Book of Mormon Bibliography
Alphabetical by Title

Brigham Henry Roberts, a Book of Mormon scholar in the early twentieth century, was a pioneer in his field. He conducted research regarding the culture and the geography of the Book of Mormon peoples in an attempt to determine the setting of the Book of Mormon. His extensive work in this area has significantly influenced the progress of Book of Mormon research. Roberts also enthusiastically defended the book when others criticized it. He was able to do so effectively because of his study of and familiarity with the Book of Mormon. Roberts did, however, have a few limitations, the most detrimental being his unfounded assumption that “the narrow neck of land” in the Book of Mormon is the Isthmus of Panama. Yet, Roberts’s pioneering efforts remain today a crucial catalyst to modern analytical studies of the Book of Mormon.

In this article Madsen introduces B. H. Roberts and presents a synopsis of his rigorous life-time study of the Book of Mormon. Roberts approached the Book of Mormon from many different perspectives, all adding to his conviction that it was authentic scripture. The article explores these perspectives and suggests that B. H. Roberts\'s five- decade probing of the book was “shrewd,” “ground-breaking,” and faith-promoting. Through Roberts the modern reader can come to understand the kind of challenge the Book of Mormon poses for an honest inquirer and how one can try to deal with that challenge.

“Brigham Henry Roberts developed the primary apologetic arguments used to define the antiquity of the Book of Mormon, a book most Latter-day Saints believe narrates the story of the ancestors of the American Indian. While speaking to the Church as a general authority, Roberts addressed the book as an ancient record; privately, however, he voiced doubts. In the last twelve years of his life, he encountered questions about Book of Mormon language, archeology, and geography that he could not answer. As he reexamined his earlier writings on the subject, he turned to his colleagues with two critical treatises that asked whether the prophet had created a ’wonder tale’ which, ’I sorrowfully submit, points to Joseph Smith’ as its author. He expressed his public faith and private doubts to the end of his life.” [From author’s introduction]

Reproduction of parts of B. H. Roberts’s 1922 typescript work “A Book of Mormon Study” It is heavily edited to focus on Roberts’s questions and concerns about the Book of Mormon, not his answers nor his testimony.

Uses B. H. Roberts’s “Studies of the Book of Mormon” and other of his writings as evidence that Roberts in his later years believed the Book of Mormon to be a product of Joseph Smith’s “fertile imagination” and Ethan Smith’s book View of the Hebrews.

Originally published in the Improvement Era as a two-part series.
A look into Babylonian folklore and ritual, written as a story about three students and their professor; also a comparison of Babylonian folklore and Jaredite records, also comparing ritualistic elements and less religious aspects of both records.

Later published with the second part as a chapter in Lehi in the Desert; The World of the Jaredites; There Were Jaredites, Collected Works of Hugh Nibley vol. 5.
A look into Babylonian folklore and ritual, written as a story about three students and their professor.

Later published with the first part as a chapter in Lehi in the Desert; The World of the Jaredites; There Were Jaredites, Collected Works of Hugh Nibley vol. 5.
A comparison of Babylonian folklore and Jaredite records, also comparing ritualistic elements and less religious aspects of both records.

Offering a simple analogy to motivate individuals to read the Book of Mormon, the author compares piano practice to scripture study. “Just as I have to learn new piano techniques, I must review the Book of Mormon and learn eternal techniques”

A statement from the Tiffany Monthly says that the gold plates were found using a “stone” dug from the well of Mason Chase. Another report states that none of the witnesses ever saw the plates. David Whitmer denied having seen an angel and the plates. Joseph never revealed the method of translation, but D&C 9 gives the real story, when all believed it was appearing word for word on the stone in the hat.

Abstract: This study describes ten types of grammatical usage found in early modern Bibles with correlates in the original text of the Book of Mormon. In some cases Joseph Smith’s own language could have produced the matching grammar, but in other cases his own linguistic preferences were unlikely to have produced the patterns or usage found in the original text. Comparative linguistic research indicates that this grammatical correspondence shouldn’t be a surprise, since plenty of Book of Mormon syntax matches structures and patterns found in Early Modern English.

Members of the Baha’i faith do not believe that Joseph Smith was a prophet nor do they consider the Book of Mormon divinely inspired scripture. In spite of the book’s inadequacies, it is acknowledged as a book illed with “powerful, eternal, spiritual meaning that is capable of changing and guiding the lives of men”

In April 2013 Jeremy T. Runnells published a PDF booklet entitled, “Letter to a CES Director.” This booklet, which is now typically referred to as the “CES Letter,” catalogs Runnells’ concerns and reason why he left the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (Mormons). Runnells has worked hard to make his booklet available to people everywhere (and in several languages) and has, unfortunately, been the agent for leading at least a few other believers out of Mormonism. Sadly, most of those who have been bamboozled by the “CES Letter” are Latter-day Saints who were blind-sided by scholarly-sounding interpretations of challenging data. In my opinion, however, the “CES Letter” creates a caricature of Mormonism. The arguments are fundamentally flawed and do not accurately represent either Mormonism or the only logical interpretations of the data. Unfortunately, the reason the “CES Letter” has enjoyed any success is that most Latter-day Saints have never been exposed to some of the more complex matters in early Mormon history. On average, the typical Latter-day Saint has never needed to think outside of the box on Mormon-related philosophical, historical, or scholarly issues. “Bamboozled by the ‘CES Letter’” explains why these controversial issues need not kill a testimony. Interpretation matters. Many lay members, as well as educated Mormon scholars, are fully aware of every topic discussed in the “CES Letter” but continue strong in their faith because they recognize that there are logical interpretations which can be integrated with their belief in Mormonism. There are answers to the concerns raised by the “CES Letter,” and those answers can be supported by current scholarship as well as harmonized with the acceptance of Mormon truth claims.

In a letter to his son Moroni, Mormon warns against the practice of baptizing little children. He identifies two false assumptions of his day used to justify infant baptism: little children are born with sin (see Moroni 8:8) and will suffer divine punishment in hell if they die without having been baptized (see Moroni 8:13). While the exact nature of this aberrant practice is unknown, it was apparently common enough among the Nephites of Mormon’s day to warrant swift and unequivocal prophetic censure. Mormon describes the rite as particularly wicked and erroneous in light of the gospel of Jesus Christ.

To bring individuals into unity with God through baptism was the message of the Savior to the Nephites at the time of his visit.

Abstract: This paper looks at the Book of Mormon through the lens of library science and the concept of archival provenance. The Nephites cared deeply about their records, and Mormon documented a thorough chain of custody for the plates he edited. However, ideas of archival science and provenance are recent developments in the western world, unknown to biblical authors or to anyone at Joseph Smith’s time. Understanding this aspect of Mormon’s authorship and Joseph Smith’s translation provides additional evidence to the historical validity of the Book of Mormon.

