Hidden from the world for centuries, the words of ancient Book of Mormon prophets whisper from the dust their witness of Jesus Christ. These prophets were individuals with distinctive speaking patterns that are unique in vocabulary, style, and thematic emphasis.

The fruit of more than a decade of research, this book compares the linguistic fingerprints of many major speakers in the Book of Mormon, from Nephi and Mormon to Jacob and Jesus Christ. It also shows voices speaking in harmony as later prophets use powerful phrases from their predecessors. Each chapter ends with thoughtful discussion of how identifying a speaker’s distinctive voice can spark greater understanding and application of his message. 

These voices highlight the textual richness and complexity of the Book of Mormon, providing meaningful evidence that Joseph Smith did not write it. More importantly, they shed new light on Book of Mormon prophets’ distinctive testimonies of Jesus Christ.

Although the ancient scriptural record known as the Book of Mormon contains profound doctrinal and theological content, it is foremost a history. Thus, it is not surprising that it has the earmarks of ancient rather than modern works of history. Yet few studies analyze the Book of Mormon as a legitimate work of ancient history. The author describes the sacral worldview that informed much of ancient writing, surveys four millennia of historical writings to show how the sacral worldview differs from modern historiography, and discusses many underlying historical themes found in the writings of Israelite and Greco-Roman historians that also figure in the composition of the Book of Mormon. That scripture’s sobering theological message is shown to emerge from the historical accounts that inform it.

This is a biography of Katharine Smith Salisbury, the longest-surviving member of the Joseph Sr. and Lucy Mack Smith family. The book is based on a cache of letters, interviews, and recorded speeches. It records a life of challenges, including religious prejudice and ostracism. Three of Katharine’s children died in infancy. Her husband was only intermittently available as a provider. The Salisburys were driven from Ohio and Missouri, and her husband died at forty-four. Through all these challenges Katharine remained loyal to her brother Joseph Smith Jr., vouching for his prophetic appointment. The challenges she endured solidified her commitment to take up her cross for the cause of her faith.

This Book collects Joseph Smith's uncanonized revelations, offering a new edition of these texts and update to past work. While most of the texts featured in this volume are accessible in The Joseph Smith Papers, both online and in print, average readers will probably find it difficult to sift through all twenty-seven volumes of the papers to locate these items, This book aims to remove that barrier to help facilitate access to these fascinating revelations.