An Insider's View of Mormon Origins
Encyclopedia
An Insider's View of Mormon Origins is a 2003 book on the origins of Mormonism
written by Grant H. Palmer
, a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS Church) who is a retired Church Educational System
instructor and Institute director with a master's degree in history.
Palmer's stated purpose in writing the book was to incorporate recent critical historical and scholarly studies of LDS history in an orthodox
defense of the faith. He states that his aim is to "increase faith, not diminish it."
Palmer's book suggests that the foundation events were rewritten by Joseph Smith
, Oliver Cowdery
and other early church officials. This reworking made the stories more useful for missionary work. Palmer asks, "Is it right to tell religious allegories to adults as if they were literal history?"
dispute Palmer's claim that his intent is to "increase faith", and instead regard him as a skeptic. Some speculate that Palmer may be a cultural Mormon, whose research
has led him to believe that the Church is not entirely what it claims to be.
Palmer argues that "faith
needs to be built on truth—what is, in fact, true and believable". This statement can be perceived to be in opposition to the methods used by practitioners of what has been termed "faithful history". Critics of "faithful history" argue that this sort of scholarship often appears to be based on conclusions, not evidence
.
Mark Ashurst-McGee
, an LDS member, states that Palmer presents only one side of an issue and only uses evidence that supports his own views. According to Ashurst-McGee, Palmer used the Hurlbut affidavits from Eber D. Howe's
book Mormonism Unvailed
for the purpose of "overlaying run-of-the-mill treasure lore" onto Joseph Smith's original account of the recovery of the golden plates
.
), Ron Priddis states: "Is nothing beyond the reach of sarcasm by FARMS polemicists?" Priddis refers to the book reviews by FARMS as "tabloid scholarship."
. A disfellowshipped member retains church membership but loses certain privileges.
Mormonism
Mormonism is the religion practiced by Mormons, and is the predominant religious tradition of the Latter Day Saint movement. This movement was founded by Joseph Smith, Jr. beginning in the 1820s as a form of Christian primitivism. During the 1830s and 1840s, Mormonism gradually distinguished itself...
written by Grant H. Palmer
Grant H. Palmer
Grant H. Palmer is an American educator best known for his controversial work, An Insider's View of Mormon Origins, which led directly to his disfellowshipment in 2004 from The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints ....
, a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS Church) who is a retired Church Educational System
Church Educational System
The Church Educational System of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints consists of several institutions that provide religious and secular education for both Latter-day Saint and non-Latter-day Saint elementary, secondary, and post-secondary students and adult learners...
instructor and Institute director with a master's degree in history.
Palmer's stated purpose in writing the book was to incorporate recent critical historical and scholarly studies of LDS history in an orthodox
Orthodoxy
The word orthodox, from Greek orthos + doxa , is generally used to mean the adherence to accepted norms, more specifically to creeds, especially in religion...
defense of the faith. He states that his aim is to "increase faith, not diminish it."
Overview of the book
The book concludes that:- Joseph Smith mistranslated a number of documents including the Book of AbrahamBook of AbrahamThe Book of Abraham is a 1835 work by Joseph Smith, Jr. that he said was based on Egyptian papyri purchased from a traveling mummy exhibition. According to Smith, the book was "a translation of some ancient records....purporting to be the writings of Abraham, while he was in Egypt, called the Book...
and that he used the King James Bible extensively in constructing the Book of MormonBook of MormonThe Book of Mormon is a sacred text of the Latter Day Saint movement that adherents believe contains writings of ancient prophets who lived on the American continent from approximately 2600 BC to AD 421. It was first published in March 1830 by Joseph Smith, Jr...
. - The Book of MormonBook of MormonThe Book of Mormon is a sacred text of the Latter Day Saint movement that adherents believe contains writings of ancient prophets who lived on the American continent from approximately 2600 BC to AD 421. It was first published in March 1830 by Joseph Smith, Jr...
is most likely pieced together from sources that have been established to be available to Smith (King James Bible, local revival evangelism, Smith family biography/dreams, American antiquities; he has later also included the War of 1812 and anti-masonic hysteria to that list); therefore the book is not a translation from ancient golden plates. Regardless, these plates were not used and often not even present during dictation to scribes—instead Smith translated by looking into a hat with a stone placed in it, and he was in the earlier stages separated from his scribe by a blanket hung between them (and later used other methods to distance those transcribing). - DNA evidence demonstrates that the origin of Native Americans is not as claimed in the Book of Mormon.
- The King James Bible is a source for numerous Book of Mormon stories; many of these stories contain anachronisms and King James translators' errors copied in erroneous form into the Book of Mormon. Palmer asks, "Why would God reveal to Joseph Smith a faulty KJV text?"
- Many theological issues addressed in the Book of MormonBook of MormonThe Book of Mormon is a sacred text of the Latter Day Saint movement that adherents believe contains writings of ancient prophets who lived on the American continent from approximately 2600 BC to AD 421. It was first published in March 1830 by Joseph Smith, Jr...
probably derived from Smith's Upstate New YorkUpstate New YorkUpstate New York is the region of the U.S. state of New York that is located north of the core of the New York metropolitan area.-Definition:There is no clear or official boundary between Upstate New York and Downstate New York...
religious environment (as opposed to the golden plates he claimed to be translating from). - There are more parallels between a published story by E.T.A. Hoffmann and Smith's account of the angel Moroni's visits than could possibly be coincidence.
- In spite of the LDS Church's current claims, evidence shows that none of the eleven witnesses claimed to have actually seen the physical gold plates. Instead, they reported visualizing them "with spiritual eyes" in a prayer-induced trance state.
