The Gift and Power: Translating the Book of Mormon Rating :
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24 of 28 people found the following review helpful.
Required Reading For All With an Interest In Mormon Studies
By David L. Tayman III
There are three key things that, if a book or paper can accomplish at least one, will instantly endear a book to my heart forever - completely aside from whether or not I agree with the author's main or final conclusions:
1.Cause me to reassess and legitimately question (or even change) a current firmly held position or belief.
2.Cohesively articulate a concept I had already been independently working on, but in a manner far better and more comprehensive than I could possibly have done.
3.Help me to re-evaluate my own life, and clarify my own understanding of my own personal lived experience.
As much as #1 and #2 seem to be of necessity mutually exclusive, Brant Gardner's new book "The Gift and Power: Translating the Book of Mormon" , which I was grateful to receive as an Advanced Reading Copy from the publisher, happened to do both. And, perhaps more meaningful to me, also accomplished #3.
While not answering every single possible question one might think of, Gardner, in this physically slim tome, still covers an unprecedented amount of material ranging all over the scope of Mormon Studies, even creeping into realms of cognitive science(!).
Gardner writes like a gifted diplomat. He finds value in nearly all that has been published on the subjects under discussion, believing apologist and unbelieving critic alike. You will find favorable use of the works of Dan Vogel and D. Michael Quinn right next to the findings of Richard Bushman, Royal Skousen and Blake Ostler. This book does not invalidate or denigrate any of their valuable work, but rather builds upon it, validating much of their efforts, and yet weaving it together in innovative and clarifying ways I didn't think could be possible.
Many other prominent scholars who are not specifically writing on the texts of Mormonism are also utilized, and not simply as proof-texts to confirm an already decided point of view.
In fact, Gardner states several times throughout the book itself that what he found through the process of his writing of this book was not completely in tune to what he expected to find.
Make no mistake, the book is certainly written from a faithful perspective. That is, it begins with the assumption that the Book of Mormon is in fact a legitimate translation of an ancient record. The Book does not attempt to explain why he holds this conclusion - as much of that discussion can be found throughout Gardner's master multi-volume "Second Witness: An Analytical Commentary on the Book of Mormon" (also from Kofford Books).
This book focuses on not the "if" of it being a translation, but rather the "how", or process of transmission, utilizing all of the data available.
The process by which Gardner presents his theory is a masterful layering of material, some of which at times may initially appear unrelated to the main issue at hand. However, in the final chapter, every skillful layer is brought together in a way more impactful than I could have imagined it. The book is a journey - and it's a fun one to travel though.
When all is said and done, I see this as one of the most important and groundbreaking books to come out in the field of Mormon Studies, at a time where there are many important and groundbreaking books coming out in this very rich and expanding field.
While believers will gain new perspectives on history and even possibly the revelatory experience, there is also much of benefit for those who do not believe in a divine origin of the Book of Mormon who simply have an interest in 19th Century religious and Mormon Studies. The data Gardner presents is solid, and although one's perspective going into the book may lead you to differ from his ultimate conclusions, the material he does gather and present is useful for many other discussions of culture and perceptions of religious experience, regardless of one's personal belief or experience.
Do not miss this one.
10 of 10 people found the following review helpful.
Insightful and Reassuring
By John Ericson
I am fascinated by the insights into the restoration and growth of the prophetic gifts of the Prophet Joseph Smith that are available through some of the recent scholarly works available. I, like many I suppose, grew up with the images of the prophet sitting at a table running his fingers along the characters on the plates and translating in a manner that we can grasp based on our limited ability to conceive the hand of divine revelation in the process. Gardner's work provides a greater understanding of the revelatory powers that were exercised by the Prophet in completing the translation of this sacred work by the God given powers bestowed on Joseph Smith for this work. In the recent past I have read "The Gift and Power - Translating the Book of Mormon","Joseph Smith - Rough Store Rolling", and "Hearken, O Ye People - The Historical Setting of Joseph Smith's Ohio Revelations" and each has broadened my understanding of the divine gifts received and developed by the Prophet of the restoration. I applaud the works of Brant Gardner and others like him who provide enlightening information that, intentionally or not, reaffirms my faith in the the divine power that was brought to bear in the restoration of the gospel.
4 of 4 people found the following review helpful.The Gift and Power of Brant Gardner's Book
By Neal Rappleye
Let me start out by saying I am not completely on board with Brant Gardner's thesis. But despite differences of opinion, there is no question that Brant Gardner is on to something with his theory on precisely how the Book of Mormon translation was accomplished. Gardner has masterfully woven a variety of sources together, from wide ranging disciplines, to piece together an explanation of just what happened when Joseph Smith looked into that seer stone and produced a long, complex text in almost no time at all.
Many are calling this the "best" Book of Mormon translation theory so far; I would argue it is the ONLY theory to date. Certainly, it is the most rigorous and developed theory. But as Gardner rightfully points out, most so-called theories are in fact commenting not on the actual process of translation, but rather - inadvertently, as the case may be - commenting on the transmission. This is understandable, since the transmission was an observable event that many close to Joseph Smith witnessed. But Gardner wants to know more than what others saw - he wants to know what Joseph saw, how he saw it, and where it came from. Gardner wants to get inside Joseph's hat - and head - and figure out what was really going on. How do you SEE with your faced buried in the darkness of a hat? And how does what you see there, on a stone, provide the translation of an ancient text? In order to get at these questions, Gardner must necessarily "fill in the blanks" with some speculation, but his ideas are well grounded in research on both the art of scrying and modern neuroscience. Gardner also delves into the "folk magic" background of Joseph Smith's method, and provides what is probably the very best discussion of Joseph Smith and the "magic worldview", how it informed the way he understood himself and his calling, and how the more "official" narrative also developed out of the sources. Gardner successfully utilizes the works others who have attempted to understand Joseph's dabbling in magic, and those who have tried to study the relationship of the present English text to the original ancient text, and when doing so, he is no respecter of persons. He often favorably sights critics and critiques the work apologists. From most researchers, he finds both valuable insights and points of disagreement. He states his disagreements candidly, yet is non-confrontational.
Gardner certainly is not the final word. He is just beginning the conversation; or at least he is taking it in a new direction. And what he offers goes a long way in explaining a variety of issues related to the translation. Others will no doubt build on his work in the same way he has built on the work of those who have gone before. I differ with him on a number of (mostly minor) points, most of which could be accommodated by some minor adjustments to his theory, but I won't go into all that here. Some parts of his theory will no doubt have be revised or discarded as more research moves our understanding forward. But this book will long be recognized as a crucial step toward understanding.
If you are at all interested in how we got the Book of Mormon, then I highly recommend you read this book.
Product Details
- Amazon Sales Rank: #618958 in Books
- Published on: 2011-08-12
- Original language:English
- Dimensions: 10.00" h x6.50" w x.0" l,1.55 pounds
- Binding: Hardcover
- 379 pages
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