Book Of Mormon & The View Of The Hebrews: Tribes Of Israel

The Mormon people have always taught that the house of Israel left Jerusalem to come to America. How the Indians were descendants from the tribes of Israel. You can find this idea from their own Book of Mormon Title Page and also from the voice of their own prophets. But where does this belief come from? The answer is the “View Of The Hebrews”. This book was written in 1823. This publication came out 7 years before the “Book of Mormon”, in 1830. This was plenty of time for Joseph Smith and his friends and family to take that story of the Tribes of Israel coming to America and add to it. People who believed in Ethan Smith’s story would have loved this new enhanced story, especially since Joseph Smith now put his stamp upon the View of the Hebrews and made his updated version scripture. This is a big problem, but now let us examine the comparisons in the two stories…

Concerning the Book of Mormon, when it comes to the House Of Israel and Indians:

“Wherefore, it is an abridgment of the record of the people of Nephi, and also of the Lamanites—Written to the Lamanites, who are a remnant of the house of Israel; and also to Jew and Gentile—Written by way of commandment, and also by the spirit of prophecy and of revelation.” (Book Of Mormon Title Page, 1830)

“For devout Mormons, however, neither of those defenses is available. The Book of Mormon, made public by Joseph Smith in 1830, is a cornerstone of church doctrine and is taken literally by the faithful. It teaches, among other things, that many American Indians are descendants of ancient Israelites who came to this continent 600 years before Christ — a time period within the reach of modern archeology and genetics.” (Mormon Scientist, Church Clash Over DNA Test, 2002)

Concerning the View Of The Hebrews, when it comes to the House Of Israel and Indians:

“Willard, vice president of the same, were of opinion, that “the Indians are the descendants of Israel.” Doct. Jarvis notes this as an hypothesis, which has been a favorite topic with European writers; and as a subject, to which it is hoped the Americans may be said to be waking up at last.” (View Of the Hebrews, p51, 1823)

“Doctor Boudinot (who for more than forty years was of opinion that the Indians are the ten tribes, and who sought and obtained much evidence on this subject,) assures us, that the syllables which compose the word Yohewah, (Jehovah) and Yah, (Jah) are the roots of a great number of Indian words, through different tribes.” (View Of the Hebrews, p56, 1823)

When comparing the quotes about the Book of Mormon and the View Of The Hebrews, we can see that they share the following similarities:

1. They both refer to the connection between the Indigenous peoples of the Americas and the ancient Israelites. The Book of Mormon quote refers to the Lamanites, which it states are remnants of the house of Israel, while the View of the Hebrews states that the Indians are descendants of Israel.
2. They both suggest that the Indigenous peoples are descendants or remnants of the ancient Israelites. The Book of Mormon references the Lamanites as a remnant of the house of Israel, while the View of the Hebrews says the Indians are the descendants of Israel.
3. They represent an idea or theory that was popular at the time – especially among European writers, as noted in View of the Hebrews. The Book of Mormon, published in 1830, fits within this wider tradition of linking Indigenous peoples to Israel.

In summary, the key similarities in the quotes above are that they reflect upon the theory that Indigenous peoples in the Americas are descended from or connected to the ancient Israelites. While they come from different sources, they represent a common strain of thinking at that timeframe. As you can see, the evidence is conclusive that the Book of Mormon was written based on what was already available with the View of the Hebrews. And this is just the beginning of what I hope to share with people when it comes to the plagiarisms found in the Book of Mormon. As stated in the articles already written, there is a vast amount of plagiarism found in the Book of Mormon when compared to the Bible. And now we see the same type of plagiarism when compared to the View of the Hebrews. God bless you all as you seek God’s truth and are desirous to be led by Him and not man. Amen.

The Bible speaks against what Joseph Smith did with plagiarizing the Bible and the View Of The Hebrews and calls him a false prophet.

“Therefore, behold, I am against the prophets, saith the Lord, that steal my words every one from his neighbour. Behold, I am against the prophets, saith the Lord, that use their tongues, and say, He saith. Behold, I am against them that prophesy false dreams, saith the Lord, and do tell them, and cause my people to err by their lies, and by their lightness; yet I sent them not, nor commanded them: therefore they shall not profit this people at all, saith the Lord.” (Jeremiah 23:30-32)