is the book of mormon historically accurate

"[100] In the 1980s efforts were made to reemphasize the Book of Mormon. [13] The Community of Christ, however, accepts the Book of Mormon as scripture but no longer takes an official position on the historicity of the golden plates. [158] Translations into American Sign Language are available on videocassette and DVD. [1][2] It was first published in March 1830 by Joseph Smith as The Book of Mormon: An Account Written by the Hand of Mormon upon Plates Taken from the Plates of Nephi. Part 5: Mike gives Nabeel a book to read, More Than a Carpenter by Josh McDowell. [108], Smith's translation did not require the use of the plates themselves. Numerous observers have suggested that the Book of Mormon parallels others within the 19th-century "mound-builder" genre that was pervasive at the time. [110] There are several proposed explanations for how Smith composed his translation. They seemed to be pliable like thick paper, and would rustle with a metallic sound when the edges were moved by the thumb, as one does sometimes thumb the edges of a book". The Book of Mormon has occasionally been analyzed in a non-religious context for its literary merits. The LDS Church has published material indicating that science will support the historical authenticity of the Book of Mormon.[123]. The text says that during this American visit, he repeated much of the same doctrine and instruction given in the Gospels of the Bible and he established an enlightened, peaceful society which endured for several generations, but which eventually broke into warring factions again. 1837 reprint with British spellings. Community of Christ, 2007. Smith said that the last prophet to contribute to the book, a man named Moroni, buried it in the Hill Cumorah in present-day Manchester, New York, before his death, and then appeared in a vision to Smith in 1827 as an angel,[7] revealing the location of the plates, and instructing him to translate the plates into English for use in the restoration of Christ's true church in the latter days. Translations into languages without a tradition of writing (e.g., Kaqchikel, Tzotzil) are available on audio cassette. The growth of Mormonism worldwide is also challenging older questions of wider appeal and accessibility of the Book of Mormon. Whether one wishes to accept it as divinely inspired or the work of Joseph Smith, it fits exactly into the tradition. In Trey Paker and Matt Stone, The Testaments of One Fold and One Shepherd, Mound_Builders § Alternative_explanations, Historical authenticity of the Book of Mormon, Foundation for Ancient Research and Mormon Studies, Foundation for Apologetic Information & Research, The Church of Jesus Christ (Bickertonite), Reorganized Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints, The Book of Mormon Movie, Vol. [18] The LDS Church has canonized part of this 1838 account as part of its scripture, the Pearl of Great Price. [47] These books recount the group's dealings from approximately 600 BC to about 130 BC, during which time the community grew and split into two main groups, which are called the Nephites and the Lamanites, that frequently warred with each other. Gaddy claims that historically accurate accounts successfully challenge bogus LDS Church narratives of Smith’s first vision of “two personages whom he believed to be God the Father and his Son, Jesus Christ” in 1820, his translation of Egyptian papyri into the Book of Abraham in 1880, and representations of Smith as a monogamist. [121] Afterward, Smith told several of his associates that the plates were hidden in the nearby woods. David Whitmer said that when an angel showed him the plates in 1829, "a large portion of the leaves were so securely bound together that it was impossible to separate them,"[192] that the "sealed" part of the plates were held together as a solid mass "stationary and immovable,"[193] "as solid to my view as wood,"[194] and that there were "perceptible marks where the plates appeared to be sealed"[195] with leaves "so securely bound that it was impossible to separate them. The Scientology book Dianetics. [168] [60] Concluding that it was not, he said he prayed to ask why he had been barred from taking the plates. He also closely examined the printer's manuscript (then owned by RLDS Church) for differences in types of ink or pencil, in order to determine when and by whom they were made. [167] Smith's wife Emma and his younger brother William said they had examined the plates while wrapped in fabric. [69] Later, the prophet Mormon worked to convince the faithless people of his time (AD 360) of Christ. [165], The initial printing of the Book of Mormon in 1830 produced 5000 copies. The Jaredite civilization is presented as existing on the American continent beginning about 2500 BC,[50]—long before Lehi's family arrived shortly after 600 BC—and as being much larger and more developed. [20] Beginning as a youth in the early 1820s, Smith was periodically hired, for about $14 per month, as a scryer, using what were termed "seer stones" in attempts to locate lost items and buried