers from the conference have been published in Joseph Smith and his First Vision: Context, Place, and Meaning, edited by Alexander L. Baugh, Steven C. Harper, Brent M. Rogers, and Benjamin C. Pykles, offering new insights and research into Joseph Smith’s theophany in the Sacred …
“We Might Have Enjoyed Our Possessions And The Land Of Our Inheritance”: Hebrew Yrš And 1 Nephi 17:21, Matthew L. Bowen
“We Might Have Enjoyed Our Possessions And The Land Of Our Inheritance”: Hebrew Yrš And 1 Nephi 17:21, Matthew L. Bowen
Interpreter: A Journal of Latter-day Saint Faith and Scholarship
The verbal expression “we might have enjoyed,” as used in a complaint that Nephi attributes to his brothers, “we might have enjoyed our possessions and the land of our inheritance” (1 Nephi 17:21), reflects a use of the Hebrew verb yrš in its progressive aspect, “to enjoy possession of.” This meaning is evident in several passages in the Hebrew Bible, and perhaps most visibly in the KJV translation of Numbers 36:8 (“And every daughter, that possesseth [Hebrew yōrešet] an inheritance [naḥălâ] in any tribe of the children of Israel, shall be wife unto one of the family of the tribe …
“For Their Good Have I Written Them”: The Onomastic Allusivity And Literary Function Of 2 Nephi 25:8, Matthew L. Bowen
“For Their Good Have I Written Them”: The Onomastic Allusivity And Literary Function Of 2 Nephi 25:8, Matthew L. Bowen
Interpreter: A Journal of Latter-day Saint Faith and Scholarship
Nephi’s writings exhibit a distinctive focus on “good” and divine “goodness,” reflecting the meaning of Nephi’s Egyptian name (derived from nfr) meaning “good,” “goodly,” “fine,” or “fair.” Beyond the inclusio playing on his own name in terms of “good” and “goodness” (1 Nephi 1:1; 2 Nephi 33:3–4, 10, 12), he uses a similar inclusio (2 Nephi 5:30–31; 25:7–8) to frame and demarcate a smaller portion of his personal record in which he incorporated a substantial portion of the prophecies of Isaiah (2 Nephi 6–24). This smaller inclusio frames the Isaianic material as having been incorporated into Nephi’s “good” writings on …
Lehi And Nephi As Trained Manassite Scribes, Noel B. Reynolds
Lehi And Nephi As Trained Manassite Scribes, Noel B. Reynolds
Interpreter: A Journal of Latter-day Saint Faith and Scholarship
This paper brings together contemporary Ancient Near East scholarship in several fields to construct an updated starting point for interpretation of the teachings of the Book of Mormon. It assembles findings from studies of ancient scribal culture, historical linguistics and epigraphy, Hebrew rhetoric, and the history and archaeology of Mesopotamia, Egypt, and the Levant, together with the traditions of ancient Israel to construct a contextualized perspective for understanding Lehi, Nephi, and their scribal training as they would have been understood by their contemporaries. Lehi and Nephi are shown to be the beneficiaries of the most advanced scribal training available in …
“Unto The Taking Away Of Their Stumbling Blocks”: The Taking Away And Keeping Back Of Plain And Precious Things And Their Restoration In 1 Nephi 13–15, Matthew L. Bowen
“Unto The Taking Away Of Their Stumbling Blocks”: The Taking Away And Keeping Back Of Plain And Precious Things And Their Restoration In 1 Nephi 13–15, Matthew L. Bowen
Interpreter: A Journal of Latter-day Saint Faith and Scholarship
In the latter part (1 Nephi 13–14) of his vision of the tree of life (1 Nephi 11–14), Nephi is shown the unauthorized human diminution of scripture and the gospel by the Gentile “great and abominable church” — that plain and precious things/words, teachings, and covenants were “taken away” or otherwise “kept back” from the texts that became the Bible and how people lived out its teachings. He also saw how the Lord would act to restore those lost words, teachings, and covenants among the Gentiles “unto the taking away of their stumbling blocks” (1 Nephi 14:1). The iterative language …
A Deeper Understanding Of The Temple In 175 Entries, David Calabro
A Deeper Understanding Of The Temple In 175 Entries, David Calabro
Interpreter: A Journal of Latter-day Saint Faith and Scholarship
In a must-have book written for a Latter-day Saint audience, Donald Parry offers profound insights into 175 features of ancient and modern temples, including architectural features, aspects of ritual, and temple-related doctrine.
