Chris and Duane Johnson claim that Joseph Smith was exposed to The Late War and that data analysis proves that its influence is evident in the Book of Mormon.
- Type
- Website
- Hearsay
- Secondary
- Reference
Chris and Duane Johnson "A Comparison of The Book of Mormon and The Late War Between the United States and Great Britain," wordtree.org/thelatewar, accessed July 7, 2025
- Audience
- Reading Public
PDF- Transcription
TL;DR
Joseph most likely grew up reading a school book called The Late War by Gilbert J. Hunt and it heavily influenced his writing of The Book of Mormon.
Summary
In October 2013, the authors conducted a data analysis comparing The Book of Mormon to over 100,000 books from the pre-1830's era. Out of the top matches, we discovered a book called The Late War Between the United States and Great Britain, a scriptural style account of the War of 1812 published in New York in 1816. Between 1817 and 1819 it was marketed "for the use of schools throughout the United States" under the title The Historical Reader.
- BHR Staff Commentary
The webpage goes on to share a number of charts and tables which suggest that phrases and concepts from The Late War were copied by Joseph Smith in his creation of the Book of Mormon.
- Citations in Mormonr Qnas
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