Select Page
FARMS Publications
Alphabetical by Title

See the icons used for the links to the available media types for an article


Midgley, Louis C. “The Radical Reformation of the Reorganization of the Restoration: Recent Changes in the RLDS Understanding of the Book of Mormon.” Journal of Book of Mormon Studies 2, no. 2 (1993): 132-163.
Display Abstract  Display Keywords

Beginning in the 1960s, the Reorganized Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints (RLDS) has modified its understanding of the Book of Mormon and Joseph Smith’s prophetic charisms. Where the RLDS were earlier permitted to do this, they are now encouraged by their leaders to read the Book of Mormon as nineteenth-century fiction, though they are still permitted to find in it, if they wish, some inspiring passages. These changes have been resisted by a conservative minority that has lost the battle for control of the Reorganization and now tends to worship outside RLDS congregations. A few Latter-day Saints have also begun to read the Book of Mormon as fiction. Their efforts to turn the Book of Mormon into nineteenth-century fiction have been opposed by competent Latter-day Saint scholarship, though not without resistance from those who control “independent” and “liberal” publishing ventures.

Keywords: Community of Christ; Historicity; Inspired Fiction; RLDS; Reorganized Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints; Scripture
ID = [2847]  Status = Type = journal article  Date = 1993-01-01  Collections:  bmc-archive,bom,farms-jbms  Size: 86546  Children: 0  Rebuilt: 7/22/24 10:11:08
Bennett, Richard E. “Raising Kane.” Mormon Studies Review 23, no. 1 (2011): 125-129.
Display Abstract  Display Keywords

Review of Matthew J. Grow. “Liberty to the Downtrodden”: Thomas L. Kane, Romantic Reformer.

Keywords: Early Church History; Kane; Thomas L.
ID = [667]  Status = Type = review  Date = 2011-01-01  Collections:  bmc-archive,farms-review  Size: 14560  Children: 0  Rebuilt: 7/22/24 10:09:03
Bitton, Davis. “The Ram and the Lion: Lyman Wight and Brigham Young.” In The Disciple as Witness: Essays on Latter-day Saint History and Doctrine in Honor of Richard Lloyd Anderson, edited by Ricks, Stephen D., Parry, Donald W., and Hedges, Andrew H. Provo, UT: The Foundation for Ancient Research and Mormon Studies, 2000.
ID = [81847]  Status = Type = book article  Date = 2000-01-01  Collections:  church-history,farms-books  Size:   Children: 0  Rebuilt: 7/22/24 11:15:43
Smith, Robert F. “Ramses II BYU Exhibit: Supplementary Comments on the Artifacts.” Preliminary Report. Provo, UT: Foundation for Ancient Research and Mormon Studies, 1986.
ID = [8590]  Status = Type = journal article  Date = 1986-01-01  Collections:  farms-reports  Size: 998  Children: 0  Rebuilt: 8/5/24 7:09:44
Andersen, Todd G. “Randall K. Mehew, A Most Convincing Witness: Reasons Why the Book of Mormon Is the True Word of God.” Review of Books on the Book of Mormon 3 (1991): Article 10.
Display Abstract  

Review of A Most Convincing Witness: Reasons Why the Book of Mormon Is the True Word of God (1990), by Randall K. Mehew.

ID = [97]  Status = Type = review  Date = 1991-01-01  Collections:  bom,farms-review  Size: 5015  Children: 0  Rebuilt: 7/22/24 10:08:27
Sorenson, John L. “A Rare Gem.” The FARMS Review 15, no. 1 (2003): 15-17.
Display Abstract  Display Keywords

Review of Terryl L Given. By the Hand of Mormon: The American Scripture That Launched a New World Religion.

Keywords: Book of Mormon; Doctrine; Historicity; Scholarship
ID = [421]  Status = Type = review  Date = 2003-01-01  Collections:  bmc-archive,bom,farms-review,sorenson  Size: 6489  Children: 0  Rebuilt: 7/22/24 10:08:46
Raish, Martin H. “A Reader’s Library.” Journal of Book of Mormon Studies 8 no. 2 (1992).
Display Abstract  

This author requests help in compiling a list of useful reference books that readers can use when studying the Book of Mormon. Such a list would include dictionaries, encyclopedias, and atlases.

ID = [3014]  Status = Type = journal article  Date = 1992-01-01  Collections:  bom,farms-jbms  Size: 10115  Children: 0  Rebuilt: 7/22/24 10:11:19
Raish, Martin H. “A Reader’s Library.” Journal of Book of Mormon Studies 9 no. 1 (2000).
Display Abstract  

Martin Raish suggests that although there are only two dictionaries of Mesoamerican archaeology and culture, both are quite good and can be augmented with some excellent travel guides and wall maps. Together they help readers better understand the terminology of art history and archaeology, become more conversant with the names of sites and cultures, and feel more confident about the general outlines of history in likely Book of Mormon lands. The author specifically recommends two dictionaries, a volume on Mesoamerican religions, an atlas, some traveler’s guides, and some National Geographic Society maps.

Topics:    Book of Mormon Scriptures > Ether
ID = [3031]  Status = Type = journal article  Date = 2000-01-01  Collections:  bom,farms-jbms  Size: 1481  Children: 0  Rebuilt: 7/22/24 10:11:21
Raish, Martin H. “A Reader’s Library.” Journal of Book of Mormon Studies 10 no. 1 (2001).
Display Abstract  

This article lists and discusses multiple texts that comment on the Book of Mormon and recommends them as supplements to Book of Mormon study.

ID = [3062]  Status = Type = journal article  Date = 2001-01-01  Collections:  bom,farms-jbms  Size: 13651  Children: 0  Rebuilt: 7/22/24 10:11:23
Raish, Martin H., and C. Gary Bennett. “A Reader’s Library.” Journal of Book of Mormon Studies 11 no. 1 (2002).
Display Abstract  

Two critics evaluate the book By the Hand of Mormon: The American Scripture That Launched a New World Religion. Raish opines that Givens’s book effectively explains why a person might accept the Book of Mormon and facilitates a reader’s desire to better understand the Book of Mormon. Bennett adds that Givens approaches his discussion of the Book of Mormon as a scholar, resulting in a more accepting readership. Givens also studies the Book of Mormon with respect to its role in promoting the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints as a worldwide religion.

ID = [3093]  Status = Type = journal article  Date = 2002-01-01  Collections:  bom,farms-jbms  Size: 16312  Children: 0  Rebuilt: 7/22/24 10:11:25
Hansen, Kristine, and Keith Lawrence. “A Reader’s Library.” Journal of Book of Mormon Studies 12, no. 2 (2003): 100-106.
Display Abstract  Display Keywords

Both Hansen and Lawrence review Grant Hardy’s The Book of Mormon: A Reader’s Edition. Not meant to replace the 1981 edition published by the church, this edition appears in a reader-friendly format and provides additional notes and appendices.

Keywords: Literary; Literature; Structure
ID = [3132]  Status = Type = journal article  Date = 2003-01-01  Collections:  bmc-archive,bom,farms-jbms  Size: 27340  Children: 0  Rebuilt: 7/22/24 10:11:27
Norton, Don E., Jr. “A Reader’s Library.” Journal of Book of Mormon Studies 13 no. 1 (2004).
Display Abstract  

Both Norton and Taylor review the volume Book of Mormon Reference Companion, edited by Dennis L. Largey and published by Deseret Book.

ID = [3151]  Status = Type = journal article  Date = 2004-01-01  Collections:  bom,farms-jbms  Size: 23219  Children: 0  Rebuilt: 7/22/24 10:11:28
Bell, James P. “A Reader’s Library: Efficacious Scholarship.” Journal of Book of Mormon Studies 8, no. 1 (1999): 72-73.
Display Abstract  Display Keywords

Bell reviews the following books about Joseph Smith and the Book of Mormon: Susan Easton Black and Charles D. Tate Jr.’s edited volume Joseph Smith: The Prophet, the Man; Scot Facer Proctor and Maurine Jensen Proctor’s edition of The Revised and Enhanced History of Joseph Smith by His Mother; John W. Welch and Stephen D. Ricks’s edited volume King Benjamin’s Speech: “That Ye May Learn Wisdom”; and Donald W. Parry and John W. Welch’s edited volume Isaiah in the Book of Mormon.

Keywords: Book of Mormon; Early Church History; Joseph; Jr.; Smith; Translation
ID = [3001]  Status = Type = journal article  Date = 1999-01-01  Collections:  bmc-archive,bom,farms-jbms  Size: 10127  Children: 0  Rebuilt: 7/22/24 10:11:19
Bradford, Mary Lythgoe. “A Reader’s Library: Hugh Nibley: A Legend in His Own Time.” Journal of Book of Mormon Studies 12, no. 1 (2003): 108–110, 120.
Display Abstract  Display Keywords

This review enthusiastically endorses Boyd Petersen’s biography of his father-in-law, Hugh Nibley. Petersen intersperses narrative chapters with thematic ones in Hugh Nibley: A Consecrated Life.

Keywords: Hugh; Nibley; Scholarship
Topics:    Hugh W. Nibley Topics > Hugh Nibley
ID = [1648]  Status = Type = Journal Article  Date = 2003-01-01  Collections:  bmc-archive,farms-jbms,nibley  Size:   Children: 0  Rebuilt: 7/22/24 10:10:02
Handley, George B. “Reading and the Menardian Paradox in 3 Nephi.” Journal of Book of Mormon Studies 26 (2017).
Display Abstract  

In the Old World Jesus taught, “Blessed are they which do hunger and thirst after righteousness: for they shall be filled” (Matthew 5:6), yet in the New World he says, “Blessed are all they who do hunger and thirst after righteousness, for they shall be filled with the Holy Ghost” (3 Nephi 12:6). Attention, understandably, has been given to the differences, large and small, between the Sermon on the Mount as recounted in the New Testament and the similar sermon given in the New World. At times, we note slight shifts in emphasis (here in the New World, for example, Jesus makes this promise to “all”), more complete understandings (we are filled specifically with the influence of the Holy Ghost), and so on. And these differences raise compelling questions about the possibility that plain and precious truths were lost in translation in the Bible but are restored again in the Book of Mormon. The differences might also suggest the importance of a shifting context that moves Jesus to vary his speech. One wonders if one version is more authoritative than the other. But there is an additional question the two accounts of Christ’s sermon raise. What do readers make of the fact that in most cases the wording is exactly coincident? What might that signify?

Topics:    Book of Mormon Scriptures > 3 Nephi
ID = [81895]  Status = Type = journal article  Date = 2017-01-01  Collections:  bom,farms-jbms  Size:   Children: 0  Rebuilt: 7/22/24 11:15:46
Huntington, Ray L. “Reading between the Lines: Book of Mormon Insights from S. Kent Brown.” The FARMS Review 17, no. 2 (2005): 1-5.
Display Abstract  Display Keywords

Review of S. Kent Brown. Voices from the Dust: Book of Mormon Insights.

Keywords: Education; Scholarship; Scripture Study
ID = [511]  Status = Type = review  Date = 2005-01-01  Collections:  bmc-archive,bom,farms-review  Size: 10467  Children: 0  Rebuilt: 7/22/24 10:08:51
Stuart, Joseph R. “Reading Race, Reading Scripture: Assessing Recent Historical Works on Race and the Book of Mormon.” Journal of Book of Mormon Studies 28 (2019).
Display Abstract  

Different approaches to reading The Book of Mormon have influenced the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints’ teachings from 1830 to the present day. Scholars have long recognized that the definition of “Lamanites,” one of the primary groups described in the book, has shaped missionary work, Church policy, and public outreach. Indeed, in the Doctrine and Covenants, Joseph Smith received a revelation sending four missionaries to preach “among the Lamanites,” perhaps the first justification for preaching among Indigenous peoples. Recent teachings have expanded the definition of Lamanite to include Native and Indigenous peoples on both American continents as well as Polynesians

ID = [81930]  Status = Type = journal article  Date = 2019-01-01  Collections:  bom,d-c,farms-jbms  Size:   Children: 0  Rebuilt: 7/22/24 11:15:48
Hafen, Bruce C. “Reason, Faith, and the Things of Eternity.” The FARMS Review 20, no. 2 (2008): 15-35.
Display Abstract  Display Keywords

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.

Keywords: Faith; Reason; Study
ID = [607]  Status = Type = talk  Date = 2008-01-01  Collections:  bmc-archive,farms-review  Size: 46373  Children: 0  Rebuilt: 7/22/24 10:08:58
Judkins, Benjamin N. “Recent Trends in Book of Mormon Apologetics: A Critical Assessment of Methodological Diversity and Academic Viability.” The FARMS Review 16, no. 1 (2004): 75-97.
Display Abstract  Display Keywords

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.

Keywords: Apologetics; Evidence; Methodology; Scholarship
ID = [468]  Status = Type = journal article  Date = 2004-01-01  Collections:  bmc-archive,bom,farms-review  Size: 55968  Children: 0  Rebuilt: 7/22/24 10:08:49
Thompson, Jeffrey Paul, and John W. Welch. “The Rechabites: A Model Group in Lehi’s World.” In Glimpses of Lehi’s Jerusalem, eds. John W. Welch, David Rolph Seely, and Jo Ann H. Seely, 611—24. Provo, Utah: Foundation for Ancient Research and Mormon Studies, 2004.
Topics:    Old Testament Topics > History
ID = [39705]  Status = Type = book article  Date = 2004-01-01  Collections:  bom,farms-books,old-test,welch  Size:   Children: 0  Rebuilt: 8/5/24 7:40:37
Stevenson, Russell W. “Reckoning with Race in the Book of Mormon: A Review of Literature.” Journal of Book of Mormon Studies 27 (2018).
Display Abstract  

Scholars of Mormonism have seen a deluge of race literature on the Book of Mormon flow over the past five years. Compared to the robust scholarship on the use of biblical literature in constructing race, Mormonism strikes one as the particularly colorful character who showed up late to the party. For a faith system that has started to imagine itself in global terms, the implications of this recent increase are profound and invite commentary from a variety of disciplines ranging from literary criticism to forensic anthropology. This review essay holds humble aspirations for itself: to trace the basic contours of racialization and deracialization in the Book of Mormon’s historiographical record, illustrating how the contestedness of the racial narrative reflects a variety of needs for Mormon reception of the Book of Mormon text. To close, I will speak to the Book of Mormon’s relevance as a point of entry for undermining Anglo-Saxon knowledge control.

ID = [81912]  Status = Type = journal article  Date = 2018-01-01  Collections:  bom,farms-jbms  Size:   Children: 0  Rebuilt: 7/22/24 11:15:47
Tvedtnes, John A. “Reconstructing the Book of Mormon.” The FARMS Review 15, no. 1 (2003): 1-3.
Display Abstract  Display Keywords

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.

Keywords: Critical Text; Original Manuscript of the Book of Mormon; Printer’s Manuscript of the Book of Mormon; Textual Criticism; Translation
ID = [419]  Status = Type = review  Date = 2003-01-01  Collections:  bmc-archive,bom,farms-review  Size: 5978  Children: 0  Rebuilt: 7/22/24 10:08:46
Tvedtnes, John A. “The Records Come Forth.” In The Book of Mormon and Other Hidden Books: “Out of Darkness Unto Light”, edited by , 167-174. Provo, UT: Foundation for Ancient Research and Mormon Studies, 2000.
Display Keywords
Keywords: Ancient Near East; Apocalypse of Abraham; Book of Jasher; Buddhism; China; Copper Scroll; Dead Sea Scrolls; Hidden Records; Latter-day Saint History (1820-1846); Nag Hammadi Library; Prophecy; Restoration; Testaments of the Twelve Patriarchs
ID = [75612]  Status = Type = book article  Date = 2000-01-01  Collections:  bom,farms-books  Size:   Children: 0  Rebuilt: 7/22/24 11:09:52
Bradford, Miles Gerald. “Recovering the Original Text of the Book of Mormon: An Interim Review.” Journal of Book of Mormon Studies 15 no. 1 (2006).
Display Abstract  

Bradford introduces reviews of Royal Skousen’s work on the critical text project.

ID = [3178]  Status = Type = journal article  Date = 2006-01-01  Collections:  bom,farms-jbms  Size: 10440  Children: 0  Rebuilt: 7/22/24 10:11:30
Rust, Richard Dilworth. “Recurrence in Book of Mormon Narratives.” Journal of Book of Mormon Studies 3, no. 1 (1994): 39-52.
Display Abstract  Display Keywords

Repetition appears purposefully within Book of Mormon narratives as a principle of reinforcement and confirmation. It seems that every important action, event, or character is repeated in the Book of Mormon. These repetitions emphasize the law of witnesses at work within the book (e.g., “in the mouth of three witnesses shall these things be established”; Ether 5:4). Further, they underscore the relevance of one character or action to people living in a different time, and they link narratives together with what Robert Alter calls “type-scenes.” Analyzed in detail as particularly striking are threefold repetitions in Nephi’s task to retrieve the brass plates and repetition of the word “power” in the missionary endeavor of the sons of Mosiah. Larger repeated narratives treat escape and travel to a promised land; repentance; and the nature, rise, and effect of secret combinations.

Keywords: Brass Plates; Missionary Work; Narrative; Nephi; Promised Land; Repentance; Repetition; Secret Combinations; Witnesses
Topics:    Book of Mormon Scriptures > Mosiah
Book of Mormon Scriptures > Ether
ID = [2857]  Status = Type = journal article  Date = 1994-01-01  Collections:  bmc-archive,bom,farms-jbms  Size: 33256  Children: 0  Rebuilt: 7/22/24 10:11:09
Paulsen, David L., Kendel J. Christensen, and Martin Pulido. “Redeeming the Dead: Tender Mercies, Turning of Hearts, and Restoration of Authority.” Journal of the Book of Mormon and Other Restoration Scripture 20, no. 1 (2011): 28-51.
Display Abstract  Display Keywords

Beginning with Paul’s reference to baptism for the dead and the early Christian practice thereof, many theologians—from Augustine and Cyril of Alexandria to Thomas Aquinas, Joseph Smith, and some of his contemporaries—have discussed the fate of the unevangelized dead. These authors have provided many ideas to solve this soteriological problem of evil; however, until the restoration, none could balance the three truths that God is all loving, one must accept Jesus Christ to be saved, and many have died without knowing about Christ. This article chronicles the thoughts of these and other theologians as well as the development, through revelation, of Joseph Smith’s own thinking on postmortem evangelization and baptism for the dead.

Keywords: Authority; Baptism for the Dead; Early Christianity; Joseph; Jr.; Missionary Work; Redemption; Restoration; Revelation; Smith; Soteriology; Tender Mercies; Theology
ID = [3260]  Status = Type = journal article  Date = 2011-01-01  Collections:  bmc-archive,farms-jbms  Size: 101048  Children: 0  Rebuilt: 7/22/24 10:11:35
Hallen, Cynthia L. “Redeeming the Desolate Woman: The Message of Isaiah 54 and 3 Nephi 22.” Journal of Book of Mormon Studies 7, no. 1 (1998): 40-47, 70-71.
Display Abstract  Display Keywords

Third Nephi 22 (quoting Isaiah 54) addresses a desolate woman who will be redeemed in the latter days. The desolate woman represents Zion, which itself signifies the city of Enoch in ancient times, the hill where the temple was built in Jerusalem, the celestial city of God, the kingdom of God on earth, and a covenant community of temple-worthy Saints. The Lord promises to relieve the desolation of Zion felt through barrenness, lack of a permanent home, and being forsaken and persecuted. The destiny of Zion parallels the pattern of Noah—both remain faithful to their covenants and witness a cleansing of the earth. The Savior serves as Zion’s husband. The servants of the Lord are equated with Zion—the Lord will not allow oppressors to be successful against Zion. The Lord promises to redeem Zion as he sings a song of redeeming love.

Keywords: City of Enoch; Symbolism; Temple; Womenhood; Zion
Topics:    Book of Mormon Scriptures > 3 Nephi
Old Testament Scriptures > Isaiah
Old Testament Topics > Book of Mormon and the Old Testament
Old Testament Topics > Women in the Old Testament
ID = [2979]  Status = Type = journal article  Date = 1998-01-01  Collections:  bmc-archive,bom,farms-jbms,old-test  Size: 23836  Children: 0  Rebuilt: 7/22/24 10:11:17
Paulsen, David L., Kendel J. Christensen, Martin Pulido, and Judson Burton. “Redemption of the Dead: Continuing Revelation after Joseph Smith.” Journal of the Book of Mormon and Restoration Scripture 20 no. 2 (2011).
Display Abstract  

After Joseph Smith’s death, the Saints still had many questions regarding the soteriological problem of evil and the doctrines about redeeming the dead. This paper details what leaders of the church after Joseph Smith have said in response to these previously unanswered questions. They focus on the nature of Christ’s visit to the spirit world, those who were commissioned to preach the gospel to the departed spirits, the consequences of neglecting the gospel in mortality, and the extent and role of temple ordinances for those not eligible for celestial glory. This paper focuses on both the early and the late teachings of President Joseph F. Smith. It explains the doctrinal and historical contexts for his vision in 1918 and the further insights provided by this vision.

ID = [3268]  Status = Type = journal article  Date = 2011-01-01  Collections:  farms-jbms  Size: 72317  Children: 0  Rebuilt: 7/22/24 10:11:35
Sorenson, John L., and Melvin J. Thorne. Rediscovering the Book of Mormon: Insights that you may have missed before. Provo, UT/Salt Lake City: Foundation for Ancient Research and Mormon Studies/Deseret Book, 1991.
Display Abstract  Display Keywords

This book shares the exciting results of scholarly research on the Book of Mormon undertaken during the 1980s. As an ancient religious text and cultural artifact, the Book of Mormon rewards close analysis along many lines of inquiry. Twenty-three essays by prominent LDS scholars cover such topics as warfare, repentance, Exodus motifs, Hebraisms, kingship, politics, Isaiah, Mormon as editor, chiasmus, covenant renewal, and poetry.
These studies aim to demonstrate that the Book of Mormon contains complex patterns not previously recognized—that is, subtle patterns of style, ideas, history, and actions that, once made visible, shed much light on the power and beauty of the book and stimulate greater appreciation and respect for it.

Keywords: Chiasmus; Covenant; Daughters of the Lamanites; Hand Gesture; Imagery; Isaiah (Book); Nahom; Poetry; Politics; Remembrance; Repentance; Scholarship; Warfare
ID = [6981]  Status = Type = book  Date = 1991-01-01  Collections:  bmc-archive,bom,farms-books,sorenson  Size: 465064  Children: 23  Rebuilt: 8/5/24 7:09:37
Goff, Alan. “Reduction and Enlargement: Harold Bloom’s Mormons.” Review of Books on the Book of Mormon 5, no. 1 (1993): 96-108.
Display Abstract  Display Keywords

Review of The American Religion: The Emergence of the Post-Christian Nation (1992), by Harold Bloom.

Keywords: Early Church History; Enlargement; Reduction
ID = [146]  Status = Type = review  Date = 1993-01-01  Collections:  bmc-archive,farms-review  Size: 33240  Children: 0  Rebuilt: 7/22/24 10:08:30
Welch, John W. Reexploring the Book of Mormon: A Decade of New Research. Salt Lake City: Deseret Book Company, 1992.
Display Abstract  

The Book of Mormon invites exploration and reexploration. After more than 150 years of careful reading, we are still learning to appreciate its fullness, understand its origins, and comprehend its messages. Reexploring the Book of Mormon yields a wealth of new insights. More than ever before, patient and skillful research during the past decade has led from one discovery to another. Since 1981, the Foundation for Ancient Research and Mormon Studies (F.A.R.M.S.) has issued articles and updates—brief, readable reports on current discoveries about the origins and contents of the Book of Mormon. Eighty-five of these findings published through 1991 have been collected in this volume. This type of research does more than gather circumstantial evidence for the Book of Mormon. It explores many avenues of the record’s internal complexity. It helps define the rich literary, anthropological, historical, and spiritual settings in which this scripture was written and translated.

ID = [6982]  Status = Type = book  Date = 1992-01-01  Collections:  bom,farms-books,welch  Size: 475839  Children: 86  Rebuilt: 8/5/24 7:09:37
Brown, S. Kent. “Refining the Spotlight on Lehi and Sariah.” Journal of Book of Mormon Studies 15 no. 2 (2006).
Display Abstract  

Royal Skousen’s endeavor to recover the original text of the Book of Mormon is more complicated than it seems because it involves more than simply reproducing the original manuscript. Rather, what Skousen means by “original text” is the very language that appeared on the Urim and Thummim. Every subsequent step, such as Joseph’s reading, his scribes’ understanding and transcribing of that utterance, and Oliver Cowdery’s copying of the manuscript for the printer, exposed the text to the possibility of human subjectivity and error. This paper explains the nature and scope of Skousen’s monumental undertaking and presents some of the methods and reasoning he employs to resolve disputed textual variants in search the Book of Mormon’s original text.

ID = [3191]  Status = Type = journal article  Date = 2006-01-01  Collections:  bom,farms-jbms  Size: 85474  Children: 0  Rebuilt: 7/22/24 10:11:30
Enns, Peter. “Reflections (Personal and Otherwise) on Protestantism’s Uneasy and Diverse Response to Higher Criticism.” Studies in the Bible and Antiquity 8 no. 1 (2016).
Display Abstract  Display Keywords

Each of us has been asked to address some important questions about the intersection of our own faith traditions and higher criticism — an apt metaphor, since “intersections” are where collisions often happen. This brings me to my topic, Protestantism and higher criticism, a messy subject to be sure.

Keywords: Protestantism; Bible studies; religious scholarship
ID = [7072]  Status = Type = journal article  Date = 2016-01-01  Collections:  farms-sba  Size: 46474  Children: 0  Rebuilt: 8/5/24 7:09:38
Peterson, Daniel C. “Reflections on Secular Anti-Mormonism.” The FARMS Review 17, no. 2 (2005): Article 12.
Display Abstract  

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.

ID = [520]  Status = Type = journal article  Date = 2005-01-01  Collections:  farms-review,peterson  Size: 65344  Children: 0  Rebuilt: 7/22/24 10:08:52
Insights. “Reflections: Cosmic Optimism.” Insights 27, no. 3 (2007).
Display Abstract  Display Keywords

In a world filled with violence, poverty, suffering, illness, accidental death, disappointment, frustration, and hatred, pessimism is an ever-beckoning possibility. And, for some, pessimism shades eventually into utter despair, hopelessness, and cynicism.

Keywords: Bertrand Russell; autobiography; British philosopher; Bible
ID = [66852]  Status = Type = journal article  Date = 2007-01-03  Collections:  farms-insights  Size:   Children: 0  Rebuilt: 7/22/24 11:01:52
Insights. “Reformatted Text of Book of Mormon Enhances Study.” Insights 27, no. 4 (2007).
Display Abstract  Display Keywords

Just in time for the study of the Book of Mormon in the 2008 churchwide Sunday School courses, the Maxwell Institute recently released an updated and expanded edition of Donald W. Parry’s Poetic Parallelisms in the Book of Mormon: The Complete Text.

Keywords: Book of Mormon; study; improvements; volume
ID = [66858]  Status = Type = journal article  Date = 2007-01-04  Collections:  bom,farms-insights  Size:   Children: 0  Rebuilt: 7/22/24 11:01:53
Hamblin, William J. “Reformed Egyptian.” Preliminary Report. Provo, UT: Foundation for Ancient Research and Mormon Studies, 1995.
Display Abstract  Display Keywords

In this article William Hamblin responds to critics of the Book of Mormon who claim that there is no language known as reformed Egyptian, a term found in Mormon 9:32. Hamblin reminds readers that reformed Egyptian is a modern term for an ancient language and lists examples of other ancient records written in languages that could also be considered reformed Egyptian.

Keywords: Book of Mormon; Answers to Criticisms
ID = [8393]  Status = Type = journal article  Date = 1995-01-01  Collections:  bom,farms-reports  Size: 209  Children: 0  Rebuilt: 8/5/24 7:09:42
Hamblin, William J. “Reformed Egyptian.” The FARMS Review 19, no. 1 (2007): Article 7.
Display Abstract  

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.

ID = [554]  Status = Type = journal article  Date = 2007-01-01  Collections:  bom,farms-review  Size: 11137  Children: 0  Rebuilt: 7/22/24 10:08:54
Porter, Larry C. “Reinventing Mormonism: To Remake or Redo.” Review of Books on the Book of Mormon 7, no. 2 (1995): 123-143.
Display Abstract  Display Keywords

Review of Interventing Mormonism: Tradition and the Historical Record (1994), by H. Michael Marquardt and Wesley P. Walters.

Keywords: Anti-Mormon; Criticism
ID = [217]  Status = Type = review  Date = 1995-01-01  Collections:  bmc-archive,farms-review  Size: 40394  Children: 0  Rebuilt: 7/22/24 10:08:33
Tvedtnes, John A. “Reinventing the Book of Mormon.” The FARMS Review 16, no. 2 (2004): 91-106.
Display Abstract  Display Keywords

Review of Brent Lee Metcalfe. “Reinventing Lamanite Identity.” Sunstone

Keywords: Book of Mormon Geography - Limited Geography; DNA; Genealogy; Genetics; Historicity; Lamanite
ID = [481]  Status = Type = review  Date = 2004-01-01  Collections:  bmc-archive,bom,farms-review  Size: 35996  Children: 0  Rebuilt: 7/22/24 10:08:49
Muhlestein, Kerry. “The Religious and Cultural Background of Joseph Smith Papyrus I.” Journal of the Book of Mormon and Restoration Scripture 22 no. 1 (2013).
Display Abstract  

Throughout its history, ancient Egyptian religion showed a remarkable capacity for adopting new religious ideas and characters and adapting them for use in an already existing system of worship. This process continued, and perhaps accelerated, during the Groco-Roman era of Egyptian history. Egyptian priests readily used foreign religious characters in their rituals and religious formulas, particularly from Greek and Jewish religions. Religious texts demonstrate that Egyptian priests knew of both biblical and nonbiblical accounts of many Jewish figures--especially Jehova, Abraham, and Moses--by about 200 BC. Knowing this religio-cultural background helps us understand how the priest in Thebes who owned Joseph Smith Papyrus I would have been familiar with stories of Abraham.

ID = [3286]  Status = Type = journal article  Date = 2013-01-01  Collections:  abraham,farms-jbms  Size: 58681  Children: 0  Rebuilt: 7/22/24 10:11:36
Anderson, Richard Lloyd. “Religious Validity: The Sacrament Covenant in Third Nephi.” In By Study and Also By Faith, Volume 2, edited by Stephen D. Ricks and John M. Lundquist, 1-51. Vol. 2. Provo, UT/Salt Lake City: Foundation for Ancient Research and Mormon Studies/Deseret Book, 1990.
Display Abstract  Display Keywords

This second of two volumes of essays honoring Hugh Nibley includes scholarly papers based on what the authors have learned from Nibley. Nearly every major subject that Dr. Nibley has encompassed in his vast learning and scholarly production is represented here by at least one article. Topics include the sacrament covenant in Third Nephi, the Lamanite view of Book of Mormon history, external evidences of the Book of Mormon, proper names in the Book of Mormon, the brass plates version of Genesis, the composition of Lehi’s family, ancient burials of metal documents in stone boxes, repentance as rethinking, Mormon history’s encounter with secular modernity, and Judaism in the 20th century.
A study of how history is typically written and the similarities with how the Book of Mormon is written.

Keywords: Covenant; Ordinance; Sacrament
Topics:    Hugh W. Nibley Topics > Hugh Nibley > Scholarship, Footnotes, Collected Works of Hugh Nibley, CWHN, Editing > Book of Mormon
ID = [2352]  Status = Type = book article  Date = 1990-01-02  Collections:  bmc-archive,bom,farms-books,nibley  Size:   Children: 0  Rebuilt: 7/22/24 10:10:41
Faulconer, James E. “Remembrance.” The FARMS Review 19, no. 2 (2007): 71-87.
Display Abstract  Display Keywords

This article studies human memory and discusses why remembering is integral aspect of making covenants with God.

Keywords: Covenant; Memory; Prophet; Remember; Remembrance
ID = [581]  Status = Type = journal article  Date = 2007-01-01  Collections:  bmc-archive,farms-review  Size: 39245  Children: 0  Rebuilt: 7/22/24 10:08:56
Midgley, Louis C. “Remembrance and the Past.” The FARMS Review 19, no. 2 (2007): Article 7.
Display Abstract  

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.

ID = [579]  Status = Type = journal article  Date = 2007-01-01  Collections:  bom,farms-review  Size: 66660  Children: 0  Rebuilt: 7/22/24 10:08:55
Gillum, Gary P. “Repentance Also Means Rethinking.” In By Study and Also By Faith, Volume 2, edited by John M. Lundquist and Stephen D. Ricks, 406-437. Vol. 2. Provo, UT/Salt Lake City: Foundation for Ancient Research and Mormon Studies/Deseret Book, 1990.
Display Abstract  Display Keywords

This second of two volumes of essays honoring Hugh Nibley includes scholarly papers based on what the authors have learned from Nibley. Nearly every major subject that Dr. Nibley has encompassed in his vast learning and scholarly production is represented here by at least one article. Topics include the sacrament covenant in Third Nephi, the Lamanite view of Book of Mormon history, external evidences of the Book of Mormon, proper names in the Book of Mormon, the brass plates version of Genesis, the composition of Lehi’s family, ancient burials of metal documents in stone boxes, repentance as rethinking, Mormon history’s encounter with secular modernity, and Judaism in the 20th century.
Although Latter-day Saints have a knowledge of the process of repentance, they lack a complete understanding of how the scriptures use the term repentance: repentance consists not only of remorse, confession, restitution, and forgiveness, but a literal changing of one’s entire perspective on life, so that eventually a Latter-day Saint may “repent of having to repent.”

Keywords: Repentance
Topics:    Hugh W. Nibley Topics > Hugh Nibley > Scholarship, Footnotes, Collected Works of Hugh Nibley, CWHN, Editing > Discipleship
ID = [2364]  Status = Type = book article  Date = 1990-01-02  Collections:  bmc-archive,bom,farms-books,nibley  Size:   Children: 0  Rebuilt: 7/22/24 10:10:41
Bokovoy, David E. “Repetitive Resumption in the Book of Mormon.” Insights 27, no. 1 (2007).
Display Abstract  Display Keywords

One of the most important contributions of biblical scholarship since the time of Joseph Smith has been the recognition and analysis of editorial activity in the Old Testament. Like the Hebrew Bible, the Book of Mormon is a compilation of several literary sources produced under the auspices of ancient editors or redactors. Significantly, one of the primary signs of editorial activity in the Old Testament, a technique known as repetitive resumption, is also attested in the Book of Mormon.

