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Examining common phrase patterns between the Book of Mormon, the Doctrine and Covenants and other LDS writings, the hand of a common author becomes clear, suggesting Joseph Smith’s creative mind as the source.

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Excerpted from our book, Joseph Smith’s Plagiarism of the Bible in the Book of Mormon

By Jerald and Sandra Tanner

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One of the ongoing issues relating to the Book of Mormon is the question of authorship. In our newly revised book, Joseph Smith’s Plagiarism of the Bible in the Book of Mormon, we examine many of the possible sources used to create the text. The author of the Book of Mormon obviously borrowed from such works as the King James Bible, the Apocrypha, the Westminster Confession, New York newspapers, etc., but who was the mastermind behind the work? We also look at the issue of authorship in light of the Solomon Spalding manuscript, chiasmus, Freemasonry and problems with the loss of the first 116 pages of the Book of Mormon manuscript.

In this section we are looking at some of the common phrases between the Book of Mormon, the Doctrine and Covenants and other LDS writings which point to Joseph Smith as the common author.

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Smith’s Common Phrases

After noticing that the same phrases of two or more words appear time after time throughout Joseph Smith’s scriptures, we did a computer search to identify these groups of words and feel that they provide evidence that the Book of Mormon, Joseph Smith’s Inspired Version of the Bible, the Doctrine and Covenants (D&C) and the Pearl of Great Price were all the product of one mind.

We searched for certain combinations of words which are strewn throughout the Book of Mormon. The following are just a few of the many word combinations which we found:

The recurrence of specific word combinations seems to indicate that these patterns are part of the author’s own peculiar style rather than words borrowed from somebody else. It is true, of course, that they may have initially appeared in some other writing, but the fact that they are repeated a number of times throughout the Book of Mormon leads us to suspect that they have become part of the author’s style.

When we find a number of different Book of Mormon writers—e.g., Nephi, Jacob, Enos, Moroni and Mormon—all using many of the same unusual word combinations, we begin to suspect that all these books were actually written by one person. Our research leads us to believe that, notwithstanding the plagiarism from the Bible and other sources, one author can still be identified throughout the entire Book of Mormon.

While the BYU researchers would have us believe that Joseph Smith had nothing to do with creating the text of the Book of Mormon, our study yielded strong evidence that Smith was indeed the author. Joseph Smith’s 1832 account of his early life demonstrates his ability to insert biblical phrases into his narrative the same as was done in the Book of Mormon.¹ The Book of Mormon opens with this statement: “I, Nephi, having been born of goodly parents.” Smith’s own story states: “I was born in the town of Sharon . . . of goodly parents.” In Smith’s 1832 account he speaks of “the inhabitants of the earth.”² This biblical phrase is in Daniel 4:35, among other places: “the inhabitants of the earth.” 2 Nephi 28:16 speaks of “the inhabitants of the earth” (see also Ether 3:25). The same phrase is used repeatedly in the Doctrine and Covenants.³

Along with our studies of the Book of Mormon, we studied Joseph Smith’s early revelations and the preface he wrote for the first edition of the Book of Mormon. This preface, no longer printed in the Book of Mormon, explains how God proposed to handle the loss of the first 116 pages of the manuscript. The style of this document also closely resembles the Book of Mormon and Smith’s other writings. For instance, in the preface to the 1830 Book of Mormon we read “I translated, by the gift and power of God.” This same phrase is found in the Book of Mormon, Omni 1:20: “and he did interpret the engravings by the gift and power of God.” The preface also contains the phrase: “to tempt the Lord their God.” This is similar to Luke 4:12: “shall not tempt the Lord thy God.” This phrase also appears in the Doctrine and Covenants 10:15: “to get thee to tempt the Lord thy God.”

Smith’s writings contain many similar phrases as the Book of Mormon. In 2 Nephi 28:22 we read: “And behold, others he flattereth away, and telleth them there is no hell; . . .” Then in the Doctrine and Covenants 10:26 we read: “And thus he flattereth them, and leadeth them along until he draggeth their souls down to hell; . . . ”

A common phrase in both the Book of Mormon and the Doctrine and Covenants is “build up my church.” Doctrine and Covenants 10:54 states: “build up my church.” In Mormon 3:2 we read: “build up again my church.” In 4 Nephi 1:26 we read: “build up churches.”