Abstract: Comments made by Philip Barlow on Book of Mormon language for an Oxford-published book are examined. Inaccuracies are pointed out, and some examples are given that show matching with 1611 King James usage as well as with other earlier usage. One important conclusion that can be drawn from this study is that those who wish to critique the English language of the Book of Mormon need to take the subject more seriously and approach it with genuine scholarship, instead of repeating earlier errors. This has a direct bearing on forming accurate views of Joseph Smith and Book of Mormon translation.
There are some errors which is easilier persuaded unto than to some truths.
Henry, Earl of Monmouth (translator)
.

Anti-Mormon criticisms of the Book of Mormon are frequently based on a questionable set of assumptions concerning the nature of historical and archaeological evidence, the role of governing presuppositions, and the nature of historical proof. Using arguments found in a recent anti-Mormon critique by Luke Wilson as a foundation, this article analyzes difficulties of reconstructing ancient geographies, problems with the discontinuity of Mesoamerican toponyms, the historical development of the idea of a limited geography model, and challenges of textual and artifactual interpretation when trying to relate the Book of Mormon to archaeological remains.

A story of how a young man organized a basketball tournament and delivered copies of the Book of Mormon to a number of participants, thus effectively doing missionary work.

Review of Latter-day Commentary on the Book of Mormon: Insights from Prophets, Church Leaders, and Scholars (1999), by K. Douglas Bassett

Whether full-time missionaries or members, we should all be good examples of the believers in Jesus Christ.

President David O. McKay was intimately involved with the planning and construction of this largest temple that the Church had ever built. Its operation reflects some of the challenges the Church faced in the changing cultural climate of Southern California. This volume is a comprehensive history of the Los Angeles Temple. The text is illustrated with more than a hundred photographs of the construction, groundbreaking, installation of the angel Moroni, and cornerstone ceremony—many of which have not been previously published. This book is also enhanced with beautiful illustrations using modern artwork and photographs. Among the more notable artwork is the exquisite cover painting of the Los Angeles Temple by Kendall Davenport titled “A More Excellent Hope” (see more of Kendall’s artwork online at www.kendalldavenport.com ). ISBN 978-1-9443-9435-6

Review of Fair Gods and Feathered Serpents; A Search for the Early Americas' Bearded White God (1997), by T. J. O'Brien

This article discusses the Chinese account of their first settlement in China and relates their experiences with the migration of the Jaredites from the Tower of Babel to the great sea.

Writes concerning three California researchers who claim to have discovered new evidence that Joseph Smith used the Spaulding manuscript to write the Book of Mormon. Presents “three compelling evidences [that] negate” their theory.

The Book of Mormon provides many good examples to Latter-day Saint writers of how to magnify their work. By following the patterns of the Book of Mormon, writers can understand what to emphasize and how to include the Spirit in their writing.

Review of Royal Skousen, Robin Scott Jensen, eds., The Joseph Smith Papers: Revelations and Translations Volume 3, Part 1: Printer’s Manuscript of the Book of Mormon 1 Nephi–Alma 35 (Salt Lake City: The Church Historian’s Press, 2015). pp 575. $89.99.
Abstract: All of the volumes in the Joseph Smith Papers series are beautifully presented, with important photographic and excellent typographic versions of the texts. This volume continues by providing this treatment for the Printer’s Manuscript of the Book of Mormon.

Contains a map, restoration drawing, cross section and artist’s reconstruction of the walls of Becan. This city, located in Guatemala, is perhaps one of the cities fortified by general Moroni as it has trenches dug outside the walls that correspond to the information found in the book of Alma.

I invite all who hear me today to read the Book of Mormon and to apply the promise it contains. Those who do will know that the book is true.

Each year during Christmastime, neighborhoods are illuminated by hundreds of little lights, filling all with a sense of wonder. These decorations awaken within us a sense of joy and hope as we remember the lights—a new star and glorious angels (Matthew 2:2; Luke 2:9–14)—which illuminated the night that first Christmas in Judea some 2000 years ago. But we should not forget the lights that shone upon the Nephites that first Christmas. They also saw the new star (3 Nephi 1:21) as well as an entire night without any darkness (3 Nephi 1:15, 19). For the believing Nephites, that light was lifesaving—because there was no darkness, their lives were spared. Since that night, vast numbers of disciples of Christ have been filled with the Savior’s light. However, the Book of Mormon’s testimony of the birth of Christ does not begin on that night. Samuel the Lamanite prophesied of those signs five years earlier (Helaman 14:2–8), and various Book of Mormon prophets going back to Lehi had spoken in great anticipation of coming birth of Christ. At Book of Mormon Central, we have discussed several of these prophecies in our KnoWhys over the past few years. As a special thank you to our readers, viewers, and friends, we have collected those KnoWhys here, and present them togEther under the heading: Because There Was No Darkness: The Birth of Christ, a Book of Mormon Perspective. May there be no darkness for you this Christmas season, and may the light and life of Christ fill your hearts this Christmas season, and always. Merry Christmas, Book of Mormon Central

Leather-bound copies of the first edition of the 586-page Book of Mormon were published and sold beginning March 26, 1830. Before there was a prophet, there was a translator-legally the “author and proprietor” of the Book. The title page told of the plates written “by the spirit of Prophecy and Revelation’’ from which the Book originated. Before the publication was complete, Joseph Smith had encouraged Oliver Cowdery that “a great call for our books” had already commenced. The Book emerged before there was any church to join. The rest would come later; initially individuals decided how they would respond to this “Golden Bible.” Was it counterfeit or divine? Was it the “greatest piece of superstition’’ or a “revelation from God”? What would it be to them?

Abstract: Royal and divine sonship/daughterhood (bānîm = “children”/“sons,” bānôt = “daughters”) is a prevalent theme throughout the Book of Mosiah. “Understanding” (Hebrew noun, bînâ or tĕbûnâ; verb, bîn) is also a key theme in that book. The initial juxtaposition of “sons” and “understanding” with the name “Benjamin” (binyāmîn, “son of the right hand”) in Mosiah 1:2–7 suggests the narrator’s association of the underlying terms with the name Benjamin likely on the basis of homophony. King Benjamin repeatedly invokes “understand” in his speech (forms of “understand” were derived from the root *byn in Hebrew; Mosiah 2:9, 40; 4:4; cf. 3:15) — a speech that culminates in a rhetorical wordplay on his own name in terms of “sons”/“children,” “daughters,” and “right hand” (Mosiah 5:7, 9). “Understand,” moreover, recurs as a paronomasia on the name Benjamin at key points later in the Book of Mosiah (Mosiah 8:3, 20; 26:1–3), which bring together the themes of sonship and/or “understanding” (or lack of thereof) with King Benjamin’s name. Later statements in the Book of Mosiah about “becoming” the “children of God” or “becoming his sons and daughters” (Mosiah 18:22; 27:25) through divine rebirth allude to King Benjamin’s sermon and the wordplay on “Benjamin” there. Taken as a literary whole, the book of Mosiah constitutes a treatise on “becoming” — i.e., divine transformation through Christ’s atonement (cf. Mosiah 3:18–19). Mormon’s statement in Alma 17:2 about the sons of Mosiah having become “men of a sound understanding” thus serves as a fitting epilogue to a narrative arc begun as early as Mosiah 1:2.

