Ndid sidney rigdon wrote the book of mormon

In late october of 1830, roughly six months after the publication of the book of mormon, four lds missionaries including parley pratt, who had known sidney rigdon previously came through kirtland, ohio, where sidney had built up a communal church, and introduced him to both the book of mormon and mormonism. You cannot be a college graduate, in fact, you can have only three years of schooling. Sidney rigdons confession to his son about the book of mormon. The theory that sidney rigdon was the true author of the book of mormon first. Rigdon, the son of sydney rigdon visited utah and spent the winter among the mormons. The book of alma is one part of the book of mormon. In 1839, rigdon wrote a letter denying his role in the composition of the book of mormon. I get it, when talking to someone who denies the claims that the foundation for mormonism is a stolen story from a mediocre writer no one has ever heard of you have to show an overwhelming amount of evidence, but holy cow. Rigdons role as author was also proposed in an august 1831 article by james gordon bennett, who had visited the palmyra manchester area and interviewed several residents. Sidney rigdons final confession about joseph smith and the origin of the book of mormon. View of the hebrews flooded the area in which joseph smith lived. A biography, then paul gutjahr is a particularly wellqualified nonmormon writer. Sidney rigdon mormonism, the mormon church, beliefs.

The author ethan smith was the pastor of the religious congregation in which. Criticism of mormonismbookswho really wrote the book of mormon. Heavenly mother appeared to joseph smith and sidney rigdon. Who really wrote the book of mormon the spalding enigma by. How much was sidney rigdon involved with the creation of the. Sidney rigdon after losing the power struggle with brigham young for control of the mormon lds church. Rigdon, sidneys son, asks his dad if he wrote the book of mormon or. In 1982, the focus was on solomon spalding and sidney rigdon. But if the theory is to hold water, sidney rigdon had to have known joseph smith prior to the publication of the book of mormon. The problem of book of mormon authorship has challenged historians and theologians since the book was published in 1830. Pratt was hopeful that rigdon would receive that message, and arrived with oliver cowdery.

Mormon challenges could the book of mormon story have. Pratt, a member of rigdons kirtland congregation, who had joined the church of christ in palmyra in september 1830. The theory that sidney rigdon was the true author of the book of mormon first appeared in print in a february 15, 1831 article. A collection of facts relative to the course taken by elder sidney rigdon, 1844, pg 35. Joseph smith, emma smith, martin harris, sidney rigdon, oliver cowdery, etc. Rigdon, however, had never heard of the book of mormon or its contents until he became a mormon after 1830, and he had not even been in the vicinity of spaldings home until after spalding. Mormon apostle orson pratt wrote in 1851, the book of mormon claims to be a divinely inspired record.

After being challenged by a rival attorney during a trial, cowdery affirms that his written testimony of seeing the golden plates is true. Who really wrote the book of mormon solomon spalding. Mormon challenges could the book of mormon story have come. This book critically examines key historical documents, personal testimonies, and records of 19thcentury mormon history concluding that the book of mormon is an adaptation of an obscure historical novel written by revolutionary war veteran solomon spalding during the war of 1812. Oliver cowdery testifies in court about the golden plates and book of mormon. The spaldingrigdon theory of book of mormon authorship is the theory that the book of. Is view of the hebrews a source for the book of mormon. Sidney rigdon, american churchman, an early convert to mormonism 1830 and first counselor to its founder, joseph smith. Rigdon, sidneys son, asks his dad if he wrote the book of. Sidney had already been called as a counselor to joseph a year earlier. And many resorted unto him, and said, john did no miracle.

Rigdon and spalding were independently named as authors before anyone was aware of a connection between them. Diehard anti mormon writers have suggested that to help produce the book of mormon sidney rigdon traveled incognito over long distances and as a mysterious stranger unknown to the community met joseph smith. I always add, he probably used spauldings manuscript for information on the plot. When smith was murdered 1844, however, rigdon attempted to. Oliver cowdery testifies in court about the golden plates. In the spring of 1833 or 1834, at the house of samuel baker, near new portage, medina county, ohio. Gregory although sidney rigdon was a prominent and wellknown figure in early mormon history, his life and thought after his excommunication from the church of jesus christ of latterday saints are almost completely unknown to latterday saints today. The spaldingrigdon theory proposes that the unpublished writings of solomon spalding a dartmoutheducated man who died in 1816 came into the possession of sidney rigdon, a reformed baptist campbellite preacher, and that rigdon inserted into those writings his literalistic, premillennial, restorationist christian theology, along with other information useful for his purposes, to create the 1830 version of the book of mormon. Sidney rigdon did not meet joseph smith until december 1830, more than half a year after the book. When applied to the book of mormon, wordprinting reveals that the word patterns of the book of mormon differ significantly from the personal writings of joseph smith, solomon spaulding, sidney rigdon, and oliver cowdery, who served as joseph smiths scribe. Sidney rigdon true author of the book of mormon and founder. Pratt told rigdon about the book of mormon and the restoration of the gospel. One of the most amusing parts of the book is the attempt to explain the experience of the three witnesses. Sidney rigdon forgotten hero of mormonism bryce blankenagel.

