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Books of the Book of Mormon
Small Plates of Nephi
Contribution of Mormon
Additions by Moroni

The Book of Mormon[1] is one of the sacred texts of the Latter Day Saint movement, regarded by Latter Day Saints as divinely revealed, and named after the prophet-historian Mormon who, according to the text, compiled most of the book. It was published by the founder of the movement, Joseph Smith, Jr., in March 1830 in Palmyra, New York, USA. Its purpose, as stated on its title page, "is to show the remnant of the House of Israel what great things the Lord has done for their fathers" and to convince "Jew and Gentile that Jesus is the Christ, the Eternal God, manifesting himself to all nations."[2]

Joseph Smith, Jr. said the book was a translation of Golden Plates. He said that the angel Moroni told him the plates were buried in a hill near his home (which he later called the Hill Cumorah). He said the translation was made through the power of God with aid of the Urim and Thummim, which were with the plates. During the production of the work Smith obtained the affidavits of Three Witnesses and Eight Witnesses who testified they saw the plates. These affidavits are published as part of the Book. When the book was complete, he said he returned the plates to the angel Moroni.[3]

Along with the Bible, which is also held by Latter Day Saints to be the Word of God as far as it is translated correctly,[4] the Book of Mormon is esteemed as part of canon by The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, the Community of Christ and other churches that claim Joseph Smith as their founder. In 1982, The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints added the subtitle Another Testament of Jesus Christ to its editions of the book to help clarify and emphasize its purpose. Prior to 1982, some editions of the Book of Mormon had included the subtitle, A Second Testament of Jesus Christ.

Content

Purpose

The title page of the Book of Mormon states:

The Book of Mormon is an account written by the hand of Mormon upon plates taken from the Plates of Nephi

Wherefore, it is an abridgment of the record of the people of Nephi, and also of the Lamanites—Written to the Lamanites, who are a remnant of the house of Israel; and also to Jew and Gentile—Written by way of commandment, and also by the spirit of prophecy and of revelation—Written and sealed up, and hid up unto the Lord, that they might not be destroyed—To come forth by the gift and power of God unto the interpretation thereof—Sealed by the hand of Moroni, and hid up unto the Lord, to come forth in due time by way of the Gentile—The interpretation thereof by the gift of God.

An abridgment taken from the Book of Ether also, which is a record of the people of Jared, who were scattered at the time the Lord confounded the language of the people, when they were building a tower to get to heaven—Which is to show unto the remnant of the House of Israel what great things the Lord hath done for their fathers; and that they may know the covenants of the Lord, that they are not cast off forever— And also to the convincing of the Jew and Gentile that JESUS is the CHRIST, the ETERNAL GOD, manifesting himself unto all nations—And now, if there are faults they are the mistakes of men; wherefore, condemn not the things of God, that ye may be found spotless at the judgment-seat of Christ.

Major themes

Another Testament of Christ

File:Christ in America.jpg
The visitation of the resurrected Christ to the Nephites

The crowning event of the Book of Mormon is the visitation of the resurrected Christ to the Nephites around 34 AD, shortly after his ministry in Galilee.[5] Every prophet in the book teaches about Jesus.

An angel prophesied to Nephi that Jesus's birth would be 600 years from the time he and his family left Jerusalem.[6] Many prophets in the Book of Mormon, beginning with Lehi and Nephi, saw in visions the birth, ministry, and death of Christ,[7] and were told his name.[8] At the time of King Benjamin, the Nephite believers were called "the children of Christ".[9] The faithful members of the church at the time of Captain Moroni (73 BC) were called "Christians" by their enemies, because of their belief in Christ.[10] For nearly 200 years after Jesus' appearance at the temple in the Americas, the land was filled with peace and prosperity because of the people's obedience to Christ's commandments.[11] The great prophet-general Mormon worked to convince the faithless people of his time of Christ (360 AD), and Moroni buried the plates with faith in Christ.[12] Many others also bore witness to the reality of the Messiah.

Some doctrinal teachings

The following teachings are especially notable in the Book of Mormon:

  • Christ spoke to the Jews in Jerusalem of “other sheep” who would hear his voice,[13] which the Book of Mormon explains meant that the Nephites and other remnants of the lost tribes of Israel throughout the world were to be visited by Christ after his resurrection. The various groups had their own prophets, and each recorded their history and dealings with God. These records will eventually be had among men, and will complement the Bible and Book of Mormon.[14]
  • The Old Testament prophet Isaiah prophesied of the coming forth of The Book of Mormon, whose prophets would "whisper out of the dust."[15]
And thou shalt be brought down, and shalt speak out of the ground, and thy speech shall be low out of the dust, and thy voice shall be, as of one that hath a familiar spirit, out of the ground, and thy speech shall whisper out of the dust.
  • The land of the Jaredites, Nephites, and Lamanites, which is the American continents, is choice above all other lands.[16]
  • "Inasmuch as ye keep [the Lord's] commandments, ye shall prosper in the land, but inasmuch as ye keep not my commandments, ye shall be cut off from [His] presence."[17]
  • Men and women are "free to choose liberty and eternal life, through the great Mediator of all men, or to choose captivity and death, according to the captivity and power of the devil; for he seeketh that all men might be miserable like unto himself."[18]
  • All mankind must be born again, for the natural man is an enemy to God until he yields to the holy spirit and is born of Christ, being changed to a state of righteousness, becoming his son or daughter.[19]
  • "Adam fell that men might be, and men are, that they might have joy."[20] Partaking of the fruit of the tree of life, which tree "is the love of God, which sheddeth itself abroad in the hearts of the children of men" and "is the most desirable above all things" will bring the most joy to the soul.[21]
  • Between death and the resurrection the spirit returns to God and awaits the resurrection in either a place of rest or a place of darkness and torment. At the resurrection, the spirit and body shall be reunited, not one hair of the head shall be lost, and this resurrection shall come to all.[22]
  • Giving to the poor (charity) is emphasized as a necessary aspect of living the gospel of Christ.[23] Service to others is essential, and is the same as serving God.[24]
  • The Lord "denieth none that come unto him, black and white, bond and free, male and female; and he remembereth the heathen; and all are alike unto God, both Jew and Gentile".[25]

Chronology

The following dates, people, and authors are identified within the Book of Mormon.

  • 1 Nephi begins in ancient Jerusalem around 600 BC, at roughly the same time as the Book of Jeremiah in the Bible. It tells the story of a prophet, Lehi, his family, and several others as they are led by God from Jerusalem as a small part of the scattering of one of the Lost Ten Tribes, across the Arabian peninsula, and then to the Americas by ship. The books from 1 Nephi to Omni (called the small plates of Nephi) recount the group's dealings from approximately 600 BC to about 130 BC. The community splits into two main groups, the Nephites and the Lamanites, and grow into separate sizable civilizations that war with each other.
  • The Words of Mormon, written in AD 385 by Mormon, is a short introduction to the books of Mosiah, Alma, Helaman, 3 Nephi, and 4 Nephi, all of which he abridged from a large quantity of existing records (called the large plates of Nephi) that detailed his nation's history from the time of Omni to his own life.
  • 3 Nephi is of particular importance because it contains an account of the resurrected and glorified Jesus' visit to the Americas sometime after his resurrection at Jerusalem, following his 40-day ministry and ascension into heaven. During his American ministry, Christ repeated much of the same doctrine and instruction given in the Gospels of the Bible and established an enlightened, peaceful society which endured several generations.
  • Mormon is an account of the events during Mormon's life, after the enlightened society of 3 Nephi and 4 Nephi deteriorated yet again into warring groups.
  • Ether is Moroni's abridgment of a record of an earlier people, called the Jaredites. The account describes a group of families led by God to the Americas, headed by a man named Jared and his brother (referred to, in the text, as “the Brother of Jared”). The Jaredite civilization existed on the American continent long before Lehi's family arrived in 600 BC, and it was much larger and more developed. LDS scholars believe that the rise and fall of the Jaredite empire corresponds with that of the Olmec.
  • Moroni details the final destruction of the Nephites and the idolatrous state of the remaining society. He adds a few spiritual insights and mentions some important doctrinal teachings, then closes with his testimony and an invitation to pray to God for a confirmation of the truthfulness of the account.

