News
Preview The Garden of Enid: Adventures of a Weird Mormon Girl, Part Two January 11 2017
The Garden of Enid:
Adventures of a Weird Mormon Girl, Part Two
On the twelfth day of Kofford: $1.99 flash sale on Kindle e-books! December 12 2016
On the twelfth day of Kofford, fill your digital stockings with our HUGE e-book promotion. Today only, each of the following titles are only $1.99 on Kindle! PLUS, to help you prepare for the upcoming D&C year in Gospel Doctrine class, we are offering B. H. Robert's classic six-volume A Comprehensive History of the Church on Kindle for only $3.99!
This flash sale ends at midnight tonight (Dec. 12th)
On the eleventh day of Kofford: 30% off Mormon Image in Literature titles! December 11 2016
Mormon Image in Literature titles are 30% off December 11th. These special prices are only available for one day, so don't wait!
Orders over $50 qualify for free shipping. Also, local Utah customers can opt to pick up their order directly from our office in Sandy (select this option under the shipping menu).
For more information about the Twelve Days of Kofford holiday sales, click here.
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The Mormoness; Or, The Trials Of Mary Maverick: A Narrative Of Real Events Retail: $12.95 |
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Boadicea; the Mormon Wife: Life Scenes in Utah Retail: $15.95 |
On the tenth day of Kofford: 30% off war and peace titles! December 10 2016
War and peace titles are 30% off December 10th. These special prices are only available for one day, so don't wait!
Orders over $50 qualify for free shipping. Also, local Utah customers can opt to pick up their order directly from our office in Sandy (select this option under the shipping menu).
For more information about the Twelve Days of Kofford holiday sales, click here.
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War & Peace in Our Time: Mormon Perspectives Retail: $29.95 |
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Even unto Bloodshed: An LDS Perspective on War Retail: $29.95 |
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The End of the World, Plan B: A Guide for the Future Retail: $13.95 |
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Saints of Valor: Mormon Medal of Honor Recipients, Updated 2nd Edition Retail: $31.95 |
On the ninth day of Kofford: 30% off biography titles! December 09 2016
Biography titles are 30% off December 9th. These special prices are only available for one day, so don't wait!
Orders over $50 qualify for free shipping. Also, local Utah customers can opt to pick up their order directly from our office in Sandy (select this option under the shipping menu).
For more information about the Twelve Days of Kofford holiday sales, click here.
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Hugh Nibley: A Consecrated Life Retail: $32.95 Best Biography Award, Mormon History Association |
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“Swell Suffering”: A Biography of Maurine Whipple Retail: $31.95 Best Biography Award, Mormon History Association |
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William B. Smith: In the Shadow of a Prophet Retail: $39.95 Best Biography Award, John Whitmer Historical Association |
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The Man Behind the Discourse: A Biography of King Follett Retail: $29.95 |
On the eighth day of Kofford: 30% contemporary issues titles! December 08 2016
All contemporary issues titles are 30% off December 8th. These special prices are only available for one day, so don't wait!
Orders over $50 qualify for free shipping. Also, local Utah customers can opt to pick up their order directly from our office in Sandy (select this option under the shipping menu).
For more information about the Twelve Days of Kofford holiday sales, click here.
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Women at Church: Magnifying LDS Women's Local Impact Retail: $21.95 |
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Common Ground—Different Opinions: Latter-day Saints and Contemporary Issues Retail: $31.95 |
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The Liberal Soul: Applying the Gospel of Jesus Christ in Politics Retail: $22.95 |
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Voices for Equality: Ordain Women and Resurgent Mormon Feminism Retail: $32.95 |
On the seventh day of Kofford: 30% off polygamy titles! December 07 2016
All polygamy titles are 30% off December 7th. These special prices are only available for one day, so don't wait!
Orders over $50 qualify for free shipping. Also, local Utah customers can opt to pick up their order directly from our office in Sandy (select this option under the shipping menu).
