Lately I have been focusing my blogging on my "Textual Analysis of the Book of Mormon" (click at top of the page or here) where I examine the book from a critical perspective. I have powered through several chapters in the past couple of months. In fact, I have almost finished the second "book" in the Book of Mormon, 2 Nephi. Here is my latest entry:
Chapter27: "Morons and Meatheads and Boobs, Oh My!"
Chapter
Summary:
Darkness
and apostasy will cover the earth in the last days--The Book of Mormon will
come forth--Three witnesses will testify of the book--The learned man will say
he cannot read the sealed book--The Lord will do a marvelous work and a
wonder--Compare Isaiah 29. About 559–545 B.C.
For
those who thought that Nephi was done with Isaiah, I have some bad news. Nephi
goes back to ripping off Isaiah's work in this chapter.
However,
when I read the chapter summary, which gives some pretty specific predictions
about the Book of Mormon, I was intrigued. So, I skipped over to the chapter in
Isaiah to which Nephi refers (Isaiah 29), and I noticed that the incredible
specificity Nephi uses is absent in Isaiah.
In
fact, as with most of Isaiah's prophecies, there is no indication that Isaiah
is speaking about our day or the Book of Mormon at all. But you wouldn't get
this from reading the Mormon-added chapter summary of Isaiah 29:
"A
people (the Nephites) will speak as a voice from the dust--The Apostasy,
restoration of the gospel, and coming forth of a sealed book (the Book of
Mormon) are foretold--Compare 2 Nephi 27."
Basically
Nephi (or Joseph Smith) takes a few key points from Isaiah 29 and extrapolates
upon them in 2 Nephi 27. Nephi adds his own spin, which is painfully obviously
retrofitted and self-fulfilling prophecy. We'll get in to that later.
Nephi
returns to the sealed book mentioned in the previous chapter. But before we get
to Nephi's interpretation, let's go over what Isaiah actually said:
"11
And the vision of all is become unto you as the words of a book that is sealed,
which men deliver to one that is learned, saying, Read this, I pray thee: and
he saith, I cannot; for it is sealed:"
"12
And the book is delivered to him that is not learned, saying, Read this, I pray
thee: and he saith, I am not learned."
It
is unclear what is meant by the "vision of all." But the metaphor of
a sealed book (not a literal book) is presented to a learned man and an
unlearned man, both of whom state that they cannot read the book.
Perhaps
this is means that highly educated people will miss the point of Isaiah's
vision, and uneducated will be overwhelmed by it. It could mean that in order
to understand Isaiah one must be humble enough to set aside their formal
education and wise enough to not be intimidated by its content. Whatever the
meaning, Isaiah most certainly is not speaking about a literal book presented
to a literal educated man and a literal uneducated man.
Nephi
seems to think that such is the case, however, as he describes a book being
taken to an educated man who cannot read it, and then to an uneducated man who
can read it through the power of god:
"15
But behold, it shall come to pass that the Lord God shall say unto him to whom
he shall deliver the book: Take these words which are not sealed and deliver
them to another, that he may show them unto the learned, saying: Read this, I
pray thee. And the learned shall say: Bring hither the book, and I will read
them."
"16
And now, because of the glory of the world and to get gain will they say this,
and not for the glory of God."
"17
And the man shall say: I cannot bring the book, for it is sealed."
"18
Then shall the learned say: I cannot read it."
"19
Wherefore it shall come to pass, that the Lord God will deliver again the book
and the words thereof to him that is not learned; and the man that is not
learned shall say: I am not learned."
"20
Then shall the Lord God say unto him: The learned shall not read them, for they
have rejected them, and I am able to do mine own work; wherefore thou shalt
read the words which I shall give unto thee."
Well,
it turns out that just such an event occurred exactly like this!
During
the "translation" of the Book of Mormon, Joseph sent one of his
scribes, Martin Harris, to linguistic expert, Dr. Charles Anthon (the learned
man), to verify the Book of Mormon as authentic. But rather than allow Dr.
Anthon to see and hold and examine the gold plates (which is the only way to
legitimately verify authenticity), Mr. Harris was allowed to bring a piece of
paper with a few lines from the the gold plates scribbled on it. The Mormon
version of what happened next is strikingly different from Dr. Anthon's
account.
According
to Harris (and Mormons at large), Dr. Anthon viewed the characters and
announced they were authentic characters from specific ancient languages. Dr.
