Book Review: The Anatomy of Book of Mormon Theology, by Joseph M Spencer (2 volumes)
Most older Christian religions have a systematic belief system. Because it is a rather young Christian Church and it strongly believes in continuing revelation, the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints does not have a systematic belief system. While a few Latter-day Saints have attempted to provide theories on various concepts, even suggesting tentative systems for us to use, the Church largely has few actual core doctrines. Many of the things we believe in the Church are theoretical, ways to better understand the core doctrines. For example, Christ as Savior is a core doctrine. HOW Christ effectuated the atonement is mostly theoretical. There are many theories, both in general Christianity and in the Restored Church on how Christ atoned for our sins.
So, to paraphrase, as Joseph Spencer once noted, Mormon's don't have systematized theology, they do theology. In the introduction to volume 2, Spencer notes that while some worry theology and reason seek to replace revelation, "rightly pursued, theology is reflection on revelation."
For Spencer, when it comes to scripture, and particularly the Book of Mormon, Latter-day Saints do not look deeply into the teachings. We tend to teach and learn an inch deep and a mile wide. We also tend to load up lots of personal theory on top of doctrine, often replacing truth with something less. Examples of this would be views for much of Church history on blacks and the priesthood. For some reason, a ban was placed on blacks receiving it. From that basic ban came decades of speculation on why there was a ban, much of it based on faulty reading of scripture. For example, the curse on the Canaanites in the Book of Moses could not apply to black people, because the Canaanites were Semitic - closely related to the Hebrews. Still, the tradition continued even beyond the 1978 revelation on the priesthood This caused the Church to make an official statement regarding all of the old theories and the racist views behind those beliefs.
As it is, there are many things we believe, or the Church members have believed for many years that just are not taught in scripture, including the Book of Mormon. This is one of the reasons for Spencer's two volume focus on the Book of Mormon.
The books include several of his earlier essays, some previously given in seminars, others unpublished. He gives a generous commentary before each essay to explain the background of the writing and key points he may wish we noted.
The sections and chapters include
Volume 1
Halting First Steps
1. Faith, Hope, and Charity: Alma and Joseph Smith, 3
2. Nephi, Isaiah, and Europe, 15
3. René Girard and Mormon Scripture: A Response, 31
4. Prolegomena to Any Future Study of Isaiah in the Book of Mormon, 45
Running toward Theology
5. The Humanist’s Book of Mormon, 65
6. The Book, the Words of the Book: What the Book of Mormon Says about Its Own Coming Forth, 73
7. Toward a New Vision of Apologetics, 91
8. The Structure of the Book of Alma, 105
9. Introducing Comparative Scripture to Mormonism: Preliminary Thoughts, 117
Traditional Theology: Atonement
10. The Time of Sin, 127
11. Resurrection and Grace:
Toward a Nephite Theology of Atonement, 145
12. What Can We Do? Reflections on 2 Nephi 25:23, 171
13. Cross and Shame: Theorizing a Book of Mormon Theme, 187
14. Amulek and Alma: Atonement,
Traditional Theology: Other Themes
15. Typology and Messianism in the (Book of) Mormon Experience, 225
16. Mothers, Daughters, Wives, and Women: Notes on Gender in First Nephi, 235
17. Toward a Nephite Pneumatology, 247
18. The Messianic Body in the Book of Mormon, 259
19. Christ and Krishna: The Visions of Arjuna and the Brother of Jared,
Volume 2
A Prologue of Sorts
1. Toward a Methodology for the Theological Interpretation of the Book of Mormon, 3
Microscopic Theology
2. Weeping for Zion, 19
3. Potent Messianism: Textual, Historical, and Theological Notes on 1 Nephi 1:18–20, 45
4. Seams, Cracks, and Fragments: Notes on the Human Condition, 71
5. As Though, As Though Not: Time, Being, and Negation, 89
6. Law, Grace, Sovereignty in 2 Nephi 2, 113
Macroscopic Theology
7. Mormon Conversion, Christian Conversion: Comparing Conversion Narratives in the Book of Mormon and the New Testament, 133
8. The Book of Mormon as Biblical Interpretation: An Approach to LDS Biblical Studies, 143
9. Isaiah 52 in the Book of Mormon: Notes on Isaiah’s Reception History, 167
10. The Book of Mormon’s Use of Isaiah 53, 197
11. “After This Manner Hath the Prophet Written”: Isaiah 48 in the Book of Mormon, 205
12. Biblical Contributions to the Book of Mormon’s Presentation of Gender, 227
Theological Invitations
13. On a Dawning Era for the Book of Mormon, 241
14. The Self-Critical Book of Mormon: Notes on an Emergent Literary Approach, 253
15. A Mormon Reads A Pentecostal Reads the Book of Mormon, 267
16. Notes on Novelty: Regarding Adam Miller’s Rube Goldberg Machines, 277
17. “And It Came to Pass”: A Response to Adam Miller’s “Theoscatology,” 285
18. Sin, 291
An Epilogue of Sorts
19. Mormons, Films, Scriptures, 301
While this anthology focuses on theology, there is some discussion on historical and textual criticism. All of it gets us below the surface and deeply into what the Book of Mormon says on many topics.
