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Understanding the Book of Mormon: A Quick Christian Guide to the Mormon Holy Book
Mormons, or members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, form a growing population in both numbers and influence. Yet few people have more than a passing knowledge of the document that defines and drives this important movement—the Book of Mormon. A former Mormon and an adult convert to Christianity, author Ross Anderson provides a clear summary of the Book of Mormon including its history, teachings, and unique features. Stories from the author and other ex-Mormons illustrate the use of Mormon scripture in the Latter-day Saint church. Anderson gives special attention to how the Book of Mormon relates to Christian beliefs about God, Jesus, and the Bible. With discussion questions to facilitate group use and a focus on providing an accurate portrayal of Mormons beliefs, Understanding the Book of Mormon is an indispensable guide for anyone wishing to become more familiar with the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and its most formative scripture.
116 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 2009
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July 13, 2012
What is the Book of Mormon? If you don’t know, it is claimed by the LDS church to be “a collection of writings and teachings of the ancient prophets and followers of Jesus Christ who lived in the Americas from approximately 590 BC to AD 421” translated by Joseph Smith “by divine inspiration from gold plates that he received from the angel Moroni.” It is “an ancient account of the inhabitants of America…considered to be descendants of Israel and the principal ancestors of the American Indians.” Joseph Smith said that "the Book of Mormon [is] the most correct of any book on earth and the keystone of our religion and a man would get nearer to God by abiding by its precepts than by any other book.”
The author, a former Mormon, offers a temperate critique of the Book of Mormon, and he doesn’t use straw man techniques. In fact, he submitted the most controversial material to active LDS members (including friends and family) for review and critique. He gently points out the flaws of the Book of Mormon, including the following:
---Its “full-blown New Testament” Christ and gospel (see, for example, 1 Nephi 10), which leaves the reader baffled why God would chose to reveal a full New Testament Christ (complete with New Testament language) to the Nephites while leaving the biblical prophets with a “patchwork picture"
---Its teaching of salvation by works
---Its obvious sourcing in the KJV rather than ancient sources written on gold bricks
---Its too-good-to-be-true dealings with 19th-century American political and religious issues (everything from infant baptism to church government to Freemasonry to republican government)
---Its numerous inconsistencies with what we know about ancient Meso-America (and Israel, with regard to architecture) in the areas of:
-----Metallurgy. The Book of Mormon peoples supposedly use gold, silver, iron, brass, and copper centuries before metallurgy was introduced to Meso-America.
-----Weaponry. The Book of Mormon mentions steel swords, but steel swords were not used in Meso-America until the Spanish conquest.
-----Zoology. The Book of Mormon mentions cattle, sheep, goats, and horses (none of which found in any archaeology setting in Meso-America in Book of Mormon times) but fails to mention deer, jaguars, and other native species.
-----Architecture. The Book of Mormon mentions synagogues built after the manner of the Jews. Jews, however, did not use synagogues until the intertestamental period, centuries after the supposed departure of Lehi during the reign of Zedekiah (597-586 BC) on the eve of the Babylonian sack of Jerusalem.
-----Genetics (Mormons used to claim that all Native Americans were descended from Lamanites--they've had to tone this down in recent years due to DNA evidence linking Native Americans with Asian, not Semitic, peoples.)
-----Geography. None of the geographical features mentioned in the Book of Mormon can be located anywhere in Meso-America.
In addition to the book of Mormon, the author deals briefly with the other Mormon canonical books (Doctrine and Covenants and The Pearl of Great Price). He gleans for the reader the key points out of Doctrine and Covenants and also gives a good breakdown of the five components of The Pearl of Great Price (The Book of Moses, The Book of Abraham [along with the story of the falsity of Joseph Smith’s claim of translation from an Egyptian papyrus], Joseph Smith—Matthew, Joseph Smith—History, and The Articles of Faith).
Other things I learned that I didn’t know before:
---The official Bible of the LDS church is the KJV.