Keywords: Book of Mormon; narrative; resumption; Joseph Smith
ID = [66835]  Status = Type = journal article  Date = 2007-01-01  Collections:  bom,farms-insights  Size:   Children: 0  Rebuilt: 7/22/24 11:01:52
Insights. “Research at the Shrine of the Book Continues.” Insights 27, no. 5 (2007).
Display Abstract  Display Keywords

Irene Lewitt, assistant director of the Shrine of the Book in Jerusalem, visited Brigham Young University on June 20, 2007. Donald W. Parry, professor of Hebrew Bible studies, and Steven Booras from the Neal A. Maxwell Institute for Religious Scholarship, hosted Ms. Lewitt during her visit. A portion of her tour included a demonstration of multispectral imaging. A luncheon sponsored by the Maxwell Institute was also held in her honor. The Shrine of the Book is a museum that houses many of the Dead Sea Scrolls, including the Great Isaiah Scroll and the Temple Scroll, and other significant archaeological findings. The famous Aleppo Codex, the world’s oldest Masoretic Text of the Hebrew Bible (Old Testament), is also on display at the Shrine.

Keywords: BYU; museum; technology; research; Jesus Christ
ID = [66870]  Status = Type = journal article  Date = 2007-01-05  Collections:  farms-insights  Size:   Children: 0  Rebuilt: 7/22/24 11:01:53
Insights. “Research in the Arabian Peninsula Continues.” Insights 27, no. 4 (2007).
Display Abstract  Display Keywords

In July 2007, David Johnson, professor of anthropology, Kent Brown, director of FARMS, and Revell Phillips, emeritus professor of geology, all of BYU, were joined by Sidney Rempel of Arizona State University in an archaeological excavation on the southern coast of the Sultanate of Oman.

Keywords: research; Arabian Peninsula; geology; archaeological excavation
ID = [66859]  Status = Type = journal article  Date = 2007-01-04  Collections:  farms-insights  Size:   Children: 0  Rebuilt: 7/22/24 11:01:53
Insights. “Researchers Share, Test Ideas with Peers.” Insights 22, no. 1 (2002).
Display Abstract  Display Keywords

Each semester the Institute sponsors an average of six brown bag presentations (so named because they are informal lectures delivered during the noon hour). Held on the BYU campus, these events are conducted largely for the benefit of scholars and other specialists who are invited to report on research projects they are pursuing and papers they are writing. At the conclusion of their presentations, the speakers respond to questions and constructive comments from the audience. These events enable researchers to test and explore the ideas and insights they are developing on a host of topics related to the work of the Institute. In order to ensure a maximum amount of give-and-take between the presenters and the audience, attendance is limited to invited BYU faculty and staff as well as Institute personnel. Insights later reports on most of these presentations. Three such reports follow.

Keywords: BYU; presentations; theology; doctrine; Christianity
ID = [66646]  Status = Type = journal article  Date = 2002-01-01  Collections:  farms-insights  Size:   Children: 0  Rebuilt: 7/22/24 11:01:43
Mitton, George L., and Rhett S. James. “A Response to D. Michael Quinn’s Homosexual Distortion of Latter-day Saint History.” FARMS Review of Books 10, no. 1 (1998): 141-263.
Display Abstract  Display Keywords

Review of Same-Sex Dynamics among Nineteenth-Century Americans: A Mormon Example (1996), by D. Michael Quinn

Keywords: Criticism; Early Church History; Same-Sex Attraction
ID = [293]  Status = Type = review  Date = 1998-01-01  Collections:  bmc-archive,farms-review  Size: 279330  Children: 0  Rebuilt: 7/22/24 10:08:38
Christensen, Kevin. “A Response to David Wright on Historical Criticism.” Journal of Book of Mormon Studies 3, no. 1 (1994): 74-93.
Display Abstract  Display Keywords

In an article criticizing the historicity of the Book of Mormon, David Wright described critical scholarship and traditionalist modes as contrasting paradigms used to approach the scriptures. This article explores the nature of paradigm debate in general, in that context points out weaknesses in Wright’s critical approach, and discerns crucial flaws in his definition of believing paradigms.

Keywords: Paradigm; Scripture; Scripture Study
ID = [2859]  Status = Type = journal article  Date = 1994-01-01  Collections:  bmc-archive,bom,farms-jbms  Size: 42279  Children: 0  Rebuilt: 7/22/24 10:11:09
Petersen, Boyd J. “Response to Leaving the Saints.” The FARMS Review 17, no. 2 (2005): Article 8.
Display Abstract  

Review of Marth Beck. Leaving the Saints: How I Lost the Mormons and Found My Faith.

ID = [516]  Status = Type = review  Date = 2005-01-01  Collections:  farms-review  Size: 86239  Children: 0  Rebuilt: 7/22/24 10:08:51
Pike, Dana M. “Response to Paul Hoskisson’s ‘Lehi and Sariah’” Journal of Book of Mormon Studies 9, no. 1 (2000): 35-36, 77.
Display Abstract  Display Keywords

In this article Pike responds to Hoskisson’s conclusions about the etymology of the names Lehi and Sariah. He agrees with Hoskisson that Sariah is a theophoric name, which was common in ancient Israel and means “My prince is Jehovah.” However he suggests that the name should be grammatically distinguished from the masculine biblical personal name Seraiah. Although he offers an additional possibility for the meaning of the name Lehi, he agrees with Hoskisson’s suggestion that the name means “cheek.” The remainder of the article discusses the challenge of doing onomastic analysis on ancient non-English names when only an English form is available and further mentions the frequency of giving newborns in ancient Israel names of a religious nature.

Keywords: Language; Lehi (Prophet); Name; Onomastics; Sariah; Theophoric
ID = [3023]  Status = Type = journal article  Date = 2000-01-01  Collections:  bmc-archive,bom,farms-jbms  Size: 1710  Children: 0  Rebuilt: 7/22/24 10:11:20
Christensen, Kevin. “A Response to Paul Owen’s Comments on Margaret Barker.” FARMS Review of Books 14, no. 1-2 (2002): 193-221.
Display Abstract  Display Keywords

Review of “Monotheism, Mormonism, and the New Testament Witness” (2002), by Paul Owen

Keywords: Criticism; Deuteronomist Reforms
ID = [417]  Status = Type = review  Date = 2002-01-01  Collections:  bmc-archive,farms-review  Size: 47875  Children: 0  Rebuilt: 7/22/24 10:08:46
Hoskisson, Paul Y. “Response to the Comments.” Journal of Book of Mormon Studies 9, no. 1 (2000): 38-39, 77-78.
Display Abstract  Display Keywords

Hoskisson responds to and elaborates on the comments about the names Lehi and Sariah that Chadwick, Pike, and Tvedtnes provided in this onomastic discussion. Where Hoskisson disagrees with their conclusions, he uses examples to defend his position. He acknowledges the contribution this discussion has provided to the study of Book of Mormon proper names. He welcomes further examples on the points suggested by these scholars

Keywords: Lehi (Prophet); Name; Onomastics; Sariah
ID = [3025]  Status = Type = journal article  Date = 2000-01-01  Collections:  bmc-archive,bom,farms-jbms  Size: 1321  Children: 0  Rebuilt: 7/22/24 10:11:20
Peterson, Daniel C. “A Response: ‘What the Manuscripts and the Eyewitnesses Tell Us about the Translation of the Book of Mormon’” Journal of Book of Mormon Studies 11 no. 2 (2002).
Display Abstract  

According to the traditional account, when Joseph Smith translated the gold plates into what is now known as the Book of Mormon, he did not create the text himself or copy the text from another existing manuscript. Rather, he translated the text through an interpreting device, which only worked when Joseph was spiritually and emotionally prepared. The article supports this claim by including several stories of the translation process as told by eyewitnesses.

ID = [3104]  Status = Type = journal article  Date = 2002-01-01  Collections:  bom,farms-jbms,peterson  Size: 20337  Children: 0  Rebuilt: 7/22/24 10:11:25
Black, Susan Easton, and Larry C. Porter. “‘Rest Assured, Martin Harris Will Be Here in Time’” Journal of the Book of Mormon and Other Restoration Scripture 20, no. 1 (2011): 5-27.
Display Abstract  Display Keywords

Martin Harris, one of the Three Witnesses of the Book of Mormon, was the only witness to join the Saints in Utah. This journey was commenced only after missionaries passed through Kirtland for decades and attempted to convince Harris to make the journey to the Salt Lake Valley. Although each missionary over the course of decades was unsuccessful in his attempts to convince the impoverished, lonely Harris to go to Utah, each was spiritually renewed through the ever-present testimony of the witness of the Book of Mormon and “custodian” of the Kirtland Temple. This is the testimony Harris spread even as he traveled to Utah after a former acquaintance of his finally convinced him to make the trip at the age of eighty-seven. Finally in Utah, Harris enjoyed again the blessings of the church and continued to pronounce, even until he died, his powerful testimony of the Book of Mormon.

Keywords: Early Church History; Harris; Martin; Testimony; Three Witnesses; Translation
ID = [3259]  Status = Type = journal article  Date = 2011-01-01  Collections:  bmc-archive,bom,farms-jbms  Size: 100990  Children: 0  Rebuilt: 7/22/24 10:11:35
Judd, Frank F., Jr., and Terrence L. Szink. “The Restoration of Israel in the Book of Mormon.” Review of Books on the Book of Mormon 7, no. 2 (1995): Article 7.
Display Abstract  

Review of Mormons and Jews: Early Mormon Theologies of Israel (1992), by Steven Epperson.

ID = [216]  Status = Type = review  Date = 1995-01-01  Collections:  bom,farms-review  Size: 33977  Children: 0  Rebuilt: 7/22/24 10:08:33
Johnson, D. Lynn. “The Restored Covenant Edition of the Book of Mormon—Text Restored to Its Purity?” FARMS Review of Books 12, no. 2 (2000): 21-38.
Display Abstract  Display Keywords

Review of The Book of Mormon: Restored Covenant Edition (1999), by Zarahemla Research Foundation

Keywords: Book of Mormon; Critical Text; Formatting; Reorganized Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints; Structure; Textual History
ID = [356]  Status = Type = review  Date = 2000-01-01  Collections:  bmc-archive,bom,farms-review  Size: 35305  Children: 0  Rebuilt: 7/22/24 10:08:42
Tvedtnes, John A. “Restoring Lost Scriptures.” In The Book of Mormon and Other Hidden Books: “Out of Darkness Unto Light”, edited by , 175-182. Provo, UT: Foundation for Ancient Research and Mormon Studies, 2000.
Display Keywords
Keywords: Book of Mormon Translation; Hidden Records; Joseph Smith Translation; Joseph Smith–Matthew; Recordkeeping
ID = [75613]  Status = Type = book article  Date = 2000-01-01  Collections:  bom,farms-books  Size:   Children: 0  Rebuilt: 7/22/24 11:09:53
Insights. “Restoring the Original Text of the Book of Mormon.” Insights 24, no. 4 (2004).
Display Abstract  Display Keywords

Elegantly produced and weighing in at 652 pages, the first part of volume 4 in Professor Royal Skousen’s ongoing Book of Mormon critical text project has just come from the press. Volumes 1 and 2, containing transcripts of the original manuscript and the printer’s manuscript of the Book of Mormon, were published by FARMS in 2001. Volume 3, which will describe the history of the Book of Mormon text from Joseph Smith’s original dictation through the current standard editions, will appear after all parts of volume 4 have been published. Volume 3 will include a complete analysis of the grammatical editing of the Book of Mormon.

Keywords: Book of Mormon; transcript; Joseph Smith; original text
ID = [66754]  Status = Type = journal article  Date = 2004-01-04  Collections:  bom,farms-insights  Size:   Children: 0  Rebuilt: 7/22/24 11:01:48
Faulconer, James E. “Rethinking Theology: The Shadow of the Apocalypse.” The FARMS Review 19, no. 1 (2007): 175-199.
Display Abstract  Display Keywords

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.

Keywords: Apocalypse; Conversion; Restoration; Theology
ID = [559]  Status = Type = journal article  Date = 2007-01-01  Collections:  bmc-archive,farms-review  Size: 61195  Children: 0  Rebuilt: 7/22/24 10:08:54
Novak, Gary F. “The Return of Ashtoreth to the Groves and High Places: Feminist Ideology, the Politics of Vicitmization, and the Gospel of Jesus Christ.” FARMS Review of Books 12, no. 1 (2000): Article 9.
Display Abstract  

Review of God the Mother and Other Theological Essays (1997), by Janice Allred

ID = [338]  Status = Type = review  Date = 2000-01-01  Collections:  farms-review  Size: 54974  Children: 0  Rebuilt: 7/22/24 10:08:41
Faulring, Scott H. “The Return of Oliver Cowdery.” In The Disciple as Witness: Essays on Latter-day Saint History and Doctrine in Honor of Richard Lloyd Anderson, edited by Ricks, Stephen D., Parry, Donald W., and Hedges, Andrew H. Provo, UT: The Foundation for Ancient Research and Mormon Studies, 2000.
ID = [81851]  Status = Type = book article  Date = 2000-01-01  Collections:  church-history,farms-books  Size:   Children: 0  Rebuilt: 7/22/24 11:15:43
Hamblin, William J. “The Return of Simon and Helena.” Review of Books on the Book of Mormon 7, no. 1 (1995): 298-316.
Display Abstract  Display Keywords

Review of The Sanctity of Dissent (1994), by Paul Toscano.

Keywords: Anti-Mormon; Criticism
ID = [210]  Status = Type = review  Date = 1995-01-01  Collections:  bmc-archive,farms-review  Size: 40327  Children: 0  Rebuilt: 7/22/24 10:08:33
Grow, Matthew J. “Revealing the Joseph Smith Papers.” Journal of the Book of Mormon and Other Restoration Scripture 18, no. 2 (2009): 58-69.
Display Abstract  Display Keywords

Revelations and Translations, Volume 1: Manuscript Revelation Books, the second out of thirty expected volumes of the Joseph Smith Papers, reproduces in textual and photographic format two books used between 1831 and 1835 to record revelations given through Joseph Smith. This volume marks the first time that scholars and other interested readers will have broad access to these books of revelations. The text includes color-coded transcriptions of the various redactions made by Smith, Cowdery, Williams, and others. The revelations included in the volume consist of both canonical and noncanonical revelations; some of the noncanonical revelations give an intriguing glimpse into the early LDS Church. While this volume will be a great asset to any reader, its full potential may not be realized until the publication of later volumes, which will include a general index, contextual footnotes, and historical introductions to the revelations.

Keywords: Cowdery; Early Church History; Joseph; Jr.; Oliver; Revelation; Smith; Translation
ID = [3240]  Status = Type = journal article  Date = 2009-01-01  Collections:  bmc-archive,farms-jbms  Size: 33624  Children: 0  Rebuilt: 7/22/24 10:11:33
Roper, Matthew P. “Revelation and the Urim and Thummim.” In Pressing Forward with the Book of Mormon: The FARMS Updates of the 1990s, edited by Welch, John W., and Melvin J. Thorne, 280-282. Provo, UT: Foundation for Ancient Research and Mormon Studies, 1999.
Display Keywords
Keywords: Revelation; Thummim; Urim
ID = [75703]  Status = Type = book article  Date = 1999-01-01  Collections:  bom,farms-books  Size:   Children: 0  Rebuilt: 7/22/24 11:09:58
Hilton, John L. “Review of Ernest Taves’ Book of Mormon Stylometry.” Preliminary Report. Provo, UT: Foundation for Ancient Research and Mormon Studies, 1986.
Display Abstract  Display Keywords

Editor’s Introductory Note: The following letter and accompanying critique of the stylometric studies of Ernest Taves have been sent to F.A.R.M.S. by John L. Hilton. Hilton and his colleagues, who have been actively involved in stylometric analyses of the Book of Mormon for several years, plan in the near future to complete their own extensive and thorough stylometric study of Book of Mormon texts. The following general review of Taves’ book serves to introduce John Hilton’s more detailed remarks.

Keywords: Book of Mormon Authorship; Stylometry
ID = [8400]  Status = Type = journal article  Date = 1986-01-01  Collections:  bmc-archive,bom,farms-reports  Size: 998  Children: 0  Rebuilt: 8/5/24 7:09:43
Rogers, Chris. “A Review of the Afro-Asiatic:Uto-Aztecan Proposal.” Journal of Book of Mormon Studies 28 (2019).
Display Abstract  

The purpose of this piece is to review the long-distance genetic linguistic relationship between languages of the Afro-Asiatic language family and the Uto-Aztecan language family suggested in Stubbs’s Exploring the Explanatory Power of Semitic and Egyptian in Uto-Aztecan and Changes in Languages from Nephi to Now. While such a suggestion is not novel, a linguistic connection between the New World and the Old World is especially appealing to readers of the Book of Mormon. Such a connection can potentially provide a way to determine specific cultural and social facts about the peoples and civilizations described throughout the Book of Mormon. Nevertheless, when not established by rigorous methods and scientific principles, such proposals lead to the incorrect identification of genetic linguistic relationships and unfounded extra-linguistic conclusions.

ID = [81931]  Status = Type = journal article  Date = 2019-01-01  Collections:  bom,farms-jbms  Size:   Children: 0  Rebuilt: 7/22/24 11:15:48
White, Robert B. “A Review of the Dust Jacket and the First Two Pages.” The FARMS Review 20, no. 2 (2008): 125-129.
Display Abstract  Display Keywords

Review of George D. Smith. Nauvoo Polygamy: “. . . But we called it celestial marriage.”

Keywords: Early Church History; Nauvoo; Plural Marriage; Polygamy
ID = [610]  Status = Type = review  Date = 2008-01-01  Collections:  bmc-archive,farms-review  Size: 9929  Children: 0  Rebuilt: 7/22/24 10:08:58
Insights. “Review Responds to Distortions of DNA Evidence, Mormon Origins.” Insights 24, no. 1 (2004).
Display Abstract  Display Keywords

The latest issue of the FARMS Review (vol. 15, no. 2, 2003) responds in full measure to two works challenging the historicity of the Book of Mormon and the foundational events of the restored Church of Jesus Christ. The contributing scholars not only expose fatal flaws in the critics’ arguments and methods but also provide background information and perspectives that readers will find instructive. In addition, this issue of the Review evaluates several other recent publications in Mormon studies and includes a Book of Mormon bibliography for 2002.

Keywords: Book of Mormon; BYU; DNA; origins
ID = [66734]  Status = Type = journal article  Date = 2004-01-01  Collections:  bom,farms-insights  Size:   Children: 0  Rebuilt: 7/22/24 11:01:47
Thomasson, Gordon C. “Revisiting the Land of Jerusalem.” In Pressing Forward with the Book of Mormon: The FARMS Updates of the 1990s, edited by Welch, John W., and Melvin J. Thorne, 139-141. Provo, UT: Foundation for Ancient Research and Mormon Studies, 1999.
Display Keywords
Keywords: Book of Mormon Geography; Jerusalem
ID = [75672]  Status = Type = book article  Date = 1999-01-01  Collections:  bom,farms-books  Size:   Children: 0  Rebuilt: 7/22/24 11:09:56
Clark, John E. “Revisiting ‘A Key for Evaluating Book of Mormon Geographies’” Mormon Studies Review 23, no. 1 (2011): Article 4.
Display Abstract  

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.

ID = [664]  Status = Type = journal article  Date = 2011-01-01  Collections:  bom,farms-review  Size: 86882  Children: 0  Rebuilt: 7/22/24 10:09:03
Sowell, Madison U. “Richard Dilworth Rust. Feasting on the Word: The Literary Testimony of the Book of Mormon.” FARMS Review of Books 9, no. 2 (1997): Article 7.
Display Abstract  

Review of Feasting on the Word: The Literary Testimony of the Book of Mormon (1997), by Richard Dilworth Rust.

ID = [278]  Status = Type = review  Date = 1997-01-01  Collections:  bom,farms-review  Size: 9700  Children: 0  Rebuilt: 7/22/24 10:08:37
Welch, John W. “Richard E. DeMaris, ‘Corinthian Religion and Baptism for the Dead (1 Corinthians 15:29): Insights from Archaeology and Anthropology’” FARMS Review of Books 8, no. 2 (1996): 43-45.
Display Abstract  Display Keywords

Review of “Corinthian Religion and Baptism for the Dead (1 Corinthians 15:29): Insights from Archaeology and Anthropology” (1995), by Richard E. DeMaris

Keywords: Ancient Near East; Anthropology; Archaeology; Baptism for the Dead
ID = [245]  Status = Type = review  Date = 1996-01-01  Collections:  bmc-archive,farms-review,welch  Size: 8324  Children: 0  Rebuilt: 7/22/24 10:08:35
Cowan, Richard O. “Richard Lloyd Anderson and Worldwide Church Growth.” In The Disciple as Witness: Essays on Latter-day Saint History and Doctrine in Honor of Richard Lloyd Anderson, edited by Ricks, Stephen D., Parry, Donald W., and Hedges, Andrew H. Provo, UT: The Foundation for Ancient Research and Mormon Studies, 2000.
ID = [81850]  Status = Type = book article  Date = 2000-01-01  Collections:  church-history,farms-books  Size:   Children: 0  Rebuilt: 7/22/24 11:15:43
Aston, Warren P. “The Rings That Bound the Gold Plates Together.” Insights 26, no. 3 (2006).
Display Abstract  Display Keywords

Eyewitnesses to the Book of Mormon plates described in consistent terms the rings that bound the gold plates into a single volume. The rings were three in number and apparently made of the same material as the plates themselves. While our attention naturally focuses on the plates and the translation of the text engraved upon them, the rings may offer another subtle but telling confirmation of the record’s ancient origin.

Keywords: Book of Mormon; translation; plates; rings
Topics:    Book of Mormon Scriptures > Ether
ID = [66816]  Status = Type = journal article  Date = 2006-01-03  Collections:  bom,farms-insights  Size:   Children: 0  Rebuilt: 7/22/24 11:01:51
Insights. “Rising Scholars Mentored through Summer Seminar.” Insights 29, no. 3 (2009).
Display Abstract  Display Keywords

A select group of graduate and advanced under- graduate students participated in a seminar on Mormon thought at BYU this past May and June. The participants’ papers presented at a public sym- posium on June 25 will be published in the near future.

Keywords: graduate; Mormon; BYU; Maxwell Institute
ID = [66921]  Status = Type = journal article  Date = 2009-01-03  Collections:  farms-insights  Size:   Children: 0  Rebuilt: 7/22/24 11:01:56
Midgley, Louis C. “Robert Basil, Mary Beth Gehrman, and Tim Madigan, On the Barricades: Religion and Free Inquiry in Conflict.” Review of Books on the Book of Mormon 4 (1992): Article 39.
Display Abstract  

Review of On the Barricades: Religion and Free Inquiry in Conflict (1989), edited by Robert Basil, Mary Beth Gehrman, and Tim Madigan.

ID = [114]  Status = Type = review  Date = 1992-01-01  Collections:  farms-review  Size: 21648  Children: 0  Rebuilt: 7/22/24 10:08:28
Parry, Donald W. “Robert E. and Sandra L. Hales, How to Hiss Forth with the Book of Mormon.” Review of Books on the Book of Mormon 3 (1991): Article 6.
Display Abstract  

Review of How to Hiss Forth with the Book of Mormon (1989), by Robert E. and Sandra L. Hales.

ID = [93]  Status = Type = review  Date = 1991-01-01  Collections:  bom,farms-review  Size: 5162  Children: 0  Rebuilt: 7/22/24 10:08:27
Beck, John M. “Robert E. Hales and Sandra L. Hales, A Standard unto My People.” Review of Books on the Book of Mormon 4 (1992): Article 47.
Display Abstract  

Review of A Standard unto My People (1990), by Robert E. Hales and Sandra L. Hales.

ID = [122]  Status = Type = review  Date = 1992-01-01  Collections:  farms-review  Size: 4554  Children: 0  Rebuilt: 7/22/24 10:08:28
Gee, John. “Robert L. Millet, By Grace Are We Saved.” Review of Books on the Book of Mormon 2 (1990): Article 15.
Display Abstract  

Review of By Grace Are We Saved (1989), by Robert L. Millet.

ID = [71]  Status = Type = review  Date = 1990-01-01  Collections:  farms-review  Size: 18019  Children: 0  Rebuilt: 7/22/24 10:08:25
Nelson, Steven G. “Robert Marcum, Dominions of the Gadiantons.” Review of Books on the Book of Mormon 4 (1992): Article 56.
Display Abstract  

Review of Dominions of the Gadiantons (1991), by Robert Marcum.

ID = [131]  Status = Type = review  Date = 1992-01-01  Collections:  bom,farms-review  Size: 3269  Children: 0  Rebuilt: 7/22/24 10:08:29
Welch, John W. “Roberts Affirms Book of Mormon Antiquity.” In Pressing Forward with the Book of Mormon: The FARMS Updates of the 1990s, edited by Welch, John W., and Melvin J. Thorne, 289-292. Provo, UT: Foundation for Ancient Research and Mormon Studies, 1999.
Display Keywords
Keywords: History
ID = [75706]  Status = Type = book article  Date = 1999-01-01  Collections:  bom,farms-books,welch  Size:   Children: 0  Rebuilt: 7/22/24 11:09:58
Tvedtnes, John A. “Rod and Sword as the Word of God.” Journal of Book of Mormon Studies 5 no. 2 (1996).
Display Abstract  

The rod or staff, as well as the sword, symbolize power and the word of God.

ID = [2937]  Status = Type = journal article  Date = 1996-01-01  Collections:  farms-jbms  Size: 17448  Children: 0  Rebuilt: 7/22/24 10:11:15
Tvedtnes, John A. “Rod and Sword as the Word of God.” In Pressing Forward with the Book of Mormon: The FARMS Updates of the 1990s, edited by Welch, John W., and Melvin J. Thorne, 32-39. Provo, UT: Foundation for Ancient Research and Mormon Studies, 1999.
Display Keywords
Keywords: Authority; Symbolism; Vision; Weaponry; Word of God
ID = [75649]  Status = Type = book article  Date = 1999-01-01  Collections:  bom,farms-books  Size: 14937  Children: 0  Rebuilt: 7/22/24 11:09:55
Anderson, Richard Lloyd. “Rodger I. Anderson, Joseph Smith’s New York Reputation Reexamined.” Review of Books on the Book of Mormon 3 (1991): Article 4.
Display Abstract  

Review of Joseph Smith's New York Reputation Reexamined (1990), by Rodger I. Anderson.

ID = [91]  Status = Type = review  Date = 1991-01-01  Collections:  farms-review  Size: 69360  Children: 0  Rebuilt: 7/22/24 10:08:26
Chadwick, Bruce A. “Rodney Stark, The Rise of Christianity: A Sociologist Reconsiders History.” FARMS Review of Books 10, no. 2 (1998): Article 12.
Display Abstract  

Review of The Rise of Christianity: A Sociologist Reconsiders History (1996), by Rodney Stark

ID = [310]  Status = Type = review  Date = 1998-01-01  Collections:  farms-review  Size: 4771  Children: 0  Rebuilt: 7/22/24 10:08:39
Thorne, Melvin J. “The Role of Amateurs in Book of Mormon Studies.” FARMS Review of Books 10, no. 2 (1998): 1-6.
Display Abstract  Display Keywords

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.

Keywords: Scholarship; Scripture Study
ID = [300]  Status = Type = review  Date = 1998-01-01  Collections:  bmc-archive,bom,farms-review  Size: 15296  Children: 0  Rebuilt: 7/22/24 10:08:38
Gee, John. “The Role of the Book of Abraham in the Restoration.” Preliminary Report. Provo, UT: Foundation for Ancient Research and Mormon Studies, 1997.
Display Abstract  Display Keywords

John Gee provides an overview of how the Book of Abraham came to be in the possession of Joseph Smith, and how it was translated by the Prophet. Gee also discusses three aspects of the book that had doctrinal impact on the restoration, particularly in relation to doctrines of premortal existence.

Keywords: Book of Abraham; Doctrine; Early Church History; Joseph; Jr.; Premortal Existence; Restoration; Smith
ID = [1513]  Status = Type = talk  Date = 1997-06-07  Collections:  abraham,bmc-archive,farms-reports  Size: 30665  Children: 0  Rebuilt: 7/22/24 10:09:54
Tvedtnes, John A. “The Role of the Book of Mormon in the Restoration of the Church.” Preliminary Report. Provo, UT: Foundation for Ancient Research and Mormon Studies, 1997. This is a transcript of an address given 7 June 1997 at the Ancient Scriptures and the Restoration conference cosponsored by FARMS and the Smith Institute for Latter-day Saint History.
Display Abstract  Display Keywords

The Book of Mormon is an important tool in helping the church fulfill its mission of bringing souls to Christ. The earliest converts to the church were attracted not by stories of Joseph Smith’s first vision or by impressive new and restored doctrines but by the witness of the Spirit borne to them as they read the Book of Mormon. From the beginning, the Book of Mormon formed for many the basis of the practices and doctrines of the restored church.

Keywords: Church History
ID = [8611]  Status = Type = journal article  Date = 1997-01-01  Collections:  bmc-archive,bom,farms-reports  Size: 213  Children: 0  Rebuilt: 8/5/24 7:09:44
Romney, Marion G. “The Role of the Indian.” In Book of Mormon Talks by General Authorities, 190-97. Provo, UT: Foundation for Ancient Research and Mormon Studies, 1990.
Display Abstract  

Discusses the establishment of Zion on the American Continent. The descendants of Joseph, through the lineage of Lehi, will be the builders of Zion with the assistance of the Gentiles. Several Book of Mormon scriptures show the role of the Lamanites in building Zion.

ID = [81079]  Status = Type = book article  Date = 1990-01-01  Collections:  bom,farms-books  Size:   Children: 0  Rebuilt: 7/22/24 11:15:03
Matthews, Robert J. “The Role of the Joseph Smith Translation of the Bible in the Restoration of Doctrine.” Preliminary Report. Provo, UT: Foundation for Ancient Research and Mormon Studies, April 2, 1997.
Display Abstract  Display Keywords

Robert Matthews presents this survey of biblical textual criticism with the suggestion that omissions to the Bible text of today are more extensive and more intentional than most textual critics have realized. He sums up the history of biblical translations and discusses the church situation in June 1830, when Joseph Smith received the first revelation associated with an inspired translation of the Bible.

Keywords: Joseph Smith Translation
Topics:    Old Testament Topics > Bible: Joseph Smith Translation (JST)
Old Testament Topics > Restoration and Joseph Smith
ID = [8581]  Status = Type = journal article  Date = 1997-04-02  Collections:  farms-reports,old-test,smith-joseph-jr  Size: 998  Children: 0  Rebuilt: 8/5/24 7:09:44
Matthews, Robert J. “The Role of the Joseph Smith Translation of the Bible in the Restoration of Doctrine.” In The Disciple as Witness: Essays on Latter-day Saint History and Doctrine in Honor of Richard Lloyd Anderson, edited by Ricks, Stephen D., Parry, Donald W., and Hedges, Andrew H. Provo, UT: The Foundation for Ancient Research and Mormon Studies, 2000.
ID = [81858]  Status = Type = book article  Date = 2000-01-01  Collections:  church-history,farms-books,jst  Size:   Children: 0  Rebuilt: 7/22/24 11:15:44
Welch, John W. “Rollercoaster Economics.” In Pressing Forward with the Book of Mormon: The FARMS Updates of the 1990s, edited by Welch, John W., and Melvin J. Thorne, 180-186. Provo, UT: Foundation for Ancient Research and Mormon Studies, 1999.
Display Keywords
Keywords: Economy; Nephite
ID = [75681]  Status = Type = book article  Date = 1999-01-01  Collections:  bom,farms-books,welch  Size: 11515  Children: 0  Rebuilt: 7/22/24 11:09:56
Faulconer, James E. Romans 1: Notes and Reflections. Provo, UT: Foundation for Ancient Research and Mormon Studies, 1999.
Display Abstract  

The book of Romans can be difficult to understand, and it is used more than any other biblical book to challenge LDS doctrine. “When we understand Romans, it is obvious that not only need we not fear having others discuss Paul’s teachings, but we can use those very teachings to teach the truthfulness of the gospel understood through latter-day revelation.”
In commenting on Romans 1 verse by verse, author James E. Faulconer touches on such topics as faith, holiness, obedience, service to Christ, personal conversion and repentance, and becoming true saints. Romans 1: Notes and Reflections can be a valuable tool for those who are studying the book of Romans or looking for new ways to study other scripture.

ID = [6993]  Status = Type = book  Date = 1999-01-01  Collections:  farms-books  Size: 378771  Children: 0  Rebuilt: 8/5/24 7:09:37
Neal A. Maxwell Institute for Religious Scholarship. “Royal Skousen and Robin Scott Jensen, eds., Revelations and Translations, Volume 3, Part 1: Printer’s Manuscript of the Book of Mormon.” Journal of Book of Mormon Studies 24, no. 1 (2015).
ID = [3335]  Status = Type = journal article  Date = 2015-01-01  Collections:  bom,farms-jbms  Size: 7801  Children: 0  Rebuilt: 7/22/24 10:11:40
Seely, David Rolph. “Sacred History, Covenants, and the Messiah: The Religious Background of the World of Lehi.” In Glimpses of Lehi’s Jerusalem, eds. John W. Welch, David Rolph Seely, and Jo Ann H. Seely, 381—420. Provo, Utah: Foundation for Ancient Research and Mormon Studies, 2004.
Topics:    Old Testament Topics > Covenant [see also Ephraim, Israel, Jews, Joseph]
Old Testament Topics > History
ID = [39698]  Status = Type = book article  Date = 2004-01-01  Collections:  bom,farms-books,old-test  Size:   Children: 0  Rebuilt: 8/5/24 7:40:37
Christenson, Allen J. “The Sacred Tree of the Ancient Maya.” Journal of Book of Mormon Studies 6, no. 1 (1997): 1-23.
Display Abstract  Display Keywords

Sacred trees, representing the power of life to grow from the underworld realm of the dead, are a common motif in the art and literature of the ancient Maya of Mesoamerica. Such trees are similar in concept to the tree of life described in the Book of Mormon, as well as to the mythic traditions of many other contemporary world cultures. Hieroglyphic inscriptions and sixteenth-century highland Maya texts describe a great world tree that was erected at the dawn of the present age to stand as the axis point of the cosmos. In its fruit-laden form, it personified the god of creation who fathered the progenitors of the Maya royal dynasty.

