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Institute for Religious Research Latter-day Saints (Mormonism)
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Modern Origin of the Book of Mormon
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Joseph Smith’s Seer Stone
An up-to-date historical study of Joseph Smith’s use of a “seer stone”—which he had previously used in searching for buried treasure—in dictating the Book of Mormon.
Translation or Divination?
This is one of the earliest online articles on Joseph Smith’s dictating the Book of Mormon while looking at a “seer stone” in his hat, now vindicated by the LDS Church’s admission of this fact in recent years.
Moroni in Joseph Smith’s Bedroom
Joseph Smith claimed that he first learned about the Book of Mormon when an angel Moroni appeared to him in his bedroom at night. This article explains why this claim is implausible.
Facts On The Book Of Mormon Witnesses
This paper examines the culture, credibility and relevance of the testimony of the eleven men the LDS Church presents as witnesses to the Book of Mormon. It draws extensively from early sources, both LDS and non-LDS, to provide an honest and balanced portrayal.
Joseph Smith Attacks Original Book of Mormon Witnesses
A short article on the Book of Mormon witnesses, whom Joseph Smith later criticized severely. His criticisms suggest that those “witnesses” were not reliable.
David Whitmer, An Address to All Believers in Christ
One of the original Book of Mormon Witnesses explains why he left the Mormon Church.
Literary Dependence in the Book of Mormon: Two Studies
Respected historian of Mormonism, H. Michael Marquardt, explores the Book of Mormon’s literary dependence on the Bible and 19th century events.
Ethan Smith, View of the Hebrews
Mormon General Authority B. H. Roberts concluded that this book, originally published in Poultney, Vermont in 1823 (7 years prior to the Book of Mormon) was available to Joseph Smith and contained enough parallel material to the Book of Mormon so as to furnish a virtual "ground-plan" for it.
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Anthon Transcript: Did Charles Anthon Authenticate the Book of Mormon Characters or Translation?
Did classics scholar Charles Anthon validate a copy of characters from the gold plates and a translation of those characters by Joseph Smith?
The Lost 116 Pages and the Book of Mormon
Joseph Smith dictated 116 pages of manuscript that he said was an inspired translation of the gold plates. The loss of those pages raises crucial questions about Joseph’s claims and the Book of Mormon.
“I’m Mormon”: How Book of Mormon Authors Name Themselves
All of the supposed ancient Book of Mormon authors introduce themselves right at the beginning of their contributions—except Mormon. This article explains the significance of these facts.
The Book of Mormon and Other Translated Documents
The Book of Mormon claims to be a translation of an ancient text, the original- language version of which is not available. One Mormon scholar points out that there are other texts that are available only in translation but that scholars agree are ancient. Is this a sound defense of the Book of Mormon?
Changes to the Book of Mormon and other LDS Scripture
View scanned images of key altered passages from the original 1830 edition of the Book of Mormon, the 1833 Book of Commandments and the 1851 Pearl of Great Price.
The Human Origins of the Book of Mormon
This essay is 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 1920’s.
Book of Mormon: Ancient or Modern?
A paper that documents specific Book of Mormon phrases and ideas that Joseph Smith borrowed from other books.