Bokovoy Teaches Book Of Mormon As Literature

[Robert F. Smith]

Fall 2013 evening class in Religious Studies at the University of Utah

 

David E. Bokovoy,  CLCS 4900,  “Book of Mormon as Literature”  T,TH  7:15 PM - 8:35 PM   OSH 137

 

http://www.sltrib.com/sltrib/news/56734589-78/mormon-book-church-class.html.csp 

 

http://www.deseretnews.com/article/865584673/University-of-Utah-to-offer-course-on-literary-qualities-of-Book-of-Mormon.html 

 

Dr. Bokovoy is the Mormon Studies postdoctoral fellow at the U of U, and also teaches Hebrew.

Anyone who has ever attended his courses knows that he is an extraordinarily talented teacher.  Today, for example, he taught us about temple imagery in the Bible at BYU Education Week in Provo.  There was standing room only in the Varsity Theater, and people I met there have been returning to hear him for several years.  I think that he is developing a personality cult . . .  

 

 

 

[Tacenda]

I tried to sign up for the class at the U of U and I'm afraid I'm too late for the Fall semester, I hope he teaches this particular class again in the future!

[Calm]

Too late for registering or too late because it is full? If the first, you can ask him if you can sit in on his classes. I have found most professors nice about this for older students who aren't students. You can read everything, but don't do the work or take tests so it's no extra work for them. I also try to stay silent in class and let the others ask questions unless I had a really good one...at least in my view.

[Tacenda]

Too late for registering or too late because it is full? If the first, you can ask him if you can sit in on his classes. I have found most professors nice about this for older students who aren't students. You can read everything, but don't do the work or take tests so it's no extra work for them. I also try to stay silent in class and let the others ask questions unless I had a really good one...at least in my view.

Too late for registering. I'll have to get the nerve to ask. Thanks for the advice.

[Mark Beesley]

Too late for registering or too late because it is full? If the first, you can ask him if you can sit in on his classes. I have found most professors nice about this for older students who aren't students. You can read everything, but don't do the work or take tests so it's no extra work for them. I also try to stay silent in class and let the others ask questions unless I had a really good one...at least in my view.

I was a young student who wasn't a student . . . I think my parents referred to it as slacking.  Old students who aren't students are just confused.  

[Tacenda]

I was a young student who wasn't a student . . . I think my parents referred to it as slacking.  Old students who aren't students are just confused.  

No, old students are there to listen & learn, younger students just want to pass the class and go out and party! Just kidding there might be a few out there that want to learn.

[Damien the Leper]

Dr. Bokovoy is one of my heroes. Woot woot!

[Robert F. Smith]

I tried to sign up for the class at the U of U and I'm afraid I'm too late for the Fall semester, I hope he teaches this particular class again in the future!

You can still sign up through Continuing Education at http://continue.utah.edu/ , or call them at 801-581-6461, or stop by and see them at 1901 E. South Campus Dr. #1215.

Classes begin Aug 26, and you can even sign up for the next two weeks..

[Tacenda]

You can still sign up through Continuing Education at http://continue.utah.edu/ , or call them at 801-581-6461, or stop by and see them at 1901 E. South Campus Dr. #1215.

Classes begin Aug 26, and you can even sign up for the next two weeks..

Great, but having trouble locating the class on the Continuing Ed page. Any more help would be much appreciated, or I'll call the number. Thanks Robert!

[Calm]

http://continue.utah.edu/noncredit/class/clcs_490_book_of_mormon_as_literature

[Tacenda]

http://continue.utah.edu/noncredit/class/clcs_490_book_of_mormon_as_literature

Thank you Cal, it's late haha. Now I need to decide if I'm going to drop that amount of cash. I figure it will be well worth the money. I've never liked reading in scripture form, prefer story form. And I hear he's awesome. Then afterwards I might see what all the fuss is about. Admitting that I've never gotten into the BoM is quite embarrassing to say the least.

[bluebell]

Thank you Cal, it's late haha. Now I need to decide if I'm going to drop that amount of cash. I figure it will be well worth the money. I've never liked reading in scripture form, prefer story form. And I hear he's awesome. Then afterwards I might see what all the fuss is about. Admitting that I've never gotten into the BoM is quite embarrassing to say the least.

I would be surprised if this class entailed changing the BOM text into story form.

The bible as literature classes I've been aware of didn't do that, but perhaps this class is all together different from others I've had experience with.

[Robert F. Smith]

Great, but having trouble locating the class on the Continuing Ed page. Any more help would be much appreciated, or I'll call the number. Thanks Robert!

Yeh, the course is listed several pages into the list, so you have to keep going.

[Robert F. Smith]

Thank you Cal, it's late haha. Now I need to decide if I'm going to drop that amount of cash. I figure it will be well worth the money. I've never liked reading in scripture form, prefer story form. And I hear he's awesome. Then afterwards I might see what all the fuss is about. Admitting that I've never gotten into the BoM is quite embarrassing to say the least.

