Voices from the Dust

Listening carefully to the fine points of every text, Kent Brown ruminates over the real life settings and personal qualities of several personalities who left their lasting imprints on the pages of the Book of Mormon. Few know the trail from Jerusalem to Arabia better than Professor Brown, who has studied, traveled, and filmed that region extensively. The first two of six chapters in this book vividly walk the reader alongside Lehi’s caravan. The remaining chapters bring to life the main experiences and legacies of King Benjamin (Mosiah 1–6), the four missionary sons of Mosiah (Alma 17–26), the resurrected Christ (3 Ne. 11–26), and Moroni (Morm. 8–Moro. 10). In every case, insights are drawn out of the text as readers strive to hear the voices of these towering figures.

Brown brings years of experience to bear on his task. He is always attentive to the literary feel of each text, and he is keenly in tune with relevant cultural practices from antiquity. Whereas his previous From Jerusalem to Zarahemla (BYU Religious Studies Center, 1998) included several previously published pieces, this volume offers entirely new material. It continues very constructively in the style and trajectory of Brown’s many previous Book of Mormon projects.

Readers are repeatedly rewarded by clear and engaging descriptions. Details are plentiful, such as information on the three votive altars from around 600 BC south of Wadi Jawf that attest to the use of the name Nahom (Nihn or Nehem), where Ishmael was buried. People come to life, especially with the human dimensions of women, children, and family. Themes reverberate, especially those of revelation, deliverance, ordinances, and redemption. But most of all, through these insights, readers become hearers of voices that speak throughout the pages of the Book of Mormon.