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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. -
About the Reviewers
Review of Books on the Book of Mormon 1989–2011 Volume 15 Number 2 Article 23 6-1-2003 About the Reviewers FARMS Review Follow this and additional works at: https://scholarsarchive.byu.edu/msr BYU ScholarsArchive Citation Review, FARMS (2003) "About the Reviewers," Review of Books on the Book of Mormon 1989–2011: Vol. 15 : No. 2 , Article 23. Available at: https://scholarsarchive.byu.edu/msr/vol15/iss2/23 This End Matter is brought to you for free and open access by the Journals at BYU ScholarsArchive. It has been accepted for inclusion in Review of Books on the Book of Mormon 1989–2011 by an authorized editor of BYU ScholarsArchive. For more information, please contact [email protected], [email protected]. About the Reviewers Mark Ashurst-McGee (graduate student, Arizona State University) is an associate editor of the Papers of Joseph Smith at the Joseph Fielding Smith Institute for Latter-day Saint History. He won the Reese Award for the best thesis in Mormon History in 2001 for his work on Joseph Smith. Davis Bitton (Ph.D., Princeton University) is professor emeritus of history at the University of Utah and former assistant church histo- rian for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Glen M. Cooper (Ph.D., Columbia University) is an independent scholar specializing in the early history of science, particularly of Graeco-Arabic medicine and astronomy. Robert D. Crockett (J.D., Brigham Young University) is a partner at Latham & Watkins, Los Angeles. Matthew G. Fisher is an undergraduate student at the University of Utah completing degrees in philosophy and English. -
Integrating Textual Criticism in the Study of Early Mormon Texts and History
Intermountain West Journal of Religious Studies Volume 10 Number 1 Fall 2019 Article 6 2019 Returning to the Sources: Integrating Textual Criticism in the Study of Early Mormon Texts and History Colby Townsend Utah State University Follow this and additional works at: https://digitalcommons.usu.edu/imwjournal Recommended Citation Townsend, Colby "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): 58-85. https://digitalcommons.usu.edu/imwjournal/vol10/iss1/6 This Article is brought to you for free and open access by the Journals at DigitalCommons@USU. It has been accepted for inclusion in Intermountain West Journal of Religious Studies by an authorized administrator of DigitalCommons@USU. For more information, please contact [email protected]. TOWNSEND: RETURNING TO THE SOURCES 1 Colby Townsend {[email protected]} is currently applying to PhD programs in early American literature and religion. He completed an MA in History at Utah State University under the direction of Dr. Philip Barlow. He previously received two HBA degrees at the University of Utah in 2016, one in compartibe Literary and Culture Studies with an emphasis in religion and culture, and the other in Religious Studies—of the latter, his thesis was awarded the marriot Library Honors Thesis Award and is being revised for publication, Eden in the Book of Mormon: Appropriation and Retelling of Genesis 2-4 (Kofford, forthcoming). 59 INTERMOUNTAIN WEST JOURNAL OF RELIGIOUS STUDIES Colby Townsend† Returning to the Sources: Integrating Textual Criticism in the Study of Early Mormon Texts and History As historians engage with literary texts, they should ask a few important questions. -
The Seriousness of Mormon Humor We Laugh Most Loudly at the Things We Feel Most Deeply
The Seriousness of Mormon Humor We laugh most loudly at the things we feel most deeply. By William A. Wilson ome time ago a friend of mine, talking to an historian, said he thought the historian and1 were working somewhat similar ground-to which the historian replied, "No, we do legitimate history, not folklore. Why, you should see some of the things Wilson studies. He even takes jokes seriously." I do indeed. And I hope to win others to this conviction. Perhaps even scholars with a little more vision than this particular historian have failed to S take either Mormon literary or folk humor seriously because they have believed that no such humor exists. As Richard Cracroft has pointed out, "one must search far into the first half of the twentieth century before turning up any intentionally sustained published humor" (SUNSTONE,May- 8 SUNSTONE June 1980, p. 31). Not until recent times, in novels like Samuel Taylor's Heaven Knows Why or in shorter pieces like Levi Peterson's "The Christianization of Coburn Heights" (in Canyons of Grace), do we find much written evidence that Mormons have been anything but the stolid, unsmiling souls the rest of the world has believed them to be. Nor is there in the folklore record-at least in the folklore record made available to us through the work of earlier scholars-much evidence to give a happier picture. The reason for this is simple. Just as earlier Mormon writers attempted to give literary expression to the clearly serious struggle to establish the kinedom of God in the western wasteland, so too did the first students of Mormon folklore seek oucthe folk expressions generated by that struggle. -
