PDF feed of Interpreter: A Journal of Latter-day Saint Faith and Scholarship
371 episodes - English - Latest episode: 22 days ago - ★★★★★ - 1 ratingA nonprofit educational journal focused on the scriptures of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints: the Book of Mormon, the Pearl of Great Price, the Bible, Doctrine and Covenants, early LDS history, and related subjects. All publications are peer-reviewed and are made available as free internet downloads or through at-cost print-on-demand services.
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Episodes
The Plagiary of the Daughters of the Lamanites
April 05, 2024 17:59 - 2.12 MB application/pdfAbstract: 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 again to their posterity. Fawn Brodie and her acolytes misapprehend Book of Mormon narrative when—instead […] The post The Plagiary of the Daughters of the Lamanites first appeared on The Interpreter Foundation.
Christ is Risen! Truly, He is Risen!
March 29, 2024 17:59 - 1.95 MB application/pdfAbstract: There is no more important message than that of the Atonement and Resurrection of Jesus Christ. It’s life-transforming and world-transforming. It is also the most joyous news imaginable. What Jesus did on our behalf leaves us forever in his debt and should put him at the center of our lives. Easter Sunday,” President Russell […] The post Christ is Risen! Truly, He is Risen! first appeared on The Interpreter Foundation.
King Benjamin’s Sermon as a Type of Temple Endowment
March 22, 2024 17:59 - 2.21 MB application/pdfAbstract: 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 that bear resemblance to the Latter-day Saint temple endowment ceremony first introduced in Nauvoo. Several […] The post King Benjamin’s Sermon as a Type of Temple Endowment first appeared on The Interpreter Foundation.
Premortal Life and Mortal Life: A Fearful Symmetry
March 15, 2024 17:59 - 182 KB application/pdfAbstract: Bodily weakness, along with the varied circumstances into which we were born, provide the essential initial and ongoing conditions that shape the challenges and opportunities of our mortal probation. In life, we are not expected merely to preserve our innocence in defiance of worldly tendencies, nor are we compelled to cede to cynicism in […] The post Premortal Life and Mortal Life: A Fearful Symmetry first appeared on The Interpreter Foundation.
Recovering the Lost Concept of Truth in the Restoration Scriptures: Another Key to Understanding God’s Word
March 08, 2024 18:59 - 292 KB application/pdfAbstract: 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 is that which is true in an entirely different way, in the sense of fidelity, […] The post Recovering the Lost Concept of Truth in the Restoration Scriptures: Another Key to Understanding God’s Word first appe...
Proper Names and Political Claims: Semitic Echoes as Foundations for Claims to the Nephite Throne
March 01, 2024 18:59 - 352 KB application/pdfAbstract: 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 Nephite political challenges in the books of Mosiah through 3 Nephi. Specifically, the English phonemes for […] The post Proper Names and Political Claims: Semitic Echoes as Foundations for Claims to the Nephite Throne first appeared on The Interpreter Found...
Prophet or Loss: Mosiah1/Zeniff, Benjamin/Noah, Mosiah2/Limhi and the Emergence of the Almas
February 23, 2024 18:59 - 447 KB application/pdfAbstract: 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. In the Book of Mosiah, Mormon frames the dispiriting account of Zeniff and Noah’s rule […] The post Prophet or Loss: Mosiah1/Zeniff, Benjamin/Noah, Mosiah2/Limhi and the Emergence of the Almas first appeared o...
Trees and the Love of God
February 16, 2024 18:59 - 1.14 MB application/pdfAbstract: 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 appeared in two visions and one parable. Respectively, the tree represents the love of God […] The post Trees and the Love of God first appeared on The Interpreter Foundation.
Second Nephi as a Legal Document
February 09, 2024 19:03 - 618 KB application/pdfAbstract: 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 of the law of witnesses and reference to Isaiah and Jacob as witnesses, 3) components […] The post Second Nephi as a Legal Document first appeared on The Interpreter Foundation.
