Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #2470240 in Books
• Published on: 1998-06
• Original language: English
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Hardcover
• 519 pages

Customer Reviews

LDS apologetics, culture, and history
The thirteen chapters in this book of over 500 pages are dedicated to John Sorensen, one of the foremost LDS scholars dealing with the ancient world. The book comprises three sections: Mormon History and Culture; Elucidating the Book of Mormon, and the Ancient World. My favorite section is the latter, which contains chapters dealing with evidences of transoceanic contact with the Americas or other evidences for authenticity of the Book of Mormon. "Pre-Columbian American Sunflower and Maize Images in Indian Temples: Evidence of Contact between Civilizations in India and America" by Carl L. Johannessen is especially interesting and well documented.

The section on history and culture contains essays on Mormon covenants and religious identity, Mormon funeral sermons in the 19th century, the LDS Indian placement program, and a fascinating account of Tonga's response to "Mormon intruders" earlier in this century.

The book contains a rather unusual mix of articles without a clear focus, other than touching areas of interest to John Sorensen. But there's something for any serious student of Latter-day Saint culture, history, or scriptures. I recommend it as a useful addition to one's personal library of LDS topics.

Many interesting essays
This 1998 anthology is a collections of essays in honour of John L. Sorenson, author of such excellent texts as "An ancient American setting for the Book of Mormon" and co-editor, alongside Melvin J. Thorne, of "Rediscovering the Book of Mormon: insights you may have missed before."

Without doubt, the best essay in this collection is that of Daniel C. Peterson's discussion of Asherah in the Book of Mormon, showing that the Book of Mormon contains a genuine pre-exilic religious motif that could not have been known in the 19th century, and could not have been fabricated by Joseph Smith nor anyone else in upper New York state in the 1800s.

Other essays deal with topics such as 19th century Mormon funeral discourses, the Maori actualisation of the Book of Mormon, and evidence for trans-oceanic contact between the Old and New World.

A Very Provocative Collection
I thoroughly enjoyed this anthology of essays. I was particularly stimulated by the article on "Nephi and His Asherah," which tries to connect a visionary episode early in the Book of Mormon with ancient Hebrew goddess-veneration. Much to think about.