Home    Page 2    Quakers and Ammonites    Spalding-BOM Textual Parallels

Mercy Otis Warren

Early American Influences on the Book of Mormon Thomas E. Donofrio

Part I
The Spalding Manuscript

Solomon Spalding (1761-1816) is considered by some researchers to be the original author of the Book of Mormon. One aspect not addressed in the research is that Spalding engages in an acceptable practice of the day, namely heavy borrowing and outright plagiarism. This will have implications for the validity of wordprint studies comparing Spalding's manuscript and the Book of Mormon. Spalding demonstrates a lack of originality both in vocabulary and concept. The evidence for this is illustrated by comparing his manuscript to the History of the Rise, Progress and Termination of the American Revolution, published in 1805 by Mercy Otis Warren (1728-1814).

Warren, noted for her elegant prose, politely lectures the reader, in addition to relating history. She uses her History as a forum to enlighten the current generation with her "moral observations" on republicanism, power, greed, mankind, Christianity, good versus evil, and the plight of the American Indian. She implores the reader to not forget the hard-fought lessons of the revolution, lest freedom be lost. Also, Warren fears that a newly acquired prosperity will corrupt this generation. In effect, her History is a sermon preaching that God was instrumental in delivering the colonies and that avarice and ambition are the motives that impelled the Crown to engage in a wanton struggle of subjugation and slavery.

Spalding, a veteran of the Revolution, borrows from Warren as he relates his view on the war, using fictional Indians as the vehicle. Spalding is not so much interested in giving an accurate account of Indian history as he is in emulating Warren. Spalding imputes into his Indians motives and creates situations similar to the motives and Revolutionary War scenes described in Warren's history. Spalding, not content with borrowing her concepts, lifts her prose as well. As a result, his own moral melodrama emerges as a poor copy.

The following comparisons will illustrate Spalding's appropriation of Warren. Both authors deliver introductory remarks, and, true to form, Spalding follows Warren's example. Her six page preface is entitled "An address to the Inhabitants of the United States." Spalding's preface is less than half as long and simply titled "Introduction." (In this section, page numbers from Warren's book are from the 1805 edition. Underlined text from Spalding indicates words that were stricken out in the original manuscript).

On page 234 of her History, Warren describes George Washington as a "Fabius," in reference to the Roman general. It so happens that Spalding selects Fabius as the name of his main character in the Manuscript . Warren at other times mentions Rome and Romans. Spalding builds his story around Romans landing accidentally in America instead of their original destination of Britain.

On page 226, Warren condemns the British for squandering an opportunity to spread Christianity. In the Manuscript, Chapter VIII, a great teacher named Lobaska enlightens the people.

Warren, in her "Introductory Observations," laments the causes of the war.

On page 220, Warren gives an account of the London riots of 1780. She notes that religious intolerance by Protestants toward Catholics was demonstrated by their outward wearing of blue cockades in their hats. The Protestant Associators, in addition to wearing the badge, engaged in social protest and destruction of property. Spalding has a similar incident in his Manuscript, when two groups of Indians prepare for war over the wearing of a blue feather.

Spalding's Lobaska intervenes to prevent bloodshed between the groups. Note that the material in Warren is clustered from page 220 to 226, as is Spalding's in Chapter VIII.

The major war in the Manuscript involves a love triangle between an evil king, a princess and a prince. The prince and princess, Elseon and Lamesa, elope, causing two nations to go to war. At one point, the princess expresses her fear that her husband and her father may eventually become combatants. She has the prince promise not to kill her father or brother should they meet on the battlefield. The prince promises to spare their lives, if he encounters them.

Warren relates the story of Count Kosciusco, a Polish military officer, who joined the revolution on the side of the colonies. Prior to coming to America, Kosciusco experienced a situation similar to the story of Elseon and Lamesa. This scene in Warren's History appears to be the inspiration for the episode in Spalding's Manuscript.

Warren documents the activities of the colonists in response to British aggression prior to a declaration of war. Committees of safety were established by Americans and by Spalding's Indians.

Taken individually, the previous parallels could be explained away as common usage of the day or chance occurrence. However, the more they occur, particularly when they fall into a pattern or cluster, the more it strengthens the argument that Spalding was taking his cues from Mercy Warren. The following list is a comparison between Warren and Spalding of similar vocabulary and phraseology scattered throughout both works.