“But That Thou Wouldst Clear My Way Before Me”: A Note On The Personal And Emotional Rendering Of An Ancient Idiom In 2 Nephi 4:33, Matthew L. Bowen
“But That Thou Wouldst Clear My Way Before Me”: A Note On The Personal And Emotional Rendering Of An Ancient Idiom In 2 Nephi 4:33, Matthew L. Bowen
Interpreter: A Journal of Latter-day Saint Faith and Scholarship
The biblical Hebrew collocation pinnâ derek or pannû derek (cf. Egyptian Ἰr wꜣ.t [n]), often rendered “prepare the way” or “prepare a way” in English, is an evident stylistic feature of Nephi’s writings. The most basic meaning of this idiom is “clear my way,” which is how it is rendered in 2 Nephi 4:33. Zenos’s use of “prepare the way” (Jacob 5:61, 64) in the context of “clear[ing] away” bad branches also reflects this most basic meaning.
Verbal Punctuation In The Book Of Mormon I: (And) Now, John Gee
Verbal Punctuation In The Book Of Mormon I: (And) Now, John Gee
Interpreter: A Journal of Latter-day Saint Faith and Scholarship
The Book of Mormon, being an ancient book, was originally written without typographic punctuation and employs verbal punctuation instead. This article looks at the use of “and now” as verbal punctuation in the Book of Mormon. The phrase is used to mark major breaks in the text, not only for chapters but also within chapters of the text. The Book of Mormon usage is borrowed from Classical Biblical Hebrew (the Hebrew used before the exile) and follows the pattern set by pre-exilic Hebrew scribes. While this usage dropped in the Old World after the Babylonian exile as Aramaic replaced Hebrew …
Full Issue
Interpreter: A Journal of Latter-day Saint Faith and Scholarship
No abstract provided.
Nephi’S Small Plates: A Rhetorical Analysis, Noel B. Reynolds
Nephi’S Small Plates: A Rhetorical Analysis, Noel B. Reynolds
Interpreter: A Journal of Latter-day Saint Faith and Scholarship
In previous and pending publications I have proposed interpretations of various features of Nephi’s writings. In this paper I undertake a comprehensive discussion of the seven passages in which Nephi and his successor Jacob explain the difference between the large and the small plates and describe the divinely mandated profile for each. While most readers of the Book of Mormon have been satisfied with the simple distinction between the large plates in which the large plates are a comprehensive historical record of the Nephite experience and the small plates are a record of selected spiritual experiences, including revelations and prophecies, …
Gentiles In The Book Of Mormon, John Hilton Iii, Ryan Sharp, Brad Wilcox, Jaron Hansen
Gentiles In The Book Of Mormon, John Hilton Iii, Ryan Sharp, Brad Wilcox, Jaron Hansen
Interpreter: A Journal of Latter-day Saint Faith and Scholarship
The word Gentiles appears 141 times in the Book of Mormon (the singular Gentile appears only five times.) It appears more frequently than key words such as baptize, resurrection, Zion, and truth. The word Gentiles does not appear with equal frequency throughout the Book of Mormon; in fact, it appears in only five of its fifteen books: 1 Nephi, 2 Nephi, 3 Nephi, Mormon, and Ether. Additionally, Book of Mormon speakers did not say Gentiles evenly. Some speakers said the word much less often than we might expect while others used it much more. Nephi1 used Gentiles the most (43 …
“The Messenger Of Salvation”: The Messenger-Message Christology Of D&C 93:8 And Its Implications For Latter-Day Saint Missionary Work And Temple Worship, Matthew L. Bowen
“The Messenger Of Salvation”: The Messenger-Message Christology Of D&C 93:8 And Its Implications For Latter-Day Saint Missionary Work And Temple Worship, Matthew L. Bowen
Interpreter: A Journal of Latter-day Saint Faith and Scholarship
Several of the Prophet Joseph Smith’s earliest revelations, beginning with Moroni’s appearance in 1823, quote the prophecy of Malachi 3:1 with the Lord “suddenly com[ing] to his temple” as “messenger of the covenant.” Malachi 3:1 and its quoted iterations in 3 Nephi 24:1; Doctrine and Covenants 36:8; 42:36; 133:2 not only impressed upon Joseph and early Church members the urgency of building a temple to which the Lord could come, but also presented him as the messenger of the Father’s restored covenant. Malachi’s prophecy concords with the restored portion of the “fulness of the record of John” and its “messenger” …