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  A Preparatory Redemption: Reading Alma 12-13

  Matthew Bowman and Rosemary Demos

  The twelfth and thirteenth chapters of the Book of Mormon’s Alma contain a theologically rich and often misunderstood text—a brief discourse to the people of Ammonihah exploring the nature of redemption and the establishment of God’s holy order of priesthood.

  In this collection of essays, eight scholars examine Alma’s words from a broad range of disciplines and analytical approaches, from literary criticism to philosophy to comparative religious history. Their interpretive experiments open this text up to theological insights that inform devotion and prompt deep inquiry.

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  Christ and Antichrist: Reading Jacob 7

  Adam S. Miller and Joseph M. Spencer

  The Book of Mormon’s Jacob chapter 7 focuses on a dramatic showdown between Sherem, a defender of the Mosaic tradition, and Jacob, a prophet who views the Mosaic law as dead in light of what he calls “the doctrine of Christ.” The papers collected in this volume offer theological readings of this Book of Mormon chapter that draw on Jacob 7’s structure and literary details to illuminate key themes like law, family, prayer, mourning, and messianic time.

  Includes contributions from Jana Riess, Kimberly M. Berkey, Adam S. Miller, Jacob Rennaker, Jeremy Walker, Joseph M. Spencer, Jenny Webb, and Sharon J. Harris.

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  To Be Learned is Good: Essays on Faith and Scholarship in Honor of Richard Lyman Bushman

  Spencer Fluhman, Kathleen Flake, and Jed Woodworth

  What does the future hold for Mormonism in the academy? How does personal faith impact one’s scholarship? How might scholarly women and men speak of faith in secular places and times? This volume contains vibrant exchanges on these and other questions from the memorable scholars’ colloquium held in honor of historian and Latter-day Saint Richard Lyman Bushman.

  “I think we all feel some tension between our religious convictions and the secular times in which we live. In one way or another, modernism invades and unsettles our thinking, perhaps our thinking about our fields, perhaps our personal beliefs. What I hope we all realize is that this tension is not to be suppressed or regretted. Unanswerable as some questions are, we need not lament the discomfort they bring. The strain of believing in unbelieving times, is not a handicap or a burden. It is a stimulus and a prod. It is precisely out of such strains that creative work issues forth. And we can take satisfaction in knowing that we are in this together.” —Richard Lyman Bushman

  Videos of each presentation from the scholars’ colloquium are available here.

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  A Dream, a Rock, and a Pillar of Fire

  Adam S. Miller

  The first chapter of 1 Nephi may be the most read in all of Mormon scripture. But beyond its veneer of familiarity, its substance remains shadowed by a host of contextual and theological questions. The papers collected in this volume offer theological readings that draw on careful examinations of 1 Nephi 1’s structure and literary details to explore questions about Lehi’s world, the nature of revelation, the problem of suffering, and the promised Messiah.

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  Fleeing the Garden: Reading Genesis 2-3

  Adam S. Miller

  The papers collected in this book are the product of a Mormon Theology Seminar dedicated to generating close, theologically informed readings of the second and third chapters of Genesis. Though participants in the seminar employed a wide variety of methodological approaches, the results clearly show a common core of understanding won through months of close collaborative effort. Essays explore the nature of appetite, the role of community, the necessity of ecology, and the persistence of paradox in one of the Bible’s most human stories.

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  Embracing the Law: Reading Doctrine and Covenants 42

  Joseph M. Spencer and Jeremiah John

  According to Joseph Smith, Doctrine and Covenants 42 “embraces the law of the church.” In this collection of essays, six scholars probe the significance of this revelation, especially the significance of its status as “law.” In what ways is D&C 42—especially the law of consecration—binding for Latter-day Saints today? These wide-ranging essays argue that the law remains in force, but in many different ways.

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  Let Your Hearts and Minds Expand: Reflections on Faith, Reason, Charity, and Beauty

  Thomas F. Rogers

  “Tom Rogers has lived his faith all over the world. The experiences he relates from far-flung places—mingled with thirty-one years as a BYU professor of Russian—give remarkable insight into the hard work always involved when we practice charity, “the pure love of Christ.” In these essays Rogers is a defender of the faith, but his words move us well beyond typical apologetics. His Mormonism serves as the bedrock for discussions on the life of the mind, the value of literature, and the challenges of religious orthodoxy.”

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  Apocalypse: Reading Revelation 21-22

  Julie M. Smith

  The Book of Revelation has perplexed and fascinated readers for centuries. In particular, its final two chapters—which contain the only extended description of heaven in the canon—beg for close examination and careful consideration. In this collection of essays, six scholars theologically examine Revelation 21–22. With approaches ranging from textual criticism to intertextual readings to conceptual analysis, this book sheds new light on a most enigmatic text.

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  An Other Testament: On Typology

  Joseph M. Spencer

  How should we read the Book of Mormon? And does the Book of Mormon itself have anything to say about it? Joseph Spencer follows the lead of Nephite prophets who interpreted Isaiah and other prophets typologically—according to “types” and “shadows”—in order to preach salvation through Jesus Christ. By focusing on history, memory, time, repentance, and conversion, An Other Testament explores what it means to believe God provided the Book of Mormon to change a person like you and a world like ours.

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  Reading Nephi Reading Isaiah: 2 Nephi 26-27

  Joseph M. Spencer and Jenny Webb

  Nephi’s adoration of the words of Isaiah has puzzled many readers of the Book of Mormon. What does Nephi’s reading and repurposing of the biblical prophet suggest about the nature of prophecy and scripture study? Six scholars of the Mormon Theology Seminar address these and other questions in Reading Nephi Reading Isaiah. By shedding new light on this particular scriptural text, these essays provide exemplary models for improved scripture study.

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  The New Testament Made Harder: Scripture Study Questions

  James E. Faulconer

  Latter-day Saint philosopher James E. Faulconer’s Made Harder series raises many more questions than it answers. And that is precisely the point. Faulconer wrote The New Testament Made Harder on the premise that scripture study is only as good as the questions we bring to the endeavor. While many scriptural guides provide useful chapter synopses, timelines, memorizable bullet-points, or shortcuts, this book consists almost entirely of challenging questions (with occasional commentary for clarity’s sake) because, in Faulconer’s experience, questions themselves are the key to reflective and deep scripture study. This book is intended to make reading harder—and therefore fresher—by priming your pondering pump with insightful study questions.

  So much of modern life is geared to finding faster and easier ways to do the same old things. The Made Harder series proves that making things easier does not always make them better.

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  The Alexandrian Epitomes of Galen, Volume 1: On the Medical Sects for Beginners; The Small Art of Medicine; On the Elements According to the Opinion of Hippocrates

  Galen and John Walbridge, Translator

  The second-century physician and philosopher Galen is not known for brevity. Although his writings on medicine are famously verbose and numerous, for centuries they constituted much of the standard syllabi for medical students. About fourteen hundred years ago, one or possibly several professors put together a series of epitomes of Galen’s work. In contrast to Galen’s rambling and argumentative style, these epitomes present the material dryly but clearly, offering systematic categorizations of concepts, symptoms, diseases, and organs. Originally written in Greek, The Alexandrian Epitomes of Galen can also be found in Arabic and Hebrew translations, and the epitomes have had a particularly profound influence on medical literature in the Arab world. This new edition presents the Arabic and English versions side by side, with a fresh, modern, and authoritative translation by scholar John Walbridge. Often cited in medical texts in the following centuries, these epitomes present an admirably clear survey of Galenism as it was understood at the very end of antiquity.

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  Postponing Heaven: The Three Nephites, the Bodhisattva, and the Mahdi

  Jad Hatem

  Christianity, like other world religions, surprisingly acknowledges the existence of a plurality of human messiahs. In this comparative work, philosopher Jad Hatem examines Mormonism’s Three Nephites, Buddhism’s Bodhisattva, and Islam’s Mahdi—distinctive messianic figures who postpone Heaven, sacrificially prolonging their lives for the benefit of humankind.

  Originally published in French, this translation includes two additional papers written by Jad Hatem dealing with aspects of Latter-day Saint belief and a new interview between Hatem and Latter-day Saint philosopher James E. Faulconer.

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  Planted: Belief and Belonging in an Age of Doubt

  Patrick Q. Mason

  For all its beneficial advances, our secular age has also weakened some people’s ties to religious belief and affiliation. Latter-day Saints have not been immune to this trend. In recent years, many faithful Church members have encountered challenging aspects of Church history, belief, or practice. Feeling isolated, alienated, or misled, some struggle to stay. Some simply leave. Many search for a reliable and faithful place to work through their questions.

