The Book of Mormon Implications is a two part article. The first part is roughly six pages of history concerning the contents and history of the Book of Mormon with some explanations at the end. The second part is six pages and contains the prerequisites necessary for Joseph Smith to write the Book of Mormon.
This article is a rough draft without spellchecking, there are no doubt errors in it, feel free to point out my errors so that i can fix them)
The first thing you need to know is that The Book of Mormon is not the handbook of Mormonism so much as it is a book of history written by the lineage of the tribe of Ephriam. It is essentially about a family which fueded for centuries until evil finally prevailed. The Doctrine and the Covenants is the handbook of Mormonism.
The Book of Mormon contains scriptures which were condensed and written upon metal plates by a prophet named Mormon. Mormon recorded for us only what he was told by the Holy spirit to write to us. Many of the things written in the gold pages were sealed so that Joseph Smith himself could not open them (Hence it is notedly a SEALED book ,See Isaiah 29:11-24). The Book of Mormon is only a 100th part of what the ancient American prophets wrote. What we call the Book of Mormon is not its real name, it should be called the stick of Ephriam. Today it is called the Book of Mormon because it was affectionately given that name in honor of the man who compiled it.
Christians have always had the Scriptures (writings of the tribe of Judah), the stick for Judah is what we call the Old Testament. Mormons believe that the stick of Ephriam for Joseph is the Book of Mormon (given to Joseph Smith by Moroni), mentioned in Ezekiel 37:15-22. The stick of Ephriam is the other set of writings we need to have and it needs to be joined to the stick of Judah as the passage says and _before_ the regathering of Israel begins. Isn't it odd that no one has noticed the missing stick? But yet we know that these are the last days because Israel has begun to regather? Besides the Mormons, many don't even recognize that the stick refered to is actually a roll or what we would recognize as a book even though the scriptures plainly say that the sticks are written upon and that they will be joined together as one in thine hand before our eyes (The Dead Sea Scrolls were found on sticks). The Book of Mormon is really a part of the Bible because it is scripture which should not be considered as a seperate Bible. The prophecy has been fulfilled, it is joined to the stick of Judah and is now one book in our hands just as literally as the prophecy reads. Reading Genesis chapters 33-50 will help alot in understanding the importance of Josephs Stick.
Why do we have these two sticks anyway (and why just the two)? We have them because Judah got the birthright that Joseph should have received when the other older brothers had forfeited their rights to it. Had Joseph not been disposed of he would have recieved the birthright. Judah recieved the birthright only after Joseph was thought to be dead and his two older brothers had removed themselves from any chance of recieving it. Also, not only was Joseph a first born son, he had also been chosen by Jacob to recieve the birthright in the first place (remember the coat of many colors in genesis 37:3 ?) . Joseph should have recieved the birthright not Judah. The tribe of Ephriam never forgets it either. The two sons of Joseph, Ephiram and Mannaseh were adopted by Jacob (Josephs father) who blesses them, they receive their respective portions of the birthright, but the posterity of Ephriam always feels cheated and resents having to be subordinate to the tribe of Judah. We know that half of the tribe of mannaseh stayed faithful to Judah but the tribe of Ephriam always caused trouble for Judah and especially more so after the civil war that broke out shortly after Solomon died. To make a long story short, all the good people from every tribe went to southern kingdom of Judah while the evil people stayed in the northern kingdom of Israel (Which was ruled by Ephriam). The northern kingdom as we all know was soon captured by Assyria, and then about 150 or so years later Babylon seized Jerusalem (Judah and all his companions). The two greatest Hebrew tribes were Ephriam and Judah. These two tribes are the only tribes mentioned in the Bible to have thier own stick, obviously there is something about these two that we are supposed to know about, hence the stick of Judah and the stick of Ephriam are to later be joined (the last days).
The Book of Mormon or rather the unsealed part of it that we have of it begins about 10 years before Jersalem was captured. This was when Jeremiah was prophesying against Jerusalem. Lehi, a man of the tribe of Ephriam also was told to prophesy against Jerusalem. The authorities were not very tolerant of nay sayers and Lehi began to be persecuted and was about to be murdered. God Warned Lehi and told him to take his family into the wilderness and that they would be guided to a land of their inheritance which is choice above all other lands (literally speaking this includes Israel, We believe that Noah may have come from this land choice above all others.--Noah didn't have an anchor on that ark now did he? nor was he promised that he would be returned to the land of his fathers. He floated around for almost a year, add to that that Noah was 10 generations before the days of peleg when the continents were devided, think about it).
Lehi traveled from Jerusalem to coast of Saudi arabia (Oman) with his family and another family over the course of several years. After reaching the Coast they build a boat and set sail for the land choice above all others where Ephriam finally gets the inheritance he deserved through his posterity.
I have extremely abreviated course of events since I have left out all their hardships and struggles. The details are in the Book of Mormon but are much better illustrated in Hugh Nibleys book "Lehi in the Desert". If you will read only the first 130 pages of "Lehi in the desert" you will know two things. 1) The story in the Book of Mormon is very plausible and 2) The possibility of Joseph Smith writing it is very implausible.
