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Criticism of Mormonism/Books/Studies of the Book of Mormon/A Book of Mormon Study/Ethan Smith and View of the Hebrews: Difference between revisions
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—B.H. Roberts, , “A Book of Mormon Study,” ‘’Studies of the Book of Mormon’’, p. 161}} | —B.H. Roberts, , “A Book of Mormon Study,” ‘’Studies of the Book of Mormon’’, p. 161}} | ||
===155=== | ===155 - This study supposes that it is more than likely that the Smith family possessed a copy of this book by Ethan Smith=== | ||
{{IndexClaim | {{IndexClaim | ||
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* | *"This study supposes that it is more than likely that the Smith family possessed a copy of this book by Ethan Smith, that either by reading it, or hearing it read, and its contents frequently discussed, Joseph Smith became acquainted with its contents." | ||
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*This statement by Roberts is interesting, considering that it isn't simply ''likely'', but is a documented ''fact'' that Joseph ''was'' aware of ''View of the Hebrews''. In an article published in the ''Times and Seasons'' on June 1, 1842, Joseph quoted ''View of the Hebrews'' in ''support of the Book of Mormon'': | *This statement by Roberts is interesting, considering that it isn't simply ''likely'', but is a documented ''fact'' that Joseph ''was'' aware of ''View of the Hebrews''. In an article published in the ''Times and Seasons'' on June 1, 1842, Joseph quoted ''View of the Hebrews'' in ''support of the Book of Mormon'': | ||
Revision as of 21:18, 16 January 2015
Response to "Ethan Smith and View of the Hebrews"
| Literature Available to Joseph Smith as a Ground Plan for the Book of Mormon | A FAIR Analysis of: Criticism of Mormonism/Books A work by author: B.H. Roberts, edited by Brigham D. Madsen
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View of the Hebrews, and the Ground Plan of the Book of Mormon: Time, Place and Race, Subject Matter—Destruction of Jerusalem and the Scattering of Israel; Restoration of Judah and Israel; Quotations from Isaiah |
Ethan Smith’s Book, View of the Hebrews, as structural Material for the Book of Mormon; Unity of the American Race; American Language from One Source—The Hebrew
The stage which our task has now reached demands that we shall consider the question, does the book by Ethan Smith furnish any material for the ground plan of the Book of Mormon.—B.H. Roberts, , “A Book of Mormon Study,” ‘’Studies of the Book of Mormon’’, p. 161
155 - This study supposes that it is more than likely that the Smith family possessed a copy of this book by Ethan Smith
Claim
- "This study supposes that it is more than likely that the Smith family possessed a copy of this book by Ethan Smith, that either by reading it, or hearing it read, and its contents frequently discussed, Joseph Smith became acquainted with its contents."
Response- This statement by Roberts is interesting, considering that it isn't simply likely, but is a documented fact that Joseph was aware of View of the Hebrews. In an article published in the Times and Seasons on June 1, 1842, Joseph quoted View of the Hebrews in support of the Book of Mormon:
If such may have been the fact, that a part of the Ten Tribes came over to America, in the way we have supposed, leaving the cold regions of Assareth behind them in quest of a milder climate, it would be natural to look for tokens of the presence of Jews of some sort, along countries adjacent to the Atlantic. In order to this, we shall here make an extract from an able work: written exclusively on the subject of the Ten Tribes having come from Asia by the way of Bherings Strait, by the Rev. Ethan Smith, Pultney, Vt., who relates as follows: "Joseph Merrick, Esq., a highly respectable character in the church at Pittsfield, gave the following account: That in 1815, he was leveling some ground under and near an old wood shed, standing on a place of his, situated on (Indian Hill)... [Joseph then discusses the supposed phylacteries found among Amerindians, citing View of the Hebrews p. 220, 223.]
—Joseph Smith, Jr., "From Priest's American Antiquities," Times and Seasons 3 no. 15 (1 June 1842), 813–815. off-site GospeLink
- It therefore strains credulity to claim that Joseph drew attention to the work from which he derived most of his ideas. Why would he call attention to the source of his forgery?
- For more detail, see: Book of Mormon/Authorship theories/View of the Hebrews
160
Claim
- Roberts: “That the Ethan Smith book held that the American Indians were descendants of ‘the lost tribes of Israel’ and the Book of Mormon theory is built upon the idea that they were descendants of the tribes of Ephraim and Manasseh, through the family of Ishmael and Lehi respectively, with an infusion from the tribe of Judah through the colony of Mulek, is a variation of slight importance, since the main idea is, so far as this particular matter is concerned, that the American Indians are descendants of the Israelites.
ResponseFAIR WIKI EDITORS: Check sources
View of the Hebrews, and the Ground Plan of the Book of Mormon: Time, Place and Race, Subject Matter—Destruction of Jerusalem and the Scattering of Israel; Restoration of Judah and Israel; Quotations from Isaiah
170
Claim
- The first chapter of View of the Hebrews talks of the destruction of Jerusalem and scattering of Israel. The first chapter of the Book of Mormon also discusses the impending destruction of Jerusalem and the scattering of Israel.
ResponseFAIR WIKI EDITORS: Check sources
171
Claim
- One of the Isaiah passages regarding the gathering of Israel that was quoted by Moroni to Joseph Smith is also quoted in View of the Hebrews. “The Lord shall set his hand the second time to recover the remnant of his people which shall be left from Assyria and from Egypt… (Isaiah 11꞉11-16
ResponseFAIR WIKI EDITORS: Check sources
173 - Many of the Isaiah chapters quoted in View of the Hebrews and the Book of Mormon are the same
The author(s) of Studies of the Book of Mormon make(s) the following claim:
Many of the Isaiah chapters quoted in View of the Hebrews and the Book of Mormon are the same.
FAIR's Response
Question: Does the Book of Mormon rely primarily on those chapters from Isaiah mentioned in Ethan Smith's View of the Hebrews?
An analysis of the use of Isaiah in the Book of Mormon and View of the Hebrews does not suggest that the former relies upon the latter
| Isaiah scriptures in both | Isaiah in View of Hebrews only | Isaiah in Book of Mormon only |
|---|---|---|
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|
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TOTAL = 30 verses in common; 31.6% of VoH Isaiah verses and 8.3% of BoM Isaiah verses |
TOTAL = 65 verses only in VoH; 68.4% of VoH Isaiah verses |
TOTAL = 332 verses only in Book of Mormon; 91.7% of BoM Isaiah verses |
An analysis of the use of Isaiah in the Book of Mormon and View of the Hebrews does not suggest that the former relies upon the latter, for the following reasons:
- the Book of Mormon tends to quote large portions (i.e., complete chapters) of Isaiah and then provide commentary. View of the Hebrews uses short segments of Isaiah (at most a few verses; often only a phrase or few words) to make the argument that the Amerindians are the lost ten tribes. The style and pattern of usage is not analogous—merely claiming that both works quote Isaiah does not accurately reflect how Isaiah is used, and to what extent.
- The vast majority of the Book of Mormon's Isaiah verses are not found in View of the Hebrews; almost two-thirds of the View of the Hebrews references are not found in the Book of Mormon at all. If anything, the Book of Mormon avoids the texts which View of the Hebrews finds so compelling.
- Only 30 verses are shared between the two works. The actual text which they share is even less, since View of the Hebrews often cites fragments of the verses, while the Book of Mormon always reproduces the entire verse.
- The Book of Mormon neglects to use all of the verses which Ethan Smith claims refer to America—a strange omission for the Book of Mormon, which the critics believe represents Joseph's attempt to write a history of the Americas.