After nearly two centuries, we are still discovering the Book of Mormon. Yes, the Book of Mormon studies bibliography is substantial.2 Yes, the methodological approaches are varied.3 And yes, the circle of interested investigators is growing.4 Yet there are still too few solid points of purchase for the academic study of this Latter-day scripture. Most important among these is the critical text project by Royal Skousen, especially as distilled through Grant Hardy's study editions. The critical text project is an essential foundation to Book of Mormon studies. The first step in any serious study of the Book of Mormon is to establish the text. With a critical text in hand, the next steps can be taken to make Book of Mormon studies “a more rigorous discipline.”5 These next steps are essentially works of philology and text criticism, and will result in a minor critical edition, a...

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