Book of Mormon Bibliography
Alphabetical by Title

Review of John W. Welch, David Rolph Seely, and Jo Ann H. Seely, eds. Glimpses of Lehi’s Jerusalem.

Submits archaeological, anthropological, and historical evidence to validate the Book of Mormon. Topics include Israelite origin of Native Americans, native American myths, Quetzalcoatl—the tall white god who may have been Jesus Christ—and linguistic similarities between Hebrew words and words from Mayan, Incan, and Mexican languages.

Pamphlet that explains that the Bible and the Book of Mormon bear witness of the divinity of Jesus Christ.

Recounts Christ’s visit to the Nephites in the Americas. Refers to external evidences, such as the Mexican calendar stone and Joseph Smith’s witnesses, that help support the truth and divinity of the Book of Mormon.

Large drawings designed for children illustrate the text of 3 Nephi, wherein Jesus visited the Nephites and blessed the children.

A pamphlet that declares that the Book of Mormon and the Bible bear witness of Christ’s mission in two hemispheres. A brief history of how the Book of Mormon came forth is given.

Christ is God manifested. If men would know God, all they have to do is hold up a clear vision of the Christ. Christ appeared to the people in Bountiful after his resurrection.

This article unites the Bible and the Book of Mormon in bearing witness that Jesus is the Christ. It gives an examination of the two texts reveals sixteen important facts concerning Christ’s mission, including his premortal and antemortal Godhood, his foreordination as the Redeemer, and the predictions of his birth to Mary. The testimony of two witnesses—the Bible and the Book of Mormon—establishes the truth.

Reports concerning Jesus Christ’s visit to the Americas, and encourages those interested in the Bible and the life of Christ to study the Book of Mormon.

Gives the purpose of the Book of Mormon; identifies Jesus Christ as deity and discusses the “Light of Christ”

A story for children about Christ’s ministry to the Nephites after his resurrection.

Using a compilation of biblical passages supported by Book of Mormon passages, this booklet presents a narrative concerning Christ’s role and doctrine, interspersed with commentary by the compiler.

Refers to Jesus as the “Creator of all things,” as well as “the Father of Heaven and of Earth” This same thought is repeated in the Book of Mormon by Mosiah, Alma, Nephi, and Moroni in connection with the idea that Jesus is “the Creator”

Jesus came that he might redeem the children of men from the Fall, and because they are redeemed they are free (2 Nephi 2:22-27). Resurrection from the dead is as universal as death—therefore Jesus is referred to as the Redeemer.

Scriptural passages point out the difference in Christ as a “Redeemer” and Christ as a “Savior” (Alma 22:14; Helaman 15:18). Christ’s work brings universal redemption from physical death through resurrection, and brings salvation from the effects of individual sin through faith and repentance.

Shows that Jesus Christ is the most significant personality in the Book of Mormon. Notes his appearances to the Nephites.

The title page of the Book of Mormon states that the first purpose of the book is “to show unto the remnant of the House of Israel what great things the Lord hath done for their fathers; and that they may know the covenants of the Lord, that they are not cast off forever.” This means that the Book of Mormon is intended, in part, to teach Lehi’s descendants about the covenants that the Lord has made with them. The key covenant they will learn about is that they would be a blessing for all nations—a consecrated people of God. Beyond teaching about the covenants, the Book of Mormon also prophesies key signs and events that will demonstrate when the promised covenant is being fulfilled in the latter days.

The first purpose of the Book of Mormon as stated on the title page is to demonstrate to the remnant of the House of Israel the great things the Lord has done for their fathers, and to show that because of past covenants latter-day generations are not excluded from divine interest.

Gives a brief history of the Jewish people and biblical references concerning their future, then lists Book of Mormon prophecies relating to the future of the American Indian.

An Egyptian script was possibly used to write Hebrew text on the Nephite record. Documents from the correct location and time period have texts and languages in varying scripts that lend credence to this scribal phenomenon.

The reading schedule of the Law and the Prophets in the Jewish synagogue at the time of the Feast of Dedication relates Old Testament prophesies in Ezekiel 37 to the coming forth of the Book of Mormon.

Review of The Children of Noah: Jewish Seafaring in Ancient Times (1998), by Raphael Patai

Nephite record keepers were very meticulous in monitoring the passage of time. Lehi’s departure from Jerusalem in the reign of Zedekiah marks the beginning of one formal reckoning of time. The prophesied 600-year window to the birth of Christ could well have been measured in lunar years. Lehi must have drawn on familiar Israelite calendrical practices to establish his calendar. Lehi’s descendants likely used twelve lunar months for their calendar without adding an occasional thirteenth month to adjust for the length of a solar year, which would solve the chronological problem of dating Lehi’s departure 600 years before the birth of Christ.

Addresses the prospect of the return of the Jews to Jerusalem to rebuild the holy city. Light is thrown on the subject by quoting passages from the Book of Mormon.

Tells of a stone carving, found in Mayan ruins, which bears resemblance to similar carvings found among Jewish ruins. This suggests that ancient America had some connections with ancient Israel.

In this work the Book of Mormon is seen in a new perspective; we see it in a world setting, not in a mere local one. It takes its place naturally alongside the Bible and other great works of antiquity and becomes one of them.

Shows how the Torah was revealed. Argues that the Bible is incomplete and that the Book of Mormon should be esteemed as highly as the Bible. Uses Ezekiel 37:16-17, 2 Nephi 29, and Moroni 10 in his discussion of the importance of the Book of Mormon.

Abstract: Mack C. Stirling examines the well-known story of Job, one of the literary books of the Bible and part of the Wisdom literature (which is heavy in temple mysticism and symbols), and proposes the story follows the temple endowment to the T. Following Hugh Nibley’s lead in The Message of the Joseph Smith Papyri, the temple endowment is not discussed. Stirling focuses only on Job’s story, drawing on analysis of literary genres and literary tools, like chiasms, focusing on the existential questions asked by the ancient author. Doing this, he concludes that Job’s is a story about a spiritual journey, in which two main questions are answered: “(1) Is it worthwhile to worship God for His own sake apart from material gain? (2) Can man, by coming to earth and worshipping God, enter into a process of becoming that allows him to participate in God’s life and being?” What follows is an easy to read exegesis of the Book of Job with these questions in mind, culminating with Job at the veil, speaking with God. Stirling then discusses Job’s journey in terms of Adam’s journey — beginning in a situation of security, going through tribulations, finding the way to God and being admitted into His presence — and shows how this journey is paralleled in Lehi’s dream in the Book of Mormon (which journey ends at a tree of life). This journey also is what each of us faces, from out premortal home with God, to the tribulations of this telestial world, and back to the eternal bliss of Celestial Kingdom, the presence of God, through Christ. In this way, the stories of Adam and Eve, of Job, and of Lehi’s dream provide a framework for every human’s existence.
[Editor’s Note: Part of our book chapter reprint series, this article is reprinted here as a service to the LDS community. Original pagination and page numbers have necessarily changed, otherwise the reprint has the same content as the original.
See Mack C. Stirling, “Job: An LDS Reading,” in Temple Insights: Proceedings of the Interpreter Matthew B. Brown Memorial Conference, “The Temple on Mount Zion,” 22 September 2012, ed. William J. Hamblin and David Rolph Seely (Orem, UT: The Interpreter Foundation; Salt Lake City: Eborn Books, 2014), 99–144. Further information at https://interpreterfoundation.org/books/temple-insights/.].

