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THE SPALDING
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Dale R. Broadhurst's "Spalding Papers"
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Paper 12 - Part IIIe
Commentary on M. D. Bown's
Book of Mormon / Spalding MS Parallels
Numbers 60-78
Revision 0a: September, 1998
Editorial and Bibliographic Information
Go Back to Intoduction & Index [ pp. 01 to 06 ]
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ITEMIZED LIST OF PRESUMED SIMILARITIES Between Spaulding's "Manuscript Story" and the Book of Mormon Specific and single similarities have been isolated, listed separately, and numbered, with the paralleling citations from each work following. Whenever possible, direct quotations have been made. Only when necessary has discussion been utilized, and here care has been taken that the duplicating references are amply and accurately recorded -- but even so, errors no doubt will appear. This method of listing parallels is cumbersome perhaps, and has involved exceeding labor in preparation; but it seems to have the merit of providing direct comparison between the two works with a minimum of vagueness. "MS" refers to Solomon Spaulding's "Manuscript Story," the edition used being published at the Millennial Star Office, Liverpool, England, 1910, 116 pages. "BM" refers to the BOOK OF MORMON, and the edition used was published by the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, Salt Lake City, 1920, 522pp. Please Read These Notes First: 1. All additions to Bown's original paper are shown in blue. 2. Commentary here as a summary; For full commentary follow the links. 3. The Commentator's Personal Ratings of Bown's Parallels: * poor parallel or not a parallel: should have been dropped Some On-line Textual Resources: 1. Search the Book of Mormon: LDS and RLDS texts (side-by-side scrolling comparison) 2. Search the Book of Mormon: Current LDS edition (includes phrase search) 3. Search the Book of Mormon: 1830 edition (includes concordance functions) 4. Search the Spalding MS: Special e-text version (includes concordance functions) 5. Search the Spalding MS: Special e-text (side-by-side with 1830 Book of Alma) 6. Search the Spalding MS: LDS 1910 edition (the edition used in Bown's citations) 7. Read Holley's book: Book of Mormon: A Closer Look (Spalding / BoM Comparisons) 8. Search the Bible: King James version (includes Apocrypha & concordance functions) 9. Search Ethan Smith's Book: View of the Hebrews (includes concordance functions) |
Go Back to: Parallels 01-14 [ pp. 07 to 11 ]
Go Back to: Parallels 15-24 [ pp. 12 to 15 ]
Go Back to: Parallels 25-47 [ pp. 15 to 22 ]
Go Back to: Parallels 48-59 [ pp. 22 to 26 ]
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60. They had priests and high priests. MS -- "Lambon... shall have the title of high Priest &... shall exercise a jurisdiction over all the priests of the empire..." (p. 44). "And Laboon the High Priest arose... he spoke... it is my duty as high Priest of the empire..." (p. 79) BM -- "...there were many who were ordained and became high priests of God" (Alma 13:10). King Benjamin "appointed priests to teach the people" (Mosiah 6:3). Cf. also Mosiah 23:16; 25:19, 21; 27:5; Alma 1:12, 13:1, 4 Nephi 3,4; etc. Comment summary on item #60: *** The pagan Ohian priests and the Christian Nephite priests appear have been only superficially similar. Spalding provides a couple of Christians who exercise some priestly functions, but he does not say they were ordained priests. The "high priests" in the two accounts can be paralleled in little more than in the names of their offices and in their general administrative functions. Bown neglected to mention the sub-parallel of "teachers" being grouped with the "priests" in both accounts. (more comments on item #60) 61. There was magic and sorcery. MS -- "He had recourse to a class of men who were denominated prophets & conjurors to favor his design. -- They had for many ages a commanding influence over the minds of a great majority of the people . . . A small company of necromancers or juglers assembled on the great square . . ." (p. 74-75). It was largely due to that chief conjurors, Drafolick and Hamack, who performed stunts of magic and prophecy, that the Sciotan-Kentuck war was precipitated. (Cf. p. 75) BM -- "And it came to pass that there were sorceries, and witchcrafts, and magic. . ." (Mormon 1:19) "For those who did not belong to their church did indulge themselves in sorceries . . ." (Alma 1:32) Cf. also 3 Nephi 24:5. Comment