The Origin of The Book of Mormon.

Those that have not read Ethan Smith's View of the Hebrews, nor the
Spaulding Manuscript, nor the Book of Mormon, are most likely to 'find' or
posit literary dependence, even, some will say, ‘proof’ of plagiarism, that
they assure their readers is positive evidence that Joseph Smith alone or in
company with one or more of his associates, took material from either or
both of these volumes or even from other sources, and therefrom concocted
‘The Book of Mormon,’ the book that has thrown the Christian world into a
loop for almost 180 years.

Yet the moment one reads any of these 'sources' one is struck at the startling
disparities between these alleged sources, singly or in toto, that glaringly
illuminate the difficulties under which critics labour to assign the Book of
Mormon’s origin to anything other than the gift of God. Having that goal as
their purpose has driven critics not only to consider outrageous possibilities,
but to determine that one of them will serve as the answer to push the Book
of Mormon’s divine origin further and further away from consideration.

If only these critics could agree on a single, unequivocal answer then their
solution would merit our earnest consideration. But that they cannot agree
among themselves, even when they are acclaimed as ‘experts’ by their
followers, gives rise to valid questions that are never addressed. Why do
they invariably fail to agree on anything about the Book of Mormon other
than in their common conclusion that it is not the word of God, because ‘it
cannot be,’ but fail to settle on a single acceptable theory of its origin to
which each critic can subscribe?

Each proposer of a theory of origin would rather run those that offer a
discrete theory off the road and into the ditch rather than abandon his or her
personal theory in favour of another’s. This continuing disparity
demonstrates the paucity of evidence proffered in support of each theory,
and at the same time cuts the support out from under the foundation of the
arguments of all other theorisers because they hold their to be correct, and
thus, by default, all others must of necessity be wrong.

Their continuing disagreement forces the intelligent mind to distrust all their
productions, leaving the Divine origin of the Book of Mormon as the only
valid one, it being the one that the combined forces of opposition have failed
to undermine.

The responsibility rests squarely on the heads of detractors to settle the issue
among themselves before carrying their fragmented assaults to the Latter-
day Saints.

Copyright © 2011 – Ronnie Bray

All Rights Reserved