Keywords: Ancient America; Maya; Mesoamerica; Sacred; Sacred Tree
ID = [2943]  Status = Type = journal article  Date = 1997-01-01  Collections:  bmc-archive,bom,farms-jbms  Size: 35896  Children: 0  Rebuilt: 7/22/24 10:11:15
Hamblin, William J. “Sacred Writing on Metal Plates in the Ancient Mediterranean.” The FARMS Review 19, no. 1 (2007): 37-54.
Display Abstract  Display Keywords

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.

Keywords: Ancient Near East; Metal Plates; Metallurgy; Recordkeeping
ID = [555]  Status = Type = journal article  Date = 2007-01-01  Collections:  bmc-archive,bom,farms-review  Size: 45166  Children: 0  Rebuilt: 7/22/24 10:08:54
Briggs, Robert H. “Sally Denton’s American Massacre: Authentic Mormon Past versus the Danite Interpretation of History.” The FARMS Review 16, no. 1 (2004): Article 9.
Display Abstract  

Review of Sally Denton. American Massacre: The Tragedy at Mountain Meadows, September 1857.

ID = [462]  Status = Type = review  Date = 2004-01-01  Collections:  farms-review  Size: 52479  Children: 0  Rebuilt: 7/22/24 10:08:48
Haubrock, Ken. “Sam: A Just and Holy Man.” Journal of Book of Mormon Studies 5 no. 2 (1996).
Display Abstract  Display Keywords

Nephi’s older brother Sam was a holy and just man who experienced and witnessed many events in early Nephite history.

Keywords: Nephi (Son of Lehi); Sam (Son of Lehi)
ID = [2939]  Status = Type = journal article  Date = 1996-01-01  Collections:  bmc-archive,bom,farms-jbms  Size: 11307  Children: 0  Rebuilt: 7/22/24 10:11:15
Haubrock, Ken. “Sam: A Just and Holy Man.” In Pressing Forward with the Book of Mormon: The FARMS Updates of the 1990s, edited by Welch, John W., and Melvin J. Thorne, 66-71. Provo, UT: Foundation for Ancient Research and Mormon Studies, 1999.
Display Keywords
Keywords: Sam (Son of Lehi)
ID = [75656]  Status = Type = book article  Date = 1999-01-01  Collections:  bom,farms-books  Size: 10341  Children: 0  Rebuilt: 7/22/24 11:09:55
Johnson, Stanley A. “Samuel the Lamanite (Part 1)’ and ‘The Prophecies of Samuel (Part 2).” Preliminary Report. Provo, UT: Foundation for Ancient Research and Mormon Studies, 1996. Transcript of a lecture given at the FARMS Book of Mormon Lecture Series.
Display Abstract  Display Keywords

We do not know a lot about Samuel’s background. We do know that he was courageous and fearless. He told the Nephites what the signs of the Savior’s coming and mission would be and they rejected him and his prophecies. The signs of the coming of Jesus and the signs of his death bear record of Christ. Johnson discusses the Lord’s respective attitudes toward the Nephites and Lamanites, and suggests ways to have the Spirit in our lives.

Keywords: Book of Mormon; Christ
ID = [8389]  Status = Type = journal article  Date = 1996-01-01  Collections:  bom,farms-reports  Size: 213  Children: 0  Rebuilt: 8/5/24 7:09:42
Hopkin, Shon D., and John Hilton III. “Samuel’s Reliance on Biblical Language.” Journal of the Book of Mormon and Restoration Scripture 24 no. 1 (2015).
ID = [3320]  Status = Type = journal article  Date = 2015-01-01  Collections:  bom,farms-jbms  Size: 49513  Children: 0  Rebuilt: 7/22/24 10:11:39
Chadwick, Jeffrey R. “Sariah in the Elephantine Papyri.” Journal of Book of Mormon Studies 2 no. 2 (1993).
Display Abstract  Display Keywords

The Book of Mormon name Sariah does not appear as a female name in the Bible but has now been identified in a reconstructed form in an Aramaic papyrus. A Jewish woman living at Elephantine in Upper Egypt during the fifth century BC was identified as Sariah daughter of Hoshea.

Keywords: Ancient Near East; Elephantine; Ostracon; Sariah
ID = [2850]  Status = Type = journal article  Date = 1993-01-01  Collections:  bmc-archive,bom,farms-jbms  Size: 11200  Children: 0  Rebuilt: 7/22/24 10:11:09
Chadwick, Jeffrey R. “Sariah in the Elephantine Papyri.” In Pressing Forward with the Book of Mormon: The FARMS Updates of the 1990s, edited by Welch, John W., and Melvin J. Thorne, 6-10. Provo, UT: Foundation for Ancient Research and Mormon Studies, 1999.
Display Keywords
Keywords: Ancient Near East; Elephantine; Ostracon; Sariah
ID = [75641]  Status = Type = book article  Date = 1999-01-01  Collections:  bom,farms-books  Size: 8740  Children: 0  Rebuilt: 7/22/24 11:09:54
Hardy, Heather. “‘Saving Christianity’: The Nephite Fulfillment of Jesus’s Eschatological Prophecies.” Journal of Book of Mormon Studies 23 (2014): 22-55.
Display Abstract  Display Keywords

Third Nephi testifies to the fulfillment of Jesus’s eschatological prophecies, even though Mormon, the prophet-historian who records the remarkable events, was unaware of the content of Jesus’s mortal teachings. He nevertheless recognizes Christ’s postresurrection visit as both the fulfillment of Nephite prophecy and the reenactment of particular episodes of their sacred history by incorporating numerous scriptural allusions into his account. Mormon’s independent witness in which he recounts a day of divine judgment, the coming of the Lord, and the inauguration of the kingdom of God within the timeframe Jesus had prescribed validates Jesus’s prophecies in Galilee and Judea. Despite the ironic incongruity between what was expected and how it was fulfilled, Mormon’s narrative confirms the New Testament’s proclamation and thus serves to save the credibility of Christianity that has long been challenged by the problem of the delayed parousia—that is, that Jesus’s prophecies of an imminent theocratic kingdom seem to have failed.

Keywords: Christianity; Eschatology; Jesus Christ; Mormon; Nephite; New Testament; Prophecy; Resurrection; Witness
ID = [3309]  Status = Type = journal article  Date = 2014-01-01  Collections:  bmc-archive,bom,farms-jbms  Size: 82346  Children: 0  Rebuilt: 7/22/24 10:11:38
Wells, M. Gawain. “The Savior and the Children in 3 Nephi.” Journal of Book of Mormon Studies 14, no. 1 (2005): 62-73, 129.
Display Abstract  Display Keywords

When Christ was with the Nephites, the Savior felt it was important to take the time to call children around him, bless each of them one by one, and pray to the Father for them. Christ’s actions provide an example of loving, blessing, and instructing children. We must not overlook the children among us. The children that the Savior blessed were to become the second generation of the Zion people that he was forming; as such, their preparation was vital.

Keywords: 3 Nephi; Blessing; Children; Jesus Christ; Savior; Zion
Topics:    Book of Mormon Scriptures > 3 Nephi
ID = [3158]  Status = Type = journal article  Date = 2005-01-01  Collections:  bmc-archive,bom,farms-jbms  Size: 45746  Children: 0  Rebuilt: 7/22/24 10:11:28
Bradford, Miles Gerald. “The Savior’s Final Hours.” The FARMS Review 16, no. 1 (2004): Article 18.
Display Abstract  

Review of Richard Neitzel Holzapfel and Thomas A. Wayment, eds. From the Last Supper through the Resurrection: The Savior’s Final Hours.

ID = [474]  Status = Type = review  Date = 2004-01-01  Collections:  farms-review  Size: 15980  Children: 0  Rebuilt: 7/22/24 10:08:49
LeBaron, E. Dale. “The Savior’s Ministry to the Nephites: A Millennial Prototype.” Preliminary Report. Provo, UT: Foundation for Ancient Research and Mormon Studies, 1995.
Display Abstract  

When the angel Moroni first appeared to the young Prophet Joseph Smith, he told young Joseph that God had a work for him to do, and further, that the work would begin the preparatory work for the second coming of the Messiah. He was further told that the gospel would be preached unto all nations, that a people might be prepared for the millennial reign. The book that Moroni delivered to Joseph, and the other revelations of the Restoration, make it very clear, that one of the greatest responsibilities incumbent upon this dispensation is to prepare a people for the Savior’s second coming.

Topics:    Book of Mormon Scriptures > Moroni
ID = [8414]  Status = Type = journal article  Date = 1995-01-01  Collections:  bom,farms-reports  Size: 213  Children: 0  Rebuilt: 8/5/24 7:09:43
Jackson, Kent P. “Scenes from Early Latter-day Saint History.” In The Disciple as Witness: Essays on Latter-day Saint History and Doctrine in Honor of Richard Lloyd Anderson, edited by Ricks, Stephen D., Parry, Donald W., and Hedges, Andrew H. Provo, UT: The Foundation for Ancient Research and Mormon Studies, 2000.
ID = [81856]  Status = Type = book article  Date = 2000-01-01  Collections:  church-history,farms-books  Size:   Children: 0  Rebuilt: 7/22/24 11:15:44
Peterson, Daniel C. “A Scholar Looks at the Evidences for the Book of Mormon.” Preliminary Report. Provo, UT: Foundation for Ancient Research and Mormon Studies, 1995. Transcript of a lecture presented as part of the FARMS Book of Mormon Lecture Series.
Display Abstract  Display Keywords

Daniel Peterson discusses recent research that supports a spiritual witness for the Book of Mormon, including the following: Joseph Smith’s lack of schooling, his supposed misnaming of Jesus’ birthplace, the translation process, studies of chiasmus, possible locations for Book of Mormon events, and ancient manuscripts that are consistent with Book of Mormon accounts about document practices and beliefs of past civilizations.

Keywords: Book of Mormon; Answers to Criticisms
ID = [8556]  Status = Type = talk  Date = 1995-01-01  Collections:  bom,farms-reports,peterson  Size: 213  Children: 0  Rebuilt: 8/5/24 7:09:44
Briggs, Robert H. “A Scholarly Look at the Disastrous Mountain Meadows Massacre.” The FARMS Review 20, no. 2 (2008): 215-235.
Display Abstract  Display Keywords

Review of Ronald W. Walker, Richard E. Turley Jr., and Glen M. Leonard. Massacre at Mountain Meadows: An American Tragedy.

Keywords: Early Church History; Mountain Meadows Massacre
ID = [615]  Status = Type = review  Date = 2008-01-01  Collections:  bmc-archive,farms-review  Size: 48084  Children: 0  Rebuilt: 7/22/24 10:08:58
Insights. “Scholars Focus Conference on Third Nephi.” Insights 28, no. 6 (2008).
Display Abstract  Display Keywords

The Laura F. Willes Center for Book of Mormon Studies hosted a two-day conference on 3 Nephi at the end of September 2008. Entitled “Third Nephi: New Perspectives on an Incomparable Scripture,” the conference consisted of a plenary session with an introductory address by John W. Welch, subsequent presentations by 21 distinguished scholars covering six themes, and a concluding session featuring a panel discussion.

Keywords: Third Nephi; BYU; Book of Mormon; scripture
Topics:    Book of Mormon Scriptures > 3 Nephi
ID = [66904]  Status = Type = journal article  Date = 2008-01-06  Collections:  bom,farms-insights  Size:   Children: 0  Rebuilt: 7/22/24 11:01:55
Insights. “Scholars Represent Maxwell Institute in Education Week Lectures.” Insights 27, no. 4 (2007).
Display Abstract  Display Keywords

During Education Week, noted Maxwell Institute scholars presented a series of well-attended classes titled “The Work of the Neal A. Maxwell Institute at BYU,” focusing on aspects of the Institute’s ongoing work.

Keywords: education week; lectures; BYU; FARMS Review
ID = [66861]  Status = Type = journal article  Date = 2007-01-04  Collections:  farms-insights  Size:   Children: 0  Rebuilt: 7/22/24 11:01:53
Insights. “Scholars Speak at FAIR Conference.” Insights 22, no. 8 (2002).
Display Abstract  Display Keywords

Scholars from BYU spoke at the recent FAIR (Foundation for Apologetic Information and Research) LDS Apologetics Conference held in August at Utah Valley State College, in Orem, Utah. FAIR, which is not affiliated with BYU or the Institute, is an organization dedicated to defending LDS beliefs and practices with sound scholarship. The theme of the conference was “Turning Stumbling Blocks to Stepping Stones: Responding to Challenging Issues in Mormonism.”

Keywords: FAIR Conference; critics; errors; text; Book of Mormon
ID = [66691]  Status = Type = journal article  Date = 2002-01-08  Collections:  bom,farms-insights  Size:   Children: 0  Rebuilt: 7/22/24 11:01:45
Hardy, Grant R. “Scholarship for the Ages.” Journal of Book of Mormon Studies 15, no. 1 (2006): 43-53, 71.
Display Abstract  Display Keywords

Until now, nearly all commentaries on the Book of Mormon have focused mainly on issues of doctrine rather than beginning with the text itself. Royal Skousen’s critical text project does the opposite by treating the text itself on the word and phrase level. Skousen weighs nearly all possible evidence to deduce the events that may have led to the variations seen in the texts and to draw conclusions about which readings are most likely original. Some conclusions may surprise readers, but Skousen is more interested in candidly documenting what the texts reveal than in interpreting all the implications. Several lengthy excerpts from Skousen’s work show the scholarly depth and rigor of his analysis. In the end, Skousen may have produced the seminal work of Book of Mormon textual criticism that scholars and students will still be using hundreds of years from now.

Keywords: Commentary; Critical Text; Scholarship; Textual History
ID = [3182]  Status = Type = journal article  Date = 2006-01-01  Collections:  bmc-archive,bom,farms-jbms  Size: 48825  Children: 0  Rebuilt: 7/22/24 10:11:30
Bennett, Robert R. “Science vs. Mormonism: The Dangers of Dogmatism and Sloppy Reading.” The FARMS Review 18, no. 2 (2006): 1-43.
Display Abstract  Display Keywords

Review of Duwayne R. Anderson. Farewell to Eden: Coming to Terms with Mormonism and Science.

Keywords: Anti-Mormon; Science
ID = [548]  Status = Type = review  Date = 2006-01-01  Collections:  bmc-archive,farms-review  Size: 91749  Children: 0  Rebuilt: 7/22/24 10:08:53
Buskirk, Allen R. “Science, Pseudoscience, and Religious Belief.” The FARMS Review 17, no. 1 (2005): 273-309.
Display Abstract  Display Keywords

Review of Carl Sagan. The Demon-Haunted World: Science as a Candle in the Dark.

Keywords: Pseudoscience; Science
ID = [508]  Status = Type = review  Date = 2005-01-01  Collections:  bmc-archive,farms-review  Size: 87732  Children: 0  Rebuilt: 7/22/24 10:08:51
Hoskisson, Paul Y. “Scimitars, Cimeters! We Have Scimitars! Do We Need Another Cimeter?” In Warfare in the Book of Mormon, edited by Stephen D. Ricks and William J. Hamblin, 352-359. Provo, UT/Salt Lake City: Foundation for Ancient Research and Mormon Studies/Deseret Book, 1990.
Display Keywords
Keywords: Ancient Near East; Metallurgy; Warfare; Weaponry - Cimeter; Weaponry - Scimitar
ID = [82142]  Status = Type = book article  Date = 1990-01-01  Collections:  bom,farms-books  Size:   Children: 0  Rebuilt: 7/22/24 11:16:00
Nelson, Fred W. “Scot Facer Proctor and Maurine Jensen Proctor, Light from the Dust: A Photographic Exploration into the Ancient World of the Book of Mormon.” Review of Books on the Book of Mormon 6, no. 2 (1994): Article 12.
Display Abstract  

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.

ID = [188]  Status = Type = review  Date = 1994-01-01  Collections:  bom,farms-review  Size: 9576  Children: 0  Rebuilt: 7/22/24 10:08:32
Skousen, Royal. “‘Scourged’ vs. ‘Scorched’ in Mosiah 17:13.” Insights 22, no. 3 (2002).
Display Abstract  Display Keywords

Very often in my work on the critical text of the Book of Mormon, I have discovered cases where the text reads inappropriately. Book of Mormon researchers have typically attempted to find some circumstance or interpretation to explain a difficult reading, but in many cases I have found that difficult readings are actually the result of simple scribal errors.

Keywords: Book of Mormon; Mosiah; text; manuscript
Topics:    Book of Mormon Scriptures > Mosiah
ID = [66664]  Status = Type = journal article  Date = 2002-01-03  Collections:  bom,farms-insights  Size:   Children: 0  Rebuilt: 7/22/24 11:01:43
Goff, Alan. “Scratching the Surface of Book of Mormon Narratives.” FARMS Review of Books 12, no. 2 (2000): 51-82.
Display Abstract  Display Keywords

Review of Digging in Cumorah: Reclaiming Book of Mormon Narratives (1999), by Mark D. Thomas

Keywords: Form Criticism; Historicity; Literature; Scholarship
ID = [359]  Status = Type = review  Date = 2000-01-01  Collections:  bmc-archive,bom,farms-review  Size: 75561  Children: 0  Rebuilt: 7/22/24 10:08:42
Kerr, Jason A. “Scripture as Literature: Michael Austin’s Job.” Studies in the Bible and Antiquity 7 no. 1 (2015).
ID = [7054]  Status = Type = journal article  Date = 2015-01-01  Collections:  farms-sba  Size: 25845  Children: 0  Rebuilt: 8/5/24 7:09:38
Faulconer, James E. Scripture Study: Tools and Suggestions. Provo, UT: Foundation for Ancient Research and Mormon Studies, 1999.
Display Abstract  

Cultivate your love for the scriptures and deepen your knowledge with the help of a scripture study process compiled by James E. Faulconer. Rich scripture study is facilitated by tools and techniques that help us focus on what the scriptures can teach us. This study aid offers pointers and suggestions that will familiarize beginning students of the scriptures with the many resources available to them, as well as help more experienced students improve the overall effectiveness of their scripture study.
In this fascinating book, Faulconer discusses a helpful method and the purpose of outlining, an in-depth method of cross-referencing, how to ask cogent and thought-provoking questions about the scriptures, the benefits of using dictionaries and concordances, the relation between words and ideas apparent through rhetorical studies, and using the valuable reference tools in the LDS edition of the scriptures. He then provides sample notes developed using the study tools he describes to show how research and pondering can make scripture study even more meaningful.

ID = [6994]  Status = Type = book  Date = 1999-01-01  Collections:  farms-books  Size: 219122  Children: 0  Rebuilt: 8/5/24 7:09:37
Aston, Warren P. “Scripture update: El Niño and Lehi’s Voyage Revisited.” Insights 27, no. 6 (2007).
Display Abstract  Display Keywords

In recent years several scholars have drawn the attention of Latter-day Saints to the phenomenon popularly known as “El Niño.”1 In 1990 David L. Clark highlighted the fact that a mechanism was now known to science that would permit, periodically, easterly sea travel across the Pacific, the direction Lehi’s party is understood to have traveled.2 ENSO, the more formal acronym for this phenomenon, comes from El Niño (the Christ child) and Southern Oscillation, referring to the fact that the changes commence in the southern Pacific Ocean. The intermittent ENSO effect creates an easterly equatorial current running counter to the prevailing westerly direction of Pacific currents and winds. The winds can even blow in reverse, thus not only allowing but encouraging sea travel to the western coast of the Americas.

Keywords: El Niño; dendrochronology; Pacific Ocean; Book of Mormon
ID = [66875]  Status = Type = journal article  Date = 2007-01-06  Collections:  bom,farms-insights  Size:   Children: 0  Rebuilt: 7/22/24 11:01:53
Roper, Matthew P. “Scripture Update: Lehi as a Visionary Man.” Insights 27, no. 4 (2007).
Display Abstract  Display Keywords

One of the complaints leveled against Lehi by his rebellious sons Laman and Lemuel and his wife, Sariah, was that he was a “visionary man” (1 Nephi 2:11; 5:2). Although this term does not appear in the King James translation of the Bible, it accurately reflects the Hebrew word hazon, meaning divine vision.1 Although this Hebrew term appears in connection with true prophets of God, it is also sometimes written with a negative connotation, describing false prophets, especially in the writings of Lehi’s contemporary Jeremiah (Jeremiah 14:14; 23:16).

Keywords: Bible; Lehi; prophets; revelation; scripture
Topics:    Book of Mormon Scriptures > 1 Nephi
ID = [66857]  Status = Type = journal article  Date = 2007-01-04  Collections:  bom,farms-insights  Size:   Children: 0  Rebuilt: 7/22/24 11:01:53
Flinders, Rebecca M., and Anne B. Fairchild. “Scriptures for Families.” The FARMS Review 15, no. 1 (2003): 431-434.
Display Abstract  Display Keywords

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.

Keywords: Education; Family; Scripture Study
ID = [437]  Status = Type = review  Date = 2003-01-01  Collections:  bmc-archive,bom,farms-review  Size: 8756  Children: 0  Rebuilt: 7/22/24 10:08:47
Insights. “Scrolls Database Released.” Insights 26, no. 6 (2006).
Display Abstract  Display Keywords

The Maxwell Institute is pleased to announce The Dead Sea Scrolls Electronic Library Revised Edition 2006, published in cooperation with Brill Academic Publishers. Updated under the editorship of Emanuel Tov, who leads an international team of Dead Sea Scrolls editors, the searchable electronic database boasts exciting new features.

Keywords: database; program; translation; editors
ID = [66832]  Status = Type = journal article  Date = 2006-01-06  Collections:  farms-insights  Size:   Children: 0  Rebuilt: 7/22/24 11:01:51
Tvedtnes, John A. “Sealed Books.” In The Book of Mormon and Other Hidden Books: “Out of Darkness Unto Light”, edited by , 59-73. Provo, UT: Foundation for Ancient Research and Mormon Studies, 2000.
Display Keywords
Keywords: Ancient Egypt; Ancient Near East; Hidden; John the Beloved; Judaism; Moroni (Son of Mormon); Nephi (Son of Lehi); Prophecy; Sealed Book; Sealing
Topics:    Book of Mormon Scriptures > Moroni
ID = [75606]  Status = Type = book article  Date = 2000-01-01  Collections:  bom,farms-books  Size:   Children: 0  Rebuilt: 7/22/24 11:09:52
Faulconer, James E. “Sealings and Mercies: Moroni’s Final Exhortations in Moroni 10.” Journal of the Book of Mormon and Other Restoration Scripture 22, no. 1 (2013): 4-19.
Display Abstract  Display Keywords

This is not an essay in the usual sense. Instead, it is a close reading of Moroni 10, looking verse by verse at what Mornoi might be teaching us. The overarching question is, to what does Moroni exhort us as he seals his book and writes his final words? Examining each of Morni’s eight exhortations, Faulconer shows one way to study scriptures and perhaps to think about them afresh. In addition to the importantadmonition to pray about the truth of the Book of Mormon, he sees in this chapter a message of God’s mercy and of our need for charity.

Keywords: Charity; Exhortation; Mercy; Moroni (Son of Mormon); Scripture Study; Sealing
Topics:    Book of Mormon Scriptures > Moroni
ID = [3285]  Status = Type = journal article  Date = 2013-01-01  Collections:  bmc-archive,bom,farms-jbms  Size: 59217  Children: 0  Rebuilt: 7/22/24 10:11:36
Aston, Warren P., and Michaela J. Aston. “The Search for Nahom and the End of Lehi’s Trail in Southern Arabia.” Preliminary Report. Provo, UT: Foundation for Ancient Research and Mormon Studies, 1989.
ID = [8615]  Status = Type = journal article  Date = 1989-01-01  Collections:  bom,farms-reports  Size: 209  Children: 0  Rebuilt: 8/5/24 7:09:44
Clark, John E. “Searching for Book of Mormon Lands in Middle America.” The FARMS Review 16, no. 2 (2004): 1-54.
Display Abstract  Display Keywords

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.

Keywords: Ancient America; Book of Mormon Geography; Central America; Mesoamerica
ID = [478]  Status = Type = review  Date = 2004-01-01  Collections:  bmc-archive,bom,farms-review  Size: 109842  Children: 0  Rebuilt: 7/22/24 10:08:49
Sorenson, John L. “Seasonality of Warfare in the Book of Mormon and Mesoamerica.” In Warfare in the Book of Mormon, edited by Stephen D. Ricks and William J. Hamblin, 445-477. Provo, UT/Salt Lake City: Foundation for Ancient Research and Mormon Studies/Deseret Book, 1990.
Display Keywords
Keywords: Warfare; Weather
ID = [82147]  Status = Type = book article  Date = 1990-01-01  Collections:  bom,farms-books  Size:   Children: 0  Rebuilt: 7/22/24 11:16:00
Sorenson, John L. “Seasons of War, Seasons of Peace in the Book of Mormon.” In Rediscovering the Book of Mormon, edited by Sorenson, John L., and Melvin J. Thorne, 249-255. Provo, UT: Foundation for Ancient Research and Mormon Studies, 1991.
Display Abstract  Display Keywords

When we look carefully at what the Book of Mormon says about war, we find that the many military activities reported did not take place just anytime during the calendar year. Rather, they occurred according to a definite pattern. Certain months were war months while others were not. The complete consistency of this pattern reminds us of how many details the writers of this scripture kept straight.

Keywords: Calendar System; Chronology; Warfare
ID = [75639]  Status = Type = book article  Date = 1991-01-01  Collections:  bmc-archive,bom,farms-books,sorenson  Size: 12664  Children: 0  Rebuilt: 7/22/24 11:09:54
Allen, James B. “Second Only to Christ: Joseph Smith in Modern Mormon Piety.” In The Disciple as Witness: Essays on Latter-day Saint History and Doctrine in Honor of Richard Lloyd Anderson, edited by Ricks, Stephen D., Parry, Donald W., and Hedges, Andrew H. Provo, UT: The Foundation for Ancient Research and Mormon Studies, 2000.
ID = [81846]  Status = Type = book article  Date = 2000-01-01  Collections:  church-history,farms-books  Size:   Children: 0  Rebuilt: 7/22/24 11:15:43
Insights. “Second Volume of Maimonides Series Continues to Illuminate Ancient Medicine.” Insights 27, no. 2 (2007).
Display Abstract  Display Keywords

With the publication of Medical Aphorisms: Treatises 6–9, the second volume of the Medical Works of Moses Maimonides series, the Middle Eastern Texts Initiative (METI) at the Maxwell Institute continues its project of bringing to light original texts and translations from the scientific, philosophical, and theological traditions of the three great religious civilizations that trace their ancestry to Abraham: Judaism, Christianity, and Islam. Now with added funding from the Library of Congress, METI continues to actively edit and prepare for publication works in all three of these branches of faith-oriented learning.

Keywords: texts; translations; Maimonides; Maxwell Institute
ID = [66845]  Status = Type = journal article  Date = 2007-01-02  Collections:  farms-insights  Size:   Children: 0  Rebuilt: 7/22/24 11:01:52
England, Eugene. “A Second Witness for the Logos: The Book of Mormon and Contemporary Literary Criticism.” In By Study and Also By Faith, Volume 2. Edited by John M. Lundquist and Stephen D. Ricks, pp. 91-125, Provo, UT: Foundation for Ancient Research and Mormon Studies, 1990.
Display Abstract  Display Keywords

This second of two volumes of essays honoring Hugh Nibley includes scholarly papers based on what the authors have learned from Nibley. Nearly every major subject that Dr. Nibley has encompassed in his vast learning and scholarly production is represented here by at least one article. Topics include the sacrament covenant in Third Nephi, the Lamanite view of Book of Mormon history, external evidences of the Book of Mormon, proper names in the Book of Mormon, the brass plates version of Genesis, the composition of Lehi’s family, ancient burials of metal documents in stone boxes, repentance as rethinking, Mormon history’s encounter with secular modernity, and Judaism in the 20th century.
Until recently, attempts to vindicate the central claim of the Book of Mormon about itself—that it is a divinely inspired book based on the history of an ancient culture—have focused mainly on external evidences. Such attempts examine parallels in the geographies, cultures, and literatures of the Middle East and ancient America (especially parallels to knowledge that have become available only since Joseph Smith’s time). These parallels are used to prove that the Book of Mormon is consistent with ancient knowledge and forms which Joseph Smith could have known only through an ancient manuscript and revelation. This essay takes a different approach, based essentially on internal evidence provided by the book itself. My reflections, stimulated by the work of Mormon scholars such as John Welch, Noel Reynolds, and Bruce Jorgensen, examine techniques developed by non-Mormon literary critics Northrop Frye and Rene Girard in their work on the Bible.

Keywords: Atonement; Literary Criticism; Logos
Topics:    Hugh W. Nibley Topics > Hugh Nibley > Scholarship, Footnotes, Collected Works of Hugh Nibley, CWHN, Editing > Book of Mormon
ID = [2355]  Status = Type = book article  Date = 1990-01-02  Collections:  bmc-archive,bom,farms-books,nibley  Size:   Children: 0  Rebuilt: 7/22/24 10:10:41
Mouritsen, Paul. “Secret Combinations and Flaxen Cords: Anti-Masonic Rhetoric and the Book of Mormon.” Journal of Book of Mormon Studies 12, no. 1 (2003): 116-118.
Display Abstract  Display Keywords

Some critics of the Book of Mormon claim that Joseph Smith drew certain terminology from his nineteenth-century environment. In particular, they suggest that terms such as secret society and secret combination may reflect anti-Masonic rhetoric from the period or even that the term flaxen cord has Masonic overtones. This article traces many varied uses of secret combination in nineteenth-century writings that have nothing to do with the Masons. The appearance of these terms in the Book of Mormon does not weaken the historical claims of the Book of Mormon.

Keywords: Anti-Mason; Early Church History; Historicity; Joseph; Jr.; Nineteenth-Century American History; Oaths; Rhetoric; Secret Combinations; Smith
ID = [3113]  Status = Type = journal article  Date = 2003-01-01  Collections:  bmc-archive,bom,farms-jbms  Size: 60883  Children: 0  Rebuilt: 7/22/24 10:11:26
Peterson, Daniel C. “Secret Combinations Revisited.” In Pressing Forward with the Book of Mormon: The FARMS Updates of the 1990s, edited by Welch, John W., and Melvin J. Thorne, 190-195. Provo, UT: Foundation for Ancient Research and Mormon Studies, 1999.
Display Keywords
Keywords: Secret Combinations
ID = [75683]  Status = Type = book article  Date = 1999-01-01  Collections:  bom,farms-books,peterson  Size:   Children: 0  Rebuilt: 7/22/24 11:09:57
Warren, Bruce W. “Secret Combinations, Warfare, and Captive Sacrifice in Mesoamerica and the Book of Mormon.” In Warfare in the Book of Mormon, edited by Stephen D. Ricks and William J. Hamblin, 225-236. Provo, UT/Salt Lake City: Foundation for Ancient Research and Mormon Studies/Deseret Book, 1990.
Display Abstract  Display Keywords

This chapter examines similarities between the warfare and war-related rituals of ancient Mesoamericans and of the Jaredites in the Book of Mormon. It draws comparisons between secret combinations and treatment of captive kings in both societies.

Keywords: Mesoamerica; Book of Mormon; Cultural anthropology
ID = [82137]  Status = Type = book article  Date = 1990-01-01  Collections:  bom,farms-books  Size:   Children: 0  Rebuilt: 7/22/24 11:15:59
Welch, John W., David R. Benard, and Daniel C. Peterson. “‘Secret Combinations’” In Reexploring the Book of Mormon: A Decade of New Research, ed. John W. Welch. Salt Lake City: Deseret Book Company, 1992.
Display Keywords
Keywords: Early Church History; Freemasonry; Secret Combinations
ID = [66508]  Status = Type = book article  Date = 1992-01-01  Collections:  bom,farms-books,welch  Size:   Children: 0  Rebuilt: 7/22/24 11:01:39
Oman, Nathan B. “‘Secret Combinations’ A Legal Analysis.” The FARMS Review 16, no. 1 (2004): Article 6.
Display Abstract  

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.

ID = [467]  Status = Type = journal article  Date = 2004-01-01  Collections:  bom,farms-review  Size: 60908  Children: 0  Rebuilt: 7/22/24 10:08:48
Peterson, Daniel C. “‘Secret Combinations’ Revisited.” Journal of Book of Mormon Studies 1 no. 1 (1992).
Display Abstract  

The claim that the Gadianton robbers in the Book of Mormon are merely a reflection of nineteenth-century Masons, who were referred to in the late 1820s as “secret combinations,” is false since an 1826 use of the phrase establishes that those words were not used exclusively to describe Masons.

ID = [2822]  Status = Type = journal article  Date = 1992-01-01  Collections:  bom,farms-jbms,peterson  Size: 10670  Children: 0  Rebuilt: 7/22/24 10:11:07
Honey, David B. “The Secular as Sacred: The Historiography of the Title Page.” Journal of Book of Mormon Studies 3, no. 1 (1994): 94-103.
Display Abstract  Display Keywords

The title page of the Book of Mormon acts as a historiographical introduction to the editorial guidelines followed by Mormon in his work of compilation and redaction. These guidelines defined what was important for Mormon to incorporate in his historical record and included the themes of genealogy, covenants, and the teaching and testifying of Christ.

Keywords: Covenant; Genealogy; Historiography; Jesus Christ; Mormon; Testimony
ID = [2860]  Status = Type = journal article  Date = 1994-01-01  Collections:  bmc-archive,bom,farms-jbms  Size: 22681  Children: 0  Rebuilt: 7/22/24 10:11:10
Welch, John W. “Seeing Third Nephi as the Holy of Holies of the Book of Mormon.” Journal of the Book of Mormon and Other Restoration Scripture 19, no. 1 (2010): 36-55.
Display Abstract  Display Keywords

Third Nephi and its account of the ministry of the resurrected Jesus to the Nephites has long been seen as the pinnacle of the Book of Mormon. This text can also be viewed as the Holy of Holies of the Book of Mormon. Everything in 3 Nephi, especially the ministry of the Savior, echoes themes related to the temple and the presence of the Lord in the Holy of Holies. Themes such as silence, timelessness, unity, awe, and consecration confirm this interpretation.

