Book of Mormon: Podcast 03 - "The Nature of the Original Text"

(Download)

A video of this presentation is available on the Maxwell Institute's YouTube page here.

This podcast is one part in a series of three lectures given by Dr. Royal Skousen as part of his 25 year magnum opus work on the textual criticism of the Book of Mormon.

About Royal Skousen

          Royal Skousen is Professor of Linguistics and English Language at Brigham Young University. In 1972 he received his Ph.D. in linguistics from the University of Illinois at Champaign-Urbana. He has taught linguistics at the University of Illinois, the University of Texas at Austin, the University of California at San Diego, and as a Fulbright scholar at the University of Tampere in Finland. In 2001 he was a research fellow at the Max Planck Institute for Psycholinguistics in Nijmegen, Netherlands. Skousen's work in linguistics has dealt chiefly with developing a theory of language called Analogical Modeling, a theory that predicts language behavior by means of examples rather than by rules.

Skousen has published three books on this subject: Analogical Modeling of Language (1989), Analogy and Structure (1992), and Analogical Modeling: An Exemplar-Based Approach to Language (2002). More recently, he has published on the quantum computation of Analogical Modeling, notably in his 2005 paper "Quantum Analogical Modeling" (available here).

Skousen has been the editor of the Book of Mormon Critical Text Project since 1988. In 2001, he published the first two volumes of the Critical Text Project, namely, typographical facsimiles for the original and printer's manuscripts of the Book of Mormon. From 2004 through 2009, he published the six books that make up volume 4 of the critical text, Analysis of Textual Variants of the Book of Mormon. This work represents the central task of the Critical Text Project, to restore by scholarly means the original text of the Book of Mormon, to the extent possible. In 2009, using the results from volume 4, Skousen published with Yale University Press the culmination of his critical work on the Book of Mormon text, namely, The Book of Mormon: The Earliest Text. The Yale edition presents the reconstructed original text in a clear-text format, without explanatory intervention. Unlike modern editions of the Book of Mormon that have added chapter summaries, scriptural cross-references, dates, and footnotes, this edition consists solely of the words dictated by Joseph Smith in 1828-29, as far as they can be established through standard methods of textual criticism. Later emendations by scribes, editors, and even Joseph Smith himself have been omitted, except for those that appear to restore original readings. Skousen is currently writing volume 3 of the critical text, The History of the Text of the Book of Mormon, which will be available in about three years (~2016).

 Skousen has recently accepted the assignment to be one of the editors for the Joseph Smith Papers, along with Robin Jensen, charged with the task of preparing the three volumes that will reproduce photographs and facsimile transcripts for the two manuscripts of the Book of Mormon.
            For those interested, Skousen's vita is available via Brigham Young University here. 

About this Lecture

The Gordon B. Hinckley Alumni and Visitors Center

            This lecture originally took place in the Gordon B. Hinckley Alumni and Visitors Center on the campus of Brigham Young University on Tuesday, March 5th 2013.  The original lecture was accompanied by a powerpoint presentation. 
            This lecture examines the nature of the original text, as recovered by scholarly means as part of the Book of Mormon Critical Text Project.  It is important, first, to note the number and kinds of changes that have been implemented in The Earliest Test (Yale University Press, 2009).  Of 606 readings in the Yale text, 216 come from the original manuscript (O), 187 from the printer's manuscript (P), and 88 from both O and P.  
          The manuscripts play the most important role in recovering the original text.  Since O is only 28% extant, this means that by human means most of the original text is not fully recoverable.  Nonetheless, there are 241 new reading that make a difference in meaning; these changes would show up in any translation of the Book of Mormon. Various examples are discussed that show how the original text was more consistent in usage.  In addition a few changes in names make a difference in how we interpret the narrative. 
          Conjectural emendations are found in the Yale edition as in all editions of the Book of Mormon, but much less frequently.  On average, about one out of every four proposed conjectural emedations have been accepted in the Yale Edition.
          The original text itself shows word-for-word control in its Hebrew-like expressions, the large number of lexical meanings dating from the 1500's and 1600's, its use of 131 instances of fully consistent expressions, identical non-biblical citations from different parts of the test, and the spelling out of the Book of Mormon names letter by letter.  Even the non-standard grammar of the Book of Mormon may date back to Early Modern English.
          This information was largely retrieved from "Interpreter: a Journal of Mormon Scripture".

