Last year Terryl Givens published a handy introduction to The Book of Mormon as part of the Very Short Introduction series from Oxford University Press. (There are now more than 200 titles in print, ranging from African history to Kant to particle physics to the World Trade Organization; they are wonderful resources.) Most of these brief volumes synthesize hundreds of studies that have been produced over many decades; they offer a quick synopsis of scholarly consensus.
Givens was at something of a disadvantage, however, since apart from the scholarship on the coming forth of the Book of Mormon and its reception (which he had already masterfully reviewed in his By the Hand of Mormon), he was often breaking new ground in his The Book of Mormon: A Very Short Introduction. This was particularly the case in his chapter identifying major themes in the Nephite record. Latter-day Saints have just begun reading their scriptures comprehensively, and thematic analysis is not as easy as one might assume.
For instance, quick, what are the main themes of the book of Jeremiah? Don’t just name a few of your favorite verses (Jeremiah 1:5 and 16:16 come to mind for me), but think about the book as a whole.
Biblical scholars generally begin by noting major sections within the text such as the oracles against Judah and Israel (ch. 1-25, mostly in poetry, with some exceptions such as the temple sermon in ch. 7), the prose narratives of Jeremiah’s prophetic activity (ch. 26-45), the oracles against foreign nations (ch. 46-51; again mostly in poetry), and a historical appendix (ch. 52). But are there themes that hold across these diverse prophetic materials?
After decades of scholarly analysis, most standard reference books share the same general perceptions: Jeremiah was concerned with the covenant, exile, restoration, and a Deuteronomistic approach to history (Stephen Harris, The Old Testament); or Yahweh, sin and judgment, grace and salvation (The Anchor Bible Dictionary); or the covenant relationship and restoration (The New Oxford Annotated Bible).
We can similarly identify the basic structure of The Book of Mormon — the Small Plates, Mormon’s abridgement of the Large Plates, and Moroni’s additions (along with important subsections within those divisions), but what are the themes that seem to continue throughout the text? The Book of Mormon, of course, is much longer and more complex than the book of Jeremiah. In fact, it addresses an enormous number of issues and concerns. How might one identify the half-dozen or so that are the most significant? Givens has suggested the following themes: 1) personal revelation, 2) a focus on Jesus Christ, 3) wilderness and varieties of Zion, 4) new configurations of scripture, and 5) the centrality of family.
Evaluating Givens’ Themes
This is a great start, but how might we determine whether these are indeed the very most important messages of the book? (Sadly, in a Very Short Introduction, Givens’ did not really have much space to argue for or defend his choices systematically.) This is where scholarly debate — perhaps better described as informed conversation — comes in.
So let’s think along with Professor Givens. You’ve probably read The Book of Mormon. Are there crucial themes that he has overlooked? Do his interpretations match your own understanding of the book? Let’s start with the latter question.
Of his six themes, the strongest contender for me is #2. Clearly The Book of Mormon preaches of Christ from beginning to end, consistently and vigorously. The addition in 1982 of the subtitle “Another Testament of Jesus Christ” is entirely in keeping with what the book actually says. And I agree that the fascination with interpreting scripture (think of Nephi quoting Isaiah), preserving records, and writing the word of God are constant concerns of the Nephite authors (theme #4).
Personal revelation (#1) is certainly present; I remember Nephi seeking a confirmation of his father’s dream (1 Ne. 10) and berating Laman and Lemuel for their refusal to “inquire of the Lord” (1 Ne. 15). Similarly, Alma the Elder asks God to tell him how he should administer church discipline (Mosiah 26), Ammon prays to know what to do with the Anti-Nephi-Lehies (Alma 27), and both Mormon and Moroni request and receive revelations about doctrine and what they should include in their record (3 Ne. 29, Ether 12, Moroni 8). There is also the famous promise of Moroni 10:4.
Revelation seems to be available to all people, not just prophets. But there are also counterexamples. Why does the chief captain Zoram ask Alma to inquire of the Lord whether he should go in pursuit of some captives rather than asking God himself (Alma 16:5-6)? Perhaps Zoram felt unworthy. But Captain Moroni, in many ways a spiritual giant, does the same thing at Alma 43:23. Did he doubt that God would answer his prayers? I don’t think that Givens is wrong about this theme, but a more careful, nuanced analysis is needed.
The last two themes, Zion and family, are obviously part of the Book of Mormon, but I wonder if they aren’t more important to saints in the latter days than they were to the Nephite narrators. Because of additional knowledge that comes from the Doctrine and Covenants, and because we think often about the implications of a worldwide church, perhaps we are particularly attuned to any references to Zion that we may encounter.
We also put a great deal of emphasis on family values these days. But it is striking how little The Book of Mormon has to say about family relationships, apart from the connection between fathers and sons. There is next to nothing about husbands and wives or about mothers and children. (There’s a reason why we all quote Alma 56:48 on Mother’s Day; that’s about all there is.) And daughters are nearly invisible. So if The Book of Mormon focuses on family, it certainly does not cover the full range of familial relationships. Indeed, we might want to reconsider whether families — at least as we understand the term today — are really a central theme.
Considering Alternatives
Our task becomes more challenging when we try to come up with major themes that did not make it into Givens’ Very Short Introduction. I’ll just toss out a few suggestions; you can undoubtedly think of more.
