J. WARNER WALLACE Summary
Police detectives are trained to collect evidence and present what they find. If the case is sufficiently compelling, the district attorney will file the case and eventually present it to a jury. What does the evidence suggest about Mormonism? And is there sufficient evidence, for or against the claims of Mormonism, to make the case to a jury?
Introduction
I was an atheist and a police detective when I first examined the Christian and Mormon scriptures. It was my investigative skills that helped me verify the truth claims of Christianity, even as they falsified the truth claims of Mormonism. In the many years since I became a Christian, I’ve had conversations with Mormon believers to share what I discovered as a trained detective. I begin by describing the nature of criminal investigations, and then I show how the simple principles of good detective work can help determine if Mormonism is true.
Investigating Joseph Smith
Criminal investigations focus on five key aspects of criminal activity:
1. The motives of the suspect in question
2. The planning executed prior to the commission of a crime
3. The opportunity a suspect has to commit the crime
4. The overt acts performed by a suspect in the commission of the crime
5. The subsequent evidence of a crime discovered following the suspect’s overt acts
As I explain what I discovered about Joseph Smith and his claims related to the Book of Mormon in evangelistic conversations, I describe these five aspects of criminal activity:
The Motives of Joseph Smith
All crimes, from simple thefts to gruesome homicides, are motivated by one of three desires: sexual lust, financial greed, and the pursuit of power. Each was present in the life of Joseph Smith.
SEXUAL LUST
Mormon leaders admit that Smith took between 30 to 40 wives for himself, claiming that God revealed polygamy to be a holy practice.1 Emma, his first wife, never fully accepted this practice and remained skeptical about Joseph’s divine revelations related to polygamy.2
FINANCIAL GREED
Smith relied largely on the financial support of his followers. Hundreds of members contributed to projects he initiated, and Smith’s writings included divine commandments for the prophet to be sustained by his people. At one early point in Mormon history, Smith claimed to have received a revelation from God to establish a bank in Kirtland, Ohio. He told his followers that God promised him the bank would never fail, which proved to be a false prophecy and led to the bankrupting of many church members.3
THE PURSUIT OF POWER
Smith enjoyed a power base possessed by few others of his generation. He was the general of his own militia, the Nauvoo Legion. He also served as the chief justice of the court and was the Nauvoo city mayor. In 1843, he announced his candidacy for president of the United States.4
Joseph Smith’s Planning
Evidence surrounding Smith’s early history reveals the manner in which he prepared to write the Book of Mormon.
SMITH LEARNED HOW TO BE A LOCAL TREASURE DIGGER
He first learned about treasure digging from a traveling magician and diviner who visited Palmyra prior to 1825. At 20 years of age (approximately six years after he claimed that he saw God the Father and Jesus), charges were filed against Smith for his fraudulent efforts as a treasure digger.5 He was charged as “a disorderly person and an impostor” in Bainbridge, New York in March 1826.6
SMITH LEARNED HOW TO USE A “SEER STONE”
He imitated the diviner he met in his youth and utilized “seer stones” that he believed were supernatural.
JOSEPH SMITH’S OPPORTUNITY TO COMMIT THE ACT
Joseph did not create the Book of Mormon in a historical vacuum, and he wasn’t alone in his efforts to seize the opportunity to start a new religion.
THE SECOND GREAT AWAKENING
The Second Great Awakening took place during the first half of the nineteenth century, which resulted in tremendous religious excitement throughout New England, including in Joseph Smith’s hometown. The local churches were not established enough to help teach and mentor those who were interested in learning biblical truth. As a result, many religious groups (all claiming to be true) emerged in the area.
CULTURAL FASCINATION WITH NATIVE AMERICANS
Several authors during this time speculated about the origin of the Native Americans. In 1823, Ethan Smith (no relation to Joseph Smith) wrote View of the Hebrews, which described Native Americans as descendants of the Hebrews who had migrated to the North American continent. A second edition of the book was published in 1825, five years prior to the publication of the Book of Mormon.
LOCAL INTEREST IN TREASURE DIGGING
The practice of treasure digging was a well-accepted activity for many people in lower economic status at the time, particularly in the Palmyra area where Joseph Smith was raised.
Evidence of Joseph Smith’s Overt Acts
The chief instrument by which Smith convinced others to follow him was the Book of Mormon, allegedly written from gold plates that he said he found buried in the ground near Palmyra, New York. His prior interests and activities contributed to the story of their discovery and subsequent translation.
ELEMENTS FROM VIEW OF THE HEBREWS
There are many significant parallels between the Book of Mormon and View of the Hebrews. Even B.H. Roberts, a well-known Mormon apologist and historian, described parallels between the two books, including the claim that American Indians descended from Israelites and the description of a buried “lost book” with “yellow leaves.”
USE OF THE KING JAMES VERSION (KJV)
Smith claimed that God provided him with the translation of the gold plates so the people of America could read the history and “scripture” in the 1830s. But he also used Elizabethan English in his text so it would match the spiritual-sounding language his potential followers would have understood.
ENTIRE CHAPTERS FROM THE KJV
Whole chapters from the KJV, practically word for word, were incorporated into the Book of Mormon. For instance, nearly 20 complete chapters of Isaiah and Malachi were copied without alteration.
