Final answer:
According to Hugh Nibley, Joseph Smith could not have written the book because he lacked the necessary education and knowledge. Nibley also pointed out the linguistic and literary elements in the Book of Mormon that were not known during Smith's time. Additionally, the rapid and flawless dictation process of the book was seen as evidence against Smith's authorship.
Step-by-step explanation:
In regards to why Joseph couldn't have written the book, Hugh Nibley argued that Joseph Smith was not capable of producing such a complex work on his own. Nibley suggested that Smith lacked the necessary education, knowledge, and resources to create a book with intricate details about ancient civilizations, cultures, and languages.
Nibley also pointed out that the Book of Mormon contains several linguistic elements and ancient Near Eastern literary forms that were not known or recognized during Smith's time. Nibley believed that these aspects of the book provided strong evidence against the idea that Joseph Smith could have authored it.
Furthermore, Nibley highlighted the fact that Smith dictated the Book of Mormon in a short amount of time, without making any revisions or edits. According to Nibley, this rapid and flawless dictation process is not consistent with the way authors typically produce written works.