From a strictly human standpoint
the Book of Mormon may be regarded as perhaps the most presumptuous piece of
literature that America has produced. In the minds of many unsympathetic
critics it is unhesitatingly classed as a clumsy imposture, undeserving of
serious consideration at the hands of intelligent people. Its publication may
be regarded as a manifestation of the highest form of fanatical zealotry. On
the other hand the simple story it tells concerning its own origin and the
contents of the book itself are extremely humble in spirit and character.
Still, its publication by Joseph Smith presents one of the boldest and most
audacious things ever done in the field of literature. If the book is not an
imposture and a hoax, its possession and translation by Joseph Smith can only
be explained on the remarkable hypothesis of a divine revelation. (Nephi L.
Morris, “Foreword,” in Josiah E. Hickman, The Romance of the Book of Mormon [Salt
Lake City: The Deseret News Press, 1937], 11)
