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Doctrinal Commentary on the Book of Mormon, V4: Third Nephi through Moroni
As the keystone of our religion, the Book of Mormon is high-priority reading. Naturally, it is read with varying degrees of comprehension, and many of us need assistance to deepen our understanding. The four-volume commentary focuses on the most significant aspect of this standard work-doctrine. Dividing the material into convenient topical sections, each volume quotes the Book of Mormon verses and gives detailed commentary that reflects not only the authors' own considerable scholarship and research but also the insights of other scriptures and modern prophets. This invaluable commentary will help readers draw nearer to God by enhancing their study of His sacred word.
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About the author
Joseph Fielding McConkie
41 books16 followersJoseph Fielding McConkie received a Doctorate of Education from Brigham Young University in 1973, following which he became the director of the LDS Institute of Religion at the University of Washington in Seattle. Four years later he joined the faculty at BYU where he is now a Professor of Ancient Scripture. He is the author or co-author of 25 books, the most recent being a 1200 page work titled Revelations of the Restoration. His scholarly interests center in scripture and doctrine. Other experiences include being an LDS Chaplain in Vietnam, a mission president in Scotland, and a Stake President at BYU.
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Displaying 1 - 10 of 10 reviews
September 30, 2021
The final volume of the 4-book set covers Third Nephi through Moroni with a bit of an extra all-inclusive commentary at the very end of the volume. Whenever I get to the end of The Book of Mormon I always get a little melancholy. I am happy when Jesus Christ appears to the people who have waited faithfully for him for more than 600-years, but from that point on, I know what is coming and I get very sad. Moroni was alone for more than 20-years. I identify with that loneliness after his father dies, having led his doomed people to battle with no hope that they would repent and serve the God who had preserved them so many times. But this volume gave me a bit of hope in the midst of that psychic pain which always accompanies reading the last part of The Book of Mormon. One passage in particular that I found so enlightening, I share here.
Perfection comes through the Atonement of Christ. We become one with him, with a perfect being. And as we become one, there is a merger. Some of my students are studying business, and they understand it better if I talk in business terms. You take a small bankrupt firm that's about ready to go under and merge it with a corporate giant. What happens? Their assets and liabilities flow together, and the new entity that is created is solvent . . .
Spiritually, this is what happens when we enter into the covenant relationship with our Savior. We have liabilities, he has assets. He proposes to us a covenant relationship. I use the word "propose" on purpose because it is a marriage of a spiritual sort that is being proposed. That is why he is called the Bridegroom. This covenant relationship is so intimate that it can be described as a marriage. I become one with Christ, and as partners, we work together for my salvation and my exaltation. My liabilities and his assets flow into each other. I do all that I can do, and he does what I cannot yet do. The two of us together are perfect.<.i> -- Stephen E. Robinson
Previously, whenever I heard the commandment to become perfect it felt so unattainable, that sometimes I felt the weight of my unworthiness. But I have all faith that my Heavenly Father and his son are perfect. Of course, my bankrupt little company seeks a merger. Robinson's use of the business metaphor was really helpful in changing my thinking.
While I do not always appreciate reading commentary, and this four-volume set is A LOT of commentary, I'm glad I read every word. It did slow my reading down a bit, and sometimes I felt myself just plodding along in some minutiae, but then at other times, I was engrossed. It is obvious that the authors took a very rigorous and scholarly approach to their presentation of detailed expositions on most of the doctrinal elements of the book. Perhaps they were intended to be used in a more encyclopedic way -- looking up a chapter here, or a chapter there. Reading them straight through along with The Book of Mormon from Nephi through Moroni was at times laborious -- in part because a particularly long chapter in the Book of Mormon would almost always be accompanied by a lot of commentary. (I think it took me 3-days to read the commentary related to Jacob 5 -- but it was really worth it.) My favorite parts of each volume were when the authors quoted a modern-day prophet speaking directly to the verse at hand. It was at those times it felt like a dialog between ancient and modern-day prophets whose mutual intentions were to warn, to testify of Christ, to enlighten, and to encourage. I can recommend the process of enhancing your reading of The Book of Mormon with other materials that may deepen your understanding, whether it is this exact set or another more contemporary resource.
Perfection comes through the Atonement of Christ. We become one with him, with a perfect being. And as we become one, there is a merger. Some of my students are studying business, and they understand it better if I talk in business terms. You take a small bankrupt firm that's about ready to go under and merge it with a corporate giant. What happens? Their assets and liabilities flow together, and the new entity that is created is solvent . . .
