Book of mormon manuscript excerpt, circa june 1829 1. It is claimed that the presence of chiasmus in the book of mormon is either coincidental, an artifact of the observer, or not impressive since examples of chiastic patterns have been found in the doctrine and covenants or other 19th century. Explorations in critical methodology, edited by brent lee metcalfe, 395444. The book was written by many ancient prophets by the spirit of prophecy and revelation. Book of mormon commentary using a testimony of jesus christ. It is pregnant with possibilities for mormon scholarship. Having said that, i think it is difficult to use in the bookshelf app. Widtsoe, council of the twelve apostles, in search of truth. Apologetic and critical assumptions about book of mormon. Examination of the text of the book to understand its meaning. University of texas press, 2006 is a 771 page part 1 introduction and linguistic commentary 80 pages, part 2 the chronicles 691 pages book of mythohistorical narratives from highland guatemala.
With its approachable writing style and wealth of usable information, teachings and commentaries on the book of mormon is an invaluable resource for personal study, family instruction, speaking assignments, lesson preparation, missionary work, and more. New approaches to the book of mormon explorations in critical methodology edited by brent lee metcalfe. Because of these things, i have been eagerly awaiting the arrival of the book of mormon for the least of these, where authors fatimah salleh and margaret olsen hemming take a social justice exegesis to 1 nephiwords of mormon two more volumes to follow. Nov, 2017 harold bloom is arguably the foremost living scholar of american literature. For other explanations for this, see book of mormon central, why do new testament words and phrases show up in the book of mormon. Joseph smith said that the book of mormon was the most correct of any book on earth, and the keystone of our religion, and a man would get. Analysis of textual variants of the book of mormon, part one. Chapters in the 1830 edition were longer, in part because the book of mormon was printed in narrative rather than verse formwhat we would expect from a historical record. May 17, 2019 serious mormon scholars have panned this book for its poor scholarship and misleading assertions. Reading givens book made me to consider how the practice of exegesis is applied or can be applied to the book of mormon the way it is done using the bible. However, when discussing almas conversion story, spencer never draws upon mosiah 27 taking all his analysis from alma 36, where almas story. The title page of the book of mormon calls its text, as prepared by mormon and moroni, an abridgment of the record of the people of nephi, and also of the lamanites. Skins as garments in the book of mormon lds scripture.
Exegesis is the careful, systematic study of the scripture to discover the original, intended meaning. The differences in the chapter divisions between the first edition of the book of mormon and the 1981 edition are listed in this fourpage chart. Robin jensen is a member of the church history department staff and an editor of the recent jsp volume. This book, the first in a trilogy, is a social justice exegesis of the first third of the book of mormon, from 1 nephi to the words of mormon. Exegesis, defined broadly, is the explanation or interpretation of a text. Scrutinizing secular sources for the book of mormon. The come, follow me additional resources page summarizes all of the church resources that can be found on and in the gospel library app. A literary structure known as chiasmus exists in the book of mormon.
Analysis of textual variants of the book of mormon book of. Book of mormon central knowhys are daily short essays, memes, podcasts, and videos about some aspect of the text published in more than a dozen social media venues. The book of mormon is a separate book taking place on a different continent. A prelude to book of mormon exegesis brent lee metcalfe. Maxwell institute for religious scholarship and nibley llc. To latterday saints there can be no objection to the careful and critical study of the scriptures, ancient or modern, provided only that it be an honest studya search for truth. Textual evidences for the book of mormon religious studies. Have any nonmormon scholars seriously analyzed the book of. Like any library, christianity stack exchange offers great information, but does not offer personalized advice, and does not take the place of seeking such advice from your pastor, priest, or other trustworthy counselor.
Commentaries and insights on the book of mormon, vol. In 2020, the church of jesus christ of latterday saints is using the book of mormon for its come, follow me course of study. Historicism, positivism, and the bible and book of mormon, 1989 offered an attempt at a book of mormon hermeneuticalapologetic but achieved mixed results. It also refers to its account of jaredite history as an abridgment taken from the book of ether. Naturally, it is read with varying degrees of comprehension, and many of us need. As the keystone of our religion, the book of mormon is highpriority reading. The story originates in jerusalem, but the majority after the first 50 pages or so takes place in ancient america.
Anderson on the credibility and real history of the witnesses of the book of mormon. Nov 10, 2008 translation styles and book of mormon apologetics and exegesis november 10, 2008 dwclark patheos explore the worlds faith through different perspectives on religion and spirituality. Recommended reading list for students of the lds mormon. Skins as garments in the book of mormon lds scripture teachings. Ricks, the journal of book of mormon studies is the leading venue for scholarly work on the book of mormon. Pattern and purpose of the isaiah commentaries in the book of. He has published articles using hebrew linguistics to help inform the text of the book of mormon, and has done work on the septuagint in the book of mormon. Oden and published by intervarsity press, but also commentaries published in the historical commentary on the old testament series. I dont think its outside the definition of translation to think joseph could consult existing bible commentaries of his day to help him translate the book of mormon text. The annotated edition of the book of mormon aebom is riddled with misinformation, misrepresentation, special pleading, and a host of additional dubious and erroneous claims. As has been welldocumented elsewhere, there are serious discrepancies between the record of history in the americas and the claims of the book of mormon. Volume 4 of royal skousens book of mormon critical text project contains six parts that detail the textual variants found throughout the text of the book of mormon. Israel, ten lost tribes of and the lost tribes of israel shall have the words of the nephites and the jews. Book of mormonevidenceshebraismschiasmus fairmormon.
The recurrence of a deliverance pattern in the book of mormon has been noted by hugh nibley an approach to the book of mormon salt lake city. Jan 18, 2018 the book of mormon is brilliant in its simple, powerful, and inspiring exegesis of sometimes vague, short, or hard to understand bible passages. Exegesis paper at the end of the semester, youll write a short fivepage paper, working out a close exegesis of a book of mormon text of your own choosing. His structuralist analysis, for instance, redefined structuralism 12233. Title, a comprehensive commentary of the book of mormon. One passage says that the book of mormon shall establish the truth of the bible and shall make known to all kindreds, tongues, and people, that the lamb of god is the son of the eternal father, and the savior of the world. Chapters in the 1830 edition were longer, in part because the book of mormon was printed in narrative rather than verse formwhat we would expect from a. In my view chapter one of the present book of mosiah was the terminus of the book of lehi.
Biblical interpretation and exegesis are skills developed over time, so dont be discouraged if you find the process difficult at first. An account written by the hand of mormon upon plates taken from the plates of nephi. Teachings and doctrine of the book of mormon undergraduate. There are multiple places in the book of mormon where the authors use of the bible is, to me, compelling evidence of 19thcentury content. How the dead sea scrolls shed light on similarities between. As you can see from the sample, the format is a segment of scripture, such as a chapter, followed by commentary and cross references. The chapters consist of the entire book in the book of mormon. The book of mormon is a sacred text of the latter day saint movement, which, according to adherents, contains writings of ancient prophets who lived on the american continent from approximately 2200 bc to ad 421. Its really like a guided tour through the book of mormon. According to the traditional, literal mormon interpretation of the book of abraham, kolob is an actual star in this universe that is, or is near, the physical throne of god. The following recommendations are provided as a supplement to the many resources provided by the church in support of the come, follow me curriculum for 2020 on the book of mormon. After all, joseph smith said that the book of mormon was the most correct of any book on earth, and the keystone of our religion, and a man would get nearer to god by abiding by its precepts, than by any other book.
It is a record of gods dealings with ancient inhabitants of the americas and contains the fulness of the everlasting gospel. Youll provide a short introduction and a brief explanation of your interpretive methodology at the outset of the paper, and then youll do close interpretive work. Book title, mormons, scripture, and the ancient world. As such, he has studied all of the main works attributed to joseph smith, since the book of mormon is one of the most influential works of american literature. Come, follow me recommended study aids book of mormon. The book is just too long to manage well in the app. New approaches to the book of mormon brent lee metcalfe, editor. I will borrow an idea from terryl givens here, hopefully in a way he would approve, and say that book of mormon exegesis falls into two categories. Title, pattern and purpose of the isaiah commentaries in the book of mormon. His interests include intertextuality and allusion, narrative criticism, military history, ancient and modern literature, and exegesis in general. Jw hawkes on interpreting scripture, history, science, and. The prophet nephi similarly referred to a portion of his writings as an abridgment of the record of my.
At church headquarters in salt lake city, he managed projects involving book of. A textual exegesis ethan sproat the book of mormon and the king james version of the bible kjv are peppered with straightforward descriptions of animal skins being. The book of mormon is, in steinbergs view, a work of fan fiction, a way to. A dynamic, interactive, webfriendly presentation of the book of mormon. To view any of the parts, click on one of the links below. With its approachable writing style and wealth of usable information, commentaries and teachings on the book of mormon is an invaluable resource for personal study, family instruction, speaking assignments, lesson preparation, missionary work, and more. It was first published in march 1830 by joseph smith as the book of mormon. Jan 24, 2020 this book, the first in a trilogy, is a social justice exegesis of the first third of the book of mormon, from 1 nephi to the words of mormon. New approaches to the book of mormon signature books. Nibleys commentary on the book of mormon is based on transcriptions from classes taught by hugh nibley, and is published with the permission of the neal a. In this phrase, god the father sees the travail of his son, and the requirements of justice are satisfied. Just as the title of the book says, it is another testament of jesus christ, not a.
