Stephen Ricks

Kent P. Jackson, ed., Studies in Scripture: 1 Nephi to Alma 29 ; and Studies in Scripture: Alma 30 to Moroni

Review of Books on the Book of Mormon 1989–2011, 1989

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Kent P. Jackson, ed., Studies in Scripture: 1 Nephi to Alma 29 ; and Studies in Scripture: Alma 30 to Moroni

Review of Books on the Book of Mormon 1989–2011, 1989

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The Disciple as Witness: Essays on Latter-day Saint History and Doctrine in Honor of Richard Lloyd Anderson

to bond with Brigham Young and other members of the Quorum of the Twelve, Wight (Bitton argues) w... more to bond with Brigham Young and other members of the Quorum of the Twelve, Wight (Bitton argues) was unable to support Brigham after Joseph's death and nd his niche in the postmartyrdom church. Bitton's insights and conclusions are based on several years' study of Wight and constitute a signi cant addition to the literature on this sad but important chapter in church history. In "The Tomb of Joseph, " Susan Easton Black presents evidence suggesting that she has found the tomb Joseph Smith apparently made to house his and his family's earthly remains. Teaming up with stonemason Robert L. Christensen and documenting her nd with pictures by photographer John Telford, Black presents evidence that the walled-in cavern she found while serving as a missionary in Nauvoo in 1995 predates the Nauvoo Temple and could be the tomb mentioned prominently in church annals. While the evidence is far from conclusive, it is clear that the topic of Joseph's tomb and the cavern Black found deserve further study. Donald Q. Cannon, in his article, "Words of Comfort: Funeral Sermons of the Prophet Joseph Smith, " reminds us that "Joseph Smith taught some of the most profound doctrines of the restoration in funeral sermons. " Drawing on the eight funeral sermons of Joseph for which a written record has survived, as well as various comments that the Prophet made about others he knew who had died, Cannon delineates the important doctrines Joseph introduced and ampli ed in these moments of re ection. A longtime student of Joseph's doctrinal teachings, Cannon concludes that these sermons, "taken together, testify of the divine calling of Joseph Smith. " In "Richard Lloyd Anderson and Worldwide Church Growth, " Richard O. Cowan reminds us that Anderson not only studied church history, but played a conspicuous role in the history himself. Cowan traces the development, outlines, and impact of Anderson's famous "Anderson Plan" for missionary work, which he developed while serving in the navy during World War II and as a missionary in the Northwestern States Mission following the war. While methods of proselyting have evolved since that time, Cowan notes that the Anderson Plan "laid important foundations on which subsequent missionary programs have been built" and constitutes a watershed event in the history of the church's eminently successful missionary program. Using sources hitherto unavailable for study, Scott Faulring's article, "The Return of Oliver Cowdery, " adds materially to our understanding of the steps leading to Oliver Cowdery's rebaptism in November 1848. Tracing Cowdery's continued contact with various church members after his excommunication in April 1838, Faulring brings to light how eagerly the church's leadership sought Cowdery's repentance and rebaptism. He also demonstrates Cowdery's own yearning to have his reputation cleared and to be numbered again among the Saints. Faulring's article builds on Anderson's own work on Cowdery and constitutes an important addition to our understanding of this signi cant gure in our history. In "Eyewitness, Hearsay, and Physical Evidence of the Joseph Smith Papyri, " Egyptologist John Gee applies Anderson's rigorous standards of assessment to statements concerning the extent of the Joseph Smith Papyri and Joseph's understanding of the papyri's content. Gee nds that many of the surviving statements about the papyri and Joseph's use of them come from secondhand sources and hearsay rather than from eyewitnesses and cautions against drawing rm conclusions about the papyri from such sources. Gee concludes by arguing that the rsthand accounts, used carefully, suggest a number of important things about the papyri and their translator-for one, that the well-known Kirtland Egyptian Papers have virtually nothing to do with the translation of the Book of Abraham and, for another, that the Book of Abraham came by revelation rather than Joseph employing modern Egyptological methods of translation. Setting a poem by Dr. Arthur Henry King to music, Gary P. Gillum here presents a new missionary hymn entitled "Every Kindred, Tongue, and People" in honor of Anderson's in uence on missionary work. Feeling both the words and music to be inspired, Gillum nds the hymn a tting tribute to Anderson's continuing involvement in missionary work, and "a testimony to all who seek the gifts of the Spirit. " Kenneth W. Godfrey, like Gee, urges a caution in his article, "David Whitmer and the Shaping of Latter-day Saint History. " Godfrey points out that while historians have been quick to pick apart Joseph's own writings, they have often accepted David Whitmer's accounts at face value, even though most were recorded years-even decades, in some instances-after the event, and often deal with events with which Whitmer was not involved. Illustrating his point, Godfrey notes inconsistencies within Whitmer's own accounts of his introduction to Joseph Smith, the translation of the Book of Mormon, the restoration of the priesthood, and other important events, as well as inconsistencies between his version of events and what others reported. In "Pleasing the Eye and Gladdening the Heart: Joseph Smith and Life's Little Pleasures, " Andrew H. Hedges shows how Joseph Smith's appreciation for the natural world, physical exercise, and the society of his friends was somewhat of an anomaly on the early American religious scene. Comparing Joseph's lifestyle and teachings with a variety of popular religious pamphlets and readings of the time, Hedges concludes that the "contrast between Joseph Smith and the nineteenth-century ideal of a religious man could not have been greater. " In an effort to help the reader better appreciate the "obscure and humble beginnings" of the church, Kent P. Jackson highlights a variety of church history sites and artifacts in his photo-essay, "Scenes from Early Latter-day Saint History. " Drawing on his extensive private collection of photographs, Jackson provides images and explanations of locations and relics-some quite famous, others less known-of signi cant restoration events. Illustrating the mobility of the early church and its missionaries, Jackson's fteen photographs cover sites in Vermont,