---Mark Twain called the book of Mormon “chloroform in print.”
---What a living Mormon prophet says can supersede Mormon Scripture.
---Mormons believe in three heavens with different degrees of glory
---Mormons believe you get a second chance to repent after death.
---Mormons see Mormonism and the Book of Mormon prophesied in the Bible (John 10:16; Isaiah 29:4,11-12; Ezekiel 37:16-19).
---The word "Bible" is actually used in the Book of Mormon (see specifically 2 Nephi 29 in regard to the corruption and incompleteness of the Bible).
---Jesus supposedly gave the Nephites an address extremely similar to the Sermon on the Mount (3 Nephi 12-14), despite the different cultural setting.
---Joseph Smith completed a new version of the Bible in which he altered 1,000 verses from the KJV (though it has never been published by the LDS church).
---Kinderhook plates. Look them up.
---Joseph Smith's polygamy (with 33 or 34 women, some of whom were already married) was secret during his lifetime.
Bottom line: Mormons base their belief on internal experience found within oneself (gaining a testimony, burning in the bosom, etc.) rather than on external truth found outside of oneself.
One rare criticism: the author informs us how the Isaiah passages quoted in the Book of Mormon (some 19 chapters' worth) contain many of the errors made by the KJV translators (who did not have the advantage of the multitude of newly-discovered manuscripts and modern biblical scholarship/textual criticism), a fact incongruous with the Book of Mormon being translated directly from ancient sources and quite congruous to Joseph Smith simply copying from the KJV. The author, however, does not provide us with any of what these carryover errors are. (Much of this information, however, can be found on Wikipedia here.)
The author, a former Mormon, offers a temperate critique of the Book of Mormon, and he doesn’t use straw man techniques. In fact, he submitted the most controversial material to active LDS members (including friends and family) for review and critique. He gently points out the flaws of the Book of Mormon, including the following:
---Its “full-blown New Testament” Christ and gospel (see, for example, 1 Nephi 10), which leaves the reader baffled why God would chose to reveal a full New Testament Christ (complete with New Testament language) to the Nephites while leaving the biblical prophets with a “patchwork picture"
---Its teaching of salvation by works
---Its obvious sourcing in the KJV rather than ancient sources written on gold bricks
---Its too-good-to-be-true dealings with 19th-century American political and religious issues (everything from infant baptism to church government to Freemasonry to republican government)
---Its numerous inconsistencies with what we know about ancient Meso-America (and Israel, with regard to architecture) in the areas of:
-----Metallurgy. The Book of Mormon peoples supposedly use gold, silver, iron, brass, and copper centuries before metallurgy was introduced to Meso-America.
-----Weaponry. The Book of Mormon mentions steel swords, but steel swords were not used in Meso-America until the Spanish conquest.
-----Zoology. The Book of Mormon mentions cattle, sheep, goats, and horses (none of which found in any archaeology setting in Meso-America in Book of Mormon times) but fails to mention deer, jaguars, and other native species.
-----Architecture. The Book of Mormon mentions synagogues built after the manner of the Jews. Jews, however, did not use synagogues until the intertestamental period, centuries after the supposed departure of Lehi during the reign of Zedekiah (597-586 BC) on the eve of the Babylonian sack of Jerusalem.
-----Genetics (Mormons used to claim that all Native Americans were descended from Lamanites--they've had to tone this down in recent years due to DNA evidence linking Native Americans with Asian, not Semitic, peoples.)
-----Geography. None of the geographical features mentioned in the Book of Mormon can be located anywhere in Meso-America.
In addition to the book of Mormon, the author deals briefly with the other Mormon canonical books (Doctrine and Covenants and The Pearl of Great Price). He gleans for the reader the key points out of Doctrine and Covenants and also gives a good breakdown of the five components of The Pearl of Great Price (The Book of Moses, The Book of Abraham [along with the story of the falsity of Joseph Smith’s claim of translation from an Egyptian papyrus], Joseph Smith—Matthew, Joseph Smith—History, and The Articles of Faith).
