the thinker

Unique Textual Parallels

from the Oberlin Spalding Ms. 
and the Book of Mormon



Part 1: (Introduction and List)

Tabulation by Dale R. Broadhurst
From Data Compiled by
Bill A. Williams, jr.


Early in 1998, William A. Williams, jr., a computer programmer living in Bloomfield Hills, MI, began work on a series of textual computerization projects, several of which will be of interest to researchers of the "Solomon Spalding Authorship Theory" of the Book of Mormon. Among his several creations, Bill has constructed a Master Index of all words occurring in the KJV biblical books, the books of the KJV Apocrypha, Rev. William Whiston's annotated 1737 edition of the Works of Josephus, Ethan Smith's 1825 edition of View of the Hebrews, an e-text of Solomon Spalding's "Oberlin" Manuscript, and the 1830 Palmyra edition of the Book of Mormon.

The compiler of the e-text for the Spalding work is a friend of Bill's, Dale R. Broadhurst of Hilo, HI. Dale assembled the Spalding e-text from the 1885 and 1886 published editions of the Oberlin Ms., standardizing Spalding's inconsistent spelling and grammar and making certain other corrections to bring the work into conformity with the holograph on file in the Oberlin College Archives.

Bill and Dale's joint efforts have produced some useful resources for students of the Book of Mormon who might wish to compare its vocabulary to that found in the pre-1830 works sometimes cited as sources for textual parallels and borrowings. In the "Non-Biblical Book of Mormon Word List" tabulated below, non-biblical words occurring only in Spalding and the Book of Mormon have been placed in bold type. These 37 words are relatively unique to Spalding's Oberlin Ms. and the "Nephite Record." The contextual commonalities of the two works are examined in greater detail in Part 2: (Textual Parallels) and in Part 3: (Charts and Tabulation). Several examples of these parallels, viewed within their contexts in the Oberlin Spalding Ms. and the Book of Mormon,are available for viewing in Part 4: (Textual Samples) of this presentation.

The version of the "Non-Biblical Book of Mormon Word List" presented below has been cross-checked against the texts of the seven works whose vocabulary was included in Bill's original "Master Index." However, some errors may have crept into the listing and it is still being re-checked for accuracy. If you notice any mistakes or omissions please e-mail your comments to the site-master, or you may contact Mr. Williams or Mr. Broadhurst directly. (last updated June 15, 1998)



Non-Biblical Book of Mormon Word List  ( A-E )


