5 comments about By the Hand of Mormon: The American Scripture that Launched a New World Religion.

1. The subtleties and doubtful sources used by Givens earned him a one-star review in my opinion. The more I studied Givens' book the more I found it to be a highly flawed piece of religious propaganda. One Mormon reviewer said:
   
   "Givens shows that competent Saints are not trying to discover some dramatic archaeological evidence, as sectarian critics demand, that would "prove" the Book of Mormon. Instead, the increasingly sophisticated efforts of the book's defenders to draw upon literary, historical, and anthropological support for the ancient origin of the Book of Mormon has forced its more honest, better-informed detractors to abandon earlier explanations and to search for explanations of its authorship."
   
   First of all, it is a fact that the LDS Church has spent millions of dollars funding archaeological excavations in Central America with the purpose of finding evidence for the Book of Mormon. Nothing has been found to indicate that Nephites ever existed, but non-Mormon archaeologists are grateful for the funding of these projects.
   
   Second, the notion (and I emphasize "notion") that the Book of Mormon contains information that was not known in Joseph Smith's day is without foundation. In uncritically accepting the scholarship produced by FARMS (the BYU think-tank), Givens has committed a fatal error. He has four references to "chiasmus" in the Book of Mormon. These examples of chiasmus, or parallelisms in Hebrew poetry, are cited as proof that the Book of Mormon is an ancient document because chiasmus was unknown in Joseph Smith's day.
   
   NOTHING, and I emphasize "nothing," could be further from the truth. Rather than being unknown, these parallelisms in biblical poetry were common knowledge among people interested in the Bible.
   
   I own a copy of Thomas Hartwell Horne's "An Introduction to the Critical Study and Knowledge of the Holy Scriptures." This four-volume book was advertised for sale in 1825 in Palmyra on the front page of the Wayne Sentinel (April 6, 13, 20). The long ad outlines the entire content of Horne's massive work, including "the Poetry of the Hebrews and Harmony of the Scriptures" (quoted from the front-page advertisement).
   
   Horne's book is full of diagrams and commentary on Hebrew poetry showing these parallelisms. The diagrams and commentary are also found in all editions Robert Lowth's "Isaiah" that have a "Preliminary Dissertation." They are found, of course, in Lowth's massively detailed "Sacred Poetry of the Hebrews." The diagrams serve as how-to examples of how to write pieces of Hebrew poetry.
   
   Another book on parallelisms is "An Essay on Hebrew Poetry Ancient and Modern" (London, 1824), by Philip Sarchi.
   
   The United States was awash in cheap books in Joseph Smith's youth. Some two-hundred-book wagons roamed the country selling books. In other words, the bookstore came to the farm, and these sellers accepted produce in payment for books. Bookstores also accepted "clean rags." These facts are not mentioned by Givens or other Mormon scholars. One Erie Canal boat was made into a floating bookstore.
   
   The book trade between the United States and England was impressive--some 2.5 million dollars in 1823, and it made no difference whatsoever if a book was published in London or New York. It was available. American editions of British books were so cheap and popular in England that British publishers complained that the Americans were violating copyright laws. The Americans were amused and continued to manufacture the books.
   
   References to Palmyra as a "wilderness" or a "frontier" are not justified by reality. Palmyra was settled farming community with some manufacturing, and right on the Erie Canal, the freeway of its day (opened to Palmyra several years before its official dedication in 1825--there is an 1821 lock in Palmyra).
   
   One Palmyra newspaper ad had some 200 books advertised on the front page in 1818--more histories and more religious books than you will ever see in a Sunday newspaper today. One traveling show with an elephant came through Palmyra, and the biblical "witch of Endor" was even in Palmyra as part of a traveling wax museum. Not quite the world painted by Mormon scholars.
   
   The Hebrew origin of the American Indians found front-age coverage in 1825 in the speech of Mordecai Noah when he founded "A World Refuge for the Jews" at "Ararat" on an island in the Niagara River at Buffalo ("Noah's Ark" with Indians aboard sailed the Erie Canal). I own many books about the Hebrew origins of the American Indians published in Joseph Smith's youth.
   
   As for the Erie Canal, it is eye-opening that Henry and Elihu Phinney imported books straight from New York City and Philadelphia and distributed them throughout the towns and villages of upstate New York. The Phinney brothers used large book wagons with moveable tops and counters. They even converted a canal boat into a floating bookstore (see Margaret T. Hills, "The English Bible in America," p. 69).
   
   These facts about the distribution of religious books and histories are not mentioned in Given's book, nor in the books by Richard Bushman, another Mormon historian. Regrettably, both these scholars uncritically accept the claims made by FARMS and also the bogus "scholarship" of Hugh Nibley, whoses sources do not check out.
   
   In contrast to the real world of Joseph Smith's youth, Givens has constructed a sophisticated, though false, architecture. By ignoring the real world of books in America, these scholars produce arguments that are satisfying to educated Mormons who do not have the time or inclination to explore the sources used by this new generation of Mormon scholars.
   
   A false methodology: By tracing words back to the beginning of time, it is easy to produce boatloads of outwardly impressive commentary. Such word games satisfy those who demand a sophisticated answer to criticisms of the Book of Mormon. In this, the "scholarship" churned out by FARMS, for example, is a house of cards that Mormon intellectuals uncritically accept.
   
   Here is an example: In an article entitled "How Could Joseph Smith Write So Accurately About Ancient America?" BYU scholar John Sorenson says of Humboldt's book ("Researches" about ancient America) that: "Besides, the chance is vanishingly small that the learned German's esoteric work would have been accessible anywhere in America except at a handful of the best libraries on the Atlantic seaboard, to which Joseph Smith had no access before the Book of Mormon was published" (p. 274).
   
   Such an erudite display of confidence in speaking absolute nonsense.
   
