(1989 — 2011)
See the icons used for the links to the available media types for an article
A PDF document
An HTML document
A YouTube video
An MP3 audio download
An image of a document
An ePub document
A Kindle (mobi) document
Metadata about a document, possibly with downloads
Book of Mormon Central KnoWhy/Blog 
FAIR Blog/Article
Interpreter Journal/Blog
Buy at Amazon
Buy at Barnes & Noble
Buy at Deseret Book
Buy at Eborn Books
Buy at FAIR BookstoreSearch the FARMS Bibliography
Advanced Search of the FARMS Bibliography
This form allows you to perform an advanced search. You only need to fill in one field below. This can be any field. If you select "not" as your match criteria, you must select at least one other field.
Full Issues
Review of Books on the Book of Mormon Vol. 1 (1989)
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.
Review of A Witness and a Warning: A Modern-Day Prophet Testifies of the Book of Mormon (1988), by Ezra Taft Benson.
Review of Finding Christ through the Book of Mormon (1987), by Susan Easton Black.
Review of The God-Inspired Language of the Book of Mormon: Structuring and Commentary (1988), by Wade Brown.
Review of the God-Inspired Language of the Book of Mormon: Structuring and Commentary (1988), by Wade Brown.
Review of The Book of Mormon: The Keystone Scripture (1988), edited by Paul R. Cheesman and assisted by S. Kent Brown and Charles D. Tate Jr.
Review of Deciphering the Geography of the Book of Mormon (1988), by F. Richard Hauck. The first question in dealing with Book of Mormon geography should be whether the geography fits the facts of the Book of Mormon. Clark reconstructs an elemental geography and examines internal clues for distances between locations and the surrounding terrain. To evaluate geographies, Clark summarizes ten simple points having to do with the narrow neck of land, the coastlines, the wildernesses, the valleys, the rivers, a lake, and the relative locations of Zarahemla, Bountiful, Nephi, and Cumorah. Using these criteria, he evaluates the Sorenson and Hauck proposed geographies.
Review of Deciphering the Geography of the Book of Mormon (1988), by F. Richard Hauck
Review of Deciphering the Geography of the Book of Mormon (1988), by F. Richard Hauck.
Review of Book of Mormon Authorship: A Closer Look (1983), by Vernal Holley.
Review of Studies in Scripture: 1 Nephi to Alma 29 (1987); and Studies in Scripture: Alma 30 to Moroni (1988), edited by Kent P. Jackson.
Book of Mormon Scriptures > Alma
Book of Mormon Scriptures > Moroni
Review of Doctrinal Commentary on the Book of Mormon, Volume I: First and Second Nephi (1987), and Volume II: Jacob through Mosiah (1988), by Joseph Fielding McConkie and Robert L. Millet. The faith of the Nephites and the language of the Book of Mormon tends to be harmonized with certain contemporary statements about Mormon beliefs. The Book of Mormon should be more than a resource for theology. Rather than seeking confirmation for what we already know, we should search for the meaning and message of the text.
Book of Mormon Scriptures > Mosiah
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 Lehi in the Desert, The World of the Jaredites, There Were Jaredites; An Approach to the Book of Mormon; and Since Cumorah, Collected Works of Hugh Nibley vols. 5, 6, and 7, respectively.
Review of Mapping the Action Found in the Book of Mormon (1987), by Harold K. Nielsen.
Review of An Ensign to All People: The Sacred Message and Mission of the Book of Mormon (1987), by Monte S. Nyman.
Review of The Book of Mormon: First Nephi, The Doctrinal Foundation (1988), edited by Monte S. Nyman and Charles D. Tate Jr.
Review of Two Pahute Indian Legends: “Why the Grand Canyon Was Made” and “The Three Days of Darkness” (1987), by William Rees Palmer.
Review of The Messiah in Ancient America (1987), by Bruce W. Warren and Thomas Stuart Ferguson.
Bibliography of Publications on the Book of Mormon in 1988.
Review of Books on the Book of Mormon Vol. 2 (1990)
Rust, in the third annual FARMS Book of Mormon lecture delivered on 27 February 1990, examin3ed literary aspects of the book that develop the primary purposes set out on the title page. He discussed the elements characteristic of an epic that will allow modern-day Lamanites to trust in the Lord's deliverance and detailed literary (especially poetic) presentations of the covenants in the Book of Mormon. Literary elements combine with the influence of the Spirit to testify of the purposes of the Book of Mormon.
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.
Review of Book of Mormon Companion: Dictionary & More.
Review of A Sure Foundation: Answers to Difficult Gospel Questions.
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.
Review of The Folk of the Fringe (1989); Seventh Son (1987); The Red Prophet (1988); and Prentice Alvin (1989), by Orson Scott Card.
Review of Christ's Answer to the Atheist, to the Jew: Who Wrote It? (1987), by Earl W. Carlsen.
Review of The Keystone of Mormonism: Early Visions of the Prophet Joseph Smith (1988), by Paul R. Cheesman.
Review of The Land of the Nephites (1988), by Delbert W. Curtis.
Review of Converted to Christ through the Book of Mormon (1989), edited by Eugene England.
Review of A Book of Mormon Guide: A Simple Way to Teach a Friend (1988), by Wilford A. Fischer and Norma J. Fischer.
Review of “A Hemeneutic of Sacred Texts: Historicism, Revisionism, Postitiveism, and the Bible and Book of Mormon” (1989), by Alan Goff.
Review of Tennis Shoes among the Nephites: A Novel (1989), by Chris Heimerdinger.
Review of Christianity in America before Columbus? (1988), by Donald W. Hemingway.
Review of By Grace Are We Saved (1989), by Robert L. Millet.
Review of the Nephite Chronicles (1984-1989), by Robert H. Moss.
Review of A Reading Guide to the Book of Mormon (1989), by David H. Mulholland.
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.
Review of An Approach to the Book of Mormon (1988), by Hugh Nibley.
Hugh W. Nibley Topics > Hugh Nibley > Scholarship, Footnotes, Collected Works of Hugh Nibley, CWHN, Editing > Christian History, Apostasy, Early Christianity
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 Lehi in the Desert, The World of the Jaredites, There Were Jaredites, Collected Works of Hugh Nibley vol. 5.
Also available for free at BYU ScholarsArchive.
A review of Lehi in the Desert, The World of the Jaredites, There Were Jaredites, Collected Works of Hugh Nibley vol. 5.
Hugh W. Nibley Topics > Hugh Nibley > Scholarship, Footnotes, Collected Works of Hugh Nibley, CWHN, Editing > Book of Mormon
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.
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 Since Cumorah, Collected Works of Hugh Nibley vol. 7.
Review of The Book of Mormon: Second Nephi, The Doctrinal Structure (1989), edited by Monte S. Nyman and Charles D. Tate Jr.
Review of Joseph Smith and the Origins of the Book of Mormon (1985), by David Persuitte.
Review of “American Book of Mormon Map” (1988), by Paul D. Proctor.
Review of Book of Mormon: Wide-Margin Edition (1987), by Eldin Ricks.
Review of Are the Mormon Scriptures Reliable? (1987), by Harry L. Ropp, with revisions from Wesley P. Walters.
Review of Origins and the Book of Mormon (1986), by Dan Vogel.
Review of Little Known Evidences of the Book of Mormon (1989), by Brenton G. Yorgason.
Review of Little Known Evidences of the Book of Mormon (1989), by Brenton G. Yorgason.
Bibliography of publications on the Book of Mormon in 1989.
Review of Books on the Book of Mormon Vol. 3 (1991)
Christenson, in the annual FARMS lecture delivered on 27 February 1991, examined the Maya New Year’s harvest festival, perhaps the most important public festival of the year. The festival coincided with the main corn harvest in mid-November and served as the New Year’s Day of the solar calendar, when kingship was renewed. Christenson gave particular attention to the symbolic treatments of the evil god Mam; the ritual descent of the king, as representative of the god of life and resurrection, into the underworld; the king’s ritual conflict with and defeat of the lords of the underworld (and of death); and the king’s triumphant return or resurrection. The Maya used the image of the tree of life in connection with the atonement and resurrection.
Introduction to the current issue.
Review of Exploring the Lands of the Book of Mormon (1989), by Joseph L. Allen.
Review of Joseph Smith's New York Reputation Reexamined (1990), by Rodger I. Anderson.
Review of Fun for Family Night: Book of Mormon Edition (1990), by Allan K. Burgess and Max H. Molgard.
Review of How to Hiss Forth with the Book of Mormon (1989), by Robert E. and Sandra L. Hales.
Review of Keys to Successful Scripture Study (1989), by George A. Horton, Jr.
Review of Lehi's Isle of Promise: A Scriptural Account with Word Definitions and a Commentary.
Review of Parallel Histories: The Nephites and the Americans (1989), by Anthony E. Larson.
Review of A Most Convincing Witness: Reasons Why the Book of Mormon Is the True Word of God (1990), by Randall K. Mehew.
Review of The Book of Mormon: Jacob through Words of Mormon, To Learn with Joy (1990), edited by Monte S. Nyman and Charles D. Tate Jr.
Book of Mormon Scriptures > Words of Mormon
Review of Warfare in the Book of Mormon (1990), edited by Stephen D. Ricks and William J. Hamblin.
Review of Warfare in the Book of Mormon (1990), edited by Stephen D. Ricks and William J. Hamblin.
Review of Isaiah and the Book of Mormon: A Study Guide for Understanding the Writings of Isaiah in the Book of Mormon (1990), by Philip J. Schlesinger.
Review of The Geography of the Book of Mormon Events: A Source Book (1990), by John L. Sorenson.
Review of Covering Up the Black Hole in the Book of Mormon (1990), by Jerald and Sandra Tanner.
Review of Covering Up the Black Hole in the Book of Mormon (1990), by Jerald and Sandra Tanner.
Review of Covering Up the Black Hole in the Book of Mormon (1990), by Jerald and Sandra Tanner.
Review of The Best Kept Secrets in the Book of Mormon (1988), by Loftes Tryk.
Review of The Word of God: Essays on Mormon Scripture (1990), edited by Dan Vogel.
Review of The Word of God: Essays on Mormon Scripture (1990), edited by Dan Vogel.
Review of The Sermon at the Temple and the Sermon on the Mount (1990), by John W. Welch.
Bibliography of publications on the Book of Mormon in 1990.
Review of Books on the Book of Mormon Vol. 4 (1992)
Peterson relates his understanding of a dispute between FARMS and Signature Books about matters of free inquiry and intellectual (dis)honesty.
Review of Mormons and the Bible: The Place of Latter-day Saints in American Religion (1991), by Philip L. Barlow.
Review of On the Barricades: Religion and Free Inquiry in Conflict (1989), edited by Robert Basil, Mary Beth Gehrman, and Tim Madigan.
Review of Stories from the Early Saints: Converted by the Book of Mormon (1992), edited by Susan Easton Black
Review of Living the Book of Mormon: A Guide to Understanding and Applying Its Principles in Today's World (1991), by Allen K. Burgess.
Review of Ancient American Indians: Their Origins, Civilizations, and Old World Connections (1991), by Paul R. Cheesman and Millie F. Cheesman.
Review of Fathers and Sons in the Book of Mormon (1991), by E. Douglas Clark and Robert S. Clark.
Review of Fathers and Sons in the Book of Mormon (1991), by E. Douglas Clark and Robert S. Clark.
Review of The Book of Isaiah: A New Translation with Interpretive Keys from the Book of Mormon (1998), by Avraham Gileadi
Review of The Book of Isaiah: A New Translation with Interpretive Keys from the Book of Mormon (1998), by Avraham Gileadi
Review of A Standard unto My People (1990), by Robert E. Hales and Sandra L. Hales.
Review of Southwestern American Indian Rock Art and the Book of Mormon (1991), by James R. Harris Sr.
Review of Gadiantons and the Silver Sword: A Novel (1991), by Chris Heimerdinger.
Review of The Truth about Mormonism: A Former Adherent Analyzes the LDS Faith (1991), by Weldon Langfield.
Review of . . . By His Own Hand upon Papyrus: A New Look at the Joseph Smith Papyri (1992), by Charles M. Larson.
Review of . . . By His Own Hand upon Papyrus: A New Look at the Joseph Smith Papyri (1992), by Charles M. Larson.
Review of By Study and Also by Faith, vol. 2 (1990), edited by John M. Lundquist and Stephen D. Ricks.
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
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
Review of Dominions of the Gadiantons (1991), by Robert Marcum.
Review of The Most Correct Book: Why the Book of Mormon Is the Keystone Scripture (1991), by Monte S. Nyman.
Review of The Book of Mormon: Mosiah, Salvation Only through Christ (1991), edited by Monte S. Nyman and Charles D. Tate Jr.
Review of Isaiah Made Easier (1991), by David J. Ridges.
Review of Rediscovering the Book of Mormon (1991), edited by John L. Sorenson and Melvin J. Thorne.
Review of Mormonism: Shadow or Reality? (1987), by Jerald Tanner and Sandra Tanner
Review of Out of Darkness (1991), by Keith C. Terry (with Maurice R. Tanner).
Review of The Use of the Old Testament in the Book of Mormon (1990), by Wesley P. Walters.
Review of The Use of the Old Testament in the Book of Mormon (1990), by Wesley P. Walters.
Review of Fantastic Archaeology: The Wild Side of North American Prehistory (1991), by Stephen Williams.
Review of Fantastic Archaeology: The Wild Side of North American Prehistory (1991), by Stephen Williams.
Review of To Mothers & Fathers from the Book of Mormon (1991), by Blaine Yorgason and Brenton Yorgason.
Bibliography of publications on the Book of Mormon in 1991.
Review of Books on the Book of Mormon Vol. 5 (1993)
Introduction to the current volume.
Review of Everything You Ever Wanted to Know about the Book of Mormon (1992), by John Ankerberg and John Weldon.
Review of About the Three Nephites (1992), by C. Douglas Beardall and Jewel N. Beardall.
Review of The American Religion: The Emergence of the Post-Christian Nation (1992), by Harold Bloom.
Review of The Grand Design: America from Columbus to Zion (1992), by E. Douglas Clark.
Review of David Whitmer Interviews: A Restoration Witness (1991), edited by Lyndon W. Cook.
Review of “Meeting the Book of Mormon Challenge in Chile” (1990), by Dean Maurice Helland.
Review of The Encyclopedia of Mormonism (1992), edited by Daniel H. Ludlow
Review of Doctrinal Commentary on the Book of Mormon, vol. 4, Third Nephi through Moroni (1992), by Joseph Fielding McConkie, Robert L. Millet, and Brent L. Top
Book of Mormon Scriptures > Moroni
Available for free at BYU ScholarsArchive.
A review of Teachings of the Book of Mormon: Sememster 3 (1992), by Hugh W. Nibley.
Review of The Book of Mormon: Alma, The Testimony of the Word (1992), edited by Monte S. Numan and Charles D. Tate Jr.
Review of The Book of Mormon Text Reformatted according to Parallelistic Patterns (1992), by Donald W. Parry
Review of Using the Book of Mormon to Combat Falsehoods in Organic Evolution (1992), by Clark A. Peterson
Review of El Libro de Mormon ante la critica (1992), by Josué Sánchez
Review of Faithful History: Essays on Writing Mormon History (1992), edited by George D. Smith
Review of Archaeology and the Book of Mormon (1972), by Jerald Tanner and Sandra Tanner
Review of Covering Up the Black Hole in the Book of Mormon (1990), by Jerald and Sandra Tanner
Review of Doctrines of the Book of Mormon: The 1991 Sperry Symposium (1992), edited by Bruce A. Van Orden and Brent L. Top
Review of Reexploring the Book of Mormon: The F.A.R.M.S. Updates (1992), edited by John W. Welch
Review of Letters to a Mormon Elder (1990), by James R. White
Bibliography of publications on the Book of Mormon in 1992.
Review of Books on the Book of Mormon Vol. 6, No. 1 (1994)
Introduction to the items reviewed and main issues discussed in this issue.
Review of New Approaches to the Book of Mormon: Explorations in Critical Methodology (1993), edited by Brent Lee Metcalfe.
Review of New Approaches to the Book of Mormon: Explorations in Critical Methodology (1993), edited by Brent Lee Metcalfe.
Review of New Approaches to the Book of Mormon: Explorations in Critical Methodology (1993), edited by Brent Lee Metcalfe.
Review of New Approaches to the Book of Mormon: Explorations in Critical Methodology (1993), edited by Brent Lee Metcalfe.
Review of New Approaches to the Book of Mormon: Explorations in Critical Methodology (1993), edited by Brent Lee Metcalfe.
Review of “Book of Mormon Chrstology” (1993), by Melodie Moench Charles
Review of “The Word of God Is Enough: The Book of Mormon as Nineteenth-Century Scripture” (1993), by Anthony A. Hutchison.
Review of “Multiply Exceedingly: Book of Mormon Populations Sizes” (1993), by John C. Kunich
Review of “Does the Shoe Fit? A Critique of the Limited Tehuantepec Geography” (1993), by Deanne G. Matheny.
Review of “The Priority of Mosiah: A Prelude to Book of Mormon Exegesis” (1993), by Brent Lee Metcalf.
Review of “A Rhetorical Approach to the Book of Mormon: Rediscovering Nephite Sacramental Language” (1993), by Mark D. Thomas.
Review of “Anti-Universalist Rhetoric in the Book of Mormon” (1993) by Dan Vogel.
Review of “Apologetic and Critical Assumptions about Book of Mormon Historicity” (1993), by Brent Lee Metcalfe.
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.
Review of Books on the Book of Mormon Vol. 6, No. 2 (1994)
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.
Review of The Bible II (1991). This book is in actuality the Book of Mormon with some differences.
Review of The Refiner's Fire: The Making of Mormon Cosmology (1994), by John L. Brooke.
Review of Homecoming (5 vols., 1992-95); A Storyteller in Zion: Essays and Speeches (1993); and “An Open Letter to those who are concerned about 'plagiarism' in The Memory of Earth” (1993), by Orson Scott Card.
Review of Christ in North America (1993), by Delbert W. Curtis. Clark examines the scholarship and logic involved in assuming a one-Cumorah theory for Book of Mormon geography.
Review of Refuting the Critics: Evidences of the Book of Mormon's Authenticity (1993), by Michael T. Griffiths
Review of Daniel and Nephi (1993), by Chris Heimerdinger: and Samuel: Moroni's Young Warrior (1993), by Clair Poulson.
Review of Inventing Mormonism: Tradition and the Historical Record (1994), by H. Michael Marquardt and Wesley P. Walters.
Review of The Book of Mormon: 3 Nephi 9-30, This Is My Gospel (1993), edited by Monte S. Nyman and Charles D. Tate Jr.
Review of The Lands of Zarahemla (1993), by E. L. Peay.
Review of Light from the Dust: A Photographic Exploration into the Ancient World of the Book of Mormon (1993), by Scot Facer Proctor and Maurine Jensen Proctor.
Review of Written by the Finger of God (1993), by Joe Sampson.
Review of Answering Mormon Scholars: A Response to Criticism of the Book “Coving Up the Black Hole in the Book of Mormon” (1994), by Jerald and Sandra Tanner.
Review of Answering Mormon Scholars: A Response to Criticism of the Book “Coving Up the Black Hole in the Book of Mormon” (1994), by Jerald and Sandra Tanner.
Review of Strangers in Paradox: Explorations in Mormon Theology (1990), by Margaret and Paul Toscano.
Review of Mormon Neo-Orthodoxoy: A Crisis Theology (1987), by O. Kendal White Jr.
Bibliography of publications on the Book of Mormon in 1993.
Review of Books on the Book of Mormon Vol. 7, No. 1 (1995)
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.
In this statement, the First Presidency requests that the Book of Mormon not be rewritten into familiar or modern English because of “risks that this process may introduce doctrinal errors or obscure evidence of its ancient origin.”
Review of The Easy-to-Read Book of Mormon: A Learning Companion (1995), by Lynn Matthews Anderson; and Mormon\'s Story: An Adaptation Based on the Book of Mormon (1993), by Timothy B. Wilson.
Review of The Easy-to-Read Book of Mormon: A Learning Companion (1995), by Lynn Matthews Anderson.
Review of “The Use of Egyptian Magical Papyri to Authenticate the Book of Abraham: A Critical Review” (1993), by Edward H. Ashment.
Review of In the Footsteps of Lehi: New Evidence for Lehi’s Journey across Arabia to Bountiful (1994), by Warren P. Aston and Michaela Knoth Aston.
Review of “Book of Mormon Christology” (1993), by Melodie Moench Charles.
Review of Explorers of Pre-Columbian America? The Diffusionist-Inventionist Controversy (1994), by Eugene R. Fingerhut; and Legend and Lore of the Americas before 1492: An Encyclopedia of Visitors, Explorers, and Immigrants (1993), by Ronald H. Fritze.
Review of The Legacy of the Brass Plates of Laban: A Comparison of Biblical and Book of Mormon Isaiah Texts (1994), by H. Clay Gorton.
Review of The Legacy of the Brass Plates of Laban: A Comparison of Biblical and Book of Mormon Isaiah Texts (1994), by H. Clay Gorton.
Review of Joseph Smith's Response to Skepticism (1992), by Robert N. Hullinger.
Review of Questions to Ask Your Mormon Friend: Effective Ways to Challenge a Mormon's Arguments without Being Offensive (1994), by Bill McKeever and Eric Johnson.
Review of ?Apologetic and Critical Assumptions about Book of Mormon Historicity? (1993), by Brent Lee Metcalfe.
Review of The Book of Mormon: Helaman through 3 Nephi 8, According to Thy Word (1992), edited by Monte S. Nyman and Charles D. Tate Jr.
Book of Mormon Scriptures > 3 Nephi
Review of Written by the Finger of God: A Testimony of Joseph Smith's Translations (1993), by Joe Sampson.
Review of Religion, Feminism, and Freedom of Conscience: A Mormon/Humanist Dialogue (1994), edited by George D. Smith.
Review of The Sanctity of Dissent (1994), by Paul Toscano.
Review of Books on the Book of Mormon Vol. 7, No. 2 (1995)
Introduction to the current issue, including editor's picks.
Review of Overview of the Book of Mormon (1991), by Zarahemla Research Foundation.
Review of First Nephi: Study Book of Mormon (1998), by Zarahemla Research Foundation.
Review of “Book of Mormon Christology” (1993), by Melodie Moench Charles.
Review of Decker's Complete Handbook on Mormonism (1995), by Ed Decker.
Review of Mormons and Jews: Early Mormon Theologies of Israel (1992), by Steven Epperson.
Review of Interventing Mormonism: Tradition and the Historical Record (1994), by H. Michael Marquardt and Wesley P. Walters.
Review of New Approaches to the Book of Mormon: Explorations in Critical Methodology (1993), edited by Brent Lee Metcalfe.
Review of Mormonism: The Story of a New Religious Tradition (1985), by Jan Shipps.
Review of Recent Book of Mormon Developments: Articles from the Zarahemla Record, vol. 2 (1992), edited by Raymond C. Treat.
Review of LDS Collectors Edition CD-ROM (1994, 1995), by Infobases.
Bibliography of publications on the Book of Mormon in 1994.
FARMS Review of Books Vol. 8, No. 1 (1996)
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.”
Review of New Approaches to the Book of Mormon: Explorations in Critical Methodology (1993), edited by Brent Lee Metcalfe. The claims of Metcalfe's New Approaches to the Book of Mormon appear to have been adequately responded to in the Review.
Review of The Book of Mormon: Fourth Nephi through Moroni, From Zion to Destruction (1995), edited by Monte S. Nyman and Charles D. Tate Jr.
Review of Book of Mormon Dictionary (1988), by George Reynolds.
Review of The Allegory of the Olive Tree: The Olive, the Bible, and Jacob 5 (1994), edited by Stephen D. Ricks and John W. Welch.
Review of The Literary Message of Isaiah (1994), by Avraham Gileadi.
Review of Ashamed of Joseph: Mormon Foundations Crumble (1993), by Charles Crane and Steven Crane.
Review of Mormons Answered Verse by Verse (1992), by David A. Reed and John R. Farkas.
Review of Mormonism (1995) by Kurt Van Gorden.
Review of Christopher Columbus: A Latter-day Saint Perspective (1992), by Arnold K. Garr.
Review of Angular Chronology: The Precolumbian Dating of Ancient America (1994), by Michael M. Hobby, June M. Hobby, and Troy J. Smith.
Review of Angular Chronology: The Precolumbian Dating of Ancient America (1994), by Michael M. Hobby, June M. Hobby, and Troy J. Smith.
Review of Dale Morgan On Early Mormonism: Correspondence and a New History (1986), edited by John Philip Walker.
Review of How to Get the Most from the Book of Mormon (audio cassettes, 1987), by Daniel H. Ludlow.
Review of Eldin Ricks's Thorough Concordance of LDS Standard Works (1995), by Eldin Ricks.
Review of Tennis Shoes and the Feathered Serpent (1995), by Chris Heimerdinger
Samuel, Moroni's Young Warrier (1993), by Clair Poulson.
FARMS Review of Books Vol. 8, No. 2 (1996)
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.
Review of The Land of Lehi (1995), by Paul Hedengren
Review of The Power of the Word: Saving Doctrines from the Book of Mormon (1994), by Robert L. Millet
Review of Moroni's Promise: The Converting Power of the Book of Mormon (1995), by Glenn L. Pearson
Review of I Know Thee by Name: Hebrew Roots of Lehi-ite Non-Biblical Names in the Book of Mormon (1995), by Joseph R. and Norrene V. Salonimer
Review of “Corinthian Religion and Baptism for the Dead (1 Corinthians 15:29): Insights from Archaeology and Anthropology” (1995), by Richard E. DeMaris
Review of The Facsimiles of the Book of Abraham: A Study of the Joseph Smith Egyptian Papyri (1990), by James R. Harris; For His Ka: Essays Offered in Memory of Klaus Baer (1994), edited by David P. Silverman; and The Story of the Book of Abraham: Mummies, Manuscripts, and Mormonism (1995), by H. Donl Peterson.
Review of Behind the Mask of Mormonism (1992), by John Ankerberg and John Weldon
Review of The Mormon Concept of God: A Philosophical Analysis (1991), by Francis J. Beckwith and Stephen E. Parrish
Review of No Man Knows My History: The Life of Joseph Smith, the Mormon Prophet (1995), by Fawn McKay Brodie
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
Review of ?Joseph Smith and Kabbalah: The Occult Connection? (1994), by Lance S. Owens
Review of ?Joseph Smith's Use of the Apocrypha? (1995), by Jerald and Sandra Tanner
Review of Norman the Nephite's and Larry the Lamanite's Book of Mormon Time Line (1995), by Pat Bagley
Review of My First Scripture Stories (1994), by Sherrie Johnson, illustrated by Tyler Lybbert
Review of Book of Mormon Reference Library (1995), by Deseret Book; Book of Mormon Studybase (1995), by Bookcraft; and LDS Collectors Library 1995 Edition (1995), by Infobases
FARMS Review of Books Vol. 9, No. 1 (1997)
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.
Review of Sweet is the Word: Reflections on the Book of Mormon? Its Narrative, Teachings, and People (1996), by Marilyn Arnold
Review of Timely Truths from the Book of Mormon (1995), by Allan K. Burgess
Review of Heroes from the Book of Mormon (1995), by Deseret Book
Book of Mormon Scriptures > Enos
Book of Mormon Scriptures > Alma
Book of Mormon Scriptures > Moroni
Review of Discovering Lehi: New Evidence of Lehi and Nephi in Arabia (1996), by Lynn M. and Hope A. Hilton
Review of Step by Step through the Book of Mormon: The Story in Scriptures? A Geographical, Cultural, and Historical System of Understanding (1996), and Step by Step through the Book of Mormon: A Cultural Commentary, Part 1?Through the Wilderness to the Promised Land (1996), by Alan C. Miner
Review of Nurturing Faith through the Book of Mormon (1995), by Deseret Book
Review of Building Faith with the Book of Mormon (1994), by Glenn L. Pearson and Reid E. Bankhead
Review of One Lord, One Faith: Writings of the Early Christian Fathers as Evidences of the Restoration (1996), by Michael T. Griffith
Review of Who Was the Pharaoh of the Exodus? (1994), by Jeff Williams
Review of Mormonism: Changes, Contradictions, and Errors (1995), by John R. Farkas and David A. Reed
Review of View of the Hebrews (2nd ed., 1996), by Ethan Smith
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
Review of Answering Mormon Scholars: A Response to Criticism Raised by Mormon Defenders (1996), by Jerald and Sandra Tanner
Review of ?Of Cities and Swords: The Impossible Task of Mormon Apologetics? (1996), by James White
Review of Book of Mormon Stories (CD-ROM, 1995), by Michael R. todd, Ted E. Van Horn, and Mark Van Horn
Mormon websites include those with links to other sites and those with something substantive to offer. Numerous links to substantive websites are given.
Review of The Lehi Tree: A Novel (1996), by Katherine Myers
FARMS Review of Books Vol. 9, No. 2 (1997)
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.
Review of The Book of Mormon and the Constitution (1995), by H. Verlan Andersen; and If Men Were Angels: The Book of Mormon, Christ and the Constitution (1995), by Brad E. Hainsworth.
Review of Isaiah Plain and Simple: The Message of Isaiah in the Book of Mormon (1995), by Hoyt W. Brewster Jr.
Review of Book of Mormon Authors: Their Words and Messages (1996), by Roger R. Keller.
Review of Every Person in the Book of Mormon: A Chronological Reference and Synopsis (1995), by Lynn F. Price
Review of Feasting on the Word: The Literary Testimony of the Book of Mormon (1997), by Richard Dilworth Rust.
Review of Expressions of Faith: Testimonies of Latter-day Saint Scholars (1996), edited by Susan Easton Black.
Review of The Viper on the Hearth: Mormons, Myths, and the Construction of Heresy (1997), by Terryl L. Givens.
Review of The Viper on the Hearth: Mormons, Myths, and the Construction of Heresy (1997), by Terryl L. Givens.
Review of Truths from the Earth, vol. 2: The Story of the Creations to the Floods (1996), by David T. Harris.
Review of Working toward Zion: Principles of the United Order for the Modern World (1996), by James W. Lucas and Warner P. Woodworth.
Review of Working toward Zion: Principles of the United Order for the Modern World (1996), by James W. Lucas and Warner P. Woodworth.
Review of Dead Sea Scrolls and the Mormon Connection (1996), by Keith Terry and Stephen Biddulph.
Review of Die Mormonen: Sekte oder neue Kirche Jesu Christi? (1995), by Rudiger Hauth.
Review of The Mormon Hierarchy: Extensions of Power (1997), by D. Michael Quinn.
Review of Mormonism (1995), by Kurt Van Gorden.
FARMS Review of Books Vol. 10, No. 1 (1998)
Introduction to the current issue, including editor’s pick. Peterson explores the world of anit-Mormon writing and fiction.
Review of A Detailed Chronology of the Book of Mormon (1995), by Thomas O. Moore
Review of The Mormon Puzzle: Understanding and Witnessing to Latter-day Saints (1997), by North American Mission Board of the Southern Baptist Convention
Review of The Mysteries of Godliness: A History of Mormon Tmeple Worship (1994), by David John Buerger
Review of Same-Sex Dynamics among Nineteenth-Century Americans: A Mormon Example (1996), by D. Michael Quinn
Review of Same-Sex Dynamics among Nineteenth-Century Americans: A Mormon Example (1996), by D. Michael Quinn
Review of Meeting the Mormon Challenge with Love (1997), by Leon Cornforth
Review of The 1996 Directory of Cult Research Organizations: A Worldwide Listing of 752 Agencies and Individuals (1996), by Keith Edward Tolbert and Eric Pement
Review of Into the Light: A Novel (1995), by Keith C. Terry; and The Remnant (1996), by Keith C. Terry and Wesley Jarvis
FARMS Review of Books Vol. 10, No. 2 (1998)
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.
