349- Literski’s forthcoming book.
Nick Literski, an LDS Mason (who used to have an excellent temple site), has a forthcoming book Method Infinite: Freemasonry and the Mormon Restoration on “the role of Freemasonry in the restoration of...
View Article350- McGavin on Masonry
E. Cecil McGavin, Mormonism and Masonry Older and very outdated source, previous to any of the scholarship listed on this page, in .PDF format. (If that doesn’t work, go here.)
View Article351- Ivins on Mormon Masonry
President Anthony W. Ivins. The Relationship between Mormonism and Masonry. Similar caveats as above. Available in .PDF format. (If that link doesn’t work, go here and hunt for it by title or author.)
View Article352- Ben Mcguire on Masonry
Ben McGuire’s chapter on the temple in Mormonism 201 (responding to an antimormon book) from FAIR. The whole article is good, but requires scrolling.
View Article353- Elder John A. Widtsoe “Whence Came the Temple Endowments?”
Elder John A. Widtsoe “Whence Came the Temple Endowments?” In Evidences and Reconciliations (Salt Lake City, UT: Bookcraft, 1960): 111-113. Reproduced here. Gospelink (subscription required)
View Article354- Anonymous LDS historian on the Tanner’s Masonry
An anonymous LDS historian’s response to Gerald and Sandra Tanner’s Mormonism- Shadow or Reality? This paper was widely circulated when it first appeared in 1977. For the comments on Masonry, see p. 21.
View Article356- Kearney’s FAIR paper
Greg Kearney, “How does one explain the similarities between Masonic rites and the Temple rites?” FAIR paper. Same comments apply here as to his Mormon Stories podcast above.
View Article358- Literski’s review of Forsberg
Nick Literski, Review of Clyde Forsberg’s Equal Rites: The Book of Mormon, Masonry, Gender, and American Culture. FRB 17:1 (2005):1-10
View ArticleReaching the Saints, or Spanish Help (Now with comments enabled!)
We Norte Americano saints often forget that the vast majority of LDS literature is simply inaccessible to most of the Saints, since they don’t speak English. Whether the literature is good or bad, from...
View Article257- Greg Kearney’s FAIR presentation on Masonry.
Greg and I have some different takes on things, but his FAIR Conference presentation is still useful. Greg Kearney, “The Message and the Messenger: Latter-day Saints and Freemasonry” 2005 FAIR...
View ArticlePapers #1- “The History of LDS Temple Admission Standards” and Temple...
Since I lack the time to post frequently, I’m going to begin calling attention to good papers that I think deserve wider circulation. The first is Ed Kimball’s “History of LDS Temple Admission...
View ArticleSpanish Scriptures appear on LDS.org
Perhaps someone else has already pointed this out, but the Spanish scriptures are now available on the official LDS Website. From scriptures.lds.org, clicking on the language name in the upper-right...
View ArticleDoes God Commit Evil? Some quick notes on Amos 3.
I must admit, I left Gospel Doctrine frustrated almost to the point of anger. Amos is one of my favorite books, and has some really great stuff for discussion, even surface KJV-English stuff anyone...
View Article200-Mike Ash on Temple Changes
“Can the Temple Ceremony Change?” – Mike Ash, FAIR paper.
View Article201-More from Mike Ash on Temple Changes
Longer and respectful treatment of the same, on his website.
View Article202- Nibley on Temple Changes
While this is indirect, Hugh Nibley’s older articles (such as in Temple and Cosmos or Mormonism and Early Christianity) often refer to the temple ceremony. You can pick up on subtle changes that way....
View Article203-Adaptation of Film in LDS Temple by Elder Hinckley
Go Forward with Faith: The Biography of Gordon B. Hinckley –Sheri L. Dew. (Salt Lake City: Deseret Book, 1996): 176-184. Gospelink (subscription required) Account of President Hinckley’s very personal...
View Article204-Kathleen Flake on LDS Temple
“‘Not to be Riten’: The Mormon Temple Rite as Oral Canon.”- Kathleen Flake. Journal of Ritual Studies 9.2 (1995):1-21. Kathleen Flake is an LDS professor of American Religious History at Vanderbilt...
View Article205- Hugh Nibley on the Temple
“ ‘The Source of All Good Things’: Hugh Nibley and the Temple.” – Boyd Peterson. Hugh Nibley- A Consecrated Life (SLC: Greg Kofford Books, 2002): 351-363, esp. 355-56. Details Hugh Nibley’s involvement...
View Article250- Richard Oman, SLC Temple exterior Symbolism
Richard G. Oman- “Exterior Symbolism of the Salt Lake Temple: Reflecting the Faith that Called the Place into Being” BYU Studies, Examines the history and symbolism of the SLC Temple- moonstones,...
View Article251- Richard Bennet on Endowment and ordinances for Dead
Richard Bennet, “‘Line upon Line, Precept upon Precept: Reflections on the 1877 Commencement of the Performance of Endowments and Sealings for the Dead” BYU Studies 44:3 (2005). Summary. A copy may be...
View ArticleBook of Mormon- Title Page
Ludlow Daniel H. “The Title Page.” FNDF p.19-33. David B. Honey. “Historiography of the Title Page.” JBMS 3:1 Clyde J. Williams. “More Light on Who Wrote the Title Page.” JBMS 10:2, 2001. Eldin Ricks....
View Article1 Nephi stuff
1 Nephi Frederick Axelgard. “1 and 2 Nephi: An Inspiring Whole.” BYUS 26:4 ():53-66. Noel Reynolds. “Nephi’s Outline.” BOMA, 53-73. Also in BYUS 20:2 ():131-150. Rulon D. Eames. “First Book of Nephi.”...
View ArticleUpdates, links, and reports
I notice it’s been over a year since my last post. During that time, I’ve made some minor improvements behind the scenes, but I’ve been largely unavailable to devote as much time as I want to here. Our...
View ArticleGerman practice
For those of us studying the Bible or Ancient Near East, acquisition of German reading skills is a must. (It’s often said that German is the most important Semitic language, an insider joke of sorts,...
View ArticleTemple, Tabernacle, and Church: What’s the difference?
According to this talk by Elder Ballard, many non-LDS confuse LDS temples, tabernacles, and churches. They know that non-LDS aren’t allowed to enter, uh, churches? Wait, temples? I know this… Lots of...
View ArticleBrief Thoughts on Change
As time goes by, older and venerated prophets and apostles are inevitably succeeded by new ones. I have a post to put up about President Hinckley and the temple, but I was thinking about changes. We...
View ArticleGuestpost at FPR
I’ve written up a post about a passage from Ugaritic literature and the LDS temple over at FaithPromotingRumor. Check it out.
View ArticleClik here to view.
Worth keeping? Or let it die?
I have obviously not given this site the attention I’d intended, for which I offer the usual excuses and self-incriminations. Time has come for me to renew the domain names, plural since I acquired...
View ArticleComing Out of the Anonymity Closet…
I’ve kept this blog and page pseudonymous for several years, but I’ve decided there’s no longer a point to doing so. If you’d like to unmask The Monk, I have a new Old Testament blog here.
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