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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 …
“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.
“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 …
“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 …
What To Do When "I Don't Know" Is The Only Answer, Brent D. Fillmore, Joan W. Fillmore
What To Do When "I Don't Know" Is The Only Answer, Brent D. Fillmore, Joan W. Fillmore
Religious Educator: Perspectives on the Restored Gospel
About seven months into our service as mission leaders, we attended a district conference on one of the islands in our mission. We flew in on Friday and intended to spend some time with the missionaries after the conference ended. At about ten thirty on Monday morning, one of our assistants called from the mainland. He was very emotional. He told us that while four elders had been playing soccer at the church, suddenly and for no apparent reason, one of them had collapsed. We got a few more details, and we asked him to call an ambulance, get over …
"I Say Unto You, My Brethren" Helping Female Students See Themselves In The Book Of Mormon, Cassidy Nichole Pyper
"I Say Unto You, My Brethren" Helping Female Students See Themselves In The Book Of Mormon, Cassidy Nichole Pyper
Religious Educator: Perspectives on the Restored Gospel
In 1 Nephi 14, an angel prophesied to Nephi that if the Gentiles heeded the words of the Savior, he would “manifest himself unto them in word, and also in power, and in very deed, unto the taking away of their stumbling blocks” (verse 1). The Book of Mormon uses the expression “stumbling blocks” multiple times throughout its text to describe obstacles that could cause someone to “stumble” or “err”[1] on their path to Christ and salvation. Like all of us, the youth and young adults of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints encounter stumbling blocks on their …
"That Evil May Be Done Away" Wickedness And Christ's Power To Save, Eric Wing
"That Evil May Be Done Away" Wickedness And Christ's Power To Save, Eric Wing
Religious Educator: Perspectives on the Restored Gospel
The Book of Mormon has a clearly stated purpose: “to the convincing of Jew and Gentile that JESUS IS THE CHRIST.”[1] Yet among its rich, Christ-centered content in the form of sermons, stories, themes, and illustrations, the book also frequently focuses on sin and its devastating results.[2] In fact, the text of the Book of Mormon contains over a thousand statements—almost two per page—that directly link some form of wickedness to a stated consequence. The book’s abundant use of this textual patterning—linking sin to its results— provides a wealth of data to further understand the valuable message of the Book …
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.
“Life And Death, Blessing And Cursing” New Context For “Skin Of Blackness”: In The Book Of Mormon, T. J. Uriona
“Life And Death, Blessing And Cursing” New Context For “Skin Of Blackness”: In The Book Of Mormon, T. J. Uriona
BYU Studies
For many readers of the Book of Mormon, 2 Nephi 5 can prove rather challenging. Not only does this chapter contain the actualization of a curse and the apparent genesis of an outgroup, but it also states that “the Lord God did cause a skin of blackness to come upon” this group because of their iniquity (2 Ne. 5:21). Given the prevalence of racial thought in society today, this passage has been interpreted as a hurtful reference to a phenotypic change in skin color brought on by a divine curse, leading many researchers to propose alternatives to a purely racialized …
Alma’S Cry For Salvation, Matthew L. Bowen
Alma’S Cry For Salvation, Matthew L. Bowen
Religious Educator: Perspectives on the Restored Gospel
Arguably the single greatest textual discovery in the Book of Mormon is John W. Welch’s discovery of a chiasm—a literary and rhetorical figure in which words and concepts are presented in a certain order and then presented again in reverse order—spanning the entirety of Alma 36.[1] Although alternative models of this chapter and refinements for Welch’s chiastic model have been proposed,[2] these still see Alma’s remembering and crying out to Jesus Christ as the χ (chi), or structural turning point, of the chiasm: And it came to pass that as I was thus racked with torment, while I was harrowed …
The Promise Of Prosperity Its Meaning And Relevance, Devon Cook
The Promise Of Prosperity Its Meaning And Relevance, Devon Cook
Religious Educator: Perspectives on the Restored Gospel
As religious educators, we have a responsibility to teach the doctrine “not so plainly that [students] can just understand, but [we] must teach the doctrines of the Church so plainly that no one can misunderstand.”[1] The concept of prosperity in the Book of Mormon is one of those doctrines that must be taught to youth and young adults in a way they don’t misunderstand what it means. Religious educators can help expand students’ understanding of prosperity lest they inadvertently reduce prosperity to mere financial success. If students always equate prosperity in the Book of Mormon with financial blessings, it could …
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 …
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 …
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 …
Institute Researchers Share Findings At Lds Apologetics Conference
Institute Researchers Share Findings At Lds Apologetics Conference
Insights: The Newsletter of the Neal A. Maxwell Institute for Religious Scholarship
Three Institute researchers were among the speakers at the fifth annual FAIR conference, held August 7–8 at Utah Valley State College, in Orem, Utah. Founded in 1997, the Foundation for Apologetic Information and Research is a nonprofit
corporation dedicated to providing sound information and research that support the doctrine, beliefs, and practices of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, particularly on matters that are challenged by unbelievers.