Anthon asked Harris from where the characters originated, as he drew up a
certificate of authenticity. Harris answered that an angel had given a young
man named Joseph Smith (the unlearned man) gold plates containing an ancient
history of Native Americans, and through the power of god Joseph was
translating it in to English.
In
a fit of anti-religious rage, Dr. Anthon tore up the certificate and told
Harris that such things are impossible. But if Harris would just give Dr.
Anthon the gold plates, he would translate the record. Harris refused and told
the doctor that the book was sealed, and Dr. Anthon withdrew his offer to
translate the plates because he cannot read a sealed book.
It
should be noted that Joseph claimed that a large portion of the gold plates was
sealed off--even to him--and the Book of Mormon is derived from the unsealed
portion. This unsealed portion would have been accessible to Dr. Anthon.
According
to Dr. Anthon, the events were much less animated. Harris presented the
characters to the doctor, who said they were from various incongruent languages
arranged in a random and insignificant manner. He then described Harris as a
superstitious pushover who was likely being had financially by the charismatic
charlatan, Joseph Smith.
It
is interesting to me that Mormons still cling to this story as though it proved
through prophecy the authenticity of the Book of Mormon. You see, whatever
really happened in Dr. Anthon's office some 170 years ago doesn't really
matter.
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As
a quick google search will show, we still have Harris' original paper with the
characters from the gold plates. Modern linguists and experts in ancient
languages have studied the characters and have concluded that the characters
are nonsensical gibberish. Funny how the experts seem to agree more with Dr.
Anthon's account.
This
far, all of the prophecies in the Book of Mormon can be placed in to one of
three categories: self-fulfilling, retrofitted or yet to happen. The Anthon
incident appears to be self-fulfilling. Clearly Joseph set up the whole shebang
to prove his prophetic prowess. But there are more self-fulfilling prophecies
within this very chapter equal to the Anthon incident in terms of transparent
charlatanism.
Nephi
claims that when the sealed book is revealed to the unlearned man, god will
allow three people to witness the book to testify to the world that it really
does exist:
"12
Wherefore, at that day when the book shall be delivered unto the man of whom I
have spoken, the book shall be hid from the eyes of the world, that the eyes of
none shall behold it save it be that three witnesses shall behold it, by the
power of God, besides him to whom the book shall be delivered; and they shall
testify to the truth of the book and the things therein."
As
you might have guessed, Joseph Smith had three such "witnesses" to
the gold plates! You can read their "testimony" (which Joseph wrote
beforehand and had the men sign) in the introduction of the Book of Mormon.
The
three men Joseph Smith chose to be witnesses are Oliver Cowdery, David Whitmer,
and Martin Harris. I have given you some context as to the caliber of Martin
Harris' character. Let me just add that when Joseph had the men witness the
gold plates, they had trouble getting the angel to appear with the plates.
Harris thought that his sins might be the reason for the angel's trepidation,
and offered to step out so the other two men could go through with it. This sounds
noble, but Joseph needed three--not two--witnesses.
So,
Harris prayed and prayed until the angel came to him individually (a detailed
skipped over in their formal signed testimony) and Harris described the event
as a spiritual experience, rather than a physical or literal experience.
He
said he saw the plates with his mind's eye the same way a clairvoyant person
could see a far-distant city through a mountain. He was a superstitious man hell-bent
on seeing this angel. How much stock would we give his testimony today?
David
Whitmer is also compromised in that he had family ties to Joseph and a
financial stake in the successful publishing of the Book of Mormon. In fact,
all of the three witnesses had invested large amounts of money in the
publishing of the book. Talk about a conflict of interests.
Mormons
love to point out that Oliver Cowdery left the Mormon Church, yet never
recanted his angelic experience with the gold plates. He was also very
superstitious and had a financial stake in the book. A lesser known fact about
Mr. Cowdery is that he used the Book of Mormon to start his own religion after
leaving Joseph Smith's cult. So, naturally he would not undermine the Book of
Mormon.
As
much as I enjoy discrediting the character and intentions of these men, they
still may have seen an angel with gold plates. Who knows? But one of the most
glaring failings of these men, which they all share, is that not a single one
of them was educated or trained in ancient languages or artifacts. Therefore,
not a single one of them was qualified to "testify" to the
authenticity of the Book of Mormon--angel or not.
Who
cares if these three superstitious men with vested interests saw the gold
plates? They were unable and unqualified to distinguish an authentic ancient
record from a hoax. And I'm willing to bet Joseph Smith knew and counted on
this.
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