Preserving BYU’s Ancient Papyri, Parchments, and Ostraca

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Joseph Trevor Antley and Dr. Lincoln Blumell, Ancient Scripture Currently approximately 80% of the hundreds of ancient papyrus, parchment, and ostracon fragments contained in the L. Tom Perry Special Collections of BYU’s Harold B. Lee Library have been successfully preserved by myself and the others who worked on this project with me, ensuring that these […]

Abinadi, an Opera in Two Acts

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Meredith Ryan Taylor and Dr. David Sargent, Music Abinadi, at the time of this report, has not been completed. Originally the opera was intended to be finished with an orchestration requiring soloists, chorus and a small instrumental ensemble of not more than twenty players. Early on in the process of writing, Dr. Lawrence Vincent (head […]

TEXTUAL FINGERPRINTING: UNCOVERING BOOK OF MORMON MATERIAL IN THE JOSEPH SMITH TRANSLATION OF THE BIBLE

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Donald Patrick Bradley, Ancient Scripture The Problem During the first three years of the LDS Church, Joseph Smith spent much of his time revising or retranslating the Bible. He intended to clarify obscure passages, restore lost truths, and weed out errors that had found their way into the sacred text. Although the resulting “Joseph Smith […]

CORRESPONDENCE BETWEEN THE SPARTANS AND THE JEWS IN 1 MACCABEES

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Carl Griffin, International Area Studies On December 9, 1993, I was informed by letter that I had been chosen as a recipient of the Research and Creative Work Scholarship. I was delighted at the time at the prospect of exploring my proposed research topic, and am now pleased to report the results of that research. […]

Document Collection and Data Entry For a Refined Huguenot Immigrant Database With an Emphasis on New York and Rhode Island

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Kirk Skidmore and Jacob Ekins with Professor Byron R. Merrill, Ancient Scripture During the 16th and 17th centuries, the Huguenots (French Protestants) suffered bitter religious persecution at the hands of their fellow countrymen. Some recanted their faith but many continued to live, some publicly and others privately, according to the dictates of their consciences. Difficulties for […]

Chiastic Inclusio in the Pentateuch: The Covenantal Ring1

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Shannon Murdock and Dr. Roger Baker, English and Richard Draper, Ancient Scripture Various LDS scholars have taken pains to point out the paucity of LDS scholarship on the Joseph Smith Translation (JST) of the Bible. Priceless as it is, the JST’s literary contribution to the Old Testament remains largely unexplored. Even LDS readers are uninformed […]

A Virtual Passover

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Daron L. Janis and Dr. Victor Ludlow, Ancient Scripture Passover is the central liturgical festival of Judaism, celebrating the Israelite deliverance from Egyptian slavery. It reminds Jews of the birth of their nation and God’s solemn covenant with their ancestors. In fact, Passover has traversed religious boundaries, carrying its significance into both mainstream Christian and […]

The Doctrine of Pre-existence: A Window into the Latter-day Saint Concept of Restoration

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Chris Coltrin and Dr. S Kent Brown, Ancient Scripture The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints claims to be a church of restoration—restoring what was taught in the church that Christ established when on the earth. My research sought to substantiate the claim of restoration by examining an unusual doctrine in the LDS Church […]

The Waldenses: A People Prepared for the Lord

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David Rolph Seely and Dr. Jared M. Halverson, Ancient Scripture Over three hundred years before Martin Luther drove his ninety-five theses into the door of Catholicism, another Protestant group was being driven from their homes amidst the Alps&the Waldenses. Named for Peter Waldo, this early Christian sect rejected the authority of the Catholic Church and […]