Book of Mormon

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The Book of Mormon

The Book of Mormon ( English The Book of Mormon ) is a religious publication of the religious communities of the Mormons named after this book . Joseph Smith is believed to be the author of the book . The recognition of this work as scripture is considered an essential common characteristic of the various Mormon communities. The rest of Christianity does not recognize the Book of Mormon. It is named after a prophet named Mormon , who is named in the book itself as the chief editor of the original report. The public ministry of the church founder Joseph Smith began with the first publication of the book in 1830.

origin

An image made from Joseph Smith's description . He receives the gold plates from the angel Moroni on the hill Cumorah .

The origin of the Book of Mormon is controversial between Mormons and non-Mormons. In The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints , origin, as described in the book itself - supplemented by Joseph Smith's account of the making of the Book of Mormon - is viewed as historical fact and accepted and taught as an indispensable part of the faith. However, there is a small group within the Church who reject the acceptance of the Book of Mormon as a historical record.

Since about the year 2000, the second largest Mormon community (with a membership of 250,000 compared to the approximately 16 million members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints), the Community of Christ , has officially abandoned the concept of the Book of Mormon regarded as a historically authentic report. The Church describes the book as "inspired and faith-building" scripture, recognizing Joseph Smith as the author and author of the book.

In the Book of Mormon itself, it is described as follows:

About 600 BC Prophet Nephi, who fled Jerusalem in the 3rd century BC, wrote a report on gold plates about God's dealings with his family. It tells how, with God's help, Nephi and his family came to America by ship and how that group of people grew into a larger people. This account, "The Little Plates of Nephi," goes back to about 130 BC Was carried on by Nephi's direct descendants and then passed on to the political or religious leaders of the community after the lineage was extinguished. On a second set of gold plates, the "great plates of Nephi," Nephi wrote the political and social history of his people; this much more detailed account was then continued by the community leaders after Nephi's death. The third source is the "Ethers plates", a report about an older people who came to America after the biblical Tower of Babel was built.

These reports are said to have been summarized, commented on and supplemented for their own time by the namesake of the book, the Prophet Mormon , and then by his son Moroni around AD 400 . The original small plates of Nephi, as well as the combination of the large plates of Nephi and the plates of Ether, were then hidden by Moroni in a specific place in order to preserve them for future generations. Moroni mentions in the text that it was written in “reformed Egyptian”, a language or script that is still unknown to classical philologists, orientalists and Egyptologists.

Joseph Smith adds as the story of the book's discovery:

Moroni appeared to him as an angel in 1823 , told him about these notes and described the place where the plates were hidden. In 1827 he, Joseph Smith, was allowed to take the plates from the nearby Cumorah hill and - with a few interruptions - translated them into English with the help of the seer stones Urim and Thummim , which were located on the plates . After completing the translation, Moroni took back the plates.

According to reports by his co-workers, Joseph Smith dictated the contents of the Book of Mormon to a scribe who sat on the other side, torn off by a cloth hung in the room. Joseph Smith himself stated that he translated the plates "by the gift and power of God." Witnesses who were present at the translation reported that he intermittently used translation tools to help him with his work. These included the “translators” called “Urim and Thummim”, two translucent stones that were held together by a metal bracket so that one could see through them. It was given to Joseph Smith with the plates. Another translation tool was the "seer stone", which he placed in a hat and then looked into. Joseph Smith found it in his youth and used it to track down things that were previously lost. Today it is certain that most of it was recorded by Oliver Cowdery , while Emma Smith, Martin Harris, and possibly others, briefly served Joseph as the Book of Mormon writers.

At the beginning of the translation there was a momentous incident involving Martin Harris , a wealthy neighbor and supporter of Joseph Smith, who also served as his scribe at the beginning. He urged Joseph Smith to give him the manuscript that had been translated so far, so that he could show it to his wife, who did not agree with his "Harris" commitment. After some initial hesitation, Joseph Smith gave him the 116-page manuscript, which at the time was essentially the "Book of Lehi". With Martin Harris the text was lost. Joseph Smith went on to state that God commanded him not to translate these pages again because people with bad intentions would alter the original manuscript and point out the discrepancy. This episode has since been used to accuse Joseph Smith of not actually translating because he was unable to reproduce the original text.

After Joseph Smith said he had temporarily lost the ability to translate the text from the plates, he began translating again in 1829. Almost all of the text in what is now the Book of Mormon was translated in three months, April through June, that year. After making another copy for the printer, the Book of Mormon was printed by Egbert Grandin and Company in Palmyra , New York , in early 1830 , and published in March 1830. This first edition was 5,000 copies and was funded by Martin Harris. The remaining copies of the first edition are now rare and very expensive collector's items.