Program Schedule

Book of Mormon: Podcast 02 - "Textual Criticism: The Printed Editions"

(Download)

This podcast is one part in a series of three lectures given by Dr. Royal Skousen as part of his 25 year magnum opus work on the textual criticism of the Book of Mormon.

About Royal Skousen

          Royal Skousen is Professor of Linguistics and English Language at Brigham Young University. In 1972 he received his Ph.D. in linguistics from the University of Illinois at Champaign-Urbana. He has taught linguistics at the University of Illinois, the University of Texas at Austin, the University of California at San Diego, and as a Fulbright scholar at the University of Tampere in Finland. In 2001 he was a research fellow at the Max Planck Institute for Psycholinguistics in Nijmegen, Netherlands. Skousen's work in linguistics has dealt chiefly with developing a theory of language called Analogical Modeling, a theory that predicts language behavior by means of examples rather than by rules.

Skousen has published three books on this subject: Analogical Modeling of Language (1989), Analogy and Structure (1992), and Analogical Modeling: An Exemplar-Based Approach to Language (2002). More recently, he has published on the quantum computation of Analogical Modeling, notably in his 2005 paper "Quantum Analogical Modeling" (available here).

Skousen has been the editor of the Book of Mormon Critical Text Project since 1988. In 2001, he published the first two volumes of the Critical Text Project, namely, typographical facsimiles for the original and printer's manuscripts of the Book of Mormon. From 2004 through 2009, he published the six books that make up volume 4 of the critical text, Analysis of Textual Variants of the Book of Mormon. This work represents the central task of the Critical Text Project, to restore by scholarly means the original text of the Book of Mormon, to the extent possible. In 2009, using the results from volume 4, Skousen published with Yale University Press the culmination of his critical work on the Book of Mormon text, namely, The Book of Mormon: The Earliest Text. The Yale edition presents the reconstructed original text in a clear-text format, without explanatory intervention. Unlike modern editions of the Book of Mormon that have added chapter summaries, scriptural cross-references, dates, and footnotes, this edition consists solely of the words dictated by Joseph Smith in 1828-29, as far as they can be established through standard methods of textual criticism. Later emendations by scribes, editors, and even Joseph Smith himself have been omitted, except for those that appear to restore original readings. Skousen is currently writing volume 3 of the critical text, The History of the Text of the Book of Mormon, which will be available in about three years (~2016).

 Skousen has recently accepted the assignment to be one of the editors for the Joseph Smith Papers, along with Robin Jensen, charged with the task of preparing the three volumes that will reproduce photographs and facsimile transcripts for the two manuscripts of the Book of Mormon.
            For those interested, Skousen's vita is available via Brigham Young University here. 

About this Lecture

The Gordon B. Hinckley Alumni and Visitors Center

            This lecture originally took place in the Gordon B. Hinckley Alumni and Visitors Center on the campus of Brigham Young University on Tuesday, March 5th 2013.  The original lecture was accompanied by a powerpoint presentation. 
            The critical text directly compares 20 significant printed editions of the Book of Mormon, with 15 published by the LDS Church, 4 by the RLDS Church (now the Community of Christ), and one private edition in 1858 (published in New York City by James Wright).  
          In this review of the printed editions, Skousen will identify the most innovative changes made in each of the significant LDS editions. There will also be a comparison of the LDS and RLDS textual traditions.
          In the last part of the presentation, Skousen will discuss various secular editions published within the last decade, including Grant Hardy’s 2003 A Reader’s Edition (University of Illinois Press), the 2004 Doubleday Edition (with text furnished by the LDS Church), and Royal Skousen’s 2009 The Earliest Text (Yale University Press).
          This information was taken largely from Interpreter: A Journal of Mormon Scripture.

