An excerpt from his book Since Cumorah, chapter 10, pages 264-290. Prophets in the Wilderness The Desert Sectaries It is only in our own generation that we have begun to realize the enormous importance in Judaism and Christianity of the people who flee to the desert. They are not merelyContinue Reading

“I beheld his sword… the workmanship thereof was exceedingly fine, and I saw that the blade thereof was of the most precious steel.” (1 Nephi 4.9) “I did break my bow, which was made of fine steel” (1 Nephi 16.18) For many years critics of Joseph Smith have attacked himContinue Reading

The following is an excerpt from The Message of the Joseph Smith an Egyptian Endowment by Hugh Nibley. Commentary: The Garden of Abundance It would seem that the standard procedure in the mysteries is to enter a new life or a new world through a garden, where one rests forContinue Reading

The Land and the Sea Beast Revelation 13 depict two mighty beasts coming to the fore, both representing different aspects of the Kingdom of Satan in his time as well as ours. One beast arises out of the sea, hence we will call it “The Sea Beast.” This creature hasContinue Reading

James – An Overview The letter of James takes its name from the attribution of authorship in 1.1; the letter itself does not otherwise identify its author. Some scholars suggest that the author is the brother of Jesus (Matthew 13.55; Mark 6.3) and the head of the church in JerusalemContinue Reading

Mark 1:42-45; Mark 3:12; Mark 7:36; Matthew 9:30-31; Luke 8:56 In Mark 1:42-45 Jesus tells the man healed of his leprosy to not tell anyone that He has healed him, only to “shew thyself to the priest, and offer for thy cleansing those things which Moses commanded, for a testimonyContinue Reading

The following message was given by Hugh Nibley on February 24, 1965. A discussion of the religious and cultural impact of Egypt, Babylon and other neighbors on events in Israel. — Midgley For an audio recording you can access part 1 here and part 2 here. I am grateful toContinue Reading

Gazelem – Alma 37.23  The word Gazelem appears to have its roots in Gaz – a stone and Aleim, a name of God as a revelator or interposer in the affairs of men. If this suggestion be correct, its roots admirably agree with its apparent meaning-a seer. (George Reynolds, AContinue Reading

The Hymn of the Pearl and the Cosmic Myth The Cosmic Myth is a story that teaches of eternal truths even though it may or may not be totally historically accurate.[1]Michael Fishbane, Biblical Myth and Rabbinic Mythmaking, Oxford University Press, 2003, p. 11. Fishbane stated, “we shall understand the word ‘Myth’Continue Reading

Toward an Understanding of the Sermon as an Ancient Temple Text John W. Welch This article is taken from the book Illuminating the Sermon at the Temple & the Sermon on the Mount, Neal A. Maxwell Institute, 1999, Chapter 4. In the limited time Jesus spent with the Nephites, heContinue Reading