Apologetics Again—But This Time with Feeling
Violent, sudden, and calamitous revolutions are the ones that accomplish the least. While they may succeed at radically reordering societies, they usually cannot transform cultures. They may excel at...
View ArticleThe “Value” of the Book of Mormon
As part of a project I’m currently at work on, I’ve been reading as systematically as possible through the literature on the Book of Mormon that has been produced by adherents to the Community of...
View ArticleEmma, My Daughter in Zion: A Preliminary Study of D&C 25, Part 1
This and the post following it (part 2) are pieces I wrote a few years ago as a guest blogger at another Mormon-themed blog. I’ve reworked them a bit, but I’ve largely left them as I originally wrote...
View ArticleEmma, My Daughter in Zion: A Preliminary Study of D&C 25, Part 2
In the preceding post (part 1), I work through a set of exegetical preliminaries to any theological engagement with D&C 25, the revelation to Emma Smith. I take as my task now to begin addressing...
View ArticleOn Translation Theories and the Interpretation of the Book of Mormon
Since Blake Ostler’s landmark article appeared in Dialogue in 1987, there’s been something of a trend among believing Mormon intellectuals. Increasingly, the tendency is to account for the English text...
View ArticleIn Good Conscience…
Over the past six years or so, I’ve watched a number of my friends and acquaintances—and one family member—leave The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. I’ve heard many of them (but by no...
View ArticleWhat Is a “Mormon” Reading of Scripture? Thoughts on Michael Austin’s...
Every four years, every Sunday School in the Utah-based Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints turns its attention to the Old Testament. Only a single lesson over the course of that year is...
View ArticleJoseph Smith Papers: Documents Volume 3
A couple of weeks ago, I participated—by Skype—in the launch event for the newest Documents volume of the celebrated Joseph Smith Papers Project. I assume the project needs no introduction at this...
View Article“The Prophecy of This Book”
Believers in the Book of Mormon are inevitably acquainted with Revelation 22:18-19: For I testify unto every man that heareth the words of the prophecy of this book, If any man shall add unto these...
View ArticleA Review and a Farewell: Of Manuscripts and Seer Stones
I’ve been, as Mormons say, “less active” here at the blog for the past few months. A number of changes have forced me to contribute less—among them graduation (“Doctor Spencer,” now!) and a move to...
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