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*[https://knowhy.bookofmormoncentral.org/knowhy/why-new-testament-words-and-phrases-are-in-the-book-of-mormon-part-8-were-these-expressions Why New Testament Words and Phrases Are in the Book of Mormon Part 8: Were These Expressions Parts of Joseph Smith's Linguistic Toolbox?] | *[https://knowhy.bookofmormoncentral.org/knowhy/why-new-testament-words-and-phrases-are-in-the-book-of-mormon-part-8-were-these-expressions Why New Testament Words and Phrases Are in the Book of Mormon Part 8: Were These Expressions Parts of Joseph Smith's Linguistic Toolbox?] | ||
*[https://knowhy.bookofmormoncentral.org/knowhy/why-new-testament-words-and-phrases-are-in-the-book-of-mormon-part-9-above-all-were-these Why New Testament Words and Phrases Are in the Book of Mormon Part 9: Above All, Were These Words Given by the Gift and Power of God?] | *[https://knowhy.bookofmormoncentral.org/knowhy/why-new-testament-words-and-phrases-are-in-the-book-of-mormon-part-9-above-all-were-these Why New Testament Words and Phrases Are in the Book of Mormon Part 9: Above All, Were These Words Given by the Gift and Power of God?] | ||
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+ | {{Seealso|Question: Does the Book of Mormon plagiarize the King James Bible?}} | ||
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{{endnotes sources}} | {{endnotes sources}} |
It is claimed that the Book of Mormon cannot be an ancient work because it contains material that is also found in the New Testament. In fact, in the Book of Mormon, Jesus quotes a paraphrase of Moses' words found in Acts 3:22-26. However, all these parallels demonstrate is that:
Neither of these is news, and neither can tell us much but that the Book of Mormon was translated in the nineteenth century.
The Book of Mormon claims to be a "translation." Therefore, the language used is that of Joseph Smith. Joseph could choose to render similar (or identical) material using King James Bible language if that adequately represented the text's intent.
Only if we presume that the Book of Mormon is a fraud at the outset is this proof of anything. If we assume that it is a translation, then the use of Bible language tells us merely that Joseph used biblical language.
If Joseph was a fraud, why would he plagiarize the one text—the King James Bible—which his readers would be sure to know, and sure to react negatively if they noticed it? The Book of Mormon contains much original material—Joseph didn't "need" to use the KJV; he is obviously capable of producing original material.
Furthermore, many of the critics examples consist of a phrase or a concept that Joseph has supposedly lifted from the New Testament. This complaint, however ignores several factors.
Chief among the difficulty is that the critics seem ignorant or unconcerned about the extent to which the language of the King James Bible dominated preaching, common speech, and discussion of religious and non-religious topics in Joseph Smith's day.
In a Bible-based culture like Joseph Smith's, Biblical phrases are simply "in the air," and are often used without an awareness of where they come from (this is especially true for those whose literary exposure did not extend much beyond the Bible—like Joseph). By analogy, many modern authors or speakers will use phrases like the following, completely unaware that they are quoting Shakespeare!
List | Phrase | Shakespeare | Reference |
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"All's well that ends well" |
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"As good luck would have it" |
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"Bated breath" |
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"Be-all and the end-all" |
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"Beggar all description" |
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"Brave new world" |
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"Break the ice" |
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"not budge an inch" |
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"Dead as a doornail" |
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"Devil incarnate" |
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"Fool's paradise" |
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"For goodness' sake" |
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"Full circle" |
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"Good riddance" |
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"Household words" |
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"Heart of gold" |
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"In...a pickle" |
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"Lie low" |
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"Love is blind" |
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"Melted into thin air" |
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"Naked truth" |
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"I have not slept one wink" |
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"One fell swoop" |
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"Play fast and loose with" |
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"We have seen better days" |
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"The short and the long of it" |
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"Too much of a good thing" |
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"Wear my heart upon my sleeve" |
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"What the dickens" |
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"The world's my [mine] oyster" |
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Would we accuse someone who used these phrases of "plagiarizing" Shakespeare? Hardly, for they are common expressions in our language—most people are probably unaware that they even come from Shakespeare, and most have probably not read the plays at all. In a similar way, some biblical phrases and vocabulary were likely part of Joseph Smith's subconscious verbal world. It would be strange if it were otherwise.
Oddly enough, the high quantity of New Testament/Book of Mormon intertextuality should not lead one to believe that Joseph Smith simply plagiarized from the King James Bible. Using the Original and Printer's Manuscripts of the Book of Mormon, Latter-day Saint scholar Royal Skousen has definitively shown that none of the King James language contained in the Book of Mormon could have been copied directly from the Bible. He deduces this from the fact that when quoting, echoing, or alluding to the passages, Oliver (Joseph's amanuensis for the dictation of the Book of Mormon) consistently misspells certain words from the text that he wouldn't have misspelled if he was looking at the then-current edition of the KJB.[1]
When considering the the data, Skousen proposes that, instead of.Joseph or Oliver looking at a Bible (which is now confirmed by the manuscript evidence and the statements of the 6 witnesses to the translation to the Book of Mormon), that God was simply able to provide the page of text from the King James Bible to Joseph's mind and then Joseph was free to alter the text as he pleased. In those cases where the Book of Mormon might simply be alluding to or echoing the text, the Lord may have simply given the translation as would be more comprehensible/comfortable to his 19th century, Northeastern, frontier audience. This theology of translation may feel foreign and a bit strange to some Latter-day Saints, but it seems to fit well with the Lord's own words about the nature of revelation to Joseph Smith. The Lord speaks to his servants "after the manner of their language, that they may come to understanding" (Doctrine and Covenants 1:24). Latter-day Saints should take comfort in fact that the Lord accommodates his perfection to our own weakness and uses our imperfect language and nature for the building up of Zion on the earth.
Book of Mormon Central has produced a 9 part series exploring this criticism in depth. This is the latest take on New Testament - Book of Mormon Intertextuality and will prove the most beneficial.
Notes
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