1. Jesus "commandeth all men, everywhere, to repent" (11:32;
cf. Acts 17:30).
2. Repent and believe in Jesus, "And whoso believeth in me,
and is baptized, the same shall be saved; ... And whoso
believeth not in me, and is not baptized, shall be damned"
(11:33-34; cf. Mark 16:16). Here Third Nephi uses words from
the ending of Mark that are recognized as not belonging in the
original biblical text.
3. Whoever believes in Jesus believes in the Father and he
will be visited "with fire and with the Holy Ghost" (11:35;
cf. Matt. 3:11; Luke 3:16).
4. Jesus declares "the Father, and I, and the Holy Ghost are
one" (11:36, 27; cf. John 10:30).
5. A person must "become as a little child, or ye can in
nowise inherit the kingdom of God" (11:38; cf. Luke 18:16-17;
Mark 10:14-15; Matt. 18:3; 19:14).
That other sheep I have which are not of this fold; them also
I must bring, and they shall hear my voice; and there shall be
one fold, and one shepherd (15:17; also 15:21; compare with
John 10:16, John only).
The Third Nephi passage
depends upon the King James Version of
John. Third Nephi proceeds to give its own unique explanation of
what Jesus meant by "other sheep," namely the Nephites and the lost
tribes. It has Jesus saying that he hinted of the continued
existence of this lost group of Israelites by telling the Jews in
Palestine that he had "other sheep ... which are not of this fold,"
but the Jews thought he meant the Gentiles (vv. 21-22). However, he
explains the Gentiles will never personally "hear my voice" but
will learn of Christ only "by the Holy Ghost" (v. 23). Rather than
referring to the Israelites of America, this verse does not refer
to any specific group other than non-Jews or Gentiles.
In the next chapter (chapter
16), Jesus adds that he is
leaving to visit these "other sheep, which are not of this land
[America], neither of the land of Jerusalem" so they may hear his
voice, be numbered among his sheep and thus produce "one fold and
one shepherd" (vv. 1-3). These American Israelites are told that
they are to jot down this information Jesus has shared with them
just in case the Jews fail to inquire by the Holy Ghost about their
existence and the existence of "the other tribes whom they know not
of" (v. 4).
The knowledge given here is
supposedly of importance since the
Gentiles will later use it to reach the remnant of the American
Hebrews who have been scattered over the continent because of their
unbelief. Through this effort and knowledge, they may "be brought
in, or may be brought to a knowledge of me, their Redeemer" (v. 4).
However, the Gentiles themselves should beware, or they will face
rejection by God after they have scattered and mistreated these
descendants of Israel so they have "become a hiss and a byword
among them." If they fall into all kinds of sins and reject "the
fulness of my gospel" (contained in the Book of Mormon), then the
Lord will take that fulness from them and bring it to the house of
Israel (the American Indians) and the Gentiles will no longer have
power over the Indians (vv. 6-12).
However, if the Gentiles
repent, they will be numbered among
the house of Israel. But if they remain stubborn, then the Indians
will "tread them down," for "this land" (America) is divinely
marked to be the inheritance of these sons of Israel (vv. 13-16).
After expounding this unique
eschatological interpretation of John 10:16, Jesus' words continue to pick up phrases from John's
Gospel. In chapter 17, Jesus declares that he would "go unto the
Father" (cf. John 14:28) and also show himself "unto the lost
tribes of Israel" (v. 4). The multitude "did look steadfastly upon
him as if they would ask him to tarry a little longer with them"
(v. 5). Then "the multitude, with one accord, did go forth with
their sick and their afflicted, and their lame, and with their
blind, and with their dumb, and with all them that were afflicted
in any manner; and he did heal them every one as they were brought
forth unto him" (v. 9). They did "bow down at his feet, and did
worship him [Jesus]; and as many as could come for the multitude
did kiss his feet, insomuch that they did bathe his feet with their
tears" (v. 10). Their little children were brought to Jesus,
reported Third Nephi, and "Jesus groaned within himself" (v. 14;
cf. John 11:33) and prayed great and marvelous things. Then he
beheld the multitude and said: "Blessed are ye because of your
faith. And now behold, my joy is full" (v. 20) then "he wept" (v.
21; cf. John 11:35).
Jesus next "took their little
children, one by one, and
blessed them" (v. 21) and prayed for them (see also Matt. 19:13-15;
Mark 10:13-16 and Luke 18:15-17).
The disciples in chapter 18
were then commanded to bring the
sacramental bread and wine to be blessed. For the bread, Jesus is
reported to have said "this shall ye do in remembrance of my body,
which I have shown unto you" (v. 7) and for the wine, "ye shall do
it in remembrance of my blood, which I have shed for you" (v. 11;
cf. Luke 22:19-20; Matt. 26:26-28; Mark 14:22-24 and 1 Cor. 11:23-26).
Third Nephi then continues by
presenting Jesus as uttering the following words:
And if ye shall always do these things blessed are ye, for ye
are built upon my rock. But whoso among you shall do more or
less than these are not built upon my rock, but are built upon
a sandy foundation; and when the rain descends, and the floods
come, and the winds blow, and beat upon them, they shall fall,
and the gates of hell are ready open to receive them (vv.
12-13; cf. Matt. 7:24-27; Luke 6:47-49; Matt. 16:18).
According to Third Nephi,
Jesus reportedly said concerning
prayer: "ye must watch and pray always lest ye enter into
temptation; for Satan desireth to have you, that he may sift you as
wheat" (v. 18; cf. Luke 22:31). To the disciples he further is
reported to have said that they should "not suffer any one
knowingly to partake of my flesh and blood unworthily, when ye
shall minister it" (v. 28). Jesus here is basically following the
instructions which Paul some twenty years later would issue in his
Epistle to the Corinthians, which state:
Wherefore whosoever shall eat this bread, and drink this cup
of the Lord, unworthily, shall be guilty of the body and blood
of the Lord. But let a man examine himself, and so let him eat
of that bread, and drink of that cup. For he that eateth and
drinketh unworthily, eateth and drinketh damnation to himself,
not discerning the Lord's body (1 Cor. 11:27-29; cf. 3 Ne.
18:28-29).
After further instructions, Jesus
"touched with his hand the
disciples whom he had chosen, one by one" (v. 36) and gave them
power to give the Holy Ghost (v. 37).
In chapter 19 of Third Nephi, it
is explained that Jesus
ascended into heaven after His supposed first visit. Echoing the
appointment of the twelve apostles in Palestine, the names of the
twelve Nephite disciples are recorded in the Book of Mormon in the
following manner:
And it came to pass that on the morrow, when the multitude was
gathered together, behold, Nephi and his brother whom he had
raised from the dead, whose name was Timothy, and also his
son, whose name was Jonas, and also Mathoni, and Mathonihah,
his brother, and Kumen, and Kumenonhi, and Jeremiah, and
Shemnon, and Jonas, and Zedekiah, and Isaiah - now these were
the names of the disciples whom Jesus had chosen (19:4)
The twelve disciples of Third
Nephi, like the New Testament
twelve apostles, were listed with two sets of brothers and with two
disciples that have the same name, e.g., in Third Nephi, "Jonas"
(see Matt. 10:2-4; Mark 3:16-19; Luke 6:13-16 and Acts 1:13).
Nephi, one of the twelve
disciples, then "went down into the
water and was baptized. And he came up out of the water and began
to baptize. And he baptized all those whom Jesus had chosen" (vv.
11-12). This, and other passages emphasizing immersion as the
proper mode of baptism, seem to assume the existence of some conflicting
mode such as pouring or sprinkling. The Nephite doctrinal disputes
resemble those in Joseph Smith's day.
Second Visit of Jesus
On Jesus' second visit, the
multitude knelt down and the
disciples "did pray unto Jesus, calling him their Lord and their
God" (19:18; cf. John 20:28). Jesus departed and went to pray by
himself. The prayer that Third Nephi records is very similar to the
high-priestly prayer of Jesus in the Holy Land, recorded only in
the Gospel of John.
Compare the prayer in Third
Nephi (19:20, 23, 28-29) and the
one written in John's Gospel (17:1, 6, 9-10, 20-21). Even the
ending is identical with the words written by John: "And when Jesus
had spoken these words" (19:30) -- "When Jesus had spoken these
words" (John 18:1).
These prayers of Jesus in Third
Nephi seem clearly to be based upon
the Gospel of John. The Jesus presented in Third Nephi is not
unique to the Third Nephi text, but is taken right out of the New
Testament, even down to borrowing the gospel writers words and
phrases. This use of details from John's Gospel is still another example of
textual borrowing in the Third Nephi account.
In chapter 20 of Third Nephi, it
is related that Jesus gave
all those assembled to hear him both bread and wine, but "there had
been no bread, neither wine, brought by the disciples, neither by
the multitude" (v. 6), a story that seems close to that of the
feeding of the five thousand when there was a need for the sharing
of food (Matt. 14:14-21; Mark 6:34-44; Luke 9:11-17 and John 6:5-14). That this is sacramental
bread and wine is indicated in verse 8.
It is explained, as Jesus'
discourse continues in chapter 21,
that the Gentiles shall assist the Indians ("the remnant of Jacob")
and any other Israelites that might be willing to join in ("as many
of the house of Israel as shall come") to "build a city, which
shall be called the New Jerusalem" (21:23) These Gentiles will also
assist the Indians scattered across the face of the land in coming
to this "New Jerusalem" (v. 24). Then the power of heaven and Jesus
himself will come down among them (v. 25). Earlier, the land of
America itself was to be "a New Jerusalem" (20:22), but this now
was to be a specific city. Third Nephi, however, had this New
Jerusalem not "coming down from God out of the heaven" as predicted
in the Book of Revelation (Rev. 21:2; see also Rev. 3:12), but
simply that "the power of heaven come down" and Jesus promises to
"be in the midst" (3 Ne. 21:25).
In chapter 23 Jesus adds to the
Nephite record textual
material from the New Testament about the graves opening at the
time of Christ's resurrection -- material that is otherwise found
only in the Gospel according to Matthew. These words were reported
to have been spoken years earlier by an American prophet named
Samuel as a prediction of what would happen at the time of Christ's
death. This resurrection event is supposed to have taken place in
America, but it is like what is recorded in Matthew, even to the
wording used. Compare Helaman 14:25; 3 Nephi 23:9, 11 with Matt.
27:52-53.
As Jesus continued his
discourse, other New Testament phrases
appear. Reflecting Peter's words, Third Nephi related that Jesus
"did expound all things ... yea, even all things which should come
upon the face of the earth, even until the elements should melt
with fervent heat" (26:3, emphasis added; cf. 2 Peter 3:10, 12). In
a paraphrase of John 5:29 the writer has Jesus saying" "If they be
good, to the resurrection of everlasting life; and if they be evil,
to the resurrection of damnation" (26:5; see also Mosiah 16:11 and
Helaman 12:26).
Like the New Testament words
of Jesus, the Third Nephi
multitude even saw that their children "yea, even babes did open
their mouths and utter marvelous things" (26:16; cf. Matt. 11:25;
Luke 10:21). Furthermore, the response to Jesus' discourse was
impressive, for many were baptized and "they who were baptized in
the name of Jesus were called the church of Christ" (v. 21).
Third Visit of Jesus
During the third visit of Jesus
in Third Nephi, the record
claims that Christ came to settle a dispute among the people
concerning the name of the church.
Verily, verily, I say unto you, why is it that the people should murmur and dispute because
of this thing? Have they not
read the scriptures, which say ye must take upon you the name
of Christ, which is my name? For by this name shall ye be
called at the last day; And whoso taketh upon him my name, and
endureth to the end, the same shall be saved at the last day.
Therefore, whatsoever ye shall do, ye shall do it in my name;
therefore ye shall call the church in my name (27:4-7)
This concern regarding the
proper name of the church was an
issue during the 1820s. This may have influenced its inclusion as
words Christ would have said.
The remainder of Jesus'
discourse during his third visit
reflects the same dependence upon the language and thought of the
New Testament. Jesus taught that he "had been lifted up upon the
cross, that I might draw all men unto me" (27:14; cf. John 12:32).
After assuring them that "whatsoever things ye shall ask the Father
in my name shall be given unto you" (v. 28; cf. John 15:16), Jesus
then exhorts them, drawing ideas and wording from Matthew chapter
7 (compare 27:29 with Matt. 7:7-8 [identical wording also in Luke
11:9-10] and 27:33 with Matt. 7:13-14).
Jesus finally asked the twelve
disciples, "What is it that ye
desire of me, after that I am gone to the Father?" (28:1; cf. John
21:20-23, only in John). Nine of the American disciples desired
that they live "unto the age of man" (v. 2) and Jesus said to them
"after that ye are seventy and two years old ye shall come unto me
in my kingdom" (v. 3). To the remaining three disciples he said,
borrowing language from 1 Corinthians:
Behold, I know your thoughts, and ye have desired the thing
which John, my beloved, who was with me in my ministry, before
that I was lifted up by the Jews, desired of me. Therefore,
more blessed are ye, for ye shall never taste of death . . .
but when I shall come in my glory ye shall be changed in the
twinkling of an eye from mortality to immortality (vv. 6-8;
cf. 1 Cor. 15:51-53).
The three disciples were to
"bring the souls of men unto"
Jesus "while the world shall stand" (v. 9). Then Jesus "touched
every one of them with his finger save it were the three who were
to tarry, and then he departed" from his third and final visit
among the American Israelites (v. 12).
Third Nephi records the
following regarding the three
disciples who were to tarry on the earth:
Behold, I was about to write the names of those who were never
to taste of death, but the Lord forbade; therefore I write
them not, for they are hid from the world (28:25).(18)
And they are as the angels of God, and if they shall pray unto
the Father in the name of Jesus they can show themselves unto
whatsoever man it seemeth them good (28:30).(19)
The clear conclusion of this
examination is that the King
James Version of the New Testament text was used extensively in the
composition of the book of Third Nephi in the Book of Mormon. The
Sermon on the Mount given by Jesus during his ministry in the Old
World was used to flesh out the idea that Christ had appeared to
the ancient inhabitants of America. Other teachings of Jesus were
adapted from different texts in the New Testament to provide
content for an appearance of Jesus during the three day period that
Third Nephi claims for the New World visitation of the resurrected Jesus.
This documentation of
extensive textual borrowing from the New
Testament writings indicates there is a serious problem in
accepting Third Nephi as an accurate account. If Jesus appeared in
the New World as the Book of Mormon would have us believe, then the
textual problems it contains lead to the conclusion that it is not an accurate record of that event.
Literary Dependence on Nineteenth Century Events
Once one sees how the Book
of Mormon draws on the King James
Bible, it is not difficult to detect other contemporary material.
For example, the Book of Mormon is clearly familiar with American
history, particularly events that had occurred prior to 1830, such
as the voyage of Columbus and the European settling of America. Anachronisms are present in
the text, since the Revolutionary War, for example, had already occurred prior to the dictation of
the Book of Mormon text. First Nephi, chapter 13 is represented to
contain a prophetic vision of events in American history. Known
historical events from the past are written as prophecy to make
it appear that they were known in vision two thousand years
earlier. This is evident from the following extracts, with
interpretation in brackets:(20)
Prophetic History
I looked and beheld many waters [Atlantic Ocean]; and they
divided the Gentiles [in Europe] from the seed of my brethren
[the Indians] (1 Ne. 13:10).
And I looked and beheld a man [Columbus] among the Gentiles
[in Europe] . . . and he went forth upon the many waters
[Atlantic Ocean], even to the seed of my brethren [the
Indians], who were in the promised land [America] (1 Ne.
13:12).
And it came to pass that I beheld the Spirit of God, that it
wrought upon other Gentiles [Pilgrim fathers]; and they went
forth out of captivity, upon the many waters [Atlantic Ocean].
. . . I beheld many multitudes of the Gentiles [Pilgrim
fathers] upon the land of promise [America]; and I beheld the
wrath of God, that it was upon the seed of my brethren [the
Indians]; and they were scattered before the Gentiles and were
smitten [judgment on the Indians]. . . . And I beheld their
mother Gentiles [the British] were gathered together upon the
waters, and upon the land also, to battle against them
[Thirteen Colonies] . . . the wrath of God was upon all those
that were gathered together against them to battle [the
Revolutionary War, 1776-1781] (1 Ne. 13:13-14, 17-18).
the Gentiles [the United States] that had gone out of
captivity were delivered by the power of God out of the hands
of all other nations [probably the War of 1812] (1 Ne. 13:19)
The Book of Mormon also
refers to the Bible being brought to America:
I beheld a book [Bible], and it was carried forth among them
[the Indians] (1 Ne. 13:20).
Neither will he suffer that the Gentiles [United States] shall
destroy the seed of thy brethren [the Indians] (1 Ne. 13:31).
And it came to pass that I beheld the remnant of the seed of
my brethren, and also the book of the Lamb of God, which had
proceeded forth from the mouth of the Jew, that it came forth
from the Gentiles unto the remnant of the seed of my brethren
[bringing the Bible to the Indians, missionary work with the
Indians](21) (1 Ne. 13:38).
The Book of Mormon's
religious and historical setting takes
place not in the Old World but in the New and reflects the popular
pride that most citizens of the day felt for their new nation.(22) The
following are some major themes relating to the place of America as
developed in the Book of Mormon.
A Choice Land
that after the waters had receded from off the face of this
land it became a choice land above all other lands, a chosen
land of the Lord (Ether 13:2)
we have obtained a land of promise, a land which is choice
above all other lands (2 Ne. 1:5)
Hid from Knowledge of Other Nations
And behold, it is wisdom that this land should be kept as yet
from the knowledge of other nations; for behold, many nations
would overrun the land, that there would be no place for an
inheritance (2 Ne. 1:8).
A Land of Promise
be led to a land of promise; yea, even a land which I have
prepared for you; yea, a land which is choice above all other
lands (1 Ne. 2:20)
Land of Liberty
he named all the land which was south of the land Desolation,
yea, and in fine, all the land, both on the north and on the
south--A chosen land, and the land of liberty (Alma 46:17).
Free From Bondage
Behold, this is a choice land, and whatsoever nation shall
possess it shall be free from bondage, and from captivity, and
from all other nations under heaven (Ether 2:12).
No Kings on the Land
And this land shall be a land of liberty unto the Gentiles,
and there shall be no kings upon the land, who shall raise up
unto the Gentiles (2 Ne. 10:11).
America is Zion
And I will fortify this land against all other nations. And he
that fighteth against Zion shall perish, saith God (2 Ne.
10:12-13).
And all the nations that fight against Zion, and that distress
her, shall be as a dream of a night vision . . . even so shall
the multitude of all nations be that fight against Mount Zion
(2 Ne. 27:3).
Visits of Christ to America After His Crucifixion
3 Nephi 11-28 (3 days)
New Jerusalem to be Built in America(23)
And that it was the place of the New Jerusalem, which should
come down out of heaven, and the holy sanctuary of the Lord.
. . . And that a New Jerusalem should be built upon this land,
unto the remnant of the seed of Joseph, for which things there
has been a type (Ether 13:3, 6).
The third decade of the
nineteenth century, when the Book of
Mormon appeared, was also a period of theological controversy. The
book takes sides on various issues under discussion, as the
following extracts demonstrate. The Book of Mormon's position is
quoted and a contemporary adherent of the same point of view is
given:
Baptism by Immersion
On this wise shall ye baptize; and there shall be no
disputations among you. . . . Behold, ye shall go down and
stand in the water, and in my name shall ye baptize them. . .
. And then shall ye immerse them in the water, and come forth
again out of the water. . . . And according as I have
commanded you thus shall ye baptize. And there shall be no
disputations among you, as there have hitherto been (3 Ne.
11:22, 23, 26, 28).
We baptize by immersion, because we think from all the
evidence we can obtain upon this subject, it was the way or
mode by which the ordinance was administered when first
administered when first instituted, and afterwards practiced
by the ancient christians (David Millard, ed., Gospel
Luminary, 1 [Oct. 1825]:221, West Bloomfield, Ontario County,
New York).
But I am now to show that christian immersion, as instituted
by Jesus Christ, (not as corrupted by men,) is the gospel in
water (The Christian Baptist, 1955 rpt.; 5 [5 Feb. 1828]:165,
Bethany, VA).
Name of the Church
And they who were baptized in the name of Jesus were called
the church of Christ. . . . And they said unto him: Lord, we
will that thou wouldst tell us the name whereby we shall call
this church; for there are disputations among the people
concerning this matter. And the Lord said unto them: Verily,
verily, I say unto you, why is it that the people should
murmur and dispute because of this thing? . . . ye must take
upon you the name of Christ . . . therefore ye shall call the
church in my name . . . And how be it my church save it be
called in my name? For if a church be called in Moses' name
then it be Moses' church; or if it be called in the name of a
man then it be the church of a man; but if it be called in my
name then it is my church, if it so be that they are built
upon my gospel (3 Ne. 26:21; 27:3-5, 7-8).
