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Institute for Religious Research Latter-day Saints (Mormonism)
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Introductory Resources on the Book of Mormon
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An Introduction to the Book of Mormon
This seven-part series provides a clear overview of what the Book of Mormon is, its contents, how it came to be published, its likely sources and composition, what it teaches, and how Mormons defend it, along with a selective bibliography of significant books about the Book of Mormon.
Book of Mormon Study Text
This new edition of the Book of Mormon presents the entire text in readable, searchable format, using the 1830 (first) edition as the base text, with corrections to printer’s errors, spelling inconsistencies, and the like. Differences between the 1830 edition and the two handwritten manuscripts have been taken into consideration. The pages listed here give both the original 1830 chapter numbers (in Roman numerals) and the contemporary chapter numbers. The Book of Mormon Study Text is the first critical edition of the Book of Mormon produced by a non-Mormon scholar, IRR’s executive director Robert M. Bowman Jr.
Original and Current Chapters and Verses of the Book of Mormon
The 15 books of the Book of Mormon were originally divided into long chapters with Roman numerals (see the left columns). Later it was divided into shorter chapters (see middle columns) and verses (right columns). This document provides a convenient reference for these divisions.
Extant Text of the Original Manuscript of the Book of Mormon
Only slightly more than one-fourth of the original manuscript of the Book of Mormon is still extant. This article provides a table that identifies which parts are extant and how legible they are.
1830 Edition of the Book of Mormon
View scanned images of the original 1830 edition of the Book of Mormon.
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FairMormon 2017: Recent Book of Mormon Defense Strategies
Rob Bowman attended the FairMormon conference in August 2017. Here is his analysis of the ways Mormons at the conference were defending the Book of Mormon.
A Biblical Scholar Looks at the Book of Mormon
Rob Bowman gives an overview of the resources on this website about the Book of Mormon and explains how he approaches the subject from the perspective of a biblical scholar.
The Book of Mormon Today
A concise summary of literary, historical, and theological evidence that challenges the authenticity of the Book of Mormon. A comparison of Book of Mormon doctrine with contemporary LDS doctrine.
Studies of the Book of Mormon by B. H. Roberts
The long-suppressed work of Mormon General Authority B. H. Roberts, who in his later years came to question the historicity of the Book of Mormon, after a life-time as its greatest apologist.
The Human Origins of the Book of Mormon
A survey and critique of the main lines of evidence for the human origin of the Book of Mormon proposed by Mormon Historian and General Authority Brigham H. Roberts in an unpublished paper done in the early 1920s.
New Approaches to the Book of Mormon: Explorations in Critical Methodology
Review of book edited by Brent Metcalfe. Ten Mormon writers grapple with challenges to the authenticity of the Book of Mormon.