The Book of Mormon and Life

Paying attention to character

1 Nephi 17- Nephi is commanded to build a ship and receives a lot of bad attitude from his brothers. He is saddened by their inability to accept him and his goal but does not give up.

Paying attention to figurative language

1 Nephi 20- Isaiah is quoted and he uses words and phrases that are very different than the diction of Nephi or the other authors. Words like “sinew” and phrases like “furnace of affliction” marks a change in the authors’ education and ability to speak/write. 

Paying attention to setting

1 Nephi 16- Nephi and his family move around and name the areas that they inhabit. I assume that Nephi did not write much during this time because of the lack of important events and the need to keep up his strength while traveling.

Paying attention to character

Although Jeremy did not mention it in his posts I assume as some point of reading scriptures with his daughter she will be in a bad mood or too tired.  Jeremy might be saddened by the fact that his daughter is not doing well but he will persevere because he knows it is important for his family.

Paying attention to setting

Keegan went on a mission to Angola and a lot changed in his world. The change in setting affecting the way he thought and how he communicated with his family. When you are on a mission there are some weeks that are more filled with experiences than others.

Paying attention to figurative language

This is a bit of a stretch but when Amanda served in Nauvoo in the pageant I am sure that there was a difference in the language they used. The everyday diction and how they expressed themselves changed because of their desire to share the gospel through song and the word.

A New Environment

Section: 2 Nephi 1-8

Revisiting the Book of Mormon on a General Level

1. Character: In 1 Nephi 1, Lehi, the father of the main character (Nephi), is grateful for their new home and that they were able to leave a city that was hit by disaster.

2. Dialogue: In 2 Nephi 4, a grandfather interacts with his grandchildren, giving them counsel and blessing them. He “leaves [his] blessing” upon the sons and daughters of his oldest son.

3. Plot: In 2 Nephi 5, the main character (Nephi) and some of his family leave the rest of their family in order to escape a bad situation and be able to live righteously.

Reviewing a Fellow Student’s Blog Post: Taylor N. “Reflections of Summers in Idaho”

1. Taylor did not move from Chicago to Idaho and Chicago was not destroyed like the city of Jerusalem. But he does express pride for his “Idaho heritage” and he seems to have gratitude for his good experiences in his grandparent’s house in Idaho. This is similar to Lehi’s appreciation for his new home. Also,Taylor describes how “raw west atmosphere” of Idaho contrasted sharply with suburban Chicago. This parallels Lehi’s journey from the developed city of Jerusalem to the wilderness of the Americas.

2. Taylor’s grandmother gives a prayer for his family as they depart for Chicago. Lehi is also a grandparent. He prays for and blesses his family before he dies and departs to the next life.

3. Taylor’s family does not visit Idaho to escape wickedness of family or friends in Chicago. But his mother does feel more comfortable in Idaho; she “act[s] differently” and “talk[s] more openly.” Likewise, Taylor experiences greater “freedom” in this environment. Nephi’s family leaves so that they can live in righteousness and without the bad examples and behavior of some of his brother’s family. Without their bad influence, Nephi and the righteous of his family live with more freedom and comfort. Therefore, Taylor’s feeling of freedom in Idaho, parallels the Nephites’ feelings of freedom in a place away from the Lamanites.

Likening Another's Life to the Book of Mormon (in a literary way)

Latter-day Saints are urged to follow the counsel of the prophet Nephi from the Book of Mormon to apply scripture to themselves:

And I did read many things unto them which were written in the books of Moses; but that I might more fully persuade them to believe in the Lord their Redeemer I did read unto them that which was written by the prophet Isaiah; for I did liken all scriptures unto us, that it might be for our profit and learning. (1 Nephi 19:23)

Likening scripture to one's own life can be done in many ways. I am proposing to my students some new approaches to doing so--from a literary and a collaborative angle. What do I mean by this? Well, let me first explain what I do not mean.

It is customary and even reflexive for Latter-day Saints to interpret their lives in light of scripture. From a religious point of view, that's a very fine thing, and I'm all for it. However, from a literary point of view (as I made clear in my prior post), quickly interpreting things from a moral or religious point of view isn't always the most engaging approach. This may be well intended, and good in its own right, but there is something that can be attained -- a kind of "achieved authenticity" by delaying any drawing of religious conclusions.

Consequently, even though I am hopeful my students will find interesting ways to connect their lived experience with the Book of Mormon, I think they would do well if they depersonalize that approach (for the moment) by focusing on the work of peers. So, even though students have completed some prewriting toward a personal essay (which it is hoped will be related to the Book of Mormon), I don't want them yet to make such connections on their own work.

Moreover, I want my students not to apply the Book of Mormon in the most familiar, moralizing way. (Again, this is not to say anything against moral interpretations of scripture; this is a matter of learning to look for literary form before going on to drawing religious conclusions). To help students be able to do this, I will ask students to reexamine the Book of Mormon on a more general level.

I will explain both aspects of this new approach, but the short way of understanding this next assignment is that we are going to set about likening another's life to the Book of Mormon (considered from a literary angle).