KnoWhy #389 - What Can Stylometry Tell Us about Book of Mormon Authorship? (Jacob 4:4)

Since the Book of Mormon’s publication in 1830, a number of different theories have been proposed concerning its authorship. Those who believe that Joseph Smith translated it by the gift and power of God naturally have accepted that its source texts were written by multiple ancient prophets. Others, however, have assumed that Joseph Smith or one of his associates wrote it. To help resolve this issue, several studies have relied upon a type of linguistic analysis called stylometry. These studies demonstrate that the Book of Mormon’s internal claims about its authorship are consistent with the best stylometric evidence currently available.