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Relates the Book of Mormon to American Indians and the gathering of Israel.
Every ordinance in the gospel is a channel of power to us if, as we function in those ordinances, we develop in an ever-increasing way a personal relationship with the Lord.
Additional authors: Barbara R. Carter, Paul H. Peterson, Dan J. Workman, Walter D. Bowen, S. Michael Wilcox, Susan Howe, Paul C. Richards, George D. Durrant, Paul Grant, Leon R. Hartshorn, and Cardell Jacobson.
Would I rather laugh with the sinners than cry with the saints? Not for one moment. Once one has felt the joy of the gospel there is no going back to a frivolous world.
You live in a time when you have more opportunities and options available to you than any other women have had throughout the history of mankind. Some of these options will complement your God-given natures. Others will chip away at it.
RSC Topics > T — Z > Women
I invite you to “experiment upon my words.” Will you read and pray about the Joseph Smith story?
It has been inspiring to see the Lord’s hand in bringing the forces together which will lead to an inevitable victory. There will be a temple in West Africa.
To each of you I say that your work is not yet finished either, and I regret to inform you that you don’t know how much time you’ve got left. Pondering that reality should raise some questions in your mind as to what you should be doing with that time.
The Lord prepares His people against the attacks of the adversary. Come, Follow Me is the Lord’s counterstrategy and proactive plan.
President Pace teaches blessings that come from listening to the Holy Ghost and being converted to the gospel of Jesus Christ.
My dear friends, examples of faith are not confined solely to the scriptures. Great faith was also demonstrated by Saints early in this dispensation. And it is clearly evident in our fellow Saints with whom we live day to day.
The need for us to hear the voice of the true Shepherd has never been greater. His sheep still hear His voice. The influence of the Holy Ghost is available for us in our lives every day.
Pack defends the veracity of the Book of Mormon and defends the Book of Mormon claim that horses existed on the American continent.
Pack defends the veracity of the Book of Mormon, dismisses the Spaulding Theory, reminds his listeners that the Three Witnesses never denied their testimonies, and reiterates Moroni’s promise (Moroni 10:4) that all may know the truth of the Book of Mormon through prayer.
The Book of Mormon purports to be a record of the dealings of God with certain people on the American continent. Gives a lengthy overview of the Book of Mormon story.
Gives logical evidences that support the Book of Mormon, including the short amount of time it took Joseph Smith to translate the Book of Mormon, the Three Witnesses testified of it’s truth to their dying day, archaeological discoveries, and more.
This article investigates geological evidence that horses were present on the American Continent during the Book of Mormon period. The first part is a straightforward presentation of Pack’s evidence.
This article investigates geological evidence that horses were present on the American Continent during the Book of Mormon period. The second part is a response to and refutation of the editor’s note preceding the first part.
All American editions of the Book of Mormon after 1882 contain a notation, written possibly by Frederick G. Williams, which identifies the location of the landing place of Lehi’s company. It is not properly verified as to authenticity and should be avoided.
This article answers F. S. Spalding’s allegations that the Book of Mormon is not true and Spalding’s claims that the Book of Abraham was falsely translated and therefore both documents are fraudulent.
That the bulk of the translation was done from 7 April 1829 to June 1829 is evidence that the Book of Mormon was of divine origin. The book agrees in doctrine with the Bible and with archaeological facts that were virtually unknown in backwoods New York in 1830.
Discusses the men who are the Three Witnesses to the Book of Mormon, their continued testimony after leaving the Church, and the reconversion of Oliver Cowdery and Martin Harris.
“This thesis has been a study of possible lexical Hebraisms occurring in the Book of Mormon in the sections entitled ’The Words of Mormon’ through ’Moroni.’ A Hebraism was defined as any word of phrase which appeared to be a literal rendering of a Hebrew lexicographic mode of speech, in that the English had a usage or connotation which was not normal; whereas, if translated literally into Hebrew it would represent standard usage. Nearly two hundred such items were found, some one hundred twenty of which were discussed in the body of the thesis. Of these, nouns contributed over sixty examples, verbs more than thirty and the remainder were distributed among the rest of the parts of speech. This accumulation of Hebraisms could be evidence either of Joseph Smith’s exceptional ability to recall biblical wording while under the influence of the Holy Spirit or evidence of Hebraic wording in the original coming through in Joseph Smith’s translation.” [Author]
Book of Mormon Scriptures > Moroni
Gives many examples of idioms used in the Book of Mormon that translate naturally back into Hebrew. Covers Words of Mormon through Moroni, continuing a similar study by E. Craig Bramwell. Includes a table of Book of Mormon verses that contain wording similar to biblical passages.
Despite the emphasis that the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints places on scriptures, particularly the Book of Mormon, some members find it difficult to truly love the scriptures. This article claims that by pondering the scriptures often, members can better understand and appreciate the prophetic words. In order to find a deeper love for the scriptures, readers should consider the following details while reading: the setting of a passage; the meaning of various words and phrases; the author’s attitude when he wrote the passage; the possible comparisons between passages; the possible implied messages of the authors; the possible reasons for the inclusion of a specific passage; the organization of the scriptures; the repetition of ideas, words, and sounds; and the emphasis of certain words. By pondering each of these aspects, readers can gain a greater love for and appreciation of the scriptures.
We all have meaningful stories to tell. I know we do. If we tell them and let this marvelous generation of computer- and video-literate youth film them, I know we will draw others into tenderly telling their meaningful stories, too.
Despite the emphasis that the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints places on scriptures, particularly the Book of Mormon, some members find it difficult to truly love the scriptures. This article claims that by pondering the scriptures often, members can better understand and appreciate the prophetic words. In order to find a deeper love for the scriptures, readers should consider the following details while reading: the setting of a passage; the meaning of various words and phrases; the author’s attitude when he wrote the passage; the possible comparisons between passages; the possible implied messages of the authors; the possible reasons for the inclusion of a specific passage; the organization of the scriptures; the repetition of ideas, words, and sounds; and the emphasis of certain words. By pondering each of these aspects, readers can gain a greater love for and appreciation of the scriptures.
Family history and temple work should be a regular part of our personal worship.
Having the capacity to receive personal inspiration will be necessary in the coming days.
We can safely travel life’s journey by relying on the maps of the scriptures, the words of the living prophets, and the compass of the Holy Ghost. God’s plan and desire is that all be successful in reaching their destination.
A book designed for RLDS pedagogy. Two chapters discuss the contents of the Book of Mormon and claim that it supports the Bible and is sustained by archaeological evidence.
Husbands and wives should understand that their first calling—from which they will never be released—is to one another and then to their children.
Go to, then, you who are gifted; cultivate your gift. Develop it in any of the arts and in every worthy example of them.
Wherever our members and missionaries may go, our message is one of faith and hope in the Savior Jesus Christ.
The Church is no bigger than a ward. … Everything needed for our redemption, save for the temple, is centered there—and temples now come ever closer to all of us.
The Book of Mormon: Another Testament of Jesus Christ has the nourishing power to heal starving spirits of the world.
The Book of Mormon is an endless treasure of wisdom and inspiration, of counsel and correction.
It is not in the proper spirit for us to decide where we will serve or where we will not. We serve where we are called.
There is in what we believe, there is in what we teach, counsel, commandments, even warnings that we are to protect, to love, to care for, and to “teach [children] to walk in the ways of truth.”
Nowhere are the generosity and the kindness and mercy of God more manifest than in repentance.
In every language, the Spirit of God—the Holy Ghost—guides, or can guide, every member of the Church.
The certainties of the gospel, the truth, once you understand it, will see you through these difficult times.
Despite the opposition, trials, and temptations, you need not fail or fear.
We speak of the Church as our refuge, our defense. There is safety and protection in the Church.
The moral values upon which civilization itself must depend spiral downward at an ever-increasing pace. Nevertheless, I do not fear the future.
The BYU Religious Studies Center, in cooperation with Deseret Book, has published a book by President Boyd K. Packer featuring a significant number of his paintings, drawings, and wood carvings. The book is titled The Earth Shall Teach Thee: The Lifework of an Amateur Artist. President Packer is well known for his years of service as a teacher and leader in The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Many would say that his greatest contribution has been that of a teacher. His ability to teach principles with simple everyday examples is a gift. This gift came as a natural ability but has been refined by years of study, practice, and prayer. But what most people don’t know is that President Packer has had a pastime of painting and carving. This hobby has been used to beautify his home, teach his children, and provide needed relaxation. While he was painting or carving, his mind was carving out a sermon. He has created what some describe as masterpieces. To him, they are simply an attempt to capture the beauty of nature. The whole collection of his art consists of nearly six hundred original carvings, paintings, sketches, and drawings. He has used oil, acrylic, watercolor, pastels, charcoal, crayon, ink, and pencil. The collection covers seventy-seven years of effort, beginning in 1933 at age nine. President Packer’s artistic bent and love of nature are as integrally a part of him as his spirituality, compassion, steadiness, and humor. His carvings of life-size birds in natural habitats are perhaps the apex of his artistic creations. Of more enduring worth, however, are the valuable lessons taught through his art, illustrations, parables, and example. Above all, his art expresses reverence for life. Through artwork he has shared the lessons of life with his family and with members of the Church. President Packer once wrote, “During those hours working with my hands, I pondered on the marvels of creation, and inspiration would flow. As I carved wood, I carved out talks.” ISBN 978-0-8425-2806-1
Our homes are most vulnerable; therefore, the consummate power of the priesthood has been given to protect the home and its inhabitants. It is not an easy or small thing to be a presiding officer in the Church or in the home.
Value the old folks for what they are, not just what they can do.
Every one of us can be guided by the spirit of revelation and the gift of the Holy Ghost.
RSC Topics > A — C > Apostle
RSC Topics > G — K > Gift of the Holy Ghost
RSC Topics > G — K > Holy Ghost
RSC Topics > T — Z > Temptation
“Each of us must accommodate the mixture of reason and revelation in our lives. The gospel not only permits but requires it. An individual who concentrates on either side solely and alone will lose both balance and perspective.”
Through the Father’s redeeming plan, those who may stumble and fall “are not cast off forever.”
You are consummately precious to the Lord, to the Church, to your parents, to one another. You now must decide what is right—you know what is right—and then have the courage to do it. You will be blessed and redeemed and exalted.
Peace can be settled in the heart of each who turns to the scriptures and unlocks the promises of protection and redemption.
RSC Topics > D — F > Fall of Adam and Eve
Let no one underestimate the power of faith in the ordinary Latter-day Saints.
If you hold to the rod, you can feel your way forward with the gift of the Holy Ghost, conferred upon you at the time you were confirmed a member of the Church. The Holy Ghost will comfort you.
Every soul who willingly affiliates with The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and seeks to abide by its principles and ordinances is standing “on Zion’s hill.”
RSC Topics > Q — S > Scriptures
Boyd K. Packer - It is not unusual to find people who take an interest in The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints but give only casual attention to the ideal that the fullness of the gospel is here.
I do want to encourage leaders to carefully consider the home lest they issue calls or schedule activities which place an unnecessary burden on parents and families.
The priesthood does not have the strength that it should have and will not have until the power of the priesthood is firmly fixed in the families.
Experiences of prompting and prayer are not uncommon in the Church. They are part of the revelation our Heavenly Father has provided for us.
The blessing conferred upon you in company with your degree is simply this: I bless you through the authority of the priesthood as a servant of the Lord that you will live the gospel and that in consequence of that you will be happy.
A testimony of the hope of redemption is something which cannot be measured or counted. Jesus Christ is the source of that hope.
Sisters, you must graduate from thinking that you only attend Relief Society to feeling that you belong to it!
May you be blessed in all that you do, that the Spirit of the Lord will be in your hearts, and that you will have the inspiration combined with knowledge to make you equal to the challenge of teaching the snow-white birds who come to you to learn how to fly.
Young Latter-day Saints, shape up! Face up! Take hold of your lives! Take control of your mind, your thoughts!
The Tabernacle … stands as a standard of the Restoration of the gospel of Jesus Christ.
The Lord has a special interest in the patriarch, who holds a unique position in the Church.
However out of step we may seem, however much the standards are belittled, however much others yield, we will not yield, we cannot yield.
Neither mobbings nor the army could turn the Saints aside from what they knew to be true.
Of all that I have read and taught and learned, the one most precious and sacred truth that I have to offer is my special witness of Jesus Christ.
We all make mistakes. … It is then in our nature to feel guilt and humiliation and suffering, which we alone cannot cure. That is when the healing power of the Atonement will help.
I know words carried by the gift of the Holy Ghost can bring to your understanding “the truth of all things.” All truth is worth knowing. Some truths are more useful, but there are truths that are most worth knowing.
For the Church to be His Church, there must be a Quorum of the Twelve who hold the keys.
Imagine the consoling, liberating, exalting feeling that will come to you when you see the reality of the Atonement and the practical, everyday value of it to you individually.
No member of the Church is esteemed by the Lord as more or less than any other.
President Packer testifies of God the Father, Jesus Christ, and the Holy Ghost.
Your body really is the instrument of your mind and the foundation of your character.
RSC Topics > G — K > Gold Plates
RSC Topics > Q — S > Restoration of the Gospel
The significance of the Hill Cumorah in the restoration of the gospel goes beyond its identification as the ancient repository of the metal plates known as the Book of Mormon. In the second half of the 19th century, a teaching about a cave in the hill began surfacing in the writings of several leaders of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. In their view, the hill was not only the place where Joseph Smith received the plates but also their final repository, along with other sacred treasures, after the translation was finished. This article cites ten different accounts, all secondhand, that refer to this cave and what was found there. The author includes a comparison of the accounts that discusses additional records in the cave, God’s dominion over Earth’s treasure, miraculous dealings of God, and the significance of the presence of the sword of Laban.
RSC Topics > T — Z > Temptation
Since time immemorial, humans have found meaning and purpose in revering sites because of events that transpired there. Such sites offer an opportunity for pilgrims to visit sacred places. Members of the Church of Jesus Christ have tried not to create shrines or pilgrimage sites per se, but they often experience deep religious attachment to sacred places where significant events occurred. In the early 19th century, however, relatively few people traveled for tourism or pleasure. The few who were able to visit sites associated with the early years of Mormonism provided word pictures or visual presentations for those who did not have the opportunity to visit the sites. This article explores the visual images of the Hill Cumorah, from a woodcut printed in 1841 through photographs taken in 1935 when the Hill Cumorah Monument was dedicated.
Having a testimony of the gospel of Jesus Christ gives us confidence and courage in life. We can yield our agency to the Lord and let him manage our lives. I know it requires faith to do this, but our divine nature gives us that strength, and we find joy in our commitment and our duty.
Denigrates LDS practices and teachings. Says that missionaries circulate the Book of Mormon but not the Bible. Comments on reactions of Church leaders to an earlier article claiming that LDS teachings were changing.
A polemical tract. Compares Mormonism with paganism, Baalism, and Islam. Paraphrases Moslem credo to be a Mormon slogan: “There are many gods, and Joseph Smith is their Prophet” Mormon scriptures have less value than the Koran.
Spirited tract asks and answers 28 questions in a decidedly negative tone. “The Book of Mormon . . . is a rather orthodox book, and that in spite of its baseless claims to authenticity and inspiration”
RSC Topics > D — F > Family
RSC Topics > L — P > Love
Questions the Book of Mormon concept concerning the curse of the black skin for those who had erred in ignorance. The Book of Mormon is the history of a white culture, taken to people with a dark skin with a promise of white skin. “The cultural hegemony of white America permeates Mormonism”
The references in the Book of Mormon to “dark and loathsome” or “white and delightsome” are to lifestyles rather than to the color of skin. Many in the Church do not understand and thus impose a sinful heritage upon people with Jewish, African American, and Lamanite backgrounds.
Argues against the idea that Sidney Rigdon borrowed the Spaulding manuscript, altered the manuscript to fit his purposes, and used Joseph Smith to publish it as the Book of Mormon.
A collection of papers on American archaeology connected with the Book of Mormon. It was produced as a reference handbook intended to “stimulate young people with interest in the scientific relations of the Book of Mormon” It covers pre- Aztec, Pre-Inca, Aztec, and Inca eras as well as the ruins, religion, and origin of ancient America, the mound- builders and cliff-dwellers.
A four-week teaching plan on the Book of Mormon and archaeology. Includes introductions and outline, “helps” on the lesson text, thoughts and questions as well as advice for teachers.
Quotes exclusively from Dewey Farnsworth’s The Americas before Columbus and the scriptures (Genesis 49:22-26, John 10:16) to show that American Indians are descended form the House of Israel and were acquainted with biblical stories (e.g., House of Noah, Abraham, Jacob) prior to contact with Europeans.
Review of The Land of the Nephites (1988), by Delbert W. Curtis.
Asserts that Kaminaljuyu, ancient ruins located within the present city of Guatemala, is the city of Nephi. Archaeologists and scholars have found evidence “that meets all the criteria with respect to geography and topography which the Book of Mormon gives for the city of Nephi”
Presents evidence regarding various geographical and archaeological aspects of the Book of Mormon. Points out similarities between the culture and history of the Jaredites, Mulekites, Nephites, and the Mesoamericans. Believes that Cerro Vigia was Mormon’s Hill Cumorah. This work is reviewed in R.008, and in T.336. [C. W.]
Review of “American Book of Mormon Map” (1988), by Paul D. Proctor.
Palmer explores the religious symbolism that is found in the art of ancient Mesoamerica, and clarifies and explains the interrelationships of theological symbols—the tree of life, the serpent, fire, water, the snail or sea shell, and the stepped fret. Includes illustrations of the characters with the analysis.
The Book of Mormon contains an interesting historical and religious record covering the period from before 2,000 B.C. to A.D. 400 Internal reconstruction of Book of Mormon geography shows that the specific events mentioned in the book probably took place in those parts of Mexico and Guatemala known as Mesoamerica; it was also in Mesoamerica that many of the great ancient American civilizations once flourished. Records were kept by the people of those civilizations, in addition to the book translated by Joseph Smith, and certain of the Prophet’s detractors claim that he had access to those records and “was familiar with the advanced state of the native civilizations in Central and South America as well as the relics of the early inhabitants of western New York because of the many books available on these topics,” further asserting that the Book of Mormon is simply a fanciful rewriting of already available material.The question having been raised, it is instructive to look at what substantial, authentic information on pre–A.D. 400. Mesoamerican history was available in western New York in 1829.
David Palmer discusses the persistent military conflict during Nephite times, exploring the economic, political, and religious causes of ancient warfare. He also examines the role of the war captain, battle tactics, and how archaeological remains in Mesoamerica support the existence of a military class and fortifications. Details from the Book of Mormon accounts appear to weave in very well with information archaeologists have found on the role of warfare in Mesoamerican society.
We know that we don’t have control over all the situations that come into our lives each day. But, then again, it’s not so much what comes into our lives as it is how we respond to it.
This article discusses the influence of Captain Kidd stories on Joseph Smith, suggesting that he searched for treasure often around the hill Cumorah, as well as a possible connection between Cumorah and the Comoro Islands.
Elder Palmer testifies of the Resurrection and shares how his parents joined the Church.
Anytime you feel you are being asked to do something hard, think of the Lord beholding you, loving you, and inviting you to follow Him.
Includes a brief notice regarding Spalding/Rigdon and the origin of the Book of Mormon.
We do not have to travel abroad to have fascinating and memorable experiences of service. We can and should start right here in our homes and neighborhoods. Jesus did not travel very far; often He served those very near to Him.
This book is about two fundamental realities: Death, “the supreme crisis of life,” and Deity, the supreme power in life. These subjects are explored in seven chapters which were originally presented as papers at BYU Religious Studies Center’s first symposium on comparative world religion. The reader will find compelling interest in the book’s wide-ranging perspectives in Asian and Western countries which bear directly upon our understanding of ourselves and of the society in which we live. ISBN 0-88494-342-9
Also in BYU Studies Quarterly 16, no. 4, Article 18.
Includes comments about Nibley’s work.
Islam, the faith of the Muslims, is a major world religion. Its believers are found on all of the inhabited continents. Nearly one out of every six people on earth today is Muslim. In common with Christians generally, Mormons as a whole know little of Islam and its adherents. Yet the two religions have many interesting similarities and parallels. Examples include a firm belief in a living God and obedience to him; emphasis on the family; assistance to the poor and other social concerns; a sense of man’s obligation to testify of God; belief in a physical resurrection and a life thereafter; and a total commitment to values and lifestyle rather than a mere creedal recitation. Islam is considered a “biblical faith” in part because Muhammad, the Arabian prophet of the Muslim world, revered the teachings of Abraham and Moses and other Bible prophets. To this common ground between Muslims and Mormons is added the fact that both Muhammad and Joseph Smith are regarded by their respective adherents as instruments in the hand of God in revealing new scriptures, the Qur’an and the Book of Mormon—in each case under angelic direction. In bringing together papers from a symposium held at Brigham Young University in October 1981, this book on Mormons and Muslims presents some of the finest and ablest exponents and interpreters of the Muslim faith. As well as relationships between that faith and Christianity generally, the book offers a new dimension in that much of the focus centers for the first time on parallels, similarities, and contrasts with the religion of the Latter-day Saints. This can be both explicit and implicit, as in chapters on pre-Islamic and Arabian prophets, the idea of redemption in Christianity and Islam, the Muhammad-Joseph Smith comparison, and religious practices of women in Islamic countries. Many spontaneously arising questions about analogies between Mormonism and Islam find here an informed forum for discussion, especially by the Mormon participants who have lived among Muslims and studied their cultures and life-styles. As prophetic figures, how do Joseph Smith and Muhammad compare? What is the role of women in the Muslim faith? Could Hud, the Qur’an prophet, actually be the Book of Mormon Lehi? Is there really a relationship between Jesus Christ and the Mahdi, the redemptive figure in Islam? Not all the answers are here, but the concepts, experiences, and suggested conclusions will certainly inform and stimulate each reader’s thinking. For both critic and believer, for both scholar and general reader, for both Mormon and Muslim, as well as for all serious students of comparative religion, here is an intriguing and authentic exchange leading to a deepening understanding of “spiritual foundations and modern manifestations.” ISBN 0884944832
ISBN 1-59156-023-3
This popular text, used throughout the Church for the study of world religions, has been revised and expanded. Two additional authors, several new chapters, a number of new illustrations, and much updated material add fresh perspectives to the former edition’s tried-and-true approach. The result portrays the vivid spectrum of truth as it extends across cultures and religious systems. The book presents a…
During 1921 and 1922 B. H. Roberts wrote three papers that listed parallels between the Book of Mormon and the second edition (1825) of Ethan Smith’s View of the Hebrews and constructed the possible argument that the Book of Mormon relied upon the latter. Welch responds to that claim by listing over eighty discrepancies between the two works, and Palmer and Knecht rebut Roberts’s theory by using statistics to show that the passages of Isaiah quoted in both works do not lead to conclusions of plagiarism.
Vindictive tract addresses the testimony of the witnesses to the Book of Mormon and the part played by Professor Anthon. Refers to the Book of Mormon as a “mutilated romance” Accepts the Spaulding explanation.
Criticizes the Book of Mormon by writing that the Book of Mormon contradicts itself, falsifies its own prophecies, and “destroys its own theology” It contains “bad grammar, bad arrangement, bad taste, and bad material”
The Indian legend “Why the Grand Canyon Was Made” tells of the great shaking and trembling of the earth that came after many generations and created the Grand Canyon. The account sounds very much like 3 Nephi 10:9-10. “The Three Days of Darkness” tells that at the time of the death of Shinob, younger God of the Pahute Indians, they could not light a fire. Later Shinob came back to life. This legend sounds like the account in the Book of Mormon in 3 Nephi 8:17- 23. This work is reviewed in P.213.
RSC Topics > G — K > Grace
RSC Topics > Q — S > Sin
You can do so much good that it will astound you as you are changed and as you see others changed.
Jesus Christ was the supreme leader about whom not enough can ever be said. His task was to lead all people back to their Father in Heaven, to give us all the unlimited potential of eternal life and its blessings.
Review of Sacred Borders: Continuing Revelation and Canonical Restraint in Early America (2011), by David F. Holland, and American Zion: The Old Testament as a Political Text from the Revolution to the Civil War (2013), by Eran Shalev.
Historians of the Latter-day Saint tradition have often dissected the origins, members, and activities of the Danites—and much has been made about Joseph Smith’s involvement with the group—but what often gets overlooked is how this nascent organization drew from a broader political tradition of rights and belonging within a democratic society. The society was more than just a replication of frontier vigilante justice. Indeed, the creation of the Danites—as well as its constitution—represented the culmination of tense discussions concerning who can and cannot reside within a particular community. It looked both outward toward Missouri neighbors and inward toward Mormon dissenters. The Danite constitution was the Latter-day Saint attempt to stake their political right to not be forcibly removed while also justifying their liberty to define the boundaries of their own community. This article traces the intellectual genealogy for this debate in an attempt to accomplish two objectives: first, to add layers to what happened in Far West, Missouri, in spring and summer 1838, including a better understanding of why the Saints were seen as so threatening to their neighbors and how the members of the faith justified their decision to fight back; and second, to better understand the broader antebellum culture’s struggle to define constitutional rights in an era where majoritarian rule seemed to verge on outright oppression. This article then concludes by highlighting how the actions in Missouri set the stage for another constitution written six years later in Nauvoo, another moment in which the Saints’ seemingly radical actions reflected broader political anxieties. Indeed, America’s democratic tradition is rife with moments of defining conflict, and the Mormon-Missouri War should be understood as exemplifying that uneven trajectory.
A poem about the prophet Mormon.
An important part of drawing nearer to God is coming to know and understand Him through the scriptures He has given us—especially the Book of Mormon, since it contains many plain and precious truths missing from our current Bible. Although most Book of Mormon passages are easy to understand, some are more difficult, such as Abinadi’s teachings about the Father and the Son in Mosiah 15:2–5. Yet Mormon’s inclusion of these words in his abridgment suggests that the Lord wants us to have these teachings and wants us to understand them. Accordingly, many have written about what Abinadi taught—that Jesus Christ is the Father and the Son—and have provided valuable insights and explanations. In these discussions, however, a satisfactory explanation of why Abinadi spoke this way appears to be unaddressed. Abinadi’s teachings can help us know God better and thereby draw nearer to Him if we (1) correctly interpret the why and what of his message and (2) apply his teachings in our study of the scriptures.
RSC Topics > D — F > Elohim
RSC Topics > L — P > Old Testament
RSC Topics > Q — S > Revelation
RSC Topics > G — K > Gospel of Jesus Christ
RSC Topics > A — C > Baptism
Book of Moses Topics > Chapters of the Book of Moses > Moses 3 — Garden of Eden
RSC Topics > D — F > Doctrine
RSC Topics > D — F > Eternal Life
RSC Topics > G — K > Holy Ghost
An interesting phenomenon concerning 1 and 2 Nephi is that parts of the latter book draw on the tree of life vision that Nephi and his father shared, as recorded in 1 Nephi 8, 11–15. In an earlier FARMS Update, John A. Tvedtnes demonstrated that Nephi drew on this vision when composing the psalm in 2 Nephi 4. Further study suggests the likelihood that Nephi’s exhortation in 2 Nephi 31 was similarly informed by that sublime vision.
Book of Mormon Scriptures > 2 Nephi
Todd Parker discusses the meaning of Abinadi’s name and compares his circumstances to those of John the Baptist and his message to that of King Benjamin. He points out legal pretexts for Abinadi’s trial from Old Testament passages, and demonstrates how the priests of King Noah misunderstood the function of prophecy. Abinadi provides several examples of types and shadows pointing to the mission of Christ.
RSC Topics > Q — S > Revelation
My challenge to you is to study the scriptures daily, draw upon the word daily, let the words of Christ tell you all things that you should do, and drive darkness from your life. May you always remember that all things testify of Christ.
I testify that you do fit, that you do belong to Relief Society—the Good Shepherd’s fold for women.
As you reflect on your BYU days, I pray that you will choose to celebrate all that was happy and good and productive. I pray, too, that you will choose to move forward with that same attitude toward all you undertake and all that undertakes you.
I invite you to not only love each other more but love each other better.
I know that [Heavenly Father] loves us, sisters, as does His Son, Jesus Christ. That love will never change—it is constant.
If I could have one thing happen for every woman in this Church, it would be that they would feel the love of the Lord in their lives.
Gratitude is a Spirit-filled principle. It opens our minds to a universe permeated with the richness of a living God.
Because Relief Society is divinely designed, it blesses not only women but the family and the Church.
RSC Topics > Q — S > Relief Society
What is personal ministry? Each of us has a personal ministry. I believe we received our personal ministry in the premortal world. It was divinely given and lasts a lifetime.
If you know—and remember—who you are and remember your divine birthright, you will date noble people, wear modest clothing, use clean language, surf worthy Web sites, listen to good music, watch enriching movies, keep the Word of Wisdom, and stay morally clean.
If we are seeking the Lord and His guidance, if our direction is to return to our Father in Heaven, the sweet moments will come.
Every time we reach out with love, patience, kindness, generosity, we honor our covenants by saying, “Here am I; send me.”
As we try to do Heavenly Father’s will, . . . I believe we open ourselves, day by day, to the sanctifying power of the Atonement.
A work involving the comparison of “a programmed approach to reading the Book of Mormon with the traditional reading method based upon student ability to relate Book of Mormon persons with Book of Mormon events” Summary of findings, conclusions, and recommendations of the study are included.
If we are satisfied with where we are, if we are pretty sure we have the whole thing figured out, we are in effect saying: “We have received, and we need no more.” The point of this life is to grow and progress, to become something so unbelievably far from where we are now that it almost seems ridiculous to contemplate.
Dilworth B. Parkinson presented this devotional address at Brigham Young University, 2 March 2004. Advancing in gospel knowledge is compared to the slow and frustrating process of learning a foreign language. Obstacles include acquiring facts without applying them in one’s life and being satisfied with one’s present state of knowledge. Several constructive principles of active and effective learning are reviewed.
The admonition to “Come, follow me” and the question “What would Jesus do?” provide powerful guidelines for living.
Review of Simon G. Southerton. Losing a Lost Tribe: Native Americans, DNA, and the Mormon Church.
As we strive to live our lives in harmony with the gospel of Jesus Christ, our conduct will be a living testimony of our Redeemer.
The First Vision and the Prophet Joseph Smith brought forth knowledge and truth that are essential to our happiness in this life and to our exaltation.
Old Testament Scriptures > Twelve Minor Prophets
Old Testament Topics > Women in the Old Testament
A factual, adult storybook version of the Book of Mormon. It is written in the same style of language that is found in the Book of Mormon so the reader will become accustomed to its “lofty expressions and peculiar phraseology” and be able to more fully understand and enjoy the original version. This work is reviewed in B.564.
Old Testament Topics > Women in the Old Testament
A condemnation of Mormonism and the Book of Mormon. The Book of Mormon has many errors in grammar, which have been changed in more recent editions. The book appears to have been based upon the work of Solomon Spaulding. Mormonism is comparable with Islam.
But what constitutes righteous judgment, and who qualifies to make it? Simon, or the elder son? Martha, or the Pharisees, or me, or you? While there are many things we must make judgments about, the sins of another or the state of our own souls in comparison to others seems not to be among them.
Bibliography of publications on the Book of Mormon in 1993.
Abstract: In this essay Parry starts with the symbology of ritual vestments, and then discusses in detail how the ancient clothing worn in Old Testament temples are part of the rituals and religious gestures that are conducted by those who occupy the path that leads from the profane to the sacred. The profane is removed, one is ritually washed, anointed, invested with special clothing, offers sacrifices, is ordained (hands are filled), and offers incense at the altar, before entering the veil. Putting on clothes, in a Christian context, is often seen as symbol of putting on Christ, as witnessed by the apostle Paul using the word “enduo,” when talking about putting on Christ, a word mainly used in the Septuagint for donning sacred vestments (symbols also for salvation, righteousness, glory, strength and resurrection) in order to be prepared to stand before God. Parry then goes on explaining how priestly officiants wearing sacred vestments, emulated celestial persons who wear sacred vestments, making one an image of those celestial persons. He concludes with showing how the ancient garbs of the High Priest point to Christ.