For more information about the Twelve Days of Kofford holiday sales, click here.
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Joseph Smith's Polygamy, Volume 1: History Now in paperback! Retail: $34.95 |
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Joseph Smith's Polygamy, Volume 2: History Now in paperback! Retail: $34.95 |
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Joseph Smith's Polygamy, Volume 3: Theology Now in paperback! Retail: $25.95 |
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Joseph Smith's Polygamy: Toward a Better Understanding Retail: $19.95 |
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Modern Polygamy and Mormon Fundamentalism: The Generations after the Manifesto Retail: $31.95 Best Book Award, John Whitmer Historical Association |
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Mormon Polygamous Families: Life in the Principle Retail: $24.95 |
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Prisoner for Polygamy: The Memoirs and Letters of Rudger Clawson at the Utah Territorial Penitentiary, 1884–87 Retail: $24.95 |
On the sixth day of Kofford: 30% off international Mormon studies titles! December 06 2016
All international Mormon studies titles are 30% off December 6th. These special prices are only available for one day, so don't wait!
Orders over $50 qualify for free shipping. Also, local Utah customers can opt to pick up their order directly from our office in Sandy (select this option under the shipping menu).
For more information about the Twelve Days of Kofford holiday sales, click here.
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The Trek East: Mormonism Meets Japan, 1901–1968 Retail: $39.95 |
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Mormon and Maori Retail: $24.95 Best International Book Award, Mormon History Association |
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Tiki and Temple: The Mormon Mission in New Zealand, 1854–1958 Retail: $29.95 Best International Book Award, Mormon History Association |
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For the Cause of Righteousness: A Global History of Blacks and Mormonism, 1830–2013 Retail: $32.95 Best Book Award, Mormon History Association |
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The History of the Mormons in Argentina Retail: $24.95 |
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From Above and Below: The Mormon Embrace of Revolution, 1840 – 1940 Retail: $34.95 Best International Book Award, Mormon History Association |
On the fifth day of Kofford: 30% off Contemporary Studies in Scripture titles! December 05 2016
All Contemporary Studies in Scripture titles are 30% off December 5th. These special prices are only available for one day, so don't wait!
Orders over $50 qualify for free shipping. Also, local Utah customers can opt to pick up their order directly from our office in Sandy (select this option under the shipping menu).
For more information about the Twelve Days of Kofford holiday sales, click here.
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Authoring the Old Testament, Volume 1: Geneses—Deuteronomy Retail: $26.95 |
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Re-reading Job: Understanding the World's Greatest Poem Retail: $20.95 |
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Search, Ponder, and Pray: A Guide to the Gospels Retail: $27.95 |
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Beholding the Tree of Life: A Rabbinic Approach to the Book of Mormon Retail: $21.95 |
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The Vision of All: Twenty-five Lectures on Isaiah in Nephi's Record Retail: $25.95 |
On the fourth day of Kofford: 30% off Blake Ostler titles! December 04 2016
All Blake Ostler titles are 30% off on December 4th. These special prices are only available for one day, so don't wait!
Orders over $50 qualify for free shipping. Also, local Utah customers can opt to pick up their order directly from our office in Sandy (select this option under the shipping menu).
For more information about the Twelve Days of Kofford holiday sales, click here.
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Exploring Mormon Thought, Volume 1: The Attributes of God Retail: $29.95 |
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Exploring Mormon Thought, Volume 2: The Problems of Theism and the Love of God Retail: $34.95 |
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Exploring Mormon Thought, Volume 3: Of God and Gods Retail: $34.95 |
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Fire on the Horizon: A Meditation on the Endowment and Love of Atonement Retail: $17.95 |
On the third day of Kofford: 30% off personal essay titles! December 03 2016
All personal essay titles are 30% off on December 3rd. These special prices are only available for one day, so don't wait!
