Do they not belong with man?
Would not their existence prove once for all that Mormonism is truth?
God allowed the Jews to carry the 10 commandments for several centuries in their original physical form, written by the finger of God Himself!
2007-07-02 18:05:24 · 9 answers · asked by Me 4 in Society & Culture ➔ Religion & Spirituality
I used this argument one time before. The mormons didnt know what to say
2007-07-02 18:08:40 · answer #1 · answered by Anonymous · 4⤊ 1⤋
I see. You would like the gold plates to be kept like the stone tablets were kept by the Jews.
Well, just how were those stone tablets displayed? They were carried about in the ark of the covenant. Was anyone allowed to look at the stone tablets? No. Just to touch the ark of the covenant was death. So, how did the people know the tablets were really in the ark of the covenant? They didn't. They had to exercise faith.
Were those stone tablets ever examined by scientists? Where are the stone tablets today? What happened to them? Why did God allow them to disappear? Would not their existence prove once and for all that Moses really existed and God talked to him?
I don't mean to cast doubt on the Bible or the stone tablets. I believe Moses really did receive the law from God, as it states in the Bible. But God operates on a different principle than the doubters.
Suppose that the Mormons said that they still had the gold plates, but no one was allowed to look at them, just as no one was allowed to look at the stone tablets. Would you be satisfied then? Would you exercise faith, saying to yourselves, "I believe in their existence because the Mormons tell me they exist in their ark of the covenant, and I know we can trust them."
Or, to put it another way, would you have said in the years that followed Moses, "They only pretend to have the stone tablets in that ark of the covenant. If they really had the stone tablets then they would let us look at them."
I think it is a good thing we don't have the gold plates, if indeed we don't. You can't be sure that we don't and just don't talk about it. If we did have the plates we couldn't let you look at them anyway. Imagine the pressure that would be brought to bear if we announced we had the plates, but no one could look at them. Image all the doubters who would scoff at that. "If you have them, bring them out that we may know them." "If you are the Son of God, save yourself."
The doubters will never be satisfied.
2007-07-06 12:37:34 · answer #2 · answered by Doctor 7 · 2⤊ 0⤋
Times are different. The Jews were able to protect them because they were made of stone which isn't nearly as valuable (even back then) as gold is.
No, they don't belong to man. There is a great deal of the plates that are to remain sealed until the Second Coming. Why tempt otherwise humble servants of God, with not only gold, but also with additional knowledge, and lest we forget - sinning against God by attempting to do something He has said not to do.
2007-07-03 15:09:18 · answer #3 · answered by Tonya in TX - Duck 6 · 1⤊ 1⤋
Because with the gold plates there would be no need for faith. Faith is central to God's plan. Through choosing to follow God and act on faith we grow. We still have the Book of Mormon with us. The Jews having the ten commandments proves nothings, since any many could have written on the tablets. They only served as a reminder of the commandments. A set of gold plates appearing in a foreign language and translated correctly is much more proof than the original tablets, even though they both came about by the means of God.
2007-07-03 01:12:48 · answer #4 · answered by moonman 6 · 1⤊ 4⤋
I beleive the excuse the UT saints gave was "GOLD" gold diggers (like jo Smith himself, will come after the plates and either melt them down or still them. Gold being the main word.
You might be able to find a solomon freemason gold plates tale on the ed decker site that is a lot like the jo smith tale.
2007-07-04 09:06:34 · answer #5 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 1⤋
No, here is a more realistic scenario.
If we had the plates, then all sorts of "experts" would be trying to translate or decipher them, and would come up wtih all sorts of different translations and then there would be all these people saying "Joseph Smith didn't know what he was doing" or something like that. That is, if someone didn't steal them to either hold them hostage, or melt them down or sell them on the black market.
No, God knew what He was doing.
2007-07-03 15:43:00 · answer #6 · answered by mormon_4_jesus 7 · 1⤊ 1⤋
So nobody could demand to see them...and find that they didn't exist?
I don't mean to bash Mormonism, but really...come on.
2007-07-03 01:09:11 · answer #7 · answered by LadySuri 7 · 5⤊ 1⤋
So... Magical Mormon Golden Plates are fake, but Magical Jewish Stone Tablets are real?
Why is it that you can clearly see that the story of the Golden Plates is fake, but you still believe in the fairy tales of Christianity?
I think you're a hypocrite and a bigot.
2007-07-03 01:08:37 · answer #8 · answered by Anonymous · 3⤊ 5⤋
"So nobody could demand to see them...and find that they didn't exist?
I don't mean to bash Mormonism, but really...come on. "
Thanks LadySuri.
Why would I try to improve on the perfect answer?
2007-07-03 01:15:37 · answer #9 · answered by Anonymous · 3⤊ 1⤋