Spencer begins by discussing why Nephi copies so much of Isaiah, particularly in 2 Nephi. Spencer explains that Nephi was commanded to write the small plates in order to record the "plain and precious things" of God. 1 Nephi focuses on the early history of the Nephites, and most of 2 Nephi focuses on those plain and precious things. Nephi includes teachings of Isaiah and his brother Jacob (who also quotes Isaiah), because they are the Three Witnesses of the Messiah. Each had seen Christ in vision, and in the mouth of two or three witnesses God establishes his word.
Spencer spends several chapters on these chapters in Nephi, helping us to see many things that are hidden in Isaiah's words, because for most people (including Nephi's people), Isaiah is hard to understand. As Spencer shows, the three Witnesses show that all things lead to the covenant God has with Israel, and the Messiah. Both Nephi and Isaiah focused on the remnant of the Jews (which would include Nephi and his family), who were still under the covenant. We learn what Nephi meant when he explained why Isaiah was hard for many to understand, but that he would "liken" Isaiah's words to the Nephite world and the Lehi Covenant (similar to the Abrahamic Covenant that Isaiah speaks of, with a promise of seed and a promised land for the obedient).
Many of the chapters in the anthology focus on just a few verses in the Book of Mormon. While I've read the Book of Mormon over 75 times over the past 40 years, Spencer surprised me often with things I had not noticed before. For example, in 1 Nephi 1, we find Lehi has his visions of God on his throne and the Messiah comes down and gives him a book to read. Lehi then is sent to Jerusalem to call the people to repentance. We read:
"And it came to pass that the did him because of the things which he testified of them; for he truly testified of their and their abominations; and he testified that the things which he saw and heard, and also the things which he read in the book, manifested plainly of the coming of a , and also the redemption of the world.
"And when the Jews heard these things they were angry with him; yea, even as with the prophets of old, whom they had , and stoned, and slain; and they also his life, that they might take it away...." (1 Ne 1:19-20)
Spencer shows that when Lehi spoke of the people's sins and called them to repent, they laughed and mocked him. However, when he also spoke of the coming Messiah, they became angry and sought to kill him.
As Spencer discussed this concept, I thought of other examples in scripture that reflects this interesting set of reactions. When Stephen (Book of Acts) condemned the people of their sin, they listened quietly. It wasn't until he taught about Jesus as Messiah that the Jews became enraged and stone him to death. The same occurred with Abinadi, who first taught them about the 10 Commandments, but they became enraged when he spoke of the Messiah. Even Nephi calls his own people "stiff necked" because they choose to only follow the Law of Moses, and not embrace the Messiah (2 Nephi 25), which statements caused Laman and Lemuel to seek to slay their younger brother.
It seems that a systematic list of commandments is easier to deal with than to accept the concept that there really is a Messiah, a Savior of the world. This holds true today, as many traditional Christians accept the Bible, but become angry because Joseph Smith saw the Father and the Son in his great First Vision. People angrily reject the greatest revelation of all: Jesus Christ in his fullness.