Temple Themes in the Book of Abraham
February 02, 2024 18:59 - 2.35 MB application/pdfAbstract: 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 between theophany and covenant, and Abraham building altars and dedicating sacred space as he sojourns […] The post Temple Themes in the Book of Abraham first appeared on The Interpreter Foundation.
An Important Addition to the Library
January 26, 2024 19:03 - 178 KB application/pdfReview of Grant Hardy, The Annotated Book of Mormon (New York: Oxford University Press, 2023). 912 pages; $37.95 (hardcover). Abstract: Oxford University Press has published an annotated edition of the Book of Mormon. This represents a significant event and provides a useful study resource. At the same time, the author’s determination to follow the conclusions […] The post An Important Addition to the Library first appeared on The Interpreter Foundation.
Joseph Smith and the “Red Sea” in 2 Nephi 19:1
January 26, 2024 18:59 - 201 KB application/pdfAbstract: 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 blunder by Joseph Smith or a scribal error. However, there may be a scenario in […] The post Joseph Smith and the “Red Sea” in 2 Nephi 19:1 first appeared on The Interpreter Foundation.
Heavenly Ascent in Jacob’s Writings in Second Nephi: Addressing the Question of What the Plan of Salvation is in the Book of Mormon
January 19, 2024 18:59 - 1.05 MB application/pdfAbstract: 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 to examine what can be learned about how Book of Mormon prophets may have understood […] 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...
The Literary Structure of Alma 17–20: A 14-Unit Chiasm
January 12, 2024 18:59 - 414 KB application/pdfAbstract: 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 current article describes a process and rationale that was used to identify several major literary […] The post The Literary Structure of Alma 17–20: A 14-Unit Chiasm first appeared on The Interpreter Foundation.
The Nahom Convergence Reexamined: The Eastward Trail, Burial of the Dead, and the Ancient Borders of Nihm
January 05, 2024 18:59 - 1.84 MB application/pdfAbstract: 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 set out to reexamine where the narrative details of 1 Nephi 16:33–17:1 best fit within […] 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.
A Long and Winding Road
December 29, 2023 18:59 - 115 KB application/pdfAbstract: Publishing an article in Interpreter: A Journal of Latter-day Faith and Scholarship involves a process of which many people are not aware. I’m sure it is obvious to all that articles don’t just spring from the mind of an author and onto the printed page. In this essay I draw back the curtain just […] The post A Long and Winding Road first appeared on The Interpreter Foundation.
Glory to God in the Highest
December 22, 2023 18:59 - 225 KB application/pdfAbstract: What would it have been like to be among the shepherds who heard the angelic announcement of Jesus’s birth? Their story has special meaning for many of us because we feel a kinship with those shepherds through shared anonymity and shared hope and witness. By means of two favorite hymns, “Angels We Have Heard […] The post Glory to God in the Highest first appeared on The Interpreter Foundation.
Pixelated Prophets: A History and Analysis of Book-of-Mormon-Themed Video Games
December 15, 2023 18:59 - 3.03 MB application/pdfAbstract: 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 on the Book of Mormon. This paper provides a comprehensive history of these video games. […] The post Pixelated Prophets: A History and Analysis of Book-of-Mormon-Themed Video Games first appeared on The Interpreter Founda...
Marvelous Ripples through Time and Mind
December 08, 2023 19:05 - 79.5 KB application/pdfReview of Richard Lyman Bushman, Joseph Smith’s Gold Plates: A Cultural History (New York: Oxford University Press, 2023). 264 pages, $34.95 (hardback). Abstract: The gold plates were only a physically present artifact for a brief time and only for a select few people. Then they were gone, but the effect of their original presence echoes […] The post Marvelous Ripples through Time and Mind first appeared on The Interpreter Foundation.
A New Look at the Miracles of the Resurrection and the Book of Mormon
December 08, 2023 19:03 - 95 KB application/pdfReview of Joshua Gehly, Witnessing Miracles: Historical Evidence for the Resurrection and the Book of Mormon (Monongahela, PA: The Church of Jesus Christ, 2022). 172 pages. $14.95 (paperback). Abstract: Joshua Gehly, an ordained Evangelist of the Church of Jesus Christ, offers a compelling case for the divine authenticity of the Book of Mormon. Gehly uses […] The post A New Look at the Miracles of the Resurrection and the Book of Mormon first appeared on The Interpreter Foundation.