When we give a name and a creed to a church, other than the
name of Christ, or Christian, and the New Testament, or
theGospel, that church acquires in our imaginations and
feelings,
and in fact, a character altogether different from what the
Church of Christ really possesses in the light of the New
Testament (The Christian Baptist 2 [4 July 1825]:237, Bethany,
VA).
We, however, choose to be known by the name of Christian to
the exclusion of all other names not found in the scriptures,
this bring the most significant appellation of the followers
of Christ, and agreeably to our views, given by divine
appointment (Gospel Luminary 3 [Aug. 1827]:188, West
Bloomfield, Ontario County, NY).
Baptims of Children
for it grieveth me that there should disputations rise among
you. For, if I have learned the truth, there have been
disputations among you concerning the baptism of your little
children . . . . I know that it is solemn mockery before God,
that ye should baptize little children. . . . For awful is the
wickedness to suppose that God saveth one child because of
baptism, and the other must perish because he hath no baptism
(Moro. 8:4-5, 9, 15)
The question of infant baptism is now generally discussed all
over the land, and immense has been the result (The Christian
Baptist 5 [7 Jan. 1828]:138, Bethany, VA).
Freemasonry: A Topic of Discussion
The abduction and probable
murder of William Morgan in
September 1826 caused many Americans to view Freemasonry as a
dangerous threat. George Washington's warning about "all
combinations and associations" in his Farewell Address became the
anti-Masonic motto, "Beware of Secret Combinations." Masons were
regarded as shedding innocent blood, binding themselves with oaths,
and bent on preventing just punishment from coming upon a fellow
Mason. Whether this violent reaction to Masonry was justified, the
controversy is reflected in the Book of Mormon.(24)
According to the Book of
Mormon, at the time the book was to
appear there would be "secret combinations." The words "secret
combinations" did not always refer to Masons. But the following
quotations, from the many that are in the Book of Mormon,
illustrates this unmistakable anti-Masonic influence.
Secret Combinations
And it shall come in a day when the blood of saints shall cry
unto the Lord, because of secret combinations and the works of
darkness (Morm. 8:27).
"BEWARE OF SECRET COMBINATIONS." These are the dying words of
General George Washington. . . . Do not these words . . .
point with an index that cannot be mistaken, to the Society of
Freemasons? (The Morgan Investigator 1 [29 Mar. 1827]:1,
Batavia, New York).
Masonic Rites
And there are also secret combinations, even as in times of
old, according to the combinations of the devil, for he is the
founder of all these things; yea, the founder of murder, and
works of darkness; yea, and he leadeth them by the neck with
a flaxen cord, until he bindeth them with his strong cords
forever (2 Ne. 26:22).
The candidate is then blindfolded, his left foot bare, his
right in a slipper, his left breast and arm naked, and a rope
called a Cable-tow round his neck . . . (William Morgan,
Illustrations of Masonry by One of the Fraternity who has
devoted Thirty Years to the Subject [Batavia, NY: Printed for
the Author, 1826], 18).
I fancy those men are fastening a "Cable Tow" about their
necks, which will have a more uncomfortable set than those
they have worn in the lodge and which they will in all
probability wear to their graves (The Morgan Investigator 1
[29 Mar. 1827]:2).
The principles of masonry are confessedly ancient. They can be
traced back to the time when the first deceiver said, "Ye
shall not surely die, for God doth know that in the day ye eat
thereof, ye shall be as God's knowing good and evil." . . .
Freemasonry, without controversy, is the very master-piece of
pandemonium. By means of these hidden mysteries, Satan has
strangely outdone himself (Republican Monitor 6 [23 Nov.
1828]:1, Cazenovia, NY).
Secret Signs and Words
And it came to pass that they did have their signs, yea, their
secret signs, and their secret words; and this that they might
distinguish a brother who had entered into the covenant, that
whatsoever wickedness his brother should do he should not be
injured by his brother, nor by those who did belong to his
band, who had taken this covenant (Hel. 6:22).
As the signs, due-guards, grips, words, pass-words, and their
several names comprise pretty much all the secrets of Masonry
(William Morgan, Illustrations of Masonry, 55).
to protect their brethren from the lash of the civil laws . .
. whether guilty or not guilty, treason and murder not
excepted; and although they may be obliged to swear falsely to
clear the guilty brother, they must do it, or incur the
penalty of secret death (William W. Phelps, ed., The Ontario
Phoenix 1 [17 Sept. 1828]:2, Canandaigua, NY).
Masonic oaths were intended to screen criminal masons and
enable them to elude public justice. The expectations of
escaping the strong arm of the law, emboldens them to the
commission of the most daring deeds of iniquity. The life of
every Freemason is awfully pledged in defence of the
brotherhood and the mysteries of the order. Hence it is
extremely difficult to bring criminal masons to justice
(Republican Monitor 6 [23 Nov. 1828]:1).
Contrary to the Law of God and Country
And thus they might murder, and plunder, and steal, and commit
whoredoms and all manner of wickedness, contrary to the laws
of their country and also the laws of their God (Hel. 6:23).
Masonry is a murderous institution. It is based on laws which
require murder. Those laws which support the system, demand
and take the life of a fellow creature, without any reference
to the laws of God or the land . . . Who then does not see,
that the very principles, spirit, and essence, of this ancient
fraternity, are murderous! (John G. Stearns, An Inquiry into
the Nature and Tendency of Speculative Free-Masonry, 1829 ed.,
76).
that dark and treasonable plot, formed against the lives of
our citizens and the laws of our country (The Morgan
Investigator 1 [29 Mar. 1827]:2).
Origin of the American Indians
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.(25) However, the idea that
the American Indians were descendants of the Hebrews was a common one in early America
before the Book of Mormon was published. Since the discovery of
America, many people had published
various theories about the origins of the native Indians. The
idea that their ancestors were of Hebrew origin was widely
published in both Europe and America. The following works were
among the most popular expressing the Hebrew origin of the Indians
at the period before the publication of the Book of Mormon in 1830:
Thomas Thorowgood.
Jews in America, or, Probabilities that the
Americans are of that Race. London, 1650.
James Adair. The
History of the American Indians. London,
1775.
Charles Crawford. An
Essay upon the Propagation of the Gospel,
in which there are facts to prove that many of the Indians in
America are descended from the Ten Tribes. Philadelphia, 1799.
Elias Boudinot. A Star
in the West; or, a Humble Attempt to
Discover the Long Lost Tribes of Israel. Trenton, NJ: Published by
D. Fenton, S. Hutchinson, and J. Dunham, 1816.
Ethan Smith. View of
the Hebrews. Poultney, VT: Printed and
Published by Smith & Shute, 1823.
___________. View of
the Hebrews; or, the Tribes of Israel in
America. Poultney, VT: Published and Printed by Smith & Shute,
1825, 2d ed.
Josiah Priest. The
Wonders of Nature and Providence Displayed.
Albany, NY, 1825.
Some writers argued that the
Indians descended from the Ten
Lost Tribes of Israel because of similarities between customs and
languages. Others saw Christian ideas among the American Indians
and believed that Christianity had been taught to them since the
first century of the Christian Era.(26)
The idea was so
important that writers
of that period published lengthy books on the topic. Indeed, it was
one of the most popular views at the time the Book of Mormon came
off the press.(27) The Book of Mormon reflects
events in the life of Joseph Smith.
