For Fun: What If Joseph Stole Luman Walter's Book?

[_Kishkumen]

Let's imagine for a moment that Abner Cole's parody of the Book of Mormon, entitled, "The Book of Pukei," which opens with an account of the treasure diggers looking for Nephite treasure, is relatively accurate, albeit exaggerated.

If so, then:

1. Luman Walter was leading treasure diggers in a search for "Nephite" treasure.

2. He carried an "old book in an unknown tongue . . . from whence he read in the presence of the [treasure diggers] strange stories of hidden treasures and of the spirit who had custody thereof."

3. The treasure diggers acclaim Walter for his ability to "interpret the book that no man understandeth, and can discover hidden things by the power of thy enchantments." So, they beseech him to "lead us . . . to the place where the Nephites buried their treasure, and give us power over "the spirit."

4. Under Walter's leadership, the treasure diggers labored many nights in vain. The diggers became restless, some declaring Walter a fraud, and so Walter took his mysterious Nephite book in an unknown tongue and departed, avoiding the law.

5. Walter's mantle falls on Joseph Smith, and the latter obtains the "Gold Bible, spectacles and breast plate."

On the one hand, it is easy to say that this is just a parody of the Book of Mormon that fancifully depicts events leading up to the book's discovery and translation. But, what if there is a measure of truth in this? What if . . . .

Luman Walter claimed he either had an ancient Indian book that contained the location of buried treasures, or that he could locate such a book. As a con artist, he could use this hoax text to convince people he had accurate knowledge of ancient treasures buried all over the area. Of course, this would make his book highly desirable. Find the book and you have the key to finding vast treasures.

The anticipation inspires men connected to the digs to claim they have seen these vast treasures in hills in the surrounding countryside. Joseph Smith is one of those who claims to see great wealth buried in the area. If we assume that Walter did not have the actual book, but claimed he could find it, then other seers might have competed to find the book. Of course, like the Book of Mormon itself, the book may have existed as a translation and as a buried artifact.

Now imagine that Joseph Smith stole Walter's manuscript, and Walter came with the treasure diggers to retrieve that manuscript from Joseph. The accounts we have of Joseph obtaining the plates only to be chased and attacked by unknown assailants would make a great deal of sense if Joseph Smith had actually stolen something that the other treasure diggers had an interest in recovering, and even a sense of entitlement to.

Joseph starts translating the plates, but he is really dictating his own version of a story that had originally been written by Luman Walter. Samuel Lawrence, who was a friend of Martin Harris but also in league with Luman Walter, steals what will subsequently be known as the Lost 116 pages. Joseph Smith claims he is unable to retranslate it because wicked men will try to alter it in order to contradict his translation. It may be that Walter and Lawrence believed that they were simply taking back what had been stolen from them in the first place, but it ended up being an altered version.

So Joseph's accusation of alteration really springs from Joseph's own theft and alteration of the Walter manuscript in the first place. Whatever you have done, you accuse your enemy of having done first. He continues with the remaining portion of his altered version of Walter's story. Walter comes into possession of what turns out to be the altered text Joseph created, and he realizes he can't do anything with it. Joseph's accusation preempts any accusation Walter may have aimed at him.

The Book of Mormon is quite different from the story Walter had written. Walter's story had a lot more to do with buried treasure and the events that led to its burial. It was intended primarily to provide fodder for his treasure digging adventures. If you look carefully, however, you can find in the Book of Mormon enough references to treasures or stories providing reasons why one should expect to find treasures, to give this fun theory at least a little plausibility.

Consider these treasures:

The Brass Plates and their guardian spirit Laban
The Sword of Laban
The Liahona
The interpreters
The buried weapons of the Anti-Lehi-Nephites
The Twenty-Four Plates of Limhi
The glass "stones" of the Brother of Jared
The throne of Shule
The gold, silver, and precious things of Emer
The "exceedingly beautiful throne" of Riplakish
All of the "fine work, fine gold, and fine workmanship" Riplakish forced his imprisoned subjects to make for him
The gold, silver, iron, and brass, copper, silks, linen, tools, weapons, and "exceedingly curious workmanship" made by the people of the Great Hunter Lib

If you think about it, the Book of Ether's preoccupation with the riches of Jaredite kings might make it an excellent candidate for Walter's original text. Smith took this much smaller narrative and built out the Book of Mormon around it.

"Joseph Smith dug into a hill reportedly for money. Through his peep stone he saw a tribal king trapped in the hill, sitting on a gold furniture." ~ Lorenzo Saunders

"At another time, [Joseph] told me that the ancient inhabitants of this country used camels instead of horses. For proof of this fact, he stated that in a certain hill on the farm of Mr. Cuyler, there was a cave containing an immense value of gold and silver, stands of arms, also, a saddle for a camel, hanging on a peg at one side of the cave." ~ Peter Ingersoll

[_Maksutov]

You are on to something here, Reverend.

"Treasures" is quite a broad and ambiguous category.

[_NorthboundZax]

Interesting thoughts, Kish. Ether is kind of a weird inclusion, but it could make some sense if it had a different slightly different route to getting there than the rest of the book.

One other thing that has seemed odd to me ever since I came across it, is that Joseph Smith rarely, if ever, preached from the Book of Mormon, but did preach extensively from the Book of Abraham. It almost as if he felt more affinity or ownership to the second.

[_Kishkumen]

You are on to something here, Reverend.