Orders over $50 qualify for free shipping. Also, local Utah customers can opt to pick up their order directly from our office in Sandy (select this option under the shipping menu).
For more information about the Twelve Days of Kofford holiday sales, click here.
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Dead Wood and Rushing Water: Essays on Mormon Faith, Culture, and Family Retail: $22.95 |
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Mr. Mustard Plaster and Other Mormon Essays Retail: $20.95 |
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Writing Ourselves: Essays on Creativity, Craft, and Mormonism Retail: $18.95 |
On the second day of Kofford: 30% off Adam Miller titles! December 02 2016
Adam Miller's Essays in Mormon Theology titles will be 30% off on December 2nd. These special prices are only available for one day, so don't wait!
To get the 30% discount, simply enter the code MILLERCHRISTMAS (all caps) in the discount code box at check-out.
Orders over $50 qualify for free shipping. Also, local Utah customers can opt to pick up their order directly from our office in Sandy (select this option under the shipping menu).
For more information about the Twelve Days of Kofford holiday sales, click here.
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Rube Goldberg Machines: Essays in Mormon Theology Retail: $18.95 |
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Future Mormon: Essays in Mormon Theology Retail: $18.95 |
On the first day of Kofford: all Brant Gardner titles 30% off retail price! December 01 2016
Greg Kofford Books is pleased to offer 30% off of the following titles on December 1st. These special prices are only available for one day, so don't wait!
To get the 30% discount, simply enter the code BOOKOFMORMON (all caps) in the discount code box at check-out.
Orders over $50 qualify for free shipping. Also, local Utah customers can opt to pick up their order directly from our office in Sandy (select this option under the shipping menu).
For more information about the Twelve Days of Kofford holiday sales, click here.
Twelve Days of Kofford Christmas Sale 2016 November 30 2016
MERRY CHRISTMAS FROM GREG KOFFORD BOOKS
Greg Kofford Books is pleased to announce our annual holiday sale on select popular titles beginning December 1st – December 12th.
Here's how it works: at the stroke of midnight each day, a new blog post will go live on our website listing that day's special offerings along with a discount code that you can enter at check-out to get the holiday price. It's that simple. We will also be posting the daily offering and discount code on our Facebook page at 7am.
*Orders over $50 qualify for free shipping (continental U.S. customers only). Local Utah customers can stop by our office in Sandy to pick up their orders as well. Holiday inventory on some titles may be limited, so be sure to take advantage of the daily sale early.*
To help you plan in advance, here are our scheduled sales:
Day 1 — Brant Gardner titles
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Second Witness: Analytical & Contextual Commentary on the Book of Mormon series
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The Gift and Power: Translating the Book of Mormon |
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Traditions of the Fathers: The Book of Mormon as History Best Religious Non-fiction Award, Association for Mormon Letters |
Day 2 — Adam Miller titles (essays in Mormon theology)
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Rube Goldberg Machines: Essays in Mormon Theology Retail $18.95 |
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Future Mormon: Essays in Mormon Theology Retail: $18.95 |
Day 3 — Personal Essays
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Dead Wood and Rushing Water: Essays on Mormon Faith, Culture, and Family Retail: $22.95 |
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Mr. Mustard Plaster and Other Mormon Essays by Mary Lithgoe Bradford Retail: $20.95 Sale price: $14.67 |
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Writing Ourselves: Essays on Creativity, Craft, and Mormonism Retail: $18.95 |
Day 4 — Blake T. Ostler titles
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Exploring Mormon Thought series by Blake T. Ostler 30% off each title |
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Fire on the Horizon: A Meditation on the Endowment and Love of Atonement Retail: $17.95 |
Day 5 — Contemporary Studies in Scripture
