Is the Book of Mormon false? Does the Book of Mormon contradict the Bible? Do Mormons use the Book of Mormon instead of the Bible?
This is not in response to those who seek to invalidate the Book of Mormon or Joseph Smith as a prophet by attempting to show that the Book of Mormon was not a perfect translation and therefore Joseph Smith was not a prophet, the LDS Church is not true, etc. I’m not trying to start … Read more
One of the older criticisms of the Book of Mormon and Joseph Smith is that the Book of Mormon was plagiarized, or at least inspired, by the 1825 book View of the Hebrews by Ethan Smith…hey, they’ve even both got the last name! One more suspicious circumstance… From Wikipedia: View of the Hebrews is an 1823 … Read more
Mormons have frequently been decried as racists. These claims seem to come from three sources: 1. Apparently racist statements from the 2nd President and prophet of the Church, Brigham Young. 2. The policy of the LDS Church excluding blacks from holding the Priesthood until 1978. 3. Passages from the Book of Mormon regarding two peoples, … Read more
This question was recently put to me by a reader DMT on this website: In 2 Nephi 3:24 it reads: “And there shall rise up one mighty among them”.. The Book of Mormon today has in the footnote for this verse “Joseph Smith” as being the one who will rise up, however, earlier versions of … Read more
There are many who believe the Book of Mormon is true. There are many who believe it is false. Most people have never heard of it or don’t care one way or the other. If you fall into one of the latter two camps of thought, I’d be interested to know your opinion on what … Read more
In 1952 LDS scholar Hugh Nibley made the statement “it will not be long before men forget that in Joseph Smith’s day the prophet was mocked and derided for his description of the plates more than anything else.” You see, at the time Joseph Smith published the Book of Mormon, he was heavily criticized because … Read more
I’m not sure how such a post has never made it on to the website, given the name of the website, but better late than never, I suppose. There are quite extensive posts on this elsewhere, although I think the best resource for detailed information on Mormons and DNA is from Jeff Lindsay’s site. But … Read more
This post is based on comments left on a different thread by Jed Smith asking “If Joseph Smith was a fraud where did the Book of Mormon come from?” But since the comment was off-topic, I’ve copied and pasted it here for response. The comment: Josh, I appreciate what you are trying to do also … Read more
The full question asked as part of many anti-Mormon pamphlets is: How did Joseph Smith carry home the golden plates of the Book of Mormon, and how did the witnesses lift them so easily? (They weighed about 230 lbs. Gold, with a density of 19.3 weighs 1204.7 lbs. per cubic foot. The plates were 7″ … Read more
Critics say the Book of Mormon is not the word of God, that it is a fraud and false. So then what is your explanation for the existence of the book? It must have come from somewhere. Joseph Smith had an elementary school education and wasn’t known for having great writing skills. Did he write … Read more
While Mormons base their belief in the Book of Mormon on direct communication with God regarding the matter, it’s still fun to see archaeological evidence that supports the Book of Mormon, and a lack of such evidence is commonly used by anti-Mormons as proof that the Book of Mormon is false, and that Mormons are … Read more
Refutation of claim on the CARM website. Claim: The Book of Mormon talks of honey bees, but honey bees were introduced to the Americans by the Spanish. Therefore the Book of Mormon is false and you should not hire Mormons for any of your pollination needs. Reference: Ether 2:3 – “And they did also carry … Read more
Refutation of a claim on CARM’s website. Claim: Alma 7:10 contradicts the Bible in Matt. 2:1, therefore the Book of Mormon is false and Mormons are sneaky monkeys. References: Alma 7:10 – “And behold, he shall be born of Mary, at Jerusalem which is the land of our forefathers…” Matthew 2:1 – “Now when Jesus … Read more
Q: If the Book of Mormon is the “most correct book of any on earth” (History of the Church, vol. 4:461), then why does it not contain essential Mormon doctrines such as… Church organization Plurality of Gods Plurality of wives doctrine Word of Wisdom God is an exalted man Celestial marriage Men may become Gods … Read more
Oh, it’s even worse than that! Joseph Smith said “I told the brethren that the Book of Mormon was the most correct of any book on earth, and the keystone of our religion, and a man would get nearer to God by abiding by its precepts, than by any other book.” Critics of Joseph Smith, … Read more
Q: If we are to believe that the Nephites are truly ancient “Mormons,” where in the Book of Mormon does it say they held the Melchizedek priesthood? Where does it say they practiced baptism for the dead? Or believe that men can become Gods? How about God having a body of flesh and bones? What … Read more
Well, not so quick Sparky. I’ve watched the DNA vs. the Book of Mormon video on YouTube and the “science” contained in it wouldn’t stand up to the most superficial scrutiny of any self-respecting scientist. Heck, I’m not a scientist, and I’m lacking in self-respect, and it didn’t even stand up to my superficial scrutiny. … Read more
Q: Every turn of a shovel in the Middle East brings up support for the Bible. Where is all of that archeolgical support for the BOM? A: There’s quite a bit of archaeological evidence in Central America that supports the BofM. I could refer you some books on the matter if you’re interested. Q: The … Read more
This is a follow up to this post about the thousands of changes to the Book of Mormon. My friend asked me why, if there are all these changes, aren’t there footnotes in the BofM to explain what they are? The assumption made by some is that if the LDS Church weren’t super-sneaky and always … Read more
This is the question from my friend that started it all. Luckily the LDS Church had just published an article dealing with this topic in some depth, and below you can read the back and forth discussion my friend and I had on the matter. But if you want the nutshell version of things, the … Read more