Archaeological trends and the book of mormon origins byu. Does the book of mormon exhibit evidence of divineancient origins or humanmodern origins. Analytical and contextual commentary on the book of mormon and the gift and power. A closer look, nearly sixteen years ago, his ideas in regard to book of mormon structure, content, and authorship have received widespread notice both within and without the latter day saint community. A piece of something resembling parchment would appear, and on that appeared the writing. Translating the book of mormon religious studies center. Those who reject joseph smiths claim that he translated the book through divine power assume that he or one of his contemporaries wrote the book. I took my time rereadinglistening to this standard work of the latterday saints lds faith. An outline of the textual structure of the book of mormon. The initial book of mormon wordprint studies were carried out by larsen. Review of books on the book of mormon 19892011 by an authorized editor of byu scholarsarchive. Book of mormonauthorship theoriesspalding manuscript. Charting the book of mormon is a collection of more than 175 visual aids that promote deeper understanding and appreciation of the book of mormon.
Quotes joseph used a peep stone and a hat to translate most of the book of mormon. Jun 18, 2015 when i first started investigating how the book of mormon was written, i thought this theory was compelling. Nov 01, 2016 as a result, if the book of mormon can be proved to be manmade, then the church is manmade. This attribution problem is almost certainly an open game given the provenance of the book of mormon for a brief discussion of the book of mormon authorship controversy see appendix a, but jockers et al. Book of mormon, 1830, page 0 the joseph smith papers. Robertss study which was published posthumously in 1985 as studies of the book of mormon. In insiders view of mormon origins was developed during a period of time that its author worked as a teacher in the church educational system ces, and was published after the authors retirement from church employment. What are the pros and cons of the spauldingrigdon theory of. Jensen, the precise purposes of the book of mormon, in by study and by faith. Mormonism unvailed is a book published in 1834 by eber d. Debate renewed with change in book of mormon introduction. Notwithstanding much more on the topics discussed in this text have been published since this book, including book of mormon authorship revisited by reynolds from 1997 that build up on many of these issues, this book would make a very good addition to ones lds library. The book is divided into smaller books that read as narratives.
Variations of this theory only include that the text is a divinely inspired narrative, regardless of its. Since the appearance of holleys first edition of book of mormon authorship. The lds church recognizes four main texts as divinely inspired and authoritative scripture. Is it possible that a single author wrote the book of mormon. Yet it is sophisticated and principled, evincing early modern english linguistic competence. The design of the liahona and the purpose of the second. Foundation for ancient research and mormon studies, 1997. Book of mormon manuscript excerpt, circa june 1829 1 nephi 2. Book of mormon 5,000 changes despite the claim that joseph smiths translation was by the gift and power of god, several thousand changes have been made to the book of mormon since its original printing. Some scholars estimate that about 99% of the book of mormon text was authored primarily by four principal writers. Conflicting results of computer analyses of the book of mormon. The research is interesting, but it looks like theres a. The first author was the prophet nephi, who left jerusalem with. Journal of the book of mormon and other restoration scripture 21, no.
Jan 29, 2015 im not a mormon and i believe the bom sprang from the mind of joseph smith, but i have no sympathy for proponents of the spaldingrigdon theory because it is such a weak, poorlybuttressed alternative explanation. The first author was the prophet nephi, who left jerusalem with his family in about 600 bc and sailed to the americas. Part of the research includes a wordprint study that attempts to show which chapters in the book of mormon were likely written by rigdon, cowdery, spalding, or parley p. The church declined comment on who wrote that version of the page. At least three computer analyses have been completed to date in an effort to determine who wrote the book of mormon, and whether it was a single individual or a group. The key to hardys basic strategy is to take seriously the authorship of the book of mormon, not by joseph smith although hardy allows skeptics to hold on to that assumption, nor simply and immediately by god though hardy is in no way inclined to slight faithful readings, but by those who are the principal authors according to the book.
