This volume contains the full text of the Book of Mormon in large type, footnotes, definitions, explanations of important concepts, questions for young readers to ponder, and beautiful, full-color illustrations and paintings by Clark Kelley Price, Robert Barrett, Scott Snow, Del Parson, Garry Kapp, Ted Henninger, and Tom Lovell.

"Using stories, scritural insights, and his trademark humor, John Bytheway teaches how the Book of Mormon prepares us to press forward when troubled, to press forward when tempted, and to press forward when taunted, continually toward our goal of eternal life!"--Container.

Edited by John W. Welch and Melvin J. Thorne, this book presents the FARMS Research Updates of the 1990s, plus some similar short notes from the Journal of Book of Mormon Studies, in a new collection. Aimed at a general audience, these updates are brief, easy-to-read reports of new research on the Book of Mormon. In this fascinating book, the contributors tell of intriguing ideas and developments that have emerged from exploring the Book of Mormon from many perspectives. Pressing Forward will interest all people who want to know what's new in Book of Mormon research.

The 2011 Sperry Symposium volume explores the rich symbolism of Lehi's dream and Nephi's vision, placing such symbols as the mists of darkness, the great and spacious building, and the church of the Lamb of God in the context of the last days.

Mark Twain once derided the Book of Mormon as "chloroform in print." Long and complicated, written in the language of the King James version of the Bible, it boggles the minds of many. Yet it is unquestionably one of the most influential books ever written. With over 140 million copies in print, it is a central text of one of the largest and fastest-growing faiths in the world. And, Grant Hardy shows, it's far from the coma-inducing doorstop caricatured by Twain. In Understanding the Book of Mormon, Hardy offers the first comprehensive analysis of the work's narrative structure in its 180 year history. Unlike virtually all other recent world scriptures, the Book of Mormon presents itself as an integrated narrative rather than a series of doctrinal expositions, moral injunctions, or devotional hymns. Hardy takes readers through its characters, events, and ideas, as he explores the story and its messages. He identifies the book's literary techniques, such as characterization, embedded documents, allusions, and parallel narratives. Whether Joseph Smith is regarded as author or translator, it's noteworthy that he never speaks in his own voice; rather, he mediates nearly everything through the narrators Nephi, Mormon, and Moroni. Hardy shows how each has a distinctive voice, and all are woven into an integral whole. As with any scripture, the contending views of the Book of Mormon can seem irreconcilable. For believers, it is an actual historical document, transmitted from ancient America. For nonbelievers, it is the work of a nineteenth-century farmer from upstate New York. Hardy transcends this intractable conflict by offering a literary approach, one appropriate to both history and fiction. Regardless of whether readers are interested in American history, literature, comparative religion, or even salvation, he writes, the book can best be read if we examine the text on its own terms.

The author thoughtfully proves the infinite scope of the "great and last sacrifice," describing its power and breadth and explaining how Christ's atonement redeems all mankind. This edition is filled with stunning, full-color illustrations by James C. Christensen, Simon Dewey, Greg Olsen, Walter Rane, and many other artists.