A polemical article against Mormonism. The writer considers the Book of Mormon “as desultory and feeble imitation of the Jewish chronicles and prophetic books” and represents little more than “a succession of unconnected rhapsodies and repetitions” addressed to a very ignorant audience. After giving a brief account of the Book of Mormon narrative, the writer ridicules the account of the Jaredite barges. He concludes by asking, “Who can tell what two centuries may do in the way of giving a historical position to this rising heresy?”

Abstract: The claim that God revealed the details of Book of Mormon geography is not new, but the recent argument that there was a conspiracy while the Prophet was still alive to oppose a revealed geography is a novel innovation. A recent theory argues that the “Mesoamerican theory” or “limited Mesoamerican geography” originated in 1841 with Benjamin Winchester, an early Mormon missionary, writer, and dissident, who rejected the leadership of Brigham Young and the Twelve after 1844. This theory also claims that three unsigned editorials on Central America and the Book of Mormon published in the Times and Seasons on September 15 and October 1, 1842, were written by Benjamin Winchester, who successfully conspired with other dissidents to publish them against the will of the Prophet. Three articles address these claims. The first article addressed two questions: Did Joseph Smith, as some have claimed, know the details of and put forth a revealed Book of Mormon geography? Second, what is a Mesoamerican geography and does it constitute a believable motive for a proposed Winchester conspiracy? This second article provides additional historical background on the question of Joseph Smith’s thinking on the Book of Mormon by examining the influence of John L. Stephen’s 1841 work, Incidents of Travel in Central America, upon early Latter-day Saints, including Joseph Smith.

Review of Rediscovering the Book of Mormon (1991), edited by John L. Sorenson and Melvin J. Thorne.

Review of The Geography of the Book of Mormon Events: A Source Book (1990), by John L. Sorenson.

Review of Images of Ancient America: Visualizing Book of Mormon Life (1998), by John L. Sorenson

Mormon’s Codex: An Ancient American Book is unquestionably a monument to an impressive career defending, defining, and explaining the Book of Mormon. John L. Sorenson has been for the New World setting of the Book of Mormon what Hugh Nibley was for the Old World setting. From his earliest 1952 publications using anthropology and geography to defend the Book of Mormon to the 2013 publication of Mormon’s Codex, Sorenson has been the dominant force in shaping scholarly discussions about the Book of Mormon in its New World setting. With an impressive 714 pages of text with footnotes, Mormon’s Codex is physically an appropriate capstone to his long publishing career.

This comparison of Joseph Smith and John Milton focuses on their literary output and especially the preparation each had for dictating a long religious work, in Milton’s case Paradise Lost and in Smith’s the Book of Mormon. Most notable authors, including Milton, had a long apprenticeship that involved writing several “try works,” practice works that served as tutorials and stepping stones preparing their authors for their magnum opus. Joseph Smith had no such trial period for learning how to weave together intricate subplots, multitudes of characters, and historical background detail. Milton, in particular, had all the advantages of a first-rate English education. Smith, by contrast,had the most meager of educational opportunities. According to his wife, at the time he dictated the Book of Mormon, he “could neither write nor dictate a coherent and well-worded letter.” In spite of these disadvantages, Smith dictated most of the Book of Mormon over a period of less than three months, whereas Milton’s dictation of Paradise Lost took place over more than a decade. While it has been popular since 1830 for critics to debunk or diminish the Book of Mormon, it has stood the test of time in more ways than one.

Review of The Book of Mormon Paintings of Minerva Teichert (1997), by John W. Welch and Doris R. Dant

These Notes come from scripture classes taught in the Provo Utah Edgemont Stake by John W. Welch between 2006 and 2018. Those classes covered all four of the Standard Works in rotation, going through the Book of Mormon three different times. These Notes are incomplete, because some classes were not recorded, while recordings of several classes were low quality. These recordings were originally made available mainly as a service to class members who were away on missions or otherwise had to miss a class. The recordings have been transcribed, organized, and edited by generous volunteers, including Carol Jones, Rita Spencer, Spencer Kraus, Ruth Schmidt, and Jack and Jeannie Welch. The transcripts have been prepared for posting on the web by BMC staff members, including Jasmin Gimenez Rappleye, Nicole Shephard, Ryan Dahle, and Jared Riddick. These Notes are intended to be interesting and helpful, but by no means do they constitute a complete verse by verse commentary. Some of the comments here were built on previously published KnoWhys, FARMS books or Insights, and various other publications, many of which can now be found on the Book of Mormon Central Archive. Other comments turn attention to topics that are new and different or give exploratory answers to questions raised by students in this class. These recordings have been cleaned up, compiled, arranged, and edited, with the addition of subheadings, transitions, and references, in order to relate these Notes to lessons in the 2020 Come Follow Me curriculum, to materials integral to the Scriptures Plus app, and to resources available free in the Book of Mormon Central Archive.

Review of Reexploring the Book of Mormon: The F.A.R.M.S. Updates (1992), edited by John W. Welch

Review of The Sermon at the Temple and the Sermon on the Mount (1990), by John W. Welch.

Features the Foundation for Ancient Research and Mormon Studies (FARMS) and its founder, John W. Welch. One goal of FARMS is to better understand the ancient foundations and cultural background of the Book of Mormon, which will then strengthen an individual’s testimony of the book.

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.

Al registrar los sentimientos que tuvo al salir de la Arboleda y en los días subsiguientes, José dejó registrada esta oración: “Mi alma se llenó de amor, y por muchos días pude regocijarme con gran gozo, y el Señor estaba conmigo, pero no pude encontrar a ninguno que creyera mi visión celestial”.

