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Abstract: In the Book of Mormon, the term disciple occurs fifty-five times. Of those, forty-eight are unambiguous references to the Twelve called by the risen Christ to preside over his new-world Church. The remaining six instances could plausibly be read … Continue reading →
The post Reading Disciple Consistently As New-world Apostle in the Book of Mormon first appeared on The Interpreter Foundation.
Review of R. Kent Crookston, Book of Mormon Ecology: What the Text Reveals about the Land and Lives of the Record Keepers (Provo, UT: Village Lane, 2020). 267 pages. $12.95 (paperback). Abstract: As is well known, the Book of Mormon … Continue reading →
The post Some Good Questions, but Large Inferences from Tidbits first appeared on The Interpreter Foundation.
Abstract: Numerous discussions of the similarities between the LDS temple endowment and Masonic rites exist, which give the impression that the two overlap considerably. Rather than focus on the similarities themselves, this paper seeks to quantify how much the two … Continue reading →
The post A Textual Comparison of Masonic Rites and the LDS Temple Endowment first appeared on The Interpreter Foundation.
Abstract: This paper explores the conclusions that can be drawn from a Mesopotamian origin theory for the Jaredites. The goal is to show that the story of Jared’s daughter in Ether 8 could be a ritual similar to hieros gamos, … Continue reading →
The post Possible Remembrance and Re-enactment of Old World’s Hieros Gamos in the Book of Ether first appeared on The Interpreter Foundation.
Abstract: This article examines two instances in the Book of Mormon in which captives escape through the negligence of drunken and sleeping guards. It suggests that details about the wine used to intoxicate the Lamanite guards in the city of … Continue reading →
The post Death by Chocolate: Considering the Wine Imbibed by the Lamanite Guards first appeared on The Interpreter Foundation.
Abstract: A narrator may choose to provide or withhold the name of a character for many reasons. This article hypothesizes that Mormon intentionally omitted the name of two key characters, a Lamanite king and queen. Both feature in his narration … Continue reading →
The post Nameless to New Name: Namelessness in the Narrative of the Anti-Nephi-Lehies, or the People of Ammon first appeared on The Interpreter Foundation.
Review of Edward K. Watson, Verifiable Evidence for the Book of Mormon: Proof of a Deliberate Design Within a Dictated-from-Imagination Book (Springville, UT: Brainy Press, 2022). 252 pp.; $32.95 (hardcover). Abstract: Edward K. Watson provides a new twist in the … Continue reading →
The post Evidence for Well-Structured Persuasive and Argumentative Essays in the Book of Mormon first appeared on The Interpreter Foundation.
Abstract: A new, simpler design for the Liahona is proposed, which, if correct, makes the reason for two spindles and a hollow-ball shape perfectly obvious. Previous proposed models of the Liahona usually show horizontal, compass-like pointers inside an open-top ball, … Continue reading →
The post Why was the Liahona a Sphere? A New Perspective on Its Form and Function first appeared on The Interpreter Foundation.
Abstract: A recent article alleges that in creating the Book of Mormon, Joseph Smith copied Isaiah passages out of the Bible commentary of Scottish theologian Adam Clarke. The author of the article alleges that while doing so, the Prophet edited … Continue reading →
The post Adam Clarke and Isaiah in the Book of Mormon first appeared on The Interpreter Foundation.
Abstract: Samuel the Lamanite expressly drew on the words of Isaiah (Isaiah 30:10) and possibly Jeremiah (Jeremiah 23:12) with a clever, powerful wordplay on forms of the Hebrew verbal root ḥlq: ḥălāqôt (“flattering words,” literally “smooth things”) and ḥălaqlaqqôt (“slippery … Continue reading →
The post Smooth Words and Slippery Things: Samuel the Lamanite’s Prophetic Use of Hebrew ḥlq first appeared on The Interpreter Foundation.
[Editor’s Note: We are pleased to present the preface from a book entitled Anachronisms: Accidental Evidence in Book of Mormon Criticisms. It is presented in serialized form in this volume of Interpreter: A Journal of Latter-day Saint Faith and Scholarship.] … Continue reading →
The post Anachronisms: Accidental Evidence in Book of Mormon Criticisms — Preface first appeared on The Interpreter Foundation.
Abstract: There are many questions that can be asked about the translation of the Book of Mormon. This paper focuses on a single question: What was the relationship between the English translation and the Nephite text? Of course, without the … Continue reading →
The post Expanding the Descriptive Vocabulary for the Translation of the Book of Mormon first appeared on The Interpreter Foundation.
[Editor’s Note: We are pleased to present chapter 9 from a book entitled Anachronisms: Accidental Evidence in Book of Mormon Criticisms. It is presented in serialized form in this volume of Interpreter: A Journal of Latter-day Saint Faith and Scholarship. … Continue reading →
The post Anachronisms: Accidental Evidence in Book of Mormon Criticisms — Chapter 9: Concluding Observations first appeared on The Interpreter Foundation.
Abstract: Historical reports containing information about the properties of the golden plates provide upper and lower bounds for calculating possible configurations of their size, weight, and material composition, as well as the possible properties of reformed Egyptian. This study employs … Continue reading →
The post A Combinatorial Approach to Modeling All Possible Golden Plates first appeared on The Interpreter Foundation.
[Editor’s Note: We are pleased to present chapter 8 from a book entitled Anachronisms: Accidental Evidence in Book of Mormon Criticisms. It is presented in serialized form in this volume of Interpreter: A Journal of Latter-day Saint Faith and Scholarship.] … Continue reading →
The post Anachronisms: Accidental Evidence in Book of Mormon Criticisms — Chapter 8: Events in Third Nephi first appeared on The Interpreter Foundation.
[Editor’s Note: We are pleased to present chapter 7 from a book entitled Anachronisms: Accidental Evidence in Book of Mormon Criticisms. It is presented in serialized form in this volume of Interpreter: A Journal of Latter-day Saint Faith and Scholarship.] … Continue reading →
The post Anachronisms: Accidental Evidence in Book of Mormon Criticisms — Chapter 7: Records, Writing, and Language first appeared on The Interpreter Foundation.
[Editor’s Note: We are pleased to present chapter 6 from a book entitled Anachronisms: Accidental Evidence in Book of Mormon Criticisms. It is presented in serialized form in this volume of Interpreter: A Journal of Latter-day Saint Faith and Scholarship.] … Continue reading →
The post Anachronisms: Accidental Evidence in Book of Mormon Criticisms — Chapter 6: Old World Journeys by Land and Sea first appeared on The Interpreter Foundation.
Abstract: Joseph Smith’s use of a seer stone and hat in producing the Book of Mormon has been a point of confusion, dismay, and even embarrassment among some believers. These feelings may reflect a lack of understanding of the functions … Continue reading →
The post Seeing with a Hat: How Joseph Smith Used a Hat in Translating the Book of Mormon first appeared on The Interpreter Foundation.
[Editor’s Note: We are pleased to present chapter 5 from a book entitled Anachronisms: Accidental Evidence in Book of Mormon Criticisms. It is presented in serialized form in this volume of Interpreter: A Journal of Latter-day Saint Faith and Scholarship.] … Continue reading →
The post Anachronisms: Accidental Evidence in Book of Mormon Criticisms — Chapter 5: Book of Mormon Names first appeared on The Interpreter Foundation.
Abstract: This article continues a discussion of the imagery, words, and phrases that make up a specific leitmotif, called the seed motif. Two instances of the seed motif found in Alma are discussed as a seemingly intentional diptych in which … Continue reading →
The post The Bands of Death, the Chains of Hell, and the Seed Motif first appeared on The Interpreter Foundation.
[Editor’s Note: We are pleased to present chapter 4 from a book entitled Anachronisms: Accidental Evidence in Book of Mormon Criticisms. It is presented in serialized form in this volume of Interpreter: A Journal of Latter-day Saint Faith and Scholarship.] … Continue reading →
The post Anachronisms: Accidental Evidence in Book of Mormon Criticisms — Chapter 4: Ancient Culture first appeared on The Interpreter Foundation.
Abstract: The classical formulation of God as the sole, self-existent Being and ground of all that exists poses a philosophical problem. If God is omniscient and omnipotent, why does evil exist? Why does he not save humankind from moral and … Continue reading →
The post Latter-day Saint Theology and the Problem of Evil first appeared on The Interpreter Foundation.
[Editor’s Note: We are pleased to present chapter 3 from a book entitled Anachronisms: Accidental Evidence in Book of Mormon Criticisms. It is presented in serialized form in this volume of Interpreter: A Journal of Latter-day Saint Faith and Scholarship.] … Continue reading →
The post Anachronisms: Accidental Evidence in Book of Mormon Criticisms — Chapter 3: Metals and Metallurgy first appeared on The Interpreter Foundation.
Abstract: This paper examines Joseph Smith’s approach to translation, using the Book of Abraham as a case study to explore the interplay between divine revelation and human participation in scriptural production. While the Book of Abraham incorporates both ancient and … Continue reading →
The post Joseph Smith Jr. as a Translator: The Book of Abraham as a Case Study first appeared on The Interpreter Foundation.
[Editor’s Note: We are pleased to present chapter 2 from a book entitled Anachronisms: Accidental Evidence in Book of Mormon Criticisms. It is presented in serialized form in this volume of Interpreter: A Journal of Latter-day Saint Faith and Scholarship.] … Continue reading →
The post Anachronisms: Accidental Evidence in Book of Mormon Criticisms — Chapter 2: Warfare in the Book of Mormon first appeared on The Interpreter Foundation.
Abstract: Jarom strongly evidences the use of chiasmus to structure his short book. This paper seeks to uncover, display, and discuss the chiastic patterning of the book and hopefully suggests an enhanced understanding of the hidden beauty and deep meaning … Continue reading →
The post Chiasmus in the Book of Jarom first appeared on The Interpreter Foundation.
[Editor’s Note: We are pleased to present chapter 1 from a book entitled Anachronisms: Accidental Evidence in Book of Mormon Criticisms. It is presented in serialized form in this volume of Interpreter: A Journal of Latter-day Saint Faith and Scholarship.] … Continue reading →
The post Anachronisms: Accidental Evidence in Book of Mormon Criticisms — Book of Mormon Animals first appeared on The Interpreter Foundation.
[Editor’s Note: We are pleased to present the Introduction from a book entitled Anachronisms: Accidental Evidence in Book of Mormon Criticisms. It is presented in serialized form in this volume of Interpreter: A Journal of Latter-day Saint Faith and Scholarship.] … Continue reading →
The post Anachronisms: Accidental Evidence in Book of Mormon Criticisms — Introduction first appeared on The Interpreter Foundation.
Abstract: This article, which focuses on the role of Jeremiah as a prophet, is based on a study of the Hebrew Bible and the Greek Septuagint. It also analyzes references to Jeremiah in the Book of Mormon and connects those … Continue reading →
The post Jeremiah “the Prophet” first appeared on The Interpreter Foundation.
Abstract: Centuries-long speculation continues regarding the circumstances surrounding the death of the Savior. Whether he died sooner than would have been expected, as some scholars believe, or lived longer than expected, statements from the scriptures and modern-day prophets indicate that … Continue reading →
The post Spiritual Implications of the Timing of the Death of Jesus Christ first appeared on The Interpreter Foundation.
Abstract: In this article, I discuss how the ancient analogue to what President Nelson has called “the covenant path” might be seen in the Book of Mormon and elsewhere in scripture not so much as a journey of covenant-keeping that … Continue reading →
The post The Covenant Path of the Ancient Temple in 2 Nephi 31:19–20 first appeared on The Interpreter Foundation.
Abstract: This paper considers the well-known account of Paul having been struck blind on the road to Damascus and his equally well-known statement that “for now we see through a glass darkly.” Both are examined in light of a solar … Continue reading →
The post Through a Glass Darkly: Was There a Twentieth-Century Corruption of 1 Corinthians 13:12? first appeared on The Interpreter Foundation.
