I was unpleasantly
surprised by this quotation from a website that purports to know what it is talking about:
“Many BYU professors, even on the religion faculty, do not believe the Book of
Mormon is historical and are not convinced that historicity matters.” No proof
was provided for this statement, and so we cannot say that it is true. I am
sure many if not most BYU professors would be offended by it and would declare
their testimony of the historical authenticity the Book of Mormon. However, if
there is some truth to it, and if there are some few that it speaks correctly
of, let us review, point by point, what these professors, and others of like
mind on the fringes of the Church, are rejecting—to view this book as (perhaps
inspired) fiction; a 19th Century production.
They are rejecting the revelations to the Prophet Joseph
Smith as found in the Doctrine and Covenants wherein the Lord references the
Nephites and Lamanites as an ancient people. See section 3 and also 38:39;
1:29; 10:48.
They are rejecting the revelations to Joseph Smith that
speak of modern peoples as descendants of the ancient Lamanites. See Doctrine
and Covenants sections 32:2; 28:8-9, 14; 49:24; 30:6; 19:27; 54:8. It seems
that if the Book of Mormon isn’t speaking of real ancient peoples, we may as
well toss out the Doctrine and Covenants as well.
