The Week in Mormonism, 11/29/15: 19th Century Phrases in the Book of Mormon; Ken Jennings on the Policy
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Bill Reel published his interview with Mormon historian Richard Bushman, recorded before the policy change. Randall Bowen wrote up a partial transcript. I highly recommend listening to or reading the whole thing.
I want to dig a little deeper on what Bushman said about nineteenth century language in the Book of Mormon (my transcript, starting about 9:30):
I think right now the Book of Mormon is a puzzle for us. Even [for] people who believe it [inaudible] in every detail, it’s a puzzle. To begin with, we’ve got the puzzle of translation. Translating the book without the plates even in sight, wrapped up in a cloth on the table. It’s not something that comes right off the pages, [that is] the characters on the plates. So we don’t know how that works. And then there’s the fact that there’s phrasing everywhere, long phrases that if you Google them, you’ll find them in 19th century writings. The theology of the Book of Mormon is very much 19th century theology, and it reads like a 19th century understanding of the Hebrew bible, as an Old Testament: that is, it has Christ in it, the way protestants saw Christ everywhere in the Old Testament.
Bushman made the same assertion about 19th century phrases in the Book of Mormon text at least once before in an interview on Reddit. And yet I wasn’t aware of a good resource to learn more. I emailed Bushman, and he replied that while he was certain he had found several “hits” while checking phrases from Alma, he did not record those results and was unable to reproduce them.
With some more research I’ve found two starting points:
- Grant Palmer’s An Insider’s View of Mormon Origins, chapter 4. Palmer cites, among others, Mark D. Thomas’s “Revival Language in the Book of Mormon” [pdf], Susan Curtis’s “Early Nineteenth Century America and the Book of Mormon,” Melodie Moench Charles’s “Book of Mormon Christology,” and Mark D. Thomas’s Is the Book of Mormon Ancient or Modern History? A Discussion Focusing on the Book of Mosiah. The last is cited as Sunstone 13 (Feb 1989), but I could not find it in either Sunstone 13 (Feb 1979) or Sunstone 69 (Feb 1989).
- John Cline’s article, 19th Century Sources for Mormon Concepts. Cline appears to have taken an approach similar to the one proposed by Bushman of checking distinctive Book of Mormon phrases against 19th century texts and sermons. He looks at one example (substitutionary atonement) in depth, and fourteen more superficially.
Other Links
- M. Russell Ballard visits refugee camps, praises Germany for letting them in.
- Ken Jennings discusses the new Church policy on children of gay parents with Dan Savage. And what World War 2 internment camps have in common with this policy.
- Mormon scholar Kevin Barney gives his thoughts on leaving the Church. Mie Inouye and Mette Ivie Harrison have suggestions on working for change from within.
- Gina Colvin reviews Navigating Mormon Faith Crisis. My own review is here.
- A podcast panel review of mission memoir The Book of A Mormon. Main Street Plaza also has a quick review.
- Just for fun: Baby Jesus Bath Time. And Harnessing the Power of Self-Righteousness.