[Editor’s Note: Part of our book chapter reprint series, this article is reprinted here as a service to the LDS community. Original pagination and page numbers have necessarily changed, otherwise the reprint has the same content as the original.
See Donald W. Parry, “Ancient Sacred Vestments: Scriptural Symbols and Meanings,” in Temple Insights: Proceedings of the Interpreter Matthew B. Brown Memorial Conference, “The Temple on Mount Zion,” 22 September 2012, ed. William J. Hamblin and David Rolph Seely (Orem, UT: The Interpreter Foundation; Salt Lake City: Eborn Books, 2014), 219–40. [Page 12]Further information at https://interpreterfoundation.org/books/temple-insights/.]
It is my understanding—based on more than twenty years of research—that operations and ministrations of angels are largely unknown to mortals. Angels can move about the earth conducting the Lord’s divine work, and they serve, minister, and mingle among mortals, usually without our awareness.
Review of Joseph M. Spencer, The Vision of All: Twenty-Five Lectures on Isaiah in Nephi’s Record (Salt Lake City: Greg Kofford Books, 2016). 318 pages. $59.95 (hardback); $29.95 paperback.
Abstract: This review makes a case, briefly, for the unmistakable presence of Jesus Christ in Isaiah’s text, which case is based on a corpus linguistic-based description of the Hebrew Bible, equivalent designations of deific names, self-identification declarations by the Lord, and more. And, importantly, one can never set aside the multiple teachings and testimonies of our modern prophets and apostles regarding Isaiah’s prophecies of Jesus Christ. Moreover, in my view, a knowledge of biblical Hebrew helps us to penetrate the very depths and heights of Isaiah’s text.
Book of Mormon Topics > Criticisms and Apologetics > Book Reviews
Review of The Book of Isaiah: A New Translation with Interpretive Keys from the Book of Mormon (1998), by Avraham Gileadi
Old Testament Topics > Temple and Tabernacle
The entire text of the Book of Mormon formatted into (1) historical narrative and (2) parallelistic forms (consisting of a number of parallel and repetitious types). The narrative portions are formatted into regular blocked style. The introduction includes explanations of the forms of poetic parallelisms found in scripture.
Old Testament Topics > Literary Aspects
By Donald W. Parry, Jeanette W. Miller, and Sandra A. Thorne, Published on 01/01/96
Many Latter-day Saints are interested in and familiar to some extent with the Dead Sea Scrolls (DSS), and a few Latter-day Saint scholars have participated in the study and publication of scroll fragments. This essay suggests answers to the question, where can or should Latter-day Saints go from here regarding the Dead Sea Scrolls? Directed to Latter-day Saint readers, the essay assumes there are still impoartant things to learn about and benefit to be gained from further interaction with the DSS. After reviewing the general value of the DSS and Latter-day Saint interest in them, suggestions are provided in five broad categories of consideration, among which are the need to overcome ignorance and misinformation about the scrolls among church members, keeping up-to-date by utilizing current publications on the DSS, and emphasizing and illustrating the value of the DSS for studying the Bible.
This paper examines various significant aspects of what may be designated the Dead Sea Scrolls Bible: its contents and description, scribal conventions, variant readings, use by modern English Bible translations, as well as parabiblical texts and their possible affiliation with the DSS Bible, canonicity, scriptural commentaries, tefillin, and mezuzot. An examination of the DSS biblical texts, which date to nearly a thousand years earlier than previously known texts of the Hebrew Bible, demonstrates a high degree of accuracy in the transmission of our Bible texts. Most variants offer only minor corrections to our biblical texts. Thus the scribe’s professionalism overall should give us, as modern readers, confidence that biblical scripture has come down to us in excellent order.
Book of Moses Topics > Selection of Ancient Sources > Enoch — Primary Sources
Since their initial discovery in 1947, the ancient scrolls found in caves near the Dead Sea have stirred public curiosity. For Latter-day Saints, whose scriptural tradition speaks of sacred records to come forth in the last days, the Dead Sea Scrolls naturally give rise to questions such as:
— Are there references to Christ or Christianity in the scrolls?
— Do the scrolls contain scripture missing from the Bible?
— Is the plan of salvation attested in the scrolls?
— Do the scrolls refer to Joseph Smith or other latter-day figures?
The Dead Sea Scrolls: Questions and Responses for Latter-day Saints succinctly deals with these and other questions on topics of particular interest to LDS readers. These topics are based on actual questions that Latter-day Saints have asked the authors as they have taught classes at Brigham Young University, shared their research at professional symposia, and spoken in other settings.
Richard Lloyd Anderson is a scholars’ scholar. Among Latter-day Saints, he is dean and master of two separate fields of academic study: the New Testament and early LDS Church history.
His passion for history has profoundly influenced his scholarly career; his passion for order and system has shaped his missionary work and directed him into studying law; and his love for Brigham Young University and loyalty to its mission and destiny have guided his academic path.
This volume, as you can see from the table of contents, contains essays written by outstanding LDS scholars on Book of Mormon Studies, Old Testament Studies and Ancient History, and New Testament Studies and Early Christian History.
Richard Lloyd Anderson is a scholars’ scholar. Among Latter-day Saints, he is dean and master of two separate fields of academic study: the New Testament and early LDS Church history. His passion for history has profoundly influenced his scholarly career; his passion for order and system has shaped his missionary work and directed him into studying law; and his love for Brigham Young University and loyalty to its mission and destiny have guided his academic path. This volume, as you can see from the table of contents, contains essays written by outstanding LDS scholars on Book of Mormon Studies, Old Testament Studies and Ancient History, and New Testament Studies and Early Christian History.
The amazing achievements of the last hundred years in technology and science are paralleled by significant strides in Book of Mormon studies. Echoes and Evidences of the Book of Mormon takes inventory of some of the most fascinating ancient elements of the Book of Mormon. For many years now, Latter-day Saint scholars have called attention to significant parallels in the Book of Mormon with the ancient world that in many cases were unknowable in the world of Joseph Smith. The sheer number of these “bull’s-eyes” alone is impressive. In this volume, scholars trained in biblical studies, archaeology, classics, history, law, linguistics, anthropology, political science, philosophy, Near East studies, literature, and other relevant fields present some of their favorite evidences that support the Book of Mormon’s claim to ancient origins. Their findings illuminate points present in ancient sources, details that are not obvious, intricate patterns, unusual or distinctive features, and information that was little or not known in the 1820s.
Old Testament Topics > Flood
The Garden of Eden pericope (Genesis 2-3) contains a number of powerful symbols that are related to and represent archetypal depictions of subsequent Israelite temple systems. In a cogent manner, the Garden of Eden, as it is referred to throughout the Bible, Pseudepigrapha, and rabbinic writings, served as the prototype, pattern, and/ or originator of subsequent Israelite temples, “a type of archetypal sanctuary.” The garden was not a sanctuary built of cedar or marble, for it is not necessary for a temple to possess an edifice or structure; but rather it was an area of sacred space made holy because God’s presence was found there. Mircea Eliade has stated that the Garden of Eden was the heavenly prototype of the temple, and the Book of Jubilees 3:19 adds that “the garden of Eden is the Holy of Holies, and the dwelling of the Lord.” This essay will examine these claims.
Book of Moses Topics > Chapters of the Book of Moses > Moses 3 — Garden of Eden
Book of Moses Topics > Temple Themes in the Book of Moses and Related Scripture
Old Testament Topics > Temple and Tabernacle
Abstract: In this erudite survey of textual variants in the “Great Isaiah Scroll” from Qumran, Donald W. Parry lays out the major categories of these differences with illustrative examples. This significant description of the most significant book of Old Testament prophecy provides ample evidence of Parry’s conclusion that the “Great Isaiah Scroll” “sets forth such a wide diversity and assortment of textual variants that [it] is indeed a catalogue, as it were, for textual criticism.”
[Editor’s Note: Part of our book chapter reprint series, this article is reprinted here as a service to the LDS community. Original pagination and page numbers have necessarily changed, otherwise the reprint has the same content as the original. See Donald W. Parry, “The Great Isaiah Scroll (1QIsa
)—Catalogue of Textual Variants,” in “To Seek the Law of the Lord”: Essays in Honor of John W. Welch, ed. Paul Y. Hoskisson and Daniel C. Peterson (Orem, UT: The Interpreter Foundation, 2017), 247–65. Further information at https://interpreterfoundation.org/books/to-seek-the-law-of-the-lord-essays-in-honor-of-john-w-welch-2/.].
Abstract: It is important when evaluating the words of others to consider the intention of their writing. It also does not hurt to consider what may go on behind the scenes before an article (or a book review) even reaches a particular readership.
No abstract available.
Donald Parry notes that nearly one-third of Isaiah is quoted in the Book of Mormon, and he lists twelve reasons given in the Book of Mormon for studying Isaiah. The Isaiah texts in the Book of Mormon are valuable for purposes of textual criticism because they come from the plates of brass, our oldest manuscript. Parry makes a few textual comparisons of Isaiah in the Book of Mormon and the Bible, demonstrating the greater clarity of the Book of Mormon Isaiah. Nephi’s people had difficulty understanding Isaiah because they did not understand the manner of prophesying among the Jews. Parry discusses individual symbols from Isaiah and from Erwin Goodenough’s model of vertical and horizontal Judaism.
The essays in this book, written by some of the finest LDS scholars, take a variety of approaches to help readers make the most of the Isaiah passages in the Book of Mormon. These scholars use the prophets of the Book of Mormon as knowledgeable guides, examining how and why those ancient writers used and interpreted Isaiah in order to clarify for modern readers what the Isaiah sections in the Book of Mormon are all about.
Old Testament Topics > Book of Mormon and the Old Testament
Old Testament Topics > Symposia and Collections of Essays
Old Testament Topics > Types and Symbols
Review of Doctrinal Commentary on the Book of Mormon, vol. 3, Alma through Helaman (1991), by Joseph Fielding McConkie and Robert L. Millet.
Book of Mormon Scriptures > Helaman
The cycle of apostasy, oppression, repentance, and deliverance in the book of Judges
Book of Moses Topics > Basic Resources > Surveys and Perspectives on Ancient Sources from Outside the Bible
Old Testament Scriptures > Isaiah
Old Testament Topics > Book of Mormon and the Old Testament
A glossary of archaic words
Old Testament Topics > Book of Mormon and the Old Testament
Various kinds of parallelisms known from Hebrew poetry
Donald Parry lists more than six hundred Book of Mormon parallelisms by type of parallelism.
“Poetic Parallelisms in the Book of Mormon : The Complete Text Reformatted comprises the entire text of the Book of Mormon formatted into (1) historical narrative or (2) parallelistic forms, consisting of a number of parallel and repetitious types. The narrative portions, representing the majority of the Book of Mormon, are formatted into regular blocked style. Parallelistic forms, however, are formatted into various patterns designed to aid the reader in visualizing the forms. A number of mechanical techniques have been employed in creating the patterns, including bold characters, underlining, indentations, italics, parentheses, spacing, adding letters of the alphabet, and others. On occasion, ancient poetic texts belonging to the Dead Sea Scrolls were also formatted in certain arrangements.” [Author]
Donald Parry defines poetic parallelism in general and specific parallel forms. He gives several examples of each form from the Book of Mormon.
RSC Topics > L — P > Prayer
It should come as no surprise that the Book of Mormon reads like an ancient Hebrew book. After all, its story begins in the world of the Old Testament and its chroniclers were literate in some form of Hebrew. What is surprising is that there are so many Hebraisms in the book—and that they have survived translation into English! Many of these remnants that persist in the text make for odd English but are perfectly sound Biblical Hebrew. Go to a Book of Mormon Central review of this book HERE. ISBN 978-1-9443-9495-0
This book comprises fourteen of the papers presented at “Chiasmus: An Open Conference on the State of the Art,” held at Brigham Young University, Provo, Utah, on August 15–16, 2017. That date marked the fiftieth anniversary of events in Germany and Austria which soon grew into the publication of Chiasmus in Antiquity: Structures, Analyses, Exegesis (Hildesheim: Gerstenberg, 1981), edited by John W. Welch. Generated forty years ago, that widely-cited volume with a preface by David Noel Freedman featured contributions by authors including Yehuda T. Radday, Jonah Frankel, Bezael Porten, Wilford G. E. Watson, John W. Welch, and Robert F. Smith, about chiasmus in Ugaritic, Hebrew, Greek, Latin, and other literatures.
The distinguished career of Truman G. Madsen has earned him wide respect in and outside of LDS circles as an outstanding teacher, scholar, researcher, speaker, university administrator, church leader, and religious ambassador. With the publication of Revelation, Reason, and Faith: Essays in Honor of Truman G. Madsen, the Institute pays tribute to this remarkable man whose many accomplishments include helping to advance Book of Mormon scholarship and related interests of the Institute.
Edited by Donald W. Parry, Daniel C. Peterson, and Stephen D. Ricks (each of whom also author a chapter), the 800-plus-page volume contains contributions by 31 scholars, 10 of who are not Latter-day Saints, reflecting the wide appeal of Madsen’s academic work and influence. The book is organized into five sections: “Philosophy and Theology,” “LDS Scripture and Theology,” “Joseph Smith and LDS Church History,” “Judaism,” and “The Temple.”
Review of How to Hiss Forth with the Book of Mormon (1989), by Robert E. and Sandra L. Hales.
King Benjamin’s speech focuses almost entirely on service, repeating four variations of the word—servants, serve, served, and service—fifteen times in only eighteen verses. Benjamin gave the discourse in such a manner that his audience could have understood service in multiple ways. Given the significant temple setting for the discourse and the references to temple service in the Old Testament, Parry seeks to highlight the emphasis on temple service. To further strengthen his focus on temple service, Benjamin links service to the concept of blood on garments and his need to wash his garments of his people’s blood, bringing to mind the priests with blood on their garments from temple rituals, who were required to wash their garments. The temple setting, where sacrifices were made under the law of Moses, and the focus on service point to Jesus Christ’s atoning sacrifice—the supreme and final act of service.
This first of two volumes of essays honoring Hugh Nibley includes scholarly papers based on what the contributors have learned from Dr. Nibley. Nearly every major subject that he has encompassed in his vast learning and scholarly production is represented here by at least one article. Topics include the influence of Nibley, Copts and the Bible, the Seventy in scripture, the great apostasy, the book of Daniel in early Mormon thought, an early Christian initiation ritual, John’s Apocalypse, ancient Jewish seafaring, Native American rites of passage, Sinai as sanctuary and mountain of God, the Qurʾan and creation ex nihilo, and the sacred handclasp and embrace.
Looks at temple worship in the Israelite religion, specifically with the idea that “the temple is the architectural embodiment of the cosmic mountain.”
Old Testament Topics > Temple and Tabernacle
Hugh W. Nibley Topics > Hugh Nibley > Scholarship, Footnotes, Collected Works of Hugh Nibley, CWHN, Editing > Bible > Old Testament
Old Testament Topics > Types and Symbols
RSC Topics > G — K > Judgment
Old Testament Topics > Types and Symbols
RSC Topics > L — P > Old Testament
RSC Topics > Q — S > Revelation
RSC Topics > Q — S > Scriptures
RSC Topics > T — Z > Teaching the Gospel
The Temple in Time and Eternity, edited by Donald W. Parry and Stephen D. Ricks, is the second volume in the series Temples Through The Ages. The importance of the temple to a religious community of the Ancient Near East and Mediterranean world can scarcely be exaggerated. The eleven articles in this volume are divided topically into three sections: “Temple in Ritual,” “Temples in the Israelite Tradition,” and “Temples in the Non-Israelite Tradition.”
The “Temple in Ritual” section features Hugh Nibley’s discussion on “Abraham’s Temple Drama,” which identifies elements of the creation drama that appear in the book of Abraham and elsewhere in the ancient world. An article by Ricks discusses oaths and oath taking in the Old Testament. John A. Tvedtnes shows that baptizing for the dead was known in various parts of the Mediterranean world and in Egypt. In a second article, Tvedtnes enlightens our understanding of the form and purposes of the temple prayer in ancient times.
Richard R. Cowan, in the section “Temples in the Israelite Tradition,” traces the development of temples to modern times. Richard D. Draper and Parry make intriguing comparisons of temple symbolism between Genesis 2–3 and Revelation 2–3, focusing particularly on promises and blessings. Alan K. Parrish shares with us insights into modern temple worship throughout the eyes of John A. Widtsoe, and Thomas R. Valletta examines priesthood and temple issues by contrasting “the holy order of the Son of God and its spurious counterpart, the order of Nehor.”
The concluding chapters of the book, grouped into the section “Temples in the Non-Israelite Tradition,” include John Gee’s discussion of getting past the gatekeeper (gleaned from various Egyptian literary corpora), a fascinating study by Gaye Strathearn and Brian M. Hauglid of the Great Mosque and its Ka’ba in light of John Lundquist’s typology of ancient Near Eastern temples, and E. Jan Wilson’s enlightening treatment of the features of a Sumerian temple.
Old Testament Topics > Temple and Tabernacle
This is the third volume of the Temple on Mount Zion series published by The Interpreter Foundation and Eborn Books. The purpose of the series is to increase understanding and appreciation of temple rituals and doctrines, and to encourage participation in the redeeming work of family history and temple worship. Includes \"What Did Joseph Smith Know about Modern Temple Ordinances by 1836?\" by Jeffrey Bradshaw. It also has articles by Daniel L. Belnap, Carli J. Andersen, David M. Calabro, Stephen O. Smoot and Quentin Barney, David J. Larsen, Matthew L. Bowen, John W. Welch, John S. Thompson, Shon D. Hopkin, and Daniel C. Petersen.
Three essays by Hugh Nibley, plus papers presented at the 1993 FARMS symposium, other important papers on the temple, a keynote address by Elder Marion D. Hanks (former president of the Salt Lake Temple), striking illustrations by Michael Lyon (who illustrated Nibley’s Temple and Cosmos)—these features and more make Temples of the Ancient World: Ritual and Symbolism one of the most significant volumes ever published on the temple. Twenty-four essays in this 1994 publication focus on the temple in the Hebrew Bible and ancient Near East, the New Testament, Jewish writings, and the Book of Mormon and ancient America.
Old Testament Topics > Temple and Tabernacle
The prophetic language in the writings of Samuel the Lamanite includes the messenger formula, proclamation formula, oath formula, woe oracle, announcement formula, and revelations formula.
Visualizing Isaiah is a full- color book filled with beautiful photographs, maps, and charts that illuminate the words of the prophet Isaiah. Author Donald W. Parry, an expert on Isaiah and Old Testament texts, complements the book’s gorgeous graphic elements with insight into Isaiah’s world.
Review of The God-Inspired Language of the Book of Mormon: Structuring and Commentary (1988), by Wade Brown.
Numerous differences exist between the Isaiah passages in the Book of Mormon and the corresponding passages in the King James Version of the Bible. The Great Isaiah Scroll supports several of these differences found in the Book of Mormon. Five parallel passages in the Isaiah scroll, the Book of Mormon, and the King James Version of the Bible are compared to illustrate the Book of Mormon’s agreement with the Isaiah scroll.
Quotes William Niven’s description of ancient ruins at Yerba Buena in the state of Guerrero, Mexico. Niven theorizes that the city was destroyed by being suddenly submerged in water and later coming up again. Parry quotes 3 Nephi 8:5-17 that describes the violent destruction in the Nephite and Lamanite land. The Book of Mormon is supported by Niven’s theory.
A rebuttal to Dr. Shelton, who had given several anti-Mormon lectures in one of the principal cities in England. Sheldon pointed out blemishes in the Book of Mormon and misquoted it. He ridiculed the book’s ship building, grammatical construction, reference to a compass, similarity to the Bible, foreknowledge of God, and the ministry of Christ before his birth.
Joseph Smith was a true prophet, and the Book of Mormon is one of the fruits of his labors—all of which testify of his inspiration. Many external evidences are cited to demonstrate the authenticity of the Book of Mormon, including newly discovered evidence of ancient cities, and the fact that many Mesoamerican scholars support the idea that the ancient Mesoamericans’ culture reflected Near Eastern relations.
Parry argues that Joseph Smith’s description of the Urim and Thummim coincide with the Bible’s description. Since this and other statements of Joseph Smith coincide with the Bible, Joseph Smith was divinely inspired.
Old Testament Topics > Types and Symbols
To be like Jesus—and we must be like Him if we want to be with Him and the Father—we must strive for a deeper knowledge of who the Son of God is, since it is by Him we come to know the Father.
Deals with early Mormon missionary experiences among the American Indians. These experiences provide a great deal of insight into Mormon-Indian relationships both past and present. Shows the impact that the Book of Mormon has had upon those relationships.
Two BYU professors used a technique called word print on the Book of Mormon. It was found that the book has at least 24 authors and that none of them could be Joseph Smith, Soloman Spaulding, or any of their associates.
Covering its historic development, important individuals, and central ideas and issues, this encyclopedia offers broad historical coverage of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Mormonism: A Historical Encyclopedia helps readers explore a church that has gone from being an object of ridicule and sometimes violent persecution to a worldwide religion, counting prominent businesspeople and political leaders among its members (including former Massachusetts governor and recent presidential candidate Mitt Romney). The encyclopedia begins with an overview of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints―six essays cover the church\'s history from Joseph Smith\'s first vision in 1820 to its current global status. This provides a context for subsequent sections of alphabetically organized entries on key events and key figures in Mormon history. A final section looks at important issues such as the church\'s organization and government, its teachings on family, Mormonism and blacks, Mormonism and women, and Mormonism and Native Americans. Together, these essays and entries, along with revealing primary sources, portray the Mormon experience like no other available reference work.
Old Testament Topics > Adam and Eve [see also Fall]
Old Testament Topics > Teaching the Old Testament
Herald Heritage, [R]1971. As evidence that the Book of Mormon is a true document, the author quotes early works on the antiquities of America and gives Book of Mormon references that compare with the findings of early American explorers.
“Sometimes struggles and opposition will come into our life. We can become stronger by dealing with these difficult challenges and by not allowing them to cripple us in our spiritual progression.”
A polemical work against the Book of Mormon and Mormonism based upon a debate between the author and a Mormon named Nickerson. Contradictions with the Bible and a plethora of anachronisms and absurdities are identified. The Gadianton robbers are seen as Freemasons. The Spaulding theory is advanced as “proof” that the Book of Mormon is a fraud. Testimonies of the witnesses are discredited.
Prompted by an article written by Mrs. Minnie Moore Wilson entitled, “Indians who Avoid Civilization to Save Their Souls,” donations were taken from class members and a Book of Mormon was sent to Mrs. Wilson.
Bears testimony that the Book of Mormon proclaims the same gospel the apostles taught.
A detailed polemic against the Book of Mormon that claims that the Spaulding manuscript was the primary source of the Book of Mormon. Includes background historical material, a brief bibliography, and eight appendices. Attempts to demonstrate a connection between Sidney Rigdon and Solomon Spaulding.
This first of two volumes of essays honoring Hugh Nibley includes scholarly papers based on what the contributors have learned from Dr. Nibley. Nearly every major subject that he has encompassed in his vast learning and scholarly production is represented here by at least one article. Topics include the influence of Nibley, Copts and the Bible, the Seventy in scripture, the great apostasy, the book of Daniel in early Mormon thought, an early Christian initiation ritual, John’s Apocalypse, ancient Jewish seafaring, Native American rites of passage, Sinai as sanctuary and mountain of God, the Qurʾan and creation ex nihilo, and the sacred handclasp and embrace.
This paper presents data, culled primarily from talmudic and midrashic sources, pertaining to the commercial and religious laws that governed Jewish seafaring up to ca. AD 500.
Hugh W. Nibley Topics > Hugh Nibley > Scholarship, Footnotes, Collected Works of Hugh Nibley, CWHN, Editing > Book of Mormon
Shows more than 25 agreements between 3 Nephi and the Gospels of the New Testament. Gives reasons that 3 Nephi should be referred to as the “fifth gospel”
What is it that you think you want to know to consider yourself an educated person, to be part of civic and professional life alongside people from different religions in this, the most religiously diverse nation in human history?
A polemical work against Mormonism. Alleged problems and anachronisms in the Book of Mormon are discussed such as Shakespeare, pre-Columbian domesticated animals, textual changes, King James English, plagiarism, and the Spaulding theory.
The Lord has furnished us with two models to help us cope with the tension we often face between faith and reason. These two models take the form of the wanderer and the wonderer. Both of these types appear prominently in our scriptures and provide us postures we ought to consider assuming as we confront the challenges of living in a modern world.
RSC Topics > Q — S > Service
Spaulding is responsible for the authorship of the Book of Mormon as is clear from the affidavits of those who were familiar with his work and later read the Book of Mormon. The Book of Mormon must have come about through the agency of Rigdon who probably knew Spaulding.
A collection of maps of proposed Book of Mormon geographical sites in Mesoamerica and archaeological sites in relation to contemporary locations.
A synopsis of the book of 3 Nephi in the Book of Mormon. This book is the climax in Nephite history. It focuses on three advents of Jesus: his birth, his resurrection and appearance to the Nephites, and his Second Coming.
This article is a travelogue of visitors to Easter Island. The underlying question is whEther or not certain aspects of the island reflect cultural characteristics of the Nephite voyagers during the time of Hagoth.
Considers that the mounds in Ohio had their origins with Book of Mormon peoples.
Abstract: In this article, we examine circumstantial evidence for the claim of Zebedee Coltrin, contained in a secondhand report within a heretofore unpublished letter, that Jesus Christ came personally to the Kirtland Temple over an extended period to give instruction about temple work. After summarizing what Joseph Smith seems to have known about temple ordinances by 1836, we attempt to show when and how the experience reported in the letter might have occurred. We give short biographies of the participants in the story of the letter: Luna Ardell “Dell” Hinckley Paul, Zebedee Coltrin, and “Brother Potter.” We cite Matthew. B. Brown’s observations on the question of why it might have been expedient that the Saints wait several years before receiving the full complement of temple ordinances that were eventually administered in Nauvoo. Both a typescript and a reproduction of the manuscript of the letter are provided, as is an additional letter to family members from co-author K-Lynn Paul describing the circumstances under which his grandmother’s letter was found and donated to the Church. The Dell Paul letter is consistent with arguments that the Prophet learned much about temple ordinances through personal experiences with heavenly beings, translations, and revelations as much as a decade before he got to Nauvoo. If the letter’s claim that Jesus Christ “stood and talked to them just as I am talking to you” is accurately reported, it provides an additional witness of the Savior’s frequent presence in Kirtland in 1836.
As we obey our Heavenly Father’s commandments, our faith increases, we grow in wisdom and spiritual strength, and it becomes easier for us to make right choices.
To help mitigate the soteriological problem of evil, that one having had no chance to hear the gospel would be sent to hell, many early Christians practiced baptism for the dead. The only reference to this in the New Testament comes in 1 Corinthians 15:29, a scripture that some scholars attempt to reinterpret or repunctuate to dismiss baptism for the dead but that most scholars defend as a legitimate reference. Further strengthening the historicity of the practice are references by early writers such as Tertullian and Ambrosiaster. The quest for authenticating the practice of baptism for the dead should rest on these and other historical references, not on retroactively applied standards of orthodoxy.
David L. Paulsen, professor emeritus of the Brigham Young University Philosophy Department, is one of the most prominent LDS theologians. His writings span an impressive array of topics. BYU Studies has collected all his articles, book chapters, and reviews and arranged them by topic in three impressive ebooks, of which this is the first. In this first volume, readers will find a brief overview of Paulsen’s life; an account of a spiritual experience he had in Bellingham, Washington; and his writings on various theological topics: what it means to be Christian, Joseph Smith’s challenges to the theological world, a survey of teachings about Mother in Heaven, Trinitarianism, the problem of evil, the problem of the unevangelized, and redemption of the dead.
David L. Paulsen, professor emeritus of the Brigham Young University Philosophy Department, is one of the most prominent LDS theologians. His writings span an impressive array of topics. BYU Studies has collected all his articles, book chapters, and reviews and arranged them by topic in three impressive ebooks, of which this is the second. In this second volume, readers will find Paulsen’s writings on the nature of God, including early Mormon modalism and other myths, the social model of the Trinity in 3 Nephi, the corporeality of God, divine determinateness, and the logically and ontologically possible proofs of God’s existence.
David L. Paulsen, professor emeritus of the Brigham Young University Philosophy Department, is one of the most prominent LDS theologians. His writings span an impressive array of topics. BYU Studies has collected all his articles, book chapters, and reviews and arranged them by topic in three impressive ebooks, of which this is the third. In this third volume, readers will find dialogues, reviews, and rejoinders by Paulsen and others regarding his work. It includes dialogues with Christian theologian Clark Pinnock, a review of Mormonism in Dialogue with Contemporary Christian Theologies, Paulsen’s replies to various reviews of his works, and Paulsen’s reviews of the work of others.
Review of Mormonism and the Nature of God: A Theological Revolution, 1830-1915 (2000), by Kurt Widmer
Review of The New Mormon Challenge: Responding to the Latest Defenses of a Fast-Growing Movement (2002), edited by Francis J. Beckwith, Carl Mosser, and Paul Owens
One of the largest theological issues throughout Christian history is the fate of the unevangelized dead: Will they be eternally damned? Will they be lesser citizens in the kingdom of God? Will they have a chance to accept Christ postmortally? These issues are related to the soteriological problem of evil. The belief of the earliest Christians, even through the time of the church fathers Origen and Clement of Alexandria, was that postmortal evangelization was possible. One of the origins of this belief is seen in apocalyptic Judaism, in which righteous gentiles are not left to suffer eternally but, however, are given a lesser status than righteous Jews. Early Christian doctrine goes even further through the belief of Christ’s preaching in Hades—all people have a chance, through accepting Christ, to be save in the same state. Later, however, many Christian theologians such as Aquinas, Luther, and Calvin rejected this doctrine and contended that righteousness and unrighteousness are fixed at death.
In exploring the divide between Latter-day Saints and Evangelicals, Paulsen and Potter reply to Owen and Mosser on issues of open canon, continuing revelation, biblical inerrancy, divine finitude, divine embodiment, deification, the Trinity or Godhead, soteriology and anthropology, and postmortem salvation.
Joseph had no training in theology, no doctor of divinity degree; his formal education was at best scanty. And yet through him comes light that dissolves the profoundest paradoxes and strengthens and edifies me through my own personal trials.
Review of John Sanders. No Other Name: An Investigation into the Destiny of the Unevangelized. and Review of Gabriel Fackre, Ronald H. Nash, and John Sanders. What about Those Who Have Never Heard? Three Views on the Destiny of the Unevangelized.
No abstract available.
Review of Clark H. Pinnock. Most Moved Mover: A Theology of God’s Openness.
Beginning with Paul’s reference to baptism for the dead and the early Christian practice thereof, many theologians—from Augustine and Cyril of Alexandria to Thomas Aquinas, Joseph Smith, and some of his contemporaries—have discussed the fate of the unevangelized dead. These authors have provided many ideas to solve this soteriological problem of evil; however, until the restoration, none could balance the three truths that God is all loving, one must accept Jesus Christ to be saved, and many have died without knowing about Christ. This article chronicles the thoughts of these and other theologians as well as the development, through revelation, of Joseph Smith’s own thinking on postmortem evangelization and baptism for the dead.
RSC Topics > D — F > Death
RSC Topics > Q — S > Revelation
After Joseph Smith’s death, the Saints still had many questions regarding the soteriological problem of evil and the doctrines about redeeming the dead. This paper details what leaders of the church after Joseph Smith have said in response to these previously unanswered questions. They focus on the nature of Christ’s visit to the spirit world, those who were commissioned to preach the gospel to the departed spirits, the consequences of neglecting the gospel in mortality, and the extent and role of temple ordinances for those not eligible for celestial glory. This paper focuses on both the early and the late teachings of President Joseph F. Smith. It explains the doctrinal and historical contexts for his vision in 1918 and the further insights provided by this vision.
Response to Douglas J. Davies. Mormon Culture of Salvation: Force, Grace and Glory.
