Mormon Authorship Theories

[_Phaedrus Ut]

I've read various Book of Mormon authorship theories over the years and while many of them make excellent points they all seem to desire to bring in additional authors or text to aid Joseph in producing the Book of Mormon. What about Joseph's other productions like the D&C and the Book of Abraham. Do people who believe in specific Book of Mormon authorship theories see these as Joseph only compositions or do you believe others were involved in creating these texts?


Phaedrus

[_sethpayne]

I've read various Book of Mormon authorship theories over the years and while many of them make excellent points they all seem to desire to bring in additional authors or text to aid Joseph in producing the Book of Mormon. What about Joseph's other productions like the D&C and the Book of Abraham. Do people who believe in specific Book of Mormon authorship theories see these as Joseph only compositions or do you believe others were involved in creating these texts?


Phaedrus

Phaedrus,

I'm of the opinion that Joseph Smith composed the Book of Mormon himself with the help only of the KJV -- how else to you explain that 70%+ of all changes in Isaiah are where italicized words appear.... He either had the italics memorized (which is possible I suppose) or he had a KJV in front of him -- at least for the Nephi books.

I don't see any other authors involved.

Seth

[_Themis]

I have never worried about it to much. I didn't need to know how he did it to know that it was made up. There was plenty of evidence for that. Especially with things like the Book of Abraham.

[_Drifting]

Joseph Smith was the author, it said so in the front of the book itself.

[_Phaedrus Ut]

I'm of the opinion that Joseph Smith composed the Book of Mormon himself with the help only of the KJV -- how else to you explain that 70%+ of all changes in Isaiah are where italicized words appear.... He either had the italics memorized (which is possible I suppose) or he had a KJV in front of him -- at least for the Nephi books.

I don't see any other authors involved.

Seth

I'm of similar opinion regarding Joseph. The Isaiah variants clustered around the KJV italicized words are one of many clear indicators that a KJV text was used in the composition of the Book of Mormon . However, it's the explicit denials that the Bible was ever in the room makes me suspect that the participants like Joseph and the scribes are being deliberately deceptive about the creation of the Book of Mormon and leaves me very open to the possibility that other source material may have been used. I don't consider the Book of Mormon to be such a remarkable text to require elaborate explanations.

On a related note one thought has stuck with me ever since I concluded the Book of Mormon was a 19th century text. Something about the story of Moroni visiting Joseph strikes me as being possibly true. Not an actual Aboriginal-Semitic angel but someone like Rigdon, Cowdery, Spaulding as a Moroni figure.


Phaedrus


Phaedrus

[_Aristotle Smith]

I've read various Book of Mormon authorship theories over the years and while many of them make excellent points they all seem to desire to bring in additional authors or text to aid Joseph in producing the Book of Mormon. What about Joseph's other productions like the D&C and the Book of Abraham. Do people who believe in specific Book of Mormon authorship theories see these as Joseph only compositions or do you believe others were involved in creating these texts?

My opinion is that it was all Joseph, perhaps with some minor input from Oliver Cowdery.

But in another sense it really doesn't matter. All the evidence points to someone or a group of people writing the book in America in the early 19th century. That gives the book its context which then allows an intelligent reading of the book. Knowing the exact author or authors might give minor insights based on the psychology of the author, but those kinds of conclusions tend to be speculative anyway.

I think it's a similar problem to figuring out who the real Shakespeare was. How much differently would the plays be read if say they were really written by Christopher Marlowe? It's the same time period, the same language, the same context; almost everything ends up being the same.

[_lulu]

My opinion is that it was all Joseph, perhaps with some minor input from Oliver Cowdery.

But in another sense it really doesn't matter.

Who was the first scribe?

What evidence is there Oliver had any input?

[_Aristotle Smith]

Who was the first scribe?

What evidence is there Oliver had any input?

There isn't any, this is more of a gut feeling that I can't prove.

I suppose any of the scribes could have had the same kind of minor input, though I don't think they would ever be directly in on the scheme. More of influence though shooting the bull with Joseph after scribal sessions.

Ironically, the scribe who may have had the most impact was the one who would have been least likely to influence Joseph and also screwed up the most: Martin Harris. I think the losing of the 116 pages probably gave Joseph Smith a "do over" which he probably took.

[_lulu]

Who was the first scribe?

What evidence is there Oliver had any input?

There isn't any, this is more of a gut feeling that I can't prove.

I suppose any of the scribes could have had the same kind of minor input, though I don't think they would ever be directly in on the scheme. More of influence though shooting the bull with Joseph after scribal sessions.

Ironically, the scribe who may have had the most impact was the one who would have been least likely to influence Joseph and also screwed up the most: Martin Harris. I think the losing of the 116 pages probably gave Joseph Smith a "do over" which he probably took.

Emma was the first scribe.

Emma admits that Joseph Smith discussed the translation of a passage regarding the walls of Jerusalem with her. This is the only direct evidence we have of anyone other than Joseph Smith having input re the Book of Mormon text. Which is not to say there is not other evidence or that others had input.

I think any discussion of who had input into the Book of Mormon text in addition to Joseph Smith needs to start with Emma. But then I'm a radical.


ETA Your "do over" point is interesting. Joseph Smith and Martin conspire to loose the manuscript because it was so bad and then blame it on difficult Lucy Harris?

[_Aristotle Smith]

Emma was the first scribe.

Emma admits that Joseph Smith discussed the translation of a passage regarding the walls of Jerusalem with her. This is the only direct evidence we have of anyone other than Joseph Smith having input re the Book of Mormon text. Which is not to say there is not other evidence or that others had input.

I think any discussion of who had input into the Book of Mormon text in addition to Joseph Smith needs to start with Emma. But then I'm a radical.

How much of her scribal activity remains in the current Book of Mormon? Correct me if I'm wrong, but since she is the first, that would mean that what she worked on is completely lost. In any case, I think the debate is mostly academic. Like I said in my first comment, the actual author sheds very little light on the contents in my opinion.

ETA Your "do over" point is interesting. Joseph Smith and Martin conspire to loose the manuscript because it was so bad and then blame it on difficult Lucy Harris?

Just to clarify, I don't think there was a conspiracy there. It was more fortuitous for Joseph.