Was the Book Of Mormon a load of rot?

Question

I find it rather hard to understand how people can believe that Joseph Smith wasn't delusional... please explain??

MEISSEN97- I didn't say it wasn't! How about some relevance?

Adan06 - thank you for your politeness, it's a rarity round here! I hope you have a good night too.

Meissen - firstly, the ''real issue'' here is the Book of Mormon's origins, as that is the subject of the question.

Secondly, be logical will you? You seem to presume that you know what my personal opinion on various beliefs are, judging by your Bible comment. What you said was completely irrelevant to this question.

Lastly - and this is of course arguable - you call Mormonism a 'religion', when many would argue that as these people follow Christ, they are Christian. IF you take that point of view, Mormonism is not a separate religion. That's a big can of worms, I know.

Do you think I ought to have asked about all religious sacred texts or tomes in this question?? If I had, that would involve a theological debate that could go on for millennia, and we have neither that much time or space on Yahoo Answers.

Answer 1

Joseph Smith was called a prophet
Dumb dumb dumb dumb dumb
He started the Mormon religion
Dumb dumb dumb dumb dumb.

Dumb dumb dumb dumb dumb
Joseph Smith was called a prophet-

Dumb dumb dumb dumb dumb
Many people believed Joseph
Dumb dumb dumb dumb dumb
And that night he-ee saw an angel
Dumb dumb dumb dumb dumb

Dumb dumb dumb dumb dumb

Joseph Smith was called a prophet
Dumb dumb dumb dumb dumb

Dumb dumb dumb dumb dumb

He found the stones and golden plates
Dumb dumb dumb dumb dumb
Even though nobody else ever saw them
Dumb dumb dumb dumb dumb

Dumb dumb dumb dumb dumb

Dumb dumb dumb dumb dumb

And that's how the Book of Mormon was written
Dumb dumb dumb dumb dumb
Dumb dadumb dumb dumb dumb dumb
Dumb dadumb dumb dumb dumb dumb
Dahumb dahumb dumb dumb dumb dumb
Dumb dumb dumb dumb duuumb, duuumb.

Martin went home to his wife
Dumb dumb dumb dumb dumb
And showed her pages from the Book of Mormon
Dumb dumb dumb dumb dumb

Lucy Harris smart smart smart
Smart smart smart smart smart

Martin Harris dumb dadumb-

Lucy Harris smart smart smart
Martin Harris dumb.
So Martin went on back to Smith
Said the pages had gone away
Smith got mad and told Martin
He needed to go pray
Dumb dumb dumb dumb dumb

Dumb dumb dumb dumb dumb

Dumb dumb dumb dumb dumb dumb dumb.

Answer 2

The "Book of Mormon" was based on several sources: "A View of the Hebrews" by Ethan Smith seems to have been the inspiration as well as "Manuscript Found" by Solomon Spaulding, but most of the evidence seems to be that this was an imaginative story told by Smith as a child. The concept that the Indians were part of the Lost Tribes of Israel had been 'proved' by several early Americans (mostly lawyers), and was common thought among the early American settlers. Obviously the Indian burial mounds of the Mississippi Culture underscored that belief.

The 1820s was also a time of religious and social experimentation: The world first Democratic government had been established offering unprecedented freedoms, than there "State Church" no longer existed. It was a free for all, and Smith was a willing and active participant.

He was also brilliant, but unlearned. When he dictated his manuscript, the ploy to cover his poor story was that he was 'translating' it from ancient records found buried in a hill - also a common myth among New Englanders.

'Rot' may be too kind. It is a hoax based on a lie, and that equates to male bovine feces.

Answer 3

I'll admit, the idea that Hebrews lived in Vermont and left some golden plates with ancient writing on them (conveniently lost after they were translated by looking into hat) sounds far-fetched.

But then again, so does the idea that the world's problems come from a talking snake who told a woman created from a rib to eat piece of fruit when the big invisible man said "No".

Answer 4

It makes sense to me and more so than the Bible (which has some relevance but is not written for our times).
I like the way I feel when I read it when I have the Spirit.
I don't read fiction but if it is then it makes the best novel I have ever read!! And that can't be a bad thing when it makes me to try better.
Not sure if Joseph Smith was delusional. Probably not any more than you or I. I didn't meet him but I have read about him. He seems normal like a man.

Answer 5

Absolutely

MORMONS

The foundation of the Mormon church rests entirely on the validity of Joseph Smith being a true prophet of God, the church stands or falls on him. He was the only one to have received the revelation from the angel Moroni, there were no other witnesses. He was the one who translated the gold plates, he wrote the book, he made the rules and he prophesied the prophesies. So therefore if Joseph Smith can be proven to be a false prophet the whole of the Mormon church must fall. This study strives to show you where God's word the Bible, and Joseph Smith are in contradiction.

Summary

Mormonism has much in common with Islam. Both religions claim to have a prophet who rose since Christ’s irrivocable atonement and have claimed to have had a further revelation.

To Mormans and to Muslims it can be said that Christ’s sacrifice was ‘once for all’. This means that it was complete and that Jesus is the only means of salvation. Therefore Joseph Smith and Mohammed are false prophets since there is no further revelation necessary. The bible says that whoever believes in God’s Son shall not perish, but have everlasting life. It does not say ‘whoever believes in Jesus and Joseph Smith shall have everlasting life.’

Required Standards For Prophets

But a prophet who presumes to speak in my name anything I have not commanded him to say, or a prophet who speaks in the name of other gods, must be put to death. You may say to yourselves, how can we say when a message has not been spoken by the Lord? If what a prophet proclaims in the name of the Lord does not take place or come true, this is a message the Lord has not spoken. That prophet has spoken presumptuously. Do not be afraid of him.

Joseph Smith prophesies the coming of the Lord and the last days.

WHAT JOSEPH SMITH SAYS For not many days hence and the earth shall tremble and reel to and fro as a drunken man: and the sun shall hide his face, and shall refuse to give light; and the moon shall be bathed in blood; and the stars shall become exceedingly angry, and shall cast themselves down as a fig that falleth from a fig tree. [Doctrine and Covenants sec. 88:87].

Joseph my son, if thou livest until thou art eighty five years old, thou shalt see the face of the Son of Man. [Doctrine and Covenants sec. 130:15]. April 2 1843.

 Joseph Smith never lived till he was eighty five, also Jesus never came back in 1890 when Smith would have been eighty five.

HISTORY OF THE CHURCH Feb. 1835 page 182. ......should be ordained to the ministry, and go forth to prune the vineyard for the last time, or the coming of the Lord, which is nigh-even fifty six years should wind up the scene.

 Jesus didn't come back in 1891 either.

WHAT THE BIBLE SAYS about the last days. No-one knows about that day or hour, not even the angels in heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father.


MEN ON THE MOON

Hyrum Smith prophesies that there is men living on the sun and the moon. April 27th 1843.

Hyrum Smith is Joseph Smiths brother and Joseph Smith never contradicted this statement.

JOURNAL OF DISCOURSES Who can tell us of the inhabitants of this little planet that shines of an evening called the moon.......
when you inquire about the inhabitants of that sphere you find that the most learned are as ignorant of their fellows. So it is with regard to the inhabitants of the sun. Do you think it is inhabited? I rather think it is. Do you think there is life there? No question of it; it was not made in vain.

In the Young Womens magazine, a Mormon publication, O.B. Huntington declares that as early as 1837 Joseph Smith said that men and women inhabit the moon the same as on earth and that they live to a greater age than we do, about 1000 years. Page 263.

 Men living on the moon and on the sun??????????


JACKSON COUNTY TEMPLE

Joseph Smith prophesies the building of a Mormon temple in Jackson county, Missouri. This would be built during the lifespan of the present generation in 1832.

DOCTRINE AND COVENANTS section 84:3 Which city shall be built beginning at the temple lot, which is appointed by the finger of the Lord, in the western boundaries of the state of Missouri, and dedicated by the hand of Joseph Smith Jnr. and others with whom the Lord was well pleased. 4. Verily this is the word of the Lord, that the city New Jerusalem shall be built by the gathering of the saints, beginning at this place, even the place of the temple which temple shall be reared in this generation. 5. For verily this generation shall not all pass away until a house be built unto the Lord, and a cloud shall rest upon it, which cloud shall be even the glory of the Lord, which shall fill the house.........31. the house of the Lord, which house shall be built unto the Lord in this generation, upon the consecrated spot as I have appointed.

JOURNAL OF DISCOURSES Vol. 17 page 111. God said, in the year 1832 before we were driven out of Jackson county, in a revelation which you will find here in this book, that before that generation should all pass away, a house of the Lord should be built in that county, [Jackson county] "upon the consecrated spot, as I have appointed; and the glory of the Lord, even a cloud by day and a pillar of flaming fire by night shall rest upon the same".

 This was prophesied in 1832 and no building was built. Surely that generation has now all passed away.

Answer 6

It is rather hard to figure out why God would have hidden the lost books of the Bible on a continent that hadn't even been discovered.

Answer 7

Not a load of rot, but a fascinating story written by an amazing author. But still completely untrue.

If you want to see how crazy he got towards the end, read the Doctrine and Covenants.

Answer 8

Can't sleep? Read the Book of Mormon. Just plain horrible literature for one thing.

Answer 9

No. It is hard to believe that people will not read it and find something, at least one verse, that is uplifting and personally rewarding. You do not have to treat it as scripture to find important principles. My favorite is "when you are in the service of your fellow man, you are only in the service of your God. Is that rot?

Answer 10

No one, especially with the limited education tat Joseph Smith had, could have made up the Book of Mormon.

Answer 11

Geezah has said it all and so much better than I could.