Royal sonship is a key theme of Mosiah 1–6, including King Benjamin’s seminal address at the temple in Zarahemla (Mosiah 2–5) on the occasion of his son Mosiah’s enthronement. Benjamin, however, caps this covenant sermon, not with an assertion of his son’s royal status and privileges, but with a radical declaration of his people’s royal rebirth (or adoption) as “ the children of Christ, his sons and his daughters” (Mosiah 5:7) and their potential enthronement at God’s “ right hand” (5:9). Similar to rhetorical wordplay involving proper names found in the Bible, the Book of Mormon, and other ancient texts, Benjamin’s juxtaposition of “sons”/“daughters” and the “right hand” constitutes a deliberate wordplay on his own name, traditionally taken to mean “son of the right hand.” The name of Christ, rather than Benjamin’s own name, is given to all his people as a new name—a “throne” name. However, he warns them against refusing to take upon them this throne name and thus being found “on the left hand of God” (5:10), a warning that also constitutes an allusion to his name. Benjamin’s ultimate hope is for his people’s royal, divine sonship/daughterhood to be eternally “sealed.”

In a work designed for youth the author looks at several theories regarding who first discovered America. Considers Columbus, Huishen, St. Brendan, Leif Ericsson, John Cabot, Norsemen, the Nephites—but does not provide a conclusion.

Critics of the Book of Mormon often cite genetic evidence in their attacks on the historicity of the text, saying that the lack of any Near Eastern–American Indian DNA links conclusively proves that no emigration ever occurred from the Near East to the Americas. Their simplistic approach—that the Book of Mormon purports to be a history of the entire American Indian race—is not supported by archaeological or Book of Mormon evidence. The authors pose and respond to questions about the geographical scene, the spread of Book of Mormon peoples, Latter-day Saint traditions about the scenes and peoples of the Book of Mormon, the terms Nephites and Lamanites, the possible presence of others in the land, ocean travel, Mesoamerican native traditions, languages of the Western Hemisphere, Old World peoples coming to the Americas, archaeological evidence, and ethnically distinct populations in ancient American art. These questions set out the social, cultural, and geographical contexts that are necessary for geneticists to understand before reaching major conclusions.

A defense that “Mormons are Bible-believing Christians” that explores Joseph Smith’s background, the influence of the Bible in his culture, and his production of additional scripture to reinforce the Bible. Through the use of Book of Mormon passages, it is shown that biblical language and passages are woven into new interpretations and expansions of traditional biblical thought unknown in Joseph’s day.

Relates Indian ruins (four photographs supplied) to the proposition that there were great civilizations in pre-Columbian America.

The following is part 1 of a two-part series of articles written by S. Kent Brown, executive producer of Messiah: Behold the Lamb of God. During production he was director of the Laura F. Willes Center for Book of Mormon Studies and FARMS at the Maxwell Institute. Messiah: Behold the Lamb of God, a documentary produced by the Neal A. Maxwell Institute for Religious Scholarship, the College of Religious Education, and BYU Broadcasting, received a sneak preview at BYU’s Education Week in August. For the first time ever, teachings of the restoration, sound academic views from faithful Latter-day Saint scholars, and state-of- the-art documentary production have been combined to produce this seven-part series on Jesus Christ, the Messiah. BYUTV will air the documentary beginning on January 10, 2010, and copies will be available for purchase in the spring.

Gives a report on the attempt of Howard Davis, Warren Cowdrey, and Donald Scales to validate the Spaulding theory by soliciting the services of handwriting experts.

The 2007 BYU Easter Conference Followers of Jesus Christ since the beginning have referred to their Savior as the Lamb of God. While down by the River Jordan, John the Baptist was baptizing those who desired to follow the Savior. When the Savior approached the Baptist, John declared, “Behold the Lamb of God, which taketh away the sin of the world” (John 1:29). After John baptized Jesus, he bore record “that he had baptized the Lamb of God” (1 Nephi 10:10). The next day, when John and two of his disciples saw Jesus, the Baptist again proclaimed, “Behold the Lamb of God!” (John 1:36). Three years later the Savior brought his Twelve Apostles to Jerusalem to celebrate the Passover. As Jews from all over the Roman Empire made pilgrimage to Herod’s Temple, firstborn male lambs without blemish were offered up as sacrifice, commemorating that God had physically delivered his people from their bondage to Pharaoh. During that same Passover, Jesus, the firstborn spirit son of God and the only mortal to live a perfect life, prepared himself to be offered up as a sacrifice in order to spiritually deliver God’s children from their bondage to Satan. This volume celebrates the life and sacrifice of the Lamb of God. ISBN 978-0-8425-2693-7

Shows the correlation between the Book of Mormon identification of Christ as the “Word of Truth” (Alma 18:12, RLDS versification) and the Hebrew term for truth (’emeth).

Abstract: This article examines Mormon’s comparison of Moroni, the Nephite military leader, to Ammon, the son of Mosiah, in Alma 48:18 and how Mormon’s use and repetition of ʾmn-related terminology (“faithful,” “firm,” “faith,” “verily [surely]”) in Alma 48:7–17 lays a foundation for this comparison. Ammon’s name, phonologically and perhaps etymologically, suggests the meaning “faithful.” Mormon goes to extraordinary lengths in the Lamanite conversion narratives to show that Ammon is not only worthy of this name, but that his faithfulness is the catalyst for the transition of many Lamanites from unbelief to covenant faithfulness. Thus, in comparing Moroni directly to Ammon, Mormon makes a most emphatic statement regarding Moroni’s covenant faithfulness. Moreover, this comparison reveals his admiration for both men.

A fictionalized work about Moroni, the Nephite scholar and prophet who on several occasions met with Joseph Smith.

Despite its significance as the final book of the Christian Old Testament, the New Testament shows no explicit knowledge of the book of Malachi. In the case of the Book of Mormon this is true up until 3 Nephi 24 with the formal citation of Malachi by Jesus when he visits the Nephites at the temple in Bountiful. The fact that the Book of Mormon shows no direct knowledge of the text of Malachi until 3 Nephi 24 is intriguing because there are many quotations, allusions, and echoes throughout the text prior to this part of the book. This is interesting for many reasons. First, with this in mind, students of the Book of Mormon can study those places in the text where Malachi is used and analyze them through source-critical means to answer the following questions: (1) How does the Book of Mormon utilize a text from the Bible, in this case the book of Malachi? (2) How is the text similar and how is it different? (3) Are there any significant differences between the two? Second, the use of Malachi in the Book of Mormon is dependent solely on the King James Version of the Bible, which will be demonstrated below. This has implications for understanding how the Book of Mormon came to be written. Third, the sections where the Book of Mormon uses the text of Malachi can substantially help us obtain a better grasp of the composition date of those sections in the Book of Mormon. They provide evidence against a “tight control” translation theory, which has been offered by a number of scholars on the translation process of the Book of Mormon. [by author]

In 1 Nephi 1:1-2,we find a most significant chiasm which directs us to the importance of understanding the “Learning of the |ews.”

