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In God's Image and Likeness 1 (2014 edition)
The 2014 edition contains corrections and updates throughout. The black and white figures in the pdf version have been replaced by color. The four-volume 8x10 inch softcover edition has been replaced by a two-volume full-size 8 1/2 x 11 softcover edition.
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Temple Themes in the Book of Moses (2014 edition)
The 2014 edition has been expanded from 198 to 220 pages, with corrections and updates throughout and the addition of two appendices: 1) Paul on Women's Veiling of the Face in Prayer, and 2) Covenants vs. Contracts.
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Temple Themes in the Oath and Covenant of the Priesthood (2014 edition)
The 2014 edition has been expanded from 380 to 423 pages, with corrections and updates throughout. The appendix "Questions about Genesis and the Book of Moses" has additional material relating to questions about the documentary hypothesis, the historicity of the Old Testament, whether or not the Book of Moses can be appropriately characterized as "inspired pseudepigrapha," and whether or not it can be safely concluded that Moses chapters 1, 6, and 7 have no basis in antiquity.
26 June 2014
New editions!
Jeff Bradshaw has released updated editions of three of his books:
26 March 2014
Book Signings Next Week!
Jeffrey M. Bradshaw and David J. Larsen, co-authors of In God's Image and Likeness 2: Enoch, Noah, and the Tower of Babel, will be doing book signings in Provo (4 April) and Salt Lake (5 and 7 April)! Below are the locations and times:
April 4 - 1PM-3PM - BYU Bookstore
Wilkinson Student Center (WSC)
Brigham Young University
University Hill,
Provo, Utah 84602
Jeffrey M. Bradshaw and David J. Larsen will be available.
April 5 - 4PM-5PM - Eborn Books
254 S. Main Street
Salt Lake City, Utah 84101
801-359-0460
Jeffrey M. Bradshaw and David J. Larsen will be available.
April 7 - Noon-1PM - Benchmark BooksBoth Jeff and David would love to see you and discuss their insights with you, as well as sign your books.
3269 S. Main Street
Suite 250
Salt Lake City, Utah 84115
Jeffrey M. Bradshaw will be available.
15 March 2014
In God's Image and Likeness 1: Creation, Fall, and the Story of Adam and Eve
A new two-volume softcover printing of IGIL 1 is now available on Amazon, with a slightly different title: In God's Image and Likeness 1: Creation, Fall, and the Story of Adam and Eve. This edition can be purchased here. The content has been updated in several places and the formatting has been refined, while keeping the page numbers consistent with the hardcover edition. Unlike the previous four-volume softcover edition, the page numbering is continuous from vol. 1 to vol. 2. It is also full size (8.5" x 11") rather than reduced size (8" x 10"). The retail price for the two-volume set is $59.95.
While the softcover editions are black and white only due to publishing constraints, the IGIL 1 PDF has been updated to the latest content, along with a full color interior. Those that purchased the previous edition are eligible for this updated PDF; just download using the link you received at the time of the original purchase, or contact Jeff directly if you can't find it or have any troubles downloading.
While the softcover editions are black and white only due to publishing constraints, the IGIL 1 PDF has been updated to the latest content, along with a full color interior. Those that purchased the previous edition are eligible for this updated PDF; just download using the link you received at the time of the original purchase, or contact Jeff directly if you can't find it or have any troubles downloading.
01 March 2014
In God's Image and Likeness 2 Now Available!
The first edition of Jeff Bradshaw and David Larsen's book, In God's Image and Likeness 2: Enoch, Noah, and the Tower of Babel, is now available! The beautiful hardcover book wraps up the final chapters and stories of the Book of Moses and continues through the end of Genesis 11. Read more about the book here, or head straight over to the excerpts page to see a chapter on the Tower of Babel and more.
Visit either of the following stores to order your copy now:
Visit either of the following stores to order your copy now:
- FairMormon (currently discounted 15%)
- Amazon
28 February 2014
Tower of Babel: What did it really mean to “Confound Their Language”?
The figure above is by the famous Dutch engraver, M. C. Escher. “Although Escher dismissed his works before 1935 as of little or no value as they were ‘for the most part merely practice exercises,’ some of them, including the Tower of Babel, chart the development of his interest in perspective and unusual viewpoints that would become the hallmarks of his later, more famous, work. In contrast to many other depictions of the biblical story, … Escher depicts the tower as a geometrical structure and places the viewpoint above the tower. This allows him to exercise his skill with perspective, but he also chose to center the picture around the top of the tower as the focus for the climax of the action.” Escher later commented on the drawing as follows: “Some of the builders are white and others black. The work is at a standstill … Seeing as the climax of the drama takes place at the summit of the tower which is under construction, the building has been shown from above as though from a bird’s eye view.”
This article will discuss four questions relating to the Lord’s statement of intention for the Babylonian builders: “Let us … confound their language”:
The answer to this question is “no.”
