John 10:16 – “And other sheep I have, which are not of this fold: them also I must bring, and they shall hear my voice; and there shall be one fold, and one shepherd”

It is my belief that there already exists far more than enough secular evidence to entirely prove that the Book of Mormon is true. Thus, in this article, I will endeavor to outline the positive evidence for the Book of Mormon.

Of course, the primary route to know of the truth of the Book of Mormon is via reading the Book of Mormon and then sincerely praying about it (Moroni 10:4-5), nevertheless, “in the mouth of two or three witnesses shall every word be established” (2 Corinthians 13:1).

Ultimately, we really only need the testimony of the 11 witnesses – who saw the plates of the Book of Mormon and other artifacts found by Joseph smith – in order to know of the Book of Mormon’s validity. These witnesses went to their deaths testifying that the things they saw were true, despite many of them leaving Joseph Smith’s church due to personal grievances with Smith. I discuss this more in Why I believe the book of Mormon is true, along with spiritual experiences of mine (including a vision) which confirm the truth of the Book of Mormon.

And regarding all the evidence against the book of Mormon, let me just note: I spent much of my early life investigating this evidence, and the conclusion I came to was: 1) yes, some evidence sort of seems to prove the Book of Mormon is false, however deeper investigation always reveals flaws in such evidence. 2) I am continuously astonished at how profoundly psychopathic and dishonest most of the people are who attack the Book of Mormon – this alone should be proof of the validity of the Book of Mormon, for it there was indeed credible evidence against the Book of Mormon, critics shouldn’t have to resort to actual lies. 3) I really have looked at every single attack against the Book of Mormon, and none of them were true. And I’m sorry you just have to take my word for this – perhaps one day I will write an article on that topic (consider this present essay as the first step in that) – but I am just one person with limited resources, and I only have so much time to write things on this site, so please forgive me. In the words of Adar from rings of Power “You have been told many lies. Some run so deep, even the rocks and roots now believe them. To untangle it all, would all but require the creation of a new world. But that is something only the gods can do. And I am no god.”

What is the Book of Mormon?

Before properly starting this essay, let me quickly provide background info: the Book of Mormon is an additional book of scripture to the Bible. The Book of Mormon tells the story of a Jewish family who, being divinely warned of the Babylonians, escaped Judea immediately prior to the Babylonian exile. This family crossed the ocean to the Americas, where they formed their own civilization. The Book of Mormon recounts the stories of the prophets in that nation, the visit of Jesus Christ to the Americas, and the final destruction of said nation after they fall away from the gospel. It is called “Mormon”, because Mormon was the ancient native American who compiled the prophets’ writings into a single book. The Book of Mormon doesn’t contradict or negate the Bible, rather it provides additional information regarding the gospel and the stories of Jesus (much like this website).

Regarding how we received the Book of Mormon, in 1820, when Joseph Smith was age 14, he had his first vision in response to a prayer asking about which denomination was true. In the vision, he learned that none were true, and that the true doctrines of Christianity had been perverted. After a series of angelic encounters, in 1827, Joseph was led to unbury a set of golden plaits found in a hillside near Palmyra, New York. With divine power, he translated the plates into what is now called the Book of Mormon.

As a society, we need the Book of Mormon because it clarifies and refutes many false doctrines which have sprung up because of the incomplete and mistranslated nature of the Bible, and because the Book of Mormon further explains our purpose on earth and God’s plan for us.

Joseph the Unlearned Translator

The Book of Mormon was translated off and on throughout 1828 to 1829. The translation consisted of Joseph Smith narrating the Book of Mormon, while his acquaintances wrote down his narration. Joseph smith totaled 65 days working to complete the book and finished when he was 23 years old.

Here is a quote from Book of Mormon Translation attributed to Joseph Smith’s wife, Emma Smith, who never herself directly saw the golden plates:
The plates “often lay on the table without any attempt at concealment, wrapped in a small linen table cloth.” When asked if Joseph had dictated from the Bible or from a manuscript he had prepared earlier, Emma flatly denied those possibilities: “He had neither manuscript nor book to read from.” Emma told her son Joseph Smith III, “The Book of Mormon is of divine authenticity—I have not the slightest doubt of it. I am satisfied that no man could have dictated the writing of the manuscripts unless he was inspired; for, when acting as his scribe, your father would dictate to me for hour after hour; and when returning after meals, or after interruptions, he would at once begin where he had left off, without either seeing the manuscript or having any portion of it read to him.”

Emma Smith also at one point said Joseph “could neither write nor dictate a coherent and well-worded letter, let alone dictate a book like the Book of Mormon.” (source)

So as you read the rest of this essay, I want you to consider: is it possible that an unlearned 23 year old young man – barely able to write, and certainly having no education in Hebrew or ancient texts – could have penned a 500 page book that exactly aligns with Hebrew traditions, writing structure, and even passes statistically linguistic tests not even invented yet – all in only 65 days, and purely through narration, without any notes?

The Pearl of Great Price

One of the greatest evidences that Joseph Smith was a prophet doesn’t come from the Book of Mormon, but rather from the Pearl of Great price, and particularly its account of Enoch. For context, later in life, Joseph Smith was also inspired to write the Pearl of Great price – which is another set of scriptures which provide additional information to familiar Old Testament stories, retelling the story from Adam to Enoch to Noah.

What is interesting about the Book of Moses is it gives information about Enoch that was entirely unknown to the world during Jospeh Smith’s time (the Book of Moses, found within the Pearl of Great Price, was published in 1851). It was only around the early 1900s when these ancient texts about Enoch were discovered and translated – revealing many striking similarities to Joseph Smith’s Book of Moses. The most simple explanation for this, obviously, is that God indeed revealed the Book of Moses to Joseph Smith.

Before I get into the list of similarities, let me first address what the skeptics likely are thinking: “if you look closely enough at two texts, you will find similarities”. My view on this argument is – from the perspective of ignorance, this argument could or could not be true, and only further investigation of the similarities will reveal if such an argument is valid or not. As I will show, the similarities are too exact for this argument to hold water – particularly since the two texts with the most similarities are both actually pretty short – the book of Giants (which I will cite frequently) is only about 3 pages long (and the book of giants was discovered in 1949 in fragments buried in Qumran caves – so there is no way Joseph Smith could have accessed it) – and the text about Enoch in the book of Moses is only two chapters.

In fact, the most popular argument used by non-Mormons is not that we are “grasping at straws” – but rather than Joseph Smith must have had an early copy of these apocryphal works 50 years ahead of his time that he was referencing. But of course, as the article I am reviewing here (Could Joseph Smith Have Drawn On Ancient Manuscripts When He Translated the Story of Enoch?) shows, there is no conceivable way Joseph Smith could have had access to such manuscripts. Nevertheless, that indeed is the argument used by critics – Joseph Smith somehow must have had access to these manuscripts, even though we don’t know how. Which is pretty funny to me. So, here are the list of similarities:

1. Enoch’s Call and Prophetic Commission

• Pearl of Great Price: Moses 6:26–36 describes Enoch’s prophetic call, fitting the Old Testament “call pattern” with divine commissioning and reluctance (“Why is it that I have found favor…? for I am but a lad”).
• Ancient Sources:
  • General call-pattern parallels noted in Jewish pseudepigrapha (Samuel Zinner links to ancient Enoch literature).
  • 2 Enoch & related traditions emphasize Enoch’s prophetic commissioning.

2. Turning Rivers from Their Course

• Pearl of Great Price: Moses 6:34; 7:13 — Enoch’s faith causes “the rivers of water [to be] turned out of their course.”
• Ancient Source: Mandaean Enoch fragment — the angel Tavril commands Enoch to turn the pure water from its course.
• Unique Feature: No biblical precedent for rivers being diverted by a prophet; appears both in Moses and this extra-biblical Enoch text.

3. Enoch as a “Lad”

• Pearl of Great Price: Moses 6:31 — Enoch calls himself a “lad” (the only time Joseph Smith uses this term in his revelations).
• Ancient Sources:
  • 2 Enoch & 3 Enoch — Enoch is explicitly given the title “lad” (Heb. na’ar) by heavenly beings.
  • Book of Giants also depicts a “lad” overcoming warriors (gibborim), matching Moses 7:13.

4. Heavenly Ascent and Clothing with Glory

• Pearl of Great Price: Moses 7:3 — “the heavens opened, and I was clothed upon with glory.”
• Ancient Sources:
  • 2 Enoch 22:8 — God commands angels to remove Enoch’s earthly garments, anoint him, and clothe him in glory.
  • 3 Enoch — God prepares a throne for Enoch and seats him on it.
• Parallel Motif: Transformation through celestial clothing → enthronement.

5. Titles of the Son of Man

• Pearl of Great Price: Moses 6:57; 7:24, 47, 59 — dense use of “Son of Man,” “Chosen One,” “Anointed One,” “Righteous Judge.”
• Ancient Source: 1 Enoch (Book of Parables) — these same titles are applied to a messianic figure.
• Key Point: Both texts identify the Son of Man as the “judge of all.”

6. The Weeping Motif

• Pearl of Great Price: Moses 7:28–49 — God, the heavens, Enoch, and the earth itself mourn/weeps for human wickedness.
• Ancient Sources:
  • Jeremiah laments (J. J. M. Roberts analysis): God, the people, and the mother-earth voice weeping.
  • Extra-biblical traditions echo the earth’s complaints and cosmic lamentations.
• Unique Feature: Multiple cosmic voices lamenting human sin, not just prophet or God alone.

7. Translation of Enoch and His City

• Pearl of Great Price: Moses 7:21, 27, 69 — Enoch and his city are taken into heaven.
• Ancient Sources:
  • Bet ha-Midrasch (Jewish tradition) — Enoch’s followers vanish with him; kings cannot find their bodies.
  • Mandaean fragment — Enoch and his people ascend, clothed with glory, escaping their enemies’ blows.
  • Broader Jewish/Christian literature: priestly figures leading communities in heavenly ascension.

8. Book of Giants Resonances

• Pearl of Great Price: Moses 7:13–14 — Enoch leads battle against the gibborim (giant warriors), “the land trembled.”
• Ancient Source: Book of Giants (Qumran, discovered 1948) — describes Enoch contending with the gibborim, the “mighty ones.”
• Unique Feature: Names Mahujah/Mahijah in Moses 6:40; 7:2 echo Mahaway in Book of Giants.
• Key Observation: These specific names and motifs were not known in Joseph Smith’s day.

9. Wars, Bloodshed, and the Gibborim

• Pearl of Great Price: Moses 6:15 — Satan stirs up “wars and bloodshed … seeking for power” through “secret works.”
• Book of Giants: Describes “slaughter, destruction, and moral corruption,” with the gibborim (mighty warriors) spreading “the mystery of wickedness” and killing many.
• Parallel: Both accounts explicitly link violence, secret combinations, and societal collapse with the gibborim.

10. The “Wild Man” Motif

• Pearl of Great Price: Moses 6:38 — Enoch is derided as “a wild man” by his hearers.
• Book of Giants: The gibborim leader Ohya boasts of being called “the wild man.”
• Parallel: Same rare epithet applied — once mockingly to Enoch, once boastfully by the wicked leader.

11. The Name Mahijah/Mahujah vs. Mahawai

• Pearl of Great Price: Moses 6:40 — Mahijah questions Enoch; Moses 7:2 — Mahujah appears.
• Book of Giants: A central character named Mahawai (MḤWY) is sent to Enoch on behalf of the gibborim.
• Unique Feature: Both Moses and Giants have this rare name in dual spellings (Mahijah/Mahujah vs. Mahawai), unattested in 19th-century sources.