"Treasures" is quite a broad and ambiguous category.

LOL. Yes, it is a broad category, and it works equally well in the literal and metaphorical senses. This is related to a point I was trying to make in another, more animated thread recently.

[_Kishkumen]

Interesting thoughts, Kish. Ether is kind of a weird inclusion, but it could make some sense if it had a different slightly different route to getting there than the rest of the book.

One other thing that has seemed odd to me ever since I came across it, is that Joseph Smith rarely, if ever, preached from the Book of Mormon, but did preach extensively from the Book of Abraham. It almost as if he felt more affinity or ownership to the second.

Yes, that is interesting, NZ. I have never quite understood that myself. It is a point that is sometimes raised in favor of the argument that Joseph did not really produce the book, but the evidence on the other side is too weighty to believe he had anything less than a very hands-on role in the whole process.

[_NorthboundZax]

the evidence on the other side is too weighty to believe he had anything less than a very hands-on role in the whole process.

No doubt he was elbows deep in the whole process. That said, the Jockers study from a few years ago leaves me convinced that it isn't a single Joseph Smith effort. That study and Uncle Dale's research makes a good case that Rigdon was more involved than ever admitted. Here you make a good case that Luman's stories were potentially drawn on too, maybe as inspiration for the project and possibly more directly for the Book of Ether. The Jockers figures aren't good at showing exactly where book breaks are, but it looks to me that the Rigdon signal has pretty high density in Mormon and Moroni, but a gap in Ether. I'm sure there is little enthusiasm for doing so, but it would be interesting to see if a Luman centroid swept up Ether.

Another strike against a Smith only model (in my opinion) is that Book of Mormon theology isn't even all that imaginative, unlike Book of Abraham. For all our talk of it being 'the fulness of the gospel', we don't use it for theology or much of anything but quote mining to support orthodoxy from other sources. The explicit call of 'no infant baptism' made explicit in the Book of Mormon is a bit curious in that I don't think Smith cared much either way about infant baptism. I do think is something Rigdon cared about. When Smith got around to codifying it, he made the age about as low as possible without violating the 'no infant baptism' edict. So, while I don't think it was something he cared much about, it clearly it mattered to someone close to the production (probably not Luman). Luman clearly did like treasure, though. Do we know if he liked slippery treasure?

[_Kishkumen]

Well, one aspect of Ether that may indicate Walter’s influence is the alchemical symbolism of the Brother of Jared’s process to create the glass stones.

The problem with looking for Walter in the current text is that we have no writing from him. Period.

[_NorthboundZax]

Well, one aspect of Ether that may indicate Walter’s influence is the alchemical symbolism of the Brother of Jared’s process to create the glass stones.

Care to expand on that, Kish? What is the alchemical symbolism going on? Were alchemists trying to draw on 'the finger of God', so to speak?

[_Kishkumen]

Well, here is the text:

1 And it came to pass that the brother of Jared, (now the number of the vessels which had been prepared was eight) went forth unto the amount, which they called the mount Shelem, because of its exceeding height, and did molten out of a rock sixteen small stones; and they were white and clear, even as transparent glass; and he did carry them in his hands upon the top of the mount, and cried again unto the Lord, saying:

2 O Lord, thou hast said that we must be encompassed about by the floods. Now behold, O Lord, and do not be angry with thy servant because of his weakness before thee; for we know that thou art holy and dwellest in the heavens, and that we are unworthy before thee; because of the fall our natures have become evil continually; nevertheless, O Lord, thou hast given us a commandment that we must call upon thee, that from thee we may receive according to our desires.

3 Behold, O Lord, thou hast smitten us because of our iniquity, and hast driven us forth, and for these many years we have been in the wilderness; nevertheless, thou hast been merciful unto us. O Lord, look upon me in pity, and turn away thine anger from this thy people, and suffer not that they shall go forth across this raging deep in darkness; but behold these things which I have molten out of the rock.

4 And I know, O Lord, that thou hast all power, and can do whatsoever thou wilt for the benefit of man; therefore touch these stones, O Lord, with thy finger, and prepare them that they may shine forth in darkness; and they shall shine forth unto us in the vessels which we have prepared, that we may have light while we shall cross the sea.

5 Behold, O Lord, thou canst do this. We know that thou art able to show forth great power, which looks small unto the understanding of men.

6 And it came to pass that when the brother of Jared had said these words, behold, the Lord stretched forth his hand and touched the stones one by one with his finger. And the veil was taken from off the eyes of the brother of Jared, and he saw the finger of the Lord; and it was as the finger of a man, like unto flesh and blood; and the brother of Jared fell down before the Lord, for he was struck with fear.

In general terms I would say that here we have an instance in which the Brother of Jared is finding material to craft sixteen small stones--think philosopher's stone here--which will give light to those traveling in the eight vessels of the Jaredites. The language of vessels and stones resonates really well with alchemy.

The process results in divine power entering the stones, but also, and perhaps more importantly, the Brother of Jared's experience redeems him from the Fall in that he is allowed to enter back into the presence of God and see God as Adam saw God in the Garden of Eden.

All of this fits very well with the ideas of Christian alchemy.

[_Physics Guy]

I doubt that J.R.R. Tolkien ever read the Book of Ether, but I'm wondering whether the similarity between Tolkien's silmarils and Jared's brother's stones points to some meme of Christian alchemy that might have inspired them both.