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Joseph Smith, Jr. said the book was a translation of Golden Plates . He said that the Angel Moroni told him the plates were buried in a hill near his home (which he later called the Hill Cumorah ). He said the translation was made through the power of God with aid of the Urim And Thummim , which were with the plates. During the production of the work Smith obtained the Affidavit s of Three Witnesses and Eight Witnesses who testified they saw the plates. These affidavits are published as part of the book. When the book was complete, he said he returned the plates to the angel Moroni. Along with the Bible , which is also held by Latter Day Saint s to be the Word of God as far as it is Translated correctly, the ''Book of Mormon'' is esteemed as part of Canon by The Church Of Jesus Christ Of Latter-day Saints , the Community Of Christ and other churches that claim Joseph Smith as their founder. In 1982, The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints added the subtitle ''Another Testament of Jesus Christ'' to its editions of the book to help clarify and emphasize its purpose. Prior to 1982, some editions of the Book of Mormon had included the subtitle, ''A Second Testament of Jesus Christ''. CONTENT Purpose The title page of the ''Book of Mormon'' states: ''The Book of Mormon is an account written by the hand of Mormon upon plates taken from the Plates of Nephi, it is an abridgment of the record of the people of Nephi, and also of the Lamanites—Written to the Lamanites, who are a remnant of the house of Israel; and also to Jew and Gentile—Written by way of commandment, and also by the spirit of prophecy and of revelation—Written and sealed up, and hid up unto the Lord, that they might not be destroyed—To come forth by the gift and power of God unto the interpretation thereof—Sealed by the hand of Moroni, and hid up unto the Lord, to come forth in due time by way of the Gentile—The interpretation thereof by the gift of God.'' ''An abridgment taken from the Book of Ether also, which is a record of the people of Jared, who were scattered at the time the Lord confounded the language of the people, when they were building a tower to get to heaven—Which is to show unto the remnant of the House of Israel what great things the Lord hath done for their fathers; and that they may know the covenants of the Lord, that they are not cast off forever— And also to the convincing of the Jew and Gentile that JESUS is the CHRIST, the ETERNAL GOD, manifesting himself unto all nations—And now, if there are faults they are the mistakes of men; wherefore, condemn not the things of God, that ye may be found spotless at the judgment-seat of Christ.'' Major themes Another Testament of Christ The crowning event of the ''Book of Mormon'' is the visitation of the Resurrected Christ to the Nephites around 34 AD , shortly after his ministry in Galilee .See to Many of the writers in the book teach about Jesus . An angel prophesied to Nephi that Jesus's birth would be 600 years from the time he and his family left Jerusalem .See , ; See also Many Prophet s in the ''Book of Mormon'', beginning with Lehi and Nephi, saw in visions the birth, ministry, and death of Christ, and were told his name. At the time of King Benjamin , the Nephite believers were called "the children of Christ". The faithful members of the church at the time of Captain Moroni ( 73 BC ) were called "Christians" by their enemies, because of their belief in Christ. For nearly 200 years after Jesus' appearance at the Temple in the Americas, the land was filled with peace and prosperity because of the people's obedience to Christ's commandments. The great prophet-general Mormon worked to convince the faithless people of his time of Christ ( 360 AD ), and Moroni buried the Plates with faith in Christ.See Many others also bore witness to the reality of the Messiah . Some doctrinal teachings The following teachings are especially notable in the ''Book of Mormon'':
And thou shalt be brought down, and shalt speak out of the ground, and thy speech shall be low out of the dust, and thy voice shall be, as of one that hath a familiar spirit, out of the ground, and thy speech shall whisper out of the dust. CHRONOLOGY The following dates, people, and authors are identified within the ''Book of Mormon''. Please look at the complete Book of Mormon Chronology Chart2 , if you want a more detailed description. Organization The format of the ''Book of Mormon'' is similar to the Bible , a compilation of smaller "books" of scripture. Each of the books is named after the person in the book who said he began writing the book. The Book of Mormon is composed of the following books (with some editorial divisions