Spalding and book of mormon

Inclusion within the bmc archive does not imply endorsement. Who really wrote the book of mormon solomon spalding. True or mistaken, ones future hangs in the balance over this claim. In 1977 wayne cowdrey, howard davis, and donald scales published who really wrote the book of mormon. Spalding submitted his manuscript to a pittsburgh print shop for publication. Feb 23, 2009 presentation about the spalding rigdon theory and the authorship of the book of mormon. It may be possible for literary analysts to recreate portions of the nephite record attributable to.

The spalding enigma explores the challenge in a clear, welldocumented and dispassionate manner, with statements from the reallife participants. Adam clarke bible commentary in the book of mormon. The spalding studies site solomon spalding home page. Believers in the book of mormon felt vindicated by this discovery, and they published spauldings work to show the world it was not the source for the book of mormon. Solomon spalding 17611816 was a lapsed calvinist evangelist, a failed new york businessman, and hopeful author of a prehistoric american epic story giving an account of the vanished mound builders of the ohio valley. Does the spaulding theory explain where the book of mormon.

After spaldings death, a number of individuals suggested that spaldings work was used as a source by joseph smith for the book of mormon, a scripture in the latter day saint movement. When rice, fairchild, and several others compared the spaulding manuscript with the book of mormon they could detect no resemblance between the two, in general or detail. Due to the obvious differences between the manuscript and the book of mormon, proponents of the theory have postulated that spaulding must have another manuscript which is similar to the book of mormon. How philosopher emanuel swedenborg, reverend alexander campbell, professor john smith of dartmouth, solomon spalding, and ethan smith influenced sidney rigdon and joseph smith to plagurize the book of mormon from manusript found, view of the hebrews, the late war, the golden pot, and the bible. Many years ago, sincere missionaries brought the book of mormon to my door, saying it was a revelation from god.

Presentation about the spalding rigdon theory and the authorship of the book of mormon. The spaldingrigdon theory of book of mormon authorship is the theory that the book of mormon was plagiarized in part from an unpublished manuscript. Spaulding manuscript the encyclopedia of mormonism. The book of alma is one part of the book of mormon. The complete original spaulding manuscript manuscript found. So, im sure there are people out there who believe the book of mormon is fiction. Items do not represent the official views of the church of jesus christ of latterday saints or of book of mormon central. Well take a look at the ethan smith view of the hebrews theory in our next episode. Looking at the spaulding manuscript mormon heretic. Be it remembered, that on the eeventh day of june, in the fiftythird year of the independence of the united states of america, a. This book critically examines key historical documents, personal testimonies, and records of 19thcentury mormon history concluding that the book of mormon is an adaptation of an obscure historical novel written by revolutionary war veteran solomon spalding during the war of 1812.

Mormon challenges could the book of mormon story have come. What are the pros and cons of the spauldingrigdon theory of. The spalding rigdon theory of book of mormon authorship is the theory that the book of mormon was plagiarized in part from an unpublished manuscript written by solomon spalding. Smith and orson hyde, missionaries for the church of jesus christ, were in conneaut, ohio, where spaulding began writing his manuscript. One of the most prominent theories since the 1830s is the spaulding or spalding theory. A forum for exmormons and others who have been affected by mormonism to share news, commentary, and comedy about the mormon church. Cowdrey is an ex mormon whose interest in the origins of the book of mormon derives from his familys tradition that they are relatives of the oliver cowdery who figures so prominently in the spalding enigma. The most interesting literary controversy of the time, and the only one which has important practical bearing, is raging around the book of mormon, sometimes but incorrectly called the mormon bible. Believers in the book of mormon felt vindicated by this discovery, and they. Now cowdrey and davis have teamed with hugh oneal and arthur vanick to produce the spalding enigma. Who realy wrote the book of mormon solomon spalding. The theory first appeared in print in the book mormonism unvailed, published in 1834 by e.