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Authoring the Old Testament: Genesis — Deuteronomy Retail: $26.95 |
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Re-reading Job: Understanding the Ancient World's Greatest Poem Retail: $20.95 |
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Search, Ponder, and Pray: A Guide to the Gospels Retail: $27.95 |
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Beholding the Tree of Life: A Rabbinic Approach to the Book of Mormon Retail: $21.95 |
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The Vision of All: Twenty-five Lectures on Isaiah in Nephi's Record Retail: $25.95 |
Day 6 — International Mormonism
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The Trek East: Mormonism Meets Japan, 1901–1968 Retail: $39.95 |
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Mormon and Maori Retail: $24.95 Best International Book Award, Mormon History Association |
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Tiki and Temple: The Mormon Mission in New Zealand, 1854–1958 Retail: $29.95 Best International Book Award, Mormon History Association |
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For the Cause of Righteousness: A Global History of Blacks and Mormonism, 1830–2013 Retail: $32.95 Best Book Award, Mormon History Association |
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The History of the Mormons in Argentina Retail: $24.95 |
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From Above and Below: The Mormon Embrace of Revolution, 1840 – 1940 Retail: $34.95 Best International Book Award, Mormon History Association |
Day 7 — Polygamy titles
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Joseph Smith's Polygamy: History and Theology Now in paperback! 30% off each title |
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Joseph Smith's Polygamy: Toward a Better Understanding Retail: $19.95 |
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Modern Polygamy and Mormon Fundamentalism: The Generations after the Manifesto Retail: $31.95 Best Book Award, John Whitmer Historical Association |
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Mormon Polygamous Families: Life in the Principle Retail: $24.95 |
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Prisoner for Polygamy: The Memoirs and Letters of Rudger Clawson at the Utah Territorial Penitentiary, 1884–87 Retail: $29.95 |
Day 8 — Contemporary Issues
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Women at Church: Magnifying LDS Women's Local Impact Retail: $21.95 |
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Common Ground—Different Opinions: Latter-day Saints and Contemporary Issues Retail: $31.95 |
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The Liberal Soul: Applying the Gospel of Jesus Christ in Politics Retail: $22.95 |
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Voices for Equality: Ordain Women and Resurgent Mormon Feminism Retail: $32.95 |
Day 9 — Biography
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Hugh Nibley: A Consecrated Life Retail: $32.95 Best Biography Award, Mormon History Association |
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“Swell Suffering”: A Biography of Maurine Whipple Retail: $31.95 Best Biography Award, Mormon History Association |
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William B. Smith: In the Shadow of a Prophet Retail: $39.95 Best Biography Award, John Whitmer Historical Association |
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The Man Behind the Discourse: A Biography of King Follett Retail: $29.95 |
Day 10 — War and Peace
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War & Peace in Our Time: Mormon Perspectives Retail: $29.95 |
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Even unto Bloodshed: An LDS Perspective on War Retail: $29.95 |
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The End of the World, Plan B: A Guide for the Future Retail: $13.95 |
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Saints of Valor: Mormon Medal of Honor Recipients, Updated 2nd Edition Retail: $31.95 |
Day 11 — Mormon Image in Literature
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The Mormoness; Or, The Trials Of Mary Maverick: A Narrative Of Real Events Retail: $12.95 |
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Boadicea; the Mormon Wife: Life Scenes in Utah Retail: $15.95 |
Day 12 — Ebook Flash Sale — $1.99 for select titles
To be announced. Stay tuned!
