Book of mormon authorship theories

The pivotal point to prove is if the book of mormon was written by the people of a long time ago who resided on the american continent, or, by joseph smith in the nineteenth century, us. For example, the opening now says the spaldingrigdon theory of book of mormon authorship is the story that the book of mormon was plagiarized. This video discusses all of the main theories critics try and point to for alternative ways the book of mormon could be produced and how these. Spaldingrigdon theory of book of mormon authorship wikipedia. Those who do not accept the book of mormon as scripture offer many theories about its origin. Pratt as key players in the authorship of the book.

Here is a brief overview regarding the authorship of isaiah. Joseph smith wrote the book on his own, without assistance and with full knowledge. Religious studies center, brigham young university, 1982. One of the earliest theories was that the book of mormon was based on a manuscript by solomon spaulding also spelled spalding, a fictional story about early inhabitants of america. In this episode, laura harris hales interviews brant a. Apr 23, 2020 the problem with all theories of the book of mormons authorship that include a prolonged composition period is that there were many witnesses to at least parts of the translation process, all of whom point to a short production period. Theories about the authorship of the book of mormon have sprouted ever since the rumors of the books existence reached the public in palmyra, new york. Their mutually supporting conclusions should therefore be taken seriously by anyone assessing questions of book of mormon authorship. New light on ancient origins, published in 1982 by byus religious studies center and also edited by noel reynolds. Any book of mormon authorship theory needs to adequately explain the trends related to the three voice nsl model, specifically 1 the difference between n and s, focusing on the first half of the bom where the distinction is most pure and 2 the l. Joseph smith wrote the book on his own by plagiarizing works that were available to him. Miraculous origins theories generally accept joseph smiths own account, that he translated an ancient record compiled and abridged by mormon, a precolumbian resident of the western hemisphere.

Authorship theories for the book of mormon an overview of secular authorship theories for the book of mormon. Skeptics have put forth several theories of book of mormon authorship that do not require believing in golden plates delivered by angels and translated by a miracle. The theory the joseph smith plagiarized view of the hebrews was never advanced during his lifetime. Having exhausted the more bizarre and byzantine explanations of the coming forth of the book of mormon written by joseph smith, plagiarized from solomon spaulding or ethan smith, written by oliver cowdery or sidney rigdon, dictated under the spell of epileptic seizures, etc. Though these varieties of objections and theories are still defended in many quarters, they are not supported by modern authorship studies and. The most common belief of adherents is that promoted by joseph smith, who said he translated ancient golden plates inscribed by prophets. The 15 essays in book of mormon authorship revisited present the latest research by lds scholars on the question in an effort to demonstrate that the weight of scholarly evidence is on the side of authenticity.

Is it possible that a single author wrote the book of mormon. I also summarized 24 pieces of evidence, pointing to sidney rigdon as a key contributor and likely mastermind for the 1830 version of the book of mormon. The solomon spaulding manuscript theory of book of mormon authorship the dartmouth university connections to the book of mormon the view of the hebrews theory of book. The abundance of skeptical theories about who wrote the book of mormon has led many scholars to seek scientific data to discover the answer. Who really wrote the book of mormon the critics and their. The spaldingrigdon theory of book of mormon authorship is the theory that the book of mormon was plagiarized in part from an unpublished manuscript written by solomon spalding. It is about proving the ancient origins of the book of mormon. Apr 22, 2016 skeptics have put forth several theories of book of mormon authorship that do not require believing in golden plates delivered by angels and translated by a miracle. It has no connection with the spaulding manuscript. The evidence for ancient origins, edited by noel b. Theorized usage of spaldings work in book of mormon main article. Timeline and mechanics for dictating the book of mormon.

This is a followup to my article, joseph smith and the american renaissance, published in dialogue. Members of the church of jesus christ of latterday saints view the book of mormon as scripture written by ancient prophets, while critics believe that it is a 19thcentury fraud. November 27, 2017 what can stylometry tell us about book of. There are several theories as to the origin of the book of mormon. In this and a companion essay i provide an analysis of the two prevalent authorship theories for the book of mormon. Book of mormonauthorship theoriesoverview fairmormon. Dan vogel theories of book of mormon authorship pt. Once we have a foundational testimony of the book of mormon, then. They are the socalled spaldingrigdon theory and the smithassole author theory. What can stylometry tell us about book of mormon authorship. The idea is that sidney rigdon got a hold of the manuscript and used it to author the book of mormon. This book is a collection of scholastic works mostly from brigham young scholars.

The book of mormon narrative is full of absurdities that demonstrate its a work of fiction. In isaiah in the book of mormon, edited by donald w. The spalding rigdon theory of book of mormon authorship is the theory that the book of mormon was plagiarized in part from an unpublished manuscript written by solomon spalding. Midgley, who really wrote the book of mormon the critics and their theories, in noel b. An overview of secular authorship theories for the book of mormon jump to subtopic. Book of mormon secular authorship theories usually fall into one of the following categories. Book of mormonauthorship theoriesview of the hebrews. Unconventional book of mormon geography theories mormon matters. The heartland model or heartland theory of book of mormon geography states that the book of mormon events primarily occurred in the heartland of north america. Also, if its called the spaldingrigdon theory, its not even consistent. Byu studies, naturalistic explanations of the origin of the book of mormon.

