Open Access. Powered by Scholars. Published by Universities.®
- Discipline
-
- Arts and Humanities (225)
- Religion (225)
- Mormon Studies (96)
- Religious Education (59)
- Biblical Studies (8)
-
- Christianity (5)
- Social and Behavioral Sciences (5)
- Political Science (3)
- Family, Life Course, and Society (2)
- Religious Thought, Theology and Philosophy of Religion (2)
- Sociology (2)
- Comparative Methodologies and Theories (1)
- History (1)
- History of Christianity (1)
- History of Religions of Eastern Origins (1)
- Law (1)
- Missions and World Christianity (1)
- Rhetoric and Composition (1)
- Publication Year
- Publication
-
- Interpreter: A Journal of Latter-day Saint Faith and Scholarship (114)
- Journal of Book of Mormon Studies (46)
- BYU Studies (34)
- Faculty Publications (34)
- Religious Educator: Perspectives on the Restored Gospel (17)
-
- Insights: The Newsletter of the Neal A. Maxwell Institute for Religious Scholarship (16)
- Maxwell Institute Publications (13)
- Mormon Studies Review (4)
- Interpreter Foundation Books (2)
- Theses and Dissertations (2)
- All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023 (1)
- Studies in the Bible and Antiquity (1)
- Publication Type
Articles 121 - 150 of 284
Full-Text Articles in Entire DC Network
It Came From Beyond, Daniel C. Peterson
It Came From Beyond, Daniel C. Peterson
Interpreter: A Journal of Latter-day Saint Faith and Scholarship
The early Latter-day Saints viewed the Book of Mormon not only as a symbol of Joseph Smith’s prophetic calling but also as the most powerful evidence for that calling. However, perhaps because they were ardent believers in the Bible who had been formed in a distinctly Bible-drenched culture and perhaps also because many of them had come to the Book of Mormon relatively late in their lives, they tended to quote from the Nephite record only rarely. Surprisingly, this was the case even for Joseph Smith himself — which can be taken as a sign that he didn’t write the …
Table Rules: A Response To Americanist Approaches To The Book Of Mormon, Kevin Christensen
Table Rules: A Response To Americanist Approaches To The Book Of Mormon, Kevin Christensen
Interpreter: A Journal of Latter-day Saint Faith and Scholarship
Americanist Approaches to The Book of Mormon is an ambitious collection of essays published by Oxford University Press. By “Americanist” the editors refer to their preferred mode of contextualization: to situate the Book of Mormon as a response to various currents of nineteenth- century American thought. The “table rules” in this case determine who gets invited to the table and what topics can be discussed, using what types of evidence. The approach is legitimate, and the contributors offer a range of interesting perspectives and observations. Several essays base their arguments on the notion that the Book of Mormon adapts itself …
The Isaiah Map: An Approach To Teaching Isaiah, John Hilton Iii
The Isaiah Map: An Approach To Teaching Isaiah, John Hilton Iii
Religious Educator: Perspectives on the Restored Gospel
Isaiah is an extremely important prophet—his words were endorsed by the Savior himself (see 3 Nephi 23:1). Because Isaiah’s words can be difficult to comprehend, religious educators have a significant responsibility to help their students understand them. Perhaps the best opportunity to teach Isaiah in a Sunday School, seminary, or institute setting is during a course in the Old Testament. The next best opportunity is when teaching the Book of Mormon. “Nineteen of Isaiah’s sixty-six chapters are quoted in their entirety in the Book of Mormon and, except for two verses, two other chapters are completely quoted. Of the 1,292 …
“Between The Time Of Death And The Resurrection”: A Doctrinal Examination Of The Spirit World, Mark A. Mathews
“Between The Time Of Death And The Resurrection”: A Doctrinal Examination Of The Spirit World, Mark A. Mathews
Religious Educator: Perspectives on the Restored Gospel
All men know that they must die,” explained the Prophet Joseph Smith, “and it is . . . but reasonable to suppose that God would reveal something in reference to the matter.”