12. Mahijah/Mahawai’s Role: Sent to Enoch

• Pearl of Great Price: Mahijah comes and directly questions Enoch: “Tell us plainly who thou art.”
• Book of Giants: The gibborim send Mahawai to Enoch to interpret troubling dreams.
• Parallel: In both, this figure approaches Enoch as messenger and interrogator.

13. Secret Combinations and Oaths

• Pearl of Great Price: Moses 5 and 6–7 describe covenants with Satan, secret murders, and an oath “by thy throat … if thou tell it thou shalt die.”
• 1 Enoch: Conspirators bind themselves with a deadly oath revealed by Kasbe’el; they share forbidden secrets.
• Parallel: Both traditions emphasize oaths of secrecy, conspiratorial bands, and revelation of “mysteries” to wives and children.

14. “Land of Righteousness”

• Pearl of Great Price: Moses 6:41 — Enoch comes from “the land of Cainan … a land of righteousness.”
• Book of Giants: The gibborim complain their opponents “reside in the heavens and live with the holy ones.”
• Parallel: Both portray Enoch’s people as dwelling in a sanctified land/realm of holiness.

15. Enoch’s Vision by the Sea East

• Pearl of Great Price: Moses 6:42 — Enoch receives a vision while traveling “by the sea east.”
• 1 Enoch: Enoch journeys “from the west edge of the earth to its east edge” and receives visions “by the waters of Dan.”
• Parallel: Shared motif of visionary journeys to the east near waters.

16. The Book of Remembrance

• Pearl of Great Price: Moses 6:46 — Enoch preaches from a “book of remembrance” written by the “finger of God.”
• Book of Giants: Enoch gives Mahawai two stone tablets as witness of covenant betrayal.
• 1 Enoch, Jubilees, Testament of Abraham: Enoch is keeper of heavenly records of deeds.
• Parallel: Both depict Enoch as custodian of a divinely authored record that convicts the wicked.

17. Fear and Trembling Before Enoch

• Pearl of Great Price: Moses 6:47 — The people “trembled, and could not stand in his presence.”
• Book of Giants: Mighty warriors “bowed down and wept” before Enoch.
• 1 Enoch: Sinners fear and beg Enoch to write a petition for mercy.
• Parallel: Common theme of fear, shame, and supplication before Enoch’s authority.

18. “Conceived in Sin”

• Pearl of Great Price: Moses 6:55 — Children are “conceived in sin” due to social corruption.
• Book of Giants: Rebukes the wicked that their children are products of fornication.
• Parallel: Both link illegitimate offspring with pervasive immorality.

19. Hope of Repentance

• Pearl of Great Price: Moses 6:52 — Call to repentance: “Turn unto God … believe … repent.”
• Book of Giants: Enoch exhorts the gibborim to “unfasten your chains [of sin] … and pray.”
• Parallel: Both unusually end their sermons on a note of hope — unique among Enochic accounts.

20. Defeat of the Gibborim in Battle

• Pearl of Great Price: Moses 7:13–14 — Earth trembles, mountains flee, rivers turn, and “the roar of lions” follows battle.
• Book of Giants: Ohya recounts his defeat; text adds “the roar of wild beasts … bellowed a feral roar.”
• Parallel: Both describe cosmic upheaval and roaring beasts after Enoch’s victory.

21. Imprisonment of the Gibborim

• Pearl of Great Price: Moses 7:38 — God prepares “a prison” for the wicked.
• Book of Giants: Gibborim lament: “He imprisoned us and has power over us.”
• Parallel: Both predict utter destruction and confinement of Enoch’s adversaries.

Poetry in the Book of Mormon

Alright, now let’s finally start looking at evidence of the divinity of the Book of Mormon.

One of the most striking features of the text is its pervasive use of ancient poetic and rhetorical structures. These patterns are not the kind of literary devices common in Joseph Smith’s environment but rather mirror the Hebrew literary traditions of the Old Testament. The presence of such poetry provides compelling evidence that the Book of Mormon reflects an ancient Semitic origin rather than a modern composition.

Parallelism

Hebrew poetry does not rely on rhyme or meter, but on parallelism—repeating, contrasting, or intensifying ideas in successive lines. This is found abundantly throughout the Old Testament Psalms and prophets, and it is found throughout the Book of Mormon as well. For example:

Synonymous parallelism: “Awake, my soul! No longer droop in sin. Rejoice, O my heart, and give place no more for the enemy of my soul” (2 Nephi 4:28).

Antithetic parallelism: “O how great the holiness of our God! For he knoweth all things, and there is not anything save he knows it” (2 Nephi 9:20).

Chiasmus

Most striking is the presence of chiasmus, a poetic structure in which ideas are presented and then repeated in reverse order, forming an inverted symmetry (A-B-C-B’-A’). Alma 36 is the most famous example, where Alma the Younger’s conversion story is arranged in a perfect chiastic structure, climaxing at the center with Christ’s redeeming power. This is not an English style of writing, but a hallmark of ancient Hebrew thought. Here are some examples:

Example 1

A: The Jews

B: shall have the words

C: of the Nephites,

C: and the Nephites

B: shall have the words

A: of the Jews;

A: and the Nephites and the Jews

B: shall have the words

C: of the lost tribes of Israel;

C: and the lost tribes of Israel

B: shall have the wordsof

A: the Nephites and the Jews. (2 Nephi 29:13)

Example 2

But men drink damnation to their own souls except

A: they humblethemselves

B: and become as little children,

C: and believe that salvation . . . is . . . in and through the atoning blood of Christ, the Lord . . .

D: For the natural man is an enemy to God,

E: and has beenfrom the fall of Adam,

E: and will be, forever and ever,

D: unless he yields to the enticings of the Holy Spirit, and putteth off the natural man

C: and becometh a saint through the atonement of Christ the Lord,

B: and becometh as a child, 

A: submissive, meek, humble . . . (Mosiah 3:18—19)

Example 3

A: Whosoever shall not take upon him the name of Christ

B: must be calledby some other name;

C: therefore, he findeth himself on the left hand of God.

D: And I would that ye should rememberalso, that this is the name . . .

E: that never should be blotted out,

F: except it be through transgression; therefore,

F: take heed that ye do not transgress,

E: that the name be not blotted outof your hearts. . . .

D: I would that ye should rememberto retain the name . . .

C: that ye are not found on the left hand of God,

B: but that ye hear and know the voice by which ye shall be called,

A: nameby which he shall call you. (Mosiah 5:10–12)

Example 4

A: And they said unto me: We have not; for the Lord maketh no such thing known unto us.

B: Behold, I said unto them: How is it that ye do not keep the commandmentsof the Lord?

C: How is it that ye will perish, because of the hardness of your hearts?

D: Do ye not remember the things which the Lord hath said?

C: If ye will not harden your hearts, and ask me in faith, believing that ye shall receive,

B: with diligence in keeping my commandments,

A: surely these things shall be made known unto you. (1 Nephi 15:9–11)

Example 5 – Parallelism with Chiasmus

A: Behold, the Lord hath created the earththat it should be inhabited;

and he hath created his children that they should possess it.

B: And he raiseth up

a righteous nation,

and destroyeth

the nations of the wicked. 

B’: And he leadeth away the righteous

into precious lands,

and the wicked he destroyeth,

and curseth the land unto them for their sakes.

A: He ruleth high in the heavens, for it is his throne,

and this earthis his footstool. (1 Nephi 17:36–39)

Example 6 – Parallelism with Chiasmus

A 1 And, notwithstanding we believe in Christ, we keep the law of Moses,

A 2 and look forward with steadfastness unto Christ,

A 3 until the lawshall be fulfilled.

A 4 For, for this end was the law given;

B wherefore the lawhath become dead unto us,

and we are made alive in Christbecause of our faith;

yet we keep the lawbecause of the commandments.

C And we talk of Christ,

we rejoice in Christ,

we preach of Christ,

we prophesyof Christ,

C’ and we write according to our prophecies,

that our children may know

to what source they may look

for a remission of their sins.

B’ Wherefore, we speak concerning the law

that our children may know the deadness of the law;

and . . . may look forward unto that life which is in Christ,

A4’ and know for what end the law was given.

A3’ And after the law is fulfilled

A2’ in Christ, that they need not hardentheir hearts against him

A1’ when the lawought to be done away. (2 Nephi 25:24–27)

Example 7

This chiasmus is particularly complex:

AThe meaning of the word restoration is to bring back again

B evil for evil,

or carnal for carnal,

or devilish for devilish—

_w1w2 good for that which is good;

_x1x2 righteous for that which is righteous

_y1y2 just for that which is just;

_z1z2 merciful for that which is merciful.

Therefore, my son, see that you are

z’₂ merciful unto your brethren;

y’₂ deal justly,

x’₂ judge righteously,

w’₂ and do good continually;

and if ye do all these things then

shall ye receive your reward; yea,

z’₁ye shall have mercy restored unto you again;

y’₁ ye shall have justice restored unto you again;

x’₁ ye shall have a righteous judgement restored unto you again;

w’₁ and ye shall have good rewarded unto you again.

B ‘ For that which ye do send out shall return unto you again, and be restored;

A ‘ therefore, the word restoration more fully condemneth the sinner, and justifieth him not at all. (Alma 41:13–15)

Example 8

A My son, give ear to my words (1)

B Keep the commandments and ye shall prosper in the land (1)

C Do as I have done (2)

D Captivity of our fathers—their bondage (2)

E He surely did deliver them (2)

F Trust in God (3)

G Support in trials, troubles and afflictions (3)

H I know this not of myself but of God (4)

I Born of God (5)

J Alma seeks to harm the church (6)

K Limbs paralyzed (10)

L Fear of the presence of God (14)

K Pains of a damned soul (16)

M Alma remembers one Jesus Christ (17)

Christ will atone for the sins of the world (17)

M Alma calls upon Jesus Christ (18)

K Joy as exceeding as the pain (20)

L Longing to be with God (22)

K Use of limbs returns (23)

J Alma seeks to bring souls unto God (24)

I Born of God (26)

H My knowledge is of God (26)

G Supported under trials, troubles, and afflictions (27)

F Trust in him (27)

E He will deliver me (27)

D Egypt—captivity (28–29)

C Know as I do know (30)

B Keep the commandments and ye shall prosper in the land (30)

A This is according to his word (30) (Alma 36)

Conclusions

From a skeptical perspective, one might argue Joseph Smith could have imitated biblical style. But the sophistication, consistency, and density of Hebrew poetic features in the Book of Mormon go far beyond imitation. Joseph Smith had limited education and no knowledge of Hebrew in 1830. The science of identifying Hebrew parallelism and chiasmus was itself in its infancy; scholars only began describing chiasmus systematically in the mid-19th century, long after the Book of Mormon was published. And just to note, the Chiasmus in the Book of Mormon were only discovered by John W. Welch in 1981, 137 years after Joseph Smith’s death.

For a deeper discussion on chiasmus and parallelism in the Book of Mormon, I pulled much of this from here.

Linguistic Evidence

Statistical research indicates that the Book of Mormon was written by multiple authors – thus implying that the Book of Mormon really is a historical text translated by Joseph Smith, rather than just a book Joseph Smith made up. Critics say that this evidence is not valid because statistics can also show other fictional authors as also having multiple voices in their text. However, when you compare the diversity of voices within the book of Mormon, it far exceeds that of any famous authors, or even of several famous authors combined together. Here are some statistics:

This graph used principal component analysis to evaluate the similarity between voices of various voices among authors from the 1800s. Essentially, each dot in the graph represents a different character, and distance between dots roughly estimates how different the voices are from each other. As you can see, there is far more diversity among characters in the book of Mormon (labelled “Smith”) than other famous authors:

The following graph now just looks at a few different sections of the Book of Mormon written by different prophets – as you can see each prophet tends to have his own voice:

And finally, this graph estimates the voice diversity of various authors – including a “Composite” author representing the works of Dickens, Twain, Austen, and Cooper all combined together. Even against the composite, the Book of Mormon still has greater diversity:

I just don’t think it is realistic that a 23-year-old could have had a greater skill at producing characters with unique voices than the most famous authors of his time even when combined. The most simple explanation really is that the Book of Mormon indeed was penned by multiple authors, as claimed, and that Jospeh Smith is only the translator.

