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| − | {{Books of the Book of Mormon}}The '''''Book of Mormon'''''<ref>Originally, '''''The Book of Mormon: An Account Written by the Hand of Mormon upon Plates Taken from the Plates of Nephi'''''; the latest LDS Church version is entitled '''''The Book of Mormon: Another Testament of Jesus Christ'''''</ref> is one of the [[sacred text]]s of the [[Latter Day Saint movement]]. It is regarded by [[Latter Day Saint]]s as divinely revealed and is named after the prophet–historian [[Mormon (Book of Mormon prophet)|Mormon]] who, according to the text, compiled most of the book. It was published by the founder of the LDS movement, [[Joseph Smith, Jr.]], in March 1830 in [[Palmyra (town), New York|Palmyra, New York]], USA. Its purpose, as stated on its title page, "is to show the remnant of the House of Israel what great things the Lord has done for their fathers" and to convince "Jew and Gentile that Jesus is the Christ, the Eternal God, manifesting himself to all nations."<ref>Book of Mormon [http://scriptures.lds.org/en/bm/ttlpg Title Page]</ref>
| + | #REDIRECT [[Book of Mormon]] |
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| − | [[Joseph Smith, Jr.]] said the book was a translation of [[golden plates]]. He said that the [[angel]] [[Angel Moroni|Moroni]] told him that the plates were buried in a hill near his home (which he later called the [[Hill Cumorah]]).<!--at the time it wasn't named Cumorah. Wording implied that he was at the hill when he was told the location—> He said the translation was made through the power of [[God]] with the aid of the [[Urim and Thummim]] which were with the plates. During the production of the work Smith obtained the [[affidavit]]s of [[Three Witnesses]] and [[Eight Witnesses]] who testified that they saw the plates. These affidavits are published as part of the book. When the book was complete, he said he returned the plates to the angel Moroni.<ref>{{lds|Joseph Smith—History|js_h|1|60}}</ref>
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| − | Along with the [[Bible]], the ''Book of Mormon'' is esteemed as part of the [[Biblical canon|canon]] by [[The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints]], the [[Community of Christ]], and other churches that claim Joseph Smith as their founder. In 1982, The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints added the subtitle ''Another Testament of Jesus Christ'' to its editions of the book to help clarify and emphasize its purpose. Prior to 1982, some editions of the Book of Mormon included the subtitle, ''Another Testament of Jesus Christ''.
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| − | ==Content==
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| − | ===Purpose===
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| − | The title page of the ''Book of Mormon'' states:
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| − | <blockquote>''The Book of Mormon is an account written by the hand of Mormon upon plates taken from the Plates of Nephi, it is an abridgment of the record of the people of Nephi, and also of the Lamanites—Written to the Lamanites, who are a remnant of the house of Israel; and also to Jew and Gentile—Written by way of commandment, and also by the spirit of prophecy and of revelation—Written and sealed up, and hid up unto the Lord, that they might not be destroyed—To come forth by the gift and power of God unto the interpretation thereof—Sealed by the hand of Moroni, and hid up unto the Lord, to come forth in due time by way of the Gentile—The interpretation thereof by the gift of God.''</blockquote>
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| − | <blockquote>''An abridgment taken from the Book of Ether also, which is a record of the people of Jared, who were scattered at the time the Lord confounded the language of the people, when they were building a tower to get to heaven—Which is to show unto the remnant of the House of Israel what great things the Lord hath done for their fathers; and that they may know the covenants of the Lord, that they are not cast off forever—And also to the convincing of the Jew and Gentile that JESUS is the CHRIST, the ETERNAL GOD, manifesting himself unto all nations—And now, if there are faults they are the mistakes of men; wherefore, condemn not the things of God, that ye may be found spotless at the judgment-seat of Christ.''</blockquote>
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| − | ===Major themes===
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| − | ====Another Testament of Christ====
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| − | The crowning event of the ''Book of Mormon'' is the visitation of the [[resurrection|resurrected]] Christ to the Nephites around 34 C.E., shortly after his ministry in [[Galilee]].<ref>See {{lds|3 Nephi|3_ne|11}} to {{lds|3 Nephi|3_ne|26}}</ref> Many of the writers in the book teach about [[Jesus]].
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| − | An angel prophesied to [[Nephi]] that Jesus's birth would be 600 years from the time he and his family left [[Jerusalem]].<ref>See {{lds|1 Nephi|1_ne|10|4}}, {{lds|1 Nephi|1_ne|19|8}}; See also {{lds|3 Nephi|3_ne|1}}</ref> Many [[prophet]]s in the ''Book of Mormon'', beginning with [[Lehi]] and Nephi, saw in visions the birth, ministry, and death of Christ,<ref>{{lds|1 Nephi|1_ne|11}}</ref> and were told his name.<ref>{{lds|Mosiah|mosiah|3|8}}</ref> At the time of [[King Benjamin]], the Nephite believers were called "the children of Christ".<ref>{{lds|Mosiah|mosiah|5|7}}</ref> The faithful members of the church at the time of [[Captain Moroni]] (73 B.C.E.) were called "Christians" by their enemies, because of their belief in Christ.<ref>{{lds|Alma|alma|46|13|15}}</ref> For nearly 200 years after Jesus' appearance at the [[temple (Mormonism)|temple]] in the Americas,<ref>{{lds|4 Nephi|1|22-23}}</ref> the land was filled with peace and prosperity because of the people's obedience to Christ's commandments.<ref>{{lds|4 Nephi|4_ne|1}}</ref> The great prophet-general [[Mormon (prophet)|Mormon]] worked to convince the faithless people of his time of Christ (360 C.E.), and [[Moroni (prophet)|Moroni]] buried the [[Golden Plates|plates]] with faith in Christ.<ref>See {{lds|Book of Mormon Title page|bm/ttlpg}}</ref> Many others also bore witness to the reality of the [[Messiah]].