Outline of the Book of Mormon

Example text in the Book of Mormon

The Book of Mormon is divided into individual books similar to the Bible ; unlike in the Bible, however, the relationship between the individual books is somewhat closer. It consists of the following books:

  • The first book of Nephi
  • The second book of Nephi
  • The Book of Jacob
  • The book of Enos
  • The Book of Jarom
  • The book of Omni
  • The words of Mormon
  • The book of Mosiah
  • The Book of Alma
  • The book of Helaman
  • Third Nephi
  • Fourth Nephi
  • The Book of Mormon
  • The book of ether
  • The book of Moroni

The books "First Nephi" to "Omni" are, according to the book's own presentation, the direct translation of the pre-Christian "Small Plates of Nephi" by Joseph Smith; Smith is said to have translated these only after the other books were completed to replace the missing "Book of Lehi" (see above). The books "Mosiah" through "Fourth Nephi" are said to be the summary of the "Great Plates of Nephi" prepared by Mormon around AD 400 (whereby the first 116 pages of the "Great Plates", which made up the "Book of Lehi", missing today; see above). The Words of Mormon and the Book of Mormon are believed to have been written by Mormon around this time. The "Book of Ether" is said to be the summary of the "plates of Ethers" prepared by Mormon's son Moroni between 400 and 420 AD, and the "Book of Moroni" is said to be - with the exception of the letters of Mormon to Moroni it contains - by Moroni at around Be self-authored in AD 420, when Mormon was dead. Everything from “The Words of Mormon” to “The Book of Moroni” is believed to have been written down by Mormon and Moroni and translated into English by Smith.

content

A depiction of the vision of the Tree of Life in a reenactment at the Hill Cumorah Festival .

The book tells of a prophet named Lehi (Nephi's father) who received the divine commission in Jerusalem around 600 BC to leave the city with his family, the family of Ishmael and writings on brass plates and go into the wilderness. Thereby they avoid the destruction of the city by the Babylonians a few years later . Lehi's son Nephi, at God's behest, takes the lead in building a ship for the group to sail to a promised land. Laman and Lemuel, Nephi's older brothers, rebel while Nephi and his other brothers remain true to their father's teachings. After the death of the father Lehi there is a complete break, which leads to the formation of two warring peoples, the Nephites and the Lamanites, who keep fighting. Nephi is the first prophet of the Nephites. He quotes and explains Isaiah in detail.

In the further course the changing relationships of these peoples, their migrations, missionary efforts, wars, political disputes, etc. are described. The times are detailed

  • from about 600 to about 550 BC Chr .;
  • from about 130 BC Until about 40 AD
  • from about 320 to about 420 AD

while only brief information can be found for the periods in between (550 to 130 BC and 40 to 320 AD).

In the further course the Nephites meet another people who descend from refugees around Mulek, a son of Zidkiah , king in Jerusalem at the time of the destruction of the city by the Babylonians. The two groups unite.

The highlight of the report is the visit of the risen Jesus Christ to the Nephites around 33 AD. Among other things, the Savior repeated the essential parts of the Sermon on the Mount , gave the Lord's Supper a second time and organized his church.

According to the principles of the Sermon on the Mount, the united Nephites and Lamanites lived in perfect peace for about two centuries. Leaving these principles eventually leads to a renewed division into the Nephites and Lamanites, and a hateful, bloody war in which the Nephites are ultimately utterly destroyed. In the final years of the war, Mormon and his son Moroni acted as military commanders and chroniclers.

A section inserted and commented on after the presentation of the book by Moroni deals with the story of a much older people, the Jaredites, whom God led into the promised land after the biblical tower of Babel was built. Disregard of divine principles would have led to divisions, bloody wars and, shortly before the arrival of the group around Lehi, to their complete annihilation. The records of their last prophet, Ether, were later found by the Nephites and translated using the "Urim and Thummim".

to teach

In contrast to the other more recent religious scriptures, the Book of Mormon presents itself primarily as a historical record and not exclusively as a collection of doctrines, moral beliefs, or religious songs. The Book of Mormon contains doctrines and philosophical views on a variety of topics, from basic topics of Christianity and Judaism to political and ideological beliefs.