UNCORRECTED KJV TRANSLATION ERRORS
Scholars now know the KJV translation Smith used contains many translation errors when compared to the latest and most recent manuscript discoveries. The Book of Mormon, however, cites the inaccurate passages without correcting these errors.
SPECIOUS KJV PASSAGES
Several passages in the KJV translation are now known to be late additions to the text, based on the latest discoveries of early biblical manuscripts. Joseph transferred some of these specious passages into the Book of Mormon when he copied it from the KJV.7
ANACHRONISMS
Perhaps the biggest evidence of an overt act related to the Book of Mormon is the presence of anachronisms. In many places in the Book of Mormon, Smith writes about things the allegedly ancient characters would not have known (because an event had not yet occurred in history, or an object had not yet been invented or introduced).
PARAPHRASES FROM LONG BEFORE THE EARTHLY LIFE OF JESUS
Smith quotes or paraphrases Jesus in the Book of Mormon, placing these quotes within the Mormon chronology long before Jesus ever lived to make the original statements.8
NEW TESTAMENT PARAPHRASES… BEFORE THE NEW TESTAMENT WAS WRITTEN
When quoting an Old Testament passage, Smith often cites a New Testament paraphrase of the passage rather than returning to the Old Testament verse, even though the Book of Mormon was allegedly written before the New Testament was penned.9
DESCRIBING THE “GOSPEL” LONG BEFORE IT WAS REVEALED
The biblical authors said the “good news” about salvation through Christ was made known to the Jew and Gentile alike, but it was a mystery prior to the appearance of Jesus and its full revelation after the Resurrection (Ephesians 3:3-7; Colossians 1:26; 1 Peter 1:1-12; Romans 16:25-26). Smith reveals the Gospel message out of sequence approximately 570 years prior to its revelation in the New Testament (2 Nephi 25:19, 23; 2 Nephi 26:12; 2 Nephi 30:2; 2 Nephi 31:17).
DESCRIBING THE CHURCH LONG BEFORE IT WAS FOUNDED
Jesus repeatedly described the church as something yet to come (Matthew 16:18 and Acts 2:47). The Book of Mormon, however, claims the church was already formed as early as 147 BC, nearly two hundred years before it actually happened (Mosiah 18:17).
DEFINING “CHRISTIANS” LONG BEFORE THEY WERE NAMED
The followers of Jesus were first called “Christians” in the first century in the city of Antioch (see Acts 11:26), but the Book of Mormon describes people being called “Christians” as early as 73 BC (Alma 46:15).
THE GIFT OF THE HOLY GHOST LONG BEFORE PENTECOST
The Holy Spirit was promised by Jesus, and then bestowed upon the believers for the first time on the day of Pentecost (Luke 24:49 and Acts 2:1-4). Smith, however, describes people receiving the gift of the Holy Spirit as early as 545 BC (2 Nephi 31:12-13).
WORDS USED IN THE “ANCIENT” TEXT LONG BEFORE THEY EXISTED
The Book of Mormon uses words not available at the time it supposedly happened. For example, the word Bible is attributed to authors who are supposedly writing between 559 BC and 545 BC (see 2 Nephi 29:3-4, 6, 10), even though the Greek word biblia was not used until the fifth century AD. Smith also repeatedly used the word Christ in places dated hundreds of years before the coming of Christ and hundreds of years before the invention of the Greek word from which the English word Christ is transliterated.
EVENTS WRITTEN IN THE PAST TENSE LONG BEFORE THEY OCCURRED
Smith writes about events as if they had already occurred, even though they would not have yet occurred in the Book of Mormon chronology. In 2 Nephi 31:6, 8, for example, the baptism of Jesus (“Lamb of God”) is described as though it had already occurred almost six centuries before Jesus came.
ANIMALS IN THE AMERICAS LONG BEFORE THEY ARRIVED THERE
The Book of Mormon references several animals on the continent, even though these species didn’t arrive in North America until centuries later. For example, it mentions horses (Alma 18:9; Alma 18:12; Alma 20:6; 3 Nephi 3:22), elephants (Ether 9:19), cows and goats (1 Nephi 18:25; Enos 1:21; Ether 9:18), and pigs (Ether 9:8; Ether 9:17-18).
CROPS IN THE AMERICAS LONG BEFORE THEY EXISTED
Smith also errantly describes grains not yet present on the American continent during the time period described by the Book of Mormon, including barley (Mosiah 7:22; 9:9; Alma 11:7, 15) and wheat (Mosiah 9:9; 3 Nephi 18:18).
WEAPONS USED BY NATIVE AMERICANS LONG BEFORE THEY WERE INVENTED
Smith repeatedly describes weapons of war supposedly used by people in the Book of Mormon. No archeological evidence supports the existence of these weapons or articles of war, including chariots (Alma 18:9-10,12; Alma 20:6; 3 Nephi 3:22) and metal swords (2 Nephi 5:14; Mosiah 8:11).
