Devoted members of the church of jesus christ of latterday saints honor its founder, joseph smith, with saintlike reverence. Joseph smiths testimony on the lands of the nephites. The joseph smith translation of the bible and his false. Joseph smith received from god in 1833 called the word of wisdom. What church leaders are saying about the book of mormon. John milton, joseph smith, and the book of mormon author robert a. Pratt, oliver cowdery, joseph smith and the witnesses who claimed they saw the plates have told me, and in all of my intimacy with joseph smith he never told. The book of mormon is the most correct of any book on this earth, and the keystone of our religion, and a man would get nearer to god by abiding by its precepts, than any other book. The book of mormon is one of the most influential, as well as controversial, religious documents in american history, and is regarded as sacred scripture by followers around the world, including members of the church of jesus christ of latterday saints, the fourthlargest. Apr 03, 2009 udv4 crip how joseph smith wrote the book of mormon how joseph smith came up with mormonism anti mormon lds byu flds kbyu jesus christ lord master savior messiah king bible cult scam fraud lies. The salt lake tribune, october 3, 1998 octavo editions give readers a firsthand experience of a milestone text. Dec 23, 2015 perhaps the most powerful evidence i discovered related to the untrustworthy nature of joseph smith the founder of mormonism was the mormon scripture known as the book of abraham. How could joseph smith possibly have written the book of.
Athalia robinson, were present when that book was handed to me in mentor, ohio, and all i ever knew about the origin of the book of mormon was what parley p. It acknowledges both the good and the bad, and does not attempt to have the good cancel out the bad, or vice versa. In a new day for the book of mormon, terryl givens mentions that nonlds religious historian ann taves accepted the challenge to really study the origins of the book of mormon, and came to believe that. Joseph even explained that the egyptian meaning was different than the abrahamic meaning. Although men do hold priesthood powers in mormonism, a family cant be. Why do mormons continue to circulate the discredited book of mormon. It is a record of gods dealings with the ancient inhabitants of the americas. Coe suggests, the only model joseph smith might conceivably have heard about for control of subjugated peoples was the roman one, which was the opposite of the system used among the maya, and also the opposite of the system used in the book of mormon.
The following are quotes from joseph smith and a few others that shed much light on the subject. Prophecies about joseph smith bible references for lds. The book of mormon is another testament of jesus christ. If you do not allow these cookies then some or all of these services may not function properly. Mists of darkness and mocking voices will swirl, but deeply studying the book of mormon is major key to faith in jesus christ and in the mission of the prophet, joseph smith. Joseph smiths awareness of greek and latin religious. Reference to kolob is found in the book of abraham described here a work published by joseph smith, jr. Many of the central concepts of the mormon religion are laid out in the. Putting joseph smiths statement in its historical context includes examining the. Joseph smith characterized the book of mormon as the keystone of mormonism, and claimed that it was the most correct of any book on earth. An account written by the hand of mormon upon plates taken from the plates of nephi. Did joseph smith correctly translate facsimile 1 in the. Nauvoo relief society minute book the joseph smith papers. You will never see an antimormon admit that joseph smith correctly predicted people would one day translate egyptian.
Nov 16, 2011 joseph smith has done many things to enlighten the understanding of men throughout the restoration of the gospel. The book was written by ancient prophets through the spirit of prophecy and revelation. Prophecies about joseph smith bible references for lds beliefs. If any of these connections cannot be explained logically, they may still boil down to coincidence. Transcribed only once, from ancient writings, this book is an. Joseph smiths screw ups when he wrote the book of mormon duration. On november 28, 1841, the prophet joseph smith met with the nauvoo city.
It was first published in march 1830 by joseph smith as the book of mormon. I wish to mention here that the titlepage of the book of mormon is a literal translation, taken from the very last leaf, on the left hand side of the collection or book of plates, which contained the record which has been translated, the language of the whole running the same as all hebrew writing in general. Skeptics have put forth several theories of book of. Lots of answers here with an incredible amount of evidence. How the book of abraham exposes the false nature of mormonism. Did joseph smith use this newly discovered book to write. Hawes was hired by joseph smith and brought to kirtland, ohio, to teach greek and latin at the kirtland high school in the attic of the kirtland temple. As such joseph smith has proven to be inconsistent with his methods of translation and discerning text.
I told the brethren that the book of mormon was the most correct of any book on earth, and the keystone of our religion, and a man would get nearer to god by. Joseph smith has done many things to enlighten the understanding of men throughout the restoration of the gospel. How exactly did joseph smith translate the book of mormon. I told the brethren that the book of mormon was the most correct of any book on earth, and the keystone of our religion, he once said, and he turned to it for solutions to the last. But if the book of mormon is not translated correctly, then joseph smith is not a prophet. Teachings and doctrines of the book of mormon midterm. How is it that the book of mormon is correctin fact, the most correct of any book. The answer is joseph smith clearly did not use the book of breathings scroll for the book of abraham text. Initially, in 1828, he utilized the nephite interpreters, which he described as. When joseph smith was entrusted with the golden plates, he was also given a set of nephite interpreters and a breastplate. Bridgeman, who informed that one joseph smith of bainbridge was a disorderly person and an impostor. The book of mormon is a true volume of scripture, prophesied in the bible, and brought forth by god. This comparison of joseph smith and john milton focuses on their literary output and especially the preparation each had for dictating a long religious work, in miltons case paradise lost and in smiths the book of mormon. In a times and seasons editorial, october 1, 1842, the prophet joseph smith, after progressive study.