   In fact, Humboldt's "History of New Spain" was advertised for sale on the front page of the "Palmyra Register" (Oct. 6, 1818). Thus, it is highly likely that his "Researches" was also advertised (the newspaper issues are incomplete). My copy Humboldt's book has a color engraving of a leaf from the Maya "Dresden Codex" as well as an engraving of the Aztec calendar stone.
   
   In other words, all the materials needed for producing the "Anthon Transcript" were available in Palmyra. All kinds of "fac-simlies" of ancient codices were available to the farmers and townsfolk of the Palmyra area. This is a fact that all Americans should be proud of, not something to hide, which FARMS has done with impressive subtly. Think about it: a page of the Dresden Maya Codex was probably in Palmyra in the early 1800s.
   
   On page 119, Givens uncritically quotes Hugh Nibley, who had the bizarre idea that: "If you want proof of the Book of Mormon, you must go to the Old World. You won't find it in the New World."
   
   Such nonsense--where were the Book of Mormon civilizations? In the Old World or the New? And, why won't we find proof of the Book of Mormon in the New World? Because Nibley thinks the Nephites lived in "quickly built wooden cities." Hence, quickly disappearing.
   
   I must mention another thing Nibley wrote: "The only weapons that have survived from prehistoric times are far more suited to their purpose than a modern rifle. The deadliest of all hunting weapons remains to this day the stone-headed (not steel-headed arrow)." Parenthesis by Nibley.
   
   Modern rifle and bow hunters raise your hand if you believe this! Nibley's weird theories should be an embarrassment to educated Mormons. In "In Lehi in the Desert" (p. 32), Nibley said Joseph Smith was "illiterate" and Cowdery "half-educated."
   
   These are completely unfair descriptions of both men. An illiterate translator? Now that's a new idea, as well as the Jaredites living in a "dateless age." What's that mean? Givens didn't ask.
   
   Givens writes (p. 50): "Looking out upon a quarter-million of his own dead, (Mormon) records his pathetic farewell...." Where did these quarter-million die? Where exactly? That is a lot of bones and weapons. In Nibley's "Old World," or the New? Neither writer provides an answer.
   
   Givens refers to the Jaredites many times, but he fails to even mention the Jaredite voyage in 2,000 BC voyage aboard submarines for 344 days. By ignoring the fanciful Jaredite voyage, Givens has conceded that it cannot be defended as real history.
   
   In short, the Book of Mormon stands in stark contrast to the findings of New World archaeology. Consider Robert J. Sharer's heavy and authoritative 753-page "The Ancient Maya." Sharer is Professor of Anthropology and Curator of the American Section of the University Museum of Archaeology and Anthropology, at the University of Pennsylvania. Sharer writes:
   
   "After more than a century of gathering and analyzing archaeological evidence, we have discovered nothing to support the idea of intervention by people from the Old World." "This is not to say that accidental contacts between the Old and New World peoples could not have occurred before the age of European exploration" (p. 6).
   
   After reading Givens' book, I shook my head in disbelief that "Oxford University Books" would even publish it.
   
   If you what a fair and unbiased history, then read another book. If you want a faith massage, then you will love this book. Producing a book full of footnotes and fine print does not necessarily make that book a fair or honest history.
   
   Please read my reviews of other Mormon books and my non-Mormon listmania.
   
   Echoes and Evidences of the Book of Mormon
   
   Your comments--positive or negative--are appreciated. Thanks.



2. Professor Givens gives us probably the most insightful and comprehensive study of the Book of Mormon to date. He begins by mapping the Book's discovery, translation and publication. He then deftly chronicles how the early Saints mostly frequently used the Book of Mormon (tangible sign of Joseph Smith's propehtic calling), before moving in the historicity controversies surrounding the Book.
   
   It is in this historicity controversy section Given's study is weakest. He acknowledges numerous views questioning the Book of Mormon's historicity, but doesn't give them the same treatment he gives views supporting its historicity. Simply put, he somewhat shorchanges those who disagree with him. It's easy to understand why he does this: most of the theories are based on faulty logic or a complete misreading of the Book of Mormon (or both). This notwithstanding, Givens' study would have been more complete and accurate had he addressed them more fully.
   
   Givens' chapters on Book of Mormon theology and dialogic revelation are a tour de force. He demonstrates how the Book of Mormon expounds an incredibly sophisticated understanding of Christ's atonement. In addition, he addresses how the Book of Mormon's view on personal revelation is wildly democratic, and quite unlike the Old Testament's treatment of revelation. The Book all but dares all readers to receive individual revelation, while the Old Testament normally limited revelation to the prophet's. Again, Givens' treatment of these issues is innovative and stunning.
   
   I would suggest this to anyone truly interested in the Book of Mormon.



3. I would probably give this book 4 stars if there were competitors, but there are not. The only problem with it (if it is a problem) is that the author clearly wants to give the Book of Mormon the benefit of the doubt where there are controversial issues. This results in a mild apologetic/partisan flavor. But no one should get their knickers in a twist over this. It is absurd to get upset about the fact that an author has a personal stand. A slight bias can be a problem, but only if it leads a writer to distortion and denial. I don't think Givens can be accused of either. His approach is to present the debate, and he gives lots of air-time to the critics as well as the apologists on a wide variety of topics. Nor does he invariably side with the apologists. At most, he doesn't always acknowledge the full implications of certain criticisms.
   
   The real value of the book is the exposure it gives to the history and topography of Book of Mormon criticism. In this respect, the book is wonderful and (as far as I know) unique. It can only be of service.



4. I've studied the Book of Mormon and its history throughout my life, and I learned several things I didn't know or think about before. The author did an excellent job of reviewing how the Book of Mormon was perceived both within and without the LDS church. I did not realize how little emphasis the Book of Mormon received doctrinally in the early days of the church. I was also very interested in his discussion of dialogic revelation and its emphasis in the Book of Mormon as opposed to the Bible. Being a lifelong member of the LDS church it had never occurred to me how much it was emphasized in the Book of Mormon compared to the Bible. This book is highly recommended for both LDS and non-LDS readers.