The first chapter of the book of Ether describes the origins of the Jaredites at the time of “the great tower, at the time the Lord confounded the language of the people and swore in his wrath that they should be scattered upon all the face of the earth; and according to the word of the Lord the people were scattered.” This and related references have encouraged LDS scholars seeking independent evidence from the Book of Mormon for the biblical story. However, in his lucid commentary on the Book of Mormon, Brant Gardner cautions that things are not so simple as they seem.
He reminds us that Mosiah only summarized, but did not actually translate the “first part” of the record of the Jaredites that spoke of “the creation of the world, and also of Adam, and an account from that time even to the great tower.” Thus, it is unlikely that the passing references to that early history we have in the Book of Mormon are based on the Jaredite record. Rather, it is more probable that they have been carried over by Moroni into the book of Ether from what he had learned previously in his study of the brass plates. Specifically, he argues that “the material being translated and Mosiah’s understanding of the [biblical story of the Tower of Babel] had enough resemblances that Mosiah shaped the Jaredites’ original story to match the brass plates’ story at a crucial point” — namely the description of how the language of the builders was confounded. Continuing, he explains:
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This article will discuss four questions relating to the Lord’s statement of intention for the Babylonian builders: “Let us … confound their language”:
- Does the Jaredite Record Give Us Independent Confirmation for the Babel Story?
- Does Historical Linguistics Support the Splitting of an Original Language at Babel?
- Was God More Concerned about the Confounding of Language or the Confounding of Peoples?
- Could There Have Been a “Confounding” of Language at Babel?
The answer to this question is “no.”
The first chapter of the book of Ether describes the origins of the Jaredites at the time of “the great tower, at the time the Lord confounded the language of the people and swore in his wrath that they should be scattered upon all the face of the earth; and according to the word of the Lord the people were scattered.” This and related references have encouraged LDS scholars seeking independent evidence from the Book of Mormon for the biblical story. However, in his lucid commentary on the Book of Mormon, Brant Gardner cautions that things are not so simple as they seem.
He reminds us that Mosiah only summarized, but did not actually translate the “first part” of the record of the Jaredites that spoke of “the creation of the world, and also of Adam, and an account from that time even to the great tower.” Thus, it is unlikely that the passing references to that early history we have in the Book of Mormon are based on the Jaredite record. Rather, it is more probable that they have been carried over by Moroni into the book of Ether from what he had learned previously in his study of the brass plates. Specifically, he argues that “the material being translated and Mosiah’s understanding of the [biblical story of the Tower of Babel] had enough resemblances that Mosiah shaped the Jaredites’ original story to match the brass plates’ story at a crucial point” — namely the description of how the language of the builders was confounded. Continuing, he explains:
...
Full text
Tower of Babel: The Scattering at Babel and Gathering of the Last Days
This lonely scene comes from Old Al ‘Ula, an abandoned town in Saudi Arabia. The stairs of the castle from which this photograph was taken go back 2600 years. The town once consisted of more than 800 two-story houses with lanes passing in front of them. The first story of the house was for guests and storage; the second story was for the living area. The attachment of each house to the others provided fortification against enemies. Gates that opened in the morning and closed at night protected the two narrow lanes (less than two meters wide) that penetrated the town’s interior.
Closer to home, Detroit, Michigan has seen a significant outmigration of its inhabitants. “A city of 1.8 million in 1950, it is now home to 700,000 people, as well as to tens of thousands of abandoned buildings, vacant lots and unlit streets .… About 40 percent of the city’s streetlights do not work … More than half of Detroit’s parks have closed since 2008.” The causes for the city’s decline are many and varied and the subject of heated debate. However some see the trend in Detroit as a portent of the future for other cities in America.
There are regions within the developed world that expect to witness a dramatic population decline in the coming decades as a result of low fertility rates. In one of the most striking examples, “the Japanese Health Ministry estimates the nation’s total population will fall by 25% from 127.8 million in 2005, to 95.2 million by 2050.” Complicating the situation, low mortality rates are expected to lead to a significantly greater proportion of older citizens: “Japan’s elderly population, aged 65 or older, comprised 20% of the nation’s population in June 2006, a percentage that is forecast to increase to 38% by 2055.”
Neither the Bible nor the Book of Mormon attributes the scattering of the people to the confusion of tongues. In Genesis, no explicit cause and effect is described — we are told only that “from thence did the Lord scatter them abroad upon the face of all the earth.” Likewise, as Nibley describes:
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Closer to home, Detroit, Michigan has seen a significant outmigration of its inhabitants. “A city of 1.8 million in 1950, it is now home to 700,000 people, as well as to tens of thousands of abandoned buildings, vacant lots and unlit streets .… About 40 percent of the city’s streetlights do not work … More than half of Detroit’s parks have closed since 2008.” The causes for the city’s decline are many and varied and the subject of heated debate. However some see the trend in Detroit as a portent of the future for other cities in America.
