The belief of Mormons is that the Book of Mormon was written on golden plates or tablets by the ancient inhabitants of the Americas, who came over to the Americas from Jerusalem, having been led there by the hand of God, though this belief is not shared by Orthodox Christians, who believe Joseph Smith made it up himself. So, it is a belief specific to Mormons.

However, according to Mormon beliefs, Joseph Smith and 12 other testifying witnesses, saw and handled the ancient gold plates and the characters that were on them. These plates comprised the wording that's found in the Book of Mormon.

According to the personal accounts, Joseph Smith translated the characters on the plates using the Urim and Thummim as a means of doing so, and his chief scribe, Oliver Cowdery, wrote down the translations as they fell from the mouth of Smith. The original records which were compiled and abridged to form the Book of Mormon as presently constituted were written on thin gold plates. The books which individually go together to make up the Book of Mormon were written by ancient prophets from about 588 B.C. to 421 A.D. - the prime language of the plates being Reformed Egyptian.

The book tells of the dealings with the ancient inhabitants of the Americas, and of the visit to these people by the Son of God, Jesus Christ, after His resurrection, as the Mormon faith believes was promised by Jesus Himself to the Jews in the Bible, saying, "Other sheep I have which are not of this fold, them also I must visit..." (Paraphrased). On the other hand, some Orthodox Christians believe that Jesus was referring to the Gentiles, calling all humanity into 'God's Grace', since up to that point, God had only accepted the children of Israel - Orthodoxy believing that the ministry of Jesus was geared to change that. The LDS believe, on the other hand, that Israel in its 12 Tribes [not just the Jews] will remain God's people, and that those who accept the teachings in the Book of Mormon AND in the Bible will become part of the Promised Israel.

May I add some clarification to the first answer regarding the American Indian. Some, of course, believe their ancestors, the Lamanites (as named in the Book of Mormon) , had no part in writing any of the books contained in the present abridged Book of Mormon, nor any of the records which are far too numerous to be included in the book that is now used by the Church. These records will be made known to man in the Lord's own due time

I Thessalonians 5:21 "'''Prove all things'''; hold fast that which is good."

DIVINE AUTHENTICITY OF THE BOOK OF MORMON

By Orson Pratt

One of the Twelve Apostles of

The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints

"The Book of Mormon claims to be a divinely inspired record, written by a succession of prophets who inhabited ancient America. It professes to be revealed to the present generation for the salvation of all who will receive it, and for the overthrow and damnation of all nations who reject it.

This book must be either true or false. If true, it is one of the most important messages ever sent from God to man, affecting both the temporal and eternal interests of every people under heaven to the same extent and in the same degree that the message of Noah affected the inhabitants of the old world. If false, it is one of the most cunning, wicked, bold, deep-laid impositions ever palmed upon the world, calculated to deceive and ruin millions who will sincerely receive it as the word of God, and will suppose themselves securely built upon the rock of truth until they are plunged with their families into hopeless despair. The nature of the message in the Book of Mormon is such, that if true, no one can possibly be saved and reject it; if false, no one can possibly be saved and receive it. Therefore, every soul in all the world is equally interested in ascertaining its truth or falsity.

In a matter of such infinite importance no person should rest satisfied with the conjectures or opinions of others: he should use every exertion himself to become acquainted with the nature of the message: he should carefully examine the evidences of which it is offered to the world: he should, with all patience and perseverance, seek to acquire a certain knowledge whether it be of God or not. Without such an investigation in the most careful, candid, and impartial manner, he cannot safely judge without greatly harming his future and eternal welfare. If, after a rigid examination, it be found an imposition, should be extensively published to the world as such; the evidences and arguments upon which the imposture was detected, should be clearly and logically stated, that those who have been sincerely yet unfortunately deceived, may perceive the nature of the deception, and be reclaimed, and that those who continue to publish the delusion, may be exposed and silenced, not by physical force, neither by persecutions, bare assertions, nor ridicule, but by strong and powerful arguments--by evidences adduced from scripture and reason. Such, and such only, should be the weapons employed to detect and overthrow false doctrines--to reclaim mankind from their errors, to expose religious enthusiasm, and put to silence base and wicked impostors."

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