The following graph shows the diversity of voices in the book of mormon, with ellipsoid clouds demonstrating how the writings of major book of. This view finds no acceptance outside of mormonism. Although the book came out in his 20s, who really knows what he learned or where. The book of mormon bom is an abbreviated account of the inhabitants of the ancient americas from 2200 bc to 421 ad.
Byu scholarsarchive citation roper, matthew and fields, paul j. To the inside front cover are affixed four clippings of descriptions of different versions of first edition copies of the book of mormon and of an 1854 edition of the doctrine and covenants, along with a clipping describing the origin of the text of the book of mormon and a bookplate of the shepard book company of salt lake city, utah. Their latest video explains how the book of mormon s internal claims about its authorship are consistent with the best stylometric evidence currently available. What are the important points from the book of mormon. The book of mormon was published on a normal press in 1830. Gardner earned a masters degree in anthropology and mesoamerican ethnohistory from the state university of new york at albany. The extensive use of the phrase it came to pass in the book of mormon across all of the books, i believe, suggest a single author. The title page proclaims the book to be a contemporary expose of mormonism, and makes the claim that the historical portion of the book of mormon text was based upon a manuscript written by solomon spalding. The theory that the book of mormon is an ancient american history is not accepted. Despite the book of mormon being published in 1830, its narrative attempts to employ the antiquated english style of the early modern era, as though to make it read more like the king james version of the bible published in 1611. The book of mormon a play held reverently by those in theatrics for its irreverence it is the modern broadway spamalot. Reassessing authorship of the book of mormon using delta and. Including the mormon churches conflicting results of computer analyses of the book of mormon. Jun 05, 2016 the spaldingrigdon theory of book of mormon authorship is the theory that the book of mormon was plagiarized in part from an unpublished manuscript written by solomon spalding.
Four messages from the four primary authors of the book of. Though language is offensive i feel its too good to be defensive the story tells the tale of two mormons. Between the books of omni and mosiah is an insert called the words of mormon. The evidence for ancient origins, edited by noel b. Since the book of mormon was first published, many have been unwilling to accept joseph smiths account of how it was produced. It attempted to prove that natives had descended from the ancient israelites. Examining the book of mormon a christian view probe. The spaldingrigdon theory of book of mormon authorship is the theory that the book of mormon was plagiarized in part from an unpublished manuscript written by solomon spalding. Every writer has a style of writing just as he has his own fingerprints improvement era, nov. What command syntax tells us about book of mormon authorship. Ancient prophets, historians, and leaders engraved their testimonies and history on golden plates. Doctrinal details aside it testifies of the divinity of christ, of the atonement, of the gospel of repentance and redemption, etc.
This knowhy is the first in a series which discusses stylometry and its relevance to questions of book of mormon authorship. An account written by the hand of mormon upon plates taken from the plates of nephi. Mormon writer helen hinckley jones, commenting on the authorship of the book of mormon, said. A oneword change in the introduction to a 2006 edition of the book of mormon has. Archaeological trends and the book of mormon origins author john e. To see how frequently alma mentioned the resurrection in relation to other book of mormon authors, see john hilton iii and jana johnson, who uses the word resurrection in the book of mormon and how is it used. Vernal holleys book of mormon authorship annotated. An outline of the textual structure of the book of mormon by j.
The book of mormon contains many religious themes, most notably those of faith and doubt. Book of mormon authorship the encyclopedia of mormonism. Why and how did alma explain the meaning of the word. Many members of the latter day saint movement claim historical authenticity of the book of mormon. Taves and joseph smith and the origins of the book of mormon by david persuitte, dialogue. Clark had circumstances permitted a marked grave for the slain prophet, a fitting headstone could have read, by joseph smith, junior, author and proprietor. Designed for multiple use as study guides, handouts, and masters for creating projectable images, the charts convey a wealth of information that will enrich personal study and teaching. The spaldingrigdon theory of book o f mormon authorship is the theory that the book of mormon was plagiarized in part from an unpublished manuscript written by solomon spalding. Most, but not all, mormons hold the book s connection to ancient american history as an article of their faith. Interestingly, the syntactic match between the 1829 text and a prominent text from the l. Response to claims made in an insiders view of mormon origins by grant palmer summary. This means that once again i get to jump in with the straight poop. Smith, they will say, translated the book of mormon from golden plates he dug up in a hill in new york in the early 1800s. Religious studies center, brigham young university, 2009, 2536.
