Book of Mormon

At a glance

History, context & interpretation

The text and its story

Tells of ancient peoples in the Americas, the Nephites and Lamanites, and a visit by the risen Christ. It is the founding scripture of the Latter Day Saint movement.

Traditional attribution

Translated by Joseph Smith from golden plates revealed by the angel Moroni.

Historical scholarship

Historians see it as a 19th-century composition by Joseph Smith.

Context and curiosity

Smith dictated most of the text in about three months in 1829.

Chronology and transmission

This text belongs to Modern Revelations (United States). The catalogue gives its approximate dating as 1830 CE and original language or script as English. The dated manuscript witnesses and traditional claims may not refer to the same historical event.

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Sources and further reading

• https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Book_of_Mormon

Historical descriptions are educational summaries. Religious traditions, scholarly interpretations and unverified claims are distinguished where possible; imagery may be illustrative rather than an artifact photograph.