The Apocalypse of Abraham, a pseudepigraphon only extant in a fourteenth century Old Church Slavonic manuscript, has not received much attention from scholars of Ancient Judaism, due in part to a lack of readily available information regarding the history and transmission of the Slavonic Pseudepigrapha. This dissertation examines the historical context of these works with the aim of assessing the probability that they contain ancient Jewish material. The rest of the dissertation is focused on the Apocalypse of Abraham specifically, discussing its date and provenance, original language, probability that it comes from Essene circles, textual unity, and Christian interpolations. This includes treatments of the issue of free will, determinism, and predestination in the Apocalypse of Abraham as well as the methodological complexities in trying to distinguish between early Jewish and Christian works. It also provides an in-depth comparison of the Apocalypse of Abraham with 4 Ezra and 2 Baruch and takes up the question of the social setting for these texts based on relevant precedents set by recent scholars of midrash who seek to probe the “socio-cultural and historical situatedness” of midrashic texts. This discussion includes a survey of parallels between the content of the Apocalypse of Abraham and rabbinic literature to support the argument that a sharp distinction between apocalyptic ideas and what later became rabbinic tradition did not exist in the time between 70 and 135 C.E. Overall, this dissertation argues that the Apocalypse of Abraham is an early Jewish document written during the decades following the destruction of the Second Temple. While seeking to warn its readers of the dangers of idolatry in light of the apocalyptic judgment still to come, it also provides sustained exegesis of Genesis 15, which gives cohesion to the entire document.
Book of Moses Topics > Selection of Ancient Sources > Apocalypse of Abraham — Secondary Sources
Letters responding to C. L. Sainsbury’s letter (July/August issue) seeking inclusion of Nephite history on an international timeline. Contributors contend that no archaeological evidence exists for the Book of Mormon, point out the book’s similarity to the Bible, and enclose the Smithsonian Institution’s statement concerning the Book of Mormon.
In Provo, Utah, there exists the Foundation for Ancient Research and Mormon Studies (FARMS) renowned as a Mormon think-tank, FARMS is owned and operated by Brigham Young University (BYU) and the Mormon Church. Their mission seeks to repudiate the opposition, applaud its supporters, and justify many peculiar Mormon doctrines. This book demonstrates that FARMS often twists the truths to justify Mormon doctrines. To justify their position they often will utilize inane accusations, misquotes and equivocation. This collection of deceit from Mormon scholarship is what Matt Paulson has identified as the ¿breaking of the Mormon Code.¿
Like Nephi, each one of us is likely to experience the breaking of a bow—a major life challenge that has all the makings of a personal or family disaster or one that has all the makings of an opportunity to grow.
Faith in Jesus Christ has the power to help us get our stories straight, and I pray that, like Zoram, we will see that our life’s circumstances are often the very conditions in which God has chosen to bless us as He helps us work out our lives.
Jack H. West legally defended the Book of Mormon in a court of law in 1931. The attorney gave credit to God for briefing the case, setting up the evidence, and selecting the witnesses.
A report of Hugh Nibley’s funeral and of those who will continue to remember him.
The root of morality, according to Levinas and Bauman, is recognizing our role as our brothers’ and sisters’ keepers. Everything else…serves as a way to increase our awareness of that role, our desire to fulfill it, and our ability to do so.
Report of debates between the two authors. Subject matter concerns the cognizance of the mind beyond the grave. References are made to Alma and his experiences. Pejorative comments are made about the character of Joseph Smith and the Three Witnesses.
Small booklet that lists and indexes topics, names, and places according to page numbers from an RLDS edition of the Book of Mormon.
The Book of Mormon speaks of twenty- two plates or records that are no longer available, as well as seven other records promised to come forth at a later date.
Alma and Amulek preached to the Zoramites and taught them how to pray. Stresses the importance of prayer and gives the basic steps of how to offer a prayer.
A story of a boy who enjoyed reading the Book of Mormon with his family and how it made him a better person.
A children’s story of how Nephi built a ship because he was commanded to by the Lord. It is important to obey the commandments.
RSC Topics > T — Z > Youth
RSC Topics > L — P > Lifelong Learning
RSC Topics > T — Z > Teaching the Gospel
Presents the events and inspirations of Christopher Columbus’s life. From his birth Columbus certainly felt the call of the Lord and God’s protective hand over all things. Surely it was Columbus whom Nephi foretold would cross the waters.
RSC Topics > T — Z > Youth
RSC Topics > L — P > Lifelong Learning
RSC Topics > T — Z > Teaching the Gospel
The historical nature of the Book of Mormon corroborates, affirms, and establishes the facts that archaeologists and historians have found, and presents a complete written record of the original inhabitants of America.
A series of five lectures. Topics include: why we should have new revelation in addition to the Bible; mission of Jesus Christ clarified; the gathering of the house of Israel must be accomplished; one who reads the Book of Mormon must read it faithfully and know if it is true or false; the book of Mosiah is important in explaining the doctrine of the final judgment.
An instructional aid for the missionary offering the “single answer” system of response in confronting objections from both Christians and non-Christians. Using this system, the missionary is to show that all objections are in fact objections to revelation. In this manner the Book of Mormon is set forth as a true revelation from God that may result in conversion.
Enlarged and revised edition of authors’ Teaching with the Book of Mormon. “Our main purpose in writing this book is to help the reader to begin to fill up his ‘bag’ with treasures of knowledge out of the Book of Mormon that he can bring out whenever he is called upon to teach or preach” The book is divided into sections based upon such topics as faith, repentance, and baptism.
A study aid intended to demonstrate the many rich doctrinal topics contained in the Book of Mormon. One doctrinal topic discussed, for instance, is the divine birth of Jesus. Aids the reader with cross referencing and scripture marking.
A new method of studying the Book of Mormon is proposed that includes finding some of the more important passages of the Book of Mormon and starting a structured cross-reference system. In the book a series of doctrinal topics are addressed by brief explanations, thought provoking questions, cross references, and a marking system. The goal is to help the user to be more fluent with the scriptures. [C. W.]
Compiles approaches in using the Book of Mormon in connection with missionary work.
An early draft of the authors’ two books, A Doctrinal Approach to the Book of Mormon, and Teaching with the Book of Mormon. This version is shorter and lacks the study questions.
A series of lectures covering the following topics: “Book of Mormon Chronology,” “The Mosiah Dynasty,” “Abinadi,” “Great Missionaries,” and “Book of Mormon Theology”
A revised edition of A Doctrinal Approach to the Book of Mormon, containing the authors’ Book of Mormon study system. [C. W.]
Instructional aid to assist LDS missionaries in using the Book of Mormon. The majority of the work contains sample dialogues between a missionary and investigator.
An instructional aid that provides effective missionary techniques and gives directions on how to approach different types of people and controversial issues. It also provides a series of hypothetical door approaches that result in the contact reading the Book of Mormon with the missionary.
The Book of Mormon provides answers concerning the origin of the early inhabitants of America.
I hope you will allow your mind to conceive and believe that Heavenly Father sent His Son to give us hope and help in finding a more abundant life.
Elder Pearson teaches that God expects us to willingly place the Savior at the center of our lives. Our willingness to follow Jesus Christ is directly proportionate to the amount of time we commit to be in holy places.
In a household of faith, there is no need to fear or doubt. Choose to live by faith and not fear.
Espero que permitan que su mente conciba y crea que el Padre Celestial envió a Su Hijo para darnos esperanza y ayuda para encontrar una vida más abundante.
Kevin W. Pearson explains how Lehi’s vision of the tree of life teaches us what we must do to endure to the end.
Practice makes perfect, but work is more than mere practice. Work opens us to revelation and spiritual gifts.
An exposé of Mormonism. Among other things the author criticizes the Book of Mormon for containing King James English and containing “monstrous fictions” The Spaulding manuscript is suggested to be the original basis for the Book of Mormon.
The essays in this book inspire Latter-day Saints to consider carefully their stewardship in caring for God’s creations. It also encourages finding common ground with those of other persuasions. The book demonstrates that our religion offers a vital perspective on environmental stewardship that encompasses the best impulses of liberal generosity and conservative restraint. ISBN 0-8425-2618-8
The 51st Annual Brigham Young University Sidney B. Sperry Symposium The related themes of households and families figure prominently in the New Testament. On various occasions Jesus taught about marriage, divorce, and more general familial relations. Jesus, Peter, and Paul also taught about the important contributions single members and widows make in the kingdom and such household complexities as mixed-faith marriages or relationships between slaves and masters. Thus, the New Testament contains much counsel on household conduct, familial relationships, and belonging to “the household of God” (Ephesians 2:19). The Sperry Symposium, named in honor of pioneering Latter-day Saint scripture scholar Sidney B. Sperry and held on the campus of Brigham Young University, seeks each year to examine and illuminate an aspect of the religious and cultural heritage of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. ISBN 978-1-9503-0434-9
The creator actively remembers His creation. Closely linked to His remembrance of us is the loving attention associated with it. He not only remembers you; He cares deeply about where you are, what you are doing, who you are becoming, and what you are feeling.
The mission of BYU is to assist individuals in their quest for perfection and eternal life. That assistance should provide a period of intensive learning in a stimulating setting where a commitment to excellence is expected and the full realization of human potential is pursued.
A series of thirteen articles dealing with specific doctrinal points from the Book of Mormon. Topics include the creation, the fall of man, justice and mercy, the Atonement, salvation, repentance, conversion, baptism, probation, death, the resurrection, the judgment, the justice of God, and happiness.
The importance of the Book of Mormon in the lives of Latter-day Saints and how it is a building block towards Mormon faith.
What can we do to ensure that we build a lifetime of righteousness and accumulate wise choices? We can live our life with purpose—the purpose to gain eternal life and be counted as a disciple of Jesus Christ.
The Book of Mormon peoples had portions of the Bible. The Jesuits who came to the New World burned many books and it is possible they contained portions of the Bible handed down by Native Americans. The Book of Mormon has warnings for the United States—Ether 1:4; 3 Nephi 9:12; Ether 3:13.
Book of Mormon Scriptures > Ether
An introductory pamphlet designed for an investigator that describes the discovery and contents of the Book of Mormon. It gives both spiritual and secular examples of the divinity of the book and encourages the investigator to seek for a personal witness.
Discourse by Elder Charles W. Penrose, delivered in the Assembly Hall, Salt Lake City, Sunday Afternoon, March 4, 1883. Reported By: Gibbs and Irvine.
This article claims that Moroni’s visits to Joseph Smith in September 1823 stand second only in importance to the First Vision. It is significant that Moroni’s visitations preceded the restoration of the priesthood and the organization of the Church.
James H. Fairchild of the Oberlin College library recovered the Manuscript Found written by Solomon Spaulding. Fairchild claims that after comparing the Book of Mormon and Spaulding’s manuscript the theory that the two are related “will probably have to be relinquished”
Remarks by Elder Charles W. Penrose, delivered in the Tabernacle, Salt Lake City, Sunday Afternoon May 25, 1879. Reported By: Geo. F. Gibbs.
Discourse by Elder Charles W. Penrose, delivered in the Salt Lake Assembly Hall, Sunday Afternoon, April 11, 1880. Reported By: John Irvine.
Discourse by Elder Charles W. Penrose, delivered in the Tabernacle, Salt Lake City, Sunday Afternoon, July 17, 1881. Reported By: John Irvine.
This article contains an account of the first vision received by Joseph Smith and the importance of other visions leading up to the publication of the Book of Mormon and the organization of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.
It is most remarkable that “modern scientists” could overlook the Book of Mormon while so much of their research in the Americas and Egypt adds evidences to the divinity of the work. The London Magazine reports that there is a connection between the hieroglyphs of the Mayas and those of the Egyptians. Could these hieroglyphs have originated with Adam and Eve, or was it Lehi’s company who brought them?
Discourse by Elder Charles W. Penrose, delivered in the Tabernacle, Salt Lake City, Sunday Afternoon, September 23, 1883. Reported By: John Irvine.
Discourse by Elder Charles W. Penrose, delivered in the Salt Lake Assembly Hall, Sunday Afternoon, January 2, 1881. Reported By: John Irvine.
Discourse by Elder Charles W. Penrose, delivered in the Tabernacle, Salt Lake City, Sunday, June 4, 1882. Reported By: Geo. F. Gibbs.
Discourse by Elder Charles W. Penrose, delivered in the Tabernacle, Salt Lake City, Sunday Afternoon, August 8, 1880. Reported By: John Irvine.
Discourse by Elder Charles W. Penrose, delivered in the Salt Lake Assembly Hall, Sunday Afternoon, April 25, 1880. Reported By: John Irvine.
Reports on an article in the May issue of Popular Science Monthly, which in turn borrowed the article from Gentleman’s Magazine. Pre-Columbian Mexicans believed in a god named Quetzalcoatl, who had striking similarities to the biblical Messiah. Cortez was mistaken for this god, who was expected to return. Comments on the author’s inference that Quetzalcoatl was St. Brendan, an Irish bishop.
This article is an official announcement regarding a new edition of the Book of Mormon, having a new print type, two columns, chapter headings, book and chapter designations, footnote reference revisions, a synopsis of the chapters, a pronouncing vocabulary, and an index.
An official announcement regarding a new edition of the Book of Mormon, having a new print type, two columns, chapter headings, book and chapter designations, footnote reference revisions, a synopsis of the chapters, a pronouncing vocabulary, and an index.
An official announcement regarding a new edition of the Book of Mormon, having a new print type, two columns, chapter headings, book and chapter designations, footnote reference revisions, a synopsis of the chapters, a pronouncing vocabulary, and an index.
Sidney Rigdon did not work for publisher Patterson who had the Spaulding manuscript nor did he know Joseph Smith until after the Book of Mormon was published. The manuscript has no significant similarities to the Book of Mormon. The testimonies of the Three Witnesses cannot be refuted as they were reaffirmed in the last years of the witnesses’ lives. These final testimonies appear in this article.
Old Testament Topics > Old Testament: Overviews and Manuals
Old Testament Topics > Adam and Eve [see also Fall]
Discourse by Elder Charles W. Penrose, delivered in the Tabernacle, Salt Lake City, Sunday Afternoon, May 1, 1880. Reported By: John Irvine.
Discourse by Elder Charles W. Penrose, delivered in the Tabernacle, Salt Lake City, Sunday Afternoon, November 16, 1884. Reported By: Arthur Winter.
Discourse by Elder Charles W. Penrose, delivered in the Assembly Hall, Salt Lake City, Sunday Afternoon, November 4, 1882. Reported By: John Irvine.
Discourse by Elder Charles W. Penrose, delivered in the Tabernacle, Salt Lake City, May 18, 1883. Reported By: Gibbs and Irvine.
A testimony of the Book of Mormon. Truth has sprung out of the earth as Psalms 85:11 prophecies. The lost sheep of the house of Israel (Matthew 25:24) are the Nephites and Lamanites or the “voice out of the dust” (Isaiah 29:4-19). Professor Anthon fulfilled Isaiah 29:11 by saying he could not read a sealed book. The Book of Mormon is the stick of Joseph spoken of in Ezekiel 37:15-22.
Remarks by Elder Charles W. Penrose, delivered in the Tabernacle, Salt Lake City, Sunday Afternoon, July 26, 1884. Reported By: John Irvine.
Made by Elder Charles W. Penrose, in the Ogden Tabernacle, January 19, 1879. Reported By: Geo. F. Gibbs.
Discourse by Elder Charles W. Penrose, delivered in the Assembly Hall, Sunday, Jan. 14, 1883. Reported By: Geo. F. Gibbs.
Discourse by Elder Charles W. Penrose, delivered in the Tabernacle, Salt Lake City, Sunday Afternoon, May 20, 1883. Reported By: John Irvine.
Speculation about the location of the lost tribes
Discourse by Elder Charles W. Penrose, delivered in the Tabernacle, Salt Lake City, Sunday Afternoon, Jan. 30, 1881. Reported By: John Irvine.
Discourse by Elder Charles W. Penrose, delivered in the Tabernacle, Salt Lake City, Sunday Afternoon, Aug. 14, 1881. Reported By: John Irvine.
Commenting on 1 Nephi 13-14, Penrose identifies the great and abominable church as “all the institutions among mankind in all ages that are led into error . . . and which lead mankind away from the true God and the true faith”
A testimony of the Book of Mormon. Truth has sprung out of the earth as Psalms 85:11 prophecies. The lost sheep of the house of Israel (Matthew 25:24) are the Nephites and Lamanites or the “voice out of the dust” (Isaiah 29:4-19). Professor Anthon fulfilled Isaiah 29:11 by saying he could not read a sealed book. The Book of Mormon is the stick of Joseph spoken of in Ezekiel 37:15-22.
Evidence that the woman consulted by Saul truly was a witch
Old Testament Topics > Witchcraft, Magic, and Astrology
Old Testament Topics > Women in the Old Testament
Discourse by Elder Charles W. Penrose, delivered in the Tabernacle, Provo, Saturday Morning, November 29, 1879. Reported By: Geo. F. Gibbs.
Discourse by Elder Charles W. Penrose, delivered in the Tabernacle, Salt Lake City, on Sunday Afternoon, Aug. 17, 1879. Reported By: Geo. F. Gibbs.
The church advocates no official position on the origins of Amerindian populations. Critics and sup-porters of the Book of Mormon both attempt to bolster their own arguments with DNA evidence. This study reviews the properties of mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA), particularly pertaining to the origins of Native American populations. DNA studies are subject to numerous limitations.
Abstract: Partaking of bread and water each Sunday is a fundamental part of the theology of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints — a solemn moment in which the mortal Savior’s mission and ministry are remembered and pondered by those who partake individually and as a congregation. This paper explores instructions provided by the Savior himself as found in the Mormon canon of scriptures, together with a review of how this practice has changed over time as part of the LDS Church liturgy. Moreover, the meaning associated with this sacred ordinance is analyzed by way of the Savior’s teachings in ancient scripture through Mormon prophets in modern times, particularly in light of a more recent emphasis shared by the LDS Church leadership.
Book of Mormon Scriptures > Ether
Abstract: The Book of Mormon claims to be an ancient record containing a summary of a now-disappeared civilization that once lived in the American continent but originated in the Middle East. DNA studies focusing on the ancient migration of world populations support a North-East Asian origin of modern Native American populations arriving through the now-submerged land-bridge that once connected Siberia to Alaska during the last Ice Age, approximately 15,000 years ago. The apparent discrepancy between the Book of Mormon narrative and the published genetic data must be addressed in lieu of generally accepted population genetic principles that are efficient in large-scale population studies, but are somewhat weak and limitative in detecting genetic signals from the introgression of DNA by small groups of outsiders into a large, and well-established population. Therefore, while DNA can definitely provide clues about the ancient history of a people or civilization, it fails to provide conclusive proofs to support or dismiss the Book of Mormon as a true historical narrative.
Abstract: Some critics of the Book of Mormon suppose that the DNA characteristics of modern Native Americans should be compatible with “Israelite” rather than with Asian genetics. The authors point out that while DNA is a valid tool to study ancient and modern populations, we must be careful about drawing absolute conclusions. They show that many of the conclusions of critics are based on unwarranted assumptions. There are specific limitations that cannot be ignored when using the available genetic data to infer conclusions regarding the DNA of Book of Mormon peoples. Such conclusions are not founded on solid science but are the interpretation of a few, as genetic data fails to produce conclusive proof weighing credibly in favor of or against the historicity of the Book of Mormon.
[Editor’s Note: Part of our book chapter reprint series, this article is reprinted here as a service to the LDS community. Original pagination and page numbers have necessarily changed, otherwise the reprint has the same content as the original.
See Ugo A. Perego and Jayne E. Ekins, “Is Decrypting the Genetic Legacy of America’s Indigenous Populations Key to the Historicity of the Book of Mormon?,” in Ancient Temple Worship: Proceedings of The Expound Symposium 14 May 2011, ed. Matthew B. Brown, Jeffrey M. Bradshaw, Stephen D. Ricks, and John S. Thompson (Orem, UT: The Interpreter Foundation; Salt Lake City: Eborn Books, 2014), 259–94. Further information at https://interpreterfoundation.org/books/ancient-temple-worship/.]
RSC Topics > G — K > Heaven
RSC Topics > G — K > Jesus Christ
RSC Topics > Q — S > Resurrection
Stay on the priesthood path by deepening your conversion and strengthening your family. … Avoid tragedy by heeding spiritual “Beware” signs placed along our way by God and prophets.
Childlike faith in the perfect love of Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ will “divide asunder” Satan’s snares of inadequacy, imperfection, and guilt.
Our Heavenly Father wants us to grow in every way while on this earth, and that includes developing our ability to weigh facts, render judgments, and make decisions. But He also invites us to bring our decisions to Him in prayer.
RSC Topics > Q — S > Service
Keeping covenants unlocks the power of Jesus Christ’s atoning sacrifice to provide strength and even joy to you who suffer.
RSC Topics > Q — S > Revelation
One of the key messages of the Book of Mormon is that the human soul must change, must progress, must become. The Book of Mormon is, in effect, a handbook of change, with the Lord seeking to motivate mighty change within us by using the lives and teachings of the Book of Mormon protagonists as the means to teach us how to become. At the heart of the Book of Mormon, in the books of Mosiah and Alma, Alma the Younger makes the subject of change, progression, and becoming the very essence of his life and sermons, and thus Alma the Younger becomes a quintessential standard of how to become like God.
Book of Mormon Scriptures > Alma
RSC Topics > G — K > Humility
The 31st Annual Sidney B. Sperry Symposium The messages of the New Testament Apostles—most notably Peter, James, John, and Paul—are some of the most important and powerful teachings in all of scripture. In this volume, scholars illuminate these teachings and help us understand their influence in the church of the New Testament. Many insights and teachings in this book help us understand the value and the power of the messages of the New Testament Apostles, not only for the primitive church, but for us in the latter days. ISBN 1-5700-8896-9
RSC Topics > D — F > Discipleship
Discusses (in French) the history of Joseph Smith and his subsequent followers and persecutions. The testimony of Martin Harris and the experience with Charles Anthon and the Book of Mormon are credits to Joseph Smith.
Complete apostasy in the early Church created the need for a restoration. The events that led to the Restoration were orchestrated by the Lord. Joseph Smith’s own words tell of his calling to translate and publish the Book of Mormon. Books that have been written to discredit Joseph Smith and the Book of Mormon are listed by title and author. The Book of Mormon and modern revelation identify false teachings concerning revelation, the Godhead, the eternal nature of man, priesthood authority, original sin, infant baptism, authority, mode of baptism, paid clergy, eternal marriage, heaven and hell, and Church politics.
RSC Topics > L — P > Missionary Work
I love everything this university stands for and am truly honored to receive an honorary doctorate as a culminating event in my life.
Learn to appreciate the power and potential in your heads. Get out of your comfort zone! Expand your vision! Experience the satisfaction that comes from real, earned accomplishment.
If you will use them as a guide to direct your studies of the Savior’s doctrine, you will find yourselves prepared to declare your witness of the restored, true church of the Lord.
Partaking of the sacrament provides us with a sacred moment in a holy place.
There are many ways that goodly parents can access the help and support they need to teach the gospel of Jesus Christ to their children.
The Lord is bound by solemn covenant to bless our lives according to our faithfulness. Only He can turn us into men in whom the Spirit of God, namely the Holy Ghost, is.
Now it is up to us to study the Book of Mormon and learn of its principles and apply them in our lives.
I have a special respect and admiration for President Brigham Young as he led the colonization of the pioneers here in the West. As we meet on the campus that bears his name, it seems appropriate to remind ourselves of some of the teachings, philosophy, and vision of this great leader.
Missionaries will continue to do the best they can, but wouldn’t it be better if you and I stepped up to do a job that is rightfully ours?
In any community of Saints, we all work to serve each other in the best way we know how. Our work has a higher purpose because it is work to bless others and to build the kingdom of God.
We have been given the great power of the priesthood. It blesses us individually and provides blessings for our family.
“Let us all show justice, kindness, and charity toward our fellowmen. Let us demonstrate the love and reverence we should exhibit toward our Almighty God.”
We must create … ongoing and continual processes that draw us closer to the Lord our Savior so that we can be numbered among His disciples.
Here is our foundation of truth. It is the doctrine and His revealed covenants we must take upon ourselves that will lead us back to His presence.
Each article of faith adds unique value to our understanding of the gospel of Jesus Christ.
May we heed the voice of the prophets, who, from the beginning of time, have warned us about the importance of fathers in the home.
It is the gospel of Jesus Christ that provides the foundation upon which we can find lasting peace and build eternal family units.
The gospel teaches us all we need to know to return to live with our Father in Heaven.
In this first dispensation we learn that we are sons and daughters of an Eternal Father and have the right to communicate with Him through prayer and receive answers through inspiration and revelation. Included in our life’s plan should be constant and regular communication with the Father of all.
As you examine the memorabilia you have put into your book of life, will you find the ones prescribed by the Lord in being obedient to his laws?
We declare to the world that the fulness of the gospel of Jesus Christ has been restored to the earth.
I believe it is by divine design that the role of motherhood emphasizes the nurturing and teaching of the next generation.
Obedience is an emblem of our faith in the wisdom and power of the highest authority, even God.
Men and women receive their agency as a gift from God, but their liberty and, in turn, their eternal happiness come from obedience to His laws.
Consistently develop your talents, hold fast to your integrity, and build your character. These are principles that will not depreciate with time. Why? Because they are God-given principles founded on eternal truths, and will endure through time and for all eternity.
The lessons of the past … prepare us to face the challenges of the future.
If you will respond to the invitation to share your beliefs and feelings about the restored gospel of Jesus Christ, a spirit of love and a spirit of courage will be your constant companion.
We are not left alone to wander through mortality without knowing of the master plan which the Lord has designed for His children.
We can be delivered from the ways of evil and wickedness by turning to the teachings of the holy scriptures.
The priesthood you bear is a special gift, for the giver is the Lord Himself. Use it, magnify it, and live worthy of it.
As we pause tonight to contemplate another new year, I would hope that for a few minutes we could catch the spirit of Joel or of Peter as we reflect on prophecy, vision, and dreams.
Be certain that you easily clear the minimum standards for service as a missionary and that you are continually raising the bar.
What we need is a royal army of returned missionaries reenlisted into service.
Let your family be filled with love as you honor the Sabbath all day long and experience its spiritual blessings throughout the week.
The charge has been given to us. Now, to obtain the promised blessings, we must respond by increasing our understanding of the doctrine and religiously applying the doctrine in our lives.
Our teaching will be effective if we approach it humbly through prayer and study.
The Holy Ghost will be our constant companion if we submit ourselves to the will of our Father in Heaven.
The continued expansion of technology will only bring the messages to us. … [But it is] the challenge of each individual and family … to internalize the messages of the gospel.
“We must continually be thinking about our preparation for the time of the harvest. Our challenge is to protect the tender plants among the tares that choke out and leave us no credit or return for a life of toil.”
May God bless each of us with a desire to gain a real understanding of the blessings granted to us under this great Constitution of the United States of America. And may we have the strength and the courage to defend and uphold it for our generation and for all who follow after us.
We challenge you to study and internalize the basic required courses for life with the promise that conducting yourself in harmony with the Lord’s law will bring the only true, fulfilling, and rewarding happiness that this experience in the University of Mortality can produce.
God continues to reveal His will to mankind, as He has in all periods of time when He has had authorized servants upon the earth.
I challenge you to become “the greatest generation” by assisting our Father in Heaven’s children to return to their Christian faith and to the strong religious foundation that is so necessary to enjoy peace of mind and real happiness in this period of mortal probation.
One of the greatest blessings one can receive from being a bearer of the priesthood … is belonging to a priesthood quorum.
Honest seekers of truth are finding answers to their questions—they are finding the Lord through His restored Church.
“Never be satisfied with where you are. Always be reaching out to make the world a better place, to make your sacrifice for the benefit of your fellowmen.”
L. Tom Perry explains why marriage and family are still a universal ideal and why we must support efforts to strengthen them worldwide.
My prayer is that each of you will leave here today better prepared to meet the world and its challenges. There are endless opportunities for good all around us! May each of you be blessed to find the proper balance in your life spiritually, mentally, emotionally, and physically.
The only lasting joy and happiness you will ever find during your mortal experience will come by following the Savior.
RSC Topics > D — F > First Presidency
RSC Topics > L — P > Priesthood
RSC Topics > Q — S > Quorums of the Seventy
This article explores the connection between Alma’s mission to the Zoramites in Alma 31 and the mass Lamanite conversion in Helaman 5, which occurs in part because the Lamanites who are intent on killing Nephi and Lehi in prison remember the teachings of Alma, Amulek, and Zeezrom delivered to the Zoramites decades earlier. This reading demonstrates that Alma’s mission to the Zoramites is not a failure, as some commentators have suggested; in fact, the eventual positive impact of the Zoramite mission readily compares to the success enjoyed by the sons of Mosiah among the Lamanites. This article also suggests that Mormon’s lengthy war narrative at the end of the book of Alma can be read as a literary unit designed in part to show, as Alma hoped and predicted at the outset of his Zoramite mission, that the word of God (at least eventually) has a “more powerful effect upon the minds of the people than the sword, or anything else” (Alma 31:5).
Book of Mormon Scriptures > Alma
Book of Mormon Scriptures > Helaman
Examine the motives and means by which Joseph Smith authored the Book of Mormon. Contains an extensive comparison between Ethan Smith’s View of the Hebrews
RSC Topics > T — Z > Unity
RSC Topics > T — Z > Unity
We are given the opportunity to minister like angels, to preach the gospel on all the continents of the earth, and to help souls come unto Christ.
Volume 3:517-72 introduces the Book of Mormon as a “curiousity of literature” and a “literature of disguise” that was created by Joseph Smith.
Arno Schmidt (1914-1979) was one of the most important, prolific, and original of postwar German authors. His magnum opus, Zettels Traum (1970), appeared in 1,360 large-font, signed typescript copies that each weighed 12 kilos and resembled another intimidating modernist text, James Joyce’s Finnegans Wake, in its experiments with genre, fascinating density, multilingual citations, jokey allusiveness, and mythic grandeur. Like Joyce, Schmidt pushed boundaries of all kinds and sometimes got into hot water with those who found his writings sexually and religiously indecent. As an author, his work is hard to classify; he is sometimes called an “avant-garde traditionalist:’ In personal belief, he was an atheist, though one who was curious about the many forms that belief can take; he opens his essay on the Book of Mormon, for instance, by confessing his soft spot for holy books. A fierce critic of both West and East Germany, he was politically neither a Marxist, nor a social democrat, nor a straight-up conservative, though his attacks on mass society and choice to live his last two decades in relative isolation in a remote hamlet in Lower Saxony have led some critics to detect conservative sympathies. But he was also a clear anti-Nazi and was disgusted at what his country had done. Perhaps by living in a remote spot with his wife, Alice, also a writer whose work was not appreciated until later, he simply wanted to maintain his artistic integrity and stay aloof from the cultural establishment. By any account, he was a lone wolf, anxious not to be pinned down.
If perhaps I am certain of nothing else, I am indeed certain of one thing: I cannot resist holy books. Understand me correctly, however. I regard all of them highly-the fiery bass voices of the Qur’an; Gautama’s all-tolerating claptrap of wisdom; the large compendium of Jewish cultural history called the Old Testament-but I refuse steadfastly to link the word “truth’’ with any of them. Whoever imagines that he possesses the truth has lost it in that very same instant. Truth has no meaning for us. Nothing would be more unfortunate than some kind of 5 percent clause of the Spirit, and nothing more ridiculous than when one prophet calls out another as a fanatic. Not one Church, but rather fundamentally Churches; not one Sacred Scripture, but rather numerous Sacred Scriptures. Hence, if you wish, a resigned-but in my experience quite therapeutic-agnosticism as foundation, yet at the same time a tireless hunt for one’s own mistakes and one’s own lack of knowledge-and, besides that, working diligently.
Hugh W. Nibley Topics > Hugh Nibley > Commemorative Events, Awards, Honors
As one of the LDS Church’s most widely recognized scholars, Hugh Nibley is both an icon and an enigma. Through complete access to Nibley’s correspondence, journals, notes and papers, Petersen has painted a portrait that reveals the man behind the legend.Starting with a foreword written by Zina Nibley Peterson (the author’s wife and Nibley’s daughter) and finishing with appendixes that include some of the best of Nibley’s personal correspondence, the biography reveals aspects of the tapestry of the life of one who has truly consecrated his life to the service of the Lord.
