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4.57 AVERAGE
4.57 AVERAGE
I've had this book on my shelf for something like 10 years, and I've only finally gotten around to reading it. For a faithful member of the Mormon community, or at least anyone who chooses to give the primary distinctive scripture used within the Mormon church, I can't recommend this book more highly. I've known all my life, as someone who was raised with readings of the Book of Mormon, that the book on its own terms is to be understood as the product of a set of ancient American prophet-editors who were compiling records for a latter-day audience. Hardy uses the tools of literary analysis to discover, assuming what the book itself presents on its own terms, what we can really know about those prophet-editors (Nephi, Mormon, and Moroni), and what their choices in regards to embedding other documents, making use of allusion and parallels, and much more can tell us about the world they were describing. The result, particularly the first two-thirds of the book (for a variety of reasons, trying to pull any kind of internally consistent understanding of Moroni's portion of the overall book strikes me as much harder sell), is incredibly eye-opening, or at least it was to me. In fact, I found parts of it downright faith-promoting, which is not something I expected from the book at all. Anyway, an important book for Mormons; hopefully, somehow or another, its critical take on the Book of Mormon will filter down to the ordinary faithful, one way or another.
It was interesting to read how the three main editors of the BOM put their own spin on this booked based on what they included and excluded as well as to how they inserted commentary. The three main narrators are Nephi, Mormon, and Moroni.
I did find at times a lot of summary--but then readers less experienced with the Book of Mormon might have needed that. I have read this book over 50 times. But I did find the writing clear and many of the insights were interesting.
I did find at times a lot of summary--but then readers less experienced with the Book of Mormon might have needed that. I have read this book over 50 times. But I did find the writing clear and many of the insights were interesting.
A decade ago there were few scholarly books written for the non-Mormon audience about the Book of Mormon, and in another decade there will probably not be many more. However, within those twenty years I doubt that there will be a book that approaches the depth and complexity in regards to the text as Dr. Hardy's volume. The approach to the characters and editors of the story of the Book of Mormon will, undoubtedly, infuriate some members of the LDS Church. Dr. Hardy's aim is not to produce a summary of a sacred history, but rather to puzzle out the human biases and contexts of the Book of Mormon editors. Laudably, he tries to walk a fine line in asking the reader to set assumptions of historicity aside as they explore the text; how well he personally succeeds at following his own advice as he guides the reader through the Book of Mormon is debatable. Personally, I found that Dr. Hardy occasionally cannot resist the urge to point out what he feels are inconsistencies of the presentation of the text against Joseph Smith as author. All that aside, the book is fascinating as it takes the risks of humanizing sacred stories with human flaws as well as asserting, on occasion, that perhaps the Mormon story behind its production deserves a closer look. I should also note, of course, that this is a book interested in looking at *narrative*, not theology.
Personally, I do not believe in the Book of Mormon as an ancient historical work, but that lack of belief certainly did not prevent me from enjoying this amazing work. For anyone interested in having a deeper and richer understanding of one of the foundational books of scripture of the Latter Day Saint movement and the myriad of churches that accept the Book of Mormon as scripture, do not pass up this exploration.
And, truth be told, simply to have some state in black and white that Nephi is almost certainly unfair in his treatment of his brothers, that Captain Moroni is not really the paragon of Christian virtue described in Alma 48:11-13, and that the Jesus in 3 Nephi can often be overly verbose and confusing in his speech patterns: that is something amazing to read from an LDS author!
Personally, I do not believe in the Book of Mormon as an ancient historical work, but that lack of belief certainly did not prevent me from enjoying this amazing work. For anyone interested in having a deeper and richer understanding of one of the foundational books of scripture of the Latter Day Saint movement and the myriad of churches that accept the Book of Mormon as scripture, do not pass up this exploration.
And, truth be told, simply to have some state in black and white that Nephi is almost certainly unfair in his treatment of his brothers, that Captain Moroni is not really the paragon of Christian virtue described in Alma 48:11-13, and that the Jesus in 3 Nephi can often be overly verbose and confusing in his speech patterns: that is something amazing to read from an LDS author!
This was an excellent new approach to reading the Book of Mormon. Not only does Hardy suggest some new insights into the text, he provides some tools for thinking about how to read the Book of Mormon. I don't think all of his ideas are correct, but I love some new fodder for thinking about scripture, what it means, and how to read it.
informative
reflective
medium-paced
A bit repetitive in parts, much like the Book of Mormon itself, but also like the Book of Mormon, some very interesting insights.
I loved the insights provided by looking at the Book of Mormon from the narrators' perspective. It was fascinating and illuminating, and gave me a fresh, deeper look at the book.
