Digital Commons Network^™

The Manuscript Of The Gospel Of Judas, S. Kent Brown

BYU Studies

This article discusses the Gospel of Judas, an Early Christian text found in Egypt about 1978 and published in 2006 with much media attention. The discovery of the manuscript of the Gospel of Judas raises questions about the manuscript's origin and if it could have been forged. The author discusses the book's similarities to and differences from the Nag Hammadi texts, Christian documents found in 1945. He describes the manuscript's condition when it was found, its contents, and the effect it may have on scholars' research on early Christianity. He also shares his own experience in viewing ancient papyrus documents …

Book Notices, Jedediah S. Rogers, Jeffrey Needle, Robert L. Maxwell

BYU Studies

No abstract provided.

"Will The Murderers Be Hung?": Albert Brown's 1844 Letter And The Martyrdom Of Joseph Smith, Timothy Merrill

BYU Studies

Albert Brown’s November 11, 1844, letter from Nauvoo to his New York relatives adds significantly to the historical record of Joseph Smith’s martyrdom. Brown wrote from the perspective of one loyal to Joseph Smith. When studied in connection with antagonistic accounts published earlier in BYU Studies, readers of the letter can sense the views, loyalties, and hostilities of the bitterly divided factions that swirled around Joseph Smith as they once did around Jesus Christ.

Are Christians Mormon?: Reassessing Joseph Smith's Theology In His Bicentennial, David L. Paulsen

BYU Studies

Harold Bloom, the self-proclaimed “unbelieving Jew” and distinguished scholar, recently characterized Joseph Smith as “a religious genius,” stating that the religion Smith founded “is truly a biblical religion.” More recently, Carl Mosser has written concerning the doctrine of that religion: “Mormonism’s heresies are legion; they are also very interesting and often unique in the history of heresy.” Biblical or heretical? Of these two reactions, the charge of heresy has been far more common, especially among conservative Christian critics, who consistently draw a circle that leaves Joseph’s Mormonism out.

Old Testament Bibliography: Latter-Day Saint Publications, 1997-2005, David Rolph Seely, W. Kenneth Hamblin, Erica Lamb Holland

BYU Studies

This is a continuation of the comprehensive bibliography of LDS writings on the Old Testament published in BYU Studies 37, no. 2 (1997– 98), available at byustudies.byu.edu, under Resources. This bibliography includes publications from 1997 to the end of 2005 as well as a few older publications that were not included in the first bibliography

Of Printers, Prophets, And Politicians: William Lyon Mackenzie, Mormonism, And Early Printing In Upper Canada, Richard Bennett, Daniel H. Olsen

Faculty Publications

Well-known in both Canadian and Latter-day Saint history is the arrival of Charles Ora Card and his faithful band of followers in southern Alberta in 1887. Less explored is the much earlier venture into Upper Canada (Ontario) of such prominent Mormon leaders as Joseph Smith, Brigham Young, Parley P. Pratt, Orson Pratt, Orson Hyde, and scores of others during the 1830s in their concerted attempts to promulgate their new faith on Canadian soil. Their success in converting hundreds of people, many of whom were British- and American-born Methodists or members of other nonconformist faiths, prompted Mormon leaders to send missionaries …

Joseph Smith And The Past, John W. Welch

BYU Studies

My thoughts on Joseph Smith’s interest in past worlds cluster into three sections. The first deals with the challenge of evaluating and assessing Joseph Smith’s recoveries of texts or views from past worlds or civilizations. The second develops a list of ways in which the past functioned in Joseph Smith’s process of continuing revelation. The third focuses on the dynamic link between the past and the present in Joseph Smith’s concept of priesthood authority and its restoration.

Joseph Smith In A Personal World, Dallin H. Oaks

BYU Studies

My subject is Joseph Smith in a personal world. My lens is primarily a personal one—his impact on me and believers I have known during my lifetime. I will also discuss Joseph Smith’s own personal world and his impact on his acquaintances and friends. A major focus will be Joseph Smith’s role as a prophet and his teachings on the reality of revelation. By prophet I mean one who speaks for God in revealing divine truth to others. By revelation I mean God’s communication to man—to prophets and to every one of us, if we seek.

Attempting To Situate Joseph Smith, Grant Underwood

BYU Studies

Undergirding Richard Bushman’s insightful paper is a profound recognition (and a reminder) that histories are the creations of authors, not photographs of the past. Every aspect of writing a history, from the selection of sources to the interpretation of those sources bears the imprint of the author. The profoundly precarious and contingent character of all reconstructions of the past led Roland Barthes to quip that biography is “a novel that dare not speak its name.” Clearly, this is an overstatement, but it does warn us away from an unhealthy critical complacency when engaging in studying written histories.

