Arts and Humanities Commons^™

Israelite Inscriptions From The Time Of Jeremiah And Lehi, Dana M. Pike

Faculty Publications

The greater the number of sources the better when investigating the history and culture of people in antiquity. Narrative and prophetic texts in the Bible and 1 Nephi have great value in helping us understand the milieu in which Jeremiah and Lehi received and fulfilled their prophetic missions, but these records are not our only documentary sources. A number of Israelite inscriptions dating to the period of 640–586 b.c., the general time of Jeremiah and Lehi, provide additional glimpses into this pivotal and primarily tragic period in Israelite history.

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 …

Covenant Language In Biblical Religions And The Book Of Mormon, Noel B. Reynolds

Faculty Publications

In this essay I have tried to provide a broad survey of the concept of covenant for Latter-day Saint students of the Bible and the Book of Mormon. I began with a sketch of the history of covenant theology in the Christian tradition showing how the early New Testament idea of a baptismal covenant was soon replaced by the Christian institution of sacraments. Although the covenant idea played little role in the historical developments of Christian theology, it did resurge in the Reformation, but without widespread theological impact.

In contrast, over the last century, the role of the covenant idea …

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 …

The Language Of The Spirit In The Book Of Mormon, Noel B. Reynolds

Faculty Publications

This study provides students of the Book of Mormon with the first comprehensive analysis of the many ways in which the word spirit is used in that volume of scripture. It demonstrates how the titles Holy Ghost, Spirit of God, Spirit of the Lord, Holy Spirit, and the Spirit are used interchangeably to refer to the third member of the God. It also shows that the Holy Ghost was understood to be a separate being. The analysis is thoroughly integrated with scholarly studies of references to the spirit ( rûah ) in the Hebrew Bible. The functions of the Holy …

The Ancient Doctrine Of The Two Ways In The Book Of Mormon, Noel B. Reynolds

Faculty Publications

Consistent with their preexilic Hebrew Bible predecessors, the Book of Mormon prophets taught a version of the Two Ways doctrine that featured (1) invitations to repentance defined as turning or returning to God’s way, (2) the context of the Abrahamic covenant, (3) the blessings and cursings that would come from obedience or disobedience, and (4) the contrast of the path of righteousness that leads to life with the path of evil that leads to death. But this analysis has also produced a number of expansions or refinements of the Two Ways doctrine that are not reflected in biblical treatments of …

The Gospel According To Mormon, Noel B. Reynolds

Faculty Publications

Although scholarly investigation of the Book of Mormon has increased significantly over the last three decades, only a tiny portion of that effort has been focused on the theological or doctrinal content of this central volume of Latter-day Saints (LDS) scripture. This article identifies three inclusios which promise definitions of the doctrine or gospel of Jesus Christ and proposes a cumulative methodology to explain how these definitions work. This approach reveals a consistently presented, six-part formula defining ‘the way’ by which mankind can qualify for eternal life. In this way the article provides a starting point for scholarly examinations of …

3 Nephi 9:19–20: The Offering Of A Broken Heart, Dana M. Pike

Faculty Publications

As recorded in the Book of Mormon (3 Nephi 8), the atoning death of Jesus Christ in Jerusalem brought prophesied destruction and darkness in the Americas. Following approximately three hours of terrible devastation (8:19), a “thick darkness” engulfed the land for three days (8:20, 23; 10:9). During this period of darkness the voice of Jesus was “heard among all the inhabitants of the earth, upon all the face of this land” (9:1).

