Engraven Upon Plates, Printed Upon Paper

Book excerpt: In Engraven Upon Plates, Printed Upon Paper: Textual and Narrative Structures of the Book of Mormon, author Brant A Gardner delves into the intriguing layers of composition and historical context of the Book of Mormon. While taking seriously the implications for what it means for this book of scripture to be a translation of an ancient record written by historical persons, Gardner explores the translation process of the Book of Mormon, analyzing three compositional layers: the nineteenth-century text, the Nephite Book of Mormon, and the Nephite writers and their sources. This work contributes to a deeper understanding of the origins and compositional history of the Book of Mormon, without aiming to serve as an apologetic defense. Praise for Engraven Upon Plates, Printed Upon Paper: “Brant Gardner has long been at the head of Book of Mormon studies. With his new book, Engraven Upon Plates, Printed Upon Paper, he adds to his lengthy resume by deconstructing one of the more vexing issues in Book of Mormon studies, namely how to understand the complicated relationship between the Nephite Gold Plates and the nineteenth-century English Book of Mormon. Gardner provides careful analysis of by what means Joseph Smith may have translated the plates, how the Nephite authors may have conceived their project, and in what way those Nephite authors may have integrated their own sources into their record. Any reader seeking a deeper insight into construction and realization of the Book of Mormon text will find much to admire in this project.” — Nicholas J. Frederick, Associate Professor of Ancient Scripture, Brigham Young University, and author of The Bible, Mormon Scripture, and the “Rhetoric of Allusivity” “Written as a companion to The Plates of Mormon: A Book of Mormon Study Edition Based on Textual and Narrative Structures in the English Translation, this volume bristles with insights gained through a detailed reading of the text. It represents one of the most thorough and substantive treatments of the nature of the translation, transmission, and organizational design of the Book of Mormon text to-date. This expansive study immediately rises to top of must-read resources relative to the Book of Mormon.” — Kerry Hull, co-editor, A Hundredth Part: Exploring the History and Teachings of the Book of Mormon