A Word in Season: Isaiah''s Reception in the Book of Mormon

The Book of Mormons narrative privileges Isaiah over other sources, provocatively interpreting and at times inventively reworking the biblical text. Joseph M. Spencer sees within the Book of Mormon a programmatic investigation regarding the meaning and relevance of the Book of Isaiah in a world increasingly removed from the context of the times that produced it. Working from the crossroads of reception studies and Mormon studies, Spencer investigates and clarifies the Book of Mormons questions about the vitality of Isaiahs prophetic project. Spencers analysis focuses on the Book of Mormons three interactions with the prophet: the character of Abinadi; the resurrected Jesus Christ; and the nation-founding figure of Nephi. Working from the Book of Mormon as it was dictated, Spencer details its vital and overlooked place in Isaiahs reception while recognizing the interpretation of Isaiah as an organizing force behind the Book of Mormon.