Mormonism’s origins have been variously located in Christian primitivism, the bible, and esoterica. integrating these influences, Jan Shipps has proposed that Mormonism formed in successive layers: Christian primitivist, then Hebraic, and finally esoteric. Shipps’ model is informed, useful, and—I will argue—mistaken. Mormonism’s Judaic character is intrinsic, not acquired. The object of this paper is to …