Most adherents to the latter day saint movement view the book as a work of inspired scripture. The instances of text creation and most instances of reading texts suggest that documents were written by and for an elite class who were able to read and write. The book of mormon is a strange work, whether read as fiction, sacred history, or revealed mythos. The adoption of biblical archaisms in the book of mormon and other. It is not a good defensive position, it has no archaeology that supports any of the events of the book of mormon, any people being there during book of mormon times. Feasting on the word is both a heartfelt and a thoughtful book, as clearly reasoned as it is faithful.
The book of mormon in american missions at the turn of the. Literacy and orality in the book of mormon interpreter. In journal of the book of mormon and other restoration scripture, 201 2011. This claim, as well as all claims to historical authenticity of the book of mormon, are rejected by nonlatter day saint historians and scientists. William smith, thenottooreligious younger brother of joseph smith, was recently invoked by a commenter here in an effort to impugn the testimony of the eight witnesses of the book of mormon. Translating by the gift and power of god parallels between the book of mormon nephiteslamanites and the maya civilization. The book of mormon is a literate product of a literate culture. The smith family, cowdery, harris, and other old neighborswhat they know. There is a hill in new york that is called cumorah. In this article we will consider another major area of ancient american life and several. An account written by the hand of mormon upon the plates taken from the plates of nephi. Below is the modern map of the area of smiths youth. William hill brown 17651793 american novelist, poet, playwright, and essayist. It is the sacred text for the 15 millionstrong church of jesus christ of latterday saints.
A scene from the book of mormon being depicted in the hill cumorah. Roberts clearly emphasized the literal nature of the work. The most common belief of adherents is that promoted by joseph smith, who said he translated ancient golden plates inscribed by prophets. The significance of the work, in literary terms, is that the text of the book of mormon represents a first draft one with little revision to. Mormon buried all the plates except the gold plates. During the same period, increasingly careful study of the book of mormon by. Countercult ministriesthe interactive bibledifficult. For the first 150 years of mormonisms existence, everyone thought it was a story about a people who left the middle east and came to south or central america, and who fought wars clear up into new. Smith claimed the angel moroni, a prophet in the book of mormon. His presence causes a great disturbance among the citizens, and abinadi is 1 bound and thrown into prison.
The demise of one mormon myth about the hill cumorah. Articles by author book of mormon archaeological forum. He wandered alone for three decades in a hostile land and finished the record which would come forth in a later day. According to most adherents of the latter day saint movement, the book of mormon is a 19thcentury translation of a record of ancient inhabitants of the american continent, which was written in a script which the book refers to as reformed egyptian.
Before i deal with some confusion about a quote from william, let me point out that he is an interesting and oftenoverlooked witness for the reality of. The book of mormon is supposed to be a history of real people living in a real place. Critics of the book of mormon claim that major portions of it are copied, without attribution, from the bible. Two others are by the hand of mormon and the book of mormon. The book of mormon emulates the language and style of the king james bible because that is the scriptural style joseph smith, translator of the book of mormon, was familiar with. Literary style used in book of mormon insured accurate translation. Mormon personal journals, incidentally, are a primary literary type. Its the calling card for thousands of missionaries, and part of the inspiration for a tony awardwinning broadway musical. He would then appear to joseph smith as a resurrected being. The theme was consistently maintained into the early 1900s, such as when prominent lds leaders like b.
It was first published in march 1830 by joseph smith as the book of mormon. Literary style used in the book of mormon hugh nibley. The book of mormon as a modern expansion of an ancient source. Joseph smiths own writings have a very different style than the wording of the book of mormon. Royal skousen at brigham young university, a project that will likely create the need for.
The lds church has published material indicating that science will support the. This volume features articles that look at literary aspects of the book of mormon, including a lyric reading of nephis psalm, the exodus pattern and moses typology in the book, the literary context that affected its acceptance in england in. Not only has a similar feat been performed before, it has been performed better. In october 1825, at the age of 20, smith went to work for, and lived with, josiah. This compilation of groundbreaking book of mormon articles is selected from over fifty years of lds scholarship published by byu studies.
It is not necessary for me to suggest that maintenance of the truth of the book of mormon is absolutely essential to the integrity of the whole mormon movement, for it is. A study of the similarities between spauldings manuscript story and the book of mormon would not be complete without comparing the style of writing in the two works. The poem is by a mormon and appeared in an anthology of mormon poetry and was labelled by a mormon scholar of literature as a mormon poem. Nevertheless, behind the obvious literacy, there are clues to a primary orality in nephite culture. David bokovoys work and grant hardys understanding the book of mormon have already been mentioned and both would qualify as efforts that bracket issues of truthfulness to evaluate the literary value. The book of mormon states, and behold, in the end of this book ye shall see that this gadianton did prove the overthrow, yea, almost the entire destruction of the people of nephi helaman 2. Welch, the book of mormon and the heavenly book motif, in reexploring the book of mormon, pp. Every writer has a style of writing just as he has his own. Book of mormon difficulties, contradictions and explanations. The book of mormons mother culture of the new world. January 2, 1988 by ben crowder apocryphal works, attack, bible, bible king james version, bible quoted in book of mormon, biblical scholars, blasphemy, book of mormon, carl popper, discovery progress of, holy ghost, imperfections, jerusalem, moroni, outside books, paul the apostle, philology.
Smith claimed the angel moroni, a prophet in the book of mormon, directed him in the 1820s to a hill near his home in palmyra, new york where the plates were buried. They also believe the history was originally inscribed on metal plates that were buried for. While olivers letters are an important historical resource, and while they capture olivers deeply moving. In the book of mormon, the prophet abinadi enters the nowwicked city of lehinephi and begins preaching to the people. History and historicity in the book of mormon fairmormon.
Additionally, the book of mormon reflects kjv literary and linguistic style. William annis, commenting on various linguistic blogs, offers the. Articles alphabetical book of mormon archaeological forum. Melchizedek was an old testament king who also appears in the book of mormon. The literary masterpiece called the book of mormon. The style of the book of mormon, on the other hand, can best be described as fractured.
According to hugh nibley, the father of contemporary mormon scriptural and theological scholarship, the book of mormon can and should be tested. Readers interested in mormon studies or mid19thcentury american religions will be enlightened by daviss thorough analysis. In these letters he describes important events relative to the coming forth of the book of mormon and the early history of joseph smith. Gideon burton brigham young university presentation to the association for. Most adherents to the latter day saint movement view the book as a work of. Book of mormon wikimili, the best wikipedia reader. Richard van wagoner and steve walker, joseph smith. Similarly, procopius laid much of the blame for the degeneration of the. The demise of one mormon myth about the hill cumorah by stoddard. Some say it is a work of fiction, or even a fullblown lie. Joseph smith said that the book of mormon was the most correct of any book on earth. A biblical scholar looks at the book of mormon mormons.
Kelley, the hill cumorah and the book of mormon, the saints herald plano, illinois, 1 june 1881, pp. It does not fit any of the requirements for the book of mormon hill cumorah. It was first published in 1830 in palmyra, new york, and was thereafter widely reprinted and translated. The book of mormon is a sacred text of the latter day saint movement, which, according to adherents, contains writings of ancient prophets who lived on the american continent from approximately 2200 bc to ad 421. In fact, recently the book of mormon was named the fourth most influential book in american literature.
Book of mormon, work accepted as holy scripture, in addition to the bible, in the church of jesus christ of latterday saints and other mormon churches. I dont, however, have any more substantive argument as to why this is a mormon poem, although i can imagine that one might be made. Its followers hold that it is a divinely inspired work revealed to and translated by the. Dahl, theories of the origin, translation process and publication of the book of mormon, unpublished 1982 paper. The book of mormon, like the bible, contains a record of gods dealings with a part of the house of israel. According to john welch, a book as a symbol in the revelatory experience is also found in 1 enoch and the vision of hermas. Linguistically based assertions are frequently cited and discussed in the context of the subject of. The book of mormon is the doctrinal centerpiece of the church of jesus christ of latterday saints. Complexity of literary style was one of the reasons the hieroglyphic writing. The term chiasmus is never used, but this book clearly shows that hebrew poetic styles were recognized and studied even before joseph smiths time.
The book of mormon is a sacred text of the latter day saint movement, which, according to. One morning at the hill cumorah, he had a revelatory experience so. In late 1834 to early 1835 oliver cowdery wrote a series of letters for the mormon newspaper the messenger and advocate. Joseph smith seems to have had an unusually close relationship with josiah stowell and joseph knight, through the years, from the time smith first claimed knowledge of the ancient nephite record, until the book of mormon was published. The book of mormon is part of the scriptural canon of the church of jesus christ of latterday saints, or often referred to as the mormon church. They believe the book contains an abridged history of the progenitors of the american indians. Does chiasmus appear in the book of mormon by chance. The revelations in the book of commandments up to june, 1829, were given through the stone, through which the book of mormon was translated. However, along with its incomparable spiritual message, the book of mormon contains a wealth of literary forms and figures of speech containing dozens of literary patterns.
The book of mormon asserts that indians are of hebrew descent, specifically from one of the lost tribes joseph, and uses the old testament to support this. Multiple writers contributed to the book of mormon. As early as 1831, eber howe, in his antimormon book mormonism. As the most widely distributed religious book in america after the bible, it has inspired religious faith, derision, and oftensuperficial treatment by analysts put off by its ponderous style, large claims, and deceptively complex structure. In case you didnt know, the book of mormon is an actual booknot just a successful broadway musical. The final writer in the book of mormon, the abridger of the book of ether, and the son of the prophet and historian mormon.
The book of mormon is a record written by such prophets in the new world, covering with one more ancient exception a time span of 600 b. Could joseph smith have written the book of mormon. Elders is the name of exmormon ryan mcilvains justpublished novel, about a. There are several theories as to the origin of the book of mormon. Even as eloquent a defender of the book as terryl givensa professor of religion and literature at the university of richmond who has since the 1990s been an emissary of mormon culture and theology to nonmormon intellectualsfelt compelled to admit that searching for literary wonders in the book of mormon is a bit like seeking lyrical. After the translation of the book of mormon was finished, early in the spring of 1830, before april 6th, joseph gave the stone to oliver cowdery and told me as well as the rest that he was.
That wedding of the rational and the religious works well for a volume which argues that the literary dimensions of the book of mormon contribute deliberately and. Searching for literary wonders in the book of mormon is a bit like seeking. Part of the english language and literature commons, history of religions. Mormon writer helen hinckley jones, commenting on the authorship of the book of mormon, said. The translation of the book of mormon, from dan vogel, ed. The title page of the book of mormon states the following. Implications of eight times and seasons articles that allude to the book of mormon in conjunction with mesoamerica. German ellsworth intensified his call to share the book of mormon. The book of mormon gets the literary treatment religion. An account written by the hand of mormon upon plates taken from the. A printing history of the book of mormon mormon historic sites. Welch argues in favor of ancient origins for book of mormon chiasmus, demonstrating that public awareness of this style was slight in america when the book of mormon was translated.
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