The main purpose of the book, as stated, is to come forth at a time of confusion about God's teaching, to reassert "the truth [of the Bible]," "the clear and precious things" that have been lost over the centuries to bring to the public and "to make known to all generations, tongues and peoples that the Lamb of God [Jesus Christ] is the Son of the Eternal Father and the Savior of the world". The book is intended to show the “remnant of the house of Israel what great things the Lord did for his fathers [...] - the Jews and others should also be convinced that Jesus is the Christ, the eternal God who is himself to all Nations make known. ”It is with this in mind that the Book of Mormon describes the reconciliation of Jews and Gentiles with Jesus and reports of a variety of visions and visits to some of the early Americans. Most remarkable is the personal appearance of Jesus after his resurrection and his several days service with the local people. In the Bible, Jesus spoke to the Jews in Jerusalem of "other sheep" who would hear his voice. During his visit to America, Jesus explains that by this he meant the Nephites and the other remnants of the lost tribes of Israel.

In addition, the Book of Mormon contains numerous doctrinal views on the following topics (list of examples): the deity, the sacrifice of Jesus Christ, the plan of salvation, the meaning of life, the hereafter, opposites and freedom of choice, faith, hope, charity, forgiveness of sins, the Apostasy, the restoration of the gospel in the last days, church names, prophets and revelation, the priesthood, prayer, ordinances and covenants, rejection of infant baptism, marriage and family, obedience, support for the poor, American exceptionalism , Conduct in armed conflicts, pacifism , and much more.

Editorial history

There are two main manuscripts of the book, both of which are now in the care of the Community of Christ :

  1. The original manuscript was built into the cornerstone of the Nauvoo Temple in the early 1840s (see also this section of the Mormon Church History article). Several decades later, it was salvaged from the ruins of the burned-down and weather-exposed temple by the second husband of Joseph Smith's widow, a non-Mormon. About three quarters of it is destroyed by water damage.
  2. The printer's manuscript is the copy that was available to the typesetters of the first edition; Smith refused to give up the original manuscript after its first 116 pages were lost. The printer's manuscript has largely been preserved, but contains various copying errors compared to the preserved parts of the original manuscript.

In addition, the three print editions (Palmyra 1830, Kirtland 1837, Nauvoo 1842), which were made during Joseph Smith's lifetime and more or less under his supervision, exist as text sources, as well as corrections that Joseph Smith made by hand in his own printed copies. A text-critical edition documenting the various versions and their differences was completed in 2017.

Since the original manuscripts were almost completely without punctuation marks, the typesetter of the first edition added them. The first edition outside the United States appeared in Great Britain in 1840. Later editions were mostly based on the 1837 edition, as there was no printing press in Utah for a long time and thus the church for decades only printed the book in its most important European mission area, Great Britain, where the 1842s were only printed in small numbers due to the difficult conditions in Nauvoo Edition never arrived. It was not until 1981 that changes to the 1842 edition were incorporated back into the Church's editions.

Book of Mormon in The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints

The first non-English edition was a Danish translation in 1851. The first German edition followed in 1852.

In 1876 the chapters of the individual books were reorganized and verse numbering was added.

There are 3913 differences between today's editions of the book and the first edition. Most of these changes can be found as early as the 1837 edition. Most of them are corrections to punctuation, spelling and grammar; however, a few more significant changes were made by Joseph Smith after the first edition, which critics have interpreted to mean that they were intended to provide a more appropriate basis for revised doctrines or changed political conditions.

In 1989, Brigham Young University began producing a four-volume critical edition. Volumes 1 and 2, published in 2001, contain the transcripts of the original manuscript and printer's manuscript of the English edition of the Book of Mormon. Volume 3, published in 2016, describes the history of all Book of Mormon texts from Joseph Smith to the present day. Volume 4, published in 2017, contains critical analyzes of all text variants of the book.

The entire text has now been translated into 91 languages, and extracts from the book are available in 21 other languages.

Translations of the book are available in Afrikaans , Albanian , Amharic , Arabic , Aymara , Bislama , Bulgarian , Cebuano , Chinese , Chuukesian , Danish , German , English , Estonian , Fante , Farsi , Fiji , Finnish , French , Georgian , Greek , Guarani , Haitian , Hawaiian , Hindi , Hiligaynon , Hmong , Igbo , Ilokano , Indonesian , Xhosa , Icelandic , Italian , Japanese , Khmer (Cambodian) , Catalan , Kekchi , Kichwa , Kiribati , Korean , Kosraean , Croatian , Lao , Latvian , Lingála , Lithuanian , Malagasy , Malaysian , Maori , Marshallese , Mongolian , Neo-Melanesian , Nepali , Dutch , Norwegian , Eastern Armenian , Pangasinan , Polish , Portuguese , Rarotongan , Romanian , Russian , Samoan , Swedish , Serbian , Shona , Sinhala , Slovak , Slovenian , Spanish , Swahili , Tagalog , Tahitian , Tamil , Telugu , Thai , Tongan , Czech , Tswana , Turkish , Twi , Ukrainian , Hungarian , Urdu , Vietnamese , Welsh , Yapese , Yoruba and Zulu .