Did joseph smith correctly translate facsimile 2 in the book. Were joseph smiths translation instruments like the. How joseph smith and the early mormons challenged american. Joseph smith taught that the text contains the writings of the ancient biblical patriarch joseph. More on joseph smiths plagiarism in the book of mormon. Holding an 1830 first edition of the book of mormon can stir the souls of bibliophiles and believers alike. He was, however, prone to make silly mistakes, such as. The adoption of biblical archaisms in the book of mormon and other. When he was 24, smith published the book of mormon. Laurie mafflykipp, phd, is the archer alexander distinguished professor at the. Members of the church call him a prophet because, according to the traditional role of prophets recorded in the old and new testaments in the bible, he relied on revelation from god for teaching the people, and not on his own wisdom or learning. Nov 18, 2009 the quote comes from joseph smith, who was a true prophet. In july of 1835, an irishman named michael chandler arrived in kirtland ohio the home of the mormons at the time with an exhibit of four egyptian mummies and papyri. Smith when smith became general relief society president in 1901.
There is a small group of critics who hold to the theory that the production of the book of mormon was a conspiracy involving sidney rigdon, joseph smith, oliver cowdery and others. I told the brethren that the book of mormon was the most correct of any book on. Smiths holding school in their house and studying the bible bushman 2005. John milton, joseph smith, and the book of mormon byu studies. Could joseph smith have written the book of mormon. As such, i propose josephs initial study of stephens in the times and seasons in 1842 was the beginning of book of mormon archaeology, and may have even been the first invitation to pursue archaeological investigations of stephens ruins in middle america. Another testament of jesus christ behold, i am jesus christ, whom the prophets testified shall come into the world 3 nephi 11.
Emma hale smith, and perhaps her brother reuben hale, help as scribes for a portion of the book. Did joseph smith correctly translate facsimile 1 in the book. One figure, he said, was also a numerical figure, in egyptian. Joseph took the study of all subjects seriously in the broad and ambitious curriculum adopted by the kirtland school, which. Joseph smiths translation and publication of the book of mormon, excerpted by fairmormon. From the approximate book of mormon translation timeline. Bennett is known to have used the phrase in his inaugural address as nauvoos first mayor, published in times and seasons, february 15, 1841, 316.
Keystone of our religion i told the brethren that the book of mormon was the most correct of. The spalding manuscriptcritics claim that joseph smith either plagiarized or relied upon a manuscript by solomon spaulding to write the book of mormon. Critics have long accused joseph smith of stealing other works for the book of mormon, but at the end of the day what is most interesting is that most of the themes that are central to the book of mormon were already written. In regards to the geography of the book of mormon, he has left us his testimony. Joseph smith, to the mormons, is the prophet of god, and the book of mormon is his symbol. David persuitte, joseph smith and the origins of the book of mormon, p. The book of joseph is an untranslated text identified by joseph smith after analyzing egyptian papyri that came into his possession in 1835. Kolob is a star or planet described in mormon scripture.
Soon after the book of mormon was published in 1830, the prophet and his. For instance, i read that at first he used a seer stone instead of the urim and thummim which he placed in his hat and buried his face into the hat to block out the light. Another part of the statement, that the book of mormon is the most correct of. From the same papyri collection, smith produced the first part of the book of abraham, but was killed before any known part of the book of joseph was translated. In his book studies of the book of mormon, roberts concluded that joseph smith had sufficient imagination and was capable of producing the book of mormon even though he had little formal education. A new book, kingdom of nauvoo, examines joseph smiths. As the keystone holds the rest of the stones in place, so the book of mormon. Smith claimed that the book of mormon was the most correct of any book on. Prisoner joseph smith brought before court march 20, 1826. Having read bushmans rough stone rolling, i take it as the gold standard of historical work on joseph smith. Why wouldnt he at least try to destroy the evidence. Joseph smith and church leaders said they were characters such as you find upon the coffins of mummieshieroglyphs,etc.
Is the book of mormon the most correct book on earth. Perhaps the most powerful evidence i discovered related to the untrustworthy nature of joseph smith the founder of mormonism was the mormon scripture known as the book of abraham. Did joseph smith correctly translate facsimile 2 in the. Martin harris, david whitmer, william smith, isaac hale, joseph knight sr. Lets say that joseph smith wrote the book of mormon.