Keywords: 3 Nephi; Consecration; Holy of Holies; Law of; Silence; Temple; Unity
Topics:    Book of Mormon Scriptures > 3 Nephi
ID = [3247]  Status = Type = journal article  Date = 2010-01-01  Collections:  bmc-archive,bom,farms-jbms,welch  Size: 81507  Children: 0  Rebuilt: 7/22/24 10:11:34
Foundation for Ancient Research and Mormon Studies. “Seeking Agreement on the Meaning of Book of Mormon Names.” Journal of Book of Mormon Studies 9 no. 1 (2000).
Display Abstract  

Over two hundred proper names of peoples or places appear in the Book of Mormon text. Although some of those names appear in the Bible, a large majority of them are unique to the Book of Mormon. Paul Y. Hoskisson leads the Onomasticon Project, which seeks to identify and interpret Book of Mormon names using standard principles and methods. This article introduces five subsequent articles that demonstrate to nonspecialists how this type of research can and should be applied to the Book of Mormon. Prepared scholars—Hoskisson, Jeffrey R. Chadwick, Dana M. Pike, John A. Tvedtnes—display the type of interchange that is required to clarify and settle the issues surrounding Book of Mormon proper names. This article also introduces two additional articles that complement the onomastic discussion.

ID = [3020]  Status = Type = journal article  Date = 2000-01-01  Collections:  bom,farms-jbms  Size: 1797  Children: 0  Rebuilt: 7/22/24 10:11:20
Barney, Kevin L. “Seeking Joseph Smith’s Voice.” Journal of Book of Mormon Studies 15, no. 1 (2006): 54-59, 71-72.
Display Abstract  Display Keywords

Royal Skousen’s work on his Book of Mormon critical text project demonstrates that he is an able textual critic who employs sound judgment and proven methods to uncover the original text of the Book of Mormon. In many cases, these decisions seem counterintuitive to untrained readers, but Skousen correctly applies the principle that a more awkward reading is most likely original. He also shows his ability to make conjectural emendations for which no direct textual evidence is available. In every case, Skousen clearly lays out his reasoning so that readers who disagree with his inferences can examine the evidence for themselves to reach their own conclusions. This paper goes on to speculate that Skousen’s work may in time bring the LDS and RLDS editions of the Book of Mormon closer together textually. In the end, the critical text project is a superb work of scholarship on par with the standard works of biblical textual criticism.

Keywords: Conjectural Emendation; Critical Text; Joseph; Jr.; Original Text; Prophet; Smith; Translation
Topics:    Book of Mormon Scriptures > Ether
ID = [3183]  Status = Type = journal article  Date = 2006-01-01  Collections:  bmc-archive,bom,farms-jbms  Size: 27965  Children: 0  Rebuilt: 7/22/24 10:11:30
Barney, Kevin L. “A Seemingly Strange Story Illuminated.” FARMS Review of Books 13, no. 1 (2001): 1-20.
Display Abstract  Display Keywords

Review of The Book of Mormon and Other Hidden Books: “Out of Darkness unto Light” (2000), by John A. Tvedtnes

Keywords: Criticism; Early Church History; Gold Plates; Hidden Records; Historicity
ID = [374]  Status = Type = review  Date = 2001-01-01  Collections:  bmc-archive,bom,farms-review  Size: 50455  Children: 0  Rebuilt: 7/22/24 10:08:43
Gee, John. “A Seething Pot in the North: International Affairs Leading Up to Lehi’s Day.” In Glimpses of Lehi’s Jerusalem, eds. John W. Welch, David Rolph Seely, and Jo Ann H. Seely, 543—60. Provo, Utah: Foundation for Ancient Research and Mormon Studies, 2004.
Topics:    Old Testament Topics > Book of Mormon and the Old Testament
Old Testament Topics > History
ID = [39702]  Status = Type = book article  Date = 2004-01-01  Collections:  bom,farms-books,old-test  Size:   Children: 0  Rebuilt: 8/5/24 7:40:37
Hanson, Scot, and Daniel B. McKinlay. “A Selective Bibliography of Book of Mormon Literary Features.” Journal of Book of Mormon Studies 16 no. 2 (2007).
ID = [3219]  Status = Type = journal article  Date = 2007-01-01  Collections:  bom,farms-jbms  Size: 17231  Children: 0  Rebuilt: 7/22/24 10:11:32
Spencer, Joseph M. “The Self-Critical Book of Mormon: Notes on an Emergent Literary Approach.” Journal of Book of Mormon Studies 24, no. 1 (2015): 180-193.
Display Abstract  Display Keywords

This essay examines the shared literary approach to the Book of Mormon in recent essays by Elizabeth Fenton and Jared Hickman. These two scholars use the literary tool of deconstruction to investigate ways in which the Book of Mormon not only presents a narrative but also offers an implicit critique of its own narrative. Each sees this selfcritical or deconstructive aspect of the Book of Mormon as central to the volume’s historical and political force, a means by which the book could subtly but powerfully work against major assumptions in nineteenth-century American culture. Although they share this methodology, Fenton and Hickman use it for slightly different aims or go to slightly different lengths with it. These differences help to clarify both the usefulness of and the potential dangers or temptations inherent to the deconstructive interpretation of the Book of Mormon.

Keywords: Literary; Literature; Narrative
ID = [3326]  Status = Type = journal article  Date = 2015-01-01  Collections:  bmc-archive,bom,farms-jbms  Size: 34844  Children: 0  Rebuilt: 7/22/24 10:11:39
Ricks, Stephen D. “Semitic Texts Written in Egyptian Characters.” In Pressing Forward with the Book of Mormon: The FARMS Updates of the 1990s, edited by Welch, John W., and Melvin J. Thorne, 237-243. Provo, UT: Foundation for Ancient Research and Mormon Studies, 1999.
Display Keywords
Keywords: Egyptian; Language; Language - Hebrew; Writing
ID = [75693]  Status = Type = book article  Date = 1999-01-01  Collections:  bom,farms-books  Size: 12952  Children: 0  Rebuilt: 7/22/24 11:09:57
Welch, John W. “Series of Laws in the Book of Mormon.” Preliminary Report. Provo, UT: Foundation for Ancient Research and Mormon Studies, 1987.
ID = [1536]  Status = Type = journal article  Date = 1987-01-01  Collections:  bmc-archive,bom,farms-reports,welch  Size: 31449  Children: 0  Rebuilt: 7/22/24 10:09:55
Welch, John W. “The Sermon at the Temple.” In Reexploring the Book of Mormon: A Decade of New Research, ed. John W. Welch. Salt Lake City: Deseret Book Company, 1992.
Display Keywords
Keywords: Bountiful (Polity); Jesus Christ; Sermon at the Temple
ID = [66517]  Status = Type = book article  Date = 1992-01-01  Collections:  bom,farms-books,welch  Size:   Children: 0  Rebuilt: 7/22/24 11:01:39
Welch, John W. The Sermon at the Temple and the Sermon on the Mount: A Latter-day Saint Approach. Salt Lake City: Deseret Book and The Foundation for Ancient Research and Mormon Studies, 1990.
Display Abstract  

A thorough LDS interpretation of the Sermon on the Mount in Matthew 5-7 and analysis of the words of Jesus at the temple in Bountiful in 3 Nephi 11-18. The Book of Mormon provides keys to unlock the mystery of the Sermon on the Mount. 3 Nephi is a covenantal temple text, giving instructions and commandments relevant to covenant making. A table compares the texts of Matthew 5-7, 3 Nephi 12-14, and the Joseph Smith Translation of Matthew 5-7.

Topics:    Book of Mormon Scriptures > 3 Nephi
ID = [78643]  Status = Type = book  Date = 1990-01-01  Collections:  bom,farms-books,welch  Size:   Children: 0  Rebuilt: 8/5/24 7:58:14
Skinner, Andrew C. “Serpent Symbols and Salvation in the Ancient Near East and the Book of Mormon.” Journal of Book of Mormon Studies 10, no. 2 (2001): 42-55, 70-71.
Display Abstract  Display Keywords

The serpent is often used to represent one of two things: Christ or Satan. This article synthesizes evidence from Egypt, Mesopotamia, Phoenicia, Greece, and Jerusalem to explain the reason for this duality. Many scholars suggest that the symbol of the serpent was used anciently to represent Jesus Christ but that Satan distorted the symbol, thereby creating this paradox. The dual nature of the serpent is incorporated into the Old Testament, the New Testament, and the Book of Mormon.

Keywords: Ancient Near East; Duality; Jesus Christ; Paradox; Satan; Serpent; Snake; Symbolism
Topics:    Old Testament Topics > Types and Symbols
ID = [3072]  Status = Type = journal article  Date = 2001-01-01  Collections:  bmc-archive,bom,farms-jbms,old-test  Size: 53486  Children: 0  Rebuilt: 7/22/24 10:11:23
Parry, Donald W. “Service and Temple in King Benjamin’s Speech.” Journal of Book of Mormon Studies 16, no. 2 (2007): 42-47, 95-97.
Display Abstract  Display Keywords

King Benjamin’s speech focuses almost entirely on service, repeating four variations of the word—servants, serve, served, and service—fifteen times in only eighteen verses. Benjamin gave the discourse in such a manner that his audience could have understood service in multiple ways. Given the significant temple setting for the discourse and the references to temple service in the Old Testament, Parry seeks to highlight the emphasis on temple service. To further strengthen his focus on temple service, Benjamin links service to the concept of blood on garments and his need to wash his garments of his people’s blood, bringing to mind the priests with blood on their garments from temple rituals, who were required to wash their garments. The temple setting, where sacrifices were made under the law of Moses, and the focus on service point to Jesus Christ’s atoning sacrifice—the supreme and final act of service.

Keywords: Atonement; Garments; King Benjamin; Old Testament; Sacrifice; Servant; Service; Temple
ID = [3214]  Status = Type = journal article  Date = 2007-01-01  Collections:  bmc-archive,bom,farms-jbms  Size: 42927  Children: 0  Rebuilt: 7/22/24 10:11:32
Brown, S. Kent. “The Sesquicentennial of Four European Translations of the Book of Mormon.” Journal of Book of Mormon Studies 11 no. 1 (2002).
Display Abstract  

Introduction to the following four articles on early translations of the Book of Mormon into French, German, Italian, and French.

ID = [3081]  Status = Type = journal article  Date = 2002-01-01  Collections:  bom,farms-jbms  Size: 2520  Children: 0  Rebuilt: 7/22/24 10:11:24
Faulconer, James E. “Setting a New Standard.” FARMS Review 21, no. 1 (2009): 79-82.
Display Abstract  Display Keywords

Review of Second Witness: Analytical and Contextual Commentary on the Book of Mormon, 6 vols. (2007), by Brant A. Gardner.

Keywords: Ancient America; Book of Mormon Geography; Mesoamerica
ID = [623]  Status = Type = journal article  Date = 2009-01-01  Collections:  bmc-archive,bom,farms-review  Size: 8484  Children: 0  Rebuilt: 7/22/24 10:08:59
Tvedtnes, John A., John L. Sorenson, and John W. Welch. “Seven Tribes: An Aspect of Lehi’s Legacy.” In Reexploring the Book of Mormon: A Decade of New Research, ed. John W. Welch. Salt Lake City: Deseret Book Company, 1992.
Display Keywords
Keywords: Ishmaelites; Jacobites; Josephites; Lamanites; Lehi (Prophet); Lemuelites; Nephites; Tribe; Zoramites (Descendants of Zoram)
Topics:    Book of Mormon Scriptures > Jacob
ID = [66467]  Status = Type = book article  Date = 1992-01-01  Collections:  bom,farms-books,sorenson  Size:   Children: 0  Rebuilt: 7/22/24 11:01:36
Tvedtnes, John A. “Shades of Darkness.” FARMS Review of Books 12, no. 2 (2000): 427-439.
Display Abstract  Display Keywords

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.”

Keywords: Anti-Mormon
ID = [371]  Status = Type = review  Date = 2000-01-01  Collections:  bmc-archive,farms-review  Size: 30025  Children: 0  Rebuilt: 7/22/24 10:08:43
Smith, Robert F. “Shakespeare and the Book of Mormon.” Preliminary Report. Provo, UT: Foundation for Ancient Research and Mormon Studies, 1980.
ID = [1523]  Status = Type = journal article  Date = 1980-01-01  Collections:  bmc-archive,bom,farms-reports  Size: 28903  Children: 0  Rebuilt: 7/22/24 10:09:55
Peterson, Daniel C. “‘Shall They Not Both Fall into the Ditch?’ What Certain Baptists Think they Know about the Restored Gospel.” FARMS Review of Books 10, no. 1 (1998): 12-96.
Display Abstract  Display Keywords

Review of The Mormon Puzzle: Understanding and Witnessing to Latter-day Saints (1997), by North American Mission Board of the Southern Baptist Convention

Keywords: Anti-Mormon; Criticism; Doctrine; Early Church History; Translation
ID = [297]  Status = Type = review  Date = 1998-01-01  Collections:  bmc-archive,farms-review,peterson  Size: 193223  Children: 0  Rebuilt: 7/22/24 10:08:38
Smith, Gregory L. “Shattered Glass: The Traditions of Mormon Same-Sex Marriage Advocates Encounter Boyd K. Packer.” Mormon Studies Review 23, no. 1 (2011): 61-85.
Display Abstract  Display Keywords

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.

Keywords: Same-Sex Attraction
ID = [673]  Status = Type = journal article  Date = 2011-01-01  Collections:  bmc-archive,farms-review  Size: 95683  Children: 0  Rebuilt: 7/22/24 10:09:04
Smith, Julie M. “‘She Hath Wrought a Good Work’: The Anointing of Jesus in Mark’s Gospel.” Studies in the Bible and Antiquity 5 no. 1 (2013).
Display Abstract  

In silence, an unnamed woman approaches Jesus and pours ointment on his head. Responding to criticism from his disciples, Jesus not only defends the woman’s actions but states that wherever the gospel is preached, her story will be told as a memorial of her (Mark 14:9). This enigmatic story has, surprisingly, received very little comment from biblical scholars over the centuries. Yet it is a veritable treasure trove of insight into the person of Jesus and his ministry: (1) anointing was, as Jesus himself explains, a preparation for his burial. Both Jesus and the woman who anoints him understand that he will soon die; (2) anointing was also, in the biblical tradition, part of the coronation ritual for kinds (see example, 1 Samuel 10:1)--both Jesus and the woman who anoints him understand that he is the King of Kings; (3) a point where the disciples seem to understand only the glorious aspect or the suffering aspect of Jesus’s mission, the anointing woman’s actions show that she understands that both aspects must be integrated in the atoning mission of Jesus Christ; and (4) the Joseph Smith Translation of Mark 14:8 on first reading does not appear to add much to the story but on closer examination reveals a chiasmus that strengthens and nuances Jesus’s praise of the woman.

ID = [7038]  Status = Type = journal article  Date = 2013-01-01  Collections:  farms-sba  Size: 34994  Children: 0  Rebuilt: 8/5/24 7:09:38
Welch, John W. “Sherem’s Accusations Against Jacob.” In Pressing Forward with the Book of Mormon: The FARMS Updates of the 1990s, edited by Welch, John W., and Melvin J. Thorne, 84-87. Provo, UT: Foundation for Ancient Research and Mormon Studies, 1999.
Display Keywords
Keywords: Antichrist; Apostasy; Jacob (Son of Lehi); Laws; Legal; Prophecy; Prophet; Sherem
Topics:    Book of Mormon Scriptures > Jacob
ID = [75661]  Status = Type = book article  Date = 1999-01-01  Collections:  bom,farms-books,welch  Size: 5189  Children: 0  Rebuilt: 7/22/24 11:09:55
Andelin, Elaine A. “Sherrie Johnson, My First Scripture Stories.” FARMS Review of Books 8, no. 2 (1996): Article 16.
Display Abstract  

Review of My First Scripture Stories (1994), by Sherrie Johnson, illustrated by Tyler Lybbert

ID = [254]  Status = Type = review  Date = 1996-01-01  Collections:  farms-review  Size: 3146  Children: 0  Rebuilt: 7/22/24 10:08:36
Midgley, Louis C. “The Shipps Odyssey in Retrospect.” Review of Books on the Book of Mormon 7, no. 2 (1995): 219-252.
Display Abstract  Display Keywords

Review of Mormonism: The Story of a New Religious Tradition (1985), by Jan Shipps.

Keywords: Early Church History; Mormonism; Scholarship
ID = [219]  Status = Type = review  Date = 1995-01-01  Collections:  bmc-archive,farms-review  Size: 12660  Children: 0  Rebuilt: 7/22/24 10:08:34
Stubbs, Brian D. “A Short Addition to Length: Some Relative Frequencies of Circumstantial Structures.” Journal of Book of Mormon Studies 6, no. 1 (1997): 39-46.
Display Abstract  Display Keywords

In previous articles I have discussed the nature and prominence of certain linguistic structures in the Book of Mormon that are typical of hal-clauses translated from Hebrew or Egyptian. This article compares the frequencies of those structures in three works produced through the instrumentality of Joseph Smith: the Book of Mormon, the Doctrine and Covenants, and History of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, only the first of which is a translation from an ancient Near Eastern language. The results of this preliminary investigation into styles and these linguistic structures as found in these three works are worth noting.

Keywords: Length; Structure
ID = [2945]  Status = Type = journal article  Date = 1997-01-01  Collections:  bmc-archive,bom,d-c,farms-jbms  Size: 16597  Children: 0  Rebuilt: 7/22/24 10:11:15
Petrey, Taylor G. “Siding with Heretics: Evaluating Hugh Nibley Today.” Studies in the Bible and Antiquity 7 no. 1 (2015).
ID = [7057]  Status = Type = journal article  Date = 2015-01-01  Collections:  farms-sba  Size: 10796  Children: 0  Rebuilt: 8/5/24 7:09:38
Foundation for Ancient Research and Mormon Studies. “Sidney B. Sperry.” Journal of Book of Mormon Studies 4 no. 1 (1995).
Display Abstract  

Brief biography of Sidney B. Sperry.

ID = [2892]  Status = Type = journal article  Date = 1995-01-01  Collections:  farms-jbms  Size: 3871  Children: 0  Rebuilt: 7/22/24 10:11:12
Rasmussen, Ellis T. “Sidney B. Sperry, As I Remember and Appreciate Him.” Journal of Book of Mormon Studies 4 no. 1 (1995).
Display Abstract  

Personal reminiscences about Sidney B. Sperry.

ID = [2896]  Status = Type = journal article  Date = 1995-01-01  Collections:  farms-jbms  Size: 4964  Children: 0  Rebuilt: 7/22/24 10:11:12
Anderson, Carma deJong. “Sidney B. Sperry: Memories.” Journal of Book of Mormon Studies 4 no. 1 (1995).
Display Abstract  

Personal reminiscences about Sidney B. Sperry.

ID = [2894]  Status = Type = journal article  Date = 1995-01-01  Collections:  farms-jbms  Size: 5126  Children: 0  Rebuilt: 7/22/24 10:11:12
Anderson, Richard Lloyd. “Sidney B. Sperry: Steadfast Scholar.” Journal of Book of Mormon Studies 4 no. 1 (1995).
Display Abstract  

Personal reminiscences about Sidney B. Sperry.

ID = [2895]  Status = Type = journal article  Date = 1995-01-01  Collections:  farms-jbms  Size: 6262  Children: 0  Rebuilt: 7/22/24 10:11:12
Anonymous. “Sidney B. Sperry: The Man, Scholar, and Teacher.” Journal of Book of Mormon Studies 4 no. 1 (1995).
Display Abstract  

Personal reminiscences about Sidney B. Sperry.

ID = [2893]  Status = Type = journal article  Date = 1995-01-01  Collections:  farms-jbms  Size: 8692  Children: 0  Rebuilt: 7/22/24 10:11:12
Davis, D. Morgan. “Sidney H. Griffith, The Bible in Arabic: The Scriptures of the ‘People of the Book‘ in the Language of Islam.” Studies in the Bible and Antiquity 6 no. 1 (2014).
ID = [7049]  Status = Type = journal article  Date = 2014-01-01  Collections:  farms-sba  Size: 14010  Children: 0  Rebuilt: 8/5/24 7:09:38
Midgley, Louis C. “The Signature Books Saga.” The FARMS Review 16, no. 1 (2004): 361-406.
Display Abstract  Display Keywords

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.

Keywords: Anti-Mormon; Criticism; Scholarship
ID = [473]  Status = Type = journal article  Date = 2004-01-01  Collections:  bmc-archive,farms-review  Size: 110945  Children: 0  Rebuilt: 7/22/24 10:08:49
Sorenson, John L. “The Significance of the Chronological Discrepancy Between Alma 53:22 and Alma 56:9.” Preliminary Report. Provo, UT: Foundation for Ancient Research and Mormon Studies, 1990.
Display Abstract  Display Keywords

John Sorenson analyzes the extent and significance of the discrepancy between two reports of the same event in the Book of Mormon and explores how the two versions may have arisen. He looks at the scope of the problem and the fallibility of the historical record before analyzing the problem and offering a resolution. He also provides a reconciled chronology of the years in question and discusses some lessons we can learn from the discrepancy.

Keywords: Book of Mormon; Chronology
Topics:    Book of Mormon Scriptures > Alma
ID = [8595]  Status = Type = journal article  Date = 1990-01-01  Collections:  bmc-archive,bom,farms-reports,sorenson  Size: 209  Children: 0  Rebuilt: 8/5/24 7:09:44
Morrise, Mark J. Simile Curses in the Ancient Near East, Old Testament and Book of Mormon. Provo, UT: Foundation for Ancient Research and Mormon Studies, 1981.
Display Abstract  

Simile curses, a combination of the literary feature called “simile” and an oath of malediction, are common elements in ancient Near Eastern texts, including the Old Testament and Book of Mormon. Simile curses occur most often in three contexts—treaties, religious covenants, and prophecies. A Book of Mormon example of a simile curses is found in Alma 44:1-4 where the simile “even as this scalp has fallen to the earth” is followed by the curse, “so shall ye fall to the earth” A ritualistic act or visual action often accompanies the curse, such as rending garments, felling a tree, or breaking a weapon, making the symbolism of the curse more effective. The attestation of simile curses in the Book of Mormon may suggest a historical connection between the new world scripture and the ancient records of the old world.

Topics:    Book of Mormon Scriptures > Alma
ID = [81090]  Status = Type = book  Date = 1981-01-01  Collections:  bom,farms-books  Size:   Children: 0  Rebuilt: 7/22/24 11:15:03
Morrise, Mark J. “Simile Curses in the Ancient Near East, Old Testament, and Book of Mormon.” Preliminary Report. Provo, UT: Foundation for Ancient Research and Mormon Studies, 1989. Faculty Lecture, 17 February 1983.
Display Abstract  Display Keywords

Mark Morrise defines the “simile curse” and discusses its existence in ancient Near Eastern texts, the Old Testament, and the Book of Mormon. In the Book of Mormon simile curses were associated with treaties, religious covenants, and prophecies. Morrise analyzes the common characteristics of simile curses in the Book of Mormon, as well as the similarities between such curses in ancient Near Eastern, Old Testament, and Book of Mormon texts.

Keywords: Book of Mormon; Ancient Israel
Topics:    Old Testament Topics > Oaths
ID = [8419]  Status = Type = journal article  Date = 1989-01-01  Collections:  bom,farms-reports,old-test  Size: 998  Children: 0  Rebuilt: 8/5/24 7:09:43
Morrise, Mark J. “Simile Curses in the Ancient Near East, Old Testament, and Book of Mormon.” Journal of Book of Mormon Studies 2 no. 1 (1993).
Display Abstract  

The simile curse is a type of curse that appears in ancient Near Eastern, Old Testament, and Book of Mormon texts. It consists of two parts: (1) an event (e.g., “Just as this wax is burned by fire”) and (2) an application of that event to the subject of the curse (e.g., “so shall Arpad be burned”). In ancient Near Eastern texts, simile curses appear in written treaties and were often part of a ritual acted out during a treaty ceremony. In the Old Testament, simile curses appear primarily in prophetic writings as literary devices. In the Book of Mormon, simile curses appear in the context of treaties, religious covenants, and prophecies, and in several instances were acted out. These curses were probably part of the oral tradition of ancient Near Eastern, Old Testament, and Book of Mormon peoples.

Topics:    Old Testament Topics > Oaths
ID = [2833]  Status = Type = journal article  Date = 1993-01-01  Collections:  bom,farms-jbms,old-test  Size: 32861  Children: 0  Rebuilt: 7/22/24 10:11:07
Hancock, Ralph C. “A Sinking Ship?” The FARMS Review 19, no. 1 (2007): 355-360.
Display Abstract  Display Keywords

Review of C. John Sommerville. The Decline of the Secular Unversity.

Keywords: Education; Secularism
ID = [567]  Status = Type = review  Date = 2007-01-01  Collections:  bmc-archive,farms-review  Size: 12496  Children: 0  Rebuilt: 7/22/24 10:08:54
Morris, Larry E. “Sister Brodie and Sister Brooks.” The FARMS Review 19, no. 2 (2007): 99-115.
Display Abstract  Display Keywords

Review of Gary Topping. Utah Historians and the Reconstruction of Western History.

Keywords: Criticism; Early Church History; Scholarship
ID = [582]  Status = Type = review  Date = 2007-01-01  Collections:  bmc-archive,farms-review  Size: 41062  Children: 0  Rebuilt: 7/22/24 10:08:56
Midgley, Louis C. “Situating Nibley on Early Christianity: A Bibliography Note.” Studies in the Bible and Antiquity 7 no. 1 (2015).
ID = [7058]  Status = Type = journal article  Date = 2015-01-01  Collections:  farms-sba  Size: 20081  Children: 0  Rebuilt: 8/5/24 7:09:38
Peterson, Daniel C. “Skin Deep.” FARMS Review of Books 9, no. 2 (1997): 99-146.
Display Abstract  Display Keywords

Review of Die Mormonen: Sekte oder neue Kirche Jesu Christi? (1995), by Rudiger Hauth.

Keywords: Anti-Mormon; Criticism; Doctrine; Scholarship
ID = [279]  Status = Type = review  Date = 1997-01-01  Collections:  bmc-archive,farms-review,peterson  Size: 116168  Children: 0  Rebuilt: 7/22/24 10:08:37
Insights. “Skinner Concludes Museum of Art Lecture Series.” Insights 27, no. 3 (2007).
Display Abstract  Display Keywords

On March 21 Andrew C. Skinner, executive director of the Maxwell Institute and professor of ancient scripture at Brigham Young University, addressed the topic of “Crucifixion and Resurrection” in the Museum of Art lecture series on the life of Christ. Skinner began by saying that “the crucifixion and resurrection of Jesus of Nazareth are the lynchpin of everything we believe and everything we do in the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.”

Keywords: Maxwell Institute; ancient scripture; BYU; museum; art
ID = [66850]  Status = Type = journal article  Date = 2007-01-03  Collections:  farms-insights  Size:   Children: 0  Rebuilt: 7/22/24 11:01:52
Sproat, Ethan. “Skins as Garments in the Book of Mormon: A Textual Exegesis.” Journal of Book of Mormon Studies 24, no. 1 (2015): 138-165.
Display Abstract  Display Keywords

Traditional interpretations of the various-colored or cursed skins in the Book of Mormon have asserted variations of two basic perspectives: first, the Book of Mormon describes God as darkening the flesh pigmentation of some wicked peoples as a mark of a curse; or alternately, the descriptions of “white” skins and “dark” skins in the Book of Mormon are only metaphorical descriptions and not necessarily descriptions of flesh pigmentation. However, a careful textual analysis of all the relevant terms and passages in the Book of Mormon (and its closest literary analog, the King James Version of the Bible) strongly suggests that the various-colored skins in the Book of Mormon can be understood more coherently as a kind of authoritative garment. The relevant texts further lend themselves to associating such garment-skins with both the Nephite temple and competing Lamanite claims to kingship. Ultimately, this exegesis suggests that such garment-skins (as the mark of the Lamanites’ curse) can be understood as being self-administered, removable, and inherited in the same way that authoritative vestments in the King James Version are self-administered, removable, and inherited.

Keywords: Curse; Exegesis; Garments; King James Bible; Lamanite; Metaphor; Nephite; Skins; Temple
ID = [3324]  Status = Type = journal article  Date = 2015-01-01  Collections:  bmc-archive,bom,farms-jbms  Size: 68650  Children: 0  Rebuilt: 7/22/24 10:11:39
Stokes, Adam Oliver. “‘Skin’ or ‘Scales’ of Blackness? Semitic Context as Interpretive Aid for 2 Nephi 4:35 (LOS 5:21).” Journal of Book of Mormon Studies 27 (2018).
Display Abstract  

Few verses in the Book of Mormon are as problematic and controversial as 2 Nephi 4:35 (LDS 5:21). Critics of the Book of Mormon have routinely pointed to this verse and its reference to Lamanites receiving a “skin of blackness” as evidence of racism and racist theology in Mormonism’s sacred scriptures. The verse has also failed to escape ridicule in pop-cultural depictions of Mormonism, as seen most recently in the hit Broadway musical, The Book of Mormon. The verse and its interpretation are of perennial interest to readers of the Book of Mormon, believing or not, since the racial stance of the volume seems to center around the interpretation of the passage.

Topics:    Book of Mormon Scriptures > 2 Nephi
ID = [81915]  Status = Type = journal article  Date = 2018-01-01  Collections:  bom,farms-jbms  Size:   Children: 0  Rebuilt: 7/22/24 11:15:47
Berrett, LaMar C. “The So-Called Lehi Cave.” Preliminary Report. Provo, UT: Foundation for Ancient Research and Mormon Studies, 1982.
Display Abstract  Display Keywords

A cave southwest of Jerusalem caught the attention of several Latter-day Saint observers in the early 1960s. Graffiti in the cave seemed to portray themes or scenes related to the Book of Mormon, and some thought that the cave might have been the place described in the Book of Mormon as “the cavity of rock.” LaMar Berrett points out problems that weaken the likelihood that this is the case. Two scholarly articles on the cave are included.

Keywords: Book of Mormon; Archaeology
ID = [8410]  Status = Type = journal article  Date = 1982-01-01  Collections:  bom,farms-reports  Size: 209  Children: 0  Rebuilt: 8/5/24 7:09:43
Barney, Quinten Zehn. “Sobek: The Idolatrous God of Pharaoh Amenemhet III.” Journal of the Book of Mormon and Other Restoration Scripture 22, no. 2 (2013): 22-27.
Display Abstract  Display Keywords

The Joseph Smith Papyri have been a hot topic among scholars, especially since the resurfacing of fragments of the collection in the late 1960s. The facsimiles in particular have received much attention in scholarly circles, especially in relation to their accompanying explanations given by Joseph Smith. This article contributes evidence of the accuracy of Smith’s explanations, despite his lack of knowledge concerning Egyptology. Specifically, this article discusses the relationship between “ the idolatrous god of pharaoh” in Facsimile 1 with the Egyptian crocodile god, Sobek (also known as Sebek, Sobk, and Suchos), and his connection to the Middle Kingdom pharaoh Amenemhet III. Evidence both from historical texts and from archaeology demonstrates the important role Sobek played in the Fayyum region during the reign of Amenemhet III. Sobek was thus a likely candidate for the “ idolatrous god of pharaoh” of Facsimile 1 in the Book of Abraham.

Keywords: Ancient Near East; Book of Abraham Facsimiles; Egypt; Egyptian; Joseph Smith Papyri; Pearl of Great Price; Sobek
ID = [3295]  Status = Type = journal article  Date = 2013-01-01  Collections:  abraham,bmc-archive,farms-jbms  Size: 22363  Children: 0  Rebuilt: 7/22/24 10:11:37
Sorenson, John L., and John W. Welch. “The Sobering Lesson of the Grolier Codex.” In Pressing Forward with the Book of Mormon: The FARMS Updates of the 1990s, edited by Welch, John W., and Melvin J. Thorne, 296-298. Provo, UT: Foundation for Ancient Research and Mormon Studies, 1999.
Display Keywords
Keywords: Ancient America; Codex; Gold Plates; Historicity; Mesoamerica; Writing
ID = [75708]  Status = Type = book article  Date = 1999-01-01  Collections:  bom,farms-books,sorenson  Size: 4414  Children: 0  Rebuilt: 7/22/24 11:09:58
Hilton, John L. “Some Book of Mormon ‘Wordprint’ Measurements Using ‘Wraparound’ Block Counting.” Preliminary Report. Provo, UT: Foundation for Ancient Research and Mormon Studies, 1988.
Display Keywords
Keywords: Book of Mormon Authorship; Stylometry; Wordprint
ID = [8407]  Status = Type = journal article  Date = 1988-07-01  Collections:  bmc-archive,bom,farms-reports  Size: 209  Children: 0  Rebuilt: 8/5/24 7:09:43
Gee, John. “Some Notes on the Anthon Transcript.” FARMS Review of Books 12, no. 1 (2000): 5-8.
Display Abstract  Display Keywords

Review of Translating the Anthon Transcript (1999), by Stan and Polly Johnson

Keywords: Anthon Transcript; Language; Typography
ID = [334]  Status = Type = journal article  Date = 2000-01-01  Collections:  bmc-archive,bom,farms-review  Size: 8736  Children: 0  Rebuilt: 7/22/24 10:08:40
Sperry, Sidney B. “Some Problems of Interest Relating to the Brass Plates.” Journal of Book of Mormon Studies 4, no. 1 (1995): 185-191.
Display Abstract  Display Keywords

Most contemporary Old Testament scholars question whether Moses wrote the Pentateuch, but the Book of Mormon affirms Moses’ authorship. Questions arise as to how Jeremiah’s prophecies appeared on the brass plates and what the nature of the Book of the Law was. According to the brass plates, Laban and Lehi were descendants of Manasseh. How then did they come to be living in Jerusalem? The brass plates, on which may be found lost scripture, may have been the official scripture of the ten tribes.

Keywords: Brass Plates; Deuteronomy (Book); Jeremiah (Prophet); Laban (Custodian of Brass Plates); Pentateuch; Recordkeepers; Recordkeeping; Jerusalem; Lehi (Prophet); Lost Tribes; Manasseh (Tribe)
Topics:    Book of Mormon Scriptures > Ether
ID = [2881]  Status = Type = journal article  Date = 1995-01-01  Collections:  bmc-archive,bom,farms-jbms  Size: 15615  Children: 0  Rebuilt: 7/22/24 10:11:11
Gee, John. “Some Puzzles from the Joseph Smith Papyri.” The FARMS Review 20, no. 1 (2008): Article 1.
Display Abstract  

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.

