A Case for the Book of Mormon

Ted R. Callister’s purpose “is to present a case for the Book of Mormon – both intellectually and spiritually.” Among his goals, he hopes to “1) further strengthen the testimony of those who already believe the Book of Mormon to be true, (2) help resolve issues for those who may have some honest questions about its divine origin, (3) provide insights for those who seek answers for their family members and friends who have been or may be exposed to false claims against the Book of Mormon, (4) stimulate the interest of those who have not yet feasted upon its profound doctrine and witness of Christ, and (5) give the critics pause to reconsider the Book of Mormon as God-given.”Perhaps the book provides a measure of support for goals 1) and 4) but I found it falls short for the others.It is interesting that Callister presents an all or nothing choice to those wavering about the claim for the BoM’s divine origins. His first chapter is titled “Is There Room for Middle Ground?” (Spoiler – no) and he quotes his grandfather (presumably LDS Apostle LeGrand Richards) “[T]he Book of Mormon is either a divine work or a fraud.” Callister doesn’t speak for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints and it is difficult to believe the church will maintain such a stance in the distant future. The Community of Christ, for instance, considers the Book of Mormon scripture but welcomes the middle ground. A number of LDS scholars already hold nuanced positions about its origins. Perhaps it’s these scholar’s he has in mind when he states “While I disagree with the Church’s critics on most points, I recognize that among them are good, intelligent people.”While it isn’t possible nor necessary to address all criticisms of the Book of Mormon in a 272 page book, it is useful to discuss what Callister included and what he left out. What is included is seven paragraphs addressing the Spaulding manuscript. It is the first example he cites to attack the hypothesis that the “Book of Mormon was plagiarized from or heavily influenced by other books.” But this theory was discredited soon after it was espoused; it isn’t problematic for wavering members. It is, however, an easy theory to discredit to claim a victory against the critics. The same can be said about his two preceding examples arguing against BoM authorship by Oliver Cowdery or Sidney Rigdon. Again these are not issues relevant to the audiences Callister claims to be addressing.A wavering member, however, might want to know how to address the fact that Joseph Smith used a seer stone in a hat to “translate” the BoM, or to address the question of how intertwined the coming forth of the BoM is with Smith’s treasure seeking. Smith used the stone and hat for both translating and treasure seeking. Hidden/slippery treasure is very much enmeshed in the BoM narrative (for instance see Helaman 12:18, 13:18-20, 31-37). The seer stone recently was revealed to still exist with the church and made worldwide news. This is problematic for wavering members and yet Callister doesn’t address it at all. Like any well trained attorney he is confronting only the questions where he already has an answer.Another problematic issue that would be of interest are racist elements of the BoM that comport to early 19th century thought. Again, Callister is silent.He inadequately addresses anachronisms by pointing out some anachronisms critics may have had but were later resolved (he points to writing on metal plates, cement, and barley several times). But he leaves a myriad of anachronisms unaddressed, for instance the BoM’s Deutero-Isaiah problem, or the BoM’s reliance on the 1769 version of the King James edition of the Bible (identified by the 1769 version’s errors being included in the BoM). His approach to anachronistic items such as horses, cattle, elephants, silk, and steel is to complain it is rash to point to these things “when one recalls that “experts” in prior years were absolutely certain there were no such things in the Book of Mormon times as metal plates, cement, or barley”. He un-ironically seeks to bolster his argument here by quoting George Santayana “Those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it”What is most problematic is Callister’s constant reference to the honest seeker. He repeatedly uses the terms “honest seeker,” “honest questions,” “honest intent,” “honest in heart,” “honest searcher,” or “honest desire” for those seeking to know the origin of the Book of Mormon. Ultimately, Callister states “[The Book of Mormon] is not on trial, it is we who are on trial to see if we will read it with a sincere heart and real intent to discover and live its truths” Presumably those who fail to be convinced by Callister’s book and do not come away with a testimony of its divine origin, are dis-honest.

I devoured this impactful book in about six hours and promptly purchased additional copies for family and friends. I volunteer as Executive Director of the non-profit think tank Book of Mormon Central, cited frequently herein. Elder Callister is up-to-date with his scholarship, but this work goes well beyond narrow scholarly interests. It is a good balance between certitude and polemic, spiritual and intellectual, doctrinal and narrative. The personal and third-party stories are superb. Elder Callister spent 34 years as a tax attorney, and his logical, precise thinking shows through on every page. His writing is eloquent but endearing and approachable. He tackles some hard problems, working through the issues clearly and persuasively. And he bears a powerful personal testimony. If you enjoyed Elder Callister's superb address "God's Compelling Witness: The Book of Mormon" in October, 2017 General Conference, you will love this book.

Excellent summary of rational evidences for the Book of Mormon while still maintaining that a testimony of the book must be gained through the holy ghost.

Every member of the Church should read this book, even if you already have a solid testimony of it, it will strengthen and solidify the truth. If you’re struggling with a testimony then it will help you see that it was produced as Joseph Smith said it was.

If you (or one you love) is dabbling in the online arena of public opinion, investigating the Book of Mormon, I'm sure you've/they've found lots of differing view points of its veracity. Brother Callister has done an incredible job of meeting the critics head on and presenting the facts. (Seriously, pages and pages of footnotes.) He approaches each accusation, citing the critics reasoning, and then presents the evidence debunking that argument. Brother Callister basically obliterates them all in the first forty pages and then proceeds to spend the next 200 pages supporting the Book of Mormon as a God-Given Testament of Jesus Christ.I have always found the Book of Mormon to be exactly what it claims to be, but I know others have not had this same experience. Brother Callister has done a beautiful job addressing the arguments that have surrounded the Book of Mormon since it's translation in the 19th century; and building a truthful, defensive and supportive case for it being exactly what The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints professes. As always, it is pointed out that it doesn't matter how much evidence we have of its correctness, we will have to pray for a witness of our own from the Spirit to have a testimony of its validity.I heartily recommend this book for every believer and non-believe alike. Well done, Brother Callister.