“For a Wise Purpose in Him”
Perspectives on the Small Plates of Nephi
(1 Nephi – Words of Mormon)

Call for Proposals

“For a Wise Purpose in Him”

Regarding the small plates of Nephi, President Jeffrey R. Holland wrote:

At least six times in the Book of Mormon, the phrase “for a wise purpose” is used in reference to the making, writing, and preserving of the small plates of Nephi . . . . We know one such wise purpose—the most obvious one—was to compensate for the future loss of 116 pages of manuscript translated by the Prophet Joseph . . . . But it strikes me that there is a “wiser purpose” than that, or perhaps more accurately, a “wiser purpose” in that. The key to such a suggestion is in Doctrine and Covenants 10:45 . . . “Behold, there are many things engraven upon the [small] plates of Nephi which do throw greater views upon my gospel” (emphasis added). So clearly this was not a quid pro quo in the development of the final Book of Mormon product. It was not tit for tat, this for that—116 pages of manuscript for 142 pages of printed text. Not so. We got back more than we lost. And it was known from the beginning that it would be so. We do not know exactly what we have missed in the lost 116 pages, but we do know that what we received on the small plates was the personal declarations of three great witnesses, three of the great doctrinal voices of the Book of Mormon, testifying that Jesus is the Christ. (“For a Wise Purpose,” Ensign, January 1996)

In the interest of deepening Latter-day Saint understanding and appreciation of the text, context, and doctrine of 1 Nephi through Words of Mormon, we will hold a two-day conference on May 29-30, 2026 in Provo, UT at a venue yet to be announced. The conference proceedings will “throw greater views” on the authors of the small plates of Nephi and its contents, thus showing how the small plates “throw greater views” on Jesus Christ and his everlasting gospel (Doctrine and Covenants 10:45).

To accomplish these purposes, we invite papers that explore specific topics, themes, or engage in a close reading of the scriptural text. We expect that submissions will at once reflect the authors’ faith in the Savior and his restored gospel (including the antiquity of the Book of Mormon) and adhere to the canons of responsible scholarship. Within these parameters, we welcome a wide variety of perspectives and approaches that will shed greater light on 1^st Nephi – Words of Mormon (possible approaches include, but are not limited to, doctrinal, historical, textual, ritual, sociological, cultural, and political approaches).

Following the conclusion of the conference, we plan to publish a volume of the conference proceedings. In that effort, contributing authors/presenters will also be expected to provide peer review on two other conference papers.

Paper proposals should take the form of an abstract of up to 400 words that includes all of the following: (1) the main thesis of your paper/presentation with a summary of supporting components (2) a statement indicating your approach and methodology (3) a brief explanation of how your paper will build on previous scholarship, break new ground, or advance discussion. In the heading of your proposal include: your name, address, phone number, e-mail address, institutional affiliation (if applicable), and a working title for your paper. In addition to the abstract, please include a short statement (25–50 words) summarizing your background, qualifications or preparation to address this subject. Proposals must be submitted electronically, as an attached Word or PDF document, to PlatesSubmissions@interpreterfoundation.org before October 1, 2025.

Dates to remember:

• Submit a paper proposal in the form of an abstract for the paper by October 1, 2025 to PlatesSubmissions@interpreterfoundation.org
• Committee decision on abstract/paper acceptance by November 1, 2025
• Reviewable draft of the paper due by February 1, 2026
• Two peer reviews of conference papers due by March 1, 2026
• Final presentation draft of paper due by April 1, 2026
• Copy-editing and typesetting with author review, April 1 – May 29, 2026
• Presentation materials (PowerPoint, etc.) due by May 22, 2026
• Conference: May 29-30, 2026
• Final post-conference drafts due June 30, 2026

Please address any questions about the conference to the committee: SmallPlates@interpreterfoundation.org

Sincerely,

Matthew L. Bowen: Professor, Brigham Young University – Hawai‘i
Karamea M. Wright: Assistant Professor, Brigham Young University – Hawai‘i
David M. Calabro: Assistant Professor, Brigham Young University
Daniel C. Peterson: Emeritus Professor, Brigham Young University
Brant A. Gardner: Independent Researcher and Scholar