Program Schedule

Book of Mormon: Podcast 01 - "Textual Criticism: The Original and Printer's Manuscripts"

(Download)

This podcast is one part in a series of three lectures given by Dr. Royal Skousen as part of his 25 year magnum opus work on the textual criticism of the Book of Mormon.

About Royal Skousen

          Royal Skousen is Professor of Linguistics and English Language at Brigham Young University. In 1972 he received his Ph.D. in linguistics from the University of Illinois at Champaign-Urbana. He has taught linguistics at the University of Illinois, the University of Texas at Austin, the University of California at San Diego, and as a Fulbright scholar at the University of Tampere in Finland. In 2001 he was a research fellow at the Max Planck Institute for Psycholinguistics in Nijmegen, Netherlands. Skousen's work in linguistics has dealt chiefly with developing a theory of language called Analogical Modeling, a theory that predicts language behavior by means of examples rather than by rules.

Skousen has published three books on this subject: Analogical Modeling of Language (1989), Analogy and Structure (1992), and Analogical Modeling: An Exemplar-Based Approach to Language (2002). More recently, he has published on the quantum computation of Analogical Modeling, notably in his 2005 paper "Quantum Analogical Modeling" (available here).

Skousen has been the editor of the Book of Mormon Critical Text Project since 1988. In 2001, he published the first two volumes of the Critical Text Project, namely, typographical facsimiles for the original and printer's manuscripts of the Book of Mormon. From 2004 through 2009, he published the six books that make up volume 4 of the critical text, Analysis of Textual Variants of the Book of Mormon. This work represents the central task of the Critical Text Project, to restore by scholarly means the original text of the Book of Mormon, to the extent possible. In 2009, using the results from volume 4, Skousen published with Yale University Press the culmination of his critical work on the Book of Mormon text, namely, The Book of Mormon: The Earliest Text. The Yale edition presents the reconstructed original text in a clear-text format, without explanatory intervention. Unlike modern editions of the Book of Mormon that have added chapter summaries, scriptural cross-references, dates, and footnotes, this edition consists solely of the words dictated by Joseph Smith in 1828-29, as far as they can be established through standard methods of textual criticism. Later emendations by scribes, editors, and even Joseph Smith himself have been omitted, except for those that appear to restore original readings. Skousen is currently writing volume 3 of the critical text, The History of the Text of the Book of Mormon, which will be available in about three years (~2016).

 Skousen has recently accepted the assignment to be one of the editors for the Joseph Smith Papers, along with Robin Jensen, charged with the task of preparing the three volumes that will reproduce photographs and facsimile transcripts for the two manuscripts of the Book of Mormon.
            For those interested, Skousen's vita is available via Brigham Young University here. 

About this Lecture

The Gordon B. Hinckley Alumni and Visitors Center

            This lecture originally took place in the Gordon B. Hinckley Alumni and Visitors Center on the campus of Brigham Young University on Tuesday, February 26th 2013. The original lecture was accompanied by a powerpoint presentation.
            In this lecture, Royal Skousen discusses the history and significance of the dictated original manuscript for the Book of Mormon as well as the printer copy of the book of Mormon.

There are two manuscripts of the Book of Mormon: the original manuscript (O) and the printer’s manuscript (P). O is the dictated manuscript (the one the scribes wrote down as Joseph Smith dictated the text). Only 28 percent of O is extant, of which 25 of the 28 percent is held by the LDS Church. P is a copy of O made by Oliver Cowdery and other scribes. For five sixths of the text, P was used as the copytext by the 1830 typesetter, John Gilbert.

During February 1830, Oliver Cowdery took P to Canada in an attempt to secure the copyright to the Book of Mormon within the British realm. During that period of time, one sixth of the 1830 edition (from Helaman 13:17 to the end of Mormon) was set from O.

This lecture will cover all the major discoveries that have been made about the two manuscripts over the past 25 years. The original manuscript, despite its incompleteness, is the most important source for determining the original text of the Book of Mormon as well as providing crucial evidence on how Joseph Smith translated the book.
          This information was taken largely from Interpreter: A Journal of Mormon Scripture.