Nephi Wanted to Be a Prophet Like Moses, Not a King Like David
December 08, 2023 18:59 - 149 KB application/pdfAbstract: 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 mentions David. Relative to two major theological movements in Jerusalem in his day, “Zion theology,” […] The post Nephi Wanted to Be a Prophet Like Moses, Not a King Like David first appeared on The Interpreter Foundation.
Asymmetry in Chiasms, With a Note About Deuteronomy 8 and Alma 36
December 01, 2023 18:59 - 829 KB application/pdfAbstract: 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 sequence. This has often been pointed to as a weakness in the proposed chiasm or […] The post Asymmetry in Chiasms, With a Note About Deuteronomy 8 and Alma 36 first appeared on The Interpreter Foundation.
An Analysis of Mormon’s Narrative Strategies Employed on the Zeniffite Narrative and Their Effect on Limhi
November 24, 2023 18:59 - 299 KB application/pdfAbstract: 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 the history of his people. A comparative reading of the various accounts in the Zeniffite […] The post An Analysis of Mormon’s Narrative Strategies Employed on the Zeniffite Narrative and Their Effect on Limhi first appeared on The ...
Largely Shadow, Short of Reality
November 17, 2023 18:59 - 236 KB application/pdfReview of Ronald V. Huggins, Lighthouse: Jerald and Sandra Tanner, Despised and Beloved Critics of Mormonism (Salt Lake City: Signature Books, 2022). 392 pages. $39.95 (hardback), $24.95 (paperback). Abstract: Jerald and Sandra Tanner have had a long ministerial career trying to convince people that the truth claims of the Church are wrong. Even though their […] The post Largely Shadow, Short of Reality first appeared on The Interpreter Foundation.
“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
November 10, 2023 18:59 - 755 KB application/pdfAbstract: 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. This study further extends Nibley’s observations on Jacob’s “wrestle” as a divine “embrace” to show […] The post “Encircled About Eternally in the Arms of His Love”: The Divine Embrace as a Thematic Symbol of Jesus Christ ...
Degrees of Glory: A Brief History of Heaven and Graded Salvation
November 03, 2023 17:59 - 262 KB application/pdfAbstract: 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 late Second Temple period describes a heaven of multiple degrees that is populated with angels […] The post Degrees of Glory: A Brief History of Heaven and Graded Salvation first appeared on The Interpreter Foundat...
Exploring the Complex Book of Mormon
October 27, 2023 17:59 - 240 KB application/pdfReview of Avram R. Shannon and Kerry Hull, eds., A Hundredth Part: Exploring the History and Teachings of the Book of Mormon (Provo, UT: Religious Studies Center, Brigham Young University, 2023). 374 pages, $29.99 (hardback). Abstract: This volume collects papers published in multiple venues over a wide time span. A diligent researcher might find all […] The post Exploring the Complex Book of Mormon first appeared on The Interpreter Foundation.
The Hamites: The Pre-Restoration Monotheism of the Children of Ham in the Book of Abraham
October 20, 2023 17:59 - 209 KB application/pdfAbstract: 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 true of the daughters of Onitah and of Pharaoh himself, both of whom are presented […] The post The Hamites: The Pre-Restoration Monotheism of the Children of Ham in the Book of Abraham first appeared on The Interpreter Foundation.
Joseph Smith’s Education and Intellect as Described in Documentary Sources
October 13, 2023 17:59 - 468 KB application/pdfAbstract: 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 of formal schooling.” The actual number of terms he experienced in common schools in upstate […] The post Joseph Smith’s Education and Intellect as Described in Documentary Sources first appeared on The Interpret...
“Signals of Transcendence”
October 06, 2023 17:59 - 182 KB application/pdfAbstract: Hints of a different and better world — sometimes dimly remembered, often intuited, and commonly hoped for — and of a glorious, mighty power behind the world in which we currently live, are all around us. They are not so powerful that they cannot be missed or even ignored, but they have been and […] The post “Signals of Transcendence” first appeared on The Interpreter Foundation.