Abstract: James Lucas has made a passionate response to the negative review I offered for his and Jonathan Neville’s book By Means of Urim & Thummim. Though we agree on many important issues, there are some troubling gaps that readers … Continue reading →
The post Honorable Intentions with an Unreliable Methodology: Lucas’s Response Underscores the Problems first appeared on The Interpreter Foundation.
Abstract: James Lucas had the opportunity to respond to the review of the book that he and Jonathan Neville wrote, By Means of the Urim & Thummim. He elected not to really respond to the issues I brought up but … Continue reading →
The post Responding to a Non-Responsive Response first appeared on The Interpreter Foundation.
Abstract: Two recent reviews of By Means of the Urim & Thummim: Restoring Translation to the Restoration by Jeff Lindsay and Brant Gardner seriously misrepresent the book’s argument. Perhaps most significantly, they largely sidestep the book’s central thesis that the … Continue reading →
The post Joseph and Oliver Told the Truth about the Translation: A Response to Brant Gardner’s and Jeff Lindsay’s Reviews first appeared on The Interpreter Foundation.
Abstract: The symbolic image of the Lamb of God is well-known in the New Testament and The Testaments of the Twelve Patriarchs. This image derives from the Old Testament, later adopted by early Christians. Words of Gad the Seer is … Continue reading →
The post The Heavenly Lamb, Sacrifices on the Heavenly Altar, and the Song of the Lamb first appeared on The Interpreter Foundation.
Abstract: Dr. Meir Bar-Ilan’s paper, “The Heavenly Lamb, Sacrifices on the Heavenly Altar, and the Song of the Lamb,” appearing concurrently in Interpreter, is a welcome contribution from a noted Jewish scholar. Bar-Ilan has called the world’s attention to a … Continue reading →
The post The Lamb of God: A Note on the Significance of Meir Bar-Ilan’s Paper for Latter-day Saints first appeared on The Interpreter Foundation.
Abstract: In the book of Ether, the prophet Moroni “Christianizes” the Jaredite story, inserting extensive Christian elements into an original text that predates the house of Israel, the Nephite nation, and the Christian era. In this paper, a typological and … Continue reading →
The post “When Ye Shall Rend That Veil of Unbelief”: A Typological Reading of Ether 3 and 4 first appeared on The Interpreter Foundation.
Abstract: This article presents a macro-chiasm for Alma 23:16 through Alma 27:30 that covers the account of the people of Anti-Nephi-Lehi from the time they first take upon themselves that name to the time they relocate to the Nephite land … Continue reading →
The post The Literary Structure of Alma 23–27 first appeared on The Interpreter Foundation.
Abstract: Since the discovery of the new world by Christian European explorers during the age of discovery, the increasingly global community of the modern age has confronted Christian theologians with difficult soteriological questions. These questions have caused many Christian adherents … Continue reading →
The post Perspectives on the Soteriological Problem of Evil: Nuancing the “Universalist” Theologies of Henri de Lubac and Joseph Smith first appeared on The Interpreter Foundation.
Abstract: The concept of the serpentine seraphim from biblical iconography is discussed in the context of biblical serpent symbology. The association of the seraphim with Ancient Near Eastern kings, deities, and temples is noted. The concept of the seraphim as … Continue reading →
The post “Upon Thy Belly Shalt Thou Go”: The Garden of Eden Serpent Symbology Based on the Concept of Seraphim first appeared on The Interpreter Foundation.
Abstract: A vivid illustration of how “the doorways of history turn on small hinges” is found in the Howell family tradition about Wilford Woodruff’s short stay at the home of slaveholders in the South, where it appears he may have … Continue reading →
The post Small Hinges, Great Doorways: How Some Descendants of an Enslaved Youth Unexpectedly Became Prominent Utah Citizens first appeared on The Interpreter Foundation.
Abstract: The Lucan and Johannine writings emphasize the literalness and physicality of the resurrection of Jesus Christ. This emphasis does not represent an emerging Christology from an earlier, inchoate conception of Jesus and the meaning of his life. Rather, it … Continue reading →
The post “Our Hands Have Handled”: Ensuring the Reassuring Doctrine of the Resurrection in the Lucan and Johannine Writings first appeared on The Interpreter Foundation.
Abstract: The official account of Martin Harris’s visit to Charles Anthon, canonized in the Pearl of Great Price, suggests that Anthon may have been shown more than one transcript by Harris. The differing responses of Anthon to each of these … Continue reading →
The post Looking Again at the Anthon Transcript(s) first appeared on The Interpreter Foundation.
Abstract: In the historical context of the late fifth century BC, the book of Ruth was a powerful story of hope and redemption for the eventual gathering and restoration of Israel’s covenants. Connecting their golden period of unity under King … Continue reading →
The post The “Allegory” of Ruth as a Prophecy of Latter-day Gathering first appeared on The Interpreter Foundation.
Abstract: Khor Kharfot and Wadi Sayq are in the region that has become the premiere candidate for Nephi’s Old-World Bountiful. Out of the several matching criteria that has led to this opinion, the one that may be the weakest has … Continue reading →
The post Finding Nephi’s Ore first appeared on The Interpreter Foundation.
Abstract: The first oral draft of the Book of Mormon dictated by Joseph Smith reflected remarkable literary refinement and complexity. Such observations demonstrate that he exhibited highly developed composition and oratory skills. To date, no scholar has attempted to describe … Continue reading →
The post What Can Artificial Intelligence Tell Us About the Literary Skills Needed to Dictate a Text Like the Book of Mormon? first appeared on The Interpreter Foundation.
Abstract: Nephi started as the youngest son of Lehi and Sariah and ended up as the king or king-like leader of the Nephite nation. While he, in some sense, obviously grew into the role over time, there was likely some … Continue reading →
The post What Happened to Nephi at the Camp of the Broken Bow? A Book of Mormon Mystery first appeared on The Interpreter Foundation.
Abstract: The Book of Mormon contains many words left untranslated by Joseph Smith, such as cureloms, cumoms, senine, and ziff. While some might wonder why these words are left untranslated, a closer examination of the kinds of words that are … Continue reading →
The post A Closer Look at Transliterations in Divine Translations first appeared on The Interpreter Foundation.
Abstract: Because many questions have arisen regarding the discovery of real early modern influence in the dictated language of the Book of Mormon, some of these are considered and answered in this essay. The answers reflect insights from an exploration … Continue reading →
The post A Plain Exposition of Book of Mormon English by Means of Short Questions and Informed Answers first appeared on The Interpreter Foundation.
Abstract: As an ancient book, the Book of Mormon employed verbal punctuation rather than typographical punctuation. An example of this verbal punctuation is the word behold, which is used in the Book of Mormon to point things out, to highlight … Continue reading →
The post Verbal Punctuation in the Book of Mormon III—Behold first appeared on The Interpreter Foundation.
Abstract: Enos’s use of the onomastic wordplay in the Jacob and Esau cycle enables him to meaningfully allude to the symbolic geography of those stories and incorporate it into his New World setting (e.g., allusions to the river Jabbok and … Continue reading →
The post “Behold, I Went to Hunt Beasts in the Forest”: An Addendum on Enos, Esau, and the Symbolic Geography of Seir first appeared on The Interpreter Foundation.
Abstract: Multiple translations of the Doctrine and Covenants into German have been produced over the past century and a half. This essay looks at a more recent example of these translations as found in the Buch der Lehre und Bündnisse … Continue reading →
The post Die Prophezeiung Henochs: Some Observations on Section 36 in the German Edition of the Community of Christ Doctrine and Covenants first appeared on The Interpreter Foundation.
Abstract: A revealing analysis of fish iconography in Mesoamerica, in relation to the ancestral couple on Stela 5, Izapa, Chiapas, Mexico, holds an unforeseen element that may reveal a key to the Tree of Life referred to in the Book … Continue reading →
The post Birth and Rebirth: The Fish in Mesoamerican Art and Its Implication on Stela 5, Izapa, Chiapas, Mexico first appeared on The Interpreter Foundation.
Abstract: The curse of the serpent in Genesis 3:15 is presented as an archetype for the battle between good and evil. An ancient Hebrew literary form that ties together multiple stories through a common set of images, situations, repeated words, … Continue reading →
The post The Seed of the Serpent and the Seed of the Woman in the Standard Works first appeared on The Interpreter Foundation.
Abstract: Centuries-long speculation continues regarding the circumstances surrounding the death of the Savior. Over the past century, the Savior’s tribulations between the Last Supper and his death on the cross have been scrupulously examined from a medical viewpoint. In this … Continue reading →
The post The Pathophysiology of the Death of Jesus the Christ first appeared on The Interpreter Foundation.
Abstract: Many Latter-day Saint scholars recognize that an excellent candidate for Nephi’s Bountiful is found at the inlet Khor Kharfot in southern Oman at the end of the lengthy Wadi Sayq. Many researchers have reasonably assumed that Lehi’s eastward travel … Continue reading →
The post Accessing Nephi’s Bountiful: A New Proposal for Reaching Irreantum first appeared on The Interpreter Foundation.
Abstract: Beginning with Hugh Nibley, several Latter-day Saint scholars have highlighted a deed found among the Bar Kokhba documents as evidence of the name Alma as a Jewish male name in antiquity. Here we highlight a second attestation of the … Continue reading →
The post More Evidence for Alma as a Semitic Name first appeared on The Interpreter Foundation.
Abstract: In the weeks, months, and years following the murders of the Prophet Joseph Smith and his brother, Hyrum, several aspirants stepped forward to claim the mantle of the prophet. Who were these individuals with claims to the leadership of … Continue reading →
The post Aftermath of the Martyrdom: Aspirants to the Mantle of the Prophet Joseph Smith first appeared on The Interpreter Foundation.
Abstract: Within the text of the Book of Mormon, the name of Jared’s brother is never revealed. Various reasons have been offered for the lack of a name, but nothing conclusive has been offered. Taking a cue from the polemical … Continue reading →
The post The Man with No Name: The Story of the Brother of Jared as an Anti-Babel Polemic first appeared on The Interpreter Foundation.
Abstract: Church historical sources make four differing claims as to when, how, and by whom Melchizedek priesthood was restored. These seemingly conflicting sources have led to many theories about what happened, including the idea that Joseph Smith changed his narrative … Continue reading →
The post Restoring Melchizedek Priesthood first appeared on The Interpreter Foundation.
Abstract: It is not uncommon for Jews who join The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints to notice connections between certain events in the Book of Mormon and modern Jewish practices associated with the feasts of Passover, Weeks, Tabernacles, … Continue reading →
The post “That They May Know That They Are Not Cast Off Forever”: Jewish Lectionary Elements in the Book of Mormon first appeared on The Interpreter Foundation.
Abstract: A brief outline of the saga of Korihor, the Anti-Christ, is provided along with a discussion of his affinities with other Book of Mormon anti-Christs, including those in the order of Nehors. Literary allusions suggesting Korihor as a foil … Continue reading →
The post Insights into the Story of Korihor Based on Intertextual Comparisons first appeared on The Interpreter Foundation.
Abstract: The Book of Mormon contains several instances where a speaker or author in the Book of Mormon quotes a previous one. This article presents one such example: It appears that Korihor usurped the words of Zeniff, quoting some of … Continue reading →
The post Did Korihor Usurp the Words of Zeniff? first appeared on The Interpreter Foundation.
Abstract: There are many reasons why a narrator may choose to provide or withhold the names of various characters. This article hypothesizes that Mormon intentionally omitted the name of a key character from the book of Helaman related to the … Continue reading →
The post Nameless: Mormon’s Dramatic Use of Omission in Helaman 2 first appeared on The Interpreter Foundation.
Abstract: The identity of “the people of Nephi who were spared, and also those who had been called Lamanites, who had been spared” (3 Nephi 10:18) as “a remnant of the seed of Joseph” (3 Nephi 5:23; 10:17; compare Alma 46:23–27; … Continue reading →
The post “I Shall Gather In”: The Name Joseph, Iterative Divine Action, and the Latter-day Harvest Ingathering of Israel as Themes in 3 Nephi first appeared on The Interpreter Foundation.
Abstract: New faith traditions often modify existing religious tenets to accommodate the particulars of their membership’s needs. A specific example is how different faith communities have modified the Ten Commandments both inside and outside the historic Jewish community. This paper … Continue reading →
The post Are There Ten Commandments for Latter-day Zion? first appeared on The Interpreter Foundation.
