Book of Mormon Bibliography
Alphabetical by Author

A polemical work against Mormonism, attempting to instruct and inform Christians on how to respond to various Mormon questions. After a brief account of the Book of Mormon narrative, the writer notes what he feels are certain internal anachronisms in the book, such as Jaredite barges, use of King James English and New Testament material before Christ, and the number of people slain in battle. He feels that the book’s origin can best be explained as a product of Joseph Smith’s environment.

The author, by quoting from Revelation 12, Ezekiel 4:6, and Daniel 12:4-9, shows that the Book of Mormon came forth twelve hundred and sixty years after the apostasy. He also remarks concerning the fulfillment of the prophesies in Isaiah 29:4, 11, Zechariah 10:10, and Jeremiah 22:6, and refers to archaeological discoveries in defense of the Book of Mormon.

A youth oriented challenge to read the Book of Mormon. Youth relate testimonial experiences they had while reading the Book of Mormon.

A youth oriented challenge to read the Book of Mormon. Youth relate testimonial experiences they had while reading the Book of Mormon.

Review of The Power of the Word: Saving Doctrines from the Book of Mormon (1994), by Robert L. Millet

This article examines use of halucinogenic plants in the 19th century, drawing the conclusion that the visions experienced during Joseph Smith’s youth and the early days of the Church were the product of substance use. It retells narratives such as Joseph Smith Sr.’s visions, the exorcism of an evil spirit from Newel Knight, and the abundance of visions at the Kirtland Temple dedication with halucinogens as the catalyst.

An assertion that the traditional Mormon interpretation of the prophecy in Ezekiel 37 regarding the Book of Mormon is both naive and unsupportable in light of Near Eastern scholarship.

A brief testimony of the truthfulness and value of the Book of Mormon, written by a man who is part Scottish and part Blackfoot Indian.

Contains nine lessons for learning German using the German translation of the Book of Mormon as the text. Each lesson contains different rules of grammar plus exercises.

Contains quotes from archaeological books and newspaper articles that deal with the bearded white god, Quetzalcoatl, who was born of a virgin and was associated with the cross. Christ visited in America and these beliefs are relics of this visit.

Either the Book of Mormon is true or a fraud, and many intelligent, honest people have found the former. Its claims are supported by the testimony of men who witnessed the plates, by biblical prophecy, by archaeological study, and by the witness of the spirit.

A defense of Joseph Smith in response to The Children of God, by Vardis Fisher. Joseph Smith made no mistake in translating the record that represents a people who dwelt upon the land of America 600 years B.C. who brought no records of the minor prophets who wrote between the time of Lehi’s departure and A.D. 70.

Many Latter-day Saints can distinguish between the writings of prophets such as Ezra Taft Benson, David O. McKay, and Brigham Young, because each of these men had characteristics and themes unique to himself. The author reasons that if the writings of latter-day prophets reflect their authors’ personal characteristics, then records left by ancient prophets should also contain features that distinguish their authors as individuals. In this book, the traits that set each Book of Mormon author apart from the others are analyzed. The suggestion made by critics of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints that the Book of Mormon was written by a single nineteenth-century author is refuted. ISBN 1-5700-8276-6

Roger Keller explores what it means to keep the commandments of God. He looks to the Book of Mormon and analyzes passages related to laws and commandments and concludes that there are significant differences in the ways words like law and command are used by various authors of the Book of Mormon. Keller suggests that all laws and commandments given by God to his people lead to one commandment: “Come unto Christ.”

For three days, April 11-13, 2002, Brigham Young University hosted a unique conference titled “Salvation in Christ: Christian Perspectives.” Scholars, theologians, and interested laypersons came together to celebrate the redemptive act of our Lord Jesus Christ and to explain their understandings of salvation in Christ from the viewpoints of their respective Christian denominational backgrounds. A broad spectrum of Christian approaches were represented, as was the range of issues needing to be addressed with the monumental topic of “Salvation in Christ” as the theme for the gathering. The purpose of the conference was for participants to speak, listen, and learn from one another--to become better acquainted with various faith traditions, particularly different perspectives on the major doctrines associated with Christian salvation. ISBN 0-8425-2606-4

Speaks about the validity of the Bible and argues that God has spoken to the ancient western world as well as set forth in the Book of Mormon. Adduces archaeological evidence and arguments of reason to defend the Book of Mormon.

Defends David Whitmer’s testimony of the Book of Mormon, which was misquoted in a local newspaper. Both the misquotation and Whitmer’s true testimony are included. Whitmer affirms his belief in the Book of Mormon.

The Book of Mormon teaches the same beliefs and doctrines as taught in the Bible and holds the same promises of salvation.