Black Friday Sale: 40% Off Church History and Doctrine Titles! November 21 2016
GET READY FOR NEXT YEAR'S GOSPEL DOCTRINE CLASS WITH ESSENTIAL READING IN CHURCH HISTORY AND DOCTRINE
Helpful resources for understanding the historical setting of Joseph Smith's Ohio revelations—which comprise the majority of the Doctrine and Covenants—the Law of Consecration, and the development of Mormon theology:
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Hearken, O Ye People: The Historical Setting of Joseph Smith's Ohio Revelations by Mark Lyman Staker Winner of the Best Book Award from the Mormon History Association and the John Whitmer Historical Association “Sets a new standard of in-depth research in Latter-day Saint history.” — Richard L. Bushman, author of Joseph Smith: Rough Stone Rolling $34.95 hardcover |
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For Zion: A Mormon Theology of Hope “The most ambitious scholarly engagement with the law of consecration since Hugh Nibley’s Approaching Zion.” — By Common Consent $19.95 paperback |
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“This is My Doctrine”: The Development of Mormon Theology “Because he does not attempt to square circles by making Mormon doctrine consistent over time, Harrell’s encyclopedic survey of Mormon doctrine is more stimulating and more insightful than most other books on Mormon doctrine.” — James McLachlan, Professor of Philosophy and Religion at Western Carolina University $34.95 hardcover |
Understanding the Missouri conflict and the building of Nauvoo:
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Fire and Sword: A History of the Latter-day Saints in Norther Missouri, 1836–39 “Gentry used more thoroughly than any scholar before him the official documents published by the State of Missouri and the U.S. Senate in the aftermath of the Mormons’ departure from the state, which contained the correspondence between Boggs and his militia commanders.” — The Juvenile Instructor $36.95 hardcover |
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Drawing on numerous journals and other primary sources, Professor Backman sketches for us the founding, growth, and development of Nauvoo. $12.95 paperback |
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A House for the Most High: The Story of the Original Nauvoo Temple “A wealth of information about the details of building the temple and also a glimpse into the working of the Church during this same period.” — Association for Mormon Letters $29.95 paperback |
Understanding the life of the prophet Joseph Smith, including his controversial practice of polygamy:
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Knowing Brother Joseph Again: Perceptions and Perspectives “A thoughtful and thought-provoking introductory text for someone wanting an overview of Joseph Smith.” — Improvement Era $19.95 paperback |
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Joseph Smith's Polygamy, Volume 1: History “There has never been a more thorough examination of the polygamy idea.” — Richard L. Bushman, author of Joseph Smith: Rough Stone Rolling $34.95 paperback |
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Joseph Smith's Polygamy, Volume 2: History “[A] landmark in the historiography of Mormon polygamy.” — Todd M. Compton, author of In Sacred Loneliness: The Plural Wives of Joseph Smith $34.95 paperback |
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Joseph Smith's Polygamy, Volume 3: Theology “[T]he standard against which all other treatments of this important subject will be measured.” — Danel W. Bachman, author of “A Study of the Mormon Practice of Plural Marriage before the Death of Joseph Smith” $25.95 paperback |
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Joseph Smith's Polygamy: Toward a Better Understanding “Despite the book's brevity, it is detailed enough to address, or touch on, the full range of controversies associated with this topic.” — BYU Studies Quarterly $19.95 paperback |
Become well-informed about the pioneer trek to Utah and emergence of modern Mormonism, including the development and reversal of race-based priesthood restriction as well as international growth of the Church:
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Villages on Wheels: A Social History of the Gathering to Zion “A riveting compilation for any reader looking to discover this monumental and defining experience in Mormon history through the accounts of the common people who lived it.” — BYU Studies Quarterly $24.95 paperback |
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Mormonism in Transition: A History of the Latter-day Saints, 1890–1930 Winner of the Best Book Award from the Mormon History Association “Will be required reading for all historians of Mormonism for some time to come.” – Journal of American History $31.95 paperback |
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For the Cause of Righteousness: A Global History of Blacks and Mormonism, 1830–2013 Winner of the Best Book Award from the Mormon History Association “Brings together a wealth of sources to create this ambitious and quick-moving but detailed overview of the intersection of Latter-day Saint and black history.” — The Journal of Mormon History $32.95 paperback |
Preview The Garden of Enid: Adventures of a Weird Mormon Girl, Part One November 01 2016
The Garden of Enid:
Adventures of a Weird Mormon Girl, Part One
Q&A with Shinji Takagi for The Trek East: Mormonism Meets Japan, 1901-1968 October 06 2016
Hardcover $69.95 (ISBN 978-1-58958-561-4)
Order Your Copy Today
Q. Can you give us a brief background on yourself, both academically and professionally, and what led to your interest in researching this topic?