Confession Of Sins Before Execution, John A. Tvedtnes
Confession Of Sins Before Execution, John A. Tvedtnes
Insights: The Newsletter of the Neal A. Maxwell Institute for Religious Scholarship
Alma 1:15 records the execution of Nehor for the murder of Gideon: And it came to pass that they took him; and his name was Nehor; and they carried him upon the top of the hill Manti, and there he was caused, or rather did acknowledge, between the heavens and the earth, that what he had taught to the people was contrary to the word of God; and there he suffered an ignominious death.
Etruscan Gold Book From 600 B.C. Discovered
Etruscan Gold Book From 600 B.C. Discovered
Insights: The Newsletter of the Neal A. Maxwell Institute for Religious Scholarship
The Bulgarian National Museum of History in Sofia, Bulgaria, recently placed on public display an ancient book comprising six pages of 23.82-karat gold (measuring 5 centimeters in length and 4.5 centimeters in width) bound together by gold rings. The plates contain a text written in Etruscan characters and also depict a horse, a horseman, a Siren, a lyre, and soldiers. According to Elka Penkova, who
heads the museum’s archaeology department, the find may be the oldest complete book in the world, dating to about 600 B.C.
King Mosiah And The Judgeship, John A. Tvedtnes
King Mosiah And The Judgeship, John A. Tvedtnes
Insights: The Newsletter of the Neal A. Maxwell Institute for Religious Scholarship
The immediate situation that prompted Mosiah to institute a system of judges to govern the Nephites was the departure of his four sons. The people asked that Aaron be appointed king, but he and his brothers had gone to the land of Nephi to preach to the Lamanites and had renounced their claims to the monarchy (see Mosiah 29:1–6).
Patrick Henry, Gideon, And The Book Of Mormon
Patrick Henry, Gideon, And The Book Of Mormon
Insights: The Newsletter of the Neal A. Maxwell Institute for Religious Scholarship
Historian Richard L. Bush-man, responding to accusations that the Book of Mormon contains “evidence of nineteenth-century American political culture,” concluded that in fact “most of the principles tradition-ally associated with the American Constitution are slighted or disregarded altogether” in the book. “So many of the powerful intellectual influences operating on Joseph Smith failed to touch the Book of Mormon.”
Hugh Nibley And The Book Of Mormon, John W. Welch
Hugh Nibley And The Book Of Mormon, John W. Welch
Insights: The Newsletter of the Neal A. Maxwell Institute for Religious Scholarship
At first light on 6 June 1944, the first of many Allied landing craft began hitting the beaches of Normandy. At Utah Beach, 12 men dangling from one of the emerging jeeps cheered their driver on as they surged up from beneath the surface of the chilly English Channel waters. That driver, an army intelligence officer with a PhD in ancient history from the University of California at Berkeley, was none other than Hugh W. Nibley, age 34.
New Book Compiles Scholarship On Oliver Cowdery
New Book Compiles Scholarship On Oliver Cowdery
Insights: The Newsletter of the Neal A. Maxwell Institute for Religious Scholarship
In conjunction with the recent BYU symposium “Oliver Cowdery: Restoration Witness, Second Elder,” the Maxwell Institute has published Oliver Cowdery: Scribe, Elder, Witness, edited by John W. Welch and Larry E. Morris. This book includes 17 important articles previously published by BYU Studies or FARMS and covers virtually all periods of Oliver Cowdery’s life.
“Look To God And Live”, Kristian S. Heal
“Look To God And Live”, Kristian S. Heal
Insights: The Newsletter of the Neal A. Maxwell Institute for Religious Scholarship
Near the end of the children of Israel’s journey to the promised land following their miraculous escape from Egypt, they once again began to complain against the Lord and against Moses. As a result of this sin, the Lord sent “fiery serpents” among them (Numbers 21:6). Faced with physical death, the people went to Moses, confessed their sins, and entreated him to pray to the Lord to take the serpents away. However, the serpents were not taken away as requested. Instead, in what may have seemed an expression of deep irony—but was in reality a sacred symbol—Moses was instructed to …
Reformatted Text Of Book Of Mormon Enhances Study
Reformatted Text Of Book Of Mormon Enhances Study
Insights: The Newsletter of the Neal A. Maxwell Institute for Religious Scholarship
Just in time for the study of the Book of Mormon in the 2008 churchwide Sunday School courses, the Maxwell Institute recently released an updated and expanded edition of Donald W. Parry’s Poetic Parallelisms in the Book of Mormon: The Complete Text.
Missing The Mark, Paul Y. Hoskisson
Missing The Mark, Paul Y. Hoskisson
Insights: The Newsletter of the Neal A. Maxwell Institute for Religious Scholarship
In teaching Book of Mormon at Brigham Young University over the past quarter century, I have rarely found a student, whether true freshman or returned missionary, who knows what the word mark means in Jacob 4:14.1 Most of them know that the mark symbolizes Christ in this verse, but they do not know what a mark is. That is, if a mark symbolizes Christ, then mark must be something in real life other than Christ. In fact, most Book of Mormon readers justifiably feel satisfied and uplifted by relying on what they think mark means in this verse. While it …
Nibley Fellows, 2011–2012
Insights: The Newsletter of the Neal A. Maxwell Institute for Religious Scholarship
Each year the Maxwell Institute awards Nibley Fellowships to LDS students pursuing graduate degrees (usually PhDs) in fields of study directly related to the work of the Institute—primarily work on the Bible, the Book of Mormon, early Christianity, and the ancient Near East.