Other things I learned that I didn’t know before:
---The official Bible of the LDS church is the KJV.
---Mark Twain called the book of Mormon “chloroform in print.”
---What a living Mormon prophet says can supersede Mormon Scripture.
---Mormons believe in three heavens with different degrees of glory
---Mormons believe you get a second chance to repent after death.
---Mormons see Mormonism and the Book of Mormon prophesied in the Bible (John 10:16; Isaiah 29:4,11-12; Ezekiel 37:16-19).
---The word "Bible" is actually used in the Book of Mormon (see specifically 2 Nephi 29 in regard to the corruption and incompleteness of the Bible).
---Jesus supposedly gave the Nephites an address extremely similar to the Sermon on the Mount (3 Nephi 12-14), despite the different cultural setting.
---Joseph Smith completed a new version of the Bible in which he altered 1,000 verses from the KJV (though it has never been published by the LDS church).
---Kinderhook plates. Look them up.
---Joseph Smith's polygamy (with 33 or 34 women, some of whom were already married) was secret during his lifetime.
Bottom line: Mormons base their belief on internal experience found within oneself (gaining a testimony, burning in the bosom, etc.) rather than on external truth found outside of oneself.
One rare criticism: the author informs us how the Isaiah passages quoted in the Book of Mormon (some 19 chapters' worth) contain many of the errors made by the KJV translators (who did not have the advantage of the multitude of newly-discovered manuscripts and modern biblical scholarship/textual criticism), a fact incongruous with the Book of Mormon being translated directly from ancient sources and quite congruous to Joseph Smith simply copying from the KJV. The author, however, does not provide us with any of what these carryover errors are. (Much of this information, however, can be found on Wikipedia here.)
May 9, 2009
Fair and balanced, no bashing, gave me insight to the beliefs of my close friends and helps me understand them more.
June 2, 2023
Short and sweet and relatively helpful - just a lil blip on my path to understanding :-)
November 23, 2017
As a teenage evangelical Christian encountering the LDS faith for the first time, I frequently found myself frustrated by the antagonistic nature of evangelical literature on Mormonism. How I wish Ross' book had existed back then! In terms of what the book is trying to be---a quick guide to the Book of Mormon geared towards evangelical Christians and meant to be accessible to non-scholars---it would be difficult for evangelicals to come up with a fairer or more irenic option than this. Ross makes a sincere effort to explain the LDS perspective on many issues pertaining to the Book of Mormon in a balanced manner, though he does offer brief evangelical counter-arguments on many points.
This isn't to say that I expect Latter-day Saints would be happy with the book. It is by an ex-Mormon evangelical for an evangelical audience and denies the divinity of the Book of Mormon, in addition to pointing out many of the problems with the Book of Mormon (such as its rather obvious 19th century racism). But I'm not happy when I read in the *Gospel Principles* manual that Theodosius was a corrupt pagan emperor who adopted a "false Christianity." I don't go around rating down the GP manual because it was written by Mormons for Mormons, not for evangelical Christians like me, and those are the perils of belonging to competing, missional faiths.
There are a few things I think I would have changed had I written this book. I might have said less about Joseph Smith's gold-digging, more about the 19th century Protestant context of the Book of Mormon, and found a way to mention Pearl Curran in the BoM authorship debate. But, overall, I think it would be very difficult for evangelicals to produce a better short guide to the Book of Mormon than this, and I applaud Ross for it.
This isn't to say that I expect Latter-day Saints would be happy with the book. It is by an ex-Mormon evangelical for an evangelical audience and denies the divinity of the Book of Mormon, in addition to pointing out many of the problems with the Book of Mormon (such as its rather obvious 19th century racism). But I'm not happy when I read in the *Gospel Principles* manual that Theodosius was a corrupt pagan emperor who adopted a "false Christianity." I don't go around rating down the GP manual because it was written by Mormons for Mormons, not for evangelical Christians like me, and those are the perils of belonging to competing, missional faiths.
