Book of Mormon Evidence?
Here is a talk given in 2005 by John Clark to a FAIR conference:
and this update in 2019:
Here are a few evidences I’ve found:
1. Tree of Life - The tree of life symbol found in the Book of Mormon (1 Nephi 7, 11; 2 Nephi 2:15; Alma 5:34, 62; etc.) has been depicted in bas reliefs throughout the new world. Surprisingly, many of the hundreds of tree of life symbols combine the form of the cross with the tree - Vestal and Wallace, The Firm Foundation of Mormonism, pp. 120-122; Diane E. Wirth, A Challenge to the Critics, pp. 69-75; Warren and Ferguson, The Messiah in Ancient America, pp. 71-111; Hunter and Ferguson, Ancient America and the Book of Mormon, pp. 213-214.
2. Language - Evidence of both Hebrew and Egyptian cultures is found throughout the Book of Mormon (1 Nephi 1:2; Mosiah 1:4; Mormon 9:34). Hebrew idioms, grammar, and names are found throughout the text but, at the same time, distinctly Egyptian names and cultural traits may also be found there. This Egyptian influence is further substantiated by Mesoamerican pyramids and inscriptions discovered after Joseph Smith's day - Sorenson and Thorn, Rediscovering the Book of Mormon, pp. 77-91; Vestal and Wallace, The Firm Foundation of Mormonism, pp. 173-179, Diane E. Wirth, A Challenge to the Critics, pp. 76-89, Jack West, The Trial of the Stick of Joseph, pp. 83-86; Hugh Nibley, Lehi in the Desert and the World of the Jaredite, pp. 13-17; Book of Mormon Student Manual, p. 42; Welch, Reexploring the Book of Mormon, pp. 183-185; Hunter and Ferguson, Ancient America and the Book of Mormon, pp. 264-268; Michael T. Griffith, Refuting the Critics, pp. 40-42, 73-74.
3. Ancient writing patterns - Several different characteristics of ancient writings have recently been identified for the first time. These include the colophon which was often used in Egyptian compositions and chiasmus which is a distinctly Hebraic literary form. Both are found in the Book of Mormon despite the fact that these characteristics were unknown in Joseph Smith's day.
a. The colophon is essentially a writer's preface which follows a fixed pattern. It most often includes the writer's name, background, qualifications for writing, and a summary of the text. At times, the text is also concluded with a similar pattern. Colophons are found throughout the Book of Mormon - Sorenson and Thorn, Rediscovering the Book of Mormon, pp. 32-37; Hugh Nibley, Lehi in the Desert and the World of the Jaredites, pp. 17-20; Vestal and Wallace, The Firm Foundation of Mormonism, p. 147; Welch, Reexploring the Book of Mormon, pp. 13-16.
b. Chiasmus is an ancient literary form which resembles poetry. Instead of repeating sounds or following a rhyming pattern, chiasmus repeats ideas or words in a systematic pattern which reverses at its center point. Many examples of chiasmus have been identified in the Hebrew Bible but the Book of Mormon contains some of the most complex examples of chiasmus known today. Alma's chiasm in Alma 36 is made up of 17 elements with all but the center element repeated twice - Sorenson and Thorn, Rediscovering the Book of Mormon, pp. 114-131; Vestal and Wallace, The Firm Foundation of Mormonism, pp. 155-170; Book of Mormon Authorship, pp. 33-52; Diane E. Wirth, A Challenge to the Critics, pp. 94-99; Welch, Reexploring the Book of Mormon, pp. 230-235.
4. Writing styles - A number of scientific tests have been devised to examine the authenticity of the Book of Mormon. Two tests which deal with writing styles have produced some exciting yet largely ignored results which our critics cannot explain. A new computer assisted analysis technique referred to as "stylometry" or more commonly "wordprint" analysis was developed to identify an author's writing style much like a fingerprint or voiceprint is used to identify an individual. Although wordprint analyses identifying the usage rate of non-contextual words have produced the best authorship identification, total new word usage rates have also produced significant results and will be addressed.