Review of The Bible and the Book of Mormon: Connecting Links (1997), by John E. Enslen; and Book of Mormon Insights: Points to Ponder from Every Chapter (1996), by William N. Partridge.
Review of Christ and the New Covenant: The Messianic Message of the Book of Mormon (1997), by Jeffrey R. Holland
Review of “Could Feminism Have Saved the Nephites?” (1996), by Carol Lynn Pearson
Review of The Book of Mormon Paintings of Minerva Teichert (1997), by John W. Welch and Doris R. Dant
Review of In Sacred Loneliness: The Plural Wives of Joseph Smith (1997), by Todd M. Compton
Review of In Sacred Loneliness: The Plural Wives of Joseph Smith (1997), by Todd M. Compton
Review of Working toward Zion: Principles of the United Order for the Modern World (1996), by James W. Lucas and Warner P. Woodworth
Review of LDS Perspectives on the Dead Sea Scrolls (1997), edited by Donald W. Parry and Dana M. Pike
Review of The Children of Noah: Jewish Seafaring in Ancient Times (1998), by Raphael Patai
Review of The Rise of Christianity: A Sociologist Reconsiders History (1996), by Rodney Stark
Review of Quest for the Gold Plates: Thomas Stuart Ferguson's Archaeological Search for the Book of Mormon (1996), by Stan Larson
Review of “Does the Bible Teach Salvation for the Dead? A survey of the Evidence Part I” (1995), and “Did Jesus Establish Baptism for the Dead?” (1997), by Luke P. Wilson
Websites for and against the Latter-day Saints proliferate. Some of them are, of course, better than others.
Review of Mormons on the Internet (1997), by Lauramaery Gold
FARMS Review of Books Vol. 11, No. 1 (1999)
Introduction to the current issue, including editor’s picks. Our expectations and presuppositions lead us to see what we want to see.
Review of “Voice from the Dust”: A Literary Analysis of the Book of Mormon” (1996), by Walter Krajewski; and A New Witness for Christ: Chiastic Structure in the Book of Mormon (1997), by H. Clay Gorton
Review of A Reader's Book of Mormon Digest: Condensed from the Book of Mormon: A New Witness for Christ. A Monthly Reading Program and Study Guide of the Doctrines of the Book of Mormon (1997), by Robert H. Moss
Review of Images of Ancient America: Visualizing Book of Mormon Life (1998), by John L. Sorenson
Review of King Benjamin\'s Speech: “That Ye May Learn Wisdom” (1998), edited by John W. Welch and Stephen D. Ricks
Review of Symbols in Stone: Symbolism on the Early Temples of the Restoration (1997), by Matthew B. Brown and Paul T. Smith
Available for free at BYU ScholarsArchive.
A review of Ancient State: The Rulers and the Ruled, Collected Works of Hugh Nibley vol. 10.
Review of The Power of God (1997), by Mark A. Smith
Review of Letters to a Mormon Elder: Eye-Opening Information for Mormons and the Christians Who Talk with Them (1993), by James R. White
Review of GospeLink (1998), by Deseret Book; and Collector's Library '98 (1998), by Infobases
FARMS Review of Books Vol. 11, No. 2 (1999)
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.
Review of How Wide the Divide: A mormon and an Evangelical in Conversation (1997), by Craig L. Blomberg and Stephen E. Robinson
Review of How Wide the Divide: A mormon and an Evangelical in Conversation (1997), by Craig L. Blomberg and Stephen E. Robinson
Review of How Wide the Divide: A mormon and an Evangelical in Conversation (1997), by Craig L. Blomberg and Stephen E. Robinson
The early church was unable to continue once the apostles had departed. Bishops were only local officials and could not speak for the entire church. Beginning with the later second century, philosophy plays an increasingly important role in the church—this appears to be an effect rather than a cause of the apostasy.
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.
Cook addresses the following issues raised by Owen and Mosser: Did Greek philosophy cause an apostasy in the early Christian church? How deeply Hellenized were the early Jewish converts of Christianity? Philosphy and the Hellenization of Christianity, and Early Judaic and Christian beliefs concerning God and theosis.
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.
FARMS Review of Books Vol. 12, No. 1 (2000)
Introduction to the current issue, including editor’s picks. Peterson discusses Peter Elias, Amasa Lyman, and the techniques of contemporary anti-Mormonism.
Review of The Name of God: From Sinai to the American Southwest. A Script and Language of Ancient Palestine Also Found in the Ancient American Southwest (1998), by James R. Harris, assisted by Dann W. Hone
Review of Translating the Anthon Transcript (1999), by Stan and Polly Johnson
Review of Fair Gods and Feathered Serpents; A Search for the Early Americas' Bearded White God (1997), by T. J. O'Brien
Review of Images of Ancient America: Visualizing Book of Mormon Life (1998), by John L. Sorenson
Review of Hidden Wisdom: Esoteric Traditions and the Roots of Christian Mysticism (1996), by Guy G. Stroumsa
Review of An Epistle from the New Testament Apostles (1999), by John W. Welch
Review of God the Mother and Other Theological Essays (1997), by Janice Allred
Review of Forgotten Kingdom: The Mormon Theocracy in the American West, 1875-1896 (1998), by David L. Bigler
Review of Zion in the Courts: A Legal History of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, 1830-1900 (1988), by Edwin B. Firmage and Richard C. Mangrum
Review of “Scripture” (1988), by Norman L. Geisler
Review of “Scripture” (1988), by Norman L. Geisler
Review of “God” (1998), by Francis J. Beckwith
Review of “Christ” (1998), by Ron Rhodes
Review of “Salvation” (1998), by Phil Roberts
Review of “Terminology” (1998), by Jerald and Sandra Tanner
Review of “A Word to Our Mormon Friends” (1998)
Review of Cultures in Conflict: A Documentary History of the Mormon War in Illinois (1995), edited by John E. Hallwas and Roger D. Launuis
Review of Mormonism (1957); The Maze of Mormonism (1962); and The Kingdom of the Cults (1997), by Walter Martin
Review of The Sword of Laban: Joseph Smith Jr. and the Dissociated Mind (1998), by William D. Morain
Review of Searching the Scriptures: Bringing Power to Your Personal and Family Study (1997), by Gene R. Cook; Treasure Up the Word (1997), by Jay E. Jensen; and Scripture Study: Tools and Suggestions (1999), by James E. Faulconer
FARMS Review of Books Vol. 12, No. 2 (2000)
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.
Review of The Lives and Travels of Mormon and Moroni (2000), by Jerry L. Ainsworth
Book of Mormon Scriptures > Moroni
Review of The Book of Mormon: Restored Covenant Edition (1999), by Zarahemla Research Foundation
Review of The Book of Mormon: Restored Covenant Edition (1999), by Zarahemla Research Foundation
Review of From Jerusalem to Zarahemla: Literary and Historical Studies of the Book of Mormon (1998), by S. Kent Brown
Review of Book of Mormon Authorship Revisited: The Evidence for Ancient Origins (1997), edited by Noel B. Reynolds
Review of Digging in Cumorah: Reclaiming Book of Mormon Narratives (1999), by Mark D. Thomas
Review of Digging in Cumorah: Relcaiming Book of Mormon Narratives (1999), by Mark D. Thomas
Review of As One Crying from the Dust: Book of Mormon Messages for Today (1999), by Brent L. Top
Review of New Evidences of Christ in Ancient America (1999), by Blaine M. Yorgason, Bruce W. Warren, and Harold Brown
Review of See the Gods Fall: Four Rivals to Christianity (1997), by Francis J. Beckwith and Stephen E. Parrish
Review of Restoring the Ancient Church: Joseph Smith and Early Christianity (1999), by Barry R. Bickmore
Review of Restoring the Ancient Church: Joseph Smith and Early Christianity (1999), by Barry R. Bickmore
Review of Mormons, Scriptures, and the Ancient World: Studies in Honor of John L. Sorenson (1998), edited by Davis Bitton
Review of Early Mormonism and the Magic World View (1998), by D. Michael Quinn
Review of Early Mormonism and the Magic World View (1998), by D. Michael Quinn
Review of Early Mormonism and the Magic World View (1998), by D. Michael Quinn
Review of The House of the Lord: A Study of Holy Sanctuaries: A special Reprint of the 1912 First Edition (1998), by James E. Talmage.
Review of “Dr. Shades' Review of FARMS Review of Books: How the Foundation for Ancient Research and Mormon Studies deceives their fellow Latter-day Saints by creating the false impression that all is well in Zion.”
Review of The Dead Sea Scrolls: Questions and Responses for Latter-day Saints (2000), by Donald W. Parry and Stephen D. Ricks
FARMS Review of Books Vol. 13, No. 1 (2001)
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.
Review of The Book of Mormon and Other Hidden Books: “Out of Darkness unto Light” (2000), by John A. Tvedtnes
Review of Fawn McKay Brodie: A Biographer's Life (1999), by Newell G. Bringhurst
Review of Fingerprints of God: Evidences from Near-Death Studies, Scientific Research on Creation, and Mormon Theology (1999), by Arvin S. Gibson
Review of Fingerprints of God: Evidences from Near-Death Studies, Scientific Research on Creation, and Mormon Theology (1999), by Arvin S. Gibson
Review of Fingerprints of God: Evidences from Near-Death Studies, Scientific Research on Creation, and Mormon Theology (1999), by Arvin S. Gibson
Review of “A Hard Day for Professor Midgley: An Essay for Fawn McKay Brodie” (1999), by Glen J. Hettinger
Review of “Poetic Language in Nineteenth Century Mormonism: A Study of Semiotic Phenomenology in Communication and Culture” (1990), by Michiko Takayama
Review of Is the Mormon My Brother? (1997), by James R. White
FARMS Review of Books Vol. 13, No. 2 (2001)
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.
Review of Come unto Christ: The Conversion of Alma the Younger (1999), by Merrill Jenson, with text compiled by Betsy Jenson
Review of Manifestations Mysteries Revealed: An Account of Bible Truth and the Book of Mormon Prophecies (2000), by Embaya Melekin
Review of Nephite culture and Society: Selected Papers (1997), by John L. Sorenson
Review of The Book of Mormon and Other Hidden Books: “Out of the Darkness unto Light” (2000), by John A. Tvedtnes
Review of Charting the Book of Mormon (1999), by John W. Welch and J. Gregory Welch
Review of “Anti-Intellectualism in Mormon History” (1966), by Davis Bitton
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 A Guide to the Joseph Smtih Papyri (2000) by John Gee.