German translations

In 1852, the future third President of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints , John Taylor , while on a mission trip to Germany, worked with German helpers to create the first German translation, which was published in Hamburg. This remained, with repeated revisions, in use by the German-speaking Mormons until 1978. The frequent formulation of the English book “And it came to pass” (German translation: “And it came to pass”) is indicated here in German only by an empty pair of square brackets (“[]”). Biblical texts and quotations as well as many individual formulations of biblical origin come from the Luther Bible . (Since the uniform translation existed, the German-speaking Mormons switched from the revised Luther Bible to this as the preferred version of the Bible.)

In 1978 the Austrian Immo Luschin von Ebengreuth wrote a complete new translation on behalf of the First Presidency, which aimed to be much more literal than the first translation. "And it came to pass" has since been modeled on Luther's Luk. 2.1 reproduced as “And it came to pass”. This edition of the Book of Mormon was used until 2003. A revised version of the German translation of the Book of Mormon has been available since late 2003. It also contains the so-called Guide to the Scriptures, which essentially corresponds to a Bible concordance and contains explanations of terms and references to scriptures in all standard works (Bible, Book of Mormon, Doctrine and Covenants , Pearl of Great Price ). There you will also find German translations of the Joseph Smith translation of the Bible.

Book of Mormon in the fellowship of Christ

Since the Reorganized Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints was founded in 1860, that church has produced its own editions of the Book of Mormon with essentially the same text but different editorial histories. This still uses the old chapter division of the original edition and has its own division. There is also an independent German translation from this tradition.

Book of Mormon as an account of the Nephites in the Church of Christ with the Elijah message

Record of the Nephites (Engl. The Record of the Nephites ) is the official name of the Church of Christ with the Elijah message for the Book of Mormon. The word record can also be translated with certificate , so that the term certificate of the Nephites can also be found in German-speaking countries . Only the text of the first published version of the Book of Mormon from 1830, the so-called Palmyra edition, is recognized. The church with the Elijah message published this text from 1830 under the title "The Record of the Nephites" since 1957. The later division of the largest Mormon church into chapters and verses has since been adopted. This work is only available in English.

Witnesses of the Book of Mormon

The Three Witnesses to the Book of Mormon: Oliver Cowdery (top), David Whitmer (left) and Martin Harris , including a contemporary drawing of the Cumorah Hill (depiction by Edward Hart, 1883)

To emphasize the importance of the Book of Mormon, Joseph Smith had three people close to him who had been shown the gold plates by the angel Moroni give their testimony in writing and with their signature. It has appeared at the beginning of every edition of the Book of Mormon since then. Eight other people also testified in writing that they had held the gold plates in their hands and turned the pages, but without Moroni being present. This testimony is also found in every edition of the Book of Mormon.

Although all of the "Three Witnesses" and some of the " Eight Witnesses " later distanced themselves or were excommunicated from Joseph Smith, at least temporarily, no one is known to have ever withdrawn their testimony. On the other hand, there are written confirmations from some witnesses (from David Whitmer even with notarial certification) that their testimony in the Book of Mormon is true.

Unofficial witnesses include Emma Smith, the Prophet's wife and mother Lucy, who said they felt the plates, which were wrapped in a cloth.

Relationship to the Bible

Mormons believe that the Book of Mormon confirms the teaching of the Bible and provides a better and deeper understanding of the biblical message.

In contrast, certain Christian groups, especially the Evangelicals , take the view that the Book of Mormon contradicts essential points of the Bible as a so-called New Revelation . Christian denominations in particular, which regard the Bible as the only written word of God, reject the Book of Mormon. From a religious comparative standpoint, the former sect representative of the Evangelical Church of Westphalia , Rüdiger Hauth, criticized the Book of Mormon and the Mormon community in writing in the German-speaking area . On the Mormon side, his works are criticized for being one-sided and polemical, for not meeting the standards of scientific work and for not dealing with the results of Mormon science and recognized biblical studies. Regardless of this, Hauth's statements, but also those of other American critics, are often quoted in the German-speaking area. Jerald and Sandra Tanner , who were formerly Mormons themselves, made a comparison in their Book of Mormonism: Shadow or Reality that pointed to passages in the Book of Mormon that they believed contradicted the Bible or other passages in the Book of Mormon or today's teachings of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints standing.

