My Favorite Books on the Book of Mormon

I thought that I would quickly post a bibliography of some of my favorite books written on the Book of Mormon. These books range from books that described the history, context, doctrine and evidences of the Book of Mormon. As you study the Book of Mormon, may I suggest that, if possible, you pick up some of these titles as secondary reading.

1. Second Witness: Analytical and Contextual Commentary on the Book of Mormon, 6 volumes, by Brant Gardner

2. Echos and Evidences of the Book of Mormon, edited by Daniel C. Peterson, Donald W. Parry and John W. Welch

3. Lehi in the Desert/The World of the Jaredites/There Were Jaredites by Hugh Nibley

4. Pressing Forward with the Book of Mormon edited by John W. Welch and Melvin J. Thorne

5. Book of Mormon Authorship Revisited: The Evidence for Ancient Origins edited by Noel B. Reynolds

6. Testaments: Links Between the Book of Mormon and the Hebrew Bible by John Tvedtnes and David Bokovoy

7. Christ and the New Covenant by Elder Jeffry R. Holland

8. Since Cumorah by Hugh Nibley

9. Book of Mormon Authorship: New Light on Ancient Origins edited by Noel B. Reynolds

10. King Benjamin's Speech: "That Ye May Learn Wisdom" edited by John W. Welch and Stephen D. Ricks

11. New Witnesses for God, 3 volumes, by Elder B. H. Roberts

12. The Book of Mormon and Other Hidden Books: Out of Darkness, Unto Light by John Tvedtnes

13. An Ancient American Setting for the Book of Mormon by John Sorenson

14. Isaiah in the Book of Mormon edited by John W. Welch and Donald W. Parry

15. Glimpses of Lehi's Jerusalem edited by John W. Welch and David and Jo Ann Seely

16. Investigating the Book of Mormon Witnesses by Richard L. Anderson

17. Plates of Gold: The Book of Mormon Comes Forth by Matthew B. Brown

18. New Witness for Christ in America, 2 volumes, by Francis W. Kirkham

19. By the Hand of Mormon by Terryl Givens

20. Teachings of the Book of Mormon, 4 volumes, by Hugh Nibley

Well, there is a short list of my favorite books. There are many more that I could add, but this will suffice for now. Any of these titles are very good and invaluable for your personal Book of Mormon study.

Is Joe an Anti-Christian?

A Note to the Reader: Normally this blog deals with Book of Mormon issues, but I was compelled to post this on the blog. So, enjoy.

Recently, on the Mormon Apologetics & Discussion Board, some non-LDS Christians complained that Mormons do not have the right to call the Street Preachers at the Manti Pageant or at Temple Square "Anti-Mormons". Furthermore, they said, the word "Anti-Mormon" is nothing but a slanderous epithet.

Because of this, I posted the following parable, what I like to call the parable of Joe the Atheist, on MADB in order to illustrate how those who will not allow the Latter-day Saints to call said Street Preachers Anti-Mormon are using a double standard. Well, here it is:

Meet Joe. Joe was once a Christian, saved, mind you, when he was 14. But now Joe is an atheist. Joe, according to his autobiography My Life Out of the Christian Cult: How I Lost Christianity and Embraced Darwinism, saw past the "lies, delusions and falsehoods of Christianity" when he was in college and took courses in Biology, Geology and History. He was shocked, he writes in his book, when he learned that the Earth is 6 Billion years old and that man evolved from lower species over millions of years. Furthermore, he was shocked to discover in his History class about the Crusades, that Martin Luther was a virulent anti-Semite, that John Calvin condoned the burning of a rival theologian and how the Puritans engaged in full blown genocide against the Native Americans in order to secure their "City Upon a Hill". Why hadden't his Pastor told him about this? As Joe researched more, he was flabbergasted to learn of the textual errors in both the Old and New Testament and that the original manuscripts do not exist. Why had this never been discussed in Sunday School?

Well, that was it for Joe. He became convinced that Christianity was false and renounced his faith.

Now, meet Joe 20 years later. Joe is the proprietor and web-master of Jesuslied.com and a local bookstore Atheist Press wherein Joe happily writes, prints, and distributes pamphlets entitled Is the Bible Inerrant?, Behind the Mask of Christianity, 20 Reasons Why Jesus Lied, Problems with Christian History and The False Teachings of Christianity. He even makes high production value DVDs such as Jesus Vs. Science and has had friends distribute this, and his other materials, to Christian patrons who are arriving for Church or large gatherings. While at these gatherings of Christians, Joe wipes his rear with the New Testament. He throws crosses on the ground and proudly waves banners proclaiming that Peter was a violent thug for cutting off the ear of the soldier trying to arrest Jesus and that Paul was a lunatic and simply hallucinating. He calls out Christians and records them (for his blog and Youtube, no less) as he asks questions designed to prey on their ignorance.

"Did you know that Mary would have been a teenager when she got pregnant with Jesus? That makes God a pedophile! He impregnated a teenage girl!" Joe Screams.

"Did you know that Paul's first recorded version of his "vision" on the road to Damascus was over two decades after it supposedly happened?" He asks another young Christian couple minding their own business.

