John Welch
Brigham Young University, Law, Faculty Member
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John W. Welch The tablets from Ras Shamra, discovered beginning in 1929 in Syria, have opened broad avenues into our reconstruction and understanding of civilization in the Northwest Semitic arena in the central periods of the second... more
John W. Welch The tablets from Ras Shamra, discovered beginning in 1929 in Syria, have opened broad avenues into our reconstruction and understanding of civilization in the Northwest Semitic arena in the central periods of the second millenium B. C. Cultural and linguistic roots of the soon to rise classical Hebrew nation are particularly evident in the literary record left by the people who occupied the site at Ugarit from 1400–1200 B. C., making the study of these texts signi cant to any understanding of the orescence of the civilization which composed the Old Testament. Although it is perhaps impossible to determine exactly what bearing each cultural group had on another during those early periods in Eastern Mediterranean history, it is clear that the library at Ugarit contains some very early precedents which are either directly related to the Hebrew literature which arose in that vicinity or are at least strongly representative of the cultural strata out of which it arose.
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On August 16, 1967, Welch discovered the presence of chiasmus in the Book of Mormon. Serving in the LDS South German mission at the time, in the city of Regensburg, Welch attended a lecture on the New Testament. He there learned of... more
On August 16, 1967, Welch discovered the presence of chiasmus in the Book of Mormon. Serving in the LDS South German mission at the time, in the city of Regensburg, Welch attended a lecture on the New Testament. He there learned of chiasmus and how it provides evidence of Hebraic origins. After reviewing a book dealing with literary art in the Gospel of Matthew, he began his analysis of the Book of Mormon for evidence of chiasmus. His first identification of chiasmus in the Book of Mormon was in Mosiah 5, but examples of chiastic style have since been found throughout the book. Welch wrote his master’s thesis on chiasmus and continued study on the subject. Though rational arguments cannot generate a testimony of the truthfulness of the book, the presence of chiasmus in the Book of Mormon gives credence to its origins.
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Research Interests: History and Bibliography
John W. Welch As a work of sacred literature and masterful oratory, Benjamin’s speech deserves deep respect. After all that has been said about this speech over the years, it still invites further re ection and comment. Many readers have... more
John W. Welch As a work of sacred literature and masterful oratory, Benjamin’s speech deserves deep respect. After all that has been said about this speech over the years, it still invites further re ection and comment. Many readers have intuitively sensed the profundity of its message. Elder Bruce R. McConkie found that it contained “what well may be the greatest sermon ever delivered on the atonement of Christ the Lord.”1 Milton R. Hunter marveled at King Benjamin, observing that “perhaps no other teacher except the Master has given a more beautiful, humble sermon.”2 King Benjamin is frequently quoted in Latter-day Saint general conferences3 —the April 1996 conference, for example, was no exception: Benjamin was quoted extensively by Elder Neal A. Maxwell in his talk on children and becoming childlike,4 by Sister Susan Warner on the spiritual functions of remembering,5 and by others.
Research Interests: Engineering and Law
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John W. Welch King Benjamin’s covenant language in Mosiah 5 gures seminally as an early text to which Jesus was apparently alluding when he articulated in 3 Nephi 18 words that provided the basis for the nal form of the Nephite sacrament... more
John W. Welch King Benjamin’s covenant language in Mosiah 5 gures seminally as an early text to which Jesus was apparently alluding when he articulated in 3 Nephi 18 words that provided the basis for the nal form of the Nephite sacrament prayers in Moroni 4–5. A historical, textual relationship exists between the words of the Nephite covenant text of King Benjamin, the words of Jesus in 3 Nephi 18, and the phrases used in the Nephite sacrament prayers; the precision and persistence of basic terms throughout all three of these texts, separated from each other by many years and pages of Nephite history, speak highly of the faithful and logical orderliness, the linguistic sensitivity, and the progressing revelation and inspiration present in this history.
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Research Interests: History and Encyclopedia
Many lawyers and law students are interested in the intersection of their religious faith and values with their responsibilities and duties in the legal profession. The mere fact that many people intuitively sense a connection between law... more
Many lawyers and law students are interested in the intersection of their religious faith and values with their responsibilities and duties in the legal profession. The mere fact that many people intuitively sense a connection between law and religion is prima facie evidence that these domains are at least relevant to each other, if not fundamentally linked. In this Article, I hope to make a pioneering contribution to the intellectual progress of my own religious tradition, Mormonism. Recent political events have amplified the fact that to many Americans, Mormonism is still seen today as a bizarre religion, or worse, a ―cult with a heretical understanding of Scripture and doctrine.‖1 This Article does not seek to answer such criticisms2 or to explain Mormon tenets,3 as is readily available elsewhere. Instead, this Article explores a broad jurisprudential perspective of the relatively young religion that is very rich in potential and now emerging more often on national and
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H M W K C W B M W T
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Brent Lee Metcalfe, ed., New Approaches to the Book of MOm/on: &plorotions in CriJicaJ Metlwdology. Approaching New Approaches Reviewed by John W. Welch Brent Metcalfe's publication of a collection of essays under the title New... more
Brent Lee Metcalfe, ed., New Approaches to the Book of MOm/on: &plorotions in CriJicaJ Metlwdology. Approaching New Approaches Reviewed by John W. Welch Brent Metcalfe's publication of a collection of essays under the title New Approaches to the Book of Mormon: Explorations in Critical Methodology comes as a welcome invitation to look again at Book of Mormon studies. Collective understanding of the Book of Mormon is increasing as readers and writers consider again and again its contents and backgrounds, and reassess and refine the tools they use in interpreting and evaluating it. Students of the Book of Mormon have long recognized the need for all who work in this area to give clearer statements defining and explaining their methods. In broad terms, three different methods seem to have emerged in recent years; they are described briefly by Stephen Ricks in his article on "Book of Mormon Studies" in the Encyclopedia of MormoniJfll. 1 First, some scholars are exclusively...