in different churches' editions varying): The book's sequence is primarily chronological. Notable exceptions include the "Words of Mormon" and the "Book of Ether". In the "Words of Mormon," the text says, "And now I, Mormon ... speak somewhat concerning that which I have written", indicating editorial comment by Mormon. The first two verses of the "Book of Ether," say, "And now I, Moroni, proceed to give an account of those ancient inhabitants who were destroyed by the hand of the Lord upon the face of this north country. And I take mine account from the twenty and four plates which were found by the people of Limhi, which is called the Book of Ether." The books of First Nephi through Omni are written in first-person narrative, as are Mormon and Moroni. The remainder of the ''Book of Mormon'' is written in third-person historical narrative, said to be compiled and abridged by Mormon (with Moroni abridging the "Book of Ether"). The version currently published by the LDS Church,The version published by the LDS Church is known as "The Book of Mormon: Another Testament of Jesus Christ" in addition to the main body of the work, contains the following: Verifiability: the challenge of the Book of Mormon The book invites the reader to make a personal investigation into the truthfulness of the writings. The invitation is associated with a promise that God will give an undeniable witness of its truthfulness through the Holy Ghost . :"Behold, I would exhort you that when ye shall read these things, if it be wisdom in God that ye should read them, that ye would remember how merciful the Lord hath been unto the children of men, from the creation of Adam even down until the time that ye shall receive these things, and ponder it in your hearts. :"And when ye shall receive these things, I would exhort you that ye would ask God, the Eternal Father, in the name of Christ, if these things are not true; and if ye shall ask with a sincere heart, with real intent, having faith in Christ, he will manifest the truth of it unto you, by the power of the Holy Ghost. :"And by the power of the Holy Ghost ye may know the truth of all things." These verses are often referred to collectively as '' Moroni's Promise ''. Mormons state that a spiritual witness from the Holy Ghost is a personal event. Such a spiritual witness is described in : "your bosom shall burn within you; therefore, you shall feel that it is right." further states that such a manifestation will occur "in your mind and in your heart, by the Holy Ghost, which shall come upon you and which shall dwell in your heart." Those who claim to have received a witness consider it to be sacred, to be of great import, and to be the basis of what is called their " Testimony ". The act of telling others of one's spiritual experiences and declaring one's faith is called " Bearing Testimony ". LDS also believe that the witness of the spirit was demonstrated by the Apostle Peter , whose testimony of Christ came from the Father,see from the King James Version of the Bible by seeking answers and wisdom directly from God.See from the King James Version of the Bible Mormons believe that unless one receives a personal testimony of the truthfulness of this work from God, the conversion and activity of the newly baptized Saint would be temporary and superficial, and that once such a testimony is personally received from God himself, nothing would prevail against such experience (). Another scripture found in the Book of Mormon explains how to learn of the truthfulness of its words. It is found in 2 Nephi 33:10 :10 "And now, my beloved brethren, and also Jew, and all ye ends of the earth, hearken unto these words and believe in Christ; and if ye believe not in these words believe in Christ. And if ye shall believe in Christ ye will believe in these words, for they are the words of Christ, and he hath given them unto me; and they teach all men that they should do good." Some Christians critical of the Promise of Moroni will claim that the Bible warns against personal feelings, and that testimony comes from the Word of God only. Some Mormons respond by stating their belief that personal revelation from the Holy Ghost is of the same family of phenomena as the revelations to prophets that brought about the writing of the Bible in the first place. ORIGIN OF THE BOOK OF MORMON ''See Linguistics And The Book Of Mormon for additional information and analysis on authorship.'' There are differing views on the origin of the ''Book of Mormon''. #Joseph Smith's own account that he translated an ancient record compiled and abridged by Mormon, a pre-Columbian resident of the Western Hemisphere who recorded the spiritual history of generations of his people, and the teachings of their ancestors, the Hebrews. #Joseph Smith as the sole author, without external assistance. These theories assume that Smith was educated and intelligent enough to have produced the work on his own. One line of thinking proposed by several authors is that the Book of Mormon is a "primary source" reflecting events in Smith's own life. #Joseph Smith as a plagiarist of contemporaries. These theories assume that Smith lacked the intelligence and/or education to create the book on his own, and therefore had to rely on his more educated contemporaries and their works. There are two main theories representing this point-of-view: The ''View of the Hebrews'' theory, and the ''Spalding-Rigdon'' theory. #One of Smith's associates as the author, who then allowed Smith to take the credit. #The work is a divinely inspired narrative regardless of its historicity (i.e. "inspired fiction"). #The work is a demonically, or non-divinely inspired narrative. This view has been held by many Christian churches since the appearance of the Book of Mormon.; Also, in the film '' The God Makers '' "Mormo" is said to represent the "king of ghouls," and whose followers are called "Mormons." Baer claims that in Chinese, the word "Mormon" means "gates of hell." FAIR has an article disputing this claim about the meaning of the Chinese translation . #The book was written by Joseph Smith through a process known as " Automatic Writing ." Dunn concludes, “It is clear that Smith's translation experience fits comfortably within the larger world of scrying, channeling, and automatic writing.” Joseph Smith's own account of the authorship of the Book of Mormon See Also: Golden Plates receiving the Golden Plates from the Angel Moroni .]] According to the accounts of Joseph Smith and his associates, the original record was engraved on thin, malleable sheets of metal with the appearance of Gold and bound with three rings at one edge. The leaves were engraved on both sides with considerable skill. According to the account presented in the book, it is an abridgment of earlier records by Mormon and his son, Moroni, about 400 AD. At the end of Moroni's ministry (approximately 421 AD), he hid these plates along with several other items in a stone box in a hillside (now named the Hill Cumorah ) near Palmyra, New York . On September 22 , 1823 , Joseph Smith stated that he was directed by God through the angel Moroni to the place where the plates were stored. He was not immediately allowed to take them, but after four years was finally entrusted with them. Through the power of God and the Urim And Thummim he was able to translate the characters (which, according to the Book, were related to 600 BC Egyptian with Hebrew influence) According to into English .See Joseph Smith—History 1 for a complete record of Joseph Smith's account. Joseph Smith claimed he was commanded to show the plates to several people and no one else. Accounts by these individuals are recorded in the front of the ''Book of Mormon'' as "The Testimony of Three Witnesses " and "The Testimony of Eight Witnesses ." The golden plates were commonly referred to as a "Golden Bible," particularly by non-Mormons, though a few members also used the term in early descriptions. The label "Golden Bible" actually predates the ''Book of Mormon'' as legends of such an artifact existed in Canada and upstate New York while Joseph Smith was growing up in Vermont.Bushman 2005 Joseph Smith as author Joseph Smith listed himself as "author and proprietor" of the Book of Mormon on the title page Title page of 1830 Book of Mormon , as presented by the Institute for Religious Research website of the first (1830) edition of the Book of Mormon. Many critics use this as evidence to demonstrate that Joseph Smith simply wrote the ''Book of Mormon'' and later claimed to have translated it. In reality this was the required language of the Copyright laws of the time, Copyright Act of 1790, section 3 . Smith clarified in the preface of the 1830 edition that he translated the record. Preface page of 1830 Book of Mormon , as presented by the Institute for Religious Research website Smith as a plagiarist of contemporaries: the ''View of the Hebrews'' theory Some have speculated that Smith wrote the Book of Mormon, but Plagiarized heavily from any of a number of sources. One such claim revolves around a book written by Ethan Smith (pastor of a church in Poultney, Vermont , no relation to Joseph Smith ) called '' View Of The Hebrews '' published in 1825 , five years before the publication of the Book of Mormon. David Persuitte, in his book, ''Joseph Smith and the Origins of The Book of Mormon'', attempts to show parallels between passages in ''View of the Hebrews'' and in the ''Book of Mormon'', but notes no instances of direct copying, nor does he demonstrate that Smith ever read or even encountered the book. Some believe that had Joseph Smith owned a copy he could have been inspired by ''View of the Hebrews''. Joseph Smith himself publicly stated that he was aware of the book. Smith mentions Ethan Smith and cites passages from ''View of the Hebrews'' in an article published in the ''Times and Seasons'' in June 1842. Joseph Smith, ‘’Times and Seasons’’ 3:15 (1 June 1842): 813–815. In the early 20th century LDS general authority B.H. Roberts authored a manuscript entitled '' Studies Of The Book Of Mormon '', in which he critically examined the claims and origins of the ''Book of Mormon''. In his manuscript, Roberts compared the content of the ''Book of Mormon'' with ''View of the Hebrews''. Roberts' conclusion was that, assuming a hemispheric geography theory for the Book of Mormon, sufficient parallels existed that future critics could claim that ''View of the Hebrews'' could have provided a structural foundation for the Book of Mormon story. Regarding Roberts' own opinion, however, he stated:
Those who believe that such plagiarism did happen usually place most blame on the shoulders of reported the first divine visitation on September 21 , 1823. Cowdery's family, including father William and stepmother Keziah, were noted as being longstanding members of Ethan Smith's congregation in Poultney when he arrived and assumed leadership in November 1821, less than four years prior to the publication of ''View of the Hebrews''. Ethan Smith made no secret of his theories presented in ''View of the Hebrews'' during sermons. Smith as a plagiarist of contemporaries: the Spaulding-Rigdon theory See Also: Spalding-Rigdon theory of Book of Mormon authorship In 1834, , were demonstrated to be false. Author Fawn Brodie expressed suspicion regarding these statements, claiming that the style of the statements was too similar and displayed too much uniformity. Brodie suggests that Hurlbut did a "little judicious prompting." One of Smith's colleagues as author According to this family of theories, someone else wrote the book and allowed Smith to take credit for it. Sidney Rigdon and Oliver Cowdery have been posited as possible authors or co-authors. Both Sidney Rigdon and Oliver Cowdery had more formal education and either could have helped Smith author the book. According to one theory, after dictating the primary text, Smith and his scribes would spend the evenings poring over the text, editing and making adjustments. In this case, the ''Book of Mormon'' would be considered a collaboration between Smith and his scribes, primarily Oliver Cowdery. Sidney Rigdon and Oliver Cowdery both denied having written the book, and in fact Cowdery was one of the Three Witnesses to the ''Book of Mormon''. He became disaffected with Joseph Smith's leadership and with the church and was Excommunicated in 1838 on a variety of charges There is no evidence that Joseph Smith knew of or was in contact with Sidney Rigdon until after the ''Book of Mormon'' was published. Most histories state that Parley P. Pratt , a member of Rigdon's congregation near Kirtland, Ohio , was baptized around September 1830 in Palmyra . Soon after, Pratt returned to Ohio, which is when Rigdon learned of Smith and the ''Book of Mormon'' and was baptized. According to these accounts, Rigdon first met Smith in December 1830, nine months after the ''Book of Mormon's'' publication. Rigdon's son John, discussing an interview with his father in 1865, states:
Similarities of some segments to the King James Version See Also: The Book of Mormon and the King James Bible Segments of the ''Book of Mormon'', for example 1 Nephi chapters 20-21 and 2 Nephi chapters 7, 8, and 12-24, match nearly word-for-word the chapters 48-49, 50, 51-52:1-2, and 2-14 (respectively) of the King James Translation (1611) of the Book Of Isaiah . The book claims that Nephi quoted the prophet Isaiah from the "Brass Plates" which were brought with them out of Jerusalem. Additionally, the footnotes and chapter headings of modern editions of the book acknowledge this and encourage readers to compare Isaiah and 2 Nephi. There exist 478 verses in the Book of Mormon which are quoted in some form or other from the book of Isaiah. Of these verses, one Mormon scholar notes that 201 of them match the King James version of the quote and another 207 show variations. In addition, 58 quotes from Isaiah found in the Book of Mormon are paraphrased versions of those found in the King James Bible. Also, Mosiah chapter 14 matches KJV Isaiah 53, 3 Nephi chapter 22 matches KJV Isaiah 54, 3 Nephi chapters 24-25 match KJV Malachi 3-4, and 3 Nephi chapters 12-14 match KJV Matthew 5-7. Critics argue that the word-for-word quotations are taken from the KJV, and Book of Mormon prophets couldn't have been quoting an original source. The similarity to KJV, when the majority of modern scholars have accepted that the sources used for the King James translation are no longer the earliest or most reliable sources (e.g. see Alexandrian Text-type and Dead Sea Scrolls ), thus, the inclusion of what are considered to be later additions or errors by transcribers, cast doubt on the existence of an independent copy of a 600 BC source. One example is which is quoted nearly word-for-word in . The passage concerning believers holding snakes and drinking poison does not appear in many early manuscripts and is widely believed to be composed in the 2nd century.see the New International Version Bible, 1984, Mark 16 : " most reliable early manuscripts and other ancient witnesses do not have Mark 16:9-20. " However, it was common in the days of handwritten translation to make reference to other works which held the same information, leaving transcribers the task of copying the existing passages, rather than laboriously translating the same passages over. This technique has been used by Bible scholars and clergy for centuries, and continues to be used to this day. Additionally, the book reflects KJV literary and linguistic style. The KJV was the most commonly used translation of the Bible when the Book of Mormon was produced. VIEWS OF ITS HISTORICITY Latter Day Saint views The dominant and widely accepted view among Latter Day Saints is that the ''Book of Mormon'' is a true and accurate account of three ancient American civilizations whose history it documents. Joseph Smith stated, “I told the brethren that the Book of Mormon was the most correct of any book on earth, and the keystone of our religion, and a man would get nearer to God by abiding by its precepts, than by any other book.” From the Mormon church leaders have emphasized that the ''Book of Mormon'' is a divine work of a spiritual nature, and its purpose is to teach of Christ; and that it was not written to be taken as a historical, geological, archaeological, or anthropological guide.See, for example, James E. Faust , “The Keystone of Our Religion,” Ensign, January 2004, 3 LDS apologists LDS Apologists point to the rich available history of the several major civilizations in Mesoamerica in the ''Book of Mormon'' time period ( Olmec , Maya , Mixtec , and Zapotec ) where there is ample archaeological data and some recorded history. Some of these were very advanced in language, writing, mathematics and astronomy. Furthermore, ample evidence has been uncovered of the types of plants, animals and implements available to the early inhabitants. The ''Book of Mormon'' makes multiple reference to plants, animals, weapons and technology, many of which do not match current knowledge concerning that time period. Geography See Also: Limited geography model (Book of Mormon) Since the time of its publication, some Latter Day Saints have viewed and explained the ''Book of Mormon'' as a comprehensive history of all Native Americans ; this understanding of the ''Book of Mormon'' is referred to as the "hemispheric model." However, other Latter Day Saints believe that the hemispheric model is an assumption not supported by a close reading of the text. B.H. Roberts states the inadequacy of the hemispheric model in ''Studies of the Book of Mormon'':
The locations of the cities mentioned in the ''Book of Mormon'' have not been identified to date. Several groups of Mormon scholars and apologists, including the Foundation For Apologetic Information & Research (FAIR) and the Foundation For Ancient Research And Mormon Studies (FARMS), have proposed that the city Zarahemla is located somewhere within Central America because of the description given in as a narrow neck of land bordering sea on the west and on the east. This approach, often referred to as the " Limited Geography Model ," argues for a more limited view of the ''Book of Mormon'', suggesting that the book is a history of only a small group of Native Americans in Central America. This theory, presented by Joseph Smith and others as early as 1842, has been gaining substantial support since the mid-1980s because it more accurately represents the descriptions given within the text itself. For instance, the populations and civilizations described in the ''Book of Mormon'' were likely too small (only a few millions) to fill entire continents; moreover, there is much evidence that one common assumption of the past—that ''Book of Mormon'' civilizations were alone in America—is probably incorrect. Most LDS authors hold the belief that the Book of Mormon events took place within a limited region in Mesoamerica, and that others