  Word List KJV
OT
KJV
Appocr.
KJV
NT
1737
Josephus
1812
Spld Ms.
1825
V. of H.
1830
B. of M.
001 abandoned 0 0 1 8 2
002 abhorrence 0 1 3 0 2
003 ABYSS 0 0 2 0 2
004 acquired 0 12 2 0 1
005 across 0 1 7 5 9
006 acted 0 63 1 1 3
007 address 0 8 2 35 1
008 adieu 0 1 3 0 1
009 admit 0 79 2 2 2
010 admitted 0 56 2 9 1
011 adopted 0 7 4 6 1
012 advantages 0 56 1 2 1
013 afforded 0 81 3 2 1
014 alliance 0 9 3 0 2
015 alteration 0 7 1 0 1
016 amount 0 5 2 3 3
017 animal 0 18 3 11 1
018 animals 0 41 7 8 5
019 anxiety 0 5 10 1 8
020 anxious 0 1 10 2 1
021 appears 0 67 3 48 1
022 appellation 0 5 2 0 1
023 apprised 0 1 2 0 1
024 around 0 2 6 8 6
025 arrested 0 0 1 1 1
026 arrive 0 4 5 7 8
027 assistance 0 294 5 4 9
028 astonishing 0 2 2 4 1
029 attack 0 87 13 1 13
030 attacked 0 62 5 3 2
031 attempt 1 128 8 10 12
032 attempted 1 50 4 3 3
033 attempting 0 8 1 2 1
034 attention 1 9 14 22 2
035 ATTITUDE 0 0 4 0 5
036 awful 0 0 3 14 47
037 baseness 1 0 2 0 1
038 beings 0 7 9 3 2
039 below 1 8 5 2 1
040 big 0 4 2 3 1
041 bleeding 0 0 4 1 1
042 bordering 0 1 1 2 4
043 brave 0 19 22 3 1
044 broke 2 35 8 1 5
045 brothers 0 21 4 3 10
046 BURTHEN 0 0 1 0 1
047 BURTHENS 0 0 1 0 1
048 capable 0 28 5 4 3
049 capital 0 15 1 7 2
050 carnage 0 0 5 1 5
051 cavity 0 8 2 1 5
052 ceremony 0 0 3 7 1
053 characters 0 20 8 7 1
054 charitable 0 2 1 1 1
055 checked 0 0 1 1 1
056 chiefs 0 0 28 11 1
057 civil 0 35 2 10 1
058 civilization 0 0 6 17 2
059 claim 0 20 2 5 10
060 CLASPED 0 0 1 0 2
061 class 0 2 9 5 1
062 classes 0 3 2 1 1
063 cleared 0 10 2 0 1
064 climate 0 2 1 1 1
065 collected 1 26 3 10 1
066 colors 0 19 6 0 1
067 commence 0 2 3 2 17
068 commenced 0 1 5 5 14
069 commencement 0 2 1 7 30
070 composed 0 53 1 11 1
071 condescension 0 1 1 0 1
072 confine 0 3 1 0 1
073 consequences 0 9 1 2 4
074 considerable 0 67 5 22 2
075 consisted 0 9 9 0 3
076 consisting 0 3 1 4 1
077 construct 0 0 2 2 4
078 construction 0 18 5 7 1
079 contains 0 9 2 6 2
080 converse 0 12 1 1 3
081 conversing 0 6 1 0 2
082 CRISIS 0 0 1 0 1
083 critical 0 5 2 0 2
084 CROSSING 0 0 1 0 2
085 daggers 0 9 1 0 1
086 daring 0 7 8 1 1
087 DEFIANCE 0 0 2 0 3
088 delicious 0 2 4 0 1
089 demands 1 5 2 0 8
090 deposited 0 10 5 2 2
091 DEPRAVITY 0 0 1 0 1
092 descendants 0 7 1 39 7
093 descends 0 1 1 1 1
094 deserted 0 56 3 2 2
095 design 0 87 7 8 9
096 designs 0 70 3 7 7
097 different 0 91 20 70 3
098 difficult 0 36 2 4 3
099 difficulty 1 71 2 12 4
100 digging 0 1 1 0 2
101 directions 0 17 3 1 3
102 disadvantages 0 1 1 0 1
103 DISPELLED 0 0 1 0 1
105 distance 1 93 25 19 3
106 distinguished 1 16 4 11 9
107 disturb 1 10 1 1 2
108 disturbed 0 59 3 2 1
109 does 0 178 1 24 6
110 DORMANT 0 0 1 0 1
111 DRAGGED 0 0 1 0 1
112 dreary 0 0 1 3 2
113 dug 0 23 4 5 3
114 duration 0 25 1 2 2
115 effects 1 39 10 5 2
116 elegant 0 7 5 1 1
117 enable 0 7 2 0 3
118 ENCIRCLE 0 0 2 0 5
119 ENCIRCLED 0 0 1 0 20
120 endeavored 0 84 1 0 1
121 ENERGIES 0 0 1 0 1
122 energy 0 1 1 1 4
123 enjoyment 0 27 3 1 1
124 entirely 0 190 1 2 1
125 erect 1 16 1 2 2
126 erecting 0 3 1 0 1
127 establishing 0 2 1 0 2
128 eternally 0 0 1 2 6
129 exactness 1 10 1 0 1
130 exclaim 0 0 1 2 4
131 exclaimed 0 2 6 3 1
132 exist 0 0 3 4 2
133 existence 0 1 9 18 3
134 expect 2 69 3 12 2
135 explain 0 25 1 4 4
136 explained 0 17 2 7 2
137 EXPLAINING 0 0 1 0 1
138 exquisite 2 4 1 2 2
139 extending 0 1 3 2 1



Non-Biblical Book of Mormon Word List  ( F-O )