Program Schedule

Church History: Podcast 06 - "Coming Forth of The Book of Mormon" by Susan Easton Black

 

          This podcast is in a series of recordings of Dr. Susan Easton Black lecturing on the life of founder of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints Joseph Smith. To view the initial podcast click HERE.

Dr. Susan Easton Black is a professor of Church history and doctrine at Brigham Young University (BYU) where she has taught since 1978.  She is a past Eliza R. Snow Fellow, Associate Dean of General Education and Honors, and Director of Church History in the BYU Religious Studies Center. She is the recipient of numerous academic awards including the Karl G. Maeser Distinguished Faculty Lecturer Award in 2000, the highest award given a professor on the BYU Provo campus. Dr. Black has authored, edited, and compiled more than 100 books and 250 articles.

Dr. Black Specializes in research on Joseph Smith and the early Latter-day Saints, and in particular on the Missouri and Nauvoo periods. Dr. Black is the widow of Harvey B. Black, the mother of eight children and currently serves as a ward Young Women’s president.

For indexing and informational purposes I will detail the contents, topics, stories, and question discussed in the associated podcasts.  In this installment of Dr. Black podcasts many contents, topics, stories, and question are discussed which include:

Joseph Smith's Treasure Hunting Days

o   Rumors of lost gold in Harmony Pennsylvania

o   Peepers

o   William Hale's search for gold on Issac Hales property
o   William Hale hires both Joseph Smith Sr. and Joseph Smith Jr. to help in the search for gold

Joseph's Courtship, Engagement, and Marriage to Emma Hale 

o   Joseph's courtship and attempted engagement to Emma Hale

o   Joseph and Emma elope and move to Palmyra

o   The secret acquisition of Emma's dowery from Issac Hal

o   The friendship between Emma Hale Smith and Lucy Mac Smith
o   Joseph takes Emma to the Hill Cumorah to his annual visit with the angel Moroni

The Acquisition of the Plates and Move to Harmony

o   Joseph obtained the Golden Plates and discusses the matter with Josiah Stole, who was at his house

o   Treasure Hunters seek the Golden Plates through force
o   Joseph and Emma Flees back to Harmony
o   Joseph borrows $50 from Martin Harris
o   Lucy Harris takes Joseph Smith to court for "stealing" $50 from her husband Martin Harris

Joseph and Emma in Harmony

o   Joseph Moves denied stay with the Hales due to refusal to show him the contents of his glass box 

o   Martin Harris goes to Harmony and scribes for Joseph while under the guise of going to New York City to get farm equipment and a dress for Lucy Harris
o   Lucy seeks after her husband and has a altercation with Martin and Joseph, and eventually allies with Issac Hale

o   Martin Harris went to New York to get the Book of Mormon characters authenticated, Charles Anthon transcript incident occurs  
o   Martin Harris obtained the 116 pages and is instructed only to show them to Lucy Harris, his parents, and his brother and sister-in-law
o   Joseph and Emma have their first child -Alvin
o   Martin loses the manuscript, Joseph loses translation powers and plates

o   Issac Hale accepts Joseph now that he is no longer a "looker in stone" and give him an inheritance

Click HERE to listen to the podcast or click on the banner at the top of the post.  Below is a list of the published podcasts so far. Click on the name to take you to the corresponding post. Enjoy!

Church History Q&A: Podcasts by Susan Easton Black

01 - "The Value of Studying Church History"

02 - "Prelude to the Restoration"

03 - "Joseph Smith's New England Heritage"

04 - "The First Vision"

05 - "A Period of Preperation 1823-1829"

06 - "Coming Forth of The book of Mormon"

Church History: Podcast 05 - "A Period of Preparation 1823-1829" by Susan Easton Black

Click on picture above or here to play the podcast

 

This podcast is in a series of recordings of Dr. Susan Easton Black lecturing on the life of founder of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints Joseph Smith. To view the initial podcast click HERE.

