Warfare and the Book of Mormon: A Bibliography

Battle at the Sidon River, by James Fullmer

For most Latter-day Saints attending Gospel Doctrine, the infamous “war chapters” are approaching (or some have perhaps already begun to cover them in Sunday School). There is, unfortunately, only two lessons dealing with the war chapters, and those do not even cover all of the war chapters.

So, if you are interested in spending more than just two weeks on the topic and taking an in-depth look at warfare in the Book of Mormon, I’ve put together the following bibliography. This is not a comprehensive bibliography, but represents some of the major resources me and my colleagues at Book of Mormon Central drew upon while writing KnoWhys on the war chapters, which will be coming out in the coming weeks. Some additional resources I found after we finished those KnoWhys are also included in this list.

I have included more than just books specifically on warfare in the Book of Mormon, but also books on warfare in the ancient Near East and pre-Columbian America (mostly Mesoamerica), so those interested can pursue such resources in their own efforts to study the Book of Mormon warfare in ancient historical and cultural contexts.

(Publications are listed within their sub-section order of publication, from earliest to most recent.)

Ancient Near East

Anthony J. Spalinger, War in Ancient Egypt: The New Kingdom (Oxford, UK: Blackwell, 2005)

William J. Hamblin, Warfare in the Ancient Near East to 1600 BC: Holy Warriors at the Dawn of Time (New York, NY: Routledge, 2006)

Brad Kelle, Ancient Israel at War, 853–586 BC (Oxford, UK: Osprey, 2007)

Boyd Seevers, Warfare in the Old Testament: The Organization, Weapons, and Tactics of Ancient Near Eastern Armies (Grand Rapids, MI: Kregel, 2013)

Pre-Columbian Mesoamerica

Ross Hassig, Aztec Warfare: Imperial Expansion and Political Control (Norman, OK: University of Oklahoma Press, 1988)

John M.D. Pohl, Aztec, Mixtec, and Zapotec Armies (Oxford, UK: Osprey, 1991)

Ross Hassig, War and Society in Ancient Mesoamerica (Norman, OK: University of Oklahoma, 1992)

M. Kathryn Brown and Travis W. Staunton, eds., Ancient Mesoamerican Warfare (Walnut Creek, CA: AltaMira Press, 2003)

Richard J. Chacon and Rubén G. Mendoza, eds., Latin American Indigenous Warfare and Ritual Violence (Tucson, AZ: University of Arizona Press, 2007); note: this also includes papers on warfare in South America

Andrew K. Schererer and John W. Verano, eds., Embattled Bodies, Embattled Places: War in Pre-Columbian Mesoamerica and the Andes (Washington, DC: Dumbarton Oaks Research Library and Collection, 2014); note: this also includes papers on South America

Other Parts of Pre-Columbian America (for Good Measure)

David E. Jones, Native North American Armor, Shields, and Fortifications (Austin, TX: University of Texas Press, 2004)

Richard J. Chacon and Rubén G. Mendoza, eds., North American Indigenous Warfare and Ritual Violence (Tucson, AZ: University of Arizona Press, 2007)

Axel E. Nielsen and William H. Walker, eds., Warfare in Cultural Context: Practice, Ageny, and Archaeology of Violence (Tucson, AZ: University of Arizona Press, 2009); note: this covers various regions throughout the North, Central, and South America

Latin America Indigenous Warfare and Embattled Bodies, Embattled Places also include papers on war in South America

Book of Mormon Warfare

Stephen D. Ricks and William J. Hamblin, eds., Warfare in the Book of Mormon (Salt Lake City, UT and Provo, UT: Deseret Book and FARMS, 1990)

John E. Kammeyer, The Nephite Art of War (Far West Publications, 2012)

John E. Kammeyer, Warfare in Mesoamerica: Battles in the Book of Mormon (Far West Publication, 2012)

Douglas J. Bell, Defenders of Faith: The Book of Mormon from a Soldiers Perspectives (Springville, UT: Cedar Fort, 2012)

Deane Morgan, Bleached Bones and Wicked Serpents: Ancient Warfare in the Book of Mormon (self-published, 2014)

David E. Spencer, Captain Moroni’s Command: Dynamics of Warfare in the Book of Mormon (Springville, UT: Cedar Fort, 2015)