Four separate books accept the theory of diffusion from the Old World in explaining the origin of the pre-Columbian inhabitants of the Americas. The first two books are anthologies, the other two books were authored by scholars Cyrus Gordon and Thor Heyerdahl.

Abstract: In the Book of Mormon, many people received a remarkable spiritual outpouring following a declaration or demonstration of full belief in what they had already received or were about to receive. This paper examines nine examples of this that exhibit strong similarities in both language and substance. These examples demonstrate that the key to receiving a spiritual outpouring is to “believe all the words” of God that one has already received or is about to receive, after which great blessings will follow. However, such full belief must be thoughtful and inspired, not merely credulous. The findings of this paper provide another example of the rich narrative and doctrinal patterns in the Book of Mormon.

Abstract: In his well-known volume about the Book of Mormon, Grant Hardy focuses primarily on the book’s main narrators. However, he also makes a number of observations about other figures in the book that are of particular interest, including some about Captain Moroni. In addition to those I address elsewhere, these observations range from the assertion that Captain Moroni slaughtered his political opponents in one instance, to his claim that Moroni is not depicted as “particularly religious,” to his claim that Moroni had a “quick temper.” The question is: Are such observations supported in the text? Carefully examining this question both shows the answer to be “no” and allows a deeper look into Captain Moroni.

Polemic that denotes aspects of Mormon doctrine and practices a monstrous evil. The Book of Mormon is based on Manuscript Found, the Bible, and the birth story from the tales of the Monk Cyril and the Abbot Joachim. Martin Harris’s wife was able to destroy this so-called “revelation of God” The book contains mistakes such as the words of Shakespeare, swords made of steel, and horses.

This is a continuation of “Approaches to Studying the Book of Mormon” (Zarahemla Record 19-21). Studying chiasmus, charting scriptures, defining words and phrases, identifying types, pondering and topical study, are all suggested as methods for understanding the Book of Mormon. The author gives examples of each.

Encourages young people to study the Book of Mormon because it “helps in understanding Bible, solves problems of America’s past, helps understanding of conditions of times, and gives better appreciation for country”

A narrative about King Benjamin and his address at the temple (Mosiah 1-6).

Robert Millet begins by reviewing what we know of King Benjamin’s life prior to his great sermon and covers some of the highlights of what he taught. Millet explains what the name Jesus Christ means according to the Hebrew background, and delineates the importance of that name. He explains some of the benefits of the atonement, including that it covers those who have sinned in ignorance.

The life and character of Beowulf, the great hero of the epic age, parallels that of Nephi. Both were mighty in their deeds, both enjoyed great powers of strength and endurance, and both possessed various “manly skills” The Book of Mormon is “a work laden with promise for the literary analyst” More than a century has elapsed since the Book of Mormon has come forth and “literary scholarship” has all but ignored the literary aspects of this sacred text.

This high school student desired to know more about the Book of Mormon than anyone in his school, a pursuit that brought feelings of self worth and spiritual security.

This high school student desired to know more about the Book of Mormon than anyone in his school, a pursuit that brought feelings of self worth and spiritual security.

While not accepting the supernatural, Symes argues that the Book of Mormon is the best attested, or has the greatest evidences attached to it, of all Bibles (sacred books) in the world. Refers to Joseph Smith’s account of the first vision and of the gold plates, as well as the testimonies of the Three and Eight Witnesses.

An attempt to show through several arbitrary tests the identification of “power words,” “hidden meanings,” and “subliminal” messages the erroneous nature of the Book of Mormon. Unable to account for complexities such as chiasmus in the Book of Mormon, the author proposes a Satanic inspiration theory for its origin. Several unique interpretations of the meaning of certain Book of Mormon proper names are proposed. This work is reviewed in P.210.

An article in a magazine led Conley Smith to look for a copy of the Book of Mormon. He attributes his conversion to the “best missionaries”—Nephi through Moroni.

Published from November 1854 to December 1855, the St. Louis Luminary was started by Apostle Erastus Snow, the Latter-day Saint leader over the region. The newspaper maintained contact among the members, helped emigrating Saints stay focused on their ultimate destination in the West, and played a significant role in the national discussion of polygamy, which had been publicly announced in 1852. Snow’s goal was to produce a paper “devoted to the exposition of the favorable side of Mormonism,” something the “honest inquirer” had longed to read. The newspaper also consisted of a composite of exchanges from other periodicals, and a variety of local businesses—regardless of whether they were owned by Mormons—advertised in it. Furthermore, hundreds of names published in the columns yield a valuable genealogical database. Its forty-two missionary-agents traveled throughout most of the Midwest soliciting subscribers. I believe that this work will benefit readers and researchers alike by helping them explore another Mormon periodical from the mid-ninteenth century. Professor Black has again provided us with a powerful research tool that sheds light on a corner of history which has gone largely neglected. —Fred E. Woods, Professor, Church History and Doctrine, Brigham Young University and author of When the Saints Came Marching In: A History of the Latter-day Saints in St. Louis

After a wife hides her husband’s novels and mysteries, he has no alternative but to read the Book of Mormon, which leads to conversion.

A re-creation of Book of Mormon stories, with a concern for telling them rather than analyzing or criticizing them.

A former Mormon gives a personal account of how he came to lose faith in Mormonism and the Book of Mormon and eventually reject Mormonism altogether.

A follow-up to “Chinese Stone Anchors in the New World” (Zarahemla Record 15 [Winter 1981-1982]: 1-3) by the same author. Writes concerning the origin of stone anchors discovered off the coast of California. Discusses the implications that this discovery has on the Book of Mormon.

The vibrant fields of narratology and biblical narrative criticism provide common ground from which scholars who either accept or reject the historical reality of the Book of Mormon may speak to one another. To encourage research that may speak across divisions, this article provides a theoretical overview of some of the major areas within the narrative-critical approach (i.e., the intricacies and subtleties of setting, plot, narrative time, characters, point of view, narrators, and implied readers). The applied analysis of select Book of Mormon passages that accompany these overviews illustrates how borrowing from more established fields may expose new considerations, explain different aspects of the text, make familiar narratives fresh, and stimulate greater appreciation for its literary design.

Refutes scholarly claims that the Bible was written during the 7th century b.c. by examining the contents of the brass plates that Lehi took to the New World. Since the brass plates contained the Pentateuch, chronicles, and prophecies until the reign of Zedekiah, the Book of Mormon offers evidence that the Bible was written at an earlier date.

A polemical, evangelical booklet exposing the errors of Mormon scriptures and doctrine. Pages 15-35 deal speciically with the Book of Mormon. While archaeology has proven the accuracy of the Bible, no such evidence exists for the Book of Mormon. It mentions the use of steel and coins long before they were ever in use. Various other anachronisms are discussed. The proper names found in the book are taken from the Bible or are “the product of the writers own fertile imagination” The author favors the Spaulding theory of Book of Mormon origins.

