Adherents to theLatter Day Saint movement view theBook of Mormon as a work ofdivinely inspired scripture, which was written by prophets in the ancient Americas. Most adherents believeJoseph Smith's account oftranslating ancientgolden plates inscribed byprophets. Smith preached that theangel Moroni, a prophet in the Book of Mormon, directed him in the 1820s toa hill near his home inPalmyra, New York, where the plates were buried. An often repeated and upheld as convincing claim by adherents that the story is true is that besides Smith himself, there were at least11 witnesses who said they saw the plates in 1829, three that claimed to also have been visited by an angel, and other witnesses who observed Smith dictating parts of the text that eventually became the Book of Mormon.
There is no physical evidence that Joseph Smith actually had gold plates, while scholars who have examined the question of authorship of the text have wondered whether it was written by Smith alone or with help from an associate (such asOliver Cowdery orSidney Rigdon). The Book of Mormon shares a lot of text which literary analysis shows is coincident with other available literature at the time of its production such as theView of the Hebrews, theSpalding Manuscript (often seen spelled as "Spaulding"), or theKing James Version of the Bible.
There are differing views on the origin of the Book of Mormon.
According to some, thesimplest explanation is that Joseph Smith authored the Book of Mormon himself, without the intentional complicity of anyone else. However, members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints believe that Joseph instead translated the Book of Mormon using revelation received from God.[2] One argument for this theory is that the Book of Mormon reflects Smith's life experiences. There are, for instance, claimed parallels between thetree of life vision in the Book of Mormon and a dream ofJoseph Smith Sr.[3][4][5][6][7]
Thegolden plates were sometimes called the "Golden Bible" in early descriptions. The label "Golden Bible" predates the Book of Mormon, as legends of such an artifact circulated in Canada and upstate New York while Smith was growing up in Vermont.[8] Smith's companion Peter Ingersoll later claimed that Smith had told him of the legend of the Canadian Golden Bible.[9][10]
The claim is also made that Smith was aided in the translation of the Book of Mormon by one or more co-authors, such asSidney Rigdon orOliver Cowdery. Both Rigdon and Cowdery had more formal education than Smith.
David Persuitte highlights arevelation of Smith's from March 1829, that apparently limited Smith's power to translation. Persuitte argues the wording of the revelations indicates at least one other secret collaborator, as "if he had some partners who had imposed it upon him in order to prevent him from gathering too much power to himself."[11] In contrast, co-authorsJerald and Sandra Tanner argue the early text of the revelation merely demonstrates that "Joseph Smith was not planning on doing any other work besides the Book of Mormon".[12]
Oliver Cowdery was a third-cousin ofLucy Mack Smith, Joseph Smith's mother. A pastor who lived near Cowdery,Ethan Smith, had writtenView of the Hebrews, another work that has been posited as a source for the Book of Mormon. Cowdery served as scribe during the transcription of the Book of Mormon, and was one of theThree Witnesses to the golden plates. Cowdery later resigned and was excommunicated in 1838, then re-joined the LDS Church in 1848.
Sidney Rigdon was a Baptist preacher, and one of the most prominent of Smith's earliest followers. Rigdon served as a scribe for theBook of Moses,[13] received revelations jointly with Smith, served as Smith's spokesperson, and with Smith carried the title "Prophet, Seer, and Revelator". After Smith's death, Rigdon ledhis own faction of Latter Day Saints and continued to announce revelations.
Pointing away from Rigdon's co-authorship, there is little or no extant evidence that Smith knew of or was in contact with Rigdon until after the Book of Mormon was published, although some witness accounts place Rigdon in upstate New York in 1825 and 1826.[citation needed] Most histories state that Rigdon learned of the Book of Mormon fromParley P. Pratt, a member of Rigdon'sKirtland congregation, who had joined theChurch of Christ inPalmyra in September 1830. Upon Pratt's return to Ohio, Rigdon reportedly learned of Smith and the Book of Mormon and was baptized by Pratt. According to these histories, only after his own baptism did Rigdon travel to New York, first meeting Smith in December 1830, nine months after the Book of Mormon's publication.