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| − | ====Some doctrinal teachings====
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| − | The following teachings are especially notable in the ''Book of Mormon'':
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| − | *Christ spoke to the [[Jew]]s in [[Jerusalem]] of “'''other sheep'''” who would hear his voice,<ref>See {{lds|John|john|10|16}} in the [[King James Version]] of the Bible</ref> which the ''Book of Mormon'' explains meant that the Nephites and other remnants of the [[Ten Lost Tribes|lost tribes]] of [[Israel]] throughout the world were to be visited by Christ after his [[Death and Resurrection of Jesus|resurrection]]. The various groups had their own [[prophet]]s, and each recorded their history and dealings with God. These records will eventually be had among men, and will complement the Bible and Book of Mormon.<ref>{{lds|3 Nephi|3_ne|15|13|24}}, {{lds|3 Nephi|3_ne|16|1|4}}, {{lds|2 Nephi|2_ne|29|7|14}}</ref>
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| − | *The Old Testament prophet Isaiah prophesied of the coming forth of The Book of Mormon, whose prophets would "whisper out of the dust."<ref>See {{lds|Isaiah|isa|29|4}} from the [[King James Version]] of the Bible. (Compare {{lds|2 Nephi|2_ne|26|15|16}})
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| − | :''And thou shalt be brought down, and shalt speak out of the ground, and thy speech shall be low out of the dust, and thy voice shall be, as of one that hath a familiar spirit, out of the ground, and thy speech shall whisper out of the dust.''</ref>
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| − | *The land of the Jaredites, Nephites, and Lamanites is choice above all other lands.<ref>{{lds|1 Nephi|1_ne|2|20}}; {{lds|1 Nephi|1_ne|13|30}}; {{lds|2 Nephi|2_ne|1|5}}; {{lds|2 Nephi|2_ne|10|19}}; {{lds|Jacob|jacob|5|43}}; {{lds|Ether|ether|1|38|42}}; {{lds|Ether|ether|2|7|,10-15|||x}}; {{lds|Ether|ether|9|20}}; {{lds|Ether|ether|10|28}}; {{lds|Ether|ether|13|2}}.</ref>
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| − | *"Inasmuch as ye keep [the Lord's] commandments, ye shall prosper in the land, but inasmuch as ye keep not my commandments, ye shall be cut off from [His] presence."<ref>{{lds|1 Nephi|1_ne|2|20}}; {{lds|1 Nephi|1_ne|4|14}}; {{lds|2 Nephi|2_ne|1|20}}; {{lds|2 Nephi|2_ne|4|4}}; {{lds|Jarom|jarom|1|9}}; {{lds|Omni|omni|1|6}}; {{lds|Mosiah|mosiah|1|7}}; {{lds|Mosiah|mosiah|2|22|,31|||x}}; {{lds|Alma|alma|9|13}}; {{lds|Alma|alma|36|1|,30|||x}}; {{lds|Alma|alma|37|13}}; {{lds|Alma|alma|38|1}}; {{lds|Alma|alma|48|15|,25|||x}}; {{lds|Helaman|hel|3|20}}; {{lds|Helaman|hel|5|20|,22|||x}}.</ref>
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| − | *Men and women are "free to choose liberty and eternal life, through the great Mediator of all men, or to choose captivity and death, according to the captivity and power of the devil; for he seeketh that all men might be miserable like unto himself."<ref>{{lds|2 Nephi|2_ne|2|27}}</ref>
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| − | *All mankind must be born again, for the natural man is an enemy to God until he yields to the holy spirit and is born of Christ, being changed to a state of righteousness, becoming his son or daughter.<ref>{{lds|Mosiah|mosiah|3|19}}; {{lds|Mosiah|mosiah|27|25}}; {{lds|Alma|alma|22|15|18}}; {{lds|Moroni|moro|10|34}}</ref>
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| − | *"Adam fell that men might be, and men are, that they might have joy."<ref>{{lds|2 Nephi|2_ne|2|25}}</ref> Partaking of the fruit of the tree of life, which tree "is the love of God, which sheddeth itself abroad in the hearts of the children of men" and "is the most desirable above all things" will bring the most joy to the soul.<ref>{{lds|1 Nephi|1_ne|11|22|23}}; {{lds|1 Nephi|1_ne|8|12}}</ref>
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| − | *Between death and the [[resurrection]] the [[spirit]] returns to God and awaits the resurrection in either a place of rest or a place where they have the chance to hear the gospel. At the resurrection, the spirit and body shall be reunited, not one hair of the head shall be lost, and this resurrection shall come to all.<ref>{{lds|Alma|alma|11|42|45}}; {{lds|Alma|alma|40|11|23}}</ref>
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| − | *Giving to the poor ([[Charity (virtue)|charity]]) is emphasized as a necessary aspect of living the gospel of Christ.<ref>{{lds|2 Nephi|2_ne|9|30}}; {{lds|Mosiah|mosiah|4|26}}; {{lds|Mosiah|mosiah|18|8}}</ref> Service to others is essential, and is the same as serving God.<ref>{{lds|Mosiah|mosiah|2|17}}</ref>
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| − | * The Lord "denieth none that come unto him, black and white, bond and free, male and female; and he remembereth the heathen; and all are alike unto God, both Jew and Gentile".<ref>{{lds|2 Nephi|2_ne|26|33}}</ref>
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| − | ===Chronology===
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| − | The following dates, people, and authors are identified within the ''Book of Mormon''. A more detailed description is available on a Book of Mormon chronology chart produced by the LDS Church (available [http://lds.org/gospellibrary/materials/BofMChart000.pdf here]).
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| − | *''1 Nephi'' begins in ancient [[Jerusalem]] around 600 B.C.E., at roughly the same time as the [[Book of Jeremiah]] in the Bible. It tells the story of a [[prophet]], [[Lehi (Book of Mormon prophet)|Lehi]], his family, and several others as they are led by [[God]] from Jerusalem as a small part of the scattering of one of the [[Lost Ten Tribes]], across the Arabian peninsula, and then to the promised land[http://scriptures.lds.org/en/1_ne/18/23#23] by ship. The books from ''1 Nephi'' to ''Omni'' (called the small plates of Nephi) recount the group's dealings from approximately 600 B.C.E. to about 130 B.C.E.<!--may be wrong, but it implied that they split in 130 BC... just rewording for clarity—> The community splits into two main groups, the [[Nephite]]s and the [[Lamanite]]s, and grow into separate sizable civilizations that war with each other.
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| − | *The ''Words of Mormon'', written in AD 385 by [[Mormon (prophet)|Mormon]], is a short introduction to the books of ''Mosiah'', ''Alma'', ''Helaman'', ''3 Nephi'', and ''4 Nephi'', all of which he abridged from a large quantity of existing records (called the large plates of Nephi) that detailed his nation's history from the time of ''Omni'' to his own life.
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| − | *''3 Nephi'' is of particular importance because it contains an account of the [[Death and Resurrection of Jesus|resurrected]] and glorified Jesus' visit to the [[Americas]] sometime after his resurrection at [[Jerusalem]], following his 40-day ministry and ascension into [[heaven]]. During his American ministry, Christ repeated much of the same doctrine and instruction given in the [[Gospels]] of the [[Bible]] and established an enlightened, peaceful society which endured for several generations.
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| − | *''Mormon'' is an account of the events during Mormon's life, after the enlightened society of ''3 Nephi'' and ''4 Nephi'' deteriorated yet again into warring groups.
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| − | *''Ether'' is [[Moroni (prophet)|Moroni]]'s abridgment of a record of an earlier people, called the [[Jaredites]]. The account describes a group of families led by [[God]] to the Americas, headed by a man named [[Jared (Book of Mormon)|Jared]] and [[The Brother of Jared|his brother]] (referred to, in the text, as “the Brother of Jared”). The [[Jaredite]] civilization existed on the American continent long before Lehi's family arrived in 600 B.C.E., and it was much larger and more developed. Some scholars believe that the rise and fall of the Jaredite empire corresponds with that of the [[Olmec]].
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| − | *''Moroni'' details the final destruction of the Nephites and the [[idolotry|idolatrous]] state of the remaining society. He adds a few spiritual insights and mentions some important doctrinal teachings, then closes with his [[testimony]] and an invitation to [[prayer|pray]] to God for a confirmation of the truthfulness of the account.