An evangelical pamphlet opposing Mormon beliefs in respect to the Bible. The Bible is changeless, inerrant, and sufficient. God would not allow it to be corrupted as Mormons believe. Ezekiel 37:15-20 refers to the gathering of Israel, not the Book of Mormon. The Three Witnesses denied their testimonies and cannot be trusted.

The LDS church accepts both the Bible and the Book of Mormon to be the word of God. The Book of Mormon, however, has received a more correct translation than has the Bible.

Includes a very lengthy quote of the book, God’s Message to the Human Soul, by John Watson. The Bible’s main theme is the fellowship of man with God. The same can be said of the Book of Mormon. To show this the author quotes 1 Nephi 6:4-6 and Moroni 10:30-32.

Reasons that if God is indeed no respecter of persons, then it is logical that Christ would make himself known to nations other than the Jews. The descendants of Joseph in America were in every way qualified to have Christ minister to them. The Bible and the Book of Mormon are both witnesses of the same God. [A.L. & P.H.]

A polemical tract wherein the author writes concerning salvation by grace, the Bible as a closed canon of scripture, and the changes that have occurred in the Book of Mormon.

The Book of Mormon is superior to the Bible since the Book of Mormon is more simple and definite in its prophecies and doctrines. Nevertheless the Bible should be used as a companion record to the Book of Mormon despite its flaws and loss of plain truths.

A pamphlet comparing 1 Corinthians 15:25-32 with 2 Nephi 9:24, and Mosiah 15:8, 16:8 and 1 Nephi 11:26-27. Those who believe in genealogical temple work for the dead do not understand the scriptures.

Transcript of a panel discussion presented on television in St. John, New Brunswick, in which the author, president of the New England mission, faces three Protestant ministers. Aspects discussed concern the King James language of the Book of Mormon, archaeology, the divinity of Christ, the trinity, and continuous revelation.

The enigmatic relationship between the Book of Mormon and the Bible goes all the way back to one of its earliest reviewers, Restorationist Alexander Campbell, who noted inconsistencies between the two. Campbell addressed the Book of Mormon text’s conflation of the Old and New Covenants, differing on details such as Jesus’s birthplace and, in particular, how much the Book of Mormon’s pre-Christian peoples anticipated New Testament events. The Book of Mormon prophet Lehi, Campbell wrote, “developed the records of Matthew, Luke, and John, six hundred years before John the Baptist was born.” From the time of Campbell and into the present day, much of Book of Mormon scholarship has pivoted around this issue. How could a text that claims origins prior to the canonization of the New Testament interact so explicitly with the New Testament text? And what of the Old Testament content, in particular Isaiah, strewn throughout its pages? For many years, those who saw the Book of Mormon as purely the product of the mind of Joseph Smith interpreted these interactions as a sign of indirect influence at best and plagiarism at worst. In response, those who were willing to subscribe to divine origins developed several possible solutions, such as the ideas that Book of Mormon authors had access to “untainted” biblical manuscripts that have since disappeared; or that they had a level of prescience in writing. However, in recent years, this apologetic-or-critical sentiment of arguing why the Bible is present in the Book of Mormon has begun to wane in favor of further exploring how the Bible is present in the Book of Mormon. The intent of this literature review is to lay out the different scholarship trajectories related to the presence of the Bible in the Book of Mormon.

In this pamphlet the author argues that the Book of Mormon cannot be an ancient document because its contents do not agree with the results of modern biblical studies. The author’s point of view is informed by an evolutionary approach to Israelite religion. [A.L. & P.H.]

Shows parallels and commonalities between the Book of Mormon and the Bible. For example, both books were written by different men over a span of several centuries and both contain hymns or psalms.

Shows parallels and commonalities between the Book of Mormon and the Bible. For example, both books were written by different men over a span of several centuries and both contain hymns or psalms.

Review of The Bible II (1991). This book is in actuality the Book of Mormon with some differences.

A hundred years ago, the Book of Mormon was regarded by the scholarly world as an odd text that simply did not fit their understanding of the ancient world. Since that time, however, numerous ancient records have come to light, including the Dead Sea Scrolls and the Nag Hammadi texts. These discoveries have forced scholars to change their views of history, and they place the Book of Mormon in a new light as well. That is why respected Latter-day Saint scholar Hugh Nibley wrote Since Cumorah, a brilliant literary, theological, and historical evaluation of the Book of Mormon as an ancient book.

Pamphlet filled with pictures, archaeological evidence, legends, and traditions designed to persuade one to believe that the Book of Mormon fulfills biblical prophecies. The Book of Mormon is related to the “Popul Vuh”—the Mayan book of God.

Relates Ezekiel 17:22-24 to Mulek’s transplantation to America. A Mexican tradition of the arrival of an immigrant group by sea may also be related to Mulek.

Discusses the close similarities between the Sermon on the Mount in Matthew 5-7 and in 3 Nephi 12-14, and suggests that Joseph Smith used the available language of the New Testament to ease the burden of translating.

Joseph Smith taught that the Book of Mormon is a witness for the Bible. It testifies of Jesus Christ and His divinity, teaches a wide range of secular and religious topics, and identifies the enemies of Christ. The Book of Mormon is the most correct of any book on earth, the keystone of the LDS religion, and individuals will “get nearer to God by abiding by its precepts than by any other book”

A polemical work against Mormonism, where the author alleges that Protestant doctrines are contained in the Book of Mormon, such as monotheism, the trinity, and others. Other Book of Mormon problems dealt with include anthropological and archaeological difficulties, the Smithsonian statement, the Anthon denial, textual changes, King James English, plagiarism, problems with the testimonies of Book of Mormon witnesses, environmental influence, Hebrew origin of Indians, anachronisms, absurdities, and alleged doctrinal problems.

Part 1 of a series on the similarities and issues between religious texts.
An article highlighting the issues that arise when comparing documents.

Part 2 of a series on the similarities and issues between religious texts.
Beginning as a continuation of part 1 of the series, this article dives more into rituals and ceremonies done in ancient times, specifically by kings and rulers, that line up with Book of Mormon rituals and ceremonies.

Part 3 of a series on the similarities and issues between religious texts.
Dr. Nibley continues with the windows that the Book of Mormon opens on strange and forgotten customs and traditions that are just now being brought to light.

Part 4 of a series on the similarities and issues between religious texts.
As new documents are discovered, the comparative study of the Book of Mormon goes forward. We continue a brief glance at some of the more important scrolls that have not yet appeared in book form nor been translated into English

Part 5 of a series on the similarities and issues between religious texts.
The scholarly study of the Book of Mormon goes forward with the discovery of ancient documents. We continue a brief glance at some of these which have not yet appeared in book form nor been translated into English.

“In the half-century or so after 1880, most analysis of the Book of Mormon among members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints was in reaction in some way to the rise of modern academic methods of studying Christian scripture, many of which cast doubt on its traditional origins and its historical claims. As with many other American Christian faiths, most Latter-day Saint reactions were negative. Initially, Latter-day Saints believed the Book of Mormon to be a pristine and divine refutation of such techniques. Over time, however, it became evident that the Book of Mormon could indeed be subjected to these very methods, and Latter-day Saint writers reacted variously: while some became convinced that such criticism revealed the Book of Mormon to be shallow or ahistorical, others asserted that responsible academic study could validate its claims and even offer new means of interpretation for understanding its message.” [Author]

A list of 113 scriptures from the King James and Inspired Version of the Bible that are evidences for the Book of Mormon. Includes scriptures that mention archaeology related to the Book of Mormon.