Review of Marth Beck. Leaving the Saints: How I Lost the Mormons and Found My Faith.
Hugh Nibley’s correspondence reveals a lifelong fascination with the Book of Mormon. This is significant for two reasons: First, Nibley has taken the book seriously longer than we have as a church, and second, the private Hugh Nibley is as devoted to the Book of Mormon as is the public man.
Nibley’s interest in the book is threefold: he recognizes the striking similarities it shares with other ancient Near Eastern texts; acknowledges its witness to Joseph Smith’s divine calling; and, most importantly, perceives the relevance and accuracy of the book’s prophetic warnings. In his letters, Nibley also addresses criticism raised against his methodology. “The potential power” of the Book of Mormon, writes Nibley, “is something to move mountains; it will only take effect when everything is pretty far gone, but then it will be dynamite. That leaves room for optimism.” Hugh Nibley’s words make that optimism contagious.
“Something to Move Mountains: The Book of Mormon in Hugh Nibley’s Correspondences” (1997)
“Something to Move Mountains: Hugh Nibley’s Devotion to the Book of Mormon” (2001)
Hugh Nibley’s correspondence reveals a lifelong fascination with the Book of Mormon. This is significant for two reasons: First, Nibley has taken the book seriously longer than we have as a church, and second, the private Hugh Nibley is as devoted to the Book of Mormon as is the public man.
Nibley’s interest in the book is threefold: he recognizes the striking similarities it shares with other ancient Near Eastern texts; acknowledges its witness to Joseph Smith’s divine calling; and, most importantly, perceives the relevance and accuracy of the book’s prophetic warnings. In his letters, Nibley also addresses criticism raised against his methodology. “The potential power” of the Book of Mormon, writes Nibley, “is something to move mountains; it will only take effect when everything is pretty far gone, but then it will be dynamite. That leaves room for optimism.” Hugh Nibley’s words make that optimism contagious.
“Something to Move Mountains: The Book of Mormon in Hugh Nibley’s Correspondences” (1997)
“Something to Move Mountains: Hugh Nibley and the Book of Mormon” (2002)
Hugh Nibley’s correspondence reveals a lifelong fascination with the Book of Mormon. This is significant for two reasons: First, Nibley has taken the book seriously longer than we have as a church, and second, the private Hugh Nibley is as devoted to the Book of Mormon as is the public man.
Nibley’s interest in the book is threefold: he recognizes the striking similarities it shares with other ancient Near Eastern texts; acknowledges its witness to Joseph Smith’s divine calling; and, most importantly, perceives the relevance and accuracy of the book’s prophetic warnings. In his letters, Nibley also addresses criticism raised against his methodology. “The potential power” of the Book of Mormon, writes Nibley, “is something to move mountains; it will only take effect when everything is pretty far gone, but then it will be dynamite. That leaves room for optimism.” Hugh Nibley’s words make that optimism contagious.
“Something to Move Mountains: Hugh Nibley’s Devotion to the Book of Mormon” (2001)
“Something to Move Mountains: Hugh Nibley and the Book of Mormon” (2002)
an excerpt from Hugh Nibley: a Consecrated Life Greg Kofford Books, January 2003.
Did Hugh Nibley really tether a goat to his front lawn so he wouldn’t have to mow it? Did Hugh and his friend scribble Book of Mormon passages in Egyptian in one of Utah’s red rock canyons? Would he walk home from work, forgetting he had driven that day? This article looks at what truths lurk behind these and other stories.
Hugh W. Nibley Topics > Hugh Nibley > Folklore
Personal letters written by Hugh Nibley during his youth show the fundamental consistency of his personality, style, beliefs, concerns, and penetrating perceptions throughout his lifetime.
An analysis of personal letters written by Hugh Nibley during his youth.
Book of Moses Topics > Source Criticism and the Documentary Hypothesis
RSC Topics > L — P > Pearl of Great Price
Contains brief stories designed for children, with illustrations.
Retells stories for children. Book of Mormon topics include the Three Witnesses, the restoration of the Priesthood, the scribal work of Oliver Cowdery, Moroni’s visits to Joseph Smith, Martin Harris’s loss of the 116 pages of the Book of Mormon manuscript, and Joseph Smith’s reception and translation of the gold plates and its publication.
Doubts Joseph Smith’s ability to remember the exact words used by the heavenly personages who visited him several years before he made a written record. The accounts of these visitations do not harmonize. Clearly controversial language has been deleted in the History of the Church
The article references a large mound located at Moundville, West Virginia, which is believed to have existed for some three thousand years. Three human skeletons were discovered within the mound’s two vaults. A stone located at the mound and now held at the Smithsonian Institute contains an inscription that has never been deciphered. These things are considered to be archaeological evidences of the Book of Mormon.
Old Testament Scriptures > Genesis
Old Testament Topics > Adam and Eve [see also Fall]
Old Testament Topics > Adam and Eve [see also Fall]
Contains narration and commentary on Book of Mormon passages about Alma and Abinadi. Chapters include: “Abinadi the Martyr,” “Alma’s Ministry,” “Alma the Younger,” “Amlici’s Rebellion,” and “The Zoramite Apostasy”
This article is for the general reader, testimonies of Christopher Columbus, George Washington, Abraham Lincoln, and ancient traditions from Alaska to Chile regarding the Great White God are discussed. There are limited references.
Compares Nephi’s vision (1 Nephi 13) to the manner in which history unfolded on the American continent. Columbus was inspired, the Pilgrims came out of captivity, the gentiles fought against England, and America became a land of liberty and prosperity as Nephi prophesied.
“We must fight the good fight. We must finish our course. We must keep the faith.”
This article states that a testimony of the Book of Mormon comes by the Spirit (Moroni 10:4) and not from scientific research, nor from argument. And yet, the author claims, modern findings are vindications or supports to one’s testimony. Such evidences are cement buildings, gold plates with ancient inscriptions, and stone boxes as depositories of metal records.
Old Testament Topics > Old Testament: Overviews and Manuals
Reprints of several addresses: “The Great Prologue,” BYU Speeches of the Year, September 24, 1974, and conference addresses given 6 April 1968, 4 October 1970, 1 October 1977, 2 April 1978, 1 October 1978, 1 October 1983
Writes of archaeological and historical evidence of “the Great White God” of ancient America. The coming of a tall, blue- eyed, bearded man from heaven was documented in several different groups of Indians and Polynesians. Petersen proposes that this great white god was Jesus. This can be documented in the Book of Mormon.
We Latter-day Saints must realize that the restoration of the gospel was a mighty drama, the first steps having been taken long before Joseph Smith. If God was going to restore the gospel in the last days, where would it take place and under what conditions?
This article is a discussion of the Great White God of Ancient America—he was known by various names, provided teachings that contained elements similar to Christian religion, and may have been Jesus Christ who visited the Nephites of Bountiful.
Mark E. Petersen - The Lord makes it clear that all have need of repentance, and that if we truly repent and accept his yoke of love and forgiveness and of obedience, he will receive us.
Explains the story of the Jaredites; includes biblical references and charts listing the Jaredite kings.
Old Testament Topics > Joseph and Asenath
Joshua’s role as the leader of the conquest of Canaan
Emphasis on temples and sealing keys
Brings attention to the recent discoveries of metal plates with inscriptions on them and stone boxes containing treasures.
Old Testament Topics > Elijah
A story for children that deals with Mormon, abridger of the Nephite records.
The last words of Moroni are important for those living in America. Both Mormon and Moroni indicate that Americans must abandon pride, money, substance, and fine apparel (Mormon 8:35-36) in order to not be swept off the land as the ancient Nephites were.
Old Testament Topics > Moses
Old Testament Topics > Moses
This article cites the studies of numerous scientists and anthropologists (especially Thor Heyerdahl) that seem to confirm the general LDS belief that Polynesians migrated from the Americas.
Includes Noah’s ministry as the angel Gabriel
Old Testament Topics > Flood
All the peoples of the Americas shared a common belief in the visitation of a white God who taught them and ministered to them. The names differed—Quetzalcoatl, Votan, Gucumatz, Verachoeha, Sume, Kon-tiki, Kukulcan—but he was the same God, Jesus Christ, whose appearance is recorded in the Book of Mormon.
The great faith of the Polynesian people indicates that they are of the blood of Israel. Evidence that they are descendants of Lehi lies in the structure of their temples, baptismal fonts, stone roadways, and the plant life with origins in North America. The first white men in these islands were greeted with great reverence because of the traditions of the people concerning their white god whose teachings resembled those of Jesus Christ.
Discusses the missionary activities of the sons of Mosiah in twenty chapters.
This article states that the greatest tragedy that happened to the Jews was the rejection of their King, Jesus Christ. Likewise, the people of the modern world may reject his Second Coming. Signs described in the Book of Mormon show that the Second Coming will not be unexpected.
Addresses the issue of the authenticity of the gold plates delivered to Joseph Smith. Author gives many examples of inscribed plates, and a list of 62 such findings. He also presents the testimonies of the Three and Eight Witnesses and their contemporaries.
Israel’s transition from prophets to kings; the history of Saul, David, and Solomon
Old Testament Scriptures > 1 & 2 Kings/1 & 2 Chronicles
This article testifies that three new volumes of sacred literature, the Book of Mormon, the Doctrine and Covenants, and Pearl of Great Price sustain the Bible and add their own witness that divine guidance from God continues.
Mark E. Petersen - God has revealed that in the last days he would warn the people through the voice of tempests, earthquakes, and seas heaving themselves beyond their bounds. Do we hear his voice now and recognize it?
This article discusses various native traditions of the Western Hemisphere and Pacific region that refer to a “Great White God.” Several sources are cited and their common points are discussed and compared to 3 Nephi 11. Jesus Christ was the Great White God referred to in all instances.
Part of the “Mormon Times” section of the newspaper.
A look into the friendship between Hugh Nibley and Kresimir Cosic and how that friendship led to Cosic’s conversion.
Originally remarks presented at Hugh Nibley’s funeral.
A reflection on Hugh Nibley’s life as a family man and a scholar.
Hugh W. Nibley (1910–2005) was arguably the most brilliant Latter-day Saint scholar of the 20th century, with wide-ranging interests in scripture, history, and social issues. The Collected Works of Hugh Nibley comprise nineteen weighty volumes. But he was also one of the most enigmatic observers of the Church. In this volume readers will discover that the personal stories and perspectives behind the scholarship are sometimes even more captivating than his brilliant and witty intellectual breakthroughs. This comprehensive three-part collection of essays sheds fascinating new light on Hugh Nibley as a scholar and a man. Part 1, entitled “Portraits,” contains the first collection of observations—a “spiritual” portrait of Hugh Nibley by his close friend and colleague John W. “Jack” Welch, a description of the physical portrait by Rebecca Everett hanging in the Hugh Nibley Ancient Studies room at Brigham Young University, and a biographical portrait by Hugh himself. Part 2, “Nibley, the Scholar,” contains expanded and updated versions of the almost forgotten audio and video recordings of the BYU Neal A. Maxwell Institute for Religious Scholarship lecture series celebrating the centennial of Nibley’s birth in 2010. An additional set of chapters on Nibley’s scholarship rounds out this collection. Part 3, “Nibley, the Man,” includes tributes given by family members and others at Nibley’s funeral service. A series of entertaining personal stories, reminiscences, and folklore accounts concludes the volume.
In this intimate glimpse of Hugh Nibley’s childhood, written by his daughter Zina, we read of what it was like for Hugh to grow up as a gifted child with Victorian parents and, in turn, what it was like for Zina and her siblings to grow up as a child in the home of Hugh and Phyllis. These poignant, never-before-told stories reveal why, in Zina’s words, “Hugh’s uniqueness lay as much in his inabilities as in his abilities, as much in what he refused to learn as what he refused to allow to remain unexamined.” And though it was obvious that his mind was extraordinarily sharp, we learn why “it was Hugh Nibley’s heart that made the difference. And it was a very good heart.”
Abstract: In this intimate glimpse of Hugh Nibley’s childhood, written by his daughter Zina, we read of what it was like for Hugh to grow up as a gifted child with Victorian parents and, in turn, what it was like for Zina and her siblings to grow up as a child in the home of Hugh and Phyllis. These poignant, never-before-told stories reveal why, in Zina’s words, “Hugh’s uniqueness lay as much in his inabilities as in his abilities, as much in what he refused to learn as what he refused to allow to remain unexamined.” And though it was obvious that his mind was extraordinarily sharp, we learn why “it was Hugh Nibley’s heart that made the difference. And it was a very good heart.”
[Editor’s Note: Part of our book chapter reprint series, this article is reprinted here as a service to the LDS community. Original pagination and page numbers have necessarily changed, otherwise the reprint has the same content as the original.
See Zina Nibley Petersen, “Nibley’s Early Education,” in Hugh Nibley Observed, ed. Jeffrey M. Bradshaw, Shirley S. Ricks, and Stephen T. Whitlock (Orem, UT: The Interpreter Foundation; Salt Lake City: Eborn Books, 2021), 57–76. Further information at https://interpreterfoundation.org/books/hugh-nibley-observed/.].
Review of The Mother of the Lord, volume 1: The Lady in the Temple by Margaret Barker, 2012, London: Bloomsbury.
RSC Topics > L — P > Learning
When you are faced with the question of whether you really believe some principle of the gospel, I encourage you to hold fast to the things that you know are true because the answers to the rest will come to you in time.
Evaluates the use of Book of Mormon filmstrips in youth classrooms to determine their pedagogical effectiveness.
When we reflect upon Him as an anchor in our lives, I am grateful for the physical manifestation of the marks driven through His hands and feet that show the depth of sacrifice and charity from Him that sustains and blesses us today.
A polemical article against Joseph Smith and the Book of Mormon. Believes that Joseph Smith was illiterate and unable to write the Book of Mormon by himself, and hence used the Spaulding manuscript to create the Book of Mormon.
“The Book of Mormon was not preserved to teach modern leadership styles, nor does its usefulness depend on how it does or does not connect to these leadership theories. However, an analysis of the leadership qualities and practices exhibited by leaders in the Book of Mormon could help leaders in the Church to use to Book of Mormon for inspiration and guidance. This paper analyzed the leadership decisions exhibited by Captain Moroni and identified remarkable similarities to transformational leadership and its four components. Nephi, on the other hand, showed a servant leader mentality. Both of these leaders achieved remarkable levels of success, consistent with the current literature on both styles of leadership.” [Author]
Cites Book of Mormon, scientific, and other sources to argue against the theories dealing with organic evolution. Believes that the Book of Mormon is opposed to organic evolution.
In response to the articles in this issue, Peterson notes that Latter-day Saints do not extend themselves to expose and attack other faiths. He further discusses, among other things, an open canon and continuing revelation, salvation as outlined in the scriptures, the ordinances of the gospel, revelation following the incarnation and resurrection of Christ, the biblical canon, inerrancy, biblical texts, the Book of Abraham, and the nature of God.
Abstract: The Interpreter Foundation welcomes faithful ideas, insights, and manuscripts from people of all backgrounds. In this brief essay, I share some that were recently shared with me regarding Lehi’s vision of the tree of life, as recorded in 1 Nephi 8. Among other things, Lehi seems to have been shown that the divine offer of salvation extends far beyond a small elite. As Peter exclaims in the King James rendering of Acts 10:34, “God is no respecter of persons.” Other translations render the same words as saying that he doesn’t “play favorites” or “show partiality.” The passage in James 1:5 with which the Restoration commenced clearly announces that, if they will simply ask, God “giveth to all men liberally.”.
Daniel Peterson discusses recent research that supports a spiritual witness for the Book of Mormon, including the following: Joseph Smith’s lack of schooling, his supposed misnaming of Jesus’ birthplace, the translation process, studies of chiasmus, possible locations for Book of Mormon events, and ancient manuscripts that are consistent with Book of Mormon accounts about document practices and beliefs of past civilizations.
In Understanding the Book of Mormon, Grant Hardy applies his unusual background in the history of historiography to the Book of Mormon, using the same techniques of literary analysis that are fruitfully employed in the study of classical Chinese, classical Greek, and other historical writing. He is able to identify very distinct historiographical approaches for Nephi, Mormon, and Moroni. While he brackets the question of whether or not they were actually distinct historical persons, the most intuitively obvious reading of his work strongly suggests that they were—a proposition that has profound implications for the controversy surrounding the origin and authorship of the Book of Mormon
Book of Mormon Scriptures > Moroni
Daniel Peterson examines the book of Mosiah as an initial step in determining the overall doctrine of priesthood in the Book of Mormon. He attempts to account for every verse in the book of Mosiah that deals, either directly or indirectly, with questions of priesthood and authority. He discusses the priesthood in the small plates, the roles of priests, whether early Nephite priests were ordained, and the church in the days of Mosiah2.
Book of Mormon Scriptures > Ether
This article examines the book of Mosiah in the Book of Mormon in order to study the doctrine and pres-ence of the priesthood in Book of Mormon times.
Abstract: Believers in the God of Abraham — who include not only Jews and Christians but also Muslims — are exhorted to call upon him every day, as well as in times of need. We are promised that he will respond to petitionary prayers. Moreover, we are assured that, in the end, believers will prosper, that their faith or trust in him will prove justified. But we are not promised that rewards, compensation, or justice will come to us on our mortal timetable — and this raises sometimes burningly acute questions about Providence and even, for more than a few, about either God’s benevolence, his care, or his sheer existence. So we are also exhorted to be patient. And that sets us up for many of mortality’s greatest tests. In the meantime, while faithfully waiting for God’s promises to be fulfilled, we ourselves are to work toward their fulfillment “with all [our] heart, as working for the Lord, not for human masters” (Colossians 3:23, NIV).
Abstract: We are called to take the Gospel to the entire world, but our numbers are few and our time and resources are limited. This is where cold calculation can help. A field-surgical technique pioneered during the Napoleonic Wars of the early nineteenth century and refined in the butchery of World War I a century later offers a useful model for making our missionary efforts more efficient and more effective.
In the last few years, the topic of how DNA research fits in with the text of the Book of Mormon has become increasingly divisive. Now, for the first time in one volume, respected DNA scientists, geneticists, and Book of Mormon scholars provide their views on DNA and the Book of Mormon.
There has been much comment recently on the growth in numbers of the religious “nones.” Not all of them are actually non-theists, but secularism or naturalism is undoubtedly on the rise — and Latter-day Saints have not escaped damage from the trend. Several recent books and articles have sought to help their readers live with doubt, cope with uncertainty, or find value or joy in the Mormon community even when some, most, or perhaps even all of its founding narrative has come to seem untenable. I believe, however, that naturalism should be directly challenged and that the Book of Mormon is among our best tools for doing so. And the Witnesses to the Book of Mormon are, in turn, some of our best evidences for its truth — and the only “secular” evidence that the Lord himself has provided.
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I am sometimes contacted by people who are expe- riencing doubts about the claims of Mormonism or whose spouse or father or daughter has lost faith. I always ask what the specific issues might be, and I then try to address those or to locate colleagues or printed resources that might help resolve their concerns.
Abstract: It’s almost always better to be right than to be wrong, to be exact than to be sloppy. In scholarship generally and serious scriptural study specifically, it’s important to work toward precision in both interpretation and explanation. However, the Lord is fully capable of reaching us where we are, despite our imperfect languages and our limited capacities. “These commandments are of me,” he says at D&C 1:24, “and were given unto my servants in their weakness, after the manner of their language, that they might come to understanding.”
With one striking exception, leaders and members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints are, and always have been, flawed people. (No better quality of human is available.) “We have this treasure in earthen vessels,” the apostle Paul said, referring to the gospel and its mortal ministers, “that the excellency of the power may be of God, and not of us” (2 Corinthians 4:7).
Review of Everything You Ever Wanted to Know about the Book of Mormon (1992), by John Ankerberg and John Weldon.
Review of Christopher Columbus: A Latter-day Saint Perspective (1992), by Arnold K. Garr.
Abstract: As religious holidays go, Christmas has been domesticated unusually well — and effectively commercialized — among people and even whole cultures that don’t accept (or even care about) the central theological claim that Christmas asserts. After all, who doesn’t like cute little babies, at least when they’re not crying? But that theological claim is stunning. Radical. It’s radical in the strictest sense of that word, because it goes down deep, to the very root (Latin radix). Beyond the pleasant and comfortable sentimentality of favorite holiday foods, scenes of carolers in snowy villages, and warm family gatherings, Christmas dramatically distinguishes Christianity from every other major world religion.
I’ve looked at clouds from both sides now,
from up and down, and still somehow
it’s cloud illusions I recall.
But the path of the just is as the shining light, that shineth more and more unto the perfect day.
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Abstract: The Greek philosopher Aristotle, clearly one of the world’s great geniuses, created the concept of the “unmoved mover,” which moves “other things, but is, itself, unmoved by anything else.” This label became the standard Jewish, Christian, and Muslim description of an impersonal God — a God without body, parts or passions — a concept that has, for nearly 20 centuries, dominated western theology, philosophy, and science. The problem for thinkers in these religious traditions is that the God depicted in the Bible and the Qur’an is plainly personal. A careful review of the Bible and modern scripture reveals a “compassionate, feeling” God. Numerous scriptures confirm that God, in fact, “feels more deeply than we can even begin to imagine.”.
Review of Behind the Mask of Mormonism (1992), by John Ankerberg and John Weldon
Abstract: “Think not,” said the Savior at Matthew 10:34, “that I am come to send peace on earth: I came not to send peace, but a sword.” And this has in fact been the case — too often literally, but certainly figuratively. In the Old Testament, the Lord accurately foretold the situation that we commonly see: “I will take you one of a city,” he explained, “and two of a family, and I will bring you to Zion” (Jeremiah 3:14). Unfortunately, those who aren’t so “taken” are often not entirely happy with the beliefs and practices of those who are. “Suppose ye that I am come to give peace on earth?” Jesus told his audience at Luke 12:51–52. “I tell you, Nay; but rather division.” But is Jesus not the Prince of Peace? Has he not also commanded us “That ye resist not evil: but whosoever shall smite thee on thy right cheek, turn to him the other also” (Matthew 5:39)? Jude 1:3 tells us that we “should earnestly contend for the faith which was once delivered unto the saints,” but we are also told not to be contentious in carrying out that assignment. Doing both simultaneously can be an extraordinarily great challenge. But it is the Lord’s challenge to us.
Abstract: The Restoration began with the stunning divine declaration to the Prophet Joseph Smith that the Christian sects of his day were “all wrong,” that “all their creeds were an abomination in [God’s] sight.” It’s a powerful condemnation, but what, exactly, does it mean? Later in his life, Joseph reflected that he felt that creeds set limits “and say ‘hitherto shalt thou come & no further’ — which I cannot subscribe to.” Certainly, as I realized during a wonderful musical experience many years ago, there is little if anything in one of the great ecumenical creeds with which a believing Latter-day Saint must, or even should, disagree.
Abstract: Is the Gospel profound? Yes, it is. And one of the goals of the Interpreter Foundation is to call attention to that sometimes-overlooked profundity. In one sense, though, the question is a peripheral one. If we were drowning — which, figuratively and from the vantage point of eternity, we absolutely are — we wouldn’t complain at a life preserver thrown to us if it were chipped, poorly painted, or unattractive, let alone if it were defective as a work of great art. We would simply be grateful to be saved. In another sense, the Gospel is clearly profound because it answers the deepest and most basic of human questions.
Abstract: Over the centuries, many religious thinkers — precisely because they are religious thinkers — have put a premium on intellectual attainment as a prerequisite for salvation. This has sometimes yielded an elitism or snobbishness that is utterly foreign to the teachings of the Savior. The Gospel as taught in The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints values education and knowledge, certainly. But not unduly. Intellectuals, while heartily welcome among the Saints and, when faithful, much appreciated for their potential contributions to the Church, have no claim on any special status in the Kingdom simply because of their (real or pretended) intellectuality, whether here or in the hereafter.
Book of Mormon Topics > Criticisms and Apologetics > Intellectualism
In 1998 Jordan Vajda wrote a remarkable master’s thesis at the Dominican School of Philosophy and Theology in Berkeley, California, entitled “‘Partakers of the Divine Nature’: A Comparative Analysis of Patristic and Mormon Doctrines of Divinization.” The thesis is remarkable both for what it has to say and, perhaps even more strikingly, for who is saying it: Jordan Vajda is a Dominican Catholic priest. At the present time, he serves in the Catholic campus ministry at the Newman Center adjacent to the University of Washington in Seattle.
This first of two volumes of essays honoring Hugh Nibley includes scholarly papers based on what the contributors have learned from Dr. Nibley. Nearly every major subject that he has encompassed in his vast learning and scholarly production is represented here by at least one article. Topics include the influence of Nibley, Copts and the Bible, the Seventy in scripture, the great apostasy, the book of Daniel in early Mormon thought, an early Christian initiation ritual, John’s Apocalypse, ancient Jewish seafaring, Native American rites of passage, Sinai as sanctuary and mountain of God, the Qurʾan and creation ex nihilo, and the sacred handclasp and embrace.
A comparison between Judeo-Christian and Islamic creation traditions.
The amazing achievements of the last hundred years in technology and science are paralleled by significant strides in Book of Mormon studies. Echoes and Evidences of the Book of Mormon takes inventory of some of the most fascinating ancient elements of the Book of Mormon. For many years now, Latter-day Saint scholars have called attention to significant parallels in the Book of Mormon with the ancient world that in many cases were unknowable in the world of Joseph Smith. The sheer number of these “bull’s-eyes” alone is impressive. In this volume, scholars trained in biblical studies, archaeology, classics, history, law, linguistics, anthropology, political science, philosophy, Near East studies, literature, and other relevant fields present some of their favorite evidences that support the Book of Mormon’s claim to ancient origins. Their findings illuminate points present in ancient sources, details that are not obvious, intricate patterns, unusual or distinctive features, and information that was little or not known in the 1820s.
Introduction to the current volume.
Introduction to the current issue, including editor's picks. Peterson examines “terminological trickiness” and lexical games, particularly as A. A. Howsepian employs them in a recent article in the distinguished journal Religious Studies.
Introduction to the current issue.
Introduction to the items reviewed and main issues discussed in this issue.
Introduction to the current issue, including editor's picks.
Peterson refutes the views of atheist Christopher Hitchens, who takes a stance against religion and various well-known religious icons.
Introduction to the current issue, including editor’s picks. Recent research supporting the authenticity of the Book of Mormon includes evidence that the book was, as witnesses claimed, orally dictated; that its opening chapters accurately depict the ancient Near East in details unknown in Joseph Smith’s day; and that many of its expressions and word meanings had disappeared from English before 1700. Such evi-dence argues against claims that the Book of Mormon was memorized or otherwise cribbed from another document.
Peterson mourns the death of his friend and colleague R. Davis Bitton. Peterson then uses Richard Bushman’s Joseph Smith: Rough Stone Rolling to examine the validity of Joseph Smith’s claim to be a prophet.
Peterson argues that despite what some critics claim, the Foundation for Ancient Research and Mormon Studies (FARMS) is not confined to publishing only apologetic texts and is able to claim academic legiti-macy for itself.
Peterson explains that disbelief in the religious does not leave a person who believes in nothing; it leaves a person who is willing to believe in anything except God. Peterson also mentions that from an academic standpoint he cannot explain the coming forth of the Book of Mormon in any way other than that which is presented by the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.
A history of the Review, including editorial philosophy, range of content, title changes, important contributions, and commitment to vigorous and learned discourse on aspects of Latter-day Saint thought and practice.
Introduction to the current issue, including editor’s picks. Peterson surmises what the assumptions of the forthcoming book American Apocrypha will be. The statements of the Book of Mormon witnesses must be taken seriously, and the work of Royal Skousen reveals a stunningly consistent, systematic, and complex book. Keith Norman’s dissertation on deification and Jordan Vajda’s master’s thesis on divinization note parallels with early doctrines of theosis. Joseph Smith’s mission consisted of making clear that which was formerly hidden.
This essay expands upon remarks first delivered in the closing session of the twelfth annual conference of the Foundation for Apologetic Information and Research (FAIR), which was held 5–6 August 2010, in Sandy, Utah. That accounts for the hortatory tone of the last portion of the essay, which is atypical of the FARMS Review. In this expanded form, it responds to some of the comments, mostly online, that followed my August presentation.
Peterson discusses the growth of the Mormon religion and scholarly indifference toward that growth. He discusses the power of presuppositions and the variance of opinions, using the Qur’an as a case study. The originality, literary merit, and intrinsic merit of the Book of Mormon increase our appreciation for that book.
Introduction to the current issue, as well as editor's picks. Peterson discusses the theory of evolution, the historicity of Christ's resurrection, and the techniques used by Jerald and Sandra Tanner in their research.
Introduction to the current issue, including editor’s picks. Peterson publishes his remarks given at a debate organized under the auspices of the Society of Evangelical Philosophers. Basically, he believes that the very choice of “theology” as a focus of the debate grants an importance to that particular area of intellectual activity that Latter-day Saints and early Christians do not share with more sophisticated critics. Organizations attempting a “ministry of reconciliation” instead appear to attack.
Introduction to the current issue, including editor’s pick. Peterson explores the world of anit-Mormon writing and fiction.
Introduction to the current issue, including editor’s picks. Peterson discusses brief items having to do with the appearance of the phrase and it came to pass in books of scripture and with the “newspaper” handed out at the dedication of the Bountiful Temple that discusses doctrines Mormons must believe if they are to be deemed Christian.
Peterson and others defend the Church and the Book of Mormon against critics although they would prefer to write affirmatively about “the endlessly fascinating, rich, profound, and glorious” gospel.
Introduction to the current issue, including editor’s picks. Peterson discusses the so-called Galileo event that some Book of Mormon critics believe will soon occur, thus expanding the separation between reli-gion and science until religion subsides to science. He also addresses the lack of Near Eastern culture among Native Americans, a common argument against the authenticity of the Book of Mormon
Introduction to the current issue, including editor’s picks. Our expectations and presuppositions lead us to see what we want to see.
Introduction to the current issue, including editor's picks. Peterson poses and answers fourteen “questions not asked” for readers of the FARMS Review of Books. Louis Midgley and George L. Mitton have been appointed as associate editors for the FARMS Review.
Peterson relates his understanding of a dispute between FARMS and Signature Books about matters of free inquiry and intellectual (dis)honesty.
Introduction to the current issue. For the first time, the Review features an article critical of the truth-claims of the restored gospel and of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.
Introduction to the current issue, including editor’s picks. So-called biblical scholarship is supposed to be able to differentiate between authors of various texts. A test devised by students for their professor showed some of the flaws of those methods. Though critics complain about the lack of archaeological evidence supporting the Book of Mormon, even the Bible has few archaeological supports.
Introduction to the current issue, as well as editor’s picks. Peterson discusses two incorrect “traditions of men”—that Latter-day Saints believe the atonement of Jesus Christ covers only the transgression of Adam but not our sins and that Latter-day Saints are forbidden to think for themselves. Early statements from eyewitnesses confirm the Book of Mormon.
Introduction to the current issue, including editor’s picks. Peterson discusses the status of Christian churches in 1820, an offer to debate Ed Decker, the quest for the historical Jesus through the Jesus Seminar and the implications of that type of scholarship on Mormonism: “Agnostic or radically revisionist critics of the restored Gospel, and fundamentalist Protestant anti-Mormons, tend to converge, united despite their other differences by their disbelief in the founding narratives and sacred scriptures of the Restoration.”
A slightly different version of this essay was first presented at the 2002 conference of the Foundation for Apologetic Information and Research (FAIR; see www.fair-lds.org), in Provo, Utah. It represents a sketch for what I hope will eventually become a more detailed study of the varying counterexplanations that have been offered for the Book of Mormon.
Introduction to the current issue, including editor’s picks. Peterson discusses Peter Elias, Amasa Lyman, and the techniques of contemporary anti-Mormonism.
Introduction to the current issue, include editor's picks. Latter-day Saints appear to approach theology and history in ways that fit remarkably well into the Hebrew thought-world from which Christianity emerged rather than from the Hellenization that eventually emerged.
