![\"An](\"https:\/\/wp-media.patheos.com\/blogs\/sites\/186\/2017\/03\/HCP_Nephis_Vision.png\")
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Two substantial new book reviews appeared today in Interpreter: A Journal of Latter-day Saint Faith and Scholarship.<\/em><\/p>\n \u00a0<\/p>\n One is by Ralph Hancock<\/a>:<\/p>\n \u00a0<\/p>\n \u201cNephi\u2019s Obsession, Or, How to Talk with Nephi about God\u201d<\/a><\/span><\/p>\n Review of Joseph\u00a0M.\u00a0Spencer,\u00a01 Nephi: A\u00a0Brief Theological Introduction<\/em>\u00a0(Provo, UT: The Neal\u00a0A.\u00a0Maxwell\u00a0Institute for Religious Scholarship, 2020). 146 pages. $9.99 (paperback).<\/span><\/p>\n Abstract:<\/strong>\u00a0Joseph Spencer\u2019s intimate familiarity with the Book of Mormon text, based upon years of close textual study and informed by a\u00a0well-\u200adeveloped theological sensibility, is in full evidence in this lead-off volume in Neal\u00a0A.\u00a0Maxwell\u00a0Institute\u2019s new series of books on the various books of the Book of Mormon. Leaving to prophets and apostles the responsibility for \u201cdeclaring official doctrine,\u201d this new series approaches the book with the tools of the \u201cscholarly practice\u201d of theology. In Spencer\u2019s case at least, his practice is understood to be (1) informed by an emphasis on grace that is skeptical of claims of personal righteousness and (2) very much engaged with contemporary moral and social issues grounded in a\u00a0fundamental concern for \u201cequality.\u201d Accordingly, Spencer\u2019s reading is much more interested in \u201cwhat God is doing in history with what we call the Abrahamic covenant\u201d than with the more popular (non-scholarly) concerns of \u201ceveryday faithful living;\u201d it is also more interested in Nephi\u2019s \u201crealistic\u201d and \u201cmature\u201d regret over his youthful over-boldness than in his confident statements of righteous faith. In the end, Spencer\u2019s extremely careful but theologically tendentious reading alerts us very skillfully to certain features of Nephi\u2019s imperfect humanity but reveals a\u00a0consistent preoccupation with any possible faults in the prophet that might be extracted from an ingenious reading of the text. Finally, concerning women in the Book of Mormon, Spencer again expertly raises provocative questions about barely heard female voices but is too eager to frame these questions from the standpoint of the \u201cmodern sensibility\u201d of \u201csexual egalitarianism.\u201d<\/em><\/span><\/p>\n \u00a0<\/p>\n The other is by Jeff Lindsay<\/a>:<\/p>\n \u00a0<\/p>\n \u201cAn Intelligent, Thoughtful Work on One of the Richest Portions of the Book of Mormon\u201d<\/a><\/span><\/p>\n Review of Terryl Givens,\u00a02nd Nephi: A\u00a0Brief Theological Introduction<\/em>\u00a0(Provo, UT: The Neal\u00a0A.\u00a0Maxwell\u00a0Institute for Religious Scholarship, 2020). 124 pages. $9.95 (paperback).<\/span><\/p>\n Abstract:<\/strong>\u00a0Terryl Givens\u2019s well-written and enjoyable book does much to equip readers of the Book of Mormon with new tools to appreciate the riches of a\u00a0text often viewed as the most difficult part of the Book of Mormon. Givens helps us recognize Nephi\u2019s sorrow over Jerusalem and his passionate hope and joy centered in the Messiah, Jesus Christ. He helps us understand the weightier matters that Nephi focuses on to encourage us to accept the covenants of the Lord and to be part of Zion. Readers will better respect 2 Nephi as a\u00a0vital part of the Restoration with content critically important for our day.<\/em><\/span><\/p>\n \u00a0<\/p>\n ***<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n \u00a0<\/p>\n As should be obvious, my Malevolent Stalker is absolutely correct in his claimed perception that production at the Interpreter Foundation is rapidly running out of steam.\u00a0 Here\u2019s another example of our ever-accelerating descent toward extinction, taken from a note written by the man who is working on distribution for the Foundation\u2019s upcoming release of the theatrical film Witnesses<\/em>:<\/p>\n \u00a0<\/p>\n Megaplex has given us incredibly prominent placement for the poster and the trailer. It will not only be in front of The Forgotten Carols<\/em> as the last trailer before the film starts. It will also be in the rotation of their hallway digital posters cases and their hallway digital trailer monitors.<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n \u00a0<\/p>\n For now, Megaplex Theatres have an exclusive placement for the Witnesses<\/em>\u00a0movie trailer and for a first look at the Witnesses<\/em> publicity poster in their hallways and lobbies.