How do you make yourself believe the Mormon religion?

Question

There are so many reasons to believe that Joseph Smith was a story teller and not a prophet. Here are a few:
No wheel, horses or metalurgy in the Americas till the spaniards arrived so there is no way the war between the Lamanites and the Nephites could have happened....and there has never been a single sword or chariot from that time ever found (because they don't exist)
The genetic evidence supports science...not J. Smith. Native Americans are decendants of Euro-Asian tribes not Hebrew...besides dark skin is not a punishment, that is ridiculas.
There is no evidence that the Mayan ruins, which are post Jesus by about 800 years have any connection to ancient hebrew or Egyption.
To name a few...............................

Answer 1

SIC EM OOG

Answer 2

You're defiintly picking and choosing your "facts" and many of those that you claim prove the mormon church wrong either do nothing for or against the case OR they support it.

When Joseph Smith translated the Book of Mormon, everyone knew that the Spanish brought the first horses................until they found horse skeletal remains in the Americas dating to Book of Mormon times. The fact that he mentioned horses went against the science of the day, but is now accurate.

Google Chiasmus and then explain to us how he knew to include those....yet never mentioned them.

Have you been to the Jungles of Guatemala???? About the only thing that survives over time is pottery and sometimes bone. It's a rain forest. Metal doesn't last for 2000 years well.

Near eastern DNA markers have been found in some Native Americans. More support. Mormons do not claim that all native americans came from one group. The Book of Mormon alone discusses 3 different groups that came at different times.

Dark skin is the mark that one of their relatives was punished. You're right...it's not a punishment. Mormons don't claim that.

Ever heard of the Olmecs? Aztecs? they predated the maya. Some mayan cities were around during book of Mormon times. (Tikal for example).

Check your facts before you act like you know everything.

Answer 3

There is a very important way to determine the truthfulness of the book of Moromn, and hence Joseph Smith's claims, that go beyond "trusting" in unproven or purely scientific means. (After all, science says that God does not exisit).

That very important way is to follow these words of counsel:

And when ye shall receive these things, I would exhort you that ye would ask God, the Eternal Father, in the name of Christ, if these things are not true; and if ye shall ask with a sincere heart, with real intent, having faith in Christ, he will manifest the truth of it unto you, by the power of the Holy Ghost.
And by the power of the Holy Ghost ye may know the truth of all things.

I have done this and have received that witness and I cannot deny that God so spoke to me through the Holy Ghost.

Answer 4

Many fellow LDS are saying to read Jeff Lindsay's blog and all your questions will be answered.
This is blatantly not true!

Lindsay is just a man with no scholarly background that looks for truths surrounding the Book of Mormon. You can learn a lot by checking multiple sources, although he is a good researcher.
I prefer more recent non-Mormon sources, all only from 2007:

National Geographic on the pre-conquest boat migration of Non-Europeans to western S. America:
http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2007/06/070604-chickens.html

Archaeological Institute of America on Polynesians in the Americas:
http://www.archaeology.org/0801/topten/polynesian.html

Agriculture starting in New World and Old World at the same time (AIA again):
http://www.archaeology.org/0801/topten/polynesian.html

The AIA again, on ancient, recently understood, culturally unique solar observatories:
http://www.archaeology.org/0801/topten/solar_observatory.html

Polynesian Chickens in Chile (you guessed it.. AIA):
http://www.archaeology.org/0801/topten/chicken.html

Pre Incan Peru Temple Tells of Complex Civilization
(Discovery Channel, although the article leaves out a lot of big details):
http://dsc.discovery.com/news/2007/11/13/peru-temple-mural.html

----
That's just this year. How about a few years ago?


The British Museum on metallurgy in the Americas:
http://www.britishmuseum.org/explore/highlights/article_index/m/metallurgy_in_the_americas.aspx

Read aout the Chachapoyas (white, pre-European peoples also in... you guessed it.. western South America)(warning: PDF):
http://centromallqui.org.pe/chachaarki.website.pdf

The wheel and horses did exist in pre-conquest Mesoamerica, but scholars disagree on how long they were used before being reintroduced in 1519. A chariot-like device was used by the Olmecs, and swords with embedded steel-like blades have been well-known for centuries.
I'm skipping your other questions because they are too easy to look up, are based on bad science, or are blatantly false.