"Your religion is stupid. It is virulent. It tares apart families! There is no God! Jesus was not the Messiah! He was a liar!" Joe continues.

Well, that is not all Joe has up his sleeve. He has brought along some friends, and together they dress up as the wives and concubines of Abraham, David and Solomon (to show just how amoral they were) and parade around as these Christians try to enjoy their services.*

Later, Joe writes on his blog that Christians who complain that his activities are less than honorable and downright uncivil are simply "anti-Atheist" and refuses to allow them to call him and "Anti-Christian" because it is just the "Christian N-word"**

Now, here is my question to the likes of Aaron and his ilk (or anyone else for that matter):

1. Is Joe an Anti-Christian?

A simple "Yes" or "No" with an explanation would suffice.

2. If you voted "Yes" then what is the difference between Joe's actions and those of Street Preachers like Aaron?

3. If you answered "No" then see the follow up question #2.

* Note: At the 2008 Manti Pageant, anti-Mormon protesters dressed up as Joseph Smith and his 34 wives in an attempt to shock Mormons at the pageant and show just how immoral Joseph Smith must have been.
**Note: Bill McKeever has described the word "anti-Mormon" as the "Mormon N-Word" on his website.

Mormon Mythbuster: Mormons do not believe in nor do they read the Bible!

Not true.

On LDS.org, the Church's principal means of disseminating doctrine on the Web, these are the statistics for Google searches related to the Bible:

"bible" = about 12,100 mentions
"New Testament" = about 9,710 mentions
"Old Testament" = about 12,000 mentions

Together, the total is over 33,800. And that is just for those three sets of keywords. There are many more keywords that appear in the Bible itself that we could analyze, but this is a sufficiently convincing example.

Okay, so we mention the Bible on our web site. But what do we say about it? Do we actually believe it to be true, or are we just mentioning it as a criticism of it?

See for yourself. These search results from lds.org (which appear to be more limited as compared to the Google numbers) list all articles in all publications by the Church that refer to the keywords "bible", "new testament", and "old testament".

Look at the page-by-page results and read some of the articles to discover what we actually say. What you see here is what we use in all of our Gospel instruction lessons for Sunday School, Young Women's and Young Men's organizations (teens from 12-18), Primary (children under 12), Relief Society (women 18 and over), and Priesthood quorums (males 12 and over). They also include all of our General Conference sessions and firesides, support materials, magazine articles, and other special talks and occasions recorded for posterity.

We read and refer to the Bible. A lot.

Not once will you ever read of any of our leaders denouncing the Bible. The LDS Article of Faith #8 states: "We believe the Bible to be the word of God as far as it is translated correctly; we also believe the Book of Mormon to be the word of God."

That is, when we weigh how the Bible came to be with how the Book of Mormon came to be, there are obvious differences that must be taken into account as we read, study, ponder, and pray. BUT, we believe both to be the word of God.

Our Bible is the King James Version (KJV). We are told by prophets, who are told by God via revelation, to use that version of the many that exist because it is the most correct of all translations. Joseph Smith was commanded to correct the scribal transmission errors and outright changes that were made, which version we call the Joseph Smith Translation (JST), but because Joseph was unable to complete that version and present it before the Church members for their acceptance before he was martyred, we use the King James Version.

As always, when in doubt, check it out. Ask someone who is a faithful member what they believe. There are always lots of people to tell you otherwise, but you'll really only know both sides when you also ask someone who is an adherent.

The Role of the Compass (1 Nephi 18, Part II)

"And it came to pass that after they had bound me insomuch that I could not move, the compass, which had been prepared of the Lord, did cease to work."

These are the words of Nephi as we return to the events that occurred after he calls Laman and Lemuel and those that heeded them to repentance. The ship they had built was well on its way to the promised land, they had been preserved numerous times in miraculous ways by God's power, yet they had returned to their riotous and rebellious ways of living.

The compass, yet another miracle showing God's power, ceased to point the direction in which they should steer the ship to arrive safely in the promised land. They were now adrift in a storm (see vs. 13) and for four days were not only driven backwards, but were dangerously close to being capsized.

After much lamentation and suffering on the part of the righteous members of the group, Laman and Lemuel finally saw that their actions had contributed to their dire situation and agreed to untie Nephi.

Immediately, the compass began to function again. Nephi prayed for deliverance and the storm abated. The sea calmed and Nephi again directed the ship toward the promised land using the direction given by the compass.

We should pause to note here how the compass was a physical reminder to them, much like manna was to the children of Israel, of the absolute necessity of relying on the guidance of the Spirit at all times and in all places. In order for us to hear the promptings of the Spirit in our hearts, we have to be living in such a way that we can recognize those promptings. The Lord provided the compass as a way to create a more recognizable dependency to show how lost they would be without Him.

Note that Nephi and Lehi seem to have gotten along just fine without the compass directing their every move. Numerous times we read of both Lehi and Nephi listening to the Spirit and responding to it and the compass is not mentioned as part of those experiences. They both had visions and angelic visits that seem to be separate from the experience of using the compass for guidance.