There are regions within the developed world that expect to witness a dramatic population decline in the coming decades as a result of low fertility rates. In one of the most striking examples, “the Japanese Health Ministry estimates the nation’s total population will fall by 25% from 127.8 million in 2005, to 95.2 million by 2050.” Complicating the situation, low mortality rates are expected to lead to a significantly greater proportion of older citizens: “Japan’s elderly population, aged 65 or older, comprised 20% of the nation’s population in June 2006, a percentage that is forecast to increase to 38% by 2055.”
Neither the Bible nor the Book of Mormon attributes the scattering of the people to the confusion of tongues. In Genesis, no explicit cause and effect is described — we are told only that “from thence did the Lord scatter them abroad upon the face of all the earth.” Likewise, as Nibley describes:
After the brother of Jared had been assured that he and his people and their language would not be confounded, the question of whether they would be driven out of the land still remained to be answered: That was another issue, and it is obvious that the language they spoke had as little to do with driving them out of the land as it did with determining their destination....
Full text
27 February 2014
Tower of Babel Part 3: “Let Us Make Us a Name”
No one in history has wanted to make a name for himself more than Ferdinand Cheval.
Cheval was a postman who lived in Hauterives, France. He began the building shown above in April 1879, claiming “that he had tripped on a stone and was inspired by its shape. He returned to the same spot the next day and started collecting stones. For the next thirty-three years, Cheval picked up stones during his daily mail round and carried them home to build the Palais Idéal … He often worked at night, by the light of an oil lamp.” Wrote Cheval: “There was no notion of time anymore when the mail delivery was completed. I could have devoted my free time to hunting, fishing, billiards, or cards — there were plenty of pastimes possible. But I preferred above all the achievement of my Dream. It cost me 4,000 bags of lime and cement and my Monument represents 1,000 cubic meters of stonework — that is to say, 6,000 francs. But because of this, people tell me that my name will go down in history — that’s quite flattering!”
The inscription at top left reads: “Work of one lone man.” Similar inscriptions, along with extracts from poetry and literature, surround the palace: “1879-1912: 10,000 days, 93,000 hours, 33 years of trials—may those more stubborn than me get to work,” ‘This marvel of which the author is proud will be unique in the universe,” “Work is my only glory; honor my only happiness,” “In creating this rock, I wanted to prove what will power could do,” “All that you see here is the work of a rustic.”
Through his work on the palace, Cheval made himself a name. By the end of his life, it had been visited by thousands of people, including art-world luminaries like André Breton and Pablo Picasso. After Cheval’s death, a government report declared: “the whole monument is absolutely hideous. It is a pathetic pack of insanities muddled in a boor’s brain.” However in 1969, the French Ministry of Culture declared the palace a cultural landmark. In 1986, Cheval’s image was put on a French postage stamp. The bust of Cheval at top right was commissioned by the people of his town for the fiftieth anniversary of his death. It stands outside the post office — which now, ironically, has been shuttered.
Leon Kass writes the following about the human impulse to make a name for oneself that motivated the project at Babel:
...
Full text
Cheval was a postman who lived in Hauterives, France. He began the building shown above in April 1879, claiming “that he had tripped on a stone and was inspired by its shape. He returned to the same spot the next day and started collecting stones. For the next thirty-three years, Cheval picked up stones during his daily mail round and carried them home to build the Palais Idéal … He often worked at night, by the light of an oil lamp.” Wrote Cheval: “There was no notion of time anymore when the mail delivery was completed. I could have devoted my free time to hunting, fishing, billiards, or cards — there were plenty of pastimes possible. But I preferred above all the achievement of my Dream. It cost me 4,000 bags of lime and cement and my Monument represents 1,000 cubic meters of stonework — that is to say, 6,000 francs. But because of this, people tell me that my name will go down in history — that’s quite flattering!”
The inscription at top left reads: “Work of one lone man.” Similar inscriptions, along with extracts from poetry and literature, surround the palace: “1879-1912: 10,000 days, 93,000 hours, 33 years of trials—may those more stubborn than me get to work,” ‘This marvel of which the author is proud will be unique in the universe,” “Work is my only glory; honor my only happiness,” “In creating this rock, I wanted to prove what will power could do,” “All that you see here is the work of a rustic.”
Through his work on the palace, Cheval made himself a name. By the end of his life, it had been visited by thousands of people, including art-world luminaries like André Breton and Pablo Picasso. After Cheval’s death, a government report declared: “the whole monument is absolutely hideous. It is a pathetic pack of insanities muddled in a boor’s brain.” However in 1969, the French Ministry of Culture declared the palace a cultural landmark. In 1986, Cheval’s image was put on a French postage stamp. The bust of Cheval at top right was commissioned by the people of his town for the fiftieth anniversary of his death. It stands outside the post office — which now, ironically, has been shuttered.
Leon Kass writes the following about the human impulse to make a name for oneself that motivated the project at Babel:
...
Full text
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