By the Hand of Mormon: The American Scripture that Launched a New World Religion

by Terryl L. Givens

With over 100 million copies in print, the Book of Mormon has spawned a vast religious movement, but it remains little discussed outside Mormon circles. Now Terry L. Givens offers a full-length treatment of this influential work, illuminating the varied meanings and tempestuous impact of this uniquely American scripture.
Givens examines the text's role as a divine testament of the Last Days and as a sacred sign of Joseph Smith's status as a modern-day prophet. He assesses its claim to be a history of the pre-Columbian peopling of the Western Hemisphere, and later explores how the Book has been defined as a cultural product--the imaginative ravings of a rustic religion-maker. Givens further investigates its status as a new American Bible or Fifth Gospel, one that displaces, supports, or, in some views, perverts the canonical Word of God. Finally, Givens highlights the Book's role as the engine behind what may become the next world religion.
The most wide-ranging study on the subject outside Mormon presses, By the Hand of Mormon will fascinate anyone curious about a religious people who, despite their numbers, remain strangers in our midst.

Genres: Religion, Nonfiction, Lds, Mormonism, History, Church, Theology

336 pages, Paperback

First published March 14, 2002

About the author

Terryl L. Givens was born in upstate New York, raised in the American southwest, and did his graduate work in Intellectual History (Cornell) and Comparative Literature (Ph.D. UNC Chapel Hill, 1988), working with Greek, German, Spanish, Portuguese, and English languages and literatures. As Professor of Literature and Religion, and the James A. Bostwick Professor of English at the University of Richmond, he teaches courses in Romanticism, nineteenth-century cultural studies, and the Bible and Literature. He has published in literary theory, British and European Romanticism, Mormon studies, and intellectual history.

Dr. Givens has authored several books, including The Viper on the Hearth: Mormons, Myths, and the Construction of Heresy (Oxford 1997); By the Hand of Mormon: The American Scripture that Launched a New World Religion (Oxford 2003); People of Paradox: A History of Mormon Culture (Oxford 2007); The Book of Mormon: A Very Short Introduction (Oxford 2009); and When Souls had Wings: Pre-Mortal Life in Western Thought (2010). Current projects include a biography of Parley P. Pratt (with Matt Grow, to be published by Oxford in 2011), a sourcebook of Mormonism in America (with Reid Neilson, to be published by Columbia in 2011), an Oxford Handbook to Mormonism (with Phil Barlow), and a two volume history of Mormon theology. He lives in Montpelier, Virginia.

Reviews

[Rex · Rating 4 out of 5]

Givens is a professor of religion and literature at the University of Richmond, Virginia and an active Mormon. Here, he devotes ~250 pages to the history, controversy, and the impact of the Book of Mormon. The book does not deal very closely with the text of the Book of Mormon. Nor is it a scholarly "Cliffs Notes"--providing a summary of the book. But Givens admirably covers the broader context surrounding the book. Here's my take on each of the nine chapters:

1. The first chapter deals with the narrative of Joseph, the gold plates, angel Moroni, the translation process, and the three witnesses. Most of this is very familiar to life-long Mormons.

2. The second chapter provides a brief overview of the Book of Mormon, noting, in particular, the visit of Jesus Christ to the American continent. Christ is much more prominent in the Old Testament period of the Book of Mormon than in the Old Testament period of the Bible. The Christology of the Book of Mormon is also unique--Christ delivers an unending series of revelations to many different groups of people. Givens then notes the structure of the book, emphasizing that unlike the Bible, the Book of Mormon is highly influenced by the redactor Mormon.

3. The third chapter argues that in early Mormonism the Book of Mormon was most important not for what it said, but for it's role as a sacred sign.

4. Next, Givens outlines Mormonism's search to "prove" the Book of Mormon through archeology. This chapter outlines the evolution of Mormonism's interpretation of the geography and genealogy of the Lamanite civilization. Early Mormons understood all American Indians to be descendants of the Lamanites. The chapter tells of Mormon apostle B.H. Robert's attempts to reconcile his notions about the Book of Mormon with scholarly evidence--an important story about dealing with both doubt and faith. Givens also tells of zealous Mormon archeologists who have attempted to unearth Book of Mormon civilizations. No such civilization has been found that satisfies serious archeologists.

5. Givens next overviews Mormon apologists' efforts to provide scholarly evidence for the Book of Mormon. Givens summarizes the work of Hugh Nibley, John Welch/FARMS, John Sorenson, and others. He addresses common criticisms, carefully pointing out faulty assumptions and counter-evidences.

6. Chapter six explores some intellectual's efforts to interpret the Book of Mormon as either a cultural product or sacred fiction. Givens concludes that no secular interpretation is satisfying. Most scholars with a secular bent conclude that the book is simply a cultural product of the 19th century that combines elements of anti-masonic rhetoric, Ethan Smith's View of the Hebrews, the KJV Bible, and other environmental sources. Others argue for a "middle ground" where the text is still sacred, but the historicity of the book is rejected. Givens argues that this will never be a suitable interpretation for Mormonism for a variety of reasons. Givens also notes Blake Ostler's interpretation of the book as the result of "creative co-participation" that results in a "modern expansion of an ancient source."