On the Ultimate Egypt—Interpreter Foundation Tour, we will not only see the holy sites of the ancient Egyptians, but we will also see some significant places in the history of Islam, Judaism, and Christianity. Come and learn about the traditional site where Jesus, Mary, and Joseph stayed when they fled to Egypt, the traditional site where Moses was drawn from the water as a baby, and the great mosques of the Muslim people in Cairo. Come and find out why some people call Egypt “the other Holy Land.”
Review of Stan Larson. Quest for the Gold Plates: Thomas Stuart Ferguson’s Archaeological Search for the Book of Mormon.
Abstract: We are often at the dubious mercy of people, forces, and events that are beyond our control. But a trust in Providence — a word that is used relatively seldom these days for power that transcends even those people, forces, and events and that can, in the end, overrule them for our good — can nonetheless give us serene confidence. That such providential power exists, that it is personal and caring, is one of the fundamental messages of the scriptures and the prophets.
Declaring the end from the beginning, and from ancient times the things that are not yet done, saying, My counsel shall stand, and I will do all my pleasure: Calling a ravenous bird from the east, the man that executeth my counsel from a far country: yea, I have spoken it, I will also bring it to pass; I have purposed it, I will also do it. (Isaiah 46:10-11).
Daniel Peterson discusses recent research that supports a spiritual witness for the Book of Mormon, including the following: Joseph Smith’s lack of schooling, his supposed misnaming of Jesus’ birthplace, the translation process, studies of chiasmus, possible locations for Book of Mormon events, and ancient manuscripts that are consistent with Book of Mormon accounts about document practices and beliefs of past civilizations.
Daniel Peterson discusses recent research that supports a spiritual witness for the Book of Mormon, including the following: Joseph Smith’s lack of schooling, his supposed misnaming of Jesus’ birthplace, the translation process, studies of chiasmus, possible locations for Book of Mormon events, and ancient manuscripts that are consistent with Book of Mormon accounts about document practices and beliefs of past civilizations.
Review of How Wide the Divide: A mormon and an Evangelical in Conversation (1997), by Craig L. Blomberg and Stephen E. Robinson
From the birth of modern science at the end of the sixteenth century, Galileo famously believed that God had written two books — the scriptures and the Book of Nature. The scriptures, he contended, should be interpreted by scholars and theologians, whereas the Book of Nature was the province of scientists.
Daniel Peterson discusses the sermon on faith given by Alma the Younger in Alma 32. Faith is not merely intellectual assent but trust or confidence, and it is expressed actively rather than passively. Peterson argues that the dichotomy between faith and works is artificial, since the root word for faith implies behavior. Alma invites us to experiment on the quality of faith, and Peterson suggests that scientific approaches to experimentation are applicable. He recommends testing or trying faith with the aid of prayer. He proposes that faith can have a spiral effect and that confidence can increase with continued experience.
This chapter compares the war tactics of the Gadianton robbers in the Book of Mormon to Guerrilla warfare utilized by various groups throughout military history.
Daniel Peterson discusses recent research that supports a spiritual witness for the Book of Mormon, including the following: Joseph Smith’s lack of schooling, his supposed misnaming of Jesus’ birthplace, the translation process, studies of chiasmus, possible locations for Book of Mormon events, and ancient manuscripts that are consistent with Book of Mormon accounts about document practices and beliefs of past civilizations.
Old Testament Topics > Flora and Fauna
Abstract: Do defenders of the Restored Gospel of Jesus Christ see themselves as fighting a desperate rearguard battle against the evidence, hoping to save at least a faint shred of credibility for its claims? Hardly. But, at the same time, we don’t pretend to be able to prove those claims beyond any possibility of doubt. Such a prospect, we think, was never God’s intent. “For now we see through a glass, darkly,” as the prophet and apostle Paul wrote in 1 Corinthians 13:12. “Now [we] know in part.” That is an important part of the plan. There is abundant evidence to justify discipleship, but there can also be plausible-seeming grounds, if one prefers, for rejecting it.
Since 1989, the Review of Books on the Book of Mormon has published review essays to help serious readers make informed choices and judgments about books and other publications on topics related to the Latter-day Saint religious tradition. It has also published substantial freestanding essays that made further contributions to the field of Mormon studies. In 1996, the journal changed its name to the FARMS Review with Volume 8, No 1. In 2011, the journal was renamed Mormon Studies Review.
A review of The Prophetic Book of Mormon, Collected Works of Hugh Nibley vol. 6.
Abstract: Can people be good without believing in God? Obviously, yes. They can. Is atheistic naturalism capable of supplying a foundation for morality? That is a separate question, to which more than a few theists have answered No. However, a relatively new book by a very prominent student of religion and society suggests otherwise. A rational morality can, it argues, be founded upon atheistic naturalism — but it will necessarily be a modest and quite limited one, lacking universal scope and without a belief in human rights as objective “moral facts.”
Abstract: In the Rubáiyát of Omar Khayyám, based upon verses composed by an eleventh-century Persian mathematician and astronomer, the English Victorian poet Edward FitzGerald eloquently portrays human life in an indifferent, deterministic universe that lacks any evident purpose and is bereft of divine Providence. The poem’s suggested response to such a universe is an unambitious life of hedonism, distraction, and gentle despair. It is curiously modern, and those considering the adoption of anything like its worldview might want to read it, and to think about its implications, very carefully.
Abstract: In April 2006, Dallin H. Oaks, in unpublished remarks at the naming of the Neal A. Maxwell Institute for Religious Scholarship (as the successor to FARMS), reminded listeners that “this institute belongs to God.” On November 10, 2018, Elder Jeffrey R. Holland (also in unpublished remarks, titled “The Maxwell Legacy of the 21st Century”) renewed that commitment: the Institute should be “as faithful as eternal truth, and as bright as the light of truth that is in us.” This is, likewise, the vision of The Interpreter Foundation, in contrast to Latter-day Saint “academic ventures” at some universities. It should be “significantly different from the present national pattern,” Elder Holland emphasized. “There are times when our faith will require an explicit defense.” The Interpreter Foundation aspires to be in the fore of any such efforts.
President Ezra Taft Benson\'s call to emphasize the Book of Mormon is reflected in the effort of the Foundation for Ancient Research and Mormon Studies to promote the study of this book of scripture. The Review is founded on the deeply held belief that the Book of Mormon has immense value to both the Church and the world. The reviewers look at publications, both positive and negative, that deal with the Book of Mormon.
Abstract: This introduction to Volume 5 considers the modern notion of a cessation of Bible-like divine manifestations and revelations, a belief which Joseph Smith encountered when he told others of the First Vision. This perception of an end to miracles and visions had become common by Joseph’s time, as evidenced by various writers, and continues to the present day. The Latter-day Saints, however, continue to believe in modern-day revelation, which we believe gives us a unique vantage point for the study of the Bible and other scripture, as illustrated in Interpreter: A Journal of Mormon Scripture.
I first became involved in apologetics because I wanted to defend the truth of beliefs that are important to me and to defend the character of leaders for whom I have great respect, even veneration, against attack. I’m offended by falsehoods, prejudice, and injustice. I wanted to help faltering members who were sometimes besieged by intellectual challenges for which they had no adequate response. I also desired to assist interested observers to see sufficient plausibility in the Gospel’s claims that they would be able to make its truth a matter of sincere and receptive prayer. My hope was to clear away obstacles that might obscure their recognition of truth. These continue to be my motivations, and I expect that others who are engaged in apologetics feel much the same way.
Abstract: In this article I argue that faith is not only rationally justifiable but also inescapable simply because our decisions regarding ultimate questions must necessarily be made under conditions of objective uncertainty. I review remarks by several prominent thinkers on the subject — both avowed atheists and several writers who have addressed the challenge implicit in issues related to faith and reason. I end my discussion by citing William James, who articulated clearly the choices we must make in addressing these “ultimate questions.”.
Abstract: 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 book.
Abstract: “No man,” wrote the early seventeenth-century English poet John Donne, “is an island entire of itself.” Likewise, nothing in human history springs entirely from a vacuum, ex nihilo. Even the Restoration, although it was initiated by God and is orchestrated in the heavens, draws on resources created by previous generations of men and women. We are borne on a tide of scriptural texts and freedoms bequeathed to us by our ancestors, whom we should not forget.
Additional authors: Tad R. Callister, John Gee, Joel A. Flake, and Gerald N. Lund.
Review of Mormonism (1995) by Kurt Van Gorden.
Abstract: Where there is water, there is life, not only literally, as in the Nile River in Egypt and in the cities of Mesopotamia, but also symbolically, as we read in the words of the prophet Ezekiel, who in vision saw a magnificent spring of fresh water flowing east from the temple, healing even the waters of the Dead Sea (Ezekiel 47). A psalm also testifies to the divine beneficence of water (Psalm 1) and John, in Revelation, quotes the Lord as giving to those “athirst of the fountain of the water of life freely” (21:10‒14), a “crystal clear river” that flows from the center of the temple in the New Jerusalem. Also in the last days, “in the barren deserts there shall come forth pools of living water” (Doctrine and Covenants 133:29). We, the writers and volunteer staff of the Interpreter Foundation, invite readers to help spread and defend the life-giving water of the Restoration, for “the harvest is plenteous, but the labourers are few” (Matthew 9:37).
Abstract: Readers are surely aware that the birth of the Christ child is the reason we celebrate Christmas. Members of the Church may be less aware, though, of the notable birth of a child, millennia later, of distant secondary importance. Thick darkness gathered around me, and it seemed to me for a time as if I were doomed to sudden destruction. … [J]ust at this moment of great alarm, I saw a pillar of light exactly over my head, above the brightness of the sun, which descended gradually until it fell upon me. (Joseph Smith — History 1:15–16).
Abstract: As the axiom states, hindsight is 20/20. As Volume 24 of Interpreter: A Journal of Mormon Scripture nears the press, it seems relevant to look back to a tumultuous time nearly five years ago when the Interpreter Foundation was visualized and launched. If history has any value at all (particularly recent history), it provides a context for understanding the course on which we find ourselves. For the Interpreter Foundation, that course continues to be full of surprises and promise.
Review of David Whitmer Interviews: A Restoration Witness (1991), edited by Lyndon W. Cook.
Abstract: Apologetics is typically seen as a purely cerebral activity designed to convince others of the truth or, at least, of the plausibility of certain propositions, typically but not always religious. In the case of the Gospel, however, mere intellectual assent isn’t enough—not in the eyes of God and, probably, not for the typical mortal human being. To please God, we must live our lives according to the Gospel, not merely concede its truth. But living such lives to the end requires that we love God and the Gospel and find them desirable, in addition to checking off a list of required faith-statements. Can apologetics play a role in encouraging and cultivating such attitudes as well as in convincing our heads? This article maintains that apologetics can and should play such a role, and invites those with the appropriate gifts and abilities to make the effort to do so.
Review of Dennis Largey, Andrew Hedges, John Hilton III, and Kerry Hull, eds. The Coming Forth of the Book of Mormon: A Marvelous Work and a Wonder, Religious Studies Center, Brigham Young University, Provo, Utah, in cooperation with Deseret Book Company, Salt Lake City, 2015, pp 308.
Abstract: At the end of October each year, speakers from the Church Educational System, as well as other gospel scholars, gather at Brigham Young University to make presentations at the Sidney B. Sperry Symposium. The Coming Forth of the Book of Mormon: A Marvelous Work and a Wonder is a compilation of the addresses given at the forty-fourth symposium, in 2015. This volume does not so much delve into the doctrine of the Book of Mormon as it studies the history behind its coming into the world. Just as the doctrine itself is inspirational, the story behind the coming forth of the Book of Mormon serves as an inspiration and a testament to its truthfulness.
Review of The Best Kept Secrets in the Book of Mormon (1988), by Loftes Tryk.
Review of The Book of Mormon: First Nephi, The Doctrinal Foundation (1988), edited by Monte S. Nyman and Charles D. Tate Jr.
Review of The Refiner's Fire: The Making of Mormon Cosmology (1994), by John L. Brooke.
This article portrays the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints as a restoration of ancient Christianity and explains why Mormonism is not simply a generic sect.
ISBN 1-59156-023-3
Describes the true meaning of the word apologetics and how Hugh Nibley used it to strengthen the Church.
Asherah was the chief goddess of the Canaanites. She was El’s wife and the mother and wet nurse of the other gods. At least some Israelites worshipped her over a period from the conquest of Canaan in the second millennium before Christ to the fall of Jerusalem in 586 BC (the time of Lehi’s departure with his family). Asherah was associated with trees—sacred trees. The rabbinic authors of the Jewish Mishna (second–third century ad) explain the asherah as a tree that was worshipped. In 1 Nephi 11, Nephi considers the meaning of the tree of life as he sees it in vision. In answer, he receives a vision of “a virgin, . . . the mother of the Son of God, after the manner of the flesh.” The answer to his question about the meaning of the tree lies in the virgin mother with her child. The virgin is the tree in some sense and Nephi accepted this as an answer to his question. As an Israelite living at the end of the seventh century and during the early sixth century before Christ, he recognized an answer to his question about a marvelous tree in the otherwise unexplained image of a virginal mother and her divine child—not that what he saw and how he interpreted those things were perfectly obvious. What he “read” from the symbolic vision was culturally colored. Nephi’s vision reflects a meaning of the “sacred tree” that is unique to the ancient Near East. Asherah is also associated with biblical wisdom literature. Wisdom, a female, appears as the wife of God and represents life.
The Maxwell Institute’s Middle Eastern Texts Initiative has released the newest book in its Eastern Christian Texts series, a bilingual Syriac/English edition of Select Poems of Ephrem the Syrian. From the second to the eighth century ad, when Arabic supplanted it, Syriac was a major literary language across the Middle East; it is essentially a Christian form of Aramaic, the language spoken by Jesus, the original apostles, and the first Jewish Christians.
Hugh W. Nibley (1910–2005) was arguably the most brilliant Latter-day Saint scholar of the 20th century, with wide-ranging interests in scripture, history, and social issues. The Collected Works of Hugh Nibley comprise nineteen weighty volumes. But he was also one of the most enigmatic observers of the Church. In this volume readers will discover that the personal stories and perspectives behind the scholarship are sometimes even more captivating than his brilliant and witty intellectual breakthroughs. This comprehensive three-part collection of essays sheds fascinating new light on Hugh Nibley as a scholar and a man. Part 1, entitled “Portraits,” contains the first collection of observations—a “spiritual” portrait of Hugh Nibley by his close friend and colleague John W. “Jack” Welch, a description of the physical portrait by Rebecca Everett hanging in the Hugh Nibley Ancient Studies room at Brigham Young University, and a biographical portrait by Hugh himself. Part 2, “Nibley, the Scholar,” contains expanded and updated versions of the almost forgotten audio and video recordings of the BYU Neal A. Maxwell Institute for Religious Scholarship lecture series celebrating the centennial of Nibley’s birth in 2010. An additional set of chapters on Nibley’s scholarship rounds out this collection. Part 3, “Nibley, the Man,” includes tributes given by family members and others at Nibley’s funeral service. A series of entertaining personal stories, reminiscences, and folklore accounts concludes the volume.
Abstract: When I was young, I learned an important lesson that has stayed with me through my life. This lesson has led me, on many occasions, to reread great works by great authors. The scriptures are no exceptions, and rereading them can be beneficial to any reader.
Some believe that historicity and inerrancy in scripture are the same. By this argument, when a portion of scripture is found to have errors, the entire record is considered neither historical nor accurate. However, nothing in this imperfect world is inerrant, and although the authors of the scriptural records were prophets and called of God to write their portion of the scriptures, they were not perfect—no one is. So although the authors were not inerrant, their writings are nonetheless historical. By academic standards the scriptures fulfill all the criteria for historically accurate records. With the human errors accounted for, the scriptures are reliable historically and accurate in their testimony of the doctrines of the gospel and the mission of Jesus Christ.
RSC Topics > Q — S > Scriptures
Abstract: With “awe, humility, and circumspection,” Daniel C. Peterson provides a useful summary and discussion of Latter-day Saint beliefs as they relate to traditional Christian conceptions of the Trinity. In particular, his discussions reveals the many nuances of the questions raised, including the precise nature of the unity of the three persons of the Godhead and how the overall conception relates to doctrines of salvation and practical discipleship, which continued to be a controversial issue in both the Eastern and Western Churches for centuries. Peterson argues that the Latter-day Saint doctrine affirms both biblical precedents and, to a degree, some modern theological trends such as social theories of the Trinity.
[Editor’s Note: Part of our book chapter reprint series, this article is reprinted here as a service to the LDS community. Original pagination and page numbers have necessarily changed, otherwise the reprint has the same content as the original.See Daniel C. Peterson, “Notes on Mormonism and the Trinity,” in “To Seek the Law of the Lord”: Essays in Honor of John W. Welch, ed. Paul Y. Hoskisson and Daniel C. Peterson (Orem, UT: The Interpreter Foundation, 2017), 267–316. Further information at https://interpreterfoundation.org/books/to-seek-the-law-of-the-lord-essays-in-honor-of-john-w-welch-2/.].
This chapter examines the claims of authors such as Fawn Brodie and David Persuitte that Joseph Smith wrote the Book of Mormon as a piece of anti-Masonry literature. It concludes that, while there are similarities between the Gadianton robbers and Freemasons, it cannot be determined that the similarities were intentional. Additionally, the early Saints did not take an anti-Masonry stance or use the Book of Mormon to promote anti-Masonry sentiment.
Abstract: Alma’s conversion experience was both unusual and unusually powerful, and yet he fervently wished that he could provide others with the same experience. So much so, in fact, that he actually feared that he might be sinning in his wish by seeming to oppose the will of God. Increasingly, though, I find myself sharing that wish. My involvement with the Interpreter Foundation can correctly be regarded as one manifestation of that fact. I invite others to join us.
Book of Mormon Scriptures > Alma
This paper is part of a series of F.A.R.M.S. papers intended to give clear, concise answers to criticisms that have been raised against the Book of Mormon. As can be seen in the footnotes, much is owed to previous researchers who have addressed these criticisms. The foundation wishes to thank Matthew Roper for his help in gathering and summarizing large portions of the raw material for this series of papers. The authors wish to thank Robert Durocher for his help with this paper.
Abstract: Members, missionaries, and apologists must never lose sight of the fact that the gospel isn’t merely about abstractions and theoretical principles. It’s also, and most importantly, about people, about people with their own life stories, fears, hopes, and questions. Thus, if we want to be optimally effective, we must listen to people, understand them, and craft our message to reach them individually, where they are. The Interpreter Foundation is committed to helping with this task, but it cannot replace personalized instruction and caring.
Some critics of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints have claimed that the church has funded several failed archaeological expeditions in an effort to prove the veracity of the Book of Mormon. As Daniel C. Peterson points out, however, such excursions have not been failures. On the contrary, they have produced significant evidence to support the Book of Mormon, and there is still more to be discovered.
Review of Decker's Complete Handbook on Mormonism (1995), by Ed Decker.
Review of Mormonism: The Prophet, The Book and the Cult (1989), by Peter Bartley. Bartley attacks Mormonism and its sacred book, the Book of Mormon, which is not surprising when one notes the anti-Mormon sources he cosulted. Rigorous and well-grounded arguments are lacking, and sweepingly dogmatic assertions dominate. He faults the Book of Mormon on various claims as well as on stylistic grounds--he asserts that it appears to be written entirely by one person. This publication represents just one more anti-Mormon book.
Abstract: The Interpreter Foundation has spent five years dedicated to publishing quality scholarship regarding the gospel, history, and scripture of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. The result is a body of work both to be proud of and to stand upon as we move forward. Profound appreciation is given to those who have contributed to this effort, and an invitation is extended to be part of future explorations and exhortations of the Gospel of Jesus Christ.
RSC Topics > L — P > Priesthood
Peterson addresses Thomas Murphy’s criticism of the Book of Mormon and shows that Murphy does not incorporate other scholars, whether they be in favor of or against the Book of Mormon, into his research. Rather, he uses his own opinions and previous writings as the basis for his claims.
Some critics of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, chiefly of the secular variety, claim that Latter-day Saints are mind-controlled robots who are forbidden to think for themselves. I collected an example of this claim nearly twenty years ago that will serve to represent many other such expressions before and since.
Abstract: Both reason and experience are essential to religious life, which should be neither completely irrational nor entirely cerebral. But surely, of the two, the experience of direct and convincing revelation would and should trump academic debate, and most obviously so for its recipient. The Interpreter Foundation was established in the conviction that reasoned discussion and analysis necessarily have a place in faithful discipleship, but also in the confidence that divine revelation has genuinely occurred. The role of reason, accordingly, is a helpful one. It serves an important ancillary function. However, it does not supplant experience with God and the divine and must never imagine that it can. Academic scholarship can refine and clarify ideas, correct assumptions, defend truth claims, generate insights, and deepen understanding, but, while human inquiry sometimes creates openings for revelation, it will never replace direct divine communication. Interpreter knows its place.
Abstract: Sometimes, obedience to the principles of the Gospel and tending faithfully to our stewardships can seem — and can be — a burden. Moreover, we mortal humans are fallible and weak, and we’re free. Accordingly, I’m convinced that the Father (a supremely masterful strategist and tactician) builds in redundancies so as to ensure that his purposes will be achieved even when his mortal servants falter. At the very heart of his plan, though, there could be no redundancy. Only one person could do what absolutely, desperately, needed to be done.
Abstract: Every human enterprise — even the best, including science and scholarship — is marred by human weakness, by our inescapable biases, incapacities, limitations, preconceptions, and sometimes, yes, sins. It is a legacy of the Fall. With this in mind, we should approach even the greatest scientific, cultural, and academic achievements with both grateful appreciation and humility. J. B. Phillips’s rendition of Paul’s words at 1 Corinthians 13:12 captures the thought nicely: “At present we are men looking at puzzling reflections in a mirror. The time will come when we shall see reality whole and face to face! At present all I know is a little fraction of the truth, but the time will come when I shall know it as fully as God now knows me!”.
The theologian, jurist, philosopher, and mystic Abu ?amid Mu?ammad b. Mu?ammad al-Ghazali (d. AD 1111 in his Persian hometown of Tus, after spending much of his career in Baghdad) has sometimes been characterized as the single most influential Muslim besides the Prophet Mu?ammad himself. The Andalusian philosopher and jurist Abu al-Walid Mu?ammad b. A?mad b. Rushd (d. AD 1198 in Marrakesh, modern-day Morocco, but ultimately buried in his family tomb in Córdoba, Spain) is generally considered to be the greatest medieval commentator—whether Jewish, Christian, or Muslim—on the works of Aristotle. Often known as Averroës, a corruption of his Arabic name, Ibn Rushd was respected even by medieval Christians. For example, Dante Alighieri, in his immortal Inferno, placed him only on the rim of Hell—in the relatively benign Limbo of unbaptized infants—and not among the torturous punishments of Hell’s lower levels.
Abstract: Loss, pain, and suffering are too often, it seems, co-sojourners through our lives. To one degree or another, we all become familiar with these elements of a life lived in an imperfect world. It is inevitable — and virtually universal — that such companions foster questions about the meaning of life and whether there is a God who is the author, director, and finisher of that meaning. For those who conclude that God is real and has part in our lives, suffering can have or acquire eternal significance, enhanced by the personal realization that God, too, suffers and has suffered. In the Christian paradigm, God shares our suffering and we, in turn, share in His. In the depths of our sorrow we have, literally, a “co-sufferer” sharing our journey. As Christians, we are called upon to take upon ourselves the name of Christ. This act not only gives us a new name, but may require us to bear loss, pain, and suffering as did Christ — to acquire the “marks of Jesus” in our own lives. Indeed, for some, such bearing may be a key part of becoming what God plans for us to become.For he shall grow up before him as a tender plant, and as a root out of a dry ground: he hath no form nor comeliness; and when we shall see him, there is no beauty that we should desire him.
He is despised and rejected of men; a man of sorrows, and acquainted with grief: and we hid as it were our faces from him; he was despised, and we esteemed him not.
Surely he hath borne our griefs, and carried our sorrows: yet we did esteem him stricken, smitten of God, and afflicted.
But he was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities: the chastisement of our peace was upon him; and with his stripes we are healed.
All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned every one to his own way; and the Lord hath laid on him the iniquity of us all.
He was oppressed, and he was afflicted, yet he opened not his mouth: he is brought as a lamb to the slaughter, and as a sheep before her shearers is dumb, so he openeth not his mouth.
.
The author discusses secular anti-Mormonism in terms of the broader phenomenon of atheistic or agnostic assumptions that have come to dominate western Europe and the elite American media in recent decades and that have made inroads among some Latter-day Saints as well.
Abstract: Among the covenant obligations taken upon themselves by faithful Latter-day Saints is the consecration of their talents, gifts, and abilities to the building of the Kingdom of God on the earth. Those who established and lead The Interpreter Foundation see their mission in terms of this covenant. The Foundation’s goal is to foster honest and accessible scholarship in service to the Church and Kingdom of God, scholarship that will be of use and benefit to our fellow Latter-day Saints.
Abstract: Young members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints have grown up with a plethora of information available to answer the questions they may have about the Gospel. This, in turn, has allowed discordant information to cause concern in many members, ultimately drawing some away from the Gospel. In a recent address to young, married members of the Church in Chicago, President Dallin H. Oaks advised that more research is often not the way to approach these concerns, but rather that members should rely on their faith in Jesus Christ. While many may not agree with this advice, when it comes to questions that will never have a provable answer, particularly of a religious nature, President Oaks’s words are correct. Research can never completely replace true faith, only supplement it.
According to the traditional account, when Joseph Smith translated the gold plates into what is now known as the Book of Mormon, he did not create the text himself or copy the text from another existing manuscript. Rather, he translated the text through an interpreting device, which only worked when Joseph was spiritually and emotionally prepared. The article supports this claim by including several stories of the translation process as told by eyewitnesses.
The distinguished career of Truman G. Madsen has earned him wide respect in and outside of LDS circles as an outstanding teacher, scholar, researcher, speaker, university administrator, church leader, and religious ambassador. With the publication of Revelation, Reason, and Faith: Essays in Honor of Truman G. Madsen, the Institute pays tribute to this remarkable man whose many accomplishments include helping to advance Book of Mormon scholarship and related interests of the Institute.
Edited by Donald W. Parry, Daniel C. Peterson, and Stephen D. Ricks (each of whom also author a chapter), the 800-plus-page volume contains contributions by 31 scholars, 10 of who are not Latter-day Saints, reflecting the wide appeal of Madsen’s academic work and influence. The book is organized into five sections: “Philosophy and Theology,” “LDS Scripture and Theology,” “Joseph Smith and LDS Church History,” “Judaism,” and “The Temple.”
The following essay was presented on 3 August 2012 as “Of ‘Mormon Studies’ and Apologetics” at the conclusion of the annual conference of the Foundation for Apologetic Information and Research (FAIR) in Sandy, Utah. It represents the first public announcement and appearance of Interpreter: A Journal of Mormon Scripture, which had been founded only slightly more than a week earlier, on 26 July. In my view, that rapid launch was the near-miraculous product of selfless collaboration and devotion to a cause on the part of several people—notable among them David E. Bokovoy, Alison V. P. Coutts, William J. Hamblin, Bryce M. Haymond, Louis C. Midgley, George L. Mitton, Stephen D. Ricks, and Mark Alan Wright—and I’m profoundly grateful to them. This essay, which may even have some slight historical value, is something of a personal charter statement regarding that cause. It is published here with no substantial alteration.
Daniel Peterson discusses recent research that supports a spiritual witness for the Book of Mormon, including the following: Joseph Smith’s lack of schooling, his supposed misnaming of Jesus’ birthplace, the translation process, studies of chiasmus, possible locations for Book of Mormon events, and ancient manuscripts that are consistent with Book of Mormon accounts about document practices and beliefs of past civilizations.
“I believe that there is more going on here than our own merely human efforts can fully explain.”
The claim that the Gadianton robbers in the Book of Mormon are merely a reflection of nineteenth-century Masons, who were referred to in the late 1820s as “secret combinations,” is false since an 1826 use of the phrase establishes that those words were not used exclusively to describe Masons.
A review of Richard J. Mouw, Talking with Mormons: An Invitation to Evangelicals. Grand Rapids and Cambridge: Eerdmans, 2012, 99 pages.
Review of The Mormon Puzzle: Understanding and Witnessing to Latter-day Saints (1997), by North American Mission Board of the Southern Baptist Convention
Abstract: We typically teach and often even sing that we should be our brothers’ (and sisters’) keepers. And we do it with the very best and most holy of intentions. For many of us, indeed, loving and caring for our brothers and sisters is at the very heart of what it means to live a life of truly Christian discipleship. And rightly so. But there’s another way to think about this matter. I’ve pondered it for decades, and now, maybe some others will also find it thought-provoking.
I’ve recently picked Stephen T. Davis’s Risen Indeed: Making Sense of the Resurrection up again. It’s an impressive book that had a pivotal effect on my thinking when it first appeared. Davis, the Russell K. Pitzer Professor of Philosophy at Claremont McKenna College in California, argues that “Christians are within their intellectual rights in believing that Jesus was raised from the dead.” “The thesis of the book,” he explains, “is that the two central Christian resurrection claims — namely, that Jesus was bodily raised from the dead and that we will all be raised from the dead — are defensible claims.”
Abstract: Hints of a different and better world — sometimes dimly remembered, often intuited, and commonly hoped for — and of a glorious, mighty power behind the world in which we currently live, are all around us. They are not so powerful that they cannot be missed or even ignored, but they have been and remain present for those with eyes to see, ears to hear, and hearts to feel. As he always does, God has not left us without witnesses but he does not seek to compel. He loves us, but he also respects our agency.
Review of Die Mormonen: Sekte oder neue Kirche Jesu Christi? (1995), by Rudiger Hauth.
Abstract: Revelation comes in various forms, some of them spectacular and some of them extremely subtle. The scriptures and the history of the Restoration offer numerous examples across the entire spectrum. Whatever its form, however, divine revelation remains divine revelation, and it is the avowed mission of the Interpreter Foundation to thoughtfully ponder such revelation, to try to explicate its meaning, and to illustrate its richness. In turn, such examination can itself provide an opportunity for personal revelation—both for the examiners and, we hope, for those who read or hear the results of their work.
Book of Mormon Scriptures > 3 Nephi
Philosophers and theologians, believers and unbelievers, friends to faith and enemies, scientists, historians — these and many others have devoted a very great deal of time and attention for centuries to the relationship between faith and reason.
There is little if any general consensus on the matter, and I have no intention, in just a few pages here, of trying to settle things. I’m inclined, though, to share a few thoughts on the topic from my Latter-day Saint perspective.
Review of Stories from the Early Saints: Converted by the Book of Mormon (1992), edited by Susan Easton Black
Abstract: In this article, Daniel C. Peterson describes the famous “night” journey that Muhammad allegedly made from Arabia to Jerusalem, and from Jerusalem through the heavens and into the presence of God. His ascension through various gates of heaven, passing by the gatekeepers, is compared with biblical and Latter-day Saint teachings. Elements of the dream strongly resemble the biblical description of the Garden of Eden with its two special trees.
[Editor’s Note: Part of our book chapter reprint series, this article is reprinted here as a service to the LDS community. Original pagination and page numbers have necessarily changed, otherwise the reprint has the same content as the original.See Daniel C. Peterson, “Temples All the Way Down: Some Notes on the Mi‘raj of Muhammad,” in Ancient Temple Worship: Proceedings of The Expound Symposium 14 May 2011, ed. Matthew B. Brown, Jeffrey M. Bradshaw, Stephen D. Ricks, and John S. Thompson (Orem, UT: The Interpreter Foundation; Salt Lake City: Eborn Books, 2014), 195–216. Further information at https://interpreterfoundation.org/books/ancient-temple-worship/.].
Brent Lee Metcalfe's New Approaches to the Book of Mormon: Explorations in Critical Methodology was well received by those not favorable to the traditional truth claims of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. No articles indicating an ancient origin for the Book of Mormon were included. The book basically supports the assumption that the Book of Mormon isn't historical. Historians always bring their own perspective (including biases and agendas) into their histories.