Abstract: Students of the Book of Mormon have long mined the Old Testament as a rich source of influence on Nephite writers. However, surprising recent finds suggest that an ancient text related to the Book of Moses may have been … Continue reading →
The post Further Evidence from the Book of Mormon for a Book of Moses-Like Text on the Brass Plates first appeared on The Interpreter Foundation.
Abstract: In this study, three intersecting images are traced through the small plates until Jacob 5, where they directly (or by implication) culminate in the final section of Zenos’s allegory. The three images appear fused together in Nephi’s and Jacob’s … Continue reading →
The post “This Stone Shall Become the Great, and the Last, and the Only Sure Foundation”: A Nephite Poetics of Dramatic Fusion and Transfer in Jacob 5 first appeared on The Interpreter Foundation.
Abstract: With the popularity of social media growing exponentially, prominent critics of the Church are leveraging the platforms, particularly YouTube, as a key resource to produce thousands of negative videos about the Church. The accusations made in the videos about … Continue reading →
The post An Analysis of the Financial Incentives in Attacking the Restoration first appeared on The Interpreter Foundation.
Abstract: Nephi saw in vision that in the latter-days “the saints of the church of the Lamb” and “covenant people of the Lord” who, though scattered across the earth, “were armed with righteousness and with the power of God in … Continue reading →
The post “Armed with Righteousness and with the Power of God”: Allusions to Priestly Clothing, Priesthood, and Temple in 1 Nephi 14:14 first appeared on The Interpreter Foundation.
Abstract: Nephi laboriously copied many of the words of Isaiah in hopes that his readers would rejoice in Christ. While Isaiah 4:1 (2 Nephi 14:1) is generally not viewed as Messianic, there may be an allegorical interpretation that would place … Continue reading →
The post The Seven Women Seeking the Bridegroom: Isaiah 4:1 as Transition Point in a Redemption Allegory first appeared on The Interpreter Foundation.
Abstract: This paper views the sacrament prayers and rituals of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in the broader context of Christian eucharistic worship, focusing on how the Latter-day Saint observances both resemble and differ from those of … Continue reading →
The post The Eucharist of the Latter-day Saints: The Sacrament in the Broader Christian Context first appeared on The Interpreter Foundation.
Abstract: An early Christian text called the Revelation of the Magi presents itself as a history of the Magi before and after the birth of Jesus Christ. This text offers important insights into how the early Christian world may have … Continue reading →
The post “One Drop of Salvation from the House of Majesty”: An Analysis of the Revelation of the Magi and Restoration Scripture first appeared on The Interpreter Foundation.
Abstract: Grant Hardy has shown that Nephi, Mormon, and Moroni have distinctive personalities, rhetorical strategies, implied readers, and thematic concerns. Mormon lived within history and wrote as a historian. He focused on the particulars of time and place and person, … Continue reading →
The post Mormon and Moroni’s Rhetoric: Reflections Inspired by Grant Hardy’s Understanding the Book of Mormon first appeared on The Interpreter Foundation.
Abstract: In Words of Mormon 1:8, Mormon declares, “And my prayer to God is concerning my brethren, that they may once again come to the knowledge of God, yea, the redemption of Christ; that they may once again be a … Continue reading →
The post “That They May Once Again Be a Delightsome People”: The Concept of Again Becoming the Seed of Joseph (Words of Mormon 1:8 and Mormon 7:4–5) first appeared on The Interpreter Foundation.
Abstract: T. J. Uriona has offered two new theories about the meaning of Nephi’s term “skin of blackness” in 2 Nephi 5:21. He suggests that Nephi’s term may indicate impending death and/or it may be a literal reference to diseased … Continue reading →
The post Review of Two New Theories about the Lamanite Mark Recently Presented in Two Different Forums first appeared on The Interpreter Foundation.
Abstract: Moroni1’s letter in Alma 60 is not simply an angry and intemperate screed against the government; it also responds to arguments about just tactics (what modern readers would call ethics) taking place among Nephite leaders at this time. Moroni1’s … Continue reading →
The post The Unwritten Debates in Moroni1’s Letter first appeared on The Interpreter Foundation.
Abstract: Anti-Nephi-Lehi’s speech (Alma 24:7–16) reveals multiple allusions to significant texts in Nephi’s small plates record. Thus, when he declares “I thank my God, my beloved people, that our great God has in goodness sent these our brethren, the Nephites, … Continue reading →
The post “Our Great God Has in Goodness Sent These”: Notes on the Goodness of God, the Didactic Good of Nephi’s Small Plates, and Anti-Nephi-Lehi’s Renaming first appeared on The Interpreter Foundation.
Abstract: Repetition is a feature of all ancient Hebraic narrative. Modern readers may misunderstand this quality of biblical and Book of Mormon narrative. Biblical and Book of Mormon writers believed that history repeated, with what happened to the ancestors happening … Continue reading →
The post The Plagiary of the Daughters of the Lamanites first appeared on The Interpreter Foundation.
Abstract: To more permanently unify the Mulekites and the Nephites as a reunited kingdom of Israel, King Benjamin gathered his people at the temple, and in his role as a king and priest after the order of Melchizedek, imparted teachings … Continue reading →
The post King Benjamin’s Sermon as a Type of Temple Endowment first appeared on The Interpreter Foundation.
Abstract: The word “truth” has for practical purposes lost one of its original English-language meanings, and this has significant implications for understanding scriptures. The obvious, well-understood meaning is that which is real or factual. However, the earliest meaning in English … Continue reading →
The post Recovering the Lost Concept of Truth in the Restoration Scriptures: Another Key to Understanding God’s Word first appeared on The Interpreter Foundation.
Abstract: The Book of Mormon contains examples of phonemes in character names that resemble Semitic root words. The possible meanings of the names and their timing in the Book of Mormon narrative provide a deeper level of context to the … Continue reading →
The post Proper Names and Political Claims: Semitic Echoes as Foundations for Claims to the Nephite Throne first appeared on The Interpreter Foundation.
Abstract: Mormon’s overwhelmingly dominant rhetorical purpose is to testify of Christ, which he and his protagonists often directly do. But he also communicates his testimony more subtly through carefully crafted historical narratives. His use of frame narratives is especially artful. … Continue reading →
The post Prophet or Loss: Mosiah1/Zeniff, Benjamin/Noah, Mosiah2/Limhi and the Emergence of the Almas first appeared on The Interpreter Foundation.
Abstract: Trees play real and metaphorical roles in the beliefs and holy scriptures of many world religions, and believers and non-believers throughout the world are uplifted spiritually by trees. In the Book of Mormon, a tree with delicious, sweet fruit … Continue reading →
The post Trees and the Love of God first appeared on The Interpreter Foundation.
Abstract: Considering conventions of the ancient Near East, 2 Nephi can be understood as a legal document or legal archive. Factors supporting this view include 1) Nephi’s allusions to sealing the record and to a bar of judgment, 2) discussion … Continue reading →
The post Second Nephi as a Legal Document first appeared on The Interpreter Foundation.
Abstract: This article explores issues with past suggestions concerning the etymology of the name Cumorah and suggests a slightly updated etymology, “Rise up, O Light of the Lord.” It then suggests that Book of Mormon references to the Hill Cumorah … Continue reading →
The post “Rise Up, O Light of the Lord”: An Appropriate and Defensible Etymology for Cumorah first appeared on The Interpreter Foundation.
Abstract: The Book of Abraham is replete with temple themes, although not all of them are readily obvious from a surface reading of the text. Temple themes in the book include Abraham seeking to become a high priest, the interplay … Continue reading →
The post Temple Themes in the Book of Abraham first appeared on The Interpreter Foundation.
Abstract: When Nephi quotes Isaiah 9:1 in 2 Nephi 19:1, Isaiah’s the “way of the sea” (KJV translation) becomes “the way of the Red Sea” in the Book of Mormon, a change that is often said to reflect an egregious … Continue reading →
The post Joseph Smith and the “Red Sea” in 2 Nephi 19:1 first appeared on The Interpreter Foundation.
Abstract: Heavenly ascent describes the process of an individual (or community) returning to the presence of God. Though various elements exist within heavenly ascent literature, general patterns can be discerned. This project uses one such pattern as a hermeneutical tool … Continue reading →
The post Heavenly Ascent in Jacob’s Writings in Second Nephi: Addressing the Question of What the Plan of Salvation is in the Book of Mormon first appeared on The Interpreter Foundation.
Abstract: This article is an analysis of the literary structure of Alma 17–20. These four chapters in the current Book of Mormon were originally a single chapter in the first edition of the Book of Mormon (originally, chapter 12). The … Continue reading →
The post The Literary Structure of Alma 17–20: A 14-Unit Chiasm first appeared on The Interpreter Foundation.
Abstract: For decades, several Latter-day Saint scholars have maintained that there is a convergence between the location of Nahom in the Book of Mormon and the Nihm region of Yemen. To establish whether there really is such a convergence, I … Continue reading →
The post The Nahom Convergence Reexamined: The Eastward Trail, Burial of the Dead, and the Ancient Borders of Nihm first appeared on The Interpreter Foundation.
Abstract: Video games represent an innovative medium for entertainment and artistic expression with potential for fostering deeper engagement with religious texts such as the Book of Mormon. Over the past three decades, developers have produced dozens of video games based … Continue reading →
The post Pixelated Prophets: A History and Analysis of Book-of-Mormon-Themed Video Games first appeared on The Interpreter Foundation.
Abstract: While David is frequently held up as the standard for great kings in the Old Testament, examination of Nephi’s writings shows that he sought to imitate Moses the prophet rather than David the king. In fact, he never even … Continue reading →
The post Nephi Wanted to Be a Prophet Like Moses, Not a King Like David first appeared on The Interpreter Foundation.
Abstract: Some students of the Book of Mormon have claimed that chapter 36 of the book of Alma is structured as a chiasm. Some of the proposals depart from perfect symmetry, presenting elements of the suggested chiasm seemingly out of … Continue reading →
The post Asymmetry in Chiasms, With a Note About Deuteronomy 8 and Alma 36 first appeared on The Interpreter Foundation.
Abstract: The prophet Mormon’s editorial skill brings the narrative of the Zeniffites alive with a complex tumble of viewpoints, commentary, and timelines. Mormon seems to apply similar narrative strategies as those used in the Bible in his approach to abridging … Continue reading →
The post An Analysis of Mormon’s Narrative Strategies Employed on the Zeniffite Narrative and Their Effect on Limhi first appeared on The Interpreter Foundation.
Abstract: This study builds upon Hugh Nibley’s insightful observation that several Book of Mormon passages reflect “the ritual embrace that consummates the final escape from death in the Egyptian funerary texts and reliefs” as expressing the meaning of Christ’s Atonement. … Continue reading →
The post “Encircled About Eternally in the Arms of His Love”: The Divine Embrace as a Thematic Symbol of Jesus Christ and His Atonement in the Book of Mormon first appeared on The Interpreter Foundation.
Abstract: While references to heaven in the Old Testament are sparse, non-explicit, and predominantly cosmological, the New Testament reveals a more complex concept of the afterlife that reflects a rapidly evolving understanding of Heaven. The Jewish apocalyptic literature of the … Continue reading →
The post Degrees of Glory: A Brief History of Heaven and Graded Salvation first appeared on The Interpreter Foundation.
Abstract: This article examines the treatment of several personages identified as Hamites in the Book of Abraham. It proposes that, in contrast to traditional readings of the text, Hamites are featured positively in the Book of Abraham. This is particularly … Continue reading →
The post The Hamites: The Pre-Restoration Monotheism of the Children of Ham in the Book of Abraham first appeared on The Interpreter Foundation.
Abstract: Although Joseph Smith has been credited with “approximately seven full school years” of district schooling, further research supports that his education consisted of basic instruction in “reading, writing and the ground rules of arithmetic” comprising “less than two years … Continue reading →
The post Joseph Smith’s Education and Intellect as Described in Documentary Sources first appeared on The Interpreter Foundation.
Abstract: The book of Enos is considered to be a short, one-chapter treatise on prayer, yet it is more. Close examination of its text reveals it to be a text structurally centered on Christ and the divine covenant. Enos seeks … Continue reading →
The post Centered on Christ: The Book of Enos Possibly Structured Chiastically first appeared on The Interpreter Foundation.
Abstract: This article examines Mormon’s comparison of Moroni, the Nephite military leader, to Ammon, the son of Mosiah, in Alma 48:18 and how Mormon’s use and repetition of ʾmn-related terminology (“faithful,” “firm,” “faith,” “verily [surely]”) in Alma 48:7–17 lays a … Continue reading →
The post “Behold, He Was a Man Like unto Ammon”: Mormon’s Use of ʾmn-related Terminology in Praise of Moroni in Alma 48 first appeared on The Interpreter Foundation.
Abstract: Although unable to write more than a hundredth part of his people’s history, Mormon seemingly found the time and plate-space to deliver literary justice on behalf of Gideon, who suffered a martyr’s death at the hand of the wicked … Continue reading →
The post Mormon’s Narrative Strategies to Provide Literary Justice for Gideon first appeared on The Interpreter Foundation.
Abstract: Although much has been taught about covenants in The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, little attention has been given to the witnesses of those covenants. In this paper I focus on the importance of witnessing the covenants … Continue reading →
The post Witness of the Covenant first appeared on The Interpreter Foundation.
Abstract: The destruction of the Nauvoo Expositor has been portrayed as an event that stands out as a unique act where Joseph Smith and the Nauvoo City Council suppressed free speech. However, rather than being an anomaly, the destruction of … Continue reading →
The post Turning Type into Pi: The Destruction of the Nauvoo Expositor in Historical Context first appeared on The Interpreter Foundation.
Abstract: The prophet Joseph Smith was paced through a life steeped in ritual and symbolism. Notable things Joseph did or experienced under angelic guidance may be seen as ritual procedures that may require careful consideration to discern their meaning, what … Continue reading →
The post Joseph Smith at the Veil: Significant Ritual, Symbolism, and Temple Influence at Latter-day Saint Beginnings first appeared on The Interpreter Foundation.
Abstract: Isaiah’s oracle in Isaiah 22 regarding a man named Eliakim employs significant and unique language regarding a “nail in a sure place.” This language is accompanied by clear connections to the ancient temple, including the bestowal of sacred clothing … Continue reading →
The post “A Mystery to the World”: A New Proposal for Isaiah 22:20-25 first appeared on The Interpreter Foundation.
Abstract: Nephi, in composing his psalm (2 Nephi 4:15–35), incorporates a poetic idiom from Psalm 18:10 (2 Samuel 22:11) and Psalm 104:3 to describe his participation in a form of divine travel. This experience constituted a part of the vision … Continue reading →
The post “Upon the Wings of His Spirit”: A Note on Hebrew rûaḥ and 2 Nephi 4:25 first appeared on The Interpreter Foundation.
Abstract: Nothing was more terrifying in the ancient world than a siege. Besiegers disregarded normal conventions of war and either utterly slaughtered or enslaved a city’s residents. Nephi used siege warfare imagery — including fire arrows, blinding, and being led away … Continue reading →
The post Withstanding Satan’s Siege through Christ’s Iron Rod: The Vision of the Tree of Life in Context of Ancient Siege Warfare first appeared on The Interpreter Foundation.
Abstract: A traditional reading of Nephi’s chronicle of the trek through Arabia relies heavily on two verses in 1 Nephi 17. In verse 4, Nephi states that they “did sojourn for the space of many years, yea, even eight years … Continue reading →
The post Nephi’s Eight Years in the “Wilderness”: Reconsidering Definitions and Details first appeared on The Interpreter Foundation.
Abstract: Commentaries on Nephi’s first book tend to interpret the fraternal struggles it reports as historical facts that are meant primarily to invite readers’ evaluative responses. While recognizing the historical character of the facts marshalled by Nephi, this paper will … Continue reading →
The post The Nephite Metaphor of Life as a Probation: Rethinking Nephi’s Portrayal of Laman and Lemuel first appeared on The Interpreter Foundation.
Abstract: This work explores an alternative interpretation of the Exodus narrative as a metaphor for childbirth. Gleaning from Old Testament and Judaic sources, we find rich female birth and salvific imagery in the saga of the migration of the children … Continue reading →
The post Moses as Midwife: What the Exodus Birth Story Teaches about Motherhood and Christ first appeared on The Interpreter Foundation.
Abstract: One example of verbal punctuation that has a very clear pattern of usage in the Book of Mormon is the term nevertheless. It is used to draw a marked contrast between what the previous text would lead one to expect and … Continue reading →
The post Verbal Punctuation in the Book of Mormon II — Nevertheless first appeared on The Interpreter Foundation.
Abstract: While later Creedal Christians have come to view “the Ascension” recorded in the first chapter of Acts as a conclusive corporeal appearance of the Resurrected Lord, earliest Christians do not appear to have conceived of this appearance as “final” … Continue reading →
The post “I Will Come to You”: An Investigation of Early Christian Beliefs about Post-Ascension Visitations of the Risen Jesus first appeared on The Interpreter Foundation.
Abstract: This article examines the extension of the etiological wordplay on the name Joseph (in terms of the Hebrew verbs ʾāsap and yāsap), recurrent in the canonical text of Genesis, into the JST Genesis 50 text, where Joseph learns about … Continue reading →
The post “They Shall Be Scattered Again”: Some Notes on JST Genesis 50:24–25, 33–35 first appeared on The Interpreter Foundation.
Abstract: Joseph Smith dictated Doctrine and Covenants 21 at the inaugural meeting of the Church of Jesus Christ on April 6, 1830. The present study examines the literary craftsmanship of the revelation to plumb the depths of its role in the restoration of … Continue reading →
The post Doctrine and Covenants 21: Metanarrative of the Restoration first appeared on The Interpreter Foundation.
Abstract: The role played by the Holy Ghost is an especially important connecting thread that runs through the Book of Moroni. The book illuminates the various ways in which the Holy Ghost transforms fallen human beings into redeemed members of … Continue reading →
The post The Holy Ghost in the Book of Moroni: Possessed of Charity first appeared on The Interpreter Foundation.
Abstract: Modern readers too often and easily misread modern assumptions into ancient texts. One such notion is that when the reader encounters repeated stories in the Bible, the Book of Mormon, Herodotus, or numerous other texts, the obvious explanation that … Continue reading →
The post The Dance of Reader and Text: Salomé, the Daughter of Jared, and the Regal Dance of Death first appeared on The Interpreter Foundation.
Abstract: While some scholars have suggested that the doctrine of theosis — the transformation of human beings into divine beings — emerged only in Nauvoo, the essence of the doctrine was already present in the Book of Mormon, both in … Continue reading →
The post Theosis in the Book of Mormon: The Work and Glory of the Father, Mother and Son, and Holy Ghost first appeared on The Interpreter Foundation.
Abstract: The Book of Mormon describes a dark mark on the skin that distinguished people who rebelled against God and his laws from those who obeyed God. The Old Testament refers to a mark that fits this description and has … Continue reading →
The post Understanding the Lamanite Mark first appeared on The Interpreter Foundation.
Abstract: A recent effort to think about war concludes that the Book of Mormon displays two righteous approaches to conflict: a violent approach that is justified and therefore “blessed;” and a nonviolent approach that is higher than this and therefore … Continue reading →
The post “In the Cause … of their God”: Clarifying Some Issues Regarding the Book of Mormon and a Gospel View of War first appeared on The Interpreter Foundation.
Abstract: This paper is composed of three parts connected consecutively because their conclusions build upon each other. The first part investigates the transportation methods used in the Book of Mormon, concluding that horse and river travel contributed little and that … Continue reading →
The post Unavailable Genetic Evidence, Multiple Simultaneous Promised Lands, and Lamanites by Location? Possible Ramifications of the Book of Mormon Limited Geography Theory first appeared on The Interpreter Foundation.
Abstract: Scholars have recently suggested that The Teachings of Silvanus, a text from Nag Hammadi Codex VII, is the product of several authors with the earliest portion dating to the late first or early second century and the latest portion … Continue reading →
Review of Daniel Becerra, Amy Easton-Flake, Nicholas J. Frederick, and Joseph M. Spencer, Book of Mormon Studies: An Introduction and Guide (Provo, UT: Religious Studies Center, Brigham Young University, 2022). 184 pages. $19.99 (hardback), $15.99 (paperback). Abstract: Book of Mormon … Continue reading →
Abstract: The prophecies in 3 Nephi 26:8–10 and 4 Nephi 1:49 are third-generation members of the same family of texts derived from Isaiah 11:11–12 and Isaiah 29:4, all of which ultimately rely on yāsap (yôsîp or yôsip) idioms to describe … Continue reading →
Abstract: In May 2022, George Potter published an article that makes the most comprehensive case to date that Khor Rori in southern Oman is the most likely location for the place “Bountiful” described by Nephi. However, despite its many positives, … Continue reading →
Abstract: The Prophet Elias is a puzzle, with a handful of pieces scattered through the standard works and the teachings of Joseph Smith. Rather than proving a point conclusively, this paper will put the pieces together to show a new … Continue reading →
Abstract: The phrase “Brethren, adieu” (Jacob 7:27) has been criticized over the years as an obvious anachronism in the Book of Mormon. That criticism holds no validity whatsoever, as others have pointed out, since many English words have French origins. It’s … Continue reading →
The post Toward a Greater Appreciation of the Word Adieu in Jacob 7:27 first appeared on The Interpreter Foundation.
Abstract: Some students of the Book of Mormon have felt that while the coming of the Lord to the Lehites was clearly revealed to and taught by Nephi1, those prophecies having to do with the subject may not have been … Continue reading →
The post “According to the Spirit of Revelation and Prophecy”: Alma2’s Prophetic Warning of Christ’s Coming to the Lehites (and Others) first appeared on The Interpreter Foundation.
Abstract: Here I address specific criticisms of Margaret Barker’s work. First, I set the stage by discussing Thomas Kuhn’s The Structure of Scientific Revolutions as a map and compass for navigating this kind of controversy. I show how his observations cast light on debates … Continue reading →
The post Twenty Years After “Paradigms Regained,” Part 2: Responding to Margaret Barker’s Critics and Why Her Work Should Matter to Latter-day Saints first appeared on The Interpreter Foundation.
Abstract: The Book of Mormon begins at a pivotal point in Israelite history and in the history of the ancient Near East more broadly. With the fall of Assyria and the power vacuum that grew out of Assyria’s demise, questions of … Continue reading →
The post Assyria and the “Great Church” of Nephi’s Vision first appeared on The Interpreter Foundation.
Review of Cheryl L. Bruno, Joe Steve Swick III, and Nicholas S. Literski, Method Infinite: Freemasonry and the Mormon Restoration (Salt Lake City: Greg Kofford Books, 2022). 544 pages. $44.95 (hardback); $34.95 (softcover). Abstract: There is much to celebrate in this important … Continue reading →
The post An Important New Study of Freemasonry and the Latter-day Saints: What’s Good, What’s Questionable, and What’s Missing in Method Infinite first appeared on The Interpreter Foundation.
Abstract: The author proposes a novel ideal for understanding the stained swords of the Anti-Nephi-Lehies that involves repetition, parallelism, and metaphoric Hebrew wordplay. A favorite story in the Book of Mormon recounts the miraculous conversion of many of the Lamanites from … Continue reading →
The post Stained Swords: A Psalm of Redemption first appeared on The Interpreter Foundation.
Abstract: The seeming appearance of a lineal or generational curse in the Book of Abraham has been used erroneously to marginalize people and justify racist ideas in Latter-day Saint history. To avoid any further misinterpretation of scripture in ways that are … Continue reading →
The post “Being of that Lineage”: Generational Curses and Inheritance in the Book of Abraham first appeared on The Interpreter Foundation.
