Integrating Textual Criticism in the Study of Early Mormon Texts and History
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Doctrine and Covenants Section 110: from Vision to Canonization
Brigham Young University BYU ScholarsArchive Theses and Dissertations 2010-07-07 Doctrine and Covenants Section 110: From Vision to Canonization Trever Anderson Brigham Young University - Provo Follow this and additional works at: https://scholarsarchive.byu.edu/etd Part of the History of Christianity Commons BYU ScholarsArchive Citation Anderson, Trever, "Doctrine and Covenants Section 110: From Vision to Canonization" (2010). Theses and Dissertations. 2120. https://scholarsarchive.byu.edu/etd/2120 This Thesis is brought to you for free and open access by BYU ScholarsArchive. It has been accepted for inclusion in Theses and Dissertations by an authorized administrator of BYU ScholarsArchive. For more information, please contact [email protected], [email protected]. Doctrine and Covenants Section 110: From Vision to Canonization Trever R. Anderson A Thesis submitted to the faculty of Brigham Young University in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Religious Education Richard E. Bennett, Chair Robert C. Freeman Kip Sperry Religious Education Brigham Young University August 2010 Copyright © 2010 Trever R. Anderson All Rights Reserved ABSTRACT Doctrine and Covenants Section 110, From Vision to Canonization Trever R. Anderson Religious Education Master of Religious Education This thesis answers the question of how a vision recorded in Joseph Smith’s journal found its home in the Doctrine and Covenants and become recognized as canonized scripture. The April 3, 1836, journal entry became known as Section 110. Section 110 serves as a foundation for the current practices and doctrines of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, involving temple building and temple ordinances. Thus it is important to understand the history of this Section from journal entry to canonization because it is an example of recovering revelation. -
Moroni: Angel Or Treasure Guardian? 39
Mark Ashurst-McGee: Moroni: Angel or Treasure Guardian? 39 Moroni: Angel or Treasure Guardian? Mark Ashurst-McGee Over the last two decades, historians have reconsidered the origins of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in the context of the early American tradition of treasure hunting. Well into the nineteenth century there were European Americans hunting for buried wealth. Some believed in treasures that were protected by magic spells or guarded by preternatural beings. Joseph Smith, founding prophet of the Church, had participated in several treasure-hunting expeditions in his youth. The church that he later founded rested to a great degree on his claim that an angel named Moroni had appeared to him in 1823 and showed him the location of an ancient scriptural record akin to the Bible, which was inscribed on metal tablets that looked like gold. After four years, Moroni allowed Smith to recover these “golden plates” and translate their characters into English. It was from Smith’s published translation—the Book of Mormon—that members of the fledgling church became known as “Mormons.” For historians of Mormonism who have treated the golden plates as treasure, Moroni has become a treasure guardian. In this essay, I argue for the historical validity of the traditional understanding of Moroni as an angel. In May of 1985, a letter to the editor of the Salt Lake Tribune posed this question: “In keeping with the true spirit (no pun intended) of historical facts, should not the angel Moroni atop the Mormon Temple be replaced with a white salamander?”1 Of course, the pun was intended. -
Automatic Writing and the Book of Mormon: an Update
