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Beware the chains of hell! And mark the dates!

Beware the chains of hell! And mark the dates!

Last updated on: May 30, 2025 at 12:32 pm by Dan Peterson

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Beware the chains of hell! And mark the dates! 2025-05-30T12:32:33-06:00 Dan Peterson

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“Alma Baptizes in the Waters of Mormon” by Minerva Teichert (1888-1976)
Wikimedia Commons public domain image

Two new articles have just appeared in Interpreter: A Journal of Latter-day Saint Faith and Scholarship:

The first of the two is “The Bands of Death, the Chains of Hell, and the Seed Motif,” written by Noel Hudson,

Abstract: This article continues a discussion of the imagery, words, and phrases that make up a specific leitmotif*, called the seed motif. Two instances of the seed motif found in Alma are discussed as a seemingly intentional diptych in which one narrative reflects the other, but in the negative. Five specific examples from the motif are examined in greater detail, with a look at their origin and usage throughout the record. The narrative of Abinadi is presented as a unique iteration of the seed motif wherein the concept of the bands of death is introduced. The paper concludes by discussing the relationship between authorship of the Book of Mormon, the seed motif, and the metaphor of the bands of death and the chains of hell.*

The second of the new pair of Interpreter articles is Anachronisms: Accidental Evidence in Book of Mormon Criticisms, Chapter 5, “Book of Mormon Names,” written by Matthew Roper:

[Editor’s Note: We are pleased to present chapter 5 from a book entitled Anachronisms: Accidental Evidence in Book of Mormon Criticisms. It is presented in serialized form in this volume of Interpreter: A Journal of Latter-day Saint Faith and Scholarship.]

See also these two new summaries from the indefatigable Kyler Rasmussen:

“Interpreting Interpreter: Bands, Chains, and Seeds”

This post is a summary of the article “The Bands of Death, the Chains of Hell, and the Seed Motif” by Noel Hudson in Volume 64 of Interpreter: A Journal of Latter-day Saint Faith and Scholarship.

A video introduction to this Interpreter article is now available on all of our social media channels, including on YouTube at https://youtube.com/shorts/E2nTCK8o4F8.

The Takeaway: Hudson continues to explore the seed motif (i.e., the seed of the serpent and the seed of the woman), showing how that theme is detailed in the Book of Mormon, particularly by Alma, using the image of the “chains of hell” or the “bands of death.” That image also appears to be intentionally contrasted in various ways, including by the image of the encircling arms of the love of God.

“Interpreting Interpreter: (Non-)Anachronisms – Names”

This post is a summary of the article “Anachronisms: Accidental Evidence in Book of Mormon Criticisms — Chapter 5: Book of Mormon Names” by Matthew Roper in Volume 65 of Interpreter: A Journal of Latter-day Saint Faith and Scholarship. All of the Interpreting Interpreter articles may be seen at https://interpreterfoundation.org/category/summaries/. An introduction to the Interpreting Interpreter series is available at https://interpreterfoundation.org/interpreting-interpreter-on-abstracting-thought/.

A video introduction to this Interpreter article is now available on all of our social media channels, including on YouTube at https://youtube.com/shorts/1-Wyh0HBDlc.

The Takeaway: Roper continues his examination of claimed Book of Mormon anachronisms, this time looking at 34 names included the text that have drawn criticism over the years. He concludes that 55% of these anachronistic names have received subsequent confirmation, with only 10 names partially confirmed and 5 that have yet to trend toward confirmation (Ether, Jonas, Timothy, Com, and Kim).

An introduction to the Interpreting Interpreter series is available at https://interpreterfoundation.org/interpreting-interpreter-on-abstracting-thought/. All of the Interpreting Interpreter articles may be seen at https://interpreterfoundation.org/category/summaries/.

Please note the discount code that is mentioned in the upper lefthand quadrant of this meme. The offered discount is intended to reduce the overall cost of enduring my presentation — emotional, intellectual, spiritual, and financial — so that it won’t be as punitively high as it would otherwise have been. Please note, however, that earplugs will not be provided at the venue.

I hope to see you in the Show Barn at Thanksgiving Point on 6-8 August. Do you really have any valid reason not to be there? Come on. It’s only fair. If I have to listen to myself, there’s no good justification for your being exempt from the obligation.

This photograph of the Fairview Texas Temple, taken in 2045 — having recently seen “Back to the Future,” I’ve added time travel to my toolkit — shows part of the final solution (the “Endlösung,” as it were) to the problem posed by the temple. In this view, the temple is situated fifty feet below the surface of the grassy building site. The entrance tunnel for the temple opens discreetly on the opposite side of Stacy Road, in the much more welcoming town of Allen, Texas. (Wikimedia Commons public domain photo). For background, see “Fairview residents challenge temple approval vote, claim protests were ‘diluted,’ attorney says: Fairview approved a temple plan by a 5-2 vote, but scrutiny has arisen over procedural protest zone issues.”

I received the following just this morning. I think that some of you may be interested in it:

Buffalo Soldier Heritage Trail Kick-Off event in Salt Lake City!

We will see you on Friday, June 6th and Saturday, June 7th for the celebration of Utah’s Buffalo Soldier Heritage Trail and the intriguing legacy these soldiers left in the American West.

Please read the agenda carefully and reach out if you have any questions.

Friday, June 6th

5:00 pm Event participants will be able to tour the Fort Douglas Military Museum for free. Just inform the front desk that you are part of this event. More information on parking to come.

6:00 pm Doors will open for the evening event, located in the building to the east of the museum (don’t worry there will be a lot of signs to get you there). There will be light snacks, amazing artifacts and all participants will receive the trail booklet: The Buffalo Soldier Heritage Trail: Legacy Of The Black Soldiers Who Helped Shape The American West.

7:00 pm The presentation from the project management team will start.

8:00 pm Event ends.

Saturday, June 7th

This is a vehicle tour. Participants must bring their own cars on this tour. You can leave the tour whenever you would like, as we will just be caravaning to each location.

8:30 am Meet back at the Fort Douglas Military Museum. More parking information to come.

9:00 am The tour will start promptly at this time.

We will be heading to several other locations after Fort Douglas.

The tour will end in the late afternoon.

We will send map locations as the event gets closer.

We are very excited to have you join us and there is still room for more!

Please continue to share the registration link with your friends and family.

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May 29, 2025

Some Notes on Mesoamerica and the Book of Mormon

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May 31, 2025 On "the recalled experience of death"

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