Words of God and Men: Literary Criticism of the Book of Mormon, The

The Book of Mormon is the central religious text of a large and growing sect of Christianity, and much has been written about its possible origins and the conditions of its provenance. However, few people have thought to consider the Book of Mormon from a literary lens and have instead brought archaeological, historical, biographical and other studies to bear on its authenticity. In the present study, the Book of Mormon is considered as a literary text whose unique words and textual forms can speak for themselves. The study uses formalist, intertextual, and occasionally historical methods to inquire into the Book of Mormon to explain the conditions of its composition. The study shows how the author of the Book of Mormon attempted to replicate the literary language and features of the King James Version of the Bible, particularly in his choice of idiom, his narrative style, and his creation of names. The study concludes by stating that the Book of Mormon is more fully understood when seen as composed by someone intimately familiar with its intertextual predecessor, the King James Version of the Bible.