If Joseph Smith was simply copying the Bible, why does the Book of Mormon repeatedly quote early Old Testament material, and later Old Testament Prophets Isaiah and Jeremiah, but completely avoid the historical books scholars now say were compiled after the Babylonian exile?
One of the most common criticisms of the Book of Mormon is that “Joseph was just copying the Bible.” Critics point out that Nephite prophets reference Adam, Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, Joseph, and Moses. They refer to the Fall, the covenant with Abraham, and the Exodus. Sermons throughout the Book of Mormon repeatedly quote and allude to early Old Testament scripture.
But when you look closer, a striking pattern appears.
The Book of Mormon draws heavily from the earliest books of the Old Testament and Isaih. But almost completely avoids another major portion of the Bible.
Why?
The Books the Book of Mormon Clearly Knows
The Book of Mormon shows clear familiarity with several early biblical traditions. Stories and teachings from Genesis appear throughout the record. Nephite prophets reference Adam and the Fall, the covenant with Abraham, and Joseph in Egypt. These themes appear repeatedly in books like 2 Nephi, Alma, Ether, and Moroni.
The Exodus narrative is central to the Book of Mormon. Nephi directly compares his family’s journey through the wilderness to Israel leaving Egypt.
The book of Numbers also appears through references to the brazen serpent, a story cited multiple times in different Nephite sermons centuries apart.
Even Leviticus is reflected in the Book of Mormon through references to sacrifices, commandments, and temple practices under the Law of Moses.
The pattern is obvious. The Nephite record is deeply familiar with the earliest portions of the Hebrew Bible.
The Strange Silence
If the Book of Mormon writers had access to the same Old Testament we have today, we would expect frequent references to the large historical books that dominate the Bible:
- Joshua
- Judges
- Samuel
- Kings
These books contain many of the most famous stories in the Old Testament. David and Goliath. King Saul. Elijah confronting the prophets of Baal. Stories of wining wars and battles with the help of God. Isn’t half the Book of Mormon about wars? Wouldn’t these be the perfect stories to use to motivate troups about to go into battle?
Yet the Book of Mormon never quotes them.
There are no sermons referencing David’s victories. No retellings of the judges of Israel. No discussions of Israel’s kings. No reference to making the walls of Jericho fall. No parallels of Sampson and his great strength. Not even a single reference to David overcoming Goliath?
Considering how often Nephite prophets quote earlier scripture, this silence is remarkable, especially from some of the most well known and inspirational Bible stories.
A Discovery in Biblical Scholarship
In the twentieth century, biblical scholars began recognizing something unusual about these same books.
In 1943, scholar Martin Noth discovered that several Old Testament books were actually part of a single editorial project now called the Deuteronomistic History.
This group of texts includes:
- Deuteronomy
- Joshua
- Judges
- Samuel
- Kings
These books were compiled and edited together by scribes known as Deuteronomists during and after the Babylonian exile.
In other words, the final form of these books likely developed after Jerusalem fell in 586 BC.
The Timeline Matters
Now compare that timeline to the Book of Mormon.
Lehi leaves Jerusalem around 600 BC. That is just before the Babylonian destruction of Jerusalem and just before the exile period when scholars believe the Deuteronomistic History reached its final form.
If Lehi’s family carried scripture with them into the wilderness, those records would reflect the biblical traditions available before the exile.
That would naturally explain why the Book of Mormon repeatedly references early biblical material while remaining silent about the later historical books.
The Brass Plates
The Book of Mormon itself says Lehi’s family preserved scripture on the brass plates. These records contained the Law of Moses, prophetic writings, genealogies, and other sacred texts.
The Nephite record repeatedly assumes that many ancient prophets testified of the Messiah, even though those prophecies are largely absent from the Old Testament we possess today.
The brass plates preserved a scriptural library that differed from the later Jewish canon.
Modern biblical scholarship also recognizes that the Hebrew Bible went through a long process of compilation and editing before reaching the form we have today.
The Joseph Smith Problem
This creates a serious problem for the idea that Joseph Smith simply invented the Book of Mormon.
Joseph translated the book in 1829.
The theory identifying the Deuteronomistic History was not proposed until more than a century later.
If Joseph Smith were simply imitating the Bible he knew, we would expect references to David, Saul, Solomon, Elijah, and the judges of Israel.
But the Book of Mormon does not do that.
Instead, it reflects familiarity with early biblical traditions while remaining silent about the very books modern scholars now believe were compiled later.
So the question remains.
If the Book of Mormon were just a nineteenth-century imitation of the Bible, how did Joseph Smith know to avoid the section later scholars would conclude wasn’t added until after Lehi left Jerusalem?