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Comparison of Joseph Smith’s 1829 Letter to Oliver Cowdery with the Book of Mormon on common readability scores.
ATOS 9.6 8 Lexile 1150 8 (6–11) Fry Graph 9–10 9 Dale-Chall Adjusted Grade Level 8.4 11–12 SMOG 12.55 12 Flesch Kincaid Grade Level 15.74 High School plus 2 years Gunning Fog index 17.69 Post-Graduate year 1 Automated Readability Index (ARI) 17.50
Appendix
Original letter
Joseph’s letter to Oliver Cowdery, dated October 22, 1829 (I’ve ommitted the salutation and signature):
I would in form you that I arrived at home on sunday morning the 4th. after having a prosperous journy, and found all well the people are all friendly to us except a few who are in opposition to evry thing unless it is something that is axactly like themselves and two of our most formadable persacutors are now under censure and are cited to a tryal trial in the church for crimes which if true are worse than all the Gold Book business. we do not rejoice in the affliction of our enimies but we shall be glad to have truth prevail[.] there begins to be a great call for our books in this country the minds of the people are very much excited when they find that there is a copy right obtained and that there is really books about to be printed I have bought a horse of Mr. [Josiah] Stowell and want some one to come after it as soon as convenient Mr Stowell has a prospect of getting five or six hundred dollars he does not know certain that he can get it but he is a going to try and if he can get the money he wants to pay it in immediately for books we want to hear from you and know how you prosper in the good work, give our best respects to Father & Mother and all our brothers and Sisters to Mr. [Martin] Harris and all the company concerned tell them that our prayers are put up daily for them that they may be prospered in evry, good word and work and that they may be preserved from sin here and and from the consequen[c]e of sin here after and now dear brother be faithful in the discharge of evry duty looking for the reward of the righteous and now may God of his infinite mercy keep and preserve us spotless untill his coming and receive us all to rest with him in eternal repose through the attonement of Christ our Lord Amen
Grammar and punctuation corrected letter
My assumption is that the Book of Mormon submitted for readability testing was one corrected for grammar and with the addition of proper punctuation. I made minor grammatical corrections and added in basic punctuation, similar to what I believe has been done for the Book of Mormon (compare original manuscript here, noting that Joseph was dictating to a school teacher):
I would inform you that I arrived at home on Sunday morning the fourth. After having a prosperous journey, and found all well, the people are all friendly to us except a few who are in opposition to everything, unless it is something that is axactly like themselves, and two of our most formidable persecutors are now under censure and are cited to a trial in the Church for crimes which, if true, are worse than all the Gold Book business. We do not rejoice in the affliction of our enemies but we shall be glad to have truth prevail.
There begins to be a great call for our books in this country; the minds of the people are very much excited when they find that there is a copyright obtained and that there really are books about to be printed.
I have bought a horse from Mister Stowell and want someone to come after it as soon as is convenient.
Mister Stowell has a prospect of getting five or six hundred dollars, but he does not know for certain that he can get it, but he is a going to try, and if he can get the money he wants to pay it in immediately for books.
We want to hear from you and know how you prosper in the good work.
Give our best respects to Father and Mother and all our brothers and Sisters. To Mister Harris and all the company concerned tell them that our prayers are put up daily for them that they may be prospered in every good word and work and that they may be preserved from sin here and from the consequence of sin hereafter.
And now dear brother, be faithful in the discharge of every duty looking for the reward of the righteous.
And now, may God of his infinite mercy keep and preserve us spotless until his coming and receive us all to rest with him in eternal repose through the attonement of Christ our Lord, Amen.
Readability Scores
- Gunning Fog index: Indication of the number of years of formal education that a person requires in order to easily understand the text on the first reading.
- Coleman Liau index: Approximate representation of the U.S. grade level needed to comprehend the text.
- Flesch Kincaid Grade level: Approximate representation of the U.S. grade level needed to comprehend the text.
- Automated Readbility Index (ARI): Approximate representation of the U.S. grade level needed to comprehend the text.
- SMOG: Approximate representation of the U.S. grade level needed to comprehend the text.