At this point Spalding should receive some benefit of the doubt. Warren certainly did not invent all of the previous phrases. In fact, many of these terms can be found throughout colonial writing. David Ramsay(1749-1815) published his own History of the American Revolution sixteen years prior to Warren. Much of the same verbiage can be found in his work, although it is less eloquent. It is likely that Warren used Ramsay as a reference, given the fact that she was well-read. It is the eloquence of Mercy Warren that tips the scale in favor of Spalding having selected her style. To follow suit, "Let imagination paint" a picture of Spalding, a sickly, impoverished, old veteran, reading Warren late into the evening by candlelight. Her lovely words and prose impress his mind. He recognizes her success as an author and is inspired to spin his own tale of the conflict he experienced. Spalding's Kentucks and Sciotans represent the Americans and British. The Kentucks are presented as innocents attacked by a greedy, jealous king of the Sciotans, representing the king of England. As Spalding builds his story, he leans on Warren to fill deficiencies in his writing ability.

Spalding was not original even when his main character Fabius delivers a racial slur. Fabius laments that he and his shipwrecked crew are doomed to remain among people that resemble "the Orang outang." This term was evidently in circulation. In an essay on education, Robert Coram (1761-1796) postulates:

...if the present race of American Indians should shortly become extinct, it would be impossible for posterity to form any judgment of them, whether they were a species of orangutan or rational beings.

Spalding's story begins with Roman sailors landing on the American continent and their first contact with indigenous people. Similarly, both Warren and Ramsay also begin their histories with ocean-sailing pilgrims and their discovery of Indians. If Spalding were following a pattern, it is natural that his voyagers would land on New World shores and encounter natives, as was documented by Warren and Ramsay.

As the Manuscript progresses, Fabius and his troop live for two years among these natives. Eventually, they decide to explore and must leave their new friends. The departure scene is reminiscent of the farewell George Washington gave to his group of officers after the British surrender, as documented by Warren and Ramsay. Additionally, Ramsay repeats the scene in his Life of George Washington.

In Chapter IX of the Manuscript, Lobaska also leaves the people.

...at the age of eighty he bade an affectionate adieu to two Empires & left them to lament in tears his exit.

Even though Spalding demonstrates a heavy reliance on Warren, it is reasonable to assume that his predisposition to borrow would not be limited to her work. Spalding's Indian chiefs argue the merits of going to war in forms that resemble Parliamentary debate in England and the Continental Congress in America. For instance, in Chapter XII of the Manuscript, "the venerable Boakim arose" in council to question the worth of going to war over the princess Lamesa's elopement. Compare his opening remarks to those of Patrick Henry in his Liberty or Death speech.

Boakim does some preaching in the course of his speech. Compare his sentiments to those of the Muskingum tribe, documented by Mercy Warren on page 124 of her History.

Spalding was at one time a minister, and it is not surprising to find religious content in his Manuscript. In Chapter IV, his character Fabius paraphrases Bible verse. In a fit of despair, Fabius laments his condition by quoting a portion of Jeremiah 9:1.

To say Spalding borrowed from the Bible would be a true enough statement. However, something more subtle is occurring. Spalding is using a style common to preachers such as George Whitefield. In his sermon, Marks of a True Conversion, Whitefield bewails the condition of the sinners to whom he preaches.

O that my head were waters, O that mine eyes were a fountain of tears, that I might weep over an unconverted, graceless, wicked, and adulterous generation.

While this does not prove that Spalding borrowed from Whitefield, it does demonstrate that Spalding paraphrased Bible verse in the same style employed by famous preachers, such as George Whitefield and Jonathan Edwards. These ministers would incorporate Bible verse in their sermons, often without reference. Different verses were sometimes combined, as they would flow and weave among the preacher's dialogue. Most times, the preacher did not bother to identify verse, as if assuming the flock would recognize it, when heard or read.

Solomon Spalding was no more guilty of borrowing than any other writer of his time. Documentation or giving credit was at the whim of the author. Mercy Warren was an exception to the rule. Even though her documentation was not up to modern standards, it exceeded the norm. Spalding often crossed out passages in his handwritten manuscript, leaving the modern reader to wonder if he changed his mind or was panged by a guilty conscience.

Part II
The Book of Mormon: Historical Influences

Introduction

The charge of plagiarism has followed Joseph Smith from the time he produced the Book of Mormon in 1830. His detractors have pointed to the many biblical references contained in the book. Indeed, whole chapters, verses, and pieces of verses are reproduced. His defenders find no controversy, claiming that since it is the word of God, it is reasonable to find similarities in both works.