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| − | ===Organization===
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| − | The format of the ''Book of Mormon'' is similar to the [[Bible]], a compilation of smaller "books" of scripture. Each of the books is named after the person in the book who said he began writing the book.<!--This could be reworded, too many "books"—> The Book of Mormon is composed of the following books (with some editorial divisions in different churches' editions varying): <ref>Book of Mormon [http://scriptures.lds.org/en/bm/ttlpg Title Page]</ref> <!--tried to reword, but not sure if it's any better. We need more info for this sentence (and perhaps another revision with that info) —>
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| − | *[[First Book of Nephi|First Book of Nephi: His Reign and Ministry]]
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| − | *[[Second Book of Nephi]]
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| − | *[[Book of Jacob|Book of Jacob: The Brother of Nephi]]
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| − | *[[Book of Enos]]
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| − | *[[Book of Jarom]]
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| − | *[[Book of Omni]]
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| − | *[[Words of Mormon]]
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| − | *[[Book of Mosiah]]
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| − | *[[Book of Alma|Book of Alma: The Son of Alma]]
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| − | *[[Book of Helaman]]
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| − | *[[Third Nephi|Third Nephi: The Book of Nephi, The Son of Nephi, Who Was the Son of Helaman]]
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| − | *[[Fourth Nephi|Fourth Nephi: The Book of Nephi, Who Is the Son of Nephi, One of the Disciples of Jesus Christ]]
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| − | *[[Book of Mormon (Mormon's record)|Book of Mormon]]
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| − | *[[Book of Ether]]
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| − | *[[Book of Moroni]]
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| − | The book's sequence is primarily chronological. Notable exceptions include the "Words of Mormon" and the "Book of Ether." In the "Words of Mormon," the text says, "And now I, Mormon ... speak somewhat concerning that which I have written",<ref>{{lds|Words of Mormon|w_of_m|1|1|3}}</ref> indicating editorial comment by Mormon. The first two verses of the "Book of Ether," say, "And now I, Moroni, proceed to give an account of those ancient inhabitants who were destroyed by the hand of the Lord upon the face of this north country. And I take mine account from the twenty and four plates which were found by the people of Limhi, which is called the Book of Ether."<ref>{{lds|Ether|ether|1|1|2}}</ref> The books of First Nephi through Omni are <!--I think anyone can see that they're written in first person... we could reword this if necessary, but it probably flows better like this—> written in first-person narrative, as are Mormon and Moroni. 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").<!--This parentheses needs to be reworded, but I think it needs to be mentioned again here (despite the quote earlier that indicates Moroni's abridgment) —>
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| − | The version currently published by the LDS Church,<ref>The version published by the LDS Church is known as "The Book of Mormon: Another Testament of Jesus Christ"</ref> in addition to the main body of the work, contains the following:
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| − | * A title page (believed to have been written by Moroni)
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| − | * A modern day introduction written by church leaders
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| − | * The "Testimony of [[Three Witnesses]]," the "Testimony of [[Eight Witnesses]]," and the "Testimony of the Prophet Joseph Smith" (as it concerns the Book of Mormon)
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| − | * A brief explanation of the contents of the book
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| − | * Chapter headings<ref>Many of the chapter headings were written by [[Bruce R. McConkie]], an [[Apostle (Mormonism)|Apostle]]</ref>
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| − | * A "pronouncing guide" to names and places in the Book of Mormon
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| − | * Footnotes and cross-references to the Bible
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| − | * An index of doctrinal teachings.
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| − | ==Religious significance==
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| − | ===Role of the Book of Mormon in Mormonism===
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| − | The ''Book of Mormon'' is of prime importance to the church as one of the greatest differentiating factors of the Church as well as a spiritual foundation. It is held as a tangible evidence of the truthfulness of the church. [[Joseph Smith, Jr.|Joseph Smith]] said,
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| − | <blockquote>
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| − | “I told the brethren that the Book of Mormon was 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”.<ref>{{Citation|last=Smith|first=Joseph|title=History of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints|volume=4|year=1950|publisher=Deseret Book Company|location=Salt Lake City, Utah|page=461}}</ref>
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| − | </blockquote>
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| − | Members of the Church hold the ''Book of Mormon'' as the most important, correct, and basic book of scripture. Not placing enough emphasis on the ''Book of Mormon'' or ignoring it altogether was decried in a revelation to [[Joseph Smith, Jr.|Joseph Smith]] that pronounced a condemnation on the "whole church" for treating it “lightly,” until they should “[[repentance|repent]] and remember the new covenant, even the Book of Mormon and the former commandments which I [the [[God|Lord]]] have given them, not only to say, but to do according to that which I have written, that they may bring forth fruit meet for their [[God the Father|Father’s]] [[kingdom of heaven|kingdom]]”.<ref>{{lds|Doctrine and Covenants|dc|84|55|58}}</ref> While this revelation also applies to the early Church’s under-emphasis of the Bible (“the former commandments which [the Lord had] given them”), the importance of studying the ''Book of Mormon'' has also been stressed by every church [[President of the Church (Mormonism)|president]] since Joseph Smith, Jr..
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| − | The ''Book of Mormon’s'' significance was reiterated in the late 20th century by [[Ezra Taft Benson]], Apostle and 13th [[President of the Church (Mormonism)|President]] of [[The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints]]. In an August 2005 ''[[Ensign (magazine)|Ensign]]'' message, current LDS President [[Gordon B. Hinckley]] challenged each member of the church to reread the ''Book of Mormon'' again before year's end. The book’s importance is commonly stressed at the twice-yearly [[General Conference (Mormonism)|general conference]] and at special devotionals by [[General Authority|general authorities]] in the [[First Presidency (LDS Church)|First Presidency]], the [[Quorum of the Twelve Apostles (LDS Church)|Quorum of the Twelve Apostles]], and the several [[Quorums of the Seventy]]
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| − | ===Verifiability: the challenge of the Book of Mormon===
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| − | The book invites the reader to make a personal investigation into the truthfulness of the writings. The invitation is associated with a promise that God will give an undeniable witness of its truthfulness through the [[Holy Spirit|Holy Ghost]].
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| − | :"Behold, I would exhort you that when ye shall read these things, if it be wisdom in God that ye should read them, that ye would remember how merciful the Lord hath been unto the children of men, from the creation of Adam even down until the time that ye shall receive these things, and ponder it in your hearts.
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| − | :"And when ye shall receive these things, I would exhort you that ye would ask God, the Eternal Father, in the name of Christ, if these things are not true; and if ye shall ask with a sincere heart, with real intent, having faith in Christ, he will manifest the truth of it unto you, by the power of the Holy Ghost.
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| − | :"And by the power of the Holy Ghost ye may know the truth of all things."<ref>{{lds|Moroni|moro|10|3|5}}</ref>
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| − | These verses are often referred to collectively as ''[[Moroni's Promise]]''.
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| − | Mormons state that a spiritual witness from the Holy Ghost is a personal event. Such a spiritual witness is described in {{lds|Doctrine and Covenants|dc|9:8}}: "your bosom shall burn within you; therefore, you shall feel that it is right." {{lds|Doctrine and Covenants|dc|8|2}} further states that such a manifestation will occur "in your mind and in your heart, by the Holy Ghost, which shall come upon you and which shall dwell in your heart." Those who claim to have received a witness consider it to be sacred, to be of great import, and to be the basis of what is called their "[[testimony#Religious testimony|testimony]]." The act of telling others of one's spiritual experiences and declaring one's faith is called "[[Fast and testimony meeting|bearing testimony]]."
