Similarities between view of the hebrews and the book of mormon

The connection between view of the hebrews and the book of mormon has been thoroughly debunked many times. He found numerous parallels between the book of mormon and view of the hebrews. In the few cases where view of the hebrews has something in common with the book of mormon regarding matters not treated in those other sources, the similarities are superficial only. Similarities between view of the hebrews, the late war. Smith quotes dozens of scriptures in an attempt to show that in the. Critics note numerous parallels between phrases in the book of mormon and. View of the hebrews reads very much like a gospel tract. Taken together, the evidence indicates that joseph smith drew heavily from various sources for his book. His position is that if his comparative analysis reveals a significant number of similarities between the two books, and if a sufficient number of those similarities are substantial, then it can be reasonably said that the one had its origin in. Josephs environment and the book of mormon book of. Ive finally gotten around to researching this oftcited alternative theory about the true origins of the book of mormon, and i was both perplexed and amused by what i found. After reading jeremys letter, the director promised him a response. What are the major differences between the bible and the book of mormon.

The two books, view of the hebrews and the book of mormon have been undergoing comparisons for decades. Roberts asked for help with the similarities between the two books. By the time joseph translated the book of mormon, some people of the day believed that the indians were descendants of the lost tribes. If the book of mormon is the solid thing that keeps you lds, then i am certain you have answers to these questions. Roberts did his work on the two in 1922, interest in the parallels grew. Similarities with the view of the hebrews if you follow any of the above links, please respect the rules of reddit and dont vote in the other threads. His book contained reports from missionaries and traders who lived among the indians. The theory the joseph smith plagiarized view of the hebrews was never advanced during his lifetime. Jeremy runnells was offered an opportunity to discuss his own doubts with a director of the church educational system ces and was assured that his doubts could be resolved. Cowdery served as scribe during the transcription of the book of mormon, and was one of the three witnesses to the golden plates.

What specific books are believed to have inspired or influenced joseph smith in his authoring of the book of mormon. Roberts, mormon apostle and historian, was deeply enough impressed with them that he made a study of them. For years now ive heard people offhandedly dismiss the book of mormon as a known plagiarism of the solomon spaulding manuscript. Ethan smith lived in poultney, vermont at the same time as oliver cowdary, who later became one of joseph smiths scribes. Some critics claim that joseph smith copied much of the structure and content of the book of mormon from the 1823 book view of the hebrews by ethan smith no relation to joseph smith. View of the hebrews in 1823, a pastor by the name of ethan smith from poultney, vermont wrote and published the first edition of the view of the hebrews. Some critics believe joseph smith plagiarized the view of the hebrews when he wrote the book of mormon.

Exploring claims of plagiarism in the book of mormon part. The view of the hebrews is a book written in 1823 by ethan smith no relation to joseph. A book was written shortly before the book of mormon which contains some. Dec 29, 2008 i have not read view of the hebrews cover to cover but have read through it and personally i find a number of parallels between view of the hebrews and the book of mormon. One aspect of the book of mormon which cant be ignored is the massive scale of death, i mean between the jaredite, lamanite, and nephite peoples were talking 6 million dead on the low. Here are the similarities between the view of the hebrews and the book of mormon extensive quotation from the prophecies of isaiah in the old testament. It was first published in 1823 the book of mormon was published 6 years later in 1829. In fact roberts dedicates approximately 150 pages or about half of the book to the parallels between view of the hebrews and the book of mormon. Chart comparing the book of mormon and view of hebrews. Just as the similarities between hebrews and the dead sea scrolls likely stem from the fact that they both drew on a different version of the old testament. Mormon challenges could the book of mormon story have come.

View of the hebrews talks of indian traditions that state that their fathers were able to foretell the future and control nature. Roberts conducted an exhaustive comparison and analysis of these two books and concluded there is merit to this criticism. In 1921, lds church authorities were asked to reply to questions posed by a mr. Woodbridge riley in 1902 was the first author to suggest a relationship between view of the hebrews and the book of mormon the founder of mormonism, new york, 1902, pp. For example, they misquote the book of mormon s account of samuel the lamanite to make it sound like the view of the hebrews account of jesus ben ananias. The author ethan smith was the pastor of the religious congregation in which the oliver cowdrey family attended. Ethan smiths view of the hebrews, published seven years before the book of mormon is thought to be source material for joseph smiths book of mormon. In short, similarities between view of the hebrews and the book of mormon do not require the dependance of one upon the other but are most easily explained as two reflections of common nineteenthcentury assumptions about the american indians. The book of hebrews also warns believers about falling away from the faith, and challenges them to persevere in difficult circumstances, remaining faithful to the new covenant.

