Foundational Texts of Mormonism

Reviews / Votes

Textual criticism, as practiced in this book, sheds important light on the understanding of revelation in early Mormonism...This volume offers a fine collection of essays on early Mormon history and the concept of revelation as understood by early church members. * Hans Gerald Hoedl, University of Vienna, Religious Studies Review * Foundational Texts of Mormonism offers one of the first pathways from The Joseph Smith Papers to scholars and students of early Mormonism ... It offers a lens into historical practices, everyday life of early Mormonism, and the material culture that defined private, public, and religious life. * Michael Hubbard MacKay, Mormon Studies Review * Foundational Texts of Mormonism presents for the scholar and the casual reader added context and understanding to the various receptions of these texts over time. The individual essays are valuable to any study of the texts they examine while also being fine examples of several different types of textual criticism in their own right. * Gerrit van Dyk, BYU Studies Quarterly * This book, then, is more than a discussion of the 'foundational sources' of a new religious movement. It shows us that movements self-creation through its production of documents ... After seeing the similar care and diligence these authors have shown to the documents they study, it will be hard for any historian to avoid scrutinizing the handwriting or watermarks or folds that mark any page that comes before them in an archive. * Matthew Bowman, Reading Religion * In short, this volume is a must-have for historians of Mormonism. I cant think of many edited collections in the field more worthy of that title... It will also work as a great primer for historians of other topics who need an introduction to the field. Indeed, any scholar interested in early Mormonism will need to consult at least one chapter in this volume. It is an instant classic. * Benjamin E. Park, Professor Park's Blog * In recent years, the Joseph Smith Papers Project has published and annotated the documents created by Mormonism's founding prophet. This path-breaking book is part of the payoff. In it, scholars examine several of the most significant textsthe Book of Mormon, revelations, letters, and journalsto reconstruct the religious world in which Joseph Smith and his followers lived. * John G. Turner, Professor of Religious Studies at George Mason University, author of The Mormon Jesus: A Biography * Mormonism's unique canon and voluminous historiography can be daunting. The record is simply too thick and opaque for most to gain access. This collection provides a path through the thicket with well-chosen, authoritative sources and expert analysis. It is an especially useful introduction to the Joseph Smith Papers. The general and scholarly reader will be benefited by this singular contribution to Mormon Studies. * Kathleen Flake, Richard Lyman Bushman Professor of Mormon Studies, University of Virginia Department of Religious Studies * Historical sources have their own histories. This is especially true of the primary texts that shape our fundamental understanding of the foundations of Mormonism. This collection of essays by experts in the field is an invaluable resource for scholars working on early Mormonism or religion in nineteenth-century America, orienting them to the complex histories behind the sources they employ to write their own histories. * Patrick Q. Mason, Howard W. Hunter Chair of Mormon Studies, Claremont Graduate University *