Simply Implausible: DNA and a Mesoamerican Setting for the Book of Mormon
Simply Implausible: DNA and a Mesoamerican Setting for the Book of Mormon Thomas Murphy IN A RECENT ARTICLE, "Lamanite Genesis, Genealogy, and Genetics," published in the anthology American Apocrypha, I summarized existing genetic research into Native American origins, concluding, "While DNA shows that ultimately all human populations are closely related, to date no intimate genetic link has been found between ancient Israelites and indigenous Americans, much less within the time frame suggested by the Book of Mormon."1 Instead of lending support to an Israelite origin as posited by Mormon scripture, genetic data have confirmed already existing archaeological, cultural, linguistic, and biological data, pointing to migrations from Asia as "the primary source of American In- dian origins."2 Researchers associated with the Foundation for Ancient Research and Mor- mon Studies (FARMS) have rejected hemispheric models of the Book of Mor- mon but still express "confidence in an Israelite genetic presence in Central America and perhaps as far away as Arizona to the north and Colombia to the south."3 I have found no genetic research to support this expectation. Instead, studies of mtDNA (even ancient mtDNA), Y-chromosomes, and protein poly- morphisms in Central American indigenous populations indicate the same Asian origins found elsewhere in the Americas. Given overwhelming genetic evidence against the Book of Mormon's historical claims, I advised in my article "against confusing a spiritual witness [of the Book of Mormon] with scientific evi- 1. Thomas W. Murphy, "Lamanite Genesis, Genealogy, and Genetics," in Dan Vogel and Brent Metcalfe, eds., American Apocrypha: Essays on the Book of Mormon (Salt Lake City: Signature Books, 2002), 48. -
Vernacular Theology, Home Birth and the Mormon Tradition
Vernacular Theology, Home Birth and the Mormon Tradition by © Christine Blythe A thesis submitted to the School of Graduate Studies in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Arts Department of Folklore Memorial University of Newfoundland April 2018 St. John’s, Newfoundland and Labrador Abstract This thesis examines the personal experience narratives of Mormon birth workers and mothers who home birth. I argue that embedded in their stories are vernacular beliefs that inform their interpretations of womanhood and broaden their conceptions of Mormon theology. Here I trace the tradition of Mormon midwifery from nineteenth century Mormonism into the present day and explore how some Mormon birth workers’ interpretation of the Mormon past became a means of identity formation and empowerment. I also examine how several recurring motifs reveal how the pain of natural childbirth—either in submission to or in the surmounting of— became a conduit of theological innovations for the women participating in this research. Their stories shed light on and respond to institutional positions on the family and theological ambiguities about woman’s role in the afterlife. Drawing on the language of my contributors, I argue that in birth women are sacralized, opening the door to an expanding (and empowering) image of Mormon womanhood. Blythe, ii ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS It has been my privilege to work with so many inspiring and intelligent women whose stories make up the better part of my research. My deepest appreciation goes out to each of my contributors for their willingness to participate in this project. I am also indebted to the faculty in the Department of Folklore at Memorial University of Newfoundland for their encouragement and instruction throughout the course of my Master’s Degree, In particular, I thank Maria Lesiv who offered advice on an earlier and abbreviated draft of my thesis and Holly Everett for her abiding encouragement. -
Eye of the Beholder, Law of the Harvest