Centered on Christ: The Book of Enos Possibly Structured Chiastically
September 29, 2023 18:03 - 604 KB application/pdfAbstract: 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 and obtains from Him a covenant to preserve the records of the Nephites for the […] The post Centered on Christ: The Book of Enos Possibly Structured Chiastically first appeared on The Interpreter Foundation.
“Behold, He Was a Man Like unto Ammon”: Mormon’s Use of ʾmn-related Terminology in Praise of Moroni in Alma 48
September 29, 2023 17:59 - 285 KB application/pdfAbstract: 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 foundation for this comparison. Ammon’s name, phonologically and perhaps etymologically, suggests the meaning “faithful.” Mormon […] The post “Behold, He Was a Man Like unto Ammon”: Mormon’s Use of ʾmn-related Terminology in ...
Mormon’s Narrative Strategies to Provide Literary Justice for Gideon
September 22, 2023 17:59 - 511 KB application/pdfAbstract: 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 Nehor. This article applies a literary approach buttressed by evidence from the Book of Mormon […] The post Mormon’s Narrative Strategies to Provide Literary Justice for Gideon first appeared on The Interpreter Foundation.
Witness of the Covenant
September 15, 2023 17:59 - 393 KB application/pdfAbstract: 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 that we make with God — especially the gospel covenant — rather than on the […] The post Witness of the Covenant first appeared on The Interpreter Foundation.
Turning Type into Pi: The Destruction of the Nauvoo Expositor in Historical Context
September 08, 2023 17:59 - 224 KB application/pdfAbstract: 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 the Nauvoo Expositor was historically and socially reflective of society in a volatile period in […] The post Turning Type into Pi: The Destruction of the Nauvoo Expositor in Historical Context first appeared on The Interpreter Foundation.
Joseph Smith at the Veil: Significant Ritual, Symbolism, and Temple Influence at Latter-day Saint Beginnings
September 01, 2023 17:59 - 526 KB application/pdfAbstract: 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 they symbolize, their purpose, and their importance to the restoration of the fullness of the […] The post Joseph Smith at the Veil: Significant Ritual, Symbolism, and Temple Influence at Latter-day Saint Beginnings first appeared on T...
“A Mystery to the World”: A New Proposal for Isaiah 22:20-25
August 25, 2023 17:59 - 208 KB application/pdfAbstract: 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 and authority, offering additional significant context through which to understand this phrase. Additionally, according to […] The post “A Mystery to the World”: A New Proposal for Isaiah 22:20-25 first appeared on The Interpreter Foun...
Sacred Imaginings: Using AI to Construct Temples
August 18, 2023 18:02 - 81.9 KB application/pdfReview of Jeffrey Thayne and Nathan Richardson, Temples of the Imagination: AI-Generated Temples, Human-Generated Insights (Provo, UT: The Interpreter Foundation, Verdant Press, and Eborn Books, 2023). 140 pages, $24.99 (softcover). Abstract: We’re commanded to seek out of the best books words of wisdom, but how exactly do we seek? What are the best books? Temples […] The post Sacred Imaginings: Using AI to Construct Temples first appeared on The Interpreter Foundation.
“Upon the Wings of His Spirit”: A Note on Hebrew rûaḥ and 2 Nephi 4:25
August 18, 2023 17:59 - 248 KB application/pdfAbstract: 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 in which he saw “the things which [his] father saw” in the latter’s dream of […] The post “Upon the Wings of His Spirit”: A Note on Hebrew rûaḥ and 2 Nephi 4:25 first appeared on The Interpreter Foundation.
Withstanding Satan’s Siege through Christ’s Iron Rod: The Vision of the Tree of Life in Context of Ancient Siege Warfare
August 11, 2023 17:59 - 550 KB application/pdfAbstract: 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 into captivity — to teach his brothers the importance of holding fast to Christ’s iron […] The post Withstanding Satan’s Siege through Christ’s Iron Rod: The Vision of the Tree of Life in Context of Ancient Siege Warfare fir...
