Could You Write The Book of Mormon?

A 30 Point Challenge To The Skeptics

I was going through my notes when I found this paper that my trainer from my mission gave me. There are only two options when it comes to The Book of Mormon: It is either a true record and Joseph is a Prophet who was called to translate it. OR it is a forgery and Joseph Smith wrote it and was a con-man who made it all up.

So which is it? True record or forgery? Well, let’s look into what it would take to “write” the Book of Mormon. I invite you to take the 30 point challenge to write The Book of Mormon!

Here is the challenge: Can you accept it?

1. Write a history of ancient Tibet covering a period from 600 B.C. to 450 A.D. Why ancient Tibet? Because you know no more about Tibet than Joseph Smith (or anyone else) knew about ancient America.

2. You are 23 years of age.

3. You have had no more than three years of formal school education and have spent your life in backwoods farming communities.

4. Your history must be written on the basis of what you now know. There was no library that held information for Joseph Smith. You must use none. There is to be no research of any kind.

5. Your history must be 531 pages and over 300,000 words in length.

6. Other than a few grammatical corrections, you must have no changes in the text. The first edition as you dictate it to your secretary must stand forever.

7. This record is to contain the history of two distinct and separate nations, along with histories of different contemporary nations or groups of people.

8. You must describe their religious, economic, political, and social cultures and institutions. Cover every phase of their society, including the names of their coins.

9. Change your style of writing many times. Many ancient authors contributed to the Book of Mormon, each with his own style.

READ THE REST OF THE CHALLENGES at MY LIFE BY GOGO GOFF.