In 1827 a young farmer named Joseph Smith was visited by an angel. The angel led him to a hillside where he uncovered a set of ancient gold plates written in strange characters in an ancient language. The translation of these plates became The Book of Mormon, a sacred text revered by members of the Latter-Day Saint movement, often known as Mormons. The Book of Mormon is a text with many similarities to the Bible. But it emerged in a very different context—19th century America.
David Holland is a professor of American Religious History at Harvard Divinity School. He is also the author of Sacred Borders: Continuing Revelation and Canonical Restraint in Early America.

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