  You can find such a place in Patrick Q. Mason’s Planted: Belief and Belonging in an Age of Doubt. This book gives people who struggle with questions—and people who love those who struggle—practical ways to stay planted in the Gospel of Jesus Christ. Rather than attempting to answer every possible question or doubt, Planted presents an empathetic, practical, and candid dialog about the relationship of doubt and faith.

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  Evolving Faith: Wanderings of a Mormon Biologist

  Steven L. Peck

  Believers and scientists have long wrestled over the relationship between science and faith. Steven L. Peck, an acclaimed Latter-day Saint author and scientist, demonstrates in this new book that both science and faith are indispensable tools we can use to navigate God’s strange and beautiful creation. Evolving Faith is a collection of technical, personal, sometimes whimsical essays about Mormon theology, evolution, human consciousness, the environment, sacred spaces, and more.

  With the mind of a scientist, the soul of a believer, and the heart of a wanderer, Peck provides welcome companionship for women and men engaged in the unceasing quest for further light and knowledge.

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  First Principles and Ordinances: The Fourth Article of Faith in Light of the Temple

  Samuel M. Brown

  Familiarity can lead to a kind of blindness in life and in religion. The first principles and ordinances of the gospel are particularly at risk for neglectful misunderstanding. Author Samuel M. Brown offers a fresh approach by asking how our relationship with God and others can transform our understanding of the gospel basics of faith, repentance, baptism, and the gift of the Holy Ghost. By weaving a tapestry of personal stories, scripture, and history, Brown shows how the truths taught in the highest Temple ordinances relate to the first principles of the gospel. Get to know the Fourth Article of Faith all over again in this intellectually and spiritually stimulating book.

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  The Book of Mormon Made Harder

  James E. Faulconer

  Latter-day Saint philosopher James E. Faulconer’s Made Harder series raises many more questions than it answers. And that is precisely the point. Faulconer wrote The Book of Mormon Made Harder on the premise that our scripture study is only as good as the questions we bring to the endeavor. While many books about the Book of Mormon provide useful shortcuts, chapter synopses, timelines, and memorizable bullet-points, this book consists almost entirely of challenging questions (with occasional commentary for clarity’s sake) because, in Faulconer’s experience, questions themselves are the key to reflective and deep scripture study. This book is intended to make reading harder—and therefore fresher—by priming your pondering pump with insightful study questions.

  So much of modern life is geared to finding faster and easier ways to do the same old things. The Made Harder series is proof that making things easier does not always make them better.

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  The Doctrine and Covenants Made Harder: Scripture Study Questions

  James E. Faulconer

  Latter-day Saint philosopher James E. Faulconer’s Made Harder series raises many more questions than it answers. And that is precisely the point. Faulconer wrote The Doctrine & Covenants Made Harder on the premise that our scripture study is only as good as the questions we bring to the endeavor. The book consists almost entirely of challenging questions (with occasional commentary for clarity’s sake) because, in Faulconer’s experience, questions themselves are the key to reflective and deep scripture study. This book is intended to make reading harder—and therefore fresher—by priming your pondering pump with insightful study questions.

  So much of modern life is geared to finding faster and easier ways to do the same old things. The Made Harder series proves that making things easier does not always make them better.

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  The Old Testament Made Harder: Scripture Study Questions

  James E. Faulconer

  Latter-day Saint philosopher James E. Faulconer’s Made Harder series raises many more questions than it answers. And that is precisely the point. Faulconer wrote The Old Testament Made Harder on the premise that our scripture study is only as good as the questions we bring to the endeavor. While many books about the Old Testament provide useful shortcuts, chapter synopses, timelines, and memorizable bullet-points, this book consists almost entirely of challenging questions (with occasional commentary for clarity’s sake) because, in Faulconer’s experience, questions themselves are the key to reflective and deep scripture study. This book is intended to make reading harder—and therefore fresher—by priming your pondering pump with insightful study questions.

  So much of modern life is geared to finding faster and easier ways to do the same old things. The Made Harder series is proof that making things easier does not always make them better.

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  An Experiment on the Word: Reading Alma 32

  Adam S. Miller

  This book is based on a novel idea: that Mormons do theology. “Doing theology” is different from weighing history, deciding doctrine, or inspiring devotion, though it sometimes overlaps with those things. Theology speculates. It experiments with questions, tests new angles, and pulls loose threads. It reads familiar texts in careful and creative new ways. In this collection of essays, six scholars theologically examine Alma chapter 32 in the Book of Mormon, which contains some of the most insightful verses about faith in the entire Latter-day Saint canon. Not only do these scholars shed new light on Alma 32, they also provide exemplary models for improved scripture study more generally.