Spencer also discusses at length the concept of "grace" in the Book of Mormon. He shows that the Book of Mormon teaches "saved by grace and judged by works." However, as a severe reaction to Protestant cheap grace, the 20th century Church backed away from the concept of grace and focused on works and obedience instead. In the early 1990s, many LDS scholars sought a better form that included grace. Spencer notes Stephen Robinson's "Believing Christ" as an example of the beginning change in the Church embracing grace. Still, Robinson's view, though better than previous teachings, still fell short. All of these focused on a concept Spencer calls "saved by works and judged by grace." It is based on the concept that we are "saved by grace after all we can do" (2 Nephi 25:23). We work as hard as we can to be obedient, working to save ourselves, and then hope that grace fills in the gaps. This "God of the gaps" was what I was taught when I joined the Church in the 1970s. Yet, as I studied the Book of Mormon, I couldn't find him in there. Spencer explains that "all we can do" is do what Nephi taught in the previous verses: "believe in Christ and be reconciled to God." Nephi's continuing sermon focuses less on works, and mostly on our accepting Christ's grace by embracing the Doctrine of Christ: faith in Christ, repentance, baptism/ordinances/covenants, gift of the Holy Ghost. Nephi then explains in the same chapter that as we bow ourselves down and worship God with all our heart, might, mind and strength, we are reconciled to God. Only then after we are saved (from physical and spiritual death) are we judged for our works. In this sense, talks over the last 20 years on Becoming (Pres Oaks) and others become understandable. Once saved, we can begin the process of becoming sanctified, or more holy, going from "grace to grace, receiving grace for grace" (D&C 93).
"Works" does not mean obedience to laws, though that is important. In 2 Nephi 25, Nephi condemns his people as being "stiff necked" because they only seek to obey the Law of Moses, wanting to save themselves by keeping the 10 Commandments and doing animal sacrifice. As Spencer notes, we cannot save ourselves. As with Stephen Robinson's wife in "Believing Christ", we will only experience spiritual and physical burn out. But in following Christ through grace, our desire to obey becomes a joy and a blessing.
One of Spencer's most profound theological concepts is for us to really study scripture. He notes we tend to read the Book of Mormon at a rather steady pace until something catches our eye. Only then do we pause.
"What if we were to begin by pausing, paradoxical as that may wound?"
What if we were to treat every single verse "important in its own way?" And, "what would it look like to act like that (every verse important) is really true?"
Spencer asks us what happens when we slow down. He gives an example. Yearly, the LDS Theological Seminar takes two weeks in the summer to study about 20 verses. This group of scholars inspect and re-inspect every word, term and phrase. Why did the prophet write these words? Why did the prophet use the words he did? What was he truly trying to explain to us? Is there more than one way to understand a verse?
Theology can be hard and can get us into the weeds at times, as you will see occasionally in Spencer's two volume Anthology of Book of Mormon Theology. However, we often find diamonds hiding in the weeds, or a Pearl of Great Price lying deep on the ocean floor. It is only when we are willing to make the greater effort that we can gain a deeper and truer appreciation of ancient prophets. If you hate reading Isaiah, perhaps it is because you haven't done the work to love him.
Speaking of the Fountain of Knowledge and Wisdom (the Pierian Springs), Alexander Pope wrote:
A little learning is a dangerous thing;
Drink deep, or taste not the Pierian spring:
There shallow draughts intoxicate the brain,
And drinking largely sobers us again.
Fired at first sight with what the Muse imparts,
In fearless youth we tempt the heights of Arts,
While from the bounded level of our mind
Short views we take, nor see the lengths behind;
But more advanced, behold with strange surprise
New distant scenes of endless science rise!
This anthology will help you begin your journey in drinking deeply of the Pierian Springs found in the Book of Mormon. We can choose to continue drinking lightly from the gold plates and occasionally feel happily intoxicated by something that catches our eye, or we can drink deeply and find wisdom in every verse and sentence therein. Spencer will show you how to take a closer look at some important concepts within the Book of Mormon.
Anthology of the Book of Mormon Theology by Joseph M. Spencer is now available at
Greg Kofford Books
and at Amazon
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