The Book of Mormon: English Edition - Inspirational Scripture for Spiritual Growth, Daily Devotion & Bible Study (Perfect for LDS Members, Christian Gifts & Religious Studies)

The Book of Mormon has some really cringeworthy racism, sexism and antisemitism. It is important that we find better ways to read it, but it's also important that we are acknowledging what's there instead of trying to give it a free pass. The temptation is to find a better way to read it and then insist that the better way is the "real" way and that the cringeworthy stuff is a mistaken reading that doesnt actually reflect the meaning of the text.But siblings, that is massive gaslighting.The Book of Mormon wasn't dictated by God, it was written by human beings and we need to make sure our practical theology of scripture makes room for that. On the face of it, the text confesses it's own weaknesses and failures! We don't need to try to make it be flawless or inerrant. It says we don't have to!But it is really important that we acknowledge the ways that the text has been weaponized to hurt vulnerable people. Our process of rehabilitating the Book of Mormon can't erase that. I get it. We love the Book of Mormon. We want to be able to see it in it's best light. But we're not doing any favors to it, to ourselves, or to the people it is used against by pretending that it is something that it is not.What does this look like, then? I'm glad you asked. The Book of Mormon for the Least of These is a great place to start. Salleh and Hemming do a wonderful job of looking deeper into some of the Book of Mormon's dark places and seeing the humanity behind them and giving us new ways to read and understand in a way that doesn't erase or make excuses.