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The Disciple as Witness: Essays on Latter-day Saint History and Doctrine in Honor of Richard Lloyd Anderson

to bond with Brigham Young and other members of the Quorum of the Twelve, Wight (Bitton argues) w... more to bond with Brigham Young and other members of the Quorum of the Twelve, Wight (Bitton argues) was unable to support Brigham after Joseph's death and nd his niche in the postmartyrdom church. Bitton's insights and conclusions are based on several years' study of Wight and constitute a signi cant addition to the literature on this sad but important chapter in church history. In "The Tomb of Joseph, " Susan Easton Black presents evidence suggesting that she has found the tomb Joseph Smith apparently made to house his and his family's earthly remains. Teaming up with stonemason Robert L. Christensen and documenting her nd with pictures by photographer John Telford, Black presents evidence that the walled-in cavern she found while serving as a missionary in Nauvoo in 1995 predates the Nauvoo Temple and could be the tomb mentioned prominently in church annals. While the evidence is far from conclusive, it is clear that the topic of Joseph's tomb and the cavern Black found deserve further study. Donald Q. Cannon, in his article, "Words of Comfort: Funeral Sermons of the Prophet Joseph Smith, " reminds us that "Joseph Smith taught some of the most profound doctrines of the restoration in funeral sermons. " Drawing on the eight funeral sermons of Joseph for which a written record has survived, as well as various comments that the Prophet made about others he knew who had died, Cannon delineates the important doctrines Joseph introduced and ampli ed in these moments of re ection. A longtime student of Joseph's doctrinal teachings, Cannon concludes that these sermons, "taken together, testify of the divine calling of Joseph Smith. " In "Richard Lloyd Anderson and Worldwide Church Growth, " Richard O. Cowan reminds us that Anderson not only studied church history, but played a conspicuous role in the history himself. Cowan traces the development, outlines, and impact of Anderson's famous "Anderson Plan" for missionary work, which he developed while serving in the navy during World War II and as a missionary in the Northwestern States Mission following the war. While methods of proselyting have evolved since that time, Cowan notes that the Anderson Plan "laid important foundations on which subsequent missionary programs have been built" and constitutes a watershed event in the history of the church's eminently successful missionary program. Using sources hitherto unavailable for study, Scott Faulring's article, "The Return of Oliver Cowdery, " adds materially to our understanding of the steps leading to Oliver Cowdery's rebaptism in November 1848. Tracing Cowdery's continued contact with various church members after his excommunication in April 1838, Faulring brings to light how eagerly the church's leadership sought Cowdery's repentance and rebaptism. He also demonstrates Cowdery's own yearning to have his reputation cleared and to be numbered again among the Saints. Faulring's article builds on Anderson's own work on Cowdery and constitutes an important addition to our understanding of this signi cant gure in our history. In "Eyewitness, Hearsay, and Physical Evidence of the Joseph Smith Papyri, " Egyptologist John Gee applies Anderson's rigorous standards of assessment to statements concerning the extent of the Joseph Smith Papyri and Joseph's understanding of the papyri's content. Gee nds that many of the surviving statements about the papyri and Joseph's use of them come from secondhand sources and hearsay rather than from eyewitnesses and cautions against drawing rm conclusions about the papyri from such sources. Gee concludes by arguing that the rsthand accounts, used carefully, suggest a number of important things about the papyri and their translator-for one, that the well-known Kirtland Egyptian Papers have virtually nothing to do with the translation of the Book of Abraham and, for another, that the Book of Abraham came by revelation rather than Joseph employing modern Egyptological methods of translation. Setting a poem by Dr. Arthur Henry King to music, Gary P. Gillum here presents a new missionary hymn entitled "Every Kindred, Tongue, and People" in honor of Anderson's in uence on missionary work. Feeling both the words and music to be inspired, Gillum nds the hymn a tting tribute to Anderson's continuing involvement in missionary work, and "a testimony to all who seek the gifts of the Spirit. " Kenneth W. Godfrey, like Gee, urges a caution in his article, "David Whitmer and the Shaping of Latter-day Saint History. " Godfrey points out that while historians have been quick to pick apart Joseph's own writings, they have often accepted David Whitmer's accounts at face value, even though most were recorded years-even decades, in some instances-after the event, and often deal with events with which Whitmer was not involved. Illustrating his point, Godfrey notes inconsistencies within Whitmer's own accounts of his introduction to Joseph Smith, the translation of the Book of Mormon, the restoration of the priesthood, and other important events, as well as inconsistencies between his version of events and what others reported. In "Pleasing the Eye and Gladdening the Heart: Joseph Smith and Life's Little Pleasures, " Andrew H. Hedges shows how Joseph Smith's appreciation for the natural world, physical exercise, and the society of his friends was somewhat of an anomaly on the early American religious scene. Comparing Joseph's lifestyle and teachings with a variety of popular religious pamphlets and readings of the time, Hedges concludes that the "contrast between Joseph Smith and the nineteenth-century ideal of a religious man could not have been greater. " In an effort to help the reader better appreciate the "obscure and humble beginnings" of the church, Kent P. Jackson highlights a variety of church history sites and artifacts in his photo-essay, "Scenes from Early Latter-day Saint History. " Drawing on his extensive private collection of photographs, Jackson provides images and explanations of locations and relics-some quite famous, others less known-of signi cant restoration events. Illustrating the mobility of the early church and its missionaries, Jackson's fteen photographs cover sites in Vermont,