From a geographical standpoint, some lds scholars believe mesoamerica to be the setting of the book of mormon. Spaldings widow told a similar story, and stated that the names of nephi and lehi are yet fresh in my memory, as being the principal heroes of his tale. Spaldingrigdon theory of book of mormon authorship wikipedia. The spalding enigma, our authors set out to accomplish a monumental task.
Pratt as key players in the authorship of the book of. One of the earliest theories of book of mormon authorship was that joseph plagiarized the unpublished manuscript of a novel written by the reverend solomon spalding. The historical case against sidney rigdons authorship of the. The design of the liahona and the purpose of the second spindle. One can easily see from the chart the dramatic difference between book of mormon authors and the contemporary authors of the bible. The theory first appeared in print in the book mormonism unvailed, published in 1834 by e. The nephites had two primary offices, the governor of the land and the high priest. Book of mormon central is a team of ardent students of the nephite scripture working together to share the wonders of this inspired masterpiece with the world. Many book of mormon research projects have implications for the continuing issues surrounding the authorship of the book of mormon. The following outline is provided as an overview of and topical guide to the book of mormon. One may naturally wonder, though, if the book of mormon s diversity of style is in any way unique or impressive. The book of mormon is a sacred text of the latter day saint movement, which, according to adherents, contains writings of ancient prophets who lived on the american continent from approximately 2200 bc to ad 421. Book of mormon authorship if joseph smith authored the book of mormon with an eighth grade education it is quite a feat.
Nephi passed the record to his younger brother jacob, who gave it to his son enos. Using only the text of the book of mormon as the narration, get a. Many studies have investigated book of mormon authorship because the book presents itself as a composite work of many ancient authors. The first onefourth of spauldings manuscript story pp. Mormon prophet joseph smith 180544 claimed that more than twodozen ancient individuals nephi, mormon, alma, etc. Previous studies have shown that the book of mormon contains multiple distinct writing styles and that those styles are consistent with the authors designated in the text itself. This first article explains what stylometry is and gives readers a short history of stylometric studies performed on the book of mormon. The first portion the first six books, ending with omni is a translation from the small plates of nephi. What can stylometry tell us about book of mormon authorship. Recent research demonstrates that its diversity of styles is unusually high, even greater than the combined. The book of mormon is a gift from god to all humankind, and he has commanded his people that they should persuade all men to repentance. This theory first appeared in print in the book mormonism unvailed, published in 1834 by e.
Although the musical satirizes organized religion and the literal credibility of the church of jesus christ of latterday saints, the mormons in the book of mormon are portrayed as. The bible the bible teaches that all men have sinned and fallen short of the glory of god. Book of mormon central teamed up with artist katie payne to create a beautiful and engaging video called the plates of mormon. The book was written by many ancient prophets by the spirit of prophecy and revelation. Some have wondered, though, if the book of mormon s different styles are in any way unique or impressive. An account written by the hand of mormon upon plates. To date, the combined data from several valid stylometric studies on the book of mormon have demonstrated that it has multiple, distinct writing styles and that those styles are consistent with the authors designated within the text itself.