Joseph and Hyrum Smith exemplified leadership as they worked together in organizing and operating the Church, teaching, speaking, and building temples and towns. As leaders, they held firm to their convictions, roused the hearts and minds of men and women in varied walks of life, and left legacies sufficient to stamp them as two of the most remarkable and influential men of the nineteenth century. The stories and examples of their shared leadership illustrate how they honored agency, exerted righteous influence, grew through adversity, forged bonds of obligation and love, governed conflict, and organized through councils. Their examples in this book can help us transform our personal perspective of leadership, lead with an eternal focus, heal and bless others through our leadership, learn and grow by asking authentic questions, share leadership in the home, and lead in the governmental arena. By incorporating these principles in our lives, we can foster more satisfying relationships in our homes, our Church service, and our professional lives. The book concludes with a call for each of us to carry on their legacy, which transcends time and place. Their lives and teachings are filled with lessons and skills we can easily apply today. ISBN 978-0-8425-2754-5

This is the story of how an angel taught a boy to be a prophet. In it, we follow Joseph’s life from the time of the First Vision until he completed the translation and returned the Gold Plates to Moroni. It is the story of a remarkable friendship. Moroni had two responsibilities: first, to give Joseph the Gold Plates and teach him how to translate them and second to teach Joseph how to be a prophet.

Abstract: The Arabian Peninsula has provided a significant body of evidence related to the plausibility of Nephi’s account of the ancient journey made by Lehi’s family across Arabia. Relatively few critics have seriously considered the evidence, generally nitpicking at details and insisting that the evidences are insignificant. Recently more meaningful responses have been offered by well educated writers showing familiarity with the Arabian evidences and the Book of Mormon. They argue that Nephi’s account is not historical and any apparent evidence in its favor can be attributed to weak LDS apologetics coupled with Joseph’s use of modern sources such as a detailed map of Arabia that could provide the name Nahom, for example. Further, the entire body of Arabian evidence for the Book of Mormon is said to be irrelevant because Nephi’s subtle and pervasive incorporation of Exodus themes in his account proves the Book of Mormon is fiction. On this point we are to trust modern Bible scholarship (“Higher Criticism”) which allegedly shows that the book of Exodus wasn’t written until long after Nephi’s day and, in fact, tells a story that is mere pious fiction, fabricated during or after the Exile.
There were high-end European maps in Joseph’s day that did show a place name related to Nahom. Efforts to locate these maps anywhere near Joseph Smith have thus far proved unsuccessful. But the greater failure is in the explanatory power of any theory that posits Joseph used such a map. Such theories do not account for the vast majority of impressive evidences for the plausibility of Nephi’s account of the journey through Arabia (e.g., remarkable candidates for Bountiful and the River Laman, the plausibility of the eastward turn after Nahom). They do not explain why one obscure name among hundreds was plagiarized — a name that would have the good fortune of later being verified as a genuine ancient tribal name present in the right region in Lehi’s day. More importantly, theories of fabrication based on modern maps ignore the fact that Joseph and his peers never took advantage of the impressive Book of Mormon evidence that was waiting to be discovered on such maps. That discovery would not come until 1978, and it has led to many remarkable finds through modern field work since then. Through ever better maps, exploration, archaeological work, and other scholarly work, our knowledge of the Arabian Peninsula has grown dramatically from Joseph’s day. Through all of this, not one detail in the account of Lehi’s Trail has been invalidated, though questions remain and much further work needs to be done. Importantly, aspects that were long ridiculed have become evidences for the Book of Mormon. There is a trend here that demands respect, and no mere map from Joseph’s day or even ours can account for this.
As for the Exodus-based attack, yes, many modern scholars deny that the Exodus ever happened and believe the story was fabricated as pious fiction well after 600 bc. But this conclusion does not represent a true consensus and is not free from bias and blindness. The Exodus-based attack on the Book of Mormon ultimately is a case where a weakness in biblical evidence from Egypt is used to challenge the strength of Book of Mormon evidence from Egypt’s neighbor to the east, the Arabian Peninsula. We will see that there are good reasons for the absence of evidence from Egypt, and yet abundant evidence that the Exodus material interwoven in Nephi’s account could have been found on the brass plates by 600 bc. The absence of archaeological evidence for Israel’s exodus from Egypt and the chaos in the many schools of modern biblical scholarship do not trump hard archaeological, geographical, and other evidence from the Arabian Peninsula regarding Lehi’s exodus.
We will see that some of the most significant strengths of the Book of Mormon have not been turned into weaknesses. Indeed, the evidence from Arabia continues to grow and demands consideration from those willing to maintain an open mind and exercise a particle of faith.

Abstract: The Arabian Peninsula has provided a significant body of evidence related to the plausibility of Nephi’s account of the ancient journey made by Lehi’s family across Arabia. Relatively few critics have seriously considered the evidence, generally nitpicking at details and insisting that the evidences are insignificant. Recently more meaningful responses have been offered by well educated writers showing familiarity with the Arabian evidences and the Book of Mormon. They argue that Nephi’s account is not historical and any apparent evidence in its favor can be attributed to weak LDS apologetics coupled with Joseph’s use of modern sources such as a detailed map of Arabia that could provide the name Nahom, for example. Further, the entire body of Arabian evidence for the Book of Mormon is said to be irrelevant because Nephi’s subtle and pervasive incorporation of Exodus themes in his account proves the Book of Mormon is fiction. On this point we are to trust modern Bible scholarship (“Higher Criticism”) which allegedly shows that the book of Exodus wasn’t written until long after Nephi’s day and, in fact, tells a story that is mere pious fiction, fabricated during or after the Exile.
There were high-end European maps in Joseph’s day that did show a place name related to Nahom. Efforts to locate these maps anywhere near Joseph Smith have thus far proved unsuccessful. But the greater failure is in the explanatory power of any theory that posits Joseph used such a map. Such theories do not account for the vast majority of impressive evidences for the plausibility of Nephi’s account of the journey through Arabia (e.g., remarkable candidates for Bountiful and the River Laman, the plausibility of the eastward turn after Nahom). They do not explain why one obscure name among hundreds was plagiarized — a name that would have the good fortune of later being verified as a genuine ancient tribal name present in the right region in Lehi’s day. More importantly, theories of fabrication [Page 248]based on modern maps ignore the fact that Joseph and his peers never took advantage of the impressive Book of Mormon evidence that was waiting to be discovered on such maps. That discovery would not come until 1978, and it has led to many remarkable finds through modern field work since then. Through ever better maps, exploration, archaeological work, and other scholarly work, our knowledge of the Arabian Peninsula has grown dramatically from Joseph’s day. Through all of this, not one detail in the account of Lehi’s Trail has been invalidated, though questions remain and much further work needs to be done. Importantly, aspects that were long ridiculed have become evidences for the Book of Mormon. There is a trend here that demands respect, and no mere map from Joseph’s day or even ours can account for this.
As for the Exodus-based attack, yes, many modern scholars deny that the Exodus ever happened and believe the story was fabricated as pious fiction well after 600 bc. But this conclusion does not represent a true consensus and is not free from bias and blindness. The Exodus-based attack on the Book of Mormon ultimately is a case where a weakness in biblical evidence from Egypt is used to challenge the strength of Book of Mormon evidence from Egypt’s neighbor to the east, the Arabian Peninsula. We will see that there are good reasons for the absence of evidence from Egypt, and yet abundant evidence that the Exodus material interwoven in Nephi’s account could have been found on the brass plates by 600 bc. The absence of archaeological evidence for Israel’s exodus from Egypt and the chaos in the many schools of modern biblical scholarship do not trump hard archaeological, geographical, and other evidence from the Arabian Peninsula regarding Lehi’s exodus.
We will see that some of the most significant strengths of the Book of Mormon have not been turned into weaknesses. Indeed, the evidence from Arabia continues to grow and demands consideration from those willing to maintain an open mind and exercise a particle of faith.

