Plain and Precious Things: The Temple Religion of the Book of Mormon's Visionary Men

by D. John Butler, Jeffrey V. Brimley (Illustrator)

Nephi's small plates are a time capsule from the sixth century B.C., containing a "loser's eye view" of religion that strongly contrasts with the ideology of the Jerusalem establishment of the time. Lehi's dream and Nephi's interpretive vision are visionary-literary accounts of the two temple ordinances at the heart of the worship of Lehi's 'visionary men' -- the Peace Offerings and the Day of Atonement. Learning to understand those visions opens up the rest of the Book of Mormon, and ancient scripture in general.

Genres: Lds, Religion, Nonfiction, Mormonism

227 pages, Kindle Edition

First published February 28, 2012

Reviews

[Mike · Rating 5 out of 5]

5 stars! This book is awesome. The Book of Mormon is a temple text, and yet it is simple enough that the average reader can pick it up and see simple messages about Christ without seeing the temple drama that it contains. D. John Butler is an expert at demonstrating how the text has levels, and at its core, the Book of Mormon is an ancient temple text showing us exactly how its message fits in both an ancient and a modern context. This book should be read in conjunction with John Welch's book "The Sermon at the Temple and the Sermon on the Mount: A Latter-Day Saint Approach" - you can read it free online here at the Maxwell Institute's website: https://publications.mi.byu.edu/book/...

[Reese · Rating 4 out of 5]

It started out simple then got a little complicated. I'm still digesting it.

[Jacqueholst · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very Interesting

This book was quite different from my expectations. It is interesting and provocative. I found it most interesting in explaining the religious politics of part of the Old Testament and relating that to The Book Of Mormon. This made a lot of sense. Addressing Temple worship and Christ as found or not found in the Old Testament did not surprise me because I have spent time with The Dead Sea Scrolls and other ancient manuscripts from that time period. Fascinating. You knew it had to be there and now we are finding it. This Book certainly explains it very plainly. It will make you think and maybe see more.

[Eliza · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Book of Mormon claims (among other things) to restore plain and precious truths that have been lost or obscured in the Bible. This book illustrates how Book of Mormon authors, writing circa 600 B.C. present a more Christ-centered picture of the ancient temple of Solomon (a picture that was likely obscured by the Deuteronomist religious reform movement around the same time). This book draws on Bible scholars such as Margret Baker, Bible apocrypha, Jewish texts, and of course the Book of Mormon.

[Sarah Richards · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really enjoyed the information, but I feel like he could have explained things a little bit better. I could have used more detail about Solomon's temple and the ancient symbolism to better connect it to our present day understanding.
I feel like I get more information from when Dave is on The Stick of Joseph because he's explaining things to a couple of jarheads. I'll have to do more research about the ancient temple on my own.

[MykeWeber · Rating 5 out of 5]

A Real Eye Opener!

I really enjoyed seeing the scriptures through Butler’s eyes. I’m a very literal person, which I have long considered a handicap. I’ve read lots of books on symbols and poetic language, and while I’ve made some progress, I certainly didn’t see things John Butler has seen! I am so grateful to have these things pointed out to me!

[Jeff Borders · Rating 5 out of 5]

I read this after reading In the Language of Adam, so I came to it with some of that background already. Having said that, and despite reading it after, I found a lot of useful information that added to the knowledge and insight gained from In the Language of Adam. I recommend it to anyone looking to deepen their study of The Book of Mormon.

[Ryan Thompson · Rating 3 out of 5]

The ideas in the book are very fascinating and deserve thought and reflection. The author's writing style was not really for me and made it harder for me to get through the book. I will be interested in going back through it with my scripture study in the future.

[Ronald K. Allen · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very Insightful

This short book opened up an entirely new level of understanding in my knowledge of the Book of Mormon. I’ll never read it the same way again.

[Margie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Blew me away. Opened my mind to deeper possibilities. He's got a great conversational style and his ideas ring true.

[Cheya]

I decided to read through this book even though I didn’t fully understand all of it. Looking forward to breaking it down and studying it.

[Wren · Rating 5 out of 5]

Dan Brown, move over! John Butler exposes a conspiracy that spans continents and centuries. By using close reading of multiple texts, Butler builds a compelling narrative of eternal proportions. Two factions of priests struggle for control over holy rites at the temple in Jerusalem, and the conservative, power brokers succeed in expelling the visionary, spiritualists--casting them out. Although news to me, this defeat is not without prior documentation.

I was very interested to see the close textual readings Butler performs by examining passages from the Book of Mormon and the Bible, showing recurring objects, images, and key words, using them to tease out recurring visions / temple worship patterns. He also uses his knowledge of Hebrew, Judaism, and ancient cultures to bring to life this conflict and the vital principles of temple ordinances that have been diluted and lost over time. The vanquished mysteries of God did manage to leave a trail for those who have eyes to see.

The phrase "plain and precious things" from the Book of Mormon hints at this loss, and Butler takes that phrase and elaborates it in book-length form. Even though I'm not 100% convinced that his articulation of lost history is correct, I was completely mesmerized by his methods and his message. He takes a complex argument and breaks it down into manageable bits. Pick up your textual magnifying glass, pipe and deestalker so you can enjoy the thrill of the chase through history, language and theology.

[L Gustafson · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great insight into the mystical element of the Book of Mormon, which has been grossly under appreciated by LDS scholarship. Butler’s argument that the plain and precious things removed from the Bible were certain ordinances and rituals that permeate the Bible and the Book of Mormon was eye opening for me. It has changed the way I read the Bible and the Book of Mormon.

[Shawna · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really liked this book. It gave unique insights into the Book of Mormon that weren't just a rehashing of things I had read before. I had been curious about the Deuteronomic reformers, and this gave me a lot more to think about that I had found anywhere else. Thanks Mr. Butler!

[Michael · Rating 5 out of 5]

Highly recommend.

[Lisa · Rating 5 out of 5]

Awesome!!