The Isaiah Map: An Approach To Teaching Isaiah, John Hilton Iii
The Isaiah Map: An Approach To Teaching Isaiah, John Hilton Iii
Faculty Publications
I saiah is an extremely important prophet—his words were endorsed by the Savior himself (see 3 Nephi 23:1). Because Isaiah’s words can be difficult to comprehend, religious educators have a significant responsibility to help their students understand them. Perhaps the best opportunity to teach Isaiah in a Sunday School, seminary, or institute setting is during a course in the Old Testament. The next best opportunity is when teaching the Book of Mormon. “Nineteen of Isaiah’s sixty-six chapters are quoted in their entirety in the Book of Mormon and, except for two verses, two other chapters are completely quoted. Of the …
The Language Of Repentance In The Book Of Mormon, Noel B. Reynolds
The Language Of Repentance In The Book Of Mormon, Noel B. Reynolds
Faculty Publications
Efforts to understand the doctrine of repentance in the Book of Mormon have long been hampered by linguistic considerations—and especially the traditional translation provided in the King James Version of the Bible. Twentieth century studies provide a needed correction to this situation and open a wealth of potential new understandings of Book of Mormon discourse on repentance. Further, the discovery that the Book of Mormon uses the common biblical figure of speech of hendiadys repeatedly to expand and enrich the concept of repentance beyond biblical usage helps readers appreciate the ways in which repentance can be seen as the most …
The Goodness Of God And His Children As A Fundamental Theological Concept In The Book Of Mormon, Noel B. Reynolds
The Goodness Of God And His Children As A Fundamental Theological Concept In The Book Of Mormon, Noel B. Reynolds
Faculty Publications
The phrase goodness of God does occur occasionally in the Hebrew Bible, but has not been considered by Old Testament scholars to be an independent principle in Israelite theology. Rather, it has been interpreted as just another way of talking about God’s acts of hesed or loving kindness for his covenant people and is usually interpreted in the context of the covenants Israel received through Abraham and Moses. The Book of Mormon clearly echoes that Old Testament pattern, but also presents two additional conceptual frameworks that are explained in terms of the goodness of God. It advances an explicit …
Faith And Faithfulness In The Book Of Mormon, Noel B. Reynolds
Faith And Faithfulness In The Book Of Mormon, Noel B. Reynolds
Faculty Publications
The concept of covenantal faithfulness toward Yahweh that Old Testament scholars have recognized and defined over the last century turns out to be a far better account of the Book of Mormon understanding of faith in the Lord, in Jesus Christ, than are any of the competing concepts of faith that have grown out of the Christian tradition over the last two millennia. For the Nephite prophets, faith was an active concept, better understood as faithfulness—as diligent obedience to the commandments the Lord has given to those who have accepted the gospel covenant through repentance and baptism. The divine …
Naturalistic Explanations Of The Origin Of The Book Of Mormon, Brian C. Hales
Naturalistic Explanations Of The Origin Of The Book Of Mormon, Brian C. Hales
BYU Studies
In early 1830, an unknown farmer in upstate New York burst upon the world’s book-publishing scene. The Book of Mormon rolled off the Grandin Press in Palmyra, New York, with Joseph Smith listed as “author and proprietor” on the title page. That same year, a few other authors produced new titles, including The Fortunes of Perkin Warbeck by Mary Shelley, Letters and Journals of Lord Byron by Thomas Moore, and Six Sermons on the Study of the Holy Scriptures by Samuel Lee. If grouped with books classified as “fiction” in 1830, the Book of Mormon may have been the longest, …
"Come To The Knowledge Of Their Redeemer": The Book Of Mormon's Message To The House Of Israel, Kevin Leon Clawson
"Come To The Knowledge Of Their Redeemer": The Book Of Mormon's Message To The House Of Israel, Kevin Leon Clawson
Theses and Dissertations
One of the major themes in the Book of Mormon is the promises of the Lord to the house of Israel. Even before Lehi and his family left the promised land, Lehi and Nephi prophesied of the future scattering and gathering of Israel. After the family of Lehi arrived on the Americas, prophets continued to teach about God’s covenants with Israel. The destiny of the house of Israel was a major theme in the books of 1 and 2 Nephi, and also at the end of the Book of Mormon in the teachings of Jesus Christ, Mormon, and Moroni.In Lehi’s …
Scripture Note: A Fresh Approach To Moroni’S Promise, Alan Taylor Farnes
Scripture Note: A Fresh Approach To Moroni’S Promise, Alan Taylor Farnes
Religious Educator: Perspectives on the Restored Gospel
Moroni’s promise is a well-known and much-loved passage of scripture to members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. It has been called “probably the most celebrated and oft-cited verses in the Book of Mormon.”1 Most missionaries know it by memory and often challenge their investigators to take “Moroni’s challenge.” Moroni tells his readers that when they read the Book of Mormon they should ponder on the Lord’s mercy since the Creation and then ask God if the Book of Mormon is not true. Then comes Moroni’s promise: “If ye shall ask with a sincere heart, with …
Finding Documents On The Joseph Smith Papers Website, Kenneth L. Alford Ph.D.