A defense of the Book of Mormon against critics. The author finds that the book is in accord with Old Testament prophecies, it is an additional witness for Jesus Christ, and its claims are sustained by scientific discoveries.

A record of three long debates that took place in Kirtland, Ohio, between the two authors. Items discussed include the question concerning the divine origin of the Book of Mormon and the role or non-role of the Spaulding manuscript in the coming forth of the Book of Mormon.

Uses the Book of Mormon to refute claims made by LDS authorities concerning polygamy and claims that the LDS practiced polygamy in wickedness. Argues against a statement made by Brigham Young that the Nephites were too wicked to practice polygamy and argues that “raising up seed unto the Lord” is not a valid reason for practicing polygamy.

A report of a committee who compared the manuscript of the Book of Mormon (held by David Whitmer) with the Palmyra and Plano editions. Some differences and changes are noted.

A report of two brothers’ visit to Palmyra and Manchester, New York. After conducting interviews with several aged residents regarding the Joseph Smith family and the Book of Mormon, new information regarding the Smiths and the original manuscript of the Book of Mormon is produced.

If perhaps I am certain of nothing else, I am indeed certain of one thing: I cannot resist holy books. Understand me correctly, however. I regard all of them highly-the fiery bass voices of the Qur’an; Gautama’s all-tolerating claptrap of wisdom; the large compendium of Jewish cultural history called the Old Testament-but I refuse steadfastly to link the word “truth’’ with any of them. Whoever imagines that he possesses the truth has lost it in that very same instant. Truth has no meaning for us. Nothing would be more unfortunate than some kind of 5 percent clause of the Spirit, and nothing more ridiculous than when one prophet calls out another as a fanatic. Not one Church, but rather fundamentally Churches; not one Sacred Scripture, but rather numerous Sacred Scriptures. Hence, if you wish, a resigned-but in my experience quite therapeutic-agnosticism as foundation, yet at the same time a tireless hunt for one’s own mistakes and one’s own lack of knowledge-and, besides that, working diligently.

Relates the mounds found in the United States to war sites in the Book of Mormon. Also discusses anthropological aspects of the Book of Mormon.

A series, comprising a defense of the Book of Mormon from an anthropological and archaeological point of view. Quotes extensively from the Book of Mormon as well as from contemporary scholarship.

Gives ethnic descriptions of Book of Mormon peoples and discusses them as inventors, explorers, and warriors. Cites archaeological findings that relate to the Book of Mormon.

An historical and polemical work directed against Mormonism. The author advances the Spaulding theory to account for the Book of Mormon’s origin.

A discussion regarding the Three Witnesses to the Book of Mormon. While the author presents several of the definite, uncompromising testimonies of the witnesses, he generally depicts them as simple-minded and arrogant. The witnesses are first exploited and then discarded by Joseph Smith.

A discussion and response to the book entitled The Golden Bible by the Rev. M. T. Lamb, where Kenner challenges Lamb’s assumptions.

A youth oriented defense of the Book of Mormon and a justification for the drama referred to in the title.

Review of Geri Brinley. The Book of Mormon: A Pattern for Parenting.

The little book entitled Words of Mormon has long been a puzzle, including as it does a number of ambiguous passages and two seemingly distinct parts. In this brief note, I focus primarily on just one such ambiguity-Mormon’s use of “these” in verse 18-in an attempt to show that the whole of the book is much more complete and coherent than has been previously thought. It may be also that the Lord’s “wise purpose[s]” (Words of Mormon 1:7) are more expansive than has generally been supposed. In verse 18, Mormon notes three causes behind the establishment of peace among King Benjamin’s people: (1) “these;’ (2) Benjamin’s labor “with all [his] might…and… faculty,” and (3) “the prophets.” The most immediate question is, To what does “these” refer? One option is verse 16’s “the holy prophets.” However, given the specific mention of “the prophets” as the third cause, this first approach seems unlikely.

Latter-day Saint discussion of chastity often include Moroni 9:9 because of its suggestion that “chastity and virtue” constitute “that which is most dear and precious above all things:’ The verse also says, however, that people can be “deprived” of chastity and virtue by the violence of rape. For the prophet Mormon, the Nephites’ actions in Moriantum exceed “this great abomination of the Lamanites;’ which involved “feed[ing] the women upon the flesh of their husbands, and the children upon the flesh of their fathers” (Moroni 9:8). Mormon’s strong language aims to condemn the rapists, not their victims. Using the verse to teach about chastity, though, invites interpretation from the perspective of the victims, which raises the question of what it means to understand chastity and virtue as something of which a person can be deprived, passively, by another. Such passive loss of virtue runs strongly contrary to LDS teaching about agency, including those rooted in Book of Mormon passages like 2 Nephi 2, with the consequence that victims of sexual abuse or assault can be made to feel guilty for sins that are not their own.