treasure. [125] In October 1841, the entire original manuscript was placed into the cornerstone of the Nauvoo House, and sealed up until nearly forty years later when the cornerstone was reopened. The latter is awkward and constrained; the former natural, but grotesque by the contrast. This confirms the view that the English text existed in some kind of unalterable, spiritual form rather than that someone had to think through difficult conceptual issues and idioms, always resulting in variants in any translation. "[93], Joseph Smith characterized the Book of Mormon as the "keystone" of Mormonism, and claimed that it was "the most correct of any book on earth". [67] However, Smith determined after looking into his seer stone that the "right person" was Emma Hale, his future wife. He returned home with a heavy object wrapped in a frock, which he then put in a box. For example: There are three lines missing from the printer's manuscript in its current condition, covering 1 Nephi 1:7–8, 20. [209], Location of the plates during translation, Described format, binding, and dimensions, Significance in the Latter Day Saint tradition. Typically, translators are members of the LDS Church who are employed by the church and translate the text from the original English. Harris later mortgaged his farm to underwrite the printing of the Book of Mormon. An acquaintance, Lorenzo Saunders, said, "There can't anybody say word against Martin Harris... a man that would do just as he agreed with you. [187] One set of plates to which the Book of Mormon refers was "sealed up" in the sense that they were written in a language that could not be read. Since the publication of the Book of Mormon in 1830, Mormon archaeologists have attempted to find archaeological evidence to support it. "[170], John Whitmer, one of the Eight Witnesses, said the plates had "fine engravings on both sides,"[201] and Orson Pratt, who did not see the plates himself but who had spoken with witnesses, understood that there were engravings on both sides of the plates, "stained with a black, hard stain, so as to make the letters more legible and easier to be read. [73], On the issue of war and violence, the book teaches that war is justified for people to "defend themselves against their enemies". A portion of the text on the plates was also "sealed" according to his account, so its content was not included in the Book of Mormon.[22]. In 2011, a long-running religious satire musical titled The Book of Mormon, written by South Park creators Trey Parker and Matt Stone in collaboration with Robert Lopez, premiered on Broadway, winning nine Tony Awards, including Best Musical. [26] Smith's first stone, apparently the same one that he used at least part of the time to translate the golden plates, was chocolate-colored and about the size of a chicken egg,[27] found in a deep well he helped dig for one of his neighbors. David Graeber Bullshit Jobs A Theory May 15, 2018, originally published. [94], The Smith home was approached "nearly every night" by villagers hoping to find the chest, where Smith said the plates were kept. Garlinghouse, Thomas, "Revisiting the Mound Builder Controversy", harvnb error: no target: CITEREFSilverberg1969 (. Book of Mormon (LDS edition), Introduction expressing the LDS view that the Book of Mormon "is a record of God's dealings with the ancient inhabitants of the Americas", and that the book is a translation of the golden plates "into the English language". (2003). [81] When citizens referred to as "king-men" attempted to overthrow a democratically elected government and establish an unrighteous king, the book praises a military commander who executed pro-monarchy citizens who had vowed to destroy the church of God and were unwilling to defend their country from hostile invading forces. In striking the last man, Joseph said, he injured his thumb. There are a number of other smaller churches that are part of the Latter Day Saint movement. After letting his mother feel through a thin cloth what she said was the breastplate, he placed it in the locked chest. [86] From the 16th century through the early 19th, a common belief was that the Jews, particularly the Lost Ten Tribes, were the ancestors of Native Americans. A fifty page book delivered by an angel is no less miraculous than a thick volume; it's the heavenly messenger part that makes it hard to believe.[167]. [84] Spying once again on the house of Samuel Lawrence, Smith, Sr., determined that a group of ten to twelve of these men, including Lawrence and Willard Chase, had enlisted the talents of a renowned and supposedly talented seer from 60 miles (96 km) away, in an effort to locate where the plates were hidden by means of divination. [96], The Book of Mormon is one of four sacred texts or standard works of the LDS Church. [48] These books are described as being abridged from a large quantity of existing records called "the large plates of Nephi" that detailed the people's history from the time of Omni to Mormon's own life. [51] Smith then set off to visit the hill, later stating that he used his seer stone to locate the place that the plates were buried[52] but that he "knew the place the instant that [he] arrived there. [85] When Emma heard of that, she rode a stray horse to Macedon and informed Smith,[86] who reportedly determined through his Urim and Thummim that the plates were safe. [172] In one interview, David Whitmer said that "about half" the book was unsealed;[197] in 1881, he said "about one-third" was unsealed. The story of the golden plates consists of how, according to Joseph Smith and his contemporaries, the plates were found, received from the angel Moroni, translated, and returned to the angel before the publication of the Book of Mormon. [123] Based on some of the descriptions of the plates' dimensions, one scholar speculates that, had the plates been made of 24-karat gold (which Smith never claimed), they would have weighed about 140 pounds (64 kg),[182] while LDS writers have speculated that the plates were made of a copper-gold alloy like tumbaga, which would have weighed significantly less.[183]. [176] Joseph's brother William, who said he felt the plates inside a pillow case in 1827, said in 1884 that he understood the plates to be "a mixture of gold and copper ... much heavier than stone, and very much heavier than wood". [62] According to Smith's followers, Smith had also broken the angel's commandment "not to lay the plates down, or put them for a moment out of his hands,"[63] and according to a nonbeliever, Smith said, "I had forgotten to give thanks to God," as required by the angel. [107] Sometimes, Smith dictated to Harris from upstairs or from a different room. Shortly thereafter the empty box was discovered and the place ransacked by Smith's former treasure-seeking associates,[98] who had enlisted one of the men's sisters to find the hiding place by looking in her seer stone.[99]. Smith said that he found the plates on September 22, 1823, on a hill near his home in Manchester, New York, after the angel Moroni directed him to a buried stone box. And historically accurate books to read and listen to. "[53], Smith said he saw a large stone covering a box made of stone (or possibly iron). "[132] In 1895, Whitmer's grandson George Schweich inherited the manuscript. [206], Some Latter Day Saints, especially those within the Community of Christ, have doubted the historicity of the golden plates and downplayed their significance. [155], Differences between the original and printer's manuscript, the 1830 printed version, and modern versions of the Book of Mormon have led some critics to claim that evidence has been systematically removed that could have proven that Smith fabricated the Book of Mormon, or are attempts to hide embarrassing aspects of the church's past,[9][10][125] with Mormon scholars viewing the changes as superficial, done to clarify the meaning of the text. [14] As of 2011, more than 150 million copies of the Book of Mormon had been printed. In furtherance of its theme of reconciling Jews and Gentiles to Jesus, the book describes a variety of visions or visitations to some early inhabitants in the Americas involving Jesus. [75] However, 2,000 of their descendants, who had not taken the oath of their parents not to take up arms against their enemies, chose to go to battle against the Lamanites, and it states that in their battles the 2,000 men were protected by God through their faith and, though many were injured, none of them died. [105], The LDS Church encourages discovery of the book's truth by following the suggestion in its final chapter to study, ponder, and pray to God concerning its veracity. / Translation Work Days, The 116 lost pages contained the first portion of the Book of Lehi; it was lost after Smith loaned the original, uncopied manuscript to Martin Harris. [78] Therefore, on the eve of September 22, 1827, the scheduled date for retrieving the plates, Smith dispatched his father to spy on Lawrence's house until dark. [112] The most prominent modern theory is that Smith composed the translation in response to the provincial opinions of his time,[113] perhaps while in a magical trance-like state. The best-known elements of the golden plates story are found in an account told by Smith in 1838 and incorporated into the official church histories of some Latter Day Saint movement denominations. [34] Moroni told Smith that the plates could be found buried in a prominent hill near his home, later called Cumorah, a name found in the Book of Mormon. The pivotal event of the book is an appearance of Jesus Christ in the Americas shortly after his resurrection. [162][163][164], The LDS Church, which distributes free copies of the Book of Mormon, reported in 2011 that 150 million copies of the book have been printed since its initial publication. [25] After the loss, Smith recorded that he had lost the ability to translate, and that Moroni had taken back the plates to be returned only after Smith repented. Its structure shows elaborate design, its narrative is spun coherently, and it demonstrates throughout a unity of purpose. In the 19th century, the most common explanation was that he copied the work from a