\u00a0\u00a0My understanding is that The Forgotten Carols<\/em>\u00a0has been playing in theaters for something like a week \u2014 along with our trailer and our Witnesses<\/em> poster \u2014 and that it\u2019s doing well.\u00a0 Some of you, in fact, may be headed out to theaters tonight or tomorrow to see The Forgotten Carols<\/em>.\u00a0 If you are (I cannot), would you please return and report?<\/p>\n \u00a0<\/p>\n Here is a complete list of of the Megaplex Theatres in which you can currently see The Forgotten Carols<\/em> (and, evidently, the Witnesses<\/em> trailer and poster):<\/p>\n \u00a0<\/p>\n https:\/\/forgottencarols.com\/tickets\/<\/a><\/p>\n \u00a0<\/p>\n ***<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n \u00a0<\/p>\n And here\u2019s an important new item from the intrepid reporters of the Babylon Bee<\/em>\u00a0that was brought to my attention, I believe, by Doug Ealy:<\/p>\n \u00a0<\/p>\n \u201cAtheists Launch No Lives Matter Movement\u201d<\/a><\/p>\n \u00a0<\/p>\n ***<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n \u00a0<\/p>\n Not everything is entirely rosy, however.\u00a0 I now know of at least three people who have declared their refusal to contribute to the completely non-political Interpreter Foundation for reasons that are directly or indirectly connected to my objectionable political views.\u00a0 And I\u2019ve just read a comment elsewhere online that describes me not only as \u201cdelusional\u201d but as a literally evil and sociopathic \u201cmonster.\u201d\u00a0 I\u2019m almost tempted to conclude from such responses that not everybody is a fan.<\/p>\n \u00a0<\/p>\n ***<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n \u00a0<\/p>\n Again, though, let\u2019s conclude on a good note.\u00a0 A very<\/em> good note.\u00a0 I don\u2019t personally use the term very often, but I would certainly describe this moving account as what Elder David A. Bednar, in the first fully prepared General Conference address that he delivered after his call to the Quorum of the Twelve, famously called a \u201ctender mercy.\u201d\u00a0 (See \u201cThe Tender Mercies of the Lord.\u201d<\/a>)\u00a0 Since that exceptionally well-received speech, the term has become justly popular among Latter-day Saints.<\/p>\n \u00a0<\/p>\n Incidentally, I was told by a very well placed source quite a few years ago that President Gordon B. Hinckley, through whom Elder Bednar\u2019s call to the apostleship came, took great satisfaction from the speech and the enthusiastic reaction to it among members of the Church.\u00a0 He had extended the apostolic call to a comparatively young and relatively unknown man who had not previously served as a General Authority, putting him, among other things, on the path to a potential Church presidency.\u00a0 That conference talk and the Saints\u2019 response to it was a confirmation, in President Hinckley\u2019s mind, that his inspiration had been correct.<\/p>\n \u00a0<\/p>\n But back to the story:<\/p>\n \u00a0<\/p>\n It was related the other day by my friend Joseph Green<\/a> \u2014 I\u2019ve known him almost all of his life, since we first met him when he was a young boy in Cairo, as \u201cJoey\u201d \u2014 who is the son of our dear late friend Arnie Green (see my blog entry (\u201cArnold H. Green [1940-2019]\u201d<\/a> and my more recent entry \u201cFamily, Temple, and Eternal Life\u201d<\/a>) and Arnie\u2019s wife, Lani, also a dear and treasured friend.\u00a0 This is a family that we have loved for almost the entirety of our own married life, so the story, which Joey shared (I assume) in response to President Russell M. Nelson\u2019s invitation to us all to #GiveThanks, meant a lot to me when I read it:<\/p>\n \u00a0<\/p>\n \u00a0<\/p>\n \u00a0<\/p>\n<\/body><\/html>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" \u00a0 \u00a0 Two substantial new book reviews appeared today in Interpreter: A Journal of Latter-day Saint Faith and Scholarship. \u00a0 One is by Ralph Hancock: \u00a0 \u201cNephi\u2019s Obsession, Or, How to Talk with Nephi about God\u201d Review of Joseph\u00a0M.\u00a0Spencer,\u00a01 Nephi: A\u00a0Brief Theological Introduction\u00a0(Provo, UT: The Neal\u00a0A.\u00a0Maxwell\u00a0Institute for Religious Scholarship, 2020). 146 pages. $9.99 (paperback). Abstract:\u00a0Joseph […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1019,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-89305","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-uncategorized"],"yoast_head":"\n