summary on item #61: ** The Nephite sorcerers, witches, and magicians operate entirely outside of the Judeo-Christian religious establishment. Except, perhaps, in the false offshoots from the Nephite church, such people do not attempt to speak for the God of the scriptures. The reverse appears to be the case in Spalding's story. (more comments on item #61) 62. Some of the people were idolatrous. MS -- "The people . . . forsook their old religion which was a confused (& absurd) medley of idoletry & supersticious nonsence & embraced a religion more sublime & consistent." (p. 35). BM -- "And because the people did repent of their iniquities and idolatries the Lord did spare them, and they began to prosper again the land" (Ether 7:26). "Yea, and they also became idolatrous, because they were deceived by the vain and flattering words of the king and priests" (Mosiah 11:17) Cf. also Enos 20, Mosiah 9:12, Alma 1:32, etc. Comment summary on item #62: ** True idol-worship is documented here and there in the Nephite record, from the time of Alma forward, but it is not detailed anywhere in the Spalding romance. In both accounts the general meaning of "idolatrous" may just be a generalization for any non-biblical religious practice. (more comments on item #62) 63. Payment of tithing was demanded. MS -- "The people shall make contributions, in proportion to their wealth for the support of their priests -- If any refuse, they shall be denied the priviledge of their instructions" (p, 44). BM -- "Bring ye all the tithes into the storehouse, that there may be meat in my house; and prove me now herewith, saith the Lord of Hosts, if I will not open you the windows of heaven, and pour out a blessing that there shall not be room enough to receive it" (3 Nephi 24:19) "And it was this same Melchizedek to whom Abraham paid tithes; yea, even our father Abraham paid tithes of one-tenth part of all he possessed" (Alma 13:15) etc. Comment summary on item #63: ** Both accounts speak of offerings given to God (or to the religious establishment) in proportion to the giver's wealth. Book of Mormon "tithing" was probably essentially the same as that of the Old World Israelites. Spalding does not mention "tithing" by name, nor does he speak of the traditional Christian practice of offering a tenth part of one's wealth to God. His description of such offerings is likely his attempt to offer a parody of the Christian religious practices he himelf had rejected. (more comments on item #63) 64. They offered sacrifices. MS -- "Once in three months -- ye shall hold a great festival in every city & town & your priests shall sacrifice an Elk as a token that your sins deserve punishment -- but that the divine mercy has banished them into shades of forgetfulness" (p. 31). BM -- The people of Benjamin "took the firstlings of their flocks that they might offer sacrifice and burnt offerings according to the law of Moses" (Mosiah 2:3. The Lamanites offered women and children of the Nephites whom they had taken prisoners as a sacrifice to their idol gods (Mormon 4:14, 21). However, Christ forbids the Nephites of offer burnt offerings as sacrifices, saying "I will accept none of your sacrifices and your burnt offerings" (3 Nephi 9:19) Comment summary on item #64: ** While both accounts do tell of burnt offering sacrifices, Spalding's mentions of these are probably an indirect spoof upon the Christian offerings and communion ritual of his own day. Although the Book of Mormon offers some critical accounts of false religious practices, Lamanite human sacrifice, etc., it does not parallel Spalding's parody of Judeo-Christian sacrificial offerings (more comments on item #64) 65. They thought the Earth revolved around the sun. MS -- The author of this story thought that the earth and the planets revolved around the sun, which is stationary, "in exact order and harmony" (pp. 16-17) BM --"And thus, according to his word the earth goeth back, and it appeareth unto man that the sun standeth still; yea, and behold, this is so; for surely it is the earth that moves and not the sun." (Helaman 12:15) "The scriptures are laid before thee, yea, and all things denote there is a God; yea, even the earth, and all things that are upon the face of it, yea, and its motion, yea, and also all the planets which move in their regular form do witness that there is a Supreme Creator" (Alma 30:44) Comment summary on item #65: **** While neither Spalding's Fabius nor the Book of Mormon writers taught precise Copernican science, they both were approaching that model of local astronomy in