were present on the continent at the time of Lehi's arrival. This geographical and population model was formally published in the official church magazine, ''The Ensign'', in a two-part series published in September and October 1984.1 2 This was followed by a book on the subject by LDS anthropologist John L. Sorenson in 1985. The introduction page to the Book of Mormon states that those who desire may gain a knowledge of its truth through asking God.see ; see also . This could be considered the official stance on determining historicity. Archaeology See Also: Archaeology and the Book of Mormon in the Latter-day Saint film The Testaments ]] Discussion regarding the historicity of the ''Book of Mormon'' often focuses on archaeological issues, some of which relate to the large size and the long time span of Book of Mormon civilizations. The civilizations described in the Book of Mormon have been compared to other ancient civilizations in terms of size and span. These civilizations, including Ancient Egypt , Ancient Greece , and Ancient Rome have very developed archaeological records and have received much more attention from the archaeological community than Mesoamerican civilizations. Critics believe that insufficient evidence in the Pre-Columbian archaeological record for horses, cattle, swine, goats, wheat, Steel swords, possibly Wheel ed Chariot s and other elements mentioned in the ''Book of Mormon'' casts doubt on the authenticity of the ''Book of Mormon''. Supporters of the ''Book of Mormon'' believe that a variety of evidence exists that supports the historicity of the ''Book of Mormon'', including plausible locations for Nahom , Bountiful , the Valley of Lemuel, the hill Cumorah/Ramah, the River Sidon, the "stretch of wilderness", the "narrow stretch of land" and some cities; silk, weights and measures, and names with possible Hebrew or Egyptian roots. LDS scholars have said that Mesoamerican archaeology is a young field and that more evidence relevant to these and other issues will eventually surface. Archaeological evidence is perceived by some as ambiguous. For instance, although horses lived in the ancient Americas, they are generally thought to have gone extinct long before the time of the Book of Mormon (see Horses In The Book Of Mormon ). This has been interpreted as evidence against the Book of Mormon by critics, but is not seen as a problem by LDS scholars.One item pointed out by Mormon scholars is the lack of evidence for specific animals known to have existed in other ancient societies. One example cited is the apparent lack of evidence for the existence of horses in ancient Mongolia, despite that fact that it is widely accepted that they existed in large numbers. Some LDS scholars have said that terms such as "horse," "steel," and "chariot" in the Book of Mormon might be the product of "naming by analogy," where Lehi's group gave Old World names to things which were similar to Old World concepts. Robert R. Bennett writes, "this practice, known as " Loanshift " or "loan-extension," is well known to historians and anthropologists who study cross-cultural contact."See Horses in the Book of Mormon by Robert R. Bennett under "Naming by Analogy" LDS funded archaeology In 1951 Thomas Ferguson, a LDS member, petitioned Mormon President David O. McKay to financially back the founding of the ''New World Archeological Foundation'' (hereafter NWAF). Ferguson requested at first a five year grant to dig throughout Mesoamerica for evidence of the veracity of the ''Book of Mormon'' claims. His petition was granted and the first five years were funded from 1955 to 1959. At the end of this period, additional funding was granted and continues to this day. In a 1961 newsletter Ferguson predicted that although nothing had been found, the ''Book of Mormon'' cities would be found within 10 years. In 1972, Christian scholar Hal Hougey wrote Ferguson questioning the progress given the stated timetable in which the cities would be found.Harold H. Hougey, Letter to Thomas Stuart Ferguson, 20 May 1972, University of Utah as quoted in Stan Larson, "The Odyssey of Thomas Stuart Ferguson", '''', Spring 1990, p. 76 During the period of 1959-1961, NWAF colleague Dee Green was editor of the ''BYU Archeological Society Newsletter'' and had an article from it published in the summer of 1969 edition of '''', Spring 1990, p. 79. See image copy of the letter The archaeological investigations of NWAF-sponsored projects have contributed towards the documentation and understanding of pre-Columbian societies, particularly in Mesoamerica. Currently BYU maintains 86 documents on the work of the NWAF at the BYU NWAF website and these documents are used outside both BYU and the LDS church by researchers. Linguistics