The Book of Mormon: A Reader's Edition Paperback – Illustrated, 10 Aug. 2005

This is a fun format to read. The Book is the same. Occasionally reading different formats allows my brain to see new insights. This is actually the 1920 public domain version put into a paragraph format, so it does not contain the few spelling and punctuation corrects made in the 1980's. I love it the format. READ the book for yourself.

Grant Hardy has produced a nicely edited version of the 1920 Book of Mormon text, complete with paragraphs, quote marks (and footnotes indicating the reference) and a range of other useful features for readers. It is not as essential for scholarly work as Royal Skousen's  The Book of Mormon: The Original Text , nor is it quite as accurate as the standard LDS 1981 edition (which restored parts of several verses that had been accidentally lost in transmission between previous printings), it is nonetheless very useful and highly recommended.For actual Mormons (including the reviewer), reading the Book of Mormon in a form other than spreadsheet format makes for a different, and very pleasant reading experience. It's particularly helpful in following the chain of thought in a given passage, especially the sermons or biblical commentary - the latter of which is also greatly helped by Hardy's use of quotation marks and italics to denote quotation and allusion. The other helps are likewise useful in following the overall flow of the text, particularly useful when we sometimes can't see the books for the verses. For interested others, particularly students of comparative religion (including the reviewer again), Hardy's edition is perhaps even more useful, really helping the outsider to engage with what is actually a very complex text, and get an overall sense of the Book of Mormon itself. This includes a range of useful appendices, covering the historical circumstances of the Book of Mormon's publication, the most significant textual variations and chronological summaries of events within the book itself. Were I teaching a university course on the subject, I'd probably point the students to this text first.Physically, as a paperback this isn't as study, nor does it stay open as well as Skousen's edition, but this also makes it quite a bit cheaper. The fonts are reasonably pleasant to look at, and so far the book has failed to fall apart despite some rough handling. Thus the Reader's Edition is highly recommended, especially as Hardy is donating all his royalties to the Church Humanitarian fund.

Our family really enjoys this book of the Book of Mormon. It reads so smoothly. The text is the same as scripture format, but because the format is structured like a novel, it's very clear and enjoyable. There's also plenty of room for taking notes of personal impressions. :D

I highly recommend this edition to everyone wanting to better understand the narrative aspects of the Book of Mormon.

This edition is amazing. I heard Grant Hardy interviewed by Laura Hales and was totally intrigued with the concept of a reader's edition. This is a game changer for me. Sections of the Book of Mormon had become distracting and my discipline waned as I forgot what I was reading. I love the paragraph form. I'm actually looking forward to reading Isaiah in poetry form. How can you beat that? I am so grateful people like Grant Hardy put so much scholarship, love and attention into detail that makes so much difference for me and probably hundreds of others who really want read or reread this beautiful book.Update: The format is every bit as helpful as I anticipated. If you are like me, and want to read the Book of Mormon and really understand the voices of the authors and why they did what they did or said what they said, this book is for you. I've always hesitated buying a book that seemed like a substitution for the Book of Mormon (I don't want a substitution as I love the B of M) but this simply is life changing for my old distractible brain. Thank you. Thank you Brother Hardy. Your book has lifted my ability to understand in a whole new way to whole new heights.

Whether or not you believe in the Book of Mormon as holy scripture or just as a fascinating tidbit from American History, this is the edition to read and buy.From a logical point of view, this is just easier to read than the official double-column format edition that most LDS members choose to read. Paragraph format is less taxing on the eyes and your brain as you read. The double-column format breaks up your train-of-thought and makes it more difficult to concentrate.I like how the quotes and references to the Old Testament verses are put in a special "quote format" that helps you to understand when someone is quoting scripture or just speaking their own words. Some of the poetic verses are also put in a special "poem format" to help you understand that the writer is speaking poetically.If you want to be able to read the Book of Mormon in half the time it would normally take you, then buy this edition. I am serious, you can read almost twice as fast, and read longer without becoming fatigued. To an LDS member who has read this book dozens of times already, you will find that this edition helps keep the flow of thought going. Your mind will wander less.Why would anyone care if this is not the "official" standardized version, or the earliest text? It contains the same material, and any slight variations in the text are negligible. A period here, a comma there... come on people. It's the same book. Just get a version that helps you to get the most from your reading.

I have read Mr. Hardy's edition of this book from start to finish. But unlike many herein, I will address my comments not to whether the book is "right or wrong," but to whether it is useful, provides new insights to life, and is well written.If you are going to read the Book of Mormon, this is the edition to read.Like the Old Testament, the Book of Mormon structure, language, "flash backs", etc, can be a challenge just to get through. Hardy has changed that simply by updating the way the words are presented. By using the exact same words buta) by putting them into a format more commonly used in our day and age,b) by starting and ending some chapters in a more logical place,c) by telling the reader in the difficult parts things such as "OK, now the next 10 chapters are a flashback in time" and then 10 chapters later "OK, that's the end of the flashback, now we're going back to our original story",d)and by other such things,Hardy makes the book much more readable and accessible. Which is probably why he named it "A Reader's Edition" as opposed to "An Analyst's Edition" that you really have to study, analyze and know a fair amount already just to finish the book.So, this is a very valuable contribution to the world of religion and moral values because now one can more easily just "read" the book and get the big picture of it as a whole.Again, if you are going to read the book, I'd suggest this edition.