Oct 31, 2019 on the significance of this for the book of mormon, see mark alan wright, nephite daykeepers. The power of the book of mormon church of jesus christ. A study january 1922 the first essay is book of mormon difficulties. Ces letter snips short phrases out of context and out of order. Last month, many facebook users participated in a challenge that required them to post 10 books that have influenced them. Smith provides much new information in his thoughtful book schooling the prophet. It has been claimed by critics chris and duane johnson that the late war is a potential source of influence on joseph smith in his composition of the book of mormon. Cultural context preceding the book of mormon mormon stories. The impact of books, from banned to popular culture usc. The book of mormon presents a number of challenges for serious readers. An interesting case study in point is the occurrence of two clear parallels to 1 john in moroni 78, as shown in the table below. The book of mormon infamously draws heavily on the bible, including the new testament, which its supposed ancient authors would never have seen.
Actually, all that became obvious was the failure of both believers and unbelievers to cite much specific evidence. May 30, 2019 in order to counter any bias in favor of the book of mormon, the authors apply a strongly skeptical prior assumption that the book of mormon has little to do with early indian cultures, precisely as coe claims. The book of mormon has excited very little enthusiasm outside of. How is the use of deuteronomy in the book of mormon. Jordan peterson a list of influential books everyone. How lds women have influenced the sharing of the book of.
The principles that were recorded in the book of mormonfaith in jesus christ, repentance, baptism, joy, salvationchanged the lives of an ancient people. An interesting case study in point is the occurrence of two clear parallels to 1 john in moroni 78, as shown in the table. Examining spalding s actual novel proved that the mormons had been right all along. Book of mormonplagiarism accusations19th century influences. Studies of the book of mormon presents 3 essays written by elder b. Isaiah certainly from the brass plates influenced book of mormon religious thought and practice. They multiplied and eventually split into two groups. These are the most terrifying books i have encountered. Notwithstanding my shock, the evidence indeed suggested that the book of mormon had influenced the president, which might have been at least partially responsible for the fundamental shift in american policy during the war. The book of mormon is the keystone of our witness of christ, our doctrine, and our testimonies. The book of mormon resembles the bible in its length and complexity and in its division into books named for individual prophets. Sorenson, a latterday saint sociocultural anthropologist, has argued that literacy was very limited in the nephite culture.
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 the civilizations mentioned in the book. The book of mormon and the bible will grow together, 2 ne. What specific books are believed to have inspired or. Did view of the hebrews influence themes in joseph smith. Was the book of mormon influenced by the language and themes of the late war by gilbert hunt. Hugh nibley has researched hebrew and near eastern aspects of the book of mormon in detail. Nowhere is this more evident than in the writings attributed to moroni toward the end of the book of mormon.
Much of what has been written previously was engendered in the crossfire of a debate motivated by reactions to a religion whose foundation rests firmly on the merits of the book of mormon. Based on research done by book of mormon central staff, at least 52 different phrases from deuteronomy appear throughout the book of mormon. Knowledge that the book of mormon is true brings a conviction of the truth of many other things, such as joseph smiths prophetic calling and the truthfulness of. I have tried to face these squarely in writing this book. They found a bunch of matches in a random book called the first book of napoleon, the tyrant of the earth. Did the first book of napoleon influence the book of mormon. In our day, the book of mormon has influenced the lives of millions of people around the world by bringing them closer to. The book of mormon deals with those two subjects that should never be discussed in polite company, namely, religion and politics. Several of the more influential writings will be discussed in this essay.
Many of smiths contemporaries were understandably skeptical of the books modern tone and claimed ancient origins, questioning if precolumbian indians were indeed the authors of the work. They found a bunch of matches in a random book called the first book of napoleon, the tyrant of the earth misquoted. Ces letter in 2014, a group analyzed 110,000 books to find phrases matched with the book of mormon. Barlow asserts, the book of mormon was valued by its adherents, but it did not become the basis for early church doctrine and practicesmiths daytoday revelations did that. The internets been abuzz with hype this week about a new computer study by duane and chris johnson which purports to identify four literary influences on the book of mormon besides the king james bible gilbert j. Where did joseph smith get his ideas for the book of mormon. Sep 12, 2019 some critics argue that various publications dealing with the indians and their israelitelike origins were available to joseph smith and influenced his work on the book of mormon. Smiths schooling the prophet offers evidence that the latterday saint prophet was quietly influenced by one of the most important sources of religious thought and sacred protocol that he knewthe book of mormonon issues such as the nature of god, priesthood.
Book of mormon peoples, guided by the brass plates and revelation which their religious leaders earnestly sought, did likewise. The book of mormon teaches plainly the doctrine found in the missionary lessons. Critics note numerous parallels between phrases in the book of mormon and phrases in the books by ethan smith and james adair. Harpers aritcle infallible proofs, both human and divine. First page of the first book of napoleon, one of four books that duane and chris johnson say influenced the book of mormon. Schooling the prophet, how the book of mormon influenced. Although women do not play a prominent role in most book of mormon stories, their importance and influence is apparent. Bookcraft, 1952, an approach to the book of mormon, 2d ed. Proceedings of the expound symposium, 14 may 2011 orem and salt lake city, ut.