If Joseph were a plagiarist after all, would he have been content to borrow from the Bible exclusively, or would the temptation to lift from additional resources have been too great to resist?

The Book of Mormon deals with those two subjects that should never be discussed in polite company, namely, religion and politics. No matter who the author, or authors may be, their strong feelings on both subjects are expressed in the characters and situations in the book.

The charge of plagiarism is a difficult position to prove. The Book of Mormon at first read does have a biblical sound. It is presented as a record of Hebrew origin. This would lend support to the book's defense. However, when it is compared to written material from the era of 1830, it sounds less and less biblical and more and more contemporary. Words, phrases, and concepts in the following study place the Book of Mormon squarely in the time of its production. The following comparisons will make a "word for word" translation an impossible position to defend.

Defenders will rush to say that any similarities are nothing more than the "language of the day." This is no doubt the case in many instances. Joseph Smith would have used the tools that were available at the time. But words are more than a group of letters, and groups of words are more than sentences. They convey meaning and concepts. The information in this study illustrates words and phrases in the Book of Mormon that reflect concepts and issues of a new United States. In the Bible, they are not used in the same context, or in many cases, do not even exist. Otherwise, ancient Americans, who the book states are descendants of Israelites, must have been no different than Revolutionary Americans of 1776. The comparisons indicate the Book of Mormon is a retelling of history, rather than a case of history repeating itself. The Book of Mormon may be considered as a moral melodrama. Out of concern for the present, an ancient people are sacrificed in order to teach lessons to modern readers. These ancient peoples fight the same battles for the same reasons as colonial Americans. They eventually lose the rights for which they fought hard. The modern reader is led to conclude that he will too, if he makes the same mistakes. The Book of Mormon itemizes those mistakes and offers their correction. It tackles issues under debate in early America and presents its own views as authoritative.

Mercy Otis Warren

In Part I, we saw that there are similarities in words, phrases, and themes between Spalding's Manuscript and the histories of Mercy Warren and David Ramsay. We can now demonstrate that there are numerous similarities of the same type in the Book of Mormon.

Compare the following parallels from Warren's History and the Book of Mormon. (Page numbers from Warren are from the 1989 Liberty Classics reprint.)

Mercy Warren held liberal views toward Native Americans and believed they could be as civilized as any European, given the proper circumstances. However, she had misgivings about their future. The Book of Mormon expresses the same sentiment.

David Ramsay

As noted in Part I, it is probable that Mercy Warren used David Ramsay's History of the American Revolution as a source, since she repeats many of the same terms, phrases and concepts found in Ramsay's book. However, Ramsay's History also provides other parallels, in particular his references to George Washington. During the winter of 1776, Washington ordered an invasion of Quebec with the goal of driving out British troops. The command of this expedition was given to Benedict Arnold. The infamous turncoat and his army of one thousand endured extreme hardship while covering 180 miles of difficult terrain in bad conditions. After 45 days, Arnold entered Canada and delivered a letter from General Washington. Ramsay appears to have had a copy of Washington's letter. He refers to portions of it in his History, while relating the expedition of Colonel Arnold: "A manifesto subscribed by general Washington, which had been sent from Cambridge with this detachment, was circulated among the inhabitants of Canada. In this they were invited to arrange themselves under the standard of general liberty; and they were informed that the American army was sent into the province, not to plunder but to protect them."¹ These are the only parts of the letter that he paraphrases. The complete text of Washington's letter appears below.

Friends and Brethren:

The unnatural Contest between the English Colonies, and Great Britain has now risen to such a height, that Arms alone must decide it.

The Colonies, confiding in the Justice of their Cause and the purity of their intentions, have reluctantly appealed to that Being, in whose hands are all Human Events: He has hitherto smiled upon their virtuous Efforts: The Hand of Tyranny has been arrested in its Ravages, and the British Arms, which have shone with so much Splendor in every part of the Globe, are now tarnished with disgrace and disappointment. Generals of approved experience, who boasted of subduing this great Continent, find themselves circumscribed within the limits of a single City and its Suburbs, suffering all the shame and distress of a Siege. While the Freeborn Sons of America, animated by the genuine principles of Liberty and Love of their Country, with increasing Union, Firmness and discipline, repel every attack and despise every Danger.