Organization

The format of the Book of Mormon is similar to the Bible, a compilation of smaller "books" of scripture. Each of the books is named after the person in the book who said he began writing the book. The Book of Mormon is composed of the following books (with some editorial divisions in different churches' editions varying):[citation needed]

The book's sequence is primarily chronological. Notable exceptions include the "Words of Mormon" and the "Book of Ether". In the "Words of Mormon," the text says, "And now I, Mormon ... speak somewhat concerning that which I have written",[26] indicating editorial comment by Mormon. The first two verses of the "Book of Ether," say, "And now I, Moroni, proceed to give an account of those ancient inhabitants who were destroyed by the hand of the Lord upon the face of this north country. And I take mine account from the twenty and four plates which were found by the people of Limhi, which is called the Book of Ether."[27] The books of First Nephi through Omni are written in first-person narrative, as are Mormon and Moroni. The remainder of the Book of Mormon is written in third-person historical narrative, said to be compiled and abridged by Mormon (with Moroni abridging the "Book of Ether").

The version currently published by the LDS Church,[28] in addition to the main body of the work, contains the following:

  • A title page (believed to have been written by Moroni)
  • A modern day introduction written by church leaders
  • The "Testimony of Three Witnesses", the "Testimony of Eight Witnesses", and the "Testimony of the Prophet Joseph Smith" (as it concerns the Book of Mormon)
  • A brief explanation of the contents of the book
  • Chapter headings[29]
  • A "pronouncing guide" to names and places in the Book of Mormon
  • Footnotes and cross-references to the Bible
  • An index of doctrinal teachings.

Verifiability: the challenge of the Book of Mormon

The book invites the reader to make a personal investigation into the truthfulness of the writings. The invitation is associated with a promise that God will give an undeniable witness of its truthfulness through the Holy Ghost.

"Behold, I would exhort you that when ye shall read these things, if it be wisdom in God that ye should read them, that ye would remember how merciful the Lord hath been unto the children of men, from the creation of Adam even down until the time that ye shall receive these things, and ponder it in your hearts.
"And when ye shall receive these things, I would exhort you that ye would ask God, the Eternal Father, in the name of Christ, if these things are not true; and if ye shall ask with a sincere heart, with real intent, having faith in Christ, he will manifest the truth of it unto you, by the power of the Holy Ghost.
"And by the power of the Holy Ghost ye may know the truth of all things."[30]

These verses are often referred to collectively as Moroni's Promise.

Mormons state that a spiritual witness from the Holy Ghost is a personal event. Such a spiritual witness is described in Doctrine and Covenants 9:8: "your bosom shall burn within you; therefore, you shall feel that it is right." Doctrine and Covenants 8:2 further states that such a manifestation will occur "in your mind and in your heart, by the Holy Ghost, which shall come upon you and which shall dwell in your heart." Those who claim to have received a witness consider it to be sacred, to be of great import, and to be the basis of what is called their "testimony". The act of telling others of one's spiritual experiences and declaring one's faith is called "bearing testimony".

It is also suggested that everyone can emulate Peter, whose testimony of Christ came from the Father,[31] by seeking answers and wisdom directly from God.[32] Mormons believe that unless one receives a personal testimony of the truthfulness of this work from God, the conversion and activity of the newly baptized Saint would be temporary and superficial, and that once such a testimony is personally received from God himself, nothing would prevail against such experience (Matthew 16:13-18).

The claim made in the Book of Mormon, that anyone can discover its truth through prayer, is similar to other claims of divine origin made by other religious texts. The Koran, for example, makes a similar claim regarding those who challenge its authenticity. "This Koran could not have been composed by any but Allah. It confirms what was revealed before it and fully explains the Scriptures. It is beyond doubt from the Lord of the Creation. If they say: 'It is your own invention,' say: 'Compose one chapter like it. Call on your false gods to help you, if what you say be true!'"[33]

Origin of the Book of Mormon

See Linguistics and the Book of Mormon for additional information and analysis on authorship.

There are differing views on the origin of the Book of Mormon.

  1. Joseph Smith's own account that he translated an ancient record compiled and abridged by Mormon, a pre-Columbian resident of the Western Hemisphere who recorded the spiritual history of generations of his people, and the teachings of their ancestors, the Hebrews.
  2. Joseph Smith as the sole author, without external assistance. These theories assume that Smith was educated and intelligent enough to have produced the work on his own. One line of thinking proposed by several authors is that the Book of Mormon is a "primary source" reflecting events in Smith's own life.[34]
  3. Joseph Smith as a plagiarist of contemporaries. These theories assume that Smith lacked the intelligence and/or education to create the book on his own, and therefore had to rely on his more educated contemporaries and their works. There are two main theories representing this point-of-view: The View of the Hebrews theory,[35] and the Spalding-Rigdon theory.[36]
  4. One of Smith's associates as the author, who then allowed Smith to take the credit.
  5. The work is a divinely inspired narrative regardless of its historicity (i.e. "inspired fiction").[37]
  6. The work is a demonically, or non-divinely inspired narrative. This view has been held by many Christian churches since the appearance of the Book of Mormon.[38]
  7. The book was written by Joseph Smith through a process known as "automatic writing."[39]

Joseph Smith's own account of the authorship of the Book of Mormon

See also: Golden Plates
A painting of Joseph Smith Jr. receiving the Golden Plates from the angel Moroni.

According to the accounts of Joseph Smith and his associates, the original record was engraved on thin, malleable sheets of metal with the appearance of gold and bound with three rings at one edge. The leaves were engraved on both sides with considerable skill. According to the account presented in the book, it is an abridgment of earlier records by Mormon and his son, Moroni, about 400 AD. At the end of Moroni's ministry (approximately 421 AD), he hid these plates along with several other items in a stone box in a hillside (now named the Hill Cumorah) near Palmyra, New York.