The 1st rule of book of mormon evidence there is no. Is view of the hebrews a source for the book of mormon. Everything that is common or even vaguely similar between the book of mormon and the view of the hebrews could have been borrowed more easily from the bible or from prevailing beliefs at that time. Did view of the hebrews influence themes in joseph smith. View of the hebrews and the book of mormon book of mormon.

The book of mormon teaches that god has flesh and bones and that he has a wife with whom they produce spirit offspring in heaven that will inhabit human bodies on earth. Alleged relationships of view of the hebrews to the book of mormon have. Similarities between view of the hebrews, the late. This is the chance for people to actually document the similarities and differences. Josephs environment and the book of mormon book of mormon. Apr 17, 2018 an old testament knowhy for gospel doctrine lesson 14. Below is a long list of similarities between the view of the hebrews and the book of mormon.

Both books claimed to provide evidence that the indians were remnants of the ten lost tribes of israel. Cultural parallels between the old world and the new world. In the book the view of the hebrews, what counterarguments. Roberts was asked by church leaders to compare view of the hebrews and the book of mormon, he. Nibley and other lds scholars have written at length about egyptian temple rites. The full title of the 1825 edition is view of the hebrews. Criticisms related to view of the hebrews and the book of mormon. The bible the bible teaches that all men have sinned and fallen short of the glory of god. A pastor who lived near cowdery, ethan smith, had written view of the hebrews, another work that has been posited as a source for the book of mormon. Ethan smiths view of the hebrews you can obtain a copy proposes that the ancestors of the american indians were of hebrew origin, and gives good evidence, but no story line of history such as the book of mormon provides. Ces letter is one latterday saints honest quest to get official answers from the lds church on its troubling origins, history, and practices. What similarities are there between egyptian and israelite temples. While this chart appears to provide a detailed comparison to the book of mormon, it is really very superficial and there are far more dissimilarities in the two texts. Book of mormonauthorship theoriesview of the hebrews.

Hebrews 11 is a stunning description of how faith and hope across the ages have been the distinguishing characteristics of gods people, beginning with abraham. Is the book of mormon plagiarized from view of the hebrews. The bulk of robertss manuscript considers the similarities between view of the hebrews and the book of mormon. Although it is difficult to always know why similarities appear between the new testament and the book of mormon, in the case of hebrews the answer is somewhat clearer. The similarities between this manuscript and the book of mormon are general.

What is the difference between the bible and the book of. Exaggerated similarities between the book of mormon and. Roberts privately researched the link between the book of mormon and the view of the hebrews, josephs father having the same dream in 1811 as lehis dream, and other sources that were available to joseph smith, oliver cowdery, martin harris and others before the publication of the book of mormon. View of the hebrews1823 book of mormon1829 very very. In february, 1828, martin harris, one of joseph smiths associates, made a copy of some of the caractors from the golden plates, and took his copy to a professor charles anthon, in new york city. Richard longeneckers suggestion that hebrews drew on a version of the old testament that is now lost to us could help to explain the similarities between hebrews and the book of mormon. Ethan smiths book proposes that the american indians were the lost tribes of israel and has several. Mormon challenges could the book of mormon story have. Ethan smith was a minister of a congregational church in poultney, vermont from 1821 to 1826 when he wrote view of the hebrews. Jan 27, 2010 critic fawn brodie notes that it may be proved that joseph smith saw view of the hebrews before writing the book of mormon, but the striking parallelisms between the books hardly leave a case for mere coincidence. The prevailing theory of the day was the spalding theory, which quickly lost credibility upon the discovery of an actual spalding manuscript in 1884 which bore no resemblance to the book of mormon. The author ethan smith was the pastor of the religious congregation in which.