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| − | LDS also believe that the witness of the spirit was demonstrated by the [[Apostle Peter]], whose testimony of Christ came from the Father,<ref>see {{lds|Matthew|matt|16|16|17}} from the [[King James Version]] of the Bible</ref> by seeking answers and wisdom directly from God.<ref>See {{lds|James|james|1|5}} from the [[King James Version]] of the Bible</ref> Mormons believe that unless one receives a personal testimony of the truthfulness of this work from God, the conversion and activity of the newly baptized Saint would be temporary and superficial, and that once such a testimony is personally received from God himself, nothing would prevail against such experience ({{lds|Matthew|matt|16|13-18}}).
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| − | Another scripture found in the Book of Mormon explains how to learn of the truthfulness of its words. It is found in 2 Nephi 33:10
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| − | :10 "And now, my beloved brethren, and also Jew, and all ye ends of the earth, hearken unto these words and believe in Christ; and if ye believe not in these words believe in Christ. And if ye shall believe in Christ ye will believe in these words, for they are the words of Christ, and he hath given them unto me; and they teach all men that they should do good."
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| − | ==Origin and authorship==
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| − | {{main|Origin of the Book of Mormon}}
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| − | [[Image:The Hill Cumorah by C.C.A. Christensen.jpeg|right|thumb|400px|A painting of [[Joseph Smith Jr.]] receiving the [[Golden Plates]] from the [[angel Moroni]].]]
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| − | There are several theories as to the origin of the ''Book of Mormon''. Most adherents to the [[Latter Day Saint movement]] view the book as a work of inspired scripture. The most common theory accepted by adherents is that promoted by [[Joseph Smith, Jr.]], who said he translated the work from an ancient set of [[golden plates]] inscribed by prophets, which Smith discovered near his home in western [[New York]] in the 1820s after being told to go there by [[Angel Moroni|an angel]]. Besides Smith himself, there are more than [[Book of Mormon witnesses|11 witnesses]] who said they saw the plates either physically or in a vision in 1829. There are are also many other witnesses, some of them friendly to Smith and some hostile, who observed him dictating the text that eventually became the ''Book of Mormon'', while Smith was looking into a hat at a [[seer stone (Latter Day Saints)|seer stone]].
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| − | Nevertheless, scholars have explored a number of issues, including (1) whether Joseph Smith actually had [[golden plates]], or whether the text of the ''Book of Mormon'' originated in his mind or through inspiration; (2) whether it was Smith himself who composed the book's text, or whether an associate of Smith's such as [[Oliver Cowdery]] or [[Sidney Rigdon]] could have composed the text; and (3) whether the book was based on a prior work such as ''The View of the Hebrews'' the ''[[Solomon Spalding|Spalding]] Manuscript'', or the ''Bible''.
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| − | ==Historicity==
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| − | [[Image:City of zarahemla the testaments film lds.jpg|thumb|250px|A depiction of the City of [[Zarahemla]] in the Latter-day Saint film [[The Testaments of One Fold and One Shepherd|The Testaments]]. Zarahemla is described as a major [[Nephite]] city in the ''Book of Mormon'', but has not been clearly linked to any archaeological site.]]
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| − | {{main|Historicity of the Book of Mormon}}
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| − | The question of whether the ''Book of Mormon'' is an actual historical work or a work of fiction has long been a source of contention between between members of the [[Latter Day Saint movement]], who are likely to view the work as a history, and secular scholars, virtually all of whom reject its historicity. Beginning in the late 20th century, some believing Latter Day Saint scholars {{Fact|date=November 2007}}, and some denominations such as the [[Community of Christ]], have treated the work as possibly inspired fiction.
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| − | For many Mormons, the historicity of ''Book of Mormon'' is a matter of faith, and not amenable to scholarly analysis. For scholars, on the other hand, the historicity issue has been approached from a number of different perspectives. One approach to the historicity issue is through [[archeology and the Book of Mormon|archaeological studies]]. Thus far, there has been no accepted archaeological link to the events or cultures described in the ''Book of Mormon'', despite a number of searches and studies by Mormon scholars. The book refers to things such as steel, horses, and elephants that are not known to have existed in the New World at the relevant time. Moreover, many Mormon scholars have acknowledged the difficulty in interpreting the book as a history of the entire New World. For this reason, most modern apologetic scholars have adopted a [[limited geography model (Book of Mormon)|limited geography model]], which states that the book is the history of a limited geographic area in [[Mesoamerica]].[http://maxwellinstitute.byu.edu/publications/bookschapter.php?bookid=&chapid=196] Mormon scholars have attempted, thus far without definitive results, to identify geographic locations in Mesoamerica with places in the ''Book of Mormon''.
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| − | Another approach to the historicity issue is through [[linguistics and the Book of Mormon|linguistic studies of the Book of Mormon]]. Some Mormon scholars have found linguistic and literary patterns (such as [[chiasmus]] and place names) in the book that they say point to an ancient origin. On the other hand, critics have found word patterns, place names, as well as literary and religious themes they say point to an origin in the early 19th century.
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| − | Another major approach to the historicity issue is [[genetics and the Book of Mormon|genetic studies]]. The book says that the Native American people descended from groups of Semitic people, including Israelites, who emigrated from the Old World by ship. The consensus among geneticists, however, is that the Native American people descended primarily from north-east Asian stock. Religious scholars have offered theories they say might reconcile that seeming contradiction.
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| − | ==Editions==
| |
| − | [[Image:Book of Mormon English Missionary Edition Soft Cover.jpg|thumb|right|150px|Version of the ''Book of Mormon'' published by [[The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints]].]]
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| − | | |
| − | The ''Book of Mormon'' is published today by the following publishers:
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| − | *[[The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints]] under the expanded title '''''The Book of Mormon: Another Testament of Jesus Christ''''' (since 1982)
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| − | *Herald House for the [[Community of Christ]] as '''''The Book of Mormon - Revised Authorized Version''''' (1966) and '''''The Book of Mormon - Authorized Version''''' (1908)
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| − | *The [[Church of Jesus Christ (Bickertonite)]] as '''''The Book of Mormon: An Account Written by the Hand of Mormon upon Plates taken from the Plates of Nephi''''' — an original edition compiled by a committee made up of Church of Jesus Christ apostles: Thurman S. Furnier, Charles Ashton and William H. Cadman
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| − | *Richard Drew, Burlington ([[Voree, Wisconsin|Voree]]), Wisconsin for The [[Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints (Strangite)]]; a photo enlarged facsimile of the 1840 edition
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| − | *Zarahemla Research Foundation as '''''The Book of Mormon - Restored Covenant Edition'''''
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| − | *The University of Illinois Press as '''''The Book of Mormon: A Reader's Edition''''' (2003) (this edition is based on the 1920 LDS edition)
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| − | *Doubleday under the title '''''The Book of Mormon: Another Testament of Jesus Christ''''' (2004)
| |
| − | *Herald Heritage (Herald House) (1970) 1830 Facsimile copy reproduction.
| |
| − | *ExperiencePress.org (2006) of two reprints of the 1830 edition. The type was reset to match word, line & page the text of the original 1830 edition with one categorical exception: all known original typographical errors were corrected.<ref>http://www.experiencepress.org</ref>
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| − | | |
| − | ===Changes between editions===
| |
| − | [[Jerald and Sandra Tanner]] have claimed to have documented almost 4000 changes in the Book of Mormon.<ref>[http://www.utlm.org/onlinebooks/3913intro.htm ''3913 Changes in The Book of Mormon''] [[Jerald and Sandra Tanner]]</ref> The vast majority of these changes have been discussed in official Church publications including the ''[[Ensign (magazine)|Ensign]]'', ''[[Improvement Era]]'', ''[[Millennial Star]]'' and ''[[Times and Seasons]]'', and are consistent with early pre- and post-publication edits made by Joseph Smith. Some corrections were made due to earlier print or copy errors, or changes in punctuation.<ref>{{Harvnb|Skousen|2001}}</ref>
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| − | | |
| − | In fact, there are differences between various copies of the original copies printed in 1830. The manuscript was taken to [[E.B. Grandin]]'s print shop, then a copy was made for typesetting. Following [[typesetting]], the set of pages was printed. When [[proofreading]] found errors, the printing process was halted, and the page reset—but those sheets already printed had to be used, due to time and budgetary constraints. When the books were finally collated, the sheets with errors were randomly distributed throughout the print run.
| |
| − | | |
| − | Between today's editions of the book and the first edition there are approximately 3000 differences. Most of these changes had already begun in the 1837 edition. These changes are mostly corrections of punctuation, orthography and grammar; however, there are also several changes in wording, which critics allege were made to fit changes in teaching or political conditions.
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| − | | |
| − | Since 1989, the LDS Church's [[Brigham Young University]] has published a critical text edition in four volumes. Volumes 1 and 2, published 2001, contain transcriptions of all the text variants of the English editions of the Book of Mormon, from the original manuscript up to the newest editions.<ref>{{Harvnb|Skousen|May 2001}};{{Harvnb|Skousen|January 2001}};{{Harvnb|Skousen|March 2001}}</ref> Volume 4, in four parts (3 already published since 2005) contains a critical analysis of all the text variants. Meanwhile, volume 3, not yet published, is to describe the history of all the English-language texts from Joseph Smith to today.<ref>{{Harvnb|Skousen|2004}};{{Harvnb|Skousen|2005}};{{Harvnb|Skousen|2006}}</ref>
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| − | | |
| − | ===Non-English Translations===
| |
| − | [[Image:Book of Mormons.jpg|130px|right|thumb|Translations of ''The Book of Mormon''.]]
| |
| − | {{See also|List of Book of Mormon Translations}}
| |
| − | The complete Book of Mormon has been published by the LDS Church in 81 languages and is currently available in 78 languages. Selections of the Book of Mormon have been translated by the LDS Church into an additional 27 languages. In 2001, the church reported that all or part of the Book of Mormon was available in the native language of 99% of [[Latter-day Saints]] and 87% of the world's total population.<ref>[http://lds.org/portal/site/LDSOrg/menuitem.b12f9d18fae655bb69095bd3e44916a0/?vgnextoid=2354fccf2b7db010VgnVCM1000004d82620aRCRD&locale=0&sourceId=2db2759235d0c010VgnVCM1000004d82620a____&hideNav=1 "Taking the Scriptures to the World"], ''Ensign'', July 2001, 24</ref>
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| − | | |
| − | Translations in primarily [[oral language]]s are available on audiocassette. Translations into [[American Sign Language]] are available on videocassette and DVD.
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| − | | |
| − | Typically, translators are members of the LDS Church who are employed by the church and translate the text from the original English. Each manuscript is reviewed many times before it is approved and published.<ref>[http://www.lds.org/portal/site/LDSOrg/menuitem.b12f9d18fae655bb69095bd3e44916a0/?vgnextoid=2354fccf2b7db010VgnVCM1000004d82620aRCRD&locale=0&sourceId=bd145ef93e84b010VgnVCM1000004d82620a____&hideNav=1 "Translation Work Taking Book of Mormon to More People in More Tongues,"] Ensign, Feb. 2005, 75–76</ref>
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| − | | |
| − | In 1998, the LDS Church stopped translating selections from the Book of Mormon. The church has announced that each new translation it approves will now be a full edition.<ref>[http://www.lds.org/portal/site/LDSOrg/menuitem.cb5725b59dcb4a2b2c5e2ba6942826a0/?vgnextoid=7cecc8fe9c88d010VgnVCM1000004d82620aRCRD&locale=0&sourceId=93c29150dfcad010VgnVCM1000004d82620a____ "Translation Work Taking Book of Mormon to More People in More Tongues"], 6 February 2005</ref>
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| − | | |
| − | ===Registration of the term as a trademark===
| |
| − | In 2004, [[The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints]] (LDS Church) successfully registered the term ''Book of Mormon'' as a [[United States]] trademark (through the church's subsidiary corporation [[Intellectual Reserve, Inc.]]).<ref>United States Patent and Trademark Office, Reg. No. 2,883,572.</ref> As of October 2007, the church has not asserted the trademark against other organizations or churches who use and publish the work, and the registration has not been challenged in court. As of October 2007, the domain name <code>[http://www.bookofmormon.com bookofmormon.com]</code> is owned by the Utah Lighthouse Ministry, an organization critical of the ''Book of Mormon''.<ref>whois search dated October 17 2007.</ref>
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| − | | |
| − | ===Auction of a 177-year old rare book===
| |
| − | On September 14, 2007, Mark Witmer (of Hessney Auction Co., [[Geneva]], [[N.Y.]]) stated that a [[rare]] 177-[[year]]-old 1st [[edition]] of the Book of Mormon (discovered in a [[box]] of [[books]] near [[Palmyra, New York|Palmyra]]) would be up for [[New York]] [[estate]] [[auction]] on September 19. Hessney's book was in a good, unrestored state. John Hajicek ([[Missouri]] [[collector]]) owns 75 [[first]] [[editions]] of the Book of Mormon (of his $20 million [[collection]] of [[rare books]]). In March, 2007, Auction [[Galleries]] ([[New York City]]) sold a first edition for $180,000 (1997 - [[Sotheby]]'s sold it for $32,200; 2000, at [[West Virginia]] auction for $44,000). Hajicek paid $58,000 in 1999 at [[Salt Lake City]] auction and he will [[bid]] on the Hessney book.<ref>[http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20070914/ap_on_re_us/mormon_book_auction Yahoo.com, Rare Mormon book up for bid]</ref>
| |
| − | <ref>[http://www.boston.com/news/nation/articles/2007/09/19/mormon_book_sold_at_auction/ Mormon book sold at auction]</ref>
| |
| − | | |
| − | Hessney Auction Co. reported this edition of the Book of Mormon sold for $105,600 (buyer's premium included.)<ref>{ url=http://www.hessney.com | title=Auction result on old Book of Mormon}</ref>
| |
| − | | |
| − | ==Notes==
| |
| − | {{reflist|2}}
| |
| − | | |
| − | ==References==
| |
| − | <div class="references-small" style="-moz-column-count:2; column-count:2;">
| |
| − | *{{Harvard reference
| |
| − | | last=Brewster
| |
| − | | first=Quinn
| |
| − | | title=The Structure of the Book of Mormon: A Theory of Evolutionary Development
| |
| − | | journal=[[Dialogue: A Journal of Mormon Thought]]
| |
| − | | volume=29
| |
| − | | issue=2
| |
| − | | year=1996
| |
| − | | pages=109–140
| |
| − | | url=http://content.lib.utah.edu/cgi-bin/docviewer.exe?CISOROOT=/dialogue&CISOPTR=11460&CISOSHOW=11376
| |
| − | }}.
| |
| − | *{{Harvard reference
| |
| − | | last=Brodie
| |
| − | | first=Fawn M
| |
| − | | authorlink=Fawn Brodie
| |
| − | | title=No Man Knows My History
| |
| − | | publisher=Knopf
| |
| − | | place=New York
| |
| − | | year=1971
| |
| − | | id=ISBN 0679730540
| |
| − | }}.
| |
| − | *{{Harvard reference
| |
| − | | last=Bushman
| |
| − | | first=Richard L
| |
| − | | authorlink=Richard Bushman
| |
| − | | date=2005
| |
| − | | title=[[Joseph Smith: Rough Stone Rolling]]
| |
| − | | place=New York
| |
| − | | publisher=Alfred Knopf
| |
| − | |id=ISBN 1-4000-4270-4
| |
| − | }}.
| |
| − | *{{Harvard reference
| |
| − | | last=Dunn
| |
| − | | first=Scott C
| |
| − | | editor-last1=Vogel
| |
| − | | editor-first1=Dan
| |
| − | | editor-last2=Metcalf
| |
| − | | editor-first2=Brent Lee
| |
| − | | title=Automaticity and the Dictation of the Book of Mormon
| |
| − | | journal=American Apocrypha: Essays on the Book of Mormon
| |
| − | | year=2002
| |
| − | | date=May 2002
| |
| − | | pages=17-46
| |
| − | | publisher=Signature Books
| |
| − | | place=Salt Lake City, Utah
| |
| − | | id=ISBN 1560851511
| |
| − | }}.
| |
| − | *{{Harvard reference
| |
| − | | last=Faulring
| |
| − | | first=Scott H
| |
| − | | title=The Return of Oliver Cowdery
| |
| − | | journal=The Disciple as Witness: Essays on Latter-day Saint History and Doctrine in Honor of Richard Lloyd Anderson
| |
| − | | publisher=Maxwell Institute
| |
| − | | place=Provo, Utah
| |
| − | | year=2000
| |
| − | | date=June 2000
| |
| − | | url=http://maxwellinstitute.byu.edu/display.php?table=transcripts&id=50
| |
| − | | accessdate=2007-05-19
| |
| − | }}.
| |
| − | *{{Harvard reference
| |
| − | | last=Givens
| |
| − | | first=Terryl
| |
| − | | date=2002
| |
| − | | title=By the Hand of Mormon: The American Scripture That Launched a New World Religion
| |
| − | | publisher=Oxford University Press
| |
| − | | id=ISBN 0-19-516888-7
| |
| − | }}.
| |
| − | *{{Harvard reference
| |
| − | | last=Howe
| |
| − | | first=Eber D
| |
| − | | authorlink=Eber Dudley Howe
| |
| − | | year=1834
| |
| − | | title=Mormonism Unvailed
| |
| − | | place=[[Painesville, Ohio]]
| |
| − | | publisher=Telegraph Press
| |
| − | | publication-year=1834
| |
| − | | url=http://www.solomonspalding.com/docs/1834howb.htm
| |
| − | }}.
| |
| − | *{{Harvard reference
| |
| − | | last=Jessee
| |
| − | | first=Dean C.
| |
| − | | title=The Original Book of Mormon Manuscript
| |
| − | | journal=BYU Studies
| |
| − | | volume=10
| |
| − | | issue=3
| |
| − | | year=1970
| |
| − | | pages=259–278
| |
| − | | url=https://byustudies.byu.edu/shop/PDFfiles/10.3Jessee.pdf
| |
| − | }}.
| |
| − | *{{Harvard reference
| |
| − | | last=Mauss
| |
| − | | first=Armand L
| |
| − | | year=2003
| |
| − | |title=All Abraham's Children: Changing Mormon Conceptions of Race and Lineage
| |
| − | |place=Illinois
| |
| − | |publisher=University of Illinois Press
| |
| − | |id=ISBN 0-252-02803-1
| |
| − | }}.
| |
| − | *{{Harvard reference
| |
| − | | last=Midgley
| |
| − | | first=Louis C
| |
| − | | editor-last=Reynolds
| |
| − | | editor-first=Noel B
| |
| − | | title=Who Really Wrote the Book of Mormon?: The Critics and Their Theories
| |
| − | | journal=Book of Mormon Authorship Revisited: The Evidence for Ancient Origins
| |
| − | | year=1997
| |
| − | | pages=101-139
| |
| − | | publisher=Foundation for Ancient Research and Mormon Studies
| |
| − | | place=Provo, Utah
| |
| − | | url=http://www.farmsresearch.com/publications/bookschapter.php?bookid=41&chapid=184
| |
| − | | id=ISBN 093489325X
| |
| − | }}.
| |
| − | *{{Harvard reference
| |
| − | | last=Persuitte
| |
| − | | first=David
| |
| − | | title=Joseph Smith and the Origins of The Book of Mormon
| |
| − | | edition=second edition
| |
| − | | publisher=McFarland & Company
| |
| − | | year=2000
| |
| − | |date=October 2000
| |
| − | | id=ISBN 0-7864-0826-X
| |
| − | }}.
| |
| − | *{{Harvard reference
| |
| − | | last=Price
| |
| − | | first=Robert M
| |
| − | | title=Prophecy and Palimpsest
| |
| − | | journal=Dialogue: A Journal of Mormon Thought
| |
| − | | volume=35
| |
| − | | issue=3
| |
| − | | year=2002
| |
| − | | date=Fall 2002
| |
| − | | url=http://content.lib.utah.edu/cdm4/document.php?CISOROOT=%2Fdialogue&CISOPTR=29050&REC=15&CISOBOX=%22inspired+fiction%22
| |
| − | | accessdate=2007-04-30
| |
| − | }}.
| |
| − | *{{Harvard reference
| |
| − | | last=Roberts
| |
| − | | first=Brigham H
| |
| − | | authorlink=Brigham H. Roberts
| |
| − | | editor=Brigham D. Madsen
| |
| − | | title=Studies of the Book of Mormon
| |
| − | | publisher=University of Illinois Press
| |
| − | | place=Urbana, Illinois
| |
| − | | year=1985
| |
| − | | id=ISBN 0252010434
| |
| − | }}.
| |
| − | *{{Harvard reference
| |
| − | | last=Skousen
| |
| − | | first=Royal
| |
| − | | title=The Original Manuscript of the Book of Mormon: Typographical Facsimile of the Extant Text
| |
| − | | journal=Book of Mormon Critical Text Project
| |
| − | | volume=1
| |
| − | | year=May 2001
| |
| − | | date=May 2001
| |
| − | | publisher=Foundation for Ancient Research and Mormon Studies
| |
| − | | place=Provo, Utah
| |
| − | | id=ISBN 0934893047
| |
| − | }}.
| |
| − | *{{Harvard reference
| |
| − | | last=Skousen
| |
| − | | first=Royal
| |
| − | | title=The Printer’s Manuscript of the Book of Mormon : typographical facsimile of the entire text in two parts
| |
| − | | journal=Book of Mormon Critical Text Project
| |
| − | | volume=2
| |
| − | | issue=1
| |
| − | | place=Provo, Utah
| |
| − | | publisher=Foundation for Ancient Research and Mormon Studies, Brigham Young University
| |
| − | | year=January 2001
| |
| − | | date=January 2001
| |
| − | | id=ISBN 0934893055
| |
| − | }}.
| |
| − | *{{Harvard reference
| |
| − | | last=Skousen
| |
| − | | first=Royal
| |
| − | | title=The Printer’s Manuscript of the Book of Mormon : typographical facsimile of the entire text in two parts
| |
| − | | journal=Book of Mormon Critical Text Project
| |
| − | | volume=2
| |
| − | | issue=2
| |
| − | | place=Provo, Utah
| |
| − | | publisher=Foundation for Ancient Research and Mormon Studies, Brigham Young University
| |
| − | | year=March 2001
| |
| − | | date=March 2001
| |
| − | | id=ISBN 0934893063
| |
| − | }}.
| |
| − | *{{Harvard reference
| |
| − | | last=Skousen
| |
| − | | first=Royal
| |
| − | | title=Analysis of Textual Variants of the Book of Mormon
| |
| − | | journal=Book of Mormon Critical Text Project
| |
| − | | volume=4
| |
| − | | issue=1
| |
| − | | place=Provo, Utah
| |
| − | | publisher=Foundation for Ancient Research and Mormon Studies, Brigham Young University
| |
| − | | year=2004
| |
| − | | id=ISBN 0934893071
| |
| − | }}.
| |
| − | *{{Harvard reference
| |
| − | | last=Skousen
| |
| − | | first=Royal Skousen
| |
| − | | title=Analysis of Textual Variants of the Book of Mormon
| |
| − | | journal=Book of Mormon Critical Text Project
| |
| − | | volume=4
| |
| − | | issue=2
| |
| − | | place=Provo, Utah
| |
| − | | publisher=Foundation for Ancient Research and Mormon Studies, Brigham Young University
| |
| − | | year=2005
| |
| − | | id=ISBN 093489308X
| |
| − | }}.
| |
| − | *{{Harvard reference
| |
| − | | last=Skousen
| |
| − | | first=Royal
| |
| − | | title=Analysis of Textual Variants of the Book of Mormon
| |
| − | | journal=Book of Mormon Critical Text Project
| |
| − | | volume=4
| |
| − | | issue=3
| |
| − | | place=Provo, Utah
| |
| − | | publisher=Foundation for Ancient Research and Mormon Studies, Brigham Young University
| |
| − | | year=2006
| |
| − | | id=ISBN 093489311X
| |
| − | }}.
| |
| − | *{{Harvard reference
| |
| − | | Surname1=Smith
| |
| − | | Given1=James E
| |
| − | | editor=Noel B. Reynolds
| |
| − | | title =How Many Nephites?: The Book of Mormon at the Bar of Demography
| |
| − | | journal =Book of Mormon Authorship Revisited
| |
| − | | publisher =Deseret Book Company and Foundation for Ancient Research and Mormon Studies
| |
| − | | year=1997
| |
| − | | url=http://www.farmsresearch.com/publications/bookschapter.php?bookid=41&chapid=190
| |
| − | | id =ISBN 0-934893-25-X
| |
| − | }}.
| |
| − | *{{Harvard reference
| |
| − | | last =Sorenson
| |
| − | | first =John L
| |
| − | | title =An Ancient American Setting for the Book of Mormon
| |
| − | | publisher =Deseret Book and The Foundation for Ancient Research and Mormon Studies
| |
| − | | year=1985
| |
| − | | place =Salt Lake City, Utah
| |
| − | | id =ISBN 0-87747-608-X
| |
| − | }}.
| |
| − | *{{Harvard reference
| |
| − | | last =Southerton
| |
| − | | first =Simon G
| |
| − | | title =Losing a Lost Tribe: Native Americans, DNA and the Mormon Church
| |
| − | | publisher =Signature Books
| |
| − | | year=2004
| |
| − | | place =Salt Lake City
| |
| − | | id=ISBN 1-56085-181-3
| |
| − | }}.
| |
| − | *{{Harvard reference
| |
| − | | last=Spaulding
| |
| − | | first=Solomon
| |
| − | | title=Manuscript Found: The Complete Original "Spaulding" Manuscript
| |
| − | | editor-last=Reeve
| |
| − | | editor-first=Rex C
| |
| − | | year=1996
| |
| − | | publisher=Religious Studies Center, Brigham Young University
| |
| − | | place=Provo, Utah
| |
| − | }}.
| |
| − | *{{Harvard reference
| |
| − | | Surname=Tvedtnes
| |
| − | | Given=John A
| |
| − | | title= Isaiah Variants in the Book of Mormon
| |
| − | | journal=Featured Papers
| |
| − | | publisher=Maxwell Institute
| |
| − | | place=Provo, Utah
| |
| − | | year=1984
| |
| − | | url=http://farms.byu.edu/display.php?id=2&table=transcripts
| |
| − | | accessdate=2007-04-16
| |
| − | }}.
| |
| − | *{{Harvard reference
| |
| − | | last=Vogel
| |
| − | | first=Dan
| |
| − | | title=[[Joseph Smith: The Making of a Prophet]]
| |
| − | | year=2004
| |
| − | | place=Salt Lake City
| |
| − | | publisher=Signature Books
| |
| − | | id=ISBN 1-56085-179-1
| |
| − | }}.
| |
| − | </div>
| |
| − | | |
| − | ==Further reading==
| |
| − | * [http://maxwellinstitute.byu.edu/publications/booksmain.php Maxwell Institute Books] available online
| |
| − | *{{cite book|title=Lehi in the Wilderness: 81 New Documented Evidences That the Book of Mormon Is a True History|author=George Potter and Richard Wellington|date=2003|publisher=Cedar Fort|id=ISBN 1555176410}}
| |
| − | *{{cite book|title=Book of Mormon Authorship Revisited: The Evidence for Ancient Origins|author=Noel B. Reynolds|date=1997|publisher=Foundation for Ancient Research and Mormon Studies(FARMS)|id=ISBN 093489325X}}
| |
| − | *{{cite book|title=An Analysis of the Book of Mormon|author=Wesley Ziegler|date=2004|publisher=Kessinger Publishing|id=ISBN 1417968559}}
| |
| − | *{{cite book|title=Book of Mormon Ready Reference|author=Elder William A. Morton|date=2004|publisher=Kessinger Publishing|id=ISBN 1417968508}}
| |
| − | *{{cite book|title=Message and Characters of the Book of Mormon|author=John Henry Evans|date=2004|publisher=Kessinger Publishing|id=ISBN 1417968184}}
| |
| − | *{{cite book|title=A Guide to the Study of the Book of Mormon|author=William E. Berrett and Milton R. Hunter|date=2004|publisher=Kessinger Publishing|id=ISBN 1417968826}}
| |
| − | | |
| − | ==External links==
| |
| − | {{Wikisourcepar|The Book of Mormon|The Book of Mormon (1830 Edition)}}
| |
| − | {{wikiquote}}
| |
| − | {{portal|Book of Mormon|The Hill Cumorah by C.C.A. Christensen.jpeg| 50}}
| |
| − | {{portal|Latter-day Saints|Christus statue temple square salt lake city.jpg| 40}}
| |
| − | ===Links to texts===
| |
| − | *[http://scriptures.lds.org/bm/contents ''Book of Mormon'' (The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints Edition)]
| |
| − | *[http://centerplace.org/hs/bofm/ ''Book of Mormon'' (RLDS 1908 Authorized Edition)]
| |
| − | *[http://scriptures.lds.org/es/bm/contents ''Libro de Mormón'' (The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints Official Spanish Edition)]
| |
| − | *[http://www.lds.org/mp3/display/0,18692,5297-41,00.html''Audio Book of Mormon''] in mp3 format (free download, no registration, 32 kbit/s)
| |
| − | *[http://www.ldsaudio.com/free-book-of-mormon/ ''Audio Book of Mormon''] in mp3 format (free download, reg. required)
| |
| − | *[http://freebookofmormon.com Free copy of the Book of Mormon.] Free copy provided by The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints
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| − | * [http://www.amazon.com/dp/0967686563 Book of Mormon (Official Edition) (Paperback) on Amazon] for people who want the '''Book of Mormon''' but do not want to contact the Church
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| − | *[http://www.inephi.com/Search.htm Scanned 1830 Edition]
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| − | *[http://www.gutenberg.org/etext/17 Book of Mormon at Project Gutenberg]
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| − | * [http://frontpage2000.nmia.com/%7Enahualli/commentary.htm Book of Mormon with Commentary] by Brant Gardner
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| − | * [http://www.gospeldoctrine.com/bomindex.html Book of Mormon with Commentary] by Bryan Richards
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| − | | |
| − | ===Links to articles about===
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| − | ==== Official sources ====
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| − | *[http://www.lds.org/ ''The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints'' (Official website)]
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| − | *[http://www.mormon.org/learn/0,8672,1090-1,00.html ''Book of Mormon'', basic information and beliefs] from [[The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints]]
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| − | *[http://www.cofchrist.org/history/BofM.asp Information about ''The Book of Mormon''] from the [[Community of Christ]] (formerly known as Reorganized Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints)
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| − | ==== Apologetic views ====
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| − | *[http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=3405626521396568709&q=mormons&hl=en Book of Mormon Movie "The Journey" (Google video)]
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| − | * [http://www.the-book-of-mormon.com/ The-Book-of-Mormon.com]
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| − | * [http://www.nephiproject.com/ The Nephi Project]
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| − | *[http://www.farmsresearch.com/ FARMS] - Foundation for Ancient Research and Mormon Studies (BYU)
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| − | *[http://www.fairlds.org/FAIR_Conferences/2002_Changes_in_the_Book_of_Mormon.html 2002 scholarly article describing textual changes to the ''Book of Mormon'']
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| − | *[http://www.fairlds.org ''FairLDS apologetics'' (rebuttals to claims against the Church)]
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| − | *[http://www.jefflindsay.com/BMEvidences.shtml ''Book of Mormon'' Evidences]
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| − | *[http://www.ldsresources.net/?view=link_home&cat_id=2 ''Book of Mormon'' Information]
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| − | *[http://www.cumorah.com/bookofmormondna.html 2004 scholarly article on DNA findings and compatibility with the ''Book of Mormon'']
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| − | *[http://www.cumorah.com/12tribes.html 2004 scholarly article on DNA findings, the scattering of the 12 tribes of Israel, and implications for the ''Book of Mormon'']
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| − | *[http://www.signaturebookslibrary.org/essays/bookofmormon.htm A short introduction to the ''Book of Mormon'']
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| − | * [http://www.lds.org/hf/art/0,16812,4218-1-3,00.html ''Book of Mormon'' Pictures]
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| − | *[http://bomf.org/research.html ''Book of Mormon'' Research] from the ''Book of Mormon'' Foundation
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| − | *[http://www.computercontrolsystems.com/GE/BoM/Index.htm ''Book of Mormon'' Archive-Archeology, Evidence, Study Materials, Rebuttals] from the Abundant Life Fellowship[http://www.restoredgospel.com/]
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| − | *[http://www.lightplanet.com/mormons/book_of_mormon/index.html Index of ''The Book of Mormon'']
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| − | * [http://www.cometozarahemla.org/ Come to Zarahemla]
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| − | * [http://www.ancientamerica.org/ Ancient America Foundation]
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| − | * [http://www.backyardprofessor.com/the_backyard_professor/2006/11/phenomenal_inte.html#more Phenomenal Internal Consistency of the ''Book of Mormon'']
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| − | * [http://www.meridianmagazine.com/sci_rel/061212map.html Mormon Map Puzzle Solved?]
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| − | * [http://wetestifyofchrist.blogspot.com Testimonies of Christ from the Book of Mormon]
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| − | *[http://www.sethpayne.com/pdf/anselm.pdf "Alma and Anselm: Satisfaction Theory in the Book of Mormon"] A detailed overview of Anselm's Satisfaction theory of Atonement with a comparison to Book of Mormon theology.
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| − | * [http://www.vibrationdata.com/Book_of_Mormon.htm Book of Mormon] ''with an emphasis on the Tribes of Israel''
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| − | * [http://bookofmormononline.net/ Book of Mormon Online] A Comprehensive Study Resource
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| − | | |
| − | ==== Critical views and websites====
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| − | *[http://epologetics.org/bookofmormonproblems.php Book of Mormon Problems - epologetics]
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| − | *[http://www.skepticsannotatedbible.com/BOM/index.htm Skeptics Annotated ''Book of Mormon'']
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| − | *[http://www.signaturebooks.com/Losing.htm Excerpts from ''Losing a Lost Tribe'', a criticism of the ''Book of Mormon'']
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| − | *[http://www.contenderministries.org/mormonism/bomproblems.php Evangelical Christian view of the ''Book of Mormon'']
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| − | *[http://www.josephlied.com/ Joseph Lied - challenges to the ''Book of Mormon'' and Mormon history]
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| − | *[http://www.mormonchallenge.com Mormon Challenge - includes downloadable videos, DNA-related articles and rebuttals to LDS apologetics]
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| − | *[http://youtube.com/watch?v=G1mFdO1wB08 The Bible vs. The Book of Mormon (YouTube)] [http://farms.byu.edu/publications/review/BokovoyBiblevsBoM_Mar2006.php Mormon criticism of this film]
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| − | *[http://2think.org/hundredsheep/annotated/intro.shtml Critical annotation of the ''Book of Mormon'']
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| − | *[http://www.saintsalive.com/mormonism/bomchanges.htm Saints Alive ''Book of Mormon'' Changes]
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| − | *[http://zarahemlacitylimits.com/wiki/index.php/Book_of_Mormon_and_Ancient_Mesoamerica Analysis of the Book of Mormon Setting in Mesoamerica]
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| − | *[http://www.lhvm.org/vid_bible_med.htm Critique of the Book of Mormon by Living Hope Ministres]
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| − | *[http://www.lhvm.org/vid_dna_med.htm DNA vs. The Book of Mormon]
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| − | [[Category:Book of Mormon| ]]
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| − | [[Category:Pre-Columbian trans-oceanic contact]]
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| − | [[Category:Code of conduct]]
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