Quotes exclusively from Dewey Farnsworth’s The Americas before Columbus and the scriptures (Genesis 49:22-26, John 10:16) to show that American Indians are descended form the House of Israel and were acquainted with biblical stories (e.g., House of Noah, Abraham, Jacob) prior to contact with Europeans.

An earlier version of this paper was presented at the 2015 annual Society of Biblical Literature meeting, November 23, 2015, in Atlanta, Georgia. 1. See Noel B. Reynolds, “The Gospel of Jesus Christ as Taught by the Nephite Prophets;’ BYU Studies 31/3 (1991): 31-50; and Noel B. Reynolds, “The Gospel according to Mormon;’ Scottish Journal of Theology 68/2 (2015): 218-34 doi:10.1017/ S003693061500006X. 2. Inclusio is a common technique used by biblical writers to mark off a text unit by repeating at the end of the unit a word or phrase or sentence used at the beginning. These three Book of Mormon passages are marked off with obvious inclusios featuring “the doctrine of Christ;’ “this is my doctrine;’ and “this is my gospel” respectively. While Nephi constructed the first, the second two are embedded in the material quoted from Jesus Christ. In “Chiastic Structuring of Large Texts: Second Nephi as a Case Study;’ publication pending, I demonstrate that 2 Nephi can be read as a series of thirteen inclusios arranged to provide a chiastic structure to the book that also communicates his principal thesis.

A historical study of the the translation and compiling the Book of Mormon and its contents there of.

A study to references relating to various subjects about the Book of Mormon (translation, literary developments, etc.) and where these publications are located in the Library of Congress.

A bibliography of works discussing Hebrew law in the Book of Mormon.

In answer to questions by historian Herbert Bancroft, Richards gave a brief overview of the Book of Mormon story and how it came forth. This account contains many quotes concerning the Book of Mormon from Joseph Smith, Orson Pratt, and others.

Argues with John Kunich over the article “Multiply Exceedingly: Book of Mormon Population Sizes” (Sunstone 14 [June 1990]: 27-44). Suggests that Kunich fails to deine the problem of population size, to control appropriately the statistics, and to understand Lamanite lifestyles.

President Benson calls on the members to read and teach the Book of Mormon. Elder Peterson urges the members to follow the examples of the prophets in the Book of Mormon.

Twelve selections and one full text of the Book of Mormon were translated during the year 1983. These include Mayan, Siuhala, Kekchi, Mam, Armenian, Turkish, Efik, China-P, Kisii, Demotiki, Hmong, Persian, and Haitian Creole. Contains a chart to show growth.

2nd edition, Plano, IL: RLDS Church, 1880. Deals with events in the lives of the author’s family members. She discusses her son Joseph and the coming forth of the Book of Mormon, and gives in detail historical facts about the origin and early days of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter- day Saints, including the events surrounding the translation of the Book of Mormon and the 116 pages of lost manuscript.

Contains an account of David Whitmer’s conversion, excommunication, and ownership of a Book of Mormon manuscript.

Harris claims that the references in the Book of Mormon, with regard to both the Jaredite and Lehite peoples, concerning the use of timber and cement are corroborated by studies published in a bulletin from the U.S.D.A. Similar claims are made of the fauna and flora in America.

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.

This satirical talk was read by Nibley perhaps as early as 1965.
“Bird Island” was a satirical lecture on some of the excesses and weaknesses of archaeology and theories of Book of Mormon geography. A version was submitted to a collection meant to be a bicentennial celebration of the Declaration of Independence. It was rejected by the editors.

Satirical lecture on some of the excesses and weaknesses of archaeology and theories of Book of Mormon geography.

Review of Written by the Finger of God: A Testimony of Joseph Smith's Translations (1993), by Joe Sampson.

When Carr traveled to the Middle East, he observed the local birds. In this article, he suggests the possibility that the Book of Mormon prophet Lehi and his family relied on birds for food and for locating water. Carr discusses the various birds that Lehi’s family may have seen on their journey and the Mosaic law pertaining to those birds.

A polemical work against Mormonism. The author discusses issues relating to the translation of the Book of Mormon, dismisses the testimonies of the Book of Mormon witnesses as unreliable. The Anthon denials are discussed, and the author alleges that the Book of Mormon has little value beyond what it plagiarizes from the Bible.

Sister Ella Adkins has donated 99 cases of the Book of Mormon to different missions in the world. Within each copy she placed her picture and a copy of her testimony.

This article shows that Bishop Spalding makes three unwarranted inferences in his pamphlet “Joseph Smith, Jr., As a Translator”—that the Book of Abraham is translated incorrectly, that the Book of Mormon cannot be authentic if the Book of Abraham is poorly translated, and that all Mormon belief should be discarded since the Book of Mormon is the basis of the religion.

Believes that the story about the Book of Mormon was intended to be a practical joke and that Joseph Smith realized there was money in perpetrating this hoax.

Review of Answering Mormon Scholars: A Response to Criticism of the Book “Coving Up the Black Hole in the Book of Mormon” (1994), by Jerald and Sandra Tanner.

In June of 1830, the first Latter-day Saint missionary Samuel Smith journeyed through the backcountry of western New York hoping to find parties interested in the recently published Book of Mormon. Advertising the volume as “a history of the origin of the Indians;’ he attempted to sell copies of the book his brother Joseph claimed to have translated from golden plates given to him by an angel. An etiological tale of the ancient inhabitants of the continent, the Book of Mormon described the emergence of two tribes: the righteous Nephites and wicked Lamanites. After the Lamanites’ rebellion against their relatives, the Book of Mormon recounted how God afflicted them for their iniquity. Whereas they were once “white, and exceedingly fair and delightsome;’ they became cursed with “a skin of blackness.” In the ensuing ethnic conflict, the black-skinned Lamanites ultimately triumphed over their “white” kin, overrunning and annihilating the Nephites to become the ancestors of modern-day Native Americans.

Review of To Mothers & Fathers from the Book of Mormon (1991), by Blaine Yorgason and Brenton Yorgason.

This compilation of groundbreaking Book of Mormon articles is selected from over fifty years of LDS scholarship published by BYU Studies. This volume features articles on various believers and nonbelievers, including William E. McLellan, Mark Twain, B. H. Roberts, and Minerva Teichert. Contents “William E. McLellan’s Testimony of the Book of Mormon” Larry C. Porter “‘The Testimony of Men’: William E. McLellin and the Book of Mormon Witnesses” Mitchell K. Schaefer “The Gentle Blasphemer: Mark Twain, Holy Scripture, and the Book of Mormon” Richard H. Cracroft “B. H. Roberts and the Book of Mormon” Truman G. Madsen “Minerva Teichert: Scriptorian and Artist” Marian Ashby Johnson “Minerva Teichert: A Passion for the Book of Mormon” John W. Welch and Doris R. Dant

Early, hysterical announcement of the publication of the Book of Mormon.