ARTICLES AND ESSAYS AUTOMATIC WRITING AND THE BOOK OF MORMON: AN UPDATE Brian C. Hales At a Church conference in 1831, Hyrum Smith invited his brother to explain how the Book of Mormon originated. Joseph declined, saying: “It was not intended to tell the world all the particulars of the coming forth of the Book of Mormon.”1 His pat answer—which he repeated on several occasions—was simply that it came “by the gift and power of God.”2 Attributing the Book of Mormon’s origin to supernatural forces has worked well for Joseph Smith’s believers, then as well as now, but not so well for critics who seem certain natural abilities were responsible. For over 180 years, several secular theories have been advanced as explanations.3 The more popular hypotheses include plagiarism (of the Solomon Spaulding manuscript),4 collaboration (with Oliver Cowdery, Sidney Rigdon, etc.),5 1. Donald Q. Cannon and Lyndon W. Cook, eds., Far West Record: Minutes of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, 1830–1844 (Salt Lake City: Deseret Book, 1983), 23. 2. “Journal, 1835–1836,” in Journals, Volume. 1: 1832–1839, edited by Dean C. Jessee, Mark Ashurst-McGee, and Richard L. Jensen, vol. 1 of the Journals series of The Joseph Smith Papers, edited by Dean C. Jessee, Ronald K. Esplin, and Richard Lyman Bushman (Salt Lake City: Church Historian’s Press, 2008), 89; “History of Joseph Smith,” Times and Seasons 5, Mar. 1, 1842, 707. 3. See Brian C. Hales, “Naturalistic Explanations of the Origin of the Book of Mormon: A Longitudinal Study,” BYU Studies 58, no. -
And the Goal of New Testament Textual Criticism
RECONSTRUCTING THE TEXT OF THE CHURCH: THE “CANONICAL TEXT” AND THE GOAL OF NEW TESTAMENT TEXTUAL CRITICISM by DAVID RICHARD HERBISON A THESIS SUBMITTED IN PARTIAL FULFILLMENT OF THE REQUIREMENTS FOR THE DEGREE OF MASTER OF ARTS in THE FACULTY OF GRADUATE STUDIES Master of Arts in Biblical Studies We accept this thesis as conforming to the required standard ............................................................................... Dr. Kent Clarke, Ph.D.; Thesis Supervisor ................................................................................ Dr. Craig Allert, Ph.D.; Second Reader TRINITY WESTERN UNIVERSITY December 2015 © David Richard Herbison ABSTRACT Over the last several decades, a number of scholars have raised questions about the feasibility of achieving New Testament textual criticism’s traditional goal of establishing the “original text” of the New Testament documents. In light of these questions, several alternative goals have been proposed. Among these is a proposal that was made by Brevard Childs, arguing that text critics should go about reconstructing the “canonical text” of the New Testament rather than the “original text.” However, concepts of “canon” have generally been limited to discussions of which books were included or excluded from a list of authoritative writings, not necessarily the specific textual readings within those writings. Therefore, any proposal that seeks to apply notions of “canon” to the goals and methods of textual criticism warrants further investigation. This thesis evaluates Childs’ -
Emma Smith, Eliza R. Snow, and the Reported Incident on the Stairs
Hales: Emma Smith, Eliza R. Snow, and the Stairs Incident 63 Emma Smith, Eliza R. Snow, and the Reported Incident on the Stairs Brian C. Hales Several authors have written that during the Nauvoo period Emma Smith may have had a violent altercation with Eliza R. Snow, one of Joseph’s plural wives.1 Different narratives of varying credibility are sometimes amalgam- ated and inflated to create a flowing storyline of questionable accuracy. For example, Samuel W. Taylor penned this dramatic account in Nightfall at Nau- voo: Eliza got out of bed, feeling queasy. It was early, the house quiet. Perhaps she’d be sick this morning again. Better go out back to the privy, in case. She stepped from her room just as Joseph’s door opened. He paused a moment looking at her with affection—big, handsome, vital, her husband for time and eternity!—then they came together. She whispered, had he decided what to do? He nodded. They could meet at Sarah Cleveland’s this afternoon to talk it over. Two-thirty. A wild cry, then Emma was upon them with a broom-stick. Joseph staggered back. Emma flailed at Eliza with the heavy stick, calling her names, screaming. Eliza, trying to shield her head with her arms, dashed for the stairs, stumbled, fell headlong, and went head over heels down the steep steps as everything went black. She awakened in bed. Emma was there, and Joseph, together with Dr. Bern- hisel. “Eliza,” Emma said, “I’m sorry. .” “I understand,” Eliza said. Her voice came as a weak whisper. -