There are a few things I think I would have changed had I written this book. I might have said less about Joseph Smith's gold-digging, more about the 19th century Protestant context of the Book of Mormon, and found a way to mention Pearl Curran in the BoM authorship debate. But, overall, I think it would be very difficult for evangelicals to produce a better short guide to the Book of Mormon than this, and I applaud Ross for it.
March 8, 2011
I am very new to this topic and I thought that this book did a wonderful job of teaching the basics. It was written by an ex-Mormon who is still close to his Mormon family but he is also Pastor and if the perfect person I believe to write on this topic. He comes at it from not only head knowledge but a compassionate heart as well.
May 3, 2012
I really like this book because I wrote it!
September 14, 2024
AN EXCELLENT BRIEF BOOK BY AN EX-MORMON
Ross Anderson is a former Mormon, and is also the author of the book, 'Understanding Your Mormon Neighbor: A Quick Christian Guide for Relating to Latter-Day Saints.'
He wrote in the Preface to this 2009 book, "This book has been written both to explain and to evaluate the Book of Mormon from the perspective of the historical Christian faith. My intention is to interact with Mormonism in a spirit of kindness and civility."
Here are some quotations from the book:
"For Latter-day Saints, the method and pace of dictation is strong evidence that Joseph Smith could not have composed the Book of Mormon himself. The story is intricate, with intersecting plot lines and hundreds of different character and place names. Yet it displays unity of purpose and themes... Smith, an uneducated farm boy, dictated the story page after page, without stumbling into contradictions or errors. This could only have been done, Mormons believe, by the power of God." (Pg. 34)
"In later years, Martin Harris claimed that he saw the plates through 'the eyes of faith.' ... David Whitmer referred to the experience as a vision. Thus it is probable that the three witnesses never saw real gold plates with their physical eyes... Unlike the three, the eight witnesses ... said they actually touched the plates... (but) John Whitmer, said that he saw the plates by a supernatural power. Martin Harris claimed that none of the eight witnesses actually saw or handled the gold plates except in a vision." (Pg. 36)
"LDS scholars have responded with a number of theories to explain why the writing on the scrolls does not match the text of the Book of Abraham. Some believe that the text Joseph Smith translated is located on portions of the scrolls that have not been recovered. Others think that the original Egyptian text acted as a catalyst that prompted Smith to receive a revelation directly from God... The LDS Church has never issued an official explanation." (Pg. 56)
"The LDS Church has seemingly acknowledged that the DNA evidence carries some weight. For example, the introduction to the 1981 edition of the Book of Mormon identifies the Lamanites as 'the principal ancestors of the American Indians. The 2006 edition states that the Lamanites 'are among the ancestors of the American Indians.' This change accommodates the current scientific consensus..." (Pg. 71)
"Yet I would not be too quick to raise these issues with an LDS friend. Mormons have strong feelings of reverence and admiration for Joseph Smith ... If you criticize Smith, they will feel attacked. I would discuss the problems with Joseph Smith only when the relationship has developed a high level of rapport and trust---and even then, only with great caution." (pg. 91)
"The Latter-day Saints also encourage prospective converts to pray about the Book of Mormon. I don't recommend that you go that far. There's no need to ask God to show you whether it is true... the ultimate test of truth is not a spiritual experience. A Latter-day Saint would not accept an invitation to pray for the testimony of the Koran... because he or she will already feel confident about knowing the truth." (Pg. 92)
Ross Anderson is a former Mormon, and is also the author of the book, 'Understanding Your Mormon Neighbor: A Quick Christian Guide for Relating to Latter-Day Saints.'
He wrote in the Preface to this 2009 book, "This book has been written both to explain and to evaluate the Book of Mormon from the perspective of the historical Christian faith. My intention is to interact with Mormonism in a spirit of kindness and civility."