Non-contextual words used in wordprint analysis are the filler words such as prepositions and conjunctions which are repeated subconsciously as a result of habit patterns developed in our early life. Although the conscious features of a given author's style might be imitated, the subconscious features cannot. Analysis indicates that an author's wordprint style remains consistent despite the passage of time, change of subject matter, or literary form. Most importantly, the value of a wordprint analysis is apparently retained where a literal translation has been made (Welch, Reexploring the Book of Mormon, pp. 221-226). Wordprint studies to determine authorship have included the examination of letters, biblical books, ancient Greek works, and more recently the technique was applied to the Book of Mormon. In a 1979 report, Wayne Larsen and Alvin Rencher showed that the Book of Mormon text contained more than 20 distinct wordprint styles which were internally consistent with the authors identified in the text.
https://scholarsarchive.byu.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?referer=https://www.google.com/&httpsredir=1&article=2026&context=byusqEven more surprising to our critics was the fact that none of the Book of Mormon wordprint styles matched Joseph Smith's own style or that of any other suggested nineteenth-century author (See Book of Mormon Authorship, pp. 157-188). Despite the fact that Joseph Smith's own wordprint style is not found in the Book of Mormon, a consistently limited working vocabulary, similar to that of Joseph Smith's, is found throughout the book (See John L. Hilton's F.A.R.M.S. paper entitled Book of Mormon "Wordprint" Measurement using "Wraparound" Block Counting).
The rate at which new words are introduced throughout the Book of Mormon is consistently low while individual wordprint styles vary consistently throughout the book according to the textually identified author. The only reasonably acceptable explanation for these two statistically observable results is that "the Book of Mormon is a continuous literal translation of non-English writings by different original authors, expressed by a literal translator using a restricted English vocabulary" (Ibid.). In addition, the conclusion that Joseph Smith or any contemporary could have authored the Book of Mormon is scientifically indefensible in light of the findings mentioned above. When coupled with the internal writing patterns and Egyptian and Hebrew characteristics mentioned earlier, the only rational conclusion that can be reached is that the Book of Mormon was not the product of any nineteenth-century author's imagination. It can only be what Joseph Smith claimed it to be: a translation of an ancient record written by men familiar with both Hebrew and Egyptian language characteristics. Additional information on wordprints may be found in Robert L. Hamson, The Signature of God; Robert and Rosemary Brown, They Lie in Wait to Deceive, vol. 2, chap. 9; Sunstone Magazine, vol. 6, num. 2, pp. 15-26; and BYU Studies, Spring 1980, p. 225ff.
5. Migration Routes - Some people both in and out of the LDS Church have erroneously assumed that the Book of Mormon is the history of all pre-Columbian civilizations in the western hemisphere. In reality it is a religious account of three groups that came to the Americas prior to 589 B.C.. Undoubtedly there were other groups which came to the new world at other times and by other routes but these are not mentioned in the Book of Mormon narrative. The primary group described in the Book of Mormon is that of Lehi the prophet. Dr. Eugene England has made a detailed comparison of this group's Arabian journey with modern geographical features. His study revealed no contradictions and numerous correspondences. In fact, more than twenty significant geographical details described in the Book of Mormon, but unknown in Joseph Smith's day, serve as evidence that it is indeed an ancient document, written from firsthand information (Noel B. Reynolds, ed., Book of Mormon Authorship, p. 143; see also Scharffs, The Truth about the God Makers, pp. 130-132; Michael T. Griffith, Refuting the Critics, pp. 44-45). Watch: Compelling Book of Mormon Evidence for Lehi’s Journey through Arabia | Book of Mormon Central
6. Indian legends - Indian legends not only affirm the Book of Mormon account of various groups coming to the Americas by ship but they affirm beliefs in many biblical teachings. Legends concerning the creation, the great flood, the closed ark, the high tower, the confusion of languages, as well as beliefs concerning fasting and baptism have been documented by researchers (Milton R. Hunter and Thomas S. Ferguson, Ancient America and the Book of Mormon, pp. 18-35, 89-93, 203, 219. One of the virtually universal beliefs found among Indian tribes of both North and South America concerns a white, bearded God who visited their ancestors. They record that at the end of his visit, he left a promise that he would return one day. These legends are well documented in a book entitled He Walked the Americas by L. Taylor Hansen.
