RFM blows up one of the most popular apologist theories for how the Book of Mormon can still be divinely inspired . . . even though it contains indisputable elements from Joseph Smith’s 19th Century environment. It’s called “The Expansion Theory.” It was created by Blake Ostler. And Mr. Ostler is not going to be happy about the thrashing RFM gives his theory. After this episode, the only thing that will be left of Ostler’s “Expansion Theory” is a mushroom-shaped cloud on the horizon. Don’t miss this one!
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I have a hard time envisioning an episode where Blake Ostler presents a case for the expansion theory to you. He doesn’t need to convince you that the Book of Mormon contains 19th century elements because you already see that; the case that he would have to make is that it also contains authentic ancient elements that Joseph Smith could not have derived from his environment. That case would be a master list of whichever apologetics for ancient authenticity he currently considers robust. That would shift all the burden of “disproof” to you. Any case you make for anachronistic influence wouldn’t matter. Under the rules of the expansion theory, anachronistic ideas don’t count as evidence against the Book of Mormon. All you could do is try to debunk positive arguments for ancient influence.
The expansion theory is a “heads I win, tails you lose” apology for the Book of Mormon. Within its framework, it can only be falsified by showing that there is no ancient element in the Book of Mormon that Joseph Smith could not have derived from his environment. In other words, one must prove that it is entirely modern. It cannot be falsified by showing even a large amount of 19th century influence.
RFM, you made an excellent point by showing that this is like requiring us to fully explain all of a magician’s tricks before we can conclude that he isn’t really magic. Bravo.
I’ve long thought, though, that the expansion theory is, in a way, unintentionally correct. Joseph Smith did in fact have access to an ancient Semitic record that he expanded into the Book of Mormon, but that ancient Semitic record is none other than the King James Bible. A charitable view of the Book of Mormon is that it is modern day Midrash.