Review of Mormon America: The Power and the Promise (1999), by Richard N. Ostling and Joan K. Ostling
Review of The Temple in Time and Eternity (1999), edited by Donald W. Parry and Stephen D. Ricks; and The Gates of Heaven: Insights on the Doctrines and Symbols of the Temple (1999), by Matthew B. Brown
Review of “Parallelomania and the Study of Latter-day Saint Scripture: Confirmation, Coincidence, or the Collective Unconscious?” (2000), by Douglas F. Salmon
Review of Mormonism and the Nature of God: A Theological Revolution, 1830-1915 (2000), by Kurt Widmer
Review of Gospel of the Savior: A New Ancient Gospel (1999), by Charles W. Hedrick and Paul A. Mirecki
Review of “The Question of the Validity of Baptism Conferred in the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints” (unpublished), by Luis Ladaria
Review of Pope Fictions: Answers to 30 Myths and Misconceptions about the Papacy (1999), by Patrick Madrid
Review of When Mormons Call: Answering Mormon Missionaries at Your Door (1999), and Inside Mormonism: What Mormons Really Believe (1999), by Isaiah Bennett
Review of Following the Ark of the Covenant (2000), by Kerry Ross Boren and Lisa Lee Boren
FARMS Review of Books Vol. 14, No. 1 (2002)
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.
Review of Latter-day Commentary on the Book of Mormon: Insights from Prophets, Church Leaders, and Scholars (1999), by K. Douglas Bassett
Review of Return to Cumorah: Piecing Together the Puzzle Where the Nephites Lived (1998), by Duane R. Aston; The Land of Lehi: Further Evidence for the Book of Mormon (1999), by Paul Hedengren: and The Lost Lands of the Book of Mormon (2000), by Phyllis Carol Olive
Review of Words of Christ Restored for the Last Days (1999), by Kenneth Lutes and Lyndell Lutes
Review of Finding Biblical Hebrew and Other Ancient Literary Forms in the Book of Mormon (1999), by Hugh W. Pinnock
Review of Pressing Forward with the Book of Mormon: The FARMS Updates of the 1990s (1999), edited by John W. Welch and Melvin J. Thorne
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
Review of “Is Mormonism Christian?” (2002), by Craig L. Blomberg
Review of “Is Mormonism Christian?” (2002), by Craig L. Blomberg
Review of “And the Saints Go Marching On” (2002), by Carl Mosser; and Mormon America: The Power and the Promise (1999), by Richard N. Ostling and Joan K. Ostling
Review of “Monotheism, Mormonism, and the New Testament Witness” (2002), by Paul Owen
Review of Inside the Mind of Joseph Smith: Psychobiography and the Book of Mormon (1999), by Robert D. Anderson
Review of Sidney Rigdon: A Portrait of Religious Excess (1994), by Richard S. Van Wagoner
Review of Life of Joseph Smith the Prophet (1888; 1986), by George Q. Cannon
Review of Cultures in Conflict: A Documentary History of the Mormon War in Illinois (1995), edited by John E. Hallwas and Roger D. Launius
Review of The Mormon Defenders: How Latter-day Saint Apologists Misinterpret the Bible (2001), by James Patrick Holding
Review of The Lord's University: Freedom and Authority at BYU (1998), by Bryan Waterman and Brian Kagel
Review of The Bible Code (1997), by Michael Drosnin
Review of Biblical Mormonism: Responding to Evangelical Criticism of LDS Theology (1994), by Richard R. Hopkins
The FARMS Review Vol. 15, No. 1 (2003)
Introduction to the current issue, including editor’s picks. Midgley discusses countercultists who oppose Mormonism and who consider it “counterfeit Christianity.”
Review of M. Grald Bradford and Alison V. P. Coutts, eds. Uncovering the Original Text of the Book of Mormon: History and Findings of the Critical Text Project.
Review of Terryl L Given. By the Hand of Mormon: The American Scripture That Launched a New World Religion.
Review of Terryl L Given. By the Hand of Mormon: The American Scripture That Launched a New World Religion.
Review of John L. Sorenson. Mormon's Map.
Welch shares his study of chiasmus in ancient texts. He states that Joseph Smith knew nothing of chiasmus when he was translating the Book of Mormon. Even so, Welch researches how much the scholars of 1829 knew about chiasmus to show that Joseph could not have intentionally incorporated chiasmus into his own writing.
Review of Thomas D. Cottle. The Papyri of Abraham: Facsimiles of the Everlasting Covenant.
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.
Review of Hugh Nibley. Abraham in Egypt.
Hugh W. Nibley Topics > Hugh Nibley > Scholarship, Footnotes, Collected Works of Hugh Nibley, CWHN, Editing > Pearl of Great Price > Book of Abraham
Review of John A. Tvedtnes, Brian M. Hauglid, and John Gee, comps. and eds. Traditions about the Early Life of Abraham.
Old Testament Topics > Abraham and Sarah [see also Covenant]
Review of “Does the Book of Mormon Reflect an Ancient Near Eastern Background?” (2002), by Thomas J. Finley, and “Rendering Fiction: Translation, Pseudotranslation, and the Book of Mormon” (2002), by David J. Shepherd.
Review of Francis J. Beckwith, Carl Mosser, and Paul Owen. “Introductory Essay”; Thomas J. Finley. “Does the Book of Mormon Reflect an Ancient Near Eastern Background”; and David J. Shepherd. “Rendering Fiction: Translation, Pseudotranslation, and the Book of Mormon.” In The New Mormon Challenge: Responding to the Latest Defenses of a Fast-Growing Movement.
Review of Carl Mosser. “Can the Real Problem of Evil Be Solved?” in The New Mormon Challenge: Responding to the Latest Defenses of a Fast-Growing Movement
Review of Paul Owen. “Monotheism, Mormonism, and the New Testament Witness.” In The New Mormon Challenge: Responding to the Latest Defenses of a Fast-Growing Movement.
Review of Richard Abanes. One Nation under Gods: A History of the Mormon Church.
Review of Richard R. Hopkins. How Greek Philosophy Corrupted the Christian Concept of God.
Review of LaMar Petersen. The Creation of the Book of Mormon: A Historical Inquiry. Review of Robert D. Anderson. Inside the Mind of Joseph Smith: Psychobiography and the Book of Mormon. Review of Dan Vogel. “The Validity of the Witnesses’ Testimonies.” In American Apocrypha: Essays on the Book of Mormon
Review of Donald W. Parry. Harmonizing Isaiah: Combining Ancient Sources.
Review of Raphael Jospe, Truman G. Madsen, and Seth Ward, eds. Covenant and Chosenness in Judaism and Mormonism. Review of Frank J. Johnson and Rabbi William J. Leffler. Jews and Mormons: Two Houses of Israel. Review of Harris Lenowitz. The Jewish Messiahs: From the Galilee to Crown Heights.
Review of C. Reynolds Mackay. Muhammad, Judah, and Joseph Smith.
Review of Thomas R. Valletta, gen. ed. The Book of Mormon for Latter-day Saint Families. Review of Thomas R. Valletta, gen. ed. The New Testament for Latter-day Saint Families.
The FARMS Review Vol. 15, No. 2 (2003)
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
Cooper addresses the claim that Thomas Murphy’s DNA research is a “Galileo event.” He provides information on Galileo’s life to show that Galileo was not against religion and that the Catholic Church was not against science. Cooper then parallels that information with the Murphy situation. Like Galileo, Murphy has not taken a stance against religion, only against a particular religious text
Review of Paul Y. Hoskisson, ed. Historicity and the Latter-day Saint Scriptures.
Review of Robert A. Pate. Mapping the Book of Mormon: A Comprehensive Geography of Nephite America.
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.
David A. McClellan provides a basic understanding of some biological principles that would be helpful to one studying the question of DNA evidence of the authenticity of the Book of Mormon. After a discussion of these fundamental principles, McClellan concludes that DNA tests can neither prove nor disprove the existence of ancient Israelites in the New World.
This article discusses the possibility that DNA is not dependable evidence either for or against the veracity of the Book of Mormon. It is difficult to ascertain whether Book of Mormon people were literal descendants of Israel and how similar those genetics are with modern Israelites. Therefore, no conclusive statements can be made concerning the DNA of Book of Mormon people.
This article discusses how a population’s number of pure-blooded individuals can diminish drastically to only a few percent in a few hundred years. This information suggests that it is difficult and perhaps impossible to draw any definite conclusions concerning the genetics of Native Americans in relation to the people spoken of in the Book of Mormon.
Some critics of the Book of Mormon reject the ancient text on account of its supposedly racist commentary. In response to these critics, this article incorporates biblical examples and traditions to show how certain words and phrases that could be seen as racist were used to illustrate a larger message
Review of Will Bagley. Blood of the Prophets: Brigham Young and the Massacre at Mountain Meadows.
This statement addresses the implication that Smith Institute scholars agree with Grant Palmer’s opinions concerning Latter-day Saint origins
Review of Grant H. Palmer. An Insider’s View of Mormon Origins.
Review of Grant H. Palmer. An Insider’s View of Mormon Origins.
Review of Grant H. Palmer. An Insider’s View of Mormon Origins.
Review of Grant H. Palmer. An Insider’s View of Mormon Origins.
Access this article at BYU ScholarsArchive.
Review of Boyd Petersen’s Hugh Nibley: A Consecrated Life.
Review of Clark H. Pinnock. Most Moved Mover: A Theology of God’s Openness.
Review of Robert V. Remini. Joseph Smith.
The FARMS Review Vol. 16, No. 1 (2004)
Introduction to the current issue, including editor’s picks. Mitton explains the need to address anti-Mormon texts and their authors, beginning in the early days of the church. It is important to give attention to Joseph’s own explanation and that of his close associates.
Review of Grant Hardy, ed. The Book of Mormon: A Reader’s Edition.
Review of Brent Lee Metcalfe. “The Priority of Mosiah: A Prelude to Book of Mormon Exegesis.” In New Approaches to the Book of Mormon: Explorations in Critical Methodology, and Review of Edwin Firmage Jr. “Historical Criticism and the Book of Mormon: A Personal Encounter.” In American Apocrypha: Essays on the Book of Mormon, and Review of Susan Staker. “Secret Things, Hidden Things: The Seer Story in the Imaginative Economy of Joseph Smith.” In American Apocrypha: Essays on the Book of Mormon
Review of Robert M. Price. “Prophecy and Palimpsest.” Dialogue 35/3.