Another common phrase is “more particular.”

• 1 Nephi 19:2
  the things which transpired before I made these plates are, of a truth, more particularly made mention upon the first plates.

• 2 Nephi 5:33
  And if my people desire to know the more particular part of the history of my people they must search mine other plates.

• Alma 13:19
  Now, there were many before him, and also there were many afterwards, but none were greater; therefore, of him they have more particularly made mention.

• Doctrine and Covenants 10:39-40
  Yea, and you remember it was said in those writings that a more particular account was given of these things upon the plates of Nephi. And now, because the account which is engraven upon the plates of Nephi is more particular concerning the things which, in my wisdom, I would bring to the knowledge of the people in this account—

“Or, in other words” is another common phrase of Smith’s but it is not found in the Bible. This phrase is in the 1830 Book of Mormon Preface, the Book of Mormon, Doctrine and Covenants and Smith’s Inspired Version of the Bible and other writings, such as his 1838 Liberty Jail letter published in the Times and Seasons.

• Preface 1830 Book of Mormon
  and if I should bring forth the same words again, or, in other words, if I should translate the same over again, they would publish that which they had stolen, and Satan would stir up the hearts . . .

• 1 Nephi 8:2
  And it came to pass that while my father tarried in the wilderness he spake unto us, saying: Behold, I have dreamed a dream; or, in other words, I have seen a vision.

• 1 Nephi 10:4
  Yea, even six hundred years from the time that my father left Jerusalem, a prophet would the Lord God raise up among the Jews—even a Messiah, or, in other words, a Savior of the world.

• Mosiah 7:27
  he should take upon him the image of man, and it should be the image after which man was created in the beginning; or in other words, he said that man was created after the image of God, . . .

• Alma 32:16
  Therefore, blessed are they who humble themselves without being compelled to be humble; or rather, in other words, blessed is he . . .

• 3 Nephi 6:20
  and testifying unto them concerning the redemption which the Lord would make for his people, or in other words, the resurrection of Christ; and they did testify boldly of his death and sufferings.

• Doctrine and Covenants 10:17
  And if God giveth him power again, or if he translates again, or, in other words, if he bringeth forth the same words, behold, we have the same with us, and we have altered them;

• Doctrine and Covenants 61:23
  let them come not again upon the waters, save it be upon the canal, while journeying unto their homes; or in other words they shall not come upon the waters to journey, save upon the canal.

• Doctrine and Covenants 95:17
  And let the higher part of the inner court be dedicated unto me for the school of mine apostles, saith Son Ahman; or, in other words, Alphus; or, in other words, Omegus; even Jesus Christ your Lord.

• Joseph Smith Translation, Luke 6:29
  And unto him who smiteth thee on the cheek, offer also the other; or, in other words, it is better to offer the other, than to revile again.

• Joseph Smith Translation, Luke 17:37
  And he said unto them, Wheresoever the body is gathered; or, in other words, whithersoever the saints are gathered, thither will the eagles be gathered together.

• Joseph Smith Translation, Mark 9:3
  And there appeared unto them Elias with Moses or in other words, John the Baptist and Moses: and they were talking with Jesus.

• Joseph Smith’s 1835 Diary, An American Prophet’s Record, p. 51
  Information was what I most desired at this time and with a fixed determination to obtain it, I called upon the Lord for the first time in the place above stated. Or in other words, I made a fruitless attempt to p[r]ay.

• Joseph Smith’s 1838 Liberty Jail Letter, Times and Seasons, vol. 1, no. 6, p. 83
  I say unto you that those, who have thus vilely treated us, shall like Haman be hanged on their own gallows, or in other words, shall fall into their own gin and ditch, which they have prepared for us.

A phrase not found in the Bible but used in the Book of Mormon is “immortal soul.”

