The ''Journal of Book of Mormon Studies'' is an annual

peer-reviewed Peer review is the evaluation of work by one or more people with similar competencies as the producers of the work (peers). It functions as a form of self-regulation by qualified members of a profession within the relevant field. Peer review ...

academic journal An academic journal or scholarly journal is a periodical publication in which scholarship relating to a particular academic discipline is published. Academic journals serve as permanent and transparent forums for the presentation, scrutiny, and d ...

covering topics surrounding the

Book of Mormon The Book of Mormon is a religious text of the Latter Day Saint movement, which, according to Latter Day Saint theology, contains writings of ancient prophets who lived on the American continent from 600 BC to AD 421 and during an interlude date ...

. It is published by the

University of Illinois Press The University of Illinois Press (UIP) is an American university press and is part of the University of Illinois system. Founded in 1918, the press publishes some 120 new books each year, plus 33 scholarly journals, and several electronic project ...

on behalf of the

Neal A. Maxwell Institute for Religious Scholarship The Neal A. Maxwell Institute for Religious Scholarship, or Maxwell Institute, is a research institute at Brigham Young University (BYU). Made up of faculty and visiting scholars who study religion (primarily the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter- ...

with funding from the Laura F. Willes Center for Book of Mormon Studies.

History

The journal was established in 1992 as a biannual publication of the

Foundation for Ancient Research and Mormon Studies The Foundation for Ancient Research and Mormon Studies (FARMS) was an informal collaboration of academics devoted to Latter-day Saint historical scholarship. ThFoundation for Ancient Research and Mormon Studies (FARMS)was established in 1979 as a ...

(FARMS) at

Brigham Young University Brigham Young University (BYU, sometimes referred to colloquially as The Y) is a private research university in Provo, Utah. It was founded in 1875 by religious leader Brigham Young and is sponsored by the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day ...

(

Provo, Utah Provo ( ) is the fourth-largest city in Utah, United States. It is south of Salt Lake City along the Wasatch Front. Provo is the largest city and county seat of Utah County and is home to Brigham Young University (BYU). Provo lies between the ...

). BYU is owned and operated by

the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, informally known as the LDS Church or Mormon Church, is a Nontrinitarianism, nontrinitarian Christianity, Christian church that considers itself to be the Restorationism, restoration of the ...

(LDS Church), which teaches that the Book of Mormon is

sacred scripture Religious texts, including scripture, are texts which various religions consider to be of central importance to their religious tradition. They differ from literature by being a compilation or discussion of beliefs, mythologies, ritual prac ...

alongside the

Bible The Bible (from Koine Greek , , 'the books') is a collection of religious texts or scriptures that are held to be sacred in Christianity, Judaism, Samaritanism, and many other religions. The Bible is an anthologya compilation of texts of a ...

. The journal was a venue for new scholarship from a faithful LDS perspective about Book of Mormon geography (Old World and

New World The term ''New World'' is often used to mean the majority of Earth's Western Hemisphere, specifically the Americas."America." ''The Oxford Companion to the English Language'' (). McArthur, Tom, ed., 1992. New York: Oxford University Press, p. 3 ...

), literary structures, name meanings, ongoing research, and other topics. The journal, along with FARMS, operated from the assumption that the Book of Mormon was historically ancient and was divine scripture. According to American religious historian John-Charles Duffy, the journal took an approach of orthodox scholarship, without an emphasis on polemics or responding to critics of Mormonism. Since its beginning with FARMS, the journal was

, drawing mostly from internal reviewers. In 1998 the format changed from a plain academic journal style into a glossy magazine, intended to make its work more accessible to general LDS readers in addition to scholars. The journal was promoted to the public in 2003 when LDS Church public affairs referenced its recent articles to answer problems of DNA and the Book of Mormon. The journal's publisher changed in 2006 to the

, which had absorbed FARMS. The journal was first published in 1992 under its current title. From 2009 to 2013 it was renamed ''Journal of the Book of Mormon and Restoration Scripture''. In 2014, the journal returned to its original name and underwent further changes stemming from new directives from the Maxwell Institute. It went from biennial to annual, adopted an academic printing format, and announced a new mission within the larger field of religious studies for both "Mormon and non-Mormon scholars."

Abstracting and indexing

The journal is abstracted and indexed in the ATLA Religion Database and EBSCO databases.

Editors-in-chief

The following persons are or have been

editors-in-chief An editor-in-chief (EIC), also known as lead editor or chief editor, is a publication's editorial leader who has final responsibility for its operations and policies. The highest-ranking editor of a publication may also be titled editor, managing ...

: * 1992-1997:

Stephen D. Ricks Stephen David Ricks is a professor of Hebrew at Brigham Young University (BYU) and an author and co-author of several books and articles defending the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS Church) and its teachings. Biography Ricks se ...

* 1998-2001: John L. Sorenson * 2002-2007: S. Kent Brown * 2008-2009: Andrew H. Hedges * 2009-2013: Paul Y. Hoskisson * 2014-2017: Brian M. Hauglid * 2017-current: Joseph M. Spencer

References

External links

* {{LDSChurchpubs, state=collapsed 1992 establishments in Utah 1992 in Christianity Annual journals Book of Mormon studies Brigham Young University publications English-language journals Maxwell Institute Mormon studies journals Publications established in 1992 University of Illinois Press academic journals Works about the Book of Mormon

History

Abstracting and indexing

Editors-in-chief

See also

References

External links