This article addresses the belief that the account of secret combinations in the Book of Mormon is a satire on Masonry. Many scholars claim that the term secret combinations was exclusively used in the 1820s to refer to Masonry. However, Nathan Oman points out that this term was also used in legal situations to refer to criminal conspiracies.
This article discusses the evolvement of Book of Mormon apologetics. Although Book of Mormon scholarship was originally intended for an exclusively Latter-day Saint audience, it has since broadened to address a more scholarly and secular audience.
Review of Richard Abanes. One Nation under Gods: A History of the Mormon Church.
Review of Sally Denton. American Massacre: The Tragedy at Mountain Meadows, September 1857.
Review of Sally Denton. American Massacre: The Tragedy at Mountain Meadows, September 1857.
Review of Jon Krakauer. Under the Banner of Heaven: A Story of a Violent Faith.
Review of Stan Larson. Quest for the Gold Plates: Thomas Stuart Ferguson’s Archaeological Search for the Book of Mormon.
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 Grant H. Palmer. An Insider’s View of Mormon Origins.
Kevin Christensen responds to Dan Vogel’s views against the authenticity of the Book of Mormon. Vogel claims that the Book of Mormon cannot be a translated text because there were numerous influences surrounding Joseph Smith that could have motivated him to write the book on his own. Christensen and Vogel have responded to each other’s claims previously; this article is a continuation of that debate.
Davis Bitton provides a few guidelines to help readers determine whether a given text is anti-Mormon and to explain how readers should approach such texts.
Although founded and directed by members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, publishing company Signature Books has a reputation of having a liberal view of controversial LDS issues. Louis Midgley examines the history of Signature Books and compares it to that of Prometheus Books, a publisher of atheist literature.
Review of Richard Neitzel Holzapfel and Thomas A. Wayment, eds. From the Last Supper through the Resurrection: The Savior’s Final Hours.
Review of George W. E. Nickelsburg. 1 Enoch 1: A Commentary on the Book of 1 Enoch, Chapters 1–36; 81–108
Review of Jeffrey A. Trumbower. Rescue for the Dead: The Posthumous Salvation of Non-Christians in Early Christianity.
Review of Gavin Menzies. 1421, the Year China Discovered America.
The FARMS Review Vol. 16, No. 2 (2004)
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.
Review of Joseph L. Allen. Sacred Sites: Searching for Book of Mormon Lands and Review of James Warr. A New Model for Book of Mormon Geography.
Review of David E. Bokovoy and John A. Tvedtnes. Testaments: Links between the Book of Mormon and the Hebrew Bible.
Review of Melodie Moench Charles. “The Mormon Christianizing of the Old Testament.” In The Word of God: Essays on Mormon Scripture
Review of Brent Lee Metcalfe. “Reinventing Lamanite Identity.” Sunstone
Review of Robert A. Pate. Mapping the Book of Mormon: A Comprehensive Geography of Nephite America.
Review of Ed J. Pinegar and Richard J. Allen. Teachings and Commentaries on the Book of Mormon.
Review of William D. Russell. “A Further Inquiry into the Historicity of the Book of Mormon.” Sunstone, September–October 1982, 20–27.
Review of John W. Welch, David Rolph Seely, and Jo Ann H. Seely, eds. Glimpses of Lehi’s Jerusalem.
Review of David P. Wright. “Isaiah in the Book of Mormon: Or Joseph Smith in Isaiah.” In American Apocrypha: Essays on the Book of Mormon
Review of Earl M. Wunderli. “Critique of a Limited Geography for Book of Mormon Events.” Dialogue 35/3 (2002): 161–97.
This article discusses how geographical theories about the Book of Mormon have developed. Whereas many of the early members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints speculated that the Book of Mormon took place throughout all of the Americas, many present members and scholars believe it took place in the more specific region known as Mesoamerica.
Review of Paul Copan and William Lane Craig. “Craftsman or Creator? An Examination of the Mormon Doctrine of Creation and a Defense of Creatio ex nihilo.” In The New Mormon Challenge: Responding to the Latest Defenses of a Fast-Growing Movement
Review of Douglas J. Davies. An Introduction to Mormonism.
Review of Douglas J. Davies. An Introduction to Mormonism.
Review of Alonzo L. Gaskill. The Lost Language of Symbolism: An Essential Guide for Recognizing and Interpreting Symbols of the Gospel.
Paper presented at the annual meeting of the Foundation for Apologetic Information and Research (FAIR), Sandy, Utah, 5 August 2004 (see www.fair-lds.org). Used by permission. Also published in Meridian Magazine Online (see www.ldsmag.com). Used by permission. Copyright 2004 Davis Bitton.
Review of Robert K. Ritner. “The ‘Breathing Permit of Hôr’ Thirtyfour Years Later.” Dialogue 33/4 (2000): 97–119. Review of Robert K. Ritner. “ ‘The Breathing Permit of Hôr’ among the Joseph Smith Papyri.” Journal of Near Eastern Studies 62/3 (2003): 161–77.
Review of Avraham Gileadi. Isaiah Decoded: Ascending the Ladder to Heaven.
Review of Douglas E. Cowan. Bearing False Witness? An Introduction to the Christian Countercult.
The FARMS Review Vol. 17, No. 1 (2005)
Introduction to the current issue, including editor’s picks. A Protestant historian’s ideas about the durability of Mormonism—if it can survive the critical scrutiny of its foundational events—invite discussion of how secularism, cultural Mormonism, atheism, scientism, countercult anti-Mormonism, and other forms of intellectualism seek to disparage the faith of Latterday Saints.
Review of Clyde R. Forsberg Jr. Equal Rites: The Book of Mormon, Masonry, Gender, and American Culture.
Review of Ronald V. Huggins. “From Captain Kidd’s Treasure Ghost to the Angel Moroni: Changing Dramatis Personae in Early Mormonism.” Dialogue 36/4 (2003): 17–42.
Review of Simon G. Southerton. Losing a Lost Tribe: Native Americans, DNA, and the Mormon Church.
Review of Martha Beck. Leaving the Saints: How I Lost the Mormons and Found My Faith.
Review of Martha Beck. Leaving the Saints: How I Lost the Mormons and Found My Faith.
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.
Review of Dan Vogel. Joseph Smith: The Making of a Prophet.
Ernst Benz originally presented this paper at the Eranos conference held in Ascona, Switzerland, in 1969. (See the publisher’s Web site at www.daimon.ch for more information about these annual Eranos conferences and for listings of Eranos yearbooks.) Ernst Benz’s collected Eranos lectures are found in his book Urbild und Abbild: Der Mensch und die mythische Welt (Leiden: Brill, 1974). This essay is on pages 475–508. The astute reader will pick up some of Benz’s misconceptions about Latter-day Saint beliefs.
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.
Review of Carl Sagan. The Demon-Haunted World: Science as a Candle in the Dark.
Review of Douglas E. Cowan. Bearing False Witness? An Introduction to the Christian Countercult.
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.
The author reflects on the lasting influence of the eminent Latter-day Saint scholar Hugh Nibley, whose far-reaching scholarship, unmatched erudition, and vigorous defense of the Mormon faith established Mormon studies on a solid foundation and pointed the way for others to follow.
Hugh W. Nibley Topics > Hugh Nibley > Scholarship, Footnotes, Collected Works of Hugh Nibley, CWHN, Editing > Theology
The FARMS Review Vol. 17, No. 2 (2005)
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.
Review of S. Kent Brown. Voices from the Dust: Book of Mormon Insights.
Review of Wayne L. Cowdrey, Howard A. Davis, and Arthur Vanick. Who Really Wrote the Book of Mormon? The Spalding Enigma.
Review of James T. Duke. The Literary Masterpiece Called the Book of Mormon.
Review of Joel P. Kramer and Scott R. Johnson. The Bible vs. the Book of Mormon.
Review of George Potter and Richard Wellington. Lehi in the Wilderness.
Review of Marth Beck. Leaving the Saints: How I Lost the Mormons and Found My Faith.
Review of Paul Copan and William Lane Craig. “Craftsman or Creator? An Examination of the Mormon Doctrine of Cration and a Defense of Creatio ex nihilo.” and Review of Paul Copan and William Lane Craig. Creation out of Nothing: A Biblical, Philosophical, and Scientific Exploration.
Review of Dan Vogel. Joseph Smith: The Making of a Prophet.
Israeli scholar Raphael Jospe encourages greater understanding and dialogue between Jews and Latter-day Saints. He points out issues that divide the two groups and issues for which there may be common ground. He specifically addresses the often fruitful tension that exists between universalism and particularism in the two faiths, both historically and today.
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.
Review of Scott H. Faulring, Kent P. Jackson, and Robert J. Matthews, eds. Joseph Smith's New Translation of the Bible: Original Manuscripts.
Review of Michael D. Rhodes. The Hor Book of Breathings: A Translation and Commentary.
The FARMS Review Vol. 18, No. 1 (2006)
Midgley explains the need for people to learn about and come to know Joseph Smith as the man who restored the gospel of Jesus Christ to the earth.
Review of Geri Brinley. The Book of Mormon: A Pattern for Parenting.
Review of Joel P. Kramer and Scott R. Johnson. The Bible vs. the Book of Mormon.
Review of Jana Riess, annotator. The Book of Mormon: Selections Annotated and Explained.
This article addresses the origins of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and discusses whether the Saints believed Moroni to be an angel or merely a treasure guardian.
Book of Mormon Scriptures > Moroni
Butler discusses the premises of the DNA argument between supporters and critics of the Book of Mormon.
Stewart examines the DNA research applicable to Native Americans and how it relates to Book of Mormon peoples.
Welch discusses the use of the phrase pleasing bar in the Book of Mormon. Whereas scholar Royal Skousen argues that the word pleasing should actually be pleading, Welch claims that it should remain as it is.
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.
Royal Skousen explains what a critical text is and discusses his own critical text of the Book of Mormon.
Review of Sam Harris. The Ends of Faith: Religion, Terror, and the Future of Reason.
Review of Sterling M. McMurrin. The Theological Foundations of the Mormon Religion.
Review of Blake T. Ostler. Exploring Mormon Thought: The Attributes of God. and Blake T. Ostler. Exploring Mormon Thought: The Problems of Theism and the Love of God.
Review of William E. Evenson and Duane E. Jeffery. Mormonism and Evolution: The Authoritative LDS Statements.
Review of Trent D. Stephens, D. Jeffrey Meldrum, with Forrest B. Peterson. Evolution and Mormonism: A Quest for Understanding.
Review of Dan Vogel. Joseph Smith: The Making of a Prophet.
This article provides insights on the story of Aaron and the golden calf in the Bible, explaining why Aaron may have decided to make it and why his punishment for doing so was minor in comparison to other biblical reprimands.