Above all we rejoice that our Enemies have been deceived with Regard to you: They have persuaded themselves, they have even dared to say, that the Canadians were not capable of distinguishing between the Blessings of Liberty and the Wretchedness of Slavery; that gratifying the Vanity of a little Circle of Nobility would blind the Eyes of the people of Canada. By such Artifices they hoped to bend you to their Views; but they have been deceived: Instead of finding in you that poverty of Soul, and baseness of Spirit, they see with a Chagrin equal to our Joy, that you are enlightened, generous, and Virtuous; that you will not renounce your own Rights, or serve as Instruments to deprive your Fellow subjects of theirs. Come then, my Brethren, Unite with us in an indissoluble Union. Let us run together to the same Goal. We have taken up Arms in Defence of our Liberty, our Property; our Wives and our Children: We are determined to preserve them or die. We look forward with pleasure to that day not far remote (we hope) when the Inhabitants of America shall have one Sentiment and the full Enjoyment of the blessings of a Free Government.

Incited by these Motives and encouraged by the advice of many Friends of Liberty among you, the Great American Congress have sent an Army into your Province, under the command of General Schuyler; not to plunder but to protect you; to animate and bring forth into Action those sentiments of Freedom you have declared, and which the Tools of despotism would extinguish through the whole Creation. To co-operate with this design and to frustrate those cruel and perfidious Schemes, which would deluge our Frontier with the Blood of Women and Children, I have detached Colonel Arnold into your Country, with a part of the Army under my Command. I have enjoined upon him, and am certain that he will consider himself, and act as in the Country of his Patrons and best Friends. Necessaries and Accommodations of every kind which you may furnish, he will thankfully receive, and render the full Value. I invite you as Friends and Brethren, to provide him with such supplies as your Country affords; and I pledge myself not only for your safety and security, but for ample Compensation. Let no Man desert his habitation. Let no Man flee as before an Enemy.

The cause of America and of liberty is the cause of every virtuous American Citizen. Whatever may be his Religion or his descent, the United Colonies know no distinction, but such as Slavery, Corruption and Arbitrary Domination may create. Come then ye generous Citizens, range yourselves under the Standard of general Liberty, against which all the force and Artifice of Tyranny will never be able to prevail. I am, etc. ²

In spite of Washington's eloquence the campaign ultimately failed.

So what, if anything, does this letter have to do with the Book of Mormon? A casual reader may have missed the parallels. A Book of Mormon expert will notice something more. For those less aware, the following comparisons are offered.

How can these similarities be explained? Is it possible that the author of the Book of Mormon had a copy of the letter and used it as a resource? Or, is this just "the language of the day," as the defenders of Joseph would say. Perhaps it is more reasonable to assume that the letter or the themes contained therein were available in full or in part in other more accessible works. The concepts put forth by Washington may be considered universal. Many of them were used by the other Founding Fathers. Since the parallels cannot be denied, the information must have been available to the author of the Book of Mormon in some form.

Washington's letter has further significance in relation to the character Moroni in the Book of Mormon. Moroni, in an effort to rally his people, takes his cloak and writes on it the following words: "In memory of our God, our religion, and freedom, and our peace, our wives, and our children" (Alma 46:12). Moroni then

fastened it upon the end of a pole (Alma 46:12)

(and he called it the title of liberty)" (Alma 46:13)

And it came to pass also, that he caused the title of liberty to be hoisted upon every tower which was in all the land...and thus Moroni planted the standard of liberty among the Nephites. (Alma 46:36)

Washington implores the Canadians to "range yourselves under the Standard of general Liberty." Moroni has his own "standard of liberty," and places his "title of liberty" on "a pole." One of General Washington's many roving headquarters was the Liberty Pole Tavern, Englewood, New Jersey, 3 September 1780. Liberty poles were popular among the colonies. The Sons of Liberty stood guard over a liberty pole in New York, January 1770, defending it from vandalism by British soldiers. Writing on a flag was common. The words "LIBERTY and UNION" flew on the Taunton flag raised on a liberty pole in Massachusetts, 21 October 1744. The Liberty Tree flag declared, "AN APPEAL TO GOD."

At the age of twenty-one, George Washington traveled down the Ohio river to deliver a warning letter to the commander of French forces. Washington's journal detailing this adventure was published as a pamphlet in Williamsburg, Virginia and was reproduced in two installments of the Maryland Gazette on March 21 and 28, 1754. Both Warren and Ramsay refer to the publication of this journal, but neither reproduces any text from it. Nonetheless, similarities can be found between it and the Book of Mormon.