Nephite kings were expected to fulfill the same roles that kings played in other ancient civilizations— commander of the military forces, chief judicial official, and leader of the national religion. A king’s success depended not only on the extent to which he performed each role, but also on the motives behind his service. Selfless rule by Benjamin-type kings commanded the respect and praise of the people, while King Noah’s quest for personal gain roused Old World disdain for the monarch. The Nephite experiment with kingship confirms that between “kings and tyrants there’s this difference known; kings seek their subject’s good; tyrants their own” (Robert Herrick, 1591–1674).

Let us in faith take the words of Christ into our minds and into our hearts.

Latter-day Saints may think Church history in Illinois began in 1839 with establishment of the city of Nauvoo. However, important events took place much earlier in the decade. For example, the missionaries to the Lamanites unexpectedly had to cross the state on their trip from Ohio to Missouri. This happened in 1830, ten years before more prominent events took place in the history of the Church in Illinois. This occurrence made Illinois one of only four states to receive missionaries in the year 1830. The Church grew rapidly there, and by 1835 it was likely the fourth largest religious body in the state. This account fills in the ten-year gap of Church history in Illinois using both LDS and non-LDS sources. The book tells the story of the conversion of future Apostle Charles C. Rich. It also talks about the Saints’ involvement in the so-called Mormon War. Other chapters discuss the events of Zion’s Camp, Kirtland Camp, and the Saints’ exodus from Missouri to Quincy, Illinois. ISBN 978-0-8425-2652-4

Sees many scientific anachronisms in the Book of Mormon. Points out problems dealing with language, geography, botany, zoology, physiology, and anthropology. For instance, the implied reproduction rates and populations of the Book of Mormon show physiological problems.

A polemical attack on Mormonism. The Book of Mormon is discussed on pages 11-60, 253-330. The Spaulding theory is espoused by the author. The testimony of the Book of Mormon witnesses is discounted. The Book of Mormon shows clear evidence of being plagiarized from the Bible. The author finds the direction of desert travel by Lehi’s family somewhat absurd. Anthon’s 1834 denial is recounted and various other anachronisms are discussed.

This polemical work sets out to “unmask the deception” of the Book of Mormon upon which “the whole fabric of Mormonism” rests. It includes an attempt to show that the Book of Mormon was a “sandy foundation upon which to build a religious system” and supports the Spaulding theory.

Lists fourteen objectives with scriptural references for reading the Book of Mormon. Objective examples include: records and plates, prophecy yet to be fulfilled, and Christ’s ministry among the Nephites.

The article discusses hospitality in religious texts, focusing on the importance of hospitality in the Book of Mormon. Other topics include instances of hospitality in the Old Testament, examples of hospitality in stories from the Book of Mormon including Nephi and Zoram, Alma and Amulek, and Ammon and Aaron, and hospitality in the Book of Mormon homiliaries.

In 1947 the artist Han van Meegeren stood in the criminal court in Amsterdam and admitted he was guilty of forgery in what may be the greatest known art fraud. Forty years later, in 1987, Mark Hofmann confessed his guilt of forgery, fraud, and murder growing out of what may be the greatest known historical document fraud. The two cases show some striking similarities.These two men, the artist and the forger, turned their considerable talents to crime because of vanity, anger, and greed. They might have gone undetected, but the love of money held them captive. They risked again and again exposure and imprisonment, unable to quit while ahead. Their forgeries went undetected for years but ultimately came to light when police began investigating the men for much different crimes. As bizarre as the story of Mark Hofmann may seem, he was merely acting out a new production of an old play.

Spencer W. Kimball spent innumerable hours working on a biography of his father, Andrew, but was unable to finish it. This book, completed by Spencer’s son and biographer, Edward L. Kimball, brings that desire to fulfillment. Father of a Prophet is the link between Andrew’s apostle father (Heber C. Kimball) and his prophet son (Spencer W. Kimball), and it provides an important prologue to the biographies Spencer W. Kimball (1977), and Lengthen Your Stride: The Presidency of Spencer W. Kimball (2005). Andrew presided for twelve years over the Indian Territory Mission, and he worked for years as a salesman in Utah and Idaho traveling from village to village. Then, in 1898, Church leaders called Andrew to move with his family to Arizona and preside over the St. Joseph Stake, covering southeastern Arizona and extending to El Paso, Texas, including the Mor­mon settlements in the Gila River Valley. Andrew invested himself deeply in his adopted community. He served a term in the Arizona legislature and exerted statewide influence as chair of the agricultural and horticultural commission. Whenever a vacancy occurred in the Quorum of the Twelve, Andrew’s name received speculative mention. His twenty-five years in stake administration illuminate the Church’s maturation from pioneer times to a period of inter­national growth, and his exemplary loyalty and personal high principles were passed on to his son Spencer, especially as father and son served together in the stake presidency.

Remarks by President H. C. Kimball, Delivered in the Bowery, Great Salt Lake City, September 21, 1856. Reported By: J. V. Long.

A Discourse by President Heber C. Kimball, Delivered in the Bowery, Great Salt Lake City, Sunday morning, August 23, 1857. Reported By: G. D. Watt, J. V. Long.

Remarks by President Heber C. Kimball, delivered in the Tabernacle, Bountiful, Sunday, April 12, 1868. Reported By: Elder Wm. Thurbood.

The contents of the Book of Mormon are multi-faceted. It contains elements pertaining to drama, archaeology, exploration, travel, anthropology, astronomy, geology, psychology, political science, scientists, military strategy, and many other subjects. The major value of the book is its religious infiuence upon individuals.

This article states that the contents of the Book of Mormon are multifaceted. It contains elements pertaining to drama, archaeology, exploration, travel, anthropology, astronomy, geology, psychology, political science, scientists, military strategy, and many other subjects. The major value of the book is its religious influence upon individuals.

This article is a testimony of the redemption of the Lamanites. Kimball gives examples of certain “Lamanites” who are progressing in the Church.

This article discusses how the Book of Mormon prophesies much concerning the Lamanites. It is the responsibility of the Church to help them to fulfill their great destiny. It states that many are receiving the gospel and are bearing fervent testimonies and living the gospel. The author includes a letter from a father to his son in which he counsels the son to look for the “Mormons,” who have the record of his people, and the son then writes of his search for this book that would teach him the true gospel, which he found in the Book of Mormon.

If two people love the Lord more than their own lives and then love each other more than their own lives, working together in total harmony with the gospel program as their basic structure they are sure to have this great happiness.

This article is an exhortation to work more towards redeeming the “Lamanites.” Kimball encourages the saints to remember them in their prayers and do their utmost to preach to them. He includes a prophecy of Joseph Smith that the saints will go to the Rocky Mountains and there open the door for establishing the gospel among the Lamanites. Wilford Woodruff designated the Zuni, Laguna and Isletas Indians of Southwest New Mexico as Nephite people.

Chief Samuel Blue, a member of the Church from the Catawba tribe, North Carolina, claims that the Book of Mormon prophecies concerning the Lamanites are being fulfilled.

A look at the relationship of the characters in the Anthon transcript to ancient Egyptian, Mesoamerican, and Phoenician scripts. The author concludes that while there are similarities between the characters in the Anthon transcript and Semitic languages, little more has been done by scholars than to define the problems. Much research remains to be done.

This article states that knowledge concerning the Egyptian language was underdeveloped in the 1820s when Martin Harris presented the Book of Mormon characters and translation to Dr. Charles Anthon. While Anthon was a known Egyptian scholar of the period, he nonetheless lacked sufficient knowledge to vouch for the accurate translation of the characters.

Tells of Martin Harris’s visit with Charles Anthon and Dr. Mitchell in New York City in February 1828. Presents a historical profile on Anthon and Mitchell. Answers why Martin Harris went to these men instead of any others and how valid their testimony was respecting the characters shown to them.

Tells of Martin Harris’s visit with Charles Anthon and Dr. Mitchell in New York City in February 1828. Presents a historical profile on Anthon and Mitchell. Answers why Martin Harris went to these men instead of any others and how valid their testimony was respecting the characters shown to them.

This second of two volumes of essays honoring Hugh Nibley includes scholarly papers based on what the authors have learned from Nibley. Nearly every major subject that Dr. Nibley has encompassed in his vast learning and scholarly production is represented here by at least one article. Topics include the sacrament covenant in Third Nephi, the Lamanite view of Book of Mormon history, external evidences of the Book of Mormon, proper names in the Book of Mormon, the brass plates version of Genesis, the composition of Lehi’s family, ancient burials of metal documents in stone boxes, repentance as rethinking, Mormon history’s encounter with secular modernity, and Judaism in the 20th century.
This essay goes into the meanings of character, humour, and persona and how Shakespeare uses them in his plays to create different stories.

This second of two volumes of essays honoring Hugh Nibley includes scholarly papers based on what the authors have learned from Nibley. Nearly every major subject that Dr. Nibley has encompassed in his vast learning and scholarly production is represented here by at least one article. Topics include the sacrament covenant in Third Nephi, the Lamanite view of Book of Mormon history, external evidences of the Book of Mormon, proper names in the Book of Mormon, the brass plates version of Genesis, the composition of Lehi’s family, ancient burials of metal documents in stone boxes, repentance as rethinking, Mormon history’s encounter with secular modernity, and Judaism in the 20th century.
Expresses a modification of T. S. Eliot’s these that expands the usual connotations of the terms “talent” and “tradition,” which suggests that there is a strong sense in which talents are fully employed by individuals only when they do not regard them as their own, and that there is an equally strong sense in which tradition exists only in the form of individuals in whom it is reincarnated.