Critically-cited examples of Book of Mormon-Bible contradictions:

  • The Book of Mormon teaches that salvation is not possible through faith alone, but that baptism is also necessary for salvation (2 Nephi 9: 23-24, 31: 11-17), as it is also in ( John 3 : 5  NIV ) stands. This is opposed to the theological conception of sola fide , according to which salvation is possible only from faith and which is based on Paul and the Acts of the Apostles ( Rom 3:16, 28  LUT ; 10,9 LUT ; Acts 16,31  LUT ).
  • The Bible reports that Jesus was born in Bethlehem ( Mi 5,2  LUT ; Mt 2,1  LUT ). The Book of Mormon foretells Jesus to be born "in Jerusalem" (Alma 7:10). Mormons see this contradiction as irrelevant, since in Alma to Jerusalem (or in English at written Jerusalem), not in Jerusalem. That is why Mormons believe that we are talking about the land of Jerusalem and, at a distance of around eight kilometers, Bethlehem belongs to the land of Jerusalem. Critics counter that the name Jerusalem is never used anywhere in the Bible as a designation for a country, but always only as the name of the city. In other ancient writings, however, the term “land of Jerusalem” was discovered: in the Amarna letters at least five times and also on a fragment of the Dead Sea Scrolls attributed to Jeremiah.
  • According to Mt 27.45  LUT and Mk 15.33  LUT , the darkness at Jesus' death lasted three hours, not three days as according to the Book of Mormon (Helaman 14:20). Mormons counter that the evangelists tell of events in Israel and the Book of Mormon of simultaneous events in America that are geologically documented for the relevant period.
  • Mormons believe that the Bible prophesied the coming of the Book of Mormon, relying on biblical texts that mention other revelations or believers in other parts of the world. They interpret these as references to Mormon beliefs. There is no mention in the Bible of the prophet Lehi, who appears in Jerusalem. In the more recent Mormon literature, however, the thesis is put forward that Mulek, referred to in the Book of Mormon as a son of Zidkija, is documented both in the Bible ( Jer 38,6  LUT ) and archaeologically.

Scientific point of view

In the 19th century, historians and archaeologists in the United States believed that the Indians might be descendants of the so-called Lost Tribes of Israel . The Book of Mormon was of interest to scholars at the time because it conveys similar assumptions. However, this view is no longer held by today's science. As a result, the non-Mormon scientific community today has little study of the Book of Mormon. In general, the likelihood that the ancestors of the native American population were also Hebrew immigrants who died around 600 B.C. B.C. to have come to America can be counted as insignificantly low. It is generally accepted that Native Americans are essentially of East Asian origin. Based on an exact exegesis of the text of the Book of Mormon, the Mormon scientific literature on the geography of the events described in the Book of Mormon for the American continent predominantly represents a regional model focusing on Central America ( see below ). Other colonization of America is not excluded by the Book of Mormon and is even reflected in its text. To this day, research into the Book of Mormon has been practiced almost exclusively by scientists who believe in the authenticity of the Book of Mormon.

Several works depicting Native American ancestry from the lost tribes of Israel have been discussed as possible sources of inspiration for Smith in composing the Book of Mormon.

The following connections to other works by three authors are possible:

  • Spalding-Rigdon Theory of the Authorship of the Book of Mormon : When the first Mormon missionaries came to Ashtabula County , Ohio in 1832 , similarities between their teaching and earlier accounts of the local Solomon Spaulding, who died in 1816, became apparent. Spaulding's brother, sister and a number of acquaintances stated that Spaulding had written a manuscript years earlier that dealt with the history of Israelite immigration to America. It was written in the same ancient language as the Book of Mormon and largely identical in content, except for Smith's religious statements. An unpublished manuscript by Solomon Spaulding has been preserved in the library of Oberlin College , Ohio. But this has nothing in common with the Book of Mormon. Hence speculations exist that the later convert Sidney Rigdon is said to have passed on another manuscript from Spaulding to Smith. Various alleged statements by Rigdon are cited in support of this, but the latter denied them. There is no evidence.
  • 1826 appeared The Wonders of Nature by Josiah Priest with a brief reference to the origin of the Native Americans of the lost tribes of Israel. There is evidence that Priest knew Oliver Cowdery , so that Smith's suggestion is possible in this way. There is no other similarity between the Book of Priest and the Book of Mormon.
  • Ethan Smith , a preacher who was not related to Joseph Smith, published View of the Hebrews in 1823 , in which he described in great detail the Israelite origins of the Indians. It has many parallels with the Book of Mormon in language and content. Here, too, there is a reference to Oliver Cowdery, who came from the same hometown as Ethan Smith and may have known him. The similarities between the View of the Hebrews and the Book of Mormon were noticeable in the early decades of the new religion, were considered evidence of the accuracy of the Book of Mormon by followers of the Church, and were mentioned by Smith himself. Later critics of Mormonism consider this book to be a possible source of inspiration for Smith to draw upon in composing the Book of Mormon.