A revised version of Fraser’s 1964 work, What Does the Book of Mormon Teach?

Review of Doctrinal Commentary on the Book of Mormon, vol. 3, Alma through Helaman (1991), by Joseph Fielding McConkie and Robert L. Millet.

Review of Doctrinal Commentary on the Book of Mormon, vol. 3, Alma through Helaman (1991), by Joseph Fielding McConkie and Robert L. Millet.

Review of Doctrinal Commentary on the Book of Mormon, vol. 4, Third Nephi through Moroni (1992), by Joseph Fielding McConkie, Robert L. Millet, and Brent L. Top

Review of Exploring the Lands of the Book of Mormon (1989), by Joseph L. Allen.

Shows “striking agreements between the Book of Mormon history and the independent findings of modern archaeological-historical research”

This volume celebrates the bicentennial of Joseph Smith’s 1820 First Vision of the Father and the Son, a founding event in the restoration of the Church of Jesus Christ. Contributors examine the various accounts of the vision, the religious excitement prevalent in the region, the question that prompted Joseph to enter the grove, the powers of darkness that assailed him, and the natural environment and ultimate preservation of the Sacred Grove. This volume brings together some of the finest presentations from a 2020 BYU Church History Symposium honoring the bicentennial of the First Vision. ISBN 978-1-9503-0408-0

A historical polemical work against Mormonism. Chapter 8 discusses various alleged anachronisms and absurdities in the Book of Mormon. The author rejects the Spaulding Theory in favor of the psychological environmentalist explanation proposed by Woodbridge Riley for the origin of the Book of Mormon.

Terryl Givens has set Joseph Smith in the religious and cultural context of his time and raised many important issues. I should like to take a few of these issues and set them in another context, that of preexilic Jerusalem. I am not a scholar of Mormon texts and traditions. I am a biblical scholar specializing in the Old Testament, and until some Mormon scholars made contact with me a few years ago, I would never have considered using Mormon texts and traditions as part of my work. Since that initial contact I have had many good and fruitful exchanges and have begun to look at these texts very closely. I am still, however, very much an amateur in this area. What I offer can only be the reactions of an Old Testament scholar: are the revelations to Joseph Smith consistent with the situation in Jerusalem in about 600 BCE? Do the revelations to Joseph Smith fit in that context, the reign of King Zedekiah, who is mentioned at the beginning of the First Book of Nephi, which begins in the “first year of the reign of Zedekiah” (1 Nephi 1:4)? Zedekiah was installed as king in Jerusalem in 597 BCE.

During his lifetime, Joseph Smith revealed at least four versions of what I will refer to as the “Genesis account,” which consists of the creation of the world, the experiences of Adam and Eve in the garden of Eden, and the events that befell them and their near posterity following the expulsion from the garden. These four versions each differ in important ways from the biblical text in Genesis, and they also differ one from another. The versions of the Genesis account include the following:

(1) scattered references found in the Book of Mormon;
(2) the biblical account as revised in the Book of Moses;
(3) the account in the Book of Abraham; and
(4) the version presented in the temple endowment.

I will focus on the second of these, the Book of Moses, especially chapters 1-7, which were revealed to Joseph Smith from June to December 1830. Many have already pointed out temple-related themes that abound in these chapters.

I will take these discoveries a step further, arguing that Moses 1-7 is fundamentally a ritual text whose elements are adapted to the physical features of the temple of Solomon. I will then discuss how this reading of the Book of Moses might interact with modern scholarship on the biblical book of Genesis, and finally how this reading of Moses can provide insight into ritual performances both ancient and modern

Argues against statements that Joseph Smith produced the Book of Mormon by way of “visionary seizures” The testimony of the Three Witnesses is reprinted, as is a description of David Whitmer’s testimony before he died.

Asserts that the Book of Mormon appealed to people of Joseph Smith’s day because it reflected popular ideas of the time, and that it is merely a product of 19th-century concepts and events such as anti-Masonry, revivalism, and magical practices. Author also holds that the Book of Mormon uses biblical material anachronistically and borrows from concepts regarding the Hebrew origin of the Indians.

Compares Joseph Smith to Mohammed. Notes that the anthropological data in the Book of Mormon does not likely reflect Jacksonian America. Discusses the characters from the plates and Joseph Smith’s supposed authorship. “I think the fact remains that the Book of Mormon is more or less difficult to explain because it has remarkable internal homogeneity”

Deals with early Mormon missionary experiences among the American Indians. These experiences provide a great deal of insight into Mormon-Indian relationships both past and present. Shows the impact that the Book of Mormon has had upon those relationships.

Abstract: Brian Hales has observed that we cannot understand Joseph Smith’s marriage practices in Nauvoo without understanding the related theology. However, he implies that we are hampered in coming to a complete understanding of that theology because the only primary evidence we have of that theology is the revelation now recorded as Section 132 of the Doctrine and Covenants and a few entries in William Clayton’s journal. This paper argues that we have more primary evidence about Joseph Smith’s sealing theology than we realize. The accounts we have of the First Vision and of Moroni’s first visits in 1823 have references to the sealing power embedded in them, ready for Joseph to unpack when he was spiritually educated enough to ask the right questions.

Joseph Smith and the Geography of the Book of Mormon begins by establishing Joseph Smith’s actual and verifiable words, which were subject to his review and correction during his lifetime, as a “Supreme Source” for the geography of the Book of Mormon. First- and second-hand accounts of what the Prophet Joseph said are referred to as “lesser sources.” Most of the confusion about the geography of the Book of Mormon results from lesser sources. One of the most undervalued and supreme sources of Joseph Smith’s teachings was an early church newspaper in Nauvoo, Illinois titled the Times and Seasons. By a “thus saith the Lord” revelation, Joseph assumed the editorship of the Times and Seasons from March of 1842 to October of 1842. Several editorials dictated and approved of by Joseph identified Zarahemla being in the Guatemala of 1842 and the “small or narrow” neck of land being in Central America. Once either Zarahemla or the narrow neck of land have been discovered, one has found the axis mundi of the primary American events of the Book of Mormon. A comprehensive Author Identification Study confirmed the Prophet Joseph’s authorship of the Times and Seasons articles in question. The details and methodology of the Author Identification Study are reported on in this book. Also the reasons why one should accept Joseph Smith’s words above other sources and his whereabouts during the editions of the Times and Seasons editorials in question. Other interesting findings about volcanoes, the Law of Moses and the calendars, and how the Gold Plates arrived in Palmyra, New York are found with the pages of this book. [Publisher]

“Although Mormons currently understand spiritual gifts to be inseparably connected with the gift of the Holy Ghost that is not how Joseph Smith apparently understood them before his baptism. … This essay focuses on the earliest ideas of concept of spiritual gifts as contained in the earliest revelations and translations of Joseph Smith from July 1828 through May 1829.”

