The Purpose of this two volume series is to make easily available selections from lectures transcribed and published in four volumes as Teachings of the Book of Mormon by Hugh W. Nibley, Professor at Brigham Young University. The Editor text scanned all four volumes of the series to about half the original by eliminating those portions the Editor felt not necessary to the verses under discussion. No other changes were made to the original Nibley four volumes. Readers of the Book of Mormon will benefit from Hugh Nibley's extensive historical and linguistic background from a lifetime of study of ancient documents. The Editor has made an effort to provide full scripture references at the beginning of each paragraph which were not available in the original editions by Hugh Nibley. These references will be helpful to students and teachers of the Book of Mormon. The numbers at the beginning of each paragraph refer to the page number of the First Edition of each of the four volumes and will alert the reader to where omissions may be found in the original four volumes. The Editor has expanded most chapter topic summaries as shown in brackets. Proceeds from this book will be donated to Project Sprouts (www.project-sprouts.com) which is operated by Mondoro Company Ltd a company designs and manufactures furniture and home accessories in Asia.

The Purpose of this two volume series is to make easily available selections from lectures transcribed and published in four volumes as Teachings of the Book of Mormon by Hugh W. Nibley, Professor at Brigham Young University. The Editor text scanned all four volumes of the series to about half the original by eliminating those portions the Editor felt not necessary to the verses under discussion. No other changes were made to the original Nibley four volumes. Readers of the Book of Mormon will benefit from Hugh Nibley's extensive historical and linguistic background from a lifetime of study of ancient documents. The Editor has made an effort to provide full scripture references at the beginning of each paragraph which were not available in the original editions by Hugh Nibley. These references will be helpful to students and teachers of the Book of Mormon. The numbers at the beginning of each paragraph refer to the page number of the First Edition of each of the four volumes and will alert the reader to where omissions may be found in the original four volumes. The Editor has expanded most chapter topic summaries as shown in brackets. Proceeds from this book will be donated to Project Sprouts (www.project-sprouts.com) which is operated by Mondoro Company Ltd which designs and manufactures furniture and accessories in Asia

Stop looking for the Book of Mormon in Mesoamerica and start looking for Mesoamerica in the Book of Mormon! Second Witness, a new six-volume series from Greg Kofford Books, takes a detailed, verse-by-verse look at the Book of Mormon. It marshals the best of modern scholarship and new insights into a consistent picture of the Book of Mormon as a historical document. Taking a faithful but scholarly approach to the text and reading it through the insights of linguistics, anthropology, and ethnohistory, the commentary approaches the text from a variety of perspectives: how it was created, how it relates to history and culture, and what religious insights it provides. The commentary accepts the best modern scholarship, which focuses on a particular region of Mesoamerica as the most plausible location for the Book of Mormon’s setting. For the first time, that location—its peoples, cultures, and historical trends—are used as the backdrop for reading the text. The historical background is not presented as proof, but rather as an explanatory context. The commentary does not forget Mormon’s purpose in writing. It discusses the doctrinal and theological aspects of the text and highlights the way in which Mormon created it to meet his goal of “convincing . . . the Jew and Gentile that Jesus is the Christ, the Eternal God.”

Few scholars of the Book of Mormon have read this volume of scripture as closely and rigorously as Joseph M. Spencer. And of those, none have devoted as much time and effort as he to a theological reading of that sacred text—that is, as Spencer writes, “how it might shape responsible thinking about questions pertaining to the life of religious commitment” (p. 1:173.) The Anatomy of Book of Mormon Theology divides into two volumes exploring and thinking about these pertinent questions. Each concerns a different part of the defense of the claim that theology is and ought to be particularly important for Book of Mormon studies. In this first volume, Spencer gathers early essays in which he gestures toward theological interpretation without knowing how to defend it; essays about why theology is important to Book of Mormon scholarship and how to ensure that it does not overstep its boundaries; and essays that do theological work on the Book of Mormon in relatively obvious ways or with relatively traditional topics. The last category of essays divides into two subcategories: essays specifically on the central theological question of Jesus Christ’s atonement, as the Book of Mormon understands it; and essays on a variety of traditional theological topics, again as the Book of Mormon understands them.

Three studies of the Book of Mormon: (1) Detailed analysis of the Egyptian characteristics of the Book of Mormon, (2) editorial markers in the Book of Mormon, and (3) a broad look at the realia of the Book of Mormon as evidences of historical authenticity.

