Difference between revisions of "Criticism of Mormonism/Books/Studies of the Book of Mormon/A Book of Mormon Study/Ethan Smith and View of the Hebrews"

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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

155

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.”

• 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.

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.

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

173

Claim

• Both View of the Hebrews and the Book of Mormon extensively quote Isaiah. The Book of Mormon quotes 21 chapters of Isaiah, and View of the Hebrews quotes from twenty chapters of Isaiah.

Claim

• Many of the Isaiah chapters quoted in View of the Hebrews and the Book of Mormon are the same.