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The Creation of the Book of Mormon : A Historical Inquiry
This book provides a fresh examination of the origin of the Book of Mormon. It uses the best available to focus on Joseph Smith's early visions, his use of seer stones, the search for buried treasures, the discovery of golden plates, the witnesses of the Book of Mormon, the process of translation, and various responses to the book--both positive and negative.
259 pages, Hardcover
First published September 1, 1998
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Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews
December 29, 2019
This interesting, but incomplete volume is a must-read for anyone examining the history of Mormonism and in particular the Book of Mormon. Though there are other books that scrutinize things a bit more thoroughly, there are some very interesting tidbits included here, especially in the Appendix.
September 13, 2026
A COMPARISON OF HISTORICAL RECORDS WITH EACH OTHER, ETC.
LaMar Petersen (1910-2005) was an organist and amateur historian, who was a member of the Advisory Board of Editors for the Utah Historical Quarterly for 18 years.
He wrote in the Introduction to this 2000 book, “The Latter-day Saints believe that only two churches lay claim to divine sanction---their own and the Roman Catholic, the one just and the other spurious… The world’s thousand other churches are not categorized but it is believed that they are somewhere in outer spiritual darkness… Their authority to act in God’s name comes directly from Jesus Christ himself and from angelic beings who bestowed the priesthood upon Joseph Smith an Oliver Cowdery by the laying on of hands… The restoration of all things must be more than abstract peace of mind; it is to include the tangible realities of temples… of saints gathered from the four corners of the earth, and of an earth which will receive its paradisiacal glory. Material evidences have sustained the saints since the beginning of their history in 1830.” (Pg. xiii-xiv)
He explains, “In the following pages an attempt has been made to explore, and possibly to illumine, the origin of the Book of Mormon. Particular attention has been paid to the statements of those who were instrumental in building the church and to those who were interested spectators. The personal bias of each individual must, of course, be considered and also the time and circumstance under which his information was given. Some statements are uttered in retrospect so that faulty memory may have taken its toll. It is not to be supposed that the information presented is final or conclusive… In the final analysis the reader must decide whether the Book of Mormon is a valid history, an imaginative fable, or perhaps a 19th century expression of religious belief.” (Pg. xxiii-xxiv)
In Chapter 1, he explains, “The ‘official’ and consequently the most well-known account of the First Vision of Joseph Smith was dictated in 1838 and recopied in 1839… However, examination of the sources in which Joseph Smith himself recounted or referred to the First Vision shows a dramatic evolution in the story. There are five such accounts by Joseph Smith, as follows: (1) Joseph’s 1832 account, (2) Joseph’s 1835 account to Robert Matthews, (3) Joseph’s 1835 account to Erastus Holmes, (4) Joseph’s 1839 account [which became part of the Pearl of Great Price], and (5) Joseph’s 1842 account to John Wentworth.” (Pg. 1-2)
He states, “Most Mormons consider the traditional account of Joseph Smith’s First Vision as canonized in the Pearl of Great Price to be one of the cornerstones of the LDS Church. Usually there is very little discussion of the historical development---which can be shown by the dateable sources---of the early visions of Joseph Smith. The most traditional approach is simply to bear a testimony to its truthfulness.” (Pg. 21)
He notes, “the significant question persists: Did Joseph Smith receive a unique instrument through angelic interposition in 1827---known to the ancients as Urim and Thummim and likewise known to Joseph from the time removed it from Cumorah---or did the stone found in the well of Willard Chase become a Urim and Thummim to him several years after the founding of the church? The following quotations would indicate that the curious spectacles may have been either one or two stones used in the manner previously described by skeptics.” (Pg. 40)
He recounts, “If the affidavits and the eighty or more signatures that he obtained are ignored, the remaining accounts of Joseph’s interest in mystic arts still form a formidable challenge to church history. Even if true, however, they may not be a crippling indictment; they do not obviate his right or his ability to establish a church, but they do make his claims to divine guidance suspect.” (Pg. 53)
He points out, “There have been many estimates as to the number of plates of the Book of Mormon, ranging from a mere 21 to a magnificent 2,000. The first estimate is that of churchman Janne M. Sjodahl, and the second that of critic William Sheldon who reasoned: ‘Were the engraving coarse enough to be read, it would take about 2,000 such plates, of a stack of plates ten feet high to contain the Book.’ Apostle John A. Widtsoe and Frankin S. Harris hypothesized that the plates… would weigh 200 pounds. Knowing that Joseph carried the plates long distances, Widtsoe and Harris deduced that they must have been of an alloy and would … not have weighed over 117 pounds… Either theory … poses a problem considering Joseph’s through the woods while repelling assailants, or Emma moving the plates aside in order to dust.” (Pg. 83-84)
He notes, “Examination of the statements of the three Book of Mormon witnesses shows that while they bore firm testimony both in and out of the church, sometimes the nature of that testimony has been misunderstood. The most drastic damage to the accepted image of the three witnesses is the very real possibility that their testimony may have been based on a visionary or mental experience, and not a physical one.” (Pg. 94)
Of revisions to early editions, he comments, “Hundreds of grammatical errors, tautological expressions, and provincialisms have been eliminated. It is difficult to understand why such phrases as ‘state of awful woundedness’… were re-written but other phrases such as ‘I am consigned that these are my days’ (Hel 7:9)… were left untouched.” (Pg. 152)
He notes that “Thomas Stuart Ferguson was a popular LDS lecturer and writer on Book of Mormon archaeology… through the late 1960s.” (Pg. 169) “In the ‘Animal-Life Test,’ Ferguson presented Book of Mormon quotations for the ass, bull, calf, cattle, cow, goat, horse, ox, sheep, sow (swine), and elephant. After citing the relevant passages for each of these terms, Ferguson … emphatically [added] the word ‘none’ [found in America during BOM days].” (Pg. 179)
This book will be of keen interest to those (non-ultra orthodox) Mormons wanting to study the BOM on purely historical grounds.