Abstract: Few fireside talks outlive the week in which they are given. But Professor Stanley Kimball’s remarks, offered one evening long ago in southern California, have stayed with me for nearly three and a half decades. In my view, they offer a key to surviving challenges or even what have come to be called “faith crises” — and, indeed, a key not only to surviving them but to thriving spiritually by having overcome them.
A little learning is a dang’rous thing;
Drink deep, or taste not the Pierian spring:
There shallow draughts intoxicate the brain,
and drinking largely sobers us again.
—Alexander Pope, An Essay on Criticism, Part 2.
Abstract: This prefatory material to the festschrift for John W. Welch gives an overview of his exceptional life, full of variety and intensity. As James R. Rasband writes: “His candle burns bright whatever the project.” Hoskisson and Peterson characterize “Jack” as a “polymath” as they give a thumbnail sketch of the history of FARMS (Foundation for Ancient Research and Mormon Studies), which he founded and of the book which honors his numerous contributions. A final contribution to this installment provides a useful collection of highlights of his personal and professional life.
[Editor’s Note: Part of our book chapter reprint series, this article is reprinted here as a service to the LDS community. This single article combines three items from the original book: the Foreword, Introduction, and Biographical Highlights. Original pagination and page numbers have necessarily changed, otherwise the reprint has the same content as the original.See “To Seek the Law of the Lord”: Essays in Honor of John W. Welch, ed. Paul Y. Hoskisson and Daniel C. Peterson (Orem, UT: The Interpreter Foundation, 2017), ix–xx. Further information at https://interpreterfoundation.org/books/to-seek-the-law-of-the-lord-essays-in-honor-of-john-w-welch-2/.]Foreword
James R. Rasband.
This volume presents a collection of essays dedicated to the life and work of a great scholar, John W. Welch, a polymath who is known to his many friends as “Jack.” It honors a man who has contributed prodigiously—as author, editor, and organizer—to a growing body of rigorous, faithful Mormon scholarship.Volumes such as this, which celebrate the life and career of an esteemed colleague, are typically described with the German term \"festschrift,\" a word that denotes not only festive celebration but esteem, respect, and gratitude for contributions that deserve to be honored. We deliberately use the word \"honor\" in the subtitle of this book, intending to express precisely those sentiments.Those who have watched and worked with Jack over many years of extraordinarily rich productivity have sometimes wondered whether he ever sleeps. All have benefited enormously from his work and remarkable insights.
Abstract: The temporarily rather comfortable “fit” between the Restored Gospel and American civic religion is a thing of the past, and we contemporary Latter-day Saints seem to find ourselves in a more and more marginalized position, theologically and socially. This was where our predecessors, both earlier in this dispensation and among the first Christians, were located, and it may not be an altogether bad thing. It will, for instance, force us to take our beliefs more seriously, less casually. And it may well drive us back to the unique resources provided by the Restoration, which have much to offer.
Abstract: In a pair of recent books, Patrick Mason and Terryl and Fiona Givens seek to revitalize, reinvigorate, and deepen our understanding of basic terms and concepts of the Restoration. I welcome such efforts, convinced (even where I sometimes quibble) that the conversations they will engender among faithful and committed believers can be very healthy. Now that “the times of refreshing [have] come from the presence of the Lord” (Acts 3:18), it is imperative, both for ourselves and for a world that needs to hear the news, that we not lose sight of the radical freshness of the divine gift and of its comprehensively transforming power. My hope for The Interpreter Foundation is that — while joyfully recognizing, indeed celebrating, the fact that prophets and apostles lead the Kingdom, not academics and intellectuals — it will contribute not only to the defense of the Restoration but to the explication of Restoration doctrines and enhanced understanding and appreciation of their riches.
Abstract: Given the knowledge of the corporeal, embodied nature of God that the Prophet Joseph Smith received in his 1820 First Vision, Latter-day Saints have argued from their earliest days that the Bible is most accurately understood as teaching precisely the same thing — that God has a body and that humans are literally created in his physical image. Now, a new book from an unlikely (and quite unintentional) ally makes a strong case for our position. It is a book that will both gratify Latter-day Saints and, at some points, offend them. In any event, readers of Interpreter should be aware of it.
Abstract: This paper examines the testimonies of the witnesses of the Book of Mormon— not only the Three Witnesses and the Eight Witnesses, but many others who experienced and testified of the reality of the Book of Mormon plates. Together, these testimonies offer impressive support for the claims of Joseph Smith regarding the Book of Mormon and, thus, the Restoration. The variety and complexity of their collective testimony makes finding a single, alternative, non-divine explanation for the witness experiences challenging, indeed.
[Editor’s Note: A very similar version of this essay was delivered as an address at the annual FairMormon Conference in August 2020.].
Abstract: Embarking roughly six months after the organization of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, the 1830–1831 “mission to the Lamanites” faced challenges that we pampered moderns can scarcely imagine. Oliver Cowdery, Peter Whitmer Jr., Parley P. Pratt, Ziba Peterson, and, eventually, Frederick G. Williams demonstrated beyond reasonable dispute the depth of their commitment to the Restoration and to the promises extended by the Book of Mormon to the surviving children of Lehi. Given that Cowdery and Whitmer were witnesses of the golden plates, this demonstration of their genuine belief seems significant.
Abstract: Miracles occur relatively often in scripture, as do people who, for various reasons, want or even need to deny their occurrence. The arguments that are deployed to justify such denial haven’t changed all that much over the centuries. In fact, they’re still around today.
Review of Two Pahute Indian Legends: “Why the Grand Canyon Was Made” and “The Three Days of Darkness” (1987), by William Rees Palmer.
Abstract: Members of the Church have been charged since ancient times with the covenant need to share the Gospel message with those around them. In more recent times, this has been described as a need for “every member” to be a missionary. There are many ways that we can do so through the use of modern technology and the dedication of our talents. The “ministry of the word” beckons each of us onward.
Review of ?The Disappointment of B. H. Roberts: Five Questions that Forced a Mormon General Authority to Abandon the Book of Mormon? (1991), by James R. Spencer
Definition, use, and examples of chiasmus
Many Book of Mormon prophets delivered a sacred message to God’s people, including Lehi, Nephi, King Benjamin, Alma, and Moroni. When Christ visited the Nephites he revealed his own message and that of his Father.
Whenever we’re thoughtful and kind and honest, the light inside us increases. Whenever we observe the Sabbath, the light increases and the darkness decreases.
I would like to visit with those of you who have become discouraged in your personal prayers, the ones you say when no one else is listening. I’d like to talk to those of you who have stopped praying or who do not pray as frequently or as fervently as you once did.
RSC Topics > D — F > Forgiveness
RSC Topics > G — K > Judgment
RSC Topics > Q — S > Repentance
Points out that there are two hells identified in the Book of Mormon writings: one is the intermediate existence between death and the resurrection and the other is the never-ending state of the wicked. [D.M.]
RSC Topics > G — K > Justice
RSC Topics > L — P > Mercy
RSC Topics > Q — S > Repentance
RSC Topics > Q — S > Sin
RSC Topics > Q — S > Restoration of the Gospel
Book of Mormon Scriptures > Moroni
Uses Moroni’s example to teach “(1) the resurrection is a reality, (2) the state of a celestial being is truly glorious, (3) there is opportunity for continued service in the kingdom of God beyond the veil, (4) the knowledge and intelligence one attains in mortality does rise with that person in the resurrection, and (5) this dispensation has great destiny to fulfill”
“For behold, this is my work and my glory—to bring to pas the immortality and eternal life of man.” This profound doctrinal statement is one of many contained in the Pearl of Great Price, the smallest of the standard works and the last to be canonized. Studying that scripture in depth adds immensely to our understanding of the Lord’s eternal plan. Comprising addresses delivered at a symposium on the Pearl of Great Price, this book combines the insights and testimonies of thirteen gospel scholars. All things were created to bear witness of God. As here shown, the Pearl of Great Price does that in many ways.
RSC Topics > L — P > Pearl of Great Price
The ancient Israelites, the Jaredites, and the Nephites all knew of Christ and benefited from following his gospel. Jesus is the Savior of all mankind and hope and happiness come through living his teachings.
A newspaper article from Zion’s Ensign that contains an interview with William Smith, brother of Joseph Smith. Discusses the frock covering the plates, Joseph Smith’s character, and Reverend Lane’s impetus that led to the first vision.
Reports a conversation he had with William B. Smith, brother of Joseph Smith, relative to the Urim and Thummim, the breastplate, and the “two rims of a bow” Gives a fairly detailed statement about the instruments.
Angel Brea explains how much the Church in South America is growing and attributes this growth to the Book of Mormon. He tells about children in South America reading the Book of Mormon and the importance of doing so.
RSC Topics > T — Z > Women
RSC Topics > T — Z > Youth
RSC Topics > T — Z > Zion
Old Testament Topics > Music
A fictional story of one of the Three Nephites placed in a modern setting.
I will tell you about some of my own experiences with adoption and adoption in this country and in the Church, and finally I will speak about adoption as it pertains to all of us as the seed of Abraham.
Abstract: 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 Christ,” which is offered as a form of clarifying Mormon philosophy but provides more confusion than clarification. Jared Hickman’s essay, “The Perverse Core of Mormonism: The Book of Mormon, Genetic Secularity, and Messianic Decoloniality,” presents Mormonism as a religion that has much in common with Marxism, Frantz Fanon, and Sean Coulhard. While not as bold as Hickman, Patrick Mason looks at Mormonism as a modern religion and suggests that premodern thinkers are largely irrelevant to Mormonism and the modern world. Mason argues that “Mormonism is a religion that could meaningfully converse with modern philosophies and ideologies from transcendentalism, liberalism, and Marxism.” I discuss the weaknesses of this view. Attention is also given to the distinction between apologetics and “Mormon Studies” that arise from essays by Grant Wacker, Armand Mauss, Terryl Givens, and Brian D. Birch, who suggests “‘a methodological pluralism’” in approaching Mormon studies. I note that several of the essays in this volume are worthy of positive note, particularly those by Bushman himself, Mauss (who does address the presumed theme of the book), Givens, Mauro Properzi, and Melissa Wei-Tsing Inouye (who also addresses the titled theme of the book in a most engaging manner).
Review of J. Spencer Fluhman, Kathleen Flake, and Jed Woodworth, eds., To Be Learned is Good: Essays on Faith and Scholarship in Honor of Richard Lyman Bushman (Provo, Utah: Neal A. Maxwell Institute for Religious Scholarship, Brigham Young University, 2017). 368 pp. $24.56 (hardcover).
.
RSC Topics > A — C > Church History 1946–Present
RSC Topics > G — K > Gratitude
General Authorities and religious educators provide thoughtful answers to intriguing gospel questions as they share their testimonies of the Savior. This collection of papers presented at a Brigham Young University symposium on the Savior invites us to learn more about the Being we worship. It sounds a clarion call of testimony—offered with clarity, vigor, and gratitude—in witness of the divine calling of our Lord and Redeemer, Jesus of Nazareth. ISBN 1-57008-856-X
Famine and hard times in Utah in the mid-1850s convinced Church leaders that God was not pleased with the state of the Kingdom. Consequently, they initiated a program of rebaptism, rededication, and retrenchment among the Saints between 1856 and 1857. Jedediah Grant exerted much influence during this period, helping to convince members to change and repent. Over time, however, the fervor subsided and was replaced by a more moderate and reasoned approach to reform. This short-lived but somewhat controversial period saw excommunications and heavy-handed rhetoric, but also spiritual rejuvenation, forgiveness, and recommitment. Paul H. Peterson’s 1981 dissertation paints a clear and fascinating picture of the Mormon Reformation.
Contents:
Preface / Paul H. Peterson, David F. Boone, David R. Seely
A Tribute to Sidney B. Sperry / Ellis T. Rasmussen
Rending the Veil of Unbelief / Jeffrey R. Holland
The Destiny of the House of Israel / Daniel H. Ludlow
The Power and the Purpose of the Written Record / Robert J. Matthews
The Regeneration of Fallen Man / Robert L. Millet
The Power of Evidence in the Nurturing of Faith / John W. Welch
RSC Topics > L — P > Obedience
RSC Topics > Q — S > Revelation
RSC Topics > T — Z > Word of Wisdom
The need for loyalty to ourselves and to the Church
In most encounters we can determine the kind of experience we are going to have by how we respond.
RSC Topics > D — F > Forgiveness
RSC Topics > Q — S > Repentance
RSC Topics > Q — S > Sin
RSC Topics > L — P > Obedience
A polemical article that emphasizes Mormonism’s deviations from conventional Christianity. Sees as problematic the Book of Mormon’s reference to Christ’s birth at Jerusalem, mention of steel, and the use of the word “adieu”
The American Indians are portrayed as remnants of Joseph. Quotations about them from the Book of Mormon are supplied.
Addresses the prospect of the return of the Jews to Jerusalem to rebuild the holy city. Light is thrown on the subject by quoting passages from the Book of Mormon.
An appreciation and defense of the Book of Mormon by an early Church member who sees the Book of Mormon as “the foundation, or starting point of the Church of Christ”
Exults over the spiritual promises for the American Indians and contrasts their glorious destiny with the downfall of the Nephites at the time of Mormon. Refers to Zenos’s allegory of the olive tree in Jacob 5.
Book of Mormon Scriptures > Enos
Speaks of the Hill Cumorah, “which must become as famous among the latter- day saints, as Sinai was among the former day saints” Refers to criticisms of the Book of Mormon.
Discusses the principle of resurrection as taught in the Bible and the Book of Mormon, a substantial part coming from Alma’s instruction to Corianton. [D.M.]
The story of Joseph Smith, the translation of the Book of Mormon, and the restoration of the Church. Originally in French in “Etoile du Deseret”
Author praises the Book of Mormon as a sacred book and as “the greatest American novel,” although he says that it “never betrays nineteenth century manner” His criticism is that “it contains no new doctrines”
I wanted to start with the voyage we all know about and take it to another voyage, because there is an element to the Pilgrim story that, 20 years ago, I would have never believed existed but is true.
God’s plan of happiness is all about you. You are His precious child and of great worth.
Since the publishing of the Book of Mormon in 1830 much has came forth to promote greater understanding of the ancient inhabitants of America. Sources published from 1852 to 1901 are quoted to show that scientific finds have helped to establish the validity of the Book of Mormon. Topics include hieroglyphs, religion, large civilizations, governmental structure, and stone boxes.
Since the publishing of the Book of Mormon in 1830 much has came forth to promote greater understanding of the ancient inhabitants of America. Sources published from 1852 to 1901 are quoted to show that scientific finds have helped to establish the validity of the Book of Mormon. Topics include hieroglyphs, religion, large civilizations, governmental structure, and stone boxes.
Benefits derived from studying the Book of Mormon depend upon the individuals who read it. For many of its believers, it is still an undiscovered book. Advisable methods of study are to read the book from beginning to end or topical reading.
Cites as evidence of the Book of Mormon a story by Montessini who visited America in the fifteenth century and discovered some Indians who “pronounced the words of Deuteronomy: Schemah Israel Adonai Elohenu Adoni Ehad (Hear O Israel, the Lord our God is one Lord)” Furthermore, he cites “Basnage’s Histoire des Jeufs written in 1694,” where Basnage writes that “Tis sufficiently certain that a vessel driven thither [Americas] by a tempest landed some Jews”
In 1954, Hugh Nibley delivered a series of weekly lectures on KSL Radio. The series called “Time Vindicates the Prophets,” was given in answer to those who were challenging the right of members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints to call themselves Christians.
This first of two volumes of essays honoring Hugh Nibley includes scholarly papers based on what the contributors have learned from Dr. Nibley. Nearly every major subject that he has encompassed in his vast learning and scholarly production is represented here by at least one article. Topics include the influence of Nibley, Copts and the Bible, the Seventy in scripture, the great apostasy, the book of Daniel in early Mormon thought, an early Christian initiation ritual, John’s Apocalypse, ancient Jewish seafaring, Native American rites of passage, Sinai as sanctuary and mountain of God, the Qurʾan and creation ex nihilo, and the sacred handclasp and embrace.
An essay showing Achilles as a victim of delusion.
Book of Mormon wars fulfill Lehi’s prophecies about the terms and conditions for people to remain in the promised land.
Although Nephi’s tools were most likely made of iron or steel, bronze remains a possibility. The making of brass or bronze requires the creation of a copper alloy, and examples of such alloys are found in both the Old World and the New World. The nature of the alloys differed depending on the minerals available.
For three weeks in February 2000, a team of BYU geologists worked in coastal Dhofar, focusing on geological formations that could have produced the metals needed by Nephi for making tools to build a ship. This article discusses the ores and processes that Nephi would have employed and considers the possibility that the coast of Dhofar may be a candidate for the location of Nephi’s shipbuilding.
Adding to three previous sites proposed as Nephi’s Bountiful, Phillips argues in defense of another candidate—Mughsayl. He evaluates all the candidates and describes the corresponding areas. He proposes that Lehi and his family were not alone during their travels or time in Bountiful and lists ten reasons in support of his proposal of Mughsayl as the land of Bountiful. The merits of Mughsayl include its tributaries, its ability to sustain a large herd of camels and other domesticated animals, and its location on a trade route between Salalah and the Hadramaut region of Yemen.
In February 1998, five Brigham Young University professors spent more than a week together in southern Oman to collect data for future research projects in the area, which seems to correspond to the end of Lehi’s trail in the Old World. Future research must be performed in a professional manner and seek to reconstruct that part of the world in 600 BC. Botanical, archaeological, chronological, mineralogical, geological, and inscriptional studies in the area would depend on acquiring sponsors in Oman and on the availability of resources.
In his effort to correct and preserve the original text of the Book of the Mormon, Royal Skousen has also increased our understanding of and appreciation for this volume of sacred scripture. Skousen’s close examination of the use of words and phrases throughout the book highlights its intertextuality and demonstrates that Book of Mormon authors were aware of and influenced by the words of previous authors. Moreover, restoring the original text helps clarify some vague constructions and should also caution us against putting too much emphasis on the exact wording of the present Book of Mormon. Skousen’s analysis of how such changes occurred during a relatively modern transmission process can also further the understanding of more ancient textual transmission. Finally, Skousen’s work reveals that the original Book of Mormon may have been even more strikingly Semitic than the present text and that some characteristically Hebrew constructions have been edited out over the years, though many still remain.
Relates Indian ruins (four photographs supplied) to the proposition that there were great civilizations in pre-Columbian America.
The Savior’s name has singular and essential power. It is the only name by which salvation is possible.
BYU is a unique institution in all the world—a community of saint scholars, a community of saint students, an unparalleled community of academic and spiritual excellence that could only be possible as a result of the Restoration.
By being the first in your family to accept the gospel, you become the first generation, a chosen generation through which generations past, present, and future may be blessed.
Sacred things are to be treated with more care, given greater deference, and regarded with deeper reverence.
A detailed examination of the Book of Mormon plates, their contents and the story behind them.
Thorough listing of scriptural quotations addressing many themes from the standard works, including Lehi’s dreams, the coming forth of the Book of Mormon, King Benjamin’s speech, and Christ’s ministry in America.
Pierce tells chronologically the story of the Book of Mormon with added explanations and correlating archaeological evidence of the events that occurred. Photographs are included from various sites and findings in Mexico that correspond to Book of Mormon history.
In general conference, President Russell M. Nelson spoke about poverty and other humanitarian concerns, declaring, “As members of the Church, we feel a kinship to those who suffer in any way. . . . We heed an Old Testament admonition: ‘Thou shalt open thine hand wide unto thy brother, to thy poor, and to thy needy’ (Deuteronomy 15:11).” President Nelson’s linking of Old Testament law with modern social concerns highlights the continued relevancy of the Old Testament for confronting modern challenges, including poverty, ethnocentrism, and the world’s growing refugee crisis. ISBN 978-1-9503-0414-1
RSC Topics > G — K > High Priest
RSC Topics > Q — S > Sacrifice
RSC Topics > G — K > Judgment
RSC Topics > L — P > Old Testament
This volume aims to assist in the personal and family study of the history and teachings of the Old Testament. The book gathers some of the clearest writings on the Old Testament that have been published by the Religious Studies Center at Brigham Young University. The Old Testament is not only foundational to our understanding of the birth, life, atonement, crucifixion, and resurrection of the Savior, as found in the New Testament, the Book of Mormon, and other scripture, but it also teaches us about God, our faith history, and the spiritual heritage of the house of Israel. ISBN 978-1-9503-0420-2
At the beginning of the Book of Mormon, Nephi writes, “The fulness of mine intent is that I may persuade men to come unto the God of Abraham, and the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob, and be saved” (1 Nephi 6:4; emphasis added). He later writes, “I glory in my Jesus, for he hath redeemed my soul from hell” (2 Nephi 33:6). The pinnacle of the Book of Mormon occurred in 3 Nephi when Jesus Christ personally ministered to the Nephites and Lamanites. Clearly the central purpose of those writing on the plates was to invite and persuade each of us to come unto Jesus Christ, helping us understand his redeeming role. Jesus Christ is the central figure in the Book of Mormon. Ancient prophets in the western hemisphere consistently pointed to His life and atoning sacrifice. For example, Nephi wrote, “I glory in my Jesus, for he hath redeemed my soul from hell” (2 Nephi 33:6). After His Resurrection, Jesus Christ personally ministered to the Nephites and taught them. This volume shares important reminders about how to focus on Jesus Christ in the Book of Mormon.
Book of Mormon Scriptures > 2 Nephi
Book of Mormon Scriptures > Jacob
Book of Mormon Scriptures > 3 Nephi
A geographical and archaelogoical look at events found in the Book of Mormon. Author argues for the existence of two Cumorahs, one in Palmyra, New York, and the other in Central America. Suggests that the existing oceanic currents aided the Nephites and Jaredites in their destinations from the Old to the New World. Sees a connection between the mound builders of Mississippi and Ohio Valleys and the mass migration of Hagoth and the other boats to the land northward.
The author claims that a comparison of Quetzalcoatl, the Book of Mormon, and biblical passages reveals many similarities.
In order to support claims by the Book of Mormon, the author presents archaeological evidence that the wheel existed in ancient America.
A polemical article against the Book of Mormon. The author notes poor grammar in the book, reviews the Spaulding hypothesis, ridicules the idea that Joseph used a seer stone in translating the Book of Mormon, points out textual changes, and alleges that biblical plagiarism such as the Isaiah chapters and the Sermon on the Mount is present. [M R.]
Old Testament Scriptures > Jeremiah/Lamentations
RSC Topics > D — F > Foreordination
RSC Topics > Q — S > Sabbath
RSC Topics > L — P > Old Testament
RSC Topics > Q — S > Sabbath
Summary of current issue.
Abstract: Drawing on his deep knowledge of biblical Hebrew, Dana Pike gives us a close reading of Jeremiah 1:5, the most important Old Testament verse relating to the Latter-day Saint understanding of premortal existence of human spirits and the foreordination of prophets to their appointed callings. He shows that the plain sense of this verse cannot be easily dismissed: first, and consistent with Latter-day Saint understanding, God knew Jeremiah before he was conceived and that afterward, in a second phase that transpired in the womb, he was, “according to the Israelite perspective preserved in the Bible,” appointed to become a prophet.
[Editor’s Note: Part of our book chapter reprint series, this article is reprinted here as a service to the LDS community. Original pagination and page numbers have necessarily changed, otherwise the reprint has the same content as the original.See Dana M. Pike, “Formed in and Called from the Womb,” in “To Seek the Law of the Lord”: Essays in Honor of John W. Welch, ed. Paul Y. Hoskisson and Daniel C. Peterson (Orem, UT: The Interpreter Foundation, 2017), 317–32. Further information at https://interpreterfoundation.org/books/to-seek-the-law-of-the-lord-essays-in-honor-of-john-w-welch-2/.].
Old Testament Topics > Literary Aspects
Old Testament Topics > Book of Mormon and the Old Testament
RSC Topics > L — P > Old Testament
RSC Topics > T — Z > Worship
Old Testament Topics > Literary Aspects
Review of Dead Sea Scrolls and the Mormon Connection (1996), by Keith Terry and Stephen Biddulph.
The creation and flood accounts in Genesis in the Hebrew Bible (the Christian Old Testament) contain variations on a phrase commonly translated “the breath of life.” This phrase additionally occurs in some uniquely Latter-day Saint materials relating to creation. After overviewing and analyzing this phrase and its meaning in the Bible, this paper then examines the occurrences of the phrase “the breath of life” in important early Latter-day Saint texts.1 The purpose of this study is to illustrate and explain how and why many Latter-day Saints have come to often employ the phrase “the breath of life,” transforming its traditional biblical meaning into a new, Restoration-oriented use referencing the embodiment of the first human’s premortal spirit and, by extension, the embodiment of all other people’s spirits.
Book of Moses Topics > Basic Resources > Surveys and Perspectives on Ancient Sources from Outside the Bible
RSC Topics > D — F > Elohim
RSC Topics > L — P > Old Testament
RSC Topics > T — Z > Worship
RSC Topics > L — P > Old Testament
RSC Topics > Q — S > Restoration of the Gospel
The nature of wisdom literature
Old Testament Scriptures > Psalms/Proverbs/Ecclesiastes/Song of Solomon
RSC Topics > L — P > Old Testament
Old Testament Topics > History
Old Testament Topics > Restoration and Joseph Smith
In this article Pike responds to Hoskisson’s conclusions about the etymology of the names Lehi and Sariah. He agrees with Hoskisson that Sariah is a theophoric name, which was common in ancient Israel and means “My prince is Jehovah.” However he suggests that the name should be grammatically distinguished from the masculine biblical personal name Seraiah. Although he offers an additional possibility for the meaning of the name Lehi, he agrees with Hoskisson’s suggestion that the name means “cheek.” The remainder of the article discusses the challenge of doing onomastic analysis on ancient non-English names when only an English form is available and further mentions the frequency of giving newborns in ancient Israel names of a religious nature.
RSC Topics > D — F > Doctrine
RSC Topics > L — P > Plan of Salvation
Some Latter-day Saint commentators deem a phrase that appears in 2 Nephi 12:16 but not in the parallel passage in Isaiah 2:16—“and upon all ships of the sea”—as evidence that the Book of Mormon preserves a version of this verse from the brass plates that is more complete than the Hebrew or King James readings. One scholar’s conclusions in this regard are reviewed and then critiqued for ignoring the complexities of the ancient Hebrew and Greek versions of the Bible. The authors examine Isaiah 2:16 in its broader literary context, noting that the 2 Nephi reading alters a pattern of synonymous couplets; analyze the Greek and Hebrew texts of the verse; and relate their findings to the Book of Mormon reading. They discuss the inherent limitations of textual criticism in this kind of study and conclude that LDS and non-LDS scholars are open to different interpretive possibilities owing to the role that faith plays in one’s approach to and interpretation of textual evidence.
Old Testament Scriptures > Isaiah
RSC Topics > Q — S > Sacrament
Reprints the title page, lists (in order) the books of the Book of Mormon, and gives the account of Moroni’s visit that is also found in the Pearl of Great Price. Contains many excerpts from the book itself, with writings from Nephi, Isaiah, Jacob, King Benjamin, King Mosiah, Alma, Helaman, Captain Moroni, Pahoran, Mormon, and Moroni.
Book of Mormon Scriptures > Mosiah
Book of Mormon Scriptures > Alma
Book of Mormon Scriptures > Helaman
Old Testament Topics > Teaching the Old Testament
Referring to passages in the Book of Mormon (which is the great converter), Ed Pinegar, former president of the Missionary Training Center, emphasizes the commission that all members of the church have to bring souls to Christ. Missionaries are expected to exemplify the virtues that they teach to potential converts, such as repentance-induced purity, charity, obedience, fasting and prayer, faith, knowledge, and commitment.
Old Testament Topics > Teaching the Old Testament
Suggested program for studying the scriptures that provides a list of scriptural passages for studying with a specific subject in mind. Subjects include prayer, fasting, the value of the Book of Mormon, searching the scriptures, and keeping records and journals.
Brothers and sisters, we are all servants. We have received talents that are indeed the Lord’s goods. Those goods should help us develop His attributes.
It is a wondrous opportunity and a sacred responsibility to build up the kingdom of God on earth, to be kingdom builders—right now.
President Hunter, President Hinckley, President Monson, thank you for this opportunity to share my testimony and my feelings of joy, gratitude, and responsibility for being called to serve the Primary children of the Church. Learn more about Mormons: http://mormon.org/
“It is my prayer that each of us will accept the goal that our Heavenly Father has set as our guiding and overall goal—immortality and eternal life with him.”
The Christlike qualities of selflessness, patience, honesty, and integrity are the most valuable assets we can acquire that will bless the lives of others as well as our own and should be demonstrated in all of our associations and endeavors.
As covenant women, … we can alter the face of the earth one family and one home at a time through charity, our small and simple acts of pure love.
When a woman chooses to have Christ at the center of her own heart, … she brings the Lord into the core of her home and family.
May the Lord bless each of you in your personal quest to know His will for you and to submit your will to His.
Faith, the spiritual ability to be persuaded of promises that are seen “afar off” … , is a sure measure of those who truly believe.
Determined service to others, even in difficult circumstances, is required of those who truly desire “to grow up unto the Lord.”
The Messiah extends His arm of mercy to us, always eager to receive us—if we choose to come to Him.
Connections forged among covenant women in Relief Society can … enlighten, enliven, and enrich the journey of life.
Our need to recognize truth has never been more important!
Every one of us has a meaningful role to play in furthering God’s work.
One important and fruitful area of Book of Mormon studies has focused on ancient Hebrew literary forms present in the text. After years of studying these fascinating forms, Hugh W. Pinnock offers his perspective on their beauty, function, and background. By design this book offers a basic working knowledge of only some of the ancient literary forms identified in the Book of Mormon. Together they represent a significant percentage of the types of ancient forms drawn upon by the Nephite prophets.
The author explains that knowledge of ancient Hebrew writing forms and Jewish poetry is incomplete even today, and much less so in the Prophet Joseph Smith’s day. The book aims to deepen faith in the authenticity of the Book of Mormon by calling attention to its ancient character and affirming that it was translated—not written, or even capable of being written—in early 19th-century America.
I know of nothing worthwhile in life that comes easy. However, nothing in life is as valuable as a strong marriage and a secure family. I am speaking to all who want their future marriages to succeed.
Rafael E. Pino teaches that understanding the plan of salvation gives us an eternal perspective that helps us value the commandments, our covenants, and trials and tribulations.
Living the gospel … means that we will be prepared to face and endure adversity more confidently.
Elder Pino suggests four habits to help members of the Church stay on the covenant path. If we are steadfast and immovable in doing good, our customs will help us to stay on the covenant path.
RSC Topics > L — P > Prayer
RSC Topics > Q — S > Sacrament
RSC Topics > T — Z > Word of Wisdom
RSC Topics > L — P > Love
RSC Topics > Q — S > Sacrament
RSC Topics > Q — S > Sacrifice
Christ invites us to come quickly unto Him. His love casts darkness away. We are protected from deception when we choose to walk in His light as we see ourselves as we really are and as we really can be.
Mapping Mormonism brings together contributions from sixty experts in the fields of geography, history, Mormon history, and economics to produce the most monumental work of its kind. More than an atlas, this book also includes hundreds of timelines and charts, along with carefully researched descriptions, that track the Mormon movement from its humble beginnings to its worldwide expansion. A work of this magnitude rarely comes along. Mapping Mormonism’s first edition proved to be a landmark reference work in Mormon studies; now it is further improved and updated with the latest information in this second edition. This work covers the early Restoration, the settlement of the West, and the expanding Church, giving particular emphasis to recent developments in the modern Church throughout all regions of the world. Of all the books on Church history, Mapping Mormonism may be the single most effective work to date at giving an expansive vision of the rise of the LDS Churcha vision as vibrant as those who have led the way in building Zion. In 2012, Mapping Mormonism won the Mormon History Association Best Book Award and the Cartography and Geographic Information Society Best Atlas Award.
A sequel to his previous article (8 July 1977), the writer describes setbacks in Davis, Cowdery, and Scales’s work on the Spaulding connection. Several handwriting experts felt they had been misrepresented by the researchers. He also notes the recent criticisms of their work by Jerald and Sandra Tanner. [M R.]
