FAIR Topical Guide

Guide Home > Scripture and Influential Writings > Book of Mormon > Authorship and Evidences

Additional Topics

The following are additional topic areas related to Authorship and Evidences. If there is a bracket number after the topic, that number indicates how many actual articles there are related to that subject. If the link for the topic is not live, it simply means the topic is a 'planned area' for future growth.

FAIR Resources

These links are either to Web pages hosted on the FAIR Website, or to FAIR Papers. FAIR Papers are short articles about specific topics or questions, written by members of FAIR. These articles can be downloaded and read in PDF format and are intended to be distributed by e-mail or print for the general use of our patrons. (To read FAIR Papers you will need to have Adobe Acrobat Reader. It can be downloaded free from the Adobe Web site.) Click on a title below to visit a FAIR Web page or to read the latest version of a FAIR Paper.

Brant A. Gardner, "A Social History of the Early Nephites," (2001 FAIR Conference presentation.) This essay demonstrates several of the ways in which the Book of Mormon fits an ancient Mesoamerican context.

Daniel C. Peterson, "The Divine Source of the Book of Mormon in the Face of Alternative Theories Advocated by LDS Critics," (2001 FAIR Conference presentation.) Which theory for the the creation of the Book of Mormon really matches all the known facts?

Daniel C. Peterson, "The Protean Joseph Smith," (Mesa, Arizona: FAIR, August 2002) Dan Peterson looks at the history of the theories of how the Book of Mormon came to be. In this 2002 FAIR Conference presentation, Peterson concludes that nothing the critics have offered is as believable as Joseph Smith's own explanation.

Matthew Roper, "Right On Target: Boomerang Hits and the Book of Mormon," (Mesa, Arizona: FAIR, August 2001) A great presentation that focuses on evidences first thought to disprove the Book of Mormon, but later serve to prove its truth.

Ben Spackman, Negative Questions in the Book of Mormon. One of the evidences of the divine translation of the Book of Mormon is the presence of ancient Hebrew literary forms and structures that Joseph Smith could not be expected to have recognized and used. Most Latter-day Saints are familiar with chaiastic structures found in the Book of Mormon, but many are not aware of many other literary and grammatical structures that evidence its ancient origin. Spackman examines the Book of Mormon's use of a Hebraism where a negative rhetorical question is used to indicate a positive meaning. Spackman illustrates this form from both the Book of Mormon and the Old Testament.

Encyclopedia of Mormonism

The resources listed below are articles available in the Encyclopedia of Mormonism. These links are to information not located on the FAIR Web site.

D. Brent Anderson and Diane E. Wirth, "Book of Mormon Authorship," Encyclopedia of Mormonism, Edited by Daniel H. Ludlow (New York: Macmillan Publishing, 1992), 166-167

Robert A. Rees, "The Book of Mormon and Automatic Writing," JBMS 15:1 (Provo, UT: FARMS, 2006) Some critics claim that Joseph Smith created the fictional Book of Mormon in a manner known as "Automatic Writing." Rees examines this claim.

Ensign Articles

These articles cited below provide information on the topic of this page. The Ensign is one of the official publications of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. When you click on one of the article links below, you are whisked to the article found in the archives of the Church's Web site.

"Book of Mormon Update," Ensign, April 1992, 62. Democratic government in ancient America, silk and linen in the Book of Mormon, Book of Mormon references to Deity.

"New Developments in Book of Mormon Research," Ensign, February 1988, 12. Exciting evidence for the Book of Mormon.

"Recent Studies on the Book of Mormon," Ensign, July 1989, 62. Research on the Sermon on the Mount, Oliver Cowdery's spelling, understanding Isaiah, and more.

"Recent Studies on the Book of Mormon," Ensign, June 1989, 50. Metal alloys and metal workers in Mesoamerica, major principles in both the Bible and the Book of Mormon, synagogues in the Book of Mormon, Mulek - son of Zedekiah, American Indian origins, Uto-Aztecan and Semitic languages, Nephi's arrows, early Jewish festivals and King Benjamin's speech.

John K. Carmack, "United in Love and Testimony," Ensign, May 2001, 76.

Daniel C. Peterson, "Mounting Evidence for the Book of Mormon," Ensign, January 2000, 19. Faithful scholarship continues to expand our understanding of the Book of Mormon.

