Ancient Scriptures: A View of the Hebrews and the Book of Mormon

Apparently one major source for the Book of Mormon is a book available to Joseph, written by an acquaintance of Oliver Cowdery's family. This is A View of the Hebrews, by Ethan Smith. It contains many striking parallels to the Book of Mormon. The following is B.H. Robert's summary of many of the similarities:

The material in Ethan Smith's book is of a character and quantity to make a ground plan for the Book of Mormon: It supplies a large amount of material respecting American antiquities - leading to the belief that civilized or semi-civilized nations in ancient times occupied the American continents.

It not only suggests, but pleads on every page for Israelitish origin of the American Indians.

It deals with the destruction of Jerusalem and the scattering of Israel, as the Book of Mormon does.

It deals with the future gathering of Israel, and the restoration of the Ten Tribes, as the Book of Mormon does.

It emphasizes and uses much of the material from the prophecies of Isaiah, including whole chapters, as the Book of Mormon does.

It makes a special appeal to the Gentiles of the New World - having in mind more especially the people of the United States - to become the nursing fathers and mothers unto Israel in the New World - even as the Book of Mormon does, holding out great promises to the great Gentile nation that shall occupy America, if it acquiesces in the divine program.

It holds that the peopling of the New World was by migrations from the Old, the same as does the Book of Mormon. It takes its migrating people into a country where "never man had dwelt," just as the Book of Mormon takes it Jaredite colony into "that quarter where there never had man been."

In both cases the journey was to the northward; in both cases the colony entered into the valley of a great river; they both encountered "seas" of "many waters" in the course of their journey; in both cases the journey was a long one. The motive in both cases was the same - a religious one; Ethan is prominently connected with the recording of the matter in the one case, and Ether in the other.

Ethan Smith's book supposes that his lost tribes divide into two classes, the one fostering the arts that make for civilization, the other followed the wild hunting and indolent life that ultimately led to barbarism, which is just what happens to the Book of Mormon Peoples.

"Long and dismal" wars break out between Ethan Smith's civilized division and his barbarous division. The same occurs between Nephite and Lamanite, divisions drawn on the same lines of civilized and barbarous in the Book of Mormon.

The savage division utterly exterminates the civilized in Ethan Smith's book; the Lamanites, the barbarous division of the Book of Mormon, utterly destroy the civilized division - the Nephites.

Ethan Smith's book assumes for the ancient civilized people a culture of mechanic arts; of written language; of the knowledge and use of iron and other metals; and of navigation. The Book of Mormon does the same for its civilized peoples.

Ethan Smith's book assumes unity of race for the inhabitants of America - the Hebrew race, and no other. The Book of Mormon does the same.

Ethan Smith's book assumes that this race (save perhaps, the Eskimo of the extreme north) occupied the whole extent of the American continent. The Book of Mormon does the same for its peoples.

It assumes the Indian tongue to have had one source - the Hebrew; the Book of Mormon makes the same assumption for the language of its peoples.

Ethan Smith's book describes an instrument among the mound finds comprising breast plate with two white buckhorn buttons attached, "in imitation of the precious stones of the Urim," says Ethan Smith. Joseph Smith used some such instrument in translating the Book of Mormon called Urim and Thumim.

Ethan Smith's book admits the existence of idolatry and human sacrifice; the Book of Mormon does the same.

Ethan Smith's book extols generosity to the poor and denounces pride, as traits of the American Indian; the Book of Mormon does the same for its peoples. Ethan Smith's book denounces polygamy, the Book of Mormon under certain conditions does the same as to David and Solomon's practices.

Ethan Smith's book quotes Indian traditions of a "Lost Book of God" and the promise of its restoration to the Indians, with a return of their lost favor with the Great Spirit. This is in keeping with the lost sacred records to the savage Lamanites of the Book of Mormon.

Ethan Smith's sacred book was buried with some "high priest," "keeper of the sacred tradition"; the Book of Mormon sacred records were hidden or buried by Moroni, a character that corresponds to this Indian tradition in the Hill Cumorah.

Ethan Smith's book describes extensive military fortifications linking cities together over wide areas of Ohio and Mississippi valleys, with military observatory or "watch towers" overlooking them; the Book of Mormon describes extensive fortifications erected throughout large areas with military "watch towers" here and there overlooking them.

Ethan Smith's book also describes sacred towers or "high places" in some instances devoted to true worship, in other cases to idolatrous practices; the Book of Mormon also has its prayer or sacred towers.

Part of Ethan Smith's ancient inhabitants effect a change from monarchial governments to republican forms of government; Book of Mormon peoples do the same.

In Ethan Smith's republics the civil and ecclesiastical power is united in the same person; this was a practice also with the Book of Mormon people.

