Spencer's work is disciplined by an unrivaled attention to the structural, thematic, and literary details of the Book of Mormon. He argues for the importance of a typological reading of the Book of Mormon, and traces the tension between the two types of typological reading promoted by the Book of Mormon itself.
Few scholars of the Book of Mormon have read this volume of scripture as closely and rigorously as Joseph M. Spencer. And of those, none have devoted as much time and effort as he to a theological reading of that sacred text-that is, as Spencer writes, "how it might shape responsible thinking about questions pertaining to the life of religious commitment" (p. 1:173.) The Anatomy of Book of Mormon Theology divides into two volumes exploring and thinking about these pertinent questions. Whereas the first volume principally contains essays that deal with relatively traditional theological questions and concerns, the essays in this volume ask about what new worlds might be discovered in doing theological work on the Book of Mormon, focusing on what Spencer calls "microscopic" and "macroscopic" theological readings of the text. Essays in the first set examine no more than a verse of the Book of Mormon-more often just a single phrase or two-to see what theological implications lie within the details of the text. The second set of essays ask questions about the shape and intentions of the whole of the Book of Mormon, as this can be discerned through the ways it deploys biblical texts-and especially the writings of Isaiah. A third set of essays follows the two on microscopic and macroscopic styles of theology and are invitations to blur the boundaries that separate different styles of Book of Mormon scholarship. These final essays call on Book of Mormon scholars to move closer to theology and calls on theologians to move closer to the Book of Mormon.
A groundbreaking look at the relationship between two sacred texts The Book of Mormon’s narrative privileges Isaiah over other sources, provocatively interpreting and at times inventively reworking the biblical text. Joseph M. Spencer sees within the Book of Mormon a programmatic investigation regarding the meaning and relevance of the Book of Isaiah in a world increasingly removed from the context of the times that produced it. Working from the crossroads of reception studies and Mormon studies, Spencer investigates and clarifies the Book of Mormon’s questions about the vitality of Isaiah’s prophetic project. Spencer’s analysis focuses on the Book of Mormon’s three interactions with the prophet: the character of Abinadi; the resurrected Jesus Christ; and the nation-founding figure of Nephi. Working from the Book of Mormon as it was dictated, Spencer details its vital and overlooked place in Isaiah’s reception while recognizing the interpretation of Isaiah as an organizing force behind the Book of Mormon.
Early Accounts of Joseph Smith's First Vision Woven Together as a Single Narrative If you're seeking greater understanding of how the original and contemporary accounts of Joseph Smith's First Vision fit together, this book will help you. Joseph's remarkable 1820 vision of God the Father and His Son Jesus Christ is one of the best attested divine visions in recorded history. In honor of the 200th anniversary of the sacred event, the author has meticulously reviewed Joseph's primary, first-person accounts and contemporary, third-person reports of the vision and pieced together the puzzle into a single, sensible narrative. In this book, you'll: Read the complete, known story of the First Vision based on the actual accounts of Joseph Smith and those who knew him personally and heard him relate it. Witness the unique details of the First Vision narratives in a single reading. Discover lesser known nuances of Joseph's experience. Ponder, appreciate, and strengthen your testimony of the First Vision in new ways. Based on actual events, this little volume is part history, part historical fiction and is intended to help create a comprehensive picture of what actually happened to Joseph on that beautiful spring morning. The author has made every effort to preserve the original texts with sensitivity while taking as little literary license as possible to create an enriching and uplifting experience for the reader.
Published for the first time in their entirety, the personal diaries and journals of Mormon founder Joseph Smith (1805-44) provide an unequaled view of this controversial American religious leader. Previous compilations have drawn from carefully selected and sometimes rewritten passages of Smith's diaries and journals. In the present, unexpurgated edition, Smith emerges as believable and human, willing to allow both descendants and followers a complete look at his beliefs and personality. Book jacket.
Collection of essays stemming from a seminar sponsored by the Mormon Theology Seminar, the Richard L. Evans Chair of Religious Understanding at Brigham Young University, and the Neal A. Maxwell Institute for Religious Scholarship held April 15, 2009 at Brigham Young University.
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