What do you think?
Rate this book
The Key to the Keystone: How Apocryphal Texts Unlock the Book of Mormon's Brass Plates by Jonah R. Barnes
Over 2,000 years ago, a band of desert travelers huddled against the sandy blasts of the Arabian peninsula. They clutched in their arms a metallic book and absconded away to preserve it against the impending doom of the Babylonian invasion. This treasured text would become the source material for the Book of Mormon, one of the most influential books in American history. Though critics have tried (and spectacularly failed) to explain its origins, the Book of Mormon owes everything to this mysterious stolen text. Yet that ancient brass book wasn't the only treasure to emerge from the sands of the Near East. Years after the publication of the Book of Mormon in 1830, a cascade of newly discovered apocryphal texts would appear like voices from the dust. Using these miraculous new sources, independent researcher Jonah Barnes has used paleography and philology to reconstruct the content of Lehi's brass plates. His research will answer questions such Which books were on the brass plates stolen by Lehi in 597 BC? Can we read them? Who corrupted the Old Testament canon? And how badly? Who was Lucifer, and why does the Bible say so little about him? Who was Eve, and why are the Christian creeds so hard on women? Who was the prophet Abinadi? Where did he come from? How did the prophet Isaiah die? Who killed him and why? Who murdered the prophet Jeremiah? And what for? Why does the Book of Mormon sound too Messianic and not more Mosaic? Do the apocrypha support the authority of the Bible? Or do they support the Book of Mormon? Do anti-Mormons think Joseph Smith was a time-traveler? Do they think Elvis is still alive? Filled with unique parallels and scriptural insights with recently discovered apocryphal works, the The Key to the Keystone will unlock the Book of Mormon and change your view of the mission of Jesus Christ. And it might make you chuckle along the way.
262 pages, Paperback
Published October 1, 2024
3 people are currently reading
30 people want to read
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews
October 12, 2024
Love this book. If you want arguments for why the Hebrew Bible is missing Jesus of Nazareth as Messiah, and if you are curious about the claims of the Book of Mormon, this book provides evidence that 1. Israelites before 30 CE knew of a Messiah who would die and rise again, that 2. He would be born of a mortal and take on flesh, 3. That through him redemption would come.
If you are familiar with the Book of Mormon already, then Jonah's book will show you what you don't know. For one, the Brass Plates are NOT the Old Testament. The Brass Plates are literature from before the Deuteronomistic reformers got ahold of the texts are rewrote everything. The Brass Plates are the OG religion from before 640 BCE. This is why the Book of Mormon reads the way it does, for it is untouched by the Jewish Apostasy of 640 BCE.
Jonah's argument (from the Q-source arguments of the New Testament) is that you can triangulate what was on the Brass Plates by examining what the BOM authors are telling you with what was going on in the extrabiblical literature that didn't make it into the Bible. He examines around 40 extrabiblcal texts that Joseph Smith didn't have access to in 1827-1829 and shows you how these ancient ideas swirling around in the Levant correspond to what the BOM prophets were saying about the Messiah, the Holy One of Israel. His arguments are compelling.
Jonah is pretty aggressive towards the scholars, and at times his rhetoric may be much for some readers, but I appreciate his quick witted approach and would recommend this to anyone who has questions about the Book of Mormon or really want more information about what's at stake when it comes to a belief in a dying and rising Messiah God and the conceptions of this deity before Jesus' day.
If you are familiar with the Book of Mormon already, then Jonah's book will show you what you don't know. For one, the Brass Plates are NOT the Old Testament. The Brass Plates are literature from before the Deuteronomistic reformers got ahold of the texts are rewrote everything. The Brass Plates are the OG religion from before 640 BCE. This is why the Book of Mormon reads the way it does, for it is untouched by the Jewish Apostasy of 640 BCE.
Jonah's argument (from the Q-source arguments of the New Testament) is that you can triangulate what was on the Brass Plates by examining what the BOM authors are telling you with what was going on in the extrabiblical literature that didn't make it into the Bible. He examines around 40 extrabiblcal texts that Joseph Smith didn't have access to in 1827-1829 and shows you how these ancient ideas swirling around in the Levant correspond to what the BOM prophets were saying about the Messiah, the Holy One of Israel. His arguments are compelling.
Jonah is pretty aggressive towards the scholars, and at times his rhetoric may be much for some readers, but I appreciate his quick witted approach and would recommend this to anyone who has questions about the Book of Mormon or really want more information about what's at stake when it comes to a belief in a dying and rising Messiah God and the conceptions of this deity before Jesus' day.
October 14, 2024
This is without doubt the most important defense of The Book of Mormon I’ve ever encountered. I’ve read The Book of Mormon dozens and dozens of times. I am entirely convinced it is true. Other books defending The Book of Mormon, of which I’ve ready many, have hugely missed the mark when compared with Jonah Barnes’ book!
Jonah defends the proposition that The Brass Plates of Laban is “the most important book in history.” He presents compelling, unmistakable, humble and brilliant evidence to support his claim. The reason, he says this is important is because, “The Message of The Book of Mormon is unmistakable, the cannon (meaning The Bible) is rotten. He qualifies that with the caveat that there are, indeed many wonderful, inspiring things contained in the Bible; but that the core fundamental truths of the Fall, the Atonement, the coming Messiah have been deliberately removed from the text we have today. He has supported that proposition with absolute brilliance!
Barnes is not your usual scholarly snob. The book is fun, with wonderful, quirky comparisons that were simply a delight! He even starts each chapter with Tl:dr; to acknowledge his sense of humor, compassion and dare I say snarkiness?