Mark Twain once derided the Book of Mormon as "chloroform in print." Long and complicated, written in the language of the King James version of the Bible, it boggles the minds of many. Yet it is unquestionably one of the most influential books ever written. With over 140 million copies in print, it is a central text of one of the largest and fastest-growing faiths in the world. And, Grant Hardy shows, it's far from the coma-inducing doorstop caricatured by Twain. In Understanding the Book of Mormon, Hardy offers the first comprehensive analysis of the work's narrative structure in its 180 year history. Unlike virtually all other recent world scriptures, the Book of Mormon presents itself as an integrated narrative rather than a series of doctrinal expositions, moral injunctions, or devotional hymns. Hardy takes readers through its characters, events, and ideas, as he explores the story and its messages. He identifies the book's literary techniques, such as characterization, embedded documents, allusions, and parallel narratives. Whether Joseph Smith is regarded as author or translator, it's noteworthy that he never speaks in his own voice; rather, he mediates nearly everything through the narrators Nephi, Mormon, and Moroni. Hardy shows how each has a distinctive voice, and all are woven into an integral whole. As with any scripture, the contending views of the Book of Mormon can seem irreconcilable. For believers, it is an actual historical document, transmitted from ancient America. For nonbelievers, it is the work of a nineteenth-century farmer from upstate New York. Hardy transcends this intractable conflict by offering a literary approach, one appropriate to both history and fiction. Regardless of whether readers are interested in American history, literature, comparative religion, or even salvation, he writes, the book can best be read if we examine the text on its own terms.

2003 Best Biography Award, Mormon History Association As one of the LDS Church’s most widely recognized scholars, Hugh Nibley is both an icon and an enigma. Through complete access to Nibley’s correspondence, journals, notes, and papers, Petersen has painted a portrait that reveals the man behind the legend. Starting with a foreword written by Zina Nibley Petersen and finishing with appendices that include some of the best of Nibley’s personal correspondence, the biography reveals aspects of the tapestry of the life of one who has truly consecrated his life to the service of the Lord.

Joseph Smith, Prophet and the founder of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, continues to be the subject of adulation by many, but he is the object of derision by some Mormon critics. C. Paul Smith, an experienced trial attorney and strong defender of Joseph Smith, highlights six historical and doctrinal issues pertaining to the prophet that remain the subject of debate: plural marriage; the succession of leadership following his death; the stories of three splinter churches that broke off from the church founded by Joseph Smith; the Book of Abraham; blacks and the priesthood; and six alleged false prophecies made by Joseph Smith. The chapters on plural marriage give a concise history of key events of its introduction as a part of the restoration of the gospel of Jesus Christ. The chapter on the Book of Abraham scrutinizes and exposes the fatal flaws in the arguments made by some Egyptologists that Joseph Smith’s translation of the Book of Abraham is a fabrication. The chapter on blacks and the priesthood analyzes race relations in the 20th century, and it reviews some lesser known statements by Joseph Smith. The chapter on three LDS splinter churches provides important historical insights about three organizations that broke away from the Church in 1844, 1852-60 and 1863. With debate still swirling around Joseph Smith, it is more important than ever to understand the truth about him in order to appreciate the quality of who he was and the great importance of his work.

Collection of essays stemming from a seminar sponsored by the Mormon Theology Seminar, the Richard L. Evans Chair of Religious Understanding at Brigham Young University, and the Neal A. Maxwell Institute for Religious Scholarship held April 15, 2009 at Brigham Young University.

This is volume 22 of Interpreter: A Journal of Mormon Scripture published by The Interpreter Foundation. It contains articles on a variety of topics including: "The Small Voice," "The Changing Forms of the Latter-day Saint Sacrament," "Assessing the Joseph Smith Papyri: An Introduction to the Historiography of their Acquisitions, Translations, and Interpretations," "'Creator of the First Day': The Glossing of Lord of Sabaoth in D&C 95:7," "Nephi’s Use of Inverted Parallels," "Reclaiming Jacob," "On the Dating of Moroni 8-9," "The Parable of the Benevolent Father and Son," "'Arise from the Dust': Insights from Dust-Related Themes in the Book of Mormon (Part 1: Tracks from the Book of Moses)," "'Arise from the Dust': Insights from Dust-Related Themes in the Book of Mormon (Part 2: Enthronement, Resurrection, and Other Ancient Motifs from the “Voice from the Dust”)," "Reading 1 Nephi With Wisdom," and "'Arise from the Dust': Insights from Dust-Related Themes in the Book of Mormon (Part 3: Dusting Off a Famous Chiasmus, Alma 36)."