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.
Review of E. Douglas Clark. The Blessing of Abraham: Becoming a Zion People.
Review of Kenneth A. Kitchen. On the Reliability of the Old Testament.
This article discusses the significance of the handclasp as depicted in Roman and early Christian artwork. The historical use of the sacred handclasp demonstrates the importance of the marriage covenant.
The FARMS Review Vol. 18, No. 2 (2006)
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.
Review of Duwayne R. Anderson. Farewell to Eden: Coming to Terms with Mormonism and Science.
The theory of intelligent design is an explanation for the origin and evolution of life on earth. Latter-day Saints should be sympathetic toward intelligent design.
Response to Douglas J. Davies. Mormon Culture of Salvation: Force, Grace and Glory.
Review of John W. Welch and Erick B. Carlson, eds. Opening the Heavens: Accounts of Divine Manifestations, 1820-1844.
Review of essays on Mormonism. Southern Baptist Journal of Theology.
Review of John Gee and Brian M. Hauglid, eds. Astronomy, Papyrus, and Covenant.
The FARMS Review Vol. 19, No. 1 (2007)
Assistant Church Historian James B. Allen shares his remarks that he made at Davis Bitton’s funeral on Bitton’s scholarly work.
Sorenson reminisces about his experiences with Davis Bitton, telling of Bitton’s love for truth, God, family, and friends.
Review of Scott C. Dunn. “Automaticity and the Dictation of the Book of Mormon.” In American Apocrypha: Essays on the Book of Mormon.
This article discusses the term reformed Egyptian as used in the Book of Mormon. Many critics claim that reformed Egyptian does not exist; however, languages and writing systems inevitably change over time, making the Nephites’ language a reformed version of Egyptian.
Significant evidence reveals that bronze and other metals were historically used for writing sacred texts. This article uses that information to demonstrate the plausibility that the Book of Mormon prophet Lehi would have followed the same practice.
Response to Richard Lyman Bushman, with the assistance of Jed Woodworth. Joseph Smith: Rough Stone Rolling.
Review of William G. Deve. Did God Have a Wife? Archaeology and Folk Religion in Ancient Israel.
Study of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints has become a topic of increasing interest to universities and scholars around the country. Bradford addresses this new attention and discusses topics that scholars should research in more depth in order to achieve an accurate academic view of Mormonism.
The New Testament repeatedly refers to the Apocalypse, insinuating that the end of the world is forthcoming. However, Faulconer suggests that the Apocalypse must begin with a restoration of gospel truths, and such a restoration can occur on an individual level. When Christ taught about an Apocalypse, he may have been referring to the conversion that each person experiences as he or she accepts these truths.
Because of the religious diversity in the United States, the different religions have struggled to be tolerant of each other, especially at the time when Joseph Smith founded the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Givens examines this situation and suggests five factors that contribute to the success of new religious movements such as Mormonism.
Heiser discusses Psalm 82 and the interpretations of Elohim that Latter-day Saints and evangelicals derive from that scriptural passage. Heiser then offers alternative interpretations from his own study.
Review of Michael S. Helser. “You've Seen One Elohim, You've Seen Them All? A Critique of Mormonism's Apologetic Use of Psalm 82.”
Heiser responds to Bokovoy’s critique of his argument against the traditional interpretation of Elohim as developed from Psalm 82.
Review of Tad R. Callister. The Inevitable Apostasy and the Promised Restoration. and Review of Alexander B. Morrison. Turning from Truth: A New Look at the Great Apostasy.
Review of Noel B. Reynolds, ed. Early Christians in Disarray: Contemporary LDS Perspectives on the Christian Apostasy. and Review of Scott R. Petersen. Where Have All the Prophets Gone?
Review of Gustav Mahler, ed. The Sealed Book of Daniel Opened and Translated: The Linear Bible Code—Reading the Book Backward.
Review of Allen J. Fletcher. A Study Guide to the Facsimiles of the Book of Abraham.
Review of C. John Sommerville. The Decline of the Secular Unversity.
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.
Review of David G. Calderwood. Voices from the Dust: New Insights into Ancient America.
The FARMS Review Vol. 19, No. 2 (2007)
Peterson refutes the views of atheist Christopher Hitchens, who takes a stance against religion and various well-known religious icons.
Review of Keith Bailey Schofield. How to Increase Your Enjoyment of the Book of Mormon: Striking New Insights Into the Life of Mormon and His Work.
Review of V. Garth Norman. Book of Mormon Geography—Mesoamerican Historic Geography.
Midgley applies Yosef Yerushalmi’s discussion of the ways of remembrance as illustrated in Jewish history to the Book of Mormon.
Olsen explains why historical documentation is essential to the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.
This article references Yosef Yerushalmi’s study of the role of remembrance in the Jewish religion. Novak and Midgley claim that Latter-day Saints have a similar need for remembrance in their religion, as is dem-onstrated in the Book of Mormon.
This article discusses the importance of recording sacred experiences and preserving other written records.
This article studies human memory and discusses why remembering is integral aspect of making covenants with God.
Review of Philip Jenkins. The Next Christendom: The Coming of Global Christianity.
This article compares statements by the Jewish philosopher Maimonides and the Latter-day Saint prophet Joseph Smith concerning the corporeality of God.
Review of Gary Topping. Utah Historians and the Reconstruction of Western History.
Review of B. Carmon Hard. Doing the Works of Abraham: Mormon Polygamy, Its Origin, Practice, and Demise.
Review of Christopher Cain (producer). September Dawn and Review of Carole Whang Schutter. September Dawn.
Review of Frank F. Judd Jr. and Gaye Strathearn, eds. Sperry Symposium Classics: The New Testament. and Review of Kent P. Jackson and Frank F. Judd Jr., eds. How the New Testament Came to Be: The 35th Annual Brigham Young University Sidney B. Sperry Symposium.
Review of Richard Neitzel Holzapfel, Eric D. Huntsman, and Thomas A. Wayment. Jesus Christ and the World of the New Testament; An Illustrated Reference for Latter-day Saints.
Review of Robert M. Price. The Pre-Nicene New Testament: Fifty-four Formative Texts.
Review of Michael F. Hull. Baptism on Account of the Dead (1 Cor 15:29): An Act of Faith in the Resurrection.
Review of Richard Dawkins. The God Delusion.
Gee shares the results of his twenty-year studies of the Joseph Smith Papyri, discussing matters that are not widely known.
The FARMS Review Vol. 20, No. 1 (2008)
Review of Kim B. Clark. Armor: Divine Protection in a Darkening World.
The Book of Mormon includes a narration of the Jaredites and records that this people brought honeybees with them from the Old World to the New World. A study of the history of beekeeping in the ancient Near East supports the plausibility of the Jaredites’ story.
Review of Frank B. Salisbury. The Case for Divine Design: Cells, Complexity, and Creation.
This essay challenges criticism of the alleged origins of the Book of Mormon and argues a common-sense approach to support the authenticity of the Book of Mormon.
Review of Sam Harris. The End of Faith: Religion, Terror, and the Future of Reason.
Review of Deification and Grace. (2007), by Daniel A. Keating.
Mitton highlights a few seventeenth-century prophecies concerning the last days and uses that background information to explain the outlook that many people today have on modern revelation.
Review of Frederick Babbel. On Wings of Faith: My Daily Walk with a Prophet.
Williams reviews the apostasy and the loss of three key components of the gospel: an understanding of the nature of God, apostolic authority, and the fulness of the gifts of the Spirit. He argues that these three aspects of the gospel largely influence our understanding of faith, reason, knowledge, and truth.
Review of Terryl L. Givens. People of Paradox: A History of Mormon Culture.
Faulconer, though not a postmodernist himself, argues that postmodernism is misunderstood and should be evaluated more thoroughly. Accordingly, he compares postmodernism with modernism in an effort to provide a more complete view of the two schools of thought.
This article explores what we know about the Joseph Smith Papyri, whether they are connected to the Book of Abraham, and the approaches that Latter-day Saints and non-LDS scholars take when trying to understand such a connection.
Review of Hank Hanegraaff. The Mormon Mirage: Seeing Through the Illusion of Mainstream Mormonism.
Review of Christopher Kimball Bigelow. The Timechart History of Mormonism: FromPremortality to the Present.
Review of Diane E. Wirth. Decoding Ancient America: A Guide to the Archaeology of the Book of Mormon.
The FARMS Review Vol. 20, No. 2 (2008)
Midgley shares a missionary experience in New Zealand in which he was confronted about the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. He then discusses the evolution of the evangelical movement and the problematic nature of engaging in heated debates about religion. While he encourages Latter-day Saints to defend their faith, he insists that they can do so with civility toward and respect for other beliefs.
President Samuelson’s Neal A. Maxwell Lecture, delivered 23 March 2007, highlights the life and scholarship of Elder Neal A. Maxwell, a member of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and the man for whom the Neal A. Maxwell Institute for Religious Scholarship was named.
Using the life of Neal A. Maxwell as a standard, Bruce C. Hafen, in his Neal A. Maxwell Lecture, delivered 21 March 2008, discusses the relationship between intellect and spirituality. While many people struggle to understand how reason and faith can coexist, Elder Maxwell exemplified how the two notions are, in fact, complementary to each other.
Review of George D. Smith. Nauvoo Polygamy: &ldquo. . . But we called it celestial marriage.”
Review of Tudor Parfitt. The Lost Ark of the Covenant: The Remarkable Quest for the Legendary Ark.
Review of Edwin G. Goble and Wayne N. May. This Land: Zarahemla and the Nephite Nation. and Review of Wayne N. May. This Land: Only One Cumorah! and Review of Wayne N. May. This Land: They Came from the East.
Review of Trent D. Stephens and D. Jeffrey Meldrum. Evolution and Mormonism: A Quest for Understanding.
Review of Ronald W. Walker, Richard E. Turley Jr., and Glen M. Leonard. Massacre at Mountain Meadows: An American Tragedy.
This article recounts the background and consequences of the Utah War of 1857–58 and comments on the power struggle that existed between Governor Brigham Young and President James Buchanan during that time.
Review of “Hugh Nibley’s Footnotes” (2008), by Ronald V. Huggins.
Hugh W. Nibley Topics > Hugh Nibley > Scholarship, Footnotes, Collected Works of Hugh Nibley, CWHN, Editing
Reprinted in Eloquent Witness: Nibley on Himself, Others, and the Temple, The Collected Works of Hugh Nibley 17.
Review of Hugh Nibley. Eloquent Witness: Nibley on Himself, Others, and the Temple, The Collected Works of Hugh Nibley 17.
Review of George D. Smith. Nauvoo Polygamy: “. . . But we called it celestial marriage.”