A group of adults meet in the morning to learn more about the Book of Mormon.

Pachacamac, a deity of the Incas, and the ancient ruins of his cities and temple remind one of the Book of Mormon.

A less than smooth exposition in which it is argued that Lehi’s colony landed in South America. The author’s sources include the Book of Mormon and books on American geography and Indian history.

Analyzing historical and legendary accounts of the ancient inhabitants of America in conjunction with Book of Mormon accounts and the geographical lay of the land, the author attempts to associate the Book of Mormon locations with ancient ruins. The greatest concentration of civilization was in Central America and Mexico, but the possibility of a Peruvian landing site is not ruled out.

The lands of Guatemala and Honduras were anciently inhabited by two peoples. Archaeological evidence substantiates the Book of Mormon.

Mentions the three migrations of people to the Americas as described in the Book of Mormon. Believes that the Book of Mormon is a fulfillment of the “sealed book” prophecy in Isaiah 29, the “stick of Joseph” prophecy in Ezekiel 37, and the “truth” to “spring out of the earth” prophecy of Psalm 85.

This is a reprint of Kipling’s chapter on “Mormonism” found in his American Notes. He calls the Book of Mormon a “powerful Anaesthetic” and the instruments with which the Book of Mormon was translated “gig-lamps,” and he observes that the book has no “style” and is “toilsome” and “vile”

A polemical work against Mormonism. The writer asserts that the Book of Mormon blasphemously adds to God’s biblical word in direct contradiction to Revelation 22:18-19. He asserts that the book is full of gross anachronisms, such as the Jaredite barges, number of war casualties, the Lamanite curse, and pre-Columbian domesticated animals.

A polemical tract against Mormonism. The writer considers Joseph Smith’s account of the coming forth of the Book of Mormon “fantastic” beyond belief. He feels that the Book of Mormon was a hoax, based largely upon Solomon Spaulding’s published novel. He also asserts that the Book of Mormon carelessly plagiarizes the King James translation of the Bible.

The early nineteenth- century confiict between the Mormons and the Missourians is treated. Writing about the Book of Mormon, the author believes that the book is “no idle scheme, nor production of a fanciful moment but required considerable research, and no ordinary degree of sagacity” Kirk produces a brief overview of the Book of Mormon story in the appendix.

Fifteen-part series. Joseph Smith was unshakable in his faith that the Book of Mormon was “the most correct book” The observations of the critics of the Book of Mormon by D. H. Bays, Rev. M. T. Lamb, the Wayne Sentinel, and the Palmyra Reflector show that the book is either true or false. The Book of Mormon is evidence of divine intervention. Reprints articles from the Wayne Sentinel dated September 16, 1829—January 2, 1830, that are infiammatory and derogatory toward the Book of Mormon and Joseph Smith. Contains facts concerning the translation and publication process of the Book of Mormon. Includes Joseph Smith’s own words concerning commencement of the translation with Oliver Cowdery as scribe, the move to Fayette, New York, and publication by E. B. Grandin. Quotes extensively from Lucy Mack Smith concerning Joseph’s reception of the plates, the work of translation, the loss of the 116 pages of manuscript, and Martin Harris’s donation of money for the Book of Mormon. John S. Reed, Esq., a nonmember, delivered testimony before the state convention at Nauvoo in 1844 that Joseph had received the plates. Quotes several authors to prove that it was well-known that Joseph Smith had the plates prior to the publication of the Book of Mormon. Both friend and foe declared Joseph unlearned and devoid of the ability to write the Book of Mormon. Earnest seekers of truth and the knowledge of God acknowledge the Book of Mormon as a divine witness of Jesus Christ.

Few books on the origin of American Indians were available in 1830 (James Adair, 1765; A View of the Hebrews, Ethan Smith, 1823; The Star of the West, Elias Boudinot, 1816). There is little evidence that Joseph Smith had access to these books because any information available would have related to American Indians in the United States east of the Mississippi. Information dealing with Mexico and Central America would have still been hidden in Spanish libraries.

This article discusses how since the Book of Mormon was first published it “has withstood a century of attempts to prove it man-made.” The author gives examples of different attempts and shows how each has failed.

As an individual reads the Book of Mormon, he or she should consider the spiritual nature of the book, the “culture of the people described” within its pages, and the manner in which it stands as a second witness, with the Bible, of Jesus Christ.

