Markk wrote:...
how the Book of Mormon was written?
...
All I can provide is a
possible answer -- as opposed to hundreds
of impossibilities. Just because my my guess is "possible" does not mean
it is the only answer. It may be wrong in part, or in full. But I'll try to answer.
My own views have undergone an evolution over the last three decades. I began
as a faithful Latter Day Saint, who merely had questions about Mormon origins.
I thought it was possible that the Book of Mormon was a 19th century production,
but I had no particular opinion as to where it came from. I began to study
Spalding's writings as a curiosity -- it took many years before I adopted the
Spalding-Rigdon authorship claims as my personal opinion. I suppose that I
finally made that transition in belief in the period between my leaving the
Community of Christ and my hearing of Craig Criddle's investigations. I have
adopted most of his explanations -- so what I say here pretty much speaks
for him as well.
1. Solomon Spalding wrote about the ancient colonization of America by Israelites
and told how the more literate/civilized part of those colonists were exterminated
by degenerate savages who had split off from the main body of the Israelites.
2. Spalding moved to Pittsburgh in 1812 and attempted to sell his pseudo-history,
but was unsuccessful. He spent much of the following year in the home of Mr.
Hugh Wilson, of Washington, PA, revising his Israelite story -- adding in what he
thought were subtle parodies of current religious controversies, disguised as
the beliefs and contentions of his ancient Israelite Americans. Among other things,
he added to his story some references to biblical prophecies and messianic
expectations, thus coming up with the fictional proto-Christian Nephites. Spalding
finished off his story was a visit by St. Thomas to the New World, in which that
apostle brought Christianity to the ancient Americans. However, the savages
exterminated the Christians, ending the apostolic dispensation in old America.
3. By means never precisely disclosed, the farmboy and part-time tanner's apprentice,
young Sidney Rigdon, obtained copies of Spalding's writings. He was interested in
the prophecies Spalding had introduced into his fictional American history, indicating
that America was a "promised land," and that Israelites had built the preColumbian
earthworks and stoneworks of the Americas -- also that Israelites would again
gather in America in the "latter days."
4. Spalding died in PA -- his widow re-submitted one of his fictional stories to the
same Pittsburgh publisher who had rejected its previous draft, and the later draft
was also rejected. This manuscript she took with her to New York, discarding her
late husband's earlier draft(s) of his American pseudo-history.
5. Sidney Rigdon retained the copies (or perhaps discarded rough drafts) of Spalding's
pseudo-history, and, from time to time he read through their contents. He developed
the habit of proofreading and correcting Spalding's poor orthography, spelling and
story development. By the early 1820s Rigdon's preserved Spalding pages contained
as much of his own "corrections" as they did Spalding's original writings.
6. Sidney Rigdon became acquainted with Joseph Smith, Jr. -- probably during the
Palmyra religious revival(s) of the mid-1820s. But Rigdon then moved to Geauga
Co., Ohio and temporarily lost contact with Smith. While in Bainbridge, Ohio, Rigdon
continued to edit and enlarge Spalding's pseudo-history, with Rigdon inserting more
and more "Campbellite" restorationist theology.
7. After his unfortunate trial before Judge Neeley in Chenango Co., NY, the young
Joseph Smith fled westward to escape both the Law and "persecution" from some
of his own former associates in the money-digging business. Smith ended up in
Auburn twp., Geauga Co., Ohio, living among some other former residents of the
Palmyra area. He remained in Auburn for several months, and while there he
renewed his former acquaintance with Sidney Rigdon, who lived a few miles away.
Rigdon shared with Smith the contents of the American pseudo-history, but did
not disclose to Smith that the Nephite story was fiction, originally from Spalding.
8. Smith and Rigdon were both visionaries and both believed themselves, as well
as the other, to be blessed with divine gifts. Smith believed Rigdon possessed what
amounted to a wonderful addition to the Holy Bible. Rigdon believed that Smith was
a true seer, who could add important information to the beliefs and actions of the
extinct Nephites. Together Rigdon and Smith cooperated to expand the "record"
of the extinct Christian Americans.
9. Both Rigdon and Smith believed that Christianity was in a totally apostate condition,
with all of its ministers and theologians playing the role of demonic "hireling priests"
who did nothing but lie, cheat and steal -- totally destroying the Christian gospel and
leading their parishioners down into hell. Both Rigdon and Smith believed that the
"Nephite record" they had been completing would provide a "fulness of the gospel,"
which counteract the terrible apostasy of the Satanic Protestant and Catholic priests,
and thus set the stage for Christ's return (to America, much the same as in 3rd Nephi).
10. But then Smith decided to return to New York. He and Rigdon still had not finalized
plans of how they might share the "Nephite record" with God-fearing people who were
destined to "come out of spiritual Babylon" and initiate the gathering of Israel on the
American contenent. It was late 1826 -- the "Nephite record" in Rigdon's possession
was still far from being a duplicate of the 1830 Book of Mormon. Several unforeseen
developments would serve to alter and expand that text, into something different.
UD