7. The next chapter deals with the theology of the Book of Mormon and how it has been received by the broader Christian community. Givens contends that the book is doctrinally rather conservative with a few noteworthy exceptions: the typology of Christ in Old Testament times, the "fortunate fall," emphasis on moral freedom, and dialogic revelation.

8. Here, Givens expands his assertion that dialogic revelation is perhaps the most revolutionary and radical aspect of the Book of Mormon--God speaks in a dialogue not just with prophets, but with the common man. This is emphasized in Moroni's promise in the last chapter.

9. Chapter 9 is short--too short in my opinion. It attempts to convey how the Book of Mormon is used in believer's homes since Ezra Taft Benson's emphasis of the book during his tenure as church president.

Excellent book.

[Cindy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Thanks to my brother Tim for bringing this book to my attention. It was fascinating.
This is considered to be the first scholarly examination of the Book of Mormon. It was published by Oxford University Press - not by the Church or by one of the traditionally "anti-Mormon" publishers. Givens does present both sides, but it's obvious that he is more interested in defending the Book of Mormon than condemning it.
There is so much information in this book that I'm reluctant to even try to summarize. Here a couple of the ideas that were most interesting to me:
- Even today, most criticisms of the Book of Mormon are based on 19th Century arguments. For example, The Book of Mormon begins in Jerusalem in 600 BC. Many of the names in the book were originally considered to be ridiculous and obviously "made-up." 20th Century research, though, found the following Book of Mormon names (among others) in sixth-century BC middle eastern documents: Alma, Sariah (as a woman's name); Abish; Aha; Ammonihah; Chemish; Hagoth, Himni; Jarom; Luram; Mathoni; Mathonihah; Muloki. None of these names are in the Bible and it's pretty incredible to imagine that a 20 year-old New York farmer with a third-grade education had any non-spiritual way of obtaining this information when it was unknown to any historian of the time.
- The major new doctrinal idea of the The Book of Mormon is that man and God can have a dialog in which God gives man revelation for himself and his family. Many other Christians would say they belive this, but it really isn't obvious in the Bible. Prophets have revelation for their people as a whole but, according to Givens, there are no instances where man and God "converse" back and forth about what course of action a man ought to take. Nephi's personal revelation confirming the truthfulness of Lehi's vision of the tree of life, and Moroni's challange to readers of the Book to ask God for themselves if it is true, "bookend" the story with this doctrine.
Many people refuse to accept Joseph Smith's story of how he obtained and translated the Book of Mormon, but no one has come up with a rational alternate theory of how he dictated this complex story, which spans 1,000 years and has virtually no geographic or chronologic inconsistencies, to his scribes over the space of a few months.
Critics continue to come up with arguments that "prove" the Book of Mormon is false, but eventually all of those arguments seem to fall. For this reason, my faith is not tested by whatever the latest "proof" may be.
This book is an academic work and parts are difficult to follow with a casual reading. I consider it worth the effort, though.

[Emily · Rating 4 out of 5]

Interesting look at the Book of Mormon's role in The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints over its 180+ year history. Written by a faithful member of the Church for a non-member audience, I (a life-long member of the Church) learned quite a bit about this book of scripture that I've read a dozen times or more from By the Hand of Mormon.

Dr. Givens approaches the early history of the Church by putting Mormonism in the context of the times. It was eye-opening for me to learn that the early church really didn't stand out at first in an age that was a "paradise of heterodoxy." Visions and other spiritual manifestations were fairly common; Dr. Givens reports that Richard Bushman has discovered at least 32 pamphlets published between 1783 and 1815 that related individuals' personal visions - and that's only the published stories. And with the fascination of the times with Native Americans' origins, the Book of Mormon was not even the only source that connected them with Israel - though most other suggestions linked them to the Ten Lost Tribes rather than through Joseph.

Also interesting was the fact that for much of the Church's history, the text of the Book of Mormon has held less importance than its origin story or its role as a vehicle of personal revelation. In fact, it wasn't until 1961 that BYU required students to study the Book of Mormon and it wasn't until 1972 that it was formally made part of the Sunday School curriculum. Of course, President Benson took the focus on the Book of Mormon to a whole new level in 1986 and today it is absolutely central to both public worship and personal study.

Dr. Givens addresses many of the arguments against the validity of the Book of Mormon, including a discussion of Hebrew and Egyptian language and form, overlap with the King James Version of the Bible, names in the Book of Mormon, and seeming anachronisms. He provides plausible explanations for many of the issues raised and describes how several points that seemed to argue against the Book of Mormon's historical validity have been found to be possible with further archaeological and scientific research. A good summation for those wanting to better understand a linguistic, cultural and spiritual context for the Book of Mormon.

For more book reviews, come visit my blog, Build Enough Bookshelves.

[Summer Seeds · Rating 4 out of 5]

I'm not Mormon, nor ever desire to become Mormon, but I read this for class and actually found it rather interesting.

****

Terryl L. Givens’ By the Hands of Mormon is a comprehensive study of Mormonism, from its origins to its theology. Unlike many academic studies of the Book of Mormon, the of the main scripture of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, Givens, despite being a Mormon himself, does not try to defend the teachings of Mormonism or the traditional story of Joseph Smith and the golden plates. Instead, Givens gives a unique and detailed analysis of the reception of Mormonism by both believers and critics of the Book of Mormon.