Contains a brief discussion of the work of Davis, Cowdery, and Scales in attempting to demonstrate a connection between the Spaulding manuscript and the writing of the “unknown scribe” in the Book of Mormon manuscript. The writer notes further that archaeologists have generally scoffed at the historical sections of the book, and they say there never has been such a language as “reformed Egyptian”
A report on Boyd Petersen’s lecture at Brigham Young University, during which he shared with students the many ways Hugh Nibley has and continues to impact the Church and Brigham Young University.
You and I are now among those generations given the privilege to know and to live the law of the tithe. The blessings that flow from obedience to that law are both temporal and spiritual.
Demeaning description of newer religious movements. Joseph Smith rose from a background of change and confusion, claiming to have discovered records that clarified theological arguments of his day and the origin of the American Indian. The authors rely on the opinions of Fawn Brodie and Thomas O’Dea.
Discusses Lehi’s dream from the Book of Mormon, and reviews symbols and types of Liahonas and iron rods in Mormonism.
Analyzes the journals of Mormon converts who wrote during the early years of the Church, both those who remained faithful and those who apostatized. The author concludes that those who converted to the Church had suffered reversals and conflicts that were answered by the Book of Mormon. Even to those who rejected it, the Book of Mormon seemed to give clarification to and fulfillment of the Bible.
Two individuals report that David Whitmer possessed a strong, personal testimony of the Book of Mormon gold plates.
Pope foretells an expedition that will sail on a raft without food or water from Saudi Arabia to Guatemala, manned by a crew of five or six persons. The purpose of the trip is to show that a voyage such as the one that brought Lehi and his family to America is possible.
RSC Topics > L — P > Obedience
RSC Topics > T — Z > Testimony
Review of Parallel Histories: The Nephites and the Americans (1989), by Anthony E. Larson.
Review of The Book of Isaiah: A New Translation with Interpretive Keys from the Book of Mormon (1998), by Avraham Gileadi
We need not fear the future, nor falter in hope and good cheer, because God is with us.
Those who have a broken heart and a contrite spirit are willing to do anything and everything that God asks of them.
From its earliest days, the Lord’s Church has been built up by ordinary people who magnified their callings in humility and devotion.
Whatever it may be that binds us, whatever sins, circumstances, or past events hold each of us captive, the Lord Jesus Christ, the great Immanuel, has come to set us free.
RSC Topics > L — P > Priesthood
I am deeply thankful for the gift of prayer, which is surely among the greatest of gifts given by our Father in Heaven to His children on earth. Prayer is the ordained means by which men and women, and even little children, come to know God. It is our channel of communication with heaven. It is a priceless privilege.
RSC Topics > D — F > Family
This first of two volumes of essays honoring Hugh Nibley includes scholarly papers based on what the contributors have learned from Dr. Nibley. Nearly every major subject that he has encompassed in his vast learning and scholarly production is represented here by at least one article. Topics include the influence of Nibley, Copts and the Bible, the Seventy in scripture, the great apostasy, the book of Daniel in early Mormon thought, an early Christian initiation ritual, John’s Apocalypse, ancient Jewish seafaring, Native American rites of passage, Sinai as sanctuary and mountain of God, the Qurʾan and creation ex nihilo, and the sacred handclasp and embrace.
Explores the connection between a name and the existence of the thing it refers to.
Hugh W. Nibley Topics > Hugh Nibley > Scholarship, Footnotes, Collected Works of Hugh Nibley, CWHN, Editing > Temples, Cosmos
“This book introduces the reader to the Book of Mormon’s authoritative hierarchy of internal and external ’witnesses,’ beginning with the 36 prophecies and promises that its ancient writers originally intended latter-day readers to use in identifying the promised land of their day and ours. Readers will discover how these prophecies and promises establish and reveal a specific latter-day nation as the Promised Land of the Book of Mormon.” [Publisher’s abstract]
RSC Topics > G — K > Justice
RSC Topics > L — P > Mercy
RSC Topics > Q — S > Repentance
RSC Topics > Q — S > Salvation
RSC Topics > Q — S > Sin
The relics found in the La Brea Tar pits include deposits of prehistoric life—horses, mammoths, and other animals now extinct, proving that these animals once roamed the American continent as the Book of Mormon records.
Fictional stories of several Book of Mormon characters and groups, including King Noah and Amulon, Alma and Abinadi, General Moroni, the Gadianton robbers, and Ammon. Pictures of artifacts and architecture are included.
Brothers and sisters, Heavenly Father did not send us to this earth without also sending the Holy Ghost to guide and protect us. One of the most important skills we must learn in this life is to receive and recognize the quiet whisperings of the Spirit.
There, tucked away as a tiny comment, was the answer—simple, clear, and enormously effective: “but we heeded them not.” Difficult to do? Yes. Clear to understand? Yes!
RSC Topics > Q — S > Resurrection
RSC Topics > T — Z > Testimony
RSC Topics > D — F > Eternal Life
The center of the plan is the Lord Jesus Christ. Reject or ignore Him, and the great plan of happiness cannot function in your behalf.
As we seek for values to stand by, especially in important or controversial matters, let us search the prophets and follow their inspired counsel.
A spiritual witness of the Nephite scripture will always bring the certainty of the Savior’s existence.
RSC Topics > Q — S > Restoration of the Gospel
With the many branch, ward, and stake organizations which currently bedeck the international scene of Mormonism, it is understandable that the activities of a small branch of Saints at Colesville, Broome County, New York, could have been virtually forgotten with the passage of time. Yet, at the close of 1830, it was one of some five principal branches serving as focal points for the gathering of the faithful in the new Church. Fayette, Seneca County, New York, served as the headquarters of the Church, while other branches existed at Colesville; Kirtland and Mentor, Geauga County, Ohio; and Warrensville, Cayahoga County, Ohio. The Colesville Branch was personally inaugurated by the Prophet Joseph Smith and its membership played a significant role in the initial years of the new dispensation. Drawn by Joseph’s affirmation of communication with the heavens and the supportive evidences contained in the Book of Mormon, the Colesville Saints gave impetus to the missionary zeal of the Restoration and provided elements of needed leadership for the rapidly expanding faith. From the very inception of “Mormonism,” the Saints comprising the Colesville Branch linked their lives inexorably with the Restored Gospel and the volume which had inspired their conversion, the Book of Mormon. They relinquished family, friends, homes and material comforts in pursuit of their testimonies. The Prophet Joseph Smith was not unmindful of these sacrifices. On August 22, 1842, while making entries in the Book of the Law of the Lord, he paid tribute to certain of the Colesville membership, which might well be applied to them all.
The familiar narrative of how Martin Harris mortgaged his farm to pay the printing cost of the first five thousand copies of the Book of Mormon overlooks details that make possible a fuller appreciation of his key role in the restoration of the gospel. Financially and otherwise, Harris was uniquely situated to secure the publisher’s note and relieve the financial tension that imperiled the book’s publication. Details of his family background, land ownership, business enterprises, and generosity are reviewed. Despite his pattern of vacillating in his religious commitments, his loss of 116 pages of translated manuscript, his exposure to public ridicule, and his fracturing marriage, Harris proved willing and able to honor the mortgage agreement and the Lord’s directives to him in Doctrine and Covenants, section 19. He did so at great personal cost when all attempts to recoup the publication costs failed and the shared financial responsibility unexpectedly fell solely on him. The view is expressed that Harris was raised up by the Lord to assist the Prophet Joseph Smith by securing and then personally financing the first publication of the Restoration.
Letters praising the Journal of the Book of Mormon and Other Restoration Scripture and responding to articles published therein.
Martin Harris: Uncompromising Witness of the Book of Mormon reveals the compelling story of a man who had seen angels and knew Joseph Smith was a prophet but who nevertheless struggled to keep his faith in the prophetic calling of Joseph Smith and the restoration of the gospel of Jesus Christ. His is a story of fascination with worldly honors, flirtations with apostasy, and pride that nearly cost him the joy of his later years in the West. It is the biography of a witness who clung tenaciously to his testimony of the Book of Mormon. Well-known historians Susan Black and Larry Porter have written a landmark biography of Martin Harris, one of the most important figures in early Church history. Joseph Smith relied on his generosity and goodwill to publish the Book of Mormon, of which he was one of the Three Witnesses. But Latter-day Saints in the twenty-first century know relatively little about him, especially the decades he spent away from the Restoration—until now. This biography deserves a place on the bookshelves of historians and other interested Church members. Strongly recommend. Reid L. Neilson Assistant Church Historian and Recorder The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints This deeply researched book examines the life of one of Joseph Smith’s closest associates in the Church’s early years. It tells us more about significant episodes, such as the printing of the Book of Mormon, than anyone has ever known. Most important, it helps us reassess the character of Martin Harris, a key contributor to the Restoration. Harris emerges as a man of substance and judgment, a fitting witness to the angel and the plates. The book explains how he fell away and then returned but at no time backed away from his testimony. Richard Lyman Bushman Author, Joseph Smith: Rough Stone Rolling As one of the earliest believers in Joseph Smith’s spiritual claims, Martin Harris figured prominently in the early events of the Restoration. He observed firsthand many of the sacred scenes associated with the coming forth of the Book of Mormon, assisted in its translation, was one of the book’s Three Witnesses, financed its publication, and was one of the first converts baptized into the Church of Christ. Authors Susan Easton Black and Larry C. Porter have produced an insightful, informative, well-documented biography of Martin Harris’s lifelong religious sojourn—a life characterized by integrity, faith, and generosity, but most of all, testimony. This is solid, down-to-earth biographical history at its best. Alexander L. Baugh Professor, Church History and Doctrine, BYU
Review of The Keystone of Mormonism: Early Visions of the Prophet Joseph Smith (1988), by Paul R. Cheesman.
RSC Topics > A — C > Church History 1946–Present
Review of Interventing Mormonism: Tradition and the Historical Record (1994), by H. Michael Marquardt and Wesley P. Walters.
Martin Harris, one of the Three Witnesses of the Book of Mormon, was the only witness to join the Saints in Utah. This journey was commenced only after missionaries passed through Kirtland for decades and attempted to convince Harris to make the journey to the Salt Lake Valley. Although each missionary over the course of decades was unsuccessful in his attempts to convince the impoverished, lonely Harris to go to Utah, each was spiritually renewed through the ever-present testimony of the witness of the Book of Mormon and “custodian” of the Kirtland Temple. This is the testimony Harris spread even as he traveled to Utah after a former acquaintance of his finally convinced him to make the trip at the age of eighty-seven. Finally in Utah, Harris enjoyed again the blessings of the church and continued to pronounce, even until he died, his powerful testimony of the Book of Mormon.
RSC Topics > D — F > First Vision
Addressing some of the most consequential yet esoteric subjects and events in Latter-day Saint Church history, this 1971 dissertation makes available items from early Mormon history never previously so thoroughly documented. Specifically, Dr. Larry C. Porter carefully delineates the dynamics of Joseph Smith’s life and movement (and the subsequent movement of the Church) in the context of the infant years of the Church, an era whose documented treatment has been previously obscure and sketchy.
In 1880 James T. Cobb, a graduate of Dartmouth and Amherst colleges and a resident of Salt Lake City, was making an attempt to establish the falsity of the Book of Mormon through an extensive examination of its origins. Among those to whom he directed letters of inquiry was William E. McLellan, whose close association with Joseph Smith and the witnesses of the Book of Mormon in the early years of the Church made him an appropriate subject for correspondence. William E. McLellan joined the Church in 1831. Although he became an early critic of Joseph Smith and other Church leaders, he nevertheless progressed to top leadership positions and on February 15, 1835, he was ordained as one of the original members of the Quorum of the Twelve. Yet due to his criticism of Church leadership he was excommunicated in 1838. The testimony reproduced in this article, written in reply to James T. Cobb’s inquiry, is significant because despite McLellan’s disillusionment with Joseph Smith, he nevertheless was unable to deny his conviction that the Book of Mormon was what it claimed to be.
The relics found in the La Brea Tar pits include deposits of prehistoric life—horses, mammoths, and other animals now extinct, proving that these animals once roamed the American continent as the Book of Mormon records.
Review of Richard Abanes. One Nation under Gods: A History of the Mormon Church.
A polemical work against the Book of Mormon that advances the Spaulding theory for its origin.
God’s love is not found in the circumstances of our lives but in His presence in our lives.
Sister Porter shares three lessons she is learning and invites the women of the Church to follow the Savior’s teachings to be as salt, light, and leaven.
Receiving the gifts of God is a catalyst for change! A change of heart, a change of countenance, a change of desires, a new birth.
Abstract: Khor Rori, which forms the mouth of Wadi (Valley) Darbat, is the largest inlet along the Dhofar coast of southern Arabia. The khor was excavated into a harbor by the erosive action of the river that flows through Wadi Darbat. In ancient times, Khor Rori was the only harbor in the Dhofar Region that could accommodate large sailing ships. The first colonizers of Khor Rori, who arrived around the ninth century bc, must have realized that this particular khor, because of its morphology, was an ideal natural port for trading their frankincense with other seafaring nations. Because Khor Rori has long been considered an important candidate for Bountiful and offers the advantage of not only the rich vegetation in Wadi Darbat and good sources of flowing water, it is also a safe harbor where a ship could have been built — indeed, the harbor would later become a busy port noted for building ships and much trade. This article provides updates since the original publications about Khor Rori, better documenting its advantages and exploring the possibility that essential raw materials for shipbuilding and shipwright expertise might have already existed at Khor Rori in Nephi’s day.
“The Book of Mormon begins with a stirring account of Lehi’s family fleeing Jerusalem through the wilderness to a new home in the America’s. For decades, scholars have scoffed at many of the locations and conditions described by Lehi’s son Nephi. This new evidence shows that Nephi’s account is completely accuracte. Two Latter-day Saints, wtih unprecedented access to the lands of the Middle East, have completed a six-year odyssey documenting the actual locations of Lehi’s journey from Jersualem to the land of Bountiful. Their discoveries give tangible proof of the locations described by Nephi in the Book of Mormon.” [Publisher]
Bradford introduces reviews of Royal Skousen’s work on the critical text project.
The author serendipitously discovered a stream east of the Gulf of Aqaba that seems to share the physical features of Lehi’s “river of water” that “emptied into the Red Sea” and was “continually running.” The river Laman ran through the valley of Lemuel, described as “firm, steadfast, and immovable.” The stream and the canyon seem to fulfill the conditions of the river of Laman and the valley of Lemuel.
In exploring the divide between Latter-day Saints and Evangelicals, Paulsen and Potter reply to Owen and Mosser on issues of open canon, continuing revelation, biblical inerrancy, divine finitude, divine embodiment, deification, the Trinity or Godhead, soteriology and anthropology, and postmortem salvation.
A pedigree chart of the Book of Mormon families of Lehi, Ishmael, and Mulek that provides brief information with scriptural references about Book of Mormon characters and the time and location where each resided.
Review of V. Garth Norman. Book of Mormon Geography—Mesoamerican Historic Geography.
Constant effort yields perfection in a skill and a glimpse of the capacity our Heavenly Father has endowed us with. Trust and coachability are akin to faith and obedience, and, when tested, prepare you—and your confidence waxes strong.
Not unlike physical maps, we have spiritual maps to help guide and direct us to our ultimate destination—back to our heavenly home.
I fear … that too many of us are either not fasting on fast day or we are doing so in a lackadaisical manner.
In building the kingdom of God, every positive act, every friendly greeting, every warm smile, every thoughtful, kind note contributes to the strength of the whole.
As we pay our tithing faithfully, the Lord will open the windows of heaven and pour out upon us His richest blessings.
Unorthodox presentation of the Book of Mormon text (1 Nephi—Jarom) as a history of the Hebrews. Says nothing about Joseph Smith or the origin of the Book of Mormon. Places the ancient Nephites in the present day New England area of the United States. Numerous footnotes provide commentary.
Book of Mormon Scriptures > Jarom
Writes about encounters with Indians in the Southwest and Mexico. The author was told that the Apaches would possess the land again, as the Book of Mormon describes. A tradition among the Pueblos listed three great events: the white race would conquer the Indians (fulfilled by Cortez), the Indians would rise up and regain their independence, and another group of white people would come with truth.
Old Testament Scriptures > 1 & 2 Kings/1 & 2 Chronicles
Old Testament Topics > Priesthood
Old Testament Topics > Types and Symbols
Presents the first section of 1 Nephi as the “book of Lehi” Says nothing about the name Book of Mormon, its origins, or Joseph Smith, but entitles his series the American Indian Bible. Has no commentary or notes.
A booklet comprising 1 Nephi of the Book of Mormon, with several headings.
A Discourse by Elder Orson Pratt, Delivered in the Bowery, Great Salt Lake City, April 6, 1856. Reported By: G. D. Watt.
Discourse by Elder Orson Pratt, delivered at the Adjourned Semi-Annual Conference of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints, in the New Tabernacle, Salt Lake City, Sunday Morning, October 11, 1874. Reported By: David W. Evans.
Discourse by Elder Orson Pratt, delivered in the Old Tabernacle, Salt Lake City, Sunday Afternoon, July 19, 1874. Reported By: David W. Evans.
Discourse by Elder Orson Pratt, delivered in the Old Tabernacle, Salt Lake City, Sunday, Dec. 27, 1868. Reported By: David W. Evans.
A Sermon by Elder Orson Pratt, Delivered in the Tabernacle, Great Salt Lake City, September 11, 1859. Reported By: G. D. Watt.
A Discourse by Elder Orson Pratt, Delivered in the Tabernacle, Great Salt Lake City, January 7, 1855. Reported By: G. D. Watt.
Discourse by Elder Orson Pratt, delivered in the Tabernacle, Salt Lake City, Feb. 19, 1871. Reported By: John Q. Cannon.
Discourse by Elder Orson Pratt, delivered in the Tabernacle, Salt Lake City, Sunday Afternoon, September 21, 1879. Reported By: John Irvine.
Letter written by Orson Pratt May 2, 1876, bearing testimony to a friendly inquirer of the gospel. Advises the correspondent that he can know that the Book of Mormon is true.
Because the prophet Joseph Smith took no credit for the discovery of the ancient plates and the translation thereof, men have criticized this book more than any other. Had he claimed to have found and translated them by his own genius, people would believe the Book of Mormon and proclaim Joseph a clever and learned man. The Book of Mormon is filled with internal evidences of its divinity, and there are also the testimonies of the witnesses.
Discourse by Elder Orson Pratt, delivered at the Thirteenth Ward Assembly Rooms, Sunday Evening, August 25, 1878. Reported By: Geo. F. Gibbs.
Discourse by Elder Orson Pratt, delivered in the New Tabernacle, Salt Lake City, Sunday Afternoon, July 18, 1875. Reported By: David W. Evans.
Address by Elder Orson Pratt, Sen., July 4th, 1860. Reported By: Unknown.
A Discourse by Elder Orson Pratt, Delivered in the Tabernacle, Great Salt Lake City, August 29, 1852. Reported By: G. D. Watt.
Discourse by Elder Orson Pratt, delivered in the New Tabernacle, Salt Lake City, October 7, 1869. Reported By: David W. Evans.
Discourse by Apostle Orson Pratt, delivered at a Conference in Paris, Bear Lake, May 11, 1878. Reported By: James H. Hart.
Remarks by Elder Orson Pratt, Delivered in the Tabernacle, Great Salt Lake City, February 12, 1860. Reported By: G. D. Watt.
A Discourse by Elder Orson Pratt, Delivered in the Tabernacle, Great Salt Lake City, September 10, 1854. Reported By: G. D. Watt.
Discourse by Elder Orson Pratt, delivered in the 16th Ward Assembly Rooms, Salt Lake City, Sunday Afternoon, March 9, 1873. Reported By: David W. Evans.
Discourse by Elder Orson Pratt, delivered in the Sixteenth Ward Meeting Rooms, Nov. 22, 1873. Reported By: David W. Evans.
Discourse by Elder Orson Pratt, delivered in the Eighteenth Ward Meetinghouse, Salt Lake City, Sunday Afternoon, Feb. 25, 1877. Reported By: Geo. F. Gibbs.
Discourse by Elder Orson Pratt, delivered in the New Tabernacle, Salt Lake City, June 18, 1871. Reported By: David W. Evans.
Remarks by Elder Orson Pratt, Delivered at a Special Conference held in the Tabernacle, Great Salt Lake City, August 28, 1852. Reported By: G. D. Watt.
Discourse by Elder Orson Pratt, delivered in the 14th Ward Assembly Rooms, Salt Lake City, Sunday Evening, Jan. 19, 1873. Reported By: David W. Evans.
Delivered in the North Branch Meeting Room, of the London Conference, on Sunday Evening, March 9, 1879. Reported By: Joseph May, of Sheffield.
Discourse by Elder Orson Pratt, delivered in the Thirteenth Ward Meetinghouse, Salt Lake City, Sunday Afternoon, Nov. 2, 1873. Reported By: David W. Evans.
A series of missionary tracts. Defends the Book of Mormon on the grounds that new revelation is reasonable and necessary, it compares favorably with the Bible, it is confirmed by modern miracles, and it fulfills prophecies.
Discourse by Elder Orson Pratt, delivered in the Tabernacle, Great Salt Lake City, Sunday Afternoon, June 24, 1860. Reported By: J. V. Long.
Discourse by Elder Orson Pratt, delivered at the General Conference, Salt Lake City, Sunday Morning, Oct. 10, 1880. Reported By: Geo. F. Gibbs.
The gospel writers of the New Testament fix the time of day of the Savior’s crucifixion at noon and at three o’clock he was removed from the cross. The Book of Mormon records that the sign was given in the morning. The time difference is not contradictory, rather it offers proof that the Book of Mormon was not written by Joseph Smith, who could not have put such detail into the record. Three o’clock in the afternoon in Jerusalem would have been seven-thirty in the morning in America at one hundred twelve degrees west of Jerusalem.
The gospel writers of the New Testament fix the time of day of the Savior’s crucifixion at noon and at three o’clock he was removed from the cross. The Book of Mormon records that the sign was given in the morning. The time difference is not contradictory, rather it offers proof that the Book of Mormon was not written by Joseph Smith, who could not have put such detail into the record. Three o’clock in the afternoon in Jerusalem would have been seven-thirty in the morning in America at one hundred twelve degrees west of Jerusalem.
Discourse by Elder Orson Pratt and Elder Wilford Woodruff, delivered in the Tabernacle, Salt Lake City, Sunday Afternoon, Sept. 19, 1880. Reported By: John Irvine.
Discourse by Professor Orson Pratt. Reported By: G. D. Watt.
A report on a visit to the Isle of Man where Pratt and others gave lectures on the divine authenticity of the Book of Mormon. They quoted from Isaiah 29 and explained how these verses apply to the Book of Mormon.
Harrison argues that it is impossible that the Book of Mormon be even remotely related to the Manuscript Found by Solomon Spaulding. The Manuscript Found is a fictitious account of the lost ten tribes and the Book of Mormon is an account of one family of the tribe of Joseph.
A Sermon by Elder Orson Pratt, Delivered in the Tabernacle, Great Salt Lake City, August 28, 1859. Reported By: G. D. Watt.
Remarks by Elder Orson Pratt, delivered at the General Conference, in the New Tabernacle, Salt Lake City, Monday Morning, April 7, 1873. Reported By: David W. Evans.
A Discourse by Elder Orson Pratt, Delivered in the Tabernacle, Great Salt Lake City, January 2, 1859. Reported By: G. D. Watt.
Discourse by Elder Orson Pratt, delivered in the New Tabernacle, Salt Lake City, Sunday Afternoon, Sept. 28, 1873. Reported By: David W. Evans.
Discourse by Apostle Orson Pratt, delivered in the Tabernacle, Salt Lake City, October 26, 1879. Reported By: John Irvine.
Discourse by Elder Orson Pratt, delivered in the Bowery, Great Salt Lake City, Sunday, August 11, 1867. Reported By: David W. Evans.
A Discourse by Elder Orson Pratt, Delivered in the Tabernacle, Great Salt Lake City, April 13, 1856. Reported By: G. D. Watt.
Discourse by Elder Orson Pratt, delivered in the New Tabernacle, Salt Lake City, Sunday Afternoon, Aug. 30, 1875. Reported By: David W. Evans.
Discourse by Elder Orson Pratt, delivered in the Tabernacle, Salt Lake City, March 19, 1871. Reported By: David W. Evans.
By Elder Orson Pratt, Delivered in the Council House, Great Salt Lake City, June 30, 1855, over the Mortal Remains of the Honorable Leonidas Shaver, Associate Justice of the Supreme, and Judge of the First Judicial District Courts of the United States, in and for the Territory of Utah. Reported By: G. D. Watt.
Discourse by Elder Orson Pratt, delivered in the New Tabernacle, Salt Lake City, Sunday Morning, April 11, 1875. Reported By: David W. Evans.
Discourse by Elder Orson Pratt, delivered in the Tabernacle, Salt Lake City, Sunday Afternoon, June 20, 1880. Reported By: John Irvine.
Discourse by Elder Orson Pratt, delivered in the Tabernacle, Salt Lake City, December 10, 1871. Reported By: David W. Evans.
Delivered by Elder Orson Pratt, at the Tabernacle, Great Salt Lake City, July 25, 1852. Reported By: G. D. Watt.
Discourse by Elder Orson Pratt, delivered at the Fourteenth Ward Assembly Rooms, Salt Lake City, Sunday Afternoon,——, 1878. Reported By: Geo. F. Gibbs.
Discourse by Elder Orson Pratt, delivered at the Semi-Annual Conference of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints, in the New Tabernacle, Salt Lake City, Wednesday, October 7, 1874. Reported By: David W. Evans.
Discourse by Elder Orson Pratt, delivered in the Fourteenth Ward Assembly Rooms, Sunday Afternoon, November 15, 1874. Reported By: David W. Evans.
A pamphlet on a discussion held in the Salt Lake Tabernacle between Orson Pratt and Rev. Dr. J. P. Newman
Last Discourse of Apostle Orson Pratt, delivered in the Tabernacle, Salt Lake City, September 18, 1881. Reported By: John Irvine.
A few notes on the Hill Cumorah. It was the site of the final battles of both Nephite and Jaredite nations, and contains a repository of plates and records.
A few notes on the Hill Cumorah. It was the site of the final battles of both Nephite and Jaredite nations, and contains a repository of plates and records.
A Discourse by Elder Orson Pratt, Delivered in the open air, on the Temple Block, Great Salt Lake City, February 18, 1855. Reported By: G. D. Watt.
Discourse by Elder Orson Pratt, delivered in the New Tabernacle, Salt Lake City, on the Occasion of the Attendance of the New England and New York Editorial Excursion Party, Sunday Afternoon, July 11, 1875. Reported By: David W. Evans.
A Lecture by Elder Orson Pratt, delivered before the Young Men’s Literary Association, Ogden City, Tuesday Evening, January 27, 1874. Reported By: David W. Evans.
A Discourse by Elder Orson Pratt, Delivered in the Tabernacle, Great Salt Lake City, October 15, 1854. Reported By: G. D. Watt.
Discourse by Elder Orson Pratt, delivered in the New Tabernacle, Salt Lake City, Sunday Afternoon, June 14, 1874. Reported By: David W. Evans.
Discusses the history of the American continent from the time of the tower of Babel to the present (1840). Also deals with the rise of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and the coming forth of the Book of Mormon.
Discourse by Elder Orson Pratt, delivered in the Tabernacle, Salt Lake City, Sunday Afternoon, June 23, 1878. Reported By: Geo. F. Gibbs.
Discourse by Elder Orson Pratt, delivered in the Tabernacle, Salt Lake City, Sunday Morning, August 1, 1880. Reported By: John Irvine.
Discourse by Elder Orson Pratt, delivered in the New Tabernacle, Salt Lake City, Sunday Afternoon, September 20, 1874. Reported By: David W. Evans.
Discourse by Elder Orson Pratt, delivered in the New Tabernacle, Salt Lake City, Nov. 1, 1868. Reported By: David W. Evans.
Discourse by Elder Orson Pratt, delivered in the Twelfth Ward Meetinghouse, on Sunday Afternoon, Dec. 9, 1877. Reported By: Geo. F. Gibbs.
Discourse by Elder Orson Pratt, delivered at the Forty-Fourth Annual Conference of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints, in the New Tabernacle, Salt Lake City, Monday Morning, April 6, 1874. Reported By: David W. Evans.
A Discourse by Elder Orson Pratt, Delivered in the Bowery, Great Salt Lake City, July 8, 1855. Reported By: G. D. Watt.
A Discourse by Elder Orson Pratt, Delivered in the Tabernacle, Great Salt Lake City, October 22, 1854. Reported By: G. D. Watt.
Discourse by Elder Orson Pratt, delivered in the 13th Ward Assembly Rooms, Salt Lake City, Sunday Afternoon, January 26, 1873. Reported By: David W. Evans.
Discourse by Elder Orson Pratt, delivered in The Tabernacle, Salt Lake City, April 10, 1870. Reported By: David W. Evans.
Discourse by Elder Orson Pratt, delivered in the New Tabernacle, Salt Lake City, April 7, 1872. Reported By: David W. Evans.
Discourse by Elder Orson Pratt, delivered in the New Tabernacle, Salt Lake City, May 5, 1870. Reported By: David W. Evans.
Discourse by Elder Orson Pratt, sen., delivered in the New Tabernacle, Salt Lake City, June 14, 1868. Reported By: David W. Evans.
Discourse by Elder Orson Pratt, delivered in the Sixteenth Ward Assembly Rooms, Salt Lake City, Sunday Afternoon, March 14, 1875. Reported By: David W. Evans.
Discourse by Elder Orson Pratt, delivered in the Tabernacle, Salt Lake City, Sunday Afternoon, August 8, 1880. Reported By: John Irvine.
Discourse by Elder Orson Pratt, delivered in the Tabernacle, Ogden, Saturday Morning, August 16, 1873. Reported By: James Taylor.
Discourse by Elder Orson Pratt, delivered in the New Tabernacle, Salt Lake City, Sunday Afternoon, August 31, 1873. Reported By: David W. Evans.
Discourse by Elder Orson Pratt, delivered in the Tabernacle, Salt Lake City, Sunday Afternoon, June 16, 1878. Reported By: Geo. F. Gibbs.
Contains many of the important works of Orson Pratt. Subjects include elephants of the Jaredite nation, darkness upon the American continent following the crucifixion, the Hill Cumorah, the Book of Mormon is consistent with the Bible, the witnesses to the Book of Mormon, and the Jaredite origins and records.
Omer, a descendant of Jared, departed the Jaredite lands to a place by the seashore. His community’s domesticated animals consisted of elephants and other unidentified animals that had perished by the time the Nephites arrived. Pratt muses about the disappearance of these animals and the remnants of curious animals found in New York.
Discourse by Elder Orson Pratt, delivered in the Tabernacle, Ogden, Sunday Morning, May 18, 1873. Reported By: James Taylor.
Discourse by Elder Orson Pratt, delivered in the New Tabernacle, Salt Lake City, Sunday Afternoon, May 13, 1877. Reported By: Geo. F. Gibbs.
Discourse by Elder Orson Pratt, delivered in the Tabernacle, Salt Lake City, Feb. 24, 1869. Reported By: David W. Evans.
Discourse by Elder Orson Pratt, delivered in the New Tabernacle, Salt Lake City, Sunday Morning, July, 13, 1873. Reported By: David W. Evans.
Discourse by Elder Orson Pratt, delivered in the Tabernacle, Salt Lake City, Sunday Afternoon, February 11, 1872. Reported By: David W. Evans.
Discourse by Elder Orson Pratt, delivered in the Tabernacle, Salt Lake City, September 7, 1879. Reported By: John Irvine.
remarks by Elder Orson Pratt, delivered at the Forty-Sixth Semi-Annual Conference of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints, in the New Tabernacle, Salt Lake City, Saturday Morning, Oct. 9, 1875. Reported By: David W. Evans.
Discourse by Elder Orson Pratt, delivered in the New Tabernacle, Salt Lake City, Oct. 6, 1868. Reported By: David W. Evans.