5. I guess "scholarly" translated into laymens terms means: "use of lots, and lots of cumbersome, unwieldy, anti-colloquial lexical jargon". OK, that aside, this book is EXTREMELY interesting after you hack through the over-use of big words. (But in all fairness, this book IS supposed to be part of the "scholarly" genre.)
   
   Givens is clearly an advocate for Mormonism, but does so while presenting counter arguments against Joseph Smith Jr. and the foundations of Mormon legitimacy (i.e. Smith's personal character and First Vision accounts, the Book of Mormon geography and anthropology, additional "revelations" context, Smith's "revelatory" teachings , etc.).
   
   He compares Joseph Smith Jr's story with other "prophets" of his day and analyzes them on their intrinsic value, rather than the subjective eye-piece of a naysayer. VERY interesting, if you can muddle through some heavy reading in the middle parts of the book. But I must say, the difficult parts are worth reading since they set the stage for the latter third of the book.
   
   Don't listen to the other silly whiner-babies who rate this book low because Givens didn't do "this", or Givens didn't do "that". Puullleeeaaze people!!! If Givens were to revise this book to address in a fair, scholarly manner every complaint about this work, it would be 2,785 pages people!!!
   
   If you want to know WHY the Mormon church has grown to what it is today, this book will explain it; having read it myself -- it clearly is not meant to counter or promote every opposing or supporting view on Mormonism, but simply to explain the origins, evolution and progress of the Mormon church.
   
   If you are not interested in knowing why the Mormon church exists, or why it has grown to whatever number of people they're claiming at the moment, then you WILL NOT like this book. This book is about WHAT, NOT ABOUT WHY and HOW, you silly whiner-babies. Sheeeesh....

5 comments about The Mormon Way of Doing Business: How Eight Western Boys Reached the Top of Corporate America.

1. So far, this book has been an easy read that is inspiring to anyone in business.
   Not just business but helps you find that balance of work and home life.



2. This is an absolutely awesome book. I could hardly put it down. It is amazing to read all the things the men in this book accomplished with a focus, most of all, on their family. If you have a busy schedule and wonder how to meet the demands of work, home, and church life, this is an excellent book to read. The greatest part of it all is that it reminds you that family is the most important thing.



3. No matter what the religion. This was a great read and much can be learned from it.



4. This book is a must read for anyone trying to maintain a healthy balance between home, work, school, and involvement in the community.



5. This is an excellent book about combining Mormon values and career but
   the main thing I got out of it is that these guys sacrafice "me" time in order to work excessive hours for the church while also spending time with their very large families and having demanding careers. Why not have two kids instead of six or seven and spend a little time relaxing and take up a hobby?. The section justifying tithing is amusing what a con job. I suspect it was Joseph Smith that coined the phrase "there is a sucker born every minute". But these people have chosen to live this way and it is not for me to say it is right or wrong. And the LDS church does occupy a permenant and growing place in my heart even though I am not a Mormon. I have noticed that since this books publication two of the main characters have been removed by their companies board of directors. It just might be that it really is impossible to do it all forever.

5 comments about Who Really Wrote the Book of Mormon?: The Spalding Enigma.

1. I have read so many books and literature like this it would make your head spin. I'm from the town Joseph Smith is from, Palmyra, and I actually did my senior paper on this type of stuff, called "Palmyra's Influence on Mormonism". I lived there... saw the REAL documents, not somebody in a book telling me some "theory" or "eyewitness accounts". You want fact? You want truth? I saw it. I also lived in Nauvoo, IL for a summer and saw more "truth"... real homes, real lives. Growing up in Palmyra I had a hard time accepting the whole Joseph Smith story. True, logic never produced a real testimony, but like many of you, I needed some proof, something substantial. I have found it... and what you look for, you find. Want to find the negative, "shady" stuff, oh, it's out there... doesn't mean it's true. I have read more literature against the Mormon faith than any of you could possibly in a lifetime. (Like I said, I grew up around it my whole life. I lived in Palmyra where it all started.) There isn't anything this book has said that I haven't heard somewhere else, quoted by some other faith. Those who criticize the LDS faith and beliefs: Have you honestly ever read the entire Bible? Have you actually sat down, read the Book of Mormon, and then asked God if it was true? ...I have. Until you have, you have no real point. I love the Bible whole-heartedly. The Book of Mormon doesn't take away that... it only makes it greater and I understand it BETTER! And Mormons do NOT worship Joseph Smith. Gotta love how these people who aren't even LDS tell ME how I believe! Grow up, seriously, and learn a real persuasive argument. So when somebody can honestly tell me they've read the ENTIRE Bible, Book of Mormon, and attended LDS services on Sunday (notice that's more than once), then I will listen to that person. Have you ever noticed how people can criticize a faith that they've never even given a chance? Or just listen to what their pastor tells them? Funny, God gave us brains and the Holy Spirit, so we could decide for ourselves. No pastor, prophet, Pope, etc. gave me my testimony in/of Jesus. I've actually attended many services of other faiths... and enjoyed them too! I also have read many books: Koran, Bible, Book of Mormon, the Jehovah Witnesses' version of the Bible and some of their literature, etc. Remember, the truth will set you free. See my point? Too many of you are writing reviews, truly, with so little knowledge, not just on this subject, but other religions as well. Study it. It's fascinating. Logic and proof can't prove everything. If so, then there are books with "logic" to prove the Bible false as well, to prove that Jews are Satanic, etc. Now would you really believe those "theories" and books? Of course not. C'mon people wake up! This book is nothing....really... try living in the area, or doing the research yourself before believing such a shady book. I trust that your intelligence and God can help you find the truth.



2. Excellent book! I recommend it to everyone who is curious about the Mormon religion's origins. As well-researched as this book is, let's face the truth ... anything would be more believable than the Mormon church's version of how The Book of Mormon came to be.