The handwriting purported to be spalding s, in the dictated book of mormon manuscript, bears a superficial resemblance to his penmanship but it bears an even closer resemblance to the writing on a c. Original 1830 book of mormon page numbers with corresponding 1981 verses. Book of mormonauthorship theoriesspalding manuscript. Michigan christian herald september 16, 1886 a question of identity. That was the first time that it was suggested that the book of mormon had in part at least, some inspiration that originated. Although some of the documentary evidence from the 1977 book is reproduced, this is not a revision of the earlier work, but. I have read every word of both it and the book of mormon, and i compiled a list of what i thought were the most noteworthy similarities between the two books.

Solomon spaulding and the book of mormon fairmormon. There is a small group who hold to the theory that the production of the book of mormon was a conspiracy involving sidney rigdon, joseph smith, oliver cowdery and others. Like other attempts to discredit the book of mormon, the theory of the spaulding manuscript is based on the belief that an unlearned man such as joseph smith. Mormon challenges could the book of mormon story have. The work in question is who really wrote the book of mormon. Fairchild concluded that the theory of the origin of the book of mormon in the traditional manuscript of solomon spaulding will probably have to be relinquished. Items in the bmc archive are made publicly available for noncommercial, private use. Similar analysis showed that the sound correspondences in the names sidney rigdon, parley pratt, oliver cowdery, ethan smith, and solomon spalding individuals proposed as book of mormon authors were different than correspondences with joseph smith in the unique names of the book of mormon, but not enough to identify any as a possible author. The spalding enigma did an angel of god in the late 1820s really give 18yearold con artist joseph smith mormon bible, as he claimed. Howard davis and arthur vanick, recently published by concordia, the highly respected publishing arm of the lutheran church missouri synod. For almost 200 years now, critics have been scrambling to prove that the book of mormon is nothing but a work of fiction. It is as certainly smiths fabrication as satan is the father of lies or darkness is the offspring of night. Cowdrey is an exmormon whose interest in the origins of the book of mormon derives from his familys tradition that they are relatives of the oliver cowdery who figures so prominently in the spalding enigma.

Spaldings name sounds reveal no significant presence of the name letter effect in book of mormon characters. The forerunner to the book of mormon, manuscript found, was a story penned by solomon spalding. The solomon spalding manuscript 1812 by solomon spalding this unpublished manuscript was a work of fiction created by a retired minister, solomon spalding who died in 1816 before being able to publish his work. Uncle dales selection of old mormon newspaper article transcripts primarily covering the 18301860 period in latter day saint history the spalding studies web site. By relying on the appendices and end notes, they leave the story uncluttered by all of the details. Soon after the publication of the book of mormon, critics believed that joseph must have plagiarized it from another source. Although the mormon church denies it, the book of mormon actually was plagiarized from an unpublished novel, i. Witnesses described it as a biblicalstyle fiction that traced the origin of native americans to migrations from the middle east. The authors have spent decades collecting and analyzing evidence to conclude that the book of mormon is an adaptation of an obscure historical novel written by revolutionary war veteran solomon spalding during the war of 1812. As it turns out, olivers grandfather william cowdery, sr. One of the earliest theories of book of mormon authorship was that joseph plagiarized the unpublished manuscript of a novel written by the reverend solomon spalding. Spaulding manuscript mormonism, the mormon church, beliefs. However, i believe the spaulding theory has been thoroughly discredited by these two authors. The spalding rigdon theory was first given wide publicity in 1834 with the publication of the book mormonism unvailed.

These individuals search for links between spalding and rigdon. The presence of such ideas in the book of mormon and spaldings novel may have led the spalding family to assume a greater connection than. This timeline is a summary of all events that indicate that this theory may be true based on my notes collected over a sixyear period. While there, they preached from the book of mormon. Evidence for solomon spaulding authorship of the book of.

This list is in no way meant to prove or disprove the spalding rigdon theory, nor should it be considered exhaustive by any stretch of the imagination. Lest anyone be misled, this is a scholarly undertaking, not a religious work. When the book of mormon appeared, all who heard him were satisfied that he referred to it. Those who do not accept the book of mormon as scripture offer many theories about its origin. After publication of the book of mormon in 1830, many of those familiar with spalding s unpublished work claimed that spalding s manuscript found was the source of distinctive names and the nontheological content and storyline of the book of mormon. Solomon spalding february 20, 1761 october 20, 1816 was the author of two related texts. Manuscript found by solomon spalding the controversy between manuscript found and the book of mormon goes all the back to e. Evidence for solomon spaulding authorship of the book of mormon.