Spiritually, this is what happens when we enter into the covenant relationship with our Savior. We have liabilities, he has assets. He proposes to us a covenant relationship. I use the word "propose" on purpose because it is a marriage of a spiritual sort that is being proposed. That is why he is called the Bridegroom. This covenant relationship is so intimate that it can be described as a marriage. I become one with Christ, and as partners, we work together for my salvation and my exaltation. My liabilities and his assets flow into each other. I do all that I can do, and he does what I cannot yet do. The two of us together are perfect.<.i> -- Stephen E. Robinson
Previously, whenever I heard the commandment to become perfect it felt so unattainable, that sometimes I felt the weight of my unworthiness. But I have all faith that my Heavenly Father and his son are perfect. Of course, my bankrupt little company seeks a merger. Robinson's use of the business metaphor was really helpful in changing my thinking.
While I do not always appreciate reading commentary, and this four-volume set is A LOT of commentary, I'm glad I read every word. It did slow my reading down a bit, and sometimes I felt myself just plodding along in some minutiae, but then at other times, I was engrossed. It is obvious that the authors took a very rigorous and scholarly approach to their presentation of detailed expositions on most of the doctrinal elements of the book. Perhaps they were intended to be used in a more encyclopedic way -- looking up a chapter here, or a chapter there. Reading them straight through along with The Book of Mormon from Nephi through Moroni was at times laborious -- in part because a particularly long chapter in the Book of Mormon would almost always be accompanied by a lot of commentary. (I think it took me 3-days to read the commentary related to Jacob 5 -- but it was really worth it.) My favorite parts of each volume were when the authors quoted a modern-day prophet speaking directly to the verse at hand. It was at those times it felt like a dialog between ancient and modern-day prophets whose mutual intentions were to warn, to testify of Christ, to enlighten, and to encourage. I can recommend the process of enhancing your reading of The Book of Mormon with other materials that may deepen your understanding, whether it is this exact set or another more contemporary resource.
December 6, 2020
excellent
January 7, 2022
Some great insight.
November 30, 2024
typical of most commentaries. Helpful but a bit wordy in spots. a valuable edition to my come follow me study. I filed this book under read a book that starts with d. (read with allison 2024)
April 14, 2013
This set is page after page of the same-old stuff. The authors are very adept at saying the same thing in different words, and if they didn't this set would be half the size it is. If you want trite fluff, devotional musings or the like, this is for you, but there really is much better available. The authors offer nothing new to the study of the Book of Mormon. The most valuable aspect of this set are the occasional authoritative quotes the authors use from modern prophets and apostles, but if this is what you want, you would be better off with K Douglas Bassett's "Doctrinal Insights to the Book of Mormon" (3 vols). If you really want to learn something, the best commentary available on the Book of Mormon is Brant Gardner's "Second Witness" series (6 vols). It will be decades before anyone is able to surpass Gardner in scope or quality.
January 3, 2017
As I read the Book of Mormon this last year in Gospel Doctrine class I tried to stay up with the Commentary as well. I had taken a class from Robert Millet in college and had crossed paths with him and also Joseph McConkie many times in my life, as I grew-up so close to both of them, so I was excited to be taught from them in these books on the Book of Mormon. Some things were very insightful and others were just a reinforcement of things I already knew. Phrases were explained and even individual words. Excellent book!
March 9, 2015
Again, like most commentaries the biggest value is the forced time to sit and slow down when reading the scriptures. Their comments are nice, periodically interesting - but nothing monumental or particularly thought provoking - but I also don't think that was part of their market. It is a nice safe commentary and a wonderful gift. The biggest value again - is showing how wonderful it is to slow down and ponder on the scriptures.
February 15, 2014
Oh my goodness...I loved this series of books! I am sad to finish. I felt like I learned A TON about the Book of Mormon and its meaning and applications to life. I highly recommend this series to anyone interested in a more in depth understanding of this volume of scripture. I plan to reread this when I cycle around again in my scripture reading to the Book of Mormon.
March 20, 2015
I loved reading/studying the Book of Mormon Commentaries as I read through the Book of Mormon. I've read the Book of Mormon many times but reading this along with it helped open up more understanding for me. I loved it!
February 9, 2016
I've learned so much!
Displaying 1 - 10 of 10 reviews