Christian Churches are Corrupt
Joseph Smith wrote the
following about his youth: "by searching the
scriptures I found that <mankind> did not come unto the Lord but
that they had apostatised from the true and liveing faith and there
was no society or denomination that built upon the gospel of Jesus
Christ as recorded in the new testament."(28) This
view finds
expression in the Book of Mormon.
And the Gentiles are lifted up in the pride of their eyes, and
have stumbled, because of the greatness of their stumbling
block, that they have built up many churches; nevertheless,
they put down the power and miracles of God, and preach up
unto themselves their own wisdom and their own learning, that
they may get gain and grind upon the face of the poor. And
there are many churches built up which cause envyings, and
strifes, and malice (2 Ne. 26:20-21).
For it shall come to pass in that day that the churches which
are built up, and not unto the Lord, when the one shall say
unto the other: Behold, I, I am the Lord's; and the others
shall say: I, I am the Lord's; and thus shall every one say
that hath built up churches, and not unto the Lord--And they
shall contend one with another; and their priests shall
contend one with another, and they shall teach with their
learning, and deny the Holy Ghost, which giveth utterance. .
. . Yea, they have all gone out of the way; they have become
corrupted. Because of pride, and because of false teachers,
and false doctrine, their churches have become corrupted, and
their churches are lifted up; because of pride they are puffed
up (2 Ne. 28:3-4, 11-12).
Joseph Smith was personally
familiar with such religious controversies
from his own active participation in his youth. His early history mentions
his quest for religious knowledge and "my intimate acquaintance
with those different denominations."(29)
Treasure Seeking and Slippery Treasures
Joseph Smith believed in and
was a leading participant in treasure seeking. His examination before Justice Albert Neely
showed that this had been part of his early development in life.
Jonathan Thompson testified in 1826 that Smith helped find a trunk
full of treasure, but it kept "settling away" and they never could
get it: "the board which he struck his spade upon was probably the
chest, but on account of an enchantment the trunk kept settling
away from under them while digging; that notwithstanding they
continued constantly removing the dirt, yet the trunk kept about
the same distance from them."(30) This idea of
treasures slipping into the earth is reflected in the Book of Mormon.
whoso shall hide up treasures in the earth shall find them
again no more, because of the great curse of the land, save he
be a righteous man and shall hide it up unto the Lord. For I
will, saith the Lord, that they shall hide up their treasures
unto me; and cursed be they who hide not up their treasures
unto me; for none hideth up their treasures unto me save it be
the righteous (Hel. 13:18-19)
And behold, the time cometh that he curseth your riches, that
they become slippery, that ye cannot hold them; and in the
days of your poverty ye cannot retain them. . . . Yea, we have
hid up our treasures and they have slipped away from us,
because of the curse of the land. O that we had repented in
the day that the word of the Lord came unto us; for behold the
land is cursed, and all things are become slippery, and we
cannot hold them. Behold, we are surrounded by demons, yea, we
are encircled about by the angels of him who hath sought to
destroy our souls (Hel. 13:31, 35-37).
the inhabitants thereof began to hide up their treasures in
the earth; and they became slippery, because the Lord had
cursed the land, that they could not hold them, nor retain
them again (Mormon 1:18).
Visit to Charles Anthon by Martin Harris in 1828
Not only is Joseph Smith's
treasure digging reflected in the
Book of Mormon, but other events in which Joseph was involved show
up there, after the events had already taken place. The following
account of Martin Harris's visit to Charles Anthon of New York City
was reportedly told by Harris to Joseph Smith. This trip to Anthon
occurred about February 1828.
I went to the City of New York and presented the Characters
which had been translated, with the translation thereof, to
Professor <Charles> Anthony [Anthon] a gentleman celebrated
for his literary attainments. . . . [he said] that if I would
bring the plates to him, he would translate them. <I informed
him that part of the plates were sealed, and that I was
forbidden to bring them. he replied "I can not read a sealed
book".>(31)
This trip is discussed very
clearly in the Book of Mormon, though some of
its features are different. 2 Nephi 27:15-20 contains an expanded commentary
on Isaiah 29, and in relation to this specific event expands Isaiah
29:11-12 as follows:
But behold, it shall come to pass that the Lord God shall say
unto him to whom he shall deliver the book: Take these words
which are not sealed and deliver them to another, that he may
show them unto the learned, saying: Read this, I pray thee.
And the learned shall say: Bring hither the book, and I will
read them. . . . And the man shall say: I cannot bring the
book, for it is sealed. Then shall the learned say: I cannot
read it. Wherefore it shall come to pass, that the Lord God
will deliver again the book and the words thereof to him that
is not learned; and the man that is not learned shall say: I
am not learned (2 Ne. 27:15, 17-19).
These changes in Isaiah 29
prophesy of an event that had
already occurred to Martin Harris. There is no ancient text of
Isaiah, either Hebrew (including the Dead Sea Scrolls) or in any
ancient translation, that supports Joseph Smith's changes that make
the passage fit the incident that occurred early in 1828.(32)
This example of Martin Harris's
adventure being described in
prophesy is an additional example of a current event being included
in the Book of Mormon text.
Three Witnesses in 1829
In March 1829, while working
on the Book of Mormon, Joseph
Smith stated there would be three special witnesses to the book. In
a revelation for Joseph and Martin Harris received in Harmony,
Pennsylvania, Smith was told:
this Generation they shall have my word yea & the testimony of
three of my servants shall go forth with my word unto this
Generation yea three shall know of a surety that those things
are true for I will give them power that they may Behold &
view those things as they are & to none else will I grant this
power among this Generation & the testimony of three Witnesses
will I send forth(33)
When Joseph Smith
recommenced his dictation he included in the
text references to three witnesses who would testify of the Book of
Mormon.
Wherefore, at that day when the book shall be delivered unto
the man of whom I have spoken, the book shall be hid from the
eyes of the world, that the eyes of none shall behold it save
it be that three witnesses shall behold it, by the power of
God, besides him to whom the book shall be delivered; and they
shall testify to the truth of the book and the things therein.
And there is none other which shall view it, save it be a few
according to the will of God . . . (2 Ne. 27:12-13)
In one place instructions in the
text inform him that he may "show
the plates unto those who shall assist to bring forth this work."
And behold, ye may be privileged that ye may show the plates
unto those who shall assist to bring forth this work; And unto
three shall they be shown by the power of God; wherefore they
shall know of a surety that these things are true. And in the
mouth of three witnesses shall these things be established;
and the testimony of three, and this work, in the which shall
be shown forth the power of God and also his word, of which
the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Ghost bear record - and
all this shall stand as a testimony against the world at the
last day (Ether 5:2-4).
The three witnesses chosen to
view the gold plates were Oliver
Cowdery, David Whitmer, and Martin Harris. Cowdery had seen the
plates in a vision before meeting Joseph Smith.(34) In
June 1829 they
were told that by faith they would see them, even as Joseph Smith
had seen them.(35) The testimony of the three
witnesses, as published
in the Book of Mormon, said that they saw an angel and engravings
on the plates.
