What evidence shows that the 'Church of Christ Book of Mormon' is fiction?

The 'Book of Mormon' is considered fiction by many because there is a lack of archaeological and historical evidence to support its claims. For example, it describes civilizations and events that have no corroborating evidence in the historical record. Also, its origin story involves elements that seem more like religious myth - like the golden plates that were supposedly the source but were never really shown in a verifiable way.

The Mormon Church is a real religious organization. It has a significant presence and a defined set of beliefs and practices.

Within the Mormon faith, the Book of Mormon is seen as self - validating. The spiritual experiences of believers while reading and living by its teachings are considered evidence. But from an objective, non - religious standpoint, the evidence is lacking. There is no historical documentation outside of the Book of Mormon itself to support its stories. The languages and writing systems described in the book have no known counterparts in historical records. And the geographical features and migrations detailed in the Book of Mormon do not match up with current archaeological and geographical knowledge of the Americas.

Some people point to the narrative structure. It has a continuous story with characters, plots, and settings similar to a novel. For example, it tells of different groups migrating and their interactions. Also, the lack of archaeological evidence for some of the events described in the Book of Mormon makes some suspect it might be more of a fictional creation like a novel.

The claim of Mormon plagiarism from a fiction novel is a controversial one. Some people have noticed similarities between Mormon beliefs and certain fictional stories. However, it's not easy to prove plagiarism in a religious context. The Mormon faith has a long history of development, with its own set of prophets, revelations, and religious scholars. While the similarities might raise eyebrows, we need to consider that many religious ideas are influenced by the cultural and literary milieu of the time. It could be that some ideas were floating around in the general consciousness and were incorporated into both the fictional works and Mormon beliefs in different ways, without any intentional plagiarism.

Some point to similarities in plot or themes between the Book of Mormon and certain novels as evidence. But these could be coincidences.

Archaeological findings in some areas associated with Native American history have been considered as potential evidence. There are certain artifacts and site layouts that some people believe could be related to the events described in the Book of Mormon. However, these interpretations are highly controversial as many archaeologists have alternative explanations based on established scientific methods. Also, the cultural similarities in moral values and family structures between what is described in the Book of Mormon and some Native American cultures have been pointed out by some as evidence, but again, this is not conclusive proof.

In some cases, there have been reports of power - hungry individuals within the Church of Christ who would use their position to manipulate and control the members. They might isolate those who questioned their authority, causing psychological harm to the people involved. For example, they could spread false rumors about a member who dared to speak up against unfair practices, making the member an outcast in the community.

Most scholars and experts view the Book of Mormon as fictional. Its stories and accounts lack reliable external verification and don't align with established historical facts.

Yes, the Book of Mormon is considered fiction by many scholars and critics. It lacks historical and archaeological evidence to support its claims.