Credo
August 04, 2023 17:59 - 110 KB application/pdfAbstract: The Restoration began with the stunning divine declaration to the Prophet Joseph Smith that the Christian sects of his day were “all wrong,” that “all their creeds were an abomination in [God’s] sight.” It’s a powerful condemnation, but what, exactly, does it mean? Later in his life, Joseph reflected that he felt that creeds […] The post Credo first appeared on The Interpreter Foundation.
Nephi’s Eight Years in the “Wilderness”: Reconsidering Definitions and Details
July 28, 2023 17:59 - 839 KB application/pdfAbstract: 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 in the wilderness.” In verse 5, he reports that “we did come to the land […] The post Nephi’s Eight Years in the “Wilderness”: Reconsidering Definitions and Details first appeared on The Interpreter Foundation.
The Nephite Metaphor of Life as a Probation: Rethinking Nephi’s Portrayal of Laman and Lemuel
July 21, 2023 17:59 - 432 KB application/pdfAbstract: 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 argue that the author transposes that history into an allegory meant to inspire his readers […] The post The Nephite Metaphor of Life as a Probation: Rethinking Nephi’s Portrayal of Laman and Lemuel first appeared on T...
A Truly Remarkable Book
July 14, 2023 18:05 - 131 KB application/pdfReview of John Gee, Saving Faith: How Families Protect, Sustain, And Encourage Faith (Provo, UT: Religious Studies Center, Brigham Young University, 2020). 313 pages. Abstract: Saving Faith is a truly excellent book, designed especially for families concerned about their children. It is also a book appropriate for those getting ready to serve as missionaries, or […] The post A Truly Remarkable Book first appeared on The Interpreter Foundation.
A Prophet, a Candidate, and a Just Cause
July 14, 2023 17:59 - 97.3 KB application/pdfReview of Spencer W. McBride, Joseph Smith for President: The Prophet, the Assassins, and the Fight for American Religious Freedom (New York: Oxford University Press, 2021). 269 pages, $29.95 (hardcover). Abstract: Spencer McBride’s book is the deepest look yet into Joseph Smith’s 1844 campaign for president of the United States. In smooth-paced and readable detail, McBride’s […] The post A Prophet, a Candidate, and a Just Cause first appeared on The Interpreter Foundation.
Moses as Midwife: What the Exodus Birth Story Teaches about Motherhood and Christ
July 07, 2023 18:10 - 157 KB application/pdfAbstract: 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 of Israel and the Passover itself. This perspective of sacred childbirth, when coupled with traditional […] The post Moses as Midwife: What the Exodus Birth Story Teaches about Motherhood and Christ first appeared on The Interpreter Foundation.
Verbal Punctuation in the Book of Mormon II — Nevertheless
July 07, 2023 17:59 - 264 KB application/pdfAbstract: 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 what follows it. It is not clear what the ancient antecedent to the term might […] The post Verbal Punctuation in the Book of Mormon II — Nevertheless first appeared on The Interpreter Foundation.
“I Will Come to You”: An Investigation of Early Christian Beliefs about Post-Ascension Visitations of the Risen Jesus
June 30, 2023 17:59 - 545 KB application/pdfAbstract: 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” in any temporal or experiential sense. A careful investigation of canonical resurrection literature displays a […] The post “I Will Come to You”: An Investigation of Early Christian Beliefs about Post-Ascension Visitations of the Risen Je...
“They Shall Be Scattered Again”: Some Notes on JST Genesis 50:24–25, 33–35
June 23, 2023 17:59 - 264 KB application/pdfAbstract: 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 and prophesies of a future “Joseph” who would help gather Israel after they had been […] The post “They Shall Be Scattered Again”: Some Notes on JST Genesis 50:24–25, 33–35 first appeared on The Interpreter Foundation.
Doctrine and Covenants 21: Metanarrative of the Restoration
June 16, 2023 17:59 - 310 KB application/pdfAbstract: 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 the gospel of Jesus Christ. The analysis explores the meaning of patterns of usage in […] The post Doctrine and Covenants 21: Metanarrative of the Restoration first appeared on The Interpreter Foundation.