In this article, we couple Peircean semiotic theory with Laban movement analysis (LMA) to interpret scenes of Classic period Maya dance. We focus primarily on depictions found on polychrome ceramics that feature the dances of the Maize God and contrast them with those featuring the wahy creatures that inhabit the underworld. We interpret their inner emotional states based on their postural and gestural vocabularies using LMA, developed for that very purpose. The body can be considered a semiotic sign, and is therefore capable of simultaneously conveying iconic, symbolic, and indexical meanings. Maya dance has typically been interpreted at the iconic or symbolic levels, which reveal its mimetic or representational qualities. We explore the indexical qualities of the bodies of the dancers, and propose that shifting our attention to the indicative mode enables us to gain yet more insight into their embodied states.

The current editors look forward to increased scholarly conversations about the Book of Mormon among Latterday Saint and non–Latter-day Saint academics of various disciplines. They suggest that researchers more fully take into account recent work on a given topic and recommend sponsoring new work from a variety of perspectives and disciplines and producing handbooks and commentaries on the Book of Mormon. DOI http://dx.doi.org/10.18809/jbms.2016.0103 BRIGHAM YOUNG UNIVERSITY • PROVO, UTAH

Research Article| January 01 2013 The Cultural Tapestry of Mesoamerica Mark Alan Wright Mark Alan Wright Mark Alan Wright is an assistant professor of ancient scripture at Brigham Young University. He earned his bachelor’s degree from UCLA and his master’s and PhD from UC Riverside, all in anthropology with a subfield of specialization in Mesoamerican archaeology. His research focuses on Classic period Maya ritual and religion, as well as on issues concerning the historicity of the Book of Mormon. Search for other works by this author on: This Site Google Journal of the Book of Mormon and Other Restoration Scripture (2013) 22 (2): 4–21. https://doi.org/10.5406/jbookmormotheres.22.2.0004 Cite Icon Cite Share Icon Share Facebook Twitter LinkedIn MailTo Permissions Search Site Citation Mark Alan Wright; The Cultural Tapestry of Mesoamerica. Journal of the Book of Mormon and Other Restoration Scripture 1 January 2013; 22 (2): 4–21. doi: https://doi.org/10.5406/jbookmormotheres.22.2.0004 Download citation file: Zotero Reference Manager EasyBib Bookends Mendeley Papers EndNote RefWorks BibTex toolbar search Search Dropdown Menu toolbar search search input Search input auto suggest filter your search All Scholarly Publishing CollectiveUniversity of Illinois PressJournal of Book of Mormon Studies Search Advanced Search The text of this article is only available as a PDF. Copyright 2013 by the Board of Trustees of the University of Illinois2013 Article PDF first page preview Close Modal You do not currently have access to this content.

Author(s): Wright, Mark Alan | Advisor(s): Taube, Karl A | Abstract: Classic period Maya rulers are often reduced to ideal types and are discussed in terms that would suggest they were a homogenous group of individuals cut from the same cloth. Contrary to that assumption, this study employs epigraphic, iconographic, archaeological, ethnohistoric and ethnographic data to demonstrate there was significant local and regional variation in the way kingship was expressed through artistic programs, calendrics, ritual activity, accoutrements of power, sacred warfare, the taking of theophoric throne names and titulary, and the composition and adaptation of local pantheons. The identity of each polity was inseparably connected with that of its ruler, and variations on the rulership theme served to reinforce their unique identity in the larger landscape vis-a-vis other polities. The underlying theoretical approach relies on concepts of mimesis and alterity, duality, and complementary opposition, all of which are creative acts which serve to establish a sense of Self in contrast to the Other, both human and divine. This study also examines concepts of kingship and deification, and argues that rulers were functionally divine while living and were elevated to ontologically divine status upon becoming apotheosized ancestors after death. As apotheosized ancestors, they took their place in the pliable local pantheon which further reinforced the unique identity of each site.

Nephite apostates turned away from true worship in consistent and predictable ways throughout the Book of Mormon. Their beliefs and practices may have been the result of influence from the larger socioreligious context in which the Nephites lived. A Mesoamerican setting provides a plausible cultural background that explains why Nephite apostasy took the particular form it did and may help us gain a deeper understanding of some specific references that Nephite prophets used when combating that apostasy. We propose that apostate Nephite religion resulted from the syncretization of certain beliefs and practices from normative Nephite religion with those attested in ancient Mesoamerica. We suggest that orthodox Nephite expectations of the “heavenly king” were supplanted by the more present and tangible “divine king.” The Interpreter Foundation is collaborating with Book of Mormon Central to preserve and extend access to scholarly research on the Book of Mormon. Items are archived by the permission of the Interpreter Foundation. https://mormoninterpreter.com/