For rarely does one find an alternative theory advanced to expose the true origins of a. The bible is not a book but a collection of 66 books, written over a span of 1600 years across 3 continents, by over 40 writers inspired by god in 3 languages yet it has one primary theme the glory of god and salvat. Exaggerated similarities between view of the hebrews and the. In addition, fawn brodies book, no man knows my history, and g. Charles tate has introduced and edited the entire text of the 1825 edition in an effort to invite our readers to decide for themselves concerning the alleged connection between smiths treatise and the book of mormon.

It is curious that the ces letter spends three pages discussing the view of hebrews. In fact, this would have been much more likely, since joseph smith and. As i mentioned i do not think that joseph smith borrowed any actual text from the voth to create the book of mormon. Roberts concluded that view of the hebrews had been published first, that the possibility that joseph smith had access to it was a very close certainty, and that there were many similarities between the works. Jun 08, 2007 here are the similarities between the view of the hebrews and the book of mormon extensive quotation from the prophecies of isaiah in the old testament.

Ethan smith, pastor of the congregational church in poultney, vermont, argued that the native americans were scattered israelites who would soon be restored into the gospel fold. View of the hebrews 1823 book of mormon 1829 very very similar stories. What are the similarities and differences between view of the hebrews and the book of mormon. David persuitte, joseph smith and the origins of the book. It is unclear what motivated roberts to do the comparison, or where he first learned of view of the hebrews,2 but he never. View of the hebrews points out similarities between hebrew of some native american languages. Brodie, biographer of joseph smith, have noted similarities in the content of view of the hebrews and the book of mormon, which was first published in. What are the similarities and differences between view of. Harrisons fictitious book, mormons are peculiar people, raised public awareness about some similarities between the two books. Ye shall be a peculiar treasure unto me exodus 1520. Persuitte provides a number of text comparisons between view of the hebrews and the book of mormon. It is so similar to view of the hebrews and the late war that i am shocked that people believe it.

If the view of the hebrews served as the basis for the book of mormon, one would think that the bible scriptures used by ethan smith would be mined by joseph smith for the book of mormon. How the dead sea scrolls shed light on similarities between. I have not read view of the hebrews cover to cover but have read through it and personally i find a number of parallels between view of the hebrews and the book of mormon. Interestingly, oliver cowdery, scribe, and later witness of the book of mormon, lived in poultney for 22 years until 1825. Ces letter misportrays the content of the two books. Similarities between hebrews and the dead sea scrolls suggest that hebrews draws on a version of the old testament that may have been on the plates of brass but has now been lost to history. Would you respond to the theories that the book of mormon.

Can we view it with the same regard as we view the. It is claimed that a 19th century work by ethan smith, view of the hebrews, provided source material for joseph smiths construction of the book of mormon. Did joseph smith plagiarize from view of the hebrews when. Consider the similarities between the book of mormon and view of the hebrews as. The book of mormon view of the hebrews the king james bible the book of mormon tells the story of inspired seers and prophets. Roberts was able to put together, in parallel form, eighteen similarities between view of the hebrews and the book of mormon. Was the book of mormon a plagiarism of a book called a view.

Exaggerated similarities between view of the hebrews and. Oliver cowdery was a thirdcousin of lucy mack smith, joseph smiths mother. The view of the hebrews theory was examined in detail by b. The curious case of solomon spaulding mormon matters. In the 20th century, mormon scholars noted the parallels between view of the hebrews and the book of mormon and suggested that joseph smith had used view of the hebrews as a source in composing the book of mormon, or that he was at least influenced by the popular 19thcentury ideas expounded in the earlier work. Is the book of mormon like any other nineteenth century. For almost a century critics of the authenticity of the book of mormon have claimed that view of the hebrews, first published by ethan smith in 1823 2d ed. Examining spaldings actual novel proved that the mormons had been right all along. Is the book of mormon like any other nineteenth century book. He cited some twentysix similarities between the two books.

