In this riveting interview, scholar David Bokovoy takes a deep dive into the historicity of Mormon scripture - pulling no punches on controversial topics like the Book of Abraham and the Book of Moses. Bokovoy methodically lays out evidence that Joseph Smith's scriptural translations and revelations, while profoundly inspiring to believers, do not stand up to historical criticism and were likely creative midrash-style interpretations rather than literal ancient documents. He navigates issues like the lack of source material for the Book of Moses, the discrepancies between the Book of Abraham and ancient Egyptian texts, and the incorporation of KJV biblical sources into the Book of Mormon - all with refreshing candor and biblical scholarship. Whether you're a believer or a skeptic, this interview provides a fascinating insider's look at how modern religious texts can still hold spiritual meaning even after being scrutinized through the lens of secular historicity. Episode Show Notes: https://www.mormonstories.org/portfolio-items/are-mormon-scriptures-historical/ Chapters 00:00:00 The Book of Moses 00:21:57 The Book of Abraham Controversy 00:35:25 The catalyst theory 00:52:34 Joseph Smith was a sincere believer 01:01:00 How Mormons (& Evangelicals) Avoid Biblical criticism 01:17:30 Applying Higher Criticism to the Book of Mormon 01:20:50 The Book of Mormon’s biggest problems 01:28:00 Arise, Sit Down O Jerusalem 01:34:45 Historical Scholarship 01:38:15 New Testament References 01:40:30 Why Believers shouldn’t be afraid of scholarship 01:44:50 David’s Theory on how Joseph wrote the Book of Mormon 02:09:00 What if BYU had hired you? 02:18:30 What took you so long to leave? ___________________ At Mormon Stories we explore, celebrate, and challenge Mormon culture through in-depth stories told by members and former members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints as well as scholars, authors, LDS apologists, and other professionals. Our overall mission is to: 1. Facilitate informed consent amongst LDS Church members, investigators, and non-members regarding Mormon history, doctrine, and theology 2. Support Mormons (and members of other high-demand religions) who are experiencing a religious faith crisis 3. Promote healing, growth and community for those who choose to leave the LDS Church or other high demand religions 🤝Help us continue to deliver quality content by becoming a donor today One-time or recurring donations: https://donorbox.org/mormon-stories?default_interval=m Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/mormonstories Venmo: https://account.venmo.com/u/mormonstories Paypal: https://paypal.me/mormonstories Join this channel to get access to perks: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCx6OgmoqJbOVRq-Lv1P7SzA/join Our Platforms: 🌐Mormon Stories Blog: https://www.mormonstories.org/episodes 🎙️Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/mormonstories ✳️Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/4sDzk7dRjODTSEqzZKZJzk?si=148b0efc1ccc4404&nd=1 🍎Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/mormon-stories-lds/id312094772 🖼️Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mormstories 📱TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@mormonstoriespodcast 🎮Discord: https://discord.com/invite/kuX5p6yyjF Contact us: 📧 MormonStories@gmail.com 📬PO Box 171085, Salt Lake City, UT 84117