Is Joseph Smith's account of the translation of The Book of Mormon true?

Answer 1

Joseph Smith more than likely an ordinary paranoid schizophrenic with delusions of grandeur.He was not well read or versed in the sciences.
But like many who have been diagnosed with this condition he was a great talker and a persuader with a great imagination.
An individual with an insight to see that America needed a new message.
He claimed he received a series of "visions" that dictated the book to him over several "visitations" with no witnesses.
This was at a time in American history, when the country was in disarray and many people felt very let down and disillusioned.
They were concerned about the potential for Americas development. Also its direction of its communal and spiritual values.
Some were searching for a new way of looking at things. Out of which hopefully, a new better more spiritual society could be born.
This was exactly what Joseph picked up on, and so developed his successful new way of enlightenment,based on his "visions".
Whether or not there was any validity to his clains of visions and visitations that dictated to him word for word The Book of Mormon as a new age Bible of its time. We will never be 110% sure.
We can only let our own logic and life experience guide us on that.
But,as history has revealed,many felt the need to believe him, and believed in what he said had happened.
They believed in his new way to the future.
With no really valid reason, other than his word that it was the truth.
They believed because of their own personal disillusionment with the present and thier identification with his message and promises for a better future.
So out of one man's thoughts beliefs and dreams, was created a recognised belief system.
One that has many followers today.
His followers find no need to question whether he made it up,or whether there was another explanation.
He died a martyar, in the opinion of those who follow his beliefs.
I guess it is up to the individual to choose if it was the truth, or if it even matters.
The same rules apply to all religions.
The Mormon belief system has not been so readily grasped by other Western countries.
Its main following remains traditionally in America.

Answer 2

reliable question. they don't prepare it because it would not artwork. utilizing a seer stone turned right into a prepare utilized by many practise magicians of Josephs time, alongside with a divining rod, which turned right into a present that God supposedly gave to Oliver Cowdery (D&C 6:10). The magic subculture became area of early Mormonism. study D. Micheal Quinn's "Early Mormonism and the Magic international View." Magic ultimately phased out of the church at the same time as human beings realized that this stuff do not artwork. it really is in simple terms superstition. And that is how the e book of Mormon got here to be.

Answer 3

A con-man already convicted in a court of law, Joseph Smith put two rocks into a hat and 'read' the inscriptions on the 'golden plates' which were in a box nearby. And millions of people believe this ridiculous crap!

Answer 4

Which account are your referring to? There are at least 9 of them. All of them have major contradictions between them about different things.
If a person today gave such widely divergent accounts of an accident, the police would have to conclude that this person did not see that accident or that this fellow was not credible.

Answer 5

That depends upon your perspective of what "truth" means.
Scientifically and historically...*not*.

Within the theology of hte Mormon Church...*yes*

Answer 6

He wrote it, kind of hard to prove him wrong.

Answer 7

I'm sure in his mind it was/is.