The Late War
ScriptureImage: Title page of The Late War Between the United States and Great Britain, by Gilbert J. Hunt
[footnote]The Late War Between the United States and Great Britain, Gilbert J. Hunt[/footnote]
A single example out of hundreds between The Late War (published 1816) and The Book of Mormon (Published 1830).
The Late War Between the United States and Great Britain, by Gilbert J. Hunt – 34:10
But it came to pass, in the same year, that the people of Columbia were revenged of the evil:
The Book of Mormon – Alma 50:30
And it came to pass that in the same year that the people of Nephi had peace restored unto them…
New York, 1816: When Joseph Smith was 12 years old, Gilbert Hunt published a scriptural style account of the War of 1812, titled “The Late War between the United States and Great Britain.” The book was marketed for the use of schools throughout the United States” under the title The Historical Reader. Written in King James style English and laced with chiastic literary structure, The Late War bears remarkable similarities to The Book of Mormon, published over a decade later.
Possible explanations for the similarities include:
1. The Late War was a direct source for some of the language and content of the Book of Mormon.
2. The Book of Mormon was consciously styled in the language of The Late war but was not dependent on it for literary content.
3. The parallels between the BoM and the LW are incidental and both books merely reflect a style of writing in KJV prose that was conventional during the period.
Whatever the connection between the two volumes, the similarities clearly reflect the milieu in which they were created. The Late War and The Book of Mormon look exactly like you would expect two books with similar themes coming out of early 19th century frontier America.
For a side-by-side comparison between the two volumes and added contextual information – A Comparison of The Book of Mormon and the Late War
Also read the original text – The Late War Between the United States and Great Britain
Crash Course:
The Book of Mormon and the Late War: Direct Literary Dependence?
A Comparison of The Book of Mormon and the Late War – Word Tree Foundation
A Historical Analysis of The Late War – Rick Grunder
2015 Presentation: The Late War and the Book of Mormon
Indian Origins and the Book of Mormon (video) – Dan Vogel