This collection contains nine articles. Topics include: the appearance of Christ in America, revelations of Book of Mormon prophets that relate to Christ, the Book of Mormon in the early history of the Church, evidence that the Book of Mormon is divine, and the book’s infiuence on converts.

Examines the title page of the Book of Mormon in view of other Hebrew writings. Discusses what the Book of Mormon tells of Christ.

Discusses the publication and printing process of the Book of Mormon, the present location of the original manuscript of the book, and the statement of the Three Witnesses regarding the authenticity of the Book of Mormon.

Typescript copies of two early upstate New York newspapers that provide comments about the Book of Mormon. Includes Obadiah Dogberry’s well-known satire, The Book of Pukei.

An announcement that “all source material pertaining to the introduction and translation of the Book of Mormon is to be made available to members of the Church”

An essay that claims that the Book of Mormon was meant for the current age.

The Book of Mormon is a literal translation of an ancient record, not the product of Joseph Smith as Alexander Campbell claimed. Through the spirit individuals may gain testimony of its divine origin. Included are personal testimonies of the Book of Mormon converts Wilford Woodruff and Parley P. Pratt.

This article quotes Joseph Smith, Oliver Cowdery, and other contemporary accounts to show how and where Joseph obtained the plates. It also quotes Emma Smith and the Three Witnesses to explain that the Book of Mormon was translated with divine aid and with the use of the Urim and Thummim.

Presents evidence that Martin Harris “mortgaged his farm for $3,000 to pay for the printing of the first edition” of the Book of Mormon.

BYU accepts the copyrights of Kirkham’s two new books, A New Witness for Christ in America. Kirkham describes his motives behind writing the books and his experience of publishing the work. He also discusses the coming forth of the Book of Mormon to the world.

An acceptance of the Book of Mormon as a revelation from God is a prerequisite to finding the true value of the book. Passages selected from the Book of Mormon that show that Nephite prophets knew of Jesus Christ, his earthly mission, Atonement, and gospel before his birth in Jerusalem.

Rehearses the coming forth of the Book of Mormon, as told by Joseph Smith, the mother of Joseph Smith, and others. Also included are statements by those who reject the divine nature of the Book of Mormon. This slender volume is the forerunner of the author’s A New Witness for Christ in America.

Three-page essay that encourages readers of the Book of Mormon to study the volume in such a way that they will receive a testimony.

The actual translation of the Book of Mormon took place in just under ninety days, though Joseph Smith had the plates from September 22, 1827, to July 1, 1829. The printing contract was made August 25, 1829. The author’s research of 700 items regarding the origin of the Book of Mormon found in the New York City Library confirmed his testimony. A newspaper article is included from the Wayne Sentinel about Martin Harris mortgaging his farm and a quote from Mormonism Unvailed stating that there are affidavits from 60 persons to prove Joseph’s inability to write the book.

Discusses the purpose and coming forth of the Book of Mormon, presents personal testimony regarding the truthfulness of the book, and speaks about how it helps humanity in their “search for happiness”

The Book of Mormon came forth in the midst of an unbelieving world that by faith and diligent study, mankind could come to know Jesus Christ by revelation. If the book had been a fraud, mistakes would have occurred on every page because of the complexity of the book.

When the Book of Mormon was published, a local newspaper called it “The greatest piece of superstition that has come to our attention” Orson Pratt observed that the book was either true or “one of the most cunning, wicked, bold, deep-laid impositions ever palmed off upon the world” By 1937, the book was translated into sixteen languages and selling 50,000 copies a year. This should be adequate evidence of the divine nature of the book.

This article is an examination of the people and dates involved in translating the Book of Mormon. Very little of the translation occurred between the time Martin Harris lost the 116 pages of the Book of Lehi and Oliver Cowdery began serving as scribe on April 7, 1829. The author also provides information regarding the hand-written manuscripts of the Book of Mormon.

Today I would like to talk about the war we are waging to defend our homes. Our social fabric has been attacked around the edges, and now it is moving to the center—our homes! I’ll use Moroni’s strategies of preparing places of security to suggest ways to protect our homes and renew our powers today.

Letters responding to C. L. Sainsbury’s letter (July/August issue) seeking inclusion of Nephite history on an international timeline. Contributors contend that no archaeological evidence exists for the Book of Mormon, point out the book’s similarity to the Bible, and enclose the Smithsonian Institution’s statement concerning the Book of Mormon.

A collection of faith-promoting documents. Includes information about the Three Witnesses and a list of ingredients needed to write something as demanding as the Book of Mormon.

During 1921 and 1922 B. H. Roberts wrote three papers that listed parallels between the Book of Mormon and the second edition (1825) of Ethan Smith’s View of the Hebrews and constructed the possible argument that the Book of Mormon relied upon the latter. Welch responds to that claim by listing over eighty discrepancies between the two works, and Palmer and Knecht rebut Roberts’s theory by using statistics to show that the passages of Isaiah quoted in both works do not lead to conclusions of plagiarism.

