A professional problem solver investigates Mormon origins through the eyes of Bible critics, forensic scientists, logicians, statisticians, and above all, Sir Arthur Conan Doyle's famous detective, Sherlock Holmes. Based on these sources, Part 1 has important lessons in methodology, in non-technical language, for scholars and students of any ancient religious literature, including the Bible and the Book of Mormon. The remainder of the book applies these simple methods to the Book of Mormon, reconstructing the origins of the book in agreement with all of the evidence. It incorporates the work of the finest Mormon scholars and the most talented non-Mormon researchers. Many puzzling anomalies which have defied scholars on both sides are here explained for the first time. Yet the book doesn't claim to have the final answers. The concluding sections show what work remains to be done, especially by Mormon and non-Mormon scholars, working together.
The book is written not only for scholars, but for average readers of the Book of Mormon, and even for non-Mormons. It should be of interest to anyone who loves a good mystery story, and is eager to see how it all comes out in the end.