Category: Scholarship
Warren Aston on the Superiority of Khor Kharfot as a Candidate for Bountiful
In spite of my appreciation for the highly interesting work of George Potter regarding the Arabian Peninsula and First Nephi, I find Warren Aston’s earlier approach to be more convincing….
“If Only 10% of These Charges, Are True, The Church is False” – The Fallacy of Quantity Versus Quality
In one of my first experiences in helping to teach the Gospel out here in Wisconsin, we had a new convert in our home who had been given volumes of…
Alma as an Authentic Ancient Jewish Male Name
In my previous post on Alma 7:11 (I wonder if that was the name of an ancient Nephite convenience store?), one commenter, MahNahvu pointed to possible “evidence of a Hebrew…
Another Scientist Takes on Southerton’s Inadequate Science
A new edition (volume 17) of FARMS Review of Books is out. There you can read an article of great value in the current DNA debates: “Missing the Boat to…
Ethan Smith’s View of the Hebrews: A Source for the Book of Mormon
L. Ara Norwood’s book review, “ Joseph Smith and the Origins of the Book of Mormon at FARMS (FARMS Review of Books, Vol. 2, No. 1, 1990, pp. 187-204) deals…
King Benjamin’s Speech: Forget Solomon Spaulding, Ethan Smith, and Shakespeare
Talk about great literature! Take a look at the powerful and classic ancient Semitic speech of King Benjamin in the early chapters of Mosiah in the Book of Mormon. In…
Reminder: Don’t Overlook Nahom
While on the topic of the Arabian Peninsula, let me just reiterate that there is solid evidence for the plausibility of First Nephi as an ancient text based on its…
The Reality of Miracles in the Church
Many people wish we would tone our religion down and quit talking about miracles like the First Vision, the golden plates and their translation, the ministering of angels, and divinely…
Mormon Temples and “Secrecy”
I’ve often received questions about the issue of “secrecy” in Mormon temples. To us, the key factor is what is sacred, not secret, but this still leaves many people confused,…
Don’t Forget Cement
I continue to be intrigued by the way that “ridiculous” elements in the Book of Mormon eventually become significant evidences of authenticity. The mention of cement in Helaman 3 is…