Bokovoy is very entertaining, besides which he actually knows what he is talking about.

 

His textbook is Grant Hardy, Understanding the Book of Mormon (and Hardy knows what he is talking about too).

[Tacenda]

Bokovoy is very entertaining, besides which he actually knows what he is talking about.

His textbook is Grant Hardy, Understanding the Book of Mormon (and Hardy knows what he is talking about too).

Oh, I guess I hadn't thought about him teaching from a textbook before. Good to know.

Don't tell anyone , but I was hoping this class would teach enough about the BoM that I would actually know what people are talking about when discussing the stories and passages for once.

[Kenngo1969]

Oh, I guess I hadn't thought about him teaching from a textbook before. Good to know.

Don't tell anyone , but I was hoping this class would teach enough about the BoM that I would actually know what people are talking about when discussing the stories and passages for once.

I don't want to insult your intelligence (and whatever else you think of me, this is a suggestion that's genuinely intended to help you ).  To this day, if I had one, I could sit down and probably read the Children's Book of Mormon Reader from cover to cover.  Perhaps you would find that to be a good introduction to the Book of Mormon.  I wish you well.

 

P.S.:  It's amazing what one can find on the Interwebs these days!

 

http://www.lds.org/bc/content/shared/content/english/pdf/language-materials/35666_eng.pdf?lang=eng

[Calm]

Good idea in my view, Ken, especially if Tac leans better visually.

One can also use the seminary or institute manuals to work one's way though the text.

[Kenngo1969]

Good idea in my view, Ken, especially if Tac leans better visually.

One can also use the seminary or institute manuals to work one's way though the text.

Thank you, and good point about different learning styles.

[Calm]

Thank you, and good point about different learning styles.

I have been good on scripture stories since teen years, but I was really bad on church history stuff...especially remembering when what happened when.

 

Reading the D&C/Church History Reader to my kids really helped.

 

There is a program for teaching English using the Scripture Readers...or at least there used to be, don't know if it is current.  Nothing wrong with using kids' stuff if it is the most effective teaching tool for the task.

[Tacenda]

Cal and Ken, thanks for your attention, maybe I am a more visual learner. I think I have an old BoM reader in a box somewhere. I use to read it with my kids when they were small. What I'd like from the class is a way to make the stories come alive and possibly endear me to it's contents. It's people and surroundings. I just feel like it's the same thing over and over, I want the inbetweens that I've apparently skipped over or never read.

[Calm]

If you aren't going to take the class, I would still encourage you to get the text as well as Hardy's Reader's Edition of the Book of Mormon if you haven't already.  The first will help you look at the people as real, multidimensional individuals rather then the one sided types that often get created in one's mind from skimming the stories in class while focusing on doctrine.  The second makes the BoM easier to read, including by identifying what type of text one is reading, such as converting it to poetry format when dealing with such.

 

It will be much cheaper than taking the class and is well worth the investment if serious about scripture study.  Understanding the Book of Mormon is  available in hardback and kindle, but the Reader's Edition is available in paperback as well.

 

For easier reading, there is also the David J. Ridges series The Book of Mormon Made Easier, but one has to be careful with that as to possible authorial interpretation influencing his choices of simplification of wording.  Good price here, cheaper than Amazon's combined pricing:

 

http://bookstore.fairlds.org/product.php?id_product=977

 

PS:  it looks like Ridges' books haven't been translated well to Kindle so I would avoid that and just get them in paperback, used if trying to save money.

[Tacenda]

If you aren't going to take the class, I would still encourage you to get the text as well as Hardy's Reader's Edition of the Book of Mormon if you haven't already.  The first will help you look at the people as real, multidimensional individuals rather then the one sided types that often get created in one's mind from skimming the stories in class while focusing on doctrine.  The second makes the BoM easier to read, including by identifying what type of text one is reading, such as converting it to poetry format when dealing with such.

 

It will be much cheaper than taking the class and is well worth the investment if serious about scripture study.  Understanding the Book of Mormon is  available in hardback and kindle, but the Reader's Edition is available in paperback as well.

 

For easier reading, there is also the David J. Ridges series The Book of Mormon Made Easier, but one has to be careful with that as to possible authorial interpretation influencing his choices of simplification of wording.  Good price here, cheaper than Amazon's combined pricing:

 

http://bookstore.fairlds.org/product.php?id_product=977

 

PS:  it looks like Ridges' books haven't been translated well to Kindle so I would avoid that and just get them in paperback, used if trying to save money.

I'm sitting here in my pj's and not getting anything done.  Messy house, sewing project staring me in the face and thinking how in the world do I think I can take a class like that at the U of U today and do I dare spend the kind of money when I've no idea if I'm going to like it.  Thanks for the book idea, I will try it.