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  Letters to a Young Mormon

  Adam S. Miller

  Adam Miller spends his days teaching philosophy to students at Collin College in McKinney, Texas, but the most important lessons he’s ever prepared have been for his own children. He distilled many of those lessons into his new book, Letters to a Young Mormon. Miller’s letters are meant for a young Mormon who is familiar with Mormon life but green in their faith. In simple but profound prose, Miller addresses the real beauty and real costs of trying to live a Mormon life in today’s world. He encourages Mormons young and old to live in a way that refuses to abandon either life or Mormonism. Most importantly, even while dispensing wisdom, Miller wonders alongside the reader. Letters to a Young Mormon is unlike anything ever written for a young Latter-day Saint audience.

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  Revelation, Reason, and Faith: Essays in Honor of Truman G. Madsen

  Donald W. Parry, Daniel C. Peterson, and Stephen D. Ricks

  The distinguished career of Truman G. Madsen has earned him wide respect in and outside of LDS circles as an outstanding teacher, scholar, researcher, speaker, university administrator, church leader, and religious ambassador. With the publication of Revelation, Reason, and Faith: Essays in Honor of Truman G. Madsen, the Institute pays tribute to this remarkable man whose many accomplishments include helping to advance Book of Mormon scholarship and related interests of the Institute.

  Edited by Donald W. Parry, Daniel C. Peterson, and Stephen D. Ricks (each of whom also author a chapter), the 800-plus-page volume contains contributions by 31 scholars, 10 of who are not Latter-day Saints, reflecting the wide appeal of Madsen’s academic work and influence. The book is organized into five sections: “Philosophy and Theology,” “LDS Scripture and Theology,” “Joseph Smith and LDS Church History,” “Judaism,” and “The Temple.”

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  Third Nephi: An Incomparable Scripture

  Andrew C. Skinner and Gaye Strathearn

  If the Book of Mormon is considered the keystone of the Latter-day Saint religion, then perhaps Third Nephi could be considered the pinnacle of the Book of Mormon. Third Nephi provides a glimpse into those glorious moments when the Savior ministered to a group of Nephite people who trusted in his prophesied appearance. This collection of essays is compiled from lectures given during a two-day symposium on the book of Third Nephi held at BYU in 2008. The chapters investigate a variety of topics from both academic and doctrinal perspectives. The articles include discussions on what Jesus taught and did, as well as how Third Nephi fits into the larger purposes that are outlined in the Book of Mormon’s title page: to show Israel what great things the Lord has done for their fathers that they may know the covenants of the Lord, and to convince both Jew and Gentile that Jesus is the Christ.

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  Bountiful Harvest: Essays in Honor of S. Kent Brown

  Andrew C. Skinner, D. Morgan Davis, and Carl Griffin

  Over the course of his forty-year career, S. Kent Brown, professor of religious studies, has taught and inspired thousands of students at Brigham Young University and has produced over one hundred publications and several films in the fields of early Christian, Near Eastern, and Mormon studies. Twenty-four scholars, including Leslie S. B. MacCoull, Robert Millett, and Jacob Neusner, have contributed articles to this volume in honor of Brown. Essay topics include archaeology, biblical studies, Coptic studies, early Christian studies, Islamic studies, Jewish studies, Mormon studies, and Quran studies. In addition to these pieces, the book includes a bibliography of works by Brown himself, a citation index, and a subject index. A wonderful testament to Brown’s legacy as a scholar and teacher, Bountiful Harvest provides a variety of perspectives on a broad range of subjects.

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  Faith, Philosophy, Scripture

  James E. Faulconer

  Faith, Philosophy, Scripture is a collection of ten path-breaking essays informed by Professor James E. Faulconer’s work as a philosopher and his abiding faith as a Latter-day Saint.

  “The confidence of my faith, a confidence that came by revelation,” Faulconer writes,” has allowed me to hear the questions of philosophy without fear, and philosophy has never asked me to give up my faith, though it has asked questions about it.” Faith is the starting point, scripture offers the data, and philosophy more supplement than competitor. Faith, philosophy, and scripture help make sense of each other.

  These essays ask what it means to remember; how faith and reason are related to each other; what the place of theology is in revealed religion; and how we can read scripture with fresh eyes. Taken together, Faulconer’s collection can show you how faith can center philosophy and scripture in a way that enriches a whole life.