Some of Ethan Smith's peoples believed in the constant struggle between the good and the bad principle, by which the world is governed; Lehi, the first of Nephite prophets, taught the existence of a necessary opposition in all things - righteousness opposed to wickedness - good to bad; life to death, and so following.

Ethan Smith's book speaks of the gospel having been preached in the ancient America; the Book of Mormon clearly portrays a knowledge of the gospel had among the Nephites.

Ethan Smith gives, in considerable detail, the story of the Mexican culture-hero Quetzalcoatl - who in so many things is reminiscent of the Christ; the Book of Mormon brings the risen Messiah to the New World, gives him a ministry, disciples and a church.

Can such numerous and startling points of resemblance and suggestive contact be merely coincidence? (Roberts 1992, p. 240-242)

I personally think that Joseph probably did not read the book, but I do think he was familiar with the ideas (Joseph did know of the book later on at least, since he referred to it in Nauvoo as providing evidence for Book of Mormon claims about ancient America). Ethan Smith knew Oliver Cowdery's family, and the book was available in Joseph's area (in fact there is some indication that Ethan Smith came through Palmyra on a tour promoting his book). There is too much on this topic to go into detail here. Several books cover this issue thoroughly (Roberts 1992; Persuitte 2000; Vogel 2005).

Whether Joseph was familiar with Ethan Smith's book or not, I believe both authors drew heavily and obviously on the prevailing popular ideas that were circulating about the builders of the innumerable mounds that were found in western New York, Pennsylvania, the Ohio valley, and other parts of the country. These mounds included burial mounds and places of worship, as well as fortifications. Many authors in the early 19th century speculated that these structures were built by a more advanced white race that came from the Near East. This very populous white race supposedly had horses, worked metals, possessed a written language, tamed elephants, developed agriculture, etc. Eventually they were wiped out by more primitive (and dark skinned!) Native Americans in a huge war of extermination. Others pointed out supposed similarities between North American mounds and ruins in Central America, and postulated that all were part of one great civilization. Contrary to the claims of FARMS writers, it is obvious that Joseph and his followers believed the Mound Builders had been Nephites and Lamanites, and that their civilization extended all over the hemisphere (see Joseph's June 4, 1834 letter to Emma quoted above). Orson Pratt, an apostle and leading intellectual figure in the early church wrote in 1851:

The bold, bad Lamanites, originally white, became dark and dirty, though still retaining a national existence. They became wild, savage, and ferocious, seeking by every means the destruction of the prosperous Nephites, against whom they many times arrayed their hosts in battle; but were repulsed and driven back to their own territories, generally with great loss to both sides. The slain, frequently amounting to tens of thousands, were piled together in great heaps and overspread with a thin covering of earth, which will satisfactorily account for those ancient mounds filled with human bones, so numerous at the present day, both in North and South America. (Cited in Silverberg 1968, p. 96.)

Dan Vogel sums up the key point well in his discussion of early theories for Indian origins:

That some of the major features of the Book of Mormon's history of ancient America originated centuries [or even decades] before in religiously motivated minds and subsequently proved inaccurate would seem to argue in favor of the book's modern origin (from the conclusion of the web version of Vogel 1986).

For further reference, the most thorough analysis of the parallels between the Book of Mormon and Ethan Smith's book is B.H. Roberts' "A Book of Mormon Study" (Roberts 1992). More is also found in David Persuitte's Joseph Smith and the Origins of the Book of Mormon (Persuitte 2000). Robert Silverberg's Mound Builders of Ancient America: The Archaeology of a Myth discusses the development of beliefs about the Mound Builders from 18th and 19th century speculations through the conclusions of modern archaeologists (Silverberg 1968). Pages 82-96 are particularly relevant to the Book of Mormon. Dan Vogel's study of 19th century folk beliefs about the origins of the Native Americans and their relationship to the Book of Mormon is available at www.xmission.com/~research/central/vogel1.htm.

In addition to 19th century ideas about American antiquities, you can find in many discourses in the Book of Mormon direct references to religious controversies in Joseph's day. FARMS writer John Welch claims he sees hints of an ancient coronation festival in King Benjamin's final speech. Try reading this sermon while imagining King Benjamin is a 19th century revivalist preacher at a camp meeting - the fit is much better. His fire and brimstone language and the attendant mass confession of Christ as Savior very closely resemble the camp meetings Joseph was known to attend as a youth. Even the phrase, "the natural man is an enemy to God" resembles the title of such a sermon by a well-known New York revivalist preacher: "The Carnal Mind is Enmity to God" (for a discussion of these sermons, see Cross 1950). Sidney Rigdon's former mentor, Alexander Campbell commented: "This prophet Smith, through his stone spectacles, wrote on the plates of Nephi, in his book of Mormon, every error and almost every truth discussed in New York for the last ten years" (Campbell 1831).