Discourse by Elder Orson Pratt, delivered in the Tabernacle, Salt Lake City, Feb. 19, 1871. Reported By: John Q. Cannon.

Now it is up to us to study the Book of Mormon and learn of its principles and apply them in our lives.

The Book of Mormon, published in New York in 1830, has been described and understood by many Mormons to be a “history of the American Indians.” It tells of a family who left Jerusalem around 600 BCE and migrated to a “Promised Land,” generally understood to be the American continents, and who became the progenitors of Indigenous American peoples. As a text produced by Euroamericans, the Book of Mormon can be situated as part of a larger colonial imaginary that envisions Native peoples as lost Israelites. However, many American Indian people have converted to Mormonism or have grown up in the Mormon faith. For many, the Book of Mormon narrative has become an integral part of their Indigenous identity and subjectivity. This dissertation is an ethnographic exploration and analysis of how the Book of Mormon informs the Indigenous subjectivities of Indigenous American Latter-day Saints (Mormons). It is based on fieldwork conducted in Catawba, Shoshone, and Confederated Blackfoot nations.

The birthplace and spiritual heart of Christian monasticism is the Nitrian Desert of Egypt and the long, shallow valley of Scetis (Wadi el-Natrun). It was to here, from the fourth century onwards, that Macarius the Great and other of the sainted desert fathers retreated from the world, devoting their lives to worship and prayer. While some monks chose to live in isolation as hermits, many others banded together to establish the first monasteries, building churches for worship and libraries for study.

Author testifies of the great influence of the Book of Mormon on his personal life by claiming “no other literature made me weep as this book has. Neither has there been any influence that has touched my soul and marked a marvelous change in me”

Ancient texts are too often approached using modern assumptions. Among those assumptions obstructing an understanding of ancient texts is the modern emphasis on originality and on writing as intellectual property. Ancient writers relished repetition—stories that were repeated in succeeding generations—over originality. The Bible is full of repeated or allusive stories, and the Book of Mormon often reinscribes this biblical emphasis on repetition. One such biblical reverberation in the Book of Mormon is Nephi’s ocean voyage, which evokes biblical stories of origination: creation, deluge, and exodus. These three stories of beginnings are carefully alluded to in Nephi’s own foundational story, exactly as we would expect to find in an ancient Hebraic text.

A geographical investigation of Book of Mormon lands. Author believes that the Book of Mormon civilization inhabited western South America spanning the countries of Columbia, Equador, Peru, and Chile. Thirty-three maps and several illustrations are included. This work is reviewed in S.516.

An announcement of portions of the Book of Mormon being available in three more languages—Lingala, Shona, and Urdu (languages spoken in Africa).

At the beginning of Alma 43:14, the original manuscript reads desenters, which Oliver Cowdery miscopied into the printer’s manuscript as desendants; in other words, he ended up replacing dissenters with descendants. This mistake (a visual error) was facilitated by the similar spelling Oliver used for both these words. Notice that earlier in this verse Oliver wrote dissented as desented in P (but which the 1830 typesetter respelled in P as dissented). Moreover, at the end of verse 13, Oliver spelled descendants as desendants in both manuscripts. The proximity of this last instance prompted the error at the beginning of verse 14.

An apologetic tract wherein the author produces two conversion stories and reasons why the Book of Mormon should be made a matter of prayer.

This is the second of eight weekly blog posts published in honor of the life and work of Hugh Nibley.
Hugh Nibley ironically called the Book of Mormon “the Book Nobody Wants,” since many people act like it’s being forced on them. This article attempts to answer the question, “What did Nibley mean by the Book Nobody Wants?”

This article announces the completion of George Reynolds’s Book of Mormon concordance and advertises its sale.

This article refutes claims made by Rev. F. S. Spalding that the Book of Mormon was not an authentic book because the Book of Abraham was translated incorrectly and that surely means that Joseph Smith was not a translator. Sjodahl points out that the Book of Mormon was translated by the gift and power of God, whereas the book of Abraham required seven years of laborious study coupled with inspiration. One cannot be judged on the merits of the other.

An overall view of the longest book in the Book of Mormon, the book of Alma, which covers thirty-nine years of Nephite history (91-52 B.C.). The theme of the entire book is that the pure testimony of Christ is mightier than politics or the sword in establishing peace and goodness.

Deals specifically with the way in which the terms “eternal torment” and “endless punishment” are used in the Book of Mormon and in the Doctrine and Covenants.

Enos, the son of Jacob, grandson of Lehi, recorded his own touching testimony and the promises that the Lord made to him concerning the Nephite records and his Nephite and Lamanite brothers. His mighty efforts to pray brought him a remission of his own sins.

The book of Ether is an edited version of the twenty-four gold plates found by Limhi and translated by Mosiah. Its themes include secret combinations, the importance of following prophets, and wickedness brings destruction. It teaches of Christ’s premortal spirit body, that Three Witnesses would testify of the Book of Mormon, and that a New Jerusalem will be built in the western hemisphere.

Book of Ether, Chapter 1

The book of Helaman records the period preceding the birth of the Savior. It was written by Helaman and was abridged by Mormon who inserts his own commentary. The most prominent person in the book is Nephi₂. Also included are prophecies and teachings of Samuel the Lamanite and the rise of the Gadianton robbers.

This article states that the teachings in the New Testament Gospels and 3 Nephi are harmonious, and events recorded in the New Testament have found some historical parallels with events listed in the Book of Mormon. Further, the great earthquakes and other upheavals of recent decades are comparable to the three days of darkness in America during the time of Jesus’ crucifixion.

Discusses highlights in 3 Nephi regarding the birth of Jesus and his appearance to the Nephites. Shows historical instances outside of 3 Nephi that deal with thick darkness.

A description of the book of Jacob, its organization and content. It seems to have three parts: a discourse by Jacob at the temple calling his people to repentance; prophecies of the Atonement of Christ, his rejection by the Jews, and the scattering and gathering of Israel; and the confrontation with the anti-christ, Sherem.

The Book of Jarom was written by Jarom, son of Enos, who excuses his brevity by calling attention to limited space and lack of new doctrine.

This essay tells the story of the lost 116 pages of the Book of Lehi.

Joseph Smith and the Book of Mormon consistently use such phrases as “Book of Lehi,” “plates of Lehi,” and “account of Nephi” in distinct ways.

Tells about Oliver Cowdery’s mission to Painesville and his meeting with the “notorious Sidney Rigdon” Rigdon took the Book of Mormon under advisement and shortly declared it of “heavenly origin” Rigdon then testified that the world would come to an end in two or three years.

Missionary-oriented essay. Justifies the existence of extra-biblical scripture. Explains the roles of the descendants of Joseph in America, using Genesis 48. Shows similarities between Israelite and Indian sacrificial customs. Refers to the “sticks” of Ezekiel 37; also discusses the relevance of Isaiah 29 and Psalm 85. Bears testimony of the part the Book of Mormon plays in the Restoration.