Topics:    Book of Mormon Scriptures > Ether
ID = [602]  Status = Type = journal article  Date = 2008-01-01  Collections:  abraham,bom,farms-review  Size: 59720  Children: 0  Rebuilt: 7/22/24 10:08:57
Underwood, Grant. “Some Reflections on the Revelation of John in Mormon Thought: Past, Present, and Future.” Studies in the Bible and Antiquity 6 no. 1 (2014).
ID = [7047]  Status = Type = journal article  Date = 2014-01-01  Collections:  farms-sba  Size: 25607  Children: 0  Rebuilt: 8/5/24 7:09:38
Nibley, Hugh W. “Some Significant Statements by Leading Scientists on the Scope of Scientific Authority.” Preliminary Report. Provo, UT: Foundation for Ancient Research and Mormon Studies, 1984.
Display Abstract  

This is a collection of statements by scientists on the following topics: how scientists have become impatient with religion, how science has all the answers, how difficult it is to truly understand the past, the question of whether science is a cause or a pretext, the assertion that science is not based on purely inductive reasoning, and the illusion of already knowing as the greatest enemy to serious research.

Topics:    Book of Mormon Scriptures > Ether
ID = [8368]  Status = Type = journal article  Date = 1984-01-01  Collections:  bom,farms-reports,nibley  Size: 209  Children: 0  Rebuilt: 8/5/24 7:09:42
Matthews, Robert J. “Some Thoughts on the Atonement.” Preliminary Report. Provo, UT: Foundation for Ancient Research and Mormon Studies, 1989. Faculty Lecture, 17 February 1989.
Display Abstract  Display Keywords

In a lecture given to the BYU religion faculty, Robert Matthews emphasizes the points of doctrine in the Book of Mormon and other standard works that elucidate the fall and atonement. He analyzes concepts in several different scriptural chapters and shows how they have points in common as well as areas of particular emphasis and clarification. He contrasts the classical Christian views of how Adam’s transgression affects humankind with the teachings of ancient and modem revelation. He explains how the divine sonship of Jesus Christ enabled him to effect the atonement. Matthews notes that Christ’s mission is intended to save us from both kinds of death (physical and spiritual); there is no viable replacement for the Savior’s atonement.

Keywords: Book of Mormon Teachings
ID = [8420]  Status = Type = journal article  Date = 1989-02-17  Collections:  bom,farms-reports  Size: 998  Children: 0  Rebuilt: 8/5/24 7:09:43
Sperry, Sidney B. “Some Universals in the Book of Mormon.” Journal of Book of Mormon Studies 4, no. 1 (1995): 226-234.
Display Abstract  Display Keywords

A universal element is a succinct concept with comprehensive spiritual appeal to humanity; the Book of Mormon is itself a universal element. Among universals found in the Book of Mormon are concepts (1) that truth is given of God to all peoples; (2) of faith, in which good and evil are clearly defined in terms of opposition; (3) of the purpose of man’s existence in mortality; and (4) of the importance of service given to men and God.

Keywords: Book of Mormon; Doctrine; Equality; Joy; Service; Universalism; Faith; Mortality; Opposition; Service; Truth; Universal Element
ID = [2885]  Status = Type = journal article  Date = 1995-01-01  Collections:  bmc-archive,bom,farms-jbms  Size: 18553  Children: 0  Rebuilt: 7/22/24 10:11:11
Petersen, Boyd J. “Something to Move Mountains: The Book of Mormon in Hugh Nibley’s Correspondences.” Journal of Book of Mormon Studies 6, no. 2 (1997): 1–25.
Display Abstract  

Hugh Nibley’s correspondence reveals a lifelong fascination with the Book of Mormon. This is significant for two reasons: First, Nibley has taken the book seriously longer than we have as a church, and second, the private Hugh Nibley is as devoted to the Book of Mormon as is the public man.
Nibley’s interest in the book is threefold: he recognizes the striking similarities it shares with other ancient Near Eastern texts; acknowledges its witness to Joseph Smith’s divine calling; and, most importantly, perceives the relevance and accuracy of the book’s prophetic warnings. In his letters, Nibley also addresses criticism raised against his methodology. “The potential power” of the Book of Mormon, writes Nibley, “is something to move mountains; it will only take effect when everything is pretty far gone, but then it will be dynamite. That leaves room for optimism.” Hugh Nibley’s words make that optimism contagious.

Topics:    Hugh W. Nibley Topics > Hugh Nibley > Scholarship, Footnotes, Collected Works of Hugh Nibley, CWHN, Editing > Book of Mormon
ID = [742]  Status = Type = journal article  Date = 1997-01-01  Collections:  bmc-archive,bom,farms-jbms,nibley  Size:   Children: 0  Rebuilt: 7/22/24 10:09:08
Tvedtnes, John A. “The Sons of Mosiah: Emissaries of Peace.” In Warfare in the Book of Mormon, edited by Stephen D. Ricks and William J. Hamblin, 118-123. Provo, UT/Salt Lake City: Foundation for Ancient Research and Mormon Studies/Deseret Book, 1990.
Display Abstract  Display Keywords

This chapter examines missionary work in the Book of Mormon as a means to stop warfare with unbelieving groups. The author cites examples from the missions of the sons of Mosiah, as well as the mission to the Zoramites and the preaching of Nephi and Lehi. In each case, war ceased and prosperity was regained after the gospel was preached to the instigators of war.

Keywords: Missiology; Doctrinal history, peace; Book of Mormon
ID = [82134]  Status = Type = book article  Date = 1990-01-01  Collections:  bom,farms-books  Size:   Children: 0  Rebuilt: 7/22/24 11:15:59
Welch, John W., and Gordon C. Thomasson. “The Sons of the Passover.” In Reexploring the Book of Mormon: A Decade of New Research, ed. John W. Welch. Salt Lake City: Deseret Book Company, 1992.
Display Keywords
Keywords: Admonition; Corianton (Son of Alma); Festival; Helaman (Son of Alma the Younger); Passover; Shiblon (Son of Alma)
Topics:    Book of Mormon Scriptures > Alma
Book of Mormon Scriptures > Helaman
ID = [66499]  Status = Type = book article  Date = 1992-01-01  Collections:  bom,farms-books,welch  Size:   Children: 0  Rebuilt: 7/22/24 11:01:38
Hardy, Grant R. “Speaking So That All May Be Edified.” FARMS Review of Books 12, no. 2 (2000): 83-97.
Display Abstract  Display Keywords

Review of Digging in Cumorah: Relcaiming Book of Mormon Narratives (1999), by Mark D. Thomas

Keywords: Form Criticism; Historicity; Interpretation; Methodology; Scholarship; Theology
ID = [360]  Status = Type = review  Date = 2000-01-01  Collections:  bmc-archive,bom,farms-review  Size: 33491  Children: 0  Rebuilt: 7/22/24 10:08:42
Insights. “Special Book Offer.” Insights 22, no. 6 (2002).
Display Abstract  Display Keywords

For a limited time, FARMS subscribers can obtain at special discount the first two volumes of the Book of Mormon critical text: The Original Manuscript of the Book of Mormon: Typographical Facsimile of the Extant Text and The Printer’s Manuscript of the Book of Mormon: Typographical Facsimile of the Entire Text in Two Parts, published by FARMS in 2001 (see the order form). For a full report on these essential resources for serious study of the Book of Mormon text, see the lead article in INSIGHTS 21/5 (2002).

Keywords: subscribers; volume; text; offer
ID = [66684]  Status = Type = journal article  Date = 2002-01-06  Collections:  bom,farms-insights  Size:   Children: 0  Rebuilt: 7/22/24 11:01:44
Insights. “Special Report on Critical Text Project.” Insights 22, no. 5 (2002).
Display Abstract  Display Keywords

In lieu of this year’s first issue of the Journal of Book of Mormon Studies, a special report of the 20 October 2001 FARMS symposium on the Book of Mormon Critical Text Project will be mailed to FARMS subscribers with the next issue of the Insights newsletter.

Keywords: Book of Mormon Critical Text Project; translation; report
ID = [66677]  Status = Type = journal article  Date = 2002-01-05  Collections:  bom,farms-insights  Size:   Children: 0  Rebuilt: 7/22/24 11:01:44
Tvedtnes, John A. “Speech from the Dust.” In The Book of Mormon and Other Hidden Books: “Out of Darkness Unto Light”, edited by , 1-7. Provo, UT: Foundation for Ancient Research and Mormon Studies, 2000.
Display Keywords
Keywords: Angel Moroni; Hidden Records; Latter-day Saint History (1820-1846); Mormon (Prophet); Moroni (Son of Mormon); Prophecy; Smith; Joseph; Jr.
Topics:    Book of Mormon Scriptures > Moroni
ID = [75603]  Status = Type = book article  Date = 2000-01-01  Collections:  bom,farms-books  Size:   Children: 0  Rebuilt: 7/22/24 11:09:52
Barney, Kevin L. “The Sperry Symposium and the New Testament.” The FARMS Review 19, no. 2 (2007): 177-191.
Display Abstract  Display Keywords

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.

Keywords: Early Christianity; New Testament
ID = [585]  Status = Type = review  Date = 2007-01-01  Collections:  bmc-archive,farms-review  Size: 34665  Children: 0  Rebuilt: 7/22/24 10:08:56
Williams, Richard N. “The Spirit of Prophecy and the Spirit of Psychiatry: Restoration of Dissociation?” FARMS Review of Books 12, no. 1 (2000): 435-443.
Display Abstract  Display Keywords

Review of The Sword of Laban: Joseph Smith Jr. and the Dissociated Mind (1998), by William D. Morain

Keywords: Criticism
ID = [350]  Status = Type = review  Date = 2000-01-01  Collections:  bmc-archive,bom,farms-review  Size: 20528  Children: 0  Rebuilt: 7/22/24 10:08:42
Compton, Todd M. “The Spirituality of the Outcast in the Book of Mormon.” Journal of Book of Mormon Studies 2, no. 1 (1993): 139-160.
Display Abstract  Display Keywords

In the Book of Mormon, despised outcasts, such as the Lamanites or the poor, often have a special aptitude for spirituality, and the richer, civilized, and more overtly religious Nephites are often declining in righteousness. This phenomenon, with some characteristic specific themes, such as being excluded from a religious edifice, is found in ancient and contemporary cultures and religions. This theme points up the complexity of the Book of Mormon, which is not simple cowboys-and-Indians melodrama.

Keywords: Outcast; Poor; Spirituality
ID = [2834]  Status = Type = journal article  Date = 1993-01-01  Collections:  bmc-archive,bom,farms-jbms  Size: 52168  Children: 0  Rebuilt: 7/22/24 10:11:07
Bitton, Davis. “Spotting an Anti-Mormon Book.” The FARMS Review 16, no. 1 (2004): 355-360.
Display Abstract  Display Keywords

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.

Keywords: Anti-Mormon; Criticism; Scholarship
ID = [472]  Status = Type = journal article  Date = 2004-01-01  Collections:  bmc-archive,farms-review  Size: 11695  Children: 0  Rebuilt: 7/22/24 10:08:49
Holland, Jeffrey R. “A Standard unto My People.” Preliminary Report. Provo, UT: Foundation for Ancient Research and Mormon Studies, 1994. This is a transcript of an address given at the CES Annual Book of Mormon Symposium held 9 August 1994.
Display Abstract  Display Keywords

Elder Jeffrey Holland bears testimony of the Book of Mormon as the keystone of Mormonism. The Book of Mormon is either what it says it is, and Joseph Smith’s account of its origin is true, or it and the Prophet are simply discredited. Three great witnesses of Christ in the Book of Mormon are Nephi, Jacob, and Isaiah.

Keywords: Book of Mormon; Jesus Christ
Topics:    Book of Mormon Scriptures > Jacob
ID = [8401]  Status = Type = journal article  Date = 1994-08-09  Collections:  bom,farms-reports  Size: 213  Children: 0  Rebuilt: 8/5/24 7:09:43
Joseph Fielding Smith Institute for Latter-day Saint History. “Statement regarding Grant Palmer’s Book An Insider’s View of Mormon Origins.” The FARMS Review 15, no. 2 (2003): Article 13.
Display Abstract  

This statement addresses the implication that Smith Institute scholars agree with Grant Palmer’s opinions concerning Latter-day Saint origins

ID = [443]  Status = Type = journal article  Date = 2003-01-01  Collections:  farms-review  Size: 2732  Children: 0  Rebuilt: 7/22/24 10:08:47
Welch, John W. “Statutes, Judgments, Ordinances, and Commandments.” In Reexploring the Book of Mormon: A Decade of New Research, ed. John W. Welch. Salt Lake City: Deseret Book Company, 1992.
Display Keywords
Keywords: Commandments; Judgment; Law of Moses; Ordinances; Statute
ID = [66459]  Status = Type = book article  Date = 1992-01-01  Collections:  bom,farms-books,welch  Size:   Children: 0  Rebuilt: 7/22/24 11:01:36
Welch, John W. “A Steady Stream of Significant Recognitions.” In Echoes and Evidences of the Book of Mormon, edited by Parry, Donald W., Daniel C. Peterson, and John W. Welch, 331-387. Provo, UT: Foundation for Ancient Research and Mormon Studies, 2002.
Display Keywords
Keywords: Chiasmus; Concrete; King Benjamin; King Mosiah; Laws; Legal; Mesoamerica; Sermon at the Temple; Warfare; Weights and Measures; Zemnarihah
Topics:    Book of Mormon Scriptures > Mosiah
ID = [75598]  Status = Type = book article  Date = 2002-01-01  Collections:  bom,farms-books,welch  Size: 93649  Children: 0  Rebuilt: 7/22/24 11:09:52
Goff, Alan. “The Stealing of the Daughters of the Lamanites.” In Rediscovering the Book of Mormon, edited by Sorenson, John L., 67-74. Provo, UT: Foundation for Ancient Research and Mormon Studies, 1991.
Display Abstract  Display Keywords

A minor story in the Book of Mormon provides an example of how complex the task of reading the book can be. It also illustrates how much richer our understanding can be when we remember that the Book of Mormon is an ancient record with connections to other ancient records, particularly the Old Testament. In the book of Mosiah, a band of wicked priests hid in the wilderness and kidnapped some young women to be their wives (see 20:1-5). This story can be read as an adventure tale. If looked at carefully, however, it shows the kind of connections between the Book of Mormon and the Old Testament that demonstrate that the Book of Mormon is an ancient book.

Keywords: Amulonite; Daughters of the Lamanites; Historicity; Kidnapping; King Noah; Priests of King Noah; Womenhood
Topics:    Book of Mormon Scriptures > Mosiah
ID = [75623]  Status = Type = book article  Date = 1991-01-01  Collections:  bmc-archive,bom,farms-books  Size: 14241  Children: 0  Rebuilt: 7/22/24 11:09:53
Ball, Terry B. “Stephen D. Ricks and John W. Welch, eds., The Allegory of the Olive Tree: The Olive, the Bible, and Jacob 5.” FARMS Review of Books 8, no. 1 (1996): Article 6.
Display Abstract  

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.

Topics:    Book of Mormon Scriptures > Jacob
ID = [226]  Status = Type = review  Date = 1996-01-01  Collections:  bom,farms-review  Size: 18839  Children: 0  Rebuilt: 7/22/24 10:08:34
Weiland, Kurt. “Stephen D. Ricks, and William J. Hamblin, eds,. Warfare in the Book of Mormon.” Review of Books on the Book of Mormon 3 (1991): Article 13.
Display Abstract  

Review of Warfare in the Book of Mormon (1990), edited by Stephen D. Ricks and William J. Hamblin.

ID = [100]  Status = Type = review  Date = 1991-01-01  Collections:  bom,farms-review  Size: 13607  Children: 0  Rebuilt: 7/22/24 10:08:27
Wirth, Diane E. “Stephen Williams, Fantastic Archaeology: The Wold Side of North American Prehistory.” Review of Books on the Book of Mormon 4 (1992): Article 65.
Display Abstract  

Review of Fantastic Archaeology: The Wild Side of North American Prehistory (1991), by Stephen Williams.

ID = [140]  Status = Type = review  Date = 1992-01-01  Collections:  bom,farms-review  Size: 7901  Children: 0  Rebuilt: 7/22/24 10:08:29
Sorenson, John L. “Stephen Williams, Fantastic Archaeology: The Wold Side of North American Prehistory.” Review of Books on the Book of Mormon 4 (1992): Article 66.
Display Abstract  

Review of Fantastic Archaeology: The Wild Side of North American Prehistory (1991), by Stephen Williams.

ID = [141]  Status = Type = review  Date = 1992-01-01  Collections:  bom,farms-review,sorenson  Size: 9217  Children: 0  Rebuilt: 7/22/24 10:08:29
Nibley, Hugh W. “Stewardship of the Air.” Preliminary Report. Provo, UT: Foundation for Ancient Research and Mormon Studies, 1989. Talk given February 14, 1989.
ID = [8383]  Status = Type = journal article  Date = 1989-02-14  Collections:  farms-reports,nibley  Size: 998  Children: 0  Rebuilt: 8/5/24 7:09:42
Norwood, L. Ara. “Still Losing the Battle . . . Still Not Knowing It: An Open Letter to Hank Hanegraaff.” The FARMS Review 20, no. 1 (2008): 175-193.
Display Abstract  Display Keywords

Review of Hank Hanegraaff. The Mormon Mirage: Seeing Through the Illusion of Mainstream Mormonism.

Keywords: Anti-Mormon
ID = [599]  Status = Type = review  Date = 2008-01-01  Collections:  bmc-archive,farms-review  Size: 43310  Children: 0  Rebuilt: 7/22/24 10:08:57
Hodges, Blair Dee. “Stillborn: A Parody of Latter-day Saint Faith.” The FARMS Review 21, no. 2 (2009): 97-132.
Display Abstract  Display Keywords

Review of Shawn McCraney. I Was a Born-Again Mormon: Moving Toward Christian Authenticity.

Keywords: Anti-Mormon
ID = [641]  Status = Type = review  Date = 2009-01-01  Collections:  bmc-archive,farms-review  Size: 84021  Children: 0  Rebuilt: 7/22/24 10:09:00
Holzapfel, Richard Neitzel, and Cameron J. Packer. “A Story on Canvas, Paper, and Glass: The Early Visual Images of the Hill Cumorah.” Journal of Book of Mormon Studies 13, no. 1-2 (2004): 6-23, 167-168.
Display Abstract  Display Keywords

Since time immemorial, humans have found meaning and purpose in revering sites because of events that transpired there. Such sites offer an opportunity for pilgrims to visit sacred places. Members of the Church of Jesus Christ have tried not to create shrines or pilgrimage sites per se, but they often experience deep religious attachment to sacred places where significant events occurred. In the early 19th century, however, relatively few people traveled for tourism or pleasure. The few who were able to visit sites associated with the early years of Mormonism provided word pictures or visual presentations for those who did not have the opportunity to visit the sites. This article explores the visual images of the Hill Cumorah, from a woodcut printed in 1841 through photographs taken in 1935 when the Hill Cumorah Monument was dedicated.

Keywords: Hill Cumorah; NY; Palmyra; Restoration
ID = [3136]  Status = Type = journal article  Date = 2004-01-01  Collections:  bmc-archive,farms-jbms  Size: 68372  Children: 0  Rebuilt: 7/22/24 10:11:27
Welch, John S. “Straight (Not Strait) and Narrow.” Journal of Book of Mormon Studies 16 no. 1 (2007).
Display Abstract  

Between 1830 and 1981, all printed editions of the Book of Mormon contained the phrase ” straight and narrow path [or course]” in four verses. The change in 1981 to “strait and narrow path [or course]” has been supported by several arguments, including the lack of the phrase “straight and narrow” in the King James version of the Bible. Welch counters this argument with the history of the introduction and rise of the phrase “straight and narrow” among Western authors. Working through each of the other arguments and offering his own counterarguments and evidences, he delivers his opinion that these phrases should not have been changed and should still read “straight and narrow path [or course].”

ID = [3202]  Status = Type = journal article  Date = 2007-01-01  Collections:  bom,farms-jbms  Size: 45697  Children: 0  Rebuilt: 7/22/24 10:11:31
Hoskisson, Paul Y. “Straightening Things Out: The Use of Strait and Straight in the Book of Mormon.” Journal of Book of Mormon Studies 12 no. 2 (2003).
Display Abstract  

Confusion between the use of strait and straight existed in Joseph Smith’s day and continues to persist today. This confusion is manifest in the spelling of the term in the original manuscript (strait preserved in 10 of 11 existing occurrences), the printer’s manuscript (all 27 instances spelled strait), and the 1830 edition (in which the compositor changed all 27 instances to straight). Through close examination of meanings, comparison to Hebrew words and usage, and analysis of poetic form, Hoskisson examines each instance of strai(gh)t in the Book of Mormon and recommends a spelling for each one.

ID = [3126]  Status = Type = journal article  Date = 2003-01-01  Collections:  bom,farms-jbms  Size: 86164  Children: 0  Rebuilt: 7/22/24 10:11:27
Gessel, Van C. “‘Strange Characters and Expressions’: Three Japanese Translations of the Book of Mormon.” Journal of Book of Mormon Studies 14, no. 1 (2005): 32-47, 127-128.
Display Abstract  Display Keywords

The complete Book of Mormon has been translated into Japanese no fewer than three times. The first translation was done by a young American missionary, Alma O. Taylor, the second by Sat Tatsui, the first native Japanese person to undertake the challenge, and the third after World War II by a committee appointed by the First Presidency. The challenges of translating concepts such as God, Spirit, or atonement into a language that shares no linguistic or cultural commonalities with the language of the inspired translation of the Book of Mormon are overwhelming. When attempting to communicate in a culture that does not acknowledge supreme deity or the kinship connection between God and man or life after death, a simple concept such as damnation can be challenging to convey. In addition, dramatic changes have occurred in the Japanese language over past century. The written Japanese language has changed with a rapidity that is unfathomable in English.

Keywords: Culture; Foreign Language Translation; Translation
Topics:    Book of Mormon Scriptures > Alma
ID = [3156]  Status = Type = journal article  Date = 2005-01-01  Collections:  bmc-archive,bom,farms-jbms  Size: 62975  Children: 0  Rebuilt: 7/22/24 10:11:28
Kramer, Neal W. “The Strength of the Mormon Position.” FARMS Review of Books 9, no. 2 (1997): 55-67.
Display Abstract  Display Keywords

Review of The Viper on the Hearth: Mormons, Myths, and the Construction of Heresy (1997), by Terryl L. Givens.

Keywords: Early Church History; Heresy; Mythology
ID = [285]  Status = Type = review  Date = 1997-01-01  Collections:  bmc-archive,farms-review  Size: 29038  Children: 0  Rebuilt: 7/22/24 10:08:38
Calabro, David M. “‘Stretch Forth Thy Hand and Prophesy‘: Hand Gestures in the Book of Mormon.” Journal of the Book of Mormon and Restoration Scripture 21 no. 1 (2012).
Display Abstract  

Often overlooked in scriptural text, hand and arm gestures are often used to convey meanings that complement the verbal lessons being taught. This article discusses the meaning and significance of four specific gestures referred to in the Book of Mormon: stretching forth one’s hand(s), stretching forth the hand to exert divine power, extending the arm(s) in mercy, and clapping the hands to express joys. Beyond the fascinating meanings of these gestures in the Book of Mormon are the correlations that can be seen in the biblical text and in other Near Eastern cultures. Also insightful, specifically in reference to Moses’s hand movements at the Red Sea, is the way in which the Bible, the Book of Mormon, and other extracanonical writings build on each other to give a fuller interpretive picture.

ID = [3275]  Status = Type = journal article  Date = 2012-01-01  Collections:  bom,farms-jbms  Size: 58981  Children: 0  Rebuilt: 7/22/24 10:11:35
Spencer, Joseph M. “The Structure of the Book of Alma.” Journal of Book of Mormon Studies 26 (2017).
Display Abstract  

Since John Welch discovered Chiasmus in the Book of Mormon fifty years ago, students of the volume have paid attention to textual structures. Unfortunately, little attention has yet been paid to book-length structures, structures organizing larger stretches of the Book of Mormon. Analysis of whole books within the Book of Mormon has largely remained in a preliminary phase.3 In this note, however, I lay out what appears to be the intentional organizational structure of the book of Alma.

Topics:    Book of Mormon Scriptures > Alma
ID = [81900]  Status = Type = journal article  Date = 2017-01-01  Collections:  bom,farms-jbms  Size:   Children: 0  Rebuilt: 7/22/24 11:15:46
Garrett, Robert L. “Study of Early Christianity Vindicates the Restoration.” FARMS Review of Books 12, no. 2 (2000): 159-164.
Display Abstract  Display Keywords

Review of Restoring the Ancient Church: Joseph Smith and Early Christianity (1999), by Barry R. Bickmore

Keywords: Early Christianity; Restoration
ID = [364]  Status = Type = review  Date = 2000-01-01  Collections:  bmc-archive,farms-review  Size: 12942  Children: 0  Rebuilt: 7/22/24 10:08:43
Bradford, Miles Gerald. “The Study of Mormonism: A Growing Interest in Academia.” The FARMS Review 19, no. 1 (2007): Article 11.
Display Abstract  

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.

ID = [558]  Status = Type = journal article  Date = 2007-01-01  Collections:  farms-review  Size: 147966  Children: 0  Rebuilt: 7/22/24 10:08:54
Smith, James E. “A Study of Population Size in the Book of Mormon.” Preliminary Report. Provo, UT: Foundation for Ancient Research and Mormon Studies, 1994. Transcript of a lecture given at the FARMS Book of Mormon Lecture Series.
Display Abstract  Display Keywords

James Smith lists the population numbers given in the text of the Book of Mormon, and discusses what the possible population growth might have been. Comments in the Book of Mormon about multiplying exceedingly and filling the land are indicative that Nephite fertility was indeed high. He discusses the possibility that other peoples were assimilated into the Nephite and Lamanite groups.

Keywords: Book of Mormon; Society
ID = [8588]  Status = Type = talk  Date = 1994-01-01  Collections:  bom,farms-reports  Size: 213  Children: 0  Rebuilt: 8/5/24 7:09:44
Hamblin, William J. “A Stumble Forward?” Review of Books on the Book of Mormon 1, no. 1 (1989): 71-77.
Display Abstract  Display Keywords

Review of Deciphering the Geography of the Book of Mormon (1988), by F. Richard Hauck

Keywords: Ancient America; Book of Mormon Geography; Mesoamerica; Methodology
ID = [47]  Status = Type = review  Date = 1989-01-01  Collections:  bmc-archive,bom,farms-review  Size: 16933  Children: 0  Rebuilt: 7/22/24 10:08:24
Fields, Paul J., Matthew P. Roper, and G. Bruce Schaalje. “Stylometric Analyses of the Book of Mormon: A Short History.” Journal of the Book of Mormon and Restoration Scripture 21 no. 1 (2012).
Display Abstract  

The abundance of skeptical theories about who wrote the Book of Mormon has led many scholars to seek scientific data to discover the answer. One technique is stylometry. Having first been developed in the 1850s, stylometry seeks to find the ” wordprint” of a text. Although these stylistic studies are not as accurate as a human’s fingerprint, they can give researchers a good idea either of differences in style between authors or of who might have written a text from a list of possible authors. Beginning in the 1960s individuals have completed four major stylometric studies on the Book of Mormon, studies that varied in both findings and quality of research. In addition to these four studies, this article presents a fifth study—using extended nearest shrunken centroid (ENSC) classification—that incorporates and improves on the earlier research.

ID = [3274]  Status = Type = journal article  Date = 2012-01-01  Collections:  bom,farms-jbms  Size: 68116  Children: 0  Rebuilt: 7/22/24 10:11:35
Foundation for Ancient Research and Mormon Studies. “Subject Index to the Journal of Book of Mormon Studies, 1992-96.” Journal of Book of Mormon Studies 6 no. 1 (1997).
Display Abstract  

Five-year subject index.

ID = [2952]  Status = Type = journal article  Date = 1997-01-01  Collections:  farms-jbms  Size: 74291  Children: 0  Rebuilt: 7/22/24 10:11:15
Erdmann, Angela. “Subjective Objects: ‘The Book of Pukei’ and Early Critical Response to The Book of Mormon.” Journal of Book of Mormon Studies 27 (2018).
Display Abstract  

Given the remarkable story of the discovery and divine translation of gold plates hidden in a hill by an ancient Amerindian prophet, nineteenth- century readers could be forgiven for expecting an exotic new set of doctrines in The Book of Mormon. Instead, what many readers found (when they bothered to read the book at all) was an often dull, frequently complicated narrative with the veneer of biblical language and themes. Where they expected to find a heretical “Gold Bible’’ designed to supplant and erase biblical authority, they instead found chapters lifted directly from the Bible itself. The Book of Mormon was a strange document indeed, having at once a “foundational role’’ in but also a “theological irrelevance’’ to a newly created religion, so that it was actually “the miracle the work embodied, not the doctrine it presented, that gave offense.”

ID = [81908]  Status = Type = journal article  Date = 2018-01-01  Collections:  bom,farms-jbms  Size:   Children: 0  Rebuilt: 7/22/24 11:15:46
Sorenson, John L. “The Submergence of the City of Jerusalem in the Land of Nephi.” Insights 22, no. 4 (2002).
Display Abstract  Display Keywords

In touring southern Guatemala, many FARMS patrons traveled west of the capital city to visit Lake Atitlán, one of the most photogenic spots in Central America. Tour guides have told thousands that the beautiful “waters of Mormon” beloved by Alma and his people (see Mosiah 18:30) might well be Lake Atitlán. The Nephite record also tells us that a city called Jerusalem, which was constructed by Lamanites led by Nephite dissenters, was located “away joining the borders of Mormon” (Alma 21:1–2).

Keywords: Mesoamerican geography; Jerusalem; archaeology
Topics:    Book of Mormon Scriptures > Mosiah
Book of Mormon Scriptures > Alma
ID = [66669]  Status = Type = journal article  Date = 2002-01-04  Collections:  bom,farms-insights,sorenson  Size:   Children: 0  Rebuilt: 7/22/24 11:01:44
Insights. “Summer Seminar Mentors Rising Scholars.” Insights 30, no. 5 (2010).
Display Abstract  Display Keywords

Ten graduate and advanced undergraduate students selected from more than half a dozen institutions participated in the Mormon Scholars Foundation summer seminar held this past May and June under the auspices of the Maxwell Institute.

Keywords: seminar; students; mentors; BYU; Mormon studies
ID = [66962]  Status = Type = journal article  Date = 2010-01-05  Collections:  farms-insights  Size:   Children: 0  Rebuilt: 7/22/24 11:01:58
Perry, Michael F. “The Supremacy of the Word: Alma’s Mission to the Zoramites and the Conversion of the Lamanites.” Journal of Book of Mormon Studies 24, no. 1 (2015): 119-137.
Display Abstract  Display Keywords

This article explores the connection between Alma’s mission to the Zoramites in Alma 31 and the mass Lamanite conversion in Helaman 5, which occurs in part because the Lamanites who are intent on killing Nephi and Lehi in prison remember the teachings of Alma, Amulek, and Zeezrom delivered to the Zoramites decades earlier. This reading demonstrates that Alma’s mission to the Zoramites is not a failure, as some commentators have suggested; in fact, the eventual positive impact of the Zoramite mission readily compares to the success enjoyed by the sons of Mosiah among the Lamanites. This article also suggests that Mormon’s lengthy war narrative at the end of the book of Alma can be read as a literary unit designed in part to show, as Alma hoped and predicted at the outset of his Zoramite mission, that the word of God (at least eventually) has a “more powerful effect upon the minds of the people than the sword, or anything else” (Alma 31:5).

Keywords: Alma the Younger; Amulek; Conversion; Faith; Missionary Work; Word; Zoramite (Apostate Group)
Topics:    Book of Mormon Scriptures > Mosiah
Book of Mormon Scriptures > Alma
Book of Mormon Scriptures > Helaman
ID = [3323]  Status = Type = journal article  Date = 2015-01-01  Collections:  bmc-archive,bom,farms-jbms  Size: 46173  Children: 0  Rebuilt: 7/22/24 10:11:39
Ricks, Shirley S. “A Sure Foundation.” The FARMS Review 20, no. 2 (2008): 253-291.
Display Abstract  Display Keywords

Review of “Hugh Nibley’s Footnotes” (2008), by Ronald V. Huggins.

Keywords: Scholarship
Topics:    Hugh W. Nibley Topics > History of the Collected Works of Hugh Nibley (CWHN)
Hugh W. Nibley Topics > Hugh Nibley > Scholarship, Footnotes, Collected Works of Hugh Nibley, CWHN, Editing
ID = [617]  Status = Type = review  Date = 2008-01-01  Collections:  bmc-archive,farms-review,nibley  Size:   Children: 0  Rebuilt: 7/22/24 10:08:59
Gillum, Gary P. “A Sure Foundation: Answers to Difficult Gospel Questions.” Review of Books on the Book of Mormon 2, no. 1 (1990): 26-30.
Display Abstract  Display Keywords

Review of A Sure Foundation: Answers to Difficult Gospel Questions.

Keywords: Apologetics
ID = [60]  Status = Type = review  Date = 1990-01-01  Collections:  bmc-archive,bom,farms-review  Size: 12329  Children: 0  Rebuilt: 7/22/24 10:08:24
Magleby, Kirk. “A Survey of Mesoamerican Bearded Figures.” Preliminary Report. Provo, UT: Foundation for Ancient Research and Mormon Studies, 1979.
Display Abstract  Display Keywords

No abstract available.