Cowdery, oliver, book of mormon witness, accuses joseph smith of adultery, 21516, integrity of, 94101, 104, uses divining rod, 8687, writes first history of mormonism, 160, 166 doctrine and covenants book of commandments. After the spalding rigdon theory sort of tanked, people, of course, scrambled to find an alternate explanation for how the book of mormon exists. The solomon spalding theory chapter 9 of joseph smiths. In his 1994 biography of sidney rigdon, richard van wagoner had an. Spaldingrigdon theory of book of mormon authorship. They assert that mormon founders sidney rigdon, oliver cowdery, and joseph smith jr.

Solomon spalding was the author of two related texts. Since 1946, no serious student of mormonism has given the spaulding manuscript theory much credibility. Believing mormons often state that solomon spaldings manuscript story if you are unfamiliar with the spaldingrigdon theory, click here for a brief background has absolutely nothing in common with the book of mormon. Proponents think that perhaps smith and rigdon burned the manuscript after completing the book of mormon. Briefly, the theory states that joseph smith plagiarized or at least used as a source an unpublished book written by. The authors present a compelling narrative of the characters and events involved in the creation of book of mormon. Brown when the book of mormon was first published in march of. The spalding enigma, our authors set out to accomplish a monumental task. Or was the book really derived from solomon spalding s romantic fantasy novel called manuscript found. What is very interesting and one needs to fully research josephs team mate theologian sidney rigdon very closely working with smith on the jst in 1831 in new york. When i weigh the above factors together with evidence linking ridgon and spalding to fabrication of the book of mormon, as summarized below for rigdon and in a companion essay for spalding, i am persuaded that smithassoleauthor theories are far less probable than alternatives that incorporate ridgon and spalding. Or was the book really derived from solomon spalding. Spaldingrigdon theory of book of mormon authorship wikipedia.

Additional information from part 1 of joseph smiths plagiarism of the bible in the book of mormon, pages 3738 in 2008 another computer study was done by matt jockers, craig criddle and daniela witten, comparing various authors word prints, including solomon spalding and sidney rigdon, with that of the book of mormon. The spalding enigma explores the challenge in a clear, welldocumented and dispassionate manner, with statements from. The spaulding manuscript is a fictional story about a group of. How philosopher emanuel swedenborg, reverend alexander campbell, professor john smith of dartmouth, solomon spalding, and ethan smith influenced sidney rigdon and joseph smith to plagurize the book of mormon from manusript found, view of the. Introduction to spaldings manuscript found part 1 mormon. Absence of joseph smith in the book of mormon religious. The lord had said, in the book of mormon, that he would raise up to joseph smith a spokesman. After publication of the book of mormon in 1830, many of those familiar with spaldings unpublished work claimed that spaldings manuscript found was the source of distinctive names and the nontheological content and storyline of the book of mormon. In it, the author followed up on indications previously published in ohiobased newspapers that a man named solomon spalding was the real and unwitting originator of the book of mormon this is in contrast to some lds apologists who claim that the author simply. I have heard that joseph smith plagiarized the writings of solomon spaulding to produce the book of mormon. Joseph smith was to translate the book of mormon, and sidney rigdon was to take it, and gather israel. Large parts are also plagiarized from the king james version of the bible.

This makes it a must read book for every thinking person on the planet. The spaldingrigdon theory of book of mormon authorship is the theory that the book of mormon was plagiarized in part from an unpublished manuscript written by solomon spalding. In the early 1830s he was identified by some witnesses and writers as the original author of part of the book of mormon. Who really wrote the book of mormon the spalding enigma. One of the earliest theories was that the book of mormon was based on a manuscript by solomon spaulding also spelled spalding, a fictional story about early inhabitants of america.

