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Posted

This very well may be the first thread I've started here. I don't remember. Anyway, I am taking a Book of Mormon class at BYU, and we are required to read books about the Book of Mormon. I know of some (and have read some of them), but I decided to seek the advice of the forum: what have you read in that vein? Which books did you enjoy the most and why?

Posted

I have to admit, that sounds weird. The prophets have told us repeatedly to read the scriptures--not commentaries on the scriptures. When I attended BYU, we were required to read the BoM and we discussed themes, imagery, linguistic features, etc.

Anyway, do they have to be books? The Sperry Symposium at BYU often have very good article about aspects of the BoM and the themes found there.

Posted

Prophecies and Promises; The Book of Mormon and the United States of America by Porter and Meldrum

You can pick it up at Deseret Book.

Here:

DeseretBook.com - Prophecies and Promises: The Book of Mormon & The United States of America

I would have to disagree. I don't want to offend, but this is one of the worst books on The Book of Mormon. It is not a very accurate book, and there are many other great books that should be read instead.

I personally like commentaries. I like Brant Gardners commentary. It is the most exhaustive I've seen, and is full of great insights. I also like Plates of Gold by Matthew Brown, and by the Hand of Mormon by Givens.

Posted

I would have to disagree. I don't want to offend, but this is one of the worst books on The Book of Mormon. It is not a very accurate book, and there are many other great books that should be read instead.

I personally like commentaries. I like Brant Gardners commentary. It is the most exhaustive I've seen, and is full of great insights. I also like Plates of Gold by Matthew Brown, and by the Hand of Mormon by Givens.

Your response is one of the reasons I recommend the book. It brings out the claws of people who don't subscribe to the North American model. A little contraversy never hurt a soul.

:)

Posted

Personally, I don't care where you believe The Book of Mormon to have taken place. I do have issue when people use bad scholarship in an attempt to prove a point (whatever that point may be). I don't think it does anyone any good to believe in false information. If there is good evidence for a certain theory, that is awesome. It will strike great discussion and thought. But, if someone is using information that is wrong, artifacts that are fraudulent, and using science (DNA) that population geneticists say is wrong, what good is that going to do? Personally, I think it will only hurt the field of LDS scholarship.

Posted

I will have to look through it, but my first thought is, "Wow, they are spending a lot of energy and resources to discredit a fellow Saint and his theories." As if Meldrum is dangerous. If he is proven wrong and people lose their faith in the Book of Mormon because of it, they never really knew in the first place. Why is Meldrum's theory such a contentious issue for these folks? Have they devoted the same energy into looking into the theories of Lyn Hilton or other BofM scholars?

Posted

They do not have to be books. Honestly, I didn't think about the Sperry Symposium. I've been before, and they are great. I'll check those out, along with the other books recommended so far. Thank you, all.

He is going to give us a list, and anything not on the list must be checked out with him. So he isn't throwing everyone to the wind. We are required to read the Book of Mormon as well. The extra stuff is an additional requirement for RMs. I don't really mind the requirement, since now I have an excuse to give these books the same priority as the rest of the stuff I have to read for school. I agree that it is a bit odd, though. My first professor (for the first half, before my mission) used only the Book of Mormon.

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