manuscript written by Solomon Spaulding. The Book of Mormon is organized as a compilation of smaller books, each named after its main named narrator or a prominent leader, beginning with the First Book of Nephi (1 Nephi) and ending with the Book of Moroni. [160], Hyrum Smith and John Whitmer, also witnesses in 1829, are reported to have stated that the rings holding the plates together were, in Hyrum's words, "in the shape of the letter D, which facilitated the opening and shutting of the book". B. Smith reluctantly acceded to Harris's requests. The Book of Mormon is a sacred text of the Latter Day Saint movement, which, according to Latter Day Saint theology, contains writings of ancient prophets who lived on the American continent from approximately 2200 BC to AD 421. By 1903, Schweich had mortgaged the manuscript for $1,800 and, needing to raise at least that sum, sold a collection including 72-percent of the book of the original printer's manuscript (John Whitmer's manuscript history, parts of Joseph Smith's translation of the Bible, manuscript copies of several revelations, and a piece of paper containing copied Book of Mormon characters) to the RLDS Church (now the Community of Christ) for $2,450, with $2,300 of this amount for the printer's manuscript. Prayer. Smith used scribes to write the words he said were a translation of the golden plates, dictating the words while peering into seer stones, which he said allowed him to see the translation. Whenever he found his speech growing too modern -- which was about every sentence or two -- he ladled in a few such Scriptural phrases as "exceeding sore," "and it came to pass," etc., and made things satisfactory again. [125][128][129] The printer's manuscript is now the earliest surviving complete copy of the Book of Mormon. 1: The Journey, What Hath God Wrought: The Transformation of America, 1815–1848, "Book of Mormon Reaches 150 Million Copies", Teachings of Presidents of the Church: Joseph Smith, "Book of Mormon Translation By Joseph Smith", Introduction The Testimony of Three Witnesses, Introduction The Testimony of Eight Witnesses, "180 Years Later, Book of Mormon Nears 150 Million Copies", Printing and Publishing the Book of Mormon, "A Brief Explanation about the Book of Mormon", "The Book of Mormon: A Guide for the Old Testament", "Prehistoric American Indians in Tennessee", "The Book of Mormon—Keystone of Our Religion", https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/study/scriptures/pgp/a-of-f/1?lang=eng, "Since 1982, subtitle has defined book as 'another testament of Jesus Christ'", "Book of Mormon: Another Testament of Jesus Christ", "Flooding the Earth with the Book of Mormon", "12 things I learned about the church that I didn't know before general conference", "They 'Shall Blossom as the Rose': Native Americans and the Dream of Zion,", "The LDS Restorationist movement, including The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints", Smithsonian Institution statement on the Book of Mormon, Intro Change in Book of Mormon Spurs Discussion, "Mounting Evidence for the Book of Mormon", "Recounting the preservation of the printer's manuscript of the Book of Mormon", "Church Acquires Printer's Manuscript of Book of Mormon", "LDS Church buys printer's manuscript of Book of Mormon for record $35 million", http://mi.byu.edu/publications/jbms/?vol=15&num=1&id=401, "Printer's Manuscript of the Book of Mormon, 1923 Photostatic Copies", "3. Its matter is drawn directly from the American frontier, from the impassioned revivalist sermons, the popular fallacies about Indian origin, and the current political crusades. [148], By June 1829, Smith determined that there would be eight additional witnesses, a total of twelve including Smith. [70] The Book of Mormon claims this meant that the Nephites and other remnants of the lost tribes of Israel throughout the world were to be visited by Jesus after his resurrection. [68] For the visit on September 22, 1825, Smith may have attempted to bring his treasure-hunting associate Samuel T. [28] The LDS Church released photographs of the stone on August 4, 2015. Mormon is eventually killed after having handed down the records to his son Moroni. The Community of Christ, formerly known as the Reorganized Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints, views the Book of Mormon as an additional witness of Jesus Christ and publishes two versions of the book through its official publishing arm, Herald House: the Authorized Edition, which is based on the original printer's manuscript, and the 1837 Second Edition (or "Kirtland Edition") of the Book of Mormon. [51] It also includes significant doctrinal teachings and closes with Moroni's testimony and an invitation to pray to God for a confirmation of the truthfulness of the account.