January Is Book of Mormon Month at BCC Press

Here at BCC Press, we are starting our fourth year with a bang. Well, not literally with a bang. But, literally, with three new books desgined to complement the Come Follow Me Book of Mormon curriculum this year. Our offeringts are varied across generes and rhetorical modes, but they are united in their purpose to help you see and appreciate a familiar book in new and exciting ways.

We will be releasing one new book a week–today, next Friday, and the Friday after that so that, by the end of the month, you can line them all up on your shelf and nod with satisfaction that you are ready for the year.

First up, today, is Michael Austin’s Buried Treasures: Reading the Book of Mormon Again for the First Time. BCC readers will recognize the 44 brief essays in this volume from Michael’s #BOM2016 series four years ago right here on the blog. The essays have been cleaned up and organized and placed between a gorgeous cover designed by Christian Harrison to make a book well worth keeping and referring to during the year. And if you have already read all of the essays, you can read “Reading the Book of Mormon Again for the First Time” again for the first time. And, really, how cool is that?

And if you haven’t read the essays. Well, you really should. Each brief essay discusses a theme, passage, or major idea in the Book of Mormon, moving sequentially through the text and answering questions like, “What were the “Anti-Lehi Nephis against?” and “Why is everybody always sneaking out in the middle of the night?”.

Buried Treasures can be purchased at Amazon in paperback for $9.99 and as a Kindle e-book for $6.99.

Our second book is the first volume The Women’s Book of Mormon by BCC Press superstar Mette Harrison. This is Mette’s fourth book with BCC Press, after The Book of Laman, The Book of Abish, and Vampires in the Temple. She is also the award-wining author of the Bishop’s Wife mystery series, the Princess and the Hound fantasy series, and about a bajillion other books.

The Women’s Book of Mormon is a novel designed to explore the question, “What would it look like if women had written the Book of Mormon?” Using her imagination, and a firm grasp of Mormonism’s signature scripture, Mette creates a new world in between the lines of the Book of Mormon we have. In this world, women have authority, give blessings, prophecy, translate, and serve their people.

And they, like the more famous men, keep a record. But it is not a record of wars and battles and doctrinal disuptes, but a world of making connections, caring for children, nurturing the church, and making room for people who don’t conform to ideals. All are welcome in Mette’s Book of Mormon, which touches lightly, but effectively, on issues of sexuality and gender identity to create a truly inclusive midrash on the Book of Mormon.

The Women’s Book of Mormon will be published in paperback and Kindle editions on Friday, January 17. The Kindle edition can be pre-ordered now.

Our third book this month will be The Book of Mormon for the Least of These by Fatimah Salleh and Margaret Olsen Hemming–two extremely powerful voices for justice in our community that we are beyond thrilled to have on our list.

This social justice commentary of the Book of Mormon empowers readers to understand the text as a book that speaks to issues of racism, sexism, immigration, refugees, and socioeconomic inequality. The Book of Mormon For the Least of These offers an unflinching examination of some of the difficult and troubling sections of the Book of Mormon, while also advocating for a compassionate reading of holy text. As a verse-by-verse close reading, this book examines new layers of interpretation and meaning, giving even those deeply familiar with scripture innovative tools for engaging powerfully with the Book of Mormon.

We are pretty sure that this will be one of the most talked-about books of the year across a wide spectrum of Mormon belief and practice. And it should be. The issues that Fatimah and Margaret raise get to the core of the Book of Mormon, and the Bible, and what it means to speak prophetically or act in the name of Christ.

The Book of Mormon for the Least of These will be published in paperback and Kindle editions on Friday, January 24. The Kindle edition can be pre-ordered now.

You will be hearing a lot more from BCC Press this year. We have an ambitious lineup of poetry, fiction, memoir, and scholarly work planned for you. But, for now, let us all stock up on creative, innovative, and deeply moral works that can help us engage more productively with the Book of Mormon.