A. I am an economist by profession. I have been an academic for about 20 years of my professional career and an international civil servant for about 15 years. As an academic, I have also held appointments with Japanese government agencies and consulted for several international organizations. My specialty is international monetary economics. My professional work has involved a number of developed, emerging, and developing economies across the world. At present, I am engaged in work on low-income country cases.
My book discusses the encounter of Mormonism with Japan. Perhaps I should explain how I first encountered America some 45 years ago as a way of introducing my background. When I was growing up in Japan as a child, I had no idea that I would be spending nearly half of my adult life in the United States. Rather accidentally, I received a scholarship to study at an American college toward the end of my senior year in high school. The sponsor was an educational fund called the Grew Foundation, established in 1950 with support from Japan’s leading political and business leaders. It bears the name of a former American ambassador to Japan, Joseph C. Grew, who contributed seed money to the fund. The foundation’s aim was to provide opportunities for American-style liberal arts education to Japanese students who might then become instrumental in rebuilding Japanese–American relations in the postwar era. I would like to think I have made some progress toward this aim by writing this book.
I explain in the preface of the book how I became interested in Japanese Mormon history almost by chance—I was asked to translate an English text on the subject. It was the scholar in me (“curiosity and preoccupation with accuracy”) that kept my interest alive thereafter. It has taken me nearly 25 years of part-time, intermittent work to complete the book! Looking back, I feel I was compelled to write this book.
Q. For readers who are not familiar with the history of LDS missionary work in Japan, can you give us a short summary of activity?
A. Japan was one of the first non-Christian nations to receive Mormon missionaries. LDS missionary work began in 1901 and continued until 1924. Missionaries returned to Japan in 1948, three years after the end of World War II. My book covers not only the periods of Mormon missionary activity in Japan, from 1901 to 1924 and from 1948 to 1968, but also the period when the Church was absent. LDS missionary work is still ongoing, but the book’s coverage ends in 1968 when the mission in Japan was divided into two entities.
Q. What sets The Trek East apart from other books and articles written on the topic of LDS missionary work in Japan?
A. Two things set this book apart from others. First, I do not rely solely on English-language sources. Second, I try to interpret the historical contexts of major events and decisions. These two things, of course, are not independent. Interpretation of historical contexts would be impossible if you were relying on English sources alone. In making these remarks, I am not taking anything away from previous authors. It is their writings that have allowed me to go further.
Q. Early LDS missionary work in Japan is often considered a failure. What do you think contributes to this perspective?
A. A mass conversion of the type experienced, for example, in the British Isles never happened in Japan. That this did not happen may have been a disappointment to some Church leaders, who had hoped that the blood of Israel should make the Japanese people receptive to the Mormon message. Whatever the reason, the Church subsequently did not devote the resources necessary to make a viable presence. The average number of missionaries serving at any one time was about 13 for a country half the population of the United States. I give the subtitle “failure or forfeit?” to the chapter where I discuss these issues. Did the work inherently fail or did it only appear to fail because the Church did not make enough effort? I don’t pretend to give a definitive answer.
Q. Some observers have blamed the disintegration of U.S. and Japan relations for the perceived failure in early LDS missionary work in Japan. What are your thoughts on this?
A. Political events, including international relations, clearly impacted the Mormon experience in the period preceding World War II. I devote a considerable part of the book to discussing how Japanese–American relations may have influenced the Church’s decision to close the mission in 1924. An important point I make is that those who have related the mission’s closing to international politics made their remarks from the vantage point of the postwar era, when the war and the events in Japan that had led up to it were a fait accompli. The war became the convenient explanation for an uncomfortable event in the history of the Church.
