Books about the Book of Mormon and Joseph Smith.

Books about the Book of Mormon and Joseph Smith. (Written from a faithful persepctive, of course.)

Doubleday edition of The Book of Mormon: Another Testament of Jesus Christ (Hardcover). ISBN 038551316X. This is the current edition of the Book of Mormon, but without footnotes, and has no index. Has a pronouncing guide, and a brief reference guide in the back.

Original 1830 edition. paperback. ISBN: 0976402513.

By the Hand of Mormon: The American Scripture that Launched a New World Religion (Paperback) Terryl L. Givens. ISBN: 0195168887.

By the Hand of Mormon: The American Scripture that Launched a New World Religion (Hardcover) Terryl L. Givens. ISBN: 019513818X

Joseph Smith: Rough Stone Rolling (Paperback) Richard Lyman Bushman. ISBN: 1400077532. I like this book. It's written from a faithful perspective, and from a scholarly perspective that makes it palatable for non-members to get an even-handed and non-proselyting delivery of the story of Joseph Smith and the Book of Mormon. If you (LDS or non-LDS) have an intellectual curiosity about the history of Joseph Smith and the early church, this is the book for you.

Joseph Smith: Rough Stone Rolling [Deckle Edge] (Hardcover), Richard Lyman Bushman. ISBN: 1400042704.

The Joseph Smith Papers: Journals, Vol. 1: 1832-1839 (Hardcover)
Dean Jessee (Editor), Ronald Esplin (Editor), Richard Lyman Bushman (Editor). ISBN: 1570088497.

On the Road With Joseph Smith: An Author's Diary (Paperback) Richard Lyman Bushman. ISBN: 1589581024.

The Book of Mormon: A Reader's Edition (Paperback) Grant Hardy (Editor). ISBN: 025207341X. This book is the 1830 edition (no break-down into verses), typeset in a way that makes for easy reading, and sets aparts the quotes. The "reading appearance" makes it more of a regular read as opposed to "reading scripture."

The Book of Mormon: A Reader's Edition (Hardcover) Grant Hardy (Editor). ISBN: 0252027973.

The Book of Mormon Movie - Volume 1 - The Journey. Most of it is cheesey and unprofessional, but it's a landmark. Some of the scenes are real groaners, but this movie was a major step taken in dramatizing the Book of Mormon. I HIGHLY RECOMMEND buying this for historical purposes. And, there are actually a couple good scenes in it. ASIN: B0002ER5VQ. Also look for it on ebay.

The Book of Mormon: A Very Short Introduction. (Paperback) Terryl L. Givens. ISBN: 0195369319.

Book of Mormon. Facsimile Reprint of 1830 First Edition (Hardcover). ASIN: B000HP2QQY.

Book of Mormon: 1830 Replica Edition (Leather Bound). ISBN: 0929753208.

The Book of Mormon - The Earliest Text. Edited by Royal Skousen. ISBN: 0300142188. "Royal Skousen has single-handedly brought the textual analysis of the Book of Mormon to a professional level on par with the finest classical and biblical scholarship. This volume is the culmination of his labors, and it is the most textually significant edition since Joseph Smith's work was first published in 1830. It takes us back to the original manuscript (as best we can reconstruct it) and sometimes beyond, to the very words that were first spoken by Joseph Smith to his scribes."-Grant Hardy, from the Introduction. == Completely redesigned and typeset by nationally award-winning typographer Jonathan Saltzman, this new edition has been reformatted in sense-lines, making the text much more logical and pleasurable to read. Featuring a lucid introduction by historian Grant Hardy, the Yale edition serves not only as the most accurate version of the Book of Mormon ever published but also as an illuminating entryway into a vital religious tradition.

Understanding the Book of Mormon: A Reader's Guide (Hardcover) Grant Hardy. ISBN: 0199731705.

Joseph Smith, Jr.: Reappraisals After Two Centuries
Reid L. Neilson (Editor), Terryl L. Givens (Editor). ISBN: 0195369769.

Doctrinal Commentary on the Book of Mormon, Vol. 1: First and Second Nephi (Hardcover) Joseph Fielding McConkie, Robert L. Millet. ISBN: 0884946320.

Doctrinal Commentary on the Book of Mormon, Vol. 1: First and Second Nephi (Paperback) Joseph Fielding McConkie and Robert L. Millet. ISBN: 1590385233.

Doctrinal Commentary on the Book of Mormon, Vol. 2 (Hardcover) Joseph Fielding McConkie, Robert L. Millet. ISBN: 088494655X.

Doctrinal Commentary on the Book of Mormon, Vol. 2: Jacob through Mosiah, by Joseph Fielding McConkie and Robert L. Millet (Paperback). ISBN: 1590385241.

Doctrinal Commentary on the Book of Mormon, Vol. 3 (Hardcover) Joseph Fielding McConkie, Robert L. Millet. ISBN: 0884948072.