3. Cowdrey, Wayne L., Howard A. Davis and Arthur Vanick, Who Really Wrote The Book of Mormon? (Saint Louis: Concordia Publishing House, 2005). On page 479, Note # 19, Cowdrey mentions that he wrote an earlier book with the same name (with Howard Davis and Donald Scales) published at Santa Anna, CA by Vision House, 1977. This 2005 edition is greatly expanded and improved over the much smaller earlier 1977 edition, of which I also have a copy.
   
   This 2005 edition is a massive and somewhat rambling historical study of 558 pages that reads like a detective's report, though the joint work of three authors. It will appeal more to serious historians and dedicated students of Mormonism, rather than to general readers,because it is not very "reader-friendly." It contains extensive documentation and argumentation based on very detailed research, with 12 chapters, many endnotes and 7 appendices, but unfortunately it lacks an Index and Bibliography.
   
   The Dedication tells a lot about its orientation: "Dedicated to the Rev. Wesley Walters and Dr. Walter Martin, whose work has been painstakingly continued in this volume; To Solomon Spaulding, MA, that he may at last rest in peace; and To the good people of Amity, Washington County, Pennsylvania, who never had any doubts as to who really wrote The Book of Mormon."
   
   In their "Afterward" (pp.367- 368) the authors present a masterful attempt to anticipate their critics: "Although the authors have made every effort to present the material in this volume as accurately and completely as possible, it is inevitable in a work of this size that some errors will occur. It is also inevitable that these will be eagerly sought out by critics and offered to the public as proof that the entire work is flawed. No doubt the motives of the authors themselves will also be questioned, based upon the ancient practice of taking the messengers to task when one is unable to digest the message itself. Whichever the case, the reader is urged to consider critical comments about this volume and its authors in a skeptical light and, always taking their source and the motivation behind them into account, to weigh them carefully against the evidence presented herein.
   
   "The issue here is not the writers, nor is it the many millions of good, industrious, and productive people for whom faith in Joseph Smith and his church is an ongoing way of life. We are dealing with history here, not religion. ... To those who will acknowledge that we have presented much new information, but with a distinctly ant-Mormon tone, let it be said that we are not anti-anything--we are pro-history."
   
   On page 369 the authors cite a "quotation attributed to pro-Mormon historian Hugh Nibley: `There is wisdom in the rule laid down by Blass, ... that whoever presumes to doubt the purported source and authorship of a document cannot possibly escape the obligation of supplying a more plausible account in its stead.' We quite agree, and we believe we have done just that."
   
   The authors marshal massive bits and pieces of historical data gleaned from extensive and careful researches, with convincing arguments supporting their essential thesis, as stated on pages 363-364: "As for the single most important secret of all--that of The Book of Mormon's true origin--it seems clear that Sidney Rigdon was the only person who was in a position to know all of it. In the final analysis, this quite literally means that both Oliver Cowdrey and Joseph Smith were actually his unwitting dupes, though each for very different reasons. Indeed, the key to solving the Spalding Enigma is the inescapable conclusion that Rigdon was the only person who knew for certain the manuscript that he, Smith, and Cowdrey had transformed into The Book of Mormon was really nothing more than an embellished and paraphrased version of a novel once known as A Manuscript Found and originally penned by an obscure and broken man named Solomon Spaulding. ... Above all else, Rigdon's thoughts and concepts were largely Machiavellian in nature. If the cause of the God he worshipped could best be advanced by a bit of fraud here and there, then fraud was the order of the day. Lies, deception, and secrecy were all part of the process. And there is no question that everyone who knew him well--from Alexander Campbell to Brigham Young himself--described him in those terms."
   
   A concise summary and conclusion to this book, with the crux of the problem faced by its authors, is stated on page 356 in this one short but significant paragraph:
   
   "All things considered, we are left to decide whether Joseph Smith was truly a prophet of God, or one of the greatest and most enduring showmen in American history. Almost certainly the dividing line will be drawn between those who choose to approach the problem from the standpoint of evidence and logic, and those who will, in spite of it all, continue to see Joseph Smith as the foundation and strength of a deep and abiding personal faith. To the former, it is hoped that this volume will prove enlightening. The latter will no doubt take comfort from pro-Mormon historian Richard L. Bushman's admonition... [This short quote the authors give here, is even more revealing in full context as it appears in Note #10, pp. 550-551] "{W}hat would we {Mormons} do if six eminent anthropologists presented `conclusive proof' that The Book of Mormon were fraudulent {?} The question I have in mind is how much does our faith depend on supporting historical evidence. On the one hand, we make a great deal of it. Mormons delight in Hugh Nibley's arguments in behalf of The Book of Mormon.... On the other hand, we are prone to dismiss all this as irrelevant. I have heard Professor Nibley himself summarize a long argument for The Book of Mormon, to which his Mormon audience had listened raptly, by saying, that of course none of this really matters. The important point for him was that God had revealed the truth to Joseph by the Holy Spirit; the historical case was mere trimmings, the game played for the sheer fun of it.... Granted that negative historical evidence would not destroy the faith of the faithful. For those blessed with it, spiritual experience is the most compelling data. Honesty requires that one remain true to it even in the face of other evidence to the contrary."] Certainly to have one's spiritual foundations called into question by such revelations as these must be truly disconcerting. Yet as Gandhi once observed, even if a person is a minority of one, the truth is still the truth."
   
