
I’m excited to announce the publication of the 2017 issue of the Journal of Book of Mormon Studies. This is my fourth and last issue as editor of JBMS, and I feel like I’m leaving on a great note. This issue encapsulates what we as an editorial team have been trying to do since we first started in 2013: to widen the field of Book of Mormon studies to include studies related to its historicity, its reception, its literary value, its intertextuality, and its theological depth. To one degree or another, all of these areas of focus can be found in the current issue of JBMS. Timely book reviews and notes also appear and will, no doubt in my mind, be interesting and helpful to readers.The team and I have chosen three great pieces that non-subscribers can read free of charge in order to get a taste for what’s included in volume 27:—First, check out Michael Austin’s
—Janiece Johnson’s
—Finally, Jason Kerr
I wish to express deep gratitude to my associate editors, Joseph Spencer and Mark Wright, for their untiring support as we reshaped JBMS to reflect a widened research agenda from both the LDS and non-LDS academic communities. I thank them for putting in countless hours of reviewing manuscripts, mentoring authors, and offering counsel in many hours of meeting as we discussed how best to position JBMS for the foreseeable future.My profound appreciation also goes out to Janiece Johnson