The dartmouth university connections to the book of mormon. What authorship theories are proposed by nonbelievers to account for the authorship of the book of mormon. Using computerized text and powerful statistical techniques, they were able to establish that the different sections of the book of mormon were authored by different people and that none was authored by joseph smith, sidney rigdon, oliver cowdery, or other 19th. A readers guide, have attempted to move the discussion away from polemics to an appreciation for the book.

The contributions concerning the recovery of the book of mormon bushman, the original manuscript skousen, the critical theories on who wrote the book of mormon. New light on ancient origins, religious studies monograph series vol. Foundation for ancient research and mormon studies, 1997. Mormon stories february, 2019 book of mormon, church.

The prevailing theory of the day was the spalding theory, which quickly lost credibility upon the discovery of an actual spalding manuscript in 1884 which bore no resemblance to the book of mormon. Many reject joseph smiths claims that he received and translated the book of mormon through divine direction and assistance. Rencher, and tim layton published the first complete analysis of the book of mormon using the then adolescent tool of computerized stylometry, or wordprinting. Joseph smith as the sole author, without intentional assistance, possibly reflecting smiths own life events. It was first published in march 1830 by joseph smith as the book of mormon. Additionally rigdon, who was a preacher, weaved his own religious views into the story. One can easily see from the chart the dramatic difference between book of mormon authors and the contemporary authors of the bible. A short history, journal of the book of mormon and other restoration scripture 21, no. Spaldingrigdon theory of book of mormon authorship. Isaiah in the book of mormon religious studies center. The book of mormon never claims that the people it describes were either the only or even the predominant inhabitants of america. In order to help shed light on this issue, several studies have relied upon a type of analysis called stylometry.

Debunking 5 myths about the book of mormon lds living. The hill cumorah in ontario county ny is the hill where joseph smith found the golden plates and is the same hill where the civilizations of the nephites cumorah and the jaredites ramah fought their last battles. Sep 29, 2011 i am curious as to how mormons deal with fact that the book of mormon contains chapters of deuteroisaiah e. A readers guide, have attempted to move the discussion away from polemics to an appreciation for the books. On the other hand, if its origin is godgiven, then joseph smith was a prophet, and if he was a prophet, then the church of jesus christ of latterday saints is true. Tvedtnes, colophons in the book of mormon, in rediscovering the book of mormon, ed.

A closer look, nearly sixteen years ago, his ideas in regard to book of mormon structure, content, and authorship have received widespread notice both within and without the latter day saint community. In terms of literary style, theme, and vocabulary, the book of. The debate over the authenticity of the book of mormon. These theories represent extremes in a range of possibilities. In these episodes, we continue our deep dive into explaining the authorship of the book of mormon including these topics. Smith translated the text from the writings of ancient prophets, while critics have endlessly recycled inadequate theories of plagiarism or co authorship. Since the book of mormon was first published, many have been unwilling to accept joseph smiths account of how it was produced. Some publications that support larsen, rencher, and laytons work, besides those referenced in nn. Smith and orson hyde visited conneaut, ohio, and preached from the book of mormon. In the first essay i discussed why authorship of the book of mormon is important, how bias affects the analysis, and i critiqued some of the major authorship theories. The book of mormon does not contradict the land bridge migration theory. The sidney rigdon theory of book of mormon authorship.

Dec 12, 2017 since the book of mormons publication in 1830, a number of different theories have been proposed concerning its authorship. The solomon spaulding manuscript theory of book of mormon authorship the dartmouth university connections to the book of mormon the view of the hebrews theory of book of. Dan vogel the book of mormon as revelation instead of translation. There are no records which indicate that joseph smith came into contact with the view of the hebrews during the period of time that he was translating the book of mormon.

Having first been developed in the 1850s, stylometry seeks to find the wordprint of a text. Scholars today have varying theories about the true authorship of the book of mormon, but most conclude that smith composed the book himself, possibly with the help of oliver cowdery and sidney rigdon, drawing from information and publications available in his time, including the king james bible, the wonders of nature, and view of the hebrews. Book of mormon video soundtrack various artists full album duration. A longitudinal study the spalding theory of book of mormon authorship. The spaldingrigdon theory of book of mormon authorship is the theory that the book of mormon was plagiarized in part from an unpublished manuscript. Wilfred griggs, the book of mormon as an ancient book, in book of mormon authorship. The theory first appeared in print in the book mormonism unvailed, published in 1834 by e. In the contributors view, one cannot prove scientifically that ancient prophets wrote the book of mormon. Dan vogel the book of mormon as revelation instead of translation 10701071. Dan vogel the book of mormon witnesses and the magical worldview. Book of mormon author theories refuted fair mormon. Many book of mormon research projects have implications for the continuing issues surrounding the authorship of the book of mormon. The theory first appeared in print in the book mormonism unvailed sic, published in 1834 by e. Who really wrote the book of mormon the critics and.

