Reading through The Book of Mormon as a non-member

[caspianrex]

Although I am not a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, I am currently reading through the entire Book of Mormon for my third time. (I'm almost 80% of the way through...towards the end of Helaman.)

As I read, I'm keeping track of my reading and commenting on passages I find interesting, on KC Kern's excellent Book of Mormon Online site. (I've posted about the site in the past.)

KC (who is a member of the Church) has been encouraging some of his fellow Saints to join in on the study, but I don't think he participates on this forum, so I thought I would extend his invitation here as well. Here's how he has put it in his email invitation to some of his fellow Saints:

Quote

Cory Howell: Methodist Book of Mormon Reader

Meet Cory, a family man from Tennessee who has taken an interest in reading the Book of Mormon, even as a Methodist mainline Christian. He stumbled upon Book of Mormon Online years ago and has been using it as a guide to go through the text. More about him and his story here ▶️.   As he reads, Cory comments and reflects on his progress in a public study group. As an outsider to the text, he has lots of interesting observations and questions that he details in his posts and comments... You too can join the study group and follow Cory on his journey. His comments on the main home feed are a good place to start—you can reply to his posts, answer his questions, and contribute your own insights. Book of Mormon Online was designed to be a constructive space where people of all persuasions can come together and engage with the text in a way that works for them. Cory's current engagement with the text provides an opportunity for others like you to become a part of the conversation. Don't leave Cory hanging!

Hope to see a few of you on bookofmormon.online! Peace.

[Okrahomer]

1 hour ago, caspianrex said:

Although I am not a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, I am currently reading through the entire Book of Mormon for my third time. (I'm almost 80% of the way through...towards the end of Helaman.)

As I read, I'm keeping track of my reading and commenting on passages I find interesting, on KC Kern's excellent Book of Mormon Online site. (I've posted about the site in the past.)

KC (who is a member of the Church) has been encouraging some of his fellow Saints to join in on the study, but I don't think he participates on this forum, so I thought I would extend his invitation here as well. Here's how he has put it in his email invitation to some of his fellow Saints:

Hope to see a few of you on bookofmormon.online! Peace.

 

[Okrahomer]

Just now, Okrahomer said:

As I read, I'm keeping track of my reading and commenting on passages I find interesting, on KC Kern's excellent Book of Mormon Online site. (I've posted about the site in the past.)

Thanks for the tip!  How did you find this site? 

[caspianrex]

4 minutes ago, Okrahomer said:

Thanks for the tip!  How did you find this site? 

Oh gosh, I stumbled on an earlier version of bookofmormon.online (KC did a major update last year) back in 2013. Even though I had browsed the Book of Mormon for several years before that, I had never actually read it all the way through. So I was searching for tools that would help me track my progress. I imagine I Googled something like "book of mormon online," which led me to KC's site. I was very impressed with the layout, and found it a remarkable tool, especially for a non-LDS reader to make sense of a text that was hitherto unfamiliar. So I contacted KC, just to let him know how much I was enjoying his site. He and I have become friends in the years since that initial contact, even though we've never met in person.

You can see a discussion that he and I had about the bookofmormon.online site on Steven Pynakker's Mormon Book Reviews YouTube channel. (It gives more background on my encounters with the Book of Mormon and LDS folks, and lots of info on how to navigate KC's site.

 

[Durangout]

Really interesting OP.  I’m curious what concepts, events or even individual scriptures that you have read, you find most interesting or impactful?

[caspianrex]

21 hours ago, Durangout said:

Really interesting OP.  I’m curious what concepts, events or even individual scriptures that you have read, you find most interesting or impactful?

This time through, I've noticed that I'm getting a much better idea of the flow of the narrative (which can be a bit confusing for the non-LDS reader the first time around).

Also, I noticed, probably about 2/3 of the way through, that I am no longer distracted by the "And it came to pass" phrases. The first time reading the BoM, I found that extremely distracting, but now I barely notice it.

One thing that I find intriguing as I read the BoM is the relationship between its text and that of the Bible: Nephi's lengthy Isaiah quotes, or the variation of sorts on the Sermon on the Mount in 3 Nephi, for example. (Not to mention the numerous parallels throughout the book with statements by Paul, Jesus, and other biblical figures. I know a lot of non-LDS critics of the BoM make accusations of plagiarism and such, but I don't actually look at it in that way. Rather, I find that those connections between the texts (one of which I'm extremely familiar with, and the other of which I'm still getting familiar with), make me pay attention to the different contexts and the different nuances between the two religious texts. The BoM often reframes biblical concepts in interesting and novel ways, and often gives me new perspective on familiar phrases.

P.S. I just finished my third readthrough of the text a few minutes ago! 

 

[Hamilton Porter]

Thanks for doing that! We want more people to read and enjoy the Book of Mormon, LDS and non-LDS alike. We want it to gain literary merit, which is it slowly. I'll try to participate in your group.

[Hamilton Porter]

On 2/23/2023 at 3:10 PM, caspianrex said:

Rather, I find that those connections between the texts (one of which I'm extremely familiar with, and the other of which I'm still getting familiar with), make me pay attention to the different contexts and the different nuances between the two religious texts.

What did you find about the differences?

[caspianrex]

On 3/4/2023 at 4:23 AM, Hamilton Porter said:

We want it to gain literary merit, which is it slowly.

I think the upcoming Annotated Book of Mormon, edited by Grant Hardy and published by Oxford University Press, is a good indication of the Book of Mormon's literary merit.

Looking forward to that publication!