Skousen’s work in linguistics has dealt chiefly with developing a theory of language called Analogical Modeling, a theory that predicts language behavior by means of examples rather than by rules. He has published three books on this subject: Analogical Modeling of Language (1989), Analogy and Structure (1992), and Analogical Modeling: An Exemplar-Based Approach to Language (2002). More recently, he has published on the quantum computation of Analogical Modeling, notably in his 2005 paper “Quantum Analogical Modeling” (available at www.arXiv.org).
Skousen began working on the critical text of the Book of Mormon in 1988. In 2001 he published the first two volumes of the Critical Text Project, namely, typographical facsimiles for the original and printer’s manuscripts of the Book of Mormon. From 2004 through 2009 he published the six books that make up volume 4 of the critical text, Analysis of Textual Variants of the Book of Mormon. This work represents the central task of the Critical Text Project, to restore by scholarly means the original text of the Book of Mormon, to the extent possible.
In 2009 Skousen published with Yale University Press the culmination of his critical work on the Book of Mormon text, namely, The Book of Mormon: The Earliest Text. The Yale edition presents the reconstructed original text in a clear-text format, without explanatory intervention. Unlike modern editions of the Book of Mormon that have added chapter summaries, scriptural cross-references, dates, and footnotes, this edition consists solely of the words dictated by Joseph Smith in 1828-29, as far as they can be established through standard methods of textual criticism. Later emendations by scribes, editors, and even Joseph Smith himself have been omitted, except for those that appear to restore original readings.
Links
Earliest Text – First Edition
Earliest Text – First Edition Online Free
Earliest Text – Second Edition
Curriculum Vitae
Studies for sale at Amazon
Critical Text Online
Analysis of Textual Variants of the Book of Mormon, Part One: 1 Nephi – 2 Nephi 10
Analysis of Textual Variants of the Book of Mormon, Part Two: 2 Nephi 11 – Mosiah 16
Analysis of Textual Variants of the Book of Mormon, Part Three: Mosiah 17 – Alma 20
Analysis of Textual Variants of the Book of Mormon, Part Four: Alma 21 – 55
Analysis of Textual Variants of the Book of Mormon, Part Five: Alma 56 – 3 Nephi 18
Analysis of Textual Variants of the Book of Mormon, Part Six: 3 Nephi 19 – Moroni 10
Publications
Audiovisual
Skousen, Royal. Do We Need to Make Changes to the Book of Mormon Text? In
FAIR Conference 2012. Fair Mormon, 2012.
Skousen, Royal. Hypotheses and Evidence in Book of Mormon Research In
Book of Mormon Archaeological Forum Conference. Fair Mormon, 2013.
Skousen, Royal. The Nature of the Original Text In
25 Years of Research: What We Have Learned About the Book of Mormon Text., 2013.
Skousen, Royal. The Original and Printer’s Manuscript In
25 Years of Research: What We Have Learned About the Book of Mormon Text., 2013.
Skousen, Royal. The Original Book of Mormon In
Book of Mormon Archaeological Forum Conference. Book of Mormon Archaeological Forum, 2003.
Skousen, Royal. The Printed Editions In
25 Years of Research: What We Have Learned About the Book of Mormon Text., 2013.
Skousen, Royal. Restoring the Original Text of The Book of Mormon In
FAIR Conference 2010. Fair Mormon, 2010.
Books
Skousen, Royal. Analysis of Textual Variants of the Book of Mormon, 2nd Edition In
The Book of Mormon Critical Text Project., 2017.
Skousen, Royal. Grammatical Variation In
Critical Text of the Book of Mormon. Vol. 1-2 History of the Text of the Book of Mormon., 2016.
Skousen, Royal. Volume 1: The Original Manuscript of the Book of Mormon In
The Book of Mormon Critical Text Project. Vol. 1. Provo, Ut.: FARMS, 2001.
Skousen, Royal. Volume 2: The Printer’s Manuscript of the Book of Mormon: Part 1 In
The Book of Mormon Critical Text Project. Vol. 2. Provo, Ut.: FARMS, 2001.
Skousen, Royal. Volume 2: The Printer’s Manuscript of the Book of Mormon: Part 2 In
The Book of Mormon Critical Text Project. Vol. 2. Provo, Ut.: FARMS, 2001.
Skousen, Royal. Volume 4: Analysis of Textual Variants of the Book of Mormon Part 4: Alma 21–55 In
The Book of Mormon Critical Text Project. Vol. 4. Provo, Ut.: FARMS, 2007.
Skousen, Royal. Volume 4: Analysis of Textual Variants of the Book of Mormon Part 6: 3 Nephi 19 – Moroni 10 In
The Book of Mormon Critical Text Project. Vol. 4. Provo, Ut.: FARMS, 2009.
