Helaman 1

(November 5, 2015)

                There are those things that stand out as something completely out of character for someone like Joseph Smith to have written.  One such example is in this chapter – that Pacumeni was appointed by the voice of the people, according to his right.  The voice of the people half of the equation has often been cited as an example of Joseph projecting American democracy into the Book of Mormon, but if that was the case there is no conception of American democracy that would say that the brother of a slain leader ascends to the leadership “according to his right.”

                There are so many of these little things that stand as minor evidences of the truthfulness of the Book of Mormon.  Taken individually, of course, they can all be explained away.  But in aggregate, they become pretty overwhelming evidence of the truthfulness of the Restoration.