history of mormonism

Miracles in Printing the 1830 Book of Mormon

A couple of years ago, I was given a small booklet entitled Miracle on Palmyra’s Main Street. It was written by Gordon Weight, an “old-time” printer and current LDS institute teacher. Using his knowledge of printing, he retraces the events surrounding the printing of the 1830 Book of Mormon and explains the miracles that took place from a printer’s perspective.

Without going into much detail here about the content, I would absolutely recommend this booklet. It is an easy read and sheds an interesting light on the subject. In a more thorough discussion, Ph.D. scientist John Pratt reviews the book from a scientific perspective and “tests” the assumptions and conclusions of the author.

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Tuesday, November 4th, 2008 1830 Book of Mormon 2 Comments

Importance of the 1830 Book of Mormon

If you’re not familiar with how the Book of Mormon came to be, I’d encourage you to visit http://www.mormon.org or http://www.lds.org which give more historical details.

After the prophet Joseph Smith Jr. had finished the translation of the Book of Mormon, he contracted with E.B. Grandin in Palmyra, New York to print the first run of 5,000 copies.  As they rolled off the press, Joseph and others began to share them with believers, non-believers, and other truth seekers.  Soon, the story of Joseph Smith and the golden plates was spreading throughout the United States and in other areas of the world.

Missionaries took the Book of Mormon to many states, to England and other countries in Europe, and ultimately throughout the world to share the 1830 Book of Mormon.  Why?  Because it was another testament of Jesus Christ and with the Bible, gave additional insight into the divine mission of the Lord Jesus Christ.

Historians, both Mormon and non-Mormon, have questioned, “Is the Book of Mormon the most influential book printed in the 19th century?”  Perhaps an even more intriguing question is “Will it become the most influential book ever printed aside from the Bible?”  I don’t intend to discount the many classics that have been penned, or the many other religious books like the Koran that have touched the lives of hundreds of millions.

But if the Book of Mormon is what it claims to be–another testament of Jesus Christ written by ancient prophets in the Americas–there will in the future likely be no ambiguity about its importance in history.

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Tuesday, November 4th, 2008 1830 Book of Mormon No Comments