The Book of Mormon has a long history, but how it was seen by its original readers is quite different from how it is seen today. This presentation explores the path from the early 19th century to today and how Mormonism’s founding text may be seen in the future. Brian W. Kassenbrock, Steve Florman
Speaker: Brian W. Kassenbrock
Stormy Weather: Chaos Theory and The Book of Mormon
The Romantic movement, contemporary with Joseph Smith, was fascinated by storms and chaos—their spontaneous self-organization, complexity, destruction, and unpredictability. Similarly, the Book of Mormon makes much use of chaos, with its many instances of catastrophe, the reappearance of robbers and outlaws, its apparition of Jesus, and the twisted fates of its Nephites and Lamanites. Using …
The Paradox of Jesus in The Book of Mormon
Jesus is the Christ of the New Testament, however, his persona is surrounded by Hermetic themes such as light and darkness. These paradoxes relate to others such as the role of Ancient Egyptian language and culture in the context of Hebraic beliefs and give us insight as to why another set of scriptures was needed. …