Item Detail
-
26427
-
1
-
9
-
English
-
Joseph Smith, the Times and Seasons, and Central American Ruins
-
Journal of the Book of Mormon and Other Restoration Scripture
-
22
-
2
-
Provo, UT
-
Neal A. Maxwell Institute for Religious Scholarship
-
84-97
-
During the time the Latter-day Saints lived in Nauvoo, John Stephens and Frederick Catherwood published Incidents of Travel in Central America, an illustrated report of the first discovery of ancient ruins in Central America by explorers. These discoveries caused great excitement among the Saints, and subsequently five editorials appeared in the Times and Seasons commenting on what these meant for the church. Although the author of the editorials was not indicated, historians have wondered if Joseph Smith penned them since he was the newspaper's editor at the time. We examined the historical evidence surrounding the editorials and conducted a detailed stylometric analysis of the texts, comparing the writing style in the editorials with the writing styles of Joseph Smith, John Taylor, and Wilford Woodruff—the only men involved with the newspaper during the time the editorials were published. Both the historical and stylometric evidence point toward Joseph Smith as the most likely author of the editorials. Even if he did not write them alone, he took full responsibility for the contents of the newspaper during his editorial tenure when he stated, "I alone stand for it."
-
As Fire Shut Up in My Bones : Ebenezer Robinson, Don Carlos Smith, and the 1840 Edition of the Book of Mormon
Exploring the Book of Mormon in America's Heartland : A Visual Journey of Discovery
How Much Weight Can a Single Source Bear? The Case of Samuel D. Tyler's Journal Entry
Limited Geography and the Book of Mormon : Historical Antecedents and Early Interpretations
Men with a Mission : The Quorum of the Twelve Apostles in the British Isles 1837-1841
Personal Writings of Joseph Smith
Prophecies and Promises : The Book of Mormon and the United States of America : "The Heartland Model"
The Life of Dr. Frederick G. Williams :
Counselor to the Prophet Joseph Smith
What is the Significance of Zelph in the Study of Book of Mormon Geography?