Abstract: The Book of Mormon story of Jacob and Sherem has been evaluated and interpreted from many different viewpoints over the years. In his retelling of the story, Jacob crafted a cautionary tale of religious hubris and self-importance that can serve as an … Continue reading →
The post Rethinking the Encounter between Jacob and Sherem first appeared on The Interpreter Foundation.
Abstract: Twenty years ago, the Foundation for Ancient Research and Mormon Studies published “Paradigms Regained: A Survey of Margaret Barker’s Scholarship and Its Significance for Mormon Studies” as its second FARMS Occasional Paper. The first part of this essay provides an … Continue reading →
The post Twenty Years After “Paradigms Regained,” Part 1: The Ongoing, Plain, and Precious Significance of Margaret Barker’s Scholarship for Latter-day Saint Studies first appeared on The Interpreter Foundation.
Abstract: The usage of the exclamation mark has changed over time but continues to serve as an important textual interpretation aid. Punctuation itself has not been a permanent fixture in English, rather it was slowly introduced to English documents with … Continue reading →
The post The Diachronic Usage of Exclamation Marks across the Major Book of Mormon Editions first appeared on The Interpreter Foundation.
Abstract: This paper brings contemporary Ancient Near East (ANE) scholarship in several fields together with the ancient scriptures restored through Joseph Smith to construct a new starting point for interpretation of the teachings of the Book of Mormon. It assembles … Continue reading →
The post A Backstory for the Brass Plates first appeared on The Interpreter Foundation.
Abstract: In the latter part (1 Nephi 13–14) of his vision of the tree of life (1 Nephi 11–14), Nephi is shown the unauthorized human diminution of scripture and the gospel by the Gentile “great and abominable church” — that plain and precious things/words, … Continue reading →
The post “Unto the Taking Away of Their Stumbling Blocks”: The Taking Away and Keeping Back of Plain and Precious Things and Their Restoration in 1 Nephi 13–15 first appeared on The Interpreter Foundation.
Abstract In an earlier paper, I concluded that Lehi and Nephi were highly trained Josephite scribes and were associated with an official Jerusalem scribal school that preserved ancient Manassite traditions. There they acquired advanced writing skills and classical Hebrew and Egyptian, … Continue reading →
The post The Last Nephite Scribes first appeared on The Interpreter Foundation.
Abstract: Nephi’s writings exhibit a distinctive focus on “good” and divine “goodness,” reflecting the meaning of Nephi’s Egyptian name (derived from nfr) meaning “good,” “goodly,” “fine,” or “fair.” Beyond the inclusio playing on his own name in terms of “good” and … Continue reading →
The post “For Their Good Have I Written Them”: The Onomastic Allusivity and Literary Function of 2 Nephi 25:8 first appeared on The Interpreter Foundation.
Abstract: Most biblical students are familiar with the story of Hannah, who after years of barrenness, finally gave birth to the prophet Samuel. Some will remember her adversary, Peninnah, who allegedly tormented Hannah to tears. My objective in this article … Continue reading →
The post Hannah’s Adversity and Peninnah’s Redemption first appeared on The Interpreter Foundation.
Abstract: The biblical Hebrew collocation pinnâ derek or pannû derek (cf. Egyptian Ἰr wꜣ.t [n]), often rendered “prepare the way” or “prepare a way” in English, is an evident stylistic feature of Nephi’s writings. The most basic meaning of this … Continue reading →
The post “But That Thou Wouldst Clear My Way Before Me”: A Note on the Personal and Emotional Rendering of an Ancient Idiom in 2 Nephi 4:33 first appeared on The Interpreter Foundation.
Abstract: In two separate passages Isaiah appears to describe the mortal Messiah as lacking in physical beauty and perhaps as even having some type of physical disfigurement (see Isaiah 52:14 and 53:2–4). On the contrary, Joseph, David, Esther, and Judith — portrayed in … Continue reading →
The post There Is No Beauty That We Should Desire Him first appeared on The Interpreter Foundation.
Abstract: A comet seen by the Chinese in 5 bc has been considered by some authors as a possibility for the Star of Bethlehem. This article starts with that premise and argues that Book of Mormon evidences reinforce that likelihood. The … Continue reading →
The post A Comet, Christ’s Birth, and Josephus’s Lunar Eclipse first appeared on The Interpreter Foundation.
Abstract: This essay harnesses the late twentieth-century discovery of Hebrew rhetoric by Bible scholars to identify Lehi’s dream as the foundation of the carefully constructed unity in Nephi’s writings and to identify previously unrecognized elements of that dream which are … Continue reading →
The post Lehi’s Dream, Nephi’s Blueprint: How Nephi Uses the Vision of the Tree of Life as an Outline for 1 and 2 Nephi first appeared on The Interpreter Foundation.
Abstract: Metaphors occur when there is a contradiction in the senses of the words used that cause the text to be interpreted non-literally, as Paul Ricoeur has noted. The Apostle Paul’s letter to the Corinthians describing the body as a temple has … Continue reading →
The post The Body As the Temple of God first appeared on The Interpreter Foundation.
Abstract: Since the mid-twentieth century, scholarly studies of the literary craftsmanship of biblical texts have revealed considerable insights into the intended purposes of the authors of these scriptural narratives. The present study applies the analytical methods of these studies to … Continue reading →
The post Abridging the Records of the Zoramite Mission: Mormon as Historian first appeared on The Interpreter Foundation.
Abstract: The Book of Mormon sheds light on a “great mystery” located in John 10:16 (D&C 10:64). In this paper, using a comparative method that traces intersecting pastoral imagery, I argue that John 10:16–18 (as opposed to merely John 10:16) not only refers to Jesus’s visit to the Lehites … Continue reading →
The post “This Great Mystery”: Gathering Still Other Sheep through the New Covenant of Peace first appeared on The Interpreter Foundation.
Abstract: Contemporary Palestinian archaeology has produced two major threats to traditional interpretations of the history of ancient Israel. The first threat, which derives from scientific discomfort with the exodus story as an explanation for the sudden population expansion in southern … Continue reading →
The post Modern Near East Archaeology and the Brass Plates first appeared on The Interpreter Foundation.
Abstract: In the Book of Mormon, many people received a remarkable spiritual outpouring following a declaration or demonstration of full belief in what they had already received or were about to receive. This paper examines nine examples of this that exhibit strong … Continue reading →
The post “Believe All the Words”: A Key to Spiritual Outpouring first appeared on The Interpreter Foundation.
Abstract: Khor Rori, which forms the mouth of Wadi (Valley) Darbat, is the largest inlet along the Dhofar coast of southern Arabia. The khor was excavated into a harbor by the erosive action of the river that flows through Wadi … Continue reading →
The post Khor Rori: A Maritime Resources-Based Candidate for Nephi’s Harbor first appeared on The Interpreter Foundation.
Abstract: This study assesses some of the interpretations of the name Liahona, which are unsatisfactory from a linguistic perspective. Since a dialect of Hebrew is the most likely underlying language of the Book of Mormon, the approach taken in this study parses … Continue reading →
The post Liahona: “Prepared of the Lord, a Compass” first appeared on The Interpreter Foundation.
Abstract: Under the duress of a lengthy war, and prompted by recent Lamanite military successes, as well as incensed at the government’s failure to resupply Helaman’s armies with provisions and to send men to reinforce the city Nephihah, Moroni sent a second … Continue reading →
The post “Can You Suppose That the Lord Will Spare You?”: Moroni’s Charged Rhetoric in Alma 60:30–32 first appeared on The Interpreter Foundation.
Abstract: The story often referred to as Alma’s conversion narrative is too often interpreted as a simplistic plagiarism of Paul’s conversion-to-Christianity story in the book of Acts. Both the New and Old Testaments appropriate an ancient narrative genre called the prophetic … Continue reading →
The post Alma’s Prophetic Commissioning Type Scene first appeared on The Interpreter Foundation.
Abstract: The historian who wrote 2 Kings 23:5 and Mormon, who wrote Mosiah 11:5, used identical expressions to describe King Josiah’s and King Noah’s purges of the priests previously ordained and installed by their fathers. These purges came to define their respective kingships. … Continue reading →
The post Putting Down the Priests: A Note on Royal Evaluations, (wĕ)hišbît, and Priestly Purges in 2 Kings 23:5 and Mosiah 11:5 first appeared on The Interpreter Foundation.
Abstract: Studying the origins and traditions of Passover enriches our understanding of Easter. We can deepen our own worship and expand our ritual memory by an acquaintance with these traditions. Latter-day Saints possess unique understandings that further illuminate the constancy … Continue reading →
The post Our Faithful Lord: Passover to Easter first appeared on The Interpreter Foundation.
Abstract: A favorite scripture of many faithful saints is Alma 7 where it describes how the Savior came to Earth to understand, in the flesh, not only human sin, but human suffering. He did this in order to succor and … Continue reading →
The post Experiential Knowledge and the Covenantal Relationship in Alma 7 first appeared on The Interpreter Foundation.
Abstract: Several of the Prophet Joseph Smith’s earliest revelations, beginning with Moroni’s appearance in 1823, quote the prophecy of Malachi 3:1 with the Lord “suddenly com[ing] to his temple” as “messenger of the covenant.” Malachi 3:1 and its quoted iterations in 3 Nephi 24:1; … Continue reading →
The post “The Messenger of Salvation”: The Messenger-Message Christology of D&C 93:8 and Its Implications for Latter-day Saint Missionary Work and Temple Worship first appeared on The Interpreter Foundation.
Abstract: In the Book of Abraham, God tells Abraham in Haran, “I cause the wind and the fire to be my chariot” (Abraham 2:7). While this initially might appear to be an anachronism, as the chariot is normally thought to … Continue reading →
The post “The Wind and the Fire to Be My Chariot”: The Anachronism that Wasn’t first appeared on The Interpreter Foundation.
Abstract: The story of the Israelites getting bitten in the wilderness by “fiery serpents” and then being miraculously healed by the “serpent of brass” (Numbers 21:4–9) is one of the most frequently told stories in scripture — with many of the … Continue reading →
The post Serpents of Fire and Brass: A Contextual Study of the Brazen Serpent Tradition in the Book of Mormon first appeared on The Interpreter Foundation.
Abstract: This paper brings together contemporary Ancient Near East scholarship in several fields to construct an updated starting point for interpretation of the teachings of the Book of Mormon. It assembles findings from studies of ancient scribal culture, historical linguistics … Continue reading →
The post Lehi and Nephi as Trained Manassite Scribes first appeared on The Interpreter Foundation.
Abstract: The verbal expression “we might have enjoyed,” as used in a complaint that Nephi attributes to his brothers, “we might have enjoyed our possessions and the land of our inheritance” (1 Nephi 17:21), reflects a use of the Hebrew verb yrš in its … Continue reading →
The post “We Might Have Enjoyed Our Possessions and the Land of Our Inheritance”: Hebrew yrš and 1 Nephi 17:21 first appeared on The Interpreter Foundation.
Abstract: In previous and pending publications I have proposed interpretations of various features of Nephi’s writings. In this paper I undertake a comprehensive discussion of the seven passages in which Nephi and his successor Jacob explain the difference between the … Continue reading →
The post Nephi’s Small Plates: A Rhetorical Analysis first appeared on The Interpreter Foundation.
Abstract: Nephi quotes or alludes to four distinct Old Testament passages — Genesis 22:18; Isaiah 29:14; Isaiah 49:22–23; and Isaiah 52:10 — twice each in 1 Nephi 22:6, 8–12. These four texts form the basis of his description of how … Continue reading →
The post “The Lord God Will Proceed”: Nephi’s Wordplay in 1 Nephi 22:8–12 and the Abrahamic Covenant first appeared on The Interpreter Foundation.
Abstract: The Book of Mormon, being an ancient book, was originally written without typographic punctuation and employs verbal punctuation instead. This article looks at the use of “and now” as verbal punctuation in the Book of Mormon. The phrase is used to mark major … Continue reading →
The post Verbal Punctuation in the Book of Mormon I: (And) Now first appeared on The Interpreter Foundation.
Abstract: This paper compares the Book of Mormon’s subordinate that usage with what is found in the King James Bible, pseudo-archaic writings, and the greater textual record. In this linguistic domain, the Book of Mormon manifests as thoroughly archaic, and … Continue reading →
The post A Comparison of the Book of Mormon’s Subordinate That Usage first appeared on The Interpreter Foundation.
Abstract: Racial bias is antithetical to the Book of Mormon’s cardinal purpose: to proclaim the infinite grandeur of the atonement of Jesus Christ. The book teaches that the Lord welcomes and redeems the entire human family, “black and white, bond and free” … Continue reading →
The post Demythicizing the Lamanites’ “Skin of Blackness” first appeared on The Interpreter Foundation.
Abstract: The word of the Lord and the word of God are common expressions in the Bible. Frequently, these phrases refer to the written or spoken covenantal words of God to his people as given through the prophets. However, exegetical … Continue reading →
The post The Word of the Lord as a Metonym for Christ first appeared on The Interpreter Foundation.
Abstract: This paper describes and compares the Book of Mormon’s 12 instances of complex finite cause syntax, the structure exemplified by the language of Ether 9:33: “the Lord did cause the serpents that they should pursue them no more.” This is not King … Continue reading →
The post The Book of Mormon’s Complex Finite Cause Syntax first appeared on The Interpreter Foundation.
Abstract: In this fascinating article, Jeff Bradshaw details how the Book of Moses might be understood as a temple text, including elements of temple architecture, furnishings, and ritual in the story of the Creation and the Fall. Bradshaw shows how … Continue reading →
The post The Book of Moses as a Temple Text first appeared on The Interpreter Foundation.
Abstract: Following the discovery of delocutive verbs and their likely usage in the Hebrew Bible, Meredith Kline proposed that the verb האמין (he’emin) in Genesis 15:6 — traditionally interpreted as a denominative verb meaning “he believed” — should be understood as a delocutive … Continue reading →
The post Abraham’s Amen and Believing in Christ: Possible Applications in the Book of Mormon Text first appeared on The Interpreter Foundation.
Abstract: This study compares personal relative pronoun usage in the earliest text of the Book of Mormon with 11 specimens of Joseph Smith’s early writings, 25 pseudo-archaic texts, the King James Bible, and more than 200,000 early modern (1473–1700) and late modern (1701–1800+) … Continue reading →
The post Personal Relative Pronoun Usage in the Book of Mormon: An Important Authorship Diagnostic first appeared on The Interpreter Foundation.
Abstract: This essay follows Zacharias’ biography from entering the priesthood till the day the angel Gabriel appeared to him in Herod’s temple. After recounting the procedures to become a priest, Brown focuses on the day when Zacharias prepared to bring … Continue reading →
The post Tamid: Zacharias and the Second Temple first appeared on The Interpreter Foundation.
Abstract: In Doctrine and Covenants 132:8 we read: “Behold, mine house is a house of order, saith the Lord God, and not a house of confusion.” I propose that the words “order” and “confusion” in this passage are literary allusions to the ideals, constructs, … Continue reading →
The post Mine House is a House of Zion and not a House of Babylon! first appeared on The Interpreter Foundation.
Abstract: The Book of Giants (BG), an Enoch text found in 1948 among the Dead Sea Scrolls, includes a priceless trove of stories about the ancient prophet and his contemporaries, including unique elements relevant to the Book of Moses Enoch … Continue reading →
The post Moses 6–7 and the Book of Giants: Remarkable Witnesses of Enoch’s Ministry first appeared on The Interpreter Foundation.
Abstract: The accounts of the Anti-Christ, Korihor, and of Alma’s mission to the Zoramites raise a variety of apparently unanswered questions. These involve Korihor’s origins, the reason for the similarity of his beliefs to those of the Zoramites, and why he … Continue reading →
The post The Rise and Fall of Korihor, a Zoramite: A New Look at the Failed Mission of an Agent of Zoram first appeared on The Interpreter Foundation.
Abstract: Latter-day Saint scholars generally agree that “the place called… Nahom,” where Ishmael was buried (1 Nephi 16:34) is identified as the Nihm tribal region in Yemen. Significantly, a funerary stela with the name y s1mʿʾl — the South Arabian … Continue reading →
The post An Ishmael Buried Near Nahom first appeared on The Interpreter Foundation.
Abstract: In this essay Parry starts with the symbology of ritual vestments, and then discusses in detail how the ancient clothing worn in Old Testament temples are part of the rituals and religious gestures that are conducted by those who … Continue reading →
The post Ancient Sacred Vestments: Scriptural Symbols and Meanings first appeared on The Interpreter Foundation.
Abstract: The scriptures are saturated with covenantal words and terms. Any serious or close reading of the scriptures that misses or ignores the covenantal words, phrases, and literary structure of scripture runs the risk of missing the full purpose of … Continue reading →
The post Be Ye Therefore Loyal, Even as Your Father Which is in Heaven is Loyal first appeared on The Interpreter Foundation.
Abstract: This study argues that the Book of Moses was an early Christian text. The book’s language, literary genre, and references to its own production could fit with a date in the late first century ad. Further, the study argues … Continue reading →
The post An Early Christian Context for the Book of Moses first appeared on The Interpreter Foundation.
Abstract: Moses 7 is one of the most famous passages in all of Restoration scripture. It is also one of the most problematic in regard to its description of the people of Canaan as black (v. 8) and as a people … Continue reading →
The post The People of Canaan: A New Reading of Moses 7 first appeared on The Interpreter Foundation.
Abstract: This essay traces the modern-day usage and understanding of temples from the Kirtland Temple to Nauvoo and the Salt Lake Temple. Architecture was used to teach principles. While the Kirtland Temple was preparatory (think of the vision of Christ … Continue reading →
The post Latter-day Houses of the Lord: Developments in Their Design and Function first appeared on The Interpreter Foundation.
Abstract: A little more than 40 years ago, Cyrus Gordon discovered and described for the first time an ancient literary technique which he had found in the Hebrew Bible, and he gave it a name — a Janus parallel. That is why no … Continue reading →
The post Additional Janus Parallels in the Book of Mormon first appeared on The Interpreter Foundation.
A review of David Charles Gore, The Voice of the People: Political Rhetoric in the Book of Mormon (Provo, UT: Neal A. Maxwell Institute for Religious Scholarship, Brigham Young University, 2019). 229 pp. $15.95 (paperback). Abstract: David Gore’s book The Voice of the People: Political Rhetoric in … Continue reading →
The post Vox Populi and Vox Dei: Allusive Explorations of Biblical and Book of Mormon Politeias first appeared on The Interpreter Foundation.
Abstract: In this essay, Richard Bushman borrows a critical perspective from Erich Auerbach’s Mimesis: The Representation of Reality in Western Literature. He analyzes the representation of antiquity in two of Joseph Smith’s striking translations, the Book of Mormon and the … Continue reading →
The post Mormon, Moses, and the Representation of Reality first appeared on The Interpreter Foundation.
Abstract: For nearly 200 years, skeptics have promoted different naturalistic explanations to describe how Joseph Smith generated all the words of the Book of Mormon. The more popular theories include plagiarism (e.g. of the Solomon Spaulding manuscript), collaboration (with Oliver Cowdery, Sidney Rigdon, … Continue reading →
The post Joseph Smith as a Book of Mormon Storyteller first appeared on The Interpreter Foundation.
Review of Kylie Nielson Turley, Alma 1–29: A Brief Theological Introduction (Provo, UT: The Neal A. Maxwell Institute for Religious Scholarship, 2020). 162 pages. $9.95 (paperback). Abstract: Kylie Nielson Turley delves deep into the conversion and ministry of Alma the Younger, reading new … Continue reading →
The post Alma’s Reality: Reading Alma as Sinful, Repentant, Traumatized, Questioning, and Righteous first appeared on The Interpreter Foundation.
Abstract: An axis mundi refers to a sacred place that connects heaven and earth and is believed to be the center of the world. These places are sanctified through ritual consecration or through a divine manifestation that results in qualitatively … Continue reading →
The post Axes Mundi: Ritual Complexes in Mesoamerica and the Book of Mormon first appeared on The Interpreter Foundation.
Abstract: In this paper, I show that declarations of lineage in patriarchal blessings have, since the earliest days of the Restoration, evolved in terms of frequency of inclusion, which tribal lineages predominate, and understanding of the meaning of the declaration. … Continue reading →
The post The Practice and Meaning of Declaring Lineage in Patriarchal Blessings first appeared on The Interpreter Foundation.
Abstract: We are told in the Title Page of the Book of Mormon that the Book of Mormon was revealed in our day “to show unto the remnant of the house of Israel what great things the Lord hath done … Continue reading →
The post The Origin and Purpose of the Book of Mormon Phrase “If Ye Keep My Commandments Ye Shall Prosper in the Land” first appeared on The Interpreter Foundation.
Abstract: The authors begin by the highlighting the importance of Book of Moses research that has discovered plausible findings for its historicity, rendering it at least reasonable to give the benefit of the doubt to sacred premises — even if, ultimately, the choice of premises is just that, a choice. Emphasizing the relevance of the Book of Moses to the temple, they note that the Book of Moses is not only an ancient temple text, but also the ideal scriptural context for a modern temple preparation course. Going further, the authors address an important question raised by some who have asked: “Since Christ is at the center of the gospel, why doesn’t the temple endowment teach the story of the life of Christ? What’s all this about Adam and Eve?” The answer given in detail in the paper is as follows: “The story of the life of Christ is the story of giving the Atonement. And the story of Adam and Eve is the story of receiving the Atonement. Their story is our story, too.” Continue reading →
The post Adam, Eve, the Book of Moses, and the Temple: The Story of Receiving Christ’s Atonement first appeared on The Interpreter Foundation.
Abstract: The phrase goodness of God does occur occasionally in the Hebrew Bible but has not been considered by Old Testament scholars to be an independent principle in Israelite theology. Rather, it has been interpreted as just another way of … Continue reading →
The post The Goodness of God and His Children as a Fundamental Theological Concept in the Book of Mormon first appeared on The Interpreter Foundation.
Abstract: This article offers evidence that at least some Book of Mormon authors may have understood the potential for post-mortal preaching of the gospel. Indeed, they may have recognized that the future Book of Mormon would be a tool to spread the gospel not only … Continue reading →
The post Glad Tidings from Cumorah: Interpreting the Book of Mormon through the Eyes of Someone in Hell first appeared on The Interpreter Foundation.
Abstract: The Semitic/Hebrew name Samuel (šĕmûʾēl) most likely means “his name is El” — i.e., “his name [the name that he calls upon in worship] is El” — although it was also associated with “hearing” (šāmaʿ) God (e.g., 1 Samuel 3:9–11). In … Continue reading →
The post “If Ye Believe on His Name”: Wordplay on the Name Samuel in Helaman 14:2, 12–13 and 3 Nephi 23:9 and the Doctrine of Christ in Samuel’s Speech first appeared on The Interpreter Foundation.
Abstract: This note explores a literary comparison between Nephi’s confronting of Laban and shrinking from the act of shedding blood, to Jesus’s experience in the Garden of Gethsemane of shrinking from the act of shedding blood. Comparing these two stories suggests … Continue reading →
The post Nephi’s Gethsemane: Seventeen Comparisons from the Literary Record first appeared on The Interpreter Foundation.
Abstract: In this essay Stephen Ricks takes a close look at the literary structure of a psalm, reintroducing us to chiasmus both in modern and ancient texts, including the Book of Mormon, then uses this literary structure to show how … Continue reading →
The post Psalm 105: Chiasmus, Credo, Covenant, and Temple first appeared on The Interpreter Foundation.
Abstract: In this rich and detailed description, S. Kent Brown paints an evocative, historically contextualized account of Jesus Christ’s first visit to the Jerusalem Temple since his infancy, when at age twelve he traveled with his family to attend Passover. … Continue reading →
The post Jesus’ First Visit to the Temple first appeared on The Interpreter Foundation.
Abstract: Modern readers too often misunderstand ancient narrative. Typical of this incomprehension has been the inclination of modern biblical critics to view repetitions as narrative failures. Whether you call such repetitions types, narrative analogies, type scenes, midrashic recurrences, or numerous … Continue reading →
The post Types of Repetition and Shadows of History in Hebraic Narrative first appeared on The Interpreter Foundation.
