LDS Members please help me -- Book of Mormon ?

Question

If the Book of Mormon was engraved on gold plates thousands of years ago in "reformed Egyptian", why does it read in perfect 1611 King James Version English, even though that wasnt the language used by people in the days of Joseph Smith ?

Answer 1

The biggest problem about where it was copied from the KJV Bible isn't the exact language that was used but the fact that even the italicized words were included as part of the text without comment. Just so everyone knows. Those were were added to make the translation flow properly in English. It's not always possible to translate even from another Latin based language to English with out adding some wording to make it flow properly in syntax. But to add them as though they are part of the Scripture is wrong.. No not wrong EVIL is a better word... Jim

Answer 2

First, the Book of Mormon does not read in perfect 1611 King James Version English. If you had read the Book of Mormon, you would know this. However, there are parts that do read in perfect King James Version English, because they are in perfect 1611 King James English! He is quoting biblical scriptures that the Book of Mormon Prophets thought were of great import and wanted to ensure that we read them. The KJV of the bible was very commonly used at that time, so, as others have pointed out, it would only be natural to translate it into what would be familiar to those receiving it.

Interestingly enough, your argument, could also be used to refute the bible. Hugh Nibley pointed out that "when Jesus and the Apostles and, for that matter, the Angel Gabriel quote the [Hebrew] scriptures in the New Testament, do they recite from some mysterious Urtext? Do they quote the prophets of old in the ultimate original? . . . No, they do not. They quote the Septuagint, a Greek version of the Old Testament prepared in the third century B.C. Why so? Because that happened to be the received standard version of the Bible accepted by the readers of the Greek New Testament." (Collected Works of Hugh Nibley, Volume 8, p. 215) Should we also now doubt the bible? No, let's exercise a little bit of faith and some common sense.

It is obvious that you are copying anti-mormon questions from some website. If you really want to know if the Book of Mormon is true, why trust what man has to say? Read the Book of Mormon, pray to God about its truthfulness, live and practice its teachings and then you will know of a surety of its origin, whether they be of God or of man.

Good luck.

Answer 3

I would think this would be fairly obvious - When Joseph Smith translated it, that is what he spoke. So naturally it would read perfectly well in the language he spoke.
Just as someone doesn't translate word for word from Spanish into English, so too the plates weren't translated word for word/literal translation from Reformed Egyptian into KJV English.

Answer 4

You can't change the mind of the true believers. How would you like to admit that something you have invested thousands and thousands of hours of your time in was a complete waste? This is just to pain-full for many people. Good luck. Maybe you will spread seeds of doubt in the minds of closet doubters. You may even help keep someone out there from listening to the Mormon missionaries. Good job.

Answer 5

Joseph Smith had constantly read and studied the Holy Bible within his family. For whatever the reasons during the translation through the Urim and Thummin, the wording came forth very similar in the language of the English Bible for us. I can only assume the Lord wanted the Book of Mormon to read similarly.

Bear in mind that the translations of the Bible from Latin, to Hebrew, and to English didn't stay in its original form.

There are no "ifs" about it: the gold plates were inscribed in Reformed Egyptian and witnesses to that fact signed their affidavit or testimony to it. My strongest suggestion is to read the Book of Mormon and then pray to God if it is right or wrong.

But if you want one excuse or another not to believe in the Book of Mormon you will find it--just as millions of others do when their minds are hedged up from the truth.

Answer 6

This is a quote from Lee Strobel's The Case for Christ. It comes from an interview with John McRay, PH.D.

Although Joseph Smith claims his book of Mormon is "the most correct book of any book upon the earth" archaeology has repeatedly failed to substantiate its claims about events that supposedly occurred long ago in the Americas.

As authors John Ankerberg and John Weldon concluded in a book on the topic, "In other words no Book of Mormon cities have ever been located, no Book of Mormon person, place, nation or name has ever been found, no Book of Mormon artifacts, no Book of Mormon scriptures, no Book of Mormon inscriptions...nothing which demonstrates the Book of Mormon is anything other than myth or invention has ever been found."

Answer 7

It's because the Mormon cult is a fraud started by a wanted con artist, so wake up. All of it is based on a fictitious story written by a Catholic Bishop, The Book of Moroni.