Larry C. Porter, "Some scholars have implied that the Book of Mormon and LDS theology are products of Joseph Smith's environment. To what extent did Joseph Smith's environment influence the theological developments of the Church?," Ensign, June 1992, 27.

Ellis T. Rasmussen, "What are the best evidences to support the authenticity of the Book of Mormon?," Ensign, January 1987.

Other Resources

The resources listed below are related items available on the Web that should be of interest. These links are to information not located on the FAIR Web site.

Russel Anderson, Hebrew Writing Styles and Idioms. A short collection of Hebrew Idioms that appear in the Book of Mormon

RoseAnn Benson and Stephen D. Ricks, "Treaties and Covenants: Ancient Near Eastern Legal Terminology in the Book of Mormon," Journal of Book of Mormon Studies (Provo, UT: FARMS, 2005), 48-61 Benson and Ricks demonstrate that the Book of Mormon follows authenticly ancient Old World customs regarding treaties and covenants as well as what these covenants mean to the people of God.

John Gee, "Limhi in the Library," Journal of Book of Mormon Studies (Provo: FARMS, 1992), 54-66 Analysis of comparative data and historical background indicates that the quotations in Mosiah 7-22 are historically accurate. Further examination of the quotations of Limhi shows that they depend heavily on other sources. This implies some things about the character of Limhi and provides as well attendant lessons for our own day.

Jeff Lindsay, Mesoamerican Fortifications and the Book of Mormon. This article explores how the discription of war and fortifications in the Book of Mormon is an evidence for the truthfullness of the book.

Jeff Lindsay, Mulek, Son of Zedekiah. Another evidence of the Book of Mormon with non Mormon sources being cited for Mulek the son of King Zedekiah.

Jeff Lindsay, Names in the Book of Mormon . The Book of Mormon introduces roughly 200 new names not found in the Bible. Many of these have been found to have genuine Semitic parallels in ancient times.

Daniel C. Peterson, "Nephi and His Asherah," Journal of Book of Mormon Studies (Provo, UT: FARMS, 2000) Among the ancient Canaanites and Israelites, some believed that Asherah was the heaveny consort of the God "El." Peterson shows that Nephi's dream of the tree of life convincingly demonstrates a knowledge of this Asherah and her association with the tree of life, just as the ancients associated Asherah with the sacred tree. All of these things, of course, would not have been known to Americans in the early nineteenth century.

Daniel C. Peterson, "Scholarship and the Gospel," BYU Speeches (3 August 1999) Dr. Peterson discusses some of the latest developments in LDS scholarship.

Noel B. Reynolds, "The Authorship of the Book of Mormon," BYU Speeches (27 May 1997) Noel Reynolds reviews some of the ongoing studies, by LDS scholars, that relate to the question of Book of Mormon authorship.

Gerald Smith, And It Came To Pass in Maya and Book of Mormon.

Terrence L. Szink, "New Light: Further Evidence for a Semitic Alma," Journal of Book of Mormon Studies (Provo: FARMS, 1997), 70 Some critics have claimed that Joseph flubbed when he included the obviously-female name, "Alma," in the Book of Mormon. New research shows, however, that "Alma" was an authentic ancient Semitic name.

John W. Welch, "Legal Perspectives on the Slaying of Laban," Journal of Book of Mormon Studies (Provo: FARMS, 1992), 119-141

FAIR is not owned, controlled by or affiliated with The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. All research and opinions provided on this site are the sole responsibility of FAIR, and should not be interpreted as official statements of LDS doctrine, belief or practice.

If you like what FAIR does and you agree with our mission, we invite you to support FAIR in any way you are able. You can make a donation, or visit our Membership page for additional support ideas. FAIR only succeeds through the efforts of our gracious volunteers.

Welcome | Topical Guide | FAIR Publications | Join & Support FAIR | Message Boards
FAIR LDS Bookstore | News | FAIR Links | Contact FAIR | Home

Last Updated April 27, 2008
Copyright © 2007 by The Foundation for Apologetic Information and Research. All Rights Reserved.
No portion of this site may be reproduced on any other Web site or in any other print publication
without the express written consent of FAIR. You may freely link to this information, however, or you
may print out copies to give to others, provided this copyright notice is included in your printout.

You can send comments/suggestions using our contact page.