See Also: Linguistics and the Book of Mormon An additional criticism concerns linguistics. The Nephites, and possibly the Lamanites, might have spoken a modified Semitic language up to at least AD 400, where the ''Book of Mormon'' stops. However, no Semitic language is spoken natively in the Americas today. Critics argue that the 1,000 years after the end of the period covered in the ''Book of Mormon'' do not suffice to account for the difference among Native American languages nor for their complete distance from Semitic languages. A common counterargument is that the ''Book of Mormon'' mentions contact with other civilizations, with their own non-Semitic languages that might have influenced or supplanted any Semitic language being spoken. In addition, an introductory heading added to the ''Book of Mormon'' in 1981 states that the peoples mentioned therein are the ''primary'' ancestors of the Native Americans; it does not conclude that they are the ''sole'' ancestors.The original 1830 edition of the Book of Mormon does not make this claim. A commonly discussed linguistic feature that LDS scholars believe might indicate semitic origins of the ''Book of Mormon'' is the presence of an ancient literary pattern called '' Chiasmus ''. Chiasmus is a poetical or rhetorical form used by many languages, including Sumero-Akkadian Assyria, Babylon , Ugaritic area circa. 2000 B.C. , Biblical Hebrew, Aramaic, the Talmud, the New Testament, Greek, Latin and English, among others. It is a form of parallelism, in which related or contrasting ideas are placed in juxtaposition for emphasis. Mosiah 3: 18-19, Alma 31: 13-14, and the entire chapter of Alma 36 are said to display the literary properties of chiasmus. Martin Harris, an early acquaintance of Joseph Smith, claimed to have carried a sample of writing taken from the Book of Mormon to Charles Anthon who, according to Harris, was able to translate the writings. Martin Harris wrote:
''"He then said to me, 'Let me see that certificate.' I accordingly took it out of my pocket and gave it to him, when he took it and tore it to pieces, saying that there was no such thing now as ministering of angels, and that if I would bring the plates to him he would translate them. I informed him that part of the plates were sealed, and that I was forbidden to bring them. He replied, 'I cannot read a sealed book.' I left him and went to Dr. Mitchell, who sanctioned what Professor Anthon had said respecting both the characters and the translation." '' Anthon's version of the tale, as related in a letter written to one of his colleagues in 1834, contradicts Martin Harris' telling:
Population genetics See Also: Genetics and the Book of Mormon The Book of Mormon tells of the people of Jared, consisting of several families from the Tower of Babel, who migrated to America from the Old World before Abraham's time; a group including Lehi's family who migrated to America from Jerusalem around 600 B.C.; and another group (the people of Mulek) who migrated to America from Jerusalem about 8 years later. The Book of Mormon makes no overt assertions regarding the migration or non-migration of other groups to America, though an introductory paragraph added to the book starting with the 1981 edition identified the Lamanites as the "principal ancestors of the American Indians."See the Introduction to the Book of Mormon Many people have examined existing genetic data in order to determine its relationship to the people described in the Book of Mormon. Several studies have been performed in which DNA from modern indigenous Americans has been examined in an attempt to determine Native American origins. Several authors have published works that suggest that current studies of genetic anthropology using DNA evidence do not provide support for the Book of Mormon.One of the more vocal challengers to the DNA vs. The Book of Mormon issue is Dr. Thomas W. Murphy . Other researchers warn against using genetics to attempt to prove or disprove the historicity of the Book of Mormon, citing a lack of source genes and the improbability of tracing Israelite DNA even if present.Geneticists have noted the difficulties in using genetics in this area for a variety of reasons. Some of these are our lack of knowledge concerning Sariah's descent (or others' in Lehi's party), have access to DNA from this period (600 BC Israel), or know what other groups would have intermarried with these groups (or in what numbers). For more information see 3Not having the ancient Israelite gene for comparison and the inability for DNA testing to link some Jewish groups that are known to be related, see 4. Smithsonian Institution statement on the Book of Mormon
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