Now, I can’t restrain myself from a bit of editorializing. Just this week I listened to a self proclaimed Latter-day Saint scholar who was so fixated on the letters behind his name and his and other “official associates” at BYU and CES at large that I was wont to say, “Hubris much?” Jonah Barnes does not fit in that category at all. So why is it that he, a food producer from Washington, has just written the most important book in defense of The Book of Mormon in existence? I think the answer must lie in the humility. He is not seeking the approbation of his apparently distracted peers. I suggest that they are distracted because none of them seem to have taken up Hugh Nibley’s mantle and carried it on to this most logical and inspired conclusion. Jonah Barnes has no peer. He’s written the quintessential treatise on the need for, power of and utter divinity of most important book of the millennium! Bravo!!!
Jonah defends the proposition that The Brass Plates of Laban is “the most important book in history.” He presents compelling, unmistakable, humble and brilliant evidence to support his claim. The reason, he says this is important is because, “The Message of The Book of Mormon is unmistakable, the cannon (meaning The Bible) is rotten. He qualifies that with the caveat that there are, indeed many wonderful, inspiring things contained in the Bible; but that the core fundamental truths of the Fall, the Atonement, the coming Messiah have been deliberately removed from the text we have today. He has supported that proposition with absolute brilliance!
Barnes is not your usual scholarly snob. The book is fun, with wonderful, quirky comparisons that were simply a delight! He even starts each chapter with Tl:dr; to acknowledge his sense of humor, compassion and dare I say snarkiness?
Now, I can’t restrain myself from a bit of editorializing. Just this week I listened to a self proclaimed Latter-day Saint scholar who was so fixated on the letters behind his name and his and other “official associates” at BYU and CES at large that I was wont to say, “Hubris much?” Jonah Barnes does not fit in that category at all. So why is it that he, a food producer from Washington, has just written the most important book in defense of The Book of Mormon in existence? I think the answer must lie in the humility. He is not seeking the approbation of his apparently distracted peers. I suggest that they are distracted because none of them seem to have taken up Hugh Nibley’s mantle and carried it on to this most logical and inspired conclusion. Jonah Barnes has no peer. He’s written the quintessential treatise on the need for, power of and utter divinity of most important book of the millennium! Bravo!!!
January 20, 2025
“We all enjoy a banquet of pure doctrine thanks to the most important and least-read book in history.”
3.5 stars. An interesting reconstruction of the brass plates, through a sort of philology, using the Book of Mormon, the apocrypha, and the Bible. Barnes has deduced a number of fascinating links. Obviously, some conclusions and ideas are stronger than others, but he makes several compelling cases.
In the end, I have come away with a deeper appreciation for the brass plates, as well as a desire to continue reading more apocryphal works. I have also gained a more nuanced understanding of the history of the Israelites and ancient writings. I have been glad to add this book to my collection of knowledge about these subjects. It’s been fun to connect the dots.
One caution that Barnes does briefly address, but doesn’t stress, is that we should not throw out the Old Testament. I think this book has the potential to lead one to think the Old Testament is bad, even though the author specifically says this isn’t the case. We have to understand it is scripture, keeping in mind the Deuteronomist theory. Let’s not be like the Germans in the 1930s who stopped using and teaching the OT.
As for the writing style, I prefer a more academic tone, but I admit I chuckled here and there. There were some abrupt subject changes, and a few explanations that seemed vague, in which I wasn’t sure I was seeing the significance of what Barnes was trying to convey. Overall, this was informative, giving me plenty to think about and mull over.
3.5 stars. An interesting reconstruction of the brass plates, through a sort of philology, using the Book of Mormon, the apocrypha, and the Bible. Barnes has deduced a number of fascinating links. Obviously, some conclusions and ideas are stronger than others, but he makes several compelling cases.
In the end, I have come away with a deeper appreciation for the brass plates, as well as a desire to continue reading more apocryphal works. I have also gained a more nuanced understanding of the history of the Israelites and ancient writings. I have been glad to add this book to my collection of knowledge about these subjects. It’s been fun to connect the dots.
One caution that Barnes does briefly address, but doesn’t stress, is that we should not throw out the Old Testament. I think this book has the potential to lead one to think the Old Testament is bad, even though the author specifically says this isn’t the case. We have to understand it is scripture, keeping in mind the Deuteronomist theory. Let’s not be like the Germans in the 1930s who stopped using and teaching the OT.
As for the writing style, I prefer a more academic tone, but I admit I chuckled here and there. There were some abrupt subject changes, and a few explanations that seemed vague, in which I wasn’t sure I was seeing the significance of what Barnes was trying to convey. Overall, this was informative, giving me plenty to think about and mull over.
October 24, 2024
The book was fine but Jonah's style was difficult for me. The snark was just too much and distracted from the point of the book and actually weakened his argument.
The Book of Mormon is scripture and was translated by Joseph Smith Jr. through the gift and power of God. It restores plain and precious truths which were removed from the Bible. The Apocrypha support these restored truths and should be read under the influence of the Holy Ghost (D&C 91).
The Book of Mormon is scripture and was translated by Joseph Smith Jr. through the gift and power of God. It restores plain and precious truths which were removed from the Bible. The Apocrypha support these restored truths and should be read under the influence of the Holy Ghost (D&C 91).
November 19, 2024
I have spent the last year reading apocryphal texts and pondering as they have so many important theological clues. This book helped bridge the gap in actually comparing them to the Book of Mormon, placing the similarities side by side, and then looking across the street and comparing them to the Old Testament. I found the content of this book extremely helpful in my continued study, and it was easy to read with plenty of humor thrown in. Thanks Jonah!
Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews