Mormonism
Moderator: Moderators
Post #11
Hey em200727,
Good questions.
As all questions are, these have truth in them.
However, I feel that most questions become the most contorted when unqualified people delve into the deeper meanings of things. These people almost always include speculation to fill in the parts and details that allude their understanding when they reach a conflict.
It has happened to me before. I've gone exploring into something that I truly didn't understand and substituted in my own explanations for things without seeking guidance. This drew me off the right path that I should've taken for studying the topic, and in the end I wound up with something that was completely different from the truth. It took me ages to up root the 'false doctrine' that I had brewed up in myself when I found out that it wasn't close to teh truth at all. I believe the questions like these asked are such results of misguided research.
I don't mean to bash on anyone out there, but there are thousands of these 'misguided conclussions' in the media. If we decide to use the appropriate form of research and information gathering, the right answer will always be available. But if the appropriate form of research is not easily discernable, then one should search all the areas of possible conclussions as thoroughly as possible. Prayer is always good as well.
Sorry for the rambling... I'll get to the actual questions now...
1) Q: If the Book of Mormon is true then why has the Mormon church changed it?
A: (This answer is of my own personal study and conclussion.) To tell you the truth, I had never heard of the mormon church liberally editing the contents of it's pages until I started to openly use the internet for my research. Note: I have never come accross a Book of Mormon that was different from any other (exception for different languages).
Sure, we believe, as the years progress, that the first presidency (the leadership of the church) receives certian revelation (from God) that may make them feel impressed to include it in the message of the Book of Mormon. They do not alter the actual textual meanings found in the book. They continually add on to the back or front of the book were most of the modern-day revelations have been kept in the past (there is also a larger collection of Modern-day revelations kept in the book called The Doctrine and Covenants).
This topic seems to be very popular on the internet and I have never heard it anywere else in my life. For the documented changes in the Book of Mormon that you have cited (by the Tanner couple), I personally have never heard, seen, read, or ever had the tiniest inkling about. I have been reading The Book of Mormon ever since I could read (I started to learn how to read by reading it with my family) and have never found a discrepancy in its text that I wasn't able to sort out.
I feel that most of the reported "Changes" to the Book of Mormon are produced during the translation process. For Example....
German: Ich muss meine bett machen...
English: I need to make my bed...
Simple enough right?.... However...
German: Ich muss meine bett machen...
Literal translation: I must my bed make....
See how awkward that sounds?
(and you have licence to disagree with me on this)
I believe it is through small alterations required in the translation from language to language that causes most of the commotion. Also, Some languages don't have words for certian words found in other languages:
English: Marker
German: Buntstifte
Literal Translation: Colorful Stick (Bunt = bright color; Stifte = Stick)
I find the fact that English came from the German language (Deutch) as well as many others interesting. Both languages come from the same footing, yet they sound completely different. Imagine the contrast that must exist between English and a language that it didn't even originate from.
I believe it is the translation process that acounts for these "discrepancies"
searched for in The Book of Mormon, and that in truth, the original textual content is kept as similar as possible between all the different languages that the book is now published in.
Have you read the Book of Mormon? I won't be supprised if you say no...
many people believe it to be a death trap into which all that are not prepared will fall into....
(Shrug)
Now for question 2.....
Good questions.
As all questions are, these have truth in them.
However, I feel that most questions become the most contorted when unqualified people delve into the deeper meanings of things. These people almost always include speculation to fill in the parts and details that allude their understanding when they reach a conflict.
It has happened to me before. I've gone exploring into something that I truly didn't understand and substituted in my own explanations for things without seeking guidance. This drew me off the right path that I should've taken for studying the topic, and in the end I wound up with something that was completely different from the truth. It took me ages to up root the 'false doctrine' that I had brewed up in myself when I found out that it wasn't close to teh truth at all. I believe the questions like these asked are such results of misguided research.
I don't mean to bash on anyone out there, but there are thousands of these 'misguided conclussions' in the media. If we decide to use the appropriate form of research and information gathering, the right answer will always be available. But if the appropriate form of research is not easily discernable, then one should search all the areas of possible conclussions as thoroughly as possible. Prayer is always good as well.
Sorry for the rambling... I'll get to the actual questions now...
1) Q: If the Book of Mormon is true then why has the Mormon church changed it?
A: (This answer is of my own personal study and conclussion.) To tell you the truth, I had never heard of the mormon church liberally editing the contents of it's pages until I started to openly use the internet for my research. Note: I have never come accross a Book of Mormon that was different from any other (exception for different languages).
Sure, we believe, as the years progress, that the first presidency (the leadership of the church) receives certian revelation (from God) that may make them feel impressed to include it in the message of the Book of Mormon. They do not alter the actual textual meanings found in the book. They continually add on to the back or front of the book were most of the modern-day revelations have been kept in the past (there is also a larger collection of Modern-day revelations kept in the book called The Doctrine and Covenants).
This topic seems to be very popular on the internet and I have never heard it anywere else in my life. For the documented changes in the Book of Mormon that you have cited (by the Tanner couple), I personally have never heard, seen, read, or ever had the tiniest inkling about. I have been reading The Book of Mormon ever since I could read (I started to learn how to read by reading it with my family) and have never found a discrepancy in its text that I wasn't able to sort out.
I feel that most of the reported "Changes" to the Book of Mormon are produced during the translation process. For Example....
German: Ich muss meine bett machen...
English: I need to make my bed...
Simple enough right?.... However...
German: Ich muss meine bett machen...
Literal translation: I must my bed make....
See how awkward that sounds?
(and you have licence to disagree with me on this)
I believe it is through small alterations required in the translation from language to language that causes most of the commotion. Also, Some languages don't have words for certian words found in other languages:
English: Marker
German: Buntstifte
Literal Translation: Colorful Stick (Bunt = bright color; Stifte = Stick)
I find the fact that English came from the German language (Deutch) as well as many others interesting. Both languages come from the same footing, yet they sound completely different. Imagine the contrast that must exist between English and a language that it didn't even originate from.
I believe it is the translation process that acounts for these "discrepancies"
searched for in The Book of Mormon, and that in truth, the original textual content is kept as similar as possible between all the different languages that the book is now published in.
Have you read the Book of Mormon? I won't be supprised if you say no...
many people believe it to be a death trap into which all that are not prepared will fall into....
(Shrug)
Now for question 2.....
Post #12
2) Q: if Jesus was conceived as a result of a physical union between God and Mary, how was Jesus born of a virgin?
A: This one is rather famous, and yes I have heard of this one before. The Mormon stance on this is as follows (to the best of my understanding).
God did not do Mary... simple as that.
We believe in the immaculate conception of Jesus Christ through the power of the Holy Ghost and will of God. If God wants the socks on your feet to turn into cats without you noticing: it will happen. If God wants all the people in the world to all the sudden realize that Jesus is the Christ: it will happen. If God wants a beaultiful young virgin living on the Earth to bear his son, Jesus Christ: it will happen. And it did. No incest, lust or anything... If That stuff was involved, God would cease to be God...
However, God is the literal birth father of Jesus. This was necessary so that Jesus would have the traits of immortality passed on from his father so that he could withstand the physical taxations that were spent on his body when he suffered for all the sins of the world (We believe that this happened in the garden of Gethsemane). He also needed the mortal traits that would be passed on from his mother in order for the crussification. No person on this Earth could've killed Jesus out of their own volition and power. Jesus let them crucify him because it was God's plan.
Contrary to what certian people have written in the past, God doing Mary is not what we believe happened. The First Presidency has time and time again tried to keep Mormon Doctrine the same in everyone's eyes. However, there are always the misunderstood aspects of the religion that are investigated wrongly and inncorecct conclussions are reached through reckless searching...
Well, That sums up those, and trust me, I didn't even cover everything that's out there on these subjects; but I'm sure that I could not possibly present all the Mormon Doctrine out there in the proper light...
But I'll do my best......................................................
Does any of this bring up any other questions?
A: This one is rather famous, and yes I have heard of this one before. The Mormon stance on this is as follows (to the best of my understanding).
God did not do Mary... simple as that.
We believe in the immaculate conception of Jesus Christ through the power of the Holy Ghost and will of God. If God wants the socks on your feet to turn into cats without you noticing: it will happen. If God wants all the people in the world to all the sudden realize that Jesus is the Christ: it will happen. If God wants a beaultiful young virgin living on the Earth to bear his son, Jesus Christ: it will happen. And it did. No incest, lust or anything... If That stuff was involved, God would cease to be God...
However, God is the literal birth father of Jesus. This was necessary so that Jesus would have the traits of immortality passed on from his father so that he could withstand the physical taxations that were spent on his body when he suffered for all the sins of the world (We believe that this happened in the garden of Gethsemane). He also needed the mortal traits that would be passed on from his mother in order for the crussification. No person on this Earth could've killed Jesus out of their own volition and power. Jesus let them crucify him because it was God's plan.
Contrary to what certian people have written in the past, God doing Mary is not what we believe happened. The First Presidency has time and time again tried to keep Mormon Doctrine the same in everyone's eyes. However, there are always the misunderstood aspects of the religion that are investigated wrongly and inncorecct conclussions are reached through reckless searching...
Well, That sums up those, and trust me, I didn't even cover everything that's out there on these subjects; but I'm sure that I could not possibly present all the Mormon Doctrine out there in the proper light...
But I'll do my best......................................................
Does any of this bring up any other questions?
Post #13
the second question i got from a friend from i believe the Journal of Discourses Vol 1 i think around page 50 or what ever ya ok i guess i could give my personal questions hmm
here is one for you do you believe that the Bible is true?
here is one for you do you believe that the Bible is true?
Post #14
Yup you got to to be careful with your sources... 
Anything that does not officially state in text or audio that it has been approved by the First Presidency of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints cannot be viewed as absolute doctrine. Trust me, there are so many details out there that people get mixed around... I'm not even sure if I'm not flubbing any of them up....
(But I think I got it down for the most part)
Sorry if I start to get somewhat aggressive in my posting... If I do, tell me to mellow out a little and I should... Me and my overcharged self need to learn how to shut down the turbo jets every once in a while...
Yes, here's for question number 3:
3) Q: Do you believe that the Bible is true?
A: Yes! The bible is the word of God... Nothing difficult to understand about that. If you look at 2 Timothy 3: 16-17, it gives a very nicely laid out view of what all scripture is.
We see the Bible as the writing of ancient prophets inspired by God. If not more, we read the Bible just as much as any other book we have. However, we have two problems with it.
It's been abused...
People throughout the centuries have undoubtedly changed meanings, added more text, removed text, and worded things differently just to name a few. In a sense, we say that the world throughout the years has done to the bible, what question #2 says Mormons did to the Book of Mormon. But only we see it as the cumulation of thousands of years of abuse.
Soooo, we fixed it in an attempt to get as close to its original meaning. Joseph Smith, using the power of the holy Spirit, read it through and fixed it in all the places necessary.
You may think that he just went through and changed all the stuff that he felt opposed his new church's stance, but I truly believe that all the things that Joseph did in his life were inspired by God (except for teasing his little brother from time to time, ). The Mormon Church believes that the King James Version of the Bible is the most accurate out there, and we use it as much as we can.
Second Problem with the Bible is: Translation.
The transfer of the contents in the Bible to thoughts in our minds is one of the trickiest parts to reading Scripture. Take this phrase for example:
1 Cor. 15: 29
"Else what they do which are baptized for the dead, if the dead rise not at all? why are they then baptized for the dead?"
Some may read this and think that Paul is asking why these people bother to baptise the dead when they have no hope at all (or something along those lines)...
I read it and heard it as though Paul was asking the people why? if baptism for the dead doesn't work at all, then why do you baptise the dead? as though he was trying to make a point for their case.
(Mormons practice baptisms for the dead, this verse is one of the reasons why)
The eigth article of faith in the Mormon church states:
We believe the Bible to be the word of God as far as it is translated correctly; we also believe the Book of Mormon to be the word of God.
Some Mormon Missionaries have used the analogy of 'points and lines' to emphasize the relationship of the Book of Mormon to the Bible.
"Pretend The Bible is a point in the middle of a board... how many lines can you draw through that single point?
A: Millions of lines in any direction you want....
Pretend that the Book of Mormon is another point next to the Bible. How many lines can you draw through both those points?
A: Only one."
I believe that God gave us both the Bible and the Book of Mormon to help us find our way through life with the correct answers. The Bible will always give the right answers and council if it is translated correctly and comes from credible sources.
Hmm, that sort of sounded like rambling. I hope I got all that all out, clear, and understandable.
..........................................
Anything that does not officially state in text or audio that it has been approved by the First Presidency of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints cannot be viewed as absolute doctrine. Trust me, there are so many details out there that people get mixed around... I'm not even sure if I'm not flubbing any of them up....
(But I think I got it down for the most part)
Sorry if I start to get somewhat aggressive in my posting... If I do, tell me to mellow out a little and I should... Me and my overcharged self need to learn how to shut down the turbo jets every once in a while...
Yes, here's for question number 3:
3) Q: Do you believe that the Bible is true?
A: Yes! The bible is the word of God... Nothing difficult to understand about that. If you look at 2 Timothy 3: 16-17, it gives a very nicely laid out view of what all scripture is.
We see the Bible as the writing of ancient prophets inspired by God. If not more, we read the Bible just as much as any other book we have. However, we have two problems with it.
It's been abused...
People throughout the centuries have undoubtedly changed meanings, added more text, removed text, and worded things differently just to name a few. In a sense, we say that the world throughout the years has done to the bible, what question #2 says Mormons did to the Book of Mormon. But only we see it as the cumulation of thousands of years of abuse.
Soooo, we fixed it in an attempt to get as close to its original meaning. Joseph Smith, using the power of the holy Spirit, read it through and fixed it in all the places necessary.
You may think that he just went through and changed all the stuff that he felt opposed his new church's stance, but I truly believe that all the things that Joseph did in his life were inspired by God (except for teasing his little brother from time to time,
). The Mormon Church believes that the King James Version of the Bible is the most accurate out there, and we use it as much as we can.Second Problem with the Bible is: Translation.
The transfer of the contents in the Bible to thoughts in our minds is one of the trickiest parts to reading Scripture. Take this phrase for example:
1 Cor. 15: 29
"Else what they do which are baptized for the dead, if the dead rise not at all? why are they then baptized for the dead?"
Some may read this and think that Paul is asking why these people bother to baptise the dead when they have no hope at all (or something along those lines)...
I read it and heard it as though Paul was asking the people why? if baptism for the dead doesn't work at all, then why do you baptise the dead? as though he was trying to make a point for their case.
(Mormons practice baptisms for the dead, this verse is one of the reasons why)
The eigth article of faith in the Mormon church states:
We believe the Bible to be the word of God as far as it is translated correctly; we also believe the Book of Mormon to be the word of God.
Some Mormon Missionaries have used the analogy of 'points and lines' to emphasize the relationship of the Book of Mormon to the Bible.
"Pretend The Bible is a point in the middle of a board... how many lines can you draw through that single point?
A: Millions of lines in any direction you want....
Pretend that the Book of Mormon is another point next to the Bible. How many lines can you draw through both those points?
A: Only one."
I believe that God gave us both the Bible and the Book of Mormon to help us find our way through life with the correct answers. The Bible will always give the right answers and council if it is translated correctly and comes from credible sources.
Hmm, that sort of sounded like rambling. I hope I got all that all out, clear, and understandable.
..........................................
Post #16
sorry ive not had a reply in a while ive been studdyin for finals 
anyhow im confused if you think the Bible and the Book of Mormon are from God then why do they contradict so much and why does the some of the churches teachings differ from the Book of Mormon?
anyhow im confused if you think the Bible and the Book of Mormon are from God then why do they contradict so much and why does the some of the churches teachings differ from the Book of Mormon?
Defying Gravity
Mormonism
Post #17At best, the Book of Mormon was written using occult methods. It is also known for - among other things - its plagiarism of the King James Bible (using Victorian english in what is supposed to be an American translation of an ancient, historical record), the absence of archeological and historical records supporting the book's story, as well as an array of anachronisms.
If you would like more information on this you can go to this site.
http://www.apologeticsindex.org/m04ab.html You can also go to a lot of other site
The previous and the following information was from this site
Plant geneticist Simon Southerton was a Mormon bishop in Brisbane, Australia, when he woke up the morning of Aug. 3, 1998, to the shattering conclusion that his knowledge of science made it impossible for him to believe any longer in the Book of Mormon.
Two years later he started writing "Losing a Lost Tribe: Native Americans, DNA and the Mormon Church," published by Signature Books and due in stores next month. Along the way, he found a world of scholarship that has led him to conclude The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints belief is changing, but not through prophesy and revelation.
Rather, Southerton sees a behind-the-scenes revolution led by a small group of Brigham Young University scholars and their critics who are reinterpreting fundamental teachings of the Book of Mormon in light of DNA research findings. Along the way, he says, these apologist scholars, with the apparent blessing of church leadership, are contradicting church teachings about the origins of American Indians and Polynesians.
"You've got Mormon apologists in their own publications rejecting what prophets have been saying for decades. This becomes very troubling for ordinary members of the church," Southerton said.
If you would like more information on this you can go to this site.
http://www.apologeticsindex.org/m04ab.html You can also go to a lot of other site
The previous and the following information was from this site
Plant geneticist Simon Southerton was a Mormon bishop in Brisbane, Australia, when he woke up the morning of Aug. 3, 1998, to the shattering conclusion that his knowledge of science made it impossible for him to believe any longer in the Book of Mormon.
Two years later he started writing "Losing a Lost Tribe: Native Americans, DNA and the Mormon Church," published by Signature Books and due in stores next month. Along the way, he found a world of scholarship that has led him to conclude The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints belief is changing, but not through prophesy and revelation.
Rather, Southerton sees a behind-the-scenes revolution led by a small group of Brigham Young University scholars and their critics who are reinterpreting fundamental teachings of the Book of Mormon in light of DNA research findings. Along the way, he says, these apologist scholars, with the apparent blessing of church leadership, are contradicting church teachings about the origins of American Indians and Polynesians.
"You've got Mormon apologists in their own publications rejecting what prophets have been saying for decades. This becomes very troubling for ordinary members of the church," Southerton said.
Post #18
... ](*,)
All my life, I have been subject to these sort of accusations about the church over and over and over and over and over again. I cannot tell you how much I loathe them (these accusations), despise their antics, and hate to feel my heart disolve into nothing but an icey hole. I cannot tell you how much I love the LDS church. You may say "How in the freaking world could you love this church that has been 'proved' false over and over again! Your scripture is wrong! your practices are blasphemous! and you have been blinded by this cult that tries to hide everything from the world that it does"...
Please read all of the following... and reflect on your thoughts.
If you did read all the way through that...............................
It makes perfect sense doesn't it? If you think about it, there is no possible way for the bible, creationism, mankind comming from one couple, giant floods, mountians and rivers being moved just by faith, people standing in furnaces without being killed, and the attonment of Christ to be real... There is no way on this earth that a stupid religion that has almost half the entire world in its hands could be true with all the pure scientificly gathered data that we have... Why do you bother with this relligion stuff? Why do you insist on blinding yourselves? Why do pray to a God when all you're realy doing is wasting a solid portion of your life as you wisp up some fantasies about an over powerful being that does not exist?!?! THIS CHRISTIANDOM THING, THAT HAS SPAWNED FROM THE ILLUSIONED WRITINGS OF TWISTED AND DEAD, PROPHOSYDAL IDIOTS, IS THE WORST THING THAT HAS EVER BEEN ON THE FACE OF THE EARTH. IT CAUSED THE CRUSADES, CAUSES DAILY PROSECUTION BETWEEN OTHE RELIGIONS, RUINS INTERNATIONAL TIES BETWEEN COUNTRIES, AND BILLIONS UPON BILLIONS OF EVERYTHING ELSE!!!!
See how absolutely idiotic all that sounded... You know that the bible is the word of God and that nothing could ever change that... Try and ask yourself why... Why do you know that the bible is true?
Hopefully you do... and you've prayed to God about it...
Faith is blind... If we insist on seeing what we believe in... it's not faith...
We were put on this Earth for a reason, and it was to prove oursleves... To find our way back home...
I believe I have found my way, and you have found yours. Both of us think that our way is the only way to go...
Please try and understand what I'm trying to say here... I know it makes sense even in my mind....
Now............ Back to questions...
