Why should there be such a large number of Mormons in the field of science fiction and fantasy? The New York Times article quotes fantasy author Brandon Sanderson (another Mormon) as attributing this phenomenon to an "especially supportive literary culture, but also to an emphasis on reading in [LDS] homes." For example, Mormon parents are encouraged to have "family nights" with their children and a common activity during these "family nights" involves parents reading aloud to their children. Moreover, the preference of these Mormons authors to write for children and teenagers is said to be due to "a church-encouraged distaste for explicit material that can be found in adult fiction."
All of these explanations may be true. But I would also like to suggest that as authors of fiction, these Mormon writers are also very much following in the footsteps of the founder of their faith, Joseph Smith (1805-1844). I say this because Joseph Smith himself was arguably an author of a work of fiction, specifically, The Book of Mormon. I realize that members of the LDS Church would vehemently disagree with me, but I believe I am quite justified in making such an assertion.
The Book of Mormon is one of the key scriptures for Mormons. What is The Book of Mormon? As the website of the North American Board (NAMB) of the Southern Baptist Convention explains:
The Book of Mormon is purportedly the history of ancient American people who were descendants of pre-Babylonian exilic Jews. Led by a prophet named Lehi, Jewish refugees sailed to America around 600 B.C. and established a civilization in the New World. The descendants of Lehi divided into two groups-the Nephites, a race of righteous white people, and the Lamanites, a race of warlike, evil, and dark-skinned people. The Lamanites, according to Mormon teaching, were the ancestors of the Native American population of today. The Nephites, Mormons say, were destroyed in a series of battles with the Lamanites. The last Nephite leader, a man named Mormon, supposedly collected the records of his people and inscribed them on golden plates. His son, Moroni, the last surviving Nephite, buried the plates in a hill in what later became Manchester County, New York. The plates were recovered by Smith, in 1827, when the resurrected Moroni, appearing as an angel, told him where to dig. Moroni later took the plates to heaven.
Such are the claims of the LDS Church regarding The Book of Mormon. The problem is that there is absolutely no historical evidence for any of the events described in The Book of Mormon. For example, no ancient Nephite cities have been excavated in North America, nor have any genuine Hebrew inscriptions have been found. There is no evidence that the ancient inhabitants of North America practiced a form of Judaism. Moreover, as the NAMB website points out: "All evidence contradicts The Book of Mormon's accounts about the origin of American Indians; the earliest explorations of the New World; plant and animal life in the Americas; use of metal, steel, and silk by ancient Americans; and other supposed similarities between pre-Columbian Indian cultures and those of the Old World." Contrast this with the Bible. While it certainly cannot be claimed that archaeology proves that the Bible is divinely inspired, as the NAMB notes, "archaeological research has provided evidence for the historical reliability of the Bible. Many discoveries have confirmed names, cities, geographical locations, dates, political leaders, and other incidental information mentioned by the biblical writers." The Book of Mormon lacks that historical credibility.
If there is no basis for the claim that The Book of Mormon is a historical document, then it is logical to conclude that it is rather a work of fiction. Who wrote it? It would not be unreasonable to assume that Joseph Smith himself was the author. Smith may have taken some of the ideas contained in The Book of Mormon from other authors, however. As the NAMB points out: "Smith likely had access to several books written in the early 1800s containing fictional scenarios similar to that [sic] in the The Book of Mormon." Consequently, Smith probably "borrowed the ideas of several previous authors, combined them with story lines and passages taken from the King James Version of the Bible, and then wrote The Book of Mormon himself."
In short, it could be argued that there is a long tradition of fiction writing in Mormonism. The only difference between Smith and present-day Mormon authors is that the latter acknowledge that they are writing works of fiction. The tragedy is that Smith's fiction has led millions astray.
Image of Joseph Smith from Wikimedia Commons