Encyclopedia of early mormon exegesis by common consent, a. It is not sponsored or endorsed by either the maxwell institute or brigham young university, and. Asking these basic questions of book of mormon texts may seem. The interpreter foundation currently hosts digital versions of all six parts of this volume. A comprehensive commentary of the book of mormon book of. See especially his book, investigating the book of mormon witnesses. Encyclopedia of early mormon exegesis january 29, 2007 by sam mb as has often been discussed on bcc, joseph smith and the early mormons interacted with the bible in exciting and sometimes mysterious ways.
Teachings and commentaries on the book of mormon deseret book. The book of mormon is a volume of holy scripture comparable to the bible. The definitive edition, with translation and exegesis by judith m. Doctrinal commentary on the book of mormon, volumes 14 by. Jul 01, 2010 reading givens book made me to consider how the practice of exegesis is applied or can be applied to the book of mormon the way it is done using the bible. The disagreement between the book of mormon and what scripture reveals concerning the lost tribes is another illustration of discrepancies between mormon teaching and the bible. Asking these basic questions of book of mormon texts may seem superfluous, but they allow, for instance, a detailed discussion of the person and mission of nephi before a reader begins a study of 1 nephi and allow teachers to point out to students how a book from the small plates differs from an abridged book in the plates of mormon. As discussed, the conversion of alma and the confrontation between noah and abinadi are part of a unity in the book of mormon that uses allusion and exegesis in order to signal emphasis and pattern. Bushman the book of mormon and the american revolution, brigham young university studies 17 autumn 1976.
May 03, 2014 mcconkie and millets four volume doctrinal commentary on the book of mormon is good, although it is as conservative a series as you might guess a work by a man sporting the names of both joseph fielding smith and bruce r. A prelude to book of mormon exegesis brent lee metcalfe the last shall be first, and the first shall be last. The book of mormon central annotated text is a word by word exegesis of the text linked to the lds canon and to the archive. Using the text as a means to receive revelation from god.
Build a foundation for inspired and responsible personal application. What are some great commentary books on the book of mormon. And, with more study, the books sturdiness and richness and the. As a devout mormon, good guy thomas trygg was promised he would become a god in the next life, receive his own planet, and spend eternity with his loved ones. Just as the title of the book says, it is another testament of jesus christ, not a modification of the words of the apostles. A prelude to book of mormon exegesis, in metcalfe, new approaches, 408414. Jul 12, 2017 was the book of mormon a great american novel. The prophet joseph smith called the book of mormon the most correct of any book on earth, and the keystone of our religion. Native americans, dna, and the mormon church salt lake city, ut. A book of mormon commentary that is thorough and comprehensive. Ultimately, this exegesis suggests that such garmentskins as the mark of the lamanites curse can be understood as being selfadministered, removable, and inherited in the same way that authoritative vestments in the king james version are selfadministered, removable, and inherited. How the dead sea scrolls shed light on similarities. The typology of the exodus pattern in the book of mormon. The teachings and doctrine of the book of mormon, take.
Translation styles and book of mormon apologetics and exegesis. Church of jesus christ of latterday saints, 1957, 142 and richard l. Serious mormon scholars have panned this book for its poor scholarship and misleading assertions. Today i want to discuss the curious case of 2 nephi 31 where nephi, ostensibly writing in the 5th century bce, spends multiple verses giving an exegesis of matthew 3. Narrative theory as expansion in book of mormon exegesis amy eastonflake in academia, we at times experience scholarly envy when we read an article or book that we would like to have written. 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 variouscolored skins in the book of mormon can be understood more coherently as a kind of authoritative garment. Scrutinizing secular sources for the book of mormon ben spackman on interpreting scripture, history, science, and creation. When you bookmark a page, it bookmarks the 1st page of the chapter and not where you actually are in the chapter. There are basically six passages in the book of mormon that deal with skins in a way that have racial overtones in the book of mormon. Recently, i have seen a few other pieces that talk about the women of the book of mormon that have strengthened my study of this book of scripture, and i like to think that really studying these stories of women in the book of mormon can plant a seed for a deeper love and appreciation of this book. Serious study of the book of mormon by latterday saints is flourishing today as never before. The book of mormon is brilliant in its simple, powerful, and inspiring exegesis of sometimes vague, short, or hard to understand bible passages. Smith had a predisposition for using wherefore as a conjunction so tvedtnes observes. These inconsistencies provide a clue to the missing mosiah portion of o and the original dictation sequence.
Reading grant hardys understanding the book of mormon while i was pursu. Introducing the book of mormon for the least of these by. A study of the teachings and doctrine of the book of mormon with emphasis on the saviors ministry. Welch first pointed out the existence of chiasms in the book of mormon in his masters thesis, a study relating chiasmus in the book of mormon to chiasmus in the old testament, ugaritic epics, homer, and selected greek and latin authors, brigham young university, 1970, including alma 36 on pages 12831.