In the church we perpetuate the myth that Joseph was just an ignorant farm boy who could hardly dictate a coherent letter. This is extremely misleading - Joseph was very aware of the religious issues of his time and locality, and his later life shows that in addition to being an exceptional orator, he was born with a gifted mind and natural charisma. But there is also evidence that Joseph could write (or at least dictate - he was a better speaker than writer) well enough at the time of the Book of Mormon. Here is a quote from Joseph himself about the book at the time it came out:

"As many false reports have been circulated respecting the following work, and also many unlawful measures taken by evil designing persons to destroy me, and also the work, I would inform you that I translated, by the gift and power of God, and caused to be written, one hundred and sixteen pages, the which I took from the Book of Lehi, which was an account abridged from the plates of Lehi, by the hand of Mormon; which said account, some person or persons have stolen and kept from me, notwithstanding my utmost exertions to recover it again - and being commanded of the Lord that I should not translate the same over again, for Satan had put it into their hearts to tempt the Lord their God, by altering the words, that they did read contrary from that which I translated and caused to be written; and if I should bring forth the same words again, or in other words, if I should translate the same over again, they would publish that which they had stolen, and Satan would stir up the hearts of this generation, that they might not receive this work..." (Preface to the first edition of the Book of Mormon)

It is clear that this is the same style of writing that is found in the Book of Mormon itself, suggesting that Joseph wrote the book. Mormon apologists might say that Joseph picked up this style during the translation process, but the burden of proof is on them to show that the Book of Mormon is an anomaly in Joseph's writing, or in other words that before 1829 he had no ability to write like this. If Joseph had an excellent ability to pick up the language of the plates he was translating, it also means that he could have just as easily picked up the style of the KJV while preparing to write the Book of Mormon. To a reasonable outside observer it is apparent that the same person who wrote the above preface also wrote the Book of Mormon.

Incidentally, the idea that Joseph couldn't retranslate the lost 116 pages has always sounded fishy to me. If someone published an altered version, Joseph could easily have challenged that person to produce the original documents. Altering the handwritten manuscript would have been impossible to do without giving away that the alterations were not made by Joseph. A better explanation is that Joseph was not really translating anything, and that he couldn't reproduce the 116 pages from memory.

If you think that what I have been citing is anti-Mormon literature you should consider the following quotes:

"The Book of Mormon must submit to every test, literary criticism with the rest. Indeed, it must be submitted to every analysis and examination. It must submit to historical tests, to the tests of archaeological research and also to higher criticism." (B.H. Roberts, Senior President of the Seventy, The Improvement Era, 1911, quoted on the jacket of Metcalfe 1993).

"To Latter-day Saints there can be no objection to the careful and critical study of the scriptures, ancient or modern, provided only that it be an honest study - a search for truth." (Apostle John A. Widtsoe, In Search of Truth, 1930, also quoted on the jacket of Metcalfe 1993).

At the end of his life Elder B.H. Roberts engaged in an in-depth study of the Book of Mormon in order to answer the charges made by the critics he had fought against for decades. He held disappointing discussions with the First Presidency and the Twelve, and wrote several studies that covered many of the problems I have discussed above. Although he remained faithful, he penned the following disillusioned conclusion (in this same work he sarcastically called the Liahona a 'wonder compass'):

"If... the view be taken that the Book of Mormon is merely of human origin; that a person of Joseph Smith's limitations in experience and education, who was of the vicinage and of the period that produced the book - if it be assumed that he is the author of it, then it could be said there is much internal evidence in the book itself to sustain such a view.

In the first place there is a certain lack of perspective in the things the book relates as history that points quite clearly to an undeveloped mind as their origin. The narrative proceeds in characteristic disregard of conditions necessary to its reasonableness, as if it were a tale told by a child, with utter disregard for consistency" (Roberts 1992, p. 251).

So what is my view of the Book of Mormon, given the issues presented above? I don't think it is worthless, or simply a fraud. Joseph Smith had a remarkable religious mind, and was able to synthesize many currents of religious thought into a unique and fascinating theology. Although the book can be tedious and inconsistent, as Roberts mentioned, it also has its sublime moments. Given that it is a 19th century production, does that mean it cannot have spiritual worth? I and many others do not believe so. Just like Psalms and Proverbs, this book does not necessarily have to be a translation of hidden records written by ancient seers to be inspired- the evidence for the book's inspiration does not lie in archaeological digs, but rather in the impact of the words on those whose lives it has touched (see Price 2002 for an excellent discussion of this theme).