Book of Mormon

Book of Mormon, one of the sacred scriptures of the Mormons, first published in 1830 in Palmyra, New York, by Joseph Smith, the founding prophet of the Mormon church. By Smith's account, he found the record, which was written on golden plates, in a hill near his home and with divine aid translated the text into English. The plates then disappeared; according to Smith, they were taken by an angel after the translation. At least 11 witnesses, however, testified to having seen and examined the plates. The 1830 edition, containing 590 pages, was subsequently revised and corrected by Smith; later the book was divided into chapters and verses. It has been published in 38 languages besides English.

The Book of Mormon records the history of ancient emigrants from Jerusalem to America. Led by the prophet Lehi about 600 bc, they settled in America, grew, established a civilized society, divided, sometimes degenerated, and fought a series of wars. After his crucifixion, Jesus Christ appeared in his resurrected body to the people of the New World. In ad 421 one people, the Nephites, were annihilated by a dark-skinned group, the Lamanites, who were among the ancestors of the Native Americans. The narrative is complex, containing flashbacks within flashbacks. More than merely a narrative, however, the book is replete with religious teachings emphasizing the free agency of humankind and America's destiny as a chosen land. It complements the Bible, expanding and clarifying, but not contradicting, the Judeo-Christian Scripture.

Attempts have been made to discredit Smith's account of the discovery of the Book of Mormon. Among these are the claims that the book was actually written by a clergyman, Solomon Spaulding, and that it was the work of Smith himself.