New treasure

[tagriffy]

After what seems like ages of waiting, my copy of The Word of God: Essays on Mormon Scripure finally arrived. The book itself is used, but except for Dan Vogel's signature, it's completely clean. Having a signed copy almost makes me sad that by the time I'm done with it, it will probably be marked up almost beyond recognition. Almost.

[Doctor CamNC4Me]

Why is this interesting enough to share on the board? Please explain your enthusiasm for the book.

- Doc

[tagriffy]

Once upon a time, I had a copy but it got lost with the rest of my library. It would be hard to recapture the excitement without reading it again to stake out all the things I liked about it. The Word of God, along with New Approaches to the Book of Mormon, were among the earliest works that helped me to see the possibilities of interpreting the Book of Mormon from the perspective of Joseph Smith's authorship. Back in those days, I was in college, majoring in Religious Studies, and had all sorts of dreams about contributing to, among other things, Book of Mormon scholarship. Perhaps writing a commentary on the Book of Mormon from a Smithian perspective. Those dreams got left by the wayside, but in the last year or two, I've wanted to return to writing about Book of Mormon interpretation, even if only on my blog. However, I've felt hindered because of the loss of my library. Some resources, like New Approaches, I could recover on the Internet, but others, like The Word of God, required laying hands on an actual copy by some means. So part of the excitement is that I'm getting a sense my library is coming back together.

[Philo Sofee]

Here is ChatGPt's summary of it. Pretty decent summary actually. I will second Tagriffy's enthusiasm for this powerful analysis given in the book!
"The Word of God: Essays on Mormon Scripture," edited by Dan Vogel, is a collection of scholarly essays that critically examine the concept of scripture within the context of the Latter-day Saint (LDS) tradition. The book delves into the complex and multifaceted nature of Mormon scriptures, offering diverse perspectives from various scholars and researchers. It scrutinizes the historical, linguistic, and theological aspects of LDS scripture, seeking to provide a comprehensive understanding of its origins, development, and significance.

Vogel and the contributing authors explore key elements of Mormon scripture, including the Book of Mormon, the Doctrine and Covenants, and the Pearl of Great Price. They address questions of authorship, translation, textual integrity, and cultural context, shedding light on the nuanced processes that shaped these sacred texts. Additionally, the book engages with broader issues surrounding religious authority, revelation, and the evolving theological landscape within Mormonism. Overall, "The Word of God" offers a critical and scholarly examination of Mormon scripture that will be of interest to both scholars and anyone seeking a deeper understanding of the LDS faith.

[Doctor CamNC4Me]

Once upon a time, I had a copy but it got lost with the rest of my library. It would be hard to recapture the excitement without reading it again to stake out all the things I liked about it. The Word of God, along with New Approaches to the Book of Mormon, were among the earliest works that helped me to see the possibilities of interpreting the Book of Mormon from the perspective of Joseph Smith's authorship. Back in those days, I was in college, majoring in Religious Studies, and had all sorts of dreams about contributing to, among other things, Book of Mormon scholarship. Perhaps writing a commentary on the Book of Mormon from a Smithian perspective. Those dreams got left by the wayside, but in the last year or two, I've wanted to return to writing about Book of Mormon interpretation, even if only on my blog. However, I've felt hindered because of the loss of my library. Some resources, like New Approaches, I could recover on the Internet, but others, like The Word of God, required laying hands on an actual copy by some means. So part of the excitement is that I'm getting a sense my library is coming back together.

Ah, now I understand. Thank you for taking the time to respond in detail.

What’s your theory about the authorship? I consider it to be a group project heavily *cough* borrowing *cough* from a few principle sources (exhaustively covered), and meant to be sold as a novel. You?

- Doc

[tagriffy]

Ah, now I understand. Thank you for taking the time to respond in detail.

What’s your theory about the authorship? I consider it to be a group project heavily *cough* borrowing *cough* from a few principle sources (exhaustively covered), and meant to be sold as a novel. You?

- Doc

My view is that, for all intents, Joseph is the sole author.

[Doctor CamNC4Me]

Ah, now I understand. Thank you for taking the time to respond in detail.

What’s your theory about the authorship? I consider it to be a group project heavily *cough* borrowing *cough* from a few principle sources (exhaustively covered), and meant to be sold as a novel. You?

- Doc

My view is that, for all intents, Joseph is the sole author.

Originally meant to be sold as a novel, or do you go with scripture?

- Doc

[Gadianton]

but it got lost with the rest of my library

How on earth did you "lose" an entire library?

[tagriffy]

Originally meant to be sold as a novel, or do you go with scripture?

- Doc

I think it was intended to be Scripture.

[tagriffy]

but it got lost with the rest of my library

How on earth did you "lose" an entire library?

By winding up homeless for a while. That necessitated selling what I could.