An examination of the book of mormon, however, shows evidence that the ability to read may have been more widespread than. On the significance of this for the book of mormon, see mark alan wright, nephite daykeepers. And now, he imparteth his word by angels unto men, yea, not only men but women also. The most common belief of adherents is that promoted by joseph smith, who said he translated ancient golden plates inscribed by prophets. America was a time and place peculiarly receptive to new prophets and their books. As a practicing mormon, i found the book to be really insightful and faithbuilding, as it confirmed and expanded on my own general assumptions and understandings of the prophet josephs use of and relationship to the book of mormon ideas which seem obvious after years of sunday school and scripture study, yet hadnt been researched or articulated in my mind, or in. The interpreter foundation and eborn books, 2014, 244246. For example, they misquote the book of mormon s account of samuel the lamanite to make it sound like the view of the hebrews account of jesus ben ananias. It bears witness of the savior with precision and power. In our day, the book of mormon has influenced the lives of millions of people around the world by bringing them closer to jesus christ. The persuasiveness of mormonism for early converts religion and american culture 10 1 99118 winter, 2000 shows that the reciprocity of the book of mormon and bible mutually corroborating each other powerfully influenced the saints in joseph smiths day. In order to counter any bias in favor of the book of mormon, the authors apply a strongly skeptical prior assumption that the book of mormon has little to do with early indian cultures, precisely as coe claims.
Internal evidence of widespread literacy in the book of mormon. Chiasmus in the book of mormon religious studies center. An additional criticism of the historical authenticity of the book of mormon concerns linguistics. Its interesting how the creators of south park and avenue q influenced each other in a circular fashion, leading to the conception of this musical. Some critics argue that various publications dealing with the indians and their israelitelike origins were available to joseph smith and influenced his work on the book of mormon. It is written in english very similar to the early modern english linguistic style of the king james version of the bible, and has since been fully or partially translated into 111. Has anyone read and compared these books to the book of mormon. Apr 27, 2018 based on research done by book of mormon central staff, at least 52 different phrases from deuteronomy appear throughout the book of mormon. Oct 05, 2015 joseph smith reported that on the evening of september 21, 1823, while he prayed in the upper room of his parents small log home in palmyra, new york, an angel who called himself moroni appeared and told joseph that god had a work for you to d. From the bible to the torah to the quran to the book of mormon, written texts have long defined the way people worship. Misquoted ces letter snips short phrases out of context and out of. It relates the history of a group of hebrews who migrated from jerusalem to america about 600 bce, led by a prophet, lehi. Mormon challenges could the book of mormon story have come.
Mormon challenges could the book of mormon story have. They then compare 1 separate positive correspondences or points of evidence between the book of mormon and coes book. Jordan peterson a list of influential books everyone should. 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. The book of mormon is coming to town in a few months, and i wasnt sure if it was worth shelling out a bunch of money to see, especially since my wife doesnt like crude humor. In this case, someone compared the book of mormon, which was written in kjv english, to other books, and. Did view of the hebrews influence themes in joseph smiths. As early as 1831, eber howe, in his antimormon book mormonism. The lords words will hiss forth unto the ends of the earth, 2 ne. Hebrew writings, egyptian influence, the use of stone boxes, written records. New computer study purports to detect literary influences. Writing mormon history is a mustread for historians, students of history, scholars, and aspiring. A wide variety of books, periodicals, and newspaper articles describing aspects of native american life did circulate during joseph smiths era.
It was first published in march 1830 by joseph smith as the book of mormon. An account written by the hand of mormon upon plates taken from the plates of nephi. The origin of the book of mormon is miraculous, and it is the only book which promises that by divine power the reader may know it is true. The book of mormon touted as fourth most influential work in american. Book of mormonplagiarism accusationsthe late war fairmormon. One may dispute the books value as an accurate church history text, but one cannot discount the influence it had on mormon historiography and on several generations of mormons. Read consistently from the book of mormon with the people you teach. The only official companion book to the tony award winner for best musical from the creators of south park and the cocreator of avenue q. Mormons are a religious group that embrace concepts of christianity as well as revelations made by their founder, joseph smith. The solomon spalding manuscript 1812 by solomon spalding this unpublished manuscript was a work of fiction created by a retired minister, solomon spalding who died in 1816 before being able to publish his work. For example, they misquote the book of mormons account of samuel the lamanite to make it sound like the view of the hebrews account of jesus ben ananias.