Dr. Susan Easton Black is a professor of Church history and doctrine at Brigham Young University (BYU) where she has taught since 1978.  She is a past Eliza R. Snow Fellow, Associate Dean of General Education and Honors, and Director of Church History in the BYU Religious Studies Center. She is the recipient of numerous academic awards including the Karl G. Maeser Distinguished Faculty Lecturer Award in 2000, the highest award given a professor on the BYU Provo campus. Dr. Black has authored, edited, and compiled more than 100 books and 250 articles.

Dr. Black Specializes in research on Joseph Smith and the early Latter-day Saints, and in particular on the Missouri and Nauvoo periods. Dr. Black is the widow of Harvey B. Black, the mother of eight children and currently serves as a ward Young Women’s president.

For indexing and informational purposes I will detail the contents, topics, stories, and question discussed in the associated podcasts.  In this installment of Dr. Black podcasts many contents, topics, stories, and question are discussed which include:

Joseph Smith's Follies of Youth

o   Joseph's early friendship with Orrin Porter Rockwell

o   Joseph in flight - Joseph in the blacksmith shop

o   Joseph in fight - Joseph's physical altercation with his neighbour

Religious Instruction by Angels

o   Joseph's repentance and first vision from the angel Moroni

o   The history of Hill Comorah

o   The Urm and Thumim

o   The first site of the plates of Moroni and his subsequent annual visits by angel Moroni
o   Joseph's stories and descriptions of Book of Mormon lands and people including interviews with historical figures
o   Alvin dies due to oral prescription of calamine

Translation

o   Joseph's account of finding his "seer stone" while digging a well

o   Joseph's method of translating the plates
o   Martin Harris "stone swap" designed to test the prophets validity 

George Albert Smith

o   His patriarchal blessing  

o   His study at Brigham Young University

o   His calling as an Apostle while at the Utah State Fair

o   His initiation of buying historic church sites

Click HERE to listen to the podcast or click on the banner at the top of the post.  Below is a list of the published podcasts so far. Click on the name to take you to the corresponding post. Enjoy!

Church History Q&A: Podcasts by Susan Easton Black

01 - "The Value of Studying Church History"

02 - "Prelude to the Restoration"

03 - "Joseph Smith's New England Heritage"

04 - "The First Vision"

05 - "A Period of Preperation 1823-1829"

Church History: Podcast 04 - "The First Vision" by Susan Easton Black

Click on picture above or here to play the podcast

 

This podcast is in a series of recordings of Dr. Susan Easton Black lecturing on the life of founder of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints Joseph Smith. To view the initial podcast click HERE.

Dr. Susan Easton Black is a professor of Church history and doctrine at Brigham Young University (BYU) where she has taught since 1978.  She is a past Eliza R. Snow Fellow, Associate Dean of General Education and Honors, and Director of Church History in the BYU Religious Studies Center. She is the recipient of numerous academic awards including the Karl G. Maeser Distinguished Faculty Lecturer Award in 2000, the highest award given a professor on the BYU Provo campus. Dr. Black has authored, edited, and compiled more than 100 books and 250 articles.

Dr. Black Specializes in research on Joseph Smith and the early Latter-day Saints, and in particular on the Missouri and Nauvoo periods. Dr. Black is the widow of Harvey B. Black, the mother of eight children and currently serves as a ward Young Women’s president.

For indexing and informational purposes I will detail the contents, topics, stories, and question discussed in the associated podcasts.  In this installment of Dr. Black podcasts many contents, topics, stories, and question are discussed which include:

            Joseph Smith Sr. in Palmyra

o   His move to Palmyra prior to his families move to scout out the town 
o   His employment actions in Palmyra including the use of divining, or witching, rods 
o   Smith's Cake and Beer Shop 
o   Hired Caleb Howard to pick up his family

The Family Travel to Palmyra

o   Caleb Howard's prejudice against Joseph Smith 
o   Caleb's Attempt to steal the Smith's possessions 
o   Joseph Smith's abandonment and travel to Palmyra

The Religious Affairs and Demographics of Palmyra

o   The preaching and revivals in the "west" creating "the Burned Over District"
o   The religious presences and makeup of Palmyra 
o   The Smith's Sunday Bench -- their only property
o   The religious division in the Smith family 
o   Religious teachings and origins leading Joseph Smith to the grove

