1st Nephi
a brief theological introduction
Meet the Book of Mormon again for the first time in these brief theological introductions. Twelve volumes. Twelve scholars. Fresh and inspiring explorations using the lenses of history, theology, philosophy, literary studies—and above all, faith in Jesus Christ.
Volumes will appear periodically throughout 2020.
For updates on exact release dates and pre-orders, please subscribe to our newsletter.
Read about the series in the CHURCH NEWS here.
a brief theological introduction
a brief theological introduction
a brief theological introduction
a brief theological introduction
a brief theological introduction
a brief theological introduction
a brief theological introduction
a brief theological introduction
a brief theological introduction
a brief theological introduction
a brief theological introduction
Series volumes will appear periodically through the end of 2020. Rather than announcing exact publication dates for each volume in advance, we plan to release each book as soon as its production is complete.
Sign up for the Institute’s newsletter here to receive email updates the moment a volume becomes available for pre-sale, whether through Amazon, the BYU Store, Deseret Book, or elsewhere. You can also be notified by following the Maxwell Institute on Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook. Shipping date info should be available when you submit a pre-order, though they are subject to change in the event of printing errors, etc.
The answer depends on your location. If you live in Utah, places like Deseret Book and the BYU Store often have books available on the shelf shortly before orders are shipped from online retailers. Otherwise, we can’t provide exact estimates.
We’re excited, too! This series was conceived in early 2019. We worked at breakneck speed, aiming for volumes to appear in tandem with the Sunday school curriculum for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. We wanted the series to clearly represent the kind of care and attention we believe the Book of Mormon deserves. We’ve devoted the same special attention to every stage of production—from writing and revising, to design and typesetting, to copy-editing and proofing, to index creation, to stocking, shipping, and delivery. We are thankful to the many people who have worked hard at every step of the process to bring you the very best we can offer. And we are grateful to our readers for their patience!
Journalists, editors, bloggers, college instructors, and other reviewers can submit requests to blairhodges@byu.edu. Please include your name, publication, affiliation, and preferred mailing address.
Audiobooks for each volume will be released into 2021.
We plan to make a full set available after each individual volume has been published. We’ve purposefully kept the cost as low as possible for each volume ($9.95), so a future box set will likely cost at least as much as the total of each individual volume purchased separately.
Faithful scholars have long explored the Book of Mormon’s historicity, literary quality, textual history, reception, and more. This series focuses particularly on theology—the scholarly practice of exploring a scriptural text’s implications and its lens on God’s work in the world. What does scripture say? What does it ask of us? The original meaning of the term “theology” is something like “God talk”—learning and talking about God with a combination of faith and reason. This series doesn’t intend to declare authoritative “doctrine.” Its authors bring their faith and their academic training into conversation with scripture, leading to fresh discoveries and new challenges. Briefly, no single volume pretends to be comprehensive. Each invites readers to think about how their own backgrounds, hopes, questions, and assumptions shape the kind of answers scripture might provide. They are introductory because they are a beginning rather than a definitive conclusion.
Check out interviews with each author on the Maxwell Institute Podcast. Watch presentations about each volume from the Institute’s recent lecture series, “Explorations in the Book of Mormon,” and the ongoing series “Book of Mormon Conversations,” co-sponsored by the Widtsoe Foundation. Links to these materials are available below.
First Nephi, with Joseph Spencer
Second Nephi, with Terryl Givens
Enos, Jarom, Omni, with Sharon J. Harris
Mosiah, with James E. Faulconer
Alma 1–29, with Kylie Nielson Turley
Alma 30–63, with Mark Wrathall
Helaman, with Kimberly Matheson Berkey
3rd, 4th Nephi, with Daniel Becerra
Mormon, with Adam Miller & Spencer Fluhman
Ether, with Rosalynde Welch & James E. Faulconer
A series of virtual discussions with volume authors, co-sponsored by the John A. Widstoe Foundation.
Introducing the brief theological introductions series
J. Spencer Fluhman, Philip L. Barlow, Larry Eastland
1st NEPHI
Joseph M. Spencer and Richard E. Turley
2nd NEPHI
Terryl Givens and Laura Redford
ENOS, JAROM, OMNI
Sharon J. Harris and Jacob Rennaker
MOSIAH
James E. Faulconer and Michael Stanley
ALMA 1–29
Kylie Nielson Turley and Larry Eastland
ALMA 30–63
Mark Wrathall and Chris Eastland
HELAMAN
Kimberly Matheson Berkey and Jacob Rennaker
Series authors discuss drafts of their books prior to publication.
PART 1
1 Nephi, 2 Nephi, Alma 30–63
Joseph M. Spencer, Terryl L. Givens, Mark Wrathall
PART 2
Enos/Jarom/Omni, Mosiah, Alma 1–29
Sharon Harris, James E. Faulconer, Kylie Turley
PART 3
Jacob, Helaman, 3 and 4 Nephi
Deidre Green, Kimberly Berkey, Daniel Becerra
PART 4
Mormon, Ether, Moroni
Adam Miller, Rosalynde Frandsen Welch, David F. Holland
1st Nephi—Joseph M. Spencer, Brigham Young University
2nd Nephi—Terryl Givens, Neal A. Maxwell Institute for Religious Scholarship
Jacob—Deidre Nicole Green, Maxwell Institute
Enos, Jarom, Omni—Sharon J. Harris, BYU
Mosiah—James E. Faulconer, BYU
Alma 1–29—Kylie Nielson Turley, BYU
Alma 30–63—Mark Wrathall, University of Oxford
Helaman—Kimberly Matheson Berkey, Loyola University Chicago
3rd, 4th Nephi—Daniel Becerra, BYU
Mormon—Adam S. Miller, Collin College
Ether—Rosalynde Frandsen Welch, Maxwell Institute
Moroni—David F. Holland, Harvard Divinity School
Spencer Fluhman, Neal A. Maxwell Institute for Religious Scholarship
Philip Barlow, Neal A. Maxwell Institute for Religious Scholarship
D. Morgan Davis, Neal A. Maxwell Institute for Religious Scholarship
James E. Faulconer, Brigham Young University
Kristine Haglund, Independent scholar
Joseph M. Spencer, Brigham Young University
Rosalynde Welch, Neal A. Maxwell Institute for Religious Scholarship
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Email: mi@byu.edu
The views expressed here and in Maxwell Institute publications are those of the individual authors and do not necessarily represent the views of the Maxwell Institute, Brigham Young University, or The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.
“Seek ye diligently and teach one another words of wisdom; yea, seek ye out of the best books words of wisdom; seek learning, even by study and also by faith.” (D&C 88:118)