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 in trying to have an open discussion in regards to the Book of Mormon. Regarding it’s authenticity, have you had any questions regarding the integrity of the witnesses? For example, Oliver Cowdery, one of the supposed Three witnesses was excommunicated from the church. He claimed to…
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″ x 8″ by about 6″. See Articles of Faith, by Talmage, page 262, 34th ed.)
I’d love to give my own answer to this, but it’s already been answered by others. Here is a link to the standard LDS response about the weight of the plates, but…
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 it on his own? Could you, even with the help of your college education and the Internet write such a book? Before you answer, have you actually read the book from cover to cover? The idea that Joseph Smith, or any other person or group…
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 sneaky monkeys who shouldn’t be hired for your next archaeological expedition.
Here are a few links to various webpages containing information regarding archeology and the Book of Mormon:
Mike Sageloff’s photo pages one, two, and three.
Jeff Lindsay’s Book of Mormon evidences page.
FAIR’s extensive list of links on…
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 with them deseret, which, by interpretation, is a honey bee; and thus they did carry with them swarms of bees…”
Explanation: There’s no two ways about it–this claim is simply false. The fact is, there is plain evidence of honey bees in the Americas prior to the arrival of Columbus. In 1519…
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 was born in Bethlehem of Judaea…”
Explanation: This one’s pretty simple. There is “the city of Jerusalem” and “the land of Jerusalem” which encompasses many cities. For example, I was born in a hospital in Pasadena, CA although my parents lived in Arcadia at the time, and it’s all in Los Angeles county. So…
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
- Three degrees of glory
- Baptism for the dead
- Eternal progression
- The Aaronic Priesthood
- Temple works of washings, anointing, endowments, sealing.
The founder of Mormonism said the Book of Mormon was the most correct book of any book, including the Bible (History of the Church, Vol. 4, page 461), and that a man could get closer to God by following…
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, Mormonism, and the Book of Mormon use this to set up a false scenario, saying at least implying that Mormons are disparaging the Bible. This has led to people thinking that Mormons don’t even use or believe in the Bible. This is simply not true. Mormons…
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 about the existence of a “heavenly mother”? Where does it say that all humans existed prior to this earthly existence? Or how Jesus and Lucifer are brothers?
A: The Book of Mormon is an abridgment or summary of many other books, possibly hundreds of other books. Mormon was…
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. Here’s the logic of the critics in a nutshell and how it falls apart.
Critical claim: Mormons claim that all or most native Americans are descendants of the people in the Book of Mormon. The people in the BofM came from Jerusalem. The DNA of modern-day inhabitants of Jerusalem…
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 Latest I heard is that an honest Mormon has to admit that there isn’t an ounce of evidence to support the BOM. That was coming out of FARMS.
—————–
As of yet I haven’t followed up with my friend on this topic, but here’s an excellent write-up Archaeology and the Book of…
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 trying to hide things then the BofM would have a bunch of footnotes detailing the changes.
But the real reason there aren’t any footnotes about the changes is because the footnotes wouldn’t serve any purpose, other than to quiet those who complain about the lack of…
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 answer is that between the original 1830 printing of Book of Mormon and today’s printing (last updated in 1980) there are around 3,000-4,000 changes. Thousands of these were made by Joseph Smith himself after he reviewed the first printing and saw all the mistakes the…