Because the Book of Mormon records the history of a people with roots in the Old Testament, their slavery laws and practices should exhibit some similarity to biblical slavery. This paper presents a preliminary examination of slavery in the Book of Mormon, gathering evidence that the Nephites may have had extensive knowledge of biblical slavery laws. After discussing the possible sources of this knowledge, this paper examines specific passages that suggest that Book of Mormon societies were familiar with biblical slavery laws.

The Book of Mormon’s publishing history from the first edition in English in 1830 to the present day is outlined including the dates of the different language translations of the Book of Mormon.

Lists all proper Book of Mormon names, with a pronunciation guide, a historical precis, dates, and scriptural references.

A revision of the author’s Dictionary of All Proper Names in the Book of Mormon. The author describes the revision as a definitive “historical, biographical, gazetteerical and chronological” work.

This article gives brief histories of the Book of Mormon and the Hill Cumorah pageant. It includes appraisals from Eastern newspapers of the pageant.

Book of Mormon archaeology presents many problems: the location of Book of Mormon lands is unknown; many researchers are not qualified and have made serious mistakes; some use writings that support LDS theology and ignore unsupportive writings. There is a need to test theories carefully and slowly create a basis of tested and proven evidence to support the Book of Mormon.

Book review.

A word study and commentary on the Book of Mormon, with maps and pictures. Defines words such as knowledge, prophecy, and understanding

There are several names in the Book of Mormon—such as Zenephi, Zenos, and Zenock—that look as though they are composed of scriptural names (Nephi, Enos, Enoch, and so forth) with different forms of a z-prefix that might mean “son of ” or “descendant of.” This article proposes that the names Zenephi Zenos, Zenock, and Cezoram incorporate the names of other Book of Mormon or biblical individuals and the Egyptian pin-tail duck hieroglyph, represented by the morpheme se-/ze-, which denotes filiation with these ancestors. If this hypothesis is accurate, it could provide insight into some aspects of the structure of the language of the Book of Mormon and could also reveal information about Book of Mormon naming practices and genealogical lineages of the people who received these names.

This article discusses the Hopi Indians and their connection with the Book of Mormon and includes an interpreted version of the Hopi Indian story as told by their chief in Salt Lake City.

The Book of Mormon is a religious text which, like the Bible, may be subjected to various methods of analysis. This thesis discusses whether literary methods of analysis are applicable to a sacred text, and suggests rules which should govern such a method of analysis. Following these rules, the thesis provides an analysis of specific themes particular to the Book of Mormon and suggests how they are integral to the structure of the text. Then it relates the linguistic problems which the authors encountered in their transcription and translation labours, and considers the writers’ self-conscious compositional efforts in relation to the moral message which the book proclaims. Two anomalies--large sections from the Book of Isaiah and progressively intrusive editorializing--are then examined in terms of their incorporation into the thematic and structural integrity of the text. Finally, consideration is given to the hermeneutical problem the contemporary reader encounters in reading and comprehending an ancient text. The thesis demonstrates that there is a closely integrated relationship between the form and the content of the text, and argues that the authors’ achievement of their purpose--to preach a message to a distant, future audience--can be considered a sophisticated linguistic and literary accomplishment.

Modern-day encounters with the Three Nephites (described in the Book of Mormon) are commonly referenced in LDS culture. While such accounts could stand as confirmations of Latter-day Saint scripture, they are regularly described as irrelevant to questions of salvation and exaltation and are relegated to the inessential realm of folklore. Closer anthropological analysis of LDS discourse surrounding the Three Nephites—from humor and its role in figuring Mormon sacredness to connections to Mormon narratives of Christ’s resurrection and millennial expectation—suggests that these accounts are richly significant, that things that seem to matter little can convey a great deal about the Mormon experience of the sacred.

A polemical tract against the Book of Mormon. The writer attempts to portray the Book of Mormon as “another gospel” (Galations 1:8) that is opposed to the gospel of Christ.

When we think of the doctrine of Zion as taught in the Book of Mormon, our minds often turn to 4 Nephi. The book describes in a few verses a society organized around the principles taught by the Savior to a righteous remnant of Nephites and Lamanites at the temple in Bountiful. Some important characteristics of this community of Christians were faith, family, hope, peace, security, and happiness. Indeed, Mormon powerfully asserts that “there could not be a happier people among all the people who had been created by the hand of God”. Imagine that! They were happier than the citizens of the city of Enoch, happier than Mechizedek’s city of Salem. This Book of Mormon Zion had been foretold from the time Lehi and his family left Jerusalem. In preparation for that great day, crucial principles about Zion were regularly taught by prophets like King Benjamin and Alma the Elder. But the Book of Mormon was written for our day to assist us in preparing for the building of our Zion. And so the Book of Mormon calls us to come unto Christ and take upon His name by building Zion, which is founded on the principles of equality, unity, covenants, and priesthood organization.

