My First Footnote

Regular readers already know how much I write and think about warfare in the Book of Mormon.  I'm very pleased with the many readers I have and the positive feedback I've received. I also hope to be part of a larger conversation. It is great to have a critically acclaimed book on the market for example, but its not that fun feeling like the Arrested Development of books. Something that is critically acclaimed with fewer readers than expected is bit disappointing.  As a result of that and a few other factors, I've been awaiting my first footnote. This is where somebody quotes my research as part of theirs.

I'm proud to announce I've been included a Square Two article entitled: Preparing Their Lands and Their Arms Against the Time of Battle: A Neo Consevative Interpretation of the Book of Mormon.  The article discusses four main features of Neo Conservatives, and explains how the Book of Mormon readily lends itself to such a reading. My chapter from the Greg Kofford volume, and last chapter of my book, which defend preemptive war using the Book of Mormon are used by the authors as evidence of support for "muscular" foreign policy. They also include several quotes where I discussed Moroni's preemptive attack on Amalickiah as he fled.  

I've never been called a neocon before, but I don't mind being labelled as somebody who believes the Book of Mormon supports the use of force.  I am upset they use the word neocon, its a label that is widely used a pejorative and I believe it is an emotionally charged word that obscures more than it clarifies. (Keep in mind that is the exact argument I make about the use of the word "robber" in the text.)  Though its funny,  I actually have an idea for a new paper called; "The Other Neocons: Neo Confucianism in the Book of Mormon." I might show a preview in the future, but it would discuss foreign policy differences in the Nephite court through the prism of the Southern Song court.    

Its feels good to finally be a part of the larger conversation. I'm not simply speaking to an audience of blog readers, though I've enjoyed it immensely in the past 5 years, but I'm speaking to a wider academic audience as well and I'm glad I could further that conversation. Thanks for reading and I hope to be in more footnotes in the future!!