Part 7 - Joseph Smith Background

In a previous post, I argued for the plausibility of Joseph Smith as the sole author of the Book of Mormon.  In this post I will revisit this topic by examining Joseph Smith's background.  Believing Mormons contend that Joseph Smith could not have possibly written the Book of Mormon given his humble circumstances and lack of formal education.  The usual figure describing Joseph Smith's formal education is that he had three years or that he had a third grade education.  Sometimes his education is described as being equivalent to the sixth grade level.

Statements about Joseph Smith's formal education are misleading.  The Mormon Think website examines this issue along with other issues relevant to Joseph Smith's probable authorship of the Book of Mormon on this page.  While three years of formal schooling may be technically accurate, it does not represent his entire education.  Everyone in his family was literate.  His parents valued education.  Much of his education likely took place at home.

Joseph Smith knew the bible very well.  His family read the bible regularly.  It is difficult for modern minds to grasp the depth of familiarity that an early 19th century pious individual would have had with the bible.  Modern life bombards us with too much information.  People are no smarter today and our minds are divided in so many different directions that it is not possible for our biblical knowledge to run as deep.  Direct biblical quotes, paraphrases, and other biblical influences permeate the pages of the Book of Mormon.

Passages in the Book of Mormon that are not highly influenced by the bible have other early 19th century precedents.  This page on the Mormon Think website identifies some of these influences.  The idea that Native Americans are part of the lost tribes of Israel originated as early as 1649 in the travel log of Portuguese explorer Antonio de Montezinos.  This idea was very prevalent in Joseph Smith's immediate environment.  Mormon historian B. H. Roberts identified Ethan Smith's 1823 book View of the Hebrews as a likely source of ideas for the Book of Mormon.  Ethan Smith lived in the same town as Oliver Cowdery who served as a scribe for most of the Book of Mormon.

The Book of Mormon contains many ideas that were important in early America such as religious liberty, representative democracy, and separation of church and state.  Many of the war strategies in the Book of Mormon were those employed by the American army in the revolutionary war and the war of 1812.  For example, some American cities fortified themselves by digging a ditch around the city, building up a mound with the contents of the dug-out ditch, and building a picket fence on top of the mound with periodic watch towers, exactly as described in the Book of Mormon of the defense of Nephite cities.  Lehi's and Nephi's tree of life dream is very similar to a dream Joseph Smith Sr (the father of Joseph Smith) had when Joseph Smith was 5 years old.

What is lacking in the Book of Mormon is anything that would be surprising in the context of the early 19th century America.  If the Book of Mormon were a genuine ancient document, I think we could expect to find at least some surprises.  The only elements of the Book of Mormon that give it any of the flavor of antiquity are those copied or paraphrased from the bible.  The creation of the Book of Mormon seems well within the abilities of an intelligent, creative individual immersed in the ideas of early 19th century America, such as Joseph Smith.  Even church historian B. H. Roberts admitted that Joseph Smith could have plausibly created the Book of Mormon.

In light of this evidence, there can be no doubt as to the possession of a vividly strong, creative imagination by Joseph Smith, the Prophet. An imagination, it could with reason be urged, which, given the suggestions that are to be found in the 'common knowledge' of accepted American Antiquities of the times, supplemented by such a work as Ethan Smith's, View of the Hebrews, would make it possible for him to create a book such as the Book of Mormon is.

One last significant point to be made is that Joseph Smith did not produce the Book of Mormon alone.  We know that he used the services of scribes, some of which were quite competent writers.  Furthermore, much of the original language has been refined and corrected over the years.  This site provides an introduction to some of the 3,913 differences between the first edition and the current edition.  Those examining the Book of Mormon objectively to determine if Joseph Smith could have plausibly written it should look at the first edition, not the modern edition with all its corrections.