Keywords: Ancient America; Facial Hair; Mesoamerica
ID = [1529]  Status = Type = journal article  Date = 1979-01-01  Collections:  bmc-archive,bom,farms-reports  Size: 74132  Children: 0  Rebuilt: 7/22/24 10:09:55
Thomasson, Gordon C. “The Survivor and the Will to Bear Witness.” In Reexploring the Book of Mormon: A Decade of New Research, ed. John W. Welch. Salt Lake City: Deseret Book Company, 1992.
Display Keywords
Keywords: Alma the Younger; Amulek; Coriantumr (Jaredite); Ether (Prophet); Lehi (Prophet); Mormon (Prophet); Moroni (Son of Mormon); Nephi (Son of Lehi); Warfare; Witnesses
Topics:    Book of Mormon Scriptures > Alma
Book of Mormon Scriptures > Mormon
Book of Mormon Scriptures > Ether
Book of Mormon Scriptures > Moroni
ID = [66521]  Status = Type = book article  Date = 1992-01-01  Collections:  bom,farms-books  Size:   Children: 0  Rebuilt: 7/22/24 11:01:40
Peterson, Daniel C. “Susan Easton Balck, ed., Stories from the Early Saints: Converted by the Book of Mormon.” Review of Books on the Book of Mormon 4 (1992): Article 40.
Display Abstract  

Review of Stories from the Early Saints: Converted by the Book of Mormon (1992), edited by Susan Easton Black

ID = [115]  Status = Type = review  Date = 1992-01-01  Collections:  bom,farms-review,peterson  Size: 17283  Children: 0  Rebuilt: 7/22/24 10:08:28
Rytting, J. Howard. “Susan Easton Black, ed. Expressions of Faith: Testimonies of Latter-day Saint Scholars.” FARMS Review of Books 9, no. 2 (1997): Article 9.
Display Abstract  

Review of Expressions of Faith: Testimonies of Latter-day Saint Scholars (1996), edited by Susan Easton Black.

ID = [283]  Status = Type = review  Date = 1997-01-01  Collections:  farms-review  Size: 19434  Children: 0  Rebuilt: 7/22/24 10:08:38
Williams, Camille Stilson. “Susan Easton Black, Finding Christ through the Book of Mormon.” Review of Books on the Book of Mormon 1 (1989): Article 3.
Display Abstract  

Review of Finding Christ through the Book of Mormon (1987), by Susan Easton Black.

ID = [42]  Status = Type = journal article  Date = 1989-01-01  Collections:  bom,farms-review  Size: 5707  Children: 0  Rebuilt: 7/22/24 10:08:23
Insights. “Swensen Mentorships Awarded.” Insights 32, no. 4 (2012).
Display Abstract  Display Keywords

The Russel B. Swensen Endowed Mentorship Fund was established by a generous gift from Elder Robert C. Gay to honor the BYU professor who was much beloved by Elder Gay’s father, William (Bill) Gay. The Swensen mentorships give students the opportunity to work with faculty at the Maxwell Institute in a mentored research environment. This year, Aubrey Brower and Emily Bateman were awarded mentorships to work on research projects with Kristian S. Heal, PhD, director of the Center for the Preservation of Ancient Religious Texts.

Keywords: gift; BYU professor; ancient religious texts; fund
ID = [66656]  Status = Type = journal article  Date = 2012-01-04  Collections:  farms-insights  Size:   Children: 0  Rebuilt: 7/22/24 11:01:43
Spackman, T. Benjamin. “Swimming in Symbols.” The FARMS Review 16, no. 2 (2004): 329-336.
Display Abstract  Display Keywords

Review of Alonzo L. Gaskill. The Lost Language of Symbolism: An Essential Guide for Recognizing and Interpreting Symbols of the Gospel.

Keywords: Symbolism
ID = [491]  Status = Type = review  Date = 2004-01-01  Collections:  bmc-archive,farms-review  Size: 19251  Children: 0  Rebuilt: 7/22/24 10:08:50
Roper, Matthew P. “Swimming in the Gene Pool: Israelite Kinship Relations, Genes, and Genealogy.” The FARMS Review 15, no. 2 (2003): 129-164.
Display Abstract  Display Keywords

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.

Keywords: DNA; Genealogy; Genetics; Historicity
Topics:    Book of Mormon Scriptures > Ether
ID = [454]  Status = Type = journal article  Date = 2003-01-01  Collections:  bmc-archive,bom,farms-review  Size: 80122  Children: 0  Rebuilt: 7/22/24 10:08:48
Holbrook, Brett L. “Sword of Laban as a Symbol of Divine Authority.” In Pressing Forward with the Book of Mormon: The FARMS Updates of the 1990s, edited by Welch, John W., and Melvin J. Thorne, 93-96. Provo, UT: Foundation for Ancient Research and Mormon Studies, 1999.
Display Keywords
Keywords: Ancient Near East; Authority; Early Church History; King Benjamin; Nephite; Sacred; Smith; Joseph; Jr.; Sword of Laban; Symbolism; Weaponry
ID = [75663]  Status = Type = book article  Date = 1999-01-01  Collections:  bom,farms-books  Size: 5228  Children: 0  Rebuilt: 7/22/24 11:09:55
Holbrook, Brett L. “The Sword of Laban as a Symbol of Divine Authority and Kingship.” Journal of Book of Mormon Studies 2 no. 1 (1993).
Display Abstract  Display Keywords

Swords often symbolize divine authority and kingship. Numerous examples from the mythology, literature, and history of the world attest to distinct patterns. The sword of Laban from the Book of Mormon fits these patterns and can be compared to the sword of Goliath. The sword of Laban can also be traced as part of the royal regalia that provides authority throughout Nephite history and later as it appears in the restoration. The sword of Laban as associated with Joseph Smith came to be an additional witness of his authority and of the divine sanction for his work.

Keywords: Ancient Near East; Authority; Early Church History; Joseph; Jr.; King Benjamin; Nephite; Sacred; Smith; Sword of Laban; Symbolism; Weaponry
ID = [2828]  Status = Type = journal article  Date = 1993-01-01  Collections:  bmc-archive,bom,farms-jbms  Size: 75943  Children: 0  Rebuilt: 7/22/24 10:11:07
Roper, Matthew P. “Swords and Cimeters in the Book of Mormon.” Journal of Book of Mormon Studies 8 no. 1 (1992).
Display Abstract  

Roper examines the use of the terms sword and cimeter in a Mesoamerican setting as well as in the Book of Mormon text. The macuahuitl was a fearsome weapon consisting of a long, flat piece of hardwood with grooves along the side into which sharp fragments of flint or obsidian were set and glued. Our knowledge of this weapon comes more from written accounts than actual artifacts because few specimens have survived. The Book of Mormon sword of Laban was used as a model for making swords, but they were not necessarily made of the same material. The discussion in Alma 24:12 having to do with stained swords would make particular sense with wooden swords. Cimeters, or scimitars, differ from swords in having curved blades. Several kinds of swords and cimeters that were in use in ancient Mesoamerica are plausible candidates for Book of Mormon weapons.

Topics:    Book of Mormon Scriptures > Alma
ID = [2994]  Status = Type = journal article  Date = 1992-01-01  Collections:  bom,farms-jbms  Size: 44520  Children: 0  Rebuilt: 7/22/24 10:11:18
Hamblin, William J., and Brent Merrill. “Swords in the Book of Mormon.” In Warfare in the Book of Mormon, edited by Stephen D. Ricks and William J. Hamblin, 329-351. Provo, UT/Salt Lake City: Foundation for Ancient Research and Mormon Studies/Deseret Book, 1990.
Display Keywords
Keywords: Ancient America – Mesoamerica; Metallurgy; Warfare; Weaponry; Weaponry – Sword
ID = [82141]  Status = Type = book article  Date = 1990-01-01  Collections:  bom,farms-books  Size:   Children: 0  Rebuilt: 7/22/24 11:16:00
Parry, Donald W. “Symbolic Action as Prophetic Curse.” In Reexploring the Book of Mormon: A Decade of New Research, ed. John W. Welch. Salt Lake City: Deseret Book Company, 1992.
Display Keywords
Keywords: Captain Moroni; Curse; Prophecy; Symbolism
Topics:    Book of Mormon Scriptures > Moroni
ID = [66502]  Status = Type = book article  Date = 1992-01-01  Collections:  bom,farms-books  Size:   Children: 0  Rebuilt: 7/22/24 11:01:38
Insights. “‘Symbolism in Scripture’ Focus of Willes Center Conference.” Insights 30, no. 5 (2010).
Display Abstract  Display Keywords

“Symbolism in Scripture” was the theme of the second biennial Laura F. Willes Center Book of Mormon Conference held recently. The conference included presentations by 13 scholars addressing such topics as “The Symbolic Use of Hand Gestures in the Book of Mormon and Other Latter-day Saint Scripture” and “Light: The Master Symbol.”

Keywords: Book of Mormon; Latter-day Saints; scripture; baptism
ID = [66959]  Status = Type = journal article  Date = 2010-01-05  Collections:  bom,farms-insights  Size:   Children: 0  Rebuilt: 7/22/24 11:01:57
Insights. “Symposium Explores Widespread Tree of Life Motif.” Insights 26, no. 5 (2006).
Display Abstract  Display Keywords

Scholars from various disciplines and institutions gathered in Brigham Young University’s Varsity Theater on 28 and 29 September 2006 to explore the pervasive and powerful tree of life motif as found in civilizations spanning the Far and Middle East to Mesoamerica and as expressed in Latter-day Saint scripture and art. The following report highlights the two presentations by visiting non–Latter-day Saint scholars and briefly summarizes the others.

Keywords: BYU; motif; scripture; art; tree of life
ID = [66824]  Status = Type = journal article  Date = 2006-01-05  Collections:  bom,farms-insights  Size:   Children: 0  Rebuilt: 7/22/24 11:01:51
Insights. “Symposium Reports Research on Abraham Traditions.” Insights 22, no. 2 (2002).
Display Abstract  Display Keywords

A FARMS symposium at BYU on Saturday, 26 January, highlighted findings from a years-long effort to collect, translate, and publish ancient accounts of the early life of the patriarch Abraham. Titled “Traditions about the Early Life of Abraham,” the free public event featured presentations by John Tvedtnes, Brian Hauglid, and John Gee, compilers and editors of a new book of the same title published by the Institute under the FARMS imprint.

Keywords: tradition; translation; scripture; Book of Abraham
Topics:    Old Testament Topics > Abraham and Sarah [see also Covenant]
ID = [66660]  Status = Type = journal article  Date = 2002-01-02  Collections:  abraham,farms-insights,old-test  Size:   Children: 0  Rebuilt: 7/22/24 11:01:43
Welch, John W. “Synagogues in the Book of Mormon.” In Reexploring the Book of Mormon: A Decade of New Research, ed. John W. Welch. Salt Lake City: Deseret Book Company, 1992.
Display Keywords
Keywords: Amalekites (Nephite Apostate Group); Amlicites; Ancient Judaism; Judaism; Nephites; Order of Nehors; Synagogue; Worship; Zoramite (Apostate Group)
ID = [66498]  Status = Type = book article  Date = 1992-01-01  Collections:  bom,farms-books,welch  Size:   Children: 0  Rebuilt: 7/22/24 11:01:38
Adams, William James, Jr. “Synagogues in the Book of Mormon.” Journal of Book of Mormon Studies 9 no. 1 (2000).
Display Abstract  

The Book of Mormon mentions synagogues in twenty-five passages. An important resource that may help us understand what the Book of Mormon means by the word synagogue is the body of research on biblical synagogues. This is especially true of research related to the years prior to the Babylonian captivity of the Jews, which began in 586 BC, since this is the time period when Lehi left Jerusalem. We would expect, therefore, that the nature of biblical synagogues before the captivity would have greatly influenced the concept of the synagogue that Lehi and his family took with them to the New World. In this article, William J. Adams Jr. details the historical development, nature, and cultural function of synagogues of the biblical era and relates them to the history, form, and religious function of synagogues in the New World.

ID = [3018]  Status = Type = journal article  Date = 2000-01-01  Collections:  bom,farms-jbms  Size: 1752  Children: 0  Rebuilt: 7/22/24 10:11:20
Griffin, Carl W. “Syriac Manuscripts from the Egyptian Desert.” Insights 31, no. 1 (2011).
Display Abstract  Display Keywords

The birthplace and spiritual heart of Christian monasticism is the Nitrian Desert of Egypt and the long, shallow valley of Scetis (Wadi el-Natrun). It was to here, from the fourth century onwards, that Macarius the Great and others of the sainted desert fathers retreated from the world, devoting their lives to worship and prayer. While some monks chose to live in isolation as hermits, many others banded together to establish the first monasteries, building churches for worship and libraries for study.

Keywords: Christian; Egyptian desert; manuscripts; libraries
Topics:    Book of Mormon Scriptures > Ether
ID = [66971]  Status = Type = journal article  Date = 2011-01-01  Collections:  bom,farms-insights  Size:   Children: 0  Rebuilt: 7/22/24 11:01:58
Griffin, Carl W. “Syriac Studies Reference Library Now Completed.” Insights 27, no. 5 (2007).
Display Abstract  Display Keywords

On June 20, 2001, representatives of BYU’s Maxwell Institute, The Catholic University of America (CUA), and Beth Mardutho, a Syriac studies institute, met together to discuss the digital imaging of key holdings in the Semitics/ICOR Library of CUA’s Mullen Library. CUA’s Semitics/ICOR Library houses one of the largest collections in the world of early and rare books on the Christian East. All parties shared a particular interest in early Syriac printed works, both for their continuing value to contemporary Syriac Christian communities as well as to Syriac scholars. Many early printed catalogs, text editions, grammars, lexica, and other instrumenta and studies have never been superseded or replaced. Their rarity and inaccessibility to scholars has long been a serious problem for the field of Early Christian Studies. The faculty and staff of Catholic University recognized this need as well and generously agreed to work with BYU and Beth Mardutho to provide digital access to their collection. BYU and Beth Mardutho entered into a three-way agreement with CUA to scan a broad selection of their Syriac book holdings, with BYU focusing on titles of primarily academic interest and Beth Mardutho on materials of broader interest to the Syriac churches. The results of this Institute project are now avail-able free of cost on the Web as the Brigham Young University & The Catholic University of America Syriac Studies Reference Library (http://www.lib.byu.edu/dlib/cua/).

Keywords: BYU; library; Syriac studies; churches
Topics:    Book of Mormon Scriptures > Ether
ID = [66868]  Status = Type = journal article  Date = 2007-01-05  Collections:  bom,farms-insights  Size:   Children: 0  Rebuilt: 7/22/24 11:01:53
Skousen, Royal. “The Systematic Text of the Book of Mormon.” Journal of Book of Mormon Studies 11 no. 2 (2002).
Display Abstract  

Royal Skousen explains in detail the internal consistency of the original text of the Book of Mormon. He references several verses of the Book of Mormon to discuss five main points: consistency in meaning; systematic phraseology; variation in the text; conjectural emendation; and revising the text. By examining these five aspects, Skousen shows that neither the message nor the doctrine of the Book of Mormon loses credibility as a result of textual changes. Skousen also mentions that the consistency in the manuscripts suggests that Joseph Smith did not receive the text as a concept but rather received it word for word.

ID = [3103]  Status = Type = journal article  Date = 2002-01-01  Collections:  bom,farms-jbms  Size: 56408  Children: 0  Rebuilt: 7/22/24 10:11:25
Smith, Robert F. “Table of Relative Values.” Journal of Book of Mormon Studies 8, no. 2 (1999): 46.
Display Abstract  Display Keywords

This table compares Nephite weights and measures with Egyptian values and gives possible equivalents in grams and ounces.

Keywords: Ancient Near East; Economics; Economy; Egypt; Nephite; Weights and Measures
ID = [3009]  Status = Type = journal article  Date = 1999-01-01  Collections:  bmc-archive,bom,farms-jbms  Size: 1729  Children: 0  Rebuilt: 7/22/24 10:11:19
Faulconer, James E. “Takayama: Restoration Revelation as Poetry Rather than Fraud.” FARMS Review of Books 13, no. 1 (2001): 127-132.
Display Abstract  Display Keywords

Review of “Poetic Language in Nineteenth Century Mormonism: A Study of Semiotic Phenomenology in Communication and Culture” (1990), by Michiko Takayama

Keywords: Criticism; Philosophy; Poetry; Revelation
ID = [380]  Status = Type = review  Date = 2001-01-01  Collections:  bmc-archive,farms-review  Size: 15131  Children: 0  Rebuilt: 7/22/24 10:08:44
Ludlow, Jared W. “A Tale of Three Communities: Jerusalem, Elephantine, and Lehi-Nephi.” Journal of Book of Mormon Studies 16, no. 2 (2007): 28-41, 95.
Display Abstract  Display Keywords

Prior to the Babylonian invasion of Jerusalem in 586 BC, Lehi took his family into the wilderness. Around the same time, another group of Jews fled to Elephantine in Egypt. Ludlow evaluates the Nephite group, the Elephantine colony, and the Jews in postexilic Jerusalem to show how the Nephites compared religiously with other Jewish groups. Social relationships, the Sabbath and festivals, priesthood officials, and temples played important roles in all three communities, with the importance and function of each varying among the three. On the other hand, scriptural texts strongly aided the reformation of Jerusalem and played an important role among the Nephites, beginning with the retrieval of brass plates from Laban, but the Elephantine community lacked texts related to the Hebrew Bible. After comparing the three, Ludlow shows that the Nephites created their own religious community, separate and independent from the religious community they left behind.

Keywords: Brass Plates; Community; Elephantine; Festival; Jerusalem; Lehi-Nephi (Polity); Priesthood; Scripture; Temple
ID = [3213]  Status = Type = journal article  Date = 2007-01-01  Collections:  bmc-archive,bom,farms-jbms  Size: 45735  Children: 0  Rebuilt: 7/22/24 10:11:32
King, Arthur Henry, and C. Terry Warner. “Talent and the Individual’s Tradition: History as Art, and Art as Moral Response.” In By Study and Also By Faith, Volume 2, edited by Ricks, Stephen D., and John M. Lundquist, 483-501. Provo, UT/Salt Lake City: Foundation for Ancient Research and Mormon Studies/Deseret Book, 1990.
Display Keywords
Keywords: Art; Literature
ID = [75779]  Status = Type = book article  Date = 1990-01-01  Collections:  bom,farms-books  Size:   Children: 0  Rebuilt: 7/22/24 11:10:02
Midgley, Louis C. “‘A Tangled Web’ The Walter Martin Miasma.” FARMS Review of Books 12, no. 1 (2000): Article 20.
Display Abstract  

Review of Mormonism (1957); The Maze of Mormonism (1962); and The Kingdom of the Cults (1997), by Walter Martin

ID = [349]  Status = Type = review  Date = 2000-01-01  Collections:  farms-review  Size: 139337  Children: 0  Rebuilt: 7/22/24 10:08:42
Spencer, Joseph M. “Teaching The Book of Mormon at the University of Vermont: An Interview with Elizabeth Fenton.” Journal of Book of Mormon Studies 27 (2018).
Display Abstract  

Elizabeth Fenton’s first book-Religious Liberties: Anti-Catholicism and Liberal Democracy in Nineteenth-Century U.S. Literature and Culture-appeared in 2011. The next year, she began presenting work on the Book of Mormon, first in a conference paper at the annual convention of C19: The Society of Nineteenth-Century Americanists, and then in an invited lecture at the University of Maryland titled “Why Americanists Should Read The Book of Mormon.” In 2013, she published her conference presentation from the previous year in J19: The Journal of Nineteenth-Century Americanists. The next year, Fenton organized a panel at C19 focused on the Book of Mormon, which drew the attention of Jared Hickman and opened the door to an important collaborative project, soon to come to fruition in the form of Americanist Approaches to the Book of Mormon, a collection of essays by various scholars forthcoming from Oxford University Press. In 2016, Fenton presented again at C19 on the Book of Mormon (this time in a comparative study involving The Anarchiad), and she also published in the Journal of Book of Mormon Studies a review essay focused on Grant Hardy’s Understanding the Book of Mormon. The past five or six years have, for Fenton, been focused in a remarkable way on literary study of the Book of Mormon.

ID = [81906]  Status = Type = journal article  Date = 2018-01-01  Collections:  bom,farms-jbms  Size:   Children: 0  Rebuilt: 7/22/24 11:15:46
Nibley, Hugh W. Teachings of the Book of Mormon: Semester 1. Transcripts of lectures presented to an Honors Book of Mormon class at Brigham Young University, 1988-1990. Provo, UT: Foundation for Ancient Research and Mormon Studies, 1993.
Display Abstract  

Hugh Nibley is one of the best-known and most highly revered of Latter-day Saint scholars. For over forty years this near-legendary teacher has enthralled his readers and listeners with his encyclopedic knowledge, his wit, and his untiring research in defense of Latter-day Saint beliefs. Now you can join Dr. Nibley in the first of four Honors Book of Mormon classes that he taught at BYU during 1988-90. Part one contains twenty-nine lectures focusing on 1 Nephi through Mosiah 5. It is vintage Nibley, with his insights, humor, and passionate convictions, discussing a book that he loves and knows so well.

Topics:    Book of Mormon Scriptures > 1 Nephi
Book of Mormon Scriptures > Mosiah
Hugh W. Nibley Topics > Book of Mormon
ID = [710]  Status = Type = book  Date = 1993-01-01  Collections:  bmc-archive,bom,farms-books,mi,nibley  Size: 1304993  Children: 31  Rebuilt: 7/22/24 10:09:06
Midgley, Louis C. “Telling the Larger ‘Church History’ Story.” Mormon Studies Review 23, no. 1 (2011): 157-171.
Display Abstract  Display Keywords

Review of Christopher Catherwood. Church History: A Crash Course for the Curious.

Keywords: Christian History; Church History; Early Christianity; New Testament; Restoration
ID = [670]  Status = Type = review  Date = 2011-01-01  Collections:  bmc-archive,farms-review  Size: 56438  Children: 0  Rebuilt: 7/22/24 10:09:03
Gee, John. “Telling the Story of the Joseph Smith Papyri.” FARMS Review of Books 8, no. 2 (1996): 46-59.
Display Abstract  Display Keywords

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.

Keywords: Book of Abraham; Joseph Smith Papyri
ID = [246]  Status = Type = review  Date = 1996-01-01  Collections:  abraham,bmc-archive,farms-review  Size: 34902  Children: 0  Rebuilt: 7/22/24 10:08:35
Parry, Donald W., and Stephen D. Ricks, eds. The Temple in Time and Eternity. Provo, UT: Foundation for Ancient Research and Mormon Studies, 1999.
Display Abstract  

The Temple in Time and Eternity, edited by Donald W. Parry and Stephen D. Ricks, is the second volume in the series Temples Through The Ages. The importance of the temple to a religious community of the Ancient Near East and Mediterranean world can scarcely be exaggerated. The eleven articles in this volume are divided topically into three sections: “Temple in Ritual,” “Temples in the Israelite Tradition,” and “Temples in the Non-Israelite Tradition.”
The “Temple in Ritual” section features Hugh Nibley’s discussion on “Abraham’s Temple Drama,” which identifies elements of the creation drama that appear in the book of Abraham and elsewhere in the ancient world. An article by Ricks discusses oaths and oath taking in the Old Testament. John A. Tvedtnes shows that baptizing for the dead was known in various parts of the Mediterranean world and in Egypt. In a second article, Tvedtnes enlightens our understanding of the form and purposes of the temple prayer in ancient times.
Richard R. Cowan, in the section “Temples in the Israelite Tradition,” traces the development of temples to modern times. Richard D. Draper and Parry make intriguing comparisons of temple symbolism between Genesis 2–3 and Revelation 2–3, focusing particularly on promises and blessings. Alan K. Parrish shares with us insights into modern temple worship throughout the eyes of John A. Widtsoe, and Thomas R. Valletta examines priesthood and temple issues by contrasting “the holy order of the Son of God and its spurious counterpart, the order of Nehor.”
The concluding chapters of the book, grouped into the section “Temples in the Non-Israelite Tradition,” include John Gee’s discussion of getting past the gatekeeper (gleaned from various Egyptian literary corpora), a fascinating study by Gaye Strathearn and Brian M. Hauglid of the Great Mosque and its Ka’ba in light of John Lundquist’s typology of ancient Near Eastern temples, and E. Jan Wilson’s enlightening treatment of the features of a Sumerian temple.

Topics:    Old Testament Topics > Symposia and Collections of Essays
ID = [6992]  Status = Type = book  Date = 1999-01-01  Collections:  abraham,bom,farms-books  Size:   Children: 0  Rebuilt: 8/5/24 7:09:37
Hamblin, William J. “Temple Motifs in John 17.” Preliminary Report. Provo, UT: Foundation for Ancient Research and Mormon Studies, 1995.
Display Abstract  Display Keywords

William Hamblin considers concepts related to the temple that are found in Jesus’ prayer recorded in John 17. For example, the word for glorify recalls the glory of the Lord that filled the tabernacle and temple. The word for given in John 17:2 can have the implication of endow, in the sense of giving a gift. To know God implies being familiar with his glory. The name of the Father is known by a few but is not revealed to the many.

Keywords: New Testament; Gospels
ID = [8394]  Status = Type = journal article  Date = 1995-01-01  Collections:  farms-reports  Size: 213  Children: 0  Rebuilt: 8/5/24 7:09:42
Johnson, Clark V. “Temple Sermons in the Book of Mormon.” Preliminary Report. Provo, UT: Foundation for Ancient Research and Mormon Studies, 1995. Transcript of a lecture presented as part of the FARMS Book of Mormon Lecture Series.
Display Abstract  Display Keywords

Clark Johnson examines sermons given by Jacob, Benjamin, and the Savior to Nephites gathered at their respective temples. He analyzes some of the high points to see how they taught “the doctrine of the temple,” giving particular attention to the teachings of the atonement and the contingent covenants covered in the ordinances taught by King Benjamin. Johnson also discusses Christ’s beatitudes in succession.

Keywords: Book of Mormon Teachings; Book of Mormon Religious Practices
Topics:    Book of Mormon Scriptures > Jacob
ID = [8390]  Status = Type = journal article  Date = 1995-01-01  Collections:  bom,farms-reports  Size: 213  Children: 0  Rebuilt: 8/5/24 7:09:42
Christensen, Kevin. “The Temple, the Monarchy, and Wisdom: Lehi’s World and the Scholarship of Margaret Barker.” In Glimpses of Lehi’s Jerusalem, eds. John W. Welch, David Rolph Seely, and Jo Ann H. Seely, 449—22. Provo, Utah: Foundation for Ancient Research and Mormon Studies, 2004.
Topics:    Old Testament Topics > Book of Mormon and the Old Testament
Old Testament Topics > Temple and Tabernacle
ID = [39700]  Status = Type = book article  Date = 2004-01-01  Collections:  bom,farms-books,old-test  Size:   Children: 0  Rebuilt: 8/5/24 7:40:37
Nibley, Hugh W. “Temples Everywhere.” Insights 25, no. 1 (2005).
Display Abstract  Display Keywords

Those of us who saw the recent television documentary American Prophet: The Story of Joseph Smith may have noticed an interesting defect in the script, namely, that it was Hamlet with Hamlet left out. It was as if one were to produce the life of Shakespeare with charming views of Stratford-upon-Avon, country school, the poaching story, marriage to Anne Hatha-way, showbiz in London, and respectable retirement without bothering to mention that our leading character gave the world the greatest treasury of dramatic art in existence. Or a life of Bach with his niggardly brother-guardian, his early poverty, his odd jobs with local organs and choirs, his acceptance in the courts of the Holy Roman Empire, his nineteen children, and his loving nature without a word about the greatest volume of music ever produced by a mortal.

Keywords: temples; documentary; Joseph Smith; Book of Abraham
ID = [66776]  Status = Type = journal article  Date = 2005-01-01  Collections:  abraham,farms-insights,nibley  Size:   Children: 0  Rebuilt: 7/22/24 11:01:49
Parry, Donald W. Temples of the Ancient World: Ritual and Symbolism. Salt Lake City: Deseret Book; Provo, Utah: Foundation for Ancient Research and Mormon Studies, 1994.
Display Abstract  

Three essays by Hugh Nibley, plus papers presented at the 1993 FARMS symposium, other important papers on the temple, a keynote address by Elder Marion D. Hanks (former president of the Salt Lake Temple), striking illustrations by Michael Lyon (who illustrated Nibley’s Temple and Cosmos)—these features and more make Temples of the Ancient World: Ritual and Symbolism one of the most significant volumes ever published on the temple. Twenty-four essays in this 1994 publication focus on the temple in the Hebrew Bible and ancient Near East, the New Testament, Jewish writings, and the Book of Mormon and ancient America.

Topics:    Old Testament Topics > Symposia and Collections of Essays
Old Testament Topics > Temple and Tabernacle
ID = [6983]  Status = Type = book  Date = 1994-01-01  Collections:  bom,farms-books,old-test  Size: 1338020  Children: 0  Rebuilt: 8/5/24 7:09:37
Berkey, Kimberly M. “Temporality and Fulfillment in 3 Nephi 1.” Journal of Book of Mormon Studies 24, no. 1 (2015): 53-83.
Display Abstract  Display Keywords

This paper puts 3 Nephi 1 in conversation with Helaman 14 in order to argue for a complex relationship between temporality and the fulfillment of prophecy. In addition to echoing Matthew 5:17–18 in order to place a structural emphasis on fulfillment, 3 Nephi 1 portrays a series of Nephite misunderstandings about the nature of time and fulfillment that are then counteracted by the cosmic signs of Samuel the Lamanite. What Samuel’s signs ultimately show is that fulfillment of prophecy is best understood as the beginning of a new era rather than as a conclusion, and that this temporal reorientation makes repentance possible. After discussing how Samuel’s signs implicitly correct Nephite temporality, the paper concludes with a brief reflection on the implications for the Book of Mormon as a whole, arguing that the Book of Mormon is intended to function as a sign that likewise orients readers to a new experience of time.

Keywords: Prophecy; Samuel the Lamanite; Temporality; Time
Topics:    Book of Mormon Scriptures > Helaman
Book of Mormon Scriptures > 3 Nephi
ID = [3321]  Status = Type = journal article  Date = 2015-01-01  Collections:  bmc-archive,bom,farms-jbms  Size: 75783  Children: 0  Rebuilt: 7/22/24 10:11:39
Seely, David Rolph. “The Ten Commandments in the Book of Mormon.” Preliminary Report. This paper was presented at the annual Sperry Symposium on October 21, 1991. Provo, UT: Foundation for Ancient Research and Mormon Studies, 1991.
Topics:    Old Testament Scriptures > Exodus
Old Testament Topics > Book of Mormon and the Old Testament
Old Testament Topics > Ten Commandments
ID = [8343]  Status = Type = journal article  Date = 1991-01-01  Collections:  bom,farms-reports,old-test  Size: 209  Children: 0  Rebuilt: 8/5/24 7:09:42
Welch, John W. “Ten Testimonies of Jesus Christ in the Book of Mormon.” Preliminary Report. Provo, UT: Foundation for Ancient Research and Mormon Studies, 1994. Transcript of a lecture given at the FARMS Book of Mormon Lecture Series.
Display Abstract  Display Keywords

One of the most important functions of the Book of Mormon is to convey to the modem world powerful testimonies of the divine mission and essential attributes of Jesus Christ. Many Book of Mormon prophets knew Jesus personally; therefore, their teachings and testimonies about him are based on firsthand knowledge and acquaintance. John Welch discusses ten of the prophets who testified of Christ.

Keywords: Book of Mormon; Christ
ID = [8623]  Status = Type = talk  Date = 1994-01-01  Collections:  bom,farms-reports,welch  Size: 213  Children: 0  Rebuilt: 8/5/24 7:09:44
Shirts, Kerry A. “Terminating Some Terminology Problems Between Evangelical Chrsitians and Mormon Christians.” FARMS Review of Books 12, no. 1 (2000): Article 17.
Display Abstract  

Review of “Terminology” (1998), by Jerald and Sandra Tanner

ID = [346]  Status = Type = review  Date = 2000-01-01  Collections:  farms-review  Size: 26500  Children: 0  Rebuilt: 7/22/24 10:08:42
Cracroft, Richard H. “Terryl L. Givens. The Viper on the Hearth: Mormons, Myths, and the Construction of Heresy.” FARMS Review of Books 9, no. 2 (1997): Article 10.
Display Abstract  

Review of The Viper on the Hearth: Mormons, Myths, and the Construction of Heresy (1997), by Terryl L. Givens.

ID = [284]  Status = Type = review  Date = 1997-01-01  Collections:  farms-review  Size: 17841  Children: 0  Rebuilt: 7/22/24 10:08:38
Johnson, Clark V. “A Test of Faith: The Book of Mormon in the Missouri Conflict.” Journal of Book of Mormon Studies 12, no. 2 (2003): 84-87, 118.
Display Abstract  Display Keywords

While imprisoned in Liberty Jail in Missouri in 1839, the Prophet Joseph Smith directed the church members to gather statements and affidavits about the sufferings and abuses put on them by the people of Missouri. Of the surviving affidavits, five speak directly about the Book of Mormon as a test of faith. Several were offered their lives, property, and safety if they would deny the Book of Mormon and denounce the divine calling of the Prophet Joseph Smith. Those who refused to recant were robbed of their property, whipped, beaten, slandered, and jailed.

Keywords: Early Church History; Joseph; Jr.; Mormon-Missouri War of 1838; Smith; Testimony
ID = [3128]  Status = Type = journal article  Date = 2003-01-01  Collections:  bmc-archive,bom,farms-jbms  Size: 23778  Children: 0  Rebuilt: 7/22/24 10:11:27
Ricks, Stephen D. “Testaments: The Literary Riches of the Book of Mormon.” The FARMS Review 16, no. 2 (2004): 55-57.
Display Abstract  Display Keywords

Review of David E. Bokovoy and John A. Tvedtnes. Testaments: Links between the Book of Mormon and the Hebrew Bible.

Keywords: Ancient Near East; Apologetics; Linguistics; Literature
ID = [479]  Status = Type = review  Date = 2004-01-01  Collections:  bmc-archive,bom,farms-review  Size: 6361  Children: 0  Rebuilt: 7/22/24 10:08:49
Peterson, Daniel C. “Text and Context.” Review of Books on the Book of Mormon 6, no. 1 (1994): 524-562.
Display Abstract  Display Keywords

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.