A self-published history of Joseph Smith and the restoration of the Church, the coming forth of scriptural records, and the exodus of the Saints to Utah. Two chapters feature the coming forth of the Book of Mormon and the internal character of the work. Author does not accept the Book of Mormon as scripture.

Examine the motives and means by which Joseph Smith authored the Book of Mormon. Contains an extensive comparison between Ethan Smith’s View of the Hebrews

Shows that Joseph Smith never made a conclusive statement supporting the belief that mounds and the mound builders of Northeastern America represent the remains of Book of Mormon lands or peoples. Discusses the Enon mound, Zelph mound, Adena and Hopwell cultures, and the Kinderhook plates.

Chapter 4, “Glad Tidings from Cumorah,” tells of Moroni’s visit and Joseph Smith’s first visit to the Hill Cumorah. Chapter 5, “Delivery and Translation of the Ancient Record” and Chapter 6, “Publication of the Book of Mormon,” deal specifically with the Book of Mormon. This work is reviewed in D.144.

Royal Skousen’s most significant contribution to Book of Mormon scholarship, this paper states, is in openly and systematically detailing the thousands of variants that occur across two manuscripts and twenty editions and showing that these variations do not affect the message or validity of the book as a witness of Jesus Christ. Skousen’s work also offers new insights into the process of translating and publishing the Book of Mormon. Though the work of translation appears to have involved a number of different methods, we can nevertheless be sure that the Book of Mormon was translated by the “gift and power of God.”

The link between Joseph Smith and the Masons is equivocal. At the time of Joseph Smith’s death, it was thought that Masonry was a threat to free government and the Book of Mormon revealed Masonic secrets. The accounts of the brother of Jared, Lehi, and others contain Masonic elements.

Abstract: For nearly 200 years, skeptics have promoted different naturalistic explanations to describe how Joseph Smith generated all the words of the Book of Mormon. The more popular theories include plagiarism (e.g. of the Solomon Spaulding manuscript), collaboration (with Oliver Cowdery, Sidney Rigdon, etc.), mental illness (bipolar, dissociative, or narcissistic personality disorders) and automatic writing, also called “spirit writing, “trance writing,” or “channeling.” A fifth and currently the most popular theory posits that Joseph Smith possessed all the intellectual abilities needed to complete the task. A variation on this last explanation proposes that he used the methods of professional storytellers. For millennia, bards and minstrels have entertained their audiences with tales that extended over many hours and over several days. This article explores their techniques to assess whether Joseph Smith might have adopted such methodologies during the three-month dictation of the Book of Mormon. Through extensive fieldwork and research, the secrets of the Serbo-Croatian storytellers’ abilities to dictate polished stories in real time have been identified. Their technique, also found with modification among bards throughout the world, involves the memorization of formulaic language organized into formula systems in order to minimize the number of mental choices the tale-teller must make while wordsmithing each phrase. These formulas are evident in the meter, syntax, or lexical combinations employed in the storyteller’s sentences. Professional bards train for many years to learn the patterns and commit them to memory. When compared to Joseph Smith and the Book of Mormon, the historical record fails to support that he had trained in the use of formula systems prior to 1829 or that his dictation employed a rhythmic delivery of the phrases. Neither are formula patterns detected in the printed 1830 Book of Mormon. Apparently, Smith did not adopt this traditional storyteller’s methodology to dictate the Book of Mormon.

A defense of F. S. Spaulding’s pamphlet Joseph Smith Jr., As a Translator that shows that Joseph Smith was either self-deceived or an impostor. Compares the facsimiles in Abraham and the characters of the Anthon transcript and asserts that the Book of Abraham and the Book of Mormon were written in the same Egyptian and therefore the Book of Mormon may be judged on the same basis as the Book of Abraham. The facsimiles have been proven to be falsely translated—thus the Book of Mormon also must surely be a false translation or a product of Joseph Smith.

The article describes the political views of early Mormons, particularly religious leader Joseph Smith, Jr., as Neoplatonic, fitting the notion of a philosopher-king derived from the philosopher Plato. Topics include the practice of theurgy, which involved ritual union with the divine, among ancient Greek philosophers, political notions in the Book of Mormon, and Neoplatonism among the Christian Church Fathers. Also noted connections between the Radical Reformation and Mormonism, the performance of theurgical magic rites by Joseph Smith, and Smith’s views on U.S. political life.

A non-Mormon writing under the pseudonym of Robert C. Webb discusses issues relate

An official reproduction of the first edition of the Book of Mormon, printed from the first uncut sheets of the 1830 edition of the Book of Mormon.

Discusses (in French) the history of Joseph Smith and his subsequent followers and persecutions. The testimony of Martin Harris and the experience with Charles Anthon and the Book of Mormon are credits to Joseph Smith.

Discusses the establishment of the LDS church, the coming forth of the Book of Mormon, the Spaulding manuscript, and points out the biblical passages extant in the Book of Mormon.

Written at least lifteen years after the death of Joseph Smith, but in the lirst person to express Joseph Smith’s views as understood by the author. Quotes Jacob 2 to condemn polygamy and repudiates the idea of celestial marriage.

DID JOSEPH SMITH WRITE the Book of Mormon? To this over-familiar question the orthodox Latter-day Saint answer is a resounding “No” because the official belief is that a series of men with quasi-biblical names wrote the book over many centuries.

This compilation of groundbreaking articles about Joseph Smith is selected from over fifty years of LDS scholarship published by BYU Studies. This volume features articles on young Joseph Smith’s leg surgery, the historical setting and early accounts of the First Vision, friends’ and family members’ recollections of Joseph’s early religious experiences, Joseph’s 1826 trial, and more. Contents “Joseph Smith’s Boyhood Operation: An 1813 Surgical Success” LeRoy S. Wirthlin “Awakenings in the Burned-over District: New Light on the Historical Setting of the First Vision” Milton V. Backman Jr. “The Earliest Documented Accounts of Joseph Smith’s First Vision” Dean C. Jessee “Katharine Smith Salisbury’s Recollections of Joseph’s Meetings with Moroni” Kyle R. Walker “The Colesville Branch and the Coming Forth of the Book of Mormon” Larry C. Porter “Joseph Knight’s Recollection of Early Mormon History” Dean C. Jessee “Joseph Smith and the Manchester (New York) Library” Robert Paul “Money-Digging Folklore and the Beginnings of Mormonism: An Interpretive Suggestion” Marvin S. Hill “Joseph Smith’s 1826 Trial: The Legal Setting” Gordon A. Madsen

A copy of a “Lecture on the authenticity and scriptural character of the Book of Mormon,” written by George J. Adams in 1844. Confirms that the Book of Mormon is not the only scripture accepted by the Church, the Mormons also believe the Bible “as far as it has been translated correctly”

[2016 Mormon Historical Association Winner for Best Documentary Editing] “Volume 3 of the Revelations and Translations series, published in 2015, presents the most complete early text of the Book of Mormon—the printer’s manuscript.” [Publisher]

An apologetic work replying to Dr. Rumble’s criticisms of Mormonism in The Mormons or Latter-Day Saints.

2 Nephi 27:20, 22, 24
wherefore thou shalt read the words which I shall give unto thee. . .Wherefore when thou hast read the words which I have commanded thee . . .the Lord shall say unto him that shall read the words that shall be delivered him.

A reprint of articles from the Times and Seasons

Joseph Smith began an ambitious program to revise the biblical text in June 1830, not long after the organization of the Church of Christ and the publication of the Book of Mormon. While the result came to be known as the Joseph Smith Translation (JST), it was not a literal word-for-word translation of ancient biblical languages from a manuscript but more of an inspired revision or paraphrase based on the King James Version in English, carried out primarily between June 1830 and July 1833.1 Since Joseph Smith never specifically addressed how or exactly why he made the particular changes he did, it is an open question whether he felt he was restoring ancient material, making inspired commentary, modernizing the language, a combination of things, or something else.2 Another open question related to this project is its status among Latter-day Saint scripture. Is the entire JST considered canonical or not? Perhaps a further open question is whether the JST project was ever finished. This paper will address these issues by giving an overview of statements and approaches toward the JST.

Ten prominent Church scholars presented at the symposium on the Joseph Smith Translation of the Bible. Their in-depth study of the Joseph Smith Translation and related scriptures clarifies the Bible from Genesis to Revelation and show how Joseph Smith restored many plain and precious truths to that holy book. This volume brings together those addresses, illuminating this inspired translation as perhaps no other book had done.

Claims that Joseph Smith’s teachings regarding the Godhead contradict the teachings of the Book of Mormon of one god.

A small tract that presents perceived contradictions between Joseph Smith’s teachings and those found in the Book of Mormon.

This article discusses the influence of Captain Kidd stories on Joseph Smith, suggesting that he searched for treasure often around the hill Cumorah, as well as a possible connection between Cumorah and the Comoro Islands.

Rejecting the Spaulding and psychological explanations for the origin of the Book of Mormon, the author believes that Joseph Smith wrote the Book of Mormon in an attempt to defend belief in God “against the sectarianism and popular skepticism of the day” He provides several interesting examples from the Book of Mormon to show how they fit within the environmentalist framework of such a thesis.

Presents the opinions of scholars that the translation of the Pearl of Great Price was a total failure, and Smith’s inaccurate translation of the Book of Abraham dismisses any accuracy of the Book of Mormon.

Responds to an article by the same name written by Rev. Bishop F. S. Spaulding, who attempts to discredit the Book of Mormon by attacking the translation of the book of Abraham. The position of the RLDS church is that Spaulding was not able to discredit the Book of Mormon completely, and it is impossible and unfair to judge the Book of Mormon except upon its own merits.

The most critical mistake Joseph Smith made was to proclaim the Book of Mormon a “history” of Israel, linking it with the Old Testament. Finds that the book resembles Ethan Smith’s View of the Hebrews and Elias Boudinot’s Star in the West.

Review of Bruce H. Porter and Rod L. Meldrum. Prophecies and Promises: The Book of Mormon and the United States of America.

I am a literary critic who has spent a professional lifetime reading, teaching, and writing about literary texts. Much of my interest in and approach to the Book of Mormon lies with the text—though not just as a field for scholarly exploration.

Abstract: This is a follow-up to my article, “Joseph Smith and the American Renaissance,” published in Dialogue: A Journal of Mormon Thought in 2002.
My purpose in writing that article was to consider Joseph Smith in relation to his more illustrious contemporary American authors — Ralph Waldo Emerson, Henry David Thoreau, Nathaniel Hawthorne, Herman Melville, and Walt Whitman. In that article I tried to demonstrate that in comparison with these writers, Joseph Smith did not possess the literary imagination, talent, authorial maturity, education, cultural milieu, knowledge base, or sophistication necessary to produce the Book of Mormon; nor, I argued, had he possessed all of these characteristics, nor was the time in which the book was produced sufficient to compose such a lengthy, complex, and elaborate narrative. This addendum takes the comparison one step further by examining each writer’s magnum opus and the background, previous writings, and preliminary drafts that preceded its publication — then comparing them with Joseph Smith’s publication of the Book of Mormon. That is, each of the major works of these writers of prose, fiction, and poetry as well as the scriptural text produced by Joseph Smith has a history — one that allows us to trace its evolution from inception to completion. .

Pejorative psychological explanation of Joseph Smith. Claims that Joseph Smith “breathed an air saturated with the superstitions of debased forms of Christianity, pervaded with beliefs in signs, wonders and heavenly testimonials and peopled with spirits, angels and devils” Sees the Book of Mormon in this setting. Avers that while Joseph Smith worked on the Book of Mormon, he “appears to have assumed a multiplicity of personalities”

Joseph Smith had a deep interest in archaeological discoveries and antiquities of ancient America as can be seen from his writings, sermons, and personal conversations. He seemed to show particular interest in the discoveries in Central America as proof of Nephite and Lamanite existence. The ruined city of Quirigua he believed was the same as the city of Zarahemla.

Chapter three deals specilically with the Book of Mormon, its coming forth and contents, and the positive effect it has had upon people.

“The trembling hands of young Joseph Smith uncovered the buried golden plates of Mormon and Moroni, lost chapters of an undreamed-of history of Israelite tribes and the Christian Savior in the New World. As the depraved Lamanite had purused the Nephite Mormon and his son to death, so did young Smith feel besieged by the competing claims of rival evangelists and revivalists in his ’Burned-Over District.’ It was no surprise that the analogous tale told in the plates struck a note deep within him. And as the Nephites had long survived as a parallel branch of biblical Israel in the western hemisphere, so would the Church of the Latter-day Saints make its lonely but triumphant way through the generations as a parallel version of the Christian religion shared, at arm’s length, by most other Americans.”

Abstract: In the past decades much of the debate regarding Joseph Smith and plural marriage has focused on his motivation — whether libido or divine inspiration drove the process. Throughout these debates, a small group of observers and participants have maintained that Joseph did not practice polygamy at any time or that his polygamous sealings were nonsexual spiritual marriages. Rather than simply provide supportive evidence for Joseph Smith’s active involvement with plural marriage, this article examines the primary arguments advanced by monogamist proponents to show that important weaknesses exist in each line of reasoning.

Joseph Smith was an explorer, a discoverer, and a revealer of past worlds. He described an ancient America replete with elaborate detail and daring specificity, rooted and grounded in what he claimed were concrete, palpable artifacts. He recuperated texts of Adam, Abraham, Enoch, and Moses to resurrect and reconstitute a series of past patriarchal ages, not as mere shadows and types of things to come, but as dispensations of gospel fullness equaling, and in some cases surpassing, present plenitude. And he revealed an infinitely receding premortal past—not of the largely mythic Platonic variety and not a mere Wordsworthian, sentimental intimation—but a fully formed realm of human intelligences, divine parents, and heavenly councils.

When discussing Joseph Smith’s role as a translator, many only associate the Prophet with his role in the translation of the Book of Mormon. However, he successfully translated at least three additional ancient texts.

Published first in the Salt Lake Tribune, July 26, 1908, written as if Joseph Smith had authored this pamphlet. The Book of Mormon condemns polygamy as an abomination. Charges that none of Joseph’s words can be used to vindicate this practice. The Lord does not allow polygamy in his church.

Abstract: Dr. Michael Coe is a prominent Mesoamerican scholar and author of a synthesis and review of ancient Mesoamerican Indian cultures entitled The Maya.
Dr. Coe is also a prominent skeptic of the Book of Mormon. However, there is in his book strong evidence that favors the Book of Mormon, which Dr. Coe has not taken into account. This article analyzes that evidence, using Bayesian statistics. We apply a strongly skeptical prior assumption that the Book of Mormon “has little to do with early Indian cultures,” as Dr. Coe claims. We then compare 131 separate positive correspondences or points of evidence between the Book of Mormon and Dr. Coe’s book. We also analyze negative points of evidence between the Book of Mormon and The Maya, between the Book of Mormon and a 1973 Dialogue article written by Dr. Coe, and between the Book of Mormon and a series of Mormon Stories podcast interviews given by Dr. Coe to Dr. John Dehlin. After using the Bayesian methodology to analyze both positive and negative correspondences, we reach an enormously stronger and very positive conclusion. There is overwhelming evidence that the Book of Mormon has physical, political, geographical, religious, military, technological, and cultural roots in ancient Mesoamerica. As a control, we have also analyzed two other books dealing with ancient American Indians: View of the Hebrews and Manuscript Found. We compare both books with The Maya using the same statistical methodology and demonstrate that this methodology leads to rational conclusions about whether or not such books describe peoples and places similar to those described in The Maya.

Many bear witness of Joseph Smith’s divine mission and the Book of Mormon’s authenticity. They never denied their testimonies. Many reformers testilied of the apostasy of the Church and looked forward to a restoration. During the lirst vision Joseph was told to join no church. An angel delivered the Book of Mormon plates restoring the primitive gospel of Christ.

Joseph Smith did not write the Book of Mormon. Rather, “by the gift and power of God” he translated the writings of many authors who wrote at different times and under various circumstances.

Gives evidence and reasons that Joseph Smith did not quote from the Bible in translating the Book of Mormon as many critics suggest.

The first section of this work focuses on “the political theory of the Book of Mormon” Several political aspects are treated, including the founding of the Nephite republic (Mosiah 29:10-29), the welfare of the state (Alma 4:11-12, 15-20), and the ideal Christian society (4 Nephi 1-3, 16-17).

Scott examines the different versions of the account of Joseph Smith’s 1823 vision, and he notes how the story was amplified over time. With these comparisons, Scott notes anachronisms that betray the falseness of the origins of the Book of Mormon.

Claims that the gold plates may have weighed 234 pounds, making them far too heavy for a single individual to carry.

The Book of Mormon treats many topics that most nineteenth-century Christians would have been thoroughly familiar with: the fall, atonement, and resurrection, just to name a few. However, the Book of Mormon treats these subjects in a way that would have required such readers to rethink their relationship with the divine, their place in Christian history, and God’s relationship to history. Christ’s visit to the New World, the continuance of the scriptural canon, and abundant personalized revelation all create a text that is both familiar and radical.

Several approaches to interpreting Joseph Smith’s use of the so-called Jewish and Christian apocryphal literature have been employed both by critics of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (hereafter LDS), and by those professing faith in the Church and whose interests may be classified as apologetic. These approaches span the range of being probative of Joseph Smith’s restoration of lost texts and scripture and being dismissive of Mormonism generally, because its sacred religious texts are founded on flagrant plagiarism of apocryphal literature.[1] Before one can answer the most important historical question at hand, how Joseph Smith used the Apocrypha and what relationship that body of literature had to early Mormon writings, it seems prudent to first of all establish some controls on the discussion. This is necessary because previous discussions have largely contented themselves with drawing out parallels between apocryphal writings and early Mormon publications without any discussion of whether or not Joseph Smith had access to the texts under discussion. Moreover, a wide variety of modern translations of ancient apocryphal texts are often employed when there is no possible way that someone living in the early nineteenth century could have known them. This is particularly important when citing phrases or words that Joseph Smith might have incorporated into the language of his revelations.

Provides the accounts of Joseph Smith’s first vision. Also, contains a description of the religious and economical environment of Palmyra as a background for the first vision. Uses the Book of Mormon as a witness of Joseph Smith’s divine calling. A separate chapter gives a brief account of the Three Witnesses and the Eight Witnesses.

Discourse by Elder Orson Pratt, delivered in the New Tabernacle, Salt Lake City, Sunday Afternoon, September 20, 1874. Reported By: David W. Evans.

This study of Isaiah in the [Book of Mormon] will first briefly examine the source of the [Book of Mormon] Isaiah text with a recommendation for a historical approach to the study of the text. Then, using this approach, it will explore two examples of the [Book of Mormon]’s interpretation of Isaiah, one where the interpretation follows the citation and one where the interpretation is interwoven with the Isaiah text.

The latter-day restoration of the gospel included the restoration of much significant truth to the Bible. It brought about the restoration of biblical history that had been lost and the restoration of biblical texts that had been changed or omitted or were in need of clarification. More important, it included the restoration of biblical doctrine that had been either removed, distorted, or simply misinterpreted by a world that did not enjoy the fulness of the gospel.
Shortly after the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saint was organized, the Prophet Joseph Smith was instructed by the Lord to undertake a careful reading of the Bible to revise and make corrections in accordance with the inspiration that he would receive. The result was a work of profound significance for the Church that included the revelation of many important truths and the restoration of many of the “precious things” that the Book of Mormon prophet Nephi had foretold would be taken from the Bible (1 Ne. 13:23–29). In June 1830 the first revealed addition to the Bible was set to writing. Over the next three years, the Prophet made changes, additions, and corrections as were given him by divine inspiration while he filled his calling to provide a more correct translation for the Church. Collectively, these are called the Joseph Smith Translation (JST), a name first applied in the 1970s, or the New Translation, as Joseph Smith and others in his day referred to it.

