Solomon Spalding
(b.1761 -- d.1816)
The Spalding Studies Site
Dedicated to Exploring the Solomon Spalding Authorship Claims for
The Book of Mormon --- and Uncovering Latter Day Saint Origins
All the old Spalding Studies resources have been distributed
throughout this site. The "old" gateway page is preserved here
The Rev. Solomon Spalding (1761-1816) was a lapsed Calvinist clergyman, a failed businessman, and the would-be author of a pre-historic American epic story explaining the lost civilization of the "Mound Builders." Since 1833 he has been credited by some scholars and writers as being the original author of a portion of The Book of Mormon.
In the one surviving manuscript from Solomon Spalding's reportedly voluminous set of fictional writings, the author demonstrates an unusual interest in fabricating ancient scriptures and crafting false religions. In his private life he seems to have been a deist or perhaps even an atheist. He enjoyed satirizing the religious practices and beliefs of his own day, but as a social humorist he was not very successful.
last updated:
Apr., 2006
In the last few years a multitude of Spalding Studies internet resouces have become available for both casual readers and dedicated investigators of history and religion. Today there are several web-sites featuring Spalding information, old texts, overviews of the authorship claims for The Book of Mormon, etc. As time permits, the "Spalding Links" section (see button on side panel) of this site will be be updated to provide a useful listing of on-line Spalding Studies resources. For example, for a collection of interesting reports on Solomon Spalding and the Book of Mormon, visit the Book of Mormon Studies Homepage. And while there, browse through the very interesting article by Craig Criddle: "Sidney Rigdon: Creating the Book of Mormon"
To find out more about the 2005 book, Who Really Wrote the Book of Mormon: The Spalding Enigma, visit the Mormon Studies Homepage.
amazon.com (search: "Vanick")www.cph.org (search: "Spalding")
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