Finding Documents On The Joseph Smith Papers Website, Kenneth L. Alford Ph.D.
Faculty Publications
The Joseph Smith Papers website (josephsmithpapers.org) is a wonderful resource. With thousands of documents and hundreds of resource pages, though, it can sometimes feel like you’re searching for a needle in a haystack. The purpose of this article is to demonstrate how you might use the website to learn more about quotations and documents associated with the Prophet Joseph Smith. This article helps readers learn to use the Joseph Smith Papers website to find specific documents. It also teaches readers how to benefit from the numerous other resources available on the Joseph Smith Papers website.
“Come Unto Me” As A Technical Gospel Term, Noel B. Reynolds
“Come Unto Me” As A Technical Gospel Term, Noel B. Reynolds
Interpreter: A Journal of Latter-day Saint Faith and Scholarship
The Book of Mormon repeatedly outlines a six-part definition of the Gospel of Jesus Christ, but most writers within the book refer to only two or three of them at a time in a biblical rhetorical device called merismus. Throughout the scriptures, the term “come unto Christ” in its many forms is used as part of these merisms to represent enduring to the end. This article examines the many abbreviations of the gospel, connects the phrase “come unto Christ” with enduring to the end, and discusses some of the alternate uses of these types of phrases.
Read This Book: A Review Of The Maxwell Institute Study Edition Of The Book Of Mormon, Brant A. Gardner
Read This Book: A Review Of The Maxwell Institute Study Edition Of The Book Of Mormon, Brant A. Gardner
Interpreter: A Journal of Latter-day Saint Faith and Scholarship
The Maxwell Institute Study Edition of the Book of Mormon is an important tool for personal and class study of the Book of Mormon. Not only does it provide a better reading experience, it has important features that enhance study.
Feasting On The Book Of Mormon, Stephen O. Smoot
Feasting On The Book Of Mormon, Stephen O. Smoot
Interpreter: A Journal of Latter-day Saint Faith and Scholarship
The Neal A. Maxwell Institute for Religious Scholarship has recently published a new study edition of the Book of Mormon. Edited by Grant Hardy, the Maxwell Institute Study Edition (MISE) incorporates important advances in Book of Mormon scholarship from the past few decades while grounding the reader’s experience in the text of the Book of Mormon. The reformatted text presented in the MISE improves the readability of the Book of Mormon, while footnotes, charts, bibliographies, and short explanatory essays highlight the strides made in recent years related to Book of Mormon scholarship. The MISE is a phenomenal edition of the …
The Record Of My Father, Clifford P. Jones
The Record Of My Father, Clifford P. Jones
Interpreter: A Journal of Latter-day Saint Faith and Scholarship
In 1 Nephi 1:16–17, Nephi tells us he is abridging “the record of my father.” The specific words Nephi uses in his writings form several basic but important patterns and features used repeatedly by Nephi and also by other Book of Mormon writers. These patterns and features provide context that appears to indicate that Nephi’s abridgment of Lehi’s record is the third-person account found in 1 Nephi 1:4 through 2:15 and that Nephi’s f irst-person account of his own ministry begins in 1 Nephi 2:16.