The Book of Mormon notes that chief captain Moroni was only twenty-five, when he took command of the Nephite army (Alma 43:17). Washington was in his early twenties, when he was commissioned commander in chief of colonial troops, and Moroni was also made "chief commander" (Alma 46:11).

David Ramsay was a friend and confederate of George Washington. He honored his old friend in The Life of George Washington, published eight years after Washington's death. Ramsay also produced The History of the American Revolution, 1789, in two volumes. An analysis of Ramsay's works reveals Book of Mormon parallels in addition to those of Washington's letter.

For simplicity, the following page references to Ramsay's History are from the modern reprint.³

In addition to the above references, Ramsay refers to other disappointments and embarrassments in his Life of George Washington.

We will now continue with more parallels from Ramsay's History.

Ramsay quotes the Declaration of Independence in his History.

Ramsay reprints Washington's farewell address (September 19, 1796) in The Life of George Washington. The address was also published in newspapers, such as The Independent Chronicle (September 26, 1796, Boston, Massachusetts).

Ramsay also reproduces Washington's last circular letter in his Life.

In his History, Ramsay blames the Tories for the war.

It was the general opinion of the Americans, that the continuance of the war, and the asperity with which it had been carried on, was more owing to the machinations of their own countrymen, who had taken part with royal government, than to their British enemies. It is certain that the former had been most active in predatory excursions, and most forward in scenes of blood and murder...the authors of so great a share of the general distress. (p. 623)

Yea, had it not been for the war which broke out among ourselves; yea, were it not for these king-men, who caused so much bloodshed among ourselves...had they been true to the cause of our freedom, and united with us, and gone forth against our enemies, instead of taking up their swords against us, which was the cause of so much bloodshed among ourselves...we should have dispersed our enemies. (Alma 60:16)

Moroni's career mirrors Washington's: enemies within as well as without, lack of supplies, being outnumbered, similar defenses and battlefield tactics, and fighting for freedom over slavery. We may also note as a matter of historical record that Tecumseh was killed in the battle of Moraviantown, while in the Book of Mormon a character by the name of Teancum slays a foe named Morianton.

The Founding Fathers

Many of the themes expressed by George Washington are repeated by his contemporaries. Samuel Adams delivered his American Independence speech to the State House in Philadelphia on August 1, 1776.

Thomas Jefferson addressed problems with the Native Americans in his second inaugural speech (March 4, 1805).

the endeavors to enlighten them on the fate which awaits their present course of life, to induce them to exercise their reason, follow its dictates, and change their pursuits with the change of circumstances have powerful obstacles to encounter; they are combated by the habits of their bodies, prejudices of their minds, ignorance, pride, and the influence of interested and crafty individuals among them who feel themselves something in the present order of things and fear to become nothing in any other. These persons inculcate a sanctimonious reverence for the customs of their ancestors; that whatsoever they did must be done through all time; that reason is a false guide, and to advance under its counsel in their physical, moral, or political condition is perilous innovation; that their duty is to remain as their Creator made them, ignorance being safety and knowledge full of danger; in short, my friends, among them is also seen the action and counteraction of good sense and of bigotry; they too have their antiphilosophists who find an interest in keeping things in their present state, who dread reformation, and exert all their faculties to maintain the ascendancy of habit over the duty of improving our reason and obeying its mandates.

In the Book of Mormon, Jacob, the brother of Nephi, relates an encounter with a man named Sherem, who opposed Jacob and accused him of perverting the old laws and teaching new things. Jacob then says, "that many means were devised to reclaim and restore the Lamanites to the knowledge of the truth; but it all was vain, for they delighted in wars and bloodshed, and they had an eternal hatred against us, their brethren" (Jacob 7:24). Alma also views the Lamanites as clinging to tradition and ignorance: "for it is because of the traditions of their fathers that caused them to remain in their state of ignorance....And at some period of time they will be brought to believe in his word, and to know of the incorrectness of the traditions of their fathers" (Alma 9:16-17).

There are further similarities between the Book of Mormon and Jefferson's first inaugural address (March 4, 1801).

Thomas Paine produced his Common Sense in 1776. The main theme was to expose the evils of a monarchy, both in general and in particular. This pamphlet, with 100,000 copies printed, was credited by Washington with directly influencing the colonies to go to war.

For a further treatment of this topic, see Thomas Donofrio's article Book of Mormon Tories (off-site link).

Page 2 explores religious influences on the Book of Mormon.

Home    Page 2    Quakers and Ammonites    Spalding-BOM Textual Parallels