The compass, then, seems to have been prepared for the members of the family who were less inclined to listen to the Spirit. More importantly, it shows that the Lord did not forsake them for this, but made every effort to include them in the migration to the promised land so they could participate in the blessings found there for themselves and their posterity. He could have left them behind in Jerusalem to perish, yet did everything possible to give them the benefit of their own doubts so they could share in the same blessings as those who were inclined to listen to the Spirit.

God's plan was greater than Laman and Lemuel's disobedience.

Likewise, God's plan for us is greater than our individual disobedience. The Book of Mormon and other holy scriptures are modern-day compasses to guide us in these latter days. If we heed them, we will be blessed and guided. If we reject them, we will reap certain consequences, but God will still endeavor to bring us back to Him through adversity.

As soon as they arrive in the promised land, they begin to plant seeds that they had brought with them. Whether they were commanded to bring seeds or whether it seemed like a good idea when confronted with the unknowns of a new land is not noted in the Book of Mormon. But we do see that the Jaredites (see the Book of Ether), who came to the Americas at the time of the Tower of Babel many centuries before Lehi's group, also brought seeds with them. Therefore, it stands to reason that they were commanded of the Lord to do so for some purpose not stated.

Nephi's record shows that many animals were found in the promised land. The latest research into what animals existed in the Americas near 600 B.C. will be the subject of another post.

Authentic Egyptian Names in the Book of Mormon

The Book of Mormon claims a close tie to all things Egyptian (1 Nephi 1:1-2, Mosiah 1:2-4). Indeed, the very script that Mormon used in abridging the plates was, according to him, an Egyptian script called amongst the Nephite scribes "reformed Egyptian" (Mormon 9:32). Because of this, and considering that 1) Lehi was a descendant of Joseph of Egypt (1 Nephi 5:14) and 2) Egypt had a strong cultural and religious connection with Israel during Lehi's time, we should not be surprised to find strong Egyptian influences amongst the peoples of the Book of Mormon.

One such influence can be seen in the names of several people in the Book of Mormon. These names, as have been noted by Latter-day Saint scholars, are authentic ancient Egyptian names. The following comes from Dr. Hugh Nibley's classic work Lehi in the Desert (pages 25-30) and can be accessed online on the website of the Neal A. Maxwell Institute.

Aha (BM), son of Nephite commander in chief.
Aha (OW), a name of the first Pharaoh; it means "warrior" and is a common word.

Aminadab (BM), Nephite missionary in time of the judges.
Amanathabi (OW), chief of a Canaanite city under Egyptian domination. The name is "reformed" Egyptian.

Ammon (BM), the commonest name in the Book of Mormon.
Ammon (Amon, Amun) (OW), the commonest name in the Egyptian Empire: the great universal God of the Empire.

Ammoni-hah (BM), name of a country and city.
Ammuni-ra (OW), prince of Beyrut under Egyptian rule.

Cezoram (BM), Nephite chief judge.
Chiziri (OW), Egyptian governor of a Syrian city.

Giddonah (BM), a) high priest who judge Korihor, b) father of Amulek.
Dji-dw-na (OW), the Egyptian name for Sidon.

Gidgiddoni and Gidgiddonah (BM), Nephite generals.
Djed-djhwt-iw-f and Djed-djhwti-iw-s plus ankh (OW), Egyptian proper names meaning "Thoth hath said: he shall live," and "Thoth hath said: she shall live," respectively. On this pattern the two Nephite names mean "Thoth hath said I shall live," and "Thoth hath said: we shall live," respectively.

Gimgim-no (BM), city of Gimgim, compare Biblical No-Amon, "City of Amon."
Kenkeme (OW), Egyptian city, cf. Kipkip, seat of the Egyptian dynasty in Nubia.

Hem (BM), brother of the earlier Ammon.
Hem (OW), means "servant," specifically of Ammon, as in the title Hem tp n 'Imn, "chief servant of Ammon" held by the high priest of Thebes.

Helaman (BM), great Nephite prophet.
Her-amon (OW), "in the presence of Amon," as in the Egyptian proper name Heri-i-her-imn. Semitic "l" is always written "r" in Egyptian, which has no "l." Conversely, the Egyptian "r" is often written "l" in Semitic languages.

Himni (BM), a son of King Mosiah.
Hmn (OW), a name of the Egyptian hawk-god, symbol of the emperor.

Korihor (BM), a political agitator who was seized by the people of Ammon.
Kherihor (also written Khurhor, etc.) (OW), great high priest of Ammon who seized the throne of Egypt at Thebes, cir. 1085 B.C.

Manti (BM), the name of a Nephite soldier, a land, a city, and a hill.
Manti (OW), Semitic form of an Egyptian proper name, e.g., Manti-mankhi, a prince in Upper Egypt cir. 650 B.C. It is a late form of Month, god of Hermonthis.

Morianton (BM), the name of a Nephite city and its founder, cf. the Nephite province Moriantum.
Meriaton and Meriamon (OW), names of Egyptian princes, "Beloved of Aton" and "Beloved of Amon" respectively.

Nephi (BM), founder of the Nephite nation.
Nehi, Nehri (OW), famous Egyptian noblemen. Nfy was the name of an Egyptian captain. Since BM insists on "ph," Nephi is closer to Nihpi, original name of the god Pa-nepi, which may even have been Nephi. (Note: I have covered the name "Nephi" in an earlier post. See "Some Notes on the Name Nephi".)