When Lehi and his company arrive in the New World what we basically have is Ephriamites from Israel in Southern North america presumably Guatemala (That's right, Hebrews discovered America). Not long before they had landed in southern North America, the city of Jerusalem was being captured by Babylon and King Zedekiah's only surviving son ran for his life with a company of other fleeing Jews. They left so quickly that they didn't bother to take records (the Old Testament, what was written of it). Fortunately for them, Lehi had taken his set of records (his family Bible and geneology). Some time after Jerusalem is captured, the fleeing Jews land on the gulf side of Mexico (Tampico?) only to find a war ravaged land full of dead human corpses (refer to the book of Ether) They decided that they didn't like this area too well, so they headed south from there and settled about 600 +/- miles away from Lehi's people who have no idea that family is living so close to them.
(RE-CAP: Two sets of Hebrews left Jerusalem at different times and arrived at the same continent but on opposite sides )
On the Eastern shore, It wasn't too long after they had landed when Laman and Lemuel, Nephi's older brothers decided that they were not going to be ruled by their younger brother which had been placed as a superior over them by their father Lehi and an angel (and God). They had decided that they had had enough abuse and were not about to be ruled by their much younger brother no matter what some angel said. Nephi eventually ends up taking the family records along with all the people who would follow him into the woods one night because he receives word that he is about to be killed by his brothers if he doesn't leave. When Laman wakes up the next morning to find a good part of the party missing along with the family records he is just a little bit upset. Laman believes that the records belong to him because he is the first born. Nephi and whoever wants to can leave if they want but not with the records (its a birthright thing). So we end up with two factions , The Lamanites and the Nephites. The Lamanites disintegrate into faithlessness because they don't have records of their fathers ( the records concerning the ways of the Lord ). The Nephites who do have the records of their fathers and the records of the Lord and his ways endeavor to keep the commandments and live in righteousness
The Nephites work hard & prosper. The Lamanites on the other hand are lazy and loathsome but they breed fast and quickly out number the Nephites (greatly). After reading for a while, you'll get the gist that the Lamanites are used by God to keep the holy people holy, clean and undefiled. It seems that every time that the Nephites become prosperous they start to get lazy and selfish (which god doesn't like). Then the Lamanites attack the Nephites and usually bring the Nephites down to a point of submission whereby they once again become humble. After the Nephites repent they are able to return to prosperity in a short time and stay that way until they once again need to be humbled. This happens many many times throughout the book except for the last time when the Lamanites finally wipe the Nehphites out for good (about 412 a.d.).
NOTE: Our history books start showing history for the america's several hundred years after the nephites are wiped out. The Mayans and the Toltecs are known to precede the Aztecs by several centuries, so do the math and wonder at the possibilities. Spanish Monks burned every Aztec writing they could find. They believed that religious Aztec writings were Satanic. Thanks to ignorant spanish monks we will never know whether or not any of their writings corroborated the Book of Mormon.
Continuing from where we left off on the western shore with the Nephites.
A few generations or so after the landing, settling and warring an even greater war between the Lamanites and the Nephites becomes so bad that only the remaining righteous nephites leave into the wilderness led by a man by the name of Mosiah. The most part of the Nephites had degenerated to a point so bad that they look bad compared to the Lamanites ( god will not have this ), so He lets the Lamanites chase them out of their land of inheritance. Only the faithful escaped to survive in the wilderness following mosiah the rest were enslaved by the Lamanites. Mosiah while wandering in the wilderness discovers a nation of people and their city. The city is the city of Zarahemla and the people are actually Jews from Jerusalem. The city of Zarahemla is the city which the people of Mulek, the sole surviving son of Zedekiah (king of Jerusalem) have built. They have been there the whole time that the Lamenites were beating the daylights out of the Nephites. When they (the people of Zarehemla) discover the remaining Nephites, they are also introduced to the records that the Nephites brought with them from Jerusalem. These records were very familiar to them, as they should be because they contain records about their ancestors too (up until Ezekiel ). The Lamanites end up tracking the Nephites to Zarahemla but are pushed back to the land of the Nephites first inheritance by the mulekites (the land of Nephi). The Mulekites ,Muleks people of the Land of Zarahemla,are never called mulekites but we call them that the same way Latter Day Saints are called MORMONS.) A few years go by and the original Nephites want to go back to their old home land (They are concerned for the ones that did'nt escape the lamanites). The first company led by a man known as Zeniff took an army with them but only ended up killing themselves over whether or not they were going to kill the Lamenites in the land when they are discovered. Sad but true. Only a few people survive to go back to Zarahemla (50 including Zeniff). When the survivors get back, they cant wait to go back again. This second company eventually makes it back and successfully inhabits the land for about 20 years before they become prosperous and unfortuanatly for them pridefull (again). They commit the sins that their fathers had done and also end up suffering the same consequences as well. Under the reign of King Noah they end up as slaves to the Lamenites.
