If Mormonism is so wrong why do critics lie about it?

Question

Seriously, if mormonism is so blatantly wrong, why do people lie about what the Church teaches?

Ive always been one to believe that if something is false, the truth will make it very apparent. yet its clear that those who criticize mormonism have little actual knowledge about it or are just outright lying.

Like the claim Joseph Smith had no witnesses with him. Almost every single event of the restoration occured in the prescense of multiple people. Some testifying to they day they died that it really happened dispite falling out with Joseph and losing political power because of it.

Or claiming we don't believe in that salvation comes through Christ. Hello?! have you read the Book of Mormon? it doesnt get much clearer that we are saved through Christ!

Or the claim that we dont believe Christ divine. once again, the Book of Mormon proves it wrong! Even a casual reading of it would make that point very clear!

Or the outrageous claim that DNA science somehow disproves the Book of Mormon. Never mind the fact that no one has the requisite DNA to even test that theory.

Or that there is no archaeological evidence. Right… so the fact that Joseph described a route through Arabia that no one knew about that even has the name and description of places accurate is just a huge coincidence. You might not find it convincing archaeological evidence, but to say there is none is an outright lie.

And I haven’t even really scratched the surface. So seriously, if Mormonism is so wrong why lie about it? I can understand not believing it or being skeptical. But why try to confuse the facts if your position is so strong? It just doesn’t make any sense to me.

btw there are more than a dozen people who saw the plates the Book of Mormon is translated from. They wrote their testimonies in the beginning of the Book. Like I said, to claim there are no witnesses is just absurd.

Answer 1

It is easier to be deceived than you think. If the only "evidence" for Mormonism is within Mormonism, then that in itself is a clue. If they train you to see everyone as a hater that exposes Mormonism, then that will cause you to never think for yourself.

You think you're thinking for yourself, but you're actually thinking the way that they want you to think.

Answer 2

Umm.. I bet they lie because they have nothing better to do than annoy people, and drag a perfectly good faith around in the mud? It's the same with anything, I think. In the beginning stages of proving something one way or the other, nobody ever has proof. They just have speculations. Those speculations lead to investigations...etc.
The thing is, they probably didn't read The Book of Mormon. I wouldn't count on them ever reading it, either. The tragically uninformed usually like to stay tragically uninformed.
If someone actually could disprove the Book of Mormon with DNA, don't you think they'd keep going, and disprove the Bible? The public would never let that happen, they like flaunting power. It makes them feel powerful, and fills up the loneliness in their hearts.
That's not REALLY archaeological evidence. It's written, true, but not really archaeological. Maybe they're using some technicalities against the evidence.
I really don't know though. It might have something to do with the fact that they are liars, and don't believe lieing is wrong ?

Answer 3

To be fair there are many who do not believe and it is simple and easy to refute something you don't believe. It isn't a lie to say they believe a different doctrine, and have reasons to support their point of view.

I have personally found that the devote anti-mormons are in two camps. Former members have a knowledge of the teachings and seletively use them; and those who have no knowledge of the doctrine, and just pass on half-truths.

Either way it doesn't bother me. To be valid their arguments need the confirmation of the Holy Ghost. When I do not see the testimony for the Savior, I know know it not true. Neither is debating by a member of the Church helping unless it leads others to Christ.

Answer 4

I think part of the reason is that Satan is working so hard to try to prove us wrong. He knows what's right, and he's fighting against it in any way he can. Someone mentioned the 1/3 of the hosts of heaven leaving. That's true. Just because you see something, doesn't mean you will always support it. They had agency, the same as every man.

I think part of it also is that people want to believe what they believe. If something comes along that isn't the same, it scares them, and makes them want to prove that thing wrong.

Here's a site that talks about the archeology aspect of things. It's pretty interesting.

Answer 5

I suspect that those who make these claims are merely regurgitating the stuff they've heard. If you look into the movie "The God-Makers," and accompanying literature, you'll find that all the writers/producers have done is refer to each other to give themselves more validity.

"I'll quote you and you quote me, so we'll both look like we actually did research..."



This kind of circular logic is rampant in anti-LDS communities. The thing is that this kind of junk happens to the truth... Look at what happened to the OT prophets- they say something the people don't like, and they got stoned. Early Christians- same thing- they go around saying stuff the Romans, Jews didn't like, and they were killed for it. Even Joseph was killed because of his claims.

As Gamaliel says in Acts 5- If this work is false, the killing of the leader will topple the organization. Hm......

Answer 6

Because God granted people their agency. Did you ever consider the fact that 1/3 of the hosts of heaven fell away? They were in the presence of God, yet they still chose Satan. They are here now, spreading Satan's lies. If people do not have the gospel and it's light, we "live in a world where people are confused." The truth is, however, that it is only by asking the Lord that people will know the truth, by the "power of the Holy Ghost"

Answer 7

So there's this Israeli tribe, right, and they get in barrels and float across the Atlantic. They might have lost their way, but God guided them.

And when they settle in America they make use of animals like oxen, which there is no archaeological evidence for whatsoever, and no cows already living there when it was colonized. Crops like wheat as well.

And then they all became Indians/Native Americans. Sure.

"The Indians had stories of the man on the cross," said a Mormon missionary who accosted me in the High Street. So did numerous other religions, many pre-dating Christianity. And the Mayans built pyramids. Does that make them Egyptian?

Try living in the real world for a while.

Answer 8

Avatar!

Great post!

Answer 9

The 'notion' of nice people worshipping the deity of their choice is not wrong. The facts they use to support it are clearly misleading and undeniably false.

I'd have asked you to get the facts correct, then it occurred to me who I was responding to.

Answer 10

Your questions are too many to answer but let me try a few:

1. Why are critics lying about Mormonism? I would assume that you are saying why are they attacking it since, in your opinion, it is a valid Christian religion? However....

Journal of Discourses 5:73--"When the light came to me I saw that all the so-called Christian world was groveling in darkness."

Journal of Discourses 8:99--"With a regard to true theology, a more ignorant people never lived than the present so-called Christian world."

Journal of Discourses 6:25--"What! Are Christians ignorant? Yes, as ignorant of the things of God as the brute beast."

Orson Pratt (Mormon Apostle)--"..all other churches are entirely destitute of all authority from God; and any person who receives baptism of the Lord's supper from their hands highly offend God, for he looks upon them as the most corrupt of all people" (The Seer, pg 255)

Heber C. Kimball (First Counselor to Brigham Young)--"Christians - those poor, miserable priests Brother Brigham was speaking about - some of them are the biggest whoremasters there are on the earth..." (Journal of Discourses 5:39)

Who did you say was the problem here? These direct quotes are from Mormons about the other "religions."

2. The deity of Christ:
The Mormon doctrine is that God is truly not eternal since there was a time in the past when He did not exist - "Our Father in heaven according to the Prophet, had a Father, and since there has been a condition of this kind through all eternity, each Father had a Father" (Doctrines of Salvation 2:47)...President Joseph F. Smith taught: "I know that God is a being with body, parts and passions...Man was born of woman; Christ, the Savior, was born of woman; and God, the Father was born of woman" (Church News, 19 Sept, 1936, p.2). This would make not only Jesus but God the Father as nothing more than a special "creation" and not truly divine or eternal.

"Now hear it, O inhabitants of the earth, Jew and Gentile, Saint and sinner! When our father Adam came into the garden of Eden, he came into it with a celestial body, and brought Eve, one of his wives, with him. He helped to make and organize this world. He is Michael, the Archangel, the Ancient of Days! about whom holy men have written and spoken--He is our Father, and our God, and the only God with whom we have to do." (Brigham Young, Journal of Discourses 1:50)

"I have learned by experience that there is but one God that pertains to this people and he is the god that pertains to this earth--The first man. That first man sent his own son to redeem the world..."(Heber C. Kimball, Journal of Discourses 4:1)

These quotes are saying that Adam is God?

Also - "Our Father in heaven was once a man as we are now, capable of physical death...he and our mother in heaven were empowered to give birth to spirit children... (Achieving a Celestial Marriage, Copyright 1976, 1992 by Corporation of the President of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, page 132). This would mean that God the Father was limited to the life of a mortal man. Why would you want to believe in a God that was nothing more than a glorifed man?

3. Salvation through Christ - this can mean a lot of things by itself. I'll give you the Mormons may teach salvation through Christ, but what type of salvation? Salvation from what? Salvation to what? Do my good works play a part in my salvation or is the work Jesus did enough? You may need to be more specific to get an answer here.

4. You did not cover this one but I will - the Mormon doctrine that Jesus and Lucifer (Satan) are brothers!

"The appointment of Jesus to be the Savior of the world was contested by one of the other sons of God. He was called Lucifer, son of the morning. Haughty, ambitious, and covetous of power and glory, this spirit-brother of Jesus desperately tried to become the Savior of mankind." (Milton R. Hunter, Gospel Through the Ages, pg.15)

I could answer the valid questions you ask. But of course, some of the things you refer to are not ALWAYS asked or confronted. I have never made a point of Smith being alone, DNA evidence, or archaeology proof. My friend, please seek some better answers.
Try: http://www.contenderministries.org/mormonism/questions.php