Beyond Justice: Reading Alma 42 In The Context Of Atonement Theories, Mark D. Ellison
Beyond Justice: Reading Alma 42 In The Context Of Atonement Theories, Mark D. Ellison
Faculty Publications
In Alma 42, Alma teaches his son Corianton about the atonement in a statement laden with legal vocabulary. Terms such as law, judged, just, justice, injustice, punishment, probationary, and penitent dominate the message, in company with such concepts as the execution of the law, the infliction of punishment, and punishment being affixed to violation of law. By all appearances, Alma sets forth what theologians call a juridical view of atonement (one concerned with the administration of justice). The problem as Alma states it is that “all mankind were fallen” and because of disobedience were “in the grasp of justice” and …
“And He Was Anti-Christ”: The Significance Of The Eighteenth Year Of The Reign Of The Judges, Part 2, Daniel Belnap, Daniel L. Belnap, Daniel Belnap, Dan Belnap
“And He Was Anti-Christ”: The Significance Of The Eighteenth Year Of The Reign Of The Judges, Part 2, Daniel Belnap, Daniel L. Belnap, Daniel Belnap, Dan Belnap
Faculty Publications
For the Nephites, the sixteenth year of the reign of the judges was tremendously difficult. The arrival of the people of Ammon, in itself an incredible disruption of Nephite society, precipitated a battle, which Mormon describes as a “tremendous battle; yea, even such an one as never had been known among all the people in the land from the time Lehi left Jerusalem” (Alma 28:2). The dead, we are told, were not counted due to their enormous number. These events compounded the pre-existing struggles that resulted from the sociopolitical fallout from the reforms of Mosiah2 . 1 Though Alma 30:5 …
The Book Of Mormon And Patriarchal Blessings: Reflections By An Ordained Patriarch, Richard Dilworth Rust
The Book Of Mormon And Patriarchal Blessings: Reflections By An Ordained Patriarch, Richard Dilworth Rust
Religious Educator: Perspectives on the Restored Gospel
In my service as a stake patriarch before going on several missions with my wife and subsequently in giving patriarchal blessings to several of my grandchildren, I have learned how the Book of Mormon as a whole and in its parts can be likened in many ways to a patriarchal blessing. Likewise, a patriarchal blessing given by an ordained patriarch can be likened to the Book of Mormon. An increased understanding of the one can help us better understand and value the other. In looking at the Book of Mormon and patriarchal blessings together, one can see even more clearly …
"Come Unto Me" As A Technical Gospel Term, Noel B. Reynolds
"Come Unto Me" As A Technical Gospel Term, Noel B. Reynolds
Faculty Publications
In this paper I have reconciled the well established six-element gospel of salvation taught by Christ and his prophets throughout the Book of Mormon with the recurring invitation to come unto Christ and be saved. Once we can understand that most statements of the gospel in the Book of Mormon are formulated meristically—that where only a few or even just two of the gospel elements are mentioned explicitly, the full set of six is implied—the door is opened for a more precise account for the invitation to come unto him. In this detailed survey, I have shown that in almost …
Review Of The Bible, Mormon Scripture, And The Rhetoric Of Allusivity, By Nicholas J. Frederick, Cory Crawford
Review Of The Bible, Mormon Scripture, And The Rhetoric Of Allusivity, By Nicholas J. Frederick, Cory Crawford
Mormon Studies Review
In this monograph Nicholas Frederick tackles the directional literary relationship between canonical Mormon scripture and the King James Bible with a methodology more secure and transparent than has been applied in the past. He advances substantively the study of Latter-day Saint sacred texts by trying to get an analytical handle on what attentive readers detect easily, namely, that the rhetorical space created and occupied by Joseph Smith’s canonized writings, produced in English, is inseparable from the English of the King James Bible in ways that complicate the question of historicity and translation. For Frederick, detecting and decoding allusion in LDS …
Too Little Or Too Much Like The Bible? A Novel Critique Of The Book Of Mormon Involving David And The Psalms, Jeff Lindsay
Too Little Or Too Much Like The Bible? A Novel Critique Of The Book Of Mormon Involving David And The Psalms, Jeff Lindsay
Interpreter: A Journal of Latter-day Saint Faith and Scholarship
A recent graduate thesis proposes an intriguing new means for discerning if the Book of Mormon is historic or not. By looking at Book of Mormon references to David and the Psalms, the author concludes that it cannot be the product of an ancient Jewish people and that it is, instead, the result of Joseph Smith’s “plagiarism” from the Bible and other sources. This paper examines the author’s claims, how they are applied to the Book of Mormon, and proposes points the author does not take into consideration. While the author is to be congratulated for taking a fresh perspective …
The Word Baptize In The Book Of Mormon, John Hilton Iii
The Word Baptize In The Book Of Mormon, John Hilton Iii
Interpreter: A Journal of Latter-day Saint Faith and Scholarship
The word baptize appears 119 times in the Book of Mormon; three speakers (Jesus Christ, Mormon, and Nephi) account for 87% of all of these usages. Each of these individuals have distinctive patterns in how they use the word baptize, indicating that each speaker has his own unique voice. When one accounts for the fact that Christ says relatively fewer words than Mormon, it is evident that per 1,000 words spoken, Jesus Christ uses the word baptize more than any other speaker in the Book of Mormon. This finding holds true for Christ’s words both in and outside of 3 …
Playing To An Audience: A Review Of Revelatory Events, Kevin Christensen
Playing To An Audience: A Review Of Revelatory Events, Kevin Christensen
Interpreter: A Journal of Latter-day Saint Faith and Scholarship
Ann Taves’s book offers a comparative look at the origins of three groups, among them Mormonism. While she does not address the issue of competing explanations by each group about their origins or how to best navigate among them in terms that are not self-referential, that crucial circumstance is modeled by Thomas Kuhn in The Structure of Scientific Revolutions. So I, too, have a pattern that applies to my arguments just as much it does to those offered by Professor Taves. Where her book attempts to solve the puzzle of Joseph Smith, my review offers a test of her rules …
Approaching Abinadi, Stephen O. Smoot
Approaching Abinadi, Stephen O. Smoot
Interpreter: A Journal of Latter-day Saint Faith and Scholarship
The recently released Abinadi: He Came Among Them in Disguise, a new book from Brigham Young University’s Book of Mormon Academy, offers readers multidisciplinary approaches to Mosiah 11–17 that highlight the literary, historical, and doctrinal richness of the story of Abinadi. Students and scholars of the Book of Mormon are sure to benefit greatly from this new volume.