The first chapter of the book deals with Joseph Smith and the founding of Mormonism during the Second Great Awakening. In 1823, the Angel Moroni led Smith to a box buried in a hillside containing golden plates on which the history of a Judeo-Christian civilization who had fled to Mesoamerica after being forced from their homeland. Givens records how Smith supposedly translated the plates using the ancient biblical tools, the urim and thummim. These tools, Givens argues, is what gives Smith his prophetic authority. He read aloud the English translation as another wrote down every word Smith spoke. In 1829, the translation was complete and the Book of Mormon was published. Givens summary is useful for anyone not familiar with the extraordinary circumstance in which the Book of Mormon came into being.
Not so awe-inspiring is the text itself. Givens makes a point of saying that early Mormon preachers focused more on the circumstances in which the book came into being and less on the actual content, which is seen as relatively uncontroversial in nature. In fact, early accounts of converts to Mormonism “confirm that it was the congruence of Book of Mormon teachings with the New Testament that dampened their objections to a new scripture” (Givens 186).
Givens’ argues that the Book of Mormon might actually be less in line with traditional Protestant thinking than originally considered. The Book of Mormon is almost purely, what Givens calls, “dialogic revelation.” The book emphasizes communicated content, particularism, and equal access to all. Mormons believe in an anthropomorphic God and an open canon. It offers a unique direct personal experience of sacred matters. This is the Book of Mormon’s true radicalism. The book offers a version of religious discourse that challenges orthodox beliefs about revelation. For Mormons “revelation” is taken to mean a “personalized, dialogic exchange” and not a disclosure from God to man of God's person, purpose, and works (217).

Givens spends the latter part of the books making attempts to disprove arguments that the Book of Mormon is merely product of the religious enthusiasm of the 19th century. Early critics argued that developed cultures never existed in America. This was proven false with increasing new archaeological discoveries. Anti-Mormons often argue that the book is not compatible with pre-Columbian cultures. However, Mormon scholars state that the book does not tell the whole history of the Americas. It covers only a small history of a particular people in a certain Mesoamerican area. Some readers may be perplexed by the fact that, even on controversial subject, such as the presence of horses in a pre-Columbian America for example, Givens seems to take the side of the traditional Mormon text despite what history has to say about the Spaniards’ reintroduction of the horse to Mesoamerica in the 15th century. Overall, however, he makes a convincing case that many critics do need to go back to reevaluate their argument in some respects. Givens does, however, tend to take on a reactionary position. He reacts to what others have to say rather than establishing a solid case for the authenticity of the Book of Mormon.

By the Hand of Mormon is well researched and fantastically objective given that Givens is a practicing Mormon who served as bishop in a local congregation for years. The views of the various readers of the books – the critical, the faithful, and those that fall somewhere in the middle - are all presented in this book, as is their reasoning for believing what they believe. Givens does tend to be slightly biased in favor of the teachings and theologies of Mormonism, but that is to be expected given his Mormon rich background. It is also one of the nicer things about this analytical work. The reader can clearly see the passion Givens has for the subject infused in his words. It keeps the text from getting to clinical for the reader.

Givens’ work shows the average non-Mormon how the Book of Mormon has been perceived and received through the year. Givens certainly givens the reader a much better understanding of a unique sect of Christianity. Despite the book being well written, as well as organized and thoroughly researched, it would help to have some prior knowledge of Mormonism and Mormon history before starting the book. There were several places where certain terms and ideas were not completely explained and it was easy to get confused or lost in what was being said. However, this is a wonderful, comprehensive view of Mormonism that neither tries to confirm or deny, merely inform.

[Wally Goddard · Rating 4 out of 5]

We little realize some of the LDS distinctives. (Take Dialogic Revelation for example.) Yet these distinctives add up to significant differences.
Very insightful book--but also deep and philosophical. Not for all tastes.

[Desiree · Rating 2 out of 5]

I am not Mormon, in fact I'm not a person of faith at all. But I am very interested in Mormonism, both its history and practices. I am amazed that an American religion that was started in New Jersey has become a global force. When I ordered this book I did so thinking that I was going to read a non-bias account of the Book of Mormon. I also thought I would receive some of the history behind it, along with the way The Book has shaped the Mormon church over time including how perceptions of The Book have changed both within and outside of the church. Though the book was interesting and it did provide me with some history to archaeological and historical investigations into the Book of Mormon, it was far from non-bias. It really is my own fault, if I would have done some research on Terryl. L Givens I would have realized that he is indeed LDS. Givens tries to underplay most of the evidence contrary to the Book of Mormon. The book is also very academic and is certainly heavier than a book ought to be that is suppose to appeal to "the general reader". However, over all it did give a great deal of insight into the church and how it has viewed itself and its holy book through the years, especially for the first 6 chapters.

[J.S. · Rating 5 out of 5]

For some, The Book of Mormon is simply a humorous Broadway production. For others, it is taken as a threat to their religious beliefs, while members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints revere it as scripture alongside the Bible. Terryl Givens, who is a member of the LDS Church, has approached it from a scholarly perspective to examine just what it is and how well it stands up to the various claims made about it, both by those who believe its words and those who don't.

