AN OVERVIEW OF THE ARGUMENTS FOR AND AGAINST VIEW OF THE HEBREWS AS A POSSIBLE SOURCE FOR THE BOOK OF MORMON. THE COMPARATIVE METHOD REEXAMINED MADISON U. SOWELL N NOVEMBER 28, that a most effective way to attack Mormonism always advocated a 1841, Joseph Smith Mormonism was to attack the Book of human, rather than a divine or super- recorded in his jour- Mormon’s validity as an ancient re- natural, origin of the book. In 1834, for nal that the Book of cord. By chipping away at Mor- instance, E. D. Howe published Mor- Mormon is "the key- monism’s central stone, to continue monism Unvailed [sic] in which it was stone of our reli- the analogy, various factions and hos- proposed that the original authors of gion.’’1 Joseph’s analogy, thoughtile groups hoped to affect the the Book of Mormon were Solomon brief, aptly illustrates an important Prophet’s downfall and to encompass Spaulding, author of Manuscript. point to keep in mind as we discuss a the destruction of his religion. Story, and Sidney Rigdon, one of Wide-ranging theories surfaced, Joseph’s earliest and most notable reputed Book of Mormon source. We 3 may infer from the analogy that just as therefore, in attempts to uncover the converts. The Spaulding-Rigdon a keystone locks together the other "true" origin of the Book of Mormon. theory, while popular for several de- stones of an arch, so the Book of Needless to report, those opposed to cades, has long since been discre- Mormon supports and gives validity dited. As Thomas O’Dea concludes, to the doctrines of Mormonism. "Few, if any, scholars take it seriously Without a keystone no arch could today.’’4 Other theories ascribed the stand; without the Book of Mormon BOOK OF MORMON: Book of Mormon’s authorship either the religion Joseph Smith founded to Oliver Cowdery or to an epileptic would lose its chief reason for being. ACCOUNT WRITTEN B’f TIlE HAND OF MOR- and, consequently, visionary Joseph MON, UPON PLATES TAKEN FROM Smith. s It is not our intent, however, Everying in Mormonism ultimatey Till:; PLATES OP NEPIH. : hinges on the authenticity of our un- to delve into these particular conjec- iquely Mormon scripture.2 Today, tures, which are largely out of vogue after one hundred and fifty years, the in today’s scholarly world. Our atten- Book of Mormon still remains the acid tion will focus instead on another test of Joseph Smith’s claims to theory, one which widely circulates in prophetic election. Mormon apostates current anti-Mormon literature but is and other anti-Mormons had already hardly known to the Mormon mem- understood this simple fact years be- bership at large. Like the topic of fore the Prophet made the keystone Mormonism and Masonry, the sub- comparison, and they had concluded ject of Joseph’s possible reliance on Ethan Smith’s View of the Hebrews for This paper was first presented at SUNSTONE’$ 1980 PALM\R.\ : parts of the Book of Mormon has sel- Mormon Theological Symposium 1<30. dom been discussed publicly in Mor- MADISON SOWELL teaches Italian at BYU. _ (Con tinued on page 50) 44 Sunstone TEXTUAL PROBLEMS WHICH MAY CHALLENGE THE BOOK’S ORIGIN AND AUTHORSHIP WERE EXAMINED BY B. H. ROBERTS. BOOK OF MORMON DIFFICULTIES GEORGE D. SMITH, JR. N AUGUST 1921 a Mr. Couch to us from the outside World." 1 the integrity of the whole Mormon of Washington, D.C., wrote to Believing that "our faith is not only movement," wrote Roberts in another his friend in Logan, Utah, unshaken but unshakable,’’2 Roberts letter to President Grant about the asking several pointed ques- therefore felt it was possible to face same matter, "for it is inconceivable tions about certain details of these challenges directly. Joseph that the Book of Mormon should be the Book of Mormon. These Smith himself had declared the book untrue in its origin and character and questions were forwarded to Apostle "the keystone" of the restored gospel. the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter- James B. Talmage, who in turn gave "Maintenance of the truth of the Book day Saints to be a true church."3 This them to B.H. Roberts of the First of Mormon is absolutely essential to proposition is no less true today and Quorum of the Seventy. In response, the continuing need to examine the Roberts wrote two manuscripts, book no less critical. Two arguments "Book of Mormon Difficulties" and often used against the Book of Mor- "A Book of Mormon Study," detailing mon, both addressed by Roberts potential problems which might be during his lifetime, are therefore wor- used to discredit the Book of Mormon. thy of careful attention. The first paper was presented to the The first "difficulty" was detailed Council of the Twelve. In a cover letter at length in Roberts’ second manus- to President Heber J. Grant which ac- cript, "A Book of Mormon Study." In companied the manuscript, Roberts 1823, seven years before the Book of explained his motives for cataloguing Mormon was published, Ethan Smith what some might feel best forgotten. had written View of the Hebrews,4 a "I am thoroughly convinced," he compilation of popular opinions wrote, "of the necessity of all the about the origins of the American In- brethren herein addressed becoming dians, who supposedly descended familiar with these Book of Mormon from the Hebrew tribes. Some have problems, and finding the answer for claimed that this book was a source for them, as it is a matter that will concern the Book of Mormon. The book was the faith of the Youth of the Church circulated in the area where Joseph now as also in the future, as well as lived. Ethan Smith was a Congrega- such casual inquirers that may come tional minister living in Poultney, This paper was first presented at SUNSTONE’S 1979 Vermont, Oliver Cowdery’s home Mormon Theological Symposium until 1825 when he moved west and GEORGE SMITH is a freelance historian living met Joseph Smith. Joseph Smith’s in San Francisco. own birthplace, Sharon, Vermont, Mayqune 45 was only 40 miles from Poultney. But Ethan Smiith, like Joseph Smith, ment .... Something like this may View of the Hebrews, which was ex- believed that the American In- possibly have occurred to favour of panded in the 1825 edition, was also dians descended frorn the an- our Indians being of Israel" (pp. 217- read widely in New York, where the cient Hebrews. But Ethan Smith con- 218).~2 Similar ideas are found in Joseph Smith family moved. Several cluded "from various authors and Mormon’s description of bu~ying sac- endorsements of the book from travelers among the Indians., the fact red "records which had been handed people living in New York were in- that the American Indians are the ten clown by our father," buryiing them cluded in the second edition of the tribes of Israel" (p. 85). The Book of up "in the Hill Cumorah" (Mormon book, one from Eden, New York, a Mormon describes a people de- 6:6). town as far west as Buffalo. s scended from only three tribes-- Ethan Smith had collected reports Lehi’s descendants from the. tribes of about the Hebrew origin of the In- Ephraim and Manasseh, two of the dians from missionaries and traders lost tribes, and Mulek’s descendants who had lived among them. This idea from the tribe of Judah. ~o The opening ACRED RECORDS, was also held by such well-known chapters of both books deal with the American religious leaders as Roger destruction of Jerusalem and the scat- HAND ED D 0 WN Williams, William Penn, Cotton tering of Israel. Both books then de- FROM G ENERA TION Mather, and Jonathan Edwards, as scribe the gathering and restoration of well as authors James Adair, Charles Israel to its own land. Ethan Smith TO GENERATION, Crawford, Elias Boudinot, and Josiah quotes the eleventh chapter of Isaiah, WERE BURIED IN A Priest. Priest had published two which the Angel Moroni also recited HILL IN BOTH books supporting the thesis.6 In The to Joseph Smith on September 12, Wonders of Nature and Providence Dis- 1828 (History of the Church, Vol. I, p. ,4 C C O UNTS . played (editions printed in 1825 and 12). The migrations of Ethan Smith’s Both the View of the Hebrews and 1826) he concluded, after quoting "lost tribes" are not unlike those of the Book of Mormon identify the some forty writers, that most minis- the Book of Mormon Jaredites. Both American Indians as the "stick ters of New England and the Middle groups journeyed north into a of Joseph or Ephraim," the tribe of States believed the Indians were de- valley~the valley of the Euphrates for 7 Joseph, which will be reunited with scendants of the Hebrews. Between the "lost tribes" and the valley of the stick of Judah, the Jews, as 1833 and 1838 he published eight edi- Nimrod for the Jaredites. Both finally prophesied by Ezekiel (chapter 37). tions of the second book, American crossed the sea--the lost tribes in a Ten tribes of Israel (the stick of Joseph) Antiquities. year and a half, the Jaredites in 344 were carried into captivity by the As- Although there is no direct evi- days~to an uninhabited land "where syrians in 722 B.C.; the Jews in the dence that Joseph Smith ever read man never dwelt" (tribes) or "into Southern Kingdom (the stick of View of the Hebrews before the Book of that quarter where there never had Judah) were exiled by the Babylonians Mormon was translated, in an 1842 ar- man been (Jaredites, Ether 2:!5).