Review of Jonathan Neville, Infinite Goodness: Joseph Smith, Jonathan Edwards, and the Book of Mormon. Salt Lake City: Digital Legends Press, 2021. 339 pages. $22.99 (paperback).
Abstract: This is the second of two papers reviewing Jonathan Neville’s latest books on the translation of the Book of Mormon. In Infinite Goodness, Neville claims that Joseph Smith’s vocabulary and translation of the Book of Mormon were deeply influenced by the famous Protestant minister Jonathan Edwards. Neville cites various words or ideas that he believes originate with Edwards as the original source for the Book of Mormon’s language. However, most of Neville’s findings regarding Edwards and other non-biblical sources are superficial and weak, and many of his findings have a more plausible common source: the language used by the King James Bible. Neville attempts to make Joseph a literary prodigy, able to read and reformulate eight volumes of Edwards’s sermons — with enough genius to do so, but not enough genius to learn the words without Edwards’s help. This scenario contradicts the historical record, and Neville uses sources disingenuously to impose his idiosyncratic and wholly modern worldview onto Joseph Smith and his contemporaries.

Among the more puzzling passages in the Book of Mormon is 2 Nephi 19:1. It is a modification of Isaiah 9:1 as contained in the King James Bible. The modifications made specifically in 2 Nephi 19:1 have long been puzzling for textual critics and other students of the Book of Mormon and a point of attack among critics of Joseph Smith. Several solutions have been proposed for the questions that have arisen, but each is found wanting given various considerations regarding the historical context of both Isaiah and Nephi’s writing and the correlative correct translation of Isaiah 9:1. Any solution to “the Red Sea problem” in 2 Nephi 19:1 must account for all data presented in Isaiah 9:1 and 2 Nephi 19:1. This paper proposes a new solution that accounts for all the data.

Review of Jonathan Neville, A Man That Can Translate: Joseph Smith and the Nephite Interpreters. Salt Lake City: Digital Legends Press, 2020. 385 pages. $22.99 (paperback).
Abstract: This is the first of two papers that explore Jonathan Neville’s two latest books regarding the translation of the Book of Mormon. Neville has long argued that Joseph Smith did not use a seer stone during the translation of the Book of Mormon, and he has more recently expanded his historical revisionism to dismiss the multitude of historical sources that include the use of a seer stone. Neville’s “Demonstration Hypothesis” is explored in A Man That Can Translate, arguing that Joseph recited a memorized text from Isaiah rather than translate Isaiah from the Book of Mormon record. This hypothesis, meant to redefine how Joseph Smith used a seer stone during the translation of the Book of Mormon, however, fails to deal with the historical record seriously or faithfully. Neville, in a purported effort to save Joseph Smith’s character, ironically describes Joseph as a liar, reinvigorating old anti-Latter-day Saint claims that Joseph simply recited a memorized text, even to the point that Neville defends hostile sources while targeting Church-published histories and publications. He further attacks the witnesses of the translation in an effort to discredit their testimonies regarding the seer stone, and repeatedly misrepresents these sources. Coming from a Latter-day Saint, such claims are troubling and demand a response.

Book review.

A collection of stories and testimonials from individuals who have claimed to have experienced encounters with the Three Nephites.

A response to Robert McKay’s August-September 1985 Utah Evangel

I invite each of you to “step up with me.” Let us “walk together” in service to this great university and the students it produces.

A study of the proper names extant in the Book of Mormon. Author notes that over 140 biblical names occur in the Book of Mormon, while over 188 Book of Mormon names are nonbiblical. After a technical analysis the writer suggests that efforts “should be directed towards linking up the non-biblical names with names found in post-biblical literature, Talmudic materials, other Semitic languages; and particularly, in materials about South American and North American proto-languages”

Book review.

“In this essay I examine one possible problem in current LDS interpretations of the Book of Mormon. In the context of today’s much-publicized population explosion and from the perspective of an era accustomed to miracles in medicine, technology, nutrition, and transportation, I believe we have overlooked a fundamental difficulty in Book of Mormon population sizes. Assuming that Book of Mormon people were like us, we have accepted that the multitudes of Nephites and Lamanites reported in Mormon scripture sprang from two small bands of Palestinian emigrants, since they had hundreds of years in which to “multiply exceedingly.” However, an understanding of historical demography may challenge this traditional interpretation.” [From Author]

Review of Moroni's Promise: The Converting Power of the Book of Mormon (1995), by Glenn L. Pearson