He begins by looking at how it came about through the story Joseph Smith told and those who saw the ancient plates he claims to have translated it from. He discusses the contents and how it was used by early converts to the church. He also looks at the archaeological history, and while he finds a lack of conclusive evidence on the American continents where it was written, he finds much more when looking to the Old World where the people of the book claim to have originated. He also looks at many of the charges against it and weighs their merits, as well as the effect it has had on the church that resulted from it.

A friend at church recommended this book to me and it's one of the best I've read this year. I found it interesting that early Church members continued to rely upon the Bible, which they were more familiar with, and treated it more as a sign from heaven or a historical record. It wasn't until late in the 20th century that Church members began to make it the object of more serious study, both personal and in more scholarly pursuits. And Givens has written an excellent overview of the book that I think can be appreciated both by Church members and non-members alike. There were a number of parts that I feel might be better appreciated by theology or philosophy students, but I found it to be a very enjoyable and enlightening read.

[James · Rating 4 out of 5]

Givens' By the Hand of Mormon is a fascinating and scholarly book that examines the text's role as a divine testament of the Last Dispensation and as a sacred sign of Joseph Smith's status as a modern-day prophet. He assesses its claim to be a history of the ancient peoples of North America, and investigates whether new theology is contained therein. Ultimately he posits that the Book of Mormon is more valuable for its existence than its content: as evidence that Joseph Smith is a modern-day prophet.

This is one of the only full-length scholarly works dealing with the Book of Mormon from non-Mormon presses and Givens conducts serious academic study on the Book, which is long overdue for such work from scholars regardless of their religious affiliation. Givens' research is in depth while remaining somewhat constrained by the limits of his page numbers; nevertheless this is an excellent book which is so regardless of what one believes about the Book of Mormon.

My only complaint is that the last chapter (on the Book of Mormon as a cultural icon in LDS culture) was remarkably short in comparison to the other chapters, and felt rushed.

[Patsy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Thank goodness for Terryl Givens, and if I live long enough, I will understand all his writings. I did glean enough from this book to recognize it as a look at the origins, purpose, and fruits of the Book of Mormon. As a lifelong Latter day Saint, I am grateful for LDS scholars who help me to understand the strength of the theology I have been handed.

[LaDon · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love Givens so will always rank him very high; Chapter 5 is the best logical explanation for any issues with the Book; not written defensively at all - seems very open, honest, and clear. Chapter 8 does an incredible job talking about the power of the book, its powerful and unique messages. Great book.

[Bryan Samuelsen · Rating 3 out of 5]

tl;dr: Didn't meet my expectations for neutrality, but you can't fault Givens' robust research. Also, in classic Givensian fashion, this book is very dense.

***

This book is not entirely what it claims to be, nor what I expected, which is why I'm giving it three stars. But it's still a meticulously crafted book and, in my opinion, worth your time.

From the blurb, I expected an even-handed discussion of the ongoing debates surrounding the Book of Mormon. I didn't expect true neutrality; such is impossible given the subject matter (which is why the debates are so thorny). Terryl Givens, while a faithful Latter-day Saint (as I am), is typically a good source, so I walked into this book expecting a two-sided discussion.

Unfortunately, that's not what it is. Givens gives short shrift to the critics; I think the NYT's calling him "polemical" is hyperbolic, but he certainly doesn't do justice to their arguments. Other Givens fare is much more balanced than this book. His pro-Church bias is clear, from the subjects upon which he chooses to expand right down to his word choice. Again, I'm also on the side of the Church, but I felt his treatment of others' dissent was summary at best.

However, "By the Hand of Mormon" IS a very good summary of the work of Latter-day Saint scholars on the Book of Mormon, on which subject Givens has indisputably done his due diligence. (Frankly, Oxford probably wouldn't have lent its aegis to a less meticulous Mormon-apologetic book.) He goes through early opposition to this Latter-day Saint scripture and B.H. Roberts' efforts to defend it. He aptly summarizes the more recent and best advances in Book of Mormon apologetics (Nibley, Welch, Sorenson). And, in fairness, he is willing to criticize Church scholarship where criticism is due.

That thoroughness allowed me to excuse Givens' bias and appreciate the book for what it is: a thorough explication of Church scholars' best work about the Book of Mormon's doctrine, milieu, and historicity. And I should note that, on the non-controversial subjects (i.e., the discussion of Book of Mormon doctrine relative to 19th-century Christianity), Givens' work is unimpeachable.

Now, any potential reader should be aware that Givens' writing is not for the faint of heart. He is an academic's academic; his writing is quite dense, and for the best experience, you'll need to consult his extratextual commentary throughout. I was able to get by because of my preexisting familiarity with the subject, but this is what I call a "two-finger book" -- a book where you have to keep one finger on the page and the other in the endnotes.

On a subject as debate-worthy as the Book of Mormon, a book that's mostly neutral is hard to come by -- and this isn't one of those. (Again, being "truly unbiased" in this area is a myth, and you should be suspicious of anyone who claims to be so.) But Givens does a fine job in his own right defending the Church's position with reliable scholarship, and I would recommend this book to believers and non-believers alike.