Historical contradictions

Critics claim that the Book of Mormon contradicts generally accepted research. Horses and chariots are mentioned, which, according to current knowledge, did not exist on the American continent before the time of Columbus. The Book of Mormon also tells of inventions like steel and the seven-day week before they were introduced to the Americas. In addition, there are reports of heavily populated cities and large battles with tens of thousands of participants for which there is no archaeological evidence. DNA comparisons have also confirmed that the indigenous indigenous population comes from Asia and is most closely related to the East Asians. In the opinion of critics, this precludes Hebrew immigrants from being among their ancestors, as the original “Lamanites” are supposed to be.

Scientific attempts at explanations by apologists

The Mormon scientists united in FARMS have tried in the course of the last few years with different methods, by comparison with texts and archaeological findings from the Middle East and Central America, the claim of the Book of Mormon, an ancient report from the culture of the Middle East and from to corroborate the culture of old America, and at the same time to invalidate the thesis of critics that it was a product of the 19th century. FARMS has published an academic journal called the Journal of Book of Mormon Studies twice a year since 1992 , which publishes research on the Book of Mormon. The explanations can also be found on the Internet. Other Mormon scholars have come together in the AAF (Ancient America Foundation) to establish links between the Book of Mormon and the peoples of Central America and Mexico based on existing archaeological and historical evidence.

In the opinion of apologists and Mormon scholars, much evidence has been found in this way over the past three decades that is fully in line with the Book of Mormon's claim to be an authentic, ancient text. However, they repeatedly point out that in principle a proof of the divine origin of the Book of Mormon cannot be made using scientific methods, because it ultimately remains a matter of faith.

Hugh Nibley and BH Roberts with his Studies of the Book of Mormon are among these Mormon scholars.

Regional and hemispherical model

A Central American model

In the meantime, the view previously widely and temporarily adopted by Joseph Smith and other Presidents of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is that the Lamanites are the chief ancestors of the American indigenous peoples and that the Book of Mormon applies to the entire western hemisphere, by most of the Mormons Scientists have been abandoned. It is assumed that the events in the Book of Mormon took place in a limited geographical area because of the consistent distance information, that the Hebrew immigrants were a small number who had contact with pre-existing peoples of different origins and finally with the existing population was incorporated. Central America is assumed to be the most realistic area of ​​the events, a less common theory localizes the events in the area of ​​the North American Great Lakes.

In everyday church life, including in the field of mission, there are still occasional statements from earlier church authorities that the former indigenous people of both North and South America are described as direct descendants of the Lamanites described in the Book of Mormon. There are also formulations in the canonical writing Doctrine and Covenants that indicate a hemispherical model. Up until 2006, the English-language introduction to the Book of Mormon (and thus the submission of all Book of Mormon translations) also contained the reference that the Lamanites were the main ancestors of today's Indians. As part of a revision of the chapter headings in 2006, this statement was changed so that the peoples of the Book of Mormon are now only counted among the ancestors of today's Indians. In 2014, this point of view was reiterated in a Book of Mormon Focus Article on The Influence of Migration, published on the official website of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. In it the Church made it clear that, from a scientific point of view, the American indigenous population is mainly of Asian origin, that the waves of immigration described in the Book of Mormon were small in scope and therefore genetic intermingling with the numerically superior native population can be assumed.

Geographical reference

The geographical conditions described in the Book of Mormon could not yet be clearly assigned to today's geography, which is why neither a place of birth nor a place of death that can be localized on today's maps can be given for Mormon. Book of Mormon critics therefore argue that Joseph Smith took names such as Moroni and Cumorah from ancient nineteenth-century maps in the Book of Mormon; so is Moroni 's largest city and now also the capital of the archipelago of the Comoros . There have been numerous, unconvincing attempts to geographically and historically locate the locations and events described in the Book of Mormon.

Representation in the media

In The Book of Mormon Movie, Vol. 1: The Journey , the first two books of the book were filmed and in the musical The Book of Mormon it was interpreted satirically.

