In 2015, I published an article titled “Skins as Garments in the Book of Mormon: A Textual Exegesis” in volume 24 of the Journal of Book of Mormon Studies (JBMS). This blog post gathers together articles, books, blogs, and message board threads that have referenced my article in the years since its publication.
In the handful of years since its publication, my “Skins as Garments” article has been downloaded over 4,800 times. As of 2022, it is one of the most downloaded JBMS articles in the online scholars archive hosted by the Neal A. Maxwell Institute for Religious Scholarship (from a catalog of JBMS issues dating from 1992-2019).
Original Article
Ethan Sproat. “Skins as Garments in the Book of Mormon: A Textual Exegesis.” Journal of Book of Mormon Studies 24.1 (2015), pp. 138-65. (mirror 1) (mirror 2)
Reviews of (and References to) “Skins as Garments”
2021
Gerritt M. Steenblik, “Demythicizing the Lamanites’ ‘Skin of Blackness‘,” Interpreter: A Journal of Latter-Day Saint Faith and Scholarship 49 (2021), pp. 167-258. (see fn. 24, 59 & 207).
Adam Stokes. “The People of Canaan: A New Reading of Moses 7,” Interpreter: A Journal of Latter-Day Saint Faith and Scholarship 47 (2021), pp. 159-80. (see fn. 2 & 9)
2020
Kevin Christensen, “Table Rules: A Response to Americanist Approaches to the Book of Mormon,” Interpreter: A Journal of Latter-Day Saint Faith and Scholarship 37 (2020), pp. 67-96. (references throughout)
Scott Thormaehlen, “Can God Really Change One Race into Another?” Latter Day Times Blog, June 4, 2020. (references throughout)
Mike Day, “Episode 54: Mosiah 29-Alma 4, Come Follow Me (May 25-31),” Talking Scripture Podcast, May, 24, 2020. (references begin at 21:32)
Editorial Staff of BYU Studies, “Mosiah 29 to Alma 4: ‘They Were Steadfast and Immovable,’” Come, Follow Me, Book of Mormon, 2020 Study Helps. Compiled and published by BYU Studies, May 22, 2020. Alternate link here. (article summary at bottom of page)
BMC Team, “Come Follow Me 2020: 2 Nephi 1-5,” Book of Mormon Central, 2020. (referenced under “2 Nephi 5:21” in “Additional Resources” at the bottom)
“Come Follow Me – What if ‘Skin’ Doesn’t Mean Human Skin?” LDS Discussions Blog, January 30, 2020. (references begin about a fifth of the way into the blog post, but the author of the blog characterizes my argument as Richardson’s argument, and quotes Richardson’s article below at length–including my misspelled last name–without actually quoting my article at all)
Recovery from Mormonism (RfM) Discussion Forum, “Hot Topic ‘Black and Curse in the Scriptures.,” exmormon.org. January 29-30, 2020. (reference in the 7th post in the discussion thread, but it copies Richardson’s article below in its entirety including misspelling my last name, and it doesn’t actually quote my article at all)
Holly Richardson, “What if “Skin” Doesn’t Mean Human Skin?” Salt Lake Tribune, January 24, 2020. (references throughout, but my last name is misspelled as Sprout instead of Sproat)
Mike Day, “Skins as Garments in the Book of Mormon [Blog Post],” LDS Scripture Teachings Blog, January 21, 2020. (references throughout; appears to be notes for part of the eventual podcast on May 24, 2020 above)
2019
Mike Day, “Questions about 2 Nephi 5:21 and 3rd Nephi 2:14-15,” LDS Scripture Teachings Blog, October 26, 2019. (reference near the end of the blog post_
2018
Russell W. Stevenson, “Reckoning with Race in the Book of Mormon: A Review of Literature,” Journal of Book of Mormon Studies 27 (2018), pp. 210-225. (reference on p. 215)
Adam Stokes, “‘Skin’ or ‘Scales’ of Blackness? Semitic Context as Interpretive Aid for 2 Nephi 4:35 (LDS 5:21),” Journal of Book of Mormon Studies 27 (2018), pp. 278-89. (reference on p. 280)
Jeff Lindsay, “Overview: Latter-day Saints (Mormons), Blacks, and the Issue of Race,” LDS FAQ: Mormon Answers, April 17, 2018.
Patrick Q. Mason, “Chapter 9: Mormonism and Race,” The Oxford Handbook of Religion and Race in American History, Eds. Kathryn Gin Lum and Paul Harvey (Oxford University Press, 2018), pp. 156-171. (reference on p. 161)
2017
Jeff Lindsay, “The Book of Mormon Versus the Consensus of Scholars: Surprises from the Disputed Longer Ending of Mark, Part 2,” Interpreter: A Journal of Latter-Day Saint Faith and Scholarship 25 (2017), pp. 323-65. (reference on p. 361)
Kevin Christensen, and others, “Skins as Garments in the Book of Mormon [Discussion Thread],” Mormon Dialogue & Discussion Board, January 19, 2017. (references throughout)
2016
Stanley J. Thayne, The Blood of Father Lehi: Indigenous Americans and the Book of Mormon, Ph.D. Dissertation, Department of Religious Studies, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, 2016, 344 pages. (reference on pp. 224-225)
BMC Team, “Why Did the Gadianton Robbers Wear a Lamb Skin?” KnoWhy #191, Book of Mormon Central, Sept. 20, 2016. (reference in 8th paragraph and 14th footnote)
BMC Team, “Gospel Doctrine Lesson #21: Alma Did Judge Righteous Judgments,” Book of Mormon Central. (reference under “Alma 3”)
BMC Team, “Why Did Book of Mormon Prophets Discourage Nephite-Lamanite Intermarriage?” KnowWhy #110, Book of Mormon Central, May 30, 2016. (reference in 8th paragraph of 1st section, in 1st footnote, and in “Further Reading,” but my last name is misspelled as Sprout instead of Sproat)
Book of Mormon Central, “Scripture Study: What Does it Mean to be a ‘White and Delightsome’ People?” Meridian Magazine, March 17, 2016. (further reading reference near bottom of article)
Stephen Carter (Jett Atwood, illus.), Mormonism for Beginners (Danbury, CT: For Beginners Books, July 2016) (reference on p. 83; includes this illustration of various-colored garment-skins by Jett Atwood, shared here with Jett’s permission):
2015
Nathaniel Givens, “In Their Own Language,” Times and Seasons Blog, December 7, 2015. (article summary and review near end of blog post)