Metcalfe argues that changes and discontinuities within the narrative are better explained by Joseph Smith composing a nineteenth-century work than by translating an ancient record. His analysis connects the sequence in which the text was produced with the development of its narrative and theology.
Metcalfe argues that the Book of Mormon’s wording should be examined alongside Smith’s other scriptural productions rather than beginning with its ancient self-description as an established conclusion. His comparisons of King James Bible passages and Smith’s later Bible revisions place the English text within an evolving process of scriptural composition, without specifying a dictation mechanism.