The Book of Mormon and the King James Version (KJV Translation errors show up in the Book of Mormon)

The King James Version of the Bible is, in all likelihood, the most successful of all the English translations. Volumes have been written on its distinctive and rhythmic style, and it is still regarded as a triumph of modern English literature.

So great was the influence of the King James Version that it coloured and directed the development of the English language for decades. English speakers still uses such phrases as `a fly in the ointment', `go the extra mile', and `stick to the straight and narrow', often without realising that they are quoting the King James Version.

For many people, the King James Version was the Bible, to the point that God is still often represented as speaking Jacobean English. The English of the King James Version, even when it had become archaic, was still identified with the language of scripture in the minds of many of its readers. It comes as no surprise, therefore, that when Joseph Smith produced his sequel to the Bible, he cast it in Jacobean English. The dependence of the Book of Mormon on the King James Version, however, goes deeper than a mere affectation of style. Smith copied vast quantities of the Bible into the Book of Mormon, and the Bible that he used was the King James Version. We find, therefore, that the King James Version left an indelible mark on the Book of Mormon. Affected Style

The most readily observed characteristic of the Book of Mormon is its affected Jacobean style. Being raised, as he was, in a Protestant household, Smith was very familiar with the cadences and flow of Jacobean English. He was, however, quite ignorant as to the actual grammar of the language. As a result, the prose is couched in a sort of fractured amalgam of New England tongue and Jacobean English. For readers who are very familiar with the King James Version, the differences in style between the native Book of Mormon text and the protracted interpolated Biblical passages are so striking as to be almost physically perceived.

Most English people are unaware that King James English is more than a few simple `thee's' and `thou's in the right places. The archaic words are actually part of the grammar, and indicate verb tenses and noun cases and number. For example, `thou' is the second person, singular, personal pronoun, while `ye' is the corresponding plural form. In addition, the second person personal pronoun is declined differently to its modern counterpart. Thus, `ye' or `thou' is used as the subject of a sentence, while `you' is used as the object of a sentence. Modern English has lost this distinction, using `you' for both the singular and plural forms of the word, as well as both noun cases. This distinction is subtle, and is not generally apprehended by the casual modern reader.

One can find numerous examples of inconsistent application of the Jacobean personal noun case in the Book of Mormon. For example, in Mosiah 4:22, the personal noun case switches from plural to singular in the same sentence `...and yet ye put up no petition, nor repent of the thing which thou hast done.' Technically, the last part of the sentence should read `...which ye have done'.

Note one more example, that of First Nephi 11:7 `...after thou hast beheld the tree which bore the fruit which thy father tasted, thou shalt also behold a man descending out of heaven, and him shall ye witness; and after ye have witnessed him ye shall bear record that it is the Son of God.'

The King James verb tenses also seem to have given Smith some trouble. Like the languages that it evolved from, in particular Latin and Saxon, Jacobean English used inflected word modifiers to conjugate verbs. Again, this distinction has largely been lost in modern English. Traces of this confusion are evident in the first edition of the Book of Mormon. For example, in First Nephi 12:9 the third person form of a verb is used with a second person subject `...Thou remembereth the twelve apostles of the Lamb?...'. Compare this with John 16:21 of the King James Version, where the third person form of `remember' is used correctly `...but as soon as she is delivered of the child, she remembereth no more the anguish...'. This verse was corrected to read `rememberest' in the later revisions of the Book of Mormon.

The implication of this is clear - Joseph Smith was familiar with the form, but not the substance, of King James English. Consequently, his prose displays a fundamental lack of understanding of the syntax and grammar of the tongue. Translation Errors

Although a work of great literature, the King James Version does suffer somewhat in accuracy. There are basically three forms of translation errors that need to be considered:

Variant Readings: While not strictly a translation problem, it can be shown that where the King James Version differs from the Minority Text of the Greek New Testament, the Book of Mormon usually follows. This will be considered later.

Technical Terms: This is one of the greatest problems of the King James Version, although not really the fault of the translators. Generally, the use of incorrect words for some terms can be blamed on a less than perfect understanding of Hebrew vocabulary during the Elizabethan era. This, too, will be considered later.

Translation Errors: Although few in number, the King James Version does contain a number of undeniable incorrect translations. Again, this can sometimes be blamed on an imperfect understanding of Hebrew, but is also possibly due to the fact that the Authorised Version was basically translated by committee, with the various members having different strengths and weaknesses in the original languages. Generally, we find that when the King James Version commits a translation error, the Book of Mormon usually follows. Three examples will suffice.