Abstract: David J. Larsen, after showing how many of the Qumran texts rely on the “Royal Psalms” in the Bible—which have a vital connection to the temple drama—then goes on to exaltation in the views of the Qumran community. He … Continue reading →
The post From Dust to Exalted Crown: Royal and Temple Themes Common to the Psalms and the Dead Sea Scrolls first appeared on The Interpreter Foundation.
Abstract: In his well-known volume about the Book of Mormon, Grant Hardy focuses primarily on the book’s main narrators. However, he also makes a number of observations about other figures in the book that are of particular interest, including some about Captain Moroni. … Continue reading →
The post Did Captain Moroni Lack the Typical Religious Virtues? first appeared on The Interpreter Foundation.
Abstract: While many have written on ancient temples looking at the big picture, John Gee discusses one small detail on a single Egyptian temple from the New Kingdom. He focuses on depictions of Ramses III in and out of the … Continue reading →
The post “Put Off Thy Shoes from Off Thy Feet”: Sandals and Sacred Space first appeared on The Interpreter Foundation.
Abstract: In his well-known volume about the Book of Mormon, Grant Hardy focuses primarily on the book’s main narrators. However, he also makes a number of observations about other figures in the book that are of particular interest, including some about Captain Moroni. … Continue reading →
The post “Beloved by All the People”: A Fresh Look at Captain Moroni first appeared on The Interpreter Foundation.
Abstract: Mack C. Stirling examines the well-known story of Job, one of the literary books of the Bible and part of the Wisdom literature (which is heavy in temple mysticism and symbols), and proposes the story follows the temple endowment … Continue reading →
The post Job: An LDS Reading first appeared on The Interpreter Foundation.
Abstract: The Book of Mormon contains little information about what the Brass Plates contain. Nephi said it was a larger record than the Hebrew Bible brought to America by the Gentiles. But it could not have contained the records of Old Testament prophets … Continue reading →
The post The Brass Plates: Can Modern Scholarship Help Identify Their Contents? first appeared on The Interpreter Foundation.
Abstract: David Calabro explores what he describes as the “divine handclasp” in the Hebrew Bible. The term refers to a handclasp between God and his human servant that had a place in ancient Israelite temple worship. Calabro indicates it was … Continue reading →
The post The Divine Handclasp in the Hebrew Bible and in Near Eastern Iconography first appeared on The Interpreter Foundation.
Abstract: In describing the operation of the spindles in the Liahona, Nephi’s statement that “the one pointed the way” in 1 Nephi 16:10 is frequently taken to mean that one of the two spindles indicated the direction to travel. However, Nephi’s apparent … Continue reading →
The post And the One Pointed the Way: Issues of Interpretation and Translation Involving the Liahona first appeared on The Interpreter Foundation.
Abstract: In sermons and writings, Jacob twice quotes the prophecy of Isaiah 11:11 (“the Lord [ʾădōnāy] shall set his hand again [yôsîp] the second time to gather the remnant of his people”). In 2 Nephi 6:14 and Jacob 6:2, Jacob uses Isaiah 11:11 as a lens … Continue reading →
The post “The Messiah Will Set Himself Again”: Jacob’s Use of Isaiah 11:11 in 2 Nephi 6:14 and Jacob 6:2 first appeared on The Interpreter Foundation.
Abstract: In this essay John Gee draws a connection between the Egyptian “Book of the Temple” and the book of Exodus, both in structure and topic, describing the temple from the inside out. Gee concludes that both probably go back … Continue reading →
The post Edfu and Exodus first appeared on The Interpreter Foundation.
Abstract: The first 450 years of Nephite history are dominated by two main threads: the ethno-political tension between Nephites and Lamanites and religious tension between adherents of rival theologies. These rival Nephite theologies are a Mantic theology that affirms the existence … Continue reading →
The post Josiah to Zoram to Sherem to Jarom and the Big Little Book of Omni first appeared on The Interpreter Foundation.
Abstract: Fifteen months after the Church of Christ’s inception in April 1830, Joseph Smith received a revelation indicating that Independence, Jackson County, Missouri, was to be the “center-place” of Zion and a “spot for a temple is lying westward, upon … Continue reading →
The post The Past and Future of the Temple Lot in Independence, Jackson County, Missouri first appeared on The Interpreter Foundation.
Abstract: Jeffrey M. Bradshaw compares Moses’ tabernacle and Noah’s ark, and then identifies the story of Noah as a temple related drama, drawing of temple mysticism and symbols. After examining structural similarities between ark and tabernacle and bringing into the … Continue reading →
The post The Ark and the Tent: Temple Symbolism in the Story of Noah first appeared on The Interpreter Foundation.
Abstract: Over 30 years ago, Noel Reynolds compared matching non-Biblical phrases in the Book of Moses and Book of Mormon. Based on this analysis, Reynolds proposed a possible connection between the Book of Moses and hypothetical material on the brass plates that may … Continue reading →
The post “Strong Like unto Moses”: The Case for Ancient Roots in the Book of Moses Based on Book of Mormon Usage of Related Content Apparently from the Brass Plates first appeared on The Interpreter Foundation.
Abstract: This paper examines the testimonies of the witnesses of the Book of Mormon— not only the Three Witnesses and the Eight Witnesses, but many others who experienced and testified of the reality of the Book of Mormon plates. Together, these testimonies offer impressive … Continue reading →
The post Variety and Complexity in the Witnesses to the Book of Mormon first appeared on The Interpreter Foundation.
Abstract: During the last century there has been a prophetic emphasis on the understanding of women and their priesthood power and authority that has been unprecedented since the days of Joseph Smith. Through the use of scripture and teachings of … Continue reading →
The post Women and the Priesthood in the Contemporary Church first appeared on The Interpreter Foundation.
Abstract: Nephi1 represents the sacred record that becomes the Book of Mormon as a new brass serpent to heal the nations. Nephi’s typological project is reasonable given that he self-identifies with Moses, his family’s scriptures and compass are made of brass, and he … Continue reading →
The post “Wherefore, for This Cause”: The Book of Mormon as Anti-type of the Brass Serpent first appeared on The Interpreter Foundation.
Abstract: The Seelys discuss the well-known concept of the universe as a temple, and link the creation story to the temple drama. They explore how God, in creating the universe, had the same roles the temple drama gives to Adam … Continue reading →
The post The Crown of Creation first appeared on The Interpreter Foundation.
Abstract: This essay demonstrates that the key prophetic matakite dreams and visions of at least the nine nineteenth-century East Coast Māori seers appear to have been (and should continue to be) fulfilled surprisingly by the coming of The Church of … Continue reading →
The post The Lord Will Not Forget Them! Māori Seers and The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in Nineteenth-Century New Zealand first appeared on The Interpreter Foundation.
Abstract: I propose that our current Words of Mormon in the Book of Mormon was originally a second chapter of the book of Mosiah following an initial chapter that was part of the lost 116 pages. When Joseph Smith gave the first 116 pages to … Continue reading →
The post That Which You Have Translated, Which You Have Retained first appeared on The Interpreter Foundation.
Abstract: In this article Matthew Brown examines the possible meaning behind the imagery of the handclasp between God in heaven and the earthly king. He focuses on this imagery as it is articulated in Psalms 27, 41, 63, 73, and … Continue reading →
The post The Handclasp, the Temple, and the King first appeared on The Interpreter Foundation.
Abstract: Mormon uses pejorative wordplay on the name Jaredites based on the meaning of the Hebrew verb yārad. The onomastic rhetoric involving the meaning of yārad first surfaces in Helaman 6 where Mormon also employs wordplay on the name Cain … Continue reading →
The post Coming Down and Bringing Down: Pejorative Onomastic Allusions to the Jaredites in Helaman 6:25, 6:38, and Ether 2:11 first appeared on The Interpreter Foundation.
Abstract: This essay emphasizes the remarkable participation of the Book of Mormon in the gospel symbolism of death and resurrection. It explains how the Book of Mormon itself may be seen as a resurrected book, witnessing Christ’s resurrection in a … Continue reading →
The post The Book of Mormon as a Resurrected Book and a Type of Christ first appeared on The Interpreter Foundation.
Abstract: Attitudes of superiority lead to societal conflict. The racial interpretation of a few Book of Mormon verses has contributed to these attitudes and conflicts, yet hundreds of inclusive messages are found in more than half of the book’s verses. God’s message, love, … Continue reading →
The post The Inclusive, Anti-Discrimination Message of the Book of Mormon first appeared on The Interpreter Foundation.
Abstract: The late Hebrew scholar John Tvedtnes takes readers on a grand tour of Jewish and Christian stories and traditions that attest to the Tree of Life as not only a means to prolong life, but also to impart a … Continue reading →
The post Tree of Life, Tree of Healing first appeared on The Interpreter Foundation.
Abstract: The volume editors of The Joseph Smith Papers Revelations and Translations: Volume 4 propose a theory of translation of the Book of Abraham that is at odds with the documents they publish and with other documents and editorial comments … Continue reading →
The post Fantasy and Reality in the Translation of the Book of Abraham first appeared on The Interpreter Foundation.
Abstract: In a fascinating survey of the efforts of ancient and modern Saints to honor the Lord’s commandment to keep reliable records of their doings, the authors take us on a colorful tour of the past, present, and future of … Continue reading →
The post Record-Keeping Technology among God’s People in Ancient and Modern Times first appeared on The Interpreter Foundation.
Abstract: For many theories about the Book of Abraham, the Egyptian Alphabet documents are seen as the key to understanding the translation process. While the original publication of those documents allows many researchers access to the documents for the first … Continue reading →
The post Prolegomena to a Study of the Egyptian Alphabet Documents in the Joseph Smith Papers first appeared on The Interpreter Foundation.
Abstract: Robert Smith makes the case that “poetic art in the Book of Mormon is highly developed” — you just need to have the eye to recognize it. Though many readers are aware of the stunning examples of chiasmus in … Continue reading →
The post Poesy and Prosody in the Book of Mormon first appeared on The Interpreter Foundation.
Abstract: Royal Skousen’s essay shed light on enigmatic references in Jacob 6:13 and Moroni 10:34 to “the pleasing bar of God.” After establishing that the term “pleading bar” is an appropriate legal term, he cites both internal evidence and the … Continue reading →
The post The Pleading Bar of God first appeared on The Interpreter Foundation.
Abstract: The view of Hebrew as a language of magic, for which precedents can be discerned in the Bible and in rabbinic tradition, spilled over into early and medieval Christianity. Andrew Skinner adroitly explores the material and theological history of … Continue reading →
The post Medieval Christian Views of Hebrew as the Language of Magic first appeared on The Interpreter Foundation.
Abstract: David Seely provides a wide-ranging survey of interpretations of the prophecy in Deuteronomy 18:15–18 concerning “a prophet like unto Moses.” He examines relevant passages in the Book of Mormon, the Bible, and the Dead Sea Scrolls and shows how … Continue reading →
The post “A Prophet Like Moses” (Deuteronomy 18:15–18) in the Book of Mormon, the Bible, and the Dead Sea Scrolls first appeared on The Interpreter Foundation.
Abstract: Three times in his narrative Mormon recounts the Lord’s oracle (revelation) to Mosiah II regarding his sons undertaking a mission among the Lamanites (Mosiah 28:7, Alma 17:35, and Alma 19:23). In all three instances, the Lord’s promises of deliverance … Continue reading →
The post “I Will Deliver Thy Sons”: An Onomastic Approach to Three Iterations of an Oracle to Mosiah II (Mosiah 28:7; Alma 17:35, 19:23) first appeared on The Interpreter Foundation.
Abstract: With a selection of a few notable examples (Zoram, Jarom, Omni, and Mosiah) that have been analyzed by the ongoing Book of Mormon names project, Stephen Ricks argues that “proper names in the Book of Mormon are demonstrably ancient.” … Continue reading →
The post Proper Names from the Small Plates: Some Notes on the Personal Names Zoram, Jarom, Omni, and Mosiah first appeared on The Interpreter Foundation.