It's easy to say that your theory holds more truth when you skip half of the available research.

Answer 5

Bashers make me so sick, and tired of their ignorance! And once again, all of you neglect to mention YOUR OWN religions, as a shining example, for all of us uneducated LDS, to follow along, and join!!
How remiss of you cowards!! You are so pathetic!
The fact of the matters, that none of us, CARE what YOU, think!
We are completely satisfied with what we believe, as it GIVES us what we need, both mentally, and spiritually.! And trust me, that is all that matters, in the end.
So why don't all of you self-proclaimed Christians, continue to attack us all you want! We have very broad shoulders, and it will roll right off!!
And the people that are interested in the church, will find a way to get their questions answered, and they will see, through your lies and misdirection,.
The greatest proof IS, that WE have something. And you can't touch it, no matter how many times you try.

And that Is the why you attack us so vigorously.

And the proof is there too, that the Book of Mormon is true. People are too lazy to look for it, they would just rather slander, and defile, and denigrate, insult, and be vicious.
If that is what it takes, to get you all through the day?
BE OUR GUEST.

And we'll be laughing our heads off.


Anyone who wants the truth? Google Jeff Lindsay, and the truth will set you free.

Answer 6

I didn't MAKE myself believe the doctrines of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. I studied, had the missionary lessons, read the Bible and Book of Mormon, Doctrine and Covenants, etc and I prayed with an open mind and heart. I didn't have my mind made up either way. I was opened to what God told me. The Holy Ghost bore witness to me that the church was Christ's restored Gospel and that the Book of Mormon is the record of God's dealings with people who lived in what is now the Americas.

You are pointing out things that you think are inconsistencies with the Book of Mormon, there arer many similar things that can be said about the Bible. For one small example the Bible talks about corn.....problem is, they didn't have corn in that area of the world at that time. Does that make the Bible false??

http://www.fairlds.org/FAIR_Brochures/Anachronisms1.pdf

Answer 7

I don't believe in horses or chariots or metal. I believe in the restored gospel. It's too complicated to explain here why I know that stuff doesn't matter, so i'll refer you to Jeff Lindsay. He's answered all that stuff so I don't have to.

As far as why I believe it...I believe it because it's true. It's either totally true, or totally false, and there is too much for me to believe it's false.

Answer 8

i do no longer understand appropriate to the others, yet Mormons don't think in unique Sin. does not extremely make experience to have God carry us to blame for the movements of persons we've in no way even met, does it? we are purely to blame for our very own movements, yet we even have confidence in repentance, which takes away that "self-loathing" of yours. we don't loathe ourselves, through fact we have confidence that repentance and Christ can cleanse us of our sins. Why could we hate ourselves whilst we have confidence sins could be washed away particularly genuinely? and you're assuming we finally have been given in line interior the existence till now this and eagerly demanded trials. of direction we did no longer...yet we did comply with settle for hardships in this existence so we are in a position to grow to be greater suitable. We agreed to stand problems so we are in a position to enhance spiritually. It grew to become into in all hazard purely like making an appointment for the dentist--we knew we does not get excitement from the pains, yet we additionally knew they could income us and have been needed. Sweetie, I genuinely advise no offense by employing this, yet i'm uncertain you quite comprehend our perspectives in any respect. You view faith a undeniable way, and jointly because it extremely is obviously your actual, you seem greater desperate to locate the fault in our ideals than to extremely comprehend them. that's no longer a query requested for edification; it extremely is a poorly disguised rant against faith. cool down (and watch your language) and attempt to comprehend that we are no longer asking you to trust our ideals. we are purely looking forward to you to enable us to stay as we please. understand our actual to make possibilities for ourselves, through fact how can it extremely injury you for us to locate happiness in faith?

Answer 9

ROFL

Thanks! I needed a good laugh. No one has been able to disprove our faith in nearly 200 years. You won't do it here.

Answer 10

I never saw the cross, but I know Christ died for me. I have my own personal confirmation of the truth. I can't deny it.

Answer 11

How do you make yourself believe the Baptist religion? Each denomination has its share of ridiculous stuff.