   This is similar to the "identity crisis" that another Christian denomination with heterodox beliefs, Seventh-day Adventism, now faces. The Church of God, founded by Herbert W. Armstrong, recently actually went through such an "identity crisis." After Armstrong's death, the church's leaders honestly confronted the fact that some of their heterodox beliefs received from Armstrong were unbiblical. After a period of careful study they confessed and repented of their errors, making an almost unprecedented move toward reforming their beliefs and practices toward closer harmony with NT Christianity. But their action caused a schism in their church, with some factions going different ways. Seventh-day Adventists and Mormons, recognizing this very real danger of schism, have thus far generally chosen to continue their heterodox belief systems based on their past "spiritual experiences" rather than honestly confronting the objective facts of their history. The Church of God's revolutionary action was "unprecedented" because, once a religious community establishes a fixed tradition of faith and practice, it is almost unprecedented to see a later admission of error and fundamental corrective action. Mormons have a rarely-used limited "escape mechanism" allowing for theological change--their apostles occasionally have a new "revelation"--e.g., polygamy was seen to be no longer allowed on earth (although plural marriages are still "sealed" in heaven), and men of color, once formally discriminated against, are now allowed to become Mormon priests. This "escape mechanism" helps to release critical pressure building up due to the "cognitive dissonance" between the discovery of disconfirming facts versus traditional Mormon beliefs, and/or the societal pressures toward conformity coming from the larger "gentile" society in which Mormons live. Theological changes in Adventism take place more gradually as reinterpretation of the writings of their extra-biblical prophet, Ellen G. White, may allow. But there are some "non-negotiables," such as the "Investigative Judgment" that is tied to the fixed date of Oct. 22, 1844 that is practically impossible to change without complete rejection. The Book of Mormon, Book of Abraham, and some other writings of Joseph Smith also function as "non-negotionables" in Mormonism, because they have been "canonized."
   
   To grow up in a religious system believing it is led of God, and then to later discover it is out of sync with newly discovered objective facts, is a wrenching experience. To admit this is usually seen as tantamount to heresy and a denial of one's faith in God and His prior leading through His Holy Spirit, which is viewed as the "unpardonable sin."
   
   Science resolves this problem of how to accommodate itself to "progressive truth" with the "adjustment mechanism" of tentative "hypotheses" that may or may not prove to be in harmony with the natural world. These hypotheses are formulated in the form of valid disconfirmable "theories" not carrying "inerrant" or "sinful" religious connotations. If they are eventually disconfirmed they can be simply discarded without prejudice. (Given human nature, this process doesn't work quite that smoothly!)
   
   But most religious systems have no similar "neutral" adjustment mechanism for coping with "new light" so they usually cannot (or will not) chose to "repent." The prime example (from the Christian point of view) is that of the Jewish Sanhedrin that refused to "repent" and accept Christ as their Messiah, because they believed God had called Abraham and they were Abraham's children led of God, God's own chosen people, given God's laws through Moses at Sinai, so therefore they could not be in theological error and in need of corporate repentance and reformation.
   
   To "repent" means "to feel such regret or dissatisfaction over some past action, intention, belief, etc. as to change one's mind about it and change one's ways in accordance with the revised view." But Jesus came preaching He was "the truth and the life," and by rejecting Him and choosing to cling to their false "traditions of the elders" He said they were making the Law of God of "none effect." He also told them they were not Abraham's children or they would be doing what Abraham did. This was strong "medicine" very difficult for any faithful Jew to swallow.
   
   When faced with such a faith-shattering "identity crisis," to choose to follow the "greater light" rather than cling to old familiar traditions and creeds, is almost "unprecedented" in religious history. This is a primary reason we see so much religious factionalism and sectarianism. Rather than repentance and reformation occurring, with the entire group wholeheartedly accepting the new facts and moving forward in faith and unison, most groups experience schism when confronted with such an "identity crisis." The only alternative for those accepting larger views of truth and duty is to separate and form new sects. There is thus a continual process of revolution and excommunication, rather than repentance and reformation. When religious faith is based on a belief that God has revealed "inerrant" truths to revered leaders, when faced with new facts as history unfolds, most religious groups usually lack the means and/or the motive to see facts objectively, repent, and change their ways. Thus there is a continual need for the messages of John the Baptist and Jesus to "Repent, and believe the Gospel."
   
   Given a group's "faith" that God was leading them in the past, they find it almost impossible to admit a group error or mistake could have occurred that needs corporate repentance. "Wasn't God leading our church? Does God lead into error?" Yet the paradox is that in our secular affairs we humans readily admit "to error is human." But when it comes to our "holy experience," how could it have been mistaken or erroneous? Our "holy religious experience," is considered not subject to error! But why is it so hard to accept the fact that though the Infinite God is holy and without error, yet even the best "saints" are finite beings often lacking faith and making mistakes and errors, even while under God's leading and tutelage? Witness Abraham, Moses, and David, and ultimately both Israel and Judah, both going into exile and ruin! (The Biblical theology of this paradox and conundrum of the Christian's struggle with progressive revelation and acceptance of new truth is discussed in John 3:10-21; 1 Cor. Chapter 2; Matt. Chap. 5; Matt. 9:16-17; 10:34-39; 13:52 and many other passages.)



4. When I first read the Book of Mormon, I questioned it's validity. Natives to both American continents where not nearly as advanced as the societies described in the BOM. Additionally, Native Americans had arrived far earlier that the BOM indicates. Then there was the literary issue of, "it came to pass," occurring again and again and again. Clearly it was not written by a first rate author. Mormon friends and relatives had always told me Joseph Smith could not have written the BOM, he wasn't well educated enough. This book answers the question of who really wrote the Book of Mormon. The level of detail involved in the research lends to its credibility; the research can easily be reviewed. The authors do an excellent job hypothesizing as to how Rigdon, Smith and Cowdrey may have come together to complete the book. What they left little doubt about was that Solomon Spalding wrote the basic story behind the BOM. Exactly how this happened no one will ever know. I was disappointed with the Christian message in the forward. This book stands alone as a well researched historical document. The question of whether or not Mormons are "Christian" should be left to another forum. This book will leave no doubt about who really wrote the BOM.



5. This book exposes Mormon Apologetics at their worst. They feel they have completely discredited the "Spalding Theory" regarding who wrote the Book of Mormon or what information was used by Joseph Smith to write the BofM. Unfortunately, these apologists discredited the wrong manuscript and they also forget to add that there were actually TWO Spalding manuscripts. The one Joseph Smith had and used was very close (using the same names, locations, events, etc.) to the Book of Mormon.
   This wonderful book written by Wayne L. Cowdery exposes the apologetic's dishonest tactics and also reveals which manuscript was actually used for the inspiration behind the stories in the Book of Mormon.