See also

Portal: Mormonism  - Everything about Mormonism

Further literature

Web links

Commons : Book of Mormon  - collection of images, videos, and audio files

Individual evidence

  1. ^ Anthony A. Hutchinson: The Word of God Is Enough: The Book of Mormon as Nineteenth-Century Scripture: New Approaches to the Book of Mormon . Signature Books, Salt Lake City, Utah 1993, p. 1. ( The Word of God is Enough: The Book of Mormon as Scripture of the 19th Century. New Approaches to the Book of Mormon .)
  2. ^ Book of Mormon: Mormon 9:32. Retrieved February 11, 2020 .
  3. ↑ Pearl of Great Price: Joseph Smith History 1:35. Retrieved February 11, 2020 .
  4. ↑ Church of Jesus Christ: The Translation of the Book of Mormon. Retrieved May 4, 2020 .
  5. ^ Royal Skousen: Oliver Cowdery as Book of Mormon Scribe. In: Days Never to Be Forgotten: Oliver Cowdery. Retrieved May 4, 2020 .
  6. ↑ Doctrine and Covenants: chapter 10. Retrieved February 11, 2020 .
  7. ↑ John W. Welch: Timing the Translation of the Book of Mormon: "Days [and Hours] Never to Be Forgotten". Retrieved May 4, 2020 .
  8. ↑ Book of Mormon: 2 Nephi 5. Retrieved February 11, 2020 .
  9. ^ Grant Hardy: Understanding the Book of Mormon: a reader's guide . Ed .: Oxford University Press. ISBN 978-0-19-973170-1 , pp. 4th ff .
  10. ↑ Elder Gary J. Coleman, The Book of Mormon: A Guide for the Old Testament. Retrieved January 14, 2020 .
  11. ^ Book of Mormon: 2 Nephi 27.Retrieved January 14, 2020 .
  12. Jump up ↑ Book of Mormon: 1 Nephi 13:40. Retrieved January 14, 2020 .
  13. ↑ Book of Mormon, title page. Retrieved January 14, 2020 .
  14. ↑ Book of Mormon: 3 Nephi 11ff. Retrieved January 14, 2020 .
  15. ↑ New Testament: John 10:16. Retrieved January 14, 2020 .
  16. ↑ Book of Mormon: 3 Nephi 15.Retrieved January 14, 2020 .
  17. ↑ Book of Mormon: e.g. 3 Nephi 11:32, 36. Retrieved January 14, 2020 .
  18. ↑ Book of Mormon: e.g. Alma 7: 11-13. Retrieved January 14, 2020 .
  19. ↑ Book of Mormon: e.g. 2 Nephi 22-27. Retrieved January 14, 2020 .
  20. ↑ Book of Mormon: e.g. Alma 34: 32-34. Retrieved January 14, 2020 .
  21. ↑ Book of Mormon: e.g. Alma 40: 6-15. Retrieved January 14, 2020 .
  22. ↑ Book of Mormon: e.g. 2 Nephi 2: 11-16. Retrieved January 14, 2020 .
  23. ↑ Book of Mormon: e.g. Alma 32. Retrieved January 14, 2020 .
  24. ↑ Book of Mormon: e.g. Ether 12: 4. Retrieved January 14, 2020 .
  25. ↑ Book of Mormon: e.g. Moroni 7: 45-48. Retrieved January 14, 2020 .
  26. ↑ Book of Mormon: Mosiah 4: 11-12--26. Retrieved February 11, 2020 .
  27. ↑ Book of Mormon : e.g. Mormon 8: 28: 31-41. Retrieved January 14, 2020 .
  28. ↑ Book of Mormon: e.g. 1 Nephi 14: 7-12. Retrieved January 14, 2020 .
  29. ↑ Book of Mormon: e.g. 3 Nephi 27: 3-9. Retrieved January 14, 2020 .
  30. ↑ Book of Mormon: e.g. Mosiah 13: 33-35. Retrieved January 14, 2020 .
  31. ↑ Book of Mormon: e.g. Moroni 10: 3-5. Retrieved January 14, 2020 .
  32. ↑ Book of Mormon: e.g. Alma 13: 1-3. Retrieved January 14, 2020 .
  33. ↑ Book of Mormon: e.g. Alma 34: 17-28. Retrieved February 11, 2020 .
  34. ↑ Book of Mormon : e.g. 2 Nephi 31: 4-13, 17, 18. Retrieved January 14, 2020 .
  35. ↑ Book of Mormon: e.g. Moroni 8. Retrieved January 14, 2020 .
  36. ↑ Book of Mormon: e.g. 3 Nephi 18:21. Retrieved January 14, 2020 .
  37. ↑ Book of Mormon: e.g. Mosiah 2: 22-24. Retrieved January 14, 2020 .
  38. ↑ Book of Mormon: e.g. Mosiah 2:27. Retrieved January 14, 2020 .
  39. ↑ Book of Mormon: e.g. 1 Nephi 13:30. Retrieved January 14, 2020 .
  40. ↑ Book of Mormon: e.g. Alma 48:14. Retrieved January 14, 2020 .
  41. ↑ Book of Mormon: e.g. Alma 24. Retrieved January 14, 2020 .
