FAIR is a non-profit organization dedicated to providing well-documented answers to criticisms of the doctrine, practice, and history of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.
Das Buch Mormon/Autorschaft Theorien/ Das Spaulding Manuskript
Kritik
Kritiker behaupten, Joseph Smith habe das Buch Mormon entweder von einem Manuskript von Solomon Spaulding (1761 - 1816), Geistlicher in Putney, Vermont, abgeschrieben oder sich zumindest darauf gestützt
Quellen der Kritik
Ursprünge der Spaulding-Theorie
- Eber D. Howe, Mormonism Unvailed (New York: AMS Press, 1834 [1977]).
- William Alexander Linn, The Story of the Mormons (New York: Macmillan, 1902)
Behauptet das Vorhandensein eines zweiten Spaulding-Manuskripts, als die erste Theorie widerlegt war:
- George B. Arbaugh, Revelation in Mormonism (Chicago: University of Chicago Press, 1932).
- Howard A. Davis, Wayne L. Cowdrey, and Walter Martin, Who Really Wrote the Book of Mormon? (Santa Ana, Ca.: Vision House Publishers, 1977.)
- Wayne L. Cowdery, Howard A. Davis, and Arthur Vanick, Who Really Wrote the Book of Mormon? The Spalding Enigma. (St. Louis: Concordia, 2005.)
Erwiderung
Spaulding war calvinistischer Geistlicher und Autor einer epischen Erzählung über die alten, indianischen "Mound Builders". Die Theorie postuliert, Spaulding habe sein Manuskript in biblischer Ausdrucksweise geschrieben und vielen Freunden daraus vorgelesen. Dann nahm er das Manuskript nach Pittsburg mit, wo es ein Mr. Patterson in die Hände bekam, in dessen Büro Sidney Rigdon arbeitete. Durch Rigdon sei es in den Besitz von Joseph Smith gekommen und zur Grundlage des Buches Mormon gemacht worden.
Mit dieser Theorie gibt es zwei Hauptschwierigkeiten:
1. Historische Aufzeichnungen weisen darauf hin, dass Rigdon zuerst im November 1830 von Parley P. Pratt und dessen Missionsmitarbeiter vom Buch Mormon erfuhr, Joseph Smith aber erst später, nämlich im Dezember 1830 getroffen hat. All dies geschah lange, nachdem das Buch Mormon übersetzt und veröffentlicht war. Kritiker können nur Indizien für eine Verschwörung aufstellen, in der Rigdon Joseph Smith viel früher traf und dann später vorgab, zum Mormonismus bekehrt zu werden.
2. Das betreffende Spaulding Manuskript wurde deshalb keiner Analyse unterzogen, da niemand wusste, wo es war, ja nicht einmal, ob es überhaupt existierte. 1884 wurde ein authentisches Spaulding Manuskript in Honolulu, Hawaii, gefunden und an die Bibliothek des Oberlin College in Ohio gebracht. Die unvollendete Geschichte zeigt kaum irgend eine Ähnlichkeit mit dem Buch Mormon. [1] Der Text wurde von der RLDS Church 1885 unter dem Titel "Manuscript found" (gefundenes Manuskript) veröffentlicht. Auch die HLT-Kirche hat den Text veröffentlicht.
Die Entdeckung und Veröffentlichung des Manuskripts brachte die Spaulding-Theorie für einige Jahrzehnte zum Schweigen. Früh im 20. Jahrhundert tauchte sie aber wieder auf, diesmal behauptete sie, es gebe ein zweites Spaulding-Manuskript, das die wahre Quelle für das Buch Mormon sei. Verfechter dieser überarbeiteten Spaulding-Theorie konnten jedoch das behauptete zweite Manuskript nicht vorweisen. [2]
Zurückweisung der Spaulding-Theorie durch Kritiker des Buches Mormon
Die Spaulding-Theorie ist so abwegig, das sie sogar viele Kritiker des Buches Mormon als mit den Tatsachen unvereinbar verwerfen:
- Davis H. Bays, The Doctrines and Dogmas of Mormonism Examined and Refuted, (St. Louis: Christian Publishing, 1897), 22, 25
- [Diese Theorie ist] FAIR, the Foundation for Apologetic Information and Research, is a non-profit organization dedicated to providing well-documented answers to criticisms of doctrine, belief and practice aimed at The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, the Mormon Church.
