Posted on 10/30/2009 11:35:33 AM PDT by Godzilla
It was, for its day, as big a book-selling phenomenon as Harry Potter. For decades it was a No. 1 best-selling phenomenon unlike anything seen before in America.
And Joseph Smith loved it.
Or did he?
(Excerpt) Read more at mormontimes.com ...
Ping
I am not in the least bit anti-LDS. Nor would I ever think of voting for or against a political candidate because of his or her Mormon faith. Of the Mormons I know—all are deeply religious, God fearing, moral, and absolutely outstanding citizens. The polygamy thing I think is confined to a tiny cult outside the mainstream Mormon church.
Now, that all said, one time several years ago I spent the night at a Marriott Hotel. On the nightstand was a Mormon bible and I skimmed through it. It was very strange. I never saw anything like the stories I saw in the Mormon bible anywhere else. I began to wonder who wrote it and on what basis.
According to Amazon.com, “Incidents of Travel in Central America, Chiapas, and Yucatan” was first published in 1841. The Book of Mormon was first published in 1830. Are you suggesting that in writing the Book of Mormon, Joseph Smith plagarized a book that wouldn’t be published for another 11 years?
By and large, that is the image projected to the non-mormon public. However, consider Utah with the largest percentage of mormons in the country also has one of the highest levels of depression in the nation. That 'image' may be a cardboard cut out.
The polygamy thing I think is confined to a tiny cult outside the mainstream Mormon church.
Actually, that tiny sect (Fundamentalist Latter Day Saints -FLDS) is practicing polygamy in the same manner as was practiced by all mormonism, starting with Joseph Smith - founder of mormonism - who received a revelation from God in 1831 and published it later in Mormon scripture called Doctrine and Covenants, Section 132 did until it was forced stop the practice in 1870 when President Wilford Woodruff issued his famous Manifesto essentially saying that this same mormon God had changed his mind regarding polygamy. BTW, Section 132 is still mormon canon and scripture. In truth the FLDS practices a truer mormonism than present day SLC LDS.
I spent the night at a Marriott Hotel. .
Owned by a prominent mormon - also one of the largest purveyor of porn in the country.
It was very strange. I never saw anything like the stories I saw in the Mormon bible anywhere else. I began to wonder who wrote it and on what basis.
For information on how smith received his 'revelation' to write the bom go to this link.
It has been fairly well shown that the themes in the bom are almost word for word those from other writings of the day (and this doesn't include the volumes of KJV bible copied directly). Some of these parallels are found here.
Read the article please, it explains your misconception. That given, it would not be out of character for smith to try to use such material to support 'later revelations'.
I have read the article. Have you? It speaks of two reviews of “Incidents of Travel in Central America, Chiapas, and Yucatan.” The author discovered that Joseph Smith wrote the reviews. So? How does that equal plagarism?
He stated that “Stephens’ work “corresponds with and supports the testimony of the Book of Mormon.” Unfortunately for smith, he had already been on record stating that the bom lands were in N. America and NY. Interesting that Stephens never cited any egyptian/Hebrew culture being found in central america (for that matter, still no evidence of a hebraic culture has been found in Central America too). So he was willing to take another’s idea and work and try to claim that they support him and his myth.
The majority of the Book of Mormon takes place in Central America. Anyone who has read the book knows this. So the entire basis for your claim is based on a false perception of where the Book of Mormon took place.
Calling star Kolob.....calling star Kolob....
Come in Elohim....come in Elohim.....
Halloween is tomorrow. The Smithmas season begins soon after.
LOL, I once had a copy of the bom that had a photo of the Great Lakes stating it is one of the seas mentioned. Other mormons would strenuously disagree with you - such as Ron Meldrum. My, professing smith is the prophet and the bom is real sees the bom lands elsewhere - now who has a false perception. If central america is where this all happens where is the evidence for those bom cities and religion? Show me the professional peer reviewed articles identifying Zarahemla (crickets). Hill Cumorah is located where - Central America or New York State? Was Zelph found by Smith in Central America or USA?
Indeed!
“Are you suggesting that in writing the Book of Mormon, Joseph Smith plagarized a book that wouldn’t be published for another 11 years?”
Well, you claim he was a prophet... :-)
” I spent the night at a Marriott Hotel. .
“Owned by a prominent mormon - also one of the largest purveyor of porn in the country.
When you stay at the Marriott, carefully take out
the Book of Mormon, open the cover, and in ink, write,
“WARNING: This is a book of cultic literature.”
It will help the next person who picks it up realize
what it is.
ampu
The Hill Cumorah
In the Articles of Faith, written by the apostle, James E. Talmage we read: "The final struggles between Nephites and Lamanites were waged in the vicinity of the Hill Cumorah, in what is now the State of New York, resulting in the destruction of the Nephites as a nation, about 400 A.D. The last Nephite representative was Moroni, who, wandering for safety from place to place, daily expecting death from the victorious Lamanites, wrote the concluding parts of the Book of Mormon, and hid the record in Cumorah. It was the same Moroni who as a resurrected being, gave the records into the hands of Joseph Smith in the present dispensation." Articles of Faith, Ch. 14, Pg. 260.
In chapter seven of his prestigious work, A Marvelous Work and a Wonder, the apostle, LeGrand Richards, reaffirms that "Both the Nephite and Jaredite civilizations fought their final great wars of extinction at and near the Hill Cumorah (or Ramah as the Jaredites termed it), which hill is located between Palmyra and Manchester in the western part of New York State."
Obviously the writers of the Articles of Faith and LDS apostle LeGrand Richards have not read the BOM then....
Either that or we have some serious issues, because I don't think the US Geological Survey realizes New York is in Central America....
LOL...
Oh SNAP!
LOL, will have to remember
yep, they must have been bom illiterates.
Wow! THE Ron Meldrum!!?? I didn’t know that Ron Meldrum had contradicted me!! Holy cow!! I must run and hide in shame!! RON MELDRUM!?!?! WOW!!!!
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.