On my argument, the Book of Mormon must be regarded as neither historical nor unhistorical, but as non-historical. This is not to suggest that the events it records did not happen. On the contrary, it is to claim that it must be subtracted from the dichotomy of the historical/unhistorical because the faithful reader testifies that the events—rather than the history—recorded in the book not only took place, but are of infinite, typological importance. Any enclosure of the Book of Mormon within a totalized world history amounts to a denial of the book’s unique claim on the attention of the whole world. In the end, then, to take the Book of Mormon as either historical or unhistorical may be to miss the nature of the book entirely. Both positions in the debate about Book of Mormon historicity—whether critical or apologetic—are founded on a common, backwards belief. The historicity of the Book of Mormon is not in question. Rather, as Alma makes clear, it is the Book of Mormon that calls the historicity of the individual into question.

-Joseph M. Spencer, An Other Testament: On Typology, pg. 28

A centered spiritual life looks beyond the present and asks, ‘how will it end?’ How will it end for me, for my family, for my community and indeed for the world? From a contest over clothing, to brutal social violence, our current social course seems to be all-symptomatic of a human failing to privilege grace over nature.

Will it end with the reproduction of all of our cultural norms, folkways and mores intact? If so, the Book of Mormon makes clear that the compounding interest on ‘business as usual’ is ultimately too high a price to pay. We are finally called to a life of spiritual integrity, where all parts of ourselves work in a harmony with each other. Where the admonishment to be people of grace bears itself out in our personal as well as our political yearnings. Where our churched spaces are characterized not only by the spiritual animation that is a central tenant of the religious life but also by a daily and public life that mirrors that animation. Where we, on a daily basis, powerfully catalyze social and cultural transformation – because our vision and hope in a joyous end is more potent and motivating than our yielding to the inevitability of the final grisly, brutal apocalyptic downfall of the human race?

-Gina Colvin, "On Pants and Shootings: How Will it End?"