[52]. Stanley R. Larson, “A Study of Some Textual Variations in the Book of Mormon, Comparing the Original and Printer's MSS., and Comparing the 1830, 1837, and 1840 Editions,” unpublished master's thesis (Provo: BYU, 1974). At the time, churches in the region contended so vigorously for souls that western New York later became known as the "burned-over district" because the fires of religious revivals had burned over it so often. In 2015, this remaining portion was published by the Church Historian's Press in its Joseph Smith Papers series, in Volume Three of "Revelations and Translations"; and, in 2017, the LDS Church bought the printer's manuscript for US$35,000,000.[133][134]. Introduced primitive verses (numbered paragraphs). All About Mormons. [20]:42, Smith's first published description of the plates said that the plates "had the appearance of gold". [15] The 50 millionth copy was printed in 1990, with the 100 millionth following in 2000 and reaching 150 million in 2011.[15]. [59], Disconcerted by his inability to obtain the plates, Smith said he briefly wondered whether his experience had been a "dreem of Vision" [sic]. "[74] The book praises the faith of a group of former Lamanite warriors who took an oath of complete pacifism, refusing to take arms even to defend themselves and their people. Second Nephi 9:20–27 from the Book of Mormon is quoted in a funeral service in Alfred Hitchcock's film Family Plot. During the Second Great Awakening, Joseph Smith lived on his parents' farm near Palmyra, New York. [95] After hearing that a group of them would attempt to enter the house by force, Smith buried the chest under the hearth,[96] and the family was able to scare away the intended intruders. [77][78] The book warns of the evil that occurs when the king is wicked, and therefore suggests that it is not generally good to have a king. Nabeel reads the book, but the book attempts to use the bible (the book of John) to prove the bible is true. According to the narrative, Moroni was the last prophet among these people and had buried the record, which God had promised to bring forth in the latter days. "A History of All the Important Things" (D&C 69:3): John Whitmer's Record of Church History | Religious Studies Center", "Book of Mormon manuscript may be world's most expensive book | The Kansas City Star", "Historian: At $35M, original printer's manuscript of Book of Mormon a bargain - The Salt Lake Tribune", "Church Releases New Edition of English Scriptures in Digital Formats", "The Restored Covenant Edition of the Book of Mormon—Text Restored to Its Purity? During the 1870s, according to the Chicago Tribune, the LDS Church unsuccessfully attempted to buy it from Whitmer for a record price. Knocking the man down with a single punch, Joseph ran as fast as he could for about a half mile before he was attacked by a second man trying to get the plates. Based on Joseph Smith's last personally-updated 1840 version, with revisions per, Photo-enlarged facsimile of the 1840 edition. Used by the early. [164] David Whitmer, another of the Three Witnesses, was quoted by an 1831 Palmyra newspaper as having said the plates were "the thickness of tin plate; the back was secured with three small rings ... passing through each leaf in succession". The remainder of the Book of Mormon is written in third-person historical narrative, said to be compiled and abridged by Mormon (with Moroni abridging the Book of Ether and writing the latter part of Mormon and the Book of Moroni). The New Testament and Book of Mormon are published in one book. [97] Fearing the chest might still be discovered, Smith hid it under the floor boards of his parents' old log home nearby that was then being used as a cooper shop. [205], Two other sets of alleged plates, the Voree plates and the Book of the Law of the Lord, were translated by James Strang—one of three major contenders to succeed Smith—who went on to lead the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints (Strangite). [126], Only 28 percent of the original manuscript now survives, including a remarkable find of fragments from 58 pages in 1991. The Book of Mormon is a work of substantial complexity, however, with numerous well-spun narratives subsumed with a larger comprehensive vision. If he had left that out, his Bible would have been only a pamphlet. [35] Before dawn, Moroni reappeared two more times and repeated the information. [125], The printer's manuscript was not used fully in the typesetting of the 1830 version of Book of Mormon; portions of the original manuscript were also used for typesetting. The Book of Mormon is divided into smaller books, titled after the individuals named as primary authors and, in most versions, divided into chapters and verses. The Zarahemla Research Foundation publishes a 48-page booklet titled "Book of Mormon Chapter & Verse: RLDS–LDS Conversion Table" to enable readers of an LDS edition to find references from an RLDS edition and vice versa. Most of the archaeological, historical and scientific communities do not consider the Book of Mormon an ancient record of actual historical events. I love having this available to read or to play while painting, driving, cleaning, cooking or anything else I might be doing during the day. [25], The first completed manuscript, called the original manuscript, was completed using a variety of scribes.

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