Keywords: Book of Mormon; Criticism; Historicity
ID = [177]  Status = Type = review  Date = 1994-01-01  Collections:  bmc-archive,bom,farms-review,peterson  Size: 97987  Children: 0  Rebuilt: 7/22/24 10:08:31
Blumell, Lincoln H. “A Text-Critical Comparison of the King James New Testament with Certain Modern Translations.” Studies in the Bible and Antiquity 3 no. 1 (2011).
Display Abstract  

This article renders a text-critical comparison of the King James New Testament and select modern translations of the New Testament. Specifically, it surveys twenty-two passages in the King James New Testament that have been omitted in most modern translations. The article then clarifies and explains why these verses have been omitted and asks whether such omissions ought to be accepted. While this study demonstrates that in most cases the readings in the King James Version are inferior in a text-critical sense and that they likely represent interpolations into the biblical text, there are a few cases where the King James Version might preserve a better reading. This article also argues that even though the King James Version may be inferior on a text-critical level, when compared to certain modern translations, we can still use it with profit if we are aware of its deficiencies.

Topics:    Book of Mormon Scriptures > Ether
ID = [7029]  Status = Type = journal article  Date = 2011-01-01  Collections:  bom,farms-sba  Size: 142703  Children: 0  Rebuilt: 8/5/24 7:09:38
Insights. “Textual Analysis of Book of Mormon Continues.” Insights 25, no. 4 (2005).
Display Abstract  Display Keywords

FARMS and Brigham Young University are pleased to announce the release of part 2 of volume 4 of the Book of Mormon Critical Text Project, Analysis of Textual Variants of the Book of Mormon. Part 2 analyzes the text from 2 Nephi 11 through Mosiah 16.

Keywords: Book of Mormon; textual analysis; Nephi
Topics:    Book of Mormon Scriptures > 2 Nephi
Book of Mormon Scriptures > Mosiah
ID = [66789]  Status = Type = journal article  Date = 2005-01-04  Collections:  bom,farms-insights  Size:   Children: 0  Rebuilt: 7/22/24 11:01:49
Welch, John W. “Textual Consistency.” In Reexploring the Book of Mormon: A Decade of New Research, ed. John W. Welch. Salt Lake City: Deseret Book Company, 1992.
Display Keywords
Keywords: Book of Mormon Translation; Consistency; King Benjamin; Prophecy; Samuel the Lamanite
ID = [66448]  Status = Type = book article  Date = 1992-01-01  Collections:  bom,farms-books,welch  Size:   Children: 0  Rebuilt: 7/22/24 11:01:35
Smith, Robert F. “Textual Criticism of the Book of Mormon.” In Reexploring the Book of Mormon: A Decade of New Research, ed. John W. Welch. Salt Lake City: Deseret Book Company, 1992.
Display Keywords
Keywords: Textual Criticism
ID = [66463]  Status = Type = book article  Date = 1992-01-01  Collections:  bom,farms-books  Size:   Children: 0  Rebuilt: 7/22/24 11:01:36
Skousen, Royal. “Textual Variants in the Isaiah Quotations in the Book of Mormon.” In Isaiah in the Book of Mormon, ed. Donald W. Parry and John W. Welch, 369—90. Salt Lake City/Provo, UT: Deseret Book and Foundation for Ancient Research and Mormon Studies, 1998.
Topics:    Old Testament Scriptures > Isaiah
Old Testament Topics > Book of Mormon and the Old Testament
ID = [67054]  Status = Type = book article  Date = 1998-01-01  Collections:  bom,farms-books,old-test  Size:   Children: 0  Rebuilt: 7/25/24 10:18:21
Hamblin, William J. “That Old Black Magic.” FARMS Review of Books 12, no. 2 (2000): 225-393.
Display Abstract  Display Keywords

Review of Early Mormonism and the Magic World View (1998), by D. Michael Quinn

Keywords: Early Church History; Folk Magic
ID = [368]  Status = Type = review  Date = 2000-01-01  Collections:  bmc-archive,farms-review  Size: 178289  Children: 0  Rebuilt: 7/22/24 10:08:43
Tvedtnes, John A. “That Which Is to Come.” Journal of Book of Mormon Studies 6 no. 2 (1997).
Display Abstract  

Expressions similar to “that which is to come” (Mosiah 3:1) refer specifically to Christ. Numerous prophets prophesy of Christ and the good news of his atoning influence in our lives.

Topics:    Book of Mormon Scriptures > Mosiah
ID = [2966]  Status = Type = journal article  Date = 1997-01-01  Collections:  bom,farms-jbms  Size: 14142  Children: 0  Rebuilt: 7/22/24 10:11:16
Swift, Charles. “‘The Lord slayeth the wicked’: Coming to Terms with Nephi Killing Laban.” Journal of Book of Mormon Studies 28 (2019).
Display Abstract  

Many would agree that the most disturbing narrative in all of the Book of Mormon is that of Nephi being commanded to slay Laban. Few encourage their friends to turn to that passage when introducing the book. It is the rather detailed account of what appears to be an unconscionable act. Its closest parallel elsewhere in scripture is the story of Abraham and Isaac, with the all-important difference that, for Nephi, there was no ram in the thicket. How can we justify a man coming upon another man lying in a street, completely helpless, incapacitated because he is passed out from being drunk, and that first man decapitating the second man, stealing his sword and clothing, and then impersonating him so he could steal a most precious item from his treasury and lead one of his servants away from his household? On the surface, this is what appears to be happening. The fact that Nephi feels led by the Spirit to commit this act may be of little comfort to us as members of society since “few, if any of us, would want to live in a society where individual citizens are free to kill drunken fellow citizens-however guilty the drunk may be-because the citizen feels he has been constrained by God to do so.”

ID = [81925]  Status = Type = journal article  Date = 2019-01-01  Collections:  bom,farms-jbms  Size:   Children: 0  Rebuilt: 7/22/24 11:15:47
Bickmore, Barry R. “‘Them Sneaky Early Christians’” FARMS Review of Books 12, no. 1 (2000): 35-56.
Display Abstract  Display Keywords

Review of Hidden Wisdom: Esoteric Traditions and the Roots of Christian Mysticism (1996), by Guy G. Stroumsa

Keywords: Early Christianity
ID = [351]  Status = Type = review  Date = 2000-01-01  Collections:  bmc-archive,farms-review  Size: 33174  Children: 0  Rebuilt: 7/22/24 10:08:42
Owen, Paul L. “Theological Apostasy and the Role of Canonical Scripture: A Thematic Analysis of 1 Nephi 13-14.” Journal of Book of Mormon Studies 23 no. 1 (2014).
Topics:    Book of Mormon Scriptures > 1 Nephi
ID = [3311]  Status = Type = journal article  Date = 2014-01-01  Collections:  bom,farms-jbms  Size: 43919  Children: 0  Rebuilt: 7/22/24 10:11:38
Martin, Jan J. “The Theological Value of the King James Language in the Book of Mormon.” Journal of Book of Mormon Studies 27 (2018).
Display Abstract  

In 1831, Alexander Campbell (1788-1866), the founder of the Disciples of Christ Church and leader in the early nineteenth-century religious reformation known as the Restoration, published a short pamphlet entitled Delusions: An Analysis of the Book of Mormon: With an Examination of Its Internal and External Evidences, and a Refutation of Its Pretences to Divine Authority. In the pamphlet, Campbell argued that the Book of Mormon was a linguistic hodgepodge, “patched up and cemented with ’And it came to pass’ - ’I sayeth unto you’-’Ye saith unto him’-and all the King James’ haths, dids and doths-in the lowest imitation of the common version:’ He insisted that “it has not one good sentence in it, save the profanation of those sentences quoted from the Oracles of the living God:’ For Campbell, the seventeenth-century English in the Book of Mormon demonstrated that Joseph Smith was a fraud.

ID = [81905]  Status = Type = journal article  Date = 2018-01-01  Collections:  bom,farms-jbms  Size:   Children: 0  Rebuilt: 7/22/24 11:15:46
Olsen, Steven L. “The Theology of Memory: Mormon Historical Consciousness.” The FARMS Review 19, no. 2 (2007): 25-35.
Display Abstract  Display Keywords

Olsen explains why historical documentation is essential to the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.

Keywords: Covenant; Early Church History; Memory; Recordkeeping; Theology
ID = [578]  Status = Type = journal article  Date = 2007-01-01  Collections:  bmc-archive,farms-review  Size: 23687  Children: 0  Rebuilt: 7/22/24 10:08:55
Slayton, Jessica. “‘There cannot be any more Bible!’: Nineteenth-Century Visual Art and the Production of Memory in The Book of Mormon.” Journal of Book of Mormon Studies 27 (2018).
Display Abstract  

The Book of Mormon, told by a variety of narrators over a period of hundreds of years, is deeply concerned with remembrance and the written production of memory. As each narrator grows old and finishes his time recording the events of his people, he hands down the plates to a son or other trusted, younger male companion to continue writing the history and preserving the memories of their people. In this paper, I’d like to argue that nineteenth-century visual art becomes a continuation of the concern for and production of memory so present in The Book of Mormon itself. The book’s proclamation of itself as Bible-“And because my words shall hiss forth-many of the Gentiles shall say: A Bible! A Bible! We have got a Bible, and there cannot be any more Bible”-establishes its reliance on its own participation in the production of memory and highlights its own limited ability (given its status as a completed text) to continue the process of memory generation. I will first examine how The Book of Mormon presents the recording of memory and then turn to C. C. A. Christensen as a case study on how visual art entered the Mormon religious sphere in the nineteenth century as a way of re-recording the stories.

ID = [81907]  Status = Type = journal article  Date = 2018-01-01  Collections:  bom,farms-jbms  Size:   Children: 0  Rebuilt: 7/22/24 11:15:46
Bowen, Matthew L. “‘They Came and Held Him by the Feet and Worshipped Him‘: Prokynesis before Jesus in Its Biblical and Ancient Near Eastern Context.” Studies in the Bible and Antiquity 5 no. 1 (2013).
Display Abstract  

The New Testament records that Jesus’s disciples \"worshiped\" him during several postresurrection theophanies. To understand the disciples’ actions on these sacred occasions, it is necessary to understand the rite of proskynesis as observed in ancient Israel (particularly in the Jerusalem temple) and in the surrounding cultures and cults of the ancient Near East. When scripture uses terms rendered \"worship,\" proskynesis (concrete, hierarchical prostrations of an inferior to a superior rather than just abstract veneration) is almost always intended. Literally a \"kissing in the presence [of]\" a superior being, proskynesis acknowledges the recipient’s divinity and the giver’s submissive humility. Proskynesis was also a sublime and supreme expression of love. As John foresaw, the God who was \"apprehended\" in the Jerusalem temple with proskynesis will be acknowledged not as a pseudo-divine Caesar or Herod but as universal Sovereign by the numberless hosts of those he redeems. Proskynesis, then, is a (disciple’s) means of actualizing eschatological reality and Jesus’s unrivaled position in that reality.

ID = [7040]  Status = Type = journal article  Date = 2013-01-01  Collections:  farms-sba  Size: 65008  Children: 0  Rebuilt: 8/5/24 7:09:38
Welch, John W., and Kelly Ward. “Thieves and Robbers.” In Reexploring the Book of Mormon: A Decade of New Research, ed. John W. Welch. Salt Lake City: Deseret Book Company, 1992.
Display Keywords
Keywords: Gadianton Robbers; Laws; Legal; Robber; Thief
ID = [66515]  Status = Type = book article  Date = 1992-01-01  Collections:  bom,farms-books,welch  Size:   Children: 0  Rebuilt: 7/22/24 11:01:39
Arts, Valentin. “A Third Jaredite Record: The Sealed Portion of the Gold Plates.” Journal of Book of Mormon Studies 11, no. 1 (2002): 50-59, 110-111.
Display Abstract  Display Keywords

In the Book of Mormon, two records (a large engraved stone and twenty-four gold plates) contain the story of an ancient civilization known as the Jaredites. There appears to be evidence of an unpublished third record that provides more information on this people and on the history of the world. When the brother of Jared received a vision of Jesus Christ, he was taught many things but was instructed not to share them with the world until the time of his death. The author proposes that the brother of Jared did, in fact, write those things down shortly before his death and then buried them, along with the interpreting stones, to be revealed to the world according to the timing of the Lord.

Keywords: Brother of Jared; Gold Plates; Jaredite; Prophet; Record; Revelation; Sealed Portion
ID = [3086]  Status = Type = journal article  Date = 2002-01-01  Collections:  bmc-archive,bom,farms-jbms  Size: 45732  Children: 0  Rebuilt: 7/22/24 10:11:24
Insights. “Third Nephi: An Incomparable Scripture— Proceedings of a Willes Center Symposium.” Insights 32, no. 3 (2012).
Display Abstract  Display Keywords

The personal appearance of Jesus Christ as recorded in the book of 3 Nephi constitutes the narrative and spiritual climax of the Book of Mormon. Although the sacred account repeats and reinforces many of the Savior’s Old World teachings, many aspects of his New World ministry have no parallel elsewhere in scripture. In this light, Third Nephi: An Incomparable Scripture is a fitting title for a new book published by the Maxwell Institute and Deseret Book.

Keywords: Jesus Christ; book; narrative; spiritual climax
Topics:    Book of Mormon Scriptures > 3 Nephi
ID = [66997]  Status = Type = journal article  Date = 2012-01-03  Collections:  bom,farms-insights  Size:   Children: 0  Rebuilt: 7/22/24 11:01:59
Ricks, Stephen D., John W. Welch, and Donald W. Parry. “‘This Day’” In Reexploring the Book of Mormon: A Decade of New Research, ed. John W. Welch. Salt Lake City: Deseret Book Company, 1992.
Display Keywords
Keywords: Holy Days; Israelite Autumn Festival; Judaism
ID = [66475]  Status = Type = book article  Date = 1992-01-01  Collections:  bom,farms-books,welch  Size:   Children: 0  Rebuilt: 7/22/24 11:01:37
Gardner, Brant A. “This Idea: The ‘This Land?’ Series and the U.S.-Centric Reading of the Book of Mormon.” The FARMS Review 20, no. 2 (2008): Article 8.
Display Abstract  

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.

ID = [608]  Status = Type = review  Date = 2008-01-01  Collections:  bom,farms-review  Size: 50786  Children: 0  Rebuilt: 7/22/24 10:08:58
Perry, L. Tom. “This is My Gospel: Preparing the Foundation for the Kingdom.” Preliminary Report. Provo, UT: Foundation for Ancient Research and Mormon Studies, 1995. FARMS Annual Banquet 1995.
ID = [8555]  Status = Type = journal article  Date = 1995-01-01  Collections:  farms-reports  Size: 213  Children: 0  Rebuilt: 8/5/24 7:09:44
Spackman, Randall P. “Thomas A. Moore, A Detailed Chronology of the Book of Mormon.” FARMS Review of Books 10, no. 1 (1998): Article 3.
Display Abstract  

Review of A Detailed Chronology of the Book of Mormon (1995), by Thomas O. Moore

ID = [291]  Status = Type = review  Date = 1998-01-01  Collections:  bom,farms-review  Size: 26582  Children: 0  Rebuilt: 7/22/24 10:08:38
Berkey, Kimberly M. “‘Thou Shalt Be Silent’: Literary Allusions to Isaiah 6:1-8 in Luke 1:5-25.” Studies in the Bible and Antiquity 5 no. 1 (2013).
Display Abstract  

Luke 1:5-25 shares several themes and type-scenes in common with other biblical narratives, and yet one major allusion has often been overlooked: its connection with Isaiah 6:1-8. Like the first chapter of Luke, Isaiah 6 is also a prophetic call narrative that takes place in the temple, involves and angelic encounter, and explores the themes of silence and language. Despite the centrality of the temple in Israelite theology, temple epiphanies are surprisingly uncommon in the Hebrew Bible. Furthermore, in no other biblical texts does the recipient of the vision encounter an angel specifically at the temple’s altar. Where Zechariah is struck dumb, Isaiah also finds himself unable to speak and must have his language cleansed prior to his prophetic task. Because these are the only two texts in the Bible that share these convergences, it is clear that Luke intentionally alluded to Isaiah 6:1-8 in crafting the opening of his narrative. This allusion helps inform his audience about Jewish theology, sets John the Baptist apart as a prophetic figure, and introduces Luke’s later use of Isaiah 6:9-10 in Luke-Acts.

Topics:    Old Testament Scriptures > Isaiah
ID = [7039]  Status = Type = journal article  Date = 2013-01-01  Collections:  farms-sba,old-test  Size: 41679  Children: 0  Rebuilt: 8/5/24 7:09:38
Rogers, Thomas F. “Thoughts about Joseph Smith: Upon Reading Donna Hill’s Joseph Smith: The First Mormon.” In By Study and Also By Faith, Volume 2, edited by John M. Lundquist and Stephen D. Ricks, 585-618. Vol. 2. Provo, UT/Salt Lake City: Foundation for Ancient Research and Mormon Studies/Deseret Book, 1990.
Display Abstract  Display Keywords

This second of two volumes of essays honoring Hugh Nibley includes scholarly papers based on what the authors have learned from Nibley. Nearly every major subject that Dr. Nibley has encompassed in his vast learning and scholarly production is represented here by at least one article. Topics include the sacrament covenant in Third Nephi, the Lamanite view of Book of Mormon history, external evidences of the Book of Mormon, proper names in the Book of Mormon, the brass plates version of Genesis, the composition of Lehi’s family, ancient burials of metal documents in stone boxes, repentance as rethinking, Mormon history’s encounter with secular modernity, and Judaism in the 20th century.
This paper first lists a number of personal experiences which are mentioned but not unduly emphasized in Donna Hill’s biography and which, taken together, appear to have been more than coincidental influences on the formulation of Latter-day Saint doctrine and Church practices.

Keywords: Criticism; Joseph; Jr.; Smith
Topics:    Book of Mormon Scriptures > Ether
Hugh W. Nibley Topics > Hugh Nibley > Scholarship, Footnotes, Collected Works of Hugh Nibley, CWHN, Editing > Joseph Smith
ID = [2370]  Status = Type = book article  Date = 1990-01-02  Collections:  bmc-archive,bom,farms-books,nibley  Size:   Children: 0  Rebuilt: 7/22/24 10:10:42
Welch, John W. “Three Accounts of Alma’s Conversion.” In Reexploring the Book of Mormon: A Decade of New Research, ed. John W. Welch. Salt Lake City: Deseret Book Company, 1992.
Display Keywords
Keywords: Alma the Younger; Conversion; Helaman (Son of Alma the Younger); Repetition; Shiblon (Son of Alma the Younger); Testimony
Topics:    Book of Mormon Scriptures > Alma
Book of Mormon Scriptures > Helaman
ID = [66485]  Status = Type = book article  Date = 1992-01-01  Collections:  bom,farms-books,welch  Size:   Children: 0  Rebuilt: 7/22/24 11:01:38
Chadwick, Jeffrey R. “Three Books on Jewish and Mormon Themes.” The FARMS Review 15, no. 1 (2003): 403-420.
Display Abstract  Display Keywords

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.

Keywords: Covenant; Judaism
ID = [435]  Status = Type = review  Date = 2003-01-01  Collections:  bmc-archive,farms-review  Size: 39688  Children: 0  Rebuilt: 7/22/24 10:08:47
Cumming, David Butler. “Three Days and Three Nights: Reassessing Jesus’s Entombment.” Journal of Book of Mormon Studies 16 no. 1 (2007).
Display Abstract  

The Bible does not explicitly state on which day of the week the Savior was crucified, and the passages describing the length of time he spent in the tomb can be interpreted in multiple ways. Depending on how days were measured and on what Sabbath the day of preparation preceded—whether the weekly Sabbath or the Passover Sabbath—the crucifixion could plausibly have occurred on Wednesday, Thursday, or Friday. The Bible and history have not been able to determine on which day of the week the crucifixion occurred, but the Book of Mormon gives additional information to establish the day. Based on a comparison of the passages in the two texts and an examination of time differences between the two hemispheres, Thursday appears to be the most plausible solution.

Topics:    Book of Mormon Scriptures > Ether
ID = [3205]  Status = Type = journal article  Date = 2007-01-01  Collections:  bom,farms-jbms  Size: 26980  Children: 0  Rebuilt: 7/22/24 10:11:31
Nibley, Hugh W. “The Three Facsimiles.” Preliminary Report. Provo, UT: Foundation for Ancient Research and Mormon Studies, 1980.
Display Abstract  Display Keywords

This presentation contains suggestions for interpreting various features found in the Pearl of Great Price facsimiles. Hugh Nibley notes that variations within stereotyped images, such as a person about to be sacrificed on the lion couch, can have widely divergent interpretations, thus leaving room for Joseph Smith’s interpretation of Abraham on the altar. Facsimile 2 can be compared to apocryphal books about Abraham that describe a cosmic journey with elements resembling certain features in the book of Abraham. The coronation scene in Facsimile 3 also shows authentic elements.

Keywords: Pearl of Great Price; Abraham
ID = [8385]  Status = Type = journal article  Date = 1980-01-01  Collections:  abraham,farms-reports,nibley  Size: 209  Children: 0  Rebuilt: 8/5/24 7:09:42
Kramer, Bradley J. “Three-Nephite Lore and Observing the Sacred: Some Observations.” Journal of Book of Mormon Studies 23 (2014): 192-196.
Display Abstract  Display Keywords

Modern-day encounters with the Three Nephites (described in the Book of Mormon) are commonly referenced in LDS culture. While such accounts could stand as confirmations of Latter-day Saint scripture, they are regularly described as irrelevant to questions of salvation and exaltation and are relegated to the inessential realm of folklore. Closer anthropological analysis of LDS discourse surrounding the Three Nephites—from humor and its role in figuring Mormon sacredness to connections to Mormon narratives of Christ’s resurrection and millennial expectation—suggests that these accounts are richly significant, that things that seem to matter little can convey a great deal about the Mormon experience of the sacred.

Keywords: Folklore; Three Nephites
ID = [3317]  Status = Type = journal article  Date = 2014-01-01  Collections:  bmc-archive,bom,farms-jbms  Size: 10997  Children: 0  Rebuilt: 7/22/24 10:11:38
Cracroft, Richard H. “Through a Glass, Brightly: Happenings in Book of Mormon Fiction.” Review of Books on the Book of Mormon 6, no. 2 (1994): 118-121.
Display Abstract  Display Keywords

Review of Daniel and Nephi (1993), by Chris Heimerdinger: and Samuel: Moroni's Young Warrior (1993), by Clair Poulson.

Keywords: Captain Moroni; Fiction; Nephi (Son of Lehi)
Topics:    Book of Mormon Scriptures > Moroni
ID = [184]  Status = Type = review  Date = 1994-01-01  Collections:  bmc-archive,bom,farms-review  Size: 8225  Children: 0  Rebuilt: 7/22/24 10:08:32
Parry, Donald W. “‘Thus Saith the Lord’: Prophetic Language in Samuel’s Speech.” Journal of Book of Mormon Studies 1 no. 1 (1992).
Display Abstract  Display Keywords

The prophetic language in the writings of Samuel the Lamanite includes the messenger formula, proclamation formula, oath formula, woe oracle, announcement formula, and revelations formula.

Keywords: Prophecy; Prophet; Samuel the Lamanite
ID = [2821]  Status = Type = journal article  Date = 1992-01-01  Collections:  bmc-archive,bom,farms-jbms  Size: 5909  Children: 0  Rebuilt: 7/22/24 10:11:06
Parry, Donald W. “‘Thus Saith the Lord’: Prophetic Language in Samuel’s Speech.” In Pressing Forward with the Book of Mormon: The FARMS Updates of the 1990s, edited by Welch, John W., and Melvin J. Thorne, 204-207. Provo, UT: Foundation for Ancient Research and Mormon Studies, 1999.
Display Keywords
Keywords: Prophecy; Prophet; Samuel the Lamanite
ID = [75686]  Status = Type = book article  Date = 1999-01-01  Collections:  bom,farms-books  Size: 4914  Children: 0  Rebuilt: 7/22/24 11:09:57
Williams, Clyde J. “‘Thus We See’: The Teachings of Mormon.” Preliminary Report. Provo, UT: Foundation for Ancient Research and Mormon Studies, 1996. Transcript of a lecture given at the FARMS Book of Mormon Lecture Series.
Display Abstract  Display Keywords

Clyde Williams examines the identity of the prophet Mormon and highlights his varied roles and valiant qualities. He lived in a society filled with symptoms of departure from a Christ-centered culture. Mormon testifies that the Book of Mormon witnesses to the truth of the Bible. He knew the power of faith, hope, and charity. Mormon felt the responsibility to teach the consequences of unrighteousness and plead for repentance.

Keywords: Book of Mormon; Teachings
ID = [8626]  Status = Type = talk  Date = 1996-01-01  Collections:  bom,farms-reports  Size: 213  Children: 0  Rebuilt: 8/5/24 7:09:44
Hamblin, William J. “Time Vindicates Hugh Nibley.” Review of Books on the Book of Mormon 2, no. 1 (1990): 119-127.
Display Abstract  Display Keywords

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.

Keywords: Ancient America; Ancient Near East; Culture; Methodology; Scholarship
Topics:    Hugh W. Nibley Topics > Hugh Nibley > Scholarship, Footnotes, Collected Works of Hugh Nibley, CWHN, Editing > Book of Mormon
Hugh W. Nibley Topics > Hugh Nibley > Scholarship, Footnotes, Collected Works of Hugh Nibley, CWHN, Editing > Christian History, Apostasy, Early Christianity
ID = [74]  Status = Type = review  Date = 1990-01-01  Collections:  bmc-archive,bom,farms-review,nibley  Size: 20878  Children: 0  Rebuilt: 7/22/24 10:08:25
Willes, Mark H. “To All the World: Reinventing the Church’s Media Business.” The FARMS Review 22, no. 2 (2010): 1-13.
Display Abstract  Display Keywords

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.

Keywords: Missionary Work; Publicity
ID = [655]  Status = Type = talk  Date = 2010-01-01  Collections:  bmc-archive,farms-review  Size: 29074  Children: 0  Rebuilt: 7/22/24 10:09:02
Ludlow, Daniel H., and S. Kent Brown. To All the World: The Book of Mormon Articles from the Encyclopedia of Mormonism. Provo, UT: Foundation for Ancient Research and Mormon Studies, 2000.
Display Abstract  

This new selection of materials from the incomparable Encyclopedia of Mormonism includes 151 Book of Mormon articles by 115 scholars and articulate authors.
Within this compilation, readers will find: 45 illustrative photographs, maps, and charts, bibliographies, a unique list of entries by category, and a full index of passages.

ID = [7001]  Status = Type = book  Date = 2000-01-01  Collections:  bom,farms-books  Size: 975330  Children: 0  Rebuilt: 8/5/24 7:09:37
Black, Susan Easton. “The Tomb of Joseph.” Preliminary Report. Provo, UT: Foundation for Ancient Research and Mormon Studies, 1997.
Display Abstract  Display Keywords

This FARMS preliminary paper was presented at the symposium “Pioneers of the Restoration” on 8 March 1997.

Keywords: IL; Joseph; Jr.; Nauvoo; Smith
ID = [8603]  Status = Type = journal article  Date = 1997-01-01  Collections:  bmc-archive,farms-reports  Size: 998  Children: 0  Rebuilt: 8/5/24 7:09:44
Black, Susan Easton. “The Tomb of Joseph.” In The Disciple as Witness: Essays on Latter-day Saint History and Doctrine in Honor of Richard Lloyd Anderson, edited by Ricks, Stephen D., Parry, Donald W., and Hedges, Andrew H. Provo, UT: The Foundation for Ancient Research and Mormon Studies, 2000.
ID = [81848]  Status = Type = book article  Date = 2000-01-01  Collections:  church-history,farms-books  Size:   Children: 0  Rebuilt: 7/22/24 11:15:43
Clayson, Jocelyn Jones. “Tools and Instruments.” Journal of Book of Mormon Studies 27 (2018).
Display Abstract  

In Alma 26:2, the Nephite Christian missionary Ammon asks his brothers, “What great blessings has [God] bestowed upon us? Can ye tell?” Having been quite successful in his endeavors, Ammon answers his own question by stating that he and his brothers “have been made instruments in the hands of God” (Alma 26:3). The phrasing seems self-explanatory: Ammon and his brothers are tools God uses to “bring about this great work’’ (Alma 26:3).1 Yet just a verse later, Ammon appears to confuse the metaphor when he commends his brothers: “The field is ripe and blessed are ye, for ye did thrust in the sickle, and did reap with your might” (Alma 26:5). Here, it is not the missionaries who are instruments, but rather they are the ones who use instruments. Are Ammon and his brethren tools in the hands of God? Or do they use tools (sickles) to reap a harvest of souls? And what does it mean to be an “instrument”? Using this passage as a springboard, I will look more generally at the use of language concerning tools, instruments, and weapons in the writings attributed to Mormon in the Book of Mormon. Key, in my view, is a comparison, carefully woven, between the sons of Mosiah and the Anti-Nephi-Lehies.

Topics:    Book of Mormon Scriptures > Mosiah
Book of Mormon Scriptures > Alma
ID = [81916]  Status = Type = journal article  Date = 2018-01-01  Collections:  bom,farms-jbms  Size:   Children: 0  Rebuilt: 7/22/24 11:15:47
Brugger, Don L. “Toward the Ultimate Book of Mormon Time Line.” The FARMS Review 20, no. 1 (2008): 1-13.
Display Abstract  Display Keywords

Review of Christopher Kimball Bigelow. The Timechart History of Mormonism: FromPremortality to the Present.

Keywords: Chronology; Scripture Study; Study Helps; Timeline
ID = [591]  Status = Type = review  Date = 2008-01-01  Collections:  bmc-archive,bom,farms-review  Size: 32280  Children: 0  Rebuilt: 7/22/24 10:08:56
McClellan, Richard D. “Traduit de L’Anglais: The First French Book of Mormon.” Journal of Book of Mormon Studies 11 no. 1 (2002).
Display Abstract  

When the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints was first organized in the year 1830, the Book of Mormon had been published in only one language: English. But the church was growing quickly and spreading to other parts of the world. One of the first publications of the Book of Mormon in another language was in French. This article gives an account of the French translation from 1850 to 1852, when Elder John Taylor, a member of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles, presided over a newly opened mission in France. Elder Taylor oversaw the translation process, which was done primarily by recent French converts Mr. Wilhelm and Louis Bertrand and one of Elder Taylor’s counselors, Elder Curtis E. Bolton. While these men were translating, Paris was in the midst of political unrest and was wary of unfamiliar social, political, and religious organizations. In fact, both Elder Taylor and Brother Bertrand had to hide from government officials. Despite all the complications that came about during this process, the work was ultimately a success.

ID = [3082]  Status = Type = journal article  Date = 2002-01-01  Collections:  bom,farms-jbms  Size: 32292  Children: 0  Rebuilt: 7/22/24 10:11:24
Gee, John. “A Tragedy of Errors.” Review of Books on the Book of Mormon 4, no. 1 (1992): 93-119.
Display Abstract  Display Keywords

Review of . . . By His Own Hand upon Papyrus: A New Look at the Joseph Smith Papyri (1992), by Charles M. Larson.

Keywords: Anti-Mormon; Book of Abraham; Criticism; Pearl of Great Price
ID = [126]  Status = Type = review  Date = 1992-01-01  Collections:  abraham,bmc-archive,farms-review  Size: 32492  Children: 0  Rebuilt: 7/22/24 10:08:28
Ricks, Stephen D. “The Translation and Publication of the Book of Mormon.” Preliminary Report. Provo, UT: Foundation for Ancient Research and Mormon Studies, 1994. Transcript of a lecture presented as part of the FARMS Book of Mormon Lecture Series.
Display Abstract  Display Keywords

Stephen Ricks discusses and gives sources for what Joseph Smith himself thought and said about the translation of the Book of Mormon. Further understanding comes from what was said by colleagues and co-workers who knew him at that period of time.

Keywords: Church History; Book of Mormon
ID = [8578]  Status = Type = talk  Date = 1994-01-01  Collections:  bom,farms-reports  Size: 213  Children: 0  Rebuilt: 8/5/24 7:09:44
Ricks, Stephen D. “Translation of the Book of Mormon.” In Pressing Forward with the Book of Mormon: The FARMS Updates of the 1990s, edited by Welch, John W., and Melvin J. Thorne, 272-279. Provo, UT: Foundation for Ancient Research and Mormon Studies, 1999.
Display Keywords
Keywords: Translation
ID = [75702]  Status = Type = book article  Date = 1999-01-01  Collections:  bom,farms-books  Size:   Children: 0  Rebuilt: 7/22/24 11:09:58
Ricks, Stephen D. “Translation of the Book of Mormon: Interpreting the Evidence.” Journal of Book of Mormon Studies 2 no. 2 (1993).
Display Abstract  

The process used by Joseph Smith to translate the Book of Mormon from the plates involved both human effort and divine assistance through the seerstone and interpreters.

ID = [2851]  Status = Type = journal article  Date = 1993-01-01  Collections:  bom,farms-jbms  Size: 14174  Children: 0  Rebuilt: 7/22/24 10:11:09
Welch, John W., and Tim Rathbone. “The Translation of the Book of Mormon: Preliminary Report on the Basic Historical Information.” Preliminary Report. Provo, UT: Foundation for Ancient Research and Mormon Studies, 1986.
Display Abstract  Display Keywords

John Welch and Tim Rathbone discuss what Joseph Smith and his companions said about translating the Book of Mormon. They document the intense period of activity from April to June 1829, during which nearly all the translation took place.

Keywords: Church History
ID = [8616]  Status = Type = journal article  Date = 1986-01-01  Collections:  bom,farms-reports,welch  Size: 209  Children: 0  Rebuilt: 8/5/24 7:09:44
Benson, RoseAnn, and Stephen D. Ricks. “Treaties and Covenants: Ancient Near Eastern Legal Terminology in the Book of Mormon.” Journal of Book of Mormon Studies 14, no. 1 (2005): 48-61, 128-129.
Display Abstract  Display Keywords

Ancient Near Eastern treaties and Old Testament covenants exhibit many of the same literary elements. Of particular interest is the use of the Hebrew word y?da? ,“to know,” when it signifies “to enter into a binding agreement.” The use of this word in both treaties and scriptures supports the notion that prophets spoke of holy covenants using language that framed responsibilities between God and his people in legal terms. The Book of Mormon usage of to know reflects similar intent. This article discusses the background of the word to know, compares treaties with covenants, discusses to know in connection with ancient Near Eastern treaties and biblical covenants, and assesses to know in Book of Mormon covenants.