Martin Harris, the oldest
witness, emphasized that his
experience of seeing the plates was through the eye of faith, as
the 1829 revelation stated. John Gilbert recorded, "Martin was in
the office when I finished setting up the testimony of the three
witnesses, - (Harris - Cowdery and Whitmer) I said to him, -
`Martin, did you see those plates with your naked eyes?' Martin
looked down for an instant, raised his eyes up, and said, `No, I
saw them with a spiritual eye.'"(36)
David Whitmer wrote, "Of
course we were in the spirit when we
had the view, for no man can behold the face of an angel, except in
a spiritual view, but we were in the body also, and everything was
as natural to us, as it is at any time."(37) Oliver
Cowdery reportedly
handled the plates, "I beheld with my eyes And handled with my
hands, the gold plates from which it was translated."(38)
Besides the three witnesses,
eight other witnesses said Joseph
Smith showed them the plates. Their statement records that they
handled and lifted the plates. John Whitmer for instance wrote, "I
have most assuredly seen the plates from whence the book of Mormon
is translated, and that I have handled these plates."(39) Three years
later he was reported as saying, "I handled those plates there was
fine engravings on both sides. I handled them . . . they were shown
to me by a supernatural power."(40) The testimonies
of the witnesses
to the Book of Mormon said that they saw an angel and viewed or
handled the plates by faith.
No Other Gift
The March 1829 revelation to
Harris said of Joseph Smith, "he
has a gift to translate the book, and I have commanded him that he
shall pretend to no other gift, for I will grant him no other
gift."(41) Smith's only gift was to translate the Book
of Mormon. Like
the previous examples, this restriction was made part of the Book
of Mormon text.
And I will give unto him a commandment that he shall do none
other work, save the work which I shall command him. And I
will make him great in mine eyes; for he shall do my work (2
Ne. 3:8).
Smith was to "do none other work" but produce the Book of Mormon,
which he did by dictating words to scribes. After the publication of the Book of Mormon Joseph
Smith commenced to revise the Bible. This would be considered a
gift but going beyond his initial commandment.
Seer to be Named Joseph
Joseph Smith was named after
his father and included his own
name in the text of the Book of Mormon. In a prophecy attributed to
the biblical Joseph, who was sold into Egypt, it reports that a
choice seer would be called in the last days:
And thus prophesied Joseph, saying: Behold, that seer will the
Lord bless; and they that seek to destroy him shall be
confounded . . . And his name shall be called after me [Joseph
of Egypt]; and it shall be after the name of his father
[Joseph Smith, Sr.] (2 Ne. 3:14-15).
Lucius Fenn wrote a letter in
February 1830 and told what he
had heard about the Book of Mormon and the man that is to find it
is named Joseph. Fenn stated:
[T]hey are a printing it in Palmyra[.] it is expected that it
<will> come out soon so that we can see it[.] it speaks of the
Millenniam [sic] day and tells when it is going to take plais
[place] and it tells that the man that is to find this bible
his name as [is] Joseph and his father[']s name is Joseph.(42)
The Book of Mormon reflect
events that had already occurred before the time of its publication,
some of which Joseph Smith was directly involved in. Its stand on
theological controversies of the 1820s made it an appealing bid as
a revelation illuminating the Bible.(43) However, it
also contains
ideas on America, Masonry, the proper name of the Christian church, and events
connected with Joseph Smith's life. These and other contemporary
events and ideas prevalent at the time of its production are found
in its pages.(44) The Book of Mormon evidences a
nineteenth-century origin and can be identified as an example of early American religious fiction.
NOTES
I would like to express my appreciation to the late Wesley P.
Walters for his assistance in this study.
1. The Book of Mormon was first published as The Book
of Mormon:
An Account Written by the hand of Mormon, Upon Plates Taken from
the Plates of Nephi. By Joseph Smith, Junior, author and
proprietor (Palmyra [New York]: Printed by E. B. Grandin, for the
author), 1830. Since a number of churches use and publish the
Book of Mormon, the edition used here is the 1981 edition
published by the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints,
headquartered in Salt Lake City, Utah. In 1982 it was renamed and
the title is now The Book of Mormon, Another Testament of Jesus
Christ. The versification is the same as the 1879 Salt Lake
edition and as used by the Church of Jesus Christ in Monongahela,
Pennsylvania, and called "The Record of the Nephites" by the
Church of Christ (with the Elijah Message) in Independence,
Missouri. The edition of the Reorganized Church of Jesus Christ
of Latter Day Saints (Independence) has different versification
but the chapters are the same as the 1830 first edition. The
Church of Christ (Temple Lot) and a few other Mormon groups also
use this latter versification.
2. C.E. (Common Era) and B.C.E. (Before the Common Era) are
alternate designations corresponding to A.D. and B.C. and is
often used in scholary literature.
3. See, for example, George Eldon Ladd, The New
Testament and
Criticism (Grand Rapids, MI: Wm. B. Eerdmans, 1967), 72-74.
4. Gordon Irving wrote, "Mormons naturally developed a view of
the past which held that the gospel of Christ as preached in the
New Testament had been preached to all men since the beginning of
the world and that whenever God's church had existed on earth, it
had enjoyed the same gifts as the apostolic church. The order set
up in Jesus' day was thus projected both backward to Adam and
forward in time to the Mormons themselves and on beyond to the
Millennium. This much was accepted by all Mormons, although
individuals might differ somewhat as to details and implications
of the idea" (Gordon I. Irving, "Mormonism and the Bible, 1832-1838," Senior Honors Project
Summary, University of Utah, Aug.
1972, 4-5; see also Irving, "The Mormons and the Bible in the
1830s," Brigham Young University Studies 13 [Summer 1973]:474).
5. A theory that the Book of Mormon is part ancient and part
modern containing expansive commentary by Joseph Smith has been
published. See Blake T. Ostler, "The Book of Mormon as a Modern
Expansion of an Ancient Source," Dialogue: A Journal of Mormon
Thought 20 (Spring 1987):66-123. This article contains numerous
references to material in the Book of Mormon which has a close
relationship to the biblical text. Ostler states, "The presence
of the KJV [King James Version] in the book is, it seems to me,
indisputable" (102).
6. This book was first named "III Nephi" in the 1879 Salt Lake
edition.
7. The question of the wording of the Sermon on the Mount as
recorded in Third Nephi is explored in Stan Larson, "The Sermon
on the Mount: What Its Textual Transformation Discloses
concerning the Historicity of the Book of Mormon," Trinity
Journal 7 (Spring 1986):23-45. Larson's study has been updated
and retitled "The Historicity of the Matthean Sermon on the Mount
in 3 Nephi," in Brent Lee Metcalfe, ed., New Approaches to the
Book of Mormon: Explorations in Critical Methodology (Salt Lake
City: Signature Books, 1993), 115-63. For the Third Nephi
account, Nephi supposedly recorded the text soon after the
reported visit of Jesus, and this record was later abridged by
Mormon, after whom the Book of Mormon is named (see 3 Nephi 16:4;
23:4; 26:7, 11). See Ronald V. Huggins, "Did the Author of 3
Nephi Know the Gospel of Matthew?," Dialogue: A Journal of Mormon
Thought 30 (Fall 1997):137-48.