their personal arguments. Bown missed the parallel here between Spalding's "Almighty Architect" and Alma's "Supreme Creator." The greater parallel here is not the partial references to Copernican astral geometry, but the authors' linkage of harmonious planetary movement to the design of a divine creator. (more comments on item #65) 66. Believed in the fall of man from a higher state. MS -- ". . . in every religion . . . there are some things which are commendable -- some things which serve to improve the morals -- & influence mankind to conduct better than what they would do, provided they pursued the natural dictates of their depraved mind without any restraint" (p. 27) In the Ohon's sacred records Fabius quotes the belief that an evil being after the creation of man "Seeing the happy situation he approached so near as to touch his soul with his deliterous hand -- The poison was immediately defused & contaminated his passions & appetites" (p. 28) BM -- "For they are carnal and devilish, and the devil has power over them,; yea even that old serpent that did beguile our first parents, which was the cause of their fall; which was the cause of all mankind becoming carnal, sensual, devilish, knowing evil from good, subjecting themselves to the devil." (Mosiah 16:3) And so on. Comment summary on item #66: **** The authors of the Book of Mormon and those of the Roman record are both deeply concerned with the devolution of society from its golden age down to its decay and destruction. This concern finds an almost perfect resonance in the Christian teaching of the fall from grace. Spalding wrote of humankind's fall from a previously "happy situation," but his true thoughts were probably more centered on "the natural dictates" of peoples' "depraved minds." The Book of Mormon authors, on the other hand, appear to show a genuine concern for humankind's fall and the promise of salvation. (more comments on item #66) 67. Believed that man was created by a supernatural Being. MS -- The sacred roll of the Ohons included: "There is an intelligent omnipotent Being, who is self existant & infinitely good & benevolent -- Matter eternally existed -- He put forth his hand & formed it into such bodies as he pleased . . . He formed the bodies of men from matter Into each body he infused a particle of his own spiritual substence . . ." (p. 28) BM -- "Behold, the Lord hath created the earth that it should be inhabited; and he hath created his children that they should possess it" (1 Nephi 17:36). "And to being about his eternal purposes in the end of man, after he had created our first parents . . ." (2 Nephi 2:15). Cf. also 2 Nephi 11:7, Mosiah 28:17, Ether 3:15, etc. Comment summary on item #67: *** Spalding merely transferred some Christian beliefs over to his fictional Ohian religion to construct the ancient American teachings on God, man, and the creation. The Book of Mormon God is not fundamentally different from Spalding's "Great and Good Being," as initially pictured in the "sacred roll." As Spalding continues with his story, however, their many differences become much more apparent. (more comments on item #67) 68. The Lord speaks with a voice of thunder. MS -- "Drafolick their chief prophet extended his arms & cast up his eyes towards Heaven . . . I hear a thundering voice proceeding from the great Throne of him who rules the world -- proclaiming thus -- corn shall not grow on Sciotan fields, nor mamouth yield their milk -- nor fish be taken in the snare but pestilence shall roam -- unless Sciota shall avenge the crime of Elseon." (p. 75) BM -- ". . . behold, the angel of the Lord appeared unto them; and he descended as it were in a cloud, which caused the earth to shake upon which they stood" (Mosiah 27:11) "Ye have seen an angel . . . and he hath spoke unto you like unto the voice of thunder . . ." (1 Nephi 17:45) Comment summary on item #68: *** Many religions have gods who speak in a voice of thunder. Spalding and the Book of Mormon writers are just passing on imagery of the biblical "Lord of Hosts" who rides upon the clouds. The actual message conveyed by the thundering voice in Spalding's story is quite unlike any revelation (pretended or otherwise) attributable to the Book of Mormon God. (more comments on item #68) 69. They believed in a good and an evil spiritual power. MS -- "There is an intelligent omnipotent Being, who is self existent & infinitely good & benevolent . . . There is also another great intelligent Being who is self existent & possessed of great power but not of Omnipotence -- He is filled with