FAIR's Rising Generation

Archive for July 16th, 2009

I’ve been looking at Grant Hardy’s Book of Mormon: A Reader’s Edition and thinking I’m about ready to make a purchase. That said, I never buy a book without spending some time on Amazon first; I always take a look at the user reviews and “related items” before making a decision.

Upon reading some reviews for Grant Hardy’s re-do, I was quite annoyed at first. Most of the reviews only wanted to discuss the Book of Mormon in general, focusing mostly on its alleged historicity. In fact, the majority offered no direct insights on Grant Hardy’s work. There was plenty of mudslinging going on (no surprise there) among over-zealous Mormons, disgrunted Ex-Mormons, and rabid anti-Mormons, so reading the reviews almost seemed like a waste of time. They appeared to say one variation or another of the same thing: The Book of Mormon was long-winded, repetitive, poorly written, and *gasp* shallow.

I used to watch Inspector Gadget as a kid. Now that was shallow!…kinda. Well, not really; I never really outgrew it. Rather, I’ve come to appreciate its genius even more over the years. Its always the same thing every episode: Gadget gets a message from Quimby detailing his next case. He reads it aloud, invariably concluding with “This message will self-destruct.” The letter always explodes, usually right in Quimby’s face, but it’s never very serious, because don’t you see? People aren’t allowed to die in Inspector Gadget. That would change things up too much. Doctor Claw’s goons are always incompetent. Gagdet always bumbles through the case while Penny saves the day, and Brain always assists by donning some kind costume to disguise himself and thwart the bad guys. Doctor Claw always escapes, declaring “I’ll get you next time, Gadget,” but he never does. That is, his schemes never succeed, but he never gets caught either.

Inspector Gadget was brilliant satire–the most blatantly accurate depiction of the human condition I can think of. It was the perfect comedy–and perfectly tragic. The entire show was trapped in a cycle that refused to deviate from its path. If humans hadn’t been endowed with a sense of humor, watching the show would have made us cry out in desperation.

This is the difference between what the Book of Mormon is or can be to us and what Inspector Gadget has to say about the world we live in.

The Book of Mormon Illustrates what is commonly termed the “Pride Cycle.” The pride cycle, without referring to a cheat Sheet, goes thusly: The Nephites are blessed by God with material prosperity because of their righteousness. That prosperity proves to be a double edged sword, because it also makes the Nephites forget God and stumble. Humility often follows a period of degeneration, and pride often follows a period of regeneration. Sadly, the Nephites seldom ever get it right, and when they finally do in Fourth Nephi, it immediately precedes the virtual annihilation of their civilization.

The “Pride Cycle” is a unique term, known only within Mormonism. If modern society has such pride cycles, they are subtle enough to be, by and large, unidentifiable in the short term, but we are nonetheless beset by cycles of all kinds, and they follow a similar pattern.

Consider the cyclical nature of addictions. Quitting smoking seldom happens overnight–breaking the cycle usually requires a number of false starts and and a lot of time and willpower. Also, People with mood disorders have good days and bad days, and the trends are easy enough to predict well in advance. These are extreme examples, but we all have to contend with cycles that keep us in one place while giving us the impression that we are moving forward. Even the economy is caught in a cycle of boom and bust, and the experts themselves disagree on how to properly manage it.

We need to identify the cycles in our lives. They need to be managed, mitigated, and mastered, and while “pride cycles” aren’t really social problems per se, they are something that constantly upset our personal lives and relationships.

The Book of Mormon teaches us much about pride cycles and cycles in general (oddly similar to Buddhism and especially its predessesor, Hinduism). If you think the book is boring, clunky, and insubstantial, look deeper! What people fail to recognize–from apologists to critics to critics posing as apologists–is that the Book of Mormon is as deep as it is long. Yes, its plain enough for a child to read and understand, but that’s only the first layer.

Just think about all that the Book of Mormon endeavors and succeeds at, and don’t ignore the fact that it is unlike anything you’ve ever read before. It covers a vast array of literary genres yet still remains thematically consistent. Joseph, the “Religious genius,” doesn’t cut it.

In short, the Book is out of this world, or more appropriately, not of this world. It speaks of telestial cycles but is not beset by them; it is a sealed book–foreign nonsense–until you submit to reading it with an open mind and heart, and under the direction of the Holy Ghost.

This book packs a lot into its pages. For example, the Book is both apocalyptic and testamentary. Its accounts span from real to surreal. It teaches us social law, then proceeds to explain the why’s and how’s of it. Its devotional, mythological, and philosophical. It teaches and prophesies about Christ, laying out the atonement in comprehensible terms without dumbing things down. The list goes on, and you’ll often see the Book of Mormon fulfilling all these roles simultaneously on each page. If the book seems oddly written, its because its deceptively complex, and if you’re an adult reading it like a child (for lack of reverence), then it may seem downright absurd. If its historicity is in doubt, its because it is so much more than a history.

While some will dismiss it as foolish, others will read it daily from six to eighty-six years of age and still uncover hidden gems throughout its pages. The Book of Mormon expands in all directions. As the reader grows in wisdom and goodness, the book grows as well, and no book does it quite like the Book of Mormon. It truly is phenomenal–without precedent or parallel.

It guides you from beginning to end. At the conclusion of your mortal journey, you may reflect that the Book you ended up with doesn’t seem like the same one you started out with, but as you planted and nourished the seed of faith, the Book was always exactly what you needed when you needed it. It truly is the book that will help you overcome the world.

Many critics will tell you, “If you want to know what Mormons really believe, don’t read the Book of Mormon.” I wholeheartedly disagree! Not only does the Book of Mormon contain all that we do now believe, it contains all that we will yet believe, because even as a Church, we have not uncovered all its treasures.

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