All my life, I have been subject to these sort of accusations about the church over and over and over and over and over again. I cannot tell you how much I loathe them (these accusations), despise their antics, and hate to feel my heart disolve into nothing but an icey hole. I cannot tell you how much I love the LDS church. You may say "How in the freaking world could you love this church that has been 'proved' false over and over again! Your scripture is wrong! your practices are blasphemous! and you have been blinded by this cult that tries to hide everything from the world that it does"...
Please read all of the following... and reflect on your thoughts.
If you didn't read all the way through that, Read it again...Recent Study Shows That the Bible Is Wrong The Christian Bible says the words of God and states that God is omnipotent and cannot lie. If you think about that statement you realize that if God is omnipotent then he should have the power to lie. The error could not be corrected by any additions made to the bible throughout the last two centuries. In order to fix that error and other scientific errors, too many changes would have to be made to the Bible. The Bible says that God created Earth in 6 days about 10,000 years ago. Clearly Earth could not have been created in 6 days about 10,000 years ago. If Earth is merely 10,000 years old then how do you explain the dinosaurs that existed millions of years ago? Scientists discovered life fossils that date back billions of years, even the skeletons of modern humans date back before the time of Adam and Eve. If we were to believe the Bible, then we would have to believe that God created Earth before the stars, which is impossible. If the stars were created 10,000 years ago, we wouldn't be able to see stars that were more than 10,000 light years away. That's because if a star were further away than 10,000 light years, the light from that star wouldn't have got here yet. Our galaxy alone is about 100,000 light years across. If the sayings of the Bible were true, we wouldn't be able to see but 1/10th the way across our own galaxy. We surely wouldn't be able to see other galaxies or galactic clusters or know that the universe is expanding. Therefore the Bible is just plain wrong Our modern technology has proven the Bible wrong. Meaning that if God exists, he didn't write the Bible and the Bible is not his word. If the Bible is the word of God and the Bible is wrong, then God is wrong. If God can't be wrong, then the Bible, which is wrong, can't be the word of God.
If you did read all the way through that...............................
It makes perfect sense doesn't it? If you think about it, there is no possible way for the bible, creationism, mankind comming from one couple, giant floods, mountians and rivers being moved just by faith, people standing in furnaces without being killed, and the attonment of Christ to be real... There is no way on this earth that a stupid religion that has almost half the entire world in its hands could be true with all the pure scientificly gathered data that we have... Why do you bother with this relligion stuff? Why do you insist on blinding yourselves? Why do pray to a God when all you're realy doing is wasting a solid portion of your life as you wisp up some fantasies about an over powerful being that does not exist?!?! THIS CHRISTIANDOM THING, THAT HAS SPAWNED FROM THE ILLUSIONED WRITINGS OF TWISTED AND DEAD, PROPHOSYDAL IDIOTS, IS THE WORST THING THAT HAS EVER BEEN ON THE FACE OF THE EARTH. IT CAUSED THE CRUSADES, CAUSES DAILY PROSECUTION BETWEEN OTHE RELIGIONS, RUINS INTERNATIONAL TIES BETWEEN COUNTRIES, AND BILLIONS UPON BILLIONS OF EVERYTHING ELSE!!!!
See how absolutely idiotic all that sounded... You know that the bible is the word of God and that nothing could ever change that... Try and ask yourself why... Why do you know that the bible is true?
Hopefully you do... and you've prayed to God about it...
Faith is blind... If we insist on seeing what we believe in... it's not faith...
We were put on this Earth for a reason, and it was to prove oursleves... To find our way back home...
I believe I have found my way, and you have found yours. Both of us think that our way is the only way to go...
Please try and understand what I'm trying to say here... I know it makes sense even in my mind....
Now............ Back to questions...
-
Dilettante
- Sage
- Posts: 964
- Joined: Sun Dec 19, 2004 7:08 pm
- Location: Spain
Post #19
Tycho23 wrote:
As for the Book of Mormon, I'm afraid its status as a product of the human imagination is no longer just a matter of opinion, but of having or not having investigated the facts thoroughly and objectively. That the Book of Mormon is not the translation of historical records of unknown ancient Hebrew tribes somehow stranded in Pre-Columbian America, but a 19th century frontier fiction authored by Joseph Smith himself is more than amply demonstrated. To begin with, Joseph Smith never translated a single line in his life. He could not translate ancient documents or even tell authentic ones from crude forgeries: the "Book of Abraham" fiasco and the Kinderhook Plates affair both prove this. The origins of Mormonism have been clouded in Romantic mythology and its history rewritten to suit the changing needs of the LDS leadership, so young Mormons frequently are totally unfamiliar with the original story.
