Chapter IX.
Analysis of the Internal Evidences of the Book of Mormon.
- Introduction
- The nature and purport of the book
- Contents
- Contradiction as to plates
- As to Urim and Thummim
- Hebrew language
- Jewish materials for writing
- Laban's plates
- Jewish genealogies
- The copies of the law
- History of the Jews
- Various Prophets of Bible and Book of Mormon
- Prediction
- Contradiction in Book of Mormon
- Lehi's compass or Liahona
- Natural history of America
- Importations of stock
- Elephants in America
- Astronomical anticipations of the Book of Mormon
- Contradictions between reputed authors of Book of Mormon
- Solomon's Temple in America
- Gifts of the Spirit before Christ
- Jared's barges, what they were and what they brought
- Precision of Book of Mormon Prophets
- Plagiarisms from the Scriptures
- Use of various terms not then known
- Inconsistency
- Prophetic apologies
- Conclusion.
Mormonism claims as its founder, Joseph Smith. The pretensions of the system depend on the founder. If Smith be an impostor, Mormonism must fall. To commence an analysis of the system, we must begin with the pretensions of the Prophet. It is not enough for some to believe him to be a liar. To say that one has a right to believe him false, is to say others have the right to believe him true. Belief is the effect produced by evidence on the mind. Grounds of belief must, therefore, be searched for in the evidence. It is important to determine how much evidence ought to convince.
