In 1831, a prominent religious leader and early critic, Alexander Campbell, picked up the Book of Mormon and declared it, “the meanest book in the English language.” [1] He insisted it did not contain “one good sentence.” Non-believers and investigators have echoed similar attacks ever since, pointing to grammatical errors as proof that the book carries no divine authority. If, by the power of a perfect God, this book was truly translated, why does it contain grammatical errors?
It is a fair question. Grammatical errors interrupt the reading experience, damage credibility, and make readers doubt the quality of the work. That can happen with any book; the Book of Mormon is not exempt from this reality. But grammatical errors cannot and will not stop the message of the Book of Mormon from reaching those who are seeking to learn about Jesus and His gospel with a sincere heart. That’s because the Holy Ghost carries truth across every barrier of language and grammar. Those errors may become a stumbling block for readers who approach the book only through intellectual criticism, rather than with a sincere desire to learn about God.
Grammar is a relative concept.
Recent linguistic research has revealed that many non-standard phrases in the Book of Mormon were consistent with Early Modern English. Phrases that irritate modern ears, such as “had spake” or “upon all they which were with him,” were standard in texts from the 1500s. [2]
This means critics who call the Book of Mormon’s grammar “bad” are judging an ancient-style text by modern rules – a standard it was never designed to meet. Interestingly, the Book of Mormon writers anticipated this criticism. Moroni wrote about his own anxiety over the language: “when we write we behold our weakness, and stumble because of the placing of our words; and I fear lest the Gentiles shall mock at our words” (Ether 12:25). [3] Previous to writing this, Moroni stated “And whoso receiveth this record, and shall not condemn it because of the imperfections which are in it, the same shall know of greater things than these.” (Mormon 8:12). [4] Nephi acknowledged the same reality, saying that he did not make a perfect record but wrote “according to my plainness” (1 Nephi 19:6). [5]
Rejection is a heart problem, not a grammar problem.
The people who rejected Jesus Christ during His early ministry did not lack evidence. They heard His teachings. They witnessed His miracles. They saw Him with their own eyes. Yet many still turned away, not because of cultural misunderstanding or reasonable doubts but because of their hard hearts, dull ears, and blind eyes.
The same principle applies to those who dismiss the Book of Mormon over grammatical errors. For many critics, those grammatical errors become part of a broader skepticism. They reject it because they approach it without the humility and sincerity the book requires. Grammar becomes a surface-level justification for a deeper unwillingness to seek.
President Gordon B. Hinckley addressed this. He taught that the evidence for the Book of Mormon’s truth and validity “lies within the covers of the book itself” and that “those who read it prayerfully may come to know by a power beyond their natural senses that it is true.” [6]
Hugh Nibley, one of the great defenders of the Latter-day Saint faith, put it plainly: “The words of the prophets cannot be held to the tentative and defective tests that men have devised for them. Science, philosophy, and common sense all have a right to their day in court. But the last word does not lie with them. Every time men in their wisdom have come forth with the last word, other words have promptly followed. The last word is a testimony of the gospel that comes only by direct revelation. Our Father in heaven speaks it, and if it were in perfect agreement with the science of today, it would surely be out of line with the science of tomorrow. Let us not, therefore, seek to hold God to the learned opinions of the moment when He speaks the language of eternity.” [7]
The only way to understand the Book of Mormon.
The Book of Mormon does not ask readers to evaluate its grammar. It asks them, as stated in Moroni 10:3-5, to read the book, remember God’s mercy, and ask Him in sincerity and faith whether it is true. [8] Those who follow these instructions receive an answer not through intellect but through the power of the Holy Ghost.
Grammatical errors can become an obstacle for readers who approach the book only through natural eyes. In that mindset, errors become a wall between the reader and the message. And in that sense, yes – errors hinder the message for a specific kind of reader.
But the message itself? The doctrine? The witness of Jesus Christ that runs through every page? That survives. It has always survived. Moroni worried. Nephi worried. And God answered every one of their worries with the same assurance: the humble, the sincere, the meek – they will find what they are looking for. Grammar cannot stop the Holy Ghost. Truth remains true even when the whole world says otherwise.
Footnotes:
[1] Alexander Campbell, Delusions: An Analysis of the Book of Mormon, 1831. Campbell published this critique shortly after the Book of Mormon's first edition was released. He was a prominent religious reformer and founder of the Restoration Movement.
[2] Scripture Central, "Does the Book of Mormon Really Have Bad Grammar?" KnoWhy, Book of Mormon Central, 2019. Available at: https://scripturecentral.org/knowhy/does-the-book-of-mormon-really-have-bad-grammar
[3] Book of Mormon, Ether 12:25. The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Available at: https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/study/scriptures/bofm/ether/12
[4] Book of Mormon, Mormon 8:12. The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Available at: https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/study/scriptures/bofm/morm/8
[5] Book of Mormon, 1 Nephi 19:6. The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Available at: https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/study/scriptures/bofm/1-ne/19
[6] Gordon B. Hinckley, Faith: The Essence of True Religion (Salt Lake City: Deseret Book, 1989), 10–11.
[7] Hugh Nibley, The World and the Prophets (Salt Lake City: Deseret Book; Provo, UT: FARMS, 1987), 134.
[8] Book of Mormon, Moroni 10:3–5. The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Available at: https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/study/scriptures/bofm/moro/10?lang=eng&id=p3-p5#p3
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