Q. What does the history of LDS missionary work in Japan teach us about international missionary work in general?
A. Writing this book has not qualified me to answer this question, except to say that the productivity of LDS missionary work appears to depend on the evolving religious and intellectual climate of a society. The window of opportunity, when there is a radical societal change, is typically short. To take advantage, the Church needs to devote a critical mass of resources quickly. The LDS Church is much better placed to do so today, given the resources now available, than it was in Japan, for example, during the immediate postwar period.
Order Your Copy Today
Preview The Vision of All: Twenty-five Lectures on Isaiah in Nephi’s Record September 13 2016
The Vision of All:
Twenty-five Lectures on Isaiah in Nephi’s Record
Preview The Trek East: Mormonism Meets Japan, 1901–1968 August 23 2016
The Trek East:
Mormonism Meets Japan, 1901–1968
Q&A with Julie M. Smith for As Iron Sharpens Iron July 26 2016
Pre-order Your Copy Today
Q: Give us a little background into how this project started.
A: I read a review copy of Matthew Richard Schlimm's This Strange and Sacred Scripture: Wrestling with the Old Testament and Its Oddities. Its aim is to help the modern reader figure out what to do when a work they regard as sacred seems to promote genocide, slavery, etc. There is a brief section in the book—just a page or two—where he presents a fictitious dialogue between Ruth and Ezra. Ezra is the one who commands the Israelites to divorce their foreign wives. Ruth, of course, is a foreign wife. Now, in real life, they never had this conversation—they didn't even live at the same time. But Schlimm has created this conversation that shows them exploring their positions on what we would call interfaith marriage. It is civil, but neither concedes. They explore their disagreement. This dialogue stuck in my mind. A few weeks later, I was still thinking about it. I wished that I could read an entire book of dialogues like that. And since I know some pretty clever people, I decided to ask them to write a book like that for me.
Q: Why is it important for readers of scriptures to understand that there are various, sometimes even contesting, views within the scriptures?
A: Usually, one of two things happens: we either don't read closely enough to notice that there are differences, or, as soon as we notice the differences, we work as hard and as quickly as we can to come up with some theory that makes the difference disappear. But what if the contesting views are supposed to be there? What if they are a feature and not a bug? This book is an exercise in exploring those differences. If they are there, they are a feature of the scriptures, and we might just be able to learn something from them.
Q: Why did you choose to portray these different views within scriptures as fictionalized dialogues among scriptural figures? Does this approach tie into a more anciently-practiced approach to scriptural hermeneutics?
A: In some ways it is similar to the Jewish practice of midrash because it is creative and because it goes beyond the text itself. But whereas midrash often tries to fill “gaps” or solve problems, it was important to me that we specifically not do that, but rather try to stay true to the text itself. As far as using fictionalized dialogues, it seemed to be a reader-friendly manner of presenting the diverging opinions. It also models civil dialogue—something I think this current moment is lacking and might benefit from seeing modeled.
Q: What are some of the larger themes within scripture that are particularly relevant to a modern audience?
A: Can I say “all of them”? I'm not sure there is much that they wrestled with that we don't, at least in some iteration. For example, my dialogue concerns Mark and Luke discussing (or, as Ben Peters described it, “mansplaining”) women's proper roles. Luke's viewpoint is that we honor women by honoring what women have traditionally done; Mark's is that we honor women by removing restrictions from their behavior. But is Mark's view requiring women to act like men in order to be worthy of honor? Is Luke's view too limiting of what women can do? It's 2,000 years later and we are still having precisely the same conversation about women's roles. This is true for all of the dialogues.
Q: Can you provide an example or two of topics that casual readers may assume unity among Biblical writers that, upon closer scrutiny, may actually show tension?
A: Nicholas Frederick has a great piece contrasting the different views about the nature and divinity of Jesus within the New Testament. Heather Hardy's piece highlighting the different ways that Joseph (in the Old Testament) and Nephi think about rivalry and reconciliation with their siblings is just fantastic. Ronan James Head writes about contrasting views of Satan.
