Review
Original Review Date: 1/31/2012
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Title: Proof: How to Know the Book of Mormon is True
Author: Tom G. Rose
Publisher: Cedar Fort, Inc
Genre: Nonfiction
Year Published: 2011
Number of Pages: 144
Format(s) Available: Paperback, Kindle
ISBN: 13: 978-1599558899
ISBN: 10: 1599558890
Reviewed by Roger Greer for the Association for Mormon Letters
Review date: 1/31/2012
I remember when young going through a book called Christ In Ancient America: Archaeology and the Book of Mormon, by Milton R. Hunter. I took great satisfaction reading a book where the author shows to the world physical evidences that all things really did happen, and draws attention to the truthfulness of the Book of Mormon. Now there are the FARMS & FAIR & FIRM organizations. They all have very full websites showing research on various archaeological geographical and DNA research on the Book of Mormon. There are also videos on Youtube from these organizations that talk about all of the external archaeological evidences of the Book of Mormon. Tom G. Rose, however, has done something a little bit different. He concentrates more on the “internal” evidences of the Book of Mormon.
Quoting from the introduction: “My purpose in writing this book is to present what I consider to be the intellectual proofs that the Book of Mormon is sacred scripture. The word of God. After a lifetime of study I am convinced the Joseph Smith could not have written the Book of Mormon, nor could any of his associates. To say otherwise suggests that the critic has not sincerely read the Book of Mormon. To those who have prayerfully studied it, as I have, has come a personal witness the Book of Mormon is exactly what Joseph Smith said it is – the translation of an ancient record written by prophets who lived on the American continent from 600 BC to around AD 420.”
Tom G. Rose taught seminary and institute for many years and then was in the church curriculum department for 21 years. During that time he had significant input into the creation of the Book of Mormon stories, and the adult Book of Mormon gospel doctrine courses, among other curricula.
During the course of his career and personal life he has read the “Book of Mormon 50 to 60 times.” Over those years he has written down what he considers to be the intellectual “proofs” of the authenticity of the book.
Each chapter is dedicated to a proof.
A few chapters include the hundreds of witnesses on the integrity of the life of Joseph Smith, the testimony of the 3 witnesses and of the 8 witnesses. These witnesses, along with the testimony of the Prophet, show that he could not have written the Book of Mormon; it had to have been produced the way he and others testify that it was — translated by revelation. Some of these witnesses left the church but still kept their testimony of the authenticity of the Book of Mormon.
One chapter is dedicated to the divinity of Jesus Christ, as it is another testament of Jesus Christ. Dozens of prophets in the Book of Mormon over hundreds of years testify to the atonement of Jesus Christ. Another chapter is dedicated to the classic doctrinal discourses and revelations in the book. For example, Lehi’s vision of the tree of life, Alma’s comparison of the word of God unto a seed, the sermon on the laws of justice and mercy explained, and the crowning event in the Book of Mormon: the resurrected Jesus Christ appearing in America. These masterful works of inspired revelation could not possibly have been written by a man, much less an uneducated man like Joseph Smith. One chapter is dedicated to the prophetic history of the United States of America. The plain and precious truths removed from the Bible, and filled in by the Book of Mormon, are the subject of a chapter. The Isaiah chapters in the Book of Mormon actually give light to the many plain and precious truths removed from Isaiah.
One of my favorite chapters is called “God’s Own Handwriting.” In working with the church curriculum department, Brother Rose was asked to prepare footnotes for non-English editions of the Book of Mormon. They discovered word phrases or thoughts that illustrate God’s own handwriting in hundreds of scriptural phrases that occur both in the Bible and in the Book of Mormon — phrases like “thoughts and intents of the heart.” This phrase is found in Hebrews 4:12 and it’s also found 3 times in the Book of Mormon. They discovered phrases like that which filled up 40 pages. More phrases include “a more excellent way,” “altar of stones,” “author and finisher.” These phrases testify to the principle that the scriptures all come from the same source. These examples are evidence that the Lord speaks through chosen prophets and these prophets speak the word of the Lord in the Bible. Joseph Smith could not have written such inspiring passages within this marvelous record.
Even though the book is only 133 pages in length, I found it to have more interesting proofs than I had ever seen before in other books or websites. It was enlightening to see that Brother Rose dedicated most of these proofs from the writings of the Book of Mormon itself. As a gospel doctrine teacher I found the book useful. I would recommend it to anyone to read. Non-members would also find it a legitimately researched book on the Book of Mormon.