  42. ^ A b Royal Skousen: Critical Text of the Book of Mormon Project. Retrieved May 10, 2020 (English).
  43. ^ Royal Skousen: Changes in The Book of Mormon. Retrieved May 5, 2020 .
  44. ^ Translations of the Book of Mormon. LDS 365, accessed May 5, 2020 .
  45. ↑ John W. Welch: Book of Mormon Religious Teachings and Practices. In: Latter-day Saint Essentials: Readings from the Encyclopedia of Mormonism. Retrieved May 4, 2020 .
  46. ↑ Joseph F. McConkie: A Comparison of Book of Mormon, Bible, and Traditional Teachings on the Doctrines of Salvation. In: The Book of Mormon: The Keystone Scripture. Retrieved May 4, 2020 .
  47. ↑ Dr. Daniel C. Peterson: Reply to Rüdiger Hauth's book The Mormons: Sect or New Church of Jesus Christ? LDS Books, accessed May 4, 2020 .
  48. ↑ Book of Mormon: 2 Nephi 9: 23-24. Retrieved February 11, 2020 .
  49. Jump up ↑ Book of Mormon: 2 Nephi 31: 11--17. Retrieved February 11, 2020 .
  50. Jump up ↑ Book of Mormon: Alma 7:10. Retrieved February 11, 2020 .
  51. ^ Matthew Roper: Right on Target: Boomerang Hits and the Book of Mormon , FAIR Conference 2001, see FAIR website ( Memento of November 3, 2011 in the Internet Archive )
  52. ↑ Book of Mormon: Helaman 14:20. Retrieved February 11, 2020 .
  53. ^ Benjamin R. Jordan: Volcanic Destruction in the Book of Mormon. Possible evidence from ice cores. In: Journal of Book of Mormon Studies , Utah 12.2003 / 1, pp. 78-87. ISSN  1065-9366
  54. ↑ The Encyclopedia of Mormonism: Biblical Prophecies about the Book of Mormon
  55. ↑ Chadwick: Journal of Book of Mormon Studies , 12 (2003), No. 2, pp. 72-83
  56. ^ John L. Sorenson: Mormon's Codex: An Ancient American Book . Deseret Book, 2013, ISBN 978-1-60907-399-2 .
  57. ↑ Internet Archive: Full text of "The" manuscript story "by Reverend Solomon Spalding. Correspondence on this topic and the text of the manuscript. Retrieved on February 11, 2020 (English).
  58. ^ Statement by James Fairchild, Rector of Oberlin College from 1866 to 1889: "There seems no reason to doubt that this is the long-lost story. Mr. Rice, myself, and others, compared it with the Book of Mormon, and could detect no resemblance between the two, in general or in detail. There seems to be no name or incident common to the two. The solemn style of the Book of Mormon, in imitation of the English Scriptures, does not appear in the manuscript. The only resemblance is in the fact that both profess to set forth the history of lost tribes. Some other explanation of the origin of the Book of Mormon must be found, if any explanation is required. "Signed, James H. Fairchild.
  59. ↑ Krakauer: Murder on behalf of God. Piper, Munich 2003, p. 105 f. ISBN 3-492-04571-5 .
  60. ^ Journal of Book of Mormon Studies. University of Illinois Press on behalf of the Neal A. Maxwell Institute for Religious Scholarship, accessed May 10, 2020 .
  61. Jump up ↑ Church of Jesus Christ: The Book of Mormon and DNA Research. Retrieved October 21, 2019 .
  62. ↑ Doctrine and Covenants: Chapter 28: 9, 14. Retrieved May 4, 2020 .
  63. Jump up ↑ Doctrine and Covenants: Chapter 30: 6. Retrieved May 4, 2020 .
  64. ↑ Doctrine and Covenants: Chapter 32: 2. Retrieved May 4, 2020 .
  65. ^ Doctrine and Covenants: Chapter 54: 8. Retrieved May 4, 2020 .
  66. ^ Carrie A. Moore: Debate renewed with change in Book of Mormon introduction. Deseret News, accessed May 4, 2020 .
  67. ^ Church of Jesus Christ: Introduction of the Book of Mormon. Retrieved October 21, 2019 .
  68. Jump up ↑ Church of Jesus Christ: The Book of Mormon and DNA Research. Retrieved October 21, 2019 .