5 comments about The Mysteries of Godliness: A History of Mormon Temple Worship.

1. I enjoyed reading this book, and it's history help me a lot to understand the evolution of temple ordinances. I'm LDS and don't understand why someone said LDS would feel embarassed by the book. If it wasn't for the uncalled opinion on how it should evolve (like sugesting a short version of the endowment) I would have given it an extra star. By uncalled opinion I mean that the temple ordinances evolution is not a matter of public opinion (the LDS church is not a democracy, but a theocracy) but rather a matter of either revelation or leadership decision (decision of those in authority to make such changes.



2. This is one of the best reads I've had for awhile. Buerger has done an excellent job of researching and presenting the history behind the origins and developing changes to the Mormon temple ceremonies. Every quote cited is referenced and the author's goal "to achieve a balance of scholarly objectivity, reverence for the sacred, regard for the sensitivities of others, and adequate documentation and development of the points to be discussed" is very much achieved admirably in this book. The result is an excellent resource for members and non members alike.
   
   Included in the impressive research taken, this book contains names, dates and frequency of what ceremonies took place when and who was involved, taking the guesswork out of other vague historical accounts on the same topic. It covers the history of what has taken place in the temple from the Kirtland days through to modern day.
   
   Buerger avoids delving into the actual oaths, signs and tokens, which should remove any discomfort from current LDS members reading this - although he does dedicate an Appendix at the back of the book to over a hundred references (only) of published descriptions.
   
   I've been a member now since a child and have been taught at every level (and taught others) much on Church doctrine and history, and I was definitely enlightened from reading this book - I highly recommend it to anyone who desires to learn more on the history of Mormon temple worship, including what has been added, changed or discarded since the first endowment was given, and why.
   
   ***** 5 stars



3. When Joseph Smith joined the Freemasons in Nauvoo,Illinois, he graduated to Master Mason in a brief time...and with his embrace of Masonry, the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints underwent a great change. Before then, Mormons modeled themselves on other churches in their worship- hymns, Communion, sermons; now they had something to call their own.
   
   In "Mysteries of Godliness",David John Buerger chronicles the changes in Mormon temple worship. In the beginning, gatherings in temples were like Pentecostal revivals- people spoke in tongues, prophesied, it was a "divine frenzy." After weddings were performed, there was dancing within the temple precincts. As part of the endowment ceremony, there would be "the lecture before the veil (entry to the Celestial Room)" explaining the deities and exaltation. There were even "second anointings", in which men&women were declared King&Queen, Priest&Priestess. The woman would anoint the man's feet as Mary Magdalene did to Jesus as a ritual marriage (making this a bonus for Da Vinci Code fans!) The beginning of Mormon temple rituals was rooted in magical thinking.
   
   Now,Mormon temple rituals are more standardized. Endowments range from a half hour to two,depending. The sealing of husband&wife is a ten minute ceremony;there isn't any dancing. Temples now contain locker rooms and cafeterias. The temple play depicting the Creation&Fall of Man is now projected on movie screens. Buerger argues that live presentations, time for prayer&meditation in the Celestial Room,would make temple attendance more appealing, making it a "holy setting for spiritual healing." It is true that few Mormons attend the temple regularly; exhorting members to participate in vicarious endowments and sealings has become a popular topic from the pulpit. The mystery of Mormon temples is part of their allure to non-members; Buerger argues that it's time to bring it back.



4. The LDS temple ceremonies have been shrouded in mystery for decades. This well-documented and masterful work covers not only the history and development of these ceremonies but the doctrinal changes that went along with their development. I found the book not only fascinating but extremely well-written, without an axe to grind. Buerger gets to the documented facts and lays them out for the reader to discover and draw their own conclusions. To me, that is the best kind of history - the facts as drawn from circumstances and environment without a specific viewpoint or bias from the author.
   This is a book not steeped in difficult to understand doctrines or techobabble of any kind. Anyone even slightly interested in knowing more about the secret/sacred rites of the Utah-based LDS church will benefit from and enjoy this book. It would also made a proud addition to the library of any intelligent, thinking Mormon.



5. Buerger's exceptional work, characterized by his rigorous academic perspective, holds up as a touchstone for unbiased research into a profoundly important American movement, the Church of Jesus Christ of the Latter Day Saints. His open-minded and carefully scrutinized exposition of the church's history, as it was reflected in the development of the temple ritual, is worthy of careful scrutiny by anyone who genuinely wishes to examine this church. Moreover, and critical to such expositions, his sensitivity to secrets of Mormon ritual makes this book of interest to any of the faithful who wishes to examine temple institutions from an historically accurate perspective. Finally, telling a complex, intertwined story of personalities, theological discourse, and organizational change, he both clarifies and questions without accusation or bias. In the intellectual tradition of Professor Sterling McMurrin, Buerger's book, over a decade old, still sings with courageous and compelling truths. A small masterpiece of scholarship.

5 comments about The Book of Mormon Made Easier, Part II (New Cover) (Gospel Studies).

1. This endorsement can apply to all of his "gospel series" books. I believe I'm his biggest fan. I just can't say enough about the effect these books have had on me personally, or at least the way they have changed how I approach a study of the scriptures.
   
   Also, don't be fooled by the "Made Easier" part of the title. They may exclude all you scholars from even considering this book, but it shouldn't. People of all levels can get a lot out of this, and it's not meant to be a beginner's text.



2. My daughter recommended the 3 volumes of the Book of Mormon Made Easier. I have found them to be very good and insightful in understand the Book of Mormon. I have read the Book of Mormon many times, but reading it with these volumes has greatly increased my knowledge and desire to read the scriptures.



3. I really like how the author makes it easy to understand the Book of Mormon.



4. David Ridges does an excellent job of adding insights to BofM passages. These insights broaden the readers understanding of the subject material. The book is used by a study group who expressed to me how insightful the author's comments are in bringing a deeper understanding of the written record.