Discourse by Elder Orson Pratt, delivered in the New Tabernacle, Salt Lake City, April 9, 1871. Reported By: David W. Evans, Transcribed by Masters Feramorz Young and John Q. Cannon.
Harrison argues that it is impossible that the Book of Mormon be even remotely related to the Manuscript Found by Solomon Spaulding. The Manuscript Found is a fictitious account of the lost ten tribes and the Book of Mormon is an account of one family of the tribe of Joseph.
The labors of the late respected and beloved Orson Pratt, some of whose writings we herewith present to the public, are too well known to require any extended comments from us. His voice has been heard in various parts of the earth bearing a faithful testimony to the truth of the gospel, and in many places where he never was seen, his precious writings have been perused with pleasure and profit by the honest in heart. Thus has his name become familiar and honored among the people of God. The first edition of his “Works,” published in England, have, of late years, been very scarce, and this is one reason why we have been led to republish them. We trust that this book will find a place in every home and be studied by both old and young, so that all may see the beauty of the truths therein explained. That the Spirit of God may enlighten the minds of those into whose hands this work may come so that they may comprehend and heed its teachings, and that Brother Pratt, though dead, may yet live in the hearts of the people, are the sincere desires of The Publishers.
Discourse by Elder Orson Pratt, delivered in the Fourteenth Ward Assembly Rooms, on Sunday Afternoon, Dec. 2, 1877. Reported By: Geo. F. Gibbs.
Discourse by Elder Orson Pratt, delivered at the Annual Conference, Salt Lake City, Sunday Morning, April 7, 1878. Reported By: Geo. F. Gibbs.
A Discourse by Elder Orson Pratt, Delivered in the Tabernacle, Great Salt Lake City, October 7, 1854. Reported By: G. D. Watt.
A Sermon by Elder Orson Pratt, Delivered in the Tabernacle, Great Salt Lake City, July 10, 1859. Reported By: G. D. Watt.
A Sermon by Elder Orson Pratt, Sen., Delivered in the Tabernacle, Great Salt Lake City, July 24, 1859. Reported By: G. D. Watt.
Discourse by Elder Orson Pratt, delivered in the Tabernacle, Salt Lake City, Sunday Afternoon, June 13, 1880. Reported By: John Irvine.
By Elder Orson Pratt, delivered on the Occasion of Dedicating the Temple Site at Logan, Cache County, Utah, on Friday, at 12 M. O’Clock, May 18, 1877. Reported By: Geo. F. Gibbs.
Discourse by Elder Orson Pratt, delivered in the 14th Ward Assembly Rooms, Sunday Afternoon, Dec. 15, 1872. Reported By: David W. Evans.
Discourse by Elder Orson Pratt, delivered at Mount Pleasant, November 12, 1879. Reported By: Geo. F. Gibbs.
Discourse by Elder Orson Pratt, delivered at the Tabernacle, Salt Lake City, Sunday Afternoon, September 6, 1880. Reported By: John Irvine.
In 1827 an angel of the Lord appeared in fulfillment of the revelations provided in Daniel and Revelation. The Book of Mormon contains the fullness of Christ’s gospel, and the kingdom that was established upon the principles taught in the Book of Mormon has begun to roll forth from the tops of the mountains to establish the Lord’s Zion. It is through this book that the guests are being called to the Lord’s marriage feast.
Exhortation by Elder Orson Pratt, Delivered in the Tabernacle, Great Salt Lake City, September 18, 1859. Reported By: G. D. Watt.
Discourse by Elder Orson Pratt, delivered in the Tabernacle, Logan City, Saturday Afternoon, November 1, 1879. Reported By: Geo. F. Gibbs.
Discourse by Elder Orson Pratt, delivered at the General Conference, Held in the Tabernacle, Salt Lake City, October 6, 1879. Reported By: Geo. F. Gibbs.
An Address by Elder Orson Pratt, Delivered in the New Bowery, Great Salt Lake City, April 7, 1855. Reported By: G. D. Watt.
Discourse by Elder Orson Pratt, delivered in the New Tabernacle, Salt Lake City, Sunday Afternoon, Aug. 26, 1876. Reported By: Geo. F. Gibbs.
Discourse by Elder Orson Pratt, delivered in the Twentieth Ward Meetinghouse, Salt Lake City, Sunday Afternoon, Dec. 3, 1876. Reported By: Geo. F. Gibbs.
Answers questions concerning the Book of Mormon. The Book of Mormon agrees with the Bible because they are both of divine origin and God does not disagree with himself. The Bible has been robbed of plain and simple truths. All are required to repent and accept the message of the Book of Mormon.
An excerpt from the pamphlet “Divine Authenticity of the Book of Mormon” that claims that the stick of Judah refers to the Bible and the stick of Ephraim refers to the Book of Mormon.
Discourse by Elder Orson Pratt, delivered in the New Tabernacle, Salt Lake City, Sunday, August 20, 1871. Reported By: David W. Evans.
Discourse by Elder Orson Pratt, delivered in the Twentieth Ward Meetinghouse, on the Evening of Sunday, February 7, 1875. Reported By: David W. Evans.
See also Orson Pratt’s Writings of an Apostle, edited by Jerry Burnett and Charles Pope, Tract #6. Salt Lake City: Mormon Heritage, 1976. A narrative of the visions of Joseph Smith, the discovery of gold plates, their translation by the use of the Urim and Thummim, and the Book of Mormon story. Contains also the testimony of the Eleven Witnesses.
Response to a polemical pamphlet against several aspects of Mormonism. Defends Joseph Smith’s use of the Urim and Thummim, discusses the meaning of “other sheep” and “fold,” and of the Book of Mormon as a covenant.
Discourse by Elder Orson Pratt, delivered in the Fifteenth Ward Meetinghouse, Salt Lake City, Sunday Afternoon, March 26, 1876. Reported By: David W. Evans.
Discourse by Elder Orson Pratt, delivered in the Tabernacle, Salt Lake City, November 27, 1870. Reported By: David W. Evans.
Discourse by Elder Orson Pratt, delivered in the Tabernacle, Salt Lake City, March 26, 1871. Reported By: David W. Evans.
Discourse by Elder Orson Pratt, delivered in the New Tabernacle, Salt Lake City, Sunday Afternoon, July 25, 1875. Reported By: David W. Evans.
Discourse by Elder Orson Pratt, delivered in the Tabernacle, Salt Lake City, Sunday Afternoon, August 4, 1872. Reported By: David W. Evans.
Discourse by Elder Orson Pratt, delivered at a Special Conference, at Logan, on Sunday Morning, May 20th, 1877. Reported By: Geo. F. Gibbs.
Discourse by Elder Orson Pratt, delivered in the First Ward Schoolhouse, Sunday Afternoon, Dec. 28, 1873. Reported By: David W. Evans.
Discourse by Elder Orson Pratt, delivered in the Tabernacle, Salt Lake City, December 19, 1869. Reported By: David W. Evans.
Discourse by Elder Orson Pratt, delivered in the New Tabernacle, Salt Lake City, Sunday Afternoon, Sept. 22, 1872. Reported By: David W. Evans.
Discourse by Elder Orson Pratt, delivered in the New Tabernacle, Salt Lake City, Sunday Afternoon, June 15, 1873. Reported By: David W. Evans.
Refers to the discovery of “sacred stones” upon which are inscribed Hebrew characters, one of which reads “may the Lord have mercy upon me a Nephite” Scholars wonder where these people who spoke Hebrew came from, and the Book of Mormon provides the answers. The Nephites landed in Chile near the city of Valparaiso. Later Hagoth and others sailed to North America (Alma 63:4-12 and Helaman 3:3-16). The Nephites knew Hebrew and Egyptian and wrote in reformed Egyptian.
Book of Mormon Scriptures > Helaman
Remarks by Elder Orson Pratt, made in the Bowery, at Provo, July 15, 1855. Reported By: J. V. Long.
A Discourse by Elder Orson Pratt, Delivered in the Tabernacle, Great Salt Lake City, February 10, 1856. Reported By: G. D. Watt.
Discourse by Elder Orson Pratt, delivered in the New Tabernacle, Salt Lake City, Sunday Afternoon, Nov. 12, 1876. Reported By: Geo. F. Gibbs.
A translation of “Evidences of Bible and Book of Mormon” English in Journal of Discourses
The English translation of this work is found under Orson Pratt, “Evidences of Bible and Book of Mormon” English in Journal of Discourses
Discourse by Elder Orson Pratt, delivered at the New Tabernacle, Salt Lake City, Friday, October 5, 1877. Reported By: Geo. F. Gibbs.
Discourse by Elder Orson Pratt, delivered in the Tabernacle, Salt Lake City, December 18, 1870. Reported By: David W. Evans.
Discourse by Elder Orson Pratt, delivered in the Fourteenth Ward Assembly Rooms, Salt Lake City, Sunday Afternoon, February 28, 1875. Reported By: David W. Evans.
Discourse by Elder Orson Pratt, delivered in the Tabernacle, Salt Lake City, Sunday Afternoon, February 4, 1872. Reported By: David W. Evans.
Discourse by Elder Orson Pratt, delivered in the 13th Ward Assembly Rooms, Nov. 24, 1872. Reported By: David W. Evans.
Discourse by Elder Orson Pratt, delivered in the Fourteenth Ward Assembly Rooms, Salt Lake City, Sunday Afternoon, Jan. 25, 1874. Reported By: David W. Evans.
Discourse by Elder Orson Pratt, delivered in the New Tabernacle, Salt Lake City, Oct. 7, 1867. Reported By: David W. Evans.
Discourse by Elder Orson Pratt, delivered in the New Tabernacle, Salt Lake City, at the Semi-Annual Conference, Oct. 7, 1873. Reported By: David W. Evans.
A Discourse by Elder Orson Pratt, Delivered in the Tabernacle, Great Salt Lake City, Sunday Afternoon, January 24, 1858. Reported By: J. V. Long.
A Discourse by Elder Orson Pratt, delivered in the Tabernacle, Great Salt Lake City, April 8, 1860. Reported By: J. V. Long.
A Discourse by Elder Orson Pratt, Delivered in the Tabernacle, Great Salt Lake City, on Sunday morning, August 14, 1859. Reported By: G. D. Watt.
A Discourse by Elder Orson Pratt, Delivered in the Tabernacle, Great Salt Lake City, May 20, 1855. Reported By: G. D. Watt.
Discourse by Elder Orson Pratt, delivered in the 13th Ward Assembly Rooms, Salt Lake City, Sunday Afternoon, Dec. 29, 1872. Reported By: David W. Evans.
Discourse by Elder Orson Pratt, delivered in the Bowery, Great Salt Lake City, September 16, 1860. Reported By: J. V. Long.
The two Bibles of the world are the Eastern Bible (Holy Bible) and the Western Bible (Book of Mormon). The Western Bible is the most correct book, but the Eastern Bible has been worked on by uninspired men and contains many errors. The discovery of stones inscribed with Hebrew found in ancient mounds in Ohio indicate that the ancient Indians of America had an alphabet and a written language.
Remarks by Elder Orson Pratt, Delivered in the Tabernacle, Great Salt Lake City, January 29, 1860. Reported By: Unknown.
Discourse by Elder Orson Pratt, delivered in the Tabernacle, Salt Lake City, Sunday Afternoon, July 18, 1880. Reported By: John Irvine.
Pratt states that the Book of Mormon was revealed through Joseph Smith, that it contains the everlasting gospel and the writings of the tribe of Joseph. Explains Ezekiel 37:18-21 and Isaiah 29. Book of Mormon explains that America is the land of promise of Joseph. Thousands and tens of thousands of witnesses have accepted the Book of Mormon and witness concerning its truthfulness.
Discourse by Elder Orson Pratt, delivered in the New Tabernacle, Salt Lake City, Sunday Afternoon, Aug. 20, 1876. Reported By: Geo. F. Gibbs.
For twelve years a Jew living in Mexico City gathered evidence to attempt to prove the original inhabitants of America were of Jewish descent. The material that he collected provides a great deal of evidence that the people observed the Mosaic Law, believed in one supreme God, and believed in figures like Adam, Eve, and Noah.
Discourse by Elder Orson Pratt, delivered in the Tabernacle, Salt Lake City, Sunday Afternoon, March 10, 1872. Reported By: David W. Evans.
Book of Moses Topics > Chapters of the Book of Moses > Moses 6:13–7 — Enoch
The Book of Mormon is superior to the Bible since the Book of Mormon is more simple and definite in its prophecies and doctrines. Nevertheless the Bible should be used as a companion record to the Book of Mormon despite its flaws and loss of plain truths.
In this testimony, Pratt rejoices in the Book of Mormon and says that if the world accepted its gospel all evil would cease.
An Oration by Elder P. P. Pratt, Delivered at Great Salt Lake City, 1853, on the Anniversary of the 4th of July, 1776. Reported By: G. D. Watt.
Various verses from Isaiah 29 are applied to the Book of Mormon. Refers to the work as a “record of the house of Joseph”
An Address by Parley P. Pratt, Delivered at the Fourteenth Ward Schoolhouse on Monday, December 26, 1853. Reported By: Unknown.
A Discourse by Elder Parley P. Pratt, Delivered in the Bowery, Great Salt Lake City, August 26, 1855. Reported By: G. D. Watt.
Discourse by Elder Parley P. Pratt, delivered in the Bowery, Great Salt Lake City, Sunday Morning, August 26, 1855. Reported By: J. V. Long.
A Discourse by Elder P. P. Pratt, Delivered at the General Conference, in the Tabernacle, Great Salt Lake City, April 10, 1853. Reported By: G. D. Watt.
Two articles on archaeological discoveries from Athenaeum and the Manchester Guardian. Asks if it is any more astonishing that plates hidden by Moroni should be preserved than that relics in America and England should survive to be discovered centuries after they were used.
The western hemisphere rose, progressed, declined, and fell as is recorded by the Book of Mormon. In the latter days Joseph Smith restored the keys to the science of theology through the Book of Mormon and divine revelation.
This article is a missionary proclamation including an account of the origin of the Book of Mormon and its purpose. It quotes from 1 Nephi, concerning the “great and abominable Church.”
A missionary proclamation including an account of the origin of the Book of Mormon and its purpose. Quotes from 1 Nephi, concerning the “great and abominable Church”
A Discourse by Elder P. P. Pratt, Delivered in the Bowery, Great Salt Lake City, October 7, 1855. Reported By: G. D. Watt.
An Address by Elder Parley P. Pratt, Delivered in the Bowery, Great Salt Lake City, September 23, 1855. Reported By: G. D. Watt.
A Discourse by Parley P. Pratt, Delivered in the Tabernacle, Great Salt Lake City, July 10, 1853. Reported By: G. D. Watt.
A response to an article by Matilda Davidson. The LDS scripture is not called the “Mormon Bible” (as if to replace the well-known Bible), it is called the “Book of Mormon” The Book of Mormon corroborates the Bible. Pratt refutes Sidney Rigdon’s connection with the Spaulding manuscript.
An Address by Elder P. P. Pratt, Delivered in the Tabernacle, Great Salt Lake City, March 27th, 1853. Reported By: G. D. Watt.
Rebuttal to Rev. Bush’s publication “Plain Facts, Showing the Falsehood and Folly of The Mormonites or Latter-day Saints” Pratt confirms the Church’s belief in the Bible as the word of God, but stresses that God is a God of continuous revelation. He denies that Emma Smith had signed a document stating that the Book of Mormon was false. The doctrines in the Book of Mormon are pure and holy. Whatever the medium upon which the scriptures are written or by what man of God they are recorded, their principles are the same.
The Book of Mormon prophesies that the Lamanites will be no longer persecuted but nourished by the gentiles beginning in 1830 when the Book of Mormon was published. In fulfillment of that, the United States government has apportioned an area of gathering for all the Indians; the tribes were paid money and given provisions at the expense of the United States.
An apostolic manifesto enunciating basic principles of the Restoration. Addresses the “red man” identifying the Book of Mormon as a record of their people. Admonishes them to respond to the gospel and promises that they will thereby feel joy. Refers to the Book of Mormon as “that book of books, that Ensign to the nations”
See also Millennial Star
A Discourse by Elder Parley P. Pratt, Delivered in the Tabernacle, Great Salt Lake City, April 7, 1856. Reported By: G. D. Watt.
A Discourse by Elder Parley P. Pratt, Delivered in the Bowery, Great Salt Lake City, Sunday, September 7, 1856. Reported By: G. D. Watt, J. V. Long.
Response to an article in the Edinburgh Intelligencer (7 April 1841), which accused the Book of Mormon of being “a pretended revelation” Pratt calls the Book of Mormon “a marvelous work and a wonder” Defends against the accusation that the Book of Mormon is a forgery of Spaulding’s manuscript.
A book review of Stephen’s Incidents of Travel that includes comments concerning archaeology and the Book of Mormon.
An Oration by Elder Parley P. Pratt, Delivered on the Northeast Corner Stone of the Temple at Great Salt Lake City, after the Twelve Apostles, the First Presidency of the Seventies, and the Presidency of the Elders’ Quorum had laid the Stone, April 6, 1853. Reported By: G. D. Watt.
A sermon delivered by Elder P. P. Pratt, before the conference at Great Salt Lake City, April 7, 1853. Reported By: G. D. Watt.
A Discourse by Elder Parley P. Pratt, Delivered in the Tabernacle, Great Salt Lake City, January 30, 1853. Reported By: G. D. Watt.
A Discourse by Elder Parley P. Pratt, Delivered in the Bowery, Great Salt Lake City, June 29, 1856. Reported By: J. V. Long.
Discusses fulfillment of prophecy and the Restoration, outlines the Book of Mormon’s contents and the historical circumstances of Joseph Smith’s translation. The Book of Mormon describes the origin of the American Indians.
Replies to several objections to the Book of Mormon listed by a minister, including that God commanded Nephi to kill Laban, that 3,000 Lamanites were killed in a battle and only seventy Nephites, that in John 17:4 Jesus says he had finished all that he was sent to do but the Book of Mormon attributed to him further duties. Pratt chides the minister for rejecting the Bible while trying to discredit the Book of Mormon.
Shows how the history of Mexico, beginning with the slaughters of Cortez, demonstrates the fulfillment of Book of Mormon prophecy that the Lamanites would “be scattered and smitten”
Many external evidences of the truthfulness of the Book of Mormon are presented—the horse, cement, paved streets, pyramids. The pamphlet seems to accompany a slide presentation presented by Rey L. Pratt. There are 47 items of archaeological evidence described.
Pratt, who has been called to conduct missionary work in “the southland,” quotes 2 Nephi 1:1-11, 1 Nephi 13, 2 Nephi 30, and 3 Nephi 21 that speak of the fall, final gathering, and redemption of the Lamanites.
Book of Mormon Scriptures > 2 Nephi
Book of Mormon Scriptures > 3 Nephi
This series ttraces the origin, Book of Mormon prophecies regarding, subsequent conditions of, and ultimate destiny of the Lamanites. The third through eighth parts cover post-Columbian history.
This series traces the origin, Book of Mormon prophecies regarding, subsequent conditions of, and ultimate destiny of the Lamanites. The ninth through twelfth parts cover the current disposition of the Lamanites.
This series traces the origin, Book of Mormon prophecies regarding, subsequent conditions of, and ultimate destiny of the Lamanites. The first and second parts cover the origin of the Lamanites.
This series traces the origin, Book of Mormon prophecies regarding, subsequent conditions of, and ultimate destiny of the Lamanites. The thirteenth through fifteenth parts cover the mission to the Lamanites.
This series traces the origin, Book of Mormon prophecies regarding, subsequent conditions of, and ultimate destiny of the Lamanites. The sixteenth through seventeenth parts conclude the series.
Perhaps instead the Lord expects that we acknowledge that we are weak, that we have much to learn through the experiences we have, and that we make mistakes, and then prove to Him that we will repent and put our whole heart into doing better.
Review of Exploring the Lands of the Book of Mormon (1989), by Joseph L. Allen.
The author narrates 1 Nephi 1-10, pointing out the instances where pride or humility played an important part in the narrative.
RSC Topics > L — P > Missionary Work
This thesis consists of drawings illustrating men and events in the Book of Mormon, with an attempt to capture emotional and spiritual expressions. Illustrations include Nephi, Enos, Omni, Mormon and Moroni. The author/artist explains in detail the techniques he used in the drawings.
Book of Mormon Scriptures > Omni
RSC Topics > D — F > Family History
RSC Topics > Q — S > Service
RSC Topics > T — Z > Women
This book won the Smith-Pettit Best Book Award from the John Whitmer Historical Association. This book gives a panoramic view of the rise and progress of the Church in Canada. It has all the elements of a great saga, including that of early faithful missionaries preaching in eastern Canada without “purse or scrip” in the 1830s and 1840s, and the exodus of early Canadian converts who joined with the main body of the Church in Ohio, Missouri, and Illinois, and then trekked across the Great Plains to Utah in the Rocky Mountains. It tells of Mormon pioneers from Utah arriving in southern Alberta after 1887, having made a second grand trek to escape their persecutors, this time north rather than west, and details the settlement of Mormons in Alberta. It is the story of an ongoing missionary effort from late nineteenth century, throughout the twentieth, and into the twenty-first with a vast number of missionaries and the sustained effort of thousands of lay leaders and members laboring relentlessly to build up a Church that now consists of nearly 200,000 members. ISBN 978-1-9443-9423-3
RSC Topics > L — P > Missionary Work
RSC Topics > G — K > Justice
This book won the Smith-Pettit Best Book Award from the John Whitmer Historical Association. This book gives a panoramic view of the rise and progress of the Church in Canada. It has all the elements of a great saga, including that of early faithful missionaries preaching in eastern Canada without “purse or scrip” in the 1830s and 1840s, and the exodus of early Canadian converts who joined with the main body of the Church in Ohio, Missouri, and Illinois, and then trekked across the Great Plains to Utah in the Rocky Mountains. It tells of Mormon pioneers from Utah arriving in southern Alberta after 1887, having made a second grand trek to escape their persecutors, this time north rather than west, and details the settlement of Mormons in Alberta. It is the story of an ongoing missionary effort from late nineteenth century, throughout the twentieth, and into the twenty-first with a vast number of missionaries and the sustained effort of thousands of lay leaders and members laboring relentlessly to build up a Church that now consists of nearly 200,000 members. ISBN 978-1-9443-9423-3
RSC Topics > L — P > Light of Christ
RSC Topics > Q — S > Revelation
RSC Topics > G — K > Justice
Trained to accept only material evidence, professional historians since the late nineteenth century have avoided writing “providential history”—history that acknowledges the hand of God in shaping human events. Even believing historians, lacking prophetic insight and revelation, have been at a loss to determine God’s role in the historical process. In Latter-day Saint tradition, the Book of Mormon, and especially the sweeping visions of prophet-historian Nephi, is seen as a welcome corrective. In defining God’s plan for the salvation of humankind, identifying specific instances of divine providence (e.g., the discovery and colonization of the American promised land), and outlining the principles governing such intervention (e.g., the higher purposes behind God’s ongoing covenant relationship with the house of Israel), Nephi’s writings greatly inform the modern LDS understanding of providential history.
RSC Topics > A — C > Covenant
RSC Topics > D — F > Devil
RSC Topics > D — F > Faith
RSC Topics > G — K > Heaven
RSC Topics > L — P > Light of Christ
RSC Topics > L — P > Ordinances
RSC Topics > Q — S > Salvation
RSC Topics > T — Z > War
Historians rarely discuss God’s hand in history. This collection offers the vantage of faith in viewing the events of the modern world. The book features Elder Alexander B. Morrison’s keynote address on God’s role in history, along with timely articles that delve into the role of divine providence in world events. Topics include the voyage of Columbus to the Americas, the birth of freedom in the Western world, scientific and technical advances, and the rise of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. ISBN 0-8425-2610-2
A response to Rev. D. Collin’s tract “The Foundation of Mormonism Removed” Prettyman responds on a point by point basis.
The Book of Mormon reflects common theories of the Hebrew origin of the Indian that were well known in the early nineteenth century. Many claims of the Book of Mormon are unsupported by evidence. Anachronisms are found in the Book of Mormon—the pre-Columbian presence of wheat, barley, domesticated animals, horses, and the use of the plow. View of the Hebrews may have been the source of the Book of Mormon.
Old Testament Topics > Teaching the Old Testament
DID JOSEPH SMITH WRITE the Book of Mormon? To this over-familiar question the orthodox Latter-day Saint answer is a resounding “No” because the official belief is that a series of men with quasi-biblical names wrote the book over many centuries.
“The trembling hands of young Joseph Smith uncovered the buried golden plates of Mormon and Moroni, lost chapters of an undreamed-of history of Israelite tribes and the Christian Savior in the New World. As the depraved Lamanite had purused the Nephite Mormon and his son to death, so did young Smith feel besieged by the competing claims of rival evangelists and revivalists in his ’Burned-Over District.’ It was no surprise that the analogous tale told in the plates struck a note deep within him. And as the Nephites had long survived as a parallel branch of biblical Israel in the western hemisphere, so would the Church of the Latter-day Saints make its lonely but triumphant way through the generations as a parallel version of the Christian religion shared, at arm’s length, by most other Americans.”
Old Testament Topics > Biblical Criticism
A geographical investigation of Book of Mormon lands. Author believes that the Book of Mormon civilization inhabited western South America spanning the countries of Columbia, Equador, Peru, and Chile. Thirty-three maps and several illustrations are included. This work is reviewed in S.516.
Tells of ancient American Indian ruins that show remnants of several large cities. This, as well as other American antiquities, helps support the Book of Mormon. Joseph Smith did not get his idea “to write” the Book of Mormon from this evidence because it did not come out until after the Book of Mormon was published.
Millennial Star editor quotes writings by Josiah Priest and others concerning mounds found in the U.S., and then quotes excerpts from the book of Alma dealing with Moroni and his fortifications.
Contains information about “traces of an Egyptian custom in Kentucky,” “traits of the Mosaic history found” among the Indians of Mexico, and the “great stone calendar of the Mexicans”
A rebuttal to an article by Theodore Shroeder. The author defends his conclusion that Joseph Smith wrote the Book of Mormon.
Favors the theory that Joseph Smith was the sole author of the Book of Mormon. Claims that the book is based upon dreams experienced by the author’s father and his mother’s reminiscences. The highly imaginative young Joseph reveals himself in the book. He was affected by the anti-Masonic excitement of Western New York and the “secret combination” charges that came out of that era. Even the name “Mormon” was derived from the name Morgan, a prominent figure in the controversy.
Old Testament Topics > Book of Mormon and the Old Testament
Some authors have claimed that Lehi’s teachings on the fall of Adam are so similar to teachings prevalent in nineteenth-century America that they must be the source for 2 Nephi 2. However, this paper demonstrates that the bulk of well-recognized scholarly authority attributes teachings very similar to those in 2 Nephi 2 to preexilic and exilic biblical writers such as Hosea and Ezekiel. Thus, Lehi’s teachings are more consistent with a preexilic/exilic Israelite context than with a nineteenth-century American context.
The Book of Mormon can defend itself. It is not a product of the Spaulding manuscript.
RSC Topics > T — Z > World Religions
Abstract: Walking for 500 miles in a foreign country through heat, arduous terrain, and many inconveniences is difficult enough. Add to the equation a man in a wheelchair, and the task appears impossible. The solution? Determination, humility, humor, faith, love, and someone, or many, who give you a push. I’ll Push You is a true story and parable for life that will give readers hope and encouragement.
Review of Patrick Gray & Justin Skeesuck, I’ll Push You: A Journey of 500 Miles, Two Best Friends, and One Wheelchair (Carol Stream, IL: Tyndale House Publishers, 2017). 296 pp. $24.99 (hardback); $15.99 (paperback).
The 2014 BYU Church History Symposium This volume is a compilation of scholarly papers prepared by presenters at the BYU Church History Symposium entitled The Worldwide Church: The Global Reach of Mormonism. President Dieter F. Uchtdorf, second counselor in the First Presidency, was the first keynote speaker. He emphasized the importance of learning our history. Quoting Michael Crichton he stated, “If you don’t know history, then you don’t know anything. You are a leaf that doesn’t know it is part of a tree.” The second keynote speaker, Terryl Givens, highlighted the universal nature of the gospel of Jesus Christ. Seventeen other papers by notable historians, scholars, educators, and leaders are included in this volume. ISBN 978-0-8425-2973-0
Many theories exist concerning New World origins. Transpacific currents in conjunction with archaeological excavations may solve the puzzle. Excavations in the area of Ecuador show that cultural traits were borrowed from the Old World.
Letters responding to C. L. Sainsbury’s letter (July/August issue) seeking inclusion of Nephite history on an international timeline. Contributors contend that no archaeological evidence exists for the Book of Mormon, point out the book’s similarity to the Bible, and enclose the Smithsonian Institution’s statement concerning the Book of Mormon.
A future missionary decided the best way to learn German was to read the Book of Mormon in German. This experience helped strengthen his testimony of the book.
Beginning with Paul’s reference to baptism for the dead and the early Christian practice thereof, many theologians—from Augustine and Cyril of Alexandria to Thomas Aquinas, Joseph Smith, and some of his contemporaries—have discussed the fate of the unevangelized dead. These authors have provided many ideas to solve this soteriological problem of evil; however, until the restoration, none could balance the three truths that God is all loving, one must accept Jesus Christ to be saved, and many have died without knowing about Christ. This article chronicles the thoughts of these and other theologians as well as the development, through revelation, of Joseph Smith’s own thinking on postmortem evangelization and baptism for the dead.
After Joseph Smith’s death, the Saints still had many questions regarding the soteriological problem of evil and the doctrines about redeeming the dead. This paper details what leaders of the church after Joseph Smith have said in response to these previously unanswered questions. They focus on the nature of Christ’s visit to the spirit world, those who were commissioned to preach the gospel to the departed spirits, the consequences of neglecting the gospel in mortality, and the extent and role of temple ordinances for those not eligible for celestial glory. This paper focuses on both the early and the late teachings of President Joseph F. Smith. It explains the doctrinal and historical contexts for his vision in 1918 and the further insights provided by this vision.
Because he was willing to ask God directly, the Prophet Joseph—and each of us through him—learned eternal truths about the nature of God and the current status of God’s kingdom on earth.
In November 2014 Latter-day Saint children around the world participated in a ritual that would probably seem odd to outsiders-they buried some swords. These weren’t actual weapons, of course, only sketches of swords upon which the children were instructed to “write a wrong choice… such as ’fighting with my brother’ or ’telling a lie.’” They then “buried” these swords by “crumpling their papers or throwing them away.” Similarly, in February 2010 a small group of teenagers stood with their own paper swords around a freshly dug hole on their church’s property. “I had my class write down a behavior of theirs, if they had one, which might be considered an act of ’rebellion to God,’” recalled their teacher. “Their challenge was to pick one thing they were serious about stopping. I asked them to pick something they felt they could put aside… forever.”
Jenny Hale Pulsipher shares her joy in discovering early American stories, showing how history can come alive and be an adventure no less thrilling than that of Indiana Jones.
Considers the physical properties of the golden plates of Nephi, the engraving of metal plates, and the stone box that stored the plates. Suggests that the plates may have been made of tumbaga, an alloy of gold and copper.
This article considers the physical properties of the golden plates of Nephi, the engraving of metal plates, and the stone box that stored the plates. The author suggests that the plates may have been made of tumbaga, an alloy of gold and copper.
Considers the physical properties of the golden plates of Nephi, the engraving of metal plates, and the stone box that stored the plates. Suggests that the plates may have been made of tumbaga, an alloy of gold and copper.
This volume celebrates the bicentennial of Joseph Smith’s 1820 First Vision of the Father and the Son, a founding event in the restoration of the Church of Jesus Christ. Contributors examine the various accounts of the vision, the religious excitement prevalent in the region, the question that prompted Joseph to enter the grove, the powers of darkness that assailed him, and the natural environment and ultimate preservation of the Sacred Grove. This volume brings together some of the finest presentations from a 2020 BYU Church History Symposium honoring the bicentennial of the First Vision. ISBN 978-1-9503-0408-0
Review of Questions to Ask Your Mormon Friend: Challenging the Claims of Latter-day Saints in a Constructive Manner (1994), by Bill McKeever and Eric Johnson