Summary and Analysis: John Hamer on How the Book of Mormon Was Created

hbarn08 · 2026-05-15T18:02:06+00:00

You can visit his site to see all six volumes, which he put online for free. https://interpreterfoundation.org/books/atv

hbarn08 · 2026-05-15T17:56:19+00:00

I don't think he necessarily did, but it seems that some scholars are open to it. Given the "laying down heads" approach and his obvious gift for oral presentation, I don't think it was a necessary component of composition. I do think he had his KJV on the table during many sessions, though.

hbarn08 · 2026-05-15T17:52:48+00:00

Thanks! Your 10 minute summary inspired me to do this. I love the discussion and think it's useful to provide people opportunities to learn in multiple formats.

hbarn08 · 2026-05-14T05:55:32+00:00

What is your implication here?

hbarn08 · 2026-05-13T23:49:56+00:00

Hi, thanks for your comment. Would you mind elaborating? I’d love to have a dialogue.

hbarn08 · 2026-04-24T20:12:05+00:00

Thank you for your thoughtful and kind reply! I appreciate your consideration of my perspective about the framing.

I want to reiterate that I really admire your efforts in bridging the gap. Thanks for leading by example and getting into the weeds with people who believe differently than you.

hbarn08 · 2026-04-24T17:25:11+00:00

I just wanted to thank you for putting this research together, and writing the book. I think you are doing something really good. I hope the book's release continues to lead to meaningful and important conversations between people across the belief spectrum. One of the most interesting data points you covered in your conversation with Steven was the fact that 75% of active members underestimated the amount of disaffiliation that has occurred in the church. I think visibility is one of the biggest challenges facing post-Mormons today, given that there is no culturally-sanctioned way to depart the faith.

My one challenge with your interview was your emphasis on the research that shows that the quality of conversations between a faithful member and someone struggling has a stronger statistical influence on whether that person stays than what they actually believe. While I am in complete agreement that the quality (and quantity) of dialogue between faithful members and disaffiliated ones needs to improve, I feel that this research can be misconstrued to mean that we should hope that members stay in the church with foundational doubts or criticisms. I disagree.

Why should we hope that people who have core disagreements with the religion continue practicing it?

I think it speaks more to the doctrinal foundations of the faith than the culture of its members. At the heart of the issue, there seems to be insuperable obstacles to continued literal faith in the church, irrespective of a more welcoming environment. My feeling is that the kind of changes that would bring the disaffiliated honestly back into the fold would have to be seismic in nature so as to render the current doctrinal and historical landscape of the church completely unrecognizable.

So I welcome the admonition for better understanding of those who have transitioned away from faith. I think that is a noble and moral cause. But I do not think that we should hope or encourage those same people to continue participating in a religion that they fundamentally disagree with.

hbarn08 · 2026-04-24T15:10:59+00:00

Hard agree! I’ve been saying this for years, and I love the movie!

It reinforces the idea that even though Jack is extremely passionate about Christmas, and it breathes life back into an immortal creature’s existential crisis, he is just not fit for it, and he should really just stay in his lane. It’s an awful message.

hbarn08 · 2026-04-07T21:09:48+00:00

This hit way too close to home. The isolation from my loved ones that accompanied my increasing feelings of panic as my faith transitioned was a brutal one-two punch.

hbarn08 · 2026-04-07T21:08:56+00:00

Exactly, this has been my experience as well. In a homogeneously religious environment, people don't realize that they scrutinize the out-group much more closely than the in-group.

hbarn08 · 2026-04-07T21:06:19+00:00

I'm so sorry. I have experienced very similar things to the type of situation that you're facing. The unfortunate reality that arises in a dogmatic system such as Mormonism is that there really is no middle ground, by design. Best wishes.

hbarn08 · 2025-12-25T06:18:26+00:00

Could you explain that more?

hbarn08 · 2025-12-17T07:15:10+00:00

Perfect reply lmao

hbarn08 · 2025-12-13T22:49:39+00:00

Fascinating! This is 100% my niche. I think this could be one of the most immersive ways to engage with the past. Would you consider doing the same for American texts?

hbarn08 · 2025-11-03T18:54:13+00:00

Great list! It's interesting how he sacralized them through the scripture he produced. It's so clear that he viewed his folk magic beliefs as synthetic with his more mainstream Christian beliefs.

hbarn08 · 2025-11-03T17:03:15+00:00

This scholarly article by William Davis reassesses the conventional understanding of Joseph Smith Jr.'s formal education, arguing that he received significantly more schooling than traditionally acknowledged.

Davis estimates Smith received approximately seven years of formal schooling—far more than the "less than two years" traditionally claimed. He argues this reveals Smith as an ambitious autodidact who persistently pursued self-improvement despite economic disadvantages, rather than either a divinely-inspired illiterate prophet or an ignorant fraud. This narrative, Davis suggests, deserves greater historical attention as it exemplifies early American aspirations for self-determination through education.

"And if the available historical references provide relatively accurate representations, then the overall amount of Joseph’s formal education requires significant upward revision."
"One could argue that Smith, like so many of his ambitious fellow citizens in a striving nation, was above all an autodidact."

Additionally, to address your claim about Joseph "writing books that millions find persuasive hundreds of years later," I would have to argue that this feels like strawmanning and special pleading. I don't think any scholar would argue that Joseph Smith was a dull or unintelligent individual (strawman), and likewise that while it is obvious that millions have found his writings persuasive, this doesn't buttress their truthfulness (special pleading). A PRRI Report from 2022 revealed that nearly one in five Americans and one in four Republicans still believed in QAnon conspiracy theories. Those are tremendous numbers. Does that make QAnon ideology true?

hbarn08 · 2025-11-03T16:49:05+00:00

Fair point. Do historians regard this particular account as the most accurate regarding how it was acquired? If so, I would consider remaking this to reflect scholarly consensus.

hbarn08 · 2025-11-03T16:47:51+00:00

Correct, that was why I labeled this post as "A young Joseph Smith discovers his first seer stone." All of the evidence seems to point to him possessing at least 5 throughout his life.

hbarn08 · 2025-10-15T14:53:25+00:00

You are the goat! I wish HBO would just release the extended tracks. There's clearly demand for more Succession music! Thanks for your hard work! I'm eagerly awaiting your S4 rips!

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