This work seeks to answer a single question of faith and history: Was the Book of Mormon truly revealed by God, or was it crafted by man?
There are moments in human history when the search for truth becomes urgent and deeply personal. People begin to question the faith they inherited, the scriptures they grew up with, and the authorities they trusted. Early nineteenth century America was one such moment. In the midst of religious revivalism, prophetic claims, and spiritual experimentation, a young man named Joseph Smith Jr. stepped forward with an extraordinary claim: that God had revealed to him a record of ancient American prophets written on golden plates, which he translated and published in 1830 as the Book of Mormon.
For nearly two centuries that claim has inspired millions and given rise to a worldwide movement known today as The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day-Saints. For its adherents, the Book of Mormon is not merely a book, it is proof of divine restoration, of a living prophet, of lost truths returned. For others it is a uniquely American scripture, born out of the social, theological, and cultural landscape of its time.
This book is not written to attack or belittle, nor to mock the faith of sincere Latter Day Saints. It is written to examine, to evaluate, and to compare claims of revelation using the tools of history, linguistics, theology, and reason. Truth does not fear investigation, and revelation — if it is from God — welcomes scrutiny.
A Quest Rooted in Respect
As Muslims, we believe that Allah revealed scriptures before the Qur’an: the Tawrah to Musa (Moses), the Zabur to Dawud (David), and the Injeel to Isa (Jesus), peace be upon them all. We believe in a living legacy of prophethood and guidance. We also believe that over time many of these scriptures were altered, reinterpreted, or expanded by human hands.
It is in this spirit that we approach the Book of Mormon. It is a claim to divine revelation. Any such claim must be tested: against history, against language, against theology, and against the known patterns of authentic revelation. The prophets of Allah never asked people to believe blindly. They brought clarity, evidence, and signs. The Qur’an itself invites humanity repeatedly to reflect, to observe, and to examine.
The Need for Comparative Honesty
Modern scholarship allows us to look at religious texts with a clarity that previous generations did not always have. We can compare manuscripts, analyze language patterns, verify historical settings, and cross examine archaeological findings. When we do this with the Book of Mormon, a number of questions arise: Why does a text that claims to be an ancient American record contain long sections in the style of the seventeenth century King James Bible? Why does it repeat not only biblical verses but even the translation choices and occasional translation errors of the King James Version? Why do its historical and cultural descriptions not match what we know from archaeology and genetics about pre Columbian America?
When we place the Book of Mormon side by side with the Qur’an the contrast becomes even clearer. The Qur’an was revealed in seventh century Arabia to a Prophet who was described by his people as unlettered. It has been preserved word for word in its original language, recited and memorized by generations, and transmitted through multiple chains of reliable narrators. The Book of Mormon, on the other hand, was produced in nineteenth century America, through an alleged translation from an unknown script called reformed Egyptian (History of the Church, Vol. 1 (p. 53–58) and statements to William W. Phelps and other scribes), with the original plates no longer available for examination, and with the text itself undergoing thousands of changes in subsequent editions.
This is not merely a historical difference. It is a theological and methodological difference. Authentic revelation is consistent, preserved, universally addressed, and beyond the literary capacity of its messenger. Human authored texts, however sincere their originator, often bear the marks of their time, their culture, and their personal theology.
An Invitation to All Seekers
To the sincere Latter Day Saint reading this: faith is not weakened by examination. It is purified by it. If a text is truly from God, historical and linguistic inquiry will only strengthen your belief. If, however, a text shows clear signs of human composition, then an honest seeker must follow the evidence wherever it leads.
To my fellow Muslims: effective da’wah requires understanding. We must not only know our own revelation, but also the claims, scriptures, and spiritual journeys of those we speak to. This work is written to equip you with fair, well researched, and respectful arguments when engaging members of the LDS Church and others who are exploring comparative religion.
In the end, this study is not about winning a debate. It is about uncovering the origin of a text that millions take as Scripture. It is about clarifying the difference between a book born out of a nineteenth century religious awakening and a book revealed by Allah to the final Messenger Muhammad (peace and blessings be upon him) as guidance for all humanity.
My hope is that the pages that follow will lead the truth seeking reader toward certainty: that revelation is real, that God does guide, and that His final revelation — the Qur’an — stands alone in its preservation, its message of pure tawheed, and its openness to examination.