One of Mormonism's longtime critics has joined the church in discounting conclusions of California researchers that the Book of Mormon was pirated from the writings of a 19th Century novelist.

Jerald Tanner, a Salt Lake City anti-Mormon publisher, says he was allowed by the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (Mormon) on Thursday to see documents that convinced him novelist Solomon Spaulding could not have written part of the Book of Mormon manuscript.

Tanner said, however, he does not accept the church position that the book is the word of God, translated by Mormon founder Joseph Smith from gold plates.

Three California researchers, including a former church member, said last month in the magazine "Christianity Today" that three handwriting experts identified Spaulding as the writer of 12 pages of manuscript from which part of the scriptures were printed.

The Book of Mormon describes ancient migrations by Middle Eastern peoples to the Western Hemisphere and a later visit by Jesus Christ after His death. With the Bible and two other modern books, it is the foundation of Mormon theology.

Tanner accompanied one of the California handwriting experts, William Kaye, to church headquarters Thursday, where they were allowed to see the original Book of Mormon manuscripts held by the church.

Church spokesman Don LeFevre said Kaye also examined a document which is the basis of part of another Mormon scripture, The Doctrine and Covenants.

That manuscript is clearly dated 15 years after Spaulding's death in 1816 and appears to have been written in the same hand as the disputed Book of Mormon manuscript, Tanner said.

He acknowledged not being a handwriting expert but said that are significant differences in the handwriting that a layman can spot.

The church says it has not been able to identify the scribe responsible for either document. The church historian said there are several possible authors, but it is believed they are written by the same hand.

LeFevre said Kaye asked for copies of both the Book of Mormon and Doctrine and Covenants manuscripts. The church spokesman said it had not been decided whether to provide them, since some had never been published.

Tanner said he and Kaye spent 90 minutes examining the documents.