Analysis of Factual Arguments Regarding The Validity of Book of Mormon

Evidence is required in order to draw any sort of conclusion. This means that for the Book of Mormon to be true, then there needs to be evidence of its validity. Just like we can know if something tastes good by trying it, we can know the truth of the Book of Mormon by examining its fruits and our feelings when we read it. However, the book also has left behind not only spiritual evidence that supports it, but also physical evidence. We can believe in it on a factual basis, as well as instinctively in our hearts. One of the greatest blessings Heavenly Father has given us is the ability to reason and think for ourselves, conducting research to find answers to our questions. In D&C 88:118, we are counseled to, “seek ye out of the best books words of wisdom; seek learning, even by study and also by faith.” We are fortunate enough to live in an age where this evidence has been discovered and connected to the Book of Mormon, to deepen our understanding of the peoples and cultures within it, as well as solidify our mental testimonies.

Could the Plates Have Existed as Described?

There is significant archeological evidence surrounding the Book of Mormon. This makes sense, given that it covers an ancient time period and multiple peoples. One evidence that the Golden or Brass Plates did exist is the material they were made out of. We currently do not have the plates on this Earth, since they were taken up to be reserved for a later time. However, we do have witnesses who saw them, whose sole purpose is, in fact, to convince us of the book’s legitimacy. The eight witnesses actually touched the plates, verifying that they existed as described by Joseph Smith, Jr. These men turned the shining gold leaves of the bound volume set in front of them. Regarding this record, they said, “we have seen and hefted, and know of a surety that the said Smith has got the plates of which we have spoken”. The plates, the partial translation of which comprises the Book of Mormon, were in fact made from a gold medal. It was not pure gold, however, because that amount of gold would have weighed far too much to lift, much less run with.

It was discovered that a material called tumbaga was used in pre-columbian times in the Americas, as well as in Mesopotamia. At the size which the plates were and the density of tumbaga, the plates would have weighted roughly what witnesses say they would have, around 40-60 lbs. In addition, ancient Israelites wrote upon metal records, just like the ones in the Book of Mormon. This shows that the Golden plates are not someone’s vain imagination come to life; rather, there is a history of the method employed in the record, as there well should be.

Within the Details

While the authors of the Book of Mormon could have done so anciently, many suggest that (relatively) modern people wrote the book, including Joseph Smith, Oliver Cowdery, and Solomon Spaulding. It’s well known that for as good a man as Joseph Smith may have been, he was not well educated. In fact, he was rather poorly educated and could barely write a simple letter, much less a literary masterpiece on the scale of the Book of Mormon, which it would be, were it written by a man, and not God. These people then say that he could have copied from Solomon Spaulding or had help from Oliver Cowdery, but wordprint studies published about the Book of Mormon show that this is not the case. When comparing the writings of these three men to the books of Nephi and Alma, this analytical technique proves, beyond a shadow of a doubt, that they are not the authors. Wordprint studies done on other control cases in which the author is known has been shown to be an effective way to figure out who the author is. Within the Book of Mormon, when the book of Nephi and Alma were compared to one another, wordprinting found that multiple people had authored them, just as they themselves claim. Because no other authors from our millenia have been found, it seems likely that the Book of Mormon was written as a record, and not a fictitious or even historical account (that is, written using extensive research).

In addition, the Book of Mormon uses techniques within its writing that are extremely accurate to ancient Israel. For example, phrases like “the Book of Nephi” or “the sword of Laban” are employed throughout. This grammar construct is not practiced much in English. While it’s not wrong, it is not used very often. However, in Hebrew, that is simply how the grammar functions. In fact, the way Hebrew functions is significantly different from English, from using constructs such as this to not including a verb for “to have”. In order to understand Hebrew, it generally takes a few years of specialized education, which few in the 1800s would have access to. Books and experts would not be utilized to find answers in most cases, because the means for getting to them, most of the time, did not exist.

Nor would they have known the introduction given by an ancient scribe, or a colophon. Because literacy and the ability to write were so uncommon, a scribe would tell a reader about how he learned to write and why, which is exactly what Nephi does. He tells us his father is wealthy and learned, so that he too, is in much the same boat. In fact, colophons appear throughout the book, whether added by the original author or ancient editor concerned for future readers. Mormon edited the Book of Mormon knowing that it would survive for many years, and that modern day people would struggle to understand it if it did not contain context within itself. Later, the people that lived that history were lost or forgot it happened, but thanks to colophons and other details, our understanding is preserved. Scribes from Mesopotamia and Egypt also often included this introduction, again so that future readers could understand the context surrounding the work. This detail compels one to believe that the author of the book either was living during that time, or understood exactly what circumstances would need to be included. Just as with other details previously discussed, a fictitious account likely could not have contained such a precise characteristic and, even more likely, would not have.

Even more impressive is the inclusion of chiasmus in the Book of Mormon, an ancient Hebrew tradition which was not well known in the 1800s, and remains widely unrecognized and unknown. However, it was used by the authors of the Old and New Testament as a literary technique in which ideas, phrases and words are later reflected back or crossed on, as in ABCBA. This literary device is a bit complicated and complex to effectively pull off, but is present in the Book of Mormon (Reynolds). It’s an effective technique, helping readers further understand the text and its important aspects, but it’s also highly traditional. Only through analysis are we able to discern chiasmus in the Book of Mormon, Bible, and Torah, and other complex works. This suggests that only those who have the time to do so, as well as the skill set to recognize it, are able to pick up on it to further their understanding. Some portions of the Bible that are widely recognized as chiastic are still being debated as to where exactly it lies and how it functions as a device. Similarly, some disagree with the amount present and what qualifies in the Book of Mormon as chiasmus. However, much of the evidence, such as when and where the book was supposedly written points to at least some inclusion being crucial to it being an accurate record. Because this is the case (there are several different options throughout by allegedly multiple authors), we must conclude that chiasm as found in the Book of Mormon supports its validity.

Conclusion

My findings from researching different sources regarding the Book of Mormon lead to several smaller conclusions. First, the Book of Mormon was authored by multiple people, because of the findings of wordprint studies. In fact, the style of the Book of Mormon shifts throughout. The discoveries found by wordprinting only makes sense when applied to the Book of Mormon as if there are multiple authors. Next, these multiple authors use ancient vocabulary, ideas and literary techniques to communicate with their audience. They also use language that suggests that the book was translated from another language, specifically employing Hebrew and Egyptian writing traditions. Finally, the claims Joseph Smith Jr. made regarding the plates and their connection to the Book of Mormon holds up. The plates could have been made, recorded upon, and sealed up anciently. Furthermore, anyone living in the 1800s would have struggled to write a book such as this one, due to its intense accuracy and attention to detail. Smith would have struggled a great deal because of the amount of education he received in life. Each of these small conclusions point to one overarching truth.

The Book of Mormon must be a record that was kept anciently by a people who came from the Middle East and traveled to the Americas. It is a highly complex book with historical and cultural evidence alluding to its accuracy. While it is possible that a man created it in this millenia fictitiously, details found concerning its validity substantiate its claim as an actual record. It should be considered by scholars as a source for truth, shedding light upon the traditions of several ancient peoples, as well as by those seeking for another testament of Jesus Christ.