For a deeper discussion, this is my source on Book of Mormon linguistic diversity.

Hebraisms

Hebraisms are relics of the Hebrew grammatical structure that indicate the authorship of a work indeed was produced by a Hebrew speaker. The presence of Hebraisms have been used to validate various ancient texts found in Palestine such as The War Scroll (1QM), The Thanksgiving Hymns (Hodayot, 1QH), Temple Scroll (11Q19), 4QMMT (“Some Works of the Law”), and The Copper Scroll (3Q15).

I’ve been reading through various articles that similarly attempt to prove the validity of the Book of Mormon through linguistic similarities of the text with Hebrew. Much of the discourse is not particularly useful because it relies on the reader having a knowledge of Hebrew or trusting that the author is not lying about Hebrew. And of course, having no knowledge of ancient languages myself, it is impossible to tell whether such scholars indeed tell the truth or are biased. However, I don’t think all of such discourses can be thrown out as biased scholarship, so here I will provide a selection from my research that seems the most credible and verifiable (and much of the following points I have myself verified with chatgpt).

Particularly, if you read the Book of Mormon, there will be a few linguistic elements that stick out like a sore thumb (“And it came to pass” being an example). I think it is very interesting that these elements actually make sense given Hebrew grammatical structure, and therefore are explained with the understanding that Joseph Smith was providing an accurate translation that preserved much of the same sentence structure as the original text.

So here is my list of the top Hebraisms in the book of Mormon. And yes, many of these rules do have some exceptions (especially given that many revisions to the Book of Mormon have actually removed the Hebraisms to make the text more readable). However, if you have read the Book of Mormon, it will be clear to you that all of these points are actually true, and very noticeable.

• Starting with And – Many sentences start with “And” in the book of Mormon, which wouldn’t make sense in English but perfectly makes sense in Hebrew.
• Ands in Lists – Lists in the Book of Mormon often have each item set off by “and,” as in “all manner of wood, and of iron, and of copper, and of brass, and of steel, and of gold, and of precious ores” (2 Nephi 5:15) – this is odd for English, but correct grammar for Hebrew.
• Which – In Hebrew, the relative “pronoun” ‘aser, which might be translated “which” in English, is used for both human and nonhuman references. This same pronoun is used in place references. The most common correction to the 1830 Book of Mormon grammar has been the change of which to who (891 times).
• That – The word “that” is often awkwardly inserted into the book of Mormon – such as “And because that they are redeemed from the fall” (2 Nephi 2:26), or “because that my heart is broken” (2 Nephi 4:32) – which doesn’t make sense in English but is necessary in Hebrew.
• And it came to pass – There is a much simpler Hebrew word that means “and it came to pass” – explaining the common use of that phrase in Hebrew.
• Possession Pronouns – In Hebrews, pronouns used for possession and direct object are ordinarily attached as suffixes to the noun (in case of possession) and verb (incase of direct object). In instances of possession, therefore, one cannot say “his house and family and friends, etc.,” but rather, one is obliged to say “his house and his family, and his friends,” attaching the pronominal suffix “his” to each noun. This is reflected in the Book of Mormon (ex. 1 Nephi 2:4).
• Construct State – The possessive examples above bring us to what is called the construct state, wherein two nouns are placed one after the other because they are in lose grammatical relationship one to another. An example in English would be “the book of Jack,” as opposed to “Jack’s book.” In Hebrews, we find such expressions as these, extracted from numerous verses in the Book of Mormon:
  • altar of stones (rather than stone altar)
  • mist of darkness (rather than dark mist)
  • state of probation (rather than probationary state)
  • skin of blackness (rather than black skin)
  • words of plainness (rather than plain words)
  • night of darkness (rather than dark night)
  • land of promise (rather than promised land)
  • rod of iron (rather than iron rod)
  • plates of brass (rather than brass plates)
  • voice of the people (the people’s voice)

Now, some of the proper English parallels are found in the Book of Mormon, but they are uncommon. The author (not me, but of my source) could find no examples in the Book of Mormon of constructions such as “stone altar,” “black skin,” “dark mist,” “plain words,” “iron rod,” “brass (gold) plates,” etc., though “promised land” does occasionally appear (albeit fewer times than “land of promise”).

• Possession – Similarly, since Hebrew doesn’t indicate possession the same way as English, the book of Mormon will often say phrases like “words of me” rather than “my words”, or “army of Moroni” rather than “Moroni’s army”.
• Adverbs – There are very few adverbs in Hebrews (with the exception of “exceedingly”, which is interestingly because the word “exceedingly” is also used in the Book of Mormon). Therefore, in reflection to Hebrew grammar, the Book of Mormon uses prepositions to produce an adverb. Here are some examples:
  • “with harshness” instead of “harshly”
  • “with joy” instead of “joyfully”
  • “with gladness” instead of “gladly”
  • “with patience” instead of “patiently”
  • “with diligence” instead of “diligently”
  • “in diligence” instead of “diligently”
  • “in abundance” instead of “abundantly”
  • “in righteousness” instead of “righteously”
  • “in the spirit” instead of “spiritually”
  • “in truth” (N.T. “verily”) instead of “truly, verily”
  • “(be with) strength” instead of “strongly”
  • “of worth” instead of “worthy”
  • “of a surety” instead of “surely”

All of these examples would reflect the Hebrews proposition b (“in, with, by, through,” sometimes “of”) plus the noun.