I've read the Book of Mormon literally dozens of times over my life and while I always find value in the practice, I'll freely admit to falling into a rut occasionally, too. It's refreshing and exciting to discover a new way of look at the stories that are so familiar. Grant Hardy's Understanding the Book of Mormon: A Reader's Guide offers just that, a fresh perspective on this sacred text.
First of all, Hardy explains that while he is a faithful Latter-day Saint, he wanted to write a book that would be readable by both believers and those who don't accept the Book of Mormon as scripture. His approach, which began to take shape in his mind while he was working on The Book of Mormon: A Reader's Edition, is one that analyzes the Book of Mormon as literature, specifically through the lens of the three main narrators: Nephi, Mormon, and Moroni. When the Book of Mormon is read and analyzed from the inside out - as a narrative on its own terms - instead of from the outside in - whether as a nineteenth-century text written by Joseph Smith or as a scripture to be mined for religious aphorisms - we can gain new insights on this significant book.
It seems that Hardy expects both believers and nonbelievers to be somewhat skeptical of his unique and novel approach, so he repeatedly offers assurances throughout the book, bolstering his point of view with examples from both historical and fictional texts. "An approach suitable for fiction is not necessarily inappropriate for history. Both genres are representations of reality, and consequently, readers come to know all of the characters they meet in books in much the same way." He urges nonbelievers to adopt a "willing suspension of disbelief" but also suggests that believers will benefit from a "willing suspension of belief", allowing them to "becom[e] more aware of how the book appears to outsiders." "For both insiders and outsiders, reading the Book of Mormon from the perspective of the narrators will reveal that there is more to this engaging book than first meets the eye."
I heartily agree with Hardy that the Book of Mormon is a thoroughly human book...
To read the rest of this review, visit Build Enough Bookshelves.
First of all, Hardy explains that while he is a faithful Latter-day Saint, he wanted to write a book that would be readable by both believers and those who don't accept the Book of Mormon as scripture. His approach, which began to take shape in his mind while he was working on The Book of Mormon: A Reader's Edition, is one that analyzes the Book of Mormon as literature, specifically through the lens of the three main narrators: Nephi, Mormon, and Moroni. When the Book of Mormon is read and analyzed from the inside out - as a narrative on its own terms - instead of from the outside in - whether as a nineteenth-century text written by Joseph Smith or as a scripture to be mined for religious aphorisms - we can gain new insights on this significant book.
It seems that Hardy expects both believers and nonbelievers to be somewhat skeptical of his unique and novel approach, so he repeatedly offers assurances throughout the book, bolstering his point of view with examples from both historical and fictional texts. "An approach suitable for fiction is not necessarily inappropriate for history. Both genres are representations of reality, and consequently, readers come to know all of the characters they meet in books in much the same way." He urges nonbelievers to adopt a "willing suspension of disbelief" but also suggests that believers will benefit from a "willing suspension of belief", allowing them to "becom[e] more aware of how the book appears to outsiders." "For both insiders and outsiders, reading the Book of Mormon from the perspective of the narrators will reveal that there is more to this engaging book than first meets the eye."
I heartily agree with Hardy that the Book of Mormon is a thoroughly human book...
To read the rest of this review, visit Build Enough Bookshelves.
I have read The Book of Mormon from cover to cover about 15 times in my life, and though I am far from an expert on this book of scripture, it is so familiar to me that I have to work pretty hard to get something new or meaningful out of it each time I read. For this reason, Grant Hardy's Understanding the Book of Mormon: A Reader's Guide was a revelation for me. He dives deeply into each narrator's language, style, and personality to find golden nuggets of knowledge that I'm sure I would overlook my entire life without his help. I've never understood that Nephi was a literary man for whom leaving behind the written culture of Jerusalem was such a sacrifice, and that his love for Isaiah was an expression of longing. I recognized on the surface that Mormon liked to tell stories in parallel (i e the two groups of people escaping Lamanite bondage by sneaking out in the middle of the night), but was oblivious to the many other times he used this technique. And I certainly never had caught that in concluding the record Moroni deliberately paraphrased the farewells of nearly every other BoM author.
I feel like my eyes were continually being opened by this book, and highly recommend it for every Latter-day Saint. Hardy tries to make the study applicable to nonmembers by touting the BoM's value as early American literature, but I'm not sure I fully buy into that. Still, this is one I am glad to own, and will continue to refer to year after year in my scripture study. 4.5 stars rounded up to 5.
I feel like my eyes were continually being opened by this book, and highly recommend it for every Latter-day Saint. Hardy tries to make the study applicable to nonmembers by touting the BoM's value as early American literature, but I'm not sure I fully buy into that. Still, this is one I am glad to own, and will continue to refer to year after year in my scripture study. 4.5 stars rounded up to 5.
Very interesting and informative. Learned a lot. Next time I'll read it for my own knowledge and not for school...