Customer Reviews

The Creation of the Book of Mormon : A Historical Inquiry

5 star:		(3)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

Although now excommunicated, Lamar Petersen (born 1910) was a member of the Advisory Board of Editors for the Utah Historical Quarterly for eighteen years; he also directed the Mozart School of Music for thirty years "and has been for seventy years a professional organist in Salt Lake churches." He is also the author of Hearts Made Glad: The charges of Intemperance against Joseph Smith the Mormon prophet and Problems in Mormon text: A brief study of changes in important Latter-day Saint publications including the Book of Mormon ... with references to controversial ... the priesthood and Mormon concepts of deity.

He wrote in the Introduction to this 2000 book, "In the following pages the attempt has been made to explore, and possibly to illumine, the origin of the Book of Mormon. Particular attention has been paid to the statements of those who were instrumental in building the church and to those who were interested spectators. The personal bias of each individual must, of course, be considered and also the time and circumstance under which his information was given... It is not to be supposed that the information presented is final or conclusive."

Here are some quotations from the book:

"Most Mormons consider the traditional account of Joseph Smith's First Vision ... Usually there is very little discussion of the historical development ... of the early visions of Joseph Smith. The most traditional approach is simply to bear a testimony to its truthfulness." (Pg. 21)
"Did Joseph Smith receive a unique instrument through angelic interposition in 1827---known to the ancients as Urim and Thummim and likewise known to Joseph from the time he removed it from Cumorah---or did the stone found in the well of Willard Chase become a Urim and Thummim to him several years after the founding of the church?" (Pg. 40)
"If the affidavits and the eighty or more signatures that (Hurlbut) obtained are ignored, the remaining accounts of Joseph's interest in mystic arts still form a formidable challenge to church history. Even if true, however, they may not be a crippling indictment; they do not obviate his right or his ability to establish a church, but they do make his claims to divine guidance suspect." (Pg. 53)
"Either theory regarding the particular metal (the "golden plates" were made of) and its weight poses a problem in considering Joseph's run through the woods while repelling assailants, or Emma's moving the plates about in order to dust." (Pg. 84)
"Martin (Harris) was a joiner. During the 1840s he became a follower of Ann Lee and the Shakers, then switched allegiance to James Jesse Strang, claimant to Joseph's mantle, and served as a missionary in England for Strangite Mormonism. Altogether he joined eight different groups." (Pg. 89)
"The most drastic damage to the accepted image of the three witnesses is the very real possibility that their testimony may have been based on a visionary or mental experience, and not a physical one." (Pg. 94)

The first reviewer of this book stated that it was full of "question-begging assumptions." He provides no examples of this, as indeed he cannot. The work is even-handed. Because the author comes to a conclusion that some Mormons are uncomfortable with, they will buck and moan. Read it if you are interested in a balanced approach. Do not read it if you are looking for the faith-promoting pabulum of FARMS writers.

The Petersen book is a cut above from the anti-Mormon fare, not engaging in the more out-dated claims offered against the Book of Mormon, such as the inane "adieu" and "Land of Jerusalem" argument critics offer against Book of Mormon antiquity, notwithstanding such claims being outdated for several decades now. However, it fails to engage with Book of Mormon scholarship that reveals that it could not have been fabricated by anyone from the 19th century.

The question of Book of Mormon material culture arises in the text, but such arguments have, too, been answered and have been outdated for some time. I suggest one to track down "An ancient American setting for the Book of Mormon" by John L Sorenson to see how plausible Book of Mormon material culture (e.g., flora and fauna) is in light of its ancient Mesoamerican setting.

Petersen fails to answer questions that critics have been obfuscating from for some time now. For instance, how did Joseph Smith know so much about Arabia? How did he know of the presence of a continually flowing river south-south-east of Jerusalem in Arabia, when, for decades, critics have derided such (and, in their ignorance, continue to do) as an impossibility 9see 1 Nephi 2:5-8)? How did he know of a burial site, *NHM* in the same direction, corresponding to "Nahom" where Ishamel was buried in 1 Nephi 16:34? Furthermore, on this point, lime altars have been found in this region, attesting to the historicity of the name and burial site pre-dating the Book of Mormon volume, serving as the first archaeological evidences attesting Book of Mormon antiquity. In addition, how could Smith have known of a lush garden spot east of Nahom, and describe all its physical and material cultural characteristics, when, again, critics have derided Bountiful in Arabia as another impossibility?

In terms of Book of Mormon antiquity, I am only scraping the barrell. However, this should be suffice to show that critics have some way to go before they will be taken seriously by knowledgeable Latter-day Saints.

I welcome feedback at Robert.S.Boylan@nuim.ie

This is a great book, since we find an impartial look into mormonism. It has all the information with evidences and proves. Has a precious part we documents. A great book to everyone interrested and with courage to know mormonism.

Lamar Petersen has done the unthinkable. He questioned authority in Utah. In this tax and spend right wing conservative emporium . Where both political parties were created by a polygamist and head of the Mormon Church Brigham Young.One does not question the written word of the all white male LDS authority. The author has penned the results of his research and it is up to you to draw your own conclusions. The People of Utah successfully covered up the slaughter of innocent people in the Mountain Meadow Massacre. Where innocent people were murdered by the followers of Brigham Young. The empty reviews...I read the book and it reinforced my belief that lDS is a cult created by a scam artist named Joseph Smith. Josph Smith was ejected from the state of New York after various scams against the people. But later in life Joseph Smith and his brother were having second thoughts about the religion he craeted. While in prision they were murdered by a mob? or was it really a power struggle? The deaths left Brigham Young a undisputed lead of the polygamist Mormon Church. i reccommend this book in a big way as i do the Godmakers.

I found this book full of question-begging assumptions and relentlessly prone to naturalistic reductionism. Not very impressive. Not worth writing much more about. Read it if you want to. Your life will be just fine if you don't.