How lds women have influenced the sharing of the book of mormon. Alphabetical list of books donated by joseph smith to the nauvoo library and literary institute, 31 january 1844. Jul 29, 2018 the book of mormon infamously draws heavily on the bible, including the new testament, which its supposed ancient authors would never have seen. Book of mormon studies the encyclopedia of mormonism. First john in the book of mormon moronis new testament. Numerous eighteenth and nineteenthcentury authors produced books that bear strong resemblance to the book of mormon and likely influenced joseph. The following examples represent those who feel that literacy was limited and that book of mormon society was largely oral. Ces letter picks 34 parallels between view of the hebrews and the book of mormon. A contemporary mormon view is that these civilizations rose and fell in mesoamerica. From the day the book of mormon rolled off the press in 1830, those who gave it credence asserted that it obviously read like a hebrew text. Conclusions such as this have contributed to a perception that the book of mormon exerted little influence on early mormon thought or practice other than as a. Second and more importantly, im bothered by the fact that both the late war and the first book of napoleon show up as statistically significant influencers of the book of mormon. Apochryphal testament william beaumonts experiments and observations on the gastric juice james arlington bennetts the american system of practical book keeping, 2 copies book of mormon.
It was presented to the general authorities of the lds church on january 4, 5, and 26, 1922. Howe, in his 1834 book mormonism unvailed, deemed the book of mormon a cursory account of the popular doctrines which have been agitated since. But the differences between these books are very significant. Oct 27, 20 first page of the first book of napoleon, one of four books that duane and chris johnson say influenced the book of mormon. Most adherents to the latter day saint movement view the book as a work of inspired scripture. According to the text, the nephites and the lamanites initially spoke hebrew 600 bc and might have spoken a modified semitic language until at least 400 ad, when the book of mormon ends. No matter who the author, or authors may be, their strong feelings on both subjects are expressed in the characters and situations in the book. Givenss landmark study of the foundations of mormon thought and practice, traces the essential contours of mormon practice as it developed from joseph smith to the present. Another fascinating book published in 1809, the first book of napoleon.
Schooling the prophet, how the book of mormon influenced joseph smith and the early restoration. Other ideas found in the book of mormon that are also found in books of smiths time include. Other ideas found in the book of mormon that are also found in books of smiths. Civilizations of their magnitude and duration would be expected to leave extensive archaeological records. Smith claimed the angel moroni, a prophet in the book of mormon, directed him in the 1820s to a. New computer study purports to detect literary influences on the. Richard hauck, deciphering the geography of the book of mormon. Features the complete script and song lyrics, with 4color spot illustrations throughout, an original introduction by the creators, and a foreword by mark harris. When gutenbergs printing press made books widely available to the masses, people were able to take more ownership of their faith, examining scripture for themselves rather than accepting it only as it was shared by their. Those who were not so convinced insisted that it obviously read like anything but a hebrew text. How the book of mormon influenced joseph smith and the early restoration by asking if the demonstrable lack of frequent public reference to the book of mormon in joseph smiths work is adequate evidence that the book had no influence on him.
Here wellknown historians describe their journeys of writing books that have influenced our understanding of the mormon past, offering an unprecedented glimpse into why they wrote these important works. Ritual specialists in mesoamerica and the book of mormon, ancient temple worship. It was heavily influenced by the authors of all the books listed below. New computer study purports to detect literary influences on. What specific books are believed to have inspired or influenced joseph smith in his authoring of the book of mormon. Numerous eighteenth and nineteenthcentury authors produced books that bear strong resemblance to the book of mormon and likely influenced joseph smiths production of scriptural texts.
There are several theories as to the origin of the book of mormon. According to the critics, some of these word phrases appear in the same order and are grouped with other word phrases identical to that of the book of mormon. Use the book of mormon to answer the questions of the soul and to respond to objections to the church. Bunyan wrote upwards of 60 books, tracts, and pamphlets, including grace. Schooling the prophet, how the book of mormon influenced joseph smith and the early restoration gerald e. The lord covenanted with enos to bring forth the book of mormon to the lamanites, enos 1. Here is a list of books that i found particularly influential in my intellectual development. One respondent to rny questionnaire suggested this be placed in the antimormon category. The book of mormon is divided into smaller books, titled after the individuals named as primary authors and, in most versions, divided into chapters and verses.
Many concepts from the book of mormon are present in this book notably 2000 stripling warriors, a liahonalike description of a metal device, the freeman movement, rod of iron, standard of liberty, brass plates, cataclysmic earthquakes followed by great darkness, chiasmus, and many, many more. Roberts, a president of the seventy and one of the foremost mormon scholars of the early twentieth century, elaborated. A case for the book of mormon kindle edition by callister. See the largest lds book of mormon scripture reference selection with titles from lds authors ed j. The book of mormon touted as fourth most influential work in. Bible, book of mormon make list of top 50 influential books deseret. Ces letter misportrays the content of the two books. First john in the book of mormon moronis new testament, part. Joseph smith wasnt merely the book of mormons prophetic translatorhe was also a student of the sacred record. Much of what has been written previously was engendered in the crossfire of a debate motivated by reactions to a religion whose. They primarily belong to the church of jesus christ of latterday saints, or lds, which is headquartered in salt lake city, utah, and has more than 15 million members worldwide. The book of mormon was written for the intent that we may. So, i decided to read the book first, paired with the soundtrack. Despite the stigmatizing fascination with its social innovations polygamy, communalism, its stark supernaturalism angels.