- Smith's claim to have been personally ordained by John the Baptist, Peter, James and John as resurrected beings, was not at all what Smith originally claimed. Instead, this evolved over a number of years from the original claim that didn't involve any beings such as the previously mentioned New Testament figures.
- The LDS Church's official claim that Joseph Smith claimed to have been visited by God the Father and Jesus Christ as two separate beings "is not supported by the historical evidence" either in the number of beings alleged seen or in the year and circumstances as now officially claimed.
Palmer's book suggests that the foundation events were rewritten by Joseph Smith
Joseph Smith
Joseph Smith was founder of what later became known as the Latter Day Saint movement or Mormons.Joseph Smith may also refer to:-Latter Day Saints:* Joseph Smith, Sr. , father of Joseph Smith...
, Oliver Cowdery
Oliver Cowdery
Oliver H. P. Cowdery was, with Joseph Smith, Jr., an important participant in the formative period of the Latter Day Saint movement between 1829 and 1836, becoming one of the Three Witnesses of the Book of Mormon's golden plates, one of the first Latter Day Saint apostles, and the Second Elder of...
and other early church officials. This reworking made the stories more useful for missionary work. Palmer asks, "Is it right to tell religious allegories to adults as if they were literal history?"
LDS response to Palmer's book
Mormon apologistsMormon apologetics
Mormon apologetics is the systematic defense of Mormonism against its critics. Notable Latter-day Saint apologists include early church leaders such as John Taylor, B. H. Roberts, James E. Talmage and modern scholars such as Hugh Nibley, Orson Scott Card, and Jeff Lindsay...
dispute Palmer's claim that his intent is to "increase faith", and instead regard him as a skeptic. Some speculate that Palmer may be a cultural Mormon, whose research
Research
Research can be defined as the scientific search for knowledge, or as any systematic investigation, to establish novel facts, solve new or existing problems, prove new ideas, or develop new theories, usually using a scientific method...
has led him to believe that the Church is not entirely what it claims to be.
Palmer argues that "faith
Faith
Faith is confidence or trust in a person or thing, or a belief that is not based on proof. In religion, faith is a belief in a transcendent reality, a religious teacher, a set of teachings or a Supreme Being. Generally speaking, it is offered as a means by which the truth of the proposition,...
needs to be built on truth—what is, in fact, true and believable". This statement can be perceived to be in opposition to the methods used by practitioners of what has been termed "faithful history". Critics of "faithful history" argue that this sort of scholarship often appears to be based on conclusions, not evidence
Evidence
Evidence in its broadest sense includes everything that is used to determine or demonstrate the truth of an assertion. Giving or procuring evidence is the process of using those things that are either presumed to be true, or were themselves proven via evidence, to demonstrate an assertion's truth...
.
Mark Ashurst-McGee
Mark Ashurst-McGee
Mark Roscoe Ashurst-McGee is an American historian of the Latter Day Saint movement and editor for the Joseph Smith Papers project.-Biographical background:...
, an LDS member, states that Palmer presents only one side of an issue and only uses evidence that supports his own views. According to Ashurst-McGee, Palmer used the Hurlbut affidavits from Eber D. Howe's
Eber Dudley Howe
Eber Dudley Howe was the founder and editor of the Painesville Telegraph, a newspaper that published in Painesville, Ohio from 1822 to 1835. Howe was the author of one of the first books that was critical of the spiritual claims of Joseph Smith, Jr., founder of the Latter Day Saint movement...
book Mormonism Unvailed
Mormonism Unvailed
Mormonism Unvailed is an anti-Mormon book published in 1834 by Eber D. Howe. The title page proclaims the book to be a contemporary exposé of Mormonism, and makes the claim that the historical portion of the Book of Mormon text was based upon a manuscript written by Solomon Spalding.The...
for the purpose of "overlaying run-of-the-mill treasure lore" onto Joseph Smith's original account of the recovery of the golden plates
Golden Plates
According to Latter Day Saint belief, the golden plates are the source from which Joseph Smith, Jr. translated the Book of Mormon, a sacred text of the faith...
.
Response to LDS criticism of Palmer's book
The critics of Palmer's book have themselves been critiqued. Responding to five negative reviews of Palmer's book by FARMS (the LDS affiliated Foundation for Ancient Research and Mormon StudiesFoundation for Ancient Research and Mormon Studies
The Foundation for Ancient Research and Mormon Studies is an informal collaboration of academics devoted to Latter-day Saint historical scholarship. The group is formally part of the Neal A...
), Ron Priddis states: "Is nothing beyond the reach of sarcasm by FARMS polemicists?" Priddis refers to the book reviews by FARMS as "tabloid scholarship."
Church action against Palmer
Palmer was disfellowshipped from the Church in December 2004. Palmer has been quoted as saying that he still loves the church, and is pleased he wasn't excommunicatedExcommunication
Excommunication is a religious censure used to deprive, suspend or limit membership in a religious community. The word means putting [someone] out of communion. In some religions, excommunication includes spiritual condemnation of the member or group...
. A disfellowshipped member retains church membership but loses certain privileges.
External links
- KUTV story on the disfellowship of Grant Palmer
- A review of An Insider's View of Mormon Origins
- A Summary of Five Reviews of Grant Palmer's "An Insider's View of Mormon Origins" of Palmer's book by LDS apologists at F.A.I.R. (Foundation for Apologetic Information and Research)
- A Reply to FARMS and the Joseph Fielding Smith Institute Signature Books response to FARMS reviews.