Episode 7

Joseph Smith's Surrounding Influences in the Book of Mormon

Original Air Date: 2022-05-31

Book of Mormon19th Century InfluencesView of the Hebrews

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Here is a detailed summary of the video "Joseph Smith's Surrounding Influences in the Book of Mormon," based on the provided transcript.

Overview and Thesis

The video features host John Dehlin and Mike from LDS Discussions exploring the environmental and cultural influences present in the 19th century that appear within the Book of Mormon 1. The central thesis is that the text contains numerous "fingerprints" of Joseph Smith’s own time and place, suggesting that he is the author rather than the translator of an ancient record 2, 3. The hosts argue that when viewed cumulatively, these influences demonstrate that the book addresses 19th-century concerns and utilizes 19th-century literary styles that would be foreign to ancient Mesoamericans 4, 5.

The "Mound Builder" Myth

A significant portion of the discussion focuses on the Mound Builder Myth, a prevalent belief among white settlers in the early 1800s 6.

  • The Myth: Settlers believed the extensive earthen mounds found across North America were built by a lost, superior, and often white race that was subsequently exterminated by "savage" ancestors of the Native Americans 7. This narrative served to dehumanize Native Americans and justify European expansion 8, 9.
  • Connection to the Text: The hosts argue this myth mirrors the core narrative of the Book of Mormon, where the white, civilized Nephites are destroyed by the dark-skinned Lamanites 7.
  • Evidence: They cite an 1832 poem by William Cullen Bryant, The Prairies, and quotes from William Henry Harrison, which describe a "disciplined and populous race" wiped out by "warlike and fierce" tribes, creating a narrative almost identical to the Book of Mormon 10, 11. This indicates Joseph Smith was writing within a cultural milieu that already believed in this specific ancient history 12.

    • View of the Hebrews and B.H. Roberts

    The video addresses View of the Hebrews, a book published by Ethan Smith (Oliver Cowdery’s pastor) prior to the Book of Mormon 13, 14.

  • Parallel Ideas: While Mike does not believe Joseph Smith necessarily plagiarized this specific book, he argues both works drew from the same "shared milieu" of the Mound Builder myth and the idea that Native Americans were descendants of the Lost Tribes of Israel 14, 15.
  • B.H. Roberts' Analysis: The hosts highlight the work of LDS General Authority B.H. Roberts, who, in the 1920s, identified "menacing" parallels between the two books 16. These included migrations from Jerusalem, a division into civilized and uncivilized groups, and the eventual destruction of the civilized portion 17. Roberts concluded that the similarities were too significant to be ignored 18.

    • Contemporary Literary Influences

    To address the "King James" style of the Book of Mormon, the hosts examine other books from the era, such as The First Book of Napoleon and The Late War 19, 20.

  • Scriptural Style: These books demonstrate that writing in a pseudo-biblical style (using "and it came to pass") was a common literary genre of the time, used to make texts sound authoritative or sacred 20.
  • Similar Phrasing: The Late War, a school textbook accessible to Joseph Smith, uses language and themes strikingly similar to the Book of Mormon, such as "curious workmanship" and specific battle descriptions 21. This suggests the Book of Mormon's style was a product of its time rather than a unique ancient translation 20.

    • Treasure Digging and Folk Magic

    The hosts discuss how Joseph Smith’s background in treasure digging and folk magic was integrated into the Book of Mormon 21.

  • Slippery Treasures: The text describes treasures becoming "slippery" and sinking into the earth so they cannot be retrieved (Helaman 13; Mormon 1), which mirrors the specific excuses used by 19th-century treasure diggers when they failed to find anything 22, 23.
  • Seer Stones: The book elevates the title of "seer" above that of a "prophet," describing a seer as one who can look into "interpreters" (stones) to translate records 24. The hosts argue this is Joseph Smith validating his own role as a "glass looker" or treasure seer within the scriptural text 25, 26.

    • Anti-Masonic Sentiment

    The inclusion of "secret combinations" in the Book of Mormon is linked to the intense anti-Masonic panic that occurred in the 1820s, particularly following the disappearance of William Morgan in 1826 27.

  • Political Context: The fear that secret societies were infiltrating the government and destroying democracy was a dominant political issue in New York during the time Joseph was writing 28.
  • Contemporary Recognition: The hosts note that early readers recognized this connection immediately; Martin Harris reportedly called the Book of Mormon the "anti-Masonic bible," and the Ohio Star newspaper noted in 1831 that the book was strictly anti-Masonic 29.

    • Biographical Inclusions

    The video details instances where Joseph Smith appears to write his own family history and experiences into the text.

  • Joseph Smith Senior's Dream: Joseph’s father had a vision in 1811 involving a desolate field, a tree with white fruit, a rod, and a spacious building 30. This dream appears almost identically in the Book of Mormon as Lehi’s vision of the Tree of Life 30. Mike notes that Joseph Smith seemingly uses the text to "correct" his father's interpretation of the dream regarding the "filthiness" of the water, effectively using the "voice of God" to settle theological disputes within the Smith family 31.
  • The Anthon Visit: The hosts argue that the prophecy in 2 Nephi 27 regarding a "learned man" saying "I cannot read a sealed book" is a retrofitting of Martin Harris’s visit to scholar Charles Anthon 32. By writing the event into the text after it happened, Joseph Smith creates a "self-serving" prophecy to bolster his own credibility and link his work to Isaiah 33, 34.
  • The Lost 116 Pages: The text includes specific admonitions related to the loss of the 116 manuscript pages, such as warnings about lending items to neighbors, which function as a rebuke of Martin Harris written directly into the "ancient" record 35.

    • Conclusion

    The episode concludes that these elements—when taken together—show that the Book of Mormon is not an ancient history but a 19th-century creation. The text prophesies of events known to Joseph Smith (like the Anthon visit) but remains vague on events after 1829, creating a "fingerprint" of the author's timeline 36, 37. The hosts suggest that acknowledging these sources requires one to accept that "no one but Joseph Smith could have been the one to write it" because it is so deeply rooted in his specific environment 2, 37.

    Episode Info

    Guests: Mike (LDS Discussions)

    Related Article: LDS Discussions