When critics claim that Joseph Smith “made up” the Book of Mormon, it can be helpful to look at what a real historical hoax looks like—and how it compares to the miraculous reality of Joseph’s translation. One striking example is the Walam Olum, a text published in 1836 by Constantine Samuel Rafinesque, a polymath, linguist, and naturalist.

The Walam Olum: A Plausible Hoax

Rafinesque claimed to have translated a set of Lenape (Delaware) wooden tablets containing the tribe’s creation story, migration history, and battles. To the 19th-century eye, the text seemed authentic:

• It included Lenape words and references to oral traditions.
• It had pictographs and poetic structure, giving the impression of a real historical record.
• It told a coherent story of migration, conflict, and survival.

Yet modern scholarship reveals the Walam Olum is almost certainly a fabrication:

• No original tablets have ever been verified.
• Linguistic and historical analysis shows 19th-century European influence.
• Its “authenticity” is entirely superficial—Rafinesque knew enough about Native culture to make a hoax look real, but it was not genuine history.

In other words, the Walam Olum shows that an educated person can invent a plausible historical record, and even fool some scholars, when they have knowledge, intent, and skill.

The Book of Mormon: A Different Story

Compare this to the Book of Mormon:

• Joseph Smith had very limited formal education, no ancient languages, and no access to the materials, resources, or sophisticated knowledge that Rafinesque had.
• Yet the Book of Mormon contains:
  • Complex literary structure, including chiasmus and parallelisms.
  • Detailed historical narratives with internal consistency across multiple books and generations.
  • Spiritual and theological depth that has influenced millions of readers.

If Joseph had attempted a hoax like Rafinesque’s, it would have been far easier for scholars to detect: the language, history, and style would have revealed his lack of access to ancient knowledge. Instead, critics find themselves grappling with a text that exceeds ordinary human expectation, requiring either extraordinary intelligence, divine revelation, or both.

A Side-by-Side Perspective

The Lesson

The Walam Olum reminds us that educated humans can invent plausible-sounding histories, but the Book of Mormon stands apart: it is internally consistent, historically detailed, and spiritually profound, produced by someone without the tools, knowledge, or resources to create it on his own. For believers, this contrast is a testimony of its divine origin; for critics, it challenges them to account for a work that defies conventional explanation.

In short: hoaxes can look authentic, but the Book of Mormon demonstrates a level of complexity and depth that points beyond human invention.