INDIVIDUAL
The Book of Mormon, RLDS Church
This edition of the Book of Mormon closely follows the 1908 Authorized Edition (RLDS) of the Book of Mormon that followed the original manuscript. The Book of Mormon is a canon of scripture accepted by the Community of Christ, however they do not mandate the degree of belief in or use of the Book of Mormon among their members.
The Book of Mormon: For the Family Library
The Pyramid Publications edition of the Book of Mormon is a republished paperback of the 1966 RLDS "Reader's Edition," the first attempt to place the Book of Mormon in modern English. Marcus Bach--a noted philosopher, teacher, ordained minister, author and lecturer who devoted a lifetime to increasing understanding and appreciation of diverse philosophical and religious perspectives--wrote a foreword to this paperback, wherein he states that "the Book of Mormon is indispensable to all religiously oriented people who have their secret questions about the interplay of God and man and who seek their own honest answers to a living faith in these modern 'latter days'.
The Book of Mormon A Reader's Edition
Grant Hardy, a professor if history at the University of North Carolina at Asheville, spent time editing the text in an attempt to make the text more approachable to all readers, not just church members. Using the 1920 edition, he reformatted the text, returning it to a paragraphed format that had not been done since verses were added in 1879. Additional features to guide a reader's study were also added: quotation marks, topical headings, and additional appendices. Hardy sought to encourage readers to gain more from the text and also have a better grasp on original intent of the book.
The Book of Mormon Made Harder
James E. Faulconer, professor of philosophy and former Richard L. Evans Chair of Religious understanding at Brigham young University, developed a series of questions designed to prompt deep study. In The Book of Mormon Made Harder, questions prompt the reader to engage with thoughts and ideas as they read passages in the Book of Mormon. By making the study of the Book of Mormon "harder," Faulconer believes, readers will get more out of their study.
President Kimball's Scriptures
This set of scriptures was owned by President Spencer W. Kimball. In the Bible, each page has a heading, so it would be easier to find stories from the New and Old Testaments. His edition also comes with a special fore-edge color painting by Vera Dutter of the Salt-Lake City Temple. This technique is as old as the idea of a bound book itself.
The Book of Mormon: Maxwell Institute Study Edition
The Maxwell Institute Study Edition uses text from the 2013 edition of the Book of Mormon but has been rearranged according to paragraphs and poetic stanzas. It also includes many footnotes containing commentary from LDS scholars. The purpose of this edition is to help readers make connections throughout the Book of Mormon and to “allow the book's sacred message to be heard anew.”