Eye of the Beholder, Law of the Harvest: Observations on the Kevin Christensen [Page 175]Review of “Letter to a CES Director: Why I Lost My Testimony,” Jeremy Runnells, April 2013, Updated February 23, 2014. 83 pages. http://cesletter.com/Letter-to-a-CES-Director.pdf. Abstract: In his Letter to a CES Director, Jeremy Runnells explains how a year of obsessive investigation brought about the loss of his testimony. In an LDS FAQ, LDS blogger Jeff Lindsay deals with all of the same questions, and has done so at least twenty years and has not only an intact testimony, but boundless enthusiasm. What makes the difference? In the parable of the Sower, Jesus explained that the same seeds (words) can generate completely different harvests, ranging from nothing to a hundred-fold increase, all depending on the different soil and nurture. This essay looks at how different expectations and inquiries for translation, prophets, key scriptural passages on representative issues can lead to very different outcomes for investigators. Jeremy T. Runnells is a “disaffected Mormon” who describes the grounds of his loss of faith in a website/pdf document published in 2013 called Letter to a CES Director: Why I Lost My Testimony. He had been an active LDS until 2012, when he read an account of a news article called “Mormonism Besieged by the Modern Age,” which claimed that Mormons [Page 176]were leaving the church in droves.1 Disturbed, he reports in his 83-page letter that, “All this information is a result of over a year of intense research and an absolute rabid obsession with Joseph Smith and Church history.”2 Jeff Lindsay, on the other hand, describes himself as an active, believing Latter-day Saint and also an apologist who has been blogging since 1994. -
More Than Faith: Latter-Day Saint Women As Politically Aware and Active Americans, 1830-1860
Western Washington University Western CEDAR WWU Graduate School Collection WWU Graduate and Undergraduate Scholarship Spring 2017 More Than Faith: Latter-Day Saint Women as Politically Aware and Active Americans, 1830-1860 Kim M. (Kim Michaelle) Davidson Western Washington University, [email protected] Follow this and additional works at: https://cedar.wwu.edu/wwuet Part of the History Commons Recommended Citation Davidson, Kim M. (Kim Michaelle), "More Than Faith: Latter-Day Saint Women as Politically Aware and Active Americans, 1830-1860" (2017). WWU Graduate School Collection. 558. https://cedar.wwu.edu/wwuet/558 This Masters Thesis is brought to you for free and open access by the WWU Graduate and Undergraduate Scholarship at Western CEDAR. It has been accepted for inclusion in WWU Graduate School Collection by an authorized administrator of Western CEDAR. For more information, please contact [email protected]. More Than Faith: Latter-Day Saint Women as Politically Aware and Active Americans 1830-1860 By Kim Michaelle Davidson Accepted in Partial Completion of the Requirements for the Degree Master of Arts Kathleen L. Kitto, Dean of the Graduate School ADVISORY COMMITTEE Chair, Dr. Jared Hardesty Dr. Hunter Price Dr. Holly Folk MASTER’S THESIS In presenting this thesis in partial fulfillment of the requirements for a master’s degree at Western Washington University, I grant to Western Washington University the non- exclusive royalty-free right to archive, reproduce, distribute, and display the thesis in any and all forms, including electronic format, via any digital library mechanisms maintained by WWU. I represent and warrant this is my original work, and does not infringe or violate any rights of others. -
Too Good to Be True: Questionable Archaeology and the Book of Mormon
TOO GOOD TO BE TRUE: QUESTIONABLE ARCHAEOLOGY AND THE BOOK OF MORMON By Brant Gardner In recent years, two very different books have appeared uncovered the large replica of a shuttle ground that discuss the place of the Book of Mormon in the black slate and highly polished. One surface real world. Although they differ widely in the locations displayed the incised drawing of a man’s head where they place the Book of Mormon action, they are wearing a helmet and the obverse showed two remarkably similar in one sadly coincidental detail. Both lines of writing; a group of cuneiform and a line books use artifacts in support of the Book of Mormon of an unknown script. Over that 19th Century that are known or regarded by experts to be forgeries. summer, more pieces were found in the sur- Even more coincidentally, both authors know of the con- rounding countryside, including a copper dag- troversies, and respond to the debunking of their fa- ger, a clay box, and some slate tablets, each item vored artifacts in similar ways. showing an unknown grouping of script but each on bearing on it the grouping of cuneiform, the The first book is This Land: Zarahemla and the Nephite same as that on the slate shuttle.1 Nation, and the second is The Lives and Travels of Mor- mon and Moroni. The first book places the Book of Mor- A representative slate tablet is shown in Figure 1. In mon lands in North America, with Cumorah in New the circle is the “cuneiform grouping” and in the rect- York and the Mississippi as the Sidon. -
Policing the Borders of Identity At
