Welcome to another episode of our LDS Discussions series! In this episode, we take a detailed, evidence-based look at one of the most repeated claims in Latter-day Saint apologetics: that Joseph Smith was incapable of producing a well-written text –and therefore could not have authored the Book of Mormon. Drawing from Joseph Smith’s three earliest letters (written in 1829-1830), historical context, church manuals, apologetic arguments, and modern scholarship, we critically explore where the evidence leads. We don’t care where you land on the belief spectrum –our is clarity, transparency, and accuracy. We are joined today by Kolby Reddish and Julia (Nemo couldn’t make it), who walk us through the major claims, the apologetic narratives, and the documents themselves. This is an episode you won’t want to miss! Show notes can be found on the Mormon Stories blog here: https://www.mormonstories.org/could-joseph-smith-write-or-dictate-a-well-worded-letter/ Timecodes: 00:00:00 Could Joseph Smith have written or dictated a well-worded letter? 00:06:43 This is looking at evidence that could cause people to reconsider a few things 00:09:10 Quote from Emma Smith on Joseph Smith not being able to write or dictate a well-worded letter 00:14:22 How members have used this quote to help bolster belief 00:17:35 Clip - Tad R. Callister BYU Speeches (2016) 00:21:14 Clip - Neal A. Maxwell General Conference (1983) 00:22:08 Clip - Tad R. Callister General Conference (2017) 00:26:31 People should read the research by William Davis (laying down heads) 00:28:55 The church calls attorneys to be the leaders 00:31:17 Clip - Tad Callister FAIR Mormon Conference (2020) 00:32:43 Does Callister really believe what he’s saying? 00:34:31 The speakers are adding words “as a young man” or “at the time of the Book of Mormon” 00:35:41 The Church has published these in numerous church manuals 00:40:19 The historical context of Emma’s claim on Joseph Smith’s letters 00:43:10 Shout out to all the historians and scholars who brought this information forth first 00:52:40 Summary of the problems with Emma’s claim 00:56:17 Questions by Nemo 00:58:40 Address the claim that scribes helped him write these texts 01:02:25 The first letter from Oct. 22, 1829 01:07:01 The second letter August 1830 (comparing them to the New Testament) 01:25:08 Conclusions on this data 01:28:04 The third letter December 1830 (comparing to the New Testament) 01:36:58 Summary slide for this letter 01:38:36 Times and Seasons - The church says he would often quote from the Bible without citations 01:44:30 Comparing the letters to the Book of Mormon 01:46:23 The Bible is the base text for the Book of Mormon 01:49:33 Quoting Mark Twain on his views of the Book of Mormon 01:54:06 Clip from Richard Bushman 01:58:05 Joseph Smith changing Isaiah the wrong way “waters of baptism” 01:59:33 Richard Bushman’s comment on Reddit 02:04:52 Kolby’s dream of Jesus in an interrogation room 02:07:20 The 1831 Painesville Telegraph saying what the Book of Mormon is and that eight people authored it 02:13:10 Final comments ___________________ At Mormon Stories we explore, celebrate, and challenge Mormon culture through in-depth stories told by members and former members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints as well as scholars, authors, LDS apologists, and other professionals. Our overall mission is to: 1. Facilitate informed consent amongst LDS Church members, investigators, and non-members regarding Mormon history, doctrine, and theology 2. Support Mormons (and members of other high-demand religions) who are experiencing a religious faith crisis 3. Promote healing, growth and community for those who choose to leave the LDS Church or other high demand religions 🤝Help us continue to deliver quality content by becoming a donor today One-time or recurring donations: https://donorbox.org/mormon-stories?default_interval=m Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/mormonstories Venmo: https://account.venmo.com/u/mormonstories Paypal: https://paypal.me/mormonstories Join this channel to get access to perks: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCx6OgmoqJbOVRq-Lv1P7SzA/join Our Platforms: 🌐Mormon Stories Blog: https://www.mormonstories.org/episodes 🎙️Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/mormonstories ✳️Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/4sDzk7dRjODTSEqzZKZJzk?si=148b0efc1ccc4404&nd=1 🍎Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/mormon-stories-lds/id312094772 🖼️Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mormstories 📱TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@mormonstoriespodcast 🎮Discord: https://discord.com/invite/kuX5p6yyjF Contact us: 📧 MormonStories@gmail.com 📬PO Box 171085, Salt Lake City, UT 84117