• Mosiah 2:38
  the demands of divine justice do awaken his immortal soul to a lively sense of his own guilt,

• Helaman 3:30
  And land their souls, yea, their immortal souls, at the right hand of God . . .

Smith used this same phrase in his 1832 account of his life.

• Joseph Smith’s 1832 Diary, An American Prophet’s Record, p. 4
  The all important concerns for the welfare of my immortal Soul which led me to searching the scriptures . . .

“Exceeding great” or “exceedingly great” is a phrase in the Book of Mormon, Doctrine and Covenants and Joseph Smith’s 1832 diary.

• 1 Nephi 8:12, 23
  And as I partook of the fruit thereof it filled my soul with exceedingly great joy; . . . And it came to pass that there arose a mist of darkness; yea, even an exceedingly great mist of darkness . . .

• Mosiah 4:11
  And again I say unto you as I have said before, that as ye have come to the knowledge of the glory of God, or if ye have known of his goodness and have tasted of his love, and have received a remission of your sins, which causeth such exceedingly great joy in your souls, . . .

• Ether 11:4
  And he lived to a good old age, and begat Shiblom; and Shiblom reigned in his stead. And the brother of Shiblom rebelled against him, and there began to be an exceedingly great war in all the land.

• Moroni 10:11
  And to another, exceedingly great faith; and to another, the gifts of healing by the same Spirit; . . .

• Doctrine and Covenants 108:3
  and be more careful henceforth in observing your vows, which you have made and do make, and you shall be blessed with exceeding great blessings.

• Doctrine and Covenants 109:23
  And from this place they may bear exceedingly great and glorious tidings, in truth . . .

• Doctrine and Covenants 127:10
  I will say to all the saints, that I desired, with exceedingly great desire, to have addressed them . . .

• Joseph Smith’s 1832 Diary, An American Prophet’s Record, p. 5
  whose power and intiligence in governing the things which are so exceeding great and marvelous . . .

A phrase that is used to the point of monotony in the Book of Mormon is “and it came to pass.”⁴ In just four verses of Jacob, we find this phrase used four times.

• Jacob 5:4-7
  And it came to pass that the master of the vineyard went forth, and he saw that his olive-tree . . .
  And it came to pass that he pruned it, and digged about it, and nourished it . . .
  And it came to pass that after many days it began to put forth somewhat a little, young and tender branches; . . .
  And it came to pass that the master of the vineyard saw it, and he said unto his servant: . . .

Besides the many times the phrase is used in Jacob, it is used repeatedly in 1 Nephi, Alma, Mosiah, Ether, Helaman, 3 Nephi, 4 Nephi and Mormon. It is also used repeatedly in the Book of Moses, which Smith composed shortly after finishing the Book of Mormon. Here are just three examples:

• Book of Moses 7:19-21, Pearl of Great Price
  And it came to pass in his days, that he built a city that was called the City of Holiness, even Zion.
  And it came to pass that Enoch talked with the Lord; and he said unto the Lord: . . .
  And it came to pass that the Lord showed unto Enoch all the inhabitants of the earth; . . .

This phrase also appears in Joseph Smith’s 1832 diary.

• An American Prophet’s Record, p. 6
  And it came to pass when I was seventeen years of age, I called again upon the Lord. . . .

• An American Prophet’s Record, p. 7
  And it came to pass that after we had translated 116 pages that he desired to carry them to read . . .

• An American Prophet’s Record, p. 8
  And it came to pass after much humility and affliction of soul, I obtained them again . . .

It appears in the Book of Abraham as well. Here is one example.

• Abraham 4:19
  And it came to pass that it was from evening until morning that it was night; and it came to pass that it was from morning until evening that it was day; and it was the fourth time.

That Joseph Smith’s writings, his revelations, the preface to the Book of Mormon and the ancient Nephite prophets all sound the same leads us to conclude that Joseph Smith was the author of all these documents.

Doctrines Missing from the Bible?