The organization was founded in 1997 by a group of LDS defenders of the faith who frequented the America Online Mormonism message boards. In order to reach a wider audience, FAIR was incorporated as a non-profit organization in the state of New York, the fledgling organization put up its first Web site in March 1998. FAIR is staffed completely by students of the scriptures, ancient languages, early Christian history, early LDS history, and LDS doctrine and apologetics. Many of the members are authors of currently-available apologetic publications. Members of FAIR are located all over the United States, and in many other countries such as Canada, Finland, Denmark, Austria, Australia, and England.
Some FAIR writers are scholars, while others are simply hobbyists. FAIR has some members who read Greek and Hebrew; others are familiar with early Christian history and early LDS history. Still others are just familiar with anti-Mormonism in general. As apologists, they defend Mormonism against unfair or uninformed criticism. They respond to questions and issues related to anti-Mormonism that have been brought to their attention. They write articles, do book reviews, and hold a conference once a year; they also print books.
A new effort from FAIR is the creation of a "defense league," similar to the Jewish Defense League, to give guidance to the press and thus improve reporting of the faith and Mormon beliefs.
FAIR Links
FAIR Home page FAIR facts FAIR journal FAIR Wiki FAIR publications FAIR conference FAIR, the Foundation for Apologetic Information and Research, is a non-profit organization dedicated to providing well-documented answers to criticisms of doctrine, belief and practice aimed at The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, the Mormon Church.
The organization was founded in 1997 by a group of LDS defenders of the faith who frequented the America Online Mormonism message boards. In order to reach a wider audience, FAIR was incorporated as a non-profit organization in the state of New York, the fledgling organization put up its first Web site in March 1998. FAIR is staffed completely by students of the scriptures, ancient languages, early Christian history, early LDS history, and LDS doctrine and apologetics. Many of the members are authors of currently-available apologetic publications. Members of FAIR are located all over the United States, and in many other countries such as Canada, Finland, Denmark, Austria, Australia, and England.
Some FAIR writers are scholars, while others are simply hobbyists. FAIR has some members who read Greek and Hebrew; others are familiar with early Christian history and early LDS history. Still others are just familiar with anti-Mormonism in general. As apologists, they defend Mormonism against unfair or uninformed criticism. They respond to questions and issues related to anti-Mormonism that have been brought to their attention. They write articles, do book reviews, and hold a conference once a year; they also print books.
A new effort from FAIR is the creation of a "defense league," similar to the Jewish Defense League, to give guidance to the press and thus improve reporting of the faith and Mormon beliefs.
FAIR Links
FAIR Home page FAIR facts FAIR journal FAIR Wiki FAIR publications FAIR conference FAIR, the Foundation for Apologetic Information and Research, is a non-profit organization dedicated to providing well-documented answers to criticisms of doctrine, belief and practice aimed at The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, the Mormon Church.
The organization was founded in 1997 by a group of LDS defenders of the faith who frequented the America Online Mormonism message boards. In order to reach a wider audience, FAIR was incorporated as a non-profit organization in the state of New York, the fledgling organization put up its first Web site in March 1998. FAIR is staffed completely by students of the scriptures, ancient languages, early Christian history, early LDS history, and LDS doctrine and apologetics. Many of the members are authors of currently-available apologetic publications. Members of FAIR are located all over the United States, and in many other countries such as Canada, Finland, Denmark, Austria, Australia, and England.
Some FAIR writers are scholars, while others are simply hobbyists. FAIR has some members who read Greek and Hebrew; others are familiar with early Christian history and early LDS history. Still others are just familiar with anti-Mormonism in general. As apologists, they defend Mormonism against unfair or uninformed criticism. They respond to questions and issues related to anti-Mormonism that have been brought to their attention. They write articles, do book reviews, and hold a conference once a year; they also print books.
A new effort from FAIR is the creation of a "defense league," similar to the Jewish Defense League, to give guidance to the press and thus improve reporting of the faith and Mormon beliefs.
