Who really wrote the book of Mormon? [Paperback]

Howard A. Davis (Author), Wayne L. Cowdrey (Author), Donald R. Scales (Author), Dr. Walter Martin (Foreword)

Product Details

• Paperback: 257 pages
• Publisher: Vision House Publishers (1977)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0884490688
• ISBN-13: 978-0884490685
• Product Dimensions: 8.1 x 5.2 x 0.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 12 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 3.2 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (8 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #170,616 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A MODERN STATEMENT OF THE "SPALDING THEORY" OF BOM AUTHORSHIP, March 24, 2011

By 

Steven H. Propp (Sacramento, CA USA) - See all my reviews
(TOP 500 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Who really wrote the book of Mormon? (Paperback)

Cult researcher Walter Martin wrote the Foreword to this 1980 book, in which he said, "After extensive research into ... the Mormon Church 25 years ago, I was convinced that I knew the true source of 'The Book of Mormon'... Although some agreed with me, most thought that my assertion of Spalding's part in the mystery of Mormonism was the assertion of one naive of the facts. For 25 years I have known that the Spalding source could be proved if one only had the time and the dedication to ferret it out. Wayne Cowdrey, Don Scales, and Howard Davis have had that dedication, and this book is the result."

(It should be noted that, in addition to criticisms of this theory by Mormons, Christian anti-Mormon writers Jerald and Sandra Tanner also rejected the theory in their book, Did Spalding write the Book of Mormon?. Cowdrey and Davis have also more recently expanded and updated their arguments in the book, Who Really Wrote the Book of Mormon?: The Spalding Enigma.)

The authors write in the Introduction, "After hundreds of hours of painstaking research, we have come to a firm and studied conviction: The Book of Mormon is not a genuine revelation from God at all, but was derived from a novel written by Solomon Spalding... titled 'The Manuscript Found.' We ask only that you read this book carefully and come to your own reasoned conclusion as to the true source of The Book of Mormon."

Here are some other quotations from the book:

"The Spalding theory was not something newly contrived in the twentieth century, but was a volatile issue from the very beginning of Mormonism." (Pg. 51)
"Clearly, (Sidney) Rigdon knew more than he was telling... He knew more than a Campbellite preacher unfamiliar with the Golden Bible should know, who claimed never to have heard of it until the end of 1830." (Pg. 114)
"The reason for establishing the important distinction between the two known novels of Spalding is that his FIRST novel has been heralded by Mormons for years as 'proof' that the minister's work was different from The Book of Mormon." (Pg. 160)
"(Handwriting expert) Doulder examined both sets of originals, but his second opinion contradicted his own first report..." (Pg. 175)
(Howard C. Ross-Doulder) "It is my conclusion the handwriting in the name of Solomon Spalding is NOT the author of the unidentified pages..." (Pg. 186)

3 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars A Unique Approach to an Unusual Subject, September 27, 2008

By 

Roger Baker "Methodist Clergy & MS patient" (Burke, Virginia (USA)) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Who really wrote the book of Mormon? (Paperback)

Not a lot of people know about Solomon Spaulding and his book "Manuscript Story," a romantic account of native Americans who were in fact the lost tribes of Israel, or so the story goes. The authors of this book, while sometimes a bit over-the-top in their zeal to debunk the source of the Book of Mormon nonetheless do a good job of documenting some facts and some speculations. This tome is a good one for the shelf of anyone interested in Mormon or mainstream Christian apologetics. The price is rather low and good copies can yet be found.

5 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A Must Read Book, August 17, 2010

By 

Marge (Livingston, TX) - See all my reviews

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Who really wrote the book of Mormon? (Paperback)

This book was the most revealing book I've ever read. It showed me in a factual way the truth about the Book of Mormon. I encourage anyone seeking the truth to read this book. It is written in an unbiased way. It leaves you to make your own conclusion. It just presents the facts.