I am seeking books and/or web sites by non- or ex-Mormons that argue for the position that Joseph Smith, Jr., invented/fabricated the Book of Mormon on his own solitary resources (with the possible exception of the KJV material) from a naturalistic (i.e., non-supernatural) perspective.
There are plenty of apologetic works defending Smith as the supernaturally assisted “translator” of the alleged “gold plates”, but I’ve read enough of them already. There are also a number of naturalistic arguments that Smith relied on others’ works, such as those of Solomon Spaulding and/or Sidney Rigdon, but those are not what I’m looking for either. I want directions instead to what I described in my first paragraph.
Note, of course, that this is GQ, not GD, so let’s not debate the issues here.
I’ve seen it, thanks, and I’ve seldom laughed so hard! I bought the DVD for that season precisely because of that episode alone.
But, of course, that doesn’t help me.
I should add that I’ve already read Fawn Brodie’s wondrously well-written and compelling No Man Knows My History, which tells Smith’s story from a remarkably intellectually honest, naturalistic, and critical perspective. Those interested in fascinating biographies in general really must read her truly gifted and impressive exploration of the life of Joseph Smith (revised substantially in 1970). I don’t think I’ve ever read a better biography.
And her powerful “Appendix B” is the first – and regrettably so far the only – exposition of just what I’m looking for in my OP.
Here’s another relatively well-known work, so maybe you’ve already seen it. Dan Vogel’s Joseph Smith: The Making of a Prophet focuses almost entirely on the writing of the Book of Mormon, and identifies what he (Vogel) sees as the important influences, including family dynamics and contemporary religious debates. What I especially liked is that Vogel is a skeptic, but not a basher. IOW, he’s doing history, not theology, which is rather more to my tastes.
Especially because although I had been informed that Vogel had written a Smith as sole author defense, I wasn’t aware of two things that were critically important to me: The first being that Vogel wrote as a skeptic, and the second being the rather more important datum of just what the title of that work was!
May I ask your opinion on just how skeptical Vogel is concerning the LDS Church as a whole and Smith as “Prophet and Revelator” specifically? Is he still a member in good standing? Because I don’t wish to read any more apologetics.
I am further delighted by your remark:
Can I get an Amen, brother? That is precisely why I admire Brodie’s No Man Knows My History so much! She takes the wholly courageous stance of defending Smith against so many lies and calumnies and other unfair attacks from both critics of the Church and the Church itself, while at the same time debunking most of Smith’s own claims, especially the supernatural ones.
In any case, I shall order Vogel’s book forthwith.
I think Grant Palmer’s book An Insider’s View of Mormon Origins is another book that fits the bill. I’m not sure . Grant is an active Mormon (although I believe he was disciplined for publishing the book) who just doesn’t believe the Book of Mormon had supernatural origins. (I don’t know how people can believe this and still remain active Mormons, but I know a few dozen people of similar beliefs on the Internet, so I guess it’s not impossible.)
Oh, and I also like Vogel’s work. I haven’t read it all the way through, but I don’t think Vogel’s book could be taken as an apologetic work except by the most virulently critics of Mormonism. Richard Bushman’s Joseph Smith: Rough Stone Rolling is the book I recommend for my relatives who want a reasonably thorough biography with a more apologetic tone; Vogel would freak them out.