Traditions of the Fathers: The Book of Mormon As History

by Brant A. Gardner

The focus of the Book of Mormon is unquestionably on the things of God. Similar to the Bible, its sermons and explications of religious principles are presented against the framework of the story of a people. It is a story that covers a thousand years. In this book Brant Gardner looks around and behind the religious purposes of the book and teases out how those thousand years of Book of Mormon history correspond to those same years in the geographic and cultural context where they most plausibly took place. Gardner works through the Book of Mormon chronologically, examining how events in the Book of Mormon reflect the greater historical and cultural developments happening around them at the same time. Gardner asks and answers questions against particular historical backdrops. Why does Nephi appear to be so Christian so long before Christ, and why does his particular time period in Jerusalem help answer that question? Why do Nephi apostate groups from different times appear to adopt the same religion? Why does the Book of Mormon end around A.D. 400? Why not earlier or later? The answers are developed by looking at the Book of Mormon as history in the context of what has become known of Mesoamerican history. Along the way, Gardner also looks at the problem of anachronisms, DNA, and some popular "proofs" of the Book of Mormon that need to be abandoned.

Genres: Religion, Lds, History, Nonfiction

490 pages, Paperback

First published July 29, 2015

Reviews

[Daniel]

I really enjoyed reading this book, much more so than Sorenson's Mormon's Codex. Gardner writes in a more interesting manner, and is cognizant that many readers need to be reminded what years certain periods cover (pre-classic, classic, etc.).

Gardner provides some interesting insights concerning how certain events in the Book of Mormon only make sense in a Mesoamerican setting. Mark Alan Wright's statement, that "Gardner's multidisiplinary approach provides reader with illuminating, prismatic views of the Book of Mormon," is true. Traditions of the Fathers will change the way you read the Book of Mormon.

I highly recommend this book.

[Wesley Morgan]

This book is a helpful overview of the research related to the Book of Mormon and archeology. The author does not attempt to "prove" it is historical, but that it is plausible, especially in responses to criticisms about anachronisms. I'll definitely want to refer back to it, so here are some of my favorite points.

1. Joseph Smith didn't write a book explaining that the lost 10 tribes became the Native Americans. It's just one family descending didn't leave Jerusalem with the 10 tribes. There is very little about Judaism, instead it makes the case that Jews were more Christian than we believe. It also ignores the Davidic kings and focuses on Moses & Joseph.
2. It was translated into Joseph's time, so it will resemble some of the religious phrases people used. You can find parallels between it and anything, even the Travels of Marco Polo, if you cherry pick similarities.
3. Lehi's Tree of Life connects to stories about Asherah (the wife of God) and the Book of Enoch, which also has white fruit. It is not similar to Mesoamerican carvings, nor would it make sense for the Lamanites to commemorate it, no matter what the tour guides say.
4. Nahom & Bountiful match the Arabian geography remarkably well. There were likely ocean stops that are not mentioned.
5. The area around the Grijalva River in Mexico matches the described geography, if you take into account that Mesoamericans do not label cardinal directions exactly the same way we do.
6. Both the Jaredites and Lehites must have encountered larger peoples, but they wouldn't have affected those larger cultures in ways we are likely to find records of. Dichotomies like Gentile/Israel or Black/white are more complex than we might think. A metal sword may have been a good symbol of kingship, but it wouldn't have replaced the obsidian macahuatls that were easier to use.
7. The models of divine kingship, elected judges, and organized the churches are very different from the way we use those words today. Their "voice of the people" is not like our democracy.
8. There are similarities between rituals, like the blood sacrifice and Christ's death.
9. The war chapters make sense in terms of disrupting trade routes, as well as Aztec ambush strategies.
10. The Quetzalcoatl myth was distorted, originally to match St. Thomas, and it's unlikely it ever corresponded to Jesus.
11. The Tower of Babel is never specifically mentioned. Any of the intermediaries (Ether, Moroni, and Joseph Smith) could have changed things to match.

[Vincent Broman]

I generally enjoyed studying this work, because it set rigorous goals for itself in drawing connections between the Book of Mormon text and the times and places where the Book of Mormon events are now thought to have taken place. Instead of getting excited about some detail paralleling things that happened some time some place in Meso-America, getting specific about locations and times makes his task harder, the results fewer, but much more interesting and convincing.
I got the most out of his 1st Nephi section; the last section was less exciting.
A lot of problems become soluble once we realize the Book of Mormon, like the Old Testament, is a Minority Report of a religious elite, not a history of everybody.
The parallels with the problems and questions in Old Testament studies are worth pondering.

[Douglas]

This is a great supplement to study of the Book of Mormon. I like this thoughtful consideration of historical and cultural context. This well studied conjecture adds perspective and richness to the stories of the book. It is a little like the careful analysis of Book of Mormon battle tactics, leadership, etc.

[Marianne]

This lengthy book is worth reading for the comparison it gives between different BOM times and similar time periods in Central America. Loved it!

[Trevor Miller]

Great insights into proper methodological studies of the Book of Mormon, but the book’s length restricts the amount of information that can be included.

[Mike]

I have read Sorenson's book "An Ancient American Setting for the Book of Mormon" and also James Allen's book, "Exploring the Lands of the Book of Mormon", both of which were good. This book was more than I expected. I don't think I would have been able to keep up with Gardner's arguments had I not read those two books first. Gardner exceeded my expectations of what I would find in this book, and I am still thinking about some of his arguments, many of which I have not encountered before. I know that I have to read this book again. It covers so much ground that I have not really considered before.

I loved the concluding chapter. We do need more researchers, more historians - as we do, the findings in MesoAmerica will continue to vindicate the text of the Book of Mormon. I don't believe that most people can read this book just once. It is worth owning. Thank you, Brant Gardner.

[Cody Calderwood]

After having read Sorenson's 'Mormon's Codex', this was a great follow up book. I loved the approach that Gardner uses to bring insights into the Book of Mormon by applying cultural and historical aspects that we know to shed light on stories contained in the Book of Mormon. Probably my favorite insight of all was his explanation of Ammon and King Lamoni. He really brought clarity to why that situation unfolded the way that it did. I think it definitely helps to read 'Mormon's Codex' first to provide context to the geography that Gardner uses. Sorenson's work is more focused on the "where" and this is more focused on the "how". Wonderful book that was well worth the time to read it.

[Anita]

Loved his insights, particularly into Lehi's opposition of Josiah's reforms and the Gadianton Robbers' historical and geographical connections. Worth a good study.