The Book of Mormon and DNA Research: Essays from the Af Rms Review and the Journal of Book of Mormon Studies Daniel C
Brigham Young University BYU ScholarsArchive Maxwell Institute Publications 2008 The Book of Mormon and DNA Research: Essays from The aF rms Review and the Journal of Book of Mormon Studies Daniel C. Peterson Follow this and additional works at: https://scholarsarchive.byu.edu/mi Part of the Religious Education Commons Recommended Citation Peterson, Daniel C., "The Book of Mormon and DNA Research: Essays from The aF rms Review and the Journal of Book of Mormon Studies" (2008). Maxwell Institute Publications. 81. https://scholarsarchive.byu.edu/mi/81 This Book is brought to you for free and open access by BYU ScholarsArchive. It has been accepted for inclusion in Maxwell Institute Publications by an authorized administrator of BYU ScholarsArchive. For more information, please contact [email protected], [email protected]. H\Y6cc_cZAcfacbUbX8B5FYgYUfW\, the best of the maxwell, institute h\Y 6cc_ AcfacbcZ ½UbX½ 8B5FYgYUfW\ 9ggUmgZfcaBVS4/@;A@SdWSe UbXh\Y8]c`\OZ]T0]]Y]T;]`[]\AbcRWSa 9X]hYXVm8Ub]Y`7"DYhYfgcb The Neal A. Maxwell Institute for Religious Scholarship Brigham Young University Provo, Utah Cover design by Jacob D. Rawlins The Neal A. Maxwell Institute for Religious Scholarship Brigham Young University 200 WAIH Provo, UT 84602 © 2008 The Neal A. Maxwell Institute for Religious Scholarship All rights reserved Printed in the United States of America 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1 Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data The Book of Mormon and DNA research : essays from the Farms review and the Journal of Book of Mormon studies / edited by Daniel C. Peterson. p. cm. Includes bibliographical references and index. -
The Secret Mormon Meetings of 1922
University of Nevada, Reno THE SECRET MORMON MEETINGS OF 1922 A thesis submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Arts in History By Shannon Caldwell Montez C. Elizabeth Raymond, Ph.D. / Thesis Advisor December 2019 Copyright by Shannon Caldwell Montez 2019 All Rights Reserved UNIVERSITY OF NEVADA RENO THE GRADUATE SCHOOL We recommend that the thesis prepared under our supervision by SHANNON CALDWELL MONTEZ entitled The Secret Mormon Meetings of 1922 be accepted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of MASTER OF ARTS C. Elizabeth Raymond, Ph.D., Advisor Cameron B. Strang, Ph.D., Committee Member Greta E. de Jong, Ph.D., Committee Member Erin E. Stiles, Ph.D., Graduate School Representative David W. Zeh, Ph.D., Dean, Graduate School December 2019 i Abstract B. H. Roberts presented information to the leadership of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in January of 1922 that fundamentally challenged the entire premise of their religious beliefs. New research shows that in addition to church leadership, this information was also presented during the neXt few months to a select group of highly educated Mormon men and women outside of church hierarchy. This group represented many aspects of Mormon belief, different areas of eXpertise, and varying approaches to dealing with challenging information. Their stories create a beautiful tapestry of Mormon life in the transition years from polygamy, frontier life, and resistance to statehood, assimilation, and respectability. A study of the people involved illuminates an important, overlooked, underappreciated, and eXciting period of Mormon history. -
Of the Bible, 1830-1833: Doctrinal Development During the Kirtland Era
