About Dr. Hardy's BoM reader book...
I only read blurbs about it, but I find the idea very interesting, and one that I had been thinking of.
I've posted here on CG before re: what I consider one of the real mysteries and peculiarities of the Book of Mormon. The Book of Mormon essentially starts off with the story of the murder of Laban (Chapter 4).
There's something about the voice of Nephi that has, at times, grated on me. I noticed many years after first reading the Book of Mormon, that the account of Laban contains many more details and explanations than anything else Nephi writes about. Recounting this story many years after the fact, it appears that Nephi felt compelled to carefully document and justify his actions (i.e. murder). He seems to want to ensure that when the account is remembered, that he is blameless.
Is this the kind of thing that Joseph Smith would start with, in fabricating new scripture?
Anyway, this idea of getting into the heads of the authors/editors of the Book of Mormon has been interesting to me, before I had heard of Dr. Hardy's book. So I will take a look for sure.
I've also long been intrigued by what the Sword of Laban meant. It was obviously a treasured object. Isn't it believed that it was included with the Golden Plates? Plates, Urim and Thummim, Sword.
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"Grant Hardy" was mentioned in Terryl Givens' talk, but I don't remember what the context was. I too, had a brief moment where I thought "the guy who was involved in the Book of Mormon DNA controversy?" but I thought that couldn't be right because the context of what Givens' was saying was on the faith-promoting side of things. Must be very annoying to Dr. Hardy to be confused with Grant Palmer!
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