Buddhist Catholic Contemplative Evangelical General Christian Hindu Jewish Latter-day Saint Muslim New Visions Progressive Christian

Beliefs

Topics

Columnists

Resource Library

Research Tools

Video

Podcasts

Thought Readers

Faith In Media Tracker

Newsletters

Ad-Free & Subscriber Log-In Subscription Support

Follow Patheos

Home
Latter-day Saint
“Overwriting Ether: Moroni’s Transfiguration of Jaredite Scripture”

“Overwriting Ether: Moroni’s Transfiguration of Jaredite Scripture”

Last updated on: February 25, 2022 at 1:16 pm by Dan Peterson

“Overwriting Ether: Moroni’s Transfiguration of Jaredite Scripture” 2022-02-25T13:16:24-07:00 Dan Peterson

LOGO Patheos Explore the world's faith through different perspectives on religion and spirituality! Patheos has the views of the prevalent religions and spiritualities of the world.

The flag of the sovereign nation of Ukraine (Wikimedia Commons public domain image)

The Kyiv Ukraine Temple (Wikimedia Commons public domain image)

***

A new article has appeared in Interpreter: A Journal of Latter-day Saint Faith and Scholarship:

“Overwriting Ether: Moroni’s Transfiguration of Jaredite Scripture,” by David J. Larsen

Review of Rosalynde Frandsen Welch, Ether: A Brief Theological Introduction (Provo, UT: The Neal A. Maxwell Institute for Religious Scholarship, 2020). 128 pages. $9.95 (paperback).

Abstract: The Book of Ether is a sometimes-overlooked gem of a text within the Book of Mormon, a history within a history that deserves careful and innovative investigation. Rosalynde Frandsen Welch offers such with a novel perspective in her entry in the Maxwell Institute’s series of “brief theological introductions” to the books within the Book of Mormon. The principal focus of Welch’s analysis is on issues concerning Moroni’s editorial purposes, how he interacts with his source text, and the ethics of his agenda for his abridgment of the Jaredite record. She critiques what she sees as Moroni’s lack of interest in the Jaredite record for its own sake and his attempts to “Christianize” the indigenous religion and culture of the former inhabitants of the land he occupies. Additionally, Welch presents Moroni as offering his future audience a “reader-centered theology of scripture” that seeks to transfer the authority of Scripture from the author to the reader. This review finds some of Welch’s proposals to be problematic but recognizes the great value of her beautifully written contribution to the academic study of the Book of Ether and the Book of Mormon.

***

I called attention yesterday to the forthcoming Hulu miniseries Under the Banner of Heaven, suggesting that Latter-day Saints should probably be aware of it and that they might want to be prepared for it. In response, readers of my blog have called attention to a couple of helpful resources responding to the original publication of Jon Krakauer’s book, which bears the same title as the approaching miniseries and forms the basis for it.

The first is a review that was written by Richard E. Turley, Jr., who was, at the time, the managing director of the Family and Church History Department of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints:

“Faulty History: A Review of Under the Banner of Heaven: A Story of Violent Faith”

The second is this, on the Church Newsroom website:

“Church Response to Jon Krakauer’s Under the Banner of Heaven“

Read and be ready.

***

I’ve recently encountered a criticism of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints that is connected with the ongoing Russian invasion of Ukraine: Why, thesse critics demand to know, hasn’t the Church denounced this brutal and unprovoked assault on an independent nation? And perhaps, of course, the Church will eventually issue such a statement. But I doubt it. What good would it do? Would the former KGB thug Vladimir Putin, unmoved by economic sanctions and international outrage, suddenly repent at the sight of a letter from the First Presidency? I’m betting against it. What possible harm could it do? It might put Russian Latter-day Saints at risk. It might put Ukrainian Latter-day Saints at risk under a harsh Russian military occupation. These are not trivial concerns. The lives and the freedom of Slavic Latter-day Saints shouldn’t be exploited as weapons against their church.

Here’s a valuable unofficial Latter-day Saint statement on the Russian invasion:

“We Can’t Even Agree on Vladimir Putin? If we can’t even agree about the threatened invasion of a democratic, sovereign nation playing out before us, what does that say about our own condition as an American people?”

Yesterday, I noted an article by Katherine Kelaidis about an Orthodox Christian dimension to Russia’s current attempt to destroy independent Ukraine. Today, I point to an article by Ms. Kelaidis on the role played by anti-Semitism in what’s going on:

“The Enigmatic Role of Anti-Semitism in the Russia-Ukraine Conflict”

Please note her comment that “according to credible US intelligence, Russian forces in the disputed regions intended to target Russian and Belorussian dissidents living in Ukraine, including religious and ethnic minorities, journalists, and LGBT activists.” Is that likely to affect Ukrainian Latter-day Saints, who belong to a church that is headquartered in the United States?