On September 22, 1823, Joseph Smith stated that he was directed by God through the angel Moroni to the place where the plates were stored. He was not immediately allowed to take them, but after four years was finally entrusted with them. Through the power of God and the Urim and Thummim he was able to translate the characters (which, according to the Book, were related to 600 BC Egyptian with Hebrew influence)[40] into English.[41]

Joseph Smith claimed he was commanded to show the plates to several people and no one else. Accounts by these individuals are recorded in the front of the Book of Mormon as "The Testimony of Three Witnesses" and "The Testimony of Eight Witnesses." Some of the witnesses later became disaffected with Joseph Smith's leadership and the church, but none withdrew their testimony of what they signed.[citation needed]

The golden plates were commonly referred to as a "Golden Bible," particularly by non-Mormons, though a few members also used the term in early descriptions. The label "Golden Bible" actually predates the Book of Mormon as legends of such an artifact existed in Canada and upstate New York while Joseph Smith was growing up in Vermont.[42]

Joseph Smith as author

Joseph Smith listed himself as "author and proprietor" of the Book of Mormon on the title page[43] of the first (1830) edition of the Book of Mormon. Many critics use this as evidence to demonstrate that Joseph Smith simply wrote the Book of Mormon and later claimed to have translated it. In reality this was the required language of the copyright laws of the time,[44] Smith clarified in the preface of the 1830 edition that he translated the record.[45]

Smith as a plagiarist of contemporaries: the View of the Hebrews theory

Some have speculated that Smith wrote the Book of Mormon, but plagiarized heavily from any of a number of sources.[citation needed] One such claim revolves around a book written by Ethan Smith (pastor of a church in Poultney, Vermont, no relation to Joseph Smith) called View of the Hebrews published in 1825, five years before the publication of the Book of Mormon.[46]

David Persuitte, in his book, Joseph Smith and the Origins of The Book of Mormon, attempts to show parallels between passages in View of the Hebrews and in the Book of Mormon, but notes no instances of direct copying, nor does he demonstrate that Smith ever read or even encountered the book.[47] Some believe that had Joseph Smith owned a copy he could have been inspired by View of the Hebrews. Joseph Smith himself publicly stated that he was aware of the book. Smith mentions Ethan Smith and cites passages from View of the Hebrews in an article published in the Times and Seasons in June 1842.[48]

In the early 20th century LDS general authority B.H. Roberts authored a manuscript entitled Studies of the Book of Mormon,[49] in which he critically examined the claims and origins of the Book of Mormon. In his manuscript, Roberts compared the content of the Book of Mormon with View of the Hebrews. Roberts' conclusion was that, assuming a hemispheric geography theory for the Book of Mormon, sufficient parallels existed that future critics could claim that View of the Hebrews could have provided a structural foundation for the Book of Mormon story.[50] Regarding Roberts' own opinion, however, he stated:

"...no one acquainted with these works could possibly regard them as being the source whence Book of Mormon incidents or customs of Book of Mormon peoples were drawn, a fact which will be more apparent after we have considered—as we shall later consider—the originality of the Book of Mormon."[51]

Those who believe that such plagiarism did happen usually place most blame on the shoulders of Oliver Cowdery.[citation needed] Oliver Cowdery and Joseph Smith were related and often associated together.[citation needed] Cowdery was educated and trained as a typesetter/printers assistant in the 1800s and worked at the Poultney Gazette in the summer of 1823 (the paper became known as the Northern Spectator in December of 1823) when Ethan Smith brought the View of the Hebrews manuscript to be published. Cowdery later left the paper a few months before Joseph Smith reported the first divine visitation on September 21, 1823.[citation needed] Cowdery's family, including father William and stepmother Keziah, were noted as being longstanding members of Ethan Smith's congregation in Poultney when he arrived and assumed leadership in November 1821, less than four years prior to the publication of View of the Hebrews. Ethan Smith made no secret of his theories presented in View of the Hebrews during sermons.[citation needed]

Smith as a plagiarist of contemporaries: the Spaulding-Rigdon theory

Main article: Spalding-Rigdon theory of Book of Mormon authorship

In 1834, E.D. Howe in his book Mormonism Unvailed introduced a theory which claimed Smith plagiarized material from the manuscript for an unpublished novel by Solomon Spaulding. Howe had the manuscript in his possession at the time of publication. Spaulding's story, called Manuscript Found, revolves around a group of seafaring Romans who sail to the New World around two millennia ago.[52] Critics long speculated that Joseph Smith had access to the original script, which was lost soon after the Mormonism Unvailed was published, and that he plagiarized heavily from it in writing the Book of Mormon. The only known manuscript was discovered in 1884 and now resides at Oberlin College in Ohio.[53] Once the manuscript was available for study, most critics discarded this theory because the "extensive parallels" previously thought to exist consisted only of a few details: intercontinental seafaring, the existence (and use) of a seer stone, and the discovery of records under a stone (Latin parchments in the Spaulding manuscript, golden plates with "reformed Egyptian" writing according to Smith).[54] Most of the other purported similarities, attested to by various witnesses in affidavits gathered by Doctor Philastus Hurlbut, were demonstrated to be false. Author Fawn Brodie expressed suspicion regarding these statements, claiming that the style of the statements was too similar and displayed too much uniformity. Brodie suggests that Hurlbut did a "little judicious prompting."[55]

One of Smith's colleagues as author

According to this family of theories, someone else wrote the book and allowed Smith to take credit for it. Sidney Rigdon and Oliver Cowdery have been posited as possible authors or co-authors. Both Sidney Rigdon and Oliver Cowdery had more formal education and either could have helped Smith author the book. According to one theory, after dictating the primary text, Smith and his scribes would spend the evenings poring over the text, editing and making adjustments.[citation needed] In this case, the Book of Mormon would be considered a collaboration between Smith and his scribes, primarily Oliver Cowdery.

Sidney Rigdon and Oliver Cowdery both denied having written the book, and in fact Cowdery was one of the Three Witnesses to the Book of Mormon. He became disaffected with Joseph Smith's leadership and with the church and was excommunicated in 1838 on a variety of charges, including the never-retracted claim that Smith was an adulterer.[citation needed] Cowdery never denied his testimony of having seen the golden plates and a decade later returned to the church.[56]

There is no evidence that Joseph Smith knew of or was in contact with Sidney Rigdon until after the Book of Mormon was published. Most histories state that Parley P. Pratt, a member of Rigdon's congregation near Kirtland, Ohio, was baptized around September 1830 in Palmyra. Soon after, Pratt returned to Ohio, which is when Rigdon learned of Smith and the Book of Mormon and was baptized. According to these accounts, Rigdon first met Smith in December 1830, nine months after the Book of Mormon's publication. Rigdon's son John, discussing an interview with his father in 1865, states:

My father, after I had finished saying what I have repeated above, looked at me a moment, raised his hand above his head and slowly said, with tears glistening in his eyes: "My son, I can swear before high heaven that what I have told you about the origin of [the Book of Mormon] is true. Your mother and sister, Mrs. Athalia Robinson, were present when that book was handed to me in Mentor, Ohio, and all I ever knew about the origin of [the Book of Mormon] was what Parley P. Pratt, Oliver Cowdery, Joseph Smith and the witnesses who claimed they saw the plates have told me, and in all of my intimacy with Joseph Smith he never told me but one story."[57]

Similarities of some segments to the King James Version

Main article: The Book of Mormon and the King James Bible
File:Bibel and the Book of Mormonl.jpg
These records, the Bible and the Book of Mormon, both testify that Jesus Christ is the Son of God.