Doctrinal Commentary on the Book of Mormon, Vol. 3: Alma through Helaman (Paperback) Joseph Fielding McConkie and Robert L. Millet. ISBN: 159038525X.

Doctrinal Commentary on the Book of Mormon, Vol. 4 (Hardcover) Joseph Fielding McConkie, Robert L. Millet. ISBN: 0884948188.

Doctrinal Commentary on the Book of Mormon, Vol. 4: Third Nephi through Moroni. (Paperback) Joseph Fielding McConkie, Robert L. Millet and Brent T. Top. ISBN: 1590385268.

Doctrinal Commentary on the Book of Mormon [4 Volume Set] (Hardcover) Joseph Fielding McConkie, Robert L. Millet. ASIN: B000XMKWW6.

Doctrinal Commentary on the Book of Mormon (4 Vol. set) I-IV (Paperback) Joseph F. McConkie, Robert L. Millet. ASIN: B0022WZALS.

Not all of Nibley's works below are directly related to the Book of Mormon, but I'm including them as a convenience for those who are fans of his works.

Old Testament and Related Studies (Collected Works of Hugh Nibley, Vol. 1) (Hardcover), Hugh Nibley. ISBN: 0875790321.

Enoch the Prophet (Collected Works of Hugh Nibley, Vol. 2) (Hardcover) Hugh Nibley (Author), Stephen D. Ricks (Editor). ISBN: 087579047X

The World and the Prophets (The Collected Works of Hugh Nibley, Vol. 3) (Hardcover) Hugh Nibley. ISBN: 087579078X

Mormonism and Early Christianity (Collected Works of Hugh Nibley, Vol. 4) (Hardcover), Hugh Nibley, Todd M. Compton, Stephen D. Ricks. ISBN: 0875791271.

Lehi in the Desert, the World of the Jaredites, There Were Jaredites (Collected Works of Hugh Nibley, Vol. 5) (Hardcover) Hugh Nibley (Author), John W. Welch (Editor), Darrell L. Matthews (Editor), Stephen R. Callister (Editor). ISBN: 0875791328.

An Approach to the Book of Mormon (Collected Works of Hugh Nibley, Vol. 6) (Hardcover) Hugh Nibley, John W. Welch. ISBN: 0875791387.

Since Cumorah (Collected Works of Hugh Nibley, Vol. 7) (Hardcover) Hugh Nibley, John W. Welch. ISBN: 0875791395.

The Prophetic Book of Mormon (Collected Works of Hugh Nibley, Vol. 8) (Hardcover) Hugh Nibley. ISBN: 0875791794.

Approaching Zion (The Collected Works of Hugh Nibley, Vol. 9) (Hardcover) Hugh Nibley (Author), Don E. Norton (Editor). ISBN: 0875792529. A very popular book among Nibley fans.
 

Amharic at library. Tues, Jan 23, 2007.

01/23/2007. 781. I was running errands on the west side of town, and stopped at a public library to check email. I saw an Ethiopian-looking girl, about 10 or 12 years old in the lobby prior to my turn. Her turn at a public terminal was before mine, and she eventually sat next to someone and talked with him as if she knew him. While I was waiting for my turn, I went out and got an Amharic and an English Book of Mormon from the car.

After my turn on a terminal was over, I found her again in the lobby, and politely asked if her family was from Ethiopia. She said they were from Eritrea. Eritrea is next to Ethiopia and used to be part of it. The main language of Eritrea is Tigrinya, but many also speak Amharic as a second language. So I asked if I could talk to her mother or father, and she said they weren't there, but her big brother was. She pointed him out, and I approached him.

I asked him if they spoke Amharic, and he said they spoke Tigrinya, but that his father and older brother spoke Amharic. Since I've given out many copies already, I asked him if he had seen the Book of Mormon in Amharic and showed it to him. He said they did not have it already. I asked if he thought his father would like a free copy, and he sounded confident in saying that he would, so I gave him the pair of books, and pointed out the flyers and cards inside. He thanked me for them, and I suggested they could call me or the church office if they wanted to learn more.

Missed opportunities at a library. Wed, Nov 8, 2006.

11/08/2006. Missed opportunities. After leaving the buffet described in the previous post, I stopped at a library on my way home to check email. This was more for exploring possibilities of encounters than it was to actually check email. I checked email, then I browsed the foreign film DVD section, and even checked one out. There were two opportunities of speaking with foreign language-speaking patrons at the DVD shelves, but I blew my chances while struggling to figure out what to say.

Afterwards, as I was walking back towards my car in the parking lot two African women and a small child were heading towards the entrance, speaking French.

In the past, I've had a couple of embarrassing moments encountering people whom I've met before, and started talking to them as if it were the first encounter. So I hesitated a little trying to figure out if I had met them before, and what conversation starter to use if I had. But I delayed too much. As I passed them, the small child waved at me and said something, as if to give me a second chance at starting a conversation, but I blew it.

I need to work on more conversation starters that are comfortable whether it's our first or second meeting.