[Tanya Wadley · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is an amazing, must-read book. In a few parts it is too intellectual for anyone besides intellectuals (which I'm obviously not).

This comprehensive book about the Book of Mormon is considered by many LDS scholars to be one of the greatest books ever written about the Book of Mormon. It examines criticisms of the Book of Mormon and looks at the period of time in which Joseph Smith lived. It brings up many interesting points which lend credibility to the Book of Mormon... certainly confirming for believers and probably a bit disturbing to those who are against the Book of Mormon. An amazing book to read and even worth owning (we buy very few books).

There is no book that will really confirm faith, it supports faith, but there is no substitute for the testimony which comes through the Spirit.

In my opinion it is very unbiased, the whold time I read it I was wondering if it was written by a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, or not.

[Ryan · Rating 5 out of 5]

I agree with many of the reviewers on GR that this would be a great recommendation for either believers, uninformed, or skeptics. Givens does a phenomenal job of outlining objections to the Book of Mormon on the grounds of the skeptics (reminds me a little of what was said about Lincoln, that he often understood the position of his opponents better than they did), and then responding to those objections with both reason and faith. If you only read one chapter of this book, make sure its Chapter 8 on what the Book of Mormon teaches about revelation. Highly recommend this book.

[Brad Mclaws · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good read. One of the more thoughtful analyses of what the Book of Mormon says and how likely it is to be real.

[Jacob Lines · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a history of the reception of the Book of Mormon. In this book, Givens attempts to explain “why the Book of Mormon has been taken seriously – for very different reasons – by generations of devoted believes and confirmed skeptics.” He tells the story of how the book came to be and then how it has been accepted, rejected, used, and ignored over the nearly two centuries since then.

Givens starts with background. Plenty in here that even knowledgeable Church members may have forgotten. The details are superb. If nothing in the first chapter is new to you, you’re probably a history professional. It tells Joseph Smith’s story – his first vision, the visit from Moroni, his four years of probation before getting the plates, and then the translation of the plates. The next chapter gives a very short (2½ page) summary of the Book of Mormon, with longer sections devoted to the Book of Mormon’s Christology and the structure of the Book. The Book is full of Christ, which might be surprising for a book begun 600 years before Christ. That is part of the audacity of the Book – not only did prophets teach about Christ, by name, hundreds of years before his birth, there is also a visit from Jesus after his resurrection. Jesus tells the Nephites that they are the “other sheep” that he told the Jews about, and that there are even more sheep that He is going to visit. Those other sheep will also keep records about Him and eventually God will reveal those scriptures to the world. So not only does the Book greatly expand the number of accounts of Jesus, it also signals that this is not the end of new scripture coming to light.

As for the structure of the Book, Givens briefly describes the different records that went into the Book and the variation between different authors, comparing Alma’s record to Acts and Helaman’s to the Book of Joshua. This information isn’t new to longtime readers of the Book of Mormon, but his comparisons and characterizations do open new ways to look at the material. The introductory material concludes with his account of the Book’s publication and early circulation.

With the third chapter, Givens starts the history of how the Book of Mormon has been used. This chapter details how the early Church members regarded the Book of Mormon not so much as a source of doctrine but as a sign: 1) that God had restored the truth in the last days, and 2) that Joseph Smith was a prophet. These are both important functions that the Book of Mormon still serves. It turns out to be a point that Givens returns to several times in his analysis.

The next two chapters discuss the search for evidence of the Book of Mormon in Mesoamerican archaeology. Believers have sought to buttress the Book’s truthfulness with archaeological evidence, and they tried to use the Book of Mormon to explain archaeological discoveries. Critics, on the other hand, try to disprove the Book through archaeology. Givens gives a good run-down of the work of Hugh Nibley, John Sorenson, and FARMS, as well as the responses from evangelicals and scholars. This is good summary of the debates that have raged for decades.

Chapter Six presents the theories that scholars and biographers and critics have propounded to explain who wrote the Book of Mormon and how. The theories range from the Spalding Manuscript, Ethan Smith’s writing, and conspiracies involving Sidney Rigdon, to mental disease, epilepsy, and possession by devils. These theories are all interesting, but they require a great deal of unsupported speculation and don’t take into account most of the historical facts about Joseph’s life at the time of the translation. Givens also explores recent efforts to find a middle ground, in which the Book’s historicity is rejected (or at least doubted), but it is regarded as a source of spiritual wisdom and guidance. He asks the very important question of whether that approach makes any sense – how can the Church be true if the Book is not? (Simple answer – it can’t.)

But what about the Book of Mormon as a source of doctrine? Givens begins his exploration of the Book of Mormon as a new source of theology in chapter seven. Whereas Mormons now use the Bible and Book of Mormon interchangeably as sources of doctrine, the Book was not really used as a doctrinal source at first, even by Joseph Smith. There is much doctrine in the Book of Mormon that deserves notice, and Givens explains a lot of it. For the sheer number of references to Christ, he notes, the Book is unique – Jesus is everywhere in the Book. And then there are ideas about the nature of man – that the natural man is an enemy to God, and always will be unless he yields to God. The Book of Mormon also teaches very forcefully about agency – the ability to choose and be subject to the consequences of those choices. 2 Nephi 2:26-29. The necessity of the fall – not a disaster, but a necessary step in God’s plan for his children. 2 Nephi 2:22-25. It also explains the relationship between justice and mercy – two opposing eternal unchangeable constants that can only be satisfied and reconciled through Christ’s mediating atonement. Alma 42. But even with all of the doctrine the Book contains, Givens argues that the Book has been used primarily as a sign rather than as scripture.