POLICING THE BORDERS OF IDENTITY AT THE MORMON MIRACLE PAGEANT Kent R. Bean A dissertation Submitted to the Graduate College of Bowling Green State University in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy December 2005 Jack Santino, Advisor Richard C. Gebhardt, Graduate Faculty Representative John Warren Nathan Richardson William A. Wilson ii ABSTRACT Jack Santino, Advisor While Mormons were once the “black sheep” of Christianity, engaging in communal economic arrangements, polygamy, and other practices, they have, since the turn of the twentieth century, modernized, Americanized, and “Christianized.” While many of their doctrines still cause mainstream Christians to deny them entrance into the Christian fold, Mormons’ performance of Christianity marks them as not only Christian, but as perhaps the best Christians. At the annual Mormon Miracle Pageant in Manti, Utah, held to celebrate the origins of the Mormon founding, Evangelical counter- Mormons gather to distribute literature and attempt to dissuade pageant-goers from their Mormonism. The hugeness of the pageant and the smallness of the town displace Christianity as de facto center and make Mormonism the central religion. Cast to the periphery, counter-Mormons must attempt to reassert the centrality of Christianity. Counter-Mormons and Mormons also wrangle over control of terms. These “turf wars” over issues of doctrine are much more about power than doctrinal “purity”: who gets to authoritatively speak for Mormonism. Meanwhile, as Mormonism moves Christianward, this creates room for Mormon fundamentalism, as small groups of dissidents lay claim to Joseph Smith’s “original” Mormonism. Manti is home of the True and Living Church of Jesus Christ of Saints of the Last Days, a group that broke away from the Mormon Church in 1994 and considers the mainstream church apostate, offering a challenge to its dominance in this time and place. -
The Marrow of Human Experience
Utah State University DigitalCommons@USU All USU Press Publications USU Press 2006 The Marrow of Human Experience William A. Wilson Follow this and additional works at: https://digitalcommons.usu.edu/usupress_pubs Part of the Folklore Commons, and the History of Religion Commons Recommended Citation Wilson, W. A., Rudy, J. T., & Call, D. (2006). The marrow of human experience: Essays on folklore. Logan, UT: Utah State University Press. This Book is brought to you for free and open access by the USU Press at DigitalCommons@USU. It has been accepted for inclusion in All USU Press Publications by an authorized administrator of DigitalCommons@USU. For more information, please contact [email protected]. The Marrow of Human Experience ESSAYS ON FOLKLORE William A. Wilson Edited by Jill Terry Rudy The Marrow of Human Experience The Marrow of Human Experience ! Essays on Folklore By William A. Wilson Edited by Jill Terry Rudy with the assistance of Diane Call Utah State University Press Logan, UT Copyright © 2006 Utah State University Press All rights reserved Utah State University Press Logan, Utah 84322–7800 www.usu.edu/usupress/ Manufactured in the United States of America Printed on acid-free paper Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data Wilson, William Albert. The marrow of human experience : essays on folklore / by William A. Wilson ; edited by Jill Terry Rudy with the assistance of Diane Call. p. cm. Includes index. ISBN-13: 978-0-87421-653-0 (pbk.) ISBN- 0-87421-545-5 (e-book) ISBN-10: 0-87421-653-2 (pbk. : alk. paper) 1. Folklore and nationalism. 2. -
Mormon Studies Review Volume 1 Mormon Studies Review
Mormon Studies Review Volume 1 | Number 1 Article 27 1-1-2014 Mormon Studies Review Volume 1 Mormon Studies Review Follow this and additional works at: https://scholarsarchive.byu.edu/msr2 Part of the Mormon Studies Commons BYU ScholarsArchive Citation Review, Mormon Studies (2014) "Mormon Studies Review Volume 1," Mormon Studies Review: Vol. 1 : No. 1 , Article 27. Available at: https://scholarsarchive.byu.edu/msr2/vol1/iss1/27 This Full Issue is brought to you for free and open access by the All Journals at BYU ScholarsArchive. It has been accepted for inclusion in Mormon Studies Review by an authorized editor of BYU ScholarsArchive. For more information, please contact [email protected], [email protected]. Review: <em>Mormon Studies Review</em> Volume 1 2014 MORMON Volume 1 Neal A. Maxwell Institute STUDIES for Religious Scholarship REVIEW Brigham Young University EDITOR J. Spencer Fluhman, Brigham Young University ASSOCIATE EDITORS D. Morgan Davis, Brigham Young University Benjamin E. Park, University of Cambridge EDITORIAL ADVISORY BOARD Philip L. Barlow, Leonard J. Arrington Chair of Mormon History and Culture, Utah State University Richard L. Bushman, Gouverneur Morris Professor of History, Emeritus, Columbia University Douglas J. Davies, Professor in the Study of Religion, Durham University Eric A. Eliason, Professor of English, Brigham Young University James E. Faulconer, Richard L. Evans Professor of Religious Understanding and Professor of Philosophy, Brigham Young University Kathleen Flake, Richard L. Bushman Chair of Mormon Studies, University of Virginia Terryl L. Givens, James A. Bostwick Chair of English and Professor of Literature and Religion, University of Richmond Sarah Barringer Gordon, Arlin M.