Abinadi: A Minor Prophet, A Major Contributor, Andrew C. Smith
Abinadi: A Minor Prophet, A Major Contributor, Andrew C. Smith
Interpreter: A Journal of Latter-day Saint Faith and Scholarship
The new edited volume Abinadi: He Came Among Them in Disguise, from the Book of Mormon Academy, is a valuable contribution to Book of Mormon studies. It should find a wide audience and stimulate greater and deeper thinking about the pivotal contributions of Abinadi to the Book of Mormon. It should, however, not be considered the end of the conversation. This review discusses the volume’s importance within Book of Mormon scholarship generally. It also highlights certain valuable contributions from each of the authors, and points out places where more can be said and deeper analysis is needed.
To Be Learned Is Good, If One Stays On The Rails, Paul C. Peterson
To Be Learned Is Good, If One Stays On The Rails, Paul C. Peterson
Interpreter: A Journal of Latter-day Saint Faith and Scholarship
This review essay looks at certain problematical issues in the recently published collection of essays honoring Latter-day Saint historian Richard Lyman Bushman. Problems emerge from the title itself, “To Be Learned is Good,” as a result of the failure to note that the Book of Mormon passage “To be learned is good” is a conditional statement. In addition, since these essays are billed as “Essays on Faith and Scholarship,” it is odd most of them do not touch on this subject at all. I examine four essays in depth, including Adam Miller’s “Christo-Fiction, Mormon Philosophy, and the Virtual Body of …
Et Incarnatus Est: The Imperative For Book Of Mormon Historicity, Stephen O. Smoot
Et Incarnatus Est: The Imperative For Book Of Mormon Historicity, Stephen O. Smoot
Interpreter: A Journal of Latter-day Saint Faith and Scholarship
Some have come to insist that the Book of Mormon should be read as inspired fiction, which is to say that readers, including Latter-day Saints, should abandon any belief in the Book of Mormon as an authentic ancient text and instead should see it as an inspired frontier novel written by Joseph Smith that may act as scripture for those who follow his teachings. T his paper provides reasoning to reject this proposition as not only logically incoherent but also theologically impotent.1 It raises the objection that this position fundamentally undercuts the credibility of Joseph Smith. The Prophet’s direct claims …
Timing The Translation Of The Book Of Mormon: "Days [And Hours] Never To Be Forgotten", John W. Welch
Timing The Translation Of The Book Of Mormon: "Days [And Hours] Never To Be Forgotten", John W. Welch
BYU Studies
This paper aims to stimulate specific thinking about the intense and complex events during which the Book of Mormon was translated in 1829. Encouraged initially by Elder Neal A. Maxwell, and building on my chapter in the second edition of Opening the Heavens, this article strives to be as precise as possible about the timing of the events and progress of the Book of Mormon translation during the months and days it took place. In 1834, Oliver Cowdery wrote, “These were days never to be forgotten—to sit under the sound of a voice dictated by the inspiration of heaven, …
Abinadi: He Came Among Them In Disguise, Neal Rappleye
Abinadi: He Came Among Them In Disguise, Neal Rappleye
BYU Studies
Abinadi: He Came among Them in Disguise, edited by Shon D. Hopkin (Provo, Utah: Religious Studies Center, Brigham Young University; Salt Lake City: Deseret Book, 2018)