FAIR Links
FAIR Home page FAIR facts FAIR journal FAIR Wiki FAIR publications FAIR conference FAIR, the Foundation for Apologetic Information and Research, is a non-profit organization dedicated to providing well-documented answers to criticisms of doctrine, belief and practice aimed at The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, the Mormon Church.
The organization was founded in 1997 by a group of LDS defenders of the faith who frequented the America Online Mormonism message boards. In order to reach a wider audience, FAIR was incorporated as a non-profit organization in the state of New York, the fledgling organization put up its first Web site in March 1998. FAIR is staffed completely by students of the scriptures, ancient languages, early Christian history, early LDS history, and LDS doctrine and apologetics. Many of the members are authors of currently-available apologetic publications. Members of FAIR are located all over the United States, and in many other countries such as Canada, Finland, Denmark, Austria, Australia, and England.
Some FAIR writers are scholars, while others are simply hobbyists. FAIR has some members who read Greek and Hebrew; others are familiar with early Christian history and early LDS history. Still others are just familiar with anti-Mormonism in general. As apologists, they defend Mormonism against unfair or uninformed criticism. They respond to questions and issues related to anti-Mormonism that have been brought to their attention. They write articles, do book reviews, and hold a conference once a year; they also print books.
A new effort from FAIR is the creation of a "defense league," similar to the Jewish Defense League, to give guidance to the press and thus improve reporting of the faith and Mormon beliefs.
FAIR Links
FAIR Home page FAIR facts FAIR journal FAIR Wiki FAIR publications FAIR conference „irrig und wird zu einer fast sicheren Niederlage führen.... Die Tatsachen stehen dieser Sicht alle entgegen und die Verteidiger des mormonischen Dogmas haben die Tatsachen auf ihrer Seite.... Die Spaulding-Geschichte ist ein Fehlschlag. Versuchen Sie nicht, sich darauf zu stützen, sie wird sie enttäuschen.”
- Fawn Brodie, No Man Knows My History (New York, A. A. Knopf, 1945).
- Jerald and Sandra Tanner, Did Spaulding Write the Book of Mormon? (Salt Lake City: Utah Lighthouse Ministry, 1977).
Schlussfolgerung
Heutige Verfechter der Spaulding-Theorie ignorieren einfach die unbequeme Tatsache, dass das im späten 19. Jahrhundert gefundene Manuskript keinerlei Ähnlichkeit mit dem Buch Mormon hat und dass kein zweites Manuskript entdeckt worden ist. Bis dieses angebliche zweite Manuskript auftaucht, haben all diese Kritiker ein nicht existierendes Dokument, über dessen Inhalt sie behaupten können, was sie wollen. Gerade das stellt zweifellos den Reiz der "Theorie" dar und illustriert, wie weit Kritiker zu gehen bereit sind, um das Buch Mormon zu widerlegen.
Fußnoten
- [back] {{FR-17-2|author=Matthew Roper |article=The Mythical "Manuscript Found" Matthew Roper, "The Mythical "Manuscript Found" (Review of: Who Really Wrote the Book of Mormon? The Spalding Enigma)," FARMS Review 17/2 (2005): 7–140. Link, p. 21, note 62.
- [back] The Mythical "Manuscript Found" (Review of: Who Really Wrote the Book of Mormon? The Spalding Enigma)," FARMS Review 17/2 (2005): 7–140. off-site PDF p. 21, note 62.
Zusätzliches Material
FAIRwiki Artikel
| Theorien über die Autorenschaft des Buches Mormon |
- Abnorme Psyche
- Allgemeine Einführung in Autorschafttheorien
- Apokryphen
- Automatisches Schreiben
- Das Spauldingmanuskript
- Der goldne Topf
- Der Traum des Vaters und Lehis Vision
- Epilepsie
- Joseph Smith als „Autor und Besitzer”
- Mystik
- Plagiat der Bibel
- View of the Hebrews
- Wortmusterstudien
FAIR Website
- FAIR Topical Guide:
Externe Links
Gedrucktes Material
- der Stern, August 1984, S. 10 - 14
- der Stern, November 1978, Nachrichten der Kirche S. 11
- Diagnose Glaubensschwäche von Michael R. Ash ISBN 978-3-8370-6436-0