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God's Name?

Review of Books on the Book of Mormon 1989–2011, 2000

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God's Name?

Review of Books on the Book of Mormon 1989–2011, 2000

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Translation of the Book of Mormon: Interpreting the Evidence

Journal of Book of Mormon studies, Oct 1, 1993

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Translation of the Book of Mormon: Interpreting the Evidence

Journal of Book of Mormon studies, Oct 1, 1993

format_quoteOliver Cowdery described Joseph Smith translating by reading words from the Urim and Thummim, portraying divine guidance in the process.format_quote

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On Lehi’s Trail: Nahom, Ishmael’s Burial Place

Journal of Book of Mormon studies, 2011

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On Lehi’s Trail: Nahom, Ishmael’s Burial Place

Journal of Book of Mormon studies, 2011

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The Hebrew Origin of Some Book of Mormon Place Names

Journal of Book of Mormon studies, Oct 1, 1997

A number of scholars have discussed the possible Hebrew meaning of some of the place-names in the... more A number of scholars have discussed the possible Hebrew meaning of some of the place-names in the Book of Mormon . . Three that have drawn particular attention are the names Cumorah~ Jershon, and Zarahemla. Cumorah is the name of the hill in which Mormon buried the Nephite records before turning his abridgment of it to his son Moroni (Mormon 6:6). Suggested etymologies range from a corruption of the biblical Gomorrah 1 to a comparison with Qumran, the name of the site near the caves where the Dead Sea Scrolls were found. 2 An early suggestion linked Cumorah to the Hebrew words found in Isaiah 60: 1, quml Juri, "arise, shine!"3 Related to this is David A. Palmer's suggestion that Cumorah means "Arise-

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The Hebrew Origin of Some Book of Mormon Place Names

Journal of Book of Mormon studies, Oct 1, 1997

A number of scholars have discussed the possible Hebrew meaning of some of the place-names in the... more A number of scholars have discussed the possible Hebrew meaning of some of the place-names in the Book of Mormon . . Three that have drawn particular attention are the names Cumorah~ Jershon, and Zarahemla. Cumorah is the name of the hill in which Mormon buried the Nephite records before turning his abridgment of it to his son Moroni (Mormon 6:6). Suggested etymologies range from a corruption of the biblical Gomorrah 1 to a comparison with Qumran, the name of the site near the caves where the Dead Sea Scrolls were found. 2 An early suggestion linked Cumorah to the Hebrew words found in Isaiah 60: 1, quml Juri, "arise, shine!"3 Related to this is David A. Palmer's suggestion that Cumorah means "Arise-

format_quoteEtymological discussions on place-names highlight the complexity of Hebrew influences in the Book of Mormon's linguistic landscape.format_quote

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