Segments of the Book of Mormon, for example 1 Nephi chapters 20-21 and 2 Nephi chapters 7, 8, and 12-24, match nearly word-for-word the chapters 48-49, 50, 51-52:1-2, and 2-14 (respectively) of the King James Translation (1611) of the Book of Isaiah. The book claims that Nephi quoted the prophet Isaiah from the "Brass Plates" which were brought with them out of Jerusalem. Additionally, the footnotes and chapter headings of modern editions of the book acknowledge this and encourage readers to compare Isaiah and 2 Nephi. There exist 478 verses in the Book of Mormon which are quoted in some form or other from the book of Isaiah. Of these verses, one Mormon scholar notes that 201 of them match the King James version of the quote and another 207 show variations. In addition, 58 quotes from Isaiah found in the Book of Mormon are paraphrased versions of those found in the King James Bible.[58] Also, Mosiah chapter 14 matches KJV Isaiah 53, 3 Nephi chapter 22 matches KJV Isaiah 54, 3 Nephi chapters 24-25 match KJV Malachi 3-4, and 3 Nephi chapters 12-14 match KJV Matthew 5-7.

Critics argue that the word-for-word quotations are taken from the KJV, and Book of Mormon prophets couldn't have been quoting an original source.[citation needed] The similarity to KJV, when the majority of modern scholars have accepted that the sources used for the King James translation are no longer the earliest or most reliable sources (e.g. see Nag Hammadi library and Dead Sea scrolls), thus, the inclusion of what are considered to be later additions or errors by transcribers, cast doubt on the existence of an independent copy of a 600 BC source.[citation needed] One example is Mark 16:15–18 which is quoted nearly word-for-word in Mormon 9:22–24. The passage concerning believers holding snakes and drinking poison does not appear in many early manuscripts and is widely believed to be composed in the 2nd century.[59]

However, it was common in the days of handwritten translation to make reference to other works which held the same information, leaving transcribers the task of copying the existing passages, rather than laboriously translating the same passages over. This technique has been used by Bible scholars and clergy for centuries, and continues to be used to this day.[citation needed]

Additionally, the book reflects KJV literary and linguistic style. The KJV was the most commonly used translation of the Bible when the Book of Mormon was produced.

Views of its historicity

Latter Day Saint views

The dominant and widely accepted view among Latter Day Saints is that the Book of Mormon is a true and accurate account of three ancient American civilizations whose history it documents. Joseph Smith stated, “I told the brethren that the Book of Mormon was the most correct of any book on earth, and the keystone of our religion, and a man would get nearer to God by abiding by its precepts, than by any other book.”[60] Mormon church leaders have emphasized that the Book of Mormon is a divine work of a spiritual nature, and its purpose is to teach of Christ; and that it was not written to be taken as a historical, geological, archaeological, or anthropological guide.[61]

Critics' views

Researchers[who?] and LDS apologists point to the rich available history of the several major civilizations in Mesoamerica in the Book of Mormon time period (Olmec, Maya, Mixtec, Zapotec and Aztec) where there is ample archaeological data and some recorded history. Some of these were very advanced in language, writing, mathematics and astronomy. Furthermore, ample evidence has been uncovered of the types of plants, animals and implements available to the early inhabitants. The Book of Mormon makes multiple reference to plants, animals, weapons and technology, many of which do not match current knowledge concerning that time period.

Geography

See also: Limited geography model (Book of Mormon)

Since the time of its publication, some Latter Day Saints have viewed and explained the Book of Mormon as a comprehensive history of all Native Americans;[62] this understanding of the Book of Mormon is referred to as the "hemispheric model." However, other Latter Day Saints believe that the hemispheric model is an assumption not supported by a close reading of the text, nor by the teachings of Joseph Smith, who stated repeatedly that he believed the events in the Book of Mormon took place in Central America.[citation needed] B.H. Roberts states the inadequacy of the hemispheric model in Studies of the Book of Mormon:

[C]ould the people of Mulek and of Lehi...part of the time numbering and occupying the land at least from Yucatan to Cumorah...live and move and have their being in the land of America and not come in contact with other races and tribes of men, if such existed in the New World within Book of Mormon times? To make this seem possible the area occupied by the Nephites and Lamanites would have to be extremely limited, much more limited, I fear, than the Book of Mormon would admit our assuming.[63]

File:Lands of the Book of Mormon.jpg
Map showing the possible lands of the Book of Mormon

The locations of the cities mentioned in the Book of Mormon have not been identified to date. Several groups of Mormon scholars and apologists, including the Foundation for Apologetic Information & Research (FAIR) and the Foundation for Ancient Research and Mormon Studies (FARMS), have proposed that the city Zarahemla is located somewhere within Central America because of the description given in Alma 22:27 as a narrow neck of land bordering sea on the west and on the east. This approach, often referred to as the "Limited Geography Model," argues for a more limited view of the Book of Mormon, suggesting that the book is a history of only a small group of Native Americans in Central America. This theory, presented by Joseph Smith and others as early as 1842,[citation needed] has been gaining substantial support since the mid-1980s because it more accurately represents the descriptions given within the text itself. For instance, the populations and civilizations described in the Book of Mormon were likely too small (only a few million) to fill entire continents; moreover, there is much evidence that one common assumption of the past (that Book of Mormon civilizations were alone in America) is probably incorrect. Most LDS authors hold the belief that the Book of Mormon events took place within a limited region in Mesoamerica, and that others were present on the continent at the time of Lehi's arrival.[64] This geographical and population model was formally published in the official church magazine, The Ensign, in a two-part series published in September and October 1984.[65] This was followed by a book on the subject by LDS anthropologist John L. Sorenson in 1985.[66]

The introduction page to the Book of Mormon states that those who desire may gain a knowledge of its truth through asking God.[67] This could be considered the official stance on determining historicity.

Archaeology

Main article: Archaeology and the Book of Mormon
File:Etruskian gold plates.jpg
Gold book, written in Etruscan, dating to 600 B.C.

Discussion regarding the historicity of the Book of Mormon often focuses on archaeological issues, some of which relate to the large size and the long time span of Book of Mormon civilizations. The civilizations described in the Book of Mormon have been compared to other ancient civilizations in terms of size and span. These civilizations, including Ancient Egypt, Ancient Greece, and Ancient Rome have very developed archaeological records and have received much more attention from the archaeological community than Mesoamerican civilizations. Critics believe that insufficient evidence in the pre-Columbian archaeological record for horses, cattle, swine, goats, wheat, steel swords, possibly wheeled chariots and other elements mentioned in the Book of Mormon casts doubt on the authenticity of the Book of Mormon. Supporters of the Book of Mormon believe that a variety of evidence exists that supports the historicity of the Book of Mormon, including plausible locations for Nahom, Bountiful, the Valley of Lemuel, the hill Cumorah/Riplah, the River Sidon, the "stretch of wilderness", the "narrow stretch of land" and some cities; silk, weights and measures, and names with possible Hebrew or Egyptian roots.

