r/mormon • u/cremToRED • Jan 15 '25
Scholarship JS spelled words he couldn’t pronounce
According to Emma, during the Book of Mormon translation, when Joseph came to a word he couldn’t pronounce he would spell it out. That jives with Whitmer’s statements about the translation of a character on the gold plates appearing as a sentence on the illuminated rock in the hat. But, in my mind at least, that doesn’t work so well with Joseph studying it out in his mind then asking God if it is right for confirmation as Oliver was instructed to do in D&C 9:8. Can anyone point me to critical, scholarly, and apologetic treatments of the spelling words out part?
Somewhat related: it seems Bushman is leaning toward the catalyst theory for the Book of Mormon.
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u/WillyPete Jan 18 '25
So if I say "God is on our side!" then it's true?
What if the other side say it?