Recites the history of the coming forth of the Book of Mormon and summarizes its contents. Discredits the Three Witnesses and holds that the Book of Mormon was a take off of the Spaulding manuscript.

Attempts to link the Book of Mormon with the Spaulding manuscript. Joseph Miller, an acquaintance of Spaulding, recollected reading about the Amalekites marking their foreheads with red.

Five-part series offers a brief sketch of the coming forth of the Book of Mormon. Claims that the Lord himself visited Joseph Smith on September 21, 1823, and told Joseph that the American Indians were a remnant of Israel and that the record on precious plates was made of brass. Martin Harris was never allowed to see the plates, even though his name appears as one of the Three Witnesses. Parts of the Book of Mormon story resemble the Koran, Paradise Lost, and Spaulding’s manuscript.

Series on Book of Mormon evidences taken from Isaiah 29, Ezekiel 37, and Genesis 48 and 49. Accepts as valid the testimonies of the Book of Mormon witnesses.

Reprint of an article from the Richmond (Missouri) Conservater. Concerns David Whitmer and his tenacious testimony of the Book of Mormon. Whitmer claimed to be in possession of the original manuscript.

The Spaulding theory of the Book of Mormon. Includes statements by Thurlow Weed and Matilda Spaulding McKinstry.

An ex-Mormon, having met the daughter of Solomon Spaulding, tells Spaulding’s “real” story. He includes Thurlow Weed’s and Matilda Spaulding McKinstry’s statements concerning the Manuscript Found. He finds that the Book of Mormon is a plagiarism of Spaulding’s manuscript.

Old Indian and Spanish histories that are preserved in Mexican libraries and museums provide evidence of the divine authenticity of the Book of Mormon.

Dickinson, the great-niece of Solomon Spaulding, reports an interview she conducted with Matilda Spaulding McKinstry, daughter of Solomon Spaulding. Gives basic facts about Spaulding’s Manuscript Found. Spaulding was the first to discover the Ohio mound-builder’s Israelite descent. His manuscript contained the names Mormon, Maroni, Lamenite, and Nephi and was taken to Patterson, a publisher in Pittsburg, with whom Sidney Rigdon spent time. In 1834 a man named Hurlburt asked for the manuscript for the purpose of making a comparison and the manuscript was lost.

A testimonial to the truth of the Book of Mormon. The author briefly tells the story of the Jaredites, finds the Book of Mormon to be a fulfillment of the prophesy in Genesis 48:13-26, Psalm 85, and Ezekiel 37, and relates the story of the coming forth of the Book of Mormon.

Explains why the Book of Mormon is necessary in the latter days and gives biblical evidence of its divinity. Discusses the return of the Jews to Israel and specifically refutes the Spaulding theory, saying that “if [Joseph Smith and Sidney Rigdon] were thieves, I claim God was in the conspiracy”

Personal testimony of the importance of the Book of Mormon. Includes a 12-stanza poem by Sr. Randall concerning “the precious boon” of the Book of Mormon. Exhorts RLDS people to “repent and remember the new covenant, even the Book of Mormon”

A pejorative evaluation of the Book of Mormon, considering it to be “tiresome and uninteresting” Accepts the Spaulding story for the book’s origin. Informs the reader about the Three Witnesses, especially David Whitmer, regarding him as “an honest fanatic”

Uses biblical scriptures to prove the truthfulness of the Book of Mormon, gives summary of 1 Nephi, discusses plates (who wrote them, what language was used, their size and description). Explains how Joseph Smith found the plates in the Hill Cumorah, and gives a history of the founding of the LDS church.

Affirms the need for a “New Witness” to confirm the divine nature and authenticity of the Bible. The Book of Mormon is the new witness and was translated by the “gift and power of God.”

Quotes excerpts from an article entitled “Criticism of the Old Testament” published in the Edinburgh Review. The same objections and methods applied to the Book of Mormon may be applied to the Bible. Both must stand or fall together. The LDS realize that the Book of Mormon “invite[s] investigation and maintain that if this record must be rejected, the Bible must be rejected, too, since every objection that can be raised against the Book of Mormon finds its true counterpart among the objections raised against the Bible” [J.W.M. & D.M.]

Author praises the Book of Mormon as a sacred book and as “the greatest American novel,” although he says that it “never betrays nineteenth century manner” His criticism is that “it contains no new doctrines”

A pamphlet that briefly explains the nature of the Book of Mormon. The writer rejects the Spaulding Theory on the basis that Sidney Rigdon never heard of the Book of Mormon until after its publication and that the Book of Mormon bears no resemblance to the unpublished manuscript rediscovered in 1884.

Provides personal reflections and thoughts after having read the Book of Mormon for the fourth time.

The Book of Mormon people were assigned to America by God. The article includes the story of the book, the testimonies of the witnesses, why it is called the Book of Mormon, when the sealed portion will be given, the fulfillment of biblical prophecies, evidence found in the relics of antiquity, and the language of the book. It was not written by Solomon Spaulding.

A tract that provides a general treatise on the Book of Mormon. Discusses Joseph Smith’s experiences with Moroni and the gold plates, the importance of the witnesses, and compares Indian and Polynesian traditions to the Book of Mormon.

A tract defending the LDS understanding of the condemnation of polygamy set forth in Jacob 2. The writer notes that polygamy is only permitted when the Lord commands it.

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.

Biblical prophets foretold the coming forth of the Book of Mormon. Includes a brief synopsis of the Book of Mormon story line. Mentions Martin Harris’s visit to Professor Anthon. Joseph Smith had divine aid in translating.

A testimony of the Book of Mormon. The Book of Mormon is not superior or inferior to the Bible—it contains the will of the same God. Many truths lost from the Bible are restored in the Book of Mormon. Through prayer a sincere person can know if it is true.

This article consists of a compilation of quotes about the Book of Mormon from the Journal of Discourses. All quotes are from former leaders of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.

An introductory pamphlet designed for an investigator that describes the discovery and contents of the Book of Mormon. It gives both spiritual and secular examples of the divinity of the book and encourages the investigator to seek for a personal witness.

Retells the story of the angel Moroni showing the gold plates to Joseph Smith. The recent discovery of gold plates and steel represent external evidences of the truthfulness of the book.

In this testimony, Pratt rejoices in the Book of Mormon and says that if the world accepted its gospel all evil would cease.

Concentrates on the claim of the Book of Mormon that it is a record of God’s dealings with the ancient inhabitants of America and that Jesus Christ is the God of the American continent.

This testimony affirms that Moroni visited Joseph Smith in his room on September 21, 1823, and, among other things, showed Joseph where the plates were hidden. After four years, Joseph received the plates and translated them.

A poem describing the confiict between the Lamanites and Nephites and the final translation of the plates.

Also in Deseret News Church Section

This tract explains briefly the contents, origin, authenticity, witnesses, consistency, archaeological discovery in modern times, and the Bible prophecies concerning the Book of Mormon.

This article is 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.