LDS scholars have said that Mesoamerican archaeology is a young field and that more evidence relevant to these and other issues will eventually surface. Archaeological evidence is perceived by some as ambiguous. For instance, although horses lived in the ancient Americas, they are generally thought to have gone extinct long before the time of the Book of Mormon. This has been interpreted as evidence against the Book of Mormon by critics, but is not seen as a problem by LDS scholars.[68] Some LDS scholars have said that terms such as "horse," "steel," and "chariot" in the Book of Mormon might be the product of "naming by analogy," where Lehi's group gave Old World names to things which were similar to Old World concepts. Robert R. Bennett writes, "this practice, known as "loanshift" or "loan-extension," is well known to historians and anthropologists who study cross-cultural contact."[69]

LDS funded archaeology

In 1951 Thomas Ferguson, a LDS member, petitioned Mormon President David O. McKay to financially back the founding of the New World Archeological Foundation (hereafter NWAF). Ferguson requested at first a five year grant to dig throughout Mesoamerica for evidence of the veracity of the Book of Mormon claims. His petition was granted and the first five years were funded from 1955 to 1959. At the end of this period, additional funding was granted and continues to this day.[citation needed]

In a 1961 newsletter Ferguson predicted that although nothing had been found, the Book of Mormon cities would be found within 10 years. In 1972, Christian scholar Hal Hougey wrote Ferguson questioning the progress given the stated timetable in which the cities would be found.[70] Replying to Hougey as well as secular and non-secular requests, Ferguson wrote in a letter dated 5 June 1972: "Ten years have passed... I had sincerely hoped that Book-of-Mormon cities would be positively identified within 10 years — and time has proved me wrong in my anticipation."[71]

During the period of 1959-1961, NWAF colleague Dee Green was editor of the BYU Archeological Society Newsletter and had an article from it published in the summer of 1969 edition of Dialogue: A Journal of Mormon Thought, pp 76-78 in which he acknowledged that the NWAF findings did not back up the veracity of the Book of Mormon claims. After this article and another six years of fruitless search, Thomas Ferguson published a 29 page paper in 1975 entitled Written Symposium on Book-of-Mormon Geography: Response of Thomas S. Ferguson to the Norman & Sorenson Papers. The full text will be omitted here, but he summed up as thus on page 29: "I'm afraid that up to this point, I must agree with Dee Green, who has told us that to date there is no Book-of-Mormon geography...". In referring to his own paper, Ferguson wrote a 20 February 1976 letter to Mr & Mrs H.W. Lawrence in which he stated: "...The real implication of the paper is that you can't set the Book-of-Mormon geography down anywhere — because it is fictional and will never meet the requirements of the dirt-archeology. I should say — what is in the ground will never conform to what is in the book."[72]

The archaeological investigations of NWAF-sponsored projects have contributed towards the documentation and understanding of pre-Columbian societies, particularly in Mesoamerica. Currently BYU maintains 86 documents on the work of the NWAF at the BYU NWAF website and these documents are used outside both BYU and the LDS church by researchers.

Linguistics

Main article: Linguistics and the Book of Mormon

An additional criticism concerns linguistics. The Nephites, and possibly the Lamanites, might have spoken a modified Semitic language up to at least AD 400, where the Book of Mormon stops.[citation needed] However, no spoken Semitic language has survived in the Americas to modern times. Critics argue that the 1,000 years after the end of the period covered in the Book of Mormon do not suffice to account for the difference among Native American languages nor for their complete distance from Semitic languages.[citation needed] A common counterargument is that the Book of Mormon mentions contact with other civilizations[73] with their own non-Semitic languages that might have influenced or supplanted any Semitic language being spoken. In addition, an introductory heading added to the Book of Mormon in 1981 states that the peoples mentioned therein are the primary ancestors of the Native Americans; it does not conclude that they are the sole ancestors.[74] A commonly discussed linguistic feature that LDS scholars believe might indicate semitic origins of the Book of Mormon is the presence of an ancient literary pattern called chiasmus. Chiasmus is a poetical or rhetorical form used by many languages, including Sumero-Akkadian [Sumeria, Assyria, Babylon], Ugaritic [Syrian area circa. 2000 B.C.], Biblical Hebrew, Aramaic, the Talmud, the New Testament, Greek, Latin and English, among others. It is a form of parallelism, in which related or contrasting ideas are placed in juxtaposition for emphasis.[citation needed] Mosiah 3: 18-19, Alma 31: 13-14, and the entire chapter of Alma 36 are said to display the literary properties of chiasmus.

Martin Harris, an early acquaintance of Joseph Smith, claimed to have carried a sample of writing taken from the Book of Mormon to Charles Anthon who, according to Harris, was able to translate the writings.[citation needed] Critics claim that if Harris' version is correct, then it entails that the writing contained on the Golden Plates was similar enough to ancient old world writings (specifically, Greek and Latin) that Anthon was able to read it and verify its translation.[citation needed] The numerous examples of Maya Hieroglyphic writings in Meso-America bear no such resemblance to Latin, Greek, Hebrew or reformed Egyptian. Linguists state that no known writing systems found in Pre-Colombian America bear any relationship any Old World writing systems.[citation needed]

DNA

Main article: Genetics and the Book of Mormon

Some researchers such as LDS anthropologist Thomas W. Murphy and former-LDS molecular biologist Simon Southerton have emphasized that the substantial collection of Native American genetic markers now available are not consistent with any detectable presence of ancestors from the ancient Middle East, and argued that this poses substantial evidence to contradict the account in the Book of Mormon. Both Murphy and Southerton have published their views on this subject.[75][76] Critics claim this contradicts the statement found in the introduction to the Book of Mormon, which says that the Lamanites (partially of Hebrew descent), are the "principal ancestors" of Native Americans, however there is no claim that they are the sole ancestors. Nevertheless, critics say that the narrative does not explicitly mention other groups present in the Americas. On the other hand, there are several passages which have been interpreted by some to strongly imply the presence of other groups. One such statement is found in 2 Nephi 1:5, Lehi says that his group has "obtained a land of promise... a land which the Lord God hath covenanted with me should be a land for the inheritance of my seed... and also all those who should be led out of other countries by the hand of the Lord."[77]

In response to arguments regarding DNA, David Stewart states that current studies fail to account for the fact that ancient Israelite DNA would be vastly different from their modern DNA.[78] He also says that mtDNA testing, which was the cornerstone in both studies, cannot even link different Jewish groups let alone compare them to American Indians faithfully. He concluded that the studies take a very limited and biased approach in order to control the outcome and that the studies ignore other basic DNA facts in order to come to their biased conclusion. A similar migration of Jewish people to Africa, the Lemba was recently genetically verified via DNA markers. The Lemba also have a large percentage of genes often found in non-Arab Semites. However, it must be stated that this was not done using mtDNA, but rather the Cohen modal haplotype. A Dr. Soodyall notes that "using mtDNA the Lemba were indistinguishable from other Bantu-speaking groups." The decision to test for the Cohen modal haplotype (Cohen referring to priests, or Levites) was brought about due to the Lemba's traditions of having priestly descent. Since there is no claim in the Book of Mormon of Levite descent, and because there are no extant traditions regarding specific Israelite ancestry, LDS scholars have said it would be unreasonable to expect similar results when testing American Indian DNA for Israelite ancestry, even if it were present.[79] It is also still debated as to when exactly this gene pool migrated to Africa, possibly in the modern era after Christ rather than in the same era as Lehi as some have asserted.[citation needed]


Smithsonian Institution statement on the Book of Mormon

The Smithsonian Institution issues a standard reply to requests for their opinion regarding the Book of Mormon as an archaeological or scientific guide.[80] In 1998, the Smithsonian revised the letter to remove its detailed response and limited its comment to briefly deny any use of the Book of Mormon as an archaeological guide by the institution.[81]

Role of the Book of Mormon in Mormonism

The Book of Mormon is of prime importance to the church as one of the greatest differentiating factors of the Church as well as a spiritual foundation. It is held as a tangible evidence of the truthfulness of the church. Joseph Smith said,

“I told the brethren that the Book of Mormon was the most correct of any book on earth, and the keystone of our religion, and a man would get nearer to God by abiding by its precepts, than by any other book”.[82]

Members of the Church hold the Book of Mormon as the most important, correct, and basic book of scripture. Not placing enough emphasis on the Book of Mormon or ignoring it altogether was decried in a revelation to Joseph Smith that pronounced a condemnation on the "whole church" for treating it “lightly,” until they should “repent and remember the new covenant, even the Book of Mormon and the former commandments which I [the Lord] have given them, not only to say, but to do according to that which I have written, that they may bring forth fruit meet for their Father’s kingdom”.[83] While this revelation also applies to the early Church’s under-emphasis of the Bible (“the former commandments which [the Lord had] given them”), the importance of studying the Book of Mormon has also been stressed by every church president since Joseph Smith, Jr..

The Book of Mormon’s significance was reiterated in the late 20th century by Ezra Taft Benson, Apostle and 13th President of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. In an August 2005 Ensign message, current LDS President Gordon B. Hinckley challenged each member of the church to reread the Book of Mormon again before year's end. The book’s importance is commonly stressed at the twice-yearly General Conference and at special devotionals by General Authorities in the First Presidency, the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles, and the several Quorums of the Seventy

Book of Mormon Editions

Version of the Book of Mormon published by The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.

The Book of Mormon is published today in the following forms:

  • by The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints under the expanded title The Book of Mormon: Another Testament of Jesus Christ (since 1982)
  • for the Community of Christ by Herald House as The Book of Mormon - Revised Authorized Version (1966) and The Book of Mormon - Authorized Version (1908)
  • by the Church of Jesus Christ (Bickertonite) as The Book of Mormon: An Account Written by the Hand of Mormon upon Plates taken from the Plates of Nephi — an original edition compiled by a committee made up of Church of Jesus Christ apostles Thurman S. Furnier, Charles Ashton and William H. Cadman
  • for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints (Strangite) by Richard Drew, Burlington (Voree), Wisconsin — a photo enlarged facsimile of the 1840 edition
  • by Zarahemla Research Foundation as The Book of Mormon - Restored Covenant Edition
  • by the University of Illinois Press as The Book of Mormon: A Reader's Edition (2003) (this edition is based on the 1920 LDS edition)
  • by Doubleday under the title The Book of Mormon: Another Testament of Jesus Christ (2004)
  • by Herald Heritage (Herald House) (1970) 1830 Facsimile copy reproduction.
  • by ExperiencePress.org (2006) Two true reprints of the 1830 edition. The type was reset to match word, line & page the text of the original 1830 edition with one categorical exception: all known original typographical errors were corrected.[84]

Changes between editions

The Tanners have claimed to have documented almost 4,000 changes.[85] The vast majority of these changes have been discussed in official Church publications including the Ensign, Improvement Era, Millennial Star and Times and Seasons, and are consistent with early pre- and post-publication edits made by Joseph Smith. Some corrections were made due to earlier print or copy errors, or changes in punctuation.[86]

In fact, there are differences between various of the original copies printed in 1830. The manuscript was taken to E.B. Grandin's print shop, then a copy was made for typesetting. Following typesetting, the set of pages was printed. When proofreading found errors, the printing process was halted, and the page reset -- but those sheets already printed had to be used, due to time and budgetary constraints. When the books were finally collated, the sheets with errors were randomly distributed throughout the print run.

Between today's editions of the book and the first edition there are approximately 3000 differences. Most of these changes had already begun in the 1837 edition. These changes are mostly corrections of punctuation, orthography and grammar; however, there are also several changes in wording, which critics allege were made to fit changes in teaching or political conditions.

Since 1989, BYU has published a critical text edition in four volumes. Volumes 1 and 2, published 2001, contains transcriptions of all the text variants of the English editions of the Book of Mormon, from the original manuscript up to the newest editions.[87] Volume 4, in four parts (3 already published since 2005) contains a critical analysis of all the text variants. Meanwhile, volume 3, not yet published, is to describe the history of all the English-language texts from Joseph Smith to today.[88]

File:Book of Mormons.jpg

Translations

The complete Book of Mormon has been published in 81 languages and is currently available in 78 languages. Selections of the Book of Mormon have been translated into an additional 27 languages. Typically, translators are employed by the LDS Church and translate the text from the original English. In 2001, the Church reported that all or part of the Book of Mormon was available in the native language of 99% of Latter-day Saints and 87% of the world's total population.[89]

In 1998, the Church stopped translating selections from the Book of Mormon. The Church has announced that each new translation it approves will now be a full edition.[90]

Chronology of complete translations of the Book of Mormon

Number Date Language Primary Location of Language Notes
1 1830 English [91] most recent edition 1982
2 1851 Danish Denmark [91] most recent edition 1949
3 1852 French [91]
4 1852 Welsh Wales [92] most recent edition 2000
5 1852 German [92] most recent edition 1980
6 1852 Italian Italy [91]
7 1855 Hawaiian Hawaii [91] first non-European language translation
8 1869 Deseret Alphabet (English) Utah (defunct) [93] currently out of print.
9 1878 Swedish Sweden [91]
10 1886 Spanish [91] selections published in 1875; most recent edition 1992
11 1889 Māori New Zealand [91]
12 1890 Dutch [91]
13 1903 Samoan Samoa [91]
14 1904 Tahitian Tahiti [91]
15 1906 Turkish 1906 Armenian script version (now largely defunct); formerly used in present-day Eastern Turkey, Syria, Lebanon, and the U.S. [91] Currently out of print; first Asian language translation; selections in Roman script published in 1983; full text in Roman script published in 2000
16 1909 Japanese Japan [91] most recent edition 1995
17 1933 Czech Czechia [91]
18 1936 Braille (English) [91] most recent edition 1994
19 1937 Western Armenian Middle East, U.S., and elsewhere [94] 1937 complete edition currently out of print; new translation (selections only) published in 1983
20 1939 Portuguese [91] most recent edition 1995
21 1946 Tongan Tonga [91]
22 1950 Norwegian Norway [91]
23 1954 Finnish Finland [91]
24 1965 Chinese China, Taiwan, Southeast Asia [91]
25 1965 Rarotongan (Cook Islands Maori) Cook Islands [91]
26 1967 Korean Korea [91]
27 1972 Afrikaans South Africa [91] First African language edition
28 1976 Thai Thailand [91]
29 1977 Indonesian Indonesia [95]
30 1979 Croatian Croatia [91]
31 1980 Fijian Fiji [91]
32 1981 Catalan Spain [91]
33 1981 Icelandic Iceland [91]
34 1981 Polish Poland [91]
35 1981 Russian [91]
36 1981 Hebrew [96] currently out of print
37 1982 Hindi India [91]
38 1982 Vietnamese Vietnam [91]
39 1983 Q'eqchi' Belize, Guatemala [91]
40 1986 Arabic [91]
41 1986 Aymara Peru, Bolivia [91]
42 1987 Greek Greece [91]
43 1991 Hungarian Hungary [91]
44 1995 Braille (Spanish) [91]
45 1995 Ilokano Philippines [91]
46 1997 Ukrainian Ukraine [97]
47 1999 Bulgarian Bulgaria [98] selections published in 1980
48 1999 Albanian Albania [99]
49 1999 Haitian Creole Haiti [100] selections published in 1983
50 2000 Estonian Estonia [101]
51 2000 Hmong Southeast Asia [102] selections published in 1983
52 2000 Malagasy Madagascar [103] selections published in 1983
53 2000 Swahili East sub-Saharan Africa [103]
54 2000 East Amharic Ethiopia, Eritrea [103]
55 2000 Latvian Latvia [103]
56 2000 Lithuanian Lithuania [103]
57 2000 Eastern Armenian Armenia, Nagorno-Karabakh, Iran [104] selections published in 1987
58 2000 Ibo (Igbo) Nigeria [104]
59 2000 Xhosa South Africa [103]
60 2000 Cebuano Philippines Selections published in 1992
61 2000 Pangasinan Philippines
62 2000 Tagalog Philippines
63 2001 Khmer (Cambodian) Cambodia Selections published in 1982
64 2001 Chinese (Simplified characters) China, Taiwan, Southeast Asia Selections published in 1982
65 2001 American Sign Language United States, Canada [105] on DVD; selections produced on VHS in 1995
66 2001 Mongolian Mongolia [106]
67 2002 Bislama Vanuatu Selections published in 1985
68 2003 Tswana Botswana [104]
69 2003 Fante Ghana
70 2003 Zulu South Africa, Zimbabwe [104] selections published in 1987
71 2003 Shona Zimbabwe, Zambia, Botswana Selections published in 1988
72 2004 Slovenian Slovenia [107]
73 2004 Lingala Democratic Republic of the Congo, Republic of the Congo [104] selections published in 1998
74 2004 Neomelanesian (Tok Pisin) Papua New Guinea
75 2004 Yapese Federated States of Micronesia
76 2004 Kiribati (Gilbertese) Kiribati Selections published in 1988
77 2004 Marshallese Marshall Islands Selections published in 1984
78 2005 Twi Ghana [104]
79 2005 Telugu India Selections published in 1982
80 2005 Tamil India, Sri Lanka Selections published in 1982
81 2005 Hiligaynon (Ilonggo) Philippines [108] selections published in 1994

Languages in which only selections of the Book of Mormon have been published[109][91]

Number Date Language Primary Location of Language
1 1978 Kaqchikel Guatemala
2 1979 Quechua—Peru Peru
3 1979 Quiché Guatemala
4 1980 Navajo United States
5 1980 Quichua—Ecuador Ecuador
6 1981 Kuna Panama, Colombia
7 1981 Niuean Niue
8 1981 Quechua—Bolivia Bolivia
9 1982 Guaraní Paraguay, Argentina
10 1982 Laotian Laos
11 1983 Efik Nigeria
12 1983 Kisii (Gusii) Kenya
13 1983 Mam Guatemala
14 1983 Maya Mexico, Belize, Guatemala
15 1983 Persian Iran, Afghanistan, Tadjikistan
16 1983 Sinhala Sri Lanka
17 1985 Bengali Bangladesh, India
18 1987 Papiamento Netherlands Antilles, Aruba
19 1987 Pohnpeian Federated States of Micronesia
20 1987 Trukese (Chuukese) Federated States of Micronesia
21 1988 Palauan Palau
22 1988 Urdu Pakistan, India
23 1989 Chamorro Guam, Northern Mariana Islands
24 1994 Pampango (Kapampangan) Philippines
25 1994 Tzotzil Mexico
26 1996 Waray-Waray Philippines
27 1997 Bikolano Philippines


Trademark

In the United States, Book of Mormon is a registered trademark owned by Intellectual Reserve, Inc., a corporation created by The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints to hold the church's intellectual property.[citation needed]

See also

Wikisource has original text related to this article:

Notes

  1. ^ Originally, The Book of Mormon: An Account Written by the Hand of Mormon upon Plates Taken from the Plates of Nephi; the latest LDS Church version is currently entitled The Book of Mormon: Another Testament of Jesus Christ
  2. ^ Book of Mormon Title Page
  3. ^ Lua error: Book <js_h> not found in Standard Works.
  4. ^ Lua error: Book <a_of_f/1> not found in Standard Works.
  5. ^ See 3 Nephi 11 to 3 Nephi 26
  6. ^ See 1 Nephi 10:4, 1 Nephi 19:8; See also 3 Nephi 1
  7. ^ 1 Nephi 11
  8. ^ Mosiah 3:8
  9. ^ Mosiah 5:7
  10. ^ Alma 46:13–15
  11. ^ 4 Nephi 1
  12. ^ See Lua error: Book <bm/ttlpg> not found in Standard Works.
  13. ^ See John 10:16 in the King James Version of the Bible
  14. ^ 3 Nephi 15:13–24, 3 Nephi 16:1–4, 2 Nephi 29:7–14
  15. ^ See Isaiah 29:4 from the King James Version of the Bible. (Compare 2 Nephi 26:15–16)
  16. ^ 1 Nephi 2:20; 1 Nephi 13:30; 2 Nephi 1:5; 2 Nephi 10:19; Jacob 5:43; Ether 1:38–42; Ether 2:7,10-15; Ether 9:20; Ether 10:28; Ether 13:2.
  17. ^ 1 Nephi 2:20; 1 Nephi 4:14; 2 Nephi 1:20; 2 Nephi 4:4; Jarom 1:9; Omni 1:6; Mosiah 1:7; Mosiah 2:22,31; Alma 9:13; Alma 36:1,30; Alma 37:13; Alma 38:1; Alma 48:15,25; Helaman 3:20; Helaman 5:20,22.
  18. ^ 2 Nephi 2:27
  19. ^ Mosiah 3:19; Mosiah 27:25; Alma 22:15–18; Moroni 10:34
  20. ^ 2 Nephi 2:25
  21. ^ 1 Nephi 11:22–23; 1 Nephi 8:12
  22. ^ Alma 11:42–45; Alma 40:11–23
  23. ^ 2 Nephi 9:30; Mosiah 4:26; Mosiah 18:8
  24. ^ Mosiah 2:17
  25. ^ 2 Nephi 26:33
  26. ^ Words of Mormon 1:1–3
  27. ^ Ether 1:1–2
  28. ^ The version published by the LDS Church is known as "The Book of Mormon: Another Testament of Jesus Christ"
  29. ^ Many of the chapter headings were written by Bruce R. McConkie, an Apostle
  30. ^ Moroni 10:3–5
  31. ^ see Matthew 16:16–17 from the King James Version of the Bible
  32. ^ See James 1:5 from the King James Version of the Bible
  33. ^ Koran, 10:37-38, translated by N.J. Dawood, 1956
  34. ^ Vogel 2004
  35. ^ Brodie 1971, pp. 46–49
  36. ^ Howe 1834, pp. 278–290
  37. ^ Price 2002, p. 68
  38. ^ Midgley 1997; Also, in the film The God Makers "Mormo" is said to represent the "king of ghouls," and whose followers are called "Mormons." Baer claims that in Chinese, the word "Mormon" means "gates of hell."
  39. ^ Dunn 2002, p. 29, 33 Dunn concludes, “It is clear that Smith's translation experience fits comfortably within the larger world of scrying, channeling, and automatic writing.”
  40. ^ According to Mormon 9:32–34
  41. ^ See Joseph Smith—History 1 for a complete record of Joseph Smith's account.
  42. ^ Bushman 2005
  43. ^ Title page of 1830 Book of Mormon, as presented by the Institute for Religious Research website
  44. ^ Copyright Act of 1790, section 3.
  45. ^ Preface page of 1830 Book of Mormon, as presented by the Institute for Religious Research website
  46. ^ Brodie 1971, pp. 46–49
  47. ^ Persuitte 2000
  48. ^ Joseph Smith, ‘’Times and Seasons’’ 3:15 (1 June 1842): 813–815.
  49. ^ Roberts 1985
  50. ^ Roberts 1985, p. 326
  51. ^ B. H. Roberts, New Witnesses for God, 3 vols. [Salt Lake City: Deseret News, 1909], 3:89-90.
  52. ^ Spaulding 1996
  53. ^ Spaulding 1996
  54. ^ See Jeff Lindsay's article for a summary of these similarities and other details
  55. ^ Brodie 1971, pp. 446–47
  56. ^ Faulring 2000
  57. ^ Spaulding 1996
  58. ^ Tvedtnes 1984
  59. ^ see the New International Version Bible, 1984, Mark 16: "[The most reliable early manuscripts and other ancient witnesses do not have Mark 16:9-20.]"
  60. ^ From the Lua error: Book <bm/introduction> not found in Standard Works.
  61. ^ See, for example, James E. Faust, “The Keystone of Our Religion,” Ensign, January 2004, 3
  62. ^ Mauss 2003
  63. ^ Roberts 1985, p. 93
  64. ^ Smith 1997, p. 264
  65. ^ Sorenson, John L (Sept. 1984). "Digging into the Book of Mormon:Our Changing Understanding of Ancient America and Its Scripture (Part 1)". Ensign. Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints: 27. Retrieved 2007-01-11. {{cite journal}}: Check date values in: |date= (help) Sorenson, John L (Oct. 1984). "Digging into the Book of Mormon:Our Changing Understanding of Ancient America and Its Scripture (Part 2)". Ensign. Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Retrieved 2007-01-21. {{cite journal}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
  66. ^ Sorenson 1985
  67. ^ see Lua error: Book <bm/introduction> not found in Standard Works.; see also Moroni 10:3–5
  68. ^ LDS explanations often center around the lack of evidence for animals known to exist in other settings, such as the lack of evidence for horses in Mongolia, though it is widely accepted that they existed in large numbers
  69. ^ See Horses in the Book of Mormon by Robert R. Bennett under "Naming by Analogy"
  70. ^ Harold H. Hougey, Letter to Thomas Stuart Ferguson, 20 May 1972, University of Utah as quoted in Stan Larson, "The Odyssey of Thomas Stuart Ferguson", Dialogue: A Journal of Mormon Thought, Spring 1990, p. 76
  71. ^ Thomas Stuart Ferguson, Letter to Harold H. Hougey, 5 June 1972, University of Utah as quoted in Stan Larson, "The Odyssey of Thomas Stuart Ferguson", Dialogue: A Journal of Mormon Thought, Spring 1990, p. 76
  72. ^ Thomas Stuart Ferguson, Letter to Mr. and Mrs. Harold W. Lawrence, 20 February 1976b, University of Utah as quoted in Stan Larson, "The Odyssey of Thomas Stuart Ferguson", Dialogue: A Journal of Mormon Thought, Spring 1990, p. 79. See image copy of the letter
  73. ^ Omni 1:12–18, Mosiah 24:1–4
  74. ^ The original 1830 edition of the Book of Mormon does not make this claim.
  75. ^ Southerton 2004
  76. ^ Morris, Linda (2006-07-21). "Academic falls foul of Mormons". The Sidney Morning Herald. {{cite news}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
  77. ^ See 2 Nephi 1:5
  78. ^ David Stewart M.D. "DNA and the Book of Mormon".
  79. ^ Swimming in the Gene Pool by Matthew Roper
  80. ^ missingauthor. "Smithsonian Institution statement on the Book of Mormon".
  81. ^ Jeff Lindsay. "The Smithsonian Institution's 1996 "Statement Regarding the Book of Mormon"". {{cite web}}: line feed character in |title= at position 35 (help)
  82. ^ Smith, Joseph (1950), History of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, vol. 4, Salt Lake City, Utah: Deseret Book Company, p. 461
  83. ^ Doctrine and Covenants 84:55–58
  84. ^ http://www.experiencepress.org
  85. ^ 3913 Changes in The Book of Mormon Jerald and Sandra Tanner
  86. ^ Skousen 2001
  87. ^ Skousen & May 2001;Skousen & January 2001;Skousen & March 2001
  88. ^ Skousen 2004;Skousen 2005;Skousen 2006
  89. ^ "Taking the Scriptures of the World", Ensign, July 2001, 24
  90. ^ “Translation Work Taking Book of Mormon to More People in More Tongues”, 6 February 2005
  91. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s t u v w x y z aa ab ac ad ae af ag ah ai aj ak al am an Kai A. Anderson, "In His Own Language", Liahona, June 1997, 29.
  92. ^ a b Gilbert W. Scharffs. "Das Buch Mormon: The German Translation of the Book of Mormon". Journal of Book of Mormon Studies. 11 (1): 35–39. Retrieved 2007-03-29.
  93. ^ The Book of Mormon in the Deseret Alphabet.
  94. ^ "Four Triple Combination Translations Completed, Now Available", Liahona, Dec 2006, N12-N13
  95. ^ Alison Craig, "The Saints in Indonesia", Engisn, January 1977, 86.
  96. ^ Kerril Sue Rollins, "The Book of Mormon in Polish", Ensign, June 1982, 74-75.
  97. ^ Ukraine: Cumorah Project International LDS Database
  98. ^ Bulgaria: Cumorah Project International LDS Database
  99. ^ Bulgaria: Cumorah Project International LDS Database
  100. ^ "Triple Combinations in Tongan and Haitian Available", 16 February 2007
  101. ^ Erki Kõiv, Book of Mormon finally available in Estonian, 23 January 2000
  102. ^ China: Cumorah Project International LDS Database
  103. ^ a b c d e f Barbara Jean Jones, "Another Milestone of 100 Reached in 2000", Ensign, Mar 2001, 76-77
  104. ^ a b c d e f LDS Africa: Book of Mormon Translations
  105. ^ "Taking the Scriptures of the World", Ensign, July 2001, 24
  106. ^ Mongolia Ulaanbaatar Mission, "News Item: Book of Mormon in Mongolian", 1 November 2001
  107. ^ "Translation Work Taking Book of Mormon to More People in More Tongues", 6 February 2005
  108. ^ Book of Mormon in Hiligaynon Completed
  109. ^ “Full Editions of the Book of Mormon”, Ensign, Feb 2005, 75

References

Further reading

  • Maxwell Institute Books available online
  • Noel B. Reynolds (1997). Book of Mormon Authorship Revisited: The Evidence for Ancient Origins. Foundation for Ancient Research and Mormon Studies(FARMS). ISBN 093489325X.
  • Wesley Ziegler (2004). An Analysis of the Book of Mormon. Kessinger Publishing. ISBN 1417968559.
  • Elder William A. Morton (2004). Book of Mormon Ready Reference. Kessinger Publishing. ISBN 1417968508.
  • John Henry Evans (2004). Message and Characters of the Book of Mormon. Kessinger Publishing. ISBN 1417968184.
  • William E. Berrett and Milton R. Hunter (2004). A Guide to the Study of the Book of Mormon. Kessinger Publishing. ISBN 1417968826.

Official sources

Sympathetic views

Critical views and websites

LDS Standard Works

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