Most religious and secular sources agree on one basic point: the Book of Mormon , as we have it today, first entered the world through Joseph Smith in the 1820s–1830s, but who “wrote” it depends on which viewpoint you accept.

Two Main Answers in One Question

When people ask “who wrote the Book of Mormon,” they usually mean one of two things:

  1. Who does the book itself say its authors are?
  2. Who actually produced the text we read today?

Both matter, and they lead to different answers.

According to Latter‑day Saint Belief

From the perspective of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter‑day Saints (LDS), the Book of Mormon is a translated ancient record written by multiple prophets on metal plates.

  • The narrative says the first main writer is Nephi , a prophet who left Jerusalem around 600 BC and traveled to the Americas.
  • The record is then passed through a line of successive keepers (Jacob, Enos, and many others), each adding their own histories and teachings.
  • Centuries later, a prophet‑historian named Mormon abridges and compiles these records into one volume, which he titles the Book of Mormon.
  • Mormon’s son Moroni adds final sections and then buries the plates in the ground.

In this belief, Joseph Smith did not “write” the book in the ordinary sense ; he translated the ancient plates into English “by the gift and power of God,” and the book was published in 1830.

According to Critical / Secular Views

Outside the LDS faith, many historians and critics see things differently.

  • A major non‑believing view is that Joseph Smith himself authored the Book of Mormon , drawing on ideas, religious debates, and texts from early 19th‑century America rather than translating an ancient record.
  • Some alternative theories suggest possible collaborators or sources (for example, writings associated with Solomon Spalding or Sidney Rigdon), though these specific theories are heavily debated and not universally accepted, even among critics.

In this secular framing, asking “who wrote the Book of Mormon” typically gets the answer: Joseph Smith is the primary author , with possible influences from his environment and contemporaries.

How the Early Title Page Described Joseph Smith

An interesting historical wrinkle:

  • The 1830 first edition of the Book of Mormon lists Joseph Smith on the title page as the “Author and Proprietor” , language that fit 19th‑century copyright law.
  • Later editions changed this wording to call him the “translator” instead, matching LDS belief that his role was to translate, not create, the underlying record.

LDS writers explain that “author and proprietor” was a legal label, while believers still see Joseph primarily as a translator of a divine record.

So, Who Wrote It?

Putting it all together, the answer depends on which lens you use:

  • Believing LDS view:
    • Ancient prophets such as Nephi, Jacob, Mormon, and Moroni wrote the original text on plates,
    • Mormon compiled and abridged it,
    • Joseph Smith translated it into English by divine power.
  • Secular / critical view:
    • Joseph Smith (possibly influenced by his surroundings and earlier writings) authored the Book of Mormon in the 19th century rather than translating a genuinely ancient record.

In contemporary discussions, especially online and in forums, you will see both answers side‑by‑side: faithful readers emphasizing ancient authors plus Joseph as translator, and critics emphasizing Joseph as the human author and originator.

Information gathered from public forums or data available on the internet and portrayed here.