At the end of chapter seven, Givens argues that “The Book of Mormon’s real radicalism is in the way it emphatically models, chronicles, and then enacts a version of divine discourse that contests prevailing theologies of revelation.” This is the idea that he explores in much greater detail in chapter eight. He calls it dialogic revelation, in which man speaks to God and God speaks back. The Book of Mormon has many examples of this. The best example may be Enos’s “wrestle before the Lord.” In that experience, Enos prayed for forgiveness for his sins. Enos says that his “soul hungered.” After praying all day, the Lord spoke to him, telling him that his sins were forgiven because of his faith in Christ. He was then overcome with desire for his brethren, the Nephites, so he prayed for them. He “struggled in the spirit” about them for a while, and the Lord answered him again. Then he turned his prayers to the Lamanites. After more struggles in prayer, the Lord answered him about the Lamanites. As Givens explains, the numerous examples of this dialogic revelation in the Book of Mormon show that revelation is available to everyone. Moreover, the way that the book was first presented by Samuel Smith (and still is) was for people to read it and pray about it – with the prayer being more important than the contents of what they read. It was an invitation for revelation. In this way, the Book of Mormon has served as a vehicle for countless personal epiphanies.

The last chapter brings us to the current day and explores how the Book of Mormon has become a cultural touchstone for Mormons. It wasn’t until 1961 that the Book of Mormon became required study at BYU. And Book of Mormon study didn’t become a standardized part of Church curriculum until 1972. But there has been a massive shift in the intervening decades. In 1986, President Ezra Taft Benson gave a famous sermon in which he told the Church that it was still under condemnation for taking the Book of Mormon lightly. He exhorted Church members to study it more frequently and more deeply. He reiterated this theme in 1988, when he called for a “flooding” of the Earth with the Book of Mormon. Since then, the teachings of the Book of Mormon have become a central part of Mormon identity. As Givens notes, even though they remain Bible-literate, Mormon children are now more likely to idolize Nephi and Captain Moroni than Samson or Daniel. Examples of the centrality of the Book of Mormon to our cultural identity include the Hill Cumorah Pageant, Book of Mormon tours in Central America, references to “iron rod” and “Liahona” Mormons, as well as the Book of Mormon-themed books and movies and art that Mormons produce.

Givens concludes this book about “new” scripture in a fitting way – by noting that Mormons believe that there is much more scripture that remains hidden, and that, if they are faithful in learning and obeying the scripture they already have, they will someday be worthy to receive more and more new scripture.

In sum, this book is very good. I learned a lot from it. First, there were many new details that I had never heard of about the history of the Book of Mormon. Second, I really enjoyed reading Givens’s perspective on events and texts I was already familiar with because it gave me a much richer understanding. Third, this book forcefully reinforces my understanding that the Book of Mormon is not just a source of inspiration and doctrine. It is foundational to my faith in restored truth and modern revelation. It is the keystone of my religion – without it, the whole structure crumbles. The Church’s claim to divine authority rests on the Book of Mormon’s existence – the truth of the Book’s origin establishes Joseph Smith’s prophetic call and the Church’s claim to restored truth and priesthood. Learning more about the Book of Mormon always strengthens my testimony of it. Great book.

[Hannah Packard Crowther · Rating 4 out of 5]

As of its publication by the Oxford University Press, this is the most extensive and scholarly book on The Book of Mormon published from outside The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saint circles. Though written by a believer, it looks at The Book of Mormon from the perspective of both believers and critics, and is very well documented.

For example, it discusses the relatively poor success believers have had placing the Book of Mormon in a specific geographical setting. In contrast, there has been much greater success in evaluating textual evidence of authenticity—such as the use of the ancient literary form chiasmus, of which Joseph Smith was very unlikely to have been aware, and statistical analysis of “word blocks” which demonstrate a high probability of multiple authorship as the text claims.

It also discusses Joseph Smith’s account of the origin and translation of the Book of Mormon, as well as various witness accounts of the events involved. Various alternate theories for the origin of the book are also explored. Ultimately, Givens suggests that the “naked implausibility of gold plates, seer stones, and warrior-angels finds little by way of scientific corroboration, but attributing to a young farmboy the 90-day dictated and unrevised production of a 500-page narrative that incorporates sophisticated literary structures, remarkable Old World parallels, and some 300 references to chronology and 700 to geography with virtually perfect self-consistency is problematic as well.”

The book also brings up the interesting point that Joseph Smith and early missionaries rarely used Book of Mormon content in their preaching; rather, the book acted more as a sign that the heavens were opened, as well as an invitation for investigators to put the book to the test and as a result have their own experience with the Divine.