Different Accounts of the First Vision

1838 Account

o   Released in 1851 by Franklin D. Richards
o   The origins and contents of "Franklin's Pearl of Great price", a precursor of the now official "Pearl of Great Price"
1832 Account 
o   Origins, content, and focus on repentance 
o   The grove as if on fire when the Lord appears
1835 Account
o   Origins and content
o   Description of his struggle with a dark being 
o   Personages appear separately
1841 Account
 o   Origins and content
o   His struggle with the evil power
o   Two personages appear to Joseph Smith
Reception of the First Vision  

Click HERE to listen to the podcast or click on the banner at the top of the post.  Below is a list of the published podcasts so far. Click on the name to take you to the corresponding post. Enjoy!

Church History Q&A: Podcasts by Susan Easton Black

01 - "The Value of Studying Church History"

02 - "Prelude to the Restoration"

03 - "Joseph Smith's New England Heritage"

04 - "The First Vision"

05 - "A Period of Preperation 1823-1829"

Church History: Podcast 03 - "Joseph Smith's New England Heritage" by Susan Easton Black

Click on picture above or here to play the podcast

 

This podcast is in a series of recordings of Dr. Susan Easton Black lecturing on the life of founder of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints Joseph Smith. To view the initial podcast click HERE.

Dr. Susan Easton Black is a professor of Church history and doctrine at Brigham Young University (BYU) where she has taught since 1978.  She is a past Eliza R. Snow Fellow, Associate Dean of General Education and Honors, and Director of Church History in the BYU Religious Studies Center. She is the recipient of numerous academic awards including the Karl G. Maeser Distinguished Faculty Lecturer Award in 2000, the highest award given a professor on the BYU Provo campus. Dr. Black has authored, edited, and compiled more than 100 books and 250 articles.

Dr. Black Specializes in research on Joseph Smith and the early Latter-day Saints, and in particular on the Missouri and Nauvoo periods. Dr. Black is the widow of Harvey B. Black, the mother of eight children and currently serves as a ward Young Women’s president.

For indexing and informational purposes I will detail the contents, topics, stories, and question discussed in the associated podcasts.  In this installment of Dr. Black podcasts many contents, topics, stories, and question are discussed which include:

            Joseph Smith Sr. in Palmyra

      o   His move to Palmyra prior to his families move to scout out the town

o   His employment actions in Palmyra including the use of divining, or witching, rods

o   Smith's Cake and Beer Shop

o   Hired Caleb Howard to pick up his family

The Family Travel to Palmyra

o   Caleb Howard's prejudice against Joseph Smith

o   Caleb's Attempt to steal the Smith's possessions

o   Joseph Smith's abandonment and travel to Palmyra

The Religious Affairs and Demographics of Palmyra

o   The preaching and revivals in the "west" creating "the Burned Over District"
o   The religious presences and makeup of Palmyra
o   The Smith's Sunday Bench -- their only property
o   The religious division in the Smith family
o   Religious teachings and origins leading Joseph Smith to the grove

Different Accounts of the First Vision

1838 Account

o   Released in 1851 by Franklin D. Richards
o   The origins and contents of "Franklin's Pearl of Great price", a precursor of the now official "Pearl of Great Price"
1832 Account 
o   Origins, content, and focus on repentance
o   The grove as if on fire when the Lord appears
1835 Account
o   Origins and content
o   Description of his struggle with a dark being
o   Personages appear separately
1841 Account
 o   Origins and content
o   His struggle with the evil power
o   Two personages appear to Joseph Smith
Reception of the First Vision  

Click HERE to listen to the podcast or click on the banner at the top of the post.  Below is a list of the published podcasts so far. Click on the name to take you to the corresponding post. Enjoy!

Church History Q&A: Podcasts by Susan Easton Black

01 - "The Value of Studying Church History"

02 - "Prelude to the Restoration"

03 - "Joseph Smith's New England Heritage"

04 - "The First Vision"

05 - "A Period of Preperation 1823-1829"