Roger Keller reasons that if the writings of latter-day prophets reflect their author's personal characteristics, then records left by ancient prophets should also contain features that distinguish their authors as individuals. In his published study, Professor Keller, of the Department of Church History and Doctrine at Brigham Young University, analyzes the traits that set each Book of Mormon author apart from the others.
One analysis involved the word "earth." According to Keller, while among the various authors, there are a few scattered references to the earth meaning the "ground," either as that to which people relate in some way, i.e., they fall on it, sit on it, etc., or as that stuff of which the earth is composed and which may bear fruit, be smitten, bear seeds, etc. . . . we find that 71.4 percent of all Mormon's uses of "earth" mean ground. Of those usages, 57.8 percent refer to people in relationship to the ground, and 42.2 percent refer to the ground as the essence of the earth, thus making Mormon distinctly different from all other authors with the possible exception of his son, who may have been influenced by his father's language (see illustration).
Based on his research, Professor Keller concludes:
I have no reluctance whatsoever in asserting that no one person could possibly have written the Book of Mormon. Either it is the product of massive collusion among numerous nineteenth-century persons, or it is precisely what it claims to be---an ancient book written by ancient people. There is simply no viable middle ground.
[Roger R. Keller, Book of Mormon Authors: Their Words and Messages, pp. 60, 73-77, 196]
Mormon 1:18 [They] began to hide up their treasures in the earth ([Illustration]): Figure 5: Earth---As Related to Humans. Figure 6: Earth---Ground as Ground. [Roger R. Keller, Book of Mormon Authors: Their Words and Messages, p. 74]