Mongolian at Library. Sat, Sep 9, 2006.

09/09/2006. 722. Good things often happen on the way home from the chapel. It's our ward's month to clean the chapel, and the Elders Quorum's weekend.

I did my part, and headed home. There's a public library on my way home, and right before I passed it I had the idea of stopping in there. I dismissed the idea, but after I passed it, a voice in my head said something like "Aren't you going to go to the libary?"

So I turned around and went back to the library. There were some other people who went in at the same time as I but they didn't seem like they were my intended contacts. I figured I could check email, so I signed up for a public Internet workstation, and waited and browsed.

When my turn came up, I logged in, checked my email and messed around a little bit on the Internet. Then I signed off, and headed for the front door.

Right before I got to the front desk, I saw an Asian man there, and our eyes met. An alarm went off in my head, and I knew he was my intended contact.

I continued on towards the door, went about a step past him, then turned around and asked "Sir, what languages do you speak?" He said "Mongolian."

He was just concluding his transaction at the front desk and getting ready to leave, so it was a smooth encounter. I offered him the Book of Mormon in Mongolian, and he was very positive in his response that he'd like to see it. So we went outside together, and he waited while I retrieved it and an English copy from my car.

He was a very humble and reserved man, so he did not show a lot of emotion, but I could tell he was amazed and grateful when he saw it. And he wanted the English copy too.

I then asked him if he knew the Mongolian lady who worked at a beauty supply store on such-and-such road. He said no, that he didn't know her. This man and that lady at the beauty supply store are the only two Mongolians I know, and they didn't know each other, so I figured I should put them in contact with each other.

We both had some time free, so I suggested he follow me in his car. So I drove from the library to the beauty supply store, and he followed. When we got there, he reiterated he didn't know anyone who worked there, and we went in together. Unfortunately, she wasn't there. But the owner said she was just off that day, and would be in tomorrow.

The young man I was with didn't have a phone, so he couldn't leave his number for her, but he wrote a note in Mongolian, and the owner said he'd give it to her.

At least the young man knows where she works, and can go back to try to meet up with her. I also found out this man's parents are also in Indianapolis.

I don't want to rejoice too much, because it might be that they already know each other, and he just didn't know where she worked, and in that case, I'm making too big a deal of this.

But, if they don't know each other, then this was a really cool thing to get two Mongolian families in town together. Imagine living in a big foreign city, thinking you're the only Mongolians in town, and you meet fellow country-men.

Plus, this young man received a book containing the everlasting gospel of Jesus Christ in his native language, Mongolian!

Oh, and he did express interest in going to church sometime. So I showed him the list of chapels, where our chapel was, and drew a crude map on it. I also explained a little about the family ward and the singles branch that meets there.

I would probably have asked for his phone number to arrange for a ride, but he didn't have a phone. I didn't feel confident enough to ask for his address.

Moment #685. Romanian at Library. Wed, Aug 9, 2006.

08/09/2006. I left the Post Office and felt like going to my favorite dollar store. I bought some food for the missionaries and for me. I had a Triple Combination scripture (Book of Mormon, Doctrine & Covenants, and Pearl of Great Price) that I wanted to drop off at the missionaries, and decided to drop off some of the food instead of waiting for Sunday to give it to them.

I went to their apartment, and just left the bag on their apartment's doorknob. As I went out the main entrance to the parking lot, the missionaries drove up. And we chatted a bit.

From the missionaries' apartment, I felt impressed to take a longer way home, and when I got at the next major intersection, I felt impressed to go to a public library. I signed up for an Internet terminal, and browsed the some DVD and book racks while waiting. As my number rose up in the queue, I hung around the sign up computer, and browsed the magazine rack near it. Two men came to that reading area speaking a foreign language and sat down. I asked them what language they spoke and one said Romanian. I offered the Book of Mormon in Romanian, but they didn't understand. I made the "just a minute" gesture, and went out to my car and got a Romanian and an English Book of Mormon, and went back in and presented them.

I forgot that there is a member of our ward who went to Romania on his mission, and still speaks Romanian. I didn't have his number with me. I probably should have asked for their number, but at least they have my number on my cards in the books. I asked them to call me for another copy, so they could have one each, but I don't know if they understood.

After my time on the Internet terminal was up, I looked over, and they were reading the "info flyers" (list of local chapels, mission office, and church's toll free # on one side, and list of 104 Book of Mormon languages on the other side) I had put in the books. I don't know if they caught the idea of learning a little English by reading them in parallel, but I didn't want to belabour the contact since they didn't understand English well. I went back to them after I was done on the Internet, to ask them again to call me, and I finished with handshakes and a "Welcome to Indianapolis."

Afterwards, on my way home, I was prompted to eat supper at a restaurant where I had taken the missionaries on July 12th. The lady recognized me. I wasn't sure how to follow up. Anyway, after eating I bought a gift certficate so the missionaries could eat there again some time, and went back to the missionaries' apartment, and stuck the gift-certificate under their door.