What is unique about the books of james and hebrews. Some also postulate a link between ethan smith and oliver cowdery, since both men lived in poultney, vermont while smith served as the pastor of the church that oliver. Similarities with the view of the hebrews rmormonscholar book of mormon issue 8. For example, they misquote the book of mormons account of samuel the lamanite to make it sound like the view of the hebrews account of jesus ben ananias many of the parallels are unique to the second. How the dead sea scrolls shed light on similarities. A reader and commentator here suggested that there were parallels between view of the hebrews, the late war, and the book of mormon. He shows how it is very possible and most likely, that joseph smith plagiarized view of the hebrews. Would you respond to the theories that the book of mormon is. There are those who claim that because of the extensive similarities between the book of mormon and view of the hebrews, that joseph smith must have used view of the hebrews as inspiration for inventing the story of the book of mormon. View of the hebrews is one of perhaps half a dozen pre1830 books supporting the thesis that the american indians or native americans were of hebrew. Welch and john gee have pointed out significant stylistic and conceptual differences between the book of mormon and view of the hebrews.

Roberts took the position of examining the book of mormon from a critical perspective in order to alert the general authorities to possible future avenues of attack by critics. As noted repeatedly in various sections of this book, josephlike all prophets was, in part, a product of his milieu. View of the hebrews 1825 by ethan smith this book, written by a minister named ethan smith, contained stories and information proposing that the first settlers of ancient america were the lost ten tribes of israel. Scripture use in view of the hebrews and the book of mormon.

Would you respond to the theories that the book of mormon is based. In 1775 james adair published a history of the american indians, and in 1823 ethan smith published view of the hebrews. The destruction of jerusalem i will now examine specific similarities that are cited most often by critics. The first supposed similarity is the fact that both view of the hebrews and the book of mormon reference jerusalem being destroyed. Ethan smith lived in poultney, vermont at the same time as oliver cowdary, who later became one of.

This is described in the first chapter of voth and lehi is warned of. What specific books are believed to have inspired or. Joseph smiths probable source of the book of mormon. In the 20th century, mormon scholars noted the parallels between view of the hebrews and the book of mormon 10 and suggested that joseph smith had used view of the hebrews as a source in composing the book of mormon, or that he was at least influenced by the popular 19thcentury ideas expounded in the earlier work. Apr 16, 2014 there are those who claim that because of the extensive similarities between the book of mormon and view of the hebrews, that joseph smith must have used view of the hebrews as inspiration for inventing the story of the book of mormon. How do you explain the several similarities between the book of mormon and a view of the hebrewsa book written by man who was a preacher at cowderys church and a book that joseph read. Ces letter picks 34 parallels between view of the hebrews and the book of mormon. Exaggerated similarities between the book of mormon and view.

An old testament knowhy for gospel doctrine lesson 14. I will now examine specific similarities that are cited most often by critics. In the book the view of the hebrews, what counterarguments h. Some of the similarities between the book of mormon and view of the hebrews are so notable and striking that b. Lds revelations view of the hebrews book of mormon 1.

The parallels between the view of the hebrews and the book of mormon are actually so tenuous that in 1996 the religious studies center at byu reprinted ethans 1825 book, making it readily available for anyone to see the differences for themselves. Ces letter my search for answers to my mormon doubts. Did joseph smith plagiarize from view of the hebrews when writing the book of mormon by jeff lindsay. While some have claimed it to be a source for the book of mormon, no direct connections between this book and the book of mormon have been demonstrated. Welch listed some 84 differences between the two books. Knowhy otl14a what similarities are there between egyptian. View of the hebrews flooded the area in which joseph smith lived. View of the hebrews and the book of mormon book of. Religious studies center, brigham young university, 1988, 20617. His worldview, environment, and education no doubt influenced his interpretation of scripture, how it related to his surroundings, his understanding of past and future prophecies, and his interpretation of historical events.

The people in spauldings book do not abide by the laws set forth by moses while the people in the book of mormon adhere to it very strictly which is the entire backbone for the theory that joseph smith used view of the hebrews to plagiarize the book of mormon, but more on that later. But the differences between these books are very significant. In fact, this would have been much more likely, since joseph smith and his family were avid readers of the bible. Numerous commentators on mormon history, from lds church general authority b. Did view of the hebrews influence themes in joseph smiths. Many similarities between the book of mormon and the view of the hebrews.