A. Covenants. This term appears more than 100 times in The Book of Mormon, though a careful analysis would have to identify the different covenants that various prophets allude to, and what our covenant obligations might be.
B. The House of Israel. Nephi, Jesus, and Moroni all speak extensively about the destiny of the House of Israel, especially as they interact with the Gentiles in the latter-days (and don’t forget the long allegory of the Olive Tree in Jacob 5!). Is this concern a subset of the previous item? Or is it important enough to warrant a separate entry in a list of major themes?
C. Prophecy and Its Fulfillment. Clearly, Mormon took pains to correlate predictions and fulfillments in his narrative, and The Book of Mormon is focused on readers who are living in the era when its prophecies will come to pass.
D. Moral Government. Many, many chapters are devoted to war and peace, or to exemplary leaders and the dangers of secret combinations.
E. Obedience. Lehi’s promise — that “inasmuch as ye keep my commandments, ye shall prosper in the land” — is repeated twenty times in The Book of Mormon (though after Alma 50, it seems to disappear).
It was recently pointed out to me how Nephi’s first direct quotation at 1 Ne. 3:7 (“I will go and do the things which the Lord hath commanded”) is matched by his last words at 2 Ne. 33:15: “for thus the Lord hath commanded me, and I must obey.” Surely obedience was a theme of Nephi’s life.
F. Social Justice. Book of Mormon prophets regularly decry great disparities between the wealthy and the poor. They don’t offer much guidance about the relative merits of government intervention versus private charity, but it is clear the societies that do not care for “the poor and the needy, the sick and the afflicted” are under condemnation (Mormon 8:37).
G. The Church. Great attention is given throughout the book to ordinances, authority, and the way that church members should treat each other.
H. Coming to Christ. By both sermon and example, The Book of Mormon provides instruction on how to come to Christ through faith and repentance, and also what it means to live as a disciple of Christ.
I. Mercy. This word (along with “merciful”) appears more than 130 times, beginning with the first chapter (1 Ne. 1:14) and ending with the last (Moroni 10:3).
J. Belief and skepticism. Nephi and subsequent prophets worry a great deal about how to convince others of the truth of their testimony, and promised blessings are often conditioned upon faith.
K. Deliverance. This can encompass physical deliverance from danger or bondage, as well as spiritual deliverance from death and hell. We see instances of both throughout The Book of Mormon.
If I were ever asked to help with a new edition of The Book of Mormon, I would suggest splitting the last verse of 1 Nephi 1 in half, in order to highlight themes I, J. and K. Thus 1 Ne. 1:31 would read: “But behold, I Nephi will show unto you that the tender mercies of the Lord are over all those whom he hath chosen, because of their faith, to make them mighty even unto the power of deliverance.”
How Do We Know?
So are any of my suggested themes more persuasive than Givens’ top five? (Or are there others that I have missed?) It’s not fair to shrug and say, “Well, they’re all important,” or, “Some may be more urgent for certain people at certain times.” The question is, “What are the half dozen major themes of The Book of Mormon?” Surely the authors intended to communicate something, and before we go on to apply lessons in our own lives, it is useful to determine what they wanted us to get from their writings. Skilled reading requires us to make distinctions, offer judgments, test hypotheses, and draw conclusions.
In the end, we may never have complete confidence in our ability to read minds from two thousand years ago (especially in translation), but some interpretations are clearly better than others. For example, I don’t think that pacifism is a major theme (the Anti-Nephi-Lehies are a special case, and Helaman seems more concerned with their keeping their vow rather than with pacifism as a universal ideology). Similarly, racial issues matter less than many critics suppose (there are only a few verses that speak of skin color, and by Helaman and 3 Nephi, righteousness is not connected at all to complexion).
We can, however, specify the sort of evidence or criteria that might help us make more reasonable determinations. Which themes are repeated often? Which show up throughout the book? Which appear both explicitly in sermons and also implicitly in stories? Which are highlighted by the narrator’s comments — not just “thus we see passages,” but also editorial interruptions such as 2 Ne. 11, Mosiah 23:21-24, Alma 48:11-20, Hel. 12, and Ether 12?
As in biblical scholarship, understanding the structure of the text is important. Could you point out Mormon’s four major comment sections in 3 Nephi? (These are easier to see in my Reader’s Edition, and are discussed in chapter 7 of Understanding The Book of Mormon.) Which themes are reflected in the flow of the narrative? For instance, Givens is surely right when he asserts that, “Christology in The Book of Mormon is not an occasional intrusion, but the narrative backbone of the story, and the dramatic point of orientation” (p. 27).
By this point, I hope you realize that I’m not dismissing Terryl Givens’ work, but rather using it as a starting point for what I hope will be a rich, stimulating, vital conversation about the main messages of The Book of Mormon. As we weigh various interpretations against each other and against the text, it is important that we sometimes disagree — politely, of course, and in a manner that is open to being persuaded by evidence. This is the way that progress is made in any field, from science and business to the humanities and scripture study. I was persuaded by Givens’ themes of Christ and scripture, but what should the next three or four be?
As we put forward our strongest arguments about the major themes of The Book of Mormon, we will come to know the text better, we will be able to apply its lessons more consistently and fairly, and we will become better readers. And the best news is that anyone can play this game. Hopefully, when we examine the various proposals and rationales in a critical but generous manner, we can eventually come to a consensus about what The Book of Mormon really means.