Global InformationBook of Mormon information
| Book of Mormon | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Information | |
| Religion | Latter Day Saint movement |
| Language | English |
| Period | 19th century |
| Chapters |
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| Full text | |
 Book of Mormon at English Wikisource | |
The Book of Mormon is a religious text of the Latter Day Saint movement, first published in 1830 by Joseph Smith as The Book of Mormon: An Account Written by the Hand of Mormon upon Plates Taken from the Plates of Nephi.[1][2]
The book is one of the earliest and most well-known unique writings of the Latter Day Saint movement. The denominations of the Latter Day Saint movement typically regard the text primarily as scripture (sometimes as one of four standard works) and secondarily as a record of God's dealings with ancient inhabitants of the Americas.[3] The majority of Latter Day Saints believe the book to be a record of real-world history, with Latter Day Saint denominations viewing it variously as an inspired record of scripture to the lynchpin or "keystone" of their religion.[4][5] Independent archaeological, historical, and scientific communities have discovered no evidence to support the existence of the civilizations described therein,[6] although some Latter Day Saint academics and apologetic organizations strive to affirm the book as historically authentic through their scholarship and research.[7]
The Book of Mormon has a number of doctrinal discussions on subjects such as the fall of Adam and Eve,[8] the nature of the Christian atonement,[9] eschatology, agency, priesthood authority, redemption from physical and spiritual death,[10] the nature and conduct of baptism, the age of accountability, the purpose and practice of communion, personalized revelation, economic justice, the anthropomorphic and personal nature of God, the nature of spirits and angels, and the organization of the latter day church. The pivotal event of the book is an appearance of Jesus Christ in the Americas shortly after his resurrection.[11] Common teachings of the Latter Day Saint movement hold that the Book of Mormon fulfills numerous biblical prophecies by ending a global apostasy and signaling a restoration of Christian gospel. The book is also a critique of Western society, condemning immorality, individualism, social inequality, ethnic injustice, nationalism, and the rejection of God, revelation, and miraculous religion.[12]
The Book of Mormon is divided into smaller books, titled after individuals named as primary authors or other caretakers of the ancient record the Book of Mormon describes itself as and, in most versions, is divided into chapters and verses.[13] Its English text imitates the style of the King James Version of the Bible,[13] and its grammar and word choice reflect Early Modern English.[14] The Book of Mormon has been fully or partially translated into at least 112 languages.[15]
- ^ The Book of Mormon: An Account Written by the Hand of Mormon, Upon Plates Taken from the Plates of Nephi (1830 edition). E. B. Grandin. 1830.
- ^ Hardy 2010, p. 3.
- ^ Hardy 2010, pp. xi–xiii, 6.
- ^ Archives, Church News (17 August 2013). "'Keystone of our religion'". Church News. Retrieved 14 August 2022.
- ^ "The Book Of Mormon is the Keystone of Our Religion". Preach My Gospel. Retrieved 31 March 2024.
- ^ Southerton 2004, p. xv. "Anthropologists and archaeologists, including some Mormons and former Mormons, have discovered little to support the existence of [Book of Mormon] civilizations. Over a period of 150 years, as scholars have seriously studied Native American cultures and prehistory, evidence of a Christian civilization in the Americas has eluded the specialists... These [Mesoamerican] cultures lack any trace of Hebrew or Egyptian writing, metallurgy, or the Old World domesticated animals and plants described in the Book of Mormon."
- ^ Bushman 2005, pp. 92–94.
- ^ E.g. 2 Nephi 2
- ^ E.g. 2 Nephi 9
- ^ E.g. Alma 12
- ^ Cite error: The named reference
:9was invoked but never defined (see the help page). - ^ Bushman 2005, pp. 104–105.
- ^ a b Hardy 2010, pp. 5–6.
- ^ Carmack, Stanford; Skousen, Royal (August 2016). "Finishing up the Book of Mormon Critical Text Project: An Introduction to The History of the Text of the Book of Mormon". FAIR. Archived from the original on April 11, 2021. Retrieved April 10, 2021.
- ^ Translations of the Book of Mormon at LDS365.com