BYU Studies Quarterly Volume 11 Issue 4 Article 6 10-1-1971 The “New Translation” of the Bible, 1830-1833: Doctrinal Development During the Kirtland Era Robert J. Matthews Follow this and additional works at: https://scholarsarchive.byu.edu/byusq Recommended Citation Matthews, Robert J. (1971) "The “New Translation” of the Bible, 1830-1833: Doctrinal Development During the Kirtland Era," BYU Studies Quarterly: Vol. 11 : Iss. 4 , Article 6. Available at: https://scholarsarchive.byu.edu/byusq/vol11/iss4/6 This Article is brought to you for free and open access by the Journals at BYU ScholarsArchive. It has been accepted for inclusion in BYU Studies Quarterly by an authorized editor of BYU ScholarsArchive. For more information, please contact [email protected], [email protected]. Matthews: The “New Translation” of the Bible, 1830-1833: Doctrinal Develop the new translation of the bible 183018331830 1833 doctrinal development during the kirtland era ROBERT j MATTHEWS before one can recognize the role of the new transla- tion 1 of the bible in the development of doctrine during the kirtland era of church history it is necessary that he first have a historical perspective of the beliefs and practices of the church at various times since its organization in 1830 in addi- tion it is necessary that one know what the new translation of the bible is why the prophet joseph smith made the transla- tion when it was made and how it was made in pursuit of these items this article will attempt to look at the church in the early 1830s and -
What the Bible Says About – Hohohoww Sundaykeepingsundaykeeping Beganbegan
Family Bible Studies - 15 page 1 What the Bible says about – HoHoHoww SundaykeepingSundaykeeping BeganBegan SCRIPTURE READING: MATTHEW 5:17-48 Sunday is the first day of the week. Saturday is the seventh day of the week. The question in this lesson is Who changed the Sabbath from Saturday to Sunday? This is important because the observance of the seventh-day Sabbath is commanded by God in the fourth command- ment of the Decalogue (Exodus 20:8-11). Did God give His sanction for the change from the seventh to the first day of the week? 1 - IF THE CHANGE IS VALID, WHO AUTHORIZED IT? Authority for the change should be found in the Bible. Since we are Bible Christians, this goes without saying that it is more authoritative with us than a dictionary is for spelling and definitions. Dictionaries change, but “the Word of our God shall stand for ever” (Isaiah 40:8). Shall we build on the early Church Fathers? These are such men as Clement, Polycarp, Justin Martyr, Irenaeus, and Tertullian. Some of them lived in the second century and some later. Some theologians try to prove doctrine by quoting these early Church Fathers. Dr. Adam Clarke says in his commentary: “But of these [the Fathers] we may safely state, that there is not a truth in the most orthodox creed that cannot be proved by their authority, nor a heresy that has disgraced the Romish Church, that may not chal- lenge them as its authors. In points of doctrine their authority is, with me, nothing. The Word of God alone contains my creed” (Comment on Proverbs 8). -
Analogical Modeling: an Exemplar-Based Approach to Language"
<DOCINFO AUTHOR "" TITLE "Analogical Modeling: An exemplar-based approach to language" SUBJECT "HCP, Volume 10" KEYWORDS "" SIZE HEIGHT "220" WIDTH "150" VOFFSET "4"> Analogical Modeling human cognitive processing is a forum for interdisciplinary research on the nature and organization of the cognitive systems and processes involved in speaking and understanding natural language (including sign language), and their relationship to other domains of human cognition, including general conceptual or knowledge systems and processes (the language and thought issue), and other perceptual or behavioral systems such as vision and non- verbal behavior (e.g. gesture). ‘Cognition’ should be taken broadly, not only including the domain of rationality, but also dimensions such as emotion and the unconscious. The series is open to any type of approach to the above questions (methodologically and theoretically) and to research from any discipline, including (but not restricted to) different branches of psychology, artificial intelligence and computer science, cognitive anthropology, linguistics, philosophy and neuroscience. It takes a special interest in research crossing the boundaries of these disciplines. Editors Marcelo Dascal, Tel Aviv University Raymond W. Gibbs, University of California at Santa Cruz Jan Nuyts, University of Antwerp Editorial address Jan Nuyts, University of Antwerp, Dept. of Linguistics (GER), Universiteitsplein 1, B 2610 Wilrijk, Belgium. E-mail: [email protected] Editorial Advisory Board Melissa Bowerman, Nijmegen; Wallace Chafe, Santa Barbara, CA; Philip R. Cohen, Portland, OR; Antonio Damasio, Iowa City, IA; Morton Ann Gernsbacher, Madison, WI; David McNeill, Chicago, IL; Eric Pederson, Eugene, OR; François Recanati, Paris; Sally Rice, Edmonton, Alberta; Benny Shanon, Jerusalem; Lokendra Shastri, Berkeley, CA; Dan Slobin, Berkeley, CA; Paul Thagard, Waterloo, Ontario Volume 10 Analogical Modeling: An exemplar-based approach to language Edited by Royal Skousen, Deryle Lonsdale and Dilworth B. -