There is similarly an abundance of independent eyewitness testimony that locates sidney rigdon with joseph smith during the three years preceding the publication of the book of mormon. As early as 1831, eber howe, in his antimormon book mormonism unvailed, noted the use of names desolation and bountiful from pilgrims progress reappear in the book of mormon. Cowdrey is an exmormon whose interest in the origins of the book of mormon derives from his familys tradition that they are relatives of the oliver cowdery who figures so prominently in the spalding enigma. He eventually became disaffected and left the church. Upon pratts return to ohio, rigdon reportedly learned of smith and the book of mormon and was baptized by pratt. Patterson declined, as he did not think the enterprise would pay. He was the youngest of four children of william and nancy rigdon. Critical theories that sidney rigdon was a book of mormon author or co. Brewster carried on a correspondence with fellow oberlin graduate rev. The historical case against sidney rigdons authorship of the book. Examining the book of mormon a christian view probe. In essence, the challenge states that the critic should produce a text of like character to the book of mormon, before he assumes that smith could have been the sole author. Sidney was at first quite skeptical of the book of mormon, and is said to have thrown the book down and said it was fiction.

Jun 16, 2018 but if the theory is to hold water, sidney rigdon had to have known joseph smith prior to the publication of the book of mormon. Members of the church have long held that its joseph smith. Book of mormonauthorship theoriesspalding manuscript. Lots of good information, but really starts to drag because they cite so many letters and documents to prove their point. Spaldingrigdon theory of book of mormon authorship. It did not help matters that i had posed that same question to investigators when i was an lds missionary. The theory that sidney rigdon was the true author of the book of mormon first appeared in print in an august 31, 1831, article by james gordon bennett, who had visited palmyramanchester area and interviewed several residents.

If joseph smith did not translate the book of mormon as a work of ancient origin, then i would move heaven and earth to meet the real nineteenthcentury author. Howe suggested that, by some means, sidney rigdon, a former campbellite preacher in ohio and pennsylvania who had joined the church in november 1830, had obtained a copy of manuscript found years before and had used it as the basis for the book of. When i was 21 years of age i was working my fathers farm in michigan. The idea is that sidney rigdon got a hold of the manuscript and used it to author the book of mormon. The book of mormon is a sacred text of the latter day saint movement, which, according to adherents, contains writings of ancient prophets who lived on the american continent from approximately 2200 bc to ad 421. Clair township, allegheny county, pennsylvania, about 10 miles south of pittsburgh. Rigdon s father was a farmer and a native of harford county, maryland. Or was the book really derived from solomon spaldings romantic fantasy novel called manuscript found. And if an lds scholar could not have written the book of mormon. How the book of mormon was translated let us reason.

Meaning, if you could disprove that sidney rigdon used manuscript found authored by solomon spalding as the source of the book of mormon, then this proved that josephs claims of the book of mormon were correct. This would seem to indicate that someone, perhaps joseph smith, copied parts of adairs book verbatim into the book of mormon. Sidney rigdon s final confession about joseph smith and the origin of the book of mormon. One day the prophet joseph smith asked him zebedee coltrin and sidney rigdon to accompany him into the woods to pray. This theory says much of the story of the book of mormon was plagiarized from an unpublished manuscript written by solomon spalding. It disintegrates completely under the unbiased examination of competent scholarship and a careful examination of the facts, documents. Mormon apologists will immediately recognize this as the counterpart to the socalled book of mormon challenge. Criticism of mormonismbookswho really wrote the book of. Had rigdon had nothing to hide, why would he lie so vigorously. The critics claimed that sidney rigdon, a convert to the church, copied the manuscript and gave it to joseph smith who turned it into the book of mormon. Jun 18, 2015 this theory says much of the story of the book of mormon was plagiarized from an unpublished manuscript written by solomon spalding.

Joseph smith at the age of 16 maybe 14,15 or 17 was led to the site of the plates by the angel moroni, joseph was instructed not to remove the items until he was given permission. A biography, then paul gutjahr is a particularly wellqualified non mormon writer. Oct 19, 2009 authorship who really wrote the book of mormon. He did not endorse the principle of plural marriage, although he never. Though latterday saints have long known that the book of mormon is an important religious text, it is encouraging to see it considered as such by a prestigious american university.

The spalding enigma did an angel of god in the late 1820s really give 18yearold con artist joseph smith mormon bible, as he claimed. His conversion on sept 1, 1830 is welldocumented in the movie, how rare a possession, put out by the church. There are some accusations by the author, but they amount mostly to paraphrased rigdon stole the manuscript from solomon spaulding and that was turned into the book of mormon. His mental powers did not seem to be impaired, but the equilibrium in his intellectual exertions seemed thereby to have been sadly affected. Additionally rigdon, who was a preacher, weaved his own religious views into the story. Sunstone symposium 11192016 on the life of sidney rigdon and his influence on mormon history. Sidney rigdon true author of the book of mormon and. The entire book is based upon whitsitts initial assumption that rigdon and spalding wrote the book of mormon. View of the hebrews was published in 1823 and a second edition was published in 1825.