• Cognate Accusative – There exists in the Semitic languages a construction called the “cognate accusative.” It consists of a verb immediately followed by a noun derived from the same root, and is often used for emphasis. The Book of Mormon has examples of this: “they are cursed with a sore cursing” (i.e., cursed sorely) – Jacob 3:3 ;“work all manner of fine work” (i.e., work well) – Mosiah 11:10; “and he did judge righteous judgments” (i.e., judge righteously) – Mosiah 29:43;
  …Perhaps the most well-known cognate accusative in the Book of Mormon is found in Lehi’s conversation with his son Nephi: “Behold I have dreamed a dream” (1 Nephi 3:2)
• Second Direct Object – In Hebrew, the indirect object is usually merely a second direct object (with exceptions). Thus, one may say, “we . . . desired him that he would give unto us the records,” (1 Nephi 3:24), instead of “we desired of him” (as in English).
• Dwelt – In the passage where Lehi “prayed unto the Lord, there came a pillar of fire and dwelt upon a rock before him.” (1 Nephi 1:6), the use of the verb “dwelt” rather than the usual “sat” may seem peculiar. However, it makes sense understanding that the word, ysˇb, in Hebrews, has both the meaning of “dwell” and of “sit.”
• Counsel – Nephi’s statements about the wicked who “seek . . . to hide their counsel from the Lord” (2 Nephi 27:27; 28:9), while not totally illogical, is somewhat vague in meaning. This situation can be clarified by pointing out that the Hebrews word for conversing, consulting, or counseling, s . o¯d, also means “secret.”
• Above all – Neither “more” Nor “er” – In Hebrew there is no equivalent for the normal English phrasing of comparisons. In English we might say, “He is more. . handsome,” or “She is taller. ..” Neither this use of more nor the addition of the suffix er, is possible in Hebrew. Instead of more, Hebrew uses above all. This should be very familiar to Book of Mormon readers as this “above all” comparison occurs 35 times in the current Book of Mormon text.
• Name that Name – In 1 Nephi 2:8, the following appears: “And it came to pass that he called the name of the river, Laman. . . . ” In English, we would ordinarily expect to read “he called the river Laman,” or “he named the river Laman.” However, in both Hebrew and Arabic the construction of this phrase would be similar to the cognate accusative: “he named. . the name.” This construction is seen throughout the Book of Mormon. Almost always it’s the name that is named.
• Numerals – In English compound numbers are hyphenated. We write twenty-five. In Hebrew the conjunction “and” is always used to express this compound (twenty and five). The Book of Mormon always uses this Hebrew form for expressing compound numbers.
• Compound Subjects – In proper English, when a person speaks of themselves and another, the reference to the speaker should always come last. In Hebrew, this is reversed. Thus, “my brother and I” would be “I and my brother.” The Book of Mormon consistently uses this Hebrew form.
• Plurals used as emphasis – In Hebrew, plurals are apparently used for emphasis, thus explaining the following texts: “Great slaughters with the sword” (1 Nephi 12:2) “I did exhort them with all the energies of my soul” (1 Nephi 15:25) “and did reap with your mights” (Alma 26:5 – 1830 edition)
• Plural use of water (I found this one!) – In Hebrew “water” is always plural (according to chatgpt”) which aligns with the book of Mormon, which says things like “waters of Mormon” rather than “water of Mormon”.
• And vs but – The Book of Mormon uses the word “and” instead of “but” because they are the same word in Hebrew (example 1 – Omni 1:25: “there is nothing which is good save it comes from the Lord: and [or but] that which is evil cometh from the devil.” Another example – “and when I speak the word of God with sharpness they tremble and anger against me; and when I use no sharpness they harden their hearts against it.” (Moroni 9:4)
• If and – Early manuscripts of the Book of Mormon used “if … and …” statements, rather than “if … then …” statements, in accordance with Hebrew. For example, before this was fixed, Moroni 10:4 read “if ye shall ask with a sincere heart with real intent having faith in Christ and he will manifest the truth of it unto you by the power of the Holy Ghost”.

The ideas in this list came from these three articles: Hebraisms in the Book of Mormon: A Preliminary Survey, Hebraisms in The Book of Mormon, Why Are There Hebraisms in the Book of Mormon?. So big thanks to those authors; many items in the above list are direct quotations from said articles.

Genetic Evidence

* To understand the genetic evidence properly, you must first understand that the Nephites, the primary people recounted in the Book of Mormon, lived in North American, rather than (as is widely believed) Mexico and central America.

Genetic evidence (particularly Haplogroup X mtDNA) shows that the genes of the native Americans in New York – which is where Joseph Smith discovered the gold plates – are very similar to that of peoples in the Levant. Here is a map (source):

According to another study, a population of Native American Indians from the US state of Colorado has been found to have a genetic mutation typical of Ashkenazi Jews (Exploring the connections between Jews and Native Americans).

Finally, nearly one-third of Native American genes come from west Eurasian people linked to the Middle East and Europe, rather than entirely from East Asians as previously thought, according to a newly sequenced genome (“Great Surprise”—Native Americans Have West Eurasian Origins).

Knowledge within the Book of Mormon

Some of the practices found within the Book of Mormon convey a knowledge that Joseph Smith would not have been able to possess.

• The Book of Mormon recounts how Zemnarihah (a leader of a robber band) was punished with hanging, which was followed with the tree upon which he was hanged being cut down, which adheres to ancient Jewish law.
• The curse of speechlessness placed upon Korihor (Alma 30:49) and later his fate of being trod down adheres to Talionic Justice – a Hebrew system it is unlikely Joseph smith knew or understood – as do many other other punishments described in the book of Mormon.
• Jacob 5, conveys a profound understanding of olive tree cultivation of which it is very likely Joseph Smith could have known.