[Page 193]Abstract: In this important paper, Noel Reynolds extends his 1980 argument for the chiastic structure of 1 Nephi to demonstrate that 2 Nephi can be seen as a matching structure with a similar nature. Taken together, these findings demonstrate … Continue reading →
The post Chiastic Structuring of Large Texts: Second Nephi as a Case Study first appeared on The Interpreter Foundation.
[Page 169]Abstract: Genesis 30:23–24 offers a double etiology for Joseph in terms of “taking away”/“gathering” (ʾāsap) and “adding” (yāsap). In addition to its later narratological use of the foregoing, the Joseph cycle (Genesis 37–50) evidences a third dimension of onomastic wordplay involving Joseph’s … Continue reading →
The post “We Are a Remnant of the Seed of Joseph”: Moroni’s Interpretive Use of Joseph’s Coat and the Martial nēs-Imagery of Isaiah 11:11–12 first appeared on The Interpreter Foundation.
[Page 153]Abstract: Drawing on his deep knowledge of biblical Hebrew, Dana Pike gives us a close reading of Jeremiah 1:5, the most important Old Testament verse relating to the Latter-day Saint understanding of premortal existence of human spirits and the … Continue reading →
The post Formed in and Called from the Womb first appeared on The Interpreter Foundation.
[Page 87]Abstract: With “awe, humility, and circumspection,” Daniel C. Peterson provides a useful summary and discussion of Latter-day Saint beliefs as they relate to traditional Christian conceptions of the Trinity. In particular, his discussions reveals the many nuances of the … Continue reading →
The post Notes on Mormonism and the Trinity first appeared on The Interpreter Foundation.
[Page 75]Abstract: The present work analyzes the narrative art Mormon employs, specifically Mormon’s unique strategies for personalized and personal messaging, which can be seen in how Mormon connects the narration of the baptism at the waters of Mormon in Mosiah … Continue reading →
The post Count Your Many Mormons: Mormon’s Personalized and Personal Messages in Mosiah 18 and 3 Nephi 5 first appeared on The Interpreter Foundation.
[Page 55]Abstract: In this erudite survey of textual variants in the “Great Isaiah Scroll” from Qumran, Donald W. Parry lays out the major categories of these differences with illustrative examples. This significant description of the most significant book of Old … Continue reading →
The post The Great Isaiah Scroll (1QIsaa)—Catalogue of Textual Variants first appeared on The Interpreter Foundation.
[Page 283]Abstract: With the trained eye of an anthropologist and a historian, Steven Olsen refutes claims that the Book of Mormon is a simple hodge-podge of biblical phrases and responses to controversies that Joseph Smith absorbed from his surroundings. Through … Continue reading →
The post The Covenant of Christ’s Gospel in the Book of Mormon first appeared on The Interpreter Foundation.
[Page 263]Abstract: This paper looks at the two types of heads used in the Book of Mormon. It argues against a recent theory that these heads served as mnemonic cues that enabled Joseph Smith to extemporaneously compose and dictate the … Continue reading →
The post Notes on Book of Mormon Heads first appeared on The Interpreter Foundation.
[Page 181]Review of Colby Townsend, “Returning to the Sources: Integrating Textual Criticism in the Study of Early Mormon Texts and History,” Intermountain West Journal of Religious Studies 10, no. 1 (2019): 55–85, https://digitalcommons.usu.edu/imwjournal/vol10/iss1/6/. Abstract: In the present article, Part … Continue reading →
The post Where Did the Names Mahaway and Mahujah Come From? A Response to Colby Townsend’s “Returning to the Sources,” Part 2 of 2 first appeared on The Interpreter Foundation.
[Page 99]Review of Colby Townsend, “Returning to the Sources: Integrating Textual Criticism in the Study of Early Mormon Texts and History.” Intermountain West Journal of Religious Studies 10, no. 1 (2019): 55–85, https://digitalcommons.usu.edu/imwjournal/vol10/iss1/6/. Abstract: Textual criticism tries by a variety … Continue reading →
The post Textual Criticism and the Book of Moses: A Response to Colby Townsend’s “Returning to the Sources,” Part 1 of 2 first appeared on The Interpreter Foundation.
[Page 89]Abstract: This contribution focuses on the earliest and one of the most significant chapters of the Book of Moses: Moses 1, sometimes called the “Visions of Moses.” Kent Jackson summarizes the sources available relating to the production of this … Continue reading →
The post The Visions of Moses and Joseph Smith’s Bible Translation first appeared on The Interpreter Foundation.
[Page 71]Abstract: Omni greatly revered his ancestors and their personal accounts on the small plates of Nephi. A close examination of Omni’s brief autobiography (Omni 1:1–3) evidences borrowing from all four of his predecessors’ writings. Moreover, his self-description, “I of … Continue reading →
The post “I of Myself Am a Wicked Man”: Some Notes on Allusion and Textual Dependency in Omni 1:1-2 first appeared on The Interpreter Foundation.
[Page 61]Abstract: In this article, Paul Hoskisson discusses the question of whether Janus parallelism, a sophisticated literary form found in the Hebrew Bible and elsewhere in manuscripts of the ancient Near East, might also be detected in the Book of … Continue reading →
The post Janus Parallelism: Speculation on a Possible Poetic Wordplay in the Book of Mormon first appeared on The Interpreter Foundation.
[Page 15] Abstract: Authors of two recent articles believe they have found evidence that Joseph Smith, in preparing his revision of the Bible, drew ideas from a contemporary Bible commentary by British scholar Adam Clarke. The evidence, however, does not … Continue reading →
The post Some Notes on Joseph Smith and Adam Clarke first appeared on The Interpreter Foundation.
[Page 325]Abstract: John Gee gives us a sketch of the divine judgment as presented in the gospel of John. “In John’s gospel, the individual is the defendant; Jesus is the judge; the devil is the prosecuting attorney; and the Holy … Continue reading →
The post Jesus’s Courtroom in John first appeared on The Interpreter Foundation.
[Page 261]Abstract: Paronomasia in the Hebrew text of Exodus creates narrative links between the name Miriam (Mary) and the “waters” (mayim) of the Re[e]d Sea from which Israel is “pulled” and the nearby “bitter” waters of Marah. Nephi sees Mary … Continue reading →
The post “That Which They Most Desired”: The Waters of Mormon, Baptism, the Love of God, and the Bitter Fountain first appeared on The Interpreter Foundation.
[Page 207]Abstract: This chapter argues that “the scriptural triad of faith, hope, and charity should be understood as something more than a general set of personal attributes that must be developed in order for disciples to become like Christ. Instead, … Continue reading →
The post Faith, Hope, and Charity: The “Three Principal Rounds” of the Ladder of Heavenly Ascent first appeared on The Interpreter Foundation.
[Page 103]Abstract: This thorough treatment of the mention of baptism for the dead in 1 Corinthians 15:29 gives a meticulous analysis of Paul’s Greek argument, and lays out the dozens (or perhaps hundreds) of theories that have been put forth … Continue reading →
The post Baptized for the Dead first appeared on The Interpreter Foundation.
[Page 81]Abstract: This article examines Jacob’s statement “God hath taken away his plainness from [the Jews]” (Jacob 4:14) as one of several scriptural texts employing language that revolves around the Deuteronomic canon formulae (Deuteronomy 4:2; 12:32 [13:1]; cf. Revelation 22:18‒19). It further examines … Continue reading →
The post “God Hath Taken Away His Plainness”: Some Notes on Jacob 4:14, Revelation, Canon, Covenant, and Law first appeared on The Interpreter Foundation.
[Page 53]Abstract: Many Book of Mormon students are aware that several locations along Lehi’s Trail through the Arabian Peninsula now have surprising and impressive evidence of plausibility, including the River Laman, Valley of Lemuel, Nahom, and Bountiful. One specific named … Continue reading →
The post Nephi’s “Shazer”: The Fourth Arabian Pillar of the Book of Mormon first appeared on The Interpreter Foundation.
[Page 41]Abstract: This prefatory material to the festschrift for John W. Welch gives an overview of his exceptional life, full of variety and intensity. As James R. Rasband writes: “His candle burns bright whatever the project.” Hoskisson and Peterson characterize … Continue reading →
The post “To Seek the Law of the Lord” first appeared on The Interpreter Foundation.
[Page 1]Abstract: How does God relate to time? How do we? Modern science and revelation offer distinctive and fascinating perspectives to these questions. Specifically, the physical mechanisms underlying time have doctrinal parallels, they appear to be operative at the Fall, … Continue reading →
The post Temporal Mercies and Eternal Being: Using the Science of Time to Understand God’s Nature and Our Own first appeared on The Interpreter Foundation.
[Page 355]Abstract: Some critics of the Book of Mormon suppose that the DNA characteristics of modern Native Americans should be compatible with “Israelite” rather than with Asian genetics. The authors point out that while DNA is a valid tool to … Continue reading →
The post Is Decrypting the Genetic Legacy of America’s Indigenous Populations Key to the Historicity of the Book of Mormon? first appeared on The Interpreter Foundation.
[Page 307]Abstract: An article recently published in an online journal entitled “The Entheogenic Origins of Mormonism: A Working Hypothesis” posits that Joseph Smith used naturally occurring chemicals, called “entheogens,” to facilitate visionary experiences among his early followers. The entheogenic substances … Continue reading →
The post Visions, Mushrooms, Fungi, Cacti, and Toads: Joseph Smith’s Reported Use of Entheogens first appeared on The Interpreter Foundation.
[Page 291]Abstract: Mark Alan Wright describes a common type of ritual specialist among the Maya called a “daykeeper.” He discusses similarities and differences with descriptions of ritual specialists in the Book of Mormon, including those who used the Urim and … Continue reading →
The post Nephite Daykeepers: Ritual Specialists in Mesoamerica and the Book of Mormon first appeared on The Interpreter Foundation.
Abstract: This article highlights the striking resemblances between Moses 1 and a corresponding account from the Apocalypse of Abraham (ApAb), one of the earliest and most important Jewish texts describing heavenly ascent. Careful comparative analysis demonstrates a sustained sequence of detailed affinities … Continue reading →
The post Moses 1 and the Apocalypse of Abraham: Twin Sons of Different Mothers? first appeared on The Interpreter Foundation.
[Page 153]Abstract: John S. Thompson explores scholarly discussions about the relationship of the Egyptian tree goddess to sacred trees in the Bible, the Book of Mormon, and the temple. He describes related iconography and its symbolism in the Egyptian literature … Continue reading →
The post The Lady at the Horizon: Egyptian Tree Goddess Iconography and Sacred Trees in Israelite Scripture and Temple Theology first appeared on The Interpreter Foundation.
[Page 133]Abstract: Although unknown as deities in Joseph Smith’s day, the names of four associated idolatrous gods (Elkenah, Libnah, Mahmackrah, and Korash) mentioned in the Book of Abraham are attested anciently. Two of them are known to have connections with … Continue reading →
The post Four Idolatrous Gods in the Book of Abraham first appeared on The Interpreter Foundation.
[Page 111]Abstract: In this article, Daniel C. Peterson describes the famous “night” journey that Muhammad allegedly made from Arabia to Jerusalem, and from Jerusalem through the heavens and into the presence of God. His ascension through various gates of heaven, … Continue reading →
The post Temples All the Way Down: Some Notes on the Mi‘raj of Muhammad first appeared on The Interpreter Foundation.
[Page 45]Abstract: Chapters from Isaiah quoted in the Book of Mormon use the King James Bible as a base text yet frequently vary from it in minor ways, particularly in the earliest text of the Book of Mormon. A disproportionate … Continue reading →
The post Missing Words: King James Bible Italics, the Translation of the Book of Mormon, and Joseph Smith as an Unlearned Reader first appeared on The Interpreter Foundation.
[Page 39]Abstract: Most scholars agree that sôd, when used in relationship to God, refers to the heavenly council, which humans may sometimes visit to learn divine mysteries or obtain a prophetic message to deliver to humankind. Biblical texts on this … Continue reading →
The post The Sôd of Yhwh and the Endowment first appeared on The Interpreter Foundation.