II Nephi 12:16, a quotation from Isaiah 2:16 reads as follows `And upon all the ships of the sea, and upon all the ships of Tarshish, and upon all pleasant pictures.' The problem here is that the word `pictures' should be translated as `ships', which makes more sense. The New International version reads `..and every stately vessel...'.

As an aside, this verse adds the phrase `upon all the ships of the sea' to the King James wording. Mormon scholars have often pointed out that this follows the Septuagint, and should thus be considered a more ancient reading of the Biblical text. In fact, this is not entirely true. Neither the Septuagint nor the Masoretic text have both phrases; they include either one or the other. A close examination of the text will reveal the reason for this. Isaiah 2:16 is part of a poetic section which employs a device known as a rhyming couplet. Each stanza of the poem consists of two complimentary phrases. The Book of Mormon, however, has three phrases at this section, and thus could never have been an original part of the text. The obvious conclusion is that Smith had access to a Septuagint translation, or, more likely, to a commentary on Isaiah that included the Septuagint reading.

A more serious translation error affects Isaiah 9:1, copied into the Book of Mormon as II Nephi 19:1 `...and afterwards did more grievously afflict by the way of the Red Sea beyond Jordan in Galilee of the nations.' A translation error in this verse of Isaiah has given the text almost the opposite meaning to the original. The phrase `did more grievously afflict' should be rendered as `honour' in English. Thus the New International Version reads `...In the past he humbled the land of Zebulun and the land of Naphtali, but in the future he will honor Galilee of the Gentiles...'.

Again, as an aside, the Book of Mormon adds the qualifier `Red' to the King James Version. A glance at a map of Palestine will show why this rendering is impossible. The Red Sea is located on the Southern border of Palestine, over 250 miles from the Sea of Galilee.

A third example is found in II Nephi 21:3, a quotation from Isaiah 11:3. The phrase `And shall make him of quick understanding in the fear of the Lord...' should read `...and he will delight in the fear of the LORD...' as in the New International Version. Here, the Hebrew word `rawah', in this context, is correctly translated `delight in' as opposed to `quick'.

Mention should be made of II Nephi 16:2, where the 1830 version follows the King James' incorrect usage of the word `seraphims' as a plural for `seraphim'. This was corrected in later versions of the Book of Mormon text, although it has never been corrected in the King James Version. Italicized Phrases

Whenever the King James translators added a clarifying word or phrase to the text, they placed the phrase in italics to distinguish it from the original. Joseph Smith was obviously aware of this fact, and the majority of his changes to the Biblical text occur as modified or dropped King James italicized phrases. However, this process is inconsistently applied in the Book of Mormon text. Often, we find that a King James clarifying phrase has been left intact in the copied text, even though the phrase was never a part of the original Biblical text.

As an example, III Nephi 24:5, quoting Malachi 3:5 reads `...and that turn aside the stranger, and fear not me...'. The King James Text reads `...and that turn aside the stranger from his right, and fear not me...'. The Book of Mormon omits the phrase `from his right', which was added to the Isaiah text in italics by the King James translators. However, in III Nephi 24:10, the phrase `...that there shall not be room enough to receive it...' follows the King James Version, even though seven of these words are not original to the text. The King James Version of Malachi 3:10 reads `...that there shall not be room enough to receive it...'. Archaisms

Just as Smith's divine inspiration was unable to inform him when he was copying a translation error, it seemed equally unable to update some of the archaic language of the King James Version. As previously noted, the Authorised Version had some trouble with Hebrew technical terms. This is very apparent with animal names. The King James Version often refers to `dragons', `unicorns' and `satyrs', all mythological beasts. This had led more than a few would-be Bible interpreters into interesting, but nonetheless entirely incorrect directions.

The fact is that these names were interpolated whenever the actual animal referred to was unclear or unknown. Later research has uncovered the truth behind the Hebrew names, and most modern English Bibles no longer refer to such interesting creatures. II Nephi 23:22 contains a reference to dragons. `And the wild beasts of the islands shall cry in their desolate houses, and dragons in their pleasant palaces...'. This is a quotation from Isaiah 13:22. Most modern translations have `jackals' for `dragons', and `hyenas' for `wild beasts'.

Verse 21 of the same chapter has a reference to satyrs. `But wild beasts of the desert shall lie there; and their houses shall be full of doleful creatures; and owls shall dwell there, and satyrs shall dance there.' This word `satyrs' is translated `wild goats' in most modern translations.