MODERN INNOVATIONS
Smith inaccurately includes inventions and innovations unavailable during the period described in the Book of Mormon, including a metal-based monetary system (Alma 11:5-19), silk fabric (1 Nephi 13:7,8; Alma 1:29; Alma 4:6; Ether 9:17; Ether 10:24), compasses (1 Nephi 16:10; 1 Nephi 18:12; 1 Nephi 18:27; Alma 37:38), and glass windows (Ether 2:22-23).
Like the Bible, the Book of Mormon claims to be the true history of a vast population that lived, built cities, engaged in commerce, waged war, and developed a complex culture. If true, archaeological evidence of this vast civilization should be abundant. There is not, however, a single archaeological discovery confirming any detail from the Book of Mormon, even though the Bible has plenty of archaeological support.
Subsequent Evidence Related to Joseph Smith
Several events occurred following the alleged translation of the Book of Mormon that indicate Smith committed a fraudulent act.
THE ORIGINAL PLATES BECAME UNAVAILABLE
Smith guaranteed that subsequent investigators of his claims would be unable to examine the gold plates; he claimed these plates were returned to the angel Moroni.
“EYEWITNESSES” CHANGED THEIR CLAIMS
Smith claimed three witnesses observed the plates, but these witnesses (Martin Harris, Oliver Cowdery, and David Whitmer) only said they observed the plates after repeated and persuasive efforts on his part to convince them of their observations. Cowdery later became a Methodist and confessed his regret for having any connection with Mormonism. Meanwhile, Harris also eventually left Mormonism and admitted that he only saw the plates in a “visionary or entranced state.”
SMITH DISGUISED AND PROTECTED HIS TRANSLATION EFFORTS
Most modern accounts of Smith’s translation process depict him reading and translating the plates word for word with a scribe by his side, usually sitting at the same table. The real “translation” process was very different, according to those who were present. The plates remained hidden throughout the translation process; in some instances, Smith sat behind a curtain as he recited the text to his helpers.
SMITH WAS UNABLE TO DUPLICATE THE LOST 116 PAGES
Martin Harris’s wife, Lucy, became suspicious of Smith’s translation activity; she suspected he was trying to defraud her husband. After Smith and Harris (working as his scribe) penned approximately 116 pages of the Book of Mormon, Harris began to have serious doubts about the authenticity of the work. He told Smith about Lucy’s concerns, and Smith ultimately allowed Martin to take the transcript home. While there, the transcript allegedly disappeared. Smith was unable to retranslate the lost pages, even though he reportedly still had access to the gold plates from which the translation first resulted. Instead, he said God redirected him to replace the lost material with information found on yet another set of metal plates he claimed to possess. Lucy Harris remained unconvinced.
AN EVEN MORE OBVIOUS ACT OF FRAUD
Although the original gold Book of Mormon plates are unavailable to examine, this is not the case with the Book of Abraham. Smith allegedly translated this ancient Egyptian papyrus he acquired in 1835. When he first saw the papyri, he claimed they contained the writing of Abraham. Smith “translated” the document, now called the Book of Abraham in the Pearl of Great Price. The original papyrus scroll was lost for a number of years but was rediscovered in 1967. When translated by experts both in and outside the LDS Church, the document contains nothing remotely similar to what Smith claimed in his translation.10
Conclusion
The evidence implicating Joseph Smith is cumulative and convincing when considered as a criminal investigation:
1. Joseph Smith possessed a motive to defraud his followers. He had much to gain financially, sexually, and from a perspective of power.
2. Smith’s life prior to writing the Book of Mormon provided him with experiences from which he could plan his forgery. His time as a treasure digger, his involvement with seer stones, and his experience with the criminal justice system prepared him to deceive others.
3. Smith had the perfect opportunity to make his false claims given the religiously charged environment of New York State in the nineteenth century, preexisting ideas about Native Americans, and the cultural interest in treasure digging.
4. Smith’s overt acts of fraud are evidenced in the text of the Book of Mormon. He borrowed from the View of the Hebrews outline and used archaic King James Version language to construct his narrative. He inserted errors and questionable passages while including a number of anachronistic passages as well.
5. The behavior of Smith (and his accomplices) following the translation of the Book of Mormon provide subsequent evidence of his fraudulent activity. Smith made sure the gold plates were unavailable for inspection, the “eyewitnesses” made questionable statements following their original testimony, Smith could not repeat his efforts to translate the book, and he committed an obvious act of fraud in his translation of the Book of Abraham.
Whenever I engage people who want to know the truth about Mormonism, I use this outline, incorporating as much of the evidence as I have time to explain and showing how Smith’s actions were consistent with someone who fraudulently attempted to deceive his followers.
J. Warner Wallace is a senior fellow at the Colson Center for Christian Worldview and adjunct professor of apologetics at Biola University. He wrote Cold-Case Christianity (Colorado Springs, CO: David C. Cook, 2013), God’s Crime Scene (Colorado Springs, CO: David C. Cook, 2015), and Forensic Faith (Colorado Springs, CO: David C. Cook, 2017). He has a master’s degree in theological studies from Golden Gate Baptist Theological Seminary and has appeared in faith-based productions such as God’s Not Dead 2, Jesus Revealed, and Mining for God.