8. Other ideas from the New Testament appear earlier in Third
Nephi, such as the "star" in the heavens (3 Ne. 1:21), which was
used in telling about the birth of Christ (Helaman 14:5) to the
people in the New World (see Matt. 2:2, 7, 9-10). And the day
before Jesus was born it was claimed that Jesus had said "I come
unto my own" (3 Ne. 1:14; cf. John 1:11).
9. The Sermon on the Mount as recorded in the Gospel of
Matthew
was used in Third Nephi to document the teachings reportedly
spoken by Jesus in America. See Richard P. Howard, Restoration
Scriptures: A Study of Their Textual Development (Independence,
Missouri: Herald House, 1969), 98; (2nd edition, 1995), 84.
Krister Stendahl's analysis of
"The Sermon on the Mount and
Third Nephi" published in Reflections on Mormonism, Judaeo-Christian Parallels
(Provo, Utah: Religious Studies Center,
Brigham Young University, 1978), 139-54, argues that the Book of
Mormon text of the Sermon on the Mount is not a genuine
translation from an ancient language but is Joseph Smith's
nineteenth century targumic expansion of the English King James
text. Stendahl's study has been reprinted in Meanings: The Bible
as Document and as Guide (Philadelphia: Fortress Press, 1984),
99-113.
10. In the commentary on Matthew by Adam Clarke, published
as
early as 1818 (1825 edition used), comes the following regarding
the words "without a cause" in Matt. 5:22: "... without a cause,
is wanting in the famous Vatican MS. and two others, the
Ethiopic, latter Arabic, Saxon, Vulgate, two copies of the old
Itala, J. Martyr, Ptolomeus, Origen, Tertullian, and by all the
ancient copies quoted by St. Jerom[e]. It was probably a marginal
gloss originally, which in process of time crept into the text"
(Clarke's Commentary 1:71).
The phrase is also deleted in
Joseph Smith's revision of
Matthew in 1831. See New Testament MS #1, p. 10, RLDS Archives,
in The Holy Scriptures (Independence, Missouri: Herald Publishing
House, 1991), published by the Reorganized Church of Jesus Christ
of Latter Day Saints, Matthew 5:24. This revision is referred to
variously as the Inspired Version (I.V.), Joseph Smith Revision
(JSR) and Joseph Smith Translation (cited hereafter as JST).
11. In the manuscript of Joseph Smith's revision, New Testament
MS #1, p. 10, the words "them of old time" were written and then
crossed out in the manuscript and the text as printed in 3 Ne.
12:27 is written out. The Book of Mormon follows the King James
Version and in his revision of the New Testament Joseph Smith
used both the KJV and Third Nephi.
12. In 3 Nephi 12:23 the wording in Matthew 5:23 about
bringing
"thy gift to the altar" was also removed from the text of Matthew
when placed in the Third Nephi record, possibly also to eliminate
any Palestinian reference.
13. As has been stated, many of the changes made in Third
Nephi
from the King James Matthew are also retained by Joseph Smith
when he produced his revision. The following verses in both texts
are basically the same: 3 Nephi 12:3-13; compare with Matt. 5:5-15 (JST). When material was
added which was not in the Matthew
account to the Third Nephi version, these words were used in the
Bible revision. See for example: 3 Nephi 12:2 with Matt. 5:4
(JST) and 3 Nephi 12:29-30 with Matt. 5:31 (JST).
14. The omission of the first phrase cannot be attributed to the
theological terminology implied in "Thy kingdom come" for the
exhortation of Jesus "But seek ye first the kingdom of God"
(Matt. 6:33; cf. Luke 12:31) is found in 3 Nephi 13:33.
15. See Alfred Plummer, An Exegetical Commentary on
the
Gospel
According to S. Matthew (Grand Rapids: Wm. B. Eerdmans, 1956),
103.
16. In Joseph Smith's revision for the parallel text of the
Lord's prayer recorded in Luke 11:4 (JST) he added (after "but
deliver us from evil") a part of the doxology added to Matthew -
namely, "for thine is the kingdom and power. Amen."
17. Sidney B. Sperry, Answers to Book of Mormon
Questions (Salt
Lake City: Bookcraft, 1967), 112.
Mark E. Petersen, in a speech
delivered on 1 October 1977,
asked: "Are we to say that the unlearned Joseph Smith had the
audacity or the skill to rewrite the Savior's sermons and insert
King James Version passages in them, thinking to improve on what
Jesus said?" (Ensign 7 [November 1977]:12-13; also in Those Gold
Plates! (Salt Lake City: Deseret Book, 1979), 50, see also 52-56.
The evidence does indicate
that the sermons in Third Nephi
are in part based upon the KJV New Testament. Stan Larson states:
"the historicity of the BOM [Book of Mormon] text of the sermon
on the mount has not been verified by modern MS discovery"
(Trinity Journal 7 [Spring 1986]:39). For a view of one who
maintains that the King James Version was not used, see the
comments on Stan Larson's article made by John W. Welch in The
Sermon at the Temple and the Sermon on the Mount (Salt Lake City:
Deseret Book and Provo: Foundation for Ancient Research and
Mormon Studies, 1990), 148-63.
18. Oliver B. Huntington recorded the names of those three
Nephites in his Diary: "Feb. 16, 1895 I am willing to state that
the names of the 3 Nephites who do not sleep in the earth are
Jeremiah, Zedekiah and Kumenonhi" (Typescript of the Diary of
Oliver B. Huntington, 3:267, Utah State Historical Society, Salt
Lake City, Utah).
19. This later led to an extensive body of Mormon folklore about
the sighting of these three immortal messengers in various Mormon
communities. See Hector Lee, The Three Nephites: The Substance
and Significance of the Legend in Folklore (New York: Arno Press,
1977) and William A. Wilson, "Freeways, Parking Lots, and Ice
Cream Stands: The Three Nephites in Contemporary Society,"
Dialogue: A Journal of Mormon Thought 21 (Autumn 1988):13-26.
20. Some of these identifications are contained in the footnotes
of the 1879 Salt Lake edition of the Book of Mormon. Orson Pratt,
apostle and official LDS church historian, prepared the
references for that edition.
21. In 1663, a Bible was printed in the Algonquin Indian
language
in Massachusetts. It had been translated into their language by
John Eliot. The first English New Testament was published in
America in 1777 and the Holy Bible in 1782.
22. Hans Kohn, The Idea of Nationalism (New
York:
Collier Books,
1969), 269-70.
23. H. Michael Marquardt, "The Independence Temple of Zion,"
Restoration 5 (October 1986):13-17.
24. S. H. Goodwin, Additional Studies in Mormonism and
Masonry
(Salt Lake City, 1927), is still one of the best studies on the
anti-Masonic influence in the Book of Mormon. Another interesting
study is Walter Franklin Prince, "Psychological Tests for the
Authorship of the Book of Mormon," American Journal of Psychology
28 (July 1917):373-89. See John E. Thompson, The Masons, The
Mormons and the Morgan Incident (Ames, IA: Iowa Research Lodge
No. 2 A.F. & A.M. [1984]), 4-32.