Noel, who posts on this board, has made me aware of a recent byu masters thesis that will interest those who like to delve into or discuss the spalding rigdon theory of book of mormon authorship. Since the book of mormon was first published, many have been unwilling to accept joseph smiths account of how it was produced. May 04, 2009 but of the authorship of the book of mormon he wrote bluntly. Spauldings novel provides an engaging view into one mans fanciful. The spalding or spalding rigdon theory gained traction from a number of testimonies by individuals who had known spalding and who said that the book of mormon was very similar to spalding s lost manuscript. The book of mormon is a sacred text of the latter day saint movement, which adherents believe contains writings of ancient prophets who lived on the american continent from approximately 2200 bc to ad 421. However, a manuscript by spalding discovered in 1884 turned out not to have any significant similarities to the book of mormon. There is a theory that sidney rigdon helped joseph smith create the book of mormon based on a manuscript written by a man named solomon spaulding.

Points out the contradictions between the bible and book of mormon as well as errors in translation in the king james version kjv of the bible that were copied into the book of mormon. He was the one who no doubt influenced young joseph in using the clarke work. Jan 29, 2015 im not a mormon and i believe the bom sprang from the mind of joseph smith, but i have no sympathy for proponents of the spalding rigdon theory because it is such a weak, poorlybuttressed alternative explanation. I am not not an advocate of the spalding rigdon theory. Apr 27, 2010 the handwriting purported to be spalding s, in the dictated book of mormon manuscript, bears a superficial resemblance to his penmanship but it bears an even closer resemblance to the writing on a c. Spalding sometime between 1809 and 1812 about twenty years before the book of mormon came to press a reverend solomon spalding also spelled spaulding wrote a novel about a group of ancient roman sailors who were blown off course and landed in america. Investigating the mysterious origin of the book of mormon cowdrey, wayne l. Davis, and arthur vinick, is a stunning indictment of the founders of the lds, and thoroughly destroys the entire foundation of the mormon faith itself. There has long been a theory that book of mormon was plagiarized from a manuscript originally written by solomon spaulding or spalding. Solomon spaldingbook of mormon parallels mormons often insist that there are no similarities.

Mormonism unvailed is a book published in 1834 by eber d. The few who buy into the thesis that the ultimate source of the book of mormon was a historical romance written by solomon spalding love it. The good news is that this is a very readable book. Presented by robert hancock of the southern utah post mormon association, dec. Solomon spalding and revisionist history mormonthink. Does the book of mormon teach the doctrines of mormonism. Spaldingrigdon theory proves the book of mormon is false. This would seem to indicate that someone, perhaps joseph smith, copied parts of adairs book verbatim into the book of mormon. Press question mark to learn the rest of the keyboard shortcuts. I know this has been refuted before, but can you help me understand this issue and get to the bottom of it. For my analysis of the brodiebush argument, see book of mormon authorship. The book of mormon is really a clever adaptation of an obscure, unpublished historical novel written during the war of 1812 in conneaut, oh and pittsburgh, pa by a downandout expreacher named solomon spalding, a revolutionary war veteran and bankrupt land speculator who died at amity, washington county, pa in 1816 and lies buried in the. To answer these questions, this book critically examines key historical documents, personal testimonies, and records of 19thcentury mormon history to examine this spalding enigma.

A faithful account of that singular imposition and delusion, from its rise to the present time. Despite the attempts to suppress it, the book, who really wrote the book of mormon. Does byu masters thesis support spaldingrigdon theory. Some researchers believe that the book of mormon was partly based on an earlier book view of the hebrews or the tribes of israel in america by ethan smith no. Disproves mormonism using the bible, mormon scripture, statistical analysis and common sense. An ongoing study of shared language in spalding s manuscript pages and the book of mormon demonstrates that certain sections of the book of mormon overlap the known spalding writings to a greater degree than do other sections of that book. For two years before the book of mormon appeared rigdons sermons were full of declarations and prophecies that the age of miracles would be restored, and more complete revelations, than those in the bible, would be given.