Here are some quotations from the book:
"For Latter-day Saints, the method and pace of dictation is strong evidence that Joseph Smith could not have composed the Book of Mormon himself. The story is intricate, with intersecting plot lines and hundreds of different character and place names. Yet it displays unity of purpose and themes... Smith, an uneducated farm boy, dictated the story page after page, without stumbling into contradictions or errors. This could only have been done, Mormons believe, by the power of God." (Pg. 34)
"In later years, Martin Harris claimed that he saw the plates through 'the eyes of faith.' ... David Whitmer referred to the experience as a vision. Thus it is probable that the three witnesses never saw real gold plates with their physical eyes... Unlike the three, the eight witnesses ... said they actually touched the plates... (but) John Whitmer, said that he saw the plates by a supernatural power. Martin Harris claimed that none of the eight witnesses actually saw or handled the gold plates except in a vision." (Pg. 36)
"LDS scholars have responded with a number of theories to explain why the writing on the scrolls does not match the text of the Book of Abraham. Some believe that the text Joseph Smith translated is located on portions of the scrolls that have not been recovered. Others think that the original Egyptian text acted as a catalyst that prompted Smith to receive a revelation directly from God... The LDS Church has never issued an official explanation." (Pg. 56)
"The LDS Church has seemingly acknowledged that the DNA evidence carries some weight. For example, the introduction to the 1981 edition of the Book of Mormon identifies the Lamanites as 'the principal ancestors of the American Indians. The 2006 edition states that the Lamanites 'are among the ancestors of the American Indians.' This change accommodates the current scientific consensus..." (Pg. 71)
"Yet I would not be too quick to raise these issues with an LDS friend. Mormons have strong feelings of reverence and admiration for Joseph Smith ... If you criticize Smith, they will feel attacked. I would discuss the problems with Joseph Smith only when the relationship has developed a high level of rapport and trust---and even then, only with great caution." (pg. 91)
"The Latter-day Saints also encourage prospective converts to pray about the Book of Mormon. I don't recommend that you go that far. There's no need to ask God to show you whether it is true... the ultimate test of truth is not a spiritual experience. A Latter-day Saint would not accept an invitation to pray for the testimony of the Koran... because he or she will already feel confident about knowing the truth." (Pg. 92)
December 12, 2017
While I see this as a good, well reasoned, & fair critique of Mormonism, the author seems to be unable or unwilling to see how many of his arguments could just as easily be applied to his own Christian faith. As a former Mormon, he seems to believe that his new faith can meet the standards of evidence that his old one failed to meet. As a former Christian & student of apologetics, I can say that that is not the case. One can reject the truth of both these religions on the same grounds & by the same logic. Anderson recommends against praying & asking God if the Book of Mormon is true, which is the primary way Mormons come to belief (that should tell you something about the reliability of prayer). But if the inward spiritual experience & revelations aren't a reliable truth test, what is? For Anderson, it's how well the Book of Mormon conforms to the teachings of the Bible. But what test did he use to establish the Bible as true? When critically evaluated, both books fail the same tests: both contain contradictions, errors, inaccuracies, anachronisms, failed prophecies, fraudulent writings, interpolations, unscientific claims, unhistorical events, & even immoral teachings. Of course, both books make it a sin to notice or admit these inconvenient facts or to question their divine origin & ultimate authority, rendering believers of both religions virtually incapable of thinking critically or even open-mindedly about their beliefs. It's no surprise that the Book of Mormon, like the Bible, strongly emphasizes the importance of faith, & demonizes doubt.
August 10, 2020
I am an atheist, but I’m quite interested in learning about religions from all over the world. I also live in an area heavily populated by Latter Day Saints, many of whom I consider good friends. Though this book was directed at a Christian audience, I found it generally accessible. Without infantilization? No. But did it encourage respectful conversation? Yes. And I find said conversation and respect to be key when discussing different religions and beliefs.
April 29, 2019
The book is authored by an evangelical, which gives a fairly different perspective then the title suggests. The author is kind and respectful, yet does not take the time to explore the story. AS an outsider I was hoping for a book from a Latter Day Saint perspective that might explain the book and modern theological implications.