Civil war prophecy

Another evidence for Joseph Smith is that he accurately prophesied the civil war 30 years before it occurred:

D&C 87
1 Verily, thus saith the Lord concerning the wars that will shortly come to pass, beginning at the rebellion of South Carolina, which will eventually terminate in the death and misery of many souls;
2 And the time will come that war will be poured out upon all nations, beginning at this place.
3 For behold, the Southern States shall be divided against the Northern States, and the Southern States will call on other nations, even the nation of Great Britain, as it is called, and they shall also call upon other nations, in order to defend themselves against other nations; and then war shall be poured out upon all nations.
4 And it shall come to pass, after many days, slaves shall rise up against their masters, who shall be marshaled and disciplined for war.

People discount this prophecy because it says the civil war led to war among all nations – however this makes sense in light of the full prophecy from Joseph smith that was recalled by Orson Pratt:

“As an interesting side note, in 1862, Orson Pratt published in the Millennial Star that “after many days, when the demon of war shall have exhausted his strength and madness upon American soil, … he will remove his headquarters to the banks of the Rhine.” The Rhine River cuts right through Germany and western Europe, a region soon embroiled in the Franco-Prussian war, as well as both World War I and II.” (Source)

With this understanding, the prophecy appears to be very correct.

Regarding how sections of this prophecy could be lost, let me just tell you: recording revelations is a disorganized and chaotic project; you can’t make any plans because you don’t know what the Lord is going to reveal next; such revelations don’t come neatly or in places where it is easy to record; and it all becomes more complex if you get behind in properly recording the revelations.

Native American Accounts

Native American Accounts of a Sacred Book

The following is a summary of this article: Native American “Sacred Book”.

Recurring Native Traditions:

• Many North American Native tribes (especially the Lamanites) have stories about a “sacred book,” “record,” or “history of our forefathers,” often buried in a hill or the ground.
• These stories resemble the Book of Mormon narrative, particularly the Nephites and Lamanites keeping records.
• The connection suggests Native Americans preserved oral traditions similar to those in the Book of Mormon.

Evidence and Accounts by Scholars:

• E. Cecil McGavin (1947): Reports that Native Americans believed a book once existed among their ancestors, alongside traditions of prophecy, angelic visitations, and descent from a “noble prince with twelve sons.” McGavin connects this to the patriarch Jacob and his son Joseph, suggesting the “lost book” could be the Book of Mormon.
• George Reynolds (1886): Cites a London book (1833) by C. Colton claiming similar traditions among Native Americans.
• Calvin Colton (1833): Published Tour of the American Lakes recounting traditions about a “lost book” and Hebrew ancestry, derived partly from Elias Boudinot (1816). Colton describes that Native Americans believed the book would be restored and they would regain their former prominence.
• In 1816, Elias Boudinot, a Presbyterian statesman, documented detailed accounts of Native American traditions that traced their ancestry to ancient Hebrews. He reported that many tribes held stories of a common patriarch with twelve sons, whose descendants spread across the continent. These oral histories included elements of prophecy, divine guidance, and knowledge of sacred laws and sacred text, passed down through generations.

Specific Tribal Accounts:

• Cattaraugus/Wyandot/Delaware/Shawnee: A golden book was handed down through generations, until it was hidden in the earth.
• Blackfoot/Three Nephites: Tribes were familiar with a book they expected to be brought by missionaries; they could understand and accept the Book of Mormon, sometimes linked to visits by the “Three Nephites.”
• Stockbridge/Hebrew Connection: Elder Parley P. Pratt cites traditions linking the language and sacred books of the Stockbridge tribe to Hebrew roots, with the promise of recovery of these hidden books.
• Cherokee/Liahona and Ark: Cherokee traditions describe lost metal records, a navigational instrument (similar to the Liahona), and even possession of the Ark of the Covenant brought from the “East Ocean.”
• Tohono O’odham (Papago): Believed their ancestors crossed the ocean guided by a “Liahona,” a needle-in-ball device similar to the Book of Mormon’s Liahona.
• Hopis: Possess a “stone book,” believed to have a mate that will reveal messages when returned.

Early Accounts Suggesting Native Americans Were Jews

Native American Traditions

According to records from Totonicapán, leaders among the native peoples believed that they were descended from Israelites. Additionally, many Native American tribes preserved traditions about a white-haired, bearded God who visited them in the name of his Father and promised to return—a figure reminiscent of the Book of Mormon’s account of Jesus Christ appearing to the inhabitants of the Americas after His resurrection (Book of Mormon evidences).

Early European Accounts

One of the earliest modern accounts comes from Antonio de Montezinos (Aharon Levi), a Portuguese traveler and Marrano Sephardic Jew. In 1641, while journeying near Quito, Ecuador, Montezinos claimed he encountered natives who practiced Jewish rituals, recited the Shema’, and identified themselves as descendants of the tribes of Reuben and Levi. When he returned to Holland in 1644, he reported his findings to Rabbi Manasseh Ben Israel, who subsequently published The Hope of Israel (1650), asserting that Native Americans were remnants of the Assyrian exile and that their discovery heralded the Messianic era. Soon after, Thomas Thorowgood published Jews in America, Or, Probabilities that those Indians are Judaical (1651), further popularizing the idea (The American Indians and Phoenician Hebrews).

Colonial and Early American Observations

In the 18th century, James Adair, a settler and trader who lived among Native American tribes for forty years, published The History of the American Indians (1775). Adair strongly argued that Native Americans descended from the Israelites, citing similarities in language, customs, and social structures. He wrote:

“From the most accurate observations I could make, in the long time I traded among…the Indians of America, I was forced to believe them lineally descended from the tribes of Israel.”

Adair emphasized linguistic parallels, observing that, like Hebrew, Native American languages lacked cases, declensions, comparative and superlative degrees, and independent prepositions. Instead, both linguistic systems relied on affixes attached to words to supply meaning (The American Indians and Phoenician Hebrews: The Lost Tribes of Israel).

19th-Century Theological Writings

Interest in the Israelite origins of Native Americans continued into the 19th century. In 1837, Mordecai Manuel Noah delivered his Discourse on the Evidences of the American Indians Being the Descendants of the Lost Tribes of Israel. His work outlined parallels in theology, ritual, diet, language, and political organization, presenting them as evidence of a shared heritage (Native Americans and Jews: The Lost Tribes Episode).