Dear gramps, i would like to know the exact way the prophet joseph translated the book of mormon. Keystone of our religion i told the brethren that the book of mormon was the most correct of any book on earth, and the keystone of our religion. The prophet joseph smith declared, i told the brethren that the book of mormon was the most correct of any book on earth, and the keystone of our religion, and a man would get nearer to god by abiding by its precepts, than by any other book. Penrose, relief society assistant secretary, who gave the book to bathsheba w. Skeptics hold the facsimiles to an egyptian context, while joseph smith provided a different context. Joseph smith was 16 when he received the first vision and book of. The book of mormon is a sacred text of the latter day saint movement, which, according to adherents, contains writings of ancient prophets who lived on the american continent from approximately 2200 bc to ad 421. Nauvoo museum development the book of mormon exploration challenge was not idle. Unlike most religious texts that are approached metaphorically, the book of mormon claims to be an historical history of the americas, which is a verifiable claim. Evidence indicates that joseph actively encouraged the study of latin and greek. John milton, joseph smith, and the book of mormon byu. Mormons have a very strong sense of the common good. The quote comes from joseph smith, who was a true prophet.
If, however, joseph smith was wrong and the prayer really should read lead us not into temptation, then that means he was wrong and was altering gods word in his supposed divine translation of the bible. Jun 18, 2016 joseph smiths screw ups when he wrote the book of mormon duration. Certainly joseph smith considered the book of mormon more than just a sign of his prophetic call. Discredit the book, and you discredit joseph smith. The book of mormon is a volume of holy scripture comparable to the bible, used by latter day saints. By the time of his death, 14 years later, he had attracted tens of thousands of followers and founded a religion that continues to the present. This is a reference to the book of mormon and the bible being companion books that compliment each other. Warrant issued upon written complaint upon oath of peter g. Ive included this under the joseph smith and the book of mormon references because the two go hand in hand. At the time of her death in 1887, the book came into the hands of dr. Additionally the church has made thousands of changes to his other translation, the book of mormon despite supposedly being inspired by god. Written by prophets to a people who lived in america long before white people ever came, some believe they were the beginnings of some native indian tribes.
Rees this comparison of joseph smith and john milton focuses on their literary output and especially the preparation each had for dictating a long religious work, in miltons case paradise lost and in smiths the book of mormon. See more ideas about joseph smith, church history and lds art. The book of mormon is a true volume of scripture, prophesied in. Did joseph smith use this newly discovered book to write the.
Udv4 crip how joseph smith wrote the book of mormon how joseph smith came up with mormonism anti mormon lds byu flds kbyu jesus christ lord master savior messiah king bible cult scam fraud lies. Smith was made a lieutenant general, a title previously held in the. I told the brethren that the book of mormon was the most correct of any. The book of mormon is a sacred text of the latter day saint movement, which adherents believe contains writings of ancient prophets who lived on the american continent from approximately 2200 bc to ad 421. According to most adherents of the latter day saint movement, the book of mormon is a 19thcentury translation of a record of ancient inhabitants of the american continent, which was written in a script which the book refers to as reformed egyptian. The spiritual text that forms the basis of mormonism, in the last edition edited by its founder, joseph smith, jr. The making of a prophet, dan vogel, a former mormon, imagines the scene when joseph cuts out the plates from tin and crafts them into a loosely fashioned book.
See more ideas about joseph smith, book of mormon and lds. How the book of abraham exposes the false nature of. The book of mormon is the most correct of any book on this earth, and the keystone of our religion, and a man would get nearer to god by abiding by its precepts, than. Joseph smith characterized the book of mormon as the keystone of mormonism, and claimed that it was the most correct of any.
By the time of his death, 14 years later, he had attracted tens of thousands of followers and founded a religion that continues to the present with millions of global adherents. Which scribes worked on which portions in the book of mormon. He said, i told the brethren that the book of mormon was the most correct of any book on earth, and the keystone of our religion, and a man would get nearer to god by abiding by its precepts, than by any other book book of mormon introduction. Page was presiding over a conference of the church held in. Book of mormon evidence joseph smith knew duration.
Joseph smith translates some of the characters himself. October 1st is the anniversary of a little known event in early church history that i believe, in consequence of significant research progress, now deserves recognition for identifying a region of major book of mormon lands and for initiating book of mormon archaeological historicity research. According to smith, kolob is the heavenly body nearest to the throne or residence of god. Why were afraid of mormons bu today boston university. The book of mormon by joseph smith, paperback barnes. It seems after reading these posts that the only possible answer is that the book of mormon happened just like joseph and others claim. This claim, as well as all claims to historical authenticity of the book of mormon, are rejected by nonlatter day saint historians and scientists. There is about an inch margin on the top, bottom, and right column. See more ideas about joseph smith, lds art and lds. Lds mormon joseph smith after all that has been said the greatest and most important. In the salt lake city messenger for august, 1971, we announced one of the most important discoveries since joseph smith founded the mormon church in 1830. The book quotes joseph smith saying that he never claimed to be a good man, but only to have been called of god.
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