Mormons recognize it as divinely inspired and equal in authority to the bible, but others have reason to doubt its claims. The next step is to study the background and motivations of those responsible for its production. After the mormons moved to missouri 1838 and then to nauvoo, ill. Cowdrey is an ex mormon whose interest in the origins of the book of mormon derives from his familys tradition that they are relatives of the oliver cowdery who figures so prominently in the spalding enigma. Reassessing authorship of the book of mormon using delta and nearest shrunken centroid classification. Apostle abraham cannon related the following appearance of heavenly mother to joseph smith, sidney rigdon and zebedee coltrin. Nutting and it seems that nutting was aware of brewsters initial research into cliams that sidney rigdon wrote a portion of the book of mormon at bainbridge, during his 182627 tenure in that geauga co. You must write a book with 239 chapters, 54 of them about wars, 21 about history, 55 about prophecy, 71 about doctrine, 17 about missionaries, and 21 about the mission of jesus. Its my conviction that sidney rigdon really wrote the book of mormon.

Rigdon, sidney s son, asks his dad if he wrote the book of mormon or if josephs story about golden plates is true. As it turns out, olivers grandfather william cowdery, sr. The book shows by citing signed affidavits and letters from the people of palmyra, that joseph smith and sidney rigdon. Life after mormonism foggy aug 2014 for the most part each piece of my life is pretty good right now, but ive discovered that the big underlying problem i have is one that probably many of you face as well. Sidney rigdon was born on february 19, 1793, near pittsburgh, pennsylvania. In 1888, walter sidney rigdon, sidney rigdons grandson. Pratt, a member of rigdon s kirtland congregation, who had joined the church of christ in palmyra in september 1830. The book shows by citing signed affidavits and letters from the people of palmyra, that joseph smith and sidney rigdon did indeed know each other prior to the publication. He was a powerful orator and defender of the fledgling mormon church. The historical case against sidney rigdons authorship of the. Rigdon was a devout and studious preacher of the bible, even naming one of his sons after the great 14thcentury reformer and bible translator john wycliff. Historical evidence fails to prove any earlier connection between sidney rigdon and joseph smith. Could joseph smith have written the book of mormon. Sunstone symposium 11192016 on the life of sidney rigdon and his.

The bickertonites were an early breakoff sect from the church of jesus christ of latterday saints, often mistakenly called the mormon church. Rigdon, sidneys son, asks his dad if he wrote the book of mormon or if josephs story about golden plates is true. Bickertonites mormonism, the mormon church, beliefs. Some people believe the book of mormon is a new revelation from god given to joseph smith.

Howe suggested that, by some means, sidney rigdon, a former campbellite preacher in ohio and pennsylvania who had joined the church in november 1830, had obtained a copy of manuscript found years before and had used it as the basis for the book of mormon, to which he also added religious material. Sidney rigdon was an influential leader in the early days of mormonism and became a good friend of the prophet joseph smith. In fact, there is no proof presented in this book that rigdon wrote the book of mormon. Opponents of the book have claimed that joseph smith wrote it himself, or that an accomplice such as solomon spaulding or sidney rigdon penned it and somehow transferred it to joseph smith. Joseph smith was to translate the book of mormon, and sidney rigdon was to take it, and gather israel.

The lord had said, in the book of mormon, that he would raise up to joseph smith a spokesman. Spaldingrigdon theory of book of mormon authorship wikipedia. Having been an active mormon for 35 years, and semiactive for another seven, i feel i have a pretty good picture of the lds church, its history, and motives. Sidney rigdon february 19, 1793 july 14, 1876 was a leader during the early history of the. Few mormons know the story but there is a good reason to accept that theory. Sidney rigdon american religious leader britannica. Nov 22, 2016 sidney rigdon forgotten hero of mormonism bryce blankenagel. Diehard antimormon writers have suggested that to help produce the book of mormon sidney rigdon traveled incognito over long distances and as a mysterious stranger. Sidney rigdon was a christian minister, and one of the visitors, parley p. These phrases are identical to the phrases which describe the construction of defensive forts in chapters 4850 and 53 of the book of alma. But perhaps the most glaring problem with this book is that the title claims i wrote the book of mormon, and calls it a confession of sidney rigdonand there is no confession from rigdon at allnot in any way, shape, or formpresented in this book. Whitsitt then proceeds to fit the known facts to match that assumption. The book of mormon is a sacred text of the latter day saint movement, which, according to adherents, contains writings of ancient prophets who lived on the american continent from approximately 2200 bc. Feb 15, 2020 sidney rigdon, american churchman, an early convert to mormonism 1830 and first counselor to its founder, joseph smith.