Understanding the Book of Mormon: A Reader's Guide [Hardcover]

In one corner Skeptical-Critic shuffles his feet as he knocks his gloves together. In the other corner Believer- Apologist ghosts jabs, bobbing up and down. At the back of the arena Indifferent-Non-believer and Didactic-Believer glance in the direction of the main event, feeling a little out of place. Standing at center ring is the Book of Mormon, America's most unique and prolific scriptural production. In the middle of this epic bout Grant Hardy calls a timeout with his new book Understanding the Book of Mormon: A Reader's Guide. He attempts the double-task of convincing non-Mormons that the Book of Mormon is worth the effort of serious analysis while convincing Mormons that searching their sacred book can yield more than didactic homilies or proofs of ancient authenticity. Granting the importance of the main event, he offers a different venue altogether.

By reading closely, Hardy guides readers through novel readings not found in other studies of the Book of Mormon. For instance, he observes that "Alma or Mormon (or Joseph Smith) has structured the first two-thirds of the book of Alma according to a series of parallels" (304). Alma 4-16 includes three sermons delivered to three different cities. Alma 36-42 includes Alma's three charges to three different sons (Alma 36-42). The sermons and charges overlap in theme, respective length, order, and source (primary documents are utilized in each case). This city/son parallel is even more interesting considering Alma preached in five cities but only three accounts are included in the narrative. Altogether, this indicates remarkable coincidence or deliberate construction: Zarahemla/Helaman (morally ambiguous), Gideon/Shiblon (clearly righteous, shortest), Ammonihah/Corianton (clearly wicked, longest).

Impressively, Hardy's book is so full of detailed analysis that this particular discovery in Alma is actually relegated to a footnote! At times Hardy moves quickly through bits of the Book of Mormon. His tracing of its complexity may lose outsiders who aren't as familiar with Lehi's vision of the tree, or the Nephite monetary system, or other (relatively incidental) details. Similarly, some Latter-day Saints may feel slightly disoriented with occasional technical jargon. These difficulties are explained by Hardy's desire to reach a broad audience. The book invites critics to attempt a "willing suspension of disbelief" so they might see more fruitful readings despite doubts of authorship. Latter-day Saints, he adds, may need a "willing suspension of belief, that is, to think of the Book of Mormon as a work of literature, with an emphasis on its creativity and artifice" as opposed to proofs of ancient origin or teachings for our times (28).

This book makes a strong case that when examined closely, the Book of Mormon "exhibits a literary exuberance that frustrates quick judgments and reductive analysis" (267). By shifting "attention away from Joseph Smith and back to the Book of Mormon itself, a common discourse becomes possible" through literary analysis (xvi). Readers who try to play by Hardy's rules will be richly rewarded. It will change the way you read the Book of Mormon forever. A Reader's Guide is a knockout punch in ink and paper; I can't recommend it enough.

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The premise of the book is that relatively few readers of the Book of Mormon, whether Mormons or non-Mormons, study the book to understand it as a composition in its own right. People mostly give it a quick read to confirm their belief\disblief in the LDS or Mormon Church's claim to be divinely organized and run. The author feels that in reading the Book of Mormon that way, much of the meaning and almost all of the nuances of the book are missed completely. His effort treats the Book of Mormon as susceptible to the same analysis as is used on works of historical fiction.

He makes the point a number of times, that it makes no difference to understanding Mormon's motivations, as to whether he was a literary creation of Joseph Smith or a true historical figure. This will, no doubt, irritate both some believers and some non-believers, who want to proceed quickly to a conclusion about the origin of the Book of Mormon and therefore the validity of the LDS Church as a divinely organized church.

As the key to understanding the Book of Mormon, this book discusses the three main narrators: Nephi, Mormon and Moroni, beginning with their different narrative styles and aims. Many examples are given to support the book's assertion that the narrators' lives influenced their style and aims. Nephi, for example, wrote his portion later in his life, after he knew that his lineage would fail and die out. His writings were intended to inspire the descendants of his unrighteous brothers. Mormon, on the other hand, was the historian, who, in addition to the careful recording of important names, places and events, selected a number of comparisons of good followers with inspired followers. His point was to underscore the importance of divine inspiration. Again, whether the Book of Mormon is fiction or history, is irrelevant to the discussion. The point is: how well do the stories hang together? Do they achieve the writer's intent?

I especially enjoyed the non-dogmatic approach taken on this subject, and would recommend this book to anyone who wants to take a more in-depth look at the Book of Mormon. There are some points the author raises that will be a little uncomfortable for the reader, whether Mormon or non-Mormon. Ultimately, however, the author leaves it to you to make your own conlusions, but with a better appreciation of the Book of Mormon than you started with.

In Understanding the Book of Mormon, Grant Hardy gives us a fine example of deep and creative reading. Even those who are familiar with the Book of Mormon--indeed, even believers who regard it as scripture--will find this guided tour well worth the effort. This is not a doctrinal commentary in any sense. Rather, Hardy's aim is to demonstrate, through a careful, close reading, how the BoM was put together. He focuses on the book's three narrators (Nephi, Mormon, and Moroni). One of Hardy's major points is that this way of looking at the book yields insights regardless of whether you regard the BoM as ancient scripture or as the product of Joseph Smith's imagination. Either way, it has an internal logic that can be examined in its own right. I take him at his word when he maintains that it is not his intention to enter into the history vs. fraud debate or to either buttress or undermine faith in the scriptural claims made by the book and the LDS Church. He is a serious reader taking a very serious look at a book that asks us to take it seriously. Other serious-minded readers would do well to give him the benefit of the doubt and suspend judgment until the case has been made. There is no shortage of insights, occasionally doctrinal or historical but most often literary. There are also a few places where Hardy leaves you wanting more, or where he stops short of a fully satisfying explanation. But quibbles and questions aside, this is an excellent, serious examination of the BoM. This book, along with Hardy's earlier "Reader's Edition" of the BoM (2003), makes Grant Hardy a major and refreshing voice in BoM studies.

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