Appendix: Original Manuscript of the Book of Mormon, Leaves Acquired from the University of Chicago [Alma 3:5–4:2; Alma 4:20–5:23]

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Appendix: Original Manuscript of the Book of Mormon, Leaves Acquired from the University of Chicago [Alma 3:5–4:2; Alma 4:20–5:23]
Alma, Chapter 1 [Alma 3:5–27] Page 1 Alma, Chapter 2 [Alma 4:1–2] Page 2 Alma, Chapter 2 [Alma 4:20] Page 3 Alma, Chapter 3 [Alma 5:1–23] Page 3
Source Note

Original Manuscript of the Book of Mormon, Leaves Acquired from the University of Chicago; handwriting of
Oliver Cowdery
3 Oct. 1806–3 Mar. 1850. Clerk, teacher, justice of the peace, lawyer, newspaper editor. Born at Wells, Rutland Co., Vermont. Son of William Cowdery and Rebecca Fuller. Raised Congregationalist. Moved to western New York and clerked at a store, ca. 1825–1828...
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; four pages; CHL.

In the twentieth century, the University of Chicago special collections processed and held in its collection two leaves from the Book of Mormon. The leaves are nonsequential. The first bears text of what is now Alma 3:5–4:2, and the second of what is now Alma 4:20–5:23.
1
No leaf bearing the text of Alma 4:2–20 is known to be extant.
In summer 1984, the University of Chicago sold these two leaves to The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Around the time of the sale, officials at both the University of Chicago and the church determined that the leaves were likely authentic pieces of the original manuscript of the Book of Mormon. Anomalies in the text, however, have led some to believe these leaves (referred to here as the “Chicago leaves”) are forgeries. The Chicago leaves have sometimes been associated with Mark Hofmann, who in the 1980s forged a number of documents relating to Latter-day Saint and American history, though there is no evidence that the leaves ever passed through Hofmann’s hands, nor is there any other documented connection between the leaves and the infamous forger.
2
Sillitoe and Roberts, Salamander, 306–307; Sem C. Sutter to Robin Scott Jensen, Email message, 31 July 2020, Church History Department Information about Leaves from the Book of Mormon, CHL. In their 1988 history of Hofmann’s forgeries, Linda Sillitoe and Allen D. Roberts recounted that shortly after the church took possession of the Chicago leaves, Hofmann asked a cousin-in-law to supply him with money to purchase “two pages of the original Book of Mormon manuscript, housed at the University of Chicago Library.” Sillitoe and Roberts do not give a source for this information. It is unclear whether Hofmann knew the leaves had already been sold to the church. (See also Lindsey, A Gathering of Saints, 147–148.)
Comprehensive Works Cited
Sillitoe, Linda, and Allen D. Roberts. Salamander: The Story of the Mormon Forgery Murders. Salt Lake City: Signature Books, 1988.
Church History Department Information about Leaves from the Book of Mormon, 1983–2020. CHL.
Lindsey, Robert. A Gathering of Saints: A True Story of Money, Murder and Deceit. New York: Simon and Schuster, 1988.
Footnotes
[1]
No leaf bearing the text of Alma 4:2–20 is known to be extant.
[2]
Sillitoe and Roberts, Salamander, 306–307; Sem C. Sutter to Robin Scott Jensen, Email message, 31 July 2020, Church History Department Information about Leaves from the Book of Mormon, CHL. In their 1988 history of Hofmann’s forgeries, Linda Sillitoe and Allen D. Roberts recounted that shortly after the church took possession of the Chicago leaves, Hofmann asked a cousin-in-law to supply him with money to purchase “two pages of the original Book of Mormon manuscript, housed at the University of Chicago Library.” Sillitoe and Roberts do not give a source for this information. It is unclear whether Hofmann knew the leaves had already been sold to the church. (See also Lindsey, A Gathering of Saints, 147–148.)
Sillitoe, Linda, and Allen D. Roberts. Salamander: The Story of the Mormon Forgery Murders. Salt Lake City: Signature Books, 1988.
Church History Department Information about Leaves from the Book of Mormon, 1983–2020. CHL.
Lindsey, Robert. A Gathering of Saints: A True Story of Money, Murder and Deceit. New York: Simon and Schuster, 1988.
Historical Introduction
Scholars disagree about the authenticity of the Chicago leaves. Because of their questioned status, the images and transcripts of the leaves are presented as an appendix. We present by way of introduction to the images and transcripts two examinations of the evidence, one written by each of the volume’s editors. With these two essays, readers and scholars may evaluate for themselves the complex history and characteristics of the Chicago leaves.
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[also the chains of hell behol]d I can tell you did not my Father
6
TEXT: An archival marking “[2]” was written above “Father”.
[Alma believe in the words w]hich was delivered by the mouth of [Abinadi & was he not a holy] P[r]ophet did he not speak the [word of God & my father A]lma believed them & according to [his faith there was a migh]ty Change wraught in his heart [behold I say unto you that] this is all true & Behold he sprea[ched the word unto your fath]ers & a mighty change was also [wraught in their hearts & the]y humbleed themselves & put thei[r] [trust in th]e [tru]e & live[ing] God & Behold they were faithful [untill th]e end therefore they were saved & now Behold I [ask of yo]u my Brethren of the Church have ye spiritly been [born of Go]d have ye received his image in your own coun[tenances] have ye experianced this mighty change in your [hearts do] ye exercise faith in the redemption of him who cre[ated you] do you look forward with an eye of faith & tvew thi[s] [mortal] Boddy raised in immortality & this corruption rais[ed i]n incorruption to stand before God to be Judged accor[ding] to the deeds which hath been done in the Mortal Body [I sa]y unto you can you imagion to yourself <yourselves> this <that> ye hear the [voic]e of the Lord saying unto you <in> that day come unto me ye ble[sse]d for Behold your works have been the works of righteousn[ess u]pon the face of the earthe or do ye imagion to yourselves [that] ye can lie unto the Lord at that day & say Lord our works ha[ve bee]n righteous works upon the face of the earth & that he will save [you o]r otherwise can ye imagion yourselves brought Before the tri[buna]l of God with your souls filled with gilt & remorse haveing [a rem]embrance of all your gilt yea a perfect rememberance of all your [wicke]dness yea a rememberance that ye have sat at defiance the com[mand]ments of God I say unto you can ye look up to God at that day with [a p]ure heart & clean hands I say unto you can you look up haveing the [Im]age of God engraven upon [you]r countenances I say unto you can [y]e think of Being saved wh[en you hav]e yielded yourselves to becom[e] [su]bjects to the Devil I say [unto you y]e will know at that day that y[e] [ca]nnot be saved fore ther[e can no] man be saved except his gar[ment]s are washed white yea his garments must be purified unti[ll] [it is c]l[e]ansed from all stain through the Blood of him of whom [it hath] been spoken by our fathers which should come to redeem [his peo]ple from their sins & now I ask of you my Brethren ho[w will] any of you feel if ye should stand before the Bar of [God ha]veing your garments stained with Blood & all manne[r] [of fil]theness Behold what will these things testify against yo[u] [behol]d [wi]ll they not test[i]fy [that] ye are murderers yea & also [p. [4]]
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Editorial Title
Appendix: Original Manuscript of the Book of Mormon, Leaves Acquired from the University of Chicago [Alma 3:5–4:2; Alma 4:20–5:23]
ID #
7979
Total Pages
4
Print Volume Location
Handwriting on This Page
Oliver Cowdery
Footnotes
[6]
TEXT: An archival marking “[2]” was written above “Father”.