Q: How does understanding the different views and ideas presented in scripture help us to have a deeper, more rewarding experience in reading them?
A:Well, I find the places of tension to be the most productive locations for really pondering because they raise such important questions about how to resolve those tensions. I'm a big proponent of the idea that when you are pondering and wrestling, you are creating space for the Spirit to speak as you let the questions tumble around.
Pre-order your copy today.
New from The Mormon Image in Literature Series: Boadicea — now available! July 14 2016
NOW AVAILABLE from The Mormon Image in Literature series:
Boadicia; The Mormon Wife: Life-Scenes in Utah
by Alfreda Eva Bell
Edited and annottated by Michael Austin and Ardis E. Parshall
About the series:
The Mormon Image in Literature reprints important literary works by and about Mormons—from the sensational anti-polygamy books and dime novels of the Civil War era to the first attempts of Mormon writers to craft a regional literature in their Great Basin kingdom. Each volume contains a critical introduction, helpful annotations, and multiple appendices that enlighten and enliven the text. These volumes have been designed for both Mormon and non-Mormon readers who want to understand the cultural importance of Mormonism during the first Latter-day Saint century.
From series co-editer, Michael Austin:
“Much of this work will be just as interesting to historians as to scholars of literature. In fact, some of the work with the least literary merit has the greatest historical interest. Boadicea: The Mormon Wife, which will be the second volume in the series, will probably never be accused of literary greatness. But it has been written about by some of the top figures in Mormon History: Leonard Arrington, Terryl Givens, Sarah Barringer Gordon, Paul W. Reeve.
The literature of the 19th century had very little subtlety when it came to portraying Mormons. The overwhelming majority of volumes featured Mormon elders living in harems and forming Danite bands to hunt down and kill dissenters. And this was not just in the tawdry literature. Both Robert Louis Stevenson and Arthur Conan Doyle wrote novels that portrayed Mormons in these ways.”
Read the complete Q&A here.
Boadicea; the Mormon Wife: Life-Scenes in Utah
Part of The Mormon Image in Literature series
by Alfreda Eva Bell
Edited by Michael Austin and Ardis E. Parshall
151 Pages
ISBN 978-1-58958-566-9
$15.95 (paperback)
Also available in ebook
First published in 1855, Boadicea; the Mormon Wife belongs to a sub-genre of crime fiction that flourished in the Eastern United States during the 1850s. Boadicea has become increasingly important to scholars of Mormonism because it gives us a glimpse of the Mormon image in literature immediately after the Church’s public acknowledgement of plural marriage. Over the next half century, this image would be sharpened and refined by writers with different rhetorical goals: to end polygamy, to attack Mormon theology, or just to tell a highly entertaining adventure story. In Boadicea, though, we see these tropes in their infancy, through a prolific author working at break-neck speed to imagine the lives of a strange people for readers willing to pay the “extremely low price of 15 cents” for the privilege of being amazed by stories of polygyny and polyandry, along with generous helpings of adultery, seduction, kidnapping, and no fewer than fourteen untimely but spectacular deaths: people are shot, stabbed, bludgeoned, poisoned, hanged, strangled, and drowned. No other novel of the nineteenth century comes anywhere near Boadicea in portraying Mormon society as violent, chaotic, and dysfunctional.
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About the series editors:
Michael Austin is the author or editor of seven books and more than 50 articles, book chapters, and reviews, including Re-reading Job: Understanding the Ancient World’s Greatest Poem. He is currently the Provost and Vice President of Academic Affairs at Newman University in Wichita, Kansas.
Ardis E. Parshall is a historian, freelance researcher specializing in Mormon history, and author. She co-edited with Paul Reeve Mormonism: A Historical Encyclopedia and is currently writing She Shall Be an Ensign, a history of the LDS Church told through the lives of Mormon women. She blogs at Keepapitchinin.
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