  Word List KJV
OT
KJV
Appocr.
KJV
NT
1737
Josephus
1812
Spld Ms.
1825
V. of H.
1830
B. of M.
140 fatigued 0 0 0 1 3 1 1
141 favor 0 143 3 1 17
142 favored 0 5 1 0 15
143 favors 0 43 4 0 2
144 feelings 0 0 5 5 2
145 FEROCIOUS 0 0 2 0 6
146 fills 0 1 1 0 1
147 final 0 1 2 29 4
148 firmly 1 28 3 1 2
149 firmness 0 14 5 1 9
150 foreign 2 58 1 13 1
151 forever 1 0 1 10 98
152 formation 0 2 2 2 1
153 fortifications 0 23 4 2 10
154 fulfill 2 2 3 0 1
155 future 0 97 8 34 10
156 game 2 1 1 6 5
157 generosity 0 30 4 1 1
158 genius 0 2 3 3 1
159 gives 0 41 3 42 3
160 GLUT 0 0 1 0 3
161 governed 1 54 2 4 4
162 grasp 0 1 3 0 4
163 gratified 0 2 1 0 1
164 guarded 0 45 2 2 3
165 guards 0 134 1 0 30
166 GUSHING 0 0 2 0 1
167 happiness 0 76 20 5 30
168 hardening 1 2 1 0 1
169 havoc 0 1 3 0 1
170 helpless 0 1 4 0 1
171 HEMMED 0 0 1 0 1
172 history 0 218 8 36 6
173 honorable 2 33 11 0 3
174 hopes 3 177 1 4 7
175 human 0 58 14 24 3
176 immediate 0 14 4 9 2
177 immense 0 47 7 5 1
178 IMPEDED 0 0 1 0 1
179 importance 0 7 3 4 2
180 improve 0 8 4 2 1
181 indulge 0 22 1 1 2
182 industry 0 0 7 1 2
183 inexpressible 0 3 2 1 1
184 inflict 0 47 2 0 2
185 inflicting 0 8 1 1 1
186 information 0 22 3 18 1
187 informing 0 11 1 0 1
188 infused 0 2 1 0 1
189 injuries 1 59 1 4 1
190 innocence 0 1 1 2 1
191 inquire 0 35 2 6 15
192 insist 0 4 2 0 1
193 inspire 0 2 3 1 2
194 inspired 1 4 4 9 6
195 instructions 1 9 3 4 2
196 intention 0 57 5 1 4
197 intercourse 0 5 8 10 1
198 interest 0 17 7 7 1
199 intrigues 0 3 1 0 1
200 introduced 0 37 5 8 1
201 invitation 0 16 1 1 2
202 labor 0 46 6 0 53
203 laboring 0 5 1 0 6
204 labors 0 53 5 0 21
205 leads 0 4 1 3 5
206 level 0 17 1 3 2
207 limbs 0 7 4 0 5
208 LISTENED 0 0 1 0 1
209 main 0 33 3 4 2
210 manage 0 12 4 0 1
211 management 0 46 1 0 3
212 mangled 2 1 2 1 1
213 MANIFESTING 0 0 1 0 1
214 marching 1 23 3 0 9
215 mass 1 1 3 7 1
216 massacre 1 0 9 0 1
217 MASSACRED 0 0 2 0 1
218 meetings 0 13 2 4 1
219 merely 0 3 2 3 1
220 miraculous 0 10 2 7 4
221 miraculously 1 2 1 1 1
222 mockery 2 2 1 0 2
223 MONSTER 0 0 9 0 6
224 motion 3 22 1 1 1
225 movement 0 1 2 0 1
226 MOVEMENTS 0 0 7 0 1
227 murdered 2 17 1 6 28
228 nearly 0 15 17 19 13
229 neighbor 2 10 2 2 11
230 neighbor's ? ? ? 0 1 0 4
231 neighboring 0 63 1 1 2
232 numerous 0 67 2 27 45
233 obliged 0 119 2 5 7
234 observance 0 6 1 2 1
235 observing 0 16 4 1 1
236 operate 0 1 1 5 1
236 opposite 0 24 6 2 2
238 opposition 0 53 2 5 4
239 orders 0 116 5 5 6
240 ornamented 0 0 6 3 3
241 other's 0 22 8 2 1



Non-Biblical Book of Mormon Word List  ( P-Z )