Skousen, Royal. Volume 4: Analysis of Textual Variants of the Book of Mormon Part 1: 1 Nephi 1 – 2 Nephi 10 In
The Book of Mormon Critical Text Project. Vol. 4. Provo, Ut.: FARMS, 2004.
Skousen, Royal. Volume 4: Analysis of Textual Variants of the Book of Mormon Part 5: Alma 56 – 3 Nephi 18 In
The Book of Mormon Critical Text Project. Vol. 4. Provo, Ut.: FARMS, 2008.
Skousen, Royal. Volume 4: Analysis of Textual Variants of the Book of Mormon Part 2: 2 Nephi 11 – Mosiah 16 In
The Book of Mormon Critical Text Project. Vol. 4. Provo, Ut.: FARMS, 2005.
Skousen, Royal. Volume 5: A Complete Electronic Collation of the Book of Mormon In
The Book of Mormon Critical Text Project. Vol. 5. Provo, Ut.: FARMS, 2019.
Book Chapters
Skousen, Royal. “
Editions (1830-1981).” In
To All the World: The Book of Mormon Articles from the Encyclopedia of Mormonism. Provo, Ut.: FARMS, 2000.
Skousen, Royal. “
History of the Critical Text Project of the Book of Mormon.” In
Uncovering the Original Text of the Book of Mormon. Provo, Ut.: FARMS, 2002.
Skousen, Royal. “
Jacob 4-6: Substantive Textual Variants between Manuscripts and Editions.” In
The Allegory of the Olive Tree: The Olive, The Bible, and Jacob 5. Provo, Ut.: FARMS, 1994.
Skousen, Royal. “
John Gilbert’s 1892 Account of the 1830 Printing of the Book of Mormon.” In
The Disciple as Witness: Essays on Latter-day Saint History and Doctrine in Honor of Richard Lloyd Anderson. Provo, Ut.: FARMS, 2000.
Skousen, Royal. “
Manuscripts of the Book of Mormon.” In
To All the World: The Book of Mormon Articles from the Encyclopedia of Mormonism., 2000.
Skousen, Royal. “
The Original Book of Mormon Transcript.” In
Reexploring the Book of Mormon: A Decade of New Research. Provo, Ut.: FARMS, 1992.
Skousen, Royal. “
The Systematic Text of the Book of Mormon.” In
Uncovering the Original Text of the Book of Mormon: History and Findings of the Critical Text Project., 2002.
Skousen, Royal. “
Translating and Printing the Book of Mormon.” In
Oliver Cowdery: Scribe, Elder, Witness., 2006.
Skousen, Royal. “
Translating the Book of Mormon: Evidence from the Original Manuscript.” In
Book of Mormon Authorship Revisited: The Evidence for Ancient Origins., 1997.
Journal Articles
Skousen, Royal. “
The Archaic Vocabulary of the Book of Mormon.”
Insights 25, no. 5 (2005): 2-7.
Skousen, Royal. “
Conjectural Emendation in the Book of Mormon.”
FARMS Review 18, no. 1 (2006): 187-231.
Skousen, Royal. “
Critical Methodology and the Text of the Book of Mormon.”
Review of Books on the Book of Mormon 6, no. 1 (1994): 121-44.
Skousen, Royal. “
The Critical Text of the Book of Mormon.”
FARMS Preliminary Reports (1994): 1-14.
Skousen, Royal. “
Findings About the Printer’s Manuscript.”
Journal of Book of Mormon Studies 11, no. 2 (2002): 37.
Skousen, Royal. “
History of the Critical Text Project of the Book of Mormon.”
Journal of Book of Mormon Studies 11, no. 2 (2002): 5-21.
Skousen, Royal. “
Introducing the Dead Sea Scrolls to an LDS Audience.”
FARMS Review of Books 12, no. 2 (2000): 441-444.
Skousen, Royal. “
Jacob 4-6: Subtantive Textual Variants.”
FARMS Preliminary Reports (1992): 1-22.
Skousen, Royal. “
The Pleading Bar of God.”
Insights 24, no. 4 (2004): 2-3.
Skousen, Royal. “
Review of The Bible II.”
Review of Books on the Book of Mormon 6, no. 2 (1994): 1-2.
Skousen, Royal. “
‘Scourged’ vs. ‘Scorched’ in Mosiah 17:13.”
Insights 22, no. 3 (2003): 2-3.
Skousen, Royal. “
Some Textual Changes for a Scholarly Study of the Book of Mormon.”
BYU Studies Quarterly 51, no. 4 (2012): 99-117.
Skousen, Royal. “
The Systematic Text of the Book of Mormon.”
Journal of Book of Mormon Studies 11, no. 2 (2002): 45-66.
Skousen, Royal. “
Worthy of Another Look: John Gilbert’s 1892 Account of the 1830 Printing of the Book of Mormon.”
Journal of Book of Mormon Studies and Other Restoration Scripture 21, no. 2 (2012): 58-72.