King James archaisms are not limited to animal names. It seems that articles of apparel also caused their share of problems for the translators. A protracted quotation from Isaiah perfectly illustrates this problem. II Nephi 13:18-23 reads

In that day the Lord will take away the bravery of their tinkling ornaments, and cauls, and round tires like the moon; The chains and the bracelets, and the mufflers; The bonnets, and the ornaments of the legs, and the headbands, and the tablets, and the ear-rings; The rings, and nose jewels; The changeable suits of apparel, and the mantles, and the wimples, and the crisping-pins; The glasses, and the fine linen, and hoods, and the veils.'

This is a quotation from Isaiah 3:18-23. Although these terms are, for the most part, correctly translated in the King James Version, it is almost certain that neither Joseph Smith nor his intended audience had any idea what they meant. The King James Version committee translated this passage using words from their own era, which reflected the fashion of the day. Two hundred years later, in the early nineteenth century, on a different continent, these words were mostly obsolete. The New International Version throws some light on the issue

In that day the Lord will snatch away their finery: the bangles and headbands and crescent necklaces, the earrings and bracelets and veils, the headdresses and ankle chains and sashes, the perfume bottles and charms, the signet rings and nose rings, the fine robes and the capes and cloaks, the purses and mirrors, and the linen garments and tiaras and shawls.'

In at least two other places, Smith's divine muse was unable to supply him with the answers to some textual questions that had vexed Biblical scholars for centuries. The first is found in II Nephi 28:30. `...I will give unto the children of men line upon line, precept upon precept, here a little and there a little...' This is a reference to Isaiah 28:13. `But the word of the Lord was unto them precept upon precept, precept upon precept; line upon line, line upon line; here a little, and there a little...' Although most English Bibles follow the King James version to some degree, the exact meaning of the Hebrew text is uncertain. Most scholars are of the opinion that they are nonsense words, similar to an English person using the words `blah, blah, blah'.

A similar problem afflicts III Nephi 12:22, a quotation from Matthew 5:22. `...And whosoever shall say to his brother, Raca, shall be in danger of the council...' The exact meaning of the Aramaic word `Raca' is unknown, although it is generally thought to denote a term of contempt. The King James translators left the word untranslated, as do most English Bibles. It is indeed unfortunate that Smith's divine pipeline was unable to provide him with the true meaning of the word.

A final example will suffice. There is at least one archaic spelling that confused Smith, and that was the word `strait'. This word is used in Matthew 7:14 in the familiar phrase `...strait is the gate, and narrow is the way, which leadeth unto life, and few there be that find it.' Joseph Smith evidently thought, as do most English readers, that `strait' is simply a variant spelling of `straight'. In fact, it is not. The word `strait', in this context, means `restricted' or `difficult'. Nevertheless, the first edition of the Book of Mormon uses the word `straight' when it quotes Matthew in III Nephi 14:14. In fact, the 1830 version of the Book of Mormon uses the word `straight' every time that `strait' is meant. (See, for example, I Nephi 21:20, where the King James Version of Isaiah 49:20 has `strait'. The word `straight' makes no sense in this context.) Most of these were corrected in subsequent versions.

This is telling indeed, for it is evident that only an English person would confuse the two words. A Nephite, who had no knowledge of English, would certainly not make that mistake. In spite of this, we find that at least one of the Book of Mormon characters displayed similar confusion about the word. In II Nephi 9:41, the prophet Nephi speaks these words `...Behold, the way for man is narrow, but it lieth in a straight course before him...'. It is quite certain that Smith was alluding to the King James version here. Not only does the word `gate' appear in the same sentence, but we also find the phrase `And then are ye in this strait and narrow path which leads to eternal life...' in II Nephi 31:18. When Smith revised the Book of Mormon, he corrected the spelling of II Nephi 31:18 to `strait', but was obviously unable to change II Nephi 9:41, since the context makes it clear that the word `straight' is meant.

To summarise the foregoing: the Book of Mormon is evidently unable to update the archaic language of the King James Version, even when such language is technically incorrect. The fact that these shortcomings seem to mirror the gaps in Smith's knowledge is strong evidence that Smith, not a collection of ancient American prophets, was the sole author of the Book of Mormon. Anachronistic Terms

There are a number of terms that the King James Version introduced to the English world, which subsequently became part of the Spiritual vocabulary.

We find that at least two of these terms appear in the Book of Mormon as well. In John's gospel, Jesus leaves his disciples with a promise of a coming indwelling of the Holy Spirit just before his Passion. John 14:26 begins `But the Comforter, which is the Holy Ghost...'. The Book of Mormon, in at least one place, uses the same word for the Holy Spirit. Moroni 8:26 reads `...and because of meekness and lowliness of heart cometh the visitation of the Holy Ghost, which Comforter filleth with hope and perfect love...'.

The word that the King James committee translated as `Comforter' is the Greek word `parakletos'. Again, the exact meaning of this word is uncertain. Jerome left it untranslated in the Vulgate - `paracletus autem Spiritus Sanctus...', and it is variously translated in modern English Bibles (the New International Version and the Revised Version both use `counselor'). The word itself is constructed from two Greek words, the preposition `para' meaning `with' and the verb `kaleo' meaning `to call'. Thus, the meaning is clear enough, although there is no direct English equivalent. It is quite telling that the Book of Mormon uses a late English term for a Biblical concept.

A second archaic word that seems to have crept into the Book of Mormon is the word `charity'. This word appears in Paul's famous treatise on Faith, Hope and Charity in I Corinthians 13. In fact, the Greek word that is translated `charity' in the King James Version is the word `agape'. This word is consistently translated `love' elsewhere in the King James Version. The Book of Mormon, too, contains much on Faith, Hope and Charity, including a protracted quotation from I Corinthians 13. Moroni 7:45 reads `And charity suffereth long, and is kind, and envieth not, and is not puffed up, seeketh not her own, is not easily provoked, thinketh no evil, and rejoiceth not in iniquity but rejoiceth in the truth, beareth all things, believeth all things, hopeth all things, endureth all things.'

It is interesting that the Book of Mormon not only uses the same archaic King James word for `love', but also that Smith felt that he had to explain this fact. II Nephi 26:30 declares that `...all men should have charity, which charity is love.' Ether 12:34 reads `And now I know that this love which thou hast had for the children of men is charity...' In the same chapter as the Corinthians quotation, we find in Moroni 7:47 `But charity is the pure love of Christ...'. Also in Moroni 8:17 we find `And I am filled with charity, which is everlasting love...' Logically, this statement makes no sense, since `charity' and `love' are actually the same word. Variant Readings of the Textus Receptus

The King James Version was basically a revision of the earlier works of Wycliffe and Tyndale. However, the translators did use a specific Greek text for their revision, that of Erasmus, usually called the Textus Receptus (Latin for `Received Text'). This is basically a late text of the Majority family. Modern Biblical criticism has produced a more accurate text, based mostly on textual finds that postdate the King James Version. It can be shown that where the King James Version differs from the Alexandrian text, the Book of Mormon usually follows. This is most evident in the text of Matthew that appears in III Nephi. However, it can also be shown that the Book of Mormon quotes at least two texts which are now considered to be spurious.

I John 5:7 reads `For there are three that bear record in heaven, the Father, the Word, and the Holy Ghost: and these three are one.' This verse has almost no Greek manuscript support, and is generally considered to be a late interpolation. Legend has it that Erasmus included it in his Greek text under duress. Nevertheless, this text seems to have inspired one or two quotations in the Book of Mormon. II Nephi 31:21 reads `...and the only and true doctrine of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost, which is one God...'. Mormon 7:7 reads `...to sing ceaseless praises with the choirs above, unto the Father, and unto the Son, and unto the Holy Ghost, which are one God...'.

For behold, thus said Jesus Christ, the Son of God, unto his disciples who should tarry, yea, and also to all his disciples, in the hearing of the multitude: Go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature; And he that believeth and is baptized shall be saved, but he that believeth not shall be damned; And these signs shall follow them that believe--in my name shall they cast out devils; they shall speak with new tongues; they shall take up serpents; and if they drink any deadly thing it shall not hurt them; they shall lay hands on the sick and they shall recover...

Therefore, repent all ye ends of the earth, and come unto me, and believe in my gospel, and be baptized in my name; for he that believeth and is baptized shall be saved; but he that believeth not shall be damned; and signs shall follow them that believe in my name.

And he said unto them, Go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature. He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved; but he that believeth not shall be damned. And these signs shall follow them that believe; In my name shall they cast out devils; they shall speak with new tongues; They shall take up serpents; and if they drink any deadly thing, it shall not hurt them; they shall lay hands on the sick, and they shall recover.

The problem here is that these verses are part of the so-called long ending of Mark, generally thought to be a late addition to the Marcan text. Neither the Siniaticus nor the Vaticanus, the two oldest Greek texts, have this ending. (The New International Version has a note which reads `The most reliable early manuscripts and other ancient witnesses do not have Mark 16:9-20'). If this is true, it is quite impossible for Jesus to have spoken these words. Conclusion

It is very evident that the Book of Mormon owes much to the King James Version. Since this particular version of the Bible was not translated until 1611, it means that the Book of Mormon cannot be an ancient work as Joseph Smith claimed.

sister article

The Bible in the Book of Mormon 1999 Curt van den Heuvel

Introduction To the ardent follower of Joseph Smith, the Book of Mormon is the surest proof of his prophetic office. It is the one undeniable sign of his divinely given gifts of translation. To the skeptic, the Book of Mormon is an interesting example of early American frontier fiction, both quaint and pretentious, a living monument to human greed and gullibility. An analysis of the Book is useful, not because it tells us anything at all about ancient America, but rather for the insights that it gives us into the human psyche, into the mind of both the con artist and his mark.

It is evident that Joseph Smith used a number of sources in his monumental work. One of these was his own immediate environment, specifically the intense speculation about the origin of the Native Americans that fired the collective imagination of early nineteenth century New England. But, by far the most fruitful source of both ideas and prose in the Book of Mormon is the King James Bible.

It is an undeniable fact that the Book of Mormon quotes the Bible. This fact is acknowledged in the Book itself, in such phrases as '...now I, Nephi, write more of the words of Isaiah, for my soul delighteth in his words.' (II Nephi 11:2). The Book of Mormon contains extensive quotes from Isaiah - some twenty-two chapters of the prophet are found in the Book, in many cases quoted verbatim from the King James Version.

What is less well known is that the Book of Mormon makes a large number of unacknowledged Biblical quotes. These quotes appear as part and parcel of the narrative of the Book, and are quoted by different authors at different times. It is these quotes that are of interest, because they reveal something about the origin of the Book of Mormon.

This article will look at the various ways in which the author of the Book of Mormon made use of the Bible in his text.

The Scope of the Problem As already noted, there is a large amount of acknowledged, quoted material in the Book of Mormon. These include the prophets Isaiah and Malachi from the Old Testament, and the Sermon on the Mount (Matthew 5-7) from the New.

It can also be shown that the Book of Mormon contains an extraordinary number of unacknowledged Biblical quotes. The exact number is difficult to pin down, for a variety of reasons, but can safely be said to exceed several hundred.[1] The New Testament is by far the most fruitful source of these quotes. Of the twenty-six books of the New Testament, twenty of them are represented by one or more quotes in the Book of Mormon. The Old Testament also furnished a small number of unacknowledged quotes. Among these are quotes from Genesis, Exodus, Job, Micah, Hosea and Psalms.

Acknowledged Quotes Of the acknowledged quotes, Isaiah furnishes the largest amount of material. In general, this material is quoted almost verbatim from the King James Version.[2] Some passages, however, do show a fairly substantial amount of reworking. For example, Smith embroidered on Isaiah 29:11,12 to transform the text into a 'prophecy' of the Anthon affair. (II Nephi 27:15 and following).

The changes that were made to the text are illuminating. In general, most of the changes occur in the italicized portions of the King James version (which the King James Translators employed to indicate that the translation is not original to the text). Smith either dropped or modified the italicized phrases. In some cases, the changes made to the text result in impossible readings. For example, II Nephi 19:1 adds the phrase 'red sea' to Isaiah 9:1, which makes no sense in the geographical context.

In several cases, the Book of Mormon follows King James Version translation errors. In the verse just cited, for example, Isaiah 9:1 should read 'honor' in the place of 'grievously afflict'. The Book of Mormon makes the same mistake.

Two chapters of the prophet Malachi are quoted by Jesus in III Nephi 24 and following. The quote is almost verbatim from the King James Version, with some minor variations.

The Book of Mormon also puts the Sermon on the Mount into the mouth of Jesus in III Nephi 12:3 and following. Again, the quote is almost verbatim from the King James Version, with a few more substantial changes, possibly to remove anachronistic references (although the author did not completely succeed in this endeavor.)

Unacknowledged Quotes There are a few short unacknowledged quotes from the Old Testament. Jesus quoted Micah, verbatim from the King James Version, in III Nephi 20:16 and following. Allusions to Psalm 51 show up in several Book of Mormon passages, and the Decalogue is quoted from Exodus in Mosiah 12 and 13.

Anachronistic Quotes Of particular interest are quotes that appear long before their sources were written. These include several hundred New Testament quotes and allusions, as well as one Old Testament anachronism. Malachi 4:1-2 is quoted or alluded to several times in First and Second Nephi. (See I Nephi 22:15 and II Nephi 26:4, for example). The problem is that Lehi and his family supposedly left Jerusalem before the Babylonian conquest - Malachi, however, was a post-exilic prophet.

A few examples of anachronistic New Testament quotes would be Matthew 3:10 quoted in Alma 5:52, I Corinthians 15:53 quoted in Mosiah 16:10 and Romans 8:6 in II Nephi 9:39.

Words and phrases used only in a KJV context There are a fairly large number of words that appear only in a King James context. The implication here is that these words are the result of biblical quotations, and are not simply a coincidental part of the author's vocabulary.

A few examples - the word 'manifestation' (or its plural) is used in I Corinthians 12:7, in the phrase '...the manifestation of the Spirit...'. This verse (and a number of surrounding verses) is quoted in Moroni 10:8. This, in itself, is not an anachronistic quote, since Moroni lived long after the establishment of the New Testament canon (although it is a little unclear how these New Testament quotes managed to cross the continental divide.) However, we find that every time the word 'manifestation' is used in the Book of Mormon, regardless of context, author or time, it appears in the phrase 'manifestation of the Spirit'. This can hardly be ascribed to coincidence.

As another example, the word 'bitterness' appears in Acts 8:23, in the phrase '...the gall of bitterness, and in the bond of iniquity.' We find that every time the word 'bitterness' is used in the Book of Mormon, it appears in the phrase 'gall of bitterness', again regardless of context or author. (Even more significant, the word, in all but one instance, also occurs with the phrase 'bonds of iniquity'.)

A final example: every time the word 'intents' is used in the Book of Mormon, it appears in the phrase 'thoughts and intents of the heart', as in Hebrews 4:12.

This writer has listed close to one hundred such words and phrases,[3] which always, or almost always, appear in the Book of Mormon in a KJV context.

New Testament Paraphrases of Old Testament Verses The New Testament contains a very large number of references to the Old Testament. Often, we find that the New Testament quote differs from its Old Testament source, for one of two reasons - either the writer paraphrased the text in order to make a point, or the writer was quoting from one of the ancient versions, usually the Greek Septuagint, which differs markedly from the (Masoretic) Hebrew Old Testament.

On a number of occasions, the Book of Mormon quotes a New Testament paraphrase of an Old Testament passage. One of the most glaring examples of this phenomenon is found in I Nephi 22:20. The text claims that this verse is a quotation from the Old Testament, from Deuteronomy 18:15,19 to be precise. However, the actual quote in the Book of Mormon is much closer to Acts 3:22,23, which is a paraphrase of the Deuteronomic passage.

One more example: Alma 5:57 contains a reference to II Corinthians 6:17, which is actually a paraphrased quotation from Isaiah 52:11.[4]

Clustered Quotes On a number of occasions, we find that when the Book of Mormon quotes a Biblical passage, other quotations from the same passage are clustered near the original quotation. The implication here is that the author of the Book of Mormon read the phrase in the Bible, and either unconsciously or consciously worked the surrounding phrases into the text.

For example, I Nephi 22:15 contains an anachronistic quote of Malachi 4:1. However, we find that verse 24 of the same passage contains a reference to 'calves of the stall', a quotation from Malachi 4:2. II Nephi 26:4 also contains a reference to Malachi 4:1, as does verse 6 of the same passage. Verse 9 of the passage contains a reference to Malachi 4:2, as does the preceding chapter, II Nephi 25:13.

A second example: Mosiah 16:7-10 contains references to three consecutive verses of I Corinthians 15 (verses 53 to 55), the famous chapter on the Resurrection of the body.

Jesus quotes the Epistles Third Nephi records the visit of Jesus to the Americas, after his resurrection. Jesus delivers a number of sermons, most of which are found in the New Testament gospels. On a number of occasions, however, Jesus seems to quote from other New Testament books, before the books themselves were written.

In III Nephi 20:23-26, Jesus quotes a sermon that Peter had yet to deliver at Pentecost, recorded in Acts 3:22-26.

In III Nephi 18:29, Jesus quotes a line that Paul had not yet written, in I Corinthians 11:29, with regard to the Eucharist.

A final example: In III Nephi 28:8, Jesus quotes I Corinthians 15:52-53 with regard to the Resurrection.

Narrative Sources Not only does the Book of Mormon contain a large number of unacknowledged quotes, but it appears that in several cases, a Biblical passage inspired a Book of Mormon narrative.

One of the most interesting examples of this phenomenon is found in Alma 18 and 19, the story of King Lamoni's healing. The story bears a rough resemblance to the narrative of the raising of Lazarus in John 12. What is most striking, however, is the number of words and phrases in the Book of Mormon passage that seem to come from John, such as 'stinketh' (Alma 19:5), 'sleepeth' (Alma 19:8), 'he shall rise again' (Alma 19:8) and 'believest thou this?' (Alma 19:9).

Other Book of Mormon scenes that seem to have been inspired by the Bible: The conversion of Alma in Mosiah 27:10-24 and the story of Paul's conversion in Acts 9:1-18; Alma and Amulek's escape from prison in Alma 14 compared with Paul and Silas' rescue from prison in Acts 16; Jared's daughter dancing for Akish in Ether 8 and Salome dancing for Herod in Matthew 14.

Fatigue in the Book of Mormon Fatigue is a literary phenomenon that sometimes occurs when one author is heavily dependent on another. It produces small errors of continuity and detail, which result from the latter author omitting structural details while modifying the source.

As an example, consider the story of the healing of the paralytic in Luke 5. The gospel records that there were so many people in the house, that the friends of the patient were forced to let him down through the roof.

Luke 5:19 And when they could not find by what way they might bring him in because of the multitude, they went upon the housetop, and let him down through the tiling with his couch into the midst before Jesus.

The problem is that Luke has failed to mention that Jesus is in a house.

Luke 5:17 And it came to pass on a certain day, as he was teaching, that there were Pharisees and doctors of the law sitting by, which were come out of every town of Galilee, and Judaea, and Jerusalem: and the power of the Lord was present to heal them.

What has happened here is that the author of Luke, in using Mark 2 for his source, has forgotten that he did not set the story in a house, creating a minor aberration in the flow of the narrative when he finds that he has need of a housetop.[5]

Can we find similar examples of fatigue in the Book of Mormon? There are at least two candidates.

As noted in the previous section, Alma 18 and 19 contains a story which is very similar to the resurrection of Lazarus as recorded in John 11. The most obvious difference is the fact that whereas Lazarus had died, and had been dead for some time, King Lamoni was in a deep sleep (possibly comatose). Strangely enough, however, after informing his wife that the King is simply asleep, the prophet Ammon goes on to claim that he "...shall rise again" (19:8). This seems a rather curious phrase to use of someone who was merely asleep, especially when we consider that both times the phrase is used elsewhere in the Book of Mormon (Alma 33:22 and Helaman 14:20), it refers to a resurrection from the dead.

Could it be that in copying his source (the gospel of John), Smith used a phrase that made sense in John's narrative ("...Thy brother shall rise again..." in John 11:23), but not in the Book of Mormon story?

A second example concerns the parable of the Vineyard, as recorded in Jacob 5. This is a long parable which casts the nation Israel in the metaphorical role of an Olive tree in a vineyard.

Jacob 5:3 For behold, thus saith the Lord, I will liken thee, O house of Israel, like unto a tame olive-tree, which a man took and nourished in his vineyard; and it grew, and waxed old, and began to decay.

The parable appears to be drawn from two biblical sources - the Song of the Vineyard in Isaiah 5, and Paul's discussion of the relation of the Gentiles to the Jews in Romans 11.[6] The problem for the author of the Book of Mormon is that Isaiah and Paul used slightly different metaphors - Isaiah that of a vineyard, and Paul an Olive tree. It is thus quite significant that halfway through the parable, Zenos appears to forget that he is using an Olive tree as his metaphor, and begins to use the whole vineyard as his focus.

Jacob 5:41 And it came to pass that the Lord of the vineyard wept, and said unto the servant: What could I have done more for my vineyard?

Significantly, the break appears at the same point that the Book of Mormon quotes a passage from Isaiah:

Isaiah 5:4 What could have been done more to my vineyard, that I have not done in it? wherefore, when I looked that it should bring forth grapes, brought it forth wild grapes?

From this point on, the prophet Zenos refers exclusively to the "fruit of the vineyard", apparently forgetting that vineyards yield grapes, not olives.

Apologetic Responses Naturally, Mormon scholars have long been aware of the problem, and have come up with several theories to account for the phenomenon.

In his monumental apologetic work New Witnesses for God, the noted Mormon scholar B. H. Roberts addressed the question of protracted KJV quotes in the Book of Mormon. Quoting then president Joseph Fielding Smith, Roberts wrote the following:

When Joseph Smith saw that the Nephite record was quoting the prophecies of Isaiah, of Malachi, or the words of the Savior, he took the English Bible and compared these passages as far as they paralleled each other, and finding that in substance, they were alike, he adopted our English translation; and hence, we have the sameness to which you refer.[7]

The problem that naturally accompanies this explanation should be obvious. If the Book of Mormon plates did indeed contain an ancient version of Isaiah, it should stand to reason that this version would be textually superior to that contained in the King James Version. The latter used a Hebrew text which, at the time that the KJV was produced, dated from no earlier than the ninth century AD. If Smith was able to translate the rest of the non-Biblical passages of the Book of Mormon with apparent consummate ease, why did he suddenly abandon his divine gift in favour of a text that could not hope to be any more accurate?

Further, as we have seen, the Isaiah text of the Book of Mormon often reflects the problems and shortcomings of the King James Version. This should not have been the case, if, as President Smith alleged "...except for those differences indicated in the Nephite original ...here and there made the Book of Mormon version of passages superior in sense and clearness."[8]

Indeed, President Smith has raised a suspicious point: if Smith had access to an English Bible as he was translating the Book of Mormon, what was there to prevent him from simply copying large portions of the work into his own narrative? This, after all, is precisely the allegation of the skeptic.

Another theory, popularized by Hugh Nibley, states that the Holy Spirit of God gives the same words to all his prophets. Again, there are several problems with this theory. Firstly, it presupposes that one believes in such a thing as Divine inspiration, which is by no means an established fact. An appeal to this theory, then, basically amounts to a circular argument.

The problems with this solution are, in fact, legion. It has yet to be demonstrated that such a phenomenon has occurred before. In the real world, whenever one document closely quotes another, this is evidence either of one document using the other as a source (such as a research paper, or the New Testament quoting the Old), or of outright plagiarism (such as the Gospel of Barnabus using Dante's Inferno). This necessarily means that the document that uses the former as a source must have originated later. In the case of the Book of Mormon, which contains copious quotes from the New Testament, the implication is that the book actually originated after the formation of the Christian scriptures. Further research will show that the Book of Mormon relies on a specific version of the New Testament, namely the King James Version.

In evaluating any of the apologetic responses, it would be good to keep the law of parsimony in mind. This is a simple law of common sense (also known as Occam's Razor), which states that in the absence of any contradictory information, the simplest solution to a problem is generally the correct one. We can apply this law to the question of biblical quotations in the Book of Mormon as follows:

a) God, for some reason known only to himself, allowed the Nephite prophets to make copious quotes from the King James Version of the Old Testament, and anachronistic quotes from the New, or

b) The Book of Mormon is a nineteenth century work, and Joseph Smith simply copied the King James Version into the Book of Mormon.

It does not require much reasoning to see which solution is the simplest.

Conclusion There really is only one theory which fully accounts for all the features of the phenomenon. This theory is that the Book of Mormon was written by someone who either had a KJV Bible in front of him, or was intimately familiar with its contents. When we add to this phenomenon other Book of Mormon problems [9], such as the lack of any historical, archaeological or linguistic confirmation, the large number of anachronistic terms and items referenced in the book, and its mirroring of the issues and problems of the nineteenth century Protestant Church, we come to the inescapable conclusion that the Book of Mormon originated in the early nineteenth century.

Notes [1] See "The Book of Mormon and the Bible" (, n.d.), spotted January 16, 1999 for a cross reference listing of New Testament quotes in the Book of Mormon. [2] David Wright has an in-depth examination of the Isaiah quotes in the Book of Mormon in his article "Isaiah in the Book of Mormon ...and Joseph Smith in Isaiah" (, n.d.), spotted January 16, 1999. [3] See my article "Words and Phrases Used in a KJV Context" (, n.d.), spotted January 16, 1999. [4] See my article "New Testament Paraphrases of Old Testament Verses" (, n.d.), spotted January 16, 1999 for a longer list of such quotes. [5] Adapted from Marc Goodacre's article, "Fatigue in the Synoptics" (, n.d.), spotted September 1, 1999. [6] See "The Parable of Zenos" (, n.d.), spotted January 16, 1999. [7] B. H. Roberts, New Witnesses for God (Vol. III) (Salt Lake City: George Q. Cannon & Sons Company, 1895), p. 428. [8] Ibid., p. 429. [9] See "Questions on the Book of Mormon, its Author and his Work" (, n.d.), spotted January 16, 1999 for an overview of the historical problems of the Book of Mormon.

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hopefully, Mitt will not have the opportunity to excersize his sloppy discernment skills in our foriegn policy or economy from the vp slot

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