infinite malice against the good Being & exerts all his subtlety & power to ruin his works" (p. 28). BM -- "Wherefore, all things which are good cometh of God; and that which is evil cometh of the devil; for the devil is an enemy unto God, and fighteth against him continually, and inviteth and enticeth to sin, and to do that which is evil continually" (Moroni 7:12). Comment summary on item #69: *** Spalding's evil being is little more than the Book of Mormon devil in Ohian trappings. Both sources rely on biblical stereotypes for their evil beings, but the attributes of Spalding's devil go a bit beyond these. The Christian and Mormon Satan is perhaps not quite so powerful as the clergyman's semi-divine evil being. (more comments on item #69) 70. They believed in a life after death. MS -- "Death desolves the connection (between the soul and the body) -- Etherial Bodies are prepared for the souls of the righteous -- These bodies can pass thro' any part of the universe & are invisible to mortal eyes" (p. 28, Cf. also p. 29). Again: ". . . a learned holy man . . . shall lead your devotion, & explain this sacred Roll & give you such instruction as shall promote your happiness in this life & in the life to come" (p. 31) BM -- "O then, my beloved brethren, repent ye, and enter in at the straight gate, and continue in the way which is narrow, until ye shall obtain eternal life" (Jacob 6:11). "Behold, I went to hunt beasts in the forest; and the words which I had often heard my father speak concerning eternal life, and the joy of the saints, sunk deep into my heart (Enos 1:3). Cf. also 2 Nephi 11:23, Mosiah 4:9, Moroni 7:41, etc. Comment summary on item #70: **** The pre-advent Nephites seem to have possessed some Ohian-like notions about such things as immortality, personal salvation, life after death, transfiguration, resurrection, etc. While Spalding probably did not believe in such things himself, he scattered these Christian doctrines through the passages of his ancient pseudo-scriptures. Neither account matches particularly well with the known religious beliefs of pre-Columbian Americans. (more comments on item #70) 71. A heaven for the righteous; a hell for the wicked. MS -- "Etherial Bodies are prepared for the souls of the righteous -- . . . Their place of residence is on a vast plain which is beautiful with magnificent Buildings -- with Trees, fruits & flowers . . . No imagination can paint the delights, the felicity of the Righteous. But the wicked are denied etherial bodies -- Their souls naked and incapable of seeing light, dwell in darkness & are tormented with the keenest anguish -- Ages roll away & the good Being has compassion upon them -- He permits them to take possession of etherial bodies and they arise quick to the abodes of delight & glory" (pp. 28-29). BM -- "And I said unto them that it was a representation of that awful hell, which the angel said unto me was prepared for the wicked" (1 Nephi 15:29). "And there is a place prepared, yea, even that awful hell of which I have spoken, and the devil is the foundation of it; wherefore the final state of the souls of men is to dwell in the kingdom of God, or to be cast out because of that injustice of which I have spoken" (1 Nephi 15:35). ". . . the Lord hath said . . . that the righteous shall sit down in his kingdom, to go no more out; but their garments should be made white through the blood of the Lamb" (Alma 34:36). And so on. Comment summary on item #71: **** While Spalding's ancient Americans do not speak precisely of "heaven" and "hell" we do find terms like "authority from heaven," "voice from on high," and "hellish poison" scattered throughout their story. Spalding was using some biblical phraseology in his Roman record which would not have appeared out of place in the Book of Mormon. Even given such commonalties in both accounts, their heavens and hells look rather different to me. Spalding's "plains of glory" and his place of "darkness" sound more like Greco-Roman concepts than like their Christian counterparts in the Book of Mormon. The commonalties between the "righteous" and "the wicked" in the two accounts are extensive and they deserve some examination as constituting a parallel of their own. However, such an examination would quickly show that the soteriological centerpiece of the Book of Mormon, Jesus Christ and the Atonement, is entirely missing from Spalding's work. (more comments on item #71) 72. Filthiness was particularly offensive. 