All that aside, the book is fascinating as it takes the risks of humanizing sacred stories with human flaws as well as asserting, on occasion, that perhaps the Mormon story behind its production deserves a closer look. It has helped me read the BOM in a different way and I can't stop sharing what I learn to see what other people think of it. It took me over a year to inch my way through it sporadically while reading alongside the Book of Mormon itself. Plus Ishmael does something I just can't imagine! I was interested in the narrators of the Book of Mormon and started reading with anticipation, and there were definitely some interesting insights which caused me to look at the situation differently; however when I finished reading, I felt slightly dirty. As a believer, I've used aids to read the Book of Mormon my entire life. Some might say mind-numbing boring. Hardy side steps the argument about whether the Book of Mormon is of ancient origins or not, and instead delves into the narrative of the Book of Mormon, clearly illustrating that three distinct authors - Nephi, Mormon, and Moroni - compiled the book. I appreciate his bracketing historical claims and instead focusing on the literary richness that is there. Mormon / ˈ m ɔːr m ən / is believed by members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints to be a prophet-historian and a member of a tribe of indigenous Americans known as the Nephites, one of the four groups (including the Lamanites, Jaredites, and Mulekites) described in the Book of Mormon as having settled in the ancient Americas. That alone should draw attention and help potential readers ignore the terribly generic title and stock photograph decorating the book's cover. Almost five stars, except for the latter half when the study laboriously went through example after example of parallelism. The Made Harder series is proof that making things easier does not always make them better. But Hardy's guide put more color into the characters. Nephi recognized that even though they had left Jerusalem only one hundred years or so after Isaiah concluded his writings, Isaiah was a difficult book for his people to understand (v. 1). Even in the true church, among those who should be enlightened by the gift of the Holy Ghost, there are those who skip the Isaiah chapters in the Book of Mormon as though they were part of a sealed book, which perhaps they are to them. You could be forgiven for reading a few particularly enlightening chapters and skipping some of the minutiae that is necessary to fully flush out the author's arguments. It's dense and at times beyond my reading comprehension. Grant acknowledges the issues the book has (anachronisms, contradictions, failures, and biases) and frames them not as problems to be solved but as part of the. The LDS system of footnoting is unique. This means that if a concept is taught in the Bible, the footnote for the verse in the Book of Mormon can tell you where to find it in the Bible. Near the beginning of his book, Isaiah describes how he was called as a prophet. I felt like I was back taking an English class in college. Insights from my daily study of the Book of Mormon. It took me almost two years to get through, partially due to the writing style, but mostly because of the many issues that Grant Hardy mentioned, which I sometimes spent weeks researching. I enjoyed this book way more than expected even though it comes to the topic from a spiritually agnostic point of view. I can't recommend this book enough. I borrowed from the library but I will definitely buy. Rather than seeing it as a jumble of odd stories,difficult and disjointed, the author offers a detailed guide to the contents that meets the needs of both believers and outsiders. I've read through this book twice now and have found it to be one of the most interesting studies on the Book of Mormon published yet. All the text of the Book of Mormon—as well as large, lined margins—will give you a large canvas to express your thoughts, document insights you've received, or create your own visual art illuminations, or calligraphy, enhancing your daily study and creating a record that will endure. This book carefully makes connections within the text that are not obvious, and with those connection makes a compelling case that The Book of Mormon is a sophisticated work of scripture, and not just propagandistic ramblings of a country boy. Dr. Hardy's aim is not to produce a sum. I read this to try to get some understanding of what Mormons are all about. The basic elements of Book of Mormon geography are discussed, and the authors and keepers of the sacred records are listed. I really feel like I understand so much more now! 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