Posted by:
Heresy
(
)
Date: December 31, 2011 12:12AM
written by younger people. Those who've run it through an analysis find it is written at a ninth grade comprehension level.
Have you ever looked at the original 1830 edition before the 3000-4000 changes and edits? It's online for free, or about $25 from Amazon. It is written in hilarious hillbilly Elizabethan English.
http://solomonspalding.com/SRP/MEDIA/bm.htmThe stories aren't that complicated. Every prophet starts over with new stuff. The geography doesn't add up or match to anything real. Many of the stories, like chopping off the head of drunk to steal his stuff are ridiculous in intent and execution.
Smith wasn't uneducated. His father and one brother were sometime teachers. One of his brothers was on a school board. They read a lot. He had the opportunity to go to school, but didn't have the discipline. The rest of his family did go to school.
He was bright enough, you have to give him that. His mother said he used to entertain the family around the fire at night by telling tall tales about the local Indians. He in fact was making up the book from the time he was very young.
There are some great websites where this topic has been worked through in detail if you want even more information. Richard Packham's site has a great writeup.