January 16, 2020
Solid overview. Like most of the reviews said, I appreciate that he is compassionate towards the LDS church. The substantive explanation of the book of Mormon, in my opinion, was more helpful than than the parts on how the book was put together.
He could have easily doubled the length, and I wish he had.
He could have easily doubled the length, and I wish he had.
March 1, 2021
I would recommend this book to Christians who are interested in learning why the Book of Mormon is not the Word of God like the Bible. Written by a former Mormon, Anderson summarizes various topics from anachronisms to possible plagiarism from Joseph Smith. I would say this book is great for those who are completely new to the subject.
January 21, 2021
This is a great introduction for Evangelical Christians and a good overview. I am currently reading “Kingdom of Nauvoo: The Rise and Fall of a Religious Empire on the American Frontier” by Benjamin E. Park and wanted to know more about the religion that founded Nauvoo.
November 15, 2023
I am a former Mormon and read this book to see how Christians outside of the faith view Mormon theology and scripture. I found it very informative. It was respectful of Mormon beliefs while being critical of their validity.
January 18, 2025
Concise but thorough POV of LDS through a Biblical lens. This would be the first book I would recommend for Christians who are beginning to evangelize Mormons. This book brings very respectful and loving rebuttals and talking points.
February 16, 2026
I think this was a great, thoughtful piece on the Book of Mormon. If you want a good overview of the Book of Mormon, I believe this book gives great insight into it from a Biblical/ Christian perspective.
December 5, 2018
It's all in the title - a quick guide. I learned quite a few new things about the Mormon faith.
July 2, 2019
This was an interesting read for my book club. The author had been a Mormon and had become a Christian in another faith. I learned some things I hadn't known about the Book of Mormon.
August 27, 2021
The title is accurate - this is certainly a quick read. I found it informational and I appreciated the process Anderson took in writing as a former LDS member himself. I learned a lot!
April 20, 2025
I learned a lot! This was definitely an interesting and informative read.
November 14, 2016
I really enjoyed this book as a source from someone who was raised in the LDS church but converted to Christianity. The material was presented in a semi-two-sided fashion. The author didn't seem to be shunning Mormons, but I also felt that he could have present more of their side. So I will definitely be reading another source, one from the Mormon perspective.
My only real annoyance: Yes, this book is named, a "quick Christian guide," so I probably should have seen it coming. The last chapter where he addresses his fellow Christians quite irked. I felt like he was basically saying that he wrote this book more for them to have some ammo for why mormons are wrong and their Christian faith is correct. Sure I may be reading too much into the things he said, but that's the impression I got. Coming from a non-Christian perspective, I feel this makes him no better than the LDS members.
I love learning about all the different religions. I find it truly fascinating. I honestly think that no one is wrong or right. So it annoys the crap out of me when someone suggests that they are right and the other person is wrong. I think if the author wouldn't have added that in at the end. This would have had a better chance of being a 5 star.
My only real annoyance: Yes, this book is named, a "quick Christian guide," so I probably should have seen it coming. The last chapter where he addresses his fellow Christians quite irked. I felt like he was basically saying that he wrote this book more for them to have some ammo for why mormons are wrong and their Christian faith is correct. Sure I may be reading too much into the things he said, but that's the impression I got. Coming from a non-Christian perspective, I feel this makes him no better than the LDS members.
I love learning about all the different religions. I find it truly fascinating. I honestly think that no one is wrong or right. So it annoys the crap out of me when someone suggests that they are right and the other person is wrong. I think if the author wouldn't have added that in at the end. This would have had a better chance of being a 5 star.
November 6, 2011
This is a good, balanced introduction for someone who isn't familiar with the Book of Mormon.
Read
November 3, 2012This is a fantastic book! So greatful there is a generous and kind book that helps christians gain perspective on this other religion.
Displaying 1 - 23 of 23 reviews