Religious adherents to the Latter-day Saints Movement generally accept Joseph Smith's account that he translated an ancient record[14] compiled and abridged byMormon, apre-Columbian resident of the Western Hemisphere. Some believers, perhaps in reaction to critique of these claims, suppose that the text is a divinely inspired narrative, regardless of itshistoricity (i.e., "Inspired Fiction"),[15] or an example of "automatic writing".[16]
According to the accounts of Joseph Smith and his associates, the original record was engraved on thin, malleablesheets of metal ("leaves") with the appearance ofgold, and bound with three rings at one edge. The engraving was reportedly of considerable skill. According to the narrative of the book, the prophet-historianMormon abridged other records of the local civilizations from the preceding millennia.[17] Mormon then gave the record to his son,Moroni, who inscribed a few additional words of his own, and concealed the plates about AD 400.[18] Near the end of Moroni's life (approximately AD 421), he placed these plates along with several other items in a stone box in a hillside (now namedCumorah) near present-dayPalmyra, New York.
By Smith's account, on September 21, 1823, this sameMoroni, now an angel, appeared to Smith to instruct him about this ancient record and its destined translation into English.[18] Smith was shown the location of the plates (and the other items in the box), but was not immediately allowed to take them. After four years of annually meeting with the angel, Smith was finally entrusted with the plates. Through the power of God and theUrim and Thummim (ancientseeing stones buried with the plates), he was able to translate theReformed Egyptian inscriptions.[19][20] Smith stated he was commanded to show the plates to only certain people. Accounts by these individuals are recorded in the introduction of the Book of Mormon as "The Testimony of theThree Witnesses" and "The Testimony of theEight Witnesses."
A number of works have been cited that could have served as sources for the Book of Mormon.[21][22][23]
TheKing James Bible (1611) may have been a source for the Book of Mormon.[24][25] In total, some 478 verses in the Book of Mormon are quoted in some form from the KJVBook of Isaiah.[26] Segments of the Book of Mormon—1 Nephi chapters 20–21 and2 Nephi chapters 7–8 and 12–24—match nearly word-for-word Isaiah 48:1–52:2 and 2–14 (respectively). Other parallels includeMosiah 14 with KJV Isaiah 53,3 Nephi 22 with KJV Isaiah 54,[26] 3 Nephi 24–25 with KJV Malachi 3–4, and 3 Nephi 12–14 with KJV Matthew 5–7.[25][27]
| King James Bible | Book of Mormon (1830) |
|---|---|
| "For, behold, the day cometh, that shall burn as an oven; and all the proud, yea, and all that do wickedly, shall be stubble: and the day that cometh shall burn them up" (Malachi 4:1) | "For behold, saith the prophet... the day soon cometh that all the proud and they who do wickedly shall be as stubble; and the day cometh that they must be burned." (1 Nephi 22:15) |
| "[T]he axe is laid unto the root of the trees; therefore every tree which bringeth not forth good fruit is hewn down, and cast into the fire" (Matthew 3:10) | "[T]he ax is laid at the root of the tree; therefore every tree that bringeth not forth good fruit shall be hewn down and cast into the fire" (Alma 5:52) |
| "[B]e steadfast and unmoveable, always abounding in the work of the Lord" (1 Corinthians 15:58) | "[B]e steadfast and immovable, always abounding in good works" (Mosiah 5:15) |
The Book of Mormon claims to have been written at least 1100 years prior to the King James Version, but it contains many of the same peculiarities, such asMark 16:15–18, which is quoted nearly word-for-word inMormon 9:22–24. This passage addresses believers holding snakes and drinking poison; however, it does not appear in many early biblical manuscripts and is widely believed to have been composed in the 2nd century.[28] Additionally, the Book of Mormon reflects KJV literary and linguistic style. The KJV was the most commonly used translation of the Bible when the Book of Mormon was produced.
It has been claimed that the books of theDeuterocanon, called "Apocrypha" by Protestants, were a source for the Book of Mormon. In particular,2 Maccabees includes the name "Nephi".[27][29][30]
| Apocrypha | Book of Mormon (1830) |
|---|---|
| "We will assay to abridge in one volume. ... labouring to follow the rules of an abridgment. ... But to use brevity ... is to be granted to him that will make an abridgement." (2 Maccabees 2:25-31) | "I make an abridgement of the record ... after I have abridged the record. ... I had made an abridgement from the plates of Nephi. ... I write a small abridgement." (1 Nephi 1:17, Words of Mormon 3, 5:9) |
| "They commanded that this writing should be put in tables of brass, and that they should be set ... in a conspicuous place; Also that the copies thereof should be laid up in the treasury" (1 Maccabees 14:48-49) | "And I commanded him ... that he should go with me into the treasury ... I also spake unto him that I should carry the engravings, which were upon the plates of brass" (1 Nephi 4:20,24) |
| "Then the king, in closing the place, made it holy ... many men call it Nephi". (2 Maccabees 1:34,36)[31] | "And my people would that we should call the name of the place Nephi; wherefore we did call it Nephi". (2 Nephi 5:8) |
| "And it came to pass ... I dreamed a dream by night" (2 Esdras 13:1) | "And it came to pass ... Behold, I have dreamed a dream" (1 Nephi 8:2) |
In 1834,E. D. Howe in his bookMormonism Unvailed introduced a theory that Smith plagiarized from the manuscript for an unpublished novel bySolomon Spalding. Howe possessed the manuscript at the time of the Book of Mormon publication. Spalding's story, called "Manuscript Story", revolves around a group of seafaring Romans who sail to the New World some two millennia ago.[32] Critics long speculated that Smith had access to the original script and that Smith heavily plagiarized it for the Book of Mormon. The only known manuscript was discovered in 1884 and now resides atOberlin College in Ohio.[32] Once the manuscript was available for study, most critics discarded this theory because the "extensive parallels" were only of a few minor details: intercontinental seafaring, the existence (and use) of a seer stone, and the discovery of records under a stone (Latin parchments vs. golden plates with "reformed Egyptian" inscriptions). Most other purported similarities, attested by various witness affidavits gathered byDoctor Philastus Hurlbut, were nonexistent. HistorianFawn Brodie expressed suspicion regarding these affidavits, claiming that the style of the statements was too similar and displayed too much uniformity.[citation needed]
Another purported source of the Book of Mormon isView of the Hebrews, first published in 1823 byEthan Smith (no relation), a pastor inPoultney, Vermont.[33] Critics argue that the works share several passages and many thematic elements.[23][34] Book of Mormon witness and scribeOliver Cowdery, and his family, had attended Ethan Smith's church since November 1821. Prior to his book's publication, Ethan Smith advocated his views regarding the origins of Native Americans in sermons to his congregations. In 1825, Ethan Smith published an expanded second edition ofView of the Hebrews, the same year that Cowdery left Poultney for New York state.
| View of the Hebrews by Ethan Smith (1825 edition) | Book of Mormon (1830) |
|---|---|
| "[T]hose far distant savages have (as have all other tribes) their Great Spirit, who made everything" (p. 103) | "Believest thou that this Great Spirit who is God, created all things ... And he said: Yea, I believe that he created all things" (Alma 18:28–29) |
| "[T]he places ... are noted; among which are 'the isles of the sea'". (p. 232-233) | "[W]e have been led to a better land, ... [W]e are upon an isle of the sea" (2 Nephi 10:20) |
| " 'I will hiss for them' God is represented as hissing for a people. ... [To] behold the banner of salvation now erected for his ancient people. ... This standard of salvation." (p. 235,241–242) | "[M]y words shall hiss forth unto the ends of the earth, for a standard unto my people, which are of the house of Israel." (2 Nephi 29:2) |
Mormon apologistB. H. Roberts authored a manuscript titledStudies of the Book of Mormon,[35] comparing the content of the Book of Mormon withView of the Hebrews. Roberts concluded, assuming a hemispheric geography theory for the Book of Mormon, sufficient parallels existed that future critics could claim thatView of the Hebrews had provided a structural foundation for the Book of Mormon story.[36] Roberts's manuscript was private and shared only with LDS Church leadership. Roberts continued to publicly support the miraculous origin theory of the Book of Mormon.[37]
Roberts's list of parallels included:[38]
David Persuitte has also presented a large number of parallels between theView of the Hebrews and the Book of Mormon, but notes there are no instances of direct copying. The parallels that Persuitte presents cover a broad range of topics, including religious ideas about the responsibility of the American people in convincing the Indians of their "Israelite" origins and converting them to Christianity. Persuitte quotes fromView of the Hebrews Ethan Smith's theory about what happened to the ancient Israelites after they arrived in America. He argues that it essentially summarizes the basic narrative of the Book of Mormon, including the split into two factions (civilized and savage). Persuitte also quotes several similar descriptions of structures built by the civilized faction, the wars between the two factions, and other similarities. According to Persuitte, these are sufficient to have "inspired" Joseph Smith to have written the Book of Mormon.[39] Joseph Smith himself mentioned Ethan Smith and cited passages fromView of the Hebrews in an article from the June 1842 publication ofTimes and Seasons.[40]
The First Book of Napoleon, the Tyrant of the Earth was published in 1809 byMichael Linning writing as "Eliakim the Scribe," and is written entirely in pseudo-biblical style imitating theKing James Version of the Bible.[41] Historian Eran Shalev has situated the Book of Mormon within the tradition of pseudo-biblical literature that flourished in early America from the 1770s through 1830s, during which writers adopted biblical language for contemporary political and historical narratives. Shalev identifiesThe First Book of Napoleon as an example of this genre, alongside works such asThe Late War between the United States and Great Britain (1816).[42]
Critics have claimed several passages and thematic material in the Book of Mormon are found in Josiah Priest'sThe Wonders of Nature, published in 1825.[22][27]
| The Wonders of Nature by Josiah Priest (1825) | Book of Mormon (1830) |
|---|---|
| "a narrow neck of land is interposed betwixt two vast oceans" (p. 598) | "the narrow neck of land, by the place where the sea divides the land" (Ether 10:20) |
| "From whence no traveller returns" (p. 469) | "from whence no traveler can return" (2 Nephi 1:14) |
A possible inspiration for the story of the golden plates may beThe Golden Pot: A Modern Fairytale, a novella by German authorE. T. A. Hoffmann, first published in 1814 and first available in English in the 1827 Thomas Carlyle translation.[43] Much of the narrative occurs in the imagination of the protagonist Anselmus. Alleged similarities include:
The Late War is an account of theWar of 1812 which is written by Gilbert J. Huntin the style of the King James Bible, and was published in New York in 1816. The 2008 workMormon Parallels and a 2010 work[44] have discussed possible similarities. In 2013,The Late War was the subject of discussion among bothex-Mormons and Mormon apologists.[45][46]
William Davis has discussed similarities between the Book of Mormon and the works of English writer and preacherJohn Bunyan, such as his widely read fictional workThe Pilgrim's Progress (1678).[47][48] Newspaper editorEber D. Howe also stated some similarities in hisMormonism Unvailed.[48][49]
Belief that Native Americans were of Jewish origin was common before the publication of The Book of Mormon. Pseudo-scholarly proofs involving theMound Builder Myth andLost Tribes Myth remained popular until scientific advances in archaeology and DNA disproved these theories.[50][51]
And Nehemias called this place Nephthar, which is interpreted purification. But many call it Nephi.