In an effort to discount the Book of Mormon, Philastus Hurlbut collected over eighty signatures of those who knew the bad character of Joseph Smith and his family (affidavits contained in the appendix). Author examines Hugh Nibley’s Myth Makers and finds misrepresentations and failure to consider vital sources. Considers Richard L. Anderson’s “Joseph Smith’s New York Reputation Reappraised,” finding it also to fall short. This author finds that the allegations against Joseph Smith are true since the testimonies of many New York citizens have not been discredited.

“Besides the extensive list of parallels between the Bible and the Book of Mormon, this book examines many other possible sources used to create the text, i.e. the Apocrypha, the Westminster Confession, various newspapers and books, etc. Also examined is the Solomon Spalding theory, common phrases, chiasmus (Hebrew poetic form), influence of Freemasonry and folk magic, and the problems with the loss of the first 116 pages of the Book of Mormon manuscript.”

Joseph Smith received the golden plates on the Israelite Day of Remembrance (or Rosh ha-Shanah). Biblical references and interpretation by Jewish sages through the centuries set this day as the day God would remember his covenants with Israel to bring them back from exile. Also called the Feast of Trumpets, this day features ritual trumpet blasts to signify the issuance of revelation and a call for Israel to gather for God’s word of redemption. The day, which is set at the time of Israel’s final agricultural harvest, also symbolizes the Lord’s final harvest of souls. Furthermore, it initiates the completion of the Lord’s time periods, the Days of Awe, and signifies the last time to prepare for final judgment and the Messianic Age. The coming forth of the Book of Mormon is literally fulfilling such prophecies of the day.

Explains Joseph Smith and the Book of Mormon on the basis of the contemporary environment. Deals with the purpose of the Book of Mormon and Joseph Smith as its translator or author. Includes chapters on the “lost book” of the Indians, the “sticks” in Ezekiel 37, the prophecies in Isaiah, and the role of masonry.

This book discusses the origins of Joseph Smith’s seer stones and explores how Joseph used them throughout his life in a way that goes beyond translating the Book of Mormon. It also traces the provenance of the seer stones once they leave his possession. The authors also examine how the Book of Mormon itself provides a storyline about the history of seer stones, which also helped Joseph Smith learn about his own prophetic gifts. Finally, this book explores how Joseph Smith took his own experiences with seer stones and created a theology of seer stones that became closely linked with his unique doctrines of exaltation. ISBN 978-1-9443-9405-9

Discourse by Apostle George Teasdale, delivered in the Assembly Hall, Salt Lake City, Sunday Afternoon, January 13, 1884. Reported By: John Irvine.

Stephen Ricks discusses what Joseph Smith and his companions said about translating the Book of Mormon. They document the intense period of activity from April to June 1829, during which nearly all the translation took place.

“The 19th century Book of Mormon, which was at the base of the creation and spread of a new religious movement in the United States, has been used as an example of what translation scholars have called pseudo-translations (Toury 1995, 2005; Hermans 2007; Vidal 2010). However, the Mormon canon is based upon other documents, also presented as translations to Mormon believers. This paper examines the use of translation as the instrument of normalization of the Mormon movement. The first sections provide a short introduction to the emergence of Mormonism in New York State and to the role of translation in the spread of Christianity. From here we move to study the three types of translations Joseph Smith, the founder of the Church, claimed to have resorted to for the production of his three major works, i.e. The Book of Mormon, the translation of the Bible and the Book of Abraham. In other words, pseudo-translation, interlingual translation and intersemiotic translation. The final section contends that translation is the key element that gives cohesion to the three. It also discusses a controversial component of the original “translated” doctrine : the allegations that racism is present in the original works and the ways in which the Church has coped with such allegations.” [Abstract from Article]

This article quotes the Eighth Article of Faith declaring that Latter-day Saints believe both the Bible and the Book of Mormon to be the words of God. Nephi taught that the Hebrew scriptures had “plain and precious parts” removed. For this reason Joseph Smith was called on to revise the Bible and produce an “inspired translation.

This article argues that it is more difficult to think Joseph Smith could invent the Book of Mormon, given his youth, limited experience, and opportunities, than to believe he was inspired. Joseph would have needed extensive research to have learned, for example, that Native Americans used stone boxes for the burial of valuables, a fact virtually unknown in his day. Not until 1906 were such boxes discovered in the areas of Toronto, Tennessee, Illinois, and New Mexico.

An apologetic work written in reply to an attack made by Rev. William Sheldon against Joseph Smith and the Book of Mormon.

Explore the life and mission of Joseph Smith in this six-episode DVD and the companion book of essays. Thirty-three respected scholars — including Richard E Turley Jr., Andrew C. Skinner, Larry C. Porter, Milton V. Backman and Robert J. Matthews — examine a variety of topics about the Prophet. This volume and DVD teach us about Joseph Smith while nourishing our testimonies that he was indeed the Lord\'s anointed prophet, called to bring forth the truths of the gospel of Jesus Christ. Latter-day Saints will treasure them both!

Abstract: The first 450 years of Nephite history are dominated by two main threads: the ethno-political tension between Nephites and Lamanites and religious tension between adherents of rival theologies. These rival Nephite theologies are a Mantic theology that affirms the existence of Christ and a Sophic theology that denies Christ. The origin of both narrative threads lies in the Old World: the first in conflicts between Nephi and Laman, the second in Lehi’s rejection of King Josiah’s theological and political reforms. This article focuses on these interrelated conflicts. It suggests that Zoram, Laman, Lemuel, Sherem, and the Zeniffites were Deuteronomist followers of Josiah. The small plates give an account of how their Deuteronomist theology gradually supplanted the gospel of Christ. As the small plates close, their last author, Amaleki, artfully confronts his readers with a life-defining choice: having read the Book of Mormon thus far, will you remain, metaphorically, with the prophets in Zarahemla and embrace the Restored Gospel of Jesus Christ, or will you return to the land of Nephi and the theology you believed and the life you lived before you read the Book of Mormon?.

In 1951 in The Improvement Era, Sidney B. Sperry published a short article titled “Some Problems of Interest Relating to the Brass Plates.” In this article he outlines several problems including issues related to the Pentateuch, Jeremiah’s prophecies, The Book of the Law, and the Brass Plates themselves. In many ways, Sperry laid down a gauntlet that has been taken up many times by LDS scholars looking for answers that help to explain these issues in the Book of Mormon within the context of the best current biblical scholarship.

Review of El Libro de Mormon ante la critica (1992), by Josué Sánchez

A collection of papers from letters and journals kept by Talmage. Two letters report Talmage’s work on revision of the Book of Mormon, suggesting to the First Presidency a list of minor revisions.