Don’t be surprised if it does. Consider this, for instance, from the Protestant magazine Christianity Today:

“Russia Keeps Punishing Evangelicals in Crimea: Last year, there was an uptick in fines to Protestants and fellow religious minorities in the region annexed from Ukraine.”

And consider this article, from National Review:

“What Putin’s Invasion Means for the Baptists of Ukraine: Ukraine’s Baptist population is under threat of oppression as Putin seeks ‘spiritual security’ for Russia.”

Question: Are Latter-day Saint missionaries from other countries allowed to enter Russia? (Subtle hint: No.)

Here’s a 2018 item from Radio Free Europe and Radio Liberty: “Keeping The Faith: With Missionary Work Banned, Mormons In Russia ‘Just Making Friends'”

I have two good friends who have served as mission presidents in Ukraine. What are the prospects for future missionary work there? At the moment, it seems to me, they’re not good at all.

***

I noted with interest that, in his just-concluded formal announcement of Ketanji Brown Jackson for the impending vacancy on the Supreme Court of the United States caused by the retirement of Justice Stephen Breyer, President Biden cited Judge Thomas B. Griffith, a BYU graduate and a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints who is now retired from the U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit, in support of his choice. And he specifically identified Brother Griffith both as a Bush appointee and as a former general counsel for Brigham Young University.

I confess to being suspicious these days of any judicial appointment by a Democratic president. But I look forward to learning more about Judge Jackson. I was actually quite positively impressed by her remarks at her introduction.

***

Finally, here’s yet another chilling specimen from the Christopher Hitchens Memorial “How Religion Poisons Everything” File©. You should probably sit down before you read it:

“How Bees and Goats Are Changing Lives in Jordan: Latter-day Saint Charities project fosters self-reliance”

Uncategorized

Andrew Garfield

Christopher Hitchens

Christopher Hitchens Memorial "How Religion Poisons Everything" File

Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints

Under the Banner of Heaven

Utah

Vladimir

Vladimir Putin

Previous Post

February 24, 2022

"Under the Banner of Heaven"

Next Post

February 25, 2022 "First Presidency Statement on Armed Conflict"

Browse Our Archives

Select a Category Uncategorized

Select a Month October 2026 September 2026 August 2026 July 2026 June 2026 May 2026 April 2026 March 2026 February 2026 January 2026 December 2025 November 2025 October 2025 September 2025 August 2025 July 2025 June 2025 May 2025 April 2025 March 2025 February 2025 January 2025 December 2024 November 2024 October 2024 September 2024 August 2024 July 2024 June 2024 May 2024 April 2024 March 2024 February 2024 January 2024 December 2023 November 2023 October 2023 September 2023 August 2023 July 2023 June 2023 May 2023 April 2023 March 2023 February 2023 January 2023 December 2022 November 2022 October 2022 September 2022 August 2022 July 2022 June 2022 May 2022 April 2022 March 2022 February 2022 January 2022 December 2021 November 2021 October 2021 September 2021 August 2021 July 2021 June 2021 May 2021 April 2021 March 2021 February 2021 January 2021 December 2020 November 2020 October 2020 September 2020 August 2020 July 2020 June 2020 May 2020 April 2020 March 2020 February 2020 January 2020 December 2019 November 2019 October 2019 September 2019 August 2019 July 2019 June 2019 May 2019 April 2019 March 2019 February 2019 January 2019 December 2018 November 2018 October 2018 September 2018 August 2018 July 2018 June 2018 May 2018 April 2018 March 2018 February 2018 January 2018 December 2017 November 2017 October 2017 September 2017 August 2017 July 2017 June 2017 May 2017 April 2017 March 2017 February 2017 January 2017 December 2016 November 2016 October 2016 September 2016 August 2016 July 2016 June 2016 May 2016 April 2016 March 2016 February 2016 January 2016 December 2015 November 2015 October 2015 September 2015 August 2015 July 2015 June 2015 May 2015 April 2015 March 2015 February 2015 January 2015 December 2014 November 2014 March 2014 August 2013 February 2012

TAKE THE

Religious Wisdom Quiz

Who was crucified and rose again after three days?

Select your answer to see how you score.

Moses John the Baptist Jesus Paul