5. This series of books is very helpful in your daily study of the Book of Mormon. It explains a lot of the symbolism and makes the Book of Mormon easier to understand.

5 comments about Believing Christ the Parable of the Bicycle and Other Good News.

1. We should never take comfort in rationalizing our weaknesses, suggesting a little sin is ok: a little pornography, a little immorality, a little lie, and a little murder. God forbid that we ever become ashamed or discouraged, at our desire to stand blameless before God. We must turn to God, repenting of our sins, and avoid rationalizing weakness by reducing God's expectations for us. The dichotomy becomes no unclean thing can enter into the kingdom of God; and, one must be perfect to enter back into the kingdom. So, when man sins, he falls short of the glory of God. Therefore, we must cast off sin, resist the devil, and bring about much righteous of our own free will and choice. Remember, death and sin were overcome by the grace of Christ.



2. This book will explain how to get rid of the baggage you carry around with you that keeps you depressed and feeling like a failure. It will change your mind and your heart and fill it with hope. Don't give up on life until you've read it. It's one of the most influential books you will ever read.



3. I'm a recent convert and an avid reader of books. So I don't say "This is the best book I've ever read" very often. I read 4 books in the month before I converted (wanted to make sure this was the right decision). This one was recommended by a friend at church and it has changed my life.
   
   This book introduced me to the real Jesus Christ. I've heard about him my entire life. I've met people who love him beyond measure. I've met people who don't believe he ever existed. But I had never met anyone who could explain to me who he really was. I never really understood what he did, what he continues to do, what I should think of him or how he is supposed to fit into my life. If you truely seek to know Jesus Christ, READ THIS BOOK!



4. I don't normally read LDS literature not written by a general authority of the church, but this is quite the exception. I enjoyed this author's speaches at both Ricks College and BYU- Provo. If you ever felt overwhelmed or inferior in the Gospel, please take a few hours and read this book. It will change your perspective.



5. Though the author cites Mormon scripture as well as the Bible, don't let that put you off. If he had only cited Old and New Testament scriptures, the result would be the same: a wonderful explanation of Christ's Grace and where works comes into the picture, repentance, and how Jesus infinite atonement brings us back to Him. Justice and mercy are compared beautifully, and the Love of Christ comes through like a sun bursting over the horizon.
   
   I recommend this book for anyone who is struggling with issues of their own unworthiness and the possibility of redemption. A brilliant and thoughtful book.

No comments about Mormonism: A Very Short Introduction (Very Short Introductions).

3 comments about How to Be Totally Miserable: A Self-Hinder Book.

1. Great book! Bytheway does a great job in all of his books in encouraging everyone to be better people. Fun to read.



2. Goodness me, but what a clever and yet so obvious example of the great world of reverse psychology as the great John Bytheway takes on people who are never happy and just what may be making them that way. It's cute, clever, and a perfect reader especially for teenagers.



3. I really enjoyed this little book. Very quick read. John Bytheway helps you consider your outlook on life and the attitudes you may be projecting. Suggests how you can make yourself miserable with your thoughts and how to turn a negative outlook into a positive attitude.

4 comments about On the Road With Joseph Smith: An Author's Diary.

1. All biographies are written through the eyes of the biographer. They tell as much about the writer as the subject. Hence, biographies on Joseph Smith run the gamut of opinions. Bushman has his own, and this diary really helps to understand his thoughts on writing and promoting Joseph Smith: Rough Stone Rolling. It would be great if every biography (and history book, for that matter) came with a personal diary by the author like this one. History is not a set of facts, it is a story told by someone.
   
   The extreme conserative Mormons will not like Bushman's scholarly approach, and those who pass too quickly on Joseph Smith as a fraud will call Bushman an apologetic, but I think the majority of us in the middle like RSR, and will really like this diary. Seeing the personal side of a biographer so important to American religious studies is a great opportunity. It's also not every day when you come across someone from a big university like Columbia who is also humble.



2. This brief memoir (140 pages including the index) is a book about a book--Bushman's Joseph Smith: Rough Stone Rolling (Alfred A. Knopf, 2005)--and the reaction it generated from Mormons and non-Mormons of various sorts during the author's yearlong promotional tour. On the Road will obviously be of greatest interest to those acquainted with Bushman or who at least have read Rough Stone Rolling; but the volume may also appeal to those curious about contemporary non-fiction book publishing or who are interested in how contemporary Mormon intellectuals try to sort out the more awkward aspects of their faith.
   
   Bushman confesses to having a "sensitive temperament," and he is sometimes so revealing that the reader feels on the edge of voyeurism. For instance, Bushman expresses his frustration at forgetting his cell phone charger, he regularly checks the Amazon.com rankings of his book, and he compares the quality of his own interviews with those of President George W. Bush: "He seemed unsure and forced in his answers....Sitting before a reporter who was going to be more critical, he faltered, and I do the same. I also thought it was partly because he is not entirely honest. He keeps thinking of the criticisms of his statements and is not certain he is answering satisfactorily. As I watched I was of course applying these observations to myself." (94) The volume is full of what one nineteenth-century after-dinner speaker called "carriage speeches"--the revised discourses he made to himself on the way home in his carriage.
   
   Bushman includes curious speculation about the nature of ultimate reality (60-62), which concludes with his pronouncement that "Mormons are not the only source of light" and that "Christ radiates throughout the world, through many voices." Yet he is willing enough to play down such sentiments for the present when Mormonism is "under attack from evangelical Christians." Bushman also expresses discomfort at Joseph Smith's polyandry and yet, for unspecified reasons, he swallows Smith's angels and golden plates whole. In the end, Bushman admits that by writing Rough Stone Rolling for both Mormons and non-Mormons, he attracted educated believers but lost readers at "both ends of the spectrum"--conservative Mormons who wanted an unsullied prophet with supernatural gifts and non-Mormons who were confirmed in their previous belief that Smith was only a charlatan.



