Book of Mormon Sandbox

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Book of Mormon Sandbox

Summary: Critics have made numerous claims against the Book of Mormon. This page gathers others that respond to the various claims.

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Authorship

• Book of Mormon
• Joseph Smith listed as author and proprietor
• Spalding theory
• View of the Hebrews theory
• Late War theory
• Golden Pot theory
• Sidney Rigdon theory
• Mushrooms and entheogenics theory
• Creative fiction theories
• Possible 19th Century influences on Book of Mormon
• Theory of Book of Mormon place names from area around Joseph Smith's home
• Theory of Book of Mormon place names from Comoros Islands
• Understanding accusations of plagiarism

Translation Process

• Seer stones and the Urim and Thummim
• Gold plates and the translation process
• Artistic depictions of the translation
• Joseph Smith and the translation process

Gold Plates

• Weight and size
• Plates too heavy to run?
• Engravings and sealed portion
• Stone box where the gold plates were deposited
• Attempts to steal the gold plates from Joseph Smith
• Gold plates and the translation process
• Metal plates in ancient Israel

Geography

• Church statements on Book of Mormon geography
• Evaluating Book of Mormon geography theories
• Old world geography in the Book of Mormon
• Lehi's journey in the Old World
• Possible locations for the Valley of Lemuel
• Possible locations for Shazer
• Possible locations for Nahom
• Possible locations for Nephi's Bountiful
• The Hill Cumorah
• Mesoamerican Model
• Hemispheric Geography Model
• Great Lakes Model
• Heartland Model
• Hoaxes related to Book of Mormon geography claims
• Geographical issues related to DNA and the Book of Mormon

DNA

• DNA and the Book of Mormon
• Identifying ancient DNA related to Book of Mormon people
• Geographical issues related to DNA and the Book of Mormon

Anachronisms

• Anachronism overview
• Biblical texts
• Horses
• Elephants
• Other animals
• Synagogues and churches
• Climate
• Metals and materials
• Metal plates in ancient Israel
• Plants
• Objects and artifacts

Witnesses

• Eleven official witnesses
• Statement of the Three Witnesses
• Oliver Cowdery
• David Whitmer
• Martin Harris
• Statement of the Eight Witnesses
• Christian Whitmer
• Jacob Whitmer
• Peter Whitmer Jr.
• John Whitmer
• Hiram Page
• Joseph Smith Sr.
• Hyrum Smith
• Samuel Smith
• Other witnesses to the Book of Mormon

The Bible and the Book of Mormon

• Bible passages in the Book of Mormon
• The New Testament and the Book of Mormon
• KJV italicized text in the Book of Mormon
• KJV translation errors in the Book of Mormon
• Joseph Smith Translation and the Book of Mormon
• The Apocrypha and the Book of Mormon
• Isaiah and the Book of Mormon
• The documentary hypothesis and the Book of Mormon

Language and the Book of Mormon

• Hebraisms
• Chiasmus
• Names in the Book of Mormon
• Hebrew and Native American languages
• Reformed Egyptian and the Book of Mormon
• The Book of Mormon as an ancient text

Doctrine and Teachings

• Moroni's promise
• The fulness of the gospel
• The Book of Mormon as the most correct book
• The nature of God
• Name of Jesus Christ
• Virgin birth of Jesus Christ
• Jesus Christ bled from every pore
• The Holy Ghost
• Baptism
• Priesthood authority
• Temples
• The Book of Mormon as the Stick of Ephraim
• Plural marriage
• Freemasonry
• Nephite burnt offerings
• The great and abominable church
• The tree of life
• Baptism before or after remission of sins
• One versus multiple creators

Lamanites

• Identity of the Lamanites
• Native Americans and the Lamanites
• Relationship of the Maya and the Olmec to the Lamanites and the Jaredites
• Polynesians and the Lamanites
• The Lamanite curse
• Wrath of God on the Lamanites

Other

• Population and demographics
• The Nephite calendar
• Biblical archaeology compared to the Book of Mormon
• Thomas Stuart Ferguson and Mormon archaeology
• Attempt to sell the Book of Mormon copyright in Canada
• Textual changes
• The Book of Mormon as history
• Legal codes in the Book of Mormon
• Lehi's ancestry and place of residence
• Three days of darkness
• The killing of Laban
• Human sacrifice
• Warfare in the Book of Mormon
• Events in Ether
• The death of Shiz