In my Hebrew classes I wanted to use Thomas Lambdin, which is what I had learned on, but that book is insanely expensive, and it is written at a level that presumes a fair amount of general linguistic knowledge. So I called Eisenbrauns and asked them for a recommendation, and they suggested Page Kelley, and so that is what we used, and I was very happy with it. I would definitely recommend it, and I think it would be useful for someone teaching himself.

For my Greek class we used William Mounce, Basics of Biblical Greek. I liked this one also, and again, I think it would work well for self-study.

If you’re going to try to teach yourself, I would also recommend Hebrew Tutor and Greek Tutor, interactive computer programs from Parsons Technology.

Sensing that he [Lorenzo Snow] also might find satisfaction in Mormonism, she [Eliza R. Snow] watched for an opportunity to bring Lorenzo to Kirtland, where he might come to know the Prophet Joseph Smith and be influenced by him.

Her chance came in 1836, when Joseph and other Church leaders were engaged in the School of the Prophets. In the early days of American education every respectable scholar was required to learn Hebrew and Greek. Lorenzo had just completed his study of classical languages at Oberlin but had not as yet mastered Hebrew; so Eliza, knowing that a Hebrew scholar, Dr. Joshua Seixas, had been employed to teach the School of the Prophets, invited her younger brother to come to Kirtland and study Hebrew.

“Lorenzo Snow: The Decisions of a College Student,” New Era, Jan 1972

Very likely, it was the availability of a Jewish teacher that inclined the choice of languages, or even of studies, to Hebrew. A Jew was exceedingly rare in northeastern Ohio in those days; . . . A teacher of Hebrew who was a Jew was what the Mormons came to want — Dr. Peixotto or another Jew, even if they had to send, over 600 miles, to New York for one. Providentially, the teacher they desired appeared at the right time, in their neighborhood. [Louis C. Zucker, "Joseph Smith as a Student of Hebrew," Dialogue: A Journal of Mormon Thought 3 (Summer 1968), 44; the reference to "another Jew . . . in their neighborhood" means Joshua Seixas.]

I have found it striking to notice how many early Saints’ later reminiscences included mention of “Prof. Seixas.” Hebrew study with Joshua Seixas became positively stylish in Kirtland (early 1836), yet these students took their class work seriously. “The Mormons are very eager to acquire an education.” – reported an unnamed gentleman living in Loraine County, Ohio. “Men[,] women, and children are studying Hebrew. Some of the men in middle age pursue Hebrew till 12 o’clock at night and attend to nothing else.” (unsigned article, “The Mormons,” in New England Advocate 2:42 [newspaper, Middletown, Connecticut, Wednesday, May 11, 1836], p. [1]).

To understand this, we have to step back in our own memories to some stage of life where we first headed to high school or college, intent upon “getting a degree.” Did we have the slightest inkling then of how much there was to learn? Did we even imagine, at such early moments of our training, that we needed to acquire techniques of research and thinking, even more than the data themselves? The more we learned, the more “stupid” we saw that we had been, . . . and still remain.

We should try to imagine, now, how such limitations must have challenged Joseph Smith and so many of his contemporaries for whom the attainment of a genuinely thorough, sophisticated education was unlikely, if not impossible.
To them, a little coursework must have seemed as impressive as post-graduate studies might feel to us. Had they any idea how much there really was to know?

No doubt, it was almost miraculous that the School of the Prophets’ “Hebrew School” should obtain – from out of all America, this instructor of such merit. It strikes me as absurd to dream that one could learn enough Hebrew in seven weeks to make any difference in analyzing esoteric ancient texts. But for Joseph Smith, who translated things which he seldom saw – and which he never could read, those daily classes at the west end of Kirtland Temple’s upper floor must have felt like thrilling secular handshakes in the midst of a continuing friendship with God.

Hardly. There is no Church program for adult continuign ed. Your stake presidency was trying to meet a need in your stake, and should be applauded for that, regardless of whether they thought that meeting the need required the extraordinary step (at least in the stakes I’ve lived in, where announcements during stake conference are very, very strongly discouraged) of making an announcement at stake conference.

About GD classes – it is unfortunate that teachers feel a compulsion to “get through” all of the assigned chapters. That is contrary to their instructions. We still have the same 40 minutes a week. It could be spent on 3 verses rather than 3 chapters. The members can read the rest at home.

lmwitten at prodigy dot net

If I were to guess in my very non-academic way. I’d say that Mormons like Hebrew because it’s the language of God’s chosen, and avoid Greek because it is the language of pagans.

Me? I avoid both because I’m still working on English and French.

I’d wager this is because Joseph Smith’s Mormonism was largely a “restoration” of Old Testament style religion. Mormons relate to the hard-nosed practicality of Hebrew. They tend to get impatient with the airy and esoteric distractions of Greek thought.