3. Richard Bushman has published a brief account of dealing with his book, "Joseph Smith: Rough Stone Rolling." I have read several other accounts of author's process of writing and reacting (John Steinbeck most notably), but have not felt that I reached the heart and soul of a man as this book does with Richard Bushman. He leaves nothing out.
   
   Most interesting are his attempts to deal with an anti-Mormon audience vs. conservative Mormons. His motivations are pure and having read "Rough Stone Rolling," I think he has pulled off a major accomplishment. He is a great and sincere man. He certainly is at the forefront of LDS historians and scholars.



4. I suspect this review is more personal than will be really helpful to Amazon readers. I write more to the the man than about the book.
   
   Professor Bushman is a deep thinker. I am impressed by his dedication to his profession (and why shouldn't he be dedicated), and to his faith.
   
   I also appreciated his candid discussion of his foibles and vanities. I think I begin to see that great things are accomplished by those who continue to "show up" as much as by those with genius (though I think Professor Bushman has plenty of genius). I get a chuckle from thinking of him checking his Amazon ranking because I'm just sure that I would do exactly the same thing. Isn't it just too human of us to want to know where we are "ranked," how we stack up against others.
   
   Perhaps the most compelling part of this book, though, is Brother Bushman's obvious efforts to be true to his convictions and spread the word in ways that are consistent with his academic AND spiritual views. I find him to be living up to the Mormon motto that "all things are spiritual to God."
   
   Well done, Professor. You are a credit to your faith.

5 comments about The Book of Mormon: Another Testament of Jesus Christ (Official Edition).

1. I was raised in a Protestant home with only the Bible as scripture. I first became acquainted with the Book of Mormon as a young adult. For the past 36 years, I have read this "new" book of scripture many times, and I have tried to put its messages into practice. The result? I was married and my wife and I raised three daughters with both the Bible and the Book of Mormon as guides, with wonderful results.
   
   The Book of Mormon strengthened our faith in the truthfulness of Bible sriptures. It helped my wife and I to teach principles of the gospel of Jesus Christ with power and effectiveness. This book has helped my family to be more at peace by giving us a spirit that allowed us to get along better with each other.
   
   The Book of Mormon is full of references to the Savior Jesus Christ. It proves the Bible to be inspired, for prophets of the Western Hemisphere had long ago foretold the coming of the Messiah, of His birth in the Old World.
   
   The Book of Mormon not only supports the truth in the Bible: It mentions things not as well covered in the Bible, such as infant baptism and the nature of universal resurrection. It confirms the Bible's proclamation of eternal reward for following Jesus Christ and of the eternal negative consequences of rejecting Jesus Christ.
   
   Read the book with sincerity and prayer and feel of its truthfulness for yourself.



2. Life changing and thought provoking. Because of what it claims to be, an ancient record translated by Joseph Smith intended as a companion to the Bible we have today, this book should be read by every person before a decision is made about its truthfulness. With all the controversy surrounding it, it is impossible to form a true opinion without first hand knowledge of its contents. Truly another testimony of Jesus the Christ.



3. Is this book true? Is it the word of God?
   
   Four years ago, I was suffering from two powerful addictions. I tried and tried to quit these behaviors, but I always returned to them.
   
   I picked up the Book of Mormon on the advice of a friend, and I read two or three verses from it. That's all I did. My addictions were taken from me!
   
   This book has caused a revolutionary change in my life, and I have never looked back. I have had peace in my heart and joy in my life since that day four years ago. The Book of Mormon is the most powerful book on the face of the earth.
   
   If the Book of Mormon is true, then Jesus is the Christ. He completed His divine mission on earth when he died that we might live. If the Book of Mormon is true, then Joseph Smith was a prophet of God who helped to restore the original Church of Jesus Christ to the earth.
   
   Is this book true? Is it the word of God?
   
   I am here to say that it is.



4. This is a beautiful book that I have read many times. It is the work of god and I recomend it to anyone who wants to learn more about god and his dealings to other of his children. Since the bible takes place primarily in jerusalem this book takes place in central and south america. The book of mormon explains how god teaches his children all over the world not just in one area.



5. TRY READING "The Book of Mormon" BEFORE REVIEWING IT.
   
   Everyone talks about having and "open mind" nowadays, yet when it comes to anything related to the LDS Church or "Mormons" then people are allowed to be as closed minded as possible. "Mormons" keep an open mind about others as Joseph Smith stated in the eleventh article of the LDS faith:
   
   "We claim the privilege of worshiping Almighty God according to the dictates of our own conscience, and allow all men the same privilege, let them worship how, where, or what they may."
   
   We do not force anyone to do anything. We simply ask you to find out for yourself.
   
   What other book invites you to find out for yourself whether it is true.
   
   "Behold, I would exhort you that when ye shall read these things, if it be wisdom in God that ye should read them, that ye would remember how merciful the Lord hath been unto the children of men, from the creation of Adam even down until the time that ye shall receive these things, and ponder it in your hearts.
   4 And when ye shall receive these things, I would exhort you that ye would ask God, the Eternal Father, in the name of Christ, if these things are not true; and if ye shall ask with a sincere heart, with real intent, having faith in Christ, he will manifest the truth of it unto you, by the power of the Holy Ghost.
   5 And by the power of the Holy Ghost ye may know the truth of all things."
   
   All we ask is that you read "The Book of Mormon" and find out for yourself. If you do not read it the whole way through (like you do with your Harry Potter novels) then you will never know and that is on you, but do not judge this book until you have done so.
   
   We even make it easy for you to obtain a copy. You don't have to buy "The Book of Mormon". Just copy and paste the following link into your address bar and you can request a Free copy to be delivered right to your door.
   
   http://www.mormon.org/mormonorg/eng/basic-beliefs/learning-center-offer?offerId=73d3c8ab1a7e1110VgnVCM100000176f620a____
   
   Has your life been changed from reading "The Book of Mormon"? Mine has, and it has never been better. Just ask your friendly "Mormon" neighbor.