One North American legend describes the childhood of this "white God.” It says, "He told them that he was born across the ocean, in a land where all men were bearded. In this land he was born of a virgin on a night when a bright star came out of the heavens and stood over his city. Here, too, the heavens opened and down came winged beings singing chants of exquisite beauty." (He Walked the Americas, p. 48)
Other legends speak of the priesthood he established with his 12 disciples, the changes he made in their temple worship, the prayers he spoke, the miracles he did, and even the marks in his hands received in the land of his birth when he was nailed to a cross (Ibid., p. 150-153; see also Mark E. Peterson, Those Gold Plates!, pp. 78-88; Warren and Ferguson, The Messiah in Ancient America, pp. 1-28; Wirth, A Challenge to the Critics, pp. 133-147; West, The Trial of the Stick of Joseph, pp. 81-83; and Hunter, Archaeology and the Book of Mormon, pp. 29-33, 39-45, 89-92; Hunter and Ferguson, Ancient America and the Book of Mormon, pp. 195-222).
7. Modern Witnesses - In addition to the ancient historical accounts found among Indian tribes of North and South America, we have testimonies of many modern witnesses of the existence of the Book of Mormon plates. Besides Joseph Smith, there were eleven other men who saw and handled the plates from which the Book of Mormon was translated. Three of these men saw the angel who brought the plates and heard a voice from heaven declaring that the translation had been done by the gift and power of God and was true. Eight of the witnesses viewed the plates and the unusual characters engraven upon them and were allowed to "heft" the plates. All eleven men signed sworn legal affidavits attesting to these events as firsthand witnesses and despite persecution, attempts to discredit their testimonies, and even the excommunication of some, these witnesses never denied their testimonies of these events. Anti-Mormon critics have often attempted to prove otherwise but available records lend no support to these assertions. The dying words of the three witnesses leave no doubt that Joseph Smith's account of the origin of the Book of Mormon was true (Richard Lloyd Anderson, Investigating the Book of Mormon Witnesses). To these accounts, we could also add the testimonies of friends and relatives who took part in these events (see Ensign article, Feb 89, p. 36 and Jul 92, pp. 53-55).
https://www.lds.org/ensign/1989/02/true-to-the-book-of-mormon-the-whitmers?lang=engThe Bible affirms that "In the mouth of two or three witnesses shall every word be established" (2 Cor. 13:1). No other revelation from God is attested to by so many modern witnesses and has been reaffirmed personally by the Father and Son (D&C 1:29-30; 17:6; Testimony of the Three Witnesses in the Book of Mormon). We should not ignore this veritable "cloud of witnesses" (Heb. 12:1) but should heed the words of the prophets and look unto Christ and his word as contained in the Bible (Heb. 12:2) and the Book of Mormon (2 Nephi 2:28; 25:24-26).
Here are a few of the faith-affirming questions found at ShowYourShelf that you’d have to answer to disprove the authenticity of the Book of Mormon. It’s like a reverse CES Letter list and asks hundreds of questions like:
- If it wasn’t inspired, then how on earth did 23-year old Joseph Smith manage to dictate the 269,510 words of the book without any notes?
- And how did he achieve such incredible and complex internal consistency while dictating the whole book (120 examples documented here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here and here)?
- How did he sustain a blistering pace of dictating the whole book in around 60 working days?
- Or how did he manage to imitate so many different writing styles on his own?
- How did Joseph manage to write the Book of Mormon with all its complexity when contemporary critics admitted that Joseph lacked education?