25. Those scholars who have studied the Solomon Spalding
manuscript have noticed similarity in style and wording on some
religious issues and sections relating to wars in that manuscript
and in the Book of Mormon. See Vernal Holley, Book of Mormon
Authorship: A Closer Look (Roy, UT: author, 1989, 2d ed.), which
utilizes this material.
Though of a different nature,
Ethan Smith's View of the
Hebrews includes topics that occur in the Book of Mormon. We
should not be surprised that similar ideas are contained in a
written document produced about the same time. At the time these
writings were recorded it was widely believed that Native Americans were
descendants of Israel. Over the years we have learned that there
is no solid evidence of Hebrew origin of the Indians. See the
writings of B. H. Roberts in Brigham D. Madsen, ed., Studies of
the Book of Mormon (Urbana: University of Illinois Press, 1985).
26. In 1816 Elias Boudinot claimed that the ancestors of the
Native Americans had at least part of the Bible, "that the book
which the white people have was once theirs" (Elias Boudinot, A
Star in the West; or, a Humble Attempt to Discover the Long Lost
Tribes of Israel [Trenton, NJ: Published by D. Fenton, S.
Hutchinson, and J. Dunham, 1816], 110). In this same year
Boudinot founded the American Bible Society.
27. On books published prior to 1830 on the origin of the
Indians, see George Weiner, "America's Jewish Braves," Mankind 4
(Oct. 1974):56-64; David A. Palmer, "A Survey of Pre-1830
Historical Sources Relating to the Book of Mormon," Brigham Young
University Studies 17 (Autumn 1976):101-07, and Dan Vogel, Indian
Origins and the Book of Mormon (Salt Lake City: Signature Books,
1986).
28. Dean C. Jessee, ed., The Papers of Joseph Smith:
Autobiographical and Historical Writings (Salt Lake City: Deseret
Book, 1989), 1:5. Original spelling with word above the line
appear is indicated by angled brackets <>. See Gordon S. Wood,
"Evangelical America and Early Mormonism," New York History 61
(Oct. 1980):359-86.
For studies relating to the
Joseph Smith family see H.
Michael Marquardt and Wesley P. Walters, Inventing Mormonism:
Tradition and the Historical Record ([San Francisco:] Smith
Research Associates, 1994) and Dan Vogel, ed., Early Mormon
Documents Volume 1 (Salt Lake City: Signature Books, 1996).
29. Jessee, Papers of Joseph Smith 1:5.
30. Charles Marshall, "The Original Prophet. By a Visitor to Salt
Lake City," Fraser's Magazine 7 (Feb. 1873):230. See Marquardt
and Walters, Inventing Mormonism: Tradition and the Historical
Record, 73-74. According to the Book of Mormon, Joseph Smith was
instructed to hide up the book unto the Lord (see 2 Ne. 27:22;
30:3-5).
31. Manuscript History Book A-1, 9, LDS archives; JS-H
1:64-65, PGP; Jessee, Papers of Joseph Smith 1:285. Words that appear
above the line are indicated by angled brackets <>.
32. For an examination of Isaiah 29 in the Book of Mormon, see
Wesley P. Walters, The Use of the Old Testament in the Book of
Mormon (Salt Lake City: Utah Lighthouse Ministry, 1990), 75-88.
For recent study on the use of Ezekiel 37, see Brian E. Keck,
"Ezekiel 37, Sticks, and Babylonian Writing Boards: A Critical
Reappraisal," Dialogue: A Journal of Mormon Thought 23 (Spring
1990):126-38.
33. Manuscript in Newel K. Whitney Collection, Special
Collections, Harold B. Lee Library, Brigham Young University,
Provo, Utah. See Book of Commandments 4:4; LDS D&C 5:11-15; RLDS
D&C 5:3a-e. Joseph Smith was instructed, "when thou hast
translated a few more pages, thou shalt stop for a season, even
until I command thee again: then thou mayest translate again" (BC
4:10). See H. Michael Marquardt, The Joseph Smith Revelations: Text and
Commentary (Salt Lake City: Signature Books, 1999), 27-28.
34. Jessee, Papers of Joseph Smith 1:10.
35. "Kirtland Revelations" Book, 119-20, LDS archives. This
revelation was not included in the Book of Commandments but was
published in the 1835 Doctrine and Covenants 42. See LDS D&C 17;
RLDS D&C 15, the revelation was given previous to "having a view
of the plates &c." The "Manuscript History of Joseph Smith"
mentions the circumstances of two visions relating to the three
witnesses viewing the plates (Jessee, Papers of Joseph Smith
1:236-37, 295-97). See Marquardt, Joseph Smith Revelations, 49.
36. Memorandum of John H. Gilbert, 8 Sept. 1892, introductory
pages of Joseph Smith Begins His Work, Vol. 1 (Salt Lake City:
Deseret News Press for Wilford C. Wood, 1958). In 1838 Martin
Harris stated that he "never saw the plates with his natural eyes
only in vision or imagination" (Letter of Stephen Burnett to
Lyman E. Johnson, 15 April 1838, Joseph Smith Letterbook 2:64,
LDS archives).
37. David Whitmer to Anthony Metcalf, 2 Apr. 1887, in A.
Metcalf,
Ten Years Before the Mast (Malad City, ID, 1888), 74; also in
Lyndon W. Cook, ed., David Whitmer Interviews: A Restoration
Witness (Orem, UT: Grandin Book Co., 1991), 247.
38. Reuben Miller Journal, 21 Oct. 1848, LDS archives.
39. Latter Day Saints' Messenger and Advocate 2
(March 1836):286-87, Kirtland, Ohio.
40. Theodore Turley's memoranda, under date of 4 Apr. 1839,
handwriting of Thomas Bullock (1845), LDS archives; copied into
Manuscript History Book C-1, 913, under date of 5 Apr. 1839. See
History of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (Salt
Lake City: Deseret Book Co., 1959), 3:307.
41. Book of Commandments 4:2; LDS D&C 5:4; RLDS
D&C 5:1d. See Marquardt, Joseph Smith Revelations, 26-31.
42. Lucius Fenn to Birdseye Bronson, 12 Feb. 1830, William
Robertson Coe Collection of Western Americana, Beinecke Rare Book
and Manuscript Library, Yale University, New Haven, Connecticut.
See William Mulder and A. Russell Mortensen, eds., Among the
Mormons: Historic Accounts by Contemporary Observers (Lincoln:
University of Nebraska Press, 1958), 28.
43. See Timothy L. Smith, "The Book of Mormon in a Biblical
Culture," Journal of Mormon History 7 (1980):3-21, and Nathan O.
Hatch, The Democratization of American Christianity (New Haven,
CT: Yale University Press, 1989), 113-22.
44. For additional pre-1830 published and contemporary ideas
that are a background to the religious thoughts of this period, see
Rick Grunder, Mormon Parallels (Ithaca, N.Y.: Rick Grunder Books,
1987).
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