The Maya

* To understand the geography, let me just clarify: The book of Mormon actually tells the tale of two peoples – the Nephites and the Lamanites, who both come from the same family that fled Jerusalem to the new world. The Nephites accept the gospel and are more advanced and civilized, while the Lamanites reject the gospel and are generally barbaric. The Lamanites also have darker skin than the Nephites. Nearing the end, at periods the Lamanites sometimes accept the gospel once more.

According to the text, the Lamanites dwelt to the south, while the Nephites dwelt in the north, and the Lamanites gradually drove the Nephites further and further north. Therefore, it is my opinion that Native Americans in Mexico and southward were all Lamanites – this includes the Maya.

Since the Lamanites sometimes accepted the gospel (rarely), it makes sense that accounts from the Maya might resemble Jewish practices. I would expect far more similar accounts to be found for North American natives, except 1) we are told that all Nephites who refused to deny Christ were systematically exterminated (Moroni 1:2) and 2) the north eastern Native Americans are basically extinct and their stories died with them, unlike north western native Americans (Navajo) and south American natives.

Alright, let’s review evidence connecting the Maya to Jews: The Maya claim to have come from a land across the ocean to the east, and once worshipped a single God before polytheism was introduced. They also revere the figure Quetzalcoatl who was white skinned and white bearded who visited them in the name of his father, teaching religious practices (as I previously mentioned) and promised to later return (so, obviously mirroring Christ’s visit to the Americans). Some of the practices he taught include confession, fasting, and celibacy, and he was remembered as a law-giver and moral reformer. Again, this all exactly aligns with the Book of Mormon.

Mayan religion also had baptism, confession, monks/nuns, fasts, penance, and festivals resembling Catholic and biblical traditions (including Christmas and All Souls’ Day, etc. – e.g. Sept. 8 birth of the Virgin and Dec. 25 birth of the White God), which some Spanish priests attributed to pre-Christian influence. Funnily enough, Jesuit Josef de Acosta (1589) argued that the many similarities between Catholic rituals and Aztec/Maya religious practices were not the result of Christian evangelism, but imitations planted by the devil to usurp God’s worship.

Interestingly, the source of these ideas (The Incredible Origins of the Maya Indians!) is not Mormon. For a broader discussion, see that article.

Native American Practices and Archeological Evidence

The following is a summary of this article (Who Really Discovered America?), produced by non-Mormons, which is very good.

And just to note: the word Phoenician is basically interchangeable with Hebrew, because the Phoenicians had exactly the same alphabet as early Hebrew and a very similar language and culture to the Jews.

Archaeological Finds in the Americas

• Las Lunas Stone (New Mexico) – Features the full Ten Commandments written in Paleo-Hebrew, carved on a boulder near Los Lunas. This stone was seen and photographed in situ as early as the 19th century, long before Hebrew was widely studied in America, making forgery less likely. Cyrus Gordon, noted Semitic scholar, vouched for the authenticity and confirmed that the script aligns with pre-exilic Hebrew forms. Moreover, Local Native oral traditions reference the site as sacred.

• Peru (Gene Savoy’s Discovery) – stone tablets in the Andes bearing hieroglyphs resembling Phoenician and Hebrew symbols.
• South America (Amazon/Brazil Inscriptions) – There have been multiple discoveries over decades, including hundreds of cave inscriptions, identified by linguists as Phoenician in origin. These were Reported by credible scholars such as Bernardo da Silva, with markings resembling Semitic alphabets.
• Coins and Artifacts in the Southeastern U.S. – there are many reports of coins found in the Americas with Phoenician inscriptions in Tennessee, Alabama, and Georgia.

Cultural and Religious Parallels

• Yuchi Indians (Southeastern U.S.) – These Indians celebrate an 8-day fall harvest festival beginning on the 15th day of their sacred month. This very much aligns with the Feast of Tabernacles, both in time period and also duration – while the feast of tabernacles normally lasting 7 days, it is practiced with an additional day for locations outside of Israel. Moreover, they also construct temporary booths covered with branches, nearly identical to the Israelite Feast of Tabernacles (Sukkot, Leviticus 23). In addition, during these rites, chants were observed that included Hebrew names of God (per Cyrus Gordon’s witness).
• Other North American Indian Tribes – There are accounts from European explorers and 19^th century scholars regarding native tribes practicing circumcision, ritual purification, and dietary taboos reminiscent of Levitical law.
• Māori (New Zealand) – The Māori observed Sabbath as a day of rest, a Jubilee year every 49 years, and fall harvest festivals paralleling Israelite customs. They also had dietary laws and ceremonial purity traditions closely resemble Mosaic law. This aligns with the Book of Mormon account of Jews sailing out of the Americas to even further lands (Alma 63:4–9).
• Legends of the “White God” (Quetzalcoatl, Viracocha, etc.) – Native myths across Mesoamerica and South America describe a white, bearded man who came teaching laws and worship of one supreme God, then departed with a promise to return. This strongly resembles Christ’s visit to the Americas reported in the Book of Mormon.
• Incan beliefs – Pre-Inca worship of an invisible Creator God called Con, similar to Hebrew Cohen (priest), from kahan (“to officiate, meditate in worship”). Moreover, Inca traditions of creation, fall, destruction, and renewal closely parallel the Mosaic account of Genesis.

Accounts of Peruvian Indians from Rivero & von Tschudi, Peruvian Antiquities, 1857:

• Indians offered firstfruits, kept new moons, celebrated a Day of Atonement (around September/October), and divided the year into four seasons corresponding to Jewish festivals.
• Observed purification rites, ritual bathing, fasting, specific manners of prayer.
• Dietary restrictions mirrored Hebrew law: abstaining from blood, avoiding scaleless fish, and considering certain animals, birds, and reptiles unclean.
• Offered firstlings of the flock as holocaust sacrifices.