The FARMS Review Vol. 21, No. 1 (2009)
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.
Reviews of Margaret Barker. Temple Themes in Chrstian Worship.
Review of Margaret Barker. Temple Themes in Christian Worship.
Review of Temple Themes in Christian Worship (2008), by Margaret Barker.
The historical influences of the past on modern religion are important for the future of religion.
This article discusses the meaning of the term record and explains how it applies to the Book of Mormon.
Review of John W. Welch. The Legal Cases in the Book of Mormon.
Review of Gordon L. Weight. Miracle on Palmyra's Main Street: An “Old-Time” Printer's Perspective on Printing the Original Copies of the Book of Mormon.
Review of Second Witness: Analytical and Contextual Commentary on the Book of Mormon, 6 vols. (2007), by Brant A. Gardner.
Gardner examines the timeline and process that Mormon plausibly underwent when he compiled and added to the Book of Mormon. Mormon’s message is the cycle of history—the Messiah will come again.
Givens first recounts the six visions that Nephi records in the Book of Mormon. He then suggests five themes from these visions: personal revelation, focus on Jesus Christ, wilderness and varieties of Zion, new configurations of scripture, and the centrality of family. Finally, he expands on each of these themes individually, explaining how they are illustrated throughout the Book of Mormon.
Review of Dan Vogel. Joseph Smith: The Making of a Prophet.
This article approaches the narrative of Laban’s death using literary criticism and studies how Nephi’s use of specific words and phrases offers additional insight to this story.
Also available for free at BYU ScholarsArchive.
A review of Approaching Zion, Collected Works of Hugh Nibley, vol. 9.
The FARMS Review Vol. 21, No. 2 (2009)
Introduction to the current issue, including editor’s picks. Midgley explores such topics as Tertullian’s distinction between human wisdom and the “wisdom of God”; Augustinian traditions; evangelical and Roman Catholic views of God; Calvinism; freedom; and Book of Mormon teachings on redemption.
This Annual Neal A. Maxwell Lecture was given at Brigham Young University on 20 March 2009. Anderson respects both the Savior, Jesus Christ, and Joseph Smith, seer and revelator. He lays a foundation for the four Gospels and their historical authenticity. He notes the abundance of materials available about Joseph Smith and details his First Vision, the accounts of the Book of Mormon witnesses, sacred influences in Joseph’s life, and the significance of the events at Carthage.
Review of Margaret Barker. Christmas: The Original Story.
Review of Christopher Hitchens. God is not Great: How Religion Poisons Everything.
Review of Shawn McCraney. I Was a Born-Again Mormon: Moving Toward Christian Authenticity.
Review of Robert A. Rees and Eugene England, eds. The Reader's Book of Mormon. and Review of The Book of Mormon. Translated by Joseph Smith. Introduction by Laurie F. Maffly-Kipp.
Review of John L. Lunds. Mesoamerica and the Book of Mormon: Is This the Place?
Review of S. Kent Brown and Peter Johnson, eds. Journey of Faith: From Jerusalem to the Promised Land.
Roper discusses the regularly recurring Spaulding-Rigdon theory of the origins of the Book of Mormon and disputes, once again, the claims that Joseph Smith based the Book of Mormon text on a manuscript by Solomon Spaulding. Roper refutes the existence of two Spaulding manuscripts and shows possible influences of Jedediah Morse’s Geography on Spaulding’s existing “Manuscript Story.”
Review of Michael R. Ash. Of Faith and Reason: 80 Evidences Supporting the Prophet Joseph Smith.
The FARMS Review Vol. 22, No. 1 (2010)
Building on the metaphor of a garden, Midgley introduces the reviews and articles of this issue; he deals specifically with geographical issues, in particular the Heartland model.
Review of John W. Welch. The Sermon on the Mount in the Light of the Temple.
This brief essay on temple themes in the Sermon on the Mount introduces Welch’s book The Sermon on the Mount in Light of the Temple.
Review of The Sermon on the Mount in the Light of the Temple (2009), by John W. Welch.
Review of Rod L. Meldrum. Rediscovering the Book of Mormon Remnant through DNA.
Review of Ross Anderson. Understanding the Book of Mormon: A Quick Christian Guide to the Mormon Holy Book.
Review of Ross Anderson. Understanding the Book of Mormon: A Quick Christian Guide to the Mormon Holy Book.
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.
Nephi and Mormon both treat the covenant of the promised land, expounding on characteristics of prospering in the land: obeying God’s law, practicing domesticated economies, preserving sacred records, bearing and raising children, securing adequate defense, constructively using natural materials, worshipping at temples, requiring industriousness, and providing righteous leadership.
The Greek term often translated as “grace” has a broad range of meaning. Neither Jesus nor the Gospels teach that man is saved by grace alone; Paul is the predominant New Testament writer to use the term. The Protestant concept of grace stems from the time of Augustine. Book of Mormon prophets specify what actions are required to lay hold of the grace of Christ, a boon to be desired.
Joseph Smith has been charged with plagiarism in the Book of Mormon and his own revelations, largely because of lengthy biblical quotations (which, in each instance, have been credited to the Old Testament prophet whose words are being cited). Numerous examples in the Old Testament show that prophets freely borrowed verbiage from another. In the nineteenth century, newspapers reprinted material, often without attribution.
The FARMS Review Vol. 22, No. 2 (2010)
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.
This annual Neal A. Maxwell Lecture was given on 11 March 2010. Willes discusses his work of leading an LDS Church–owned media company as it sought to blend old media with new while reflecting the values of its parent organization and seeking to have a world-wide reach and impact. Innovative steps to avoid gratuitous negative journalism, elevate civic dialogue, and emotionally engage readers and viewers in relevant, compelling issues are highlighted.
Review of Bruce H. Porter and Rod L. Meldrum. Prophecies and Promises: The Book of Mormon and the United States of America.
Review of Bruce H. Porter and Rod L. Meldrum. Prophecies and Promises: The Book of Mormon and the United States of America.
The claim that a personal letter in the Book of Mormon mimics a form indicative of modern rather than ancient composition is critiqued. The majority of letters in the Book of Mormon follow the ancient Hittite-Syrian, Neo-Assyrian, Amarna, and Hebrew epistolary format in which the correspondent of superior rank is always listed first. Other clues to ancient composition are noted.
Book of Mormon Scriptures > Moroni
The symbolism of land and its covenantal associations are viewed as guiding structural elements in the Book of Mormon narrative. Involving “existential space” more than “geometric space,” the concept of land is central to an understanding of the book as a sacred, covenant-based record.
Review of William D. Russell. “A Further Inquiriy into the Historicity of the Book of Mormon.” Sunstone, September-October 1982, 20-27.
Review of Chrsitian Smith. Souls in Transition: The Religious and Spiritual Lives of Emerging Adults. and Review of Mark D. Regenerus. Forbidden Fruit: Sex and Religion in the Lives of American Teenagers.
Mormon Studies Review Vol. 23, No. 1 (2011)
The fifth annual Neal A. Maxwell lecture was presented by Marilyn Arnold on March 10, 2011, at Brigham Young University. Arnold (PhD, University of Wisconsin--Madison) is emeritus professor of English at Brigham Young University. She describes how her love of literary scholarship meshed with her developing views of Christian discipleship as she discovered literary richness in the Book of Mormon. The lecture was sponsored by the Neal A. Maxwell Institute for Religious Scholarship.
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.
The author updates his 1989 key for judging the merits of theories that attempt to locate Book of Mormon events in the real world. His “internal” geography of the book is based exclusively on what the book itself says about locations, distances, and directions. Six components (“transects”) of this geography are treated in detail, and ten crucial tests of geographical relatedness are proposed.
Nephi was a younger son of a wealthy family. As one who might not inherit his father's business, it is possible that he was trained for another profession. One of the high-status professions open to him would have been a scribe. Beyond the fact that Nephi produced at least three written works (1 Nephi, 2 Nephi, and the nonextant large-plate book of Lehi), there are other evidences in his writing that betray the kind of traning scribes received. His early professional training may have been an important preparation for his later role in establishing his people as a true people of the book.
Book of Mormon Scriptures > 2 Nephi
Review of Jeffrey M. Bradshaw. In God's Image and Likeness: Ancient and Modern Perspectives on the Book of Moses.
President Boyd K. Packer's October 2010 general conference address met with criticism from people opposed to the stance of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints on same-sex marriage and homosexual acts. Critics portrayed President Packer's printed clarification of his words as backing down under pressure. Six of his past addresses are reviewed here demonstrating that the clarification matches his past teachings. Critics' claims about President Packer's views are also shown to be inconsistent with his published views over many years. The reaction of Mormons for Marriage (M4M), a group of Latter-day Saints dedicated to opposing the church's stance on California Proposition 8, is examined. Despite promising to avoid any criticism of the church and its leaders, M4M is shown to indulge in both. M4M also recommends materials hostile to the church, its leaders, and its standards of morality. Examples of M4M's scriptural and doctronal justifications of its stance are also examined. The critics' arguments in favor of altering Latter-day Saint teaching regarding homosexual acts are critiqued.
Review of Matthew L. Jockers, Daniela M. Witten, and Craig S. Criddle. “Reassessing authorship of the Book of Mormon using delta and nearest shrunken centroid classification.”
Review of Matthew L. Jockers, Daniela M. Witten, and Craig S. Criddle. “Reassessing authorship of the Book of Mormon using delta and nearest shrunken centroid classification.”
Review of Matthew J. Grow. “Liberty to the Downtrodden”: Thomas L. Kane, Romantic Reformer.
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.
An explanation of why “Beyond Politics” was never published.
This talk was given on 26 October 1973 to the Pi Sigma Alpha honor society in the Political Science Department at Brigham Young University. It first appeared in BYU Studies 15/1 (1974) and was reprinted in Nibley on the Timely and the Timeless (Provo, UT: BYU Religious Studies Center, 1978) and in the second edition of that volume in 2004. It is reprinted here with minor technical editing.
In most languages, the Church is designated as that of the last days, so this speech—which is only a pastiche of quotations from its founders—is unblushingly apocalyptic. Did our grandparents overreact to signs of the times? For many years, a stock cartoon in sophisticated magazines has poked fun at the barefoot, bearded character in the long nightshirt carrying a placard calling all to “Repent, for the End is at Hand.” But where is the joke? Ask the smart people who thought up the funny pictures and captions: Where are they now?
“Beyond Politics” (1974)
“Beyond Politics” (2004)
“Beyond Politics” (2011)
Review of Richard Bauckham. Jesus and the Eyewitensses: The Gospels as Eyewitness Testimony.
Review of Christopher Catherwood. Church History: A Crash Course for the Curious.