I don't expect active LDS members to read "anti-Mormon" literature (although I recommend everyone to read what one's opponents have to say--they may be at least partially right), something which I've been told they're strongly discouraged to do. It would be enough for them to read "An Insider's View of Mormon Origins", Signature Books, Salt Lake City 2002 (ISBN: 1-56085-157-0) by faithful Mormon (and three-time director of LDS Institutes of Religion in California and Utah) Grant Palmer.
The Bible is a beautiful mixture of myth, poetry, epic narratives, religious precepts, chronicles, apologetics, prophecies, letters, etc. Part of it is based on fact, and part is literary elaboration. As far as I'm concerned, the Bible has been correctly translated into many languages other than English, and the King James Bible, beautiful as it is, is probably not the best for present day readers.What do you people all think about this stuff?...
(and your all entitled to you oppinions)...
As for the Book of Mormon, I'm afraid its status as a product of the human imagination is no longer just a matter of opinion, but of having or not having investigated the facts thoroughly and objectively. That the Book of Mormon is not the translation of historical records of unknown ancient Hebrew tribes somehow stranded in Pre-Columbian America, but a 19th century frontier fiction authored by Joseph Smith himself is more than amply demonstrated. To begin with, Joseph Smith never translated a single line in his life. He could not translate ancient documents or even tell authentic ones from crude forgeries: the "Book of Abraham" fiasco and the Kinderhook Plates affair both prove this. The origins of Mormonism have been clouded in Romantic mythology and its history rewritten to suit the changing needs of the LDS leadership, so young Mormons frequently are totally unfamiliar with the original story.
I don't expect active LDS members to read "anti-Mormon" literature (although I recommend everyone to read what one's opponents have to say--they may be at least partially right), something which I've been told they're strongly discouraged to do. It would be enough for them to read "An Insider's View of Mormon Origins", Signature Books, Salt Lake City 2002 (ISBN: 1-56085-157-0) by faithful Mormon (and three-time director of LDS Institutes of Religion in California and Utah) Grant Palmer.
Post #20
You're forgetting that most of the people that believe in the Book of Mormon, most likely believe that Joseph Smith was a prophet of God...To begin with, Joseph Smith never translated a single line in his life. He could not translate ancient documents or even tell authentic ones from crude forgeries
I doubt Moses got any practice doing miracles before he did all the great things he did.
(Hold on Pharaoh, this might not turn out how I want it. Let me go and hide behind this tent while I practice turning water into blood...)
Who says miracles can't happen today... If they can't, how gypped are we?
If you're saying this because of the differences of the english used in this bible to the english used in the present day: I disagree. I think you need the ancient english in there in order to get all the necessary meanings behind the doctrine. It would be a shame if you missed something just because someone was just trying to make the bible easier to 'understand'. Prayer and constant study is supposed to do that.the King James Bible, beautiful as it is, is probably not the best for present day readers.
Question #4
4) If you think the Bible and the Book of Mormon are from God then why do they contradict so much and why does the some of the churches teachings differ from the Book of Mormon?
A: The thing is, they don't. It all depends on your perspective as you read the books. If you just read the bible, then you're bound to interpret any way you want... However, if you have read the Book of Mormon and then choose to read the Bible, then you're bound to interpret it differently with your newfound knowledge. Your new interpretation most likely will be in alignment with the Book of Mormon (refer back to the 'point and line' example in the question to number three).
Trust me, I know what you mean by 'knowing what your opponent has to say'. But then again, other religions say the exact same thing about the Book of Mormon: 'Don't read it. if you do, you risk being corrupted and doomed!'. Our church leaders only say this about anti-mormon literature as to emphasize the same precautions.I don't expect active LDS members to read "anti-Mormon" literature (although I recommend everyone to read what one's opponents have to say--they may be at least partially right), something which I've been told they're strongly discouraged to do.