The Book of Mormon Is the Word of God
The Book of Mormon Is the Word of God President Ezra Taft Benson (1899-1994) Ensign, Jan. 1988, pp. 3-5 [Bolded headings are not original as are the numbers within the brackets] Book of Mormon is the Word of God states: “For the fulness of mine intent is that I may As members of The Church of Jesus Christ of persuade men to come unto the God of Abraham, Latter-day Saints, “we believe … the Book of Mormon to and the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob, and be be the word of God.” (A of F 1:8.) God has so declared it, saved. so have its writers, so have its witnesses, and so do all “Wherefore, the things which are pleasing unto the those who have read it and received a personal world I do not write, but the things which are pleasing revelation from God as to its truthfulness. unto God and unto those who are not of the world. In section 20 of the Doctrine and Covenants the Lord “Wherefore, I shall give commandment unto my says that He gave Joseph Smith “power from on high … seed, that they shall not occupy these plates with to translate the Book of Mormon; which contains … the things which are not of worth unto the children of fulness of the gospel of Jesus Christ … which was given men.” (1 Ne. 6:4–6.) by inspiration.” (D&C 20:8–10.) Nephi, one of the prophet-writers of the Book of Mormon, testifies that the book contains “the words of Book of Mormon Brings Men Unto Christ Christ” (2 Ne. -
THE BOOK of MORMON in the ANTEBELLUM POPULAR IMAGINATION by Jared Michael Halverson Thesis Submitted
View metadata, citation and similar papers at core.ac.uk brought to you by CORE provided by ETD - Electronic Theses & Dissertations “EXTRAVAGANT FICTIONS”: THE BOOK OF MORMON IN THE ANTEBELLUM POPULAR IMAGINATION By Jared Michael Halverson Thesis Submitted to the Faculty of the Graduate School of Vanderbilt University in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of MASTER OF ARTS in Religion August, 2012 Nashville, Tennessee Approved: Professor Kathleen Flake Professor James P. Byrd TABLE OF CONTENTS Chapter I. “A BURLESQUE ON THE BIBLE” . 1 II. “THE ASSAULT OF LAUGHTER” . 9 III. “MUCH SPECULATION”: FIRST IMPRESSIONS OF THE BOOK OF MORMON . 18 IV. ABNER COLE AND THE PALMYRA REFLECTOR . 27 MORE SERIOUS “REFLECTIONS” . 38 V. “BAREFACED FABLING”: THE GOLD BIBLE AS (UN)POPULAR FICTION . 43 “THE YANKEE PEDDLER” . 49 “THE BACKWOODSMAN” . 52 “THE BLACK MINSTREL” . 55 THE “NOVEL” BOOK OF MORMON . 59 VI. A RHETORIC OF RIDICULE . 64 ALEXANDER CAMPBELL . 67 EBER HOWE . 70 ORIGEN BACHELER . 74 POPULAR POLEMICS . 78 VII. CONCLUSION: THE LAST LAUGH . 84 BIBLIOGRAPHY . 92 ii CHAPTER 1 “A BURLESQUE ON THE BIBLE” Sometime in late August or early September, 1831, Robert Dale Owen, son of the Scottish utopian reformer Robert Owen, received a letter from his brother William, who had hurriedly written from an Erie Canal boat somewhere near Syracuse, New York. Just as hastily Robert published the correspondence in his New York City newspaper, the Free Enquirer, not knowing that he would receive another, longer letter from William within days, just in time to be included in his weekly’s next run. What proved to be so pressing was what William had discovered onboard the canal boat: “I have met,” he announced dramatically, “with the famous ‘Book of Mormon.’”1 Published in 1830, the Book of Mormon claimed to be nothing short of scripture, an account of America’s ancient inhabitants (themselves a scattered Hebrew remnant) and God’s dealings with them over a long and bloody history.