The 1830 edition of the Book of Mormon named Joseph Smith as the "author and proprietor" of the book. This has caused some to wonder if the Prophet gave conflicting accounts about his role in bringing forth the Book of Mormon, since later editions name him as the "translator" of the book. This KnoWhy explores the question of why Joseph could be both the "author" and the "translator" of the Book of Mormon by the 19th century definitions of the words. Read at bit.ly/know507