In order to establish a need for additional scripture, the author of the Book of Mormon introduces a prophecy about teachings that would be taken out of the Bible after the death of Christ’s apostles. Nephi, approximately 550 B.C., records his conversation with an angel:

And the angel of the Lord said unto me: Thou hast beheld that the book [Bible] proceeded forth from the mouth of a Jew; and when it proceeded forth from the mouth of a Jew it contained the plainness of the gospel of the Lord, of whom the twelve apostles bear record; . . .

And after they go forth by the hand of the twelve apostles of the Lamb, from the Jews unto the Gentiles, thou seest the foundation of a great and abominable church, which is most abominable above all other churches; for behold, they have taken away from the gospel of the Lamb many parts which are plain and most precious; and also many covenants of the Lord have they taken away. (1 Nephi 13:24, 26)

Further on the angel explained that the record of the Nephites (Book of Mormon) and the record of the Jews (the Bible) would come together in the last days:

These last records, which thou hast seen among the Gentiles, shall establish the truth of the first, which are of the twelve apostles of the Lamb, and shall make known the plain and precious things which have been taken away from them . . . (1 Nephi 13:40)

In 2 Nephi 29:2-3 the Lord further instructed Nephi that the Nephite record would come forth as “a standard unto my people” but the Gentiles will object, saying “A Bible! A Bible! We have got a Bible, and there cannot be any more Bible.” To this the Lord responded: “ye need not suppose that it [the Bible] contains all my words; neither need ye suppose that I have not caused more to be written” (2 Nephi 29:10).

According to Mormon history, this prophecy was fulfilled when the angel appeared to Joseph Smith in 1823 and announced that he was called to translate the Book of Mormon. He was informed “that the fulness of the everlasting Gospel was contained in it, as delivered by the Savior to the ancient inhabitants.”⁵

Even though the Book of Mormon was supposed to restore the lost doctrines and covenants of the Bible, it does not contain the unique doctrines of the LDS faith that set it apart from traditional Christianity. Missing is any mention of the need for a marriage for eternity in an LDS temple, baptism and marriage ceremonies for the dead, man’s pre-mortal existence, three degrees of glory in heaven, Aaronic and Melchizedek Priesthood in the Christian era, eternal progression to godhood and the doctrine of plural gods. These doctrines are found in the Doctrine and Covenants and Pearl of Great Price, which are not usually given to the prospective convert until after he has joined the LDS Church. Consider some of these contrasts, below.

While there is mention of a temple in the Book of Mormon it seems to have been used for open assembly, not the restricted access of current temples. Also, there is no mention of the temple being used for marriages or ordinances for the dead. In Alma 16:13 we read:

And Alma and Amulek went forth preaching repentance to the people in their temples, and in their sanctuaries, and also in their synagogues, which were built after the manner of the Jews.

In Jacob 1:17 Nephi’s brother, Jacob, went into the temple to preach to those who were rebelling against God:

Wherefore I, Jacob, gave unto them these words as I taught them in the temple, having first obtained mine errand from the Lord.

Since the Book of Mormon claims that it is restoring the missing doctrines that were removed from the Bible and that it contains the “fulness of the everlasting Gospel,” one is left to wonder why these specific doctrines are not contained in the book? If Lehi and Nephi were God’s chosen prophets, why did they not teach these things?

The Book of Mormon is one of the main missionary tools used to introduce people to Mormonism. However, a person investigating the LDS teachings will need to read the other LDS books of scripture to get a complete picture of their actual doctrines.

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Footnotes:

1. See An American Prophet’s Record: The Diaries and Journals of Joseph Smith, ed. Scott Faulring (Salt lake City: Signature Books, 1989), pp. 3-8. ↩︎
2. Ibid., p. 6. ↩︎
3. See Doctrine and Covenants 43:28; 62:5, 71:4. ↩︎
4. For a good discussion of the phrase “and it came to pass” and the supposed “Hebraisms” in the Book of Mormon, see Edward Ashment’s article in New Approaches to the Book of Mormon: Explorations in Critical Methodology, ed. Brent Lee Metcalfe (Salt Lake City: Signature books, 1993), pp. 329-393. ↩︎
5. Introduction to the Book of Mormon. ↩︎

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