- Who wrote it and why did Joseph bother memorizing it? It’s certainly not a short book.
- Why are there no drafts of the book or previous versions?
- Why has no-one ever come forward as the author?
These are questions I have asked myself through the years and which I believe can only be answered with what Joseph Smith claimed—the Book of Mormon was what he claimed it was—an ancient record written by many ancient prophets called by God.
LDS scholar Daniel Peterson said of the Book of Mormon, “The intricate structure and detailed complexity of the Book of Mormon seem far better explained as the work of several ancient writers using various written sources over the space of centuries than exploding suddenly from the mind of a barely educated manual laborer on the American Frontier.”
Watch this short video which illustrates the complexity of the Book of Mormon:
https://bookofmormoncentral.org/blog/watch-evidence-of-the-book-of-mormon-internal-complexity%20%0dClick on the “references” title below the video to see the scholarly references for the evidence mentioned in the video.
Now try to explain these examples of complexity and sophistication in the Book of Mormon:
1. Statistically distinct authors
2. Complex source texts
3. Realistic battles
4. Rich Symbolism
5. Epic literature
6. Genealogies
7. Distinct cultures
8. Numerous fulfilled prophecies
9. Typological narratives
10. Over 150 named locations
11. Brilliant doctrinal discourses
12. Competing religious ideologies
13. Embedded flashbacks
14. Over 200 named characters
15. Political histories
16. Editorial prefaces and conclusions
17. Over 1,000 intertextual relationships
18. Efficient system of weights and measures
19. Lineage histories
20. Over 1,000 Hebrew literary elements
21. Extended analogies
22. Realistic naming conventions
23. Pervasive early modern English
24. Modern migrations
25. Interweaving narrative
26. Consistent usage of many words and phrases
27. Three calendar systems
28. Multiple literary genres
29. Realistic demographic data
30. Authentic legal cases
31. Over 600 consistent geographical references
Each of the above have been found by scholars to be evidence for the Book of Mormon’s authenticity. Book of Mormon Central contains a detailed examination of many of the above findings. The site also provides a long list of references at: https://bookofmormoncentral.org/blog/watch-evidence-of-the-book-of-mormon-internal-complexity
See these 7 short Book of Mormon videos:
Together, these seven videos present powerful evidence that the Book of Mormon:
- is a masterpiece of beautiful ancient literature
- has incredible depth and complexity
- came from plates whose physicality is attested historically
- was miraculously translated by the gift and power of God
- is supported by solid archaeological discoveries in modern Yemen
- exhibits multiple authorship styles
- was almost certainly not written by Joseph Smith or any of his contemporaries
Isaiah predicted the coming forth of the Book of Mormon thousands of years ago in the biblical book of Isaiah (chapter 29). He called it and the restoration a “marvellous work and a wonder” in verse 14. Here are the pertinent verses:
11 And the vision of all is become unto you as the words of a book that is sealed, which men deliver to one that is learned, saying, Read this, I pray thee: and he saith, I cannot; for it is sealed:
12 And the book is delivered to him that is not learned, saying, Read this, I pray thee: and he saith, I am not learned.
13 ¶ Wherefore the Lord said, Forasmuch as this people draw near me with their mouth, and with their lips do honour me, but have removed their heart far from me, and their fear toward me is taught by the precept of men:
14 Therefore, behold, I will proceed to do a marvellous work among this people, even a marvellous work and a wonder: for the wisdom of their wise men shall perish, and the understanding of their prudent men shall be hid.
15 Woe unto them that seek deep to hide their counsel from the Lord, and their works are in the dark, and they say, Who seeth us? and who knoweth us?
18 ¶ And in that day shall the deaf hear the words of the book, and the eyes of the blind shall see out of obscurity, and out of darkness.
24 They also that erred in spirit shall come to understanding, and they that murmured shall learn doctrine.
When someone has studied all of the above and understand their significance and their profound implications, I believe unbiased people will agree the above constitutes indisputable evidence that the Book of Mormon is not a hoax.
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