Comments on: Gadianton the Nobler, Reflections on Changes in the Book of Mormon http://www.motleyvision.org/2009/gadianton-the-nobler-textual-criticism-intro-v/ Mormon Arts and Culture Thu, 09 Feb 2012 20:10:03 -0500 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.8.6 hourly 1 By: Th. http://www.motleyvision.org/2009/gadianton-the-nobler-textual-criticism-intro-v/comment-page-1/#comment-36415 Th. Tue, 02 Jun 2009 07:15:03 +0000 http://www.motleyvision.org/?p=2286#comment-36415 . Mine's just done the same thing. I've been wanting to comment on this post, but it always comes down to: I can't wait for the next one! which seems like kind of a lame comment. So I don't. .

Mine’s just done the same thing.

I’ve been wanting to comment on this post, but it always comes down to: I can’t wait for the next one! which seems like kind of a lame comment. So I don’t.

]]> By: Harlow Clark http://www.motleyvision.org/2009/gadianton-the-nobler-textual-criticism-intro-v/comment-page-1/#comment-36414 Harlow Clark Tue, 02 Jun 2009 07:08:02 +0000 http://www.motleyvision.org/?p=2286#comment-36414 I said: I saw an article on someone’s door called “Book Burning Without Ever Lighting a Match,” wherein Ray Bradbury tells how a reader sent him a list of 300 changes made in Fahrenheit 451 since the original publication, changes made by his publisher without his permission or knowledge. More recently I found Tom Hollander’s narration of A Clockwork Orange which included the essay “A Clockwork Orange Resucked,” wherein Anthony Burgess explains why the original American edition, and thus Stanley Kubrick’s movie, lacked the last chapter. >>>>> The unequal power relationship between writers and editors is one of my interests as a literary scholar. Emily Dickinson was certainly not the first writer whose work suffered at the hands of an editor who didn't understand it and had to wait decades before finding an audience. I see no reason why scriptural writers would not suffer the same fate. I think of that hymn the church added to the new hymn book (how odd that the green hymnal is almost as old now as the 1948 red or black hymnal was when the green hymnal was published and I still think of it as gnu) that has the phrase "God his Son not sparing." The Son of God is also the Word of God, but the idea that God would not spare the word ("the iron rod is the word of God") seems a spoiler for many people. When Terryl Givens was speaking at the AML annual meeting earlier this year he talked briefly about the book he's finishing on the pre-existence and how pre-existence has been the answer to philosophical questions throughout history. He said, "It's as if Joseph Smith knew the answer but not the question." That is, JS talked extensively about the pre-existence, but didn't know the philosophical and cultural traditions that made that teaching so significant, didn't derive it through logic but through revelation. The idea of continuing revelation is the same thing. People for 500 years before Joseph had been trying to re-form the Church, rid it of corruption--uh, make that 1500--no, why not go hole hawg and say 1800 years (or 1776 if you like a nice resonant number), and here Joseph gave them the answer: "The heavens are open." But, as with the idea of the pre-existence, a lot of people think that's too stupid. Perhaps I should rephrase that. Both pre-existence and continuing revelation are simple, logical solutions to some vexing philosophical problems, but people often equate simple with simple-minded. Which ties back to Burgess's "A Clockwork Orange Resucked." At the beginning of the novel we meet Alex and his three droogs. The novel is in 3 sections, one for each droog, and the fate of the three droogs represents the alternatives open to Alex: die, find a band of more powerful thugs to join because you refuse to grow past your violence, or accept the growth and change you body and spirit both yearn for. These alternatives are presented in the last chapter of each section, except WW Norton didn't think American readers needed the last chapter of the 3rd section. We can stare evil straight in the face, we don't need to pamper ourselves with the hope of some silly redemption. We'd rather look the mark of the beast directly in the face and not look beyond it to see what will save us from the beast. (And my wife has just yelled, "get to bed," having opened her eyes and noticed the house is not totally dark, so I will.) I said: I saw an article on someone’s door called “Book Burning Without Ever Lighting a Match,” wherein Ray Bradbury tells how a reader sent him a list of 300 changes made in Fahrenheit 451 since the original publication, changes made by his publisher without his permission or knowledge. More recently I found Tom Hollander’s narration of A Clockwork Orange which included the essay “A Clockwork Orange Resucked,” wherein Anthony Burgess explains why the original American edition, and thus Stanley Kubrick’s movie, lacked the last chapter.
>>>>>

The unequal power relationship between writers and editors is one of my interests as a literary scholar. Emily Dickinson was certainly not the first writer whose work suffered at the hands of an editor who didn’t understand it and had to wait decades before finding an audience.

I see no reason why scriptural writers would not suffer the same fate. I think of that hymn the church added to the new hymn book (how odd that the green hymnal is almost as old now as the 1948 red or black hymnal was when the green hymnal was published and I still think of it as gnu) that has the phrase “God his Son not sparing.” The Son of God is also the Word of God, but the idea that God would not spare the word (”the iron rod is the word of God”) seems a spoiler for many people.

When Terryl Givens was speaking at the AML annual meeting earlier this year he talked briefly about the book he’s finishing on the pre-existence and how pre-existence has been the answer to philosophical questions throughout history. He said, “It’s as if Joseph Smith knew the answer but not the question.” That is, JS talked extensively about the pre-existence, but didn’t know the philosophical and cultural traditions that made that teaching so significant, didn’t derive it through logic but through revelation.

The idea of continuing revelation is the same thing. People for 500 years before Joseph had been trying to re-form the Church, rid it of corruption–uh, make that 1500–no, why not go hole hawg and say 1800 years (or 1776 if you like a nice resonant number), and here Joseph gave them the answer: “The heavens are open.” But, as with the idea of the pre-existence, a lot of people think that’s too stupid.

Perhaps I should rephrase that. Both pre-existence and continuing revelation are simple, logical solutions to some vexing philosophical problems, but people often equate simple with simple-minded.

Which ties back to Burgess’s “A Clockwork Orange Resucked.” At the beginning of the novel we meet Alex and his three droogs. The novel is in 3 sections, one for each droog, and the fate of the three droogs represents the alternatives open to Alex: die, find a band of more powerful thugs to join because you refuse to grow past your violence, or accept the growth and change you body and spirit both yearn for.

These alternatives are presented in the last chapter of each section, except WW Norton didn’t think American readers needed the last chapter of the 3rd section. We can stare evil straight in the face, we don’t need to pamper ourselves with the hope of some silly redemption. We’d rather look the mark of the beast directly in the face and not look beyond it to see what will save us from the beast.

(And my wife has just yelled, “get to bed,” having opened her eyes and noticed the house is not totally dark, so I will.)

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