13 MS -- "But I behold a being in human form, from whom I turn away with disgust and abhorrance. He is covered with so much dirt & filth, that no etherial body is provided for him nor can he be received into the abodes of the blessed. Suffer not thy bodies or thy garments to remain bismered with dirt & filth -- Cleanliness prevents many diseases & is pleasant to the sight But from a dirty filthy mortal we turn with disgust & abhorrance" (pp. 30-31) BM -- "But behold, I say unto you, the kingdom of God is not filthy, and there cannot any unclean thing enter into the kingdom of God; wherefore there must needs be a place of filthiness prepared for that which is filthy" (1 Nephi 15:34). Jacob denounces the Nephites: ". . . neither shall ye revile against them because of their filthiness; but ye shall remember your own filthiness, and remember that their filthiness came because of their fathers" (Jacob 3:9). Cf. also Mosiah 7:30-31; Alma 5:21-22; Mormon 9:4; etc. Comment summary on item #72: **** This is one of Bown's most important discoveries. The Book of Mormon and Spalding story parallel, overlap, complement, and supplement each other on the topic of personal and spiritual filthiness and on the closely related subject of physical and moral staining. Both accounts devote a considerable number of the same words and phrases to their respective references of this subject. As in the case of the "the righteous" and "the wicked" of Bown's parallel #72, the commonalties centering on "filthiness" in the two accounts deserve some careful scrutiny. (more comments on item #72) 73. They used a seer-stone. MS - "Hamack then arose & in his hand he held a stone which he pronounced transparent -- tho' it was not transparent to common eyes, -- Thro' this he could view things present & things to come -- could behold the dark intrigues & cabals of foreign courts -- & discover hidden treasures, secluded from the eyes of other mortals. He could behold the galant & his mistress in their bed chamber & count all their moles warts & pimples" (p. 75). BM -- "And the Lord said: I will prepare unto my servant Gazelem, a stone, which shall shine forth in darkness unto light, that I may discover unto my people who serve me, that I may discover unto them the works of their brethren, yea, their secret works, their works of darkness, and their wickedness and abomination" (Alma 37:23). Comment summary on item #73: **** This is another substantial parallel. Besides the two seer-stones being similar in their properties and intended use, the passages telling about them in the two accounts contain a good deal of common vocabulary. It is a bit difficult to account for Spalding's placing the use of a seer-stone alongside the "thus saith the Lord" spoken by the "chief prophet" and the subsequent confirmation rendered by the leader of the high-priesthood. But, even though the former clergyman constructed this relationship as a parody of religion, he came uncannily close to matching the divinely sanctioned use of similar stones in the Nephite record and early Mormon religious practice. (more comments on item #73) 74. Some of the people worshipped a great spirit. 14 MS -- On page 12 is mentioned a "great & good Spirit, who resides in the Sun." On page 75 Drafolick in a speech says: "The seven sons of the great Spirit," etc. BM -- "Now this was the tradition of Lamoni, which he had received from his father, that there was a Great Spirit." (Alma 18:5). Cf. also Alma 18:2, 4,5,11 and Alma 22:9, etc. Comment summary on item #74: *** Spalding obtained his natives tribes' "great Spirit" from the same sources Ethan Smith used to support his supposed Indian Monotheism. Some of the American native tribes may have had beliefs and traditions compatible with the European import of the "great Spirit." The Lamanites' "great Spirit" appears to be essentially the same as the divine entity found in Spalding. Bown is almost certainly correct in his notation that this is not an ancient American term. (more comments on item #74) 74b. (was 83.) The people obtained inspiration from heaven. MS -- "Now that you know & keep all these things which were made known by divine inspiration . . ." (p. 31). Again" ". . . all united in pronouncing him (Lobaska) to be the most extraordinary man in existence & generally believe that he held conversation with celestial beings -- & always acted under the influence of divine inspiration" (p. 34). BM -- "And there began to be men inspired from heaven and sent forth . . ." (3 Nephi 6:20) "But behold, that which is of God inviteth and enticeth to do good, and to love God, and to serve him, is inspired of God" (Moroni 7:13). Comment