  Word List KJV
OT
KJV
Appocr.
KJV
NT
1737
Josephus
1812
Spld Ms.
1825
V. of H.
1830
B. of M.
242 parallel 0 22 1 12 1
243 parent 0 2 1 0 3
244 partake 0 26 4 2 26
245 partaken 0 4 1 0 4
246 particle 0 5 2 2 1
247 period 0 11 5 41 9
248 persisted 0 2 1 0 1
249 placing 0 5 3 1 2
250 plan 0 1 19 2 42
251 PLANS 0 0 5 0 13
252 PLEASINGLY 0 0 1 0 1
253 plunder 0 43 7 4 12
254 plundering 0 14 1 2 7
255 plunged 0 1 5 3 1
256 popular 1 4 2 2 3
257 practice 0 51 2 12 2
258 preserving 0 19 1 0 8
259 preside 0 2 2 0 1
260 pretend 1 52 1 3 1
261 pretended 0 94 3 3 4
262 principle 0 3 2 13 1
263 privilege 0 27 5 1 5
264 privileges 1 51 1 2 10
265 proceedings 0 18 4 0 10
266 progress 0 21 5 4 4
267 property 0 2 17 3 9
268 proposed 0 67 5 1 1
269 prostrate 0 3 8 1 3
270 protect 1 10 2 0 10
271 protected 0 8 3 1 4
272 protector 4 12 1 0 2
273 provisions 0 82 4 3 37
274 PUFFING 0 0 1 0 1
275 pursuit 0 33 4 3 2
276 qualities 0 2 2 0 1
277 reader 6 35 5 10 1
278 reception 0 17 3 1 2
279 recollection 0 1 2 2 1
280 recommend 0 4 1 0 2
281 redoubled 0 0 1 1 1
282 reduce 0 17 1 2 1
283 reduced 0 31 3 5 2
284 regulate 0 1 1 0 1
285 REGULATIONS 0 0 4 0 4
286 reigns 0 6 1 1 4
287 related 0 149 1 10 2
288 reluctance 0 3 1 0 1
289 reply 0 23 1 5 1
290 requires 0 14 5 1 1
291 resistance 1 16 4 2 1
292 resolution 0 59 5 0 1
293 respects 0 72 1 13 2
294 restoration 0 12 1 135 19
295 retreat 0 21 6 5 13
296 retreated 0 13 2 0 3
297 returns 0 10 3 1 1
298 revolution 0 9 3 4 1
299 rights 0 16 11 1 18
300 risk 0 3 4 2 1
301 sacred 1 189 13 62 27
302 scene 0 3 5 17 7
303 selected 0 5 3 10 6
304 serious 0 2 1 4 7
305 severe 2 56 5 1 1
306 shewn 0 2 2 0 26
307 shouldst 0 10 1 0 9
308 SHRINK 0 0 1 0 6
309 smile 2 0 1 0 2
310 society 0 6 5 37 4
311 solid 0 16 2 4 2
312 spacious 0 0 3 1 10
313 spoke 0 6 10 2 1
314 SPURN 0 0 1 0 3
315 stained 1 1 1 3 3
316 stated 0 0 1 34 1
317 stationed 0 0 1 1 3
318 stations 0 3 4 1 1
319 STEADFASTLY 0 0 2 0 6
320 stratagem 0 37 7 0 7
321 strewed 1 1 2 2 1
322 struggle 0 11 1 1 4
323 struggling 0 2 2 1 1
324 studied 0 4 1 2 2
325 subjects 1 76 17 3 4
326 subtlety 0 5 2 0 2
327 supplicate 0 3 1 0 2
328 supported 0 34 2 1 7
329 surrendered 0 5 3 2 2
330 surrounded 0 20 8 6 18
331 survive 0 10 1 0 1
332 swiftness 2 3 1 0 1
333 tendency 0 1 1 0 1
334 tending 0 6 2 0 1
335 terms 0 36 7 2 1
336 threatens 0 0 3 1 1
337 tight 0 0 1 1 7
338 tools 0 8 1 1 6
339 towards 0 236 25 4 100
340 transpired 0 0 1 1 4
341 treat 1 43 4 3 1
342 treated 1 77 5 4 1
343 treaty 0 2 5 5 3
344 tremendous 0 6 6 14 3
345 TUMBLING 0 0 2 0 1
346 tyrant 3 47 2 1 1
347 undaunted 0 4 1 0 1
348 undertaken 0 14 1 4 4
349 unhappy 3 17 5 1 2
350 union 0 8 3 6 1
351 uniting 0 2 1 1 4
352 unpardonable 0 1 1 0 2
353 useful 0 30 3 4 2
354 vapor 0 1 1 0 3
355 vast 0 115 8 40 1
356 victims 0 2 1 0 2
357 viewing 0 0 4 4 2
358 views 0 1 1 12 3
359 vigor 0 3 4 0 3
360 vital 0 0 1 1 2
361 watery 2 0 1 0 1
362 WAVING 0 0 1 0 1
363 whatever 0 20 1 10 1
364 wishes 0 8 5 1 1
365 wore 1 12 4 2 1
366 WORRIED 0 0 1 0 3
367 WRESTLING 0 0 2 0 1
368 wrongs 1 0 3 1 6
369 yourself 0 3 1 1 5






Next Page

Return to Spalding Authorship Page

Return Home