Keywords: Ancient Near East; Covenant; Language - Hebrew; Laws; Legal; Treaty
ID = [3157]  Status = Type = journal article  Date = 2005-01-01  Collections:  bmc-archive,bom,farms-jbms  Size: 67099  Children: 0  Rebuilt: 7/22/24 10:11:28
Miller, Jeanette W. “The Tree of Life, a Personification of Christ.” Journal of Book of Mormon Studies 2, no. 1 (1993): 93-106.
Display Abstract  Display Keywords

Throughout history in many cultures, man has looked to the tree of life as a symbol of eternal life. The form of the tree of life varies according to a culture’s perception of the universe. Many early Christians saw the tree of life as a personification of Jesus Christ. It may be that the tree of life vision in the Book of Mormon was presented to introduce the Savior and his ministry. We may learn much about the Lord’s calling and personality by combining a study of various cultural ideas of the tree of life with the testimonies of the prophets contained in the scriptures.

Keywords: Dream; Eternal Life; Jesus Christ; Lehi (Prophet); Nephi; Personification; Symbolism; Tree of Life; Vision
ID = [2831]  Status = Type = journal article  Date = 1993-01-01  Collections:  bmc-archive,bom,farms-jbms  Size: 31674  Children: 0  Rebuilt: 7/22/24 10:11:07
Crockett, Robert D. “A Trial Lawyer Reviews Will Bagley’s Blood of the Prophets.” The FARMS Review 15, no. 2 (2003): Article 12.
Display Abstract  

Review of Will Bagley. Blood of the Prophets: Brigham Young and the Massacre at Mountain Meadows.

ID = [442]  Status = Type = review  Date = 2003-01-01  Collections:  brigham,farms-review  Size: 135305  Children: 0  Rebuilt: 7/22/24 10:08:47
Welch, John W. “The Trial of Jeremiah: A Legal Legacy from Lehi’s Jerusalem.” In Glimpses of Lehi’s Jerusalem, eds. John W. Welch, David Rolph Seely, and Jo Ann H. Seely, 337—56. Provo, Utah: Foundation for Ancient Research and Mormon Studies, 2004.
Topics:    Old Testament Scriptures > Jeremiah/Lamentations
ID = [39696]  Status = Type = book article  Date = 2004-01-01  Collections:  bom,farms-books,old-test,welch  Size:   Children: 0  Rebuilt: 8/5/24 7:40:37
Reynolds, Noel B. “The True Points of My Doctrine.” Journal of Book of Mormon Studies 5, no. 2 (1996): 26-56.
Display Abstract  Display Keywords

In a 1991 BYU Studies article, I identified and analyzed three core Book of Mormon passages in which the gospel or doctrine of Jesus Christ is defined. Each of these passages presents the gospel as a six-point formula or message about what men must do if they will be saved. In the present article I go on to examine all other Book of Mormon references to the six elements in this formula. Faith is choosing to trust in Jesus Christ in all that one does. Repentance is turning away from the life of sin by making a covenant to obey the Lord and remember him always. Baptism in water is the public witnessing to the Father of that covenant. The baptism of fire and of the Holy Ghost is a gift sent from the Father in fulfillment of his promise to all his children that if they will repent and be baptized, they will be filled with the Holy Ghost. It brings the remission of sins with its cleansing fires. The recipient of these great blessings must yet endure to the end in faith, hope, and charity in order to obtain salvation, or eternal life.

Keywords: Baptism; Covenant; Doctrine; Endure to the End; Eternal Life; Faith; Gospel; Gospel of Jesus Christ; Repentance; Salvation; Trust
ID = [2933]  Status = Type = journal article  Date = 1996-01-01  Collections:  bmc-archive,bom,farms-jbms  Size: 71306  Children: 0  Rebuilt: 7/22/24 10:11:14
Harper, Steven C. “Trustworthy History?” The FARMS Review 15, no. 2 (2003): 273-307.
Display Abstract  Display Keywords

Review of Grant H. Palmer. An Insider’s View of Mormon Origins.

Keywords: Criticism; Early Church History
ID = [445]  Status = Type = review  Date = 2003-01-01  Collections:  bmc-archive,farms-review  Size: 76576  Children: 0  Rebuilt: 7/22/24 10:08:47
Christensen, Kevin. “Truth and Method: Reflections on Dan Vogel’s Approach to the Book of Mormon.” The FARMS Review 16, no. 1 (2004): 287-354.
Display Abstract  Display Keywords

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.

Keywords: Ancient America; Book of Mormon; Criticism; Historicity; Mesoamerica; Native Americans
ID = [471]  Status = Type = review  Date = 2004-01-01  Collections:  bmc-archive,bom,farms-review  Size: 144976  Children: 0  Rebuilt: 7/22/24 10:08:49
Rawlins, Jacob D. “Turning Away.” The FARMS Review 19, no. 1 (2007): 325-331.
Display Abstract  Display Keywords

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.

Keywords: Early Christianity; Great Apostasy; Restoration
ID = [568]  Status = Type = review  Date = 2007-01-01  Collections:  bmc-archive,farms-review  Size: 15078  Children: 0  Rebuilt: 7/22/24 10:08:54
Lane, Keith H. “Turning Toward the Wisdom of King Benjamin.” FARMS Review of Books 11, no. 1 (1999): 18-22.
Display Abstract  Display Keywords

Review of King Benjamin\'s Speech: “That Ye May Learn Wisdom” (1998), edited by John W. Welch and Stephen D. Ricks

Keywords: Covenant; King Benjamin; Kingship; Sermon; Wisdom
ID = [318]  Status = Type = journal article  Date = 1999-01-01  Collections:  bmc-archive,bom,farms-review  Size: 11928  Children: 0  Rebuilt: 7/22/24 10:08:40
Gileadi, Avraham. “Twelve Diatribes of Modern Israel.” In By Study and Also By Faith, Volume 2, edited by John M. Lundquist and Stephen D. Ricks, 353-405. Vol. 2. Provo, UT/Salt Lake City: Foundation for Ancient Research and Mormon Studies/Deseret Book, 1990.
Display Abstract  Display Keywords

This second of two volumes of essays honoring Hugh Nibley includes scholarly papers based on what the authors have learned from Nibley. Nearly every major subject that Dr. Nibley has encompassed in his vast learning and scholarly production is represented here by at least one article. Topics include the sacrament covenant in Third Nephi, the Lamanite view of Book of Mormon history, external evidences of the Book of Mormon, proper names in the Book of Mormon, the brass plates version of Genesis, the composition of Lehi’s family, ancient burials of metal documents in stone boxes, repentance as rethinking, Mormon history’s encounter with secular modernity, and Judaism in the 20th century.
This essay serves as a testimony to modern Israel—the Latter-day Saints—that we are beginning to resemble God’s ancient covenant people in ways that conflict with our high ideals.

Keywords: Covenant; Israel; Prophecy
Topics:    Old Testament Topics > Israel, Scattering and Gathering
Hugh W. Nibley Topics > Hugh Nibley > Scholarship, Footnotes, Collected Works of Hugh Nibley, CWHN, Editing > Discipleship
ID = [2363]  Status = Type = book article  Date = 1990-01-02  Collections:  bmc-archive,bom,farms-books,nibley  Size:   Children: 0  Rebuilt: 7/22/24 10:10:41
Gardner, Brant A. “Two Authors: Two Approaches in the Book of Mormon.” Journal of Book of Mormon Studies 24, no. 1 (2015): 254-259.
Display Abstract  Display Keywords

Nephi and Mormon, the two writers responsible for the largest amount of text in the Book of Mormon, both similarly used reference material and quotations in their work. Despite that basic similarity, the way each writer used those references and quotations is quite different.

Keywords: Authorship; Intertextuality; Mormon; Nephi; Quotation; Translation
ID = [3334]  Status = Type = journal article  Date = 2015-01-01  Collections:  bmc-archive,bom,farms-jbms  Size: 12410  Children: 0  Rebuilt: 7/22/24 10:11:40
Smith, Robert F., and John L. Sorenson. “Two Figurines From the Belleza and Sanchez Collection.” In Reexploring the Book of Mormon: A Decade of New Research, ed. John W. Welch. Salt Lake City: Deseret Book Company, 1992.
Display Keywords
Keywords: Ancient America - Mesoamerica; Ancient Egypt; Archaeology; Transoceanic Contact
ID = [66447]  Status = Type = book article  Date = 1992-01-01  Collections:  bom,farms-books,sorenson  Size:   Children: 0  Rebuilt: 7/22/24 11:01:35
Tanner, John S. “Two Hymns Based on Nephi’s Psalm.” Journal of Book of Mormon Studies 10 no. 2 (2001).
Display Abstract  

The first line of Nephi’s Psalm (found in 2 Nephi 4:16– 35) matches perfectly the iambic pentameter of Jean Sibelius’s Finlandia, more commonly known among Latter-day Saints as the hymn Be Still, My Soul. Because of this coincidence, John S. Tanner decided to write lyrics based on Nephi’s Psalm, called I Love the Lord, after which he solicited the help of Ronald J. Staheli in composing a musical arrangement based on Finlandia. Tanner later wrote another adaptation of Nephi’s Psalm, called Sometimes My Soul, using the tune of an American folk song. He explains the process of writing these two songs and the accompanying challenges.

Topics:    Book of Mormon Scriptures > 2 Nephi
ID = [3071]  Status = Type = journal article  Date = 2001-01-01  Collections:  bom,farms-jbms  Size: 18083  Children: 0  Rebuilt: 7/22/24 10:11:23
Hardy, Grant R. “Two More Waves.” FARMS Review 21, no. 2 (2009): 133-152.
Display Abstract  Display Keywords

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.

Keywords: Book of Mormon Formatting; Literature; Missionary Work; Structure
ID = [635]  Status = Type = review  Date = 2009-01-01  Collections:  bmc-archive,bom,farms-review  Size: 47076  Children: 0  Rebuilt: 7/22/24 10:09:00
Insights. “Two New Volumes Added to Book of Abraham Series.” Insights 31, no. 1 (2011).
Display Abstract  Display Keywords

Two new volumes in the Studies in the Book of Abraham series emphasize the Maxwell Institute’s continued interest in advancing research on the Book of Abraham and will offer scholars and others useful tools for their study.

Keywords: volumes; Book of Abraham; scholars; tools
ID = [66969]  Status = Type = journal article  Date = 2011-01-01  Collections:  abraham,farms-insights  Size:   Children: 0  Rebuilt: 7/22/24 11:01:58
Gee, John. “Two Notes on Egyptian Script.” Journal of Book of Mormon Studies 5 no. 1 (1996).
Display Abstract  Display Keywords

Possible scripts for the “reformed Egyptian” referred to in the Book of Mormon include abnormal hieratic and carved hieratic.

Keywords: Egyptian; Language; Language - Hebrew; Writing
ID = [2930]  Status = Type = journal article  Date = 1996-01-01  Collections:  bmc-archive,bom,farms-jbms  Size: 34667  Children: 0  Rebuilt: 7/22/24 10:11:14
Gee, John. “Two Notes on Egyptian Script.” In Pressing Forward with the Book of Mormon: The FARMS Updates of the 1990s, edited by Welch, John W., and Melvin J. Thorne, 244-247. Provo, UT: Foundation for Ancient Research and Mormon Studies, 1999.
Display Keywords
Keywords: Egyptian; Language; Language - Hebrew; Writing
ID = [75694]  Status = Type = book article  Date = 1999-01-01  Collections:  bom,farms-books  Size: 6541  Children: 0  Rebuilt: 7/22/24 11:09:57
Welch, John W. “Two Notes on the Lord’s Prayer.” In Pressing Forward with the Book of Mormon: The FARMS Updates of the 1990s, edited by Welch, John W., and Melvin J. Thorne, 228-230. Provo, UT: Foundation for Ancient Research and Mormon Studies, 1999.
Display Keywords
Keywords: 3 Nephi; Prayer
Topics:    Book of Mormon Scriptures > 3 Nephi
ID = [75690]  Status = Type = book article  Date = 1999-01-01  Collections:  bom,farms-books,welch  Size:   Children: 0  Rebuilt: 7/22/24 11:09:57
Clark, John E. “Two Points of Book of Mormon Geography: A Review.” FARMS Review of Books 8, no. 2 (1996): 1-24.
Display Abstract  Display Keywords

Review of The Land of Lehi (1995), by Paul Hedengren

Keywords: Ancient America; Book of Mormon Geography; Book of Mormon Geography – Great Lakes
ID = [240]  Status = Type = journal article  Date = 1996-01-01  Collections:  bmc-archive,bom,farms-review  Size: 54770  Children: 0  Rebuilt: 7/22/24 10:08:35
Midgley, Louis C. “Two Stories—One Faith.” The FARMS Review 19, no. 1 (2007): 55-79.
Display Abstract  Display Keywords

Response to Richard Lyman Bushman, with the assistance of Jed Woodworth. Joseph Smith: Rough Stone Rolling.

Keywords: Early Church History; Joseph; Jr.; Smith; Theology
ID = [556]  Status = Type = review  Date = 2007-01-01  Collections:  bmc-archive,farms-review  Size: 57648  Children: 0  Rebuilt: 7/22/24 10:08:54
Clark, Robert E. “The Type at the Border: An Inquiry into Book of Mormon Typology.” Journal of Book of Mormon Studies 2, no. 2 (1993): 63-77.
Display Abstract  Display Keywords

A certain combination of temperament and upbringing can lead to a sense of alienation from the scriptures’ meaning. This paper considers the role that types might play in overcoming that alienation as they mediate between scriptural understanding and human experience, permitting deeper insight into both. The difficulties and possibilities inherent in such an approach shed light on a typological analysis of the figures of Abinadi and the brother of Jared.

Keywords: Abinadi (Prophet); Brother of Jared; Mahonri Moriancumer; Type; Typology
ID = [2842]  Status = Type = journal article  Date = 1993-01-01  Collections:  bmc-archive,bom,farms-jbms  Size: 37382  Children: 0  Rebuilt: 7/22/24 10:11:08
Sperry, Sidney B. “Types of Literature in the Book of Mormon: Allegories, Prayers, Songs, Genealogies.” Journal of Book of Mormon Studies 4, no. 1 (1995): 106-118.
Display Abstract  Display Keywords

The most significant allegory in the Book of Mormon is the allegory of the tame and wild olive tree, which appears in Jacob 5. Six different types of prayers are found in the Book of Mormon. Perhaps the best example of a true song is “The Song of the Vineyard,” actually a quotation from Isaiah. There is only one example of an extended genealogy, that of Ether, the last Jaredite prophet.

Keywords: Allegory; Allegory of the Olive Tree; Genealogy; Horticulture; Jaredite; King List; Literature; Music; Prayer; Song; Song of the Vineyard
Topics:    Book of Mormon Scriptures > Jacob
Book of Mormon Scriptures > Ether
ID = [2905]  Status = Type = journal article  Date = 1995-01-01  Collections:  bmc-archive,bom,farms-jbms  Size: 22183  Children: 0  Rebuilt: 7/22/24 10:11:13
Sperry, Sidney B. “Types of Literature in the Book of Mormon: Epistles, Psalms, Lamentations.” Journal of Book of Mormon Studies 4, no. 1 (1995): 69-80.
Display Abstract  Display Keywords

The Book of Mormon contains nine epistles—two pastoral, one prophetic, and six dealing with war. The “Psalm of Nephi” is the only psalm in the Book of Mormon, called such because it is a song of praise, betraying deep religious feeling. A good example of lamentation literature occurs in Mormon 6.

Keywords: Epistle; Lamentations; Literature; Pastoral Epistle; Praise; Prophet; Prophetic Epistle; Psalm of Nephi; Psalms
Topics:    Old Testament Scriptures > Jeremiah/Lamentations
ID = [2902]  Status = Type = journal article  Date = 1995-01-01  Collections:  bmc-archive,bom,farms-jbms,old-test  Size: 22497  Children: 0  Rebuilt: 7/22/24 10:11:12
Sperry, Sidney B. “Types of Literature in the Book of Mormon: Historical Narrative, Memoir, Prophetic Discourse, Oratory.” Journal of Book of Mormon Studies 4, no. 1 (1995): 81-94.
Display Abstract  Display Keywords

Historical narrative in the Book of Mormon is written by laymen and is the truth as they see it. Of emphasis is the doctrine that blessings follow those who keep the commandments; they will prosper in the land. More than autobiography, the words of the writers could be described as memoirs. Benjamin delivered a wonderful oration that deserves detailed study and can be divided into three parts.

Keywords: Commandment; Doctrine; History; King Benjamin; Memoir; Narrative; Obedience; Oratory; Prophet; Prophetic Discourse; Sermon
ID = [2903]  Status = Type = journal article  Date = 1995-01-01  Collections:  bmc-archive,bom,farms-jbms  Size: 28272  Children: 0  Rebuilt: 7/22/24 10:11:13
Sperry, Sidney B. “Types of Literature in the Book of Mormon: Patriarchal Blessings, Symbolic Prophecy, Prophetic Narrative, Prophetic Dialogue.” Journal of Book of Mormon Studies 4, no. 1 (1995): 95-105.
Display Abstract  Display Keywords

The patriarchal blessings that Lehi bestows upon his children and grandchildren are filled with important doctrinal and historical details and contain many prophetic elements. Lehi and Nephi share the vision of the tree of life, a fine example of symbolic prophecy. Perhaps the finest example of prophetic literature in the Book of Mormon deals with the coming of Christ. The prophetic dialogue in the Book of Mormon can be divided into five parts.

Keywords: Jacob (Son of Lehi); Jesus Christ; Joseph (Son of Lehi); Laman (Son of Lehi); Lehi (Prophet); Lemuel (Son of Lehi); Literature; Narrative; Nephi (Son of Lehi); Patriarchal Blessing; Prophecies of; Prophecy; Prophetic Dialogue; Sam (Son of Lehi); Symbolism; Zoram (Servant of Laban)
Topics:    Book of Mormon Scriptures > Jacob
ID = [2904]  Status = Type = journal article  Date = 1995-01-01  Collections:  bmc-archive,bom,farms-jbms  Size: 21171  Children: 0  Rebuilt: 7/22/24 10:11:13
Sperry, Sidney B. “Types of Literature in the Book of Mormon: ‘The American Gospel’” Journal of Book of Mormon Studies 4, no. 1 (1995): 48-68.
Display Abstract  Display Keywords

The American Gospel, found in 3 Nephi, differs from the Gospels of the New Testament in that Jesus is teaching as a resurrected, glorified, and exalted person. It includes details of the cataclysmic events at the time of the crucifixion and of the multiple appearances of the Savior to the Nephites. Jesus delivers sermons to the Nephites in general and also to the Nephite twelve. He heals the sick and institutes the sacrament. The depiction of prayer is perhaps the most powerful in all scripture. The Savior quotes the prophecies of Isaiah and Micah with regard to the New Jerusalem and the Gentiles. He emphasizes the importance of record keeping for the church, which should be called in his name.

Keywords: 3 Nephi; Bountiful (Polity); Gospel; Isaiah; Jesus Christ; Micah; Ministry; Nephite; Prayer; Prophecy; Record Keeping; Scripture; Sermon; Temple
Topics:    Book of Mormon Scriptures > 3 Nephi
ID = [2901]  Status = Type = journal article  Date = 1995-01-01  Collections:  bmc-archive,bom,farms-jbms  Size: 41590  Children: 0  Rebuilt: 7/22/24 10:11:12
Roper, Matthew P. “Unanswered Mormon Scholars.” FARMS Review of Books 9, no. 1 (1997): 87-145.
Display Abstract  Display Keywords

Review of Answering Mormon Scholars: A Response to Criticism Raised by Mormon Defenders (1996), by Jerald and Sandra Tanner

Keywords: Alcohol; Ancient America; Anti-Mormon; Apologetics; Archaeology; B.H.; Book of Mormon Geography; Botany; Criticism; Doctrine; Early Church History; Folk Magic; Forgery; Hoax; Onomastics; Plagiarism; Roberts; Scholarship; Translation; Wine
ID = [266]  Status = Type = review  Date = 1997-01-01  Collections:  bmc-archive,bom,farms-review  Size: 132576  Children: 0  Rebuilt: 7/22/24 10:08:37
Bradford, Miles Gerald, and Alison V. P. Coutts, eds. Uncovering the Original Text of the Book of Mormon: History and Findings of the Critical Text Project. Provo, UT: Foundation for Ancient Research and Mormon Studies, 2002.
Display Abstract  Display Keywords

This colorful, informative book features reports on the multi-pronged effort to determine as far as possible the original English-language translation of the Book of Mormon. Royal Skousen, the editor and principal investigator of the original and printer’s manuscripts of the Book of Mormon, details the project’s history and some of the more significant findings. Robert Espinosa reviews his team’s painstaking work of preserving and identifying remaining fragments of the original manuscript. Ron Romig narrates the investigation into the printer’s manuscript, and Larry Draper explains how the press sheets for the 1830 edition reveal overlooked details of the printing process. In an insightful response, Daniel C. Peterson interpolates evidence from Skousen’s research to show the divine manner in which the Book of Mormon came forth.

Keywords: Book of Mormon, critical text project; Book of Mormon, manuscripts; Book of Mormon, editions and translations; Faith and scholarship
ID = [7008]  Status = Type = book  Date = 2002-01-01  Collections:  bom,farms-books  Size: 179717  Children: 0  Rebuilt: 8/5/24 7:09:37
Fenton, Elizabeth. “Understanding the Book of Mormon.” Journal of Book of Mormon Studies 25, no. 1 (2016): 37-51.
Display Abstract  Display Keywords

This essay evaluates Grant Hardy’s Understanding the Book of Mormon, particularly assessing Hardy’s claim that narrative theory can allow readers from a variety of perspectives to (at least temporarily) sidestep the Book of Mormon’s controversial history and engage with the text as a literary artifact. The paper argues that Hardy’s approach facilitates a deeper understanding of the book’s complex deployments of narrative voice and temporality but ultimately cannot efface the interpretive differences that stem from such divergent positions as belief and unbelief.

Keywords: Mormon (Prophet); Moroni (Son of Mormon); Narrative Theory; Narrator; Nephi (Son of Lehi); Scripture Study
Topics:    Book of Mormon Scriptures > Moroni
ID = [3340]  Status = Type = journal article  Date = 2016-01-01  Collections:  bmc-archive,bom,farms-jbms  Size: 35856  Children: 0  Rebuilt: 7/22/24 10:11:41
McGuire, Benjamin L. “Understanding the Book of Mormon? He ‘Doth Protest Too Much, Methinks’” FARMS Review 22, no. 1 (2010): 163-180.
Display Abstract  Display Keywords

Review of Ross Anderson. Understanding the Book of Mormon: A Quick Christian Guide to the Mormon Holy Book.

Keywords: Articles of Faith; Book of Mormon; Christianity; Criticism; Early Church History; Grace; Joseph; Jr.; Salvation; Smith; Trinity
ID = [645]  Status = Type = journal article  Date = 2010-01-01  Collections:  bmc-archive,bom,farms-review  Size: 38373  Children: 0  Rebuilt: 7/22/24 10:09:01
Neal A. Maxwell Institute for Religious Scholarship. “Understanding Understanding the Book of Mormon: An Interview with Grant Hardy.” Journal of Book of Mormon Studies 25, no. 1 (2016).
ID = [3339]  Status = Type = journal article  Date = 2016-01-01  Collections:  bom,farms-jbms  Size: 36974  Children: 0  Rebuilt: 7/22/24 10:11:41
Welch, John W. “Unintentional Sin in Benjamin’s Discourse.” In Pressing Forward with the Book of Mormon: The FARMS Updates of the 1990s, edited by Welch, John W., and Melvin J. Thorne, 103-106. Provo, UT: Foundation for Ancient Research and Mormon Studies, 1999.
Display Keywords
Keywords: Atonement; King Benjamin; Sin
ID = [75666]  Status = Type = book article  Date = 1999-01-01  Collections:  bom,farms-books,welch  Size: 4822  Children: 0  Rebuilt: 7/22/24 11:09:56
Strathearn, Gaye. “A Unique Approach to the Sermon on the Mount.” The FARMS Review 22, no. 1 (2010): 11-16.
Display Abstract  Display Keywords

Review of The Sermon on the Mount in the Light of the Temple (2009), by John W. Welch.

Keywords: Sermon on the Mount; Temple Themes
ID = [651]  Status = Type = review  Date = 2010-01-01  Collections:  bmc-archive,farms-review  Size: 12640  Children: 0  Rebuilt: 7/22/24 10:09:01
Arnold, Marilyn. “Unlocking the Sacred Text.” Journal of Book of Mormon Studies 8, no. 1 (1999): 48-53, 79.
Display Abstract  Display Keywords

Literary analysis provides useful tools in the study of sacred texts, including the Book of Mormon. For the author, three transforming events that enhanced her study of the Book of Mormon included reading the book in earnest as a complex and masterful literary text, the entrance of the Spirit into her study of the book, and a prayerful desire to experience the great change of heart described by King Benjamin and Alma. Nephi begins his record with sincerity and honesty and serves notice that he intends to prepare a true record. The opposition between Nephi and his brothers Laman and Lemuel illustrates well Lehi’s teachings on the necessity of opposition in all things. More subtly, the reader notes a contrast between the characters and personalities of Nephi and Jacob. Jacob is portrayed as an empathetic and compassionate person who was tutored by exile and isolation.

Keywords: Conversion; Jacob (Son of Lehi); Literary Analysis; Literature; Nephi (Son of Lehi); Opposition; Scripture Study
Topics:    Book of Mormon Scriptures > Jacob
Book of Mormon Scriptures > Alma
ID = [2997]  Status = Type = journal article  Date = 1999-01-01  Collections:  bmc-archive,bom,farms-jbms  Size: 37343  Children: 0  Rebuilt: 7/22/24 10:11:18
Welch, John W., Spencer J. Palmer, and William L. Knecht. “‘An Unparallel’ and ‘View of the Hebrews: Substitute for Inspiration?’” Preliminary Report. Provo, UT: Foundation for Ancient Research and Mormon Studies, 1985.“ An Unparallel” © 1985 by John W. Welch. “View of the Hebrews: Substitute for Inspiration?” reprinted with permission from BYU Studies 5/2 (1964): 105-13.
Display Abstract  Display Keywords

During 1921 and 1922 B. H. Roberts wrote three papers that listed parallels between the Book of Mormon and the second edition (1825) of Ethan Smith’s View of the Hebrews and constructed the possible argument that the Book of Mormon relied upon the latter. Welch responds to that claim by listing over eighty discrepancies between the two works, and Palmer and Knecht rebut Roberts’s theory by using statistics to show that the passages of Isaiah quoted in both works do not lead to conclusions of plagiarism.

Keywords: Book of Mormon; Answers to Criticisms
ID = [8408]  Status = Type = journal article  Date = 1985-01-01  Collections:  bom,farms-reports,welch  Size: 209  Children: 0  Rebuilt: 8/5/24 7:09:43
Berkey, Kimberly M. “Untangling Alma 13:3.” Journal of Book of Mormon Studies 23 (2014): 187-191.
Display Abstract  Display Keywords

Alma 13:3 is occasionally cited by LDS commentators as evidence for the doctrine of premortal foreordination—an interpretation that unfortunately overlooks a key feature of the organization and terminology of Alma 13. This brief note begins to sort out this and other interpretive complexities by proposing that Alma 13:3b–9 be read as a clarifying expansion of Alma 13:3a.

Keywords: Alma the Younger; Foreordination; Premortal Life
Topics:    Book of Mormon Scriptures > Alma
ID = [3316]  Status = Type = journal article  Date = 2014-01-01  Collections:  bmc-archive,bom,farms-jbms  Size: 11488  Children: 0  Rebuilt: 7/22/24 10:11:38
Insights. “Upcoming Event.” Insights 23, no. 2 (2003).
Display Abstract  Display Keywords

A set of meetings on the Institute’s Graeco-Arabic Sciences and Philosophy series (GrASP), a part of the Institute’s Middle Eastern Texts Initiative, will be held at the Library of Congress, in Washington, D.C. Under the joint sponsorship of the Library and the Institute, the event will include a meeting of GrASP’s international advisory board, a meeting of that board with key Library curators, and a public meeting on the field of Graeco-Arabic sciences and philosophy and on the aims and character of the series. Other possible events remain to be finalized. Watch the Web site for further details.

Keywords: science; therapy; library; meeting
ID = [66705]  Status = Type = journal article  Date = 2003-01-02  Collections:  farms-insights  Size:   Children: 0  Rebuilt: 7/22/24 11:01:45
Hoskisson, Paul Y. “Update: The ‘Familiar Spirit’ in 2 Nephi 26:12.” Insights 28, no. 6 (2008).
Display Abstract  Display Keywords

There are two ways to read a text, through exegesis and through eisegesis. The first means, approximately, “reading out of the text,” while the second means, approximately, “reading into the text.” Both are legitimate ways of approaching a text. Anyone who reads the scriptures will at times engage in both exegesis and eisegesis, whether knowingly or unwittingly. Therefore, the more conscientiously and consciously we engage in rigorous and careful exegesis and eisegesis, the better the chance that our reading of the scriptures will truly enlighten the mind and provide substance for the soul. I will illustrate both approaches using the term familiar spirit found in 2 Nephi 26:12, Isaiah 29:4, and 1 Samuel 28.

Keywords: text; scriptures; Book of Mormon; Nephi
Topics:    Book of Mormon Scriptures > 2 Nephi
Book of Mormon Scriptures > Ether
ID = [66906]  Status = Type = journal article  Date = 2008-01-06  Collections:  bom,farms-insights  Size:   Children: 0  Rebuilt: 7/22/24 11:01:55
Pike, Dana M., and David Rolph Seely. “‘Upon All the Ships of the Sea, and Upon All the Ships of Tarshish’: Revisiting 2 Nephi 12:16 and Isaiah 2:16.” Journal of Book of Mormon Studies 14, no. 2 (2005): 12-25, 67-71.
Display Abstract  Display Keywords

Some Latter-day Saint commentators deem a phrase that appears in 2 Nephi 12:16 but not in the parallel passage in Isaiah 2:16—“and upon all ships of the sea”—as evidence that the Book of Mormon preserves a version of this verse from the brass plates that is more complete than the Hebrew or King James readings. One scholar’s conclusions in this regard are reviewed and then critiqued for ignoring the complexities of the ancient Hebrew and Greek versions of the Bible. The authors examine Isaiah 2:16 in its broader literary context, noting that the 2 Nephi reading alters a pattern of synonymous couplets; analyze the Greek and Hebrew texts of the verse; and relate their findings to the Book of Mormon reading. They discuss the inherent limitations of textual criticism in this kind of study and conclude that LDS and non-LDS scholars are open to different interpretive possibilities owing to the role that faith plays in one’s approach to and interpretation of textual evidence.

Keywords: Brass Plates; King James Bible; Language; Ship; Textual Criticism
Topics:    Book of Mormon Scriptures > 2 Nephi
Old Testament Scriptures > Isaiah
ID = [3168]  Status = Type = journal article  Date = 2005-01-01  Collections:  bmc-archive,bom,farms-jbms,old-test  Size: 88782  Children: 0  Rebuilt: 7/22/24 10:11:29
Welch, John W., and Terrence L. Szink. “Upon the Tower of Benjamin.” In Pressing Forward with the Book of Mormon: The FARMS Updates of the 1990s, edited by Welch, John W., and Melvin J. Thorne, 97-99. Provo, UT: Foundation for Ancient Research and Mormon Studies, 1999.
Display Keywords
Keywords: King Benjamin; King Mosiah
Topics:    Book of Mormon Scriptures > Mosiah
ID = [75664]  Status = Type = book article  Date = 1999-01-01  Collections:  bom,farms-books,welch  Size:   Children: 0  Rebuilt: 7/22/24 11:09:56
Christenson, Allen J. “The Use of Chiasmus in Ancient Mesoamerica.” Preliminary Report. Provo, UT: Foundation for Ancient Research and Mormon Studies, 1988.
ID = [8336]  Status = Type = journal article  Date = 1988-01-01  Collections:  bom,farms-reports  Size: 998  Children: 0  Rebuilt: 8/5/24 7:09:42
Van Orden, Bruce A. “The Use of King Benjamin’s Address by Latter-day Saints.” In King Benjamin’s Speech: “That Ye May Learn Wisdom”, edited by Welch, John W., and Stephen D. Ricks, 411-477. Provo, UT: Foundation for Ancient Research and Mormon Studies, 1998.
Display Keywords
Keywords: Doctrine; King Benjamin; Speech
ID = [75721]  Status = Type = book article  Date = 1998-01-01  Collections:  bom,farms-books  Size: 54156  Children: 0  Rebuilt: 7/22/24 11:09:59
MacKinnon, William P. “The Utah War and Its Mountain Meadows Massacre: Lessons Learned, Surprises Encountered.” The FARMS Review 20, no. 2 (2008): 237-251.
Display Abstract  Display Keywords

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.

Keywords: Early Church History; Mountain Meadows Massacre; Utah War
ID = [616]  Status = Type = journal article  Date = 2008-01-01  Collections:  bmc-archive,brigham,farms-review  Size: 32488  Children: 0  Rebuilt: 7/22/24 10:08:58
Tate, George S. “Utopia and Garden: The Relationship of Candide to Laxness’s Paradísarheimt.” In By Study and Also By Faith, Volume 2, edited by John M. Lundquist and Stephen D. Ricks, 619-637. Vol. 2. Provo, UT/Salt Lake City: Foundation for Ancient Research and Mormon Studies/Deseret Book, 1990.
Display Abstract  Display Keywords

This second of two volumes of essays honoring Hugh Nibley includes scholarly papers based on what the authors have learned from Nibley. Nearly every major subject that Dr. Nibley has encompassed in his vast learning and scholarly production is represented here by at least one article. Topics include the sacrament covenant in Third Nephi, the Lamanite view of Book of Mormon history, external evidences of the Book of Mormon, proper names in the Book of Mormon, the brass plates version of Genesis, the composition of Lehi’s family, ancient burials of metal documents in stone boxes, repentance as rethinking, Mormon history’s encounter with secular modernity, and Judaism in the 20th century.

Keywords: Enlightenment; Literature
Topics:    Hugh W. Nibley Topics > Hugh Nibley > Scholarship, Footnotes, Collected Works of Hugh Nibley, CWHN, Editing > Ancient Studies, Ancient State, Classical Scholarship
ID = [2371]  Status = Type = book article  Date = 1990-01-02  Collections:  bmc-archive,bom,farms-books,nibley  Size:   Children: 0  Rebuilt: 7/22/24 10:10:42

Bibliographies

Pin It on Pinterest

Share This