Part I — The Historical and Contextual Foundations
1. The Birth of a New Scripture
- The religious climate of early 19th-century America (“The Second Great Awakening”).
- Joseph Smith’s life, visions, and claims of angelic revelation.
- The discovery and translation of the Golden Plates.
2. The Making of the Book
- The process of dictation and transcription (Oliver Cowdery, Martin Harris).
- The use of seer stones and the “Urim and Thummim.”
- Early reception and controversies surrounding publication (1830).
3. Comparative Canon: Revelation or Innovation?
- Comparison with the Bible and Qur’an in terms of claimed revelation, authority, and style.
- Scriptural patterns: prophetic voice, covenantal structure, divine law.
- What makes a text “scripture”?
Part II — The Text Itself: Literary, Linguistic, and Theological Examination
4. Language and Translation
- Linguistic features: King James idiom, anachronisms, and Hebraisms.
- Was it ancient Semitic influence or 19th-century imitation?
- Modern linguistic analyses (e.g., stylometry studies).
5. Archaeology and Anthropology
- Claims of ancient American civilizations: Nephites, Lamanites, Jaredites.
- Archaeological counterpoints (lack of evidence vs. possible parallels).
- Genetic studies on Native Americans and Near Eastern origins.
6. Theological Content and Doctrinal Parallels
- Themes: Christology, covenant theology, salvation history.
- Similarities and divergences with mainstream Christianity.
- Unique doctrines: pre-mortal existence, eternal progression.
Part III — Faith, Criticism, and the Question of Revelation
7. Prophecy and Divine Signature
- Does The Book of Mormon exhibit characteristics of divine revelation?
- Predictive prophecy, internal consistency, and spiritual impact.
8. Human Creativity or Inspired Synthesis?
- The “Inspired Fiction” hypothesis.
- Joseph Smith’s intellectual environment and access to contemporary sources.
- The possibility of “revelation through imagination.”
9. The Modern Legacy and Global Reach
- The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints today.
- Translations, missionary work, and digital scripture.
- How believers and critics interpret the text’s authority.
10. Conclusion — Revelation or Invention?
- Synthesis of evidence.
- Faith’s role in discernment.
- The continuing question of what constitutes divine truth.
Appendices (Optional)
- Comparative tables of Biblical vs. Book of Mormon passages.
- Timeline of Joseph Smith’s revelations.
- Annotated bibliography of scholarly sources.
Tone and Style
- Objective yet engaging — written for scholars, theologians, and general readers.
- Balanced presentation: faith-based perspectives and critical scholarship side by side.
- Footnotes or endnotes referencing both LDS and non-LDS research.
Would you like me to:
- Draft a full book proposal (summary, target audience, chapter abstracts, and publishing plan), or
- Begin writing the introduction chapter, establishing the central question: Is The Book of Mormon revelation from God, or a product of human imagination?
Which would you prefer to start with, Dr. Yusuf?