The Gospel Of Jesus Christ As Taught By The Nephite Prophets, Noel B. Reynolds

Faculty Publications

Three definitional passages in the Book of Mormon define the gospel or doctrine of Christ precisely as the way or means by which an individual can come to Christ and be saved. Jesus Christ is quoted in all three passages teaching a six-part formula: All men and women who will (1) believe or trust in him, (2) repent of all their sins, and (3) witness to the Father that they have so repented and taken his name upon them, will (4) receive a remission of sins by fire and by the Holy Ghost, which will guide and sustain them as …

Lehi's Vision Of The Tree Of Life: An Anagogic Interpretation, Julie Adams Maddox

Theses and Dissertations

The significance of Lehi's life tree is that it gives life. Lehi's tree expresses the nonverbal, renews Lehi, effectually creates a culture, and keys the structure of a literary, viable, and contemporary scripture. My thesis chapters grow out of my reading of myth, tree mythology, and Lehi's dream. I see Lehi 1) traveling a polemic course toward the tree, 2) confronting the tree's death, and 3) by suffering, opening the symbol to his inner vision.
Lehi's first dream images, a dark and dreary wilderness vs. a man in white, suggest the birth of mythic creation. By traveling through and reconciling …

A Study Of The Definition Of The Gospel Of Jesus Christ And Its Theological Implications In Latter-Day Saint Literature, David Earl Perry

Theses and Dissertations

This thesis attempts to treat four problems: What is the gospel, as defined in Latter-day Saint literature? Do ancient and modern sources agree? Has there been an historical development of the definitions? Can any disagreements be rationalized? The results of this research reveal that the gospel is complex in that it is capable of handling all the problems of eternity, yet it is simple in that it is a plan of specific principles which lead man step by step to perfection. The author determined that ancient and modern sources do agree in placing six "first principles" at the beginning of …

A Visual Interpretation Of Events And Personalities From The Book Of Mormon, Larry Berg Prestwich

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this thesis was to create two paintings and ten drawings pertaining to events and personalities from the Book of Mormon. The art works were done with the special intent of expressing the artist's personal and animated feelings about several men whose writings comprise the book, and certain events pertaining to their particular circumstances.

An Analysis Of Selected Changes In Major Editions Of The Book Of Mormon - 1830-1920, Jeffrey R. Holland

Theses and Dissertations

As the title indicates, this thesis is a consideration of selected changes that have been made in major editions of the Book of Mormon. Much has been said recently about changes and modifications in this record but, unfortunately, most of it has been said by those who have been unfriendly toward both the book itself and the church which endorses it. Because this kind of bias is usually an obstruction to objective scholarship, this study has been undertaken by one firmly within the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints to document not only what changes have been made, but …

A Study Of Problems Relative To The Fulfillment Of Selected Prophecies In The Book Of Mormon: With Particular Reference To The Prophetic View From 1830 Onward, Ross William Warner

Theses and Dissertations

Prophecy appears to play an important role in the Book of Mormon. The prophets evidently felt it necessary to include a considerable amount of prophetic material in this modern book of scripture.
Three general divisions of book of mormon prophecy can be made: (1) prophecies which relate to the period of time prior to the year 421 A.D., the approximate date of the final writing on the plates of Mormon, (2) prophecies which relate to the period 421 to 1830, the publication date of the Book of Mormon, and (3) prophecies which relate to the period 1830 onward.
The first …

An Analysis Of Style Variations In The Book Of Mormon, Glade L. Burgon

Theses and Dissertations

The majority of critics who have opposed the Book of Mormon have claimed the book is the product of one man because of the uniformity of style throughout. If these charges were true, Joseph Smith's claim of divine origin for the book and its contents would be in jeopardy.

Studies have shown Semitisms, enallage, and constructions amidst the Book of Mormon writings which seem to indicate that it is a fairly literal translation. If it is such, style differences among the writers should be evident to some degree.

The mental or emotional state of a writer fashions his writings. The …

An Analysis Of The Papers And Speeches Of Those Who Have Written Or Spoken About The Book Of Mormon Published During The Years Of 1830 To 1855 And 1915 To 1940 To Ascertain The Shift In Emphasis, Alton D. Merrill

Theses and Dissertations

The Book of Mormon was published over one hundred years ago. In the meantime, many articles have been written and many discourses have been published, both for and against this volume. In reflecting upon this matter the following questions arose in the mind of the author: Have the writers and speakers been concerned about the same materials, have they treated the same themes, as the years have passed? To ascertain whether or not there has been a shift in emphasis, the following investigation was undertaken.