Item Detail
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31993
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3
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1
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English
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'Our Weakness in Writing' : Oral and Literature Culture in the Book of Mormon
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Provo, UT
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Foundation for Ancient Research and Mormon Studies
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"The major hypothesis I wish to develop in this paper is that Lehi and his descendants functioned in a society which exhibited strong oral residual culture characteristics : they had access to print as a technology, but retained many features of a nonprint culture. First, I briefly discuss a number of inherent weaknesses that temper my conclusion. I then attempt to explain why this study has implications far more important than that of a simple exercise of extending my academic interests into an area of religious convictions. Next, I examine certain aspects of literacy within the cultures of the Book of Mormon peoples by focusing on the graphemic systems they may have used. Finally, I explore the relationship between their literacy and both their socio-cultural and discourse structures, and the implications of these relationships to our understanding of the Book of Mormon." [Author]