While Noah was King (before he was captured), one of his priests was touched and listened to the prophet of God named Abinadi. Abinadi warned Noah that he would lose his kingdom if he kept leading his people astray into iniquity. Noah ends up killing Abinadi but Alma repents and leaves into the wilderness with all who will follow him. After fleeing into the wilderness Alma repents and is called to form a church consisting of those who followed him (this is extremely condensed). This church is later captured in the wilderness by an Army of lost Lamanites who were searching for the original bunch of Nephites (now under the rule of a righteous king Limhi) who had since repented and also escaped from the Lamanites (This part of the book can be very confusing). Alma left before king Noah and the kingdom were captured. Noah was replaced by Limhi. Limhi's people repent and leave with Ammon and return to Zarahemla before Alma and his church find their way back to Zarahemla.
(Re-cap: There is one group of Nephites who escape in two different groups. One led by Limhi and Ammon and the other led by Alma)
Alma's followers are recaptured and enslaved but they pray to God and their burdens are lightened to the point that they are no longer felt. Not much longer after that Alma is instructed by the voice of the Lord to gather the people and be ready to leave early one morning in the near future. A deep sleep comes over the Lamanites and Alma and his people leave captivity. About 2 weeks later Alma and company reach Zarahemla and are received warmly. After all is settled King Mosiah ( the grandson of Mosiah) instructs Alma to build churches throughout the land of Zarahemla.
The Nephites and the people of Zarahemla unite themselves under king Mosiah and war constantly and incessantly for hundreds of years with the Lamanites all because the Nephites just can't stay good and have to be beaten back into submission time after time. They just cannot stay humble for more than a few generations at best.
Finally some 630 + years after leaving Jerusalem, Christ comes. The nephites are in the most dismal state yet though. Christ straightens them out and the lamenites too. The two people finally live in peace for about 200 years. They even refrain from labeling eachother Lamanite and Nephite (but not long enough to forget those labels for good). Christ visits and leaves them after only a few days but he accomplishes much in his mission and evidently it was a success for nearly 200 years.
After the 200+ years of peace, contentions break out among the people and sides are chosen. Class distinction is said to be the major cause but we know that the real reason for class distinction is selfishness. The two peoples had lived together for over 2 centuries without anyone doing without or being in want of any necessity.
The lamanites were comprised of those who choose not to believe in christ or in only part of the doctrines that the fathers had left them 200 years ago. they begin to form their own churches to their own liking and understanding (sound familiar?)
The Nephites stayed true to the doctrines and their chosen Holy men. They maintained the true church of Christ which over time was corrupted from the outside in(corruption of the members) until only a very few people actually retained membership, and even those people were eventually corrupted. They were finally ejected from an already corrupted society (a corrupted zion ejected from a corrupt society) and chased out of thier lands.
The remaining Nephites are not too happy they have been beaten badly and even some of their children have been sacrificed to lamanite idols. They are so enraged that they cant forgive or forget their wounds. Mormon and Moroni try their best to convince them to lick their wounds and move on but the nephites refuse this counsel and war with the lamenites. The Nephites do win a few battles and retain the lands that they had been forced into but there are just too many lamanites against them. The Nephites become over zealous and self confidence sets them up for a final battle in which they lose everything in only one day to the lamanites. They are slaughtered completely.
By 421 A.D. there were no Nephites to speak of except Mormon who is fleeing the Lamanites who are pursuing him.
Many Mormons believe that the Aztecs are probably descendants of the Lamanites. This does not mean that everyone on the continent was a descendant of the Nephites or Lamanites but it does seem likely that the Lamanites and the Nephites had a large role in the population of Meso America where we believe that the events in the Book of Mormon took place. Mormons are often critcized about the obvious lack of evidence to be found in this area. There are several very good reasons for this though. 1. These events happend over 1100 years before Cortez conquered Mexico and what ever evidence the Lamanites did not destroy we can be sure that the Spainards did. 2. The people of Meso America tend to build right over the top of old cities and this is easily done when everything is made of wood. 3. There are in-fact pyramids, temples and other stone structures in Mexico, many of which the Aztecs do not take credit for. They stand as monuments to a civilzation that seemingly disappeared without a clue. The Book of Mormon tells us how this happened but no other source has ever seriously made the same conjecture. The Later Nephites were far more outnumbered than they ever were in the past. I believe that the great and final battle did not consist of such a large number of Nephites as to warrant some mountain sized burial mound. Nor do I believe that the Lamanites would bother to bury the dead bodies. The Lamanites were not out to conquer the lands that the Nephites were living in, they were out to exterminate the Nehites and then go home. Nature could easily dispose of dead bodies over the course of 1000 years. 4. The victorius Lamanites would surely take care to carry away all the booty with them. Any Nephite swords, hatchets, sheilds, helmets and otherwise would be taken home as momentos. These things do not last forever, they rust ,corrode, rot and decompose like everything else. Even in the unlikely event that some ornament was found who would attribute it to the Nephites after such a long time and how could they prove it? 5. When compared to the Middle East, the amount of effort put into excavating just the sites known to exist is a mere drop in the bucket. 6. Mexico is not the only place to look for evidence. The Book tells us that it started in Jerusalem and that the writers traveled through Saudi Arabia, where there is evidence.