In 1997 I purchased a book, Mormon Controversies: A Balanced Approach, by Joseph T. Carrieres, 1988. This book is well written and exposes the usual problems with Mormonism. Its one flaw is that the author considered Joseph Smith to have been basically honest. Its one highlight for me was the discussion (page 146f) of the possibility that the Book of Mormon was written by automatic writing (also called spirit writing).
         This type of writing, which has several forms, in summary is the very unusual power a person has to write or dictate several types of documents. The person with this capability can for hours on end, as fast as they can write or dictate, author sometimes very complex well written poems, single and multi-volume novels and short stories. The writing is frequently done by the medium of the Ouija board or crystals or stones. In some cases the "author" while writing can carry on conversations with others in the room. In some cases more than one person must be at the ouiga board. In many of the cases, where significant high quality writing results, the "author" is in communication with a "person" who has died, a spirit guide. In addition the "author" exhibits paranormal writing skill and knowledge not shown at any other time in his/her life. They know historical events and can describe geological and biological items they never were exposed to. Many can leave their work and when they pick it back up, even days later, they do not have to review past work before starting again. They just continue as if there were no break.  Some automatic writers see the words and or pictures of what they are writing in their mind. What becomes their writing is a description of what they see or they are reading/writing what they see.
         This idea that the Book of Mormon is the result of automatic writing was proposed also by Scott C. Dunn, in his article, "Spirit Writing, Another Look at the Book of Mormon," Sunstone, June 1985, Vol.10, No. 6, pages 17-26. This article is well written. It describes  several complex books that were written using automatic writing, identifies several well known authors that used it and compared this information to what is known about the way the Book of Mormon was authored.  Scott's conclusion is that the Book of Mormon could well have been authored by automatic writing.
         If you want to do your own reasearch on this subject, after you first read Scott C. Dunn's article, I suggest the following in the order given. Singer in the Shadows, the Strange Story of Patience Worth, by Irving Litvag, 1972; The Case of Patience Worth, by Walter Franklin Prince, first Ed. 1927, 2nd Ed. 1964; Automatic Writing, An Approach to the Unconscious, by Anita M. Muhl, M.D., first Ed. 1930, 2nd Ed. 1963; Swan On A Black Sea, A Study in Automatic Writing, the Cummins-Willett Scripts, transmitted by Geraldine Cummins, edited by Signe Toksvig, first Ed. 1965, revised 1970.
         Some Mormons have also considered automatic writing. John A. Widtsoe and Franklin S. Harris, Jr., in their book, Seven Claims of the Book of Mormon, page 21, briefly consider that Joseph Smith wrote the Book of Mormon by the aide of automatic writing. But they apparently did not understand what it was because they said: "...second, that Joseph Smith was afflicted with nervous ailments such as  epilepsy, resulting in automatic writing under the influence of which the book [Book of Mormon] was written."  Automatic writing was also known to Brigham Young (Journal of Discourses, 10:194, May 31, 1863) and Orson Pratt (Journal of Discourses, 7:38, January 2, 1859).
         The Bible speaks against the use of spirits, see Deuteronomy 18:10; 2 King 17:17; Leviticus 20:27; 1 Chronicles 10:13.

John Farkas
Berean Christian Ministries; P.O. Box 1091; Webster, NY 14580
E-mail: bcmmin@frontiernet.net
Web page: http://www.frontiernet.net/~bcmmin

art/autowrit
1997; Rev 2-3-99