summary on item #74b. (was 83): *** (I've moved Bown's original item #83 to this place in the e-text list, as it was obviously out of place in his original inventory of parallels. Spalding uses the term "divine inspiration;" while the Book of Mormon authors give us "inspired from heaven" and "inspired of God." Spalding's one instance of divine inspiration that corresponds closely with those found in the Nephite record occurs when a Christian mariner on Fabius' ship experiences the "inspiration of the Almighty." (more comments on item #74) 75. There were prophets among the people. MS -- "He had recourse to a class of men who were denominated prophets & conjurors to favour his design. -- They had for many ages a commanding influence . . . over the people" (p. 74). Drafolick was "their chief prophet" (p. 75). BM -- Prophets are frequently mentioned. "And there were exceeding many prophets among us" (Enos 22). "And there came prophets in the land again, crying repentance unto them . . ." (Ether 9:28). Comment summary on item #75: **** As I've previously stated in response to Bown's item #75, the relevant parallel is here is between the Nephites' Judeo-Christian prophets and the unnamed "mariner" who receives "inspiration of the Almighty." He delivers a predictive revelation which is soon fulfilled. The other "prophets" mentioned in both accounts provide less substantial similarities. It may be significant that the terms "priests" and "holy prophets" are closely linked in the two texts even though the religions of their peoples were different. (more comments on item #75) 76. The people believed that man had a soul. MS -- "The good being . . . made a decree that mankind . . . should enjoy blessings in this world & be completely happy after his soul quits his body" (p. 28). BM -- "And now I would inquire what becometh of the souls of men from this time of death to the time appointed for the resurrection?" (Alma 40:7). References to the "soul" occur hundreds of times in this work. Comment summary on item #76: *** There may be some inconsistency in Spalding's descriptions of "souls" and "ethereal bodies." On the surface, his concept of the soul and the Nephites' concept of the soul appear to be about the same. But there are probably some differences among the notions his Romans, Deliwan, and Ohians all held regarding the soul or the spirit. Similar differences may occur between the Jaredite conception of spirits and souls and the later beliefs of the descendants of Lehi at various points in their history. All the accounts occasionally use the term "soul" in the more generic sense of its being the same as a person or that part of a person which experiences emotions. (more comments on item #76) 77. They believed in prayer. MS -- "The whole company assumed the most devout attitude & muttered in sounds almost inarticulate their humble confessions & earnest requests --" (p. 13). The Ohons thought that God "requires us to supplicate his favours" (p. 31). BM -- ". . . the priests . . . began to fast, and pray to the Lord their God . . ." (Mosiah 27:32). Cf. also Alma 33:4; 3 Nephi 18:19; Moroni 6:5; etc. Comment summary on item #77: ** After the opening pages of his romance, Spalding says so little about prayer. that we have almost no information from which to draw a parallel here. Presumably his Roman Christian prayer was practically the same as Judeo-Christian prayer, as it was practiced among the descendants of Lehi. (more comments on item #77) 78. They observed a sabbath day. MS -- 'Now that you know & keep all these things which are made known by divine inspiration, it is ordained that on every eighth day ye lay aside all unnecessary labors -- that ye meet in convenient numbers & form assemblies That in each assembly a learned holy man shall preside" BM -- The Nephites kept "the sabbath day holy unto the Lord" (Jarom 5). Abinadi commanded: "Remember the sabbath day, to keep it holy" (Mosiah 13:16). And so on. Comment summary on item #78: *** Bown missed Spalding's mention of the "the Lord's Day" being observed by the Roman Christians. While the Christian Sunday was not exactly the same as the Israelite "Sabbath," is was an outgrowth of and a replacement for the Jewish day of rest. The Christian day of worship spoken of in the Book of Mormon would have been about the same as Spalding's "Lord;s Day." (more comments on item #78) Go to: item #79 |
Commentary on M.D. Bown: [Index] [parallels 15-24] [parallels 25-47] [parallels 48-59]
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revision 0a: September, 1998