Givens points out that in the beginning of the Book of Mormon, Nephi inquires of the Lord as to the truth of his father’s vision, rather than simply trusting Lehi’s account. And story after story in the Book of Mormon displays a similar pattern of inquiring not only about grand, cosmic truths, but of very personal ones such as where to hunt for food. And then at the very end, Moroni invites readers to also inquire. Givens suggests that the message to believers of the Book of Mormon has been, and continues to be, “an invitation into spiritual dialogue with heaven.”

Though parts of the book went over my head (it is very academic), I can attest to Givens’ statement that for “millions of believers, the Book of Mormon has been the vehicle through which they could find their own sacred grove and reenact on a personal scale the epiphany that ushered in a new dispensation.”

I enjoyed learning more about the book that has meant so much to me personally.

[Anson Cassel Mills · Rating 3 out of 5]

Terryl Givens (b. 1957), a professor of English literature at the University of Richmond and an LDS scholar, here walks a tightrope between apologia and scholarly analysis. Mormons and Gentiles will differ as to how successfully he manages these disparate aims, but publication by Oxford University Press rightly suggests that this book is not simply a tract for the faithful. Givens wants the Book of Mormon (BOM) to be taken seriously by secular academics, and he agreeably assimilates and cites many non-Mormon authorities.

Givens rightly emphasizes that the BOM was less important for its doctrinal novelties than for the prophetic recognition it provided Joseph Smith. He correctly dismisses any notion that the BOM was Calvinistic, and he appropriately scoffs at LDS liberals who would prefer to abandon supernaturalism and interpret the BOM symbolically.

Nevertheless, specialists in Mormon studies will surely note the many areas in which Givens slides over inconvenient evidence in the interest of apologetics. Neither are Givens' parallels between the BOM and ancient eastern documents very convincing because Smith was clearly permeated by the poetic idiom of the Bible. As for the phenomenal speed at which Smith dictated the book to Oliver Cowdery, the fact that no average person could do it doesn't mean that no one could. (I'm unable to score a touchdown for the Steelers, record a convincing performance of the Mendelssohn violin concerto, or play fifty simultaneous games of chess blindfolded. But some people have done those things well and continue to do them.) Givens attempt to move the geography of the BOM, with its giant cities and mammoth populations, to relatively uninvestigated areas of Central America is a stopgap that may eventually prove even more embarrassing to the LDS Church, especially now that written Mayan has been translated. Nor will turning "steel" into "bronze" and such like do much towards eliminating the many anachronistic howlers in the Book of Mormon.

Because Givens is a professor of English, I had hoped that he would address Mark Twain's famous charge that the Book of Mormon was "chloroform in print." Givens is honest enough to repeat that jibe, but he doesn't try to excuse the BOM's literary weakness. Its cardboard characters (so unlike those of the Bible and other classic literature) remind me of the ones created by Upton Sinclair, who himself could crank out an astronomical daily word count. It's ironic that Givens' book, which in many places is arcane and overly theoretical, is more thoughtful and interesting than the religious text he attempts to defend.

[Kay · Rating 3 out of 5]

In 2006 I read a magnificent article by Givens in the BYU Magazine, "Lightning Out of Heaven," a condensed version of an address he gave at the university the year before. I reread it every few years, and when I most recently pulled it out, noticed that it made mention of two of his books, this one and Viper on the Hearth: Mormons, Myths, and the Construction of Heresy. I ordered both.

Givens scholarship and vocabulary are a challenge for me. I need to have a dictionary close at hand. His knowledge, research, and expertise are obvious in every line. I go slowly.

I especially enjoyed the last chapter of this book, "A Standard Unto My People": The Book of Mormon as Cultural Touchstone. Here's a sample of Givens' writing style and a succinct wrapping up of the impact of the Book of Mormon, at least as of 21-years ago when this book was published:

"...whose gospel the Book of Mormon proclaims will continue to be debated for generations to come, as will a host of other questions the Book of Mormon imposes on its vast public... Does the brazen integration of things human and divine that it embodies represent a collapse of sacred distance tantamount to heresy or a challenge to Hellenic dualisms that heralds a new and welcome orthodoxy? 'Haunting Christian theology and Western philosophy throughout the centuries,' notes Nicholas Wolterstorff,' has been the picture of time as bounded, with the created order on this side of the boundary and God on the other. Or sometimes the metaphor has been that of time as extending up to a horizon, with all creaturely reality on this side of the horizon and God on the other. All such metaphors, and the ways of thinking they represent, must be discarded. Temporality embraces us along with God.' The Book of Mormon, with its literal reconceiving of dialogic revelation and its enshrouding tale of divine appearances, angelic visitants, and sacred, material oracles and relics, may be the most dramatic example to date of what Wolterstorff sees as a growing twentieth-century process of 'the dehellenization of Christian theology.'"

Reading Givens is worth the struggle. It's mind and soul stretching for me.

[Hank Hoeft · Rating 5 out of 5]

In the past, when discussing the Book of Mormon, most (but not all) writers fell into one of two camps: believers ("Mormons") who accept wholesale the story of how the BoM came to be, or else anti-Mormons who think Joseph Smith was at best misguided and at worst a charlatan and a fraud. As an active, practicing member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, I was surprised to see a book published by the Oxford University Press that seriously examines the Book of Mormon as legitimate modern scripture. Whether one believes the tenants of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (the "Mormons"), or even if one is Christian or a believer in God, one should still recognize the importance of the Book of Mormon in the modern religious landscape. I appreciate Givens' attempt to address this subject in a manner that is neither antagonistic nor apologetic. After I finished By the Hand of Mormon, I discovered Terryl Givens is indeed a practicing member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, so my admiration for the attempt at objective scholarship is less than it would have been if Givens were a non-member, but I appreciate the book nevertheless, and appreciate the Oxford University Press for publishing it.