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John W. Welch King Benjamin’s speech in Mosiah 2–5 is a classic in the world’s library of religious literature. Unparalleled in many respects by anything else in the Book of Mormon, this document stands as a monument of Nephite... more
John W. Welch King Benjamin’s speech in Mosiah 2–5 is a classic in the world’s library of religious literature. Unparalleled in many respects by anything else in the Book of Mormon, this document stands as a monument of Nephite civilization and spirituality. The text of this speech can be explored from many different angles—literary, historical, and theological, to name but a few. Only under close examination do the complexity, subtlety, beauty, truth, and wisdom of this inspired composition start to come to light. To introduce the study of this address, we begin with some background information about the remarkable man who authored it.
Darryl R. Hague, John W. Welch In many ways, Benjamin’s speech and its surrounding texts (Mosiah 1–6) are bound up with ancient and venerable literary and religious traditions, drawing heavily on and conforming extensively to customary... more
Darryl R. Hague, John W. Welch In many ways, Benjamin’s speech and its surrounding texts (Mosiah 1–6) are bound up with ancient and venerable literary and religious traditions, drawing heavily on and conforming extensively to customary Israelite patterns and practices. To our understanding of Benjamin’s speech can be added yet another signi cant dimension. It involves the literary pattern that can be seen in the farewell speeches that were given by several ancient political and religious leaders near the end of their lives. William S. Kurz has studied a large number of farewell speeches found in the Bible and in classical literature from the Greco-Roman world.1 Kurz has abstracted from his collection of speeches twenty elements that appear regularly in most of these addresses. Because Benjamin’s speech was also written and delivered in contemplation of Benjamin’s own approaching death, the invitation seems natural, if not irresistible, to analyze Benjamin’s discourse and several oth...
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This paper explores several relationships between the texts in Moroni 2–6 and the words and deeds of Jesus in 3 Nephi 18. The opening chapters of Moroni contain the words which Jesus Christ spoke to the twelve when he ordained them to the... more
This paper explores several relationships between the texts in Moroni 2–6 and the words and deeds of Jesus in 3 Nephi 18. The opening chapters of Moroni contain the words which Jesus Christ spoke to the twelve when he ordained them to the high priesthood, the words used by the Nephites in administering the sacrament, and also a few words by Moroni about baptism, church membership, congregational worship, and ecclesiastical discipline. This study demonstrates that these instructions and procedures were rooted in the words and deeds of the resurrected Jesus in 3 Nephi 18, as he administered the sacrament, gave instructions to his disciples, and conferred upon the twelve the power to bestow the gift of the Holy Ghost. Thus, one can appreciate the extent to which Nephite ecclesiastical procedures were based directly on the Savior’s instructions and ministry. Those practices, essential to the Restored Gospel, came from that divine source. From Presence to Practice: Jesus, the Sacrament P...
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Jesus quoted key phrases, often in inverted order, from the Sermon on the Mount (3 Nephi 12–14) in subsequent Book of Mormon chapters (3 Nephi 15–28), thus demonstrating that the sermon was accepted as an authoritative text establishing... more
Jesus quoted key phrases, often in inverted order, from the Sermon on the Mount (3 Nephi 12–14) in subsequent Book of Mormon chapters (3 Nephi 15–28), thus demonstrating that the sermon was accepted as an authoritative text establishing and defining Jesus’s kingdom on earth. Although rarely considered in this light, Peter, James, Paul, and the gospel writers quoted from all parts of the Sermon on the Mount, similarly substantiating the authoritative functions of the sermon as a foundational text in early Christianity. Literary analysis supports the ideas that these quotations were intentional, that an awareness of the sermon was widespread in the earliest decades of Christianity, and that audiences to which Jesus and his apostles spoke were familiar with the teachings and commandments found in the Sermon on the Mount. Title
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This chapter examines the ways in which Paul utilizes the concept of covenant in his writings. It situates Paul’s usage of the term “covenant” (diathēkē) within the legal and religious contexts of covenants among ancient Israel. In noting... more
This chapter examines the ways in which Paul utilizes the concept of covenant in his writings. It situates Paul’s usage of the term “covenant” (diathēkē) within the legal and religious contexts of covenants among ancient Israel. In noting the large variety of covenants in the Hebrew Bible, this chapter suggests that Paul’s use of covenant language and imagery reflects that same variety, and thus full treatments of Pauline texts dealing with covenant must be seen broadly in light of ancient Israelite covenant theology. Ultimately, this approach to Paul and the covenant requires a re-examination of his explicit references to covenant, and also a re-analysis of his writings for the sorts of language, concepts, and imagery that are regularly associated with covenants in the Hebrew Bible.