LaMar Petersen (1910-2005) was an organist and amateur historian, who was a member of the Advisory Board of Editors for the Utah Historical Quarterly for 18 years.
He wrote in the Introduction to this 2000 book, “The Latter-day Saints believe that only two churches lay claim to divine sanction---their own and the Roman Catholic, the one just and the other spurious… The world’s thousand other churches are not categorized but it is believed that they are somewhere in outer spiritual darkness… Their authority to act in God’s name comes directly from Jesus Christ himself and from angelic beings who bestowed the priesthood upon Joseph Smith an Oliver Cowdery by the laying on of hands… The restoration of all things must be more than abstract peace of mind; it is to include the tangible realities of temples… of saints gathered from the four corners of the earth, and of an earth which will receive its paradisiacal glory. Material evidences have sustained the saints since the beginning of their history in 1830.” (Pg. xiii-xiv)
He explains, “In the following pages an attempt has been made to explore, and possibly to illumine, the origin of the Book of Mormon. Particular attention has been paid to the statements of those who were instrumental in building the church and to those who were interested spectators. The personal bias of each individual must, of course, be considered and also the time and circumstance under which his information was given. Some statements are uttered in retrospect so that faulty memory may have taken its toll. It is not to be supposed that the information presented is final or conclusive… In the final analysis the reader must decide whether the Book of Mormon is a valid history, an imaginative fable, or perhaps a 19th century expression of religious belief.” (Pg. xxiii-xxiv)
In Chapter 1, he explains, “The ‘official’ and consequently the most well-known account of the First Vision of Joseph Smith was dictated in 1838 and recopied in 1839… However, examination of the sources in which Joseph Smith himself recounted or referred to the First Vision shows a dramatic evolution in the story. There are five such accounts by Joseph Smith, as follows: (1) Joseph’s 1832 account, (2) Joseph’s 1835 account to Robert Matthews, (3) Joseph’s 1835 account to Erastus Holmes, (4) Joseph’s 1839 account [which became part of the Pearl of Great Price], and (5) Joseph’s 1842 account to John Wentworth.” (Pg. 1-2)
He states, “Most Mormons consider the traditional account of Joseph Smith’s First Vision as canonized in the Pearl of Great Price to be one of the cornerstones of the LDS Church. Usually there is very little discussion of the historical development---which can be shown by the dateable sources---of the early visions of Joseph Smith. The most traditional approach is simply to bear a testimony to its truthfulness.” (Pg. 21)
He notes, “the significant question persists: Did Joseph Smith receive a unique instrument through angelic interposition in 1827---known to the ancients as Urim and Thummim and likewise known to Joseph from the time removed it from Cumorah---or did the stone found in the well of Willard Chase become a Urim and Thummim to him several years after the founding of the church? The following quotations would indicate that the curious spectacles may have been either one or two stones used in the manner previously described by skeptics.” (Pg. 40)
He recounts, “If the affidavits and the eighty or more signatures that he obtained are ignored, the remaining accounts of Joseph’s interest in mystic arts still form a formidable challenge to church history. Even if true, however, they may not be a crippling indictment; they do not obviate his right or his ability to establish a church, but they do make his claims to divine guidance suspect.” (Pg. 53)
He points out, “There have been many estimates as to the number of plates of the Book of Mormon, ranging from a mere 21 to a magnificent 2,000. The first estimate is that of churchman Janne M. Sjodahl, and the second that of critic William Sheldon who reasoned: ‘Were the engraving coarse enough to be read, it would take about 2,000 such plates, of a stack of plates ten feet high to contain the Book.’ Apostle John A. Widtsoe and Frankin S. Harris hypothesized that the plates… would weigh 200 pounds. Knowing that Joseph carried the plates long distances, Widtsoe and Harris deduced that they must have been of an alloy and would … not have weighed over 117 pounds… Either theory … poses a problem considering Joseph’s through the woods while repelling assailants, or Emma moving the plates aside in order to dust.” (Pg. 83-84)
He notes, “Examination of the statements of the three Book of Mormon witnesses shows that while they bore firm testimony both in and out of the church, sometimes the nature of that testimony has been misunderstood. The most drastic damage to the accepted image of the three witnesses is the very real possibility that their testimony may have been based on a visionary or mental experience, and not a physical one.” (Pg. 94)
Of revisions to early editions, he comments, “Hundreds of grammatical errors, tautological expressions, and provincialisms have been eliminated. It is difficult to understand why such phrases as ‘state of awful woundedness’… were re-written but other phrases such as ‘I am consigned that these are my days’ (Hel 7:9)… were left untouched.” (Pg. 152)
He notes that “Thomas Stuart Ferguson was a popular LDS lecturer and writer on Book of Mormon archaeology… through the late 1960s.” (Pg. 169) “In the ‘Animal-Life Test,’ Ferguson presented Book of Mormon quotations for the ass, bull, calf, cattle, cow, goat, horse, ox, sheep, sow (swine), and elephant. After citing the relevant passages for each of these terms, Ferguson … emphatically [added] the word ‘none’ [found in America during BOM days].” (Pg. 179)
This book will be of keen interest to those (non-ultra orthodox) Mormons wanting to study the BOM on purely historical grounds.
September 18, 2020
A sceptical view of the Book of Mormon's origin and historicity from an LDS writer. Good introduction to the problems surrounding Joseph Smith's ' First Vision' and the origin of Mormonism.
Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews