I believe many LDS and Non-LDS academics love the idea that Joseph was an ignorant farm boy. It allows them to bring up ideas that seem more intellectual as they sometimes show our Prophets weaknesses in order to allow their theories to be more plausible. Joseph Smith was taught by angels many times, and I believe I will take his words over any of the intellects of today. See blog here: https://www.bofm.blog/2019/06/22/moroni-tutors-joseph-smith/
I Have a Question!
Some scholars have implied that the Book of Mormon and LDS theology are products of Joseph Smith’s environment. To what extent did Joseph Smith’s environment influence the theological developments of the Church?
Larry C. Porter, professor of Church history and doctrine, Brigham Young University. It is true that some critics of the Book of Mormon have claimed that Joseph Smith used historical, philosophical, literary, and religious ideas circulating during his lifetime to create the Book of Mormon—making it merely a reflection of western New York culture in the early nineteenth century.
By examining the various ideas that supposedly influenced the Book of Mormon, however, we can see that many of these ideas weren’t readily available to Joseph Smith and many others were only superficially similar to LDS theology and scripture. Still others simply involved topics of universal concern to all men and women, not only in Joseph Smith’s time but in our own as well. Since the Book of Mormon is directed to all of God’s children, we would expect to find these concerns addressed in that sacred volume.
The Indian Influence
Some critics argue that various publications dealing with the Indians and their Israelite-like origins were available to Joseph Smith and influenced his work on the Book of Mormon. A wide variety of books, periodicals, and newspaper articles describing aspects of Native American life did circulate during Joseph Smith’s era. Of particular interest were the prospective origins and customs of the mound-builders of northeastern America. Their style of burial sometimes included stone boxes; their fortifications might have been picketed; and they used metal implements. This information was available to the public.
Theoretically, Joseph Smith would have had access to such publications if they were available in the local libraries in Palmyra and Manchester or among the private libraries of individuals he knew. From 1825 to 1829, he frequented the environs of Susquehanna, Broome, Chenango, and Seneca counties, and conceivably could have been exposed to materials in those localities as well. He also would have been exposed to the local folklore concerning the Indian habitation in the region.
But although a multiplicity of sources on Indian lore existed in the eastern United States during Joseph Smith’s era, it does not necessarily mean that local repositories had any or all of these resources among their holdings. Nor does it mean that Joseph even read them. His education was restricted because of demands placed on his time by farm work. There is no reason to question Joseph’s declaration that his only resource for translating the Book of Mormon was “the gift and power of God.”
Philosophical and Historical Influences
Some writers have attempted to draw parallels between teachings of the Book of Mormon and philosophical and historical ideas extant in Joseph’s day. The idea that America was a destined and promised land was a popular one in the early nineteenth century. It is an idea taught many places in the Book of Mormon as well. Critics point to Nephi’s vision in 1 Nephi 11–14 [1 Ne. 11–14] and claim that Joseph Smith simply reiterated events that had already transpired to appeal to his fellow Americans’ sense of destiny. Historical sequences such as the coming of Columbus, the arrival of the early colonists, the Revolutionary War, and the introduction of the Bible among the Indians are all recognizable themes in the Book of Mormon.
To such an argument we have the convincing testimony of the Spirit that the Book of Mormon is what it declares itself to be—a revelation to an ancient prophet of future events in America. [Not the Americas] The Lord obviously knew that such information would be of value to readers of the book in modern times. Moroni plainly said of contemporary civilizations, “Behold, I speak unto you as if ye were present, and yet ye are not. But behold, Jesus Christ hath shown you unto me, and I know your doing.” (Morm. 8:35.) President Ezra Taft Benson has reiterated that “the Book of Mormon was written for us today.”
Through the Book of Mormon, the Lord offers inspired direction on key subjects of import not only in Joseph Smith’s time, but in our time. It is relevant to current issues of many decades, and obviously touches on some of the concerns of the early nineteenth century, as well as on our concerns today.
Literary Influences
At one time, it was popular among critics to contend that a literary work of Joseph Smith’s day, a manuscript authored by the Reverend Solomon Spalding (also spelled Spaulding), influenced the plot of the Book of Mormon. Spalding died in 1816, but his manuscript survived and was used by Eber D. Howe to advance a “Spalding theory” in the first anti-Mormon work of note, Mormonism Unvailed, (Painesville: E. D. Howe, 1834; original spelling preserved.) Howe held that Sidney Rigdon had been responsible for taking Spalding’s manuscript from a printing establishment in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, and later making it available for publication through Joseph Smith.
Examination of the only Spalding manuscript known to exist shows it to have little resemblance to the Book of Mormon. It proves to be a narrative history of a band of Romans living in the time of Constantine. They are blown off course while on a voyage to “Britain” and reach the eastern coast of North America. The manuscript bears such little resemblance to the Book of Mormon in themes, episodes, or characters that some have insisted that a second manuscript, which did correspond to the Book of Mormon, must have existed. Such a manuscript has never been found, and the whole theory is generally discounted.
Oliver Cowdery responded to accusations of outside authorship by bearing a solemn witness: “[The Book of Mormon] is true. Sidney Rigdon did not write it. Mr. Spaulding did not write it. I wrote it myself as it fell from the lips of the prophet.”
The Influence of Contemporary Religious Thought
Some have questioned why various religious doctrines debated during Joseph Smith’s era appear (though clarified) in the Book of Mormon. The answer is quite simple. The Book of Mormon itself declares that one of its purposes is to verify and clarify the teachings of the Bible. Doctrines like the Fall and the Atonement, repentance, infant baptism, the first and second comings of the Lord Jesus Christ, and the gifts of the Spirit were all biblical doctrines debated by various sectarian bodies in Joseph’s time. But that was nothing new. These and other issues had been problematical for Christians for generations. It is only natural that some of the same questions that had stirred religious controversy for centuries would be addressed in the Book of Mormon, which was a book prepared for our time.
Through the pages of the Book of Mormon, the Lord sought to rectify erroneous concepts and to restore certain standard truths from ancient Christianity that had been lost.” Larry C. Porter, professor of Church history and doctrine, Brigham Young University.
President Nelson’s Book of Mormon Lists
The Book of Mormon is:
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Another testament of Jesus Christ. Its major writers—Nephi, Jacob, Mormon, Moroni—and its translator, Joseph Smith, were all eyewitnesses of the Lord.
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A record of His ministry to people who lived in ancient America.
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True, as attested by the Lord Himself.
The Book of Mormon affirms:
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The individual identity of Heavenly Father and His Beloved Son, Jesus Christ.
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The necessity of the Fall of Adam and the wisdom of Eve, that men might have joy.
The Book of Mormon refutes notions that:
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Revelation ended with the Bible.
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Infants need to be baptized.
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Happiness can be found in wickedness.
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Individual goodness is adequate for exaltation (ordinances and covenants are needed).
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The Fall of Adam tainted mankind with “original sin.”
The Book of Mormon fulfills biblical prophecies that:
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“Other sheep” shall hear His voice.
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God will do “a marvelous work and a wonder,” speaking “out of the dust.”
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The “stick of Judah” and the “stick of Joseph” will become one.
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Scattered Israel will be gathered “in the latter days” and how that will be done.
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The land of inheritance for the lineage of Joseph is the Western Hemisphere.
The Book of Mormon clarifies understanding about:
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Our premortal existence.
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Death. It is a necessary component of God’s great plan of happiness.
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Postmortal existence, which begins in paradise.
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How the resurrection of the body, reunited with its spirit, becomes an immortal soul.
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How our judgment by the Lord will be according to our deeds and the desires of our hearts.
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How ordinances are properly performed: for example, baptism, sacrament, conferring the Holy Ghost.
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The Atonement of Jesus Christ.
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The Resurrection.
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The important role of angels.
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The eternal nature of priesthood.
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How human behavior is influenced more by the power of the word than the power of the sword.
The Book of Mormon reveals information previously unknown:
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Baptisms were performed before Jesus Christ was born.
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Temples were built and used by people in ancient America.
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Joseph, 11th son of Israel, foresaw the prophetic role of Joseph Smith.
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Nephi (in 600–592 BC) foresaw the discovery and colonizing of America.
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Plain and precious parts of the Bible have been lost.
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The Light of Christ is given to each person.
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The importance of individual agency and the need for opposition in all things.
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Warnings about “secret combinations.”
This was from a talk of President Russell M. Nelson in 2017 while he was Acting President to the Quorum of Twelve Apostles. This is an incredible list for us all to memorize. Source Below:
The Book of Mormon: What Would Your Life Be Like without It?
The Influence of the Holy Ghost
Larry C. Porter continues,” Ultimately, the only convincing answer to charges made by critics of the Book of Mormon is the witness of the Holy Ghost. Those who want to know the truth about the Book of Mormon can obtain it from no other source.
President Benson has said, “We are not required to prove that the Book of Mormon is true or is an authentic record through external evidences—though there are many. … God has built in his own proof system of the Book of Mormon as found in Moroni, chapter 10 [Moro. 10], and in the testimonies of the Three and the Eight Witnesses and in various sections of the Doctrine and Covenants. We each need to get our own testimony of the Book of Mormon through the Holy Ghost.
God continues to administer to his children through the distinctive means of revelation to his authorized servants. This fundamental, identifying feature of Mormonism allowed Joseph Smith to restore new truths long withheld from men on earth. The Book of Mormon and other contemporary scriptures were an integral part of that revelatory process.” Larry C. Porter Full Article below:
“Not to seek for and not to acknowledge intellectual, documentable support for our belief”, as Elder Holland says, Needlessly limits us!
[Editor’s Note: To me it is very informative that as Pres Benson says above, “though there are many“, I love finding those many. Yes I already have a witness that the Book of Mormon is absolutely the Word of God, so I feel it is also important for me to find out any truth associated with the BofM as well. The thousands of evidences of archaeology, time frames, artifacts, bones, copper, fortifications, plates, copper smelters, mounds, temple ceremony areas, astronomy, Law of Moses animals, similarity between the Lehites and the Hebrew, Hebrew writings and earthworks, the words of Joseph about Zelph, a witness to Emma that the bones in Illinois that Joseph found is “proof” of the divine authenticity of the Book of Mormon, D&C 125 about Montrose, Iowa, the Phoenicia Voyages, Plains of the Nephites, Nephite ship travel on rivers, artifacts found all around Cumorah, witnesses of Prophets of only one hill Cumorah, DNA of Natives around the Great Lakes matching with DNA in the Middle East, etc etc. These are all items of amazing verification that the Hopewell Culture in History is most likely the same as the Nephite history from Florida in 600 Bc to Cumorah in 400 Ad. Both civilization began and ended at the same location.
Elder Jeffrey R. Holland said, “My testimony to you tonight is that the gospel is infallibly true and that a variety of infallible proofs supporting that assertion will continue to come until Jesus descends as the ultimate infallible truth of all. Our testimonies aren’t dependent on evidence—we still need that spiritual confirmation in the heart of which we have spoken—but not to seek for and not to acknowledge intellectual, documentable support for our belief when it is available is to needlessly limit an otherwise incomparably strong theological position and deny us a unique, persuasive vocabulary in the latter-day arena of religious investigation and sectarian debate. Thus armed with so much evidence of the kind we have celebrated here tonight, we ought to be more assertive than we sometimes are in defending our testimony of truth…” Jeffrey R. Holland “Greatness of the Evidence Aug. 2017
As I show in the two maps above, on the right is the CES, BYU Fantasy map they use as it has rotated the Meso landscape 90 degrees north, so it can use the proper terminology of North and Northward. As you can see from the first landing of Lehi at the bottom of their fantasy map, to the top of their map where is shows Cumorah, it is now identical to our Heartland map which we did not have to turn sideways to get it correct.
Lehi Landed in Florida, Nephi escaped to Tennessee, Mosiah left to Missouri and Iowa, Mormon and Moroni took them from Illinois to Indiana, to Ohio to New York where the last battles were fought near Hill Cumorah.
Notice the Meso fantasy map quotes Ether 10:20 just as we do which says, “And they built a great city by the neck of land, by the place where the sea divides the land.
Heartlanders believe this is probably the city of Buffalo New York which is where the Lake Ontario and Lake Erie (seas) divide the land as the scripture of Ether describes. The scripture does not say, where the land divides the sea, does it? This accurately shows that on their fantasy map of the land or Isthmus divides the two seas, the Pacific and the Gulf of Mexico. The problem is the Meso description is backwards. They tilt or rotate because if you really looked at a real map the Isthmus of Darien, you would have the seas wrong and Cumorah would be West of Lehis Landing and not North.
Here is Brother John L. Sorenson’s explanation of his theory, where he claims it is a fact that Mesoamerica is the setting for Nephite history.
“What may startle some about this situation is that most of what Joseph Smith said or implied about geography indicates that he did not understand or was ambiguous about the fact, as it turns out, that Mesoamerica was the particular setting for Nephite history.” [This is an arrogant and wrong opinion of Joseph Smith]
Sorensen continues, “Until he encountered the Stephens’s book, Joseph gave no hint that he was aware that such a limited area with a distinctive civilized culture even existed in the Americas. Even with Stephens’s material in mind, he made no more than a passing attempt to relate the Book of Mormon’s story to the newly-found ruins. And in the long run, the little blip on the Latter-day Saints’ mental screen caused by the explorer’s book faded as the mistaken folk view reasserted its dominance.” John Sorenson Mormon’s Codex
“Here, Brother Sorenson characterizes the teachings of the prophets about the New York Cumorah as a “mistaken folk view.” This degree of derision for the prophets definitely “may startle some” members of the Church who accept what the prophets teach.” Jonathan Neville
Here see all the available Newspapers in the Palmyra, Ontario County, Geneva, Lyons and other cities close to where the Prophet lived. He had access to may papers and he was known to go weekly to Palmyra to get books and papers for his father. The Book of Mormon was definitely influenced by the learning and reading of the Prophet Joseph Smith.
Book of Mormon translation and Early Modern English
Jonathan Neville explains in the video below, how Joseph used his knowledge bank of information that he had studied or learned to assist him in translating the BofM using his own words and not the words of some secret person putting the words on a stone of some kind. As it says in JSH 1:35 Joseph used “these two stones fastened to a breastplate” in order to translate like in the picture below, by the gift and power of God, which included Joseph using his own words.