Paanchi (BM), son of Pahoran, Sr., and pretender to the chief-judgeship.
Paanchi (OW), son of Kherihor, a) chief high priest of Amon, b) ruler of the south who conquered all of Egypt and was high priest of Amon at Thebes.

Pahoran (BM), a) great chief judge, b) son of the same.
Pa-her-an (OW), ambassador of Egypt in Palestine, where his name has the "reformed" reading Pahura; in Egyptian as Pa-her-y it means "the Syrian" or Asiatic.

Pacumeni (BM), son of Pahoran.
Pakamen (OW), Egyptian proper name meaning "blind man"; also Pamenches (Gk. Pachomios), commander of the south and high priest of Horus.

Pachus (BM), revolutionary leader and usurper of the throne.
Pa-ks and Pach-qs (OW), Egyptian proper name. Compare Pa-ches-i, "he is praised."

Sam (BM), brother of Nephi.
Sam Tawi (OW), Egyptian "uniter of the lands," title taken by the brother of Nehri upon mounting the throne.

Zemna-ri-hah (BM), robber chief.
Zmn-ha-re (OW), Egyptian proper name: the same elements as the above in different order—a common Egyptian practice.

Zeniff (BM), ruler of Nephite colony.
Znb, Snb (OW), very common elements in Egyptian proper names, cf. Senep-ta.

Zenoch (BM), according to various Nephite writers, an ancient Hebrew prophet.
Zenekh (OW), Egyptian proper name; once a serpent-god.

The reader must remember that in Semitic languages, including Hebrew and Egyptian, vowels do no exist, and thus the more important factor are the consonant roots, which are spot on in the names of these figures in the Book of Mormon and other Egyptian names. Furthermore, the presence of a variation in vowels in these names is, as Nibley notes, "...strong confirmation of their common origin, since names are bound to undergo some change with time and distance, whereas if the resemblance were perfect, we should be forced to attribute it, however fantastic it might seem, to mere coincidence. There must be differences; and what is more, those differences should not be haphazard but display definite tendencies. This brings us to a most impressive aspect of Book of Mormon names."

In summation, the presence of Egyptian names in the Book of Mormon is not only something that should create appreciation on behalf of the reader for the context from whence the Book of Mormon came (i.e. the ancient Near East) but is also strong evidence of its antiquity. Egyptian was not understood in Joseph Smith's antebellum America. Indeed, only a select few scholars in Europe could barely read Egyptian. For Joseph Smith to get any authentic Egyptian names in the Book of Mormon if he were simply writing it is beyond credulity. The presence of Egyptian names in the Book of Mormon can force only one conclusion: that whoever wrote the Book of Mormon was familiar with an ancient Near Eastern background.

For further reading, see the following:

http://www.farms.byu.edu/publications/booksmain.php?bookid=59

http://maxwellinstitute.byu.edu/pdf.php?filename=NDM1Mjg3MTgxLTktMS5wZGY=&type=amJtcw==

http://en.fairmormon.org/Book_of_Mormon_anachronisms/Names

Chiasmus in the Book of Mormon

The Book of Mormon claims to be a record written by a series of ancient Hebrew prophets to "the convincing of the Jew and Gentile that Jesus is the Christ, the Eternal God." (Book of Mormon Title Page) If this claim were true, there should be evidence that the author(s) of the Book of Mormon was/were familiar with Hebrew poetic and rhetorical structuring.

As it turns out, the Book of Mormon is indeed ripe with many forms of Hebraic poetic rhetorical devices. One example is that of what has been called chiasmus. Chiasmus "is a form of parallelism used as a poetic structure in some ancient writings from the Middle East and Greece". (J. Welch, "Chiasmus in Alma 36," FARMS Working Paper WEL-89a, Foundations for Ancient Research and Mormon Studies, Provo, Utah, 1989). This form of parallelism is very common in Jewish literature, including the Book of Mormon.

Without a doubt, the leading authority on chiasmus in the Book of Mormon is John W. Welch, a scholar at the Neal A. Maxwell Institute who, while on his mission in Germany in the 1960's, discovered chiasmus in the Book of Mormon. (The interesting account of his discovery is in the newest edition of the Journal of Book of Mormon Studies. http://farms.byu.edu/display.php?table=jbms&id=448)

Professor Welch has written extensively on this issue, so I will not repeat everything that he has already discussed. Nevertheless, these few examples of chiasmus will serve as a good example as to the Hebrew nature of the Book of Mormon.

Mosiah 3:18,19:
(Men will drink damnation to their souls unless)
(a) They HUMBLE themselves

(b) and become as little CHILDREN

(c) believing that salvation is in the ATONING BLOOD OF CHRIST;

(d) for the NATURAL MAN

(e) is an enemy of GOD

(f) and HAS BEEN from the fall of Adam
(f') and WILL BE forever and ever

(e') unless he yieldeth to the HOLY SPIRIT

(d') and putteth off the NATURAL MAN

(c') and becometh a saint through the ATONEMENT OF CHRIST

(b') and becometh as a CHILD

(a') submissive, meek and HUMBLE.


Mosiah 5:10-12:
(a) And now it shall come to pass, that whosoever shall not take upon him the NAME of Christ

(b) must be CALLED by some other name;

(c) therefore, he findeth himself on the LEFT HAND of God.

(d) And I would that ye should REMEMBER also, that this is the NAME

(e) that I said I should give unto you that never should be BLOTTED out,

(f) except it be through TRANSGRESSION;
(f') therefore, take heed that ye do not TRANSGRESS,

(e') that the name be not BLOTTED OUT of your hearts.

(d') I say unto you, I would that ye should REMEMBER to retain the NAME

(c') written always in your hearts, that ye are not found on the LEFT HAND of God,

(b') but that ye hear and know the voice by which ye shall be CALLED,

(a') and also, the NAME by which he shall call you.


Alma 41: 13-14:

O, my son, this is not the case; but the meaning of the word restoration is to bring back again evil for evil, or carnal for carnal, or devilish for devilish--

(a,a) GOOD for that which is GOOD;
(b,b) RIGHTEOUS for that which is RIGHTEOUS;
(c,c) JUST for that which is JUST;
(d,d) MERCIFUL for that which is MERCIFUL.

(d')Therefore, my son, see that you are MERCIFUL unto your brethren;
(c') deal JUSTLY,
(b') judge RIGHTEOUSLY,
(a') and do GOOD continually; and if ye do all these things then shall ye receive your reward;

(d'') yea, ye shall have MERCY restored unto you again;
(c'') ye shall have JUSTICE restored unto you again;
(b'') ye shall have a RIGHTEOUS judgment restored unto you again;
(a'') and ye shall have GOOD rewarded unto you again.

But these are not all the examples of chiasmus in the Book of Mormon. Entire sections, such as Alma's discourse to his son, seem to have been edited by Mormon in such a way that they, for added emphasis, are structured chiastically. (See bottom page).

These interesting Hebraic elements in the Book of Mormon are strong evidence that the book was written by someone familiar with ancient Hebrew rhetorical and poetic strategies. Considering that Joseph Smith did not study Hebrew until 5 years after the Book of Mormon, this further makes him an unlikely author of the text.

Note: This has been but a very short introduction to this issue. The reader, therefore, is encouraged to follow up by reading the following.
http://www.jefflindsay.com/chiasmus.shtml#1

This website gives a good introduction to the issue with an excellent bibliography for further research.

Also see:



From Alma's discourse:

  (a) My son, give ear to my WORDS (1)
  (b) KEEP THE COMMANDMENTS of God and ye shall PROSPER IN THE LAND (2)
   (c) DO AS I HAVE DONE (2)
    (d) in REMEMBERING THE CAPTIVITY of our fathers (2);
     (e) for they were in BONDAGE (2)
      (f) he surely did DELIVER them (2)
       (g) TRUST in God (3)
        (h) supported in their TRIALS, and TROUBLES, and AFFLICTIONS (3)
         (i) shall be lifted up at the LAST DAY (3)
          (j) I KNOW this not of myself but of GOD (4)
           (k) BORN OF GOD (5)
            (l) I sought to destroy the church of God (6-9)
             (m) MY LIMBS were paralyzed (10)
              (n) Fear of being in the PRESENCE OF GOD (14-15)
               (o) PAINS of a damned soul (16)
                (p) HARROWED UP BY THE MEMORY OF SINS (17)
                 (q) I remembered JESUS CHRIST, SON OF GOD (17)
                 (q') I cried, JESUS, SON OF GOD (18)
                (p') HARROWED UP BY THE MEMORY OF SINS no more (19)
               (o')  Joy as exceeding as was the PAIN (20)
              (n') Long to be in the PRESENCE OF GOD (22)
             (m') My LIMBS received their strength again (23)
            (l') I labored to bring souls to repentance (24)
           (k') BORN OF GOD (26)
          (j') Therefore MY KNOWLEDGE IS OF GOD (26)
         (h') Supported under TRIALS, TROUBLES, and AFFLICTIONS (27)
        (g') TRUST in him (27)
       (f') He will deliver me (27)
      (i') and RAISE ME UP AT THE LAST DAY (28)
     (e') As God brought our fathers out of BONDAGE and captivity (28-29)
    (d') Retain in REMEMBRANCE THEIR CAPTIVITY (28-29)
   (c') KNOW AS I DO KNOW (30)
  (b') KEEP THE COMMANDMENTS and ye shall PROSPER IN THE LAND (30)
  (a') This is according to his WORD (30).

Book: Ancient Americans: Rewriting the History of the New World

Book of Mormon scholarship under the prominent LDS researchers today has been the mainstay of arguments for a different understanding of pre-Columbian populations in the Americas. At a certain point in recent history, that began to change as new publications, often independently authored, brought to light other theories and evidences that have the potential to change the consensus of typical American Indian studies.

One of those publications is "Ancient Americans: Rewriting the History of the New World" by Charles C. Mann. Published in 2005, this book outlines an alternative to previously held conclusions about pre-Columbian American civilizations as well as a new way of viewing the events that followed European contact with the Americas.

Mann is not LDS, which makes his work all that more interesting to me. I find it refreshing to see that we are not the only ones who question the status quo when it comes to ancient American research. There is much more to be discovered that will cast new light on our currently held understanding about ancient American civilizations.

Video: LDS Church Growth Through 2007

The LDS Church has grown in leaps and bounds in the last century since it was founded in 1830. Church growth is often highlighted in news stories that treat various topics of Mormonism. Have a look at this updated video that highlights Church growth on a map of the world. The dots on the map correspond to "stakes", units of the Church that roughly correspond to what in the Catholic church would be called a diocese. A stake is made up of several "wards" (equivalent to a parish). Each ward has around 400 individuals and each stake has between 4,000 and 5,000 individuals.

Click an icon to watch the video...

Nephi Finishes the Ship (1 Nephi 18, Part I)

"It is good, brother. It is very good."

Those are words we might imagine Laman or Lemuel saying to Nephi as the ship was completed. For a brief time, it seems, the family is unified in humility and faith. They loaded provisions, made ready, and launched into the ocean in the few verses that Nephi records of this momentous event.

He also mentions the births of two brothers, Jacob and Joseph. Their ages at the ship's launch are not known since it states that they were born at some point "in the wilderness". We do know, however, that Jacob was the eldest and that Joseph was younger and the wilderness journey was about eight years. Therefore both of them were between one and eight years of age.

Unfortunately, after many days on the ocean, everyone seems to have settled into their regular roles and rhythm. We again see Laman and Lemuel becoming spiritually slothful. Nephi describes them as beginning to "dance, and to sing". Not that there is anything wrong with dancing and singing. That has always been approved by the Lord as a form of worship. However, he also states that they began to "speak with much rudeness", which corresponded more to the rioting and revelling of the children of Israel at Mt. Sinai than to worship. This conclusion is borne out when we read that they again "did forget by what power they had been brought thither".

Nephi, hoping to correct them and bring them back to a more gentle and worshipful way of life, speaks up, only to be verbally and physically assaulted once again. In their minds, Nephi opening his mouth meant that he was trying to take away from them their birthright as being eldest sons and they lived in constant fear that he might be trying to make himself a king over them.

It is worth pausing here to further analyze how we can compare their attitudes to those found in the world today. Certainly there is a great amount of rhetoric coming from those who profess that there is no God, or that those who believe in God are trying to "shove religion down others' throats". It has become a common complaint by a loud minority in an increasingly vocal and connected society.

Considering that those who revile today against people who openly confess faith in a higher power are living under the same fear as Laman and Lemuel is not much of a stretch. One of the most common epithets hurled at believers is that they are trying to set up a theocracy (a form of government based on divine law), which is a word that holds a negative connotation after the Taliban reared its ugly head in post-Soviet Afghanistan. Suddenly, anyone who believes in God is in danger of persecution from secularists as if all believers are foot soldiers for the dictator of some kind of new world order.

Was Nephi trying to set up a theocracy? Reading further on in the Book of Mormon, we find that he was not, at least not by today's definition of the word. Nephi was simply trying to teach his people to live "after the manner of happiness." The prophets of all ages have taught that there is no lasting happiness in sin, and Nephi's cause was no different.

Upon further analysis based on simple observation, we find that the opposite is actually becoming more true. Secularism is becoming the dominant religion and tyrannical government all its own.

Look around you. When you turn on the television, open a newspaper, search the Internet, or read a magazine, what comprises the bulk of the content you see? Count how many are trying to lure you into accepting adultery and fornication as normal behavior between consenting adults. Tally the number of messages that are about buying a new car early and often. Add up the propaganda with the subtext of "you're never going to be beautiful enough", "you'll never have enough gadgets and toys", and "you'll never be thin until you try this new drug". Happiness, apparently, comes packaged as a standard GPS system in your automobile, a makeover, or some new weight loss pill. It is clear that a gospel is being preached here...just a different kind--the gospel of secularism.

I like what the late LDS presidency 1st Counselor James E. Faust said in a general conference at the turn of the millennium.

"In our time the belief that science and technology can solve all of mankind’s problems has become a theocracy. I would despair if I thought our eternal salvation depended on scientific, technical, or secular knowledge separate from righteousness and the word of God. The word of God as spoken by His prophets through the centuries justifies no other conclusion. Many believe that the transcendent answers to life’s questions lie in the test tube, in the laboratories, in the equations, and in the telescopes. This theocracy of science leaves out the ultimate answer to the overarching question, “Why?” Knowing cause and effect is fascinating but does not explain why we are here, where we came from, and where we are going. As Albert Einstein said, “I shall never believe that God plays dice with the world.” 5

"President Harold B. Lee once said: “No matter what his progress in science, man must always be subject to the will and direction of Divine Providence. Man has never discovered anything that God has not already known.” 6

"I do not believe that this great outpouring of knowledge happened by chance. All of this secular knowledge did not come solely from the creative minds of men and women. Mankind has been on the earth a long time. Over the centuries, knowledge came at a snail’s pace.

"I believe that the appearance of God the Father and His Son, the Lord Jesus Christ, in 1820 to Joseph Smith unlocked the heavens not only to the great spiritual knowledge revealed in this dispensation but also to secular knowledge. “Anthropologists inform us that for thousands of years the average human being could expect to live about 25 to 30 years.” 7 But since the late 19th century, life expectancy worldwide has risen to 64 years. 8 New ideas, including scientific inventions and discoveries of better ways of doing things, were being produced annually at 39 a year from 4,000 b.c. to a.d. 1, contrasted to 3,840 new ideas a year in the 19th century, while today they are created at the rate of 110,000 a year. 9

"Now comes the challenge to prevent the scientific, technical, and intellectual from stifling the spiritual enlightenment in our lives. As someone once said, “The greatest of undeveloped resources [in our country] is faith; the greatest of unused power is prayer.” 10 Technology may help us communicate with each other and the world, but not with God."

What do members of the LDS church think about theocracy? We view it in a much different way than the standard definition pushed by the mainstream media today. It certainly is not a system of government headed by a heavy-handed dictator who crushes everyone who opposes him. The word "theocracy" doesn't even appear in our books of scripture. We prefer to call it, simply, the kingdom of God on the earth.

In this kingdom, God (the King) teaches us right ways of living and we proceed to govern ourselves according to that law. If sin is committed, the law allows for repentance ("turning away") from sin and punishment is deferred until the afterlife, when all possible other options to bring us back to Him have been exhausted. People choose to be governed by this law by voluntarily becoming members of God's kingdom by their own free will and choice. If they later disagree with the Gospel's teachings, they are free to leave and no longer be governed by it. Likewise, they are also free to leave behind the blessings that they had been committed to receiving and would have retained had they remained faithful.

King Mosiah, in Mosiah chapter 29 of the Book of Mormon, set up the kingdom of God among his people in much this same way.

Considering all the evil that has come about in the modern world as a result of secularist agendas, not the least of which being the push by elitists for eugenics in the early 1930s that gave rise to the modern abortionist and anti-semitism movements which have killed millions upon millions, which "theocracy" is to be feared the most?

Nephi and his Asherah

Towards the beginning of the Book of Mormon, Lehi, a prophet who was contemporary with Jeremiah, is recorded by his son Nephi as having a glorious vision of the Tree of Life (1 Nephi 8). In this vision, Lehi describes how he beheld a tree full of white fruit that "was desirable to make one happy" (1 Nephi 8:10). Lehi also explains how the fruit was "sweet" (v. 11) and that his soul was "filled with exceedingly great joy" (v. 12) when he ate it.

Nephi, later in his record, details how, in an attempt to better understand his father's vision, he asked for revelation from the Lord to explain what his father had said. 1 Nephi 11-14 details Nephi's apocalyptic vision, which contain some interesting correlations to other ancient Jewish texts from Lehi's time (circa 600 BCE) known collectively as ascension visions or apocalypses. These texts generally have similar themes that include the following:

1. A protagonist, usually a prophet, is lifted into the heavens via a grand vision by God (hence, the word ascension).

2. The protagonist is given revelation concerning the will of the Lord.

3. The protagonist is usually given some idea as to the end of the world.

4. The protagonist is usually told either one of two things. He is either told to keep his visions a secret (a common theme in Egyptian ascension texts) or to impart the words of the Lord to his fellow men (a feature more common in Jewish literature).

5. The protagonist is given a divine status in the council of the gods by some sort of theosis or deification.

6. An angelic being or guide is often present to guide the protagonist through the cosmos and eventually to the throne of God.

7. Usually a tree of life motif is present in the vision and is always connected with feminine identities or qualities. This tree of life often imparts divine wisdom or happiness to the protagonist, who partakes of some sort of white fruit (the Enochian literature mentions grapes, which I shall deal with later) in order to inherit eternal life.

I wish to discuss number 7 in that list, since I find it the most startling and amazing theme in the visions of Lehi and Nephi.

Nephi, in his vision, records the following:

And it came to pass that the Spirit said unto me: Look! And I looked and beheld a tree; and it was like unto the tree which my father had seen; and the beauty thereof was far beyond, yea, exceeding of all beauty; and the whiteness thereof did exceed the whiteness of the driven snow.
And it came to pass after I had seen the tree, I said unto the Spirit: I behold thou hast shown unto me the tree which is precious above all.
And he said unto me: What desirest thou?
And I said unto him: To know the interpretation thereof. . . . (1 Nephi 11:8–11)

Nephi's later writes:

And it came to pass that he [the angel] said unto me: Look! And I looked as if to look upon him, and I saw him not; for he had gone from before my presence.
And it came to pass that I looked and beheld the great city of Jerusalem, and also other cities. And I beheld the city of Nazareth; and in the city of Nazareth I beheld a virgin, and she was exceedingly fair and white.
And it came to pass that I saw the heavens open; and an angel came down and stood before me; and he said unto me: Nephi, what beholdest thou?
And I said unto him: A virgin, most beautiful and fair above all other virgins.
And he said unto me: Knowest thou the condescension of God?
And I said unto him: I know that he loveth his children; nevertheless, I do not know the meaning of all things.
And he said unto me: Behold, the virgin whom thou seest is the mother of the Son of God, after the manner of the flesh.
And it came to pass that I beheld that she was carried away in the Spirit; and after she had been carried away in the Spirit for the space of a time the angel spake unto me, saying: Look!
And I looked and beheld the virgin again, bearing a child in her arms.
And the angel said unto me: Behold the Lamb of God, yea, even the Son of the Eternal Father! (1 Nephi 11:12–21)

Thus we see an unmistakable connection between Lehi's and Nephi's Tree of Life vision and Mary, the mother of God. Not only that, but we see a connection between this tree and white fruit that made one happy. So we see two distinct connections between the tree and other elements: white fruit that produces happiness and the Mother of God.

Daniel C. Peterson, a professor of Islamic Studies and Arabic at BYU, has written an essay entitled Nephi and his Asherah which discusses the Tree of Life motif in the Book of Mormon and its connection to other ancient Near Eastern texts.

Professor Peterson explains:

"How has Nephi come to this understanding? Clearly, the glimpse given to Nephi of the virgin mother with her child is the answer to his question about the meaning of the tree. Indeed, it is evident that in some sense the virgin is the tree. This is apparent from the structure of the pericope, of course, but also in the parallel descriptions given of the tree and the virgin. Just as she was "exceedingly fair and white," "most beautiful and fair above all other virgins," so was the beauty of the tree "far beyond, yea, exceeding of all beauty; and the whiteness thereof did exceed the whiteness of the driven snow." In one sense, therefore, the fruit of the tree—which was "desirable to make one happy" (1 Nephi 8:10), "desirable above all other fruit" (verses 12, 15), "most sweet, above all that [Lehi] ever before tasted" (verse 11), and which "filled [his] soul with exceedingly great joy" (verse 12)—is clearly the fruit of Mary's womb, Jesus. Moreover, it is evident that the mere sight of the virgin, by herself, leaves Nephi still a bit bewildered. It is only when she appears with a baby and is identified as "the mother of the Son of God" that he grasps the meaning of the tree."

Professor Peterson goes on to elaborate on how in Preexilic Israel, that is, before the Babylonian conquest, Asherah was believed by the Israelites as being the divine goddess, consort of El and exemplified by the sacred tree. The Israelites held Asherah in such high esteem, in fact, that cultic centers were created to worship her and a motif of Asherah was placed in Solomon's Temple. She even is exemplified with Biblical Wisdom in some texts. Later, however, under the reformations of Josiah, Asherah fell out of favor with Israelites, who soon began to replace her motif in the Temple with the Menorah and abandon her cultic centers.

However, a rich corpus of literature still exists that details that Asherah, the mother goddess who was connected with the sacred tree, played a prominent role in Preexilic Israelite religion.

This is an interesting correlation with the Book of Mormon, whose authors would have undoubtedly been familiar with the Asherah motif. It is very interesting that the Book of Mormon fits perfectly in this corpus of ancient literature, which was unknown in Joseph Smith's day, and draws upon the same connections (i.e. tree = mother goddess).

However, this is just one connection to the ancient world that the Book of Mormon makes in this regard. I mentioned the white fruit that makes one happy in connection with the tree of life and other ancient texts. With this regards, Margaret Barker, a non-LDS Old Testament scholar who has written extensively on Preexilic Israelite belief, explained at the 2005 Bicentennial Conference on Joseph Smith that the Book of Mormon's connection between the sacred tree and white fruit also has stark parallels to other ancient texts. She explains that the sacred tree in these ascension texts is more often than not connected to white fruit that makes one happy. For example, in the apocryphal Book of 1 Enoch, Enoch is led to the sacred tree and partakes of white grapes that give him joy. Barker notes that this is a direct correlation to the Book of Mormon's narrative of Lehi eating the white fruit that made him happy. Barker explains:

"I do not know of any other source that describes the fruit as being white grapes. Imagine my surprise when I read the account of Lehi's vision of the tree whose white fruit made one happy, and the interpretation that the Virgin in Nazareth was the Mother of the Son of God after the manner of the flesh (1 Nephi 11:14-23). This is the Heavenly Mother, represented by the tree of life...this revelation to Joseph Smith was the ancient Wisdom symbolism, intact, and almost certainly as it was known in 600 BCE." (see The Worlds of Joseph Smith, edited by John Welch, 2006, page 76)

In short, the Tree of Life as being connected with the mother goddess and having white fruit is well attested in ancient literature not available to Joseph Smith. It is an authentic theme in this type of literature, within which the Book of Mormon fits rather nicely.

To quote Dr. Peterson:

"The inclusion in 1 Nephi of an authentically preexilic religious symbol that could scarcely have been deduced by the New York farmboy Joseph Smith from the Bible—especially given his severely limited knowledge of that book in the late 1820s, when he was translating the golden plates—suggests that the Book of Mormon is, indeed, an ancient historical record. And that, in turn, suggests that God did, indeed, so love the world that he gave his Only Begotten Son to save us. The Book of Mormon is, as it claims to be, a second witness for Christ."

For further reading, see the following:

http://farms.byu.edu/publications/bookschapter.php?bookid=&chapid=94

http://farms.byu.edu/display.php?table=jbms&id=223

Joseph Smith and Preexilic Israelite Religion by Margaret Barker in The Worlds of Joseph Smith. Edited by John W. Welch and published in 2006 with BYU Press