According to the book of mormon, jesus christ appeared and preached to the nephites in the americas after his crucifixion. Its interesting to note that all four of those prophets bore testimony. Criticism of mormonismbooksan insiders view of mormon origins. Terryl givens joseph smith would put the seer stone into a hat, and put his face in the hat, drawing it closely around his face to exclude the light. The book of mormon explains that death is not simply the transition from mortality to the eternal heavenhell. When mormon missionaries properly called latter day saints or simply lds come to your door, they will often offer a free copy of the book of mormon and tell you about its author, joseph smith. Miraculous origins theories generally accept joseph smiths own account, that he translated an ancient record compiled and abridged by mormon, a precolumbian resident of the western hemisphere. This theory became the principal nonlds theory for the origins of mormonisms. Foundation for ancient research and mormon studies, 1997, chapter 9. The book of mormon teaches that god has flesh and bones and that he has a wife with whom they produce spirit offspring in heaven that will inhabit human bodies on earth. The spaldingrigdon theory of book of mormon authorship is the theory that the book of. Some people believe the book of mormon is a new revelation from god given to joseph smith.
For every book published, there must be an author someone who wrote it. Its interesting to note that all four of those prophets bore testimony of four related, thoughtprovoking principles. Wordiness joseph smith claimed that the book of mormon was his translation of an ancient book written upon gold plates. Brent anderson many studies have investigated book of mormon authorship because the book presents itself as a composite work of many ancient authors.
An american, james adair, wrote a book a history of the american indians in 1775. Most latterday saints are aware of a minor industry in certain religious circles in the united states devoted to refuting mormonism and to criticizing the book of mormon. On the other hand, if its origin is godgiven, then joseph smith was a prophet, and if he was a prophet, then the church of jesus christ of latterday saints is true. What does all this have to do with the authorship of the book of mormon. Similarly, if there are anachronisms and elements of josephs milieu in the book of mormon that could only be known by a contemporary author, then we can definitively conclude that the book of mormon is written by someone who was alive in the 1820s and it is not possible for an ancient author to have written it. The precise purposes of the book of mormon religious. The liahona was given by the lord as a communications device for lehi to determine the appropriate direction of travel. An understanding of chiasmus will also greatly enhance interpretation of book of mormon scriptures.
It is a complex portrayal of a thousandyear history of an ancient people. The book of mormon comprises fifteen main parts or divisions, known, with one exception, as books, usually designated by the name of their principal author. The original phrase and the changes are noted in red and bold for emphasisin the introduction to the book of mormon the second paragraph reads. If the ancient authors of the book of mormon consciously set particular elements parallel to each other, then these elements must be considered together in order. Joseph smith as author of the book of mormon joseph smith was an uneducated boy, and yet he produced the book of mormon in a few short months. Book of mormon authorship, in book of mormon authorship revisited. Mormons recognize it as divinely inspired and equal in authority to the bible, but others have reason to doubt its claims. Although my primary teaching responsibilities during my 27 years at byu have revolved around courses in legal and political philosophy, i have. We build enduring faith in jesus christ by making the book of. The variety of command syntax found in the book of mormon is very different from what is seen in the king james bible. The book filled to the brim with musical and theatrical genius around every corner. Three previous answers to this question, by three lds respondents and all three are either wrong, incomplete, or intentionally misleading. Instead of being the principal ancestors of american indians, lamanites are nowamong the ancestors of the american indians.
Someone had to put the words together in the order in which the printer set them into type. Once we have a foundational testimony of the book of mormon, then. Book of mormon sacred text of the latter day saint movement, which adherents believe contains writings of ancient prophets who lived on the american continent from approximately 2200 bc to ad 421. Multiple authorship of the book of mormon because critics are determined to find any source for the book of mormon other than the one presented by believers, they generally claim that joseph either wrote the book himself or that he plagiarized the text from some other nineteenth century author. The book of mormon conveys a christianity very similar to that of the new testament. This device contained two pointers, only one of which was necessary to provide directional information. D, is a professor and senior fellow, woods institute for the environment, stanford university. Another testament of jesus christ, which is an english translation from the golden plates that was first published in 1830. The book of mormon drills the point home that the fall of mankind was an essential part of gods plan. Mormons read the christian bible king james translation or kjv and the book of mormon. As early as 1831, eber howe, in his antimormon book mormonism unvailed. Chiasmus in the book of mormon religious studies center.