Essays and Papers

	Commentary	Reviews	Essays and Papers
	Papers by Brant Gardner

Interactions 2nd Stone Alone? Social History Reformed Egyptian Cultural Father Alma Tree of Life 2 Stones Zarahemla Translation Quetzalcoatl Theology Baptism of Fire Counts

Interactions with Non-Israelite Populations in the Book of Mormon An analysis of the archeological background and internal evidence for non-Israelite populations and their effect on the Book of Mormon. Playing the Second Stone: Can Archaeology Prove the Book of Mormon? Before attempting to understand the real world context of the Book of Mormon it is important to know what we might possibly learn from dirt archaeology. Were the Lehites Alone in the Land? One of the questions about the Book of Mormon text is its relationship to the known populations of native Americans that were present on the western hemisphere before and during Book of Mormon times. Does the Book of Mormon acknowledge these other peoples? Why doesn't it clearly discuss them? Social History of the Nephites During Nephi's Reign. While necessarily speculative, this article examines the composition of the Nephites and the Lamanites at the time of their division into two factions. In particular, it examines the probabilities of the explanation of the "others" who went with Nephi. Searching for Reformed Egyptian and Language Information in the Book of Mormon A discussion of what reformed Egyptian might have been, according to the text of the Book of Mormon. Rather than resolve questions, it is intended to redefine the problem of language in the Book of Mormon. Examining the Historical and Cultural Context of the Book of Mormon This is a short discussion of the presumptions and criteria I bring to the analysis of the Book of Mormon. All authors have some underlying guidelines for the way they approach an issue, I make mine explicit here. Converting Father Alma The mission of Abinidi is examined and found to be directed to Alma the Elder. Nephi's Assumptions about the Tree of Life This paper examines the cultural background of Tree of Life mythology in the Middle East to understand what understanding Nephi would bring to the Tree of Life vision. A Tale of Two Stones An examination of the textual history of the Urim and Thummim in the Book of Mormon. Zarahemla on the Periphery The recent decipherment of epi-Olmec script has implications for the Book of Mormon, both favorable and questionable. On the one hand, the timing and history of the epi-Olmec tradition fits with Book of Mormon descriptions. On the other, however, the linguistics of the epi-Olmec don't match the accepted naming conventions of the Jaredites. Assessing the Evidence for the Translation Method The original manuscript has been mined for information about the way in which the Book of Mormon was translated. These findings are analyzed, along with the evidence presented by the Isaiah textual variants in the Book of Mormon. Digging for Quetzalcoatl's Christian Roots This paper examines the specific elements of the Quetzalcoatl mythology which have been cited as possible memories of a pre-contact Christian preacher. In Mormon tradition, this has been equated with the Book of Mormon visit by Jesus Christ. The paper discusses each element for the probably pre-contact version of the mythological element and finds no connection with any foreigner. The paper also examines the methodologies typically used by LDS apologists to show why this analysis differs from their findings. A Theology: Principles of Progress This is a view of LDS theology from the perspective of understanding how the pieces fit together. Rather than be completely comprehensive, it focuses on understand the "why" of doctrinal issues. While many of the themes are much-discussed, I hope to show them from a different perspective, and in new ways. Because this is a large document, it is split into multiple chapters and sections for better web access. The Baptism of Fire in the New Testament The contexts of the baptism of fire in the New Testament are different from the commonly accepted usage that equates the baptism of fire with the Holy Ghost. This essay examines the New Testament texts and contexts for the meaning in the New Testament. If I've Told You Once...: Counts and Estimates in the Book of Mormon There are several occasions when people are counted in the Book of Mormon. The numbers used suggest that they are both estimates and perhaps actual counts, although even the numbers that appear to be actual counts raise some questions. The article also speculates about the nature of the numbering system that generated the numbers we have in the Book of Mormon.

The essays and papers listed here are original work. The audience is for the believing LDS. The intent is to learn more about the Book of Mormon or our theology, not to prove it to anyone (including ourselves!) Several of these appear in differing forms in the Multi-Dimensional Commentary, but the versions in that commentary are typically updates of these ideas.