Part 3 presents textual studies that demonstrate the plausibility of the book of mormon as an ancient book, and part 4 updates scholars attempts to understand the ancient cultural and. 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. Book of mormon authorship revisited is a sequel to book of mormon authorship. He is the author of several books and articles discussing the text of the book of mormon and ancient mesoamerica. A foundational premise of the jockers study was that the once prominent, though long discarded, spauldingridgon theory of book of mormon authorship might actually be valid. The extensive use of the phrase it came to pass in the book of mormon across all of the books, i believe, suggest a single author. Apr 20, 2009 unconventional book of mormon geography theories mormon heretic april 20, 2009 book of mormon, geography, historicity, lamanites, mormon 342 comments its been over a year since someone posted something on book of mormon geography, so i think its about time. Vernal holleys book of mormon authorship annotated. An account written by the hand of mormon upon plates taken from the plates of nephi. King james style despite the book of mormon being published in 1830, its narrative attempts to employ the antiquated english style of the early modern era, as though to make it read more like the king james version of the bible published in 1611. Bruce schaalje, stylometric analyses of the book of mormon. In light of the growing body of significant insights into the antiquity of the book of mormon, this volume refreshes, updates, and extends the.

The view of the hebrews theory of book of mormon authorship. Theories that the book of mormon essentially wrote itself with no help. Spaldingrigdon theory of book of mormon authorship in 1832, latter day saint missionaries samuel h. The person who proposes this idea, scott dunn, gives us the following definition of automatic writing. Since the book of mormon s publication in 1830, a number of different theories have been proposed concerning its authorship. Most adherents to the latter day saint movement view the book as a work of inspired scripture. Some mormon scholars, like grant hardy, who wrote understanding the book of mormon. In contrast the larsen, hilton, and fields studies each produced sound results. Most latterday saints are aware of a minor industry in certain religious circles in the united states devoted to refuting mormonism and to criticizing the book of mormon. Proposed book of mormon geographical setting wikipedia. One of the earliest theories of book of mormon authorship was that joseph plagiarized the unpublished manuscript of a novel written by the reverend solomon spalding. Deuteroisaiah in book of mormon general discussions.

Multiple witnesses had a motive to contradict their earlier testimony, but none did. In fact, clues in its text hint at the presence of other groups book of mormon and dna studies. At least one critic of the book of mormon attempts to explain the complexity of the book by suggesting that joseph smith wrote it using a process called automatic writing or spirit writing. Authorship of the book of isaiah in light of the book of mormon. The book of mormon as an ancient book religious studies center. An introduction to the relevance of and a methodology for a study of the proper names of the book of mormon. A study in colophons, headers, and source indicators, journal of book of mormon studies 22 1993. The spalding rigdon theory was first given wide publicity in 1834 with the publication of the book mormonism unvailed. One can, however, definitively refute false claims as well as give evidence in support of the divine theory. For those who have read the earlier work, revisited is an excellent complement. Mormon stories february, 2019 book of mormon, church history, joseph smith 9 comments continuing our discussion with preeminent joseph smith historian dan vogel, we dive deep into explaining the authorship of the book of mormon including these topics. Midgley has pointed out that alternate theories on the authorship of the book fall into four main categories. Book of mormon authorship the encyclopedia of mormonism.

Dan vogel theories of book of mormon authorship mormon stories february, 2019 book of mormon, church history, joseph smith 7 comments we are excited to welcome back preeminent joseph smith historian dan vogel to mormon stories podcast. Joseph smith, the book of mormon, and the american. Book of mormon central, what can stylometry tell us about book of mormon authorship. Since the book of mormons publication in 1830, a number of different theories have been proposed concerning its authorship. We are excited to welcome back preeminent joseph smith historian dan vogel to mormon stories podcast.

Book of mormonauthorship theoriesautomatic writing. Foundation for ancient research and mormon studies, 1997, 2, note 18. Nov 01, 2016 as a result, if the book of mormon can be proved to be manmade, then the church is manmade. Book of mormon scholarship, theories, and folklore brant a. Timeline and mechanics for dictating the book of mormon 10681069. Oct 27, 2019 this video discusses all of the main theories critics try and point to for alternative ways the book of mormon could be produced and how these arguments fall apart when the details are explored. Religious studies center, brigham young university, 1982, 75102. Remember also, that the book of mormon, unlike the bible, was supposedly written on golden plates. The view of the hebrews theory of book of mormon authorship the sidney rigdon theory of book of mormon authorship. In it, the author followed up on indications previously published in ohiobased newspapers that a man named solomon spalding was the real and unwitting originator of the book of mormon this is in contrast to some lds apologists who claim that the author simply. There are differing views on the origin of the book of mormon. The solomon spaulding manuscript theory of book of mormon authorship.