[Bart Gibb · Rating 5 out of 5]

As an active member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, Givens can be forgiven for putting his thumb, ever so lightly, on the scale. However, that being said--this is not a book written exclusively for an audience of believers, like myself. This book is written for non-believing scholars, as well as apologists, and anyone in between. It proves to be a thoughtful exploration of both the origins of The Book of Mormon, as well as the predominate apologetic and scholarly theories attempting to explain both its appearance at the hands of Joseph Smith and its contents (supportive and problematic). Additionally, Givens investigates how those theories have played out within in the halls of Mormondom and how believers have engaged with the book over time. Givens ultimately makes the convincing claim that the contents of the book--its internal claims--cannot be severed from its external origin story; i.e. Joseph Smith's claims of literal plates, angels, and a miraculous translation are true if its internal narrative is true, and vice versa; that theories that attempt to divorce the two lack plausibility and weight.

[Tyler · Rating 3 out of 5]

An interesting book about the Book of Mormon, the history of popular and scholarly responses to it, what purposes/functions the Book of Mormon has served to those who have received it, and so forth. It recounted some of the history of the coming forth of the Book of Mormon based on the primary sources. To me the most interesting chapters summarized the history of the scholarly research that been done pertaining to the Book of Mormon from its coming forth through when this book was written in the early 2000s. I was not familiar with some of that so I learned a lot from that part of the book.

This book had some good things and was a valuable supplement to my study of the Book of Mormon.

[Rob · Rating 4 out of 5]

While for me, Givens wrote “By The Hand Of Morton” as if writing a college textbooks, despite the challenge for me to get through it, Givens did bring some very interesting thoughts about the Book of Mormon. He was able to show the faults on a number of critics’ explanation of the Book of Mormon. Finally he documented the fact that for much of Church history the Book of Mormon has been simply a symbol of Joseph Smith’s prophetic calling and not used as a book of scripture. This, for me, was a bit of a challenge to get through, but the insights I have gained were worth the struggle.

[Scott Franson · Rating 5 out of 5]

As a believer, I have been curious as to the tendency to judge the Book of Mormon not by its cover, but by title or even existence rather than evaluating its merit by its content. What it says has meant more to me than it's historicity or questions of its authorship. Mr. Givens has convinced me that all aspects of the Book of Mormon have important implications to me personally and are worthy to investigate. I know that this book has been very influential in Book of Mormon studies and I look forward to seeing how this progresses.

[Michael Rawson · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great book, would like to revisit again. Main takeaway from the book was that early Latter-day Saints viewed the Book of Mormon as a divine sign, a miracle of sorts, a proof that Joseph Smith was indeed called of God. While their engagement with the text was often surface level, they viewed it as a proof that JS was a true prophet. The BoM was most important not for what it said, but for its role as a sacred sign.

I also enjoyed the section about how the BoM features “dialogue revelation”, this seemed like an important section.

Highly recommend.

[Marlene]

An interesting scholarly approach to The Book of Mormon. The author tries to be objective. He does a good job of citing views from believers and unbelievers. However, as a believer, I can’t be objective so I can’t fairly rate this book.

However, I believe The Book of Mormon was not meant to be "proven true" through scientific or archaeologic methods. To me, the content, which is most important, can be confirmed as truth by study with an open mind, prayerfully sought, through the power of the Holy Spirit.

[Willynillyster · Rating 3 out of 5]

I love Terryl Givens' insights into the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints. He draws from a vast background in literature, philosophy and religion as he writes and I always find gem after gem of insight and mind-popping ideas. This book was no different, although I slogged through the middle of the book, skimming most of it; the discussion was way too erudite for me. However, the beginning and the end of this book is well worth reading.

[Zachary Ibarra · Rating 3 out of 5]

Terryl Givens is an incredible scholar and I would never dispute that. I gained new insights about the Boom of Mormon that I’ll probably think about for years to come, and it strengthened my testimony of the Book of Mormon which is exactly what I wanted. However, it was undoubtedly dry and dense. A book I had to tell myself I was reading to better myself, not so much for enjoyment.

[Kara Bloomer · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is not for the faint of heart. I don’t often read academic books, and so it was a difficult read for me, and it took time and effort to read. That said, I was amazing at the perspective of this book, and the insight it had on how the Book of Mormon has been perceived over time, and what its influence has been. I will read this one again as my study gets more sophisticated.

[Alexander Jolley · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book apparently made quite a splash in 2002, but 25 years later, I found most of the stuff had already been well trodden in modern Mormon apologetic circles. I also completely thought that Givens was a non-member, which made the reading from that perspective probably unique.

[Danielle · Rating 4 out of 5]

Nice overview of a massive amount of scholarship and issues regarding the Book of Mormon! Probably of little interest to all but us nerds, but I enjoyed it very much!