World Religion: Dynamics And Constraints, Douglas J. Davies

BYU Studies

Mormonism as a world religion and Joseph Smith as its originating prophet furnish the subject of this paper. A brief theoretical reflection on approaching The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints provides both an opening context for the quantitatively focused debate on Mormonism’s potential for growth into world religion status and an introduction for a more extensive consideration of several factors of a more qualitative kind that may foster or inhibit that development. The paper then ponders the issue of identity in relation to Joseph Smith.

Contributors, Byu Studies

BYU Studies

No abstract provided.

Full Issue, Byu Studies

BYU Studies

No abstract provided.

Joseph Smith's Many Histories, Richard L. Bushman

BYU Studies

In 1992 my wife, Claudia, published a book titled America Discovers Columbus: How an Italian Explorer Became an American Hero. The book argued that until the American Revolution, Columbus was almost completely neglected in histories of the British colonies. Not until three centuries after the fact did North Americans honor him as the discoverer of America. Even in 1792, it required a stretch of the imagination to give him the credit, since he never touched foot on the North American continent and for centuries the British had distanced themselves from the hated Spanish exploiters of the New World. But …

The Worlds Of Joseph Smith Gallery Display, Byu Studies

BYU Studies

A display of books, manuscripts, photographs, and artifacts was assembled to accompany “The Worlds of Joseph Smith” conference at the Library of Congress. Twelve items in this display came from collections in the Library of Congress; three from the Library-Archives of the Community of Christ in Independence, Missouri; two from the L. Tom Perry Special Collections at Brigham Young University in Provo, Utah; and thirteen from the LDS Church History Library, Archives, and Museum of Church History and Art in Salt Lake City.

Archeological Trends And Book Of Mormon Origins, John E. Clark

BYU Studies

Had circumstances permitted a marked grave for the slain prophet, a fitting headstone could have read, “By Joseph Smith, Junior, Author and Proprietor.” Such an epitaph, taken from the title page of the Book of Mormon, captures the enduring bond between the man and the book, and also the controversy which coalesced around both with the book’s publication and the organization of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in 1830. In the ensuing and continuing “war of words” (Joseph Smith–History 1:10) and prejudice, redemption may hang on the single preposition “by.” What hand did Joseph have in producing …

Joseph Smith And The Making Of A Global Religion, Jan Shipps

BYU Studies

In regard to the other “worlds” of the first Mormon prophet, Joseph Smith was certainly “in that world and of it.” He was clearly in attendance “in his own time;” he attempted to recover past worlds; he was and is present in his own and in the personal worlds of others; and he challenged the theological world of his day.

The Dedication Of The Oliver Cowdery Monument In Richmond, Missouri, 1911, Richard Neitzel Holzapfel, Robert F. Schwartz

BYU Studies

As one of three witnesses, Oliver Cowdery testified that “an angel of God came down from heaven” to display an ancient record—a record known then and now as the Book of Mormon. Cowdery, Martin Harris, and David Whitmer affirmed in written testimony that they saw “the engravings thereon,” and more surprisingly that the voice of God declared Joseph Smith’s translation of the record to be true. Even though all three men eventually disassociated themselves from Joseph Smith, later members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints felt to commemorate Cowdery, Whitmer, and Harris for their role in the …

The Little And Gardner Hymnal, 1844: A Study Of Its Origin And Contribution To The Lds Musical Canon, Marilyn J. Crandall

BYU Studies

The purpose of this study is to research the hymnal A Collection of Sacred Hymns for the Use of the Latter-day Saints, the first LDS hymnal that included musical notation along with the text. Published in 1844 by Blake and Bailey of Bellows Falls, Vermont (now part of Rockingham, Vermont), it was compiled by Jesse Carter Little and George Bryant Gardner, both of whom were living in Peterborough, New Hampshire, and both of whom converted to The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. To date, I have been unable to find a single contemporaneous reference to the hymnal. …

The Psalm 22:16 Controversy: New Evidence From The Dead Sea Scrolls, Shon Hopkin

BYU Studies

Few verses in the Bible have produced as much debate and commentary as Psalm 22:16: “For dogs have compassed me: the assembly of the wicked have inclosed me: they pierced my hands and my feet.” The discussions center on the last character (reading right to left) of the Hebrew כארו‎ (“pierced/dug”), assumed to be the word from which the Septuagint Greek ὤρυξαν (“they have pierced”) was translated—assumed because the original Hebrew texts from which the Septuagint was translated are no longer extant. If the last character of the Hebrew word was a waw (ו), as the Greek seems to indicate, …

Salt Lake Tabernacle Interior Photograph: Sabbath School Union Jubilee, July 1875, Ronald W. Walker, Richard Neitzel Holzapfel, James S. Lambert

BYU Studies

Most early photographs of the Salt Lake Tabernacle depict a huge, architecturally curious building with relatively few adornments on its exterior or interior. Its oddity sparked the delight of many and the chagrin of many more, causing some travelers and observers to remark that it resembled a large turtle that had lost its way in the desert. However, any disagreement about the exterior of the tabernacle would be mediated by the view of the interior—Mormons and non-Mormons, residents and tourists alike agreed that in its first years the inside seemed gloomy and bare. One visitor described entering the Tabernacle as …

Pentecost Continued: A Contemporaneous Account Of The Kirtland Temple Dedication, Steven C. Harper

BYU Studies

The significance of what transpired at the dedication of the Kirtland Temple on March 27, 1836, is well established among Latter-day Saints. The historical record affirming an outpouring of divine manifestations is rich. Even so, precious few contemporaneous reports by observers are available. Recently, however, the richness of the historical record increased with the discovery of an eyewitness account of the miraculous Kirtland Pentecost penned by Benjamin Brown.

Book Notice, Karen Todd

BYU Studies

No abstract provided.

Christianity: A Global History David Chidester; A World History Of Christianity Adrian Hastings, Ed.; The Next Christendom: The Coming Of Global Christianity Philip Jenkins, Richard D. Ouellette

BYU Studies

David Chidester. Christianity: A Global History. San Francisco: HarperSanFrancisco, 2000.

Adrian Hastings, ed. A World History of Christianity. Grand Rapids, Mich.: Eerdmans, 1999.

Philip Jenkins. The Next Christendom: The Coming of Global Christianity. New York: Oxford University Press, 2002.

Photographs Of The First Mexico And Central America Area Conference, 1972, Richard Neitzel Holzapfel, James S. Lambert

BYU Studies

As Church membership grew to nearly three million in the early 1970s, the Church faced the challenges of extending contact between General Authorities in Utah and many members who lived far from Church headquarters. While some members in the western United States could tune in to radio or television broadcasts of general conference, hundreds of thousands of Church members worldwide did not have access to the broadcasts.

Jews And Mormons: Two Houses Of Israel Frank J. Johnson And Rabbi William J. Leffler, David E. Bokovoy

BYU Studies

Frank J. Johnson and Rabbi William J. Leffler. Jews and Mormons: Two Houses of Israel. Hoboken, New York: Ktav Publishing, 2000.

A Mysterious Image: Brigham Young With An Unknown Wife, Richard Neitzel Holzapfel, Robert F. Schwartz

BYU Studies

Of the hundreds of images of Brigham Young, until recently only two were known that show Brigham posing with one of his wives. While rumors of a third such images have existed for some time, no one could find a copy of it until this year. What we found was a photograph of the original daguerreotype (fig. 1); the original itself, printed on a small coper plate, is still missing. This rumored image was mysterious not only because it had disappeared but also because the wife's face on the daguerreotype had been completely obliterated. Unanswered questions regarding its damage make …

Which Are The Most Important Mormon Books?, Arnold K. Garr

BYU Studies

The very abundance of books in our days—a stupefying and terrifying abundance—has made it more important to know how to choose," observed historian James Bryce. "The first piece of advice I will venture to give you is this," he added. "Read only the best books.... Let not an hour... be wasted on third-rate or second-rate stuff if first-rate stuff can be had." This wise counsel is in harmony with the scriptural injunction "seek ye out of the best books words of wisdom" (D&C 88:118). This marvelous passage of scripture is exhilarating but leaves one to wonder, which are the best …

Latter-Day Saint Writings On Christ And The New Testament—2002 Supplement, Byu Studies

BYU Studies

In the longstanding tradition of bibliographic publications generated by BYU Studies, the following bibliography lists the books and articles on the New Testament and early Christianity published by Latter-day Saint authors or in Latter-day Saint publications, mainly from 1994 to 2002. This compilation was assembled by Nicolas W. Thompson and Victoria F. Johnson under the mentoring of John W. Welch, assisted by Anastasia M. Sutherland, Aaron C. Cummings, Maurianne Dunn, and Kelli Skinner. This 2002 supplement follows guidelines similar to those set forth in the preface of the previous New Testament bibliography published by Welch and Daniel B. McKinlay …

Rescue For The Dead: The Posthumous Salvation Of Non-Christians In Early Christianity Jeffrey A. Trumbower, Hans A. Pohlsander

BYU Studies

Trumbower, Jeffrey A. Rescue for the Dead: The Posthumous Salvation of Non-Christians in Early Christianity. Oxford and New York: Oxford University Press, 2001.

“Strange Ramblings”: The Ideal And Practice Of Sermons In Early Mormonism, Davis Bitton

BYU Studies

People who attended meetings of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints during its first seventy years heard many sermons preached (fig. 1). But the sermons often seemed different from those heard in Protestant and Catholic congregations. For the Saints, this was further evidence that Mormonism was not tied to a professional clergy but, like primitive Christianity, allowed